memorials vpon the death of sir robert quarles, knight quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) memorials vpon the death of sir robert quarles, knight quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed by thomas cotes, for nicholas alsop; and are to be sold at the signe of the angel in popes-head alley, london : . dedication signed: fra: quarles. in verse. signatures: a b⁴. the first leaf is blank. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng [quarles, robert, -- sir, - ] -- death and burial -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion memorials vpon the death of sir robert qvarles , knight . london , printed by thomas cotes , for nicholas alsop ; and are to be sold at the signe of he angel in popes-head alley . . to the mvch honored lady , and my most deare sister mary lady quarles , late wife of sir robert quarles of romford , knight , deseased . madam , my beloved brother , your deare husband , had a name ( purchased by his owne worth ) which needed the helpe of no quill , either to perpetuate or vindicate it : but affection will be doing . losers may chalenge leave to speake , and it is a ventall vanity to repeate that losse , which admits no recovery . a busie hand will blow , although the fire burne : but let the world excuse the tautology of my affection , and know there is a secret cause that bred these lines , which i had rather should bee imagined then revealed : however madam , one of my ends are to comfort you , who have made your selfe a prisoner to your sorrowes , and whose blessings i desire may bee multiplyed by your teares . let your confidence of his happinesse moderate the extremity of your mourning , lest all that loved him beginne to mourne for you : madam i present you with the abstract of his story , for your affection to enlarge , which i recommend as a president for his children to follow . lesse i could not , and more i cannot doe , to testifie the deare remembrance i owe his ashes , and the true love i beare his memory , for whose sake and yours , your ladishippe shall ever bee beloved , and truely honoured by your most affectionate brother , fra : quarles . to the everlasting memory of my dearely loving , and as dearely beloved brother , sir robert quarles , of romford , k nt . iustice of peace and quorum , in the county of essex ; francis quarles , a disconsolate mourner , in the depth of his just sorrow , and height of true affection , presents and consecrats these sad memorials , in testimony of that deare love , which time cannot dissolve , nor death divorse . reader , who ere thou art , that with an obvious eye dost happen to peruse these lines , taxe not my quill whose zeale commands a taske which may incurre the censure of officious partiality ; excuse that hand which rather seekes to ease a heart burthened with a faithfull griefe , then to magnifie his name whose owne deserts require no other herault than popular report ; no other plaudit than the voyce of heaven and angels . his family , if antiquity may chalenge honour , receivd it before the martiall drum of the victorious norman left to beat his conquering marches in this glorious island : but , birth nor blood , nor what his ancestors have done , can chalenge ought in him that might redeeme his name from dull oblivion , had not his undegenerate actions out-spoke his long-lin'd genealogie . his youth had all advantage of education which carefull parents could contrive to give and a sweete ingenuous disposition could take ; bred in the illustrious academy of cambridge , and the honourable society of the innes of court ; wherein he suckt such literature and manners , as seasond his youth , and ripned his age ; to the honour of the church , to the good of his country , to the glory of his family . he was the faithfull husband of three wives ; the first esther ; the daughter of sir edward lewknor , in the county of suffolke k nt . the second , anne ; the widdow of sir thomas sackford in the county of suffolke , k nt . the third , mary ; the daughter of henry parvish , of the city of london , esquire , a true and faithfull mourner . his obedience to authority gave him authority to command ; and his gentlenesse in commanding made him a necessary commander : wherein , he so wisely compounded severity and clemency to the making up of true iustice both commutative and distributive , that the very mouth of malice was muzl'd at his actions , not daring to impeach the uprightnesse of his civil govenment : there was no morall vertue , wherein he attained not to high perfection ; which , like a rich perfume , breathd so much sweetnesse into his name ; and , like a diademe so crownd his dayes with honour and opinion , that timerous vice , not daring to approach his sight , would stand and blush , or shrinke away , and seeke a safe protection from those false hearts that lov'd him not . hee was a friend to all goodnesse and to all that lovd it : faithfull without ends ; constant , without suspition ; loving , without dissimulation : his words were the exposition of his thought ; his actions were the confirmation of his words : in respect of which , he was neither apt to glory nor upbraid ; excusing defaults , without censure : acknowledging deserts , without detractiō the two great pillours which supported and maintaind his oeconomick government , were , piety and hospitallity ; wherein , sobriety so moderated plenty , that men and angels were equally refresht at his repasts , sweetned with the symphony of a chearefull and a charitable heart ; seasoned with the musicke of conjugiall harmony . he was the faithfull servant of two illustrious princes , iames and charles ; in whose acceptable service he so demean'd himselfe in humility , wisedome , and fidelity ; that his knowne faith still rectifyed him in the gratious eye of popular opinion ; whose loyalty could have no greater evidence than a smiling conscience , and two soveraigne princes . the true sincerity of his religion had , but sought not the applause of men ; who , pressing on towards the high reward , both in his practise and profession , neither blusht nor bosted : he was the orphans father ; the oppressors enemy ; the poore mans advocate : apt to forgive , and willing to be forgiven : zealous without faction ; charitable without ostentation ; orthodoxe , without superstition . his brest was a cabanet of ●iety , faith , and compassion , whose carefull keeper was , a true nathaniel , in whom there was no guile : he was the master of his word , wealth , and passion ; lord of his affections both concupiscible , and irascible ; curbing all extremities with prudence ; conquering all adversities with patience . his life was a happy continuation of well spent houres , devoted to the glory of god , the good of his country ; the service of his prince ; wherein , his piety , iustice , and fidelity proposed him an example to all that would desire the love of god and man , and purchase to themselves the underpriz'd inheritance of an honourable name . his death was the confirmation of a well led life , being the other moity of his happy story ; wherein , he appeares just waight , without the allowance of the least graine of flattery , or affection ; it was the subject of his contemplation , expectation , preparation ; in respect of which , it was neither strange , sudden , nor terrible , but a welcome passage from mortality , by corruption , to eternity . and now his blood-washt soule hath entred the pearly gates of new ierusalem ; where he sits roabd , and crownd , and glorified ; enjoying the beatifique vision of iehovah elohim ; triumphing and singing to the name of iesvs , in the sacrosanctious quire of angels , and archangels , hosannas , anthems , and halelujahs . the end . argalus and parthenia the argument of ye history. written by fra: quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) argalus and parthenia the argument of ye history. written by fra: quarles. quarles, francis, - . sidney, philip, sir, - . arcadia. cecil, thomas, fl. , engraver. [ ], , [ ] p. printed for iohn marriott in st. dunstons church:yard fleetstreet, london : . the title page is engraved and signed: tho: cecill sculp. based on a story in sir philip sidney's "arcadia". in verse. in three books. reproduction of the original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng sidney, philip, -- sir, - . -- arcadia -- adaptations -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion argalvs and parthenia the argument of ye history written by fra : quarles . lusit anacreon london printed for iohn marriott in s dunston's church-yard fleet street . . tho : cecill sculp . the minde of the frontspiece . reader , behinde this silken frontspiece lyes the argument of our booke ; which , to your eyes our muse ( for serious causes , and best knowne vnto her selfe ) commands should be vnshowne ; and therefore , to that end , she hath thought fit to draw this curtaine , t'wixt your eye and it . to the right honorable henry lord rich of kensington , earle of holland , captaine of his m aties gvard , and gentleman of the bed-chamber , chancellor of the vniversitie of cambridge , knight of the most noble order of the garter , one of his maiesties most honorable privie covnsel : and great example of trve honovr and chivalry . fra : qvarles presents and dedicates his arg alvs and parthenia . to the reader . reader : i present thee here with a history of argalus and parthenia , the fruits of broken houres : i was a sience taken out of the o●…chard of sir philip sydney , of pretious memory , which i haue lately 〈◊〉 vpon a crab-stocke , in mine owne : it hath brought ●…orth many leaues , and promises pleasing frui●… , if m●…leuolent eyes blast it not in the bud . this booke differs from my former , as a courtier from a churchman : but if any thinke it vn●… , for one to play both parts , i haue presidents for it : and l●…t such know , that i haue taken but one play-day in sixe : howeuer , i should beshrew that hand that binds them all together to make one volume . in this d●…scourse , i haue not affect●…d to set thy v●…derstanding on the rack , by the tyranny of strong lines , which ( as they fabulously report of china dishes ) are m●…de for the third generation to make vse of , and are the meere itch of wit ; vnder the colour o●… which , many haue ventured ( trusti●…g to the oe●…ipean conceit of their ingenious reader ) to write non-sense , and felloniously father the crea●…ed expositions of other men ; not vnlike some painters , who first make the picture , then , from the opinion of better iudgements , conclude , whom it resembles . these lines ●…re strong enough for my purpose ; if not for thine , yet reade them , and your vnderstandings may bee magnified by their weaknesse . reader , thou sh l●… , in the progresse of this story , meet with a 〈◊〉 s●…licisme ; which is this ; demagoras his so f●…ule a deed , ●…ted vpon the faire parthenia , is fully exp●…st ; and yet , the reuenge thereof p●…st ouer in silence ; wherein ( as i conceiue ) i haue not dealt vniustly . when prometheus stole fire from heauen to animate and quicken his artificiall bodies , the seuerer gods ( for punishment of so high a sacriledge , strucke him not d●…ad with a sudden thunderbolt , but ( to be more deeply auenged ) l●…t him liue , to be tormented with vulters , continually g●…awing on his liuor . the s●…me kind of torture had ixion : so had sisyphus : so had tantalus : did then demagoras fault equall ( if not exceed ) theirs , and should his punishment be l●…sse ? h●…d my pen deliuered him dead into your hands , what could ye h●…ue had more ? his accursed memory had soone ro●…ted with his b●…ser name , and there had beene an end of him : in which respect , i haue suffered him to liue , that he might stand like a lack-a-lent , or a shrouing cocke for eue●…y one to spend a cudgell at , to the wo●…lds end . ladies ( for in yo●…r 〈◊〉 l●…ps i know this booke will choose to lye , which being farre fetched , if the stationer be wise , will be most fit for you ) my suit is , that you would be pleased to giue the faire parthenia your noble ●…ntertainment : she hath crost the seas ●…or your acquaintance , and is come to liue and dye with you ; to whose gentle hands i recommend her , and kisse them . fr ; qv. dublin this . of march. . argalvs and parthenia . the first booke . within the limits of th' arcadian land , whose gratefull bounty hath inricht the hand of many a shepherd swaine , whose rurall art ( vntaught to gloze , or with a double heart to vow dissembled loue ) did build to fame eternall trophies of a pastorall name ; that sweet arcadia ; which , in antique dayes , was wont to warble out her well-tun'd layes to all the world ; and , with her oaten reede , did sing her loue whilst her proud flocks did feed ; arcadia , whose deserts did claime to be as great a sharer in the daphnean tree , as his , whose louder aenead proudly sings heroick conquests of victorious kings ; there ( if th'exuberance of a word may swell so high , that angels may be said , to dwell ) there dwelt that virgin , that arcadian glory , whose rare composure did abstract the story of true perfection , modellizing forth the ●…eight of beauty , and admired worth ; h●…r name parthenia ; whose vnnam'd descent can serue but as a needlesse complement to gild p●…rfection : she shall boast , alone , what bounteous art , and nature makes her owne . her mother was a lady , whom deepe age more fi l'd with honour , then diseases ; s●…ge , a modest matron , strict , reseru'd , austere , sp●…ring in sp●…ch , bu●… liberall of her eare ; fi●…rce to her fo●…s , and violent where she l kes ; wedded to what her owne opinion strikes ; fr●…quent quent in almes , and charitable deeds , of mighty spirit , constant to her beads , wisely suspitious ; but what need we other then this ? she was the rare parthenia's mother ; that rare parthenia , in whose heauenly eye sits maiden-mildnesse , mixt with maiesty , whose secret power hath a double skill , by frownes or smiles , to make aliue , or kill ; her cheeks are like two bancks of fairest flowers , inricht with sweetnesse from the twilight showers , whereon those iarres which were so often bred , composed were , betwixt the white and red : her haire raught downe beneath her yuory knees , as if that nature , to so rare a piece , h●…d meant a shadow , labouring to show a●…d boast the vtmost , that her hand could doe : like sm●…llest flaxe appea●…'d her nymph like haire , but only fl●…xe was not so small , so faire : h r lips like rubies , and you 'd thinke , within , in stead of teeth , that orient pearles had bin : the whiten●…sse of her dainty n●…ck you know , if euer you behold the new-salne snow ; her swan-like brests were like two little spheares , wherein , each a zure line in view appeares , which , were they obuious but to euery eye , all liberall arts would turne astronomie ; her sl●…nder wast , her lilly hands , her armes i dare not 〈◊〉 to view , because all charmes forbidden are : my bashfull muse descends no lower sleppe : he●…e her commission ends , and by another vertue doth enioyne my pen to treate perfection , more diuine : the chast diana , and her virgin-crew was but a type of one , that should ensue in after ages , which we find exprest , and here fulfill'd in chasts parthenia's brest : true vertue was the obiect of her will ; she could no ill , because she knew no ill ; her thoughts were noble , and her words not lauish , yet free , but wisely waigh'd ; more apt to rauish , then to entice ; lesse beautify'd with art , then naturall sweetn sse : in her gentle heart iudgement t●…anscended : from her milder brest passion was not exiled , but represt : her voyce exce●…'d ; nay , had you heard her voyce but warble 〈◊〉 , you might haue had the choyce , to 〈◊〉 her for some smooth-fac'd cherubin , o●… el●…e some glorious angel , that had bin a trebble sharer in th' eternall ioyes , such was h●…r voyce , such was her heauenly voyce : merry , yet mod●…st ; witty , and yet wise ; not apt to toy , and yet not too too nice ; quick , but not ●…ash ; courteous , and yet not common ; not too familiar , and yet scorning no man : in bri●…fe , who would relate her prayses well , must first bethinke himselfe , what is t' exc●…ll . when these perfections h●…d enhaunc'd the name of rare parthenia , nimble winged fame grew great with honour , spreads her hasty wings , aduanc'd her trumpet , and away she springs , and with her ●…ull mouth'd blast she doth proclaime 〈◊〉 glory of partheniaes name : who now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parthenia ? what report can find admittance in th' arcadian co●…rt but faire partheniaes ? euery sol●…mne feast must now be swcern●…d , ho●…ourd , and poss●…st with high discourses of partheniaes glory , and euery mouth must b●…eathe partheniaes story . the po●…t summons now his amorous quill , and scornes a●…istance from the sacr●…d hill : the sweet lip●… oratour takes in hand to raise his prouder stile , to sp●…ke partheniacs praise . the curious painter wis●…ly doth displace faire venus , sets parthenia in her pl●…ce . the pleader burnes his bookes , disdaines the law , and f●…lls in lou●… with whom his ey●…s ne'er saw . healths to the f●…ire parthenia fl●… about at euery bord , whilst others , mo●…e 〈◊〉 , build idols to her , and adore the s●…me ; and parrats learne to 〈◊〉 partheniaes name . some trust to f●…me ; some secretly disprise her worth ; some emulates , and some enuies ; some doubt , some feare lest lauish same belye her , and all that dare beleeue report , admire . vpon the bord●…rs of the arcadian land dwelt a laconian lord ; of proud command , lord of much people , youthfull , and of fame , more great then good ; demagoras his name , of stature tall , his body spare , and meager , thicke shoulderd , hollow cheek'd , and visage eager , his g●…shfull countenance swarthy , long and thinne , and downe each side of his reuerted chin●…e a locke of blacke neglected haire ( be friended with warts too vgly to be seene ) descended ; his rowling eyes were deeply suncke , and hiew'd like fire ; t is said , they blisterd where they view'd . vpon his shoulders , from his fruitfull crowne , a rugged crop of elfclocks dangled downe : his hide all hairy ; garish his attire , and his complexion meerely earth and fire ; peruerse to all ; extenuating what another did , because he did it not : maligning all mens actions but his owne , not louing any , and belou'd of none : reuengefull , enuious , desperately stout , and in a word , to paint him fully out , that had the monopolie to fulfill all vice ; the hieroglyphick of all ill . he view'd partheniaes face : as srom aboue fireballs of lightning hurld by angry ioue confound the vnarm'd beholder at a blow , and leaue him ruin'd in the place : euen so the peerelesse beauty of partheniaes eyes , at the first sight did conquer and surprise , the slauish thoughts of this amazed louer , who voyd of strength to hide , or to discouer the tyrannous scorching of his secret fires , prompted by passion , with himselfe conspires . accurs'd demagoras ! into what a fe●… hath one looke strucke thy soule ? o neuer , neuer to be recur'd : if i had done amisse , hath heauen no easier plagues in store , but this ? promethius paines are not so sharpe as these , our sinnes yet labour'd both of one disease ; our faults are equall ; both stole fire from heauen ; our faults alike , why are our plagues vneuen ? be iust ; o make not such vnequall ods of equall sinnes : be iust , or else no gods : why send ye downe such angels to the earth , to mocke poore mortalls ? or of mortall birth , if such a heauenlike paragon may be , why doe ye not wound her , as well as me but why doe i implore your aydes in 〈◊〉 , that are the hi●…hest agents in my p●…ine ? poore wretc●… ! what hope of helpe can ye assure me , when onely she , that made the wound can cure me ? diuine 〈◊〉 , earths 〈◊〉 iewell , would thou 〈◊〉 beene lesse glorious or lesse cruell . wh●…n 〈◊〉 thine eyes did to these eyes appeare , i read the 〈◊〉 of my ruine there , my necessary ruin●… : heauen , nor hell can salue my sores , by helpe of prayer , or spell ; gods are vniust ; and if , with charmes , 〈◊〉 haunt her , her eyes are counter charmes , to enchant 〈◊〉 : why doe i thus ex●…lcerate my disease ? by adding torments , hope i to find ease ? is not her cruelty enough , alone , but must i bring fresh torments of my owne ? cheare vp demagor●…s : t is a wise mans part not to lose all , if his vnpractis'd art serues not to gaine : a gamester may not choose his chance : it is some conquest not to loose : looke to thy selfe : let no iniurious blast of cold despaire chi●… thy greene wounds too fast for time to cure : o , hope for no remission of paine , till cupid send thee a physition . she is a woman . if a woman , then my title 's good ; women were made for men : she is a woman , though her heauenly brow write angell , and may stoope , although not now ; women , by lookes , will not be vnderstood , vntill their hearts aduise with flesh and blood . she is a woman ; there 's no reason why , but she ( perchance ) may burne as well as i. moue then , demagoras , let parthenia know the strength of her owne beauty , in thy woe : feare not , what thou ador'st ; begin to moue , chriscrosse sore-runs the alphabet of loue : t is halfe perfected , what is once begun ; she is a woman ; and she must be wonne . like as a swaine , whose hands haue made a vow and sw●…rne allegeance to the peacefull plough , prest out for seruice in the 〈◊〉 campe , at first ( vnentred ) finds a liuelesse dampe beleagring euery ioynt ; as often swounds as ere he viewes his sword , or thinks of wounds ; at length ( not finding any meanes for flying , switcht and spurd on with desp●…rate feare of dying ) he hewes , he hackes , and in the midst he goes , and freshly deales about his frantick blowes ; euen so demagoras , whose vnbred fashion had neuer yet subscrib'd to loues sweet passion : being call'd a combitant to cupids field , trembles , and secretly resolues to yeeld the day without a parly , till at length , fiercely transported by th'vntu●…'d strength of his owne passion , he himselfe assures , that 〈◊〉 torme●…ts must haue desp'rate c●…res and thus to the diuine partheniaes eares applies his speech , deuo●…d of doubts and f●…ares . fairest of creatures , if my ruder tongue , to right it selfe , should d●…e your patience wrong : and lawlesse passion make it too too free , o blame your heauenly beautie , and not me : it was those eyes , those precious eyes that first enforc'd my tongue to speake , or heart to burst , from those deare eyes i first receiu'd that wound , which seekes for cure , and cannot be made sound , but by the hand that strucke ; to you alone , i sue for helpe , that else must hope for none : then crowne my ioyes , thou antidote of despaire , and be as mercifull , as thou art faire . nature , ( the bounty of whose liberall hand made thee the iewell of the arcadian land ) intended in so rare a prize , to boast her masterpeece : hid iewells are but lost . shine then , and rob not nature of her due , but honour her , as she hath honour'd you . let not the best of all her workes lye dead in the nice casket of a mayd●…nhead : what she would haue reueal'd , o doe not smother , th' art made in vaine , vnlesse thou make another : giue me thy heart , and for that gift of thine , lest thou shouldst want a heart , i le giue thee mine , as richly fraught with loue , and lasting duty , as thou , with vertue , or thine eyes , with beauty . why dost thou frowne ? why does that heauenly brow not made for wrinkles , show a wrinkle now ? send forth thy brighter sun-shine , and the while , o lend me but the twilight of a smile : giue me one amorous glance : why standst thou mute ? disclose those ruby lips , and grant my suite ; speake ( loue ) or if thy doubtfull minde be bent to silence , let that silence be consent : nor begge i loue of almes , although in part , my words may seeme t●…implead my owne desert . disdaine me not , although my thoughts descend below themselues , t' enioy so faire a friend : 〈◊〉 that haue o●…t , with teares , bin sought to , sue ; and queens haue bin his seruants , that serues you . the beauties of all gr●…ece haue bin at strife to winne the name of great demagoras wife , and bin despis'd , not worthy to obtaine so high an honour ; what they sought ( in vaine ) i here present thee with as thine owne due , it being an honour fit for none but you : speake then ( my loue , ) and let thy lips make knowne , that i am either thine , or not mine owne : haue you beheld when f●…esh auroras eye sends forth her early beames , and by and by withdrawes the glory of her face , and shrowds her checkes behind a ruddy m●…ske of clouds , which , who beleeue in erra pater , say presages winde , and blustry stormes that day , such were partheniaes lookes , in whose faire face , roses and lillies , late had equall place . but now , twixt mayden bash fulnesse and spleene , roses appear'd and lillies were not seene : s●…e paus'd a while , till at the last she breakes her long kept angry silence , thus ; and speakes , my lord , had your strong oratory but the art , to make me conscious of so great desert , as you perswade , i should be bound in duty to praise your rhet'ricke , as you prize my beauty ; or if the frailty of my iudgement could flatter my thoughts so grosly , as to hold your words for currant , you might boldly dare count me as soolish , as you terme me faire . if you vye courtship , fortune knowes that i haue not so strong a game , to see the vye : alas , my skill durst neuer vndertake to play the game , where hearts be set at stake ; needs must the losse be great , when such haue bin seldome obseru'd to saue themselues that win : you craue my heart ; my lord , you craue withall , too great a mischiese ; my poore heart 's too small to fill the concaue of so great a brest , whose thoughts can scorne the amorous request of loue sicke queenes , and can requite the vaine , and factious suits of ladies with disdaine : stoope not so low beneath your selfe ( great lord ) to loue parthenia : shall so poore a word staine your faire lips ? whose merits doe proclaime a more transcendent fortune , then that name can giue : call downe ioues winged pursuiuant , a●…d giue his tongue the power to enchant some easie goddesse , in your name , and treat a mariage fitting so sublime , so great a mind as yours , and fill the fruitfull earth with heroes , sprung from so diuine a birth : partheniaes heart could neuer yet aspire so high : her homebred thoughts durst ne're desire so fond an honour , matcht with so great pride , to hope for that , which queenes haue beene denyde . be wise , my lord ; vouchsafe not to repeat s'vnfit a suit ; be wise , as you are great : aduance your noble thoughts : hazard no more to wrack your fortunes on so fleet a shore , that , to the wiser world , it may be knowne the lesse y' are mine , the more you are your owne . like as a guilty prisner , vpon whom offended iustice lately past her doome , stands trembling by , and , hopelesse to preuaile , b●…ules not for mercy , but to the loath'd iaile d●…agges his sad yrons , and from thence commends a h●…sty suite to his selected friends , that by the vertue of a quicke reprie●…e the wretch might haue some few daies more to liue . euen so demagoras , whose rewounded heart had newly felt the vnexpected smart and secret burthen of a desp'rate doome , replies not , takes no leaue , but quits the roome , and , in his discontented mind , reuolues ten thousand thoughts ; and at the last resolues what course to runne , relying on no other , but the assistance of partheniaes mother . forthwith his fierce misguided passion droue his wandring steps to the next neighboring groue . a keene steeletto in his trembling hand he rudely grip'd , vpon his lips did stand a milke white froth ; his eyes like flames ; sometimes he curses heauen ; himselfe ; and then , the times ; railes at the proud parthenia ; raues ; despaires ; and from his head rends off his tangled hayres ; curs . s the wombe that bare him ; bans the fates ; and , drunke with spleene , he thus deliberates . why dyest thou not , demagoras , when as death lends thee a weapon ? can the whining breath of discontent and passion send reliefe to thy distraction , or asswage thy griefe ? why moou'st thou not the gods ? or rather , why do'st not contemne , and scorne their power , and dye ? but stay ! of whom dost thou complaine ? a woman . to whom ( fond man ) dost thou complaine ? a woman . and shall a womans frownes haue power to grieue thee ? or shall a womans wanton smile relieue thee ? fye , fie , demago●…as , shall a womans eye pre●…aile , to make the stout demagor●…s dye , and leaue to after times an entred name 〈◊〉 callender of fooles ? rouze vp for shame thy wasted spirits : whet thy spleene and liue to be reueng'd : she , she that would not giue admittance to thy proferd loue must drinke the potion of thy hate : stirre then the sinke of all thy passion ; where thou canst not gaine by fairer lauguage , tarquin-like constraine . but hold thy band , dem●…goras , and aduise ; art giues ad●…antage oft , where force denyes ; suspend thy fury : make parthenia●…s mother thy meanes : one adamant will cut another : sweeten thy lips with amorous oratorie ; affect her tender heart , with the sad story of thy deare loue ; extoll parth●…niaes beauty ; but most of all , vrge that deserued duty thou ow'st her vertue , and make that the ground of thy first loue , that gaue thy heart the wound : mingle thy words with sighes ; and it is meet , if thou canst force a teare , to let her see 't against thy will : let thy false tongue forbeare no vowes and though thou beest forsworne , yet sweare : if ere thy barren lips shall chance to pause , for want of words ; parthenia is the cause , who hath benumm'd thy heart ; if e're they goe beyond their lists , parthenia made them so . withall ; be sure , when ere thou shalt aduance the daughters vertues , let the glory glance vpon the prudent mother ; women care not to heare too much of vertue , if they share not . when thus thou hast prepar'd her melting eare to soft attention ; closely , in the reare of thy discourse , preferre thy sad petition , that she would please to fauour the condition of a distressed louer , and afford in thy behalfe , a mothers timely word ; so shalt thou wreck thy vengeance by a wilde , and make the mother bawd to her owne childe . he paused not ; but like a rash proiector ( whose franticke passion was supreme director ) fixt his first thoughts , impatient of the second which might bin betterd by aduise , and reckon'd all time but lost , which he bestowed not on th' execution of his hopefull plot ; forthwith his nimble paces he diuided towards the summer pallace , where resided the faire partheniaes mother , boldly enters , and after mutu●…ll complement , aduenters to breake the yce of his dissembled griefe ; thus he complaines , and thus he begs reliefe . madam , the hopefull thriuing of my suit depends vpon your goodnesse , and it recommends it selfe vnto your sauour , from whose hand it must haue sentence , or to fall , or stand ; thirce three times hath the soueraigne of the night , repaird her empty hornes with borrowed light , since these sad eyes , these beauty blasted eyes were stricken by a light , that did arise from your blest wombe , whose vnasswaged smart hath peirc'd my soule , and wounded my poore heart ; it is the faire parthenia , whose diuine and glorious vertue led these eyes of mine to their owne ruine ; like a wanton fly , i dallied with the flames of her bright eye , till i haue burn'd my wings : o , if to loue be held a sinne , the guilty gods aboue ( being fellow-sinners with vs , and commit the selfe same crimes ) may eas'ly pardon it . o thrice diuine partheni●… , that hast got a sacred priuiledge which the gods haue not , if thou hast doom'd that i shall be bereauen of my loath'd life , yet let me dye for giuen : and welcome death , that with one happy blow giues me more ease , then life could euer doe . madam , to whom should my sad words appeale but you ? al●… , to whom should i reueale my dying thoughts , but vnto you , that gaue being to her , that hath the power to saue my wasted life ? the language of a mother moues more then teares , that trickle from another . with that a well dissembled drop did slide from his false eyes . the lady thus replyde . my honorable lord , if my vntimely answer hath preuented some further words your passion would haue vented , pardon my haste ; which , in a ruder fashion sought onely to diuide you , from your passion : the loue you beare parthenia must claime the priuiledge of mine eare , and in her name , ( though from an absent mind as yet vnknowne ) returne i thankes , with intrest of my owne . the little iudgement , that the gods haue lent her downy yeares ( though in a small extent ) does challenge the whole freedome of her choyce , in the resignement of a mothers voice : the sprightly fancies of a virgins mind enter themselues , and hate to be confinde ; the hidden embers of a louers fire desire no bellowes , but their owne desire , and like to dedalus his forge , if blowne burnes dimme and dyes ; blazes , if let alone ; louers affect , without aduisement , that which being most perswaded to , they hate . my lord , adiourne your passion , and refer the fortune of your suite to time , and her . like to a pinace is a louers minde , the saile his fancy is ; a storme of winde , his vncontrouled passion ; the stea●…'s his reason ; rocks and sinds , are doubts and feares ; your storme being great , like a wise pilot , beare but little saile , and stoutly ply the steare . leaue then the violence of your thoughts to me , my lord , too hasty gamesters ouersee . goe , moue parthenia , and let iuno's blessing attend your hopefull suite , in the suppressing loues common euills ; and if her warme desire show but a sparke , leaue me to blow the fire . goe , lose no time : louers must be laborious ; my lord goe prosperous , aud returne victorious . with that demagoras ( prostrate on the ground , as if his eares had heard that blessed sound , wherewith the delphian oracle acquites the accepted sacrifice ) performes the rites of quicke deuotion , to that heauenly voice , which fed his soule with the malignant ioyes of vow'd reuenge ; vp , from the floore he starts , blesses the tongue that bles●… him ; and departs . by this time , had the heauen-surrounding steeds quell'd their proud courage , turn'd their fainting head into the lower hemispheare , to coole their flaming nostrills in the westerne poole , when as the dainty and mollitious ayre had bid the lady of the pallace , share in her refined pleasures , and inuited her gentle steps , fully to be delighted in those sweet walkes , where flora's liberall hand had giuen more freely , then to all the land ; there walked she ; and in her va●…ious minde , proiects and casts about which way to finde the progresse of the yong partheniaes heart ; likes this way : then a second thought does thwart the first ; likes that way ; then a third , the second : one while she likes the match , and then she reckon'd demagoras vertues : now her feare entices h●…r thoughts to alter ; then she counts his vices : sometimes she cals his vowes and oathes to minde : another while , thinkes oathes and words but winde . she likes , dislikes ; her doubtfull thoughts doe vary , resolues , and then resolues the quite contrary . one while she feares , that his maligne aspect will giue the virgin cause to disaffect : and then , propounds to her ambitious thoughts his wealth , the golden couer of all faults : and , from the chaos of her doubt , digests her feares ; creates a world of wealth , and rests . with that , she straight vnfixt her fastned eyes from off the ground ; and , looking vp , espyes the faire parthenia , in a louely bowre , spending the treasure of an euening houre : there sate she , reading the sweet-sad discourses of charicleas loue : the entercourses of whose mixt fortunes taught her tender heart to feele the selfe same ioy , the selfe same smart : she read , she wept ; and , as she wept , she smil'd , as if her ●…quall eyes had reconcilde the extremes of ioy and griefe : she closde the booke , then op'ned it , and with a milder looke , she piti●…s louers ; musing then a while , she teaches smiles to weepe ; and teares , to smile : at length , her broken thoughts she thus discouers . vnconstant state of poore distressed louers ! is all extreame in loue ? no meane at all ? no draughts indifferent ? either honey or gall ? hath cupids vniuerse no temp'rate zone , either a torrid or a frozen one ? alas , alas , poore louers . as she spake those words , from her disclosed lips there brake a gentle sigh ; and after that , another : with that steps in her vnexpected mother . haue ye beheld , when titans lustfull head hath newly di●…'d into the seagreene bed of thet is , how the bashfull horizone ( enfore'd to see what should be seene by none ) lookes red for shame ; and blushes to discouer th' incestuous pleasures of the heauen borne louer ? so look'd parthenia , when the sudden eye of her vnwelcome mother did d●…scry her secret passion : the mothers smile brought forth the daughters blush ; and leuell coyle they smil'd and blush ; one smile begate another : the daughter blusht , because the icalous mother smil'd on her ; and the silent mother smilde , to see the conscious blushing of her childe , at length , growne great with words , she did awake her forced silence , and she thus bespake . blush not , my fairest daughter ; t is no shame to pitty louers , or lament that flame , which worth and beauty kindles in the brest : t is charity to succour the distrest . the disposition of a generous heart makes euery griese her owne , at least beares part . what marble , ah what adamantine care ere heard the flames of troy , without a teare ? much more the scorching of a louers fire , ( whose desprate fewell is his owne desire ) may boldly challenge euery gentle heart to be 〈◊〉 in his secret smart : why dost thou blush ? why did those pearly teares slide downe ? feare not : this arbour hath no cares ; here 's none but we ; speake then : it is no shame to shed a teare ; thy mother did the same : say ; hath the winged wanton , with his dart , sent ere a message to thy wounded heart ? speake , in the name of hymen i coniure thee ; if so , i haue a 〈◊〉 shall recure thee : i feare , i feare , the yong la 〈◊〉 lord hath lately left some indigested word in thy cold stomack : which , for want of art i doubt , i doubt , lyes heauy at thy heart : if that be all , reue●…ling brings reliefe : silence in loue but multiplies a griefe : hid sorrow's desperate , not to be endur'd , which being but disclos'd , is easly cur'd : perchance , thou 〈◊〉 demagoras ; and wouldst smother thy close 〈◊〉 from thy angry mother , and reap●… the da●…nty fruits of loue , vnseene ; i did the like , or thou hadst neuer beene ; stolne goods are sweetest : if it be thy minde to loue in secret , i will be as blinde as he that wounded thee ; or if thou dare acquaint thy mother , then a mothers care shall be redoubled , till thy thoughts acquire the sweet fruition of thy choice desire : thou lou'st d●…magoras ; if thy lips deny , thy conscious heart must giue thy lips the lye : and if thy liking countermand my will , thy punishment shall be to loue him still : then loue him still , and let his hopes inherit the crowne , belonging to so faire a merit , his thoughts are noble , and his fame appeares to speake , at least , an age aboue his yeares . the blood of his increasing honour springs from the high stock of the arcadian kings : the gods haue blest him with a liberall hand , enricht him with the prime of all the land : honour and wealth attend his gates , and what can he command , that he possesses not ? all which , and more , ( if mothers can diuine ) the fortune of thy beauty hath made thine : he is thy captiue , and thy conquering eyes haue tooke him prisner : hee submits , and lies at thy deare mercie , hoping ne re to be ransom'd from death , by any price , but thee . wrong not thy selfe in being too too nice , and what ( perchance ) may not be proferd twise , accept at first : it is a foolish minde to be too coy : occasion 's bald behind : t is not the common worke of euery day , t' afford such offers : take them while you may : times alter : youth and beauty are but blasts ; vse then thy time , whil'st youth and beauty lasts : for if that loath'd and infamous reproach of a stale maide , but offer to incroach vpon opinion ; th' art in estimation , like garments , kept till they be out of fashion : thy worth , thy wit , thy vertues all must stand like goods at outcries , priz'd at second hand . resolue thee then , t' enlarge thy virgin life , with th' onourable freedome of a wife , and let the fruits of that blest marriage be a liuing pledge betwixt my child and me . so said ; the faire parthenia ( in whose heare her owne affections yet had got the start of her obedience ) makes a sudden pause , striues with her thoughts , obiects the binding lawes of filiall duty , to her best affection ; sometimes submits vnto her owne election , sometimes vnto her mothers : thus diuided in her distracted sancy , sometimes guided by one desire , and sometimes by another , she thus replide to her attentiue mother . madam , thinke not parthenia , vnder a pretence of silence , studies disobedience : or by the crafty slownesse of reply , borrowes a quick aduantage to deny : it lyes not in your power , to command beyond my will : vnto your tender hand , i here surrender vp that little all you gaue me , freely to dispose withall . the gods forbid , parthenia should resist what you command , command you what you list : but pardon me , the young laconian lord hath made assault , but neuer yet could board this heart of mine : i wept , i wept indeed , but my misconsterd streames did ne're proceed from cupids spring : this blubber'd book makes known , whose griefes i wept ; i wept not for mine owne ; my lowly thoughts durst neuer yet a spire the least degree , towards the proud desire of so great honour , to be call'd his wife , for whom , ambitious queenes haue bin at strife ; he su'd for loue , and strongly did importune my heart , more pleased with a meaner fortune ; my brest was marble , and my heart forgot all pitty ; for , indeed , i lou'd him not ; but madam ; you , to whose more wise directions i bend the stoutest of my rash aff●…ctions , you haue commanded , and your will shall be the square to my vneauen desires , and me ; i 'le practise duty , and my deeds shall show it ; i 'le practise loue , though cupid neuer know it . wh●…n great basilius ( he whose princ●…ly hand nourisht long peace in the arcadian land ) with triumph , brought to his renowned court , his new espoused queene , was great resort of forraine states , and princes , to behold the truth , that vnbeleeu'd report had told of faire gynecias worth : thither repair'd the cyprian nobles , richly all 〈◊〉 in warlike furniture , and well addrest , with solemne iousts to glorifie the feast of mariage royall , lately past betweene th' arcadian king , and his thrice noble queene , the faire gynecia ; in whose face and brest nature , and curious art had done their best , to summe that rare perfection , which ( in briefe ) transcends the power of a strong beliefe ; her syer was the cyprian king , whose fame receiu'd more honour from her honour'd name , then , if he had , with his victorious hand , vnsceptred halfe the princes in the land : to tell the glory of this royall feast ; the bridegroomes state , and how the bride was drest ; the princely seruice , and the rare delights ; the seuerall names and worth , of lords and knights ; their quaint impresa's , their deuisefull showes ; their martiall sports , their oft redoubled blowes ; the courage of this lord , or that proud horse ; who ran ; who got the better , who , the worse , is not my taske ; nor lyes it in my way , to make relation of it : heraulds may : yet fame and honour hath selected one , from that illustrious crew ; and him alone haue recommended to my carefull quill , forbidding that his honour sho●…ld lye still among the rest , whom fortune and his spirit , that day , had crowned with a victors merit , his name was argalus ; in cyprus borne ; and ( if what is not ours , may adorne our proper fortunes ) his blood royall springs from th' ancient stocke of the great cyprian kings : his outside had enough to satisfie the expectation of a curious eye : nature was too too prodigall of her beauty , to make him halfe so faire , whom fame , and duty he ought to honour , cal●…'d so often forth , t' approue the exc'lence of his manly worth : his minde was richly furnisht with the treasure of morall knowledge , in so liberall measure , not to be proud : so valiant , and so strong of noble courage , not to dare a wrong : friendly to all men , inward but with few ; fast to his old friends , and vnapt for new : lord of his word , and master of his passion , serious in buisnesse , choyce in recreation : not too mistrustfull , and yet wisely wary ; hard to resolue , and then as hard to vary : and to conclude , the world could hardly finde so rare a body with so rare a minde . thrice had the bright surueyour of the heauen diuided out the dayes and nights by euen and equall houres , since this child of fame ( inuited by the glory of her name , ) first view'd partheniaes face , whose mutuall eye shot equall flames , and with the secret tie of vndisclos'd affection , ioyn'd together their yeelding hearts , their loues vnknown to either , both dearly lou'd : the more they stroue to hide their loue , affection they the more descride . it lyes beyond the power of art to smother affection , where one vertue finds another : one was their thoughts , and their desires one , and yet both lou'd , vnknowne ; beloued , vnknowne : one was the dart , that at the selfe same time was sent , that wounded her , that wounded him : both hop'd , both fear'd alike , both ioy'd , both grieu'd ; yet , where they both could helpe , was none relieu'd : two lou'd , and two beloued were ; yet none but two in all , and yet that all but one . by this time had their barren lippes betraid their timorous silence ; now they had displaid loues sanguine colours , whilst the winged child sate in a tree , and clapt his hands , and smil'd to see the combat of two wounded friends : he strikes and wounds himselfe , while she defends that would be wounded , for h●…r paine proceeds , and flowes from his , and from his wound , she bleeds ; she playes at him , and ayming at his breast , pierc'd her owne heart : and when his hand addrest the blow to her faire bosome , there it found his owne deare heart , and gaue that heart the wound : at length both conquer'd and yet both did yeeld , both lost the day , and yet both wan the field : and as the warfare of their tongues did cease , their lips gaue earnest of a ioyfull peace . but ô the hideous chances that attend a louers progresse , to his iournies end ! how many desp'rate rubs , and dangers waite each minute , on his miserable state ! his hopes doe build , what straight his feares destroy , sometimes , he surfeits with excesse of ioy : sometimes , despairing ere to find reliefe , he roares beneath the tyranny of griefe ; and when loues current runnes with greatest force , some obuious mischiefe still disturbes the course : for loe , no sooner the discouerd flame of these new parted louers did proclaime loues sacred iubilé ; but the virgins mother ( the posture of whose visage did discouer some serious matter , harb'ring in her brest ) enters the roome : halfe angry , halfe in iest , shee thus began : my dearest child , this night , when as the silent darknesse did inuite mine eyes to slumber , sundry thoughts possest my troubled minde , and robb'd me of my rest ; i slept not , till the early bugle horne of chaunti●…lere had summon'd in the morne t' attend the light , and nurse the new-borne day ; at last , when morpheus , with his leaden key , had lockt my senses , and enlarg'd the power of my heauen guided fancy , for an houre i slumbred ; and before my slumbring eyes , one , and the selfesame dreame presented thrice ; i wak'd ; and , being frighted at the vision , perceiu'd the gods had made an app●…ition : my dreame was this : me thought i saw thee sitting drest like a princely bride , with robes befitting the state of maiesty ; thy nymph-like haire loosely dissheuel'd ; and thy browes did beare a cypresse wreath ; and ( thrice three months expir'd ) thy pregnant wombe grew heauy , and required lucina's aid : with that , me thought i saw a teame of harnest peacocks fiercely draw a siery chariot from the flitting sky , wherein there sate the glorious maiesty of great saturnia , on whose traine attended an hoast of goddesses ; iuno descended from out the flaming chariot , and blest thy painfull wombe : thy paines a while encreast ; at length , she laid her gentle palmes vpon thy fruitfull flanke , and there was borne a son : she made thee mother of a smiling boy , and , after , blest thee with a mothers ioy ; she kist the babe , whose fortune she foresold , for on his head she set a crowne of gold ; forthwith , as if the heauens had clouen in sunder , me thoughts i heard the horrid noise of thunder ; the raine pour'd downe , and yet the skie was cleare , and euery drop that lighted , did appeare as orient pearle , mixt with refined gold ; vvbereat , the goddesse turn'd , and said , behold , great i●…ue hath sent a gift : goe forth , and tak 't , thus hauing spoke , she vanisht , and i wak't : i wak'●… ; and waking , trembled ; for i knew they were no idle passages , that grew from my distemperd thoughts ; t was not a vaine delusion rouing from a troubled braine ; it was a vision ; and the gods forespake parthenia's fortune : gods cannot mistake . i lik'd the dreame ; wherein the gods foretold thy ioyfull mariage ; and the shower of gold betokened wealth ; the infants golden crowne , ensuing honour : iuno's comming downe , a safe deliuerance ; and the smiling boy summ'd vp the totall of a mothers ioy : but what the wreath of cypresse ( that was set vpon thy nuptiall browes ) presag'd , as yet the gods keepe from me : if that secret doc portend an euill , heauen keepe it from thee too . aduise parthenia : seeke not to withstand the plot , wherein the gods vouchsafe a hand ; submit thy will to theirs ; what they enioy●…e , must be ; nor lyes it in my power , or thine to contradict : endeauor to fulfill what , else , must come to passe against thy will. now by the fil●…all all duty thou dost beare the gods and me , or if ought else more deare can force obedience ; as thou hop'st to speed at the gods hands , in greatest time of need ; by heauen , by hell , by all the powers aboue , i here coniure parthenia to remoue all sond conceits , that labour to disioyne what heauen hath knit , dem●…goras's heart and 〈◊〉 ; the gods are faithfull , and their wisedomes know what 's better for vs mortalls , then we doe ; doubt not ( my child ) the gods cannot deceiue ; what heauen does offer , feare not to receiue , with thankfull hands : passe not so sleightly ouer the deare affection of so true a louer ; pitty his flames ; relieue his tortur'd brest , that findes abroad , no ioy ; at home , no rest ; but , like a wounded hart before the hounds , that flies , with cupids iauelin in his wounds : stir vp thy rak't vp embers of desire , the gods will bring in fewell , and blow the fire ; be gentle ; let thy cordiall smiles reuiue his wasted spirits , that onely cares to liue to doe thee honour : it was cupids will , the dart he sent , should onely wound ; not kill ; yeeld then ; a●…d let th'engaged gods powre downe their promis'd blessings on thy head ; and crowne thy youth with ioyes ; and maist thou after be as blest in thine , as i am blest in thee . so said : the faire parthenia , to whose heart her fixt desires had taught th'●…m willing art of disobedience , calls her iudgement in ; and , of two euills , determines it a sin more veniall , by a resolute deniall , to proue vn 〈◊〉 , then be d●…sloyall to him , whose heart a sacred vow had tyed so fast to hers ; and ( weeping ) thus reply●…d : madam , the angry gods haue late conspir'd to show the vtmost their enraged hands could doc , and hauing laid aside all mercy , stretch their power , to make one miserable wretch , whose curst and tortur'd soule must onely be the subiect of their wrath ; and i am she . hard is the case ! my deare desires must faile ; my vowes must cracke ; my plighted faith be fraile ; or else affection must be so exil'd a mothers heart , that she renounce her child . and as she sp●…ke that word , a flowing tide of teares gusht out , whose violence deny'd tn'intended passag●… of her doubling tongue : she stopt a ●…hile : then on the floore sh●… flung her prostrate body , whilst her hands did teare ( not kn●…owing what they did ) her dainty haire . sometimes she struck the ground ; somtimes , her brest : began some words , and then wept out the rest ; at last , her liuelesse hands did , by degrees , raise her cast body on her feeble knees , and humbly rearing her sad eyes vpon her mothers frowning visage , thus went on . vpon these knees ; these knees that ne're were bent to you in vaine ; that neuer did present their vnrewarded duty ; neuer rose without a mothers blessing ; vpon those , vpon those naked knees , i recommend to your deare thoughts , those term●…nis that attend your poore parthenia , whose vnknowne distresse craues rather death , then language to expresse . what shall i doe ? d●…magoras and death sound both alike to these sad eares ; that breath that names the one , does nominate the other . no , no , i cannot loue him ; my deare mother , command parthenia now to vndergoe what death you please , and these quick hands shall show the seale of my obedience in my heart . the gods themselues , that haue a secret art to force affection , cannot violate the lawes of nature , stop the course of fate . can earth forget her burthen , and ascend ? or can th' aspiring flames be taught to tend to th' earth ? if fire descend , and earth aspire , earth were no longer earth , nor fire , fire . euen so , by nature , 't is all one to me , to loue demagoras , and not to be . no , no , the heauens can doe no act that 's greater , then ( hauing made so ) to preserue their creature . and thinke you that the righteous gods would fill me with such false ioyes , as ( if enioy'd ) would kill me ? i know that they are mercifull : what they command , they giue a power to obey . the ioyfull vision that your slumbring eyes of late beheld did promise and comprise a fayrer fortune , then the heauens can share to poore partheniaes merit ; whom despaire hath swas●…ow'd : your prophetick dreame discride a royal●… mariage ; pointed out the bride ; her safe deliuer ●…ce and her smiling sonne ; honou●… and 〈◊〉 ; and after all was done , th●…re wants a bridegroome : him , the heauens haue seald within my brest ; by me , to be reueal'd ; vvhich , if your patience shall vouchsafe to heare , my lips shall recommend vnto your eare . when as basilius ( may whose royall hand long sway the scepter of th' arcadian land ) from cyprus brought his more then princely bride , the faire gynecia , ( whom as greece deny'd an equall ; so the world acknowledg'd none as her superiòur in perfection : ) vpon this ladies royall traine , and state , agreat concourse of nobles did awaite , and cyprian princes , with their princely port , to see her crowned in th' arcadion court ; illustrious princes were they : but as farre as midnight phebe outshines the twinckling starre , so far , amongst this rout of princes , one surpast the rest , in honour and renowne ; vvhose perfect vertue findes more admiration in the arcadian court , then imitation : in th'exc'lence of his outward parts , and feature , the world conceiues , the curious hand of nature outwent it selfe ; which , being richly fraught and furnisht with transcendent worth , is thought to be the chosen fortresse for protection of all the arts , and storehouse of perfection●… the cyprus stock did ne're , till now , ●…ring forth so rare a branch , whose vnderualued worth brings greater glory to th' arcadian land , then can the dull arcadians vnderstand ; his name is argalus . he ( madam ) was that cypresse wreath , that crown'd my nuptiall brows : and now the bridegroom 's found , cloath'd in the mystry of that cypresse wreath ; vvhich , since the better gods haue pleas'd to breathe into my soule , o may i cease to be , if ought , but death , part argalus and me : yet does my safe obedience not withstand vvhat you desire , or what the gods command : for what the gods command , is your desire parthenia should obey ; and not respire against their sacred counsels , or withstand the plot , wherein they haue vouchsaf'd a hand : vve must submit our wils ; what they en●…oyne , must be ; nor lies it in your power or mine , to crosse : we must endeauour to fulfill vvhat else must come to passe against our will ; my vowes are past , and second heauens decree , nothing shall part my arg●…s and me . so said ; th' impatient mothers kindled eye ( halfe closed with a murtherous frowne ) let flie a scorching fireball , from whence was shed some drops of choller ; sternly shakes her head ; with trembling hands vnlocks the doore , and flees , leauing parthenia on her aking knees , and as she fled , her fury thus began to open , and is argalus the man ? but there she stopt ; when striuing to expresse what rage had prompted , could doe nothing lesse . all you , whose deare affections haue beene tost in cupids blanket , and vniuftly crost by wilfull parents , whose extreame command haue made you groan beneath their tyrannous hand , that take a furious pleasure to diuorse your soul●…s from your best thoughts , nay ( what is worse then torture ) force your fancies to respect , and dearely loue , whom most you dis affect : draw neare , and comfort the distressed heart of poore parthenia ; let your eyes impart one droppe at least : and whosoe're thou be that read'st these lines , may thy desiers see the like successe , if reading , thou fo●…beare to wet this very paper with a teare . behold ( poore lady ) how an houres time hath pluck't her faded roses from their prime , and like an vnregarded ruine , lyes , with deaths vntimely image in her eyes . she , she , whom hopeful thoughts had newly crownd with promis'd ioyes , lyes groueling on the ground ; her weary hand sustaine her drooping head ; ( too soft a pillow for so hard a bed ) her eyes swolne vp , as loath to see the light , that would discouer so forlorne a sight : the flaxen wealth of her neglected haires stick'●… fast to her pale cheel●…s with dried teares ; and at first blush , she seemes , as if it were some curious statue on a sepulchre : sometimes her brinie lips would whisper thus , my argalus , my dearest argalus and then they clos'd againe , as if the one had kist the other , for that seruice done in naming argalus : sometimes opprest with a deepe sigh , she gaue her panting brest a sudden stroke ; and after that another , crying , hard fortune , o hard hearted mother ! and sicke with her owne thoughts , her passion stroue betwixt the two extreames of griefe , and loue ; the more she grieu'd , the more her loue abounded ; the more she lou'd , the more her heart was wounded with desperate griefe : at length , the tyrannous force of loue and griefe , sent forth this selfe d●…scourse . how art thou chang'd ( parthenia ? ) how hath passion put all thy thoughts , and senses out of fashion ? exil'd thy little iudgement , and betray'd thee to thine owne selfe ? how nothing hath it made thee ? how is thy weather beaten soule opprest with stormes and tempests blowne from the northeast of cold despaire ? which , long ere this , had found eternall rest ; had bin orewhelm'd , and drown'd in the deepe gulfe of all my miseries , had i not pumpt this water from mine eyes ; my argalus ; ô where , ô where art thou ? thou little think'st thy poore parthenia , now is tortur'd for thy sake ; alas , ( deare heart ! ) thou know'st not the insufferable smart i vndergoe for thee : thou dost not keepe a register of those sad teares i weepe , no , no , thou dost not . well , well ; from henceforth , fortune , doe not spare to doe the worst ( thy agent ) mischiefe dare ; deuise new torments , or repeat the old , vntill thou burst , or i complaine : be bold , as bitter ; i disdaine thy rage , thy power ; who 's leuell'd with the earth , can fall no lower ; doe ; spit thy venome forth , and temper all thy studied actions with the spirit of gall ; thy practis'd malice can no euill deuise too hard , for argalus to exercise ; his loue shall sweeten death , and make a torture my sportfull pastime , to make houres shorter ; his loue shall fill my heart , and lea●…e no roome , wherein your rage may practise martyrdoome . but ere that word could vsh●…r out another , the tender vi●…gins marble hearted mother enters the chamber ; with a chang'd aspect beholds partheni●… ; with a new respect salutes her child , and ( hauing clos'd the doore ) her helpfull arme remoues her from the ●…loore whereon she lay ; and , being set together , in gentle termes , she thus did commune with her . peruerse partheni●… , is thy heart so sworne to a●…galus his loue , that it must s●…orne demagoras ? are your soules conioyn'd so close , that my ent●…eaty may not enterpose ? if so , what helpe ? yet let a mothers care be not conte●…n'd , that bids her child beware . the sickle that 's too early , cannot reape a fruitfull haruest : looke , before you leape : adiourne your thoughts , and make a wise delay , you cannot measure vertue in a day ; vertues appeare , but vices baulke the light ; t is hard to read a vice at the first sight . false are those ioyes , that are not mixt with doubt , fire easely kindled , will not easely out : diuide that loue , which thou bestowst on one , twixt two : try both ; then take the best , or none : consult with time : for time bewrayes , discouers the faith , the loue , the constancy of louers . acts done in hast , by leasure are repented , and things , soone past , are oft , too late lamented : with tha●… , parthenia , rising from her place , and bowing with incomparable grace , m●…de ●…his reply ; madam , each seuerall day since first you gaue this body being , may write a large volume of your tender care , whose hourely goodnesse if it should compare with my deserts , alas , the world would show too great a summe , for one poore heart to owe ; i must confesse my heart is not so sworne to argalus his merit as to scorne d●…magoras ; nor yet so loosely tyed , that i can slip the knot , and so diuide entire affection , which must not be seuer'd , nor euer can be ( but in vaine ) endeuour'd . my heart is one , and by one power guided ; one is no number ; cannot be diuided . and cupids learned schoolemen haue resolu'd that loue diuided is but loue dissolu'd ; but yet , what plighted faith , and honour may not now vndoe , your counsell shall delay . madam , partheniaes hand is not so greedy , to reape her corne , before her corne he ready : her vnaduised sickle shall not thrust into her hopefull har●…est , ere needs must : to yours p●…rthenia shall submit her skill , whose season shall be season'd by your will : her time of haruest shall admit no measure but onely what 's proportion'd by your pleasure . s●… ended she ; but till that darknesse got the mastry of the light , they parted not . the mother pleads for the laconian lord ; the daughter ( whose impatience had abhort'd his very name , had not her mother spok't ) s●…e pl●…ads her vow , which cannot be reuokt . y●…t st●…ll the mother pleads , and does omit no way vntryed , that a hard hearted wit knowes to deuise ; perswades , allures , entreats ; mingles his words with smiles , with tears , w th threats ; commands , coni●…es ; tries one way , tryes another , does th●…tmost that a marble brested mother can doe ; and yet the more she did apply , the mor●… she taught parthenia to deny ; the more she did ass●…ult , the more contend ; the more she taught the virgin to defend . at last , despairing ( for her words did finde more ease to moue a mountaine , then her minde ) she sp●…ke no more ; but from her chaire she started , and spit these words , goe , peeuish girle , and parted . away she flings , and finding no successe in her lost words , her fury did addresse her raging thoughts to a new studied plot ; actions must now enforce , what words could not . treason is in her thoughts ; her furious breath can whisper now no language , vnder death ; poore argalus must dye ; and his remoue must make the passage to demagoras loue : and till that barre be broken , or put by , no hope to speed ; poore argalus must dye . demagoras is call'd to counsell now , consults , consents ; and , after mutuall vow , r●…soluing on the act , they both conspire , which way to execute their close desi●…e . d●…awing his keene seeletto from his side , madam ( said he ) this medicine well applide , to arg●…lus his bo●…ome , will giue rest to him , and me ; the sudden way is best . my lord ( 〈◊〉 she ) your trembling hand may misse the marke , and then your selfe in danger is of outcry ; or perchance his owne resistance . attempts are dangerous , at so small a distance . a drugg's the better weapon ; which does breathe deaths secret errand , carries sudden death clos'd vp in sweetnesse : come , a drugge strikes sure , and works our ends , and yet we sleepe secure . my lord , bethinke no other ; set your rest vpon these c●…rds ; the surest way is best : leaue me to manage our successfull plot , and if these studious browes contriue it not too sure , for art of m●…gicke to preuent , ne're trust a womans wit , w●…en fully bent to take reuenge : begone , my lord ; repose the trust in me : onely be wise , be close . that night , when as the vniuersall sh●…de of the vnspangled heauen , and earth had made an v●…ter darknesse ; ( darknesse , apt to further the horrid enterprise of rapes , and m●…her ) she , she , that now lacks nothing to procu●…e a full reuenge , she calls athleia to her , ( partheniaes handmaid ) whom sh●… thus ●…espake . athleia , dare thy priuate thoughts partake with mine ? canst thou be secret ? has thy heart a locke that none can pick by theevish art , or brake by force ? tell me , canst thou digest a secret , trusted to thy faithfull brest ? madam , said sh●… , l●…t me bee neuer true to my owne thoughts , if euer false to you : speake what you please ; athleia shall conceale , torments may make me roare , but ne're re●…eale . replyde the lady then : athleia knows how much , how much my deare affection owes partheniaes heart whose welfare is the crowne of all my ioyes , which now is ouerthrowne and deeply buried in forgotten dust , if thou betray the secret of my trust . it lyeth in thy power to remoue approaching euills : parthenia is in loue : her wasted spirits languish in her brest , and nought , but look'd for death , can giue her rest ; t is argalus she loues ; who , with disdaine , requites her loue , not louing her againe ; he sleights her teares : the more that he neglects , the more entirely she ( poore soule ) affects : she groanes beneath the burden of despaire , and with her sighes she cloyes the idle ayre . thou art acquainted with her priuate teares ; and you , so oft exchanging tongues and eares , must know too much , for one poore heart t' endure ; but desperate's the wound admits no cure : it lies in thee to helpe : athleia , say , wilt thou assist me , if i find the way ? madam , my forced ignorance shall be sufficient earnest of my secresie : your lips haue vtter'd nothing that is new to athleias eares : alas , it is too true . long , long ere this , your seruant had reueal'd the same to you , bad not my lips bi●… seal'd : but if my best endeauors may extend to bring my mistresse sorrowes to an end , let all the enraged d●…ties a●…ot to me worse torment , if i doe it not : my life 's too poore to hazard for her ease ; madam , i le do●… ; command me what you please : so said ; the treacherous lady steps aside , in●…o her serious close●… ; and applide her hasty , and perfidious hands , to frame this fo●…ged letter , in partheniaes name . constant parthenia to her faithfull argalus . although the malice of a mother does yet enforce my tongue to smother what my desire is , should flame ; yet parthenia is the same . although my fire be hid a while , t is but fire slak'd with oyle ; before seuen suns shall rise and fall , it shall burne , and blaze withall . what i send thee , drinke with speed , else let my argalus take heed ; vnlesse thy prouidence withstand , there is treason ne're at hand ; drinke as thou lou'st me , and it shall secure thee from future dangers ; or from past , recure thee . this done , and seal'd , she op'd her pri●…te doore , call'd in athleia , and said ; for euery sore the gods prouide a salue . force must preuaile , where sighes and teares , and deepe entreaties faile . forthwith from out her cabinet she tooke a little glasse , and said , athleia , looke within these slender walls , these glazed lists , parthe●…aes happinesse , and life consists ; it is nepenthe ; which the factious gods doe vse to drinke , when ere they be at ods , whose secret vertue ( so infus'd by loue ) does turne deep hatred , into dearest loue ; it makes the proudest louer whine and baule , and such to dote , as neuer lou'd at all ; here take this glasse , and recommend the same to a●…galus in his p●…theniaes name , and to his hand , to his owne hand commit this letter ; betweene a●…galus , and it let no eye come : be sure thy spee●… preuent the rising sun : and so heauens crowne th' euent . by this the feather'd bellman of the night sent forth his midnight summons , to inui●…e all eyes to sl●…mber , when they both addrest their thoughtfull minds , to take a doubtfull rest . o heauens ! and you , o you celestiall powers , that neuer slumber , but imploy all houres in mans prorection ; still preseruing , keeping our soules from obuious dangers , waking , sleeping . o , can your all-descerning eyes behold such impious actions prosper , vncontroll'd ? o can your hearts , your tender hearts endure to see your seruant ( that now sleepes secure , vnarm'd , vnwarn'd , and hauing no defence , but your protection , and his innocence ) betray'd , and murther'd , drawing at one breath his owne prepar'd destruction , his owne death ? and will ye 〈◊〉 ? he that is the crowne of prized vertue , honour and renowne ; the flowre of arts ; the cyprian liuing story ; arcadias girland , and great graeces glory ; the earths new wonder ; and the worlds example , must dye betraid ; treason and death must trample vpon his life ; and , in the dust , must lye as much admit'd perfection , as can dye . no , argalus , the coward hand of death durst ne're assault thee , if not vnderneath the maske of loue : thou art aboue the reach of open wrongs ; mans force could ne're make breach into thy life : no , death could ne're vncase thy soule , had she appeared face to face . dreame , argalus ; and let thy thoughts be troubled with murthers , treasons ; let thy dreams be doubled and what thy frighted fancy shall perceiue , be wisely superstitious , and beleeue . o , that my lines could wake thee now , and seuer those eyelids , that ere long must sleepe for euer . wake , now or neuer argalus ; and withstand thy danger ; wake , the murtheresse is at hand . parthenia , oh parthenia , who shall weepe thy world of teares ? canst thou , o canst thou sleep ? will thy dull genius giue thee leaue to slumber ? does nothing trouble thee ? no dreame incumber thy frighted thoughts ? and argalus so neere his latest houre ? not one dreaming teare ? sleepe on : and when thy flattring slumber's past , perchance , thine eyes will learne to weepe as fast . his death is plotted ; and this morning light must send him downe , into eternall night . nay , what is worse then worst ; his dying breath will censure thee , as agent in his death . by this the broadfac'd quirister of night surceas'd her screeching note , and tooke her flight to the next neighbring ivy : brids and beasts forsake the warme protection of their nests , and nightly 〈◊〉 , whilst darknesse did display her sable curtaines , to let in the day , when sad athleia's dreame had vnbenighted her slumbring eies : her busie thoughts were frighted : she rose , and trembled ; and being halfe distraught , with her prophetick feares ; she thus bethought . what ayle the gods , thus to disturbe my rest , and make such earthquakes in my troubled brest ? nothing but death , and murthers ? graues and bells ? frighting my fancy , with their hourely knells ? t was nothing but a dreame ; and dreames they say , expound themselues the cleane contrary way . the riddle 's read ; and now i vnderstand my dreames intents : some mariage is at hand : for death interpreted , is nothing else but mariage ; and the melancholly bells , is mirth and musicke : by the graue , is read the ioyfullioy , full , ioyfull , mariage bed : i , i t is plaine : and now , me thinks , 't was i , that my prophetick dreame foretold , should dye . if this be death , death exercise thy power , and let athleia dye within this houre . doe , doe thy worst ; athleia's faithfull breath shall pray for nothing more then sudden death . but stay , athleia , the too forward day , begins to gild the east ; away , away . so hauing said ; the nimble fingerd lasse tooke the forg'd letter , and the amorous glasse , and , to her early progresse , she applies her ; d parts , and toward ; argalus she hies her ; but euery step she tooke , her mind enforc'd new thoughts , and with her selfe , she thus discours'd . how fraile's the nature of a womans will ! how crosse ! the thing that 's most forbidden , still they more desire ; and least inclinde , to doe what they are most of all perswaded too . had not ( alas ) my lady bound these hands , athl●…ia ne're had struggled with her bands . i must not tast it ! had she not enioyn'd my lips from tasting it , athleia's mind had neuer thought on 't ; now , me thinkss i long ; desires , if once confinde , become too strong for womans conquer'd reason to resist ; a womans reason 's measur'd by her list . i long to tast : yet was there nothing did mooue my desires , but that i was forbid . with that she stayd her weary steps , and hasted t'vntye the glasse ; lift vp her arme and tasted ; that done ( and hauing now attain'd , almost her iourneyes end ) the little time she lost , new speed regaines ; the nimble ground she traces with double hast and quicke redoubled paces . all on a sudden , she begins to faint ; her bowells gripe , her breath begins to taint ; her blistred tongue growes hot , her liuer glowes ; her vaines doe boile , her colour comes and goes : she staggers ; falls ; and on the ground she lyes ; swels like a bladder ; roares ; and bursts ; and dyes . thus from her ruine , argalus deriues his longer life , and by her death , he liues ; liue argalus , and let the gods allot such morning draughts to those that loue thee not : liue long ; and let the righteous powers aboue , that haue preseru'd thee for parthenia's loue , crowne all thy hopes , and fortunes , with euent too sure , for second treasons to preuent . by this time , did the lauish breath of fame giue language to her trumpet , and proclaime athleias death , the current of which newes truths warrant had forbidden to abuse deceiued eares : which , when the lady heard , whose trecherous heart was greedily prepar'd to entertaine a murther ; she arose , and with rude violence desperately throwes h●…r trembling body , on the naked floore , but what she said , and did , i will deplore , not vtter ; but with forced silence smother , because she was the faire parthenia's mother : may it suffice , that the extreames of shame , and vnresisted sorrow ouercame her disappointed malice ; lesse lamenting the treason , then successe ; and more repenting of what she fail'd to doe , then what she did , her sullen soule dispaires ; her thoughts forbid what reason wants the power , to perswade ; her griefes b●…ing growne too deepe for her to wade , she sinks ; and with a hollow sigh , she cryed , welcome thou easer of all euills ; and dyed . now tongues begin to walke ; and euery eare hath got the saturyasis to heare this tragicke sceane : the breath of fame grows bold feares no repulse , and scornes to be controlld , whilst lowd report , ( whose tender lips before , durst onely whisper ) now begins to roare ; the letter , found in dead athleias brest , bewray'd the plot ; and what ( before ) was guest , is now confirm'd , and clear'd : for all men knew whose hand it was , and whence the malice grew . but haue we lost parthenia ? in what isle of endlesse sorrow lurks she all this while ? sweet reader , vrge me not to tell , for feare thy heart dissolue , and melt into a teare . excuse my silence : if my lines should speake , such marble hearts , as could not melt , would break ; no , leaue her to her selfe : it is not fit to write , what being read , you 'd wish vnwrit : i leaue the taske to those , that take delight , to see poore ladyes tortur'd in despight of all remorse ; whose hearts are still at strife to p●…int a torment to the very life . i leaue that taske to such , as haue the powre to weepe , and smile againe within an houre . to those , whose flinty hearts are more content●…d to limme a griefe , then pitty the tormented . let it suffice , that had not heauen protected her argalus ; the ioy whereof , corrected that 〈◊〉 griefe , which passion recommended to her sad thoughts , her story here had ended . when time ( the enemy of fame ) had clos'd her babling lips , and gently had compos'd partheniaes sorrowes , raising from the ground her body , spent with griefe , and almost drownd in her owne teares ; a long expected sceane of better fortune enters in , to dreane his marish eyes : her stormy night of teares being past , a welcome day of ioy appeares ; the rocke's remou'd , and loues wide ocean now giues roome enough ; lookes with a milder brow . reader forget thy sorrowes ; let thine eare welcome the tydings thou so longst to heare : a louers diet 's sweet , commixt with sower ; his hell and heauen , oft-time , diuides an houre . now argalus can finde a faire accesse to his parthenia : now , feares nothing lesse then eares and eyes ; and now partheniaes heart can giue her tongue the freedome , to impart his louder welcome , whilst her greedy eye can looke her fill , and feare no stander by . she 's not parthenia , he not present with her ; and he not argalus , if not together . their cheeks are fill'd with smiles ; their tongues with chat , now , this they make their subiect , and now that . one while they laugh ; and laughing wrangle too , and iarre , as iealous louers vse to doe . and then a kisse , must make them friends againe ; faith , one's too little ; louers must haue twaine ; two brings in ten ; ten multiplyes to twenty ; that , to a hundred : then because the plenty growes troublesome to count , and does incumber their lips ; their lips gaue ●…isses without number . their thoughts run backe to former times : they told of all loues passages , they had of old . argalvs and parthenia . the second booke . sayle gentle pinace : now the heauens are cleare , the winds blow faire : behold the harbour's neere . trydented neptune hath forgot to frowne ; the rocks are past ; the storme is ouerblowne ; vp wetherbeaten voyagers ; and rouze yee , forsake your loathed cabbi●…s ; vp , and louze ye vpon the open decks , and smell the land ; cheare vp ; the welcome shoare is nigh at hand : sayle gentle pinace , with a prosperous gale , to th' isle of peace : s●…ile gentle pinace , saile ; fortune conduct thee ; let thy keele diuide the siluer streames , that thou mast safely slide into the bosome of thy quiet key , and quite thee fairely of th'iniurious sea. great seaborne queene , thy birthright giues thee power t' assist poore suppliants ; grant one happy houre . o , let these wounded louers be possest , at length , of their so long desired rest . now , now the ioyfull mariage day drawes on ; the bride is bu●…ie , and the bridegroome 's gone to call his fellow princes to the feast ; the girland's made ; the bridall chamber 's drest ; the muses haue consulted with the graces , to crowne the day , and honour their embraces with shadow'd epithalmes : their warbling tongues are perfect in their new made lyrick songs ; hymen begins to grumble at delay , and bacchus laughs to think vpon the day ; the virgin tapors , and what other rights doe appertaine to nuptiall delights , are all prepar'd , whereby may be exprest the ioyfull triumph of this mariage feast . but stay ! who lends me now an yron pen , t'engraue within the marble hearts of men a tragick sceane ; which whosoe're shall reade , his eyes may spare to weepe , and learne to bleed carnation teares : if time shall not allow his death preuented eyes to weepe enow , th●…n let his dying language recommend what 's left to his posterity to end . thou saddest of all muses ; come ; afford thy studious helpe , that each confounding word may rend a heart ( at least ; ) that euery line may pickle vp a kingdome in the brine of their owne teares : o teach me to extract the spirit of griefe , whose vertue may distract those brests , which sorrow knowes not how to kill ; inspier , 〈◊〉 inspire my melting quill , and , like sad niobé , let euery one that cannot melt , be turn'd into a stone : teach me to paint an oft-repeated sigh so to the life , that whosoe're be nigh may heare it breathe , and learne to doe the like by imitation , till true passion strike their bleeding hearts : let such as shall rehearse this story , houle like irish at a herse . th' euent st●…ll crownes the act : let no man say , before the euening 's come ; t is a faire day : when as the kalends of this bridall feast were entred in , and euery longing brest 〈◊〉 great with expectation , and all eyes ( prepar'd for entertaining nouelties ) were growne impatient now , to be suffis'd with that , which art and honour had deuis'd t' adorne the times withall , and to display their bounty , and the glory of that day , the rare parthenia taking sweet occasion to blesse her busie thoughts , with contemplation of absent argalus , whose too long stay made minutes 〈◊〉 dayes ; and euery day a measur'd age ; into her s●…cret bower betooke her weary steps , where euery houre her greedy eares expect to heare the summe of all her hopes , that argalus is come . she hopes , she feares at once ; and still she muses what makes him stay so long ; she chides ; excuses ; she questions ; answers ; and she makes reply , and talkes , as if her argalus were by ; why com'st thou not ? can argalus forget his languishing parthenia ? what , not yet ? but as she spake that word , she heard a noise , which seem'd as if it were the whispering voice of close conspiracy : she began to feare she knew not what , till her deceiued eare , instructed by her hopes , had singled out the voice of argalus from all the rout , whose steps ( as she supposed ) did prepare by stealth to sieze vpon her vnaware : she gaue aduantage to the thriuing plot , hearing the noyse , as if she heard it not . like as young doues , which ne're had yet forsaken the warme protection of their nests , or taken vpon themselues a selfe-prouiding care , to shift for food , but with paternall fare grow fat and plump ; think euery noise they heare , their full cropt parents are at hand , to cheare their crauing stomacks , whilst th' impartiall fist of the false cater , rifling where it list in euery hole , surprises them , and sheds their guiltlesse blood , and parts their gasping heads from their vaine struggling bodies ; so ; euen so our poore deceiu'd parthenia , ( that did owe too much to her owne hopes ) the whilst her eyes were set , to welcome the vnualued prize of all her ioyes , her dearest argalus , steps in demagoras , and salutes her thus : base trull ; demagoras comes to let thee see , how much he scornes thy painted face , and thee ; foule sorceresse ! could thy prosperous actions think to scape reuenge , because the gods did wink at thy designes ? think'st thou thy mothers blood cryes in a language , not to be'vnderstood ? hadst thou no closer stratagem , to further thy pamper'd lust , but by the saluage murther of thine owne aged parent , whose sad death must giue a freedome to the whisp'ring breath of thy enioy'd adult'rer ? who ( they say ) will cloake thy whoredome , with a mariage day ; nay struggle not ; here 's none that can reprieue such pounded beasts ; it is in vaine to striue , or roare for helpe : why do'st not rather weepe , that i may laugh ? perchance , if thou wilt creepe vpon thy wanton belly , and confesse thy selfe a true repentant murtheresse , my sinfull page may play the soole , and gather thy early fruit into his barne , and father thy new got cyprian bastard , if that he be halfe so wis●… , that got it , but to flee . hah ! dost thou weepe ? or doe false mists but mocke our cheated eyes ? from so obdure a rock can water flow ? weeping will make thee faire ; weepe till thy mariage day ; that who repaire to grace thy feast , may fall a weeping too , and , in a mirrour , see what teares can doe . vile strumpet ! did thy flattering thoughts e're wrong thy iudgement so ; to thinke , d●…magoras tongue could so abuse his honour , as to sue for serious loue ? so base a thing as you ( me thinks ) should rather fixe your wanton eyes vpon some ea●…e groome , that hopes to rise into his masters fauour , for your sake ; i ; this had beene preferment , like to make a hopefull fortune : thou presumptuous trash●… what was my courtship ? but the minuts dash of youthfull passion , to allay the dust of my desires , and exuberous lust ? i scorne thee to the soule , and here i stand bound for reuenge , whereto i set my hand . with that , he c●…ught her rudely by the faire and bounteous treasure of her nymph-like hayre ; and , by it , dragd her on the du●…y floore : he stopt her mouth , for feare she should implore an aid from heauen , she swounding in the place , his salvage hands besmear'd her liuelesse face with horrid poyson , thinking she was dead , he left her breathlesle , and away he fled . come , come ye furies , you malignant spirits , infernall harpies , or what , else , inherits the land of darknesse ; you , that still conuerse vvith damned soules ; you , you that can rehearse the horrid facts of villanies , and can tell how euery hell hound lookes , that roares in hell ; suruey them all ; and , then , informe my pen , to draw in one , the monster of all men ; teach me to limme a villaine , and to paint with dextrous art , the basest sycophant , that e're the mouth of insolent disdaine vouchsas'd to spit vpon ; the ripened blaine of all diseased humours , fit for none but dogs to lift their hasty legs vpon : so cleare mens eyes , that whosoe're shall see the type of basenesse , may cry , this is hee ; let his reproach be a perpetuall blot in honours booke : let his remembrance rot in all good mindes : let none but villaines call his bugbeare name to memory , wherewithall to fright their bauling bastards : let no spell be found more potent , to preuaile in hell , then the nine letters of his charme like name ; which , let our bashfull chriscrosse row disclaime to the worlds end , not fitting to be set as mutes , within the iewish alphabet . but harke ! am i deceiu'd , or doe i heare the voice of arg'lus sounding in mine eare ? he calls parthenia : no , that tongue can be no counterfeit : he 's come : 't is he , 't is he . welcome too la●… , that art now come too soone ; hadst thou bin here , this deed had ne're bin done . alas ! when louers linger , and outgoe their promis'd date , they know not what they doe : men fondly say , that women are too fond ; at parting , to require so strict a bond for quicke returne : poore soules ! 't is they endure oft times the danger of the forfeiture ; i blame them not ; for mischiefe still attends vpon the too long absence of true friends . well ; argalus is come , and seekes about in euery roome , to finde parthenia out ; he askes , enquiers ; but all lips are sparing to be the authors of ill newes , not daring to speake the truth ; they all amazed stand ; and now , my lord 's as fearfull to demand ; dares not enquire her health , lest his sad eare should heare such words , as he 's afraid to heare : all lips are boulted with a linnen barre , and euery eye does , like a bl●…zing star , portend some euill ; no language findes a leake ; the lesse they speake , the more he feares to speake . faces grow sad ; and euery priuate eare is turn'd a closet for the whisperer ; he walkes the roome , and like an vnknowne stranger they eye him ; from each eye , he picks a danger ; at last , his lips not d●…ting to importune what none dare tell him , vnexpected fortune leads his rash steps into a darkned roome , a place more black then night ; no sooner come , b●…t he was welcom'd with a sigh , as deepe as a spent heart could giue ; he heard one weepe , and by the noise of groanes and sobs was led ( h●…uing none other guide ) to the sad bed . who is 't ( said he ) that calls vntimely night to hide those griefes that thus abiure the light ? with that , as if her heart had rent in two , she past a sigh , and said , o aske not who ? vrge not my tongue to make a forc'd reply to your demand : alas ! it is not i : not i ( said he ? ) what language doe i heare ; darknesse may stop mine eye , but not mine eare . it is my deare parthenia's voice ; ah me , and can parthenia , not parthenia be ? what meanes this word , ( alas ! it is not i ) ? what sudden ill hath taught thee to deny thy selfe ? or what can argalus then claime , if his parthenia be not the same , she was ; alas , it seemes to me all one to say , thou art not hers , that 's not her owne . can hills forget their pondrous bulk , and flye , like wandring atomes , in the empty sky ? or can the heauens , ( growne idle ) not fulfill their certaine reuolutions , but stand still , and leaue their constant motion , for the winde t' inherit ? can parthenia change her minde ? heauen sooner shall stand still , and earth rem●…e , e're my parthenia 〈◊〉 her loue : vnfold thy riddle then ; and tell me , why those lips should say , ( alas it is not i. ) whereto she thus reply'd ; o doe not thou so wrong thy noble thoughts , as once t' allow that cursed name a roome , within thy brest , let not so foule a prodigy be blest with thy lost breath ; let it be held a sin too great for pardon , e're to name 't agen ; let darknesse hide it in eternall night ; may it be clad with horror , to affright a desp'rate conscience ; he that knowes not ●…ow to mouthe a curse , o let him practise now vpon this name ; let him that would contract the body of all mischiefe , or extract the quint'ssence of all sorrowes , onely claime a secret priuiledge to vse that name : far be it from thy language , to commit so soule a sin , as once to mention it : liue happy arg'lus ; doe not thou partake in these my miseries : o forbeare to make my burthen greater , by thy tender sorrow ; alas , my heart is strong , and needs not borrow thy needlesse helpe : o be not thou so cruell to feed my ●…aming fiers , with thy fuell ; why dost thou sigh ? o wherefore should thy heart vsurpe my stage , and act parthenia's part ? it is my proper taske : what dost thou meane , without my licence , to intrude my sceane ? alas ! thy sorrowes ease not my distresse ; god knowes , i weepe not one pocre teare the lesse : my patent's sign'd and past ; whereby appeares that i haue got the monopoly of teares : in me , let each mans torment finde an end : i am that sea , to which all riuers tend : let all spent mourners , that can weepe no more , take teares on trust , and set them on my score . and as she spake that word , his heart not able to beare a language so vnsufferable , but being swolne so big , must either breake or vent , his darkned reason grew too weake t' oppose his quickned passion ( like a man transported from himselfe ) he thus began ; accursed darknesse ! thou sad type of death ! infernall hagge , whose dwelling is beneath ! what meanes thy boldnesse to vsurpe this roome , and force a night , before the night be come ? get , get ●…hee downe , and keepe within thy lifts ; goe reuell there ; and burle thy hideous mists before those cursed eyes , that take delight in vtter darkenesse , and abhorre the light ; returne thee to thy dungeon , whence thou came and hide those faces , whose infernall flame c●…ls for more darknesse , and whose tortur'd soules craue the protection of th' obscurest holes , to scape some lashes , and auoid those strict and horrid plagues , the furies doe inflict : but if thou needs must ramble here , abou●… ; goe to some other clymate , and remoue thy vgly presence from our darkned eyes , that hate thy tyranny : goe exercise thy power in groues , and solitary springs , where bats are subiects , and where owles are kings ; goe to the granes , and fill those empty voomes , that such as slumber in their silent toombs may blesse thy welcome shades , and lie possest of vndi●…rbed and eternall rest : or if thy more ambitious fogs desire to haunt the liuing ; hast thee , and retire into some cloyster , and there stand b●…ene the light , and those that faine would sin , vnseene ; assist them there ; and 〈◊〉 thy vgly shapes count ' nance close treasons , and incestuous rapes : benight those roomes ; and ayd all such , as feare the eye of heauen ; goe ; close thy curtaines there ; we need thee ●…ot ( foule witch , ) away , away ; thou hid'st more beauty then the noone of day can giue ; o thou , that hast so rudely hurl'd on this darke bed , the glory of the world . so said ; abruptly he the roome departs , his cheeks looke pale , his curled hayre 〈◊〉 l●…ke quills of porcupines , and from his eye q●…icke flashes like the flames of lightning flye ; he calls for light ; the light no sooner come , but his owne hand connayes it to the roome from whence he came , and as he entred in he blest himselfe ; he blest himselfe agin ; thrice did he blesse himselfe , and after said , foule witch , begon ; and let thy dismall shade for sake this place ; let thy darke fogs obey great vulcans charge ; 〈◊〉 vulcans name , away ; or if thy ●…out rebellion shall disclaime his soueraignty , in my parthenia's name i charme thee hence . and as that word flew out , he steps to that sad bed , where round about , clos'd were the curtaines , as if darknesse did command that such a iewell should be hid : his left hand held the tapour , and his right enforc'd the curtaines , to absolue the light ; which done ; appear'd before his wondring eye the truest pourtrait of deformity , as e're the sun beheld : that louely face that was , of late , the modell of all grace and 〈◊〉 beauty , whose imperious eyes 〈◊〉 where e're they lookt , and did ●…urprise the very soules of men ; she , she of whom nature her selfe w●…s proud , is now become so loath'd an obiect , so deform'd , dis●…z'd , as darknesse , for m●…s sake , was well aduis'd to cloath in mists , lest any were incited to see that face , and so depart affrighted . all this when argalus b●…held , and found it was no dreame , he fell vpon the ground ; and 〈◊〉 ; and rose agen ; stood still ; and gaz'd ; at first he startled , then he stood amaz'd ; lookes now vpon the light ; and now on her ; one while his tyred fancy does refer his th●…ughts to silence ; as his thoughts encrease , his p●…ion striues for vent , and breakes that peace , which conquer'd reason had , of late , concluded , and thus began ; are these false ●…es deluded ? or haue inchanted mists stept in betweene my abused eyes , and what 〈◊〉 eyes ●…aue seene ? no ; mischi●…fe cannot act so faire a part , taffright in i●…st ; it goes beyond the art of all blacke bookes , to maske , with such disguise , so sweet a face ; i know , that these are eyes ; and this a light ; false mists could neuer be betwixt my poore parthenia , and me . accursed tapour ! what infernall spright breath'd in thy face ? what fury gaue thee light ? thou impe of phlegetor ; who let thee in , to force a day , before the day begin ? who brought thee 〈◊〉 ? i ? did i ? from whom , what leane chapt fury did i snatch thee from ? when as this cursed hand did goe about to bring thee in , why went not these eies out ? be all such tapours cursed , for thy sake ; ne're shine , but at some vigill , or sad wake ; be neuer seene , but when as sorrow cals thy needfull helpe to nightly ●…unerals ; be as a may-game for th' amazed bat to sport about ; and owles , to wonder as : still h●…nt the chancels a : a midnight knell , to fright the sexton from his passing bell : giue light to none but treasons , and be hid in their darke lanthorns : let all mirth forbid thy treacherous flames the roome : and if that none . shall deigne to put thee out , goe out alone ; attend some misers table , and then waste too soone , that he may curse thee for thy haste ; bur●… dimme for euer : let that flat●…'ring ligh●… thou feed'st , consume thy stock : be ●…isht quite from cupids court : when louers goe abou●… their stol●… pleasures , let your flames goe out ; henceforth be vsefull to no other end , but onely to burne day light , or attend the midnight cups of such as shall resigne , vvith vsurie , thir indigested wine : vvhy dost thou burne so cleare ? alas ! these eyes discerne too much ; thy wanton blaze doth rise too high a pitch : thou burnst too bright , for such as see no comfort ; o thou shin'st too much : why dost thou vexe me ? is thy flame so stout tendure my breath ? this breath shall puffe thee out . thus , thus my ioyes are quite extinguisht , neuer to be re●…iu'd : thus gone , thus gone sor euer . with that , transported with a furious hast , he blew it out : but marke , that very blast ( as if it meant , on purpose , to disclaime his desp'rate thoughts ) reuiu'd th'extinguisht flame . he stands amaz'd ; and , hauing mus'd a while , beholds the tapour , and begins to smile . and can the gods themselues ( said he ) contriue a way for hope ? can my past ioyes reuine , like this rekinàled fier ? if they doe , i 'le curse m●… lips ( bright lamp ) for cursing you . eternall fates ! deale fairely ; dally not : if your hid bounties haue reseru'd a lot beyond my wained hopes , be it exprest in open view ; make haste ; and doe your best : but if your iustice be determin'd so , to exercise your vengeance on my woe , strengthen not what at length you mean●… to burst ; strike home betimes ; dispatch ; and doe your worst : that burthen is too great for him to beare , that 's 〈◊〉 poised betmixt hope and feare . and there he stopt ; as fearing to molest the silent peace of her dissembled rest . he gaz'd vpon her ; stood as in a trance ; sometimes her liuelesse hand he would aduance to his sad lips ; then steale it downe agen ; sometimes , a teare would fall vpon 't ; and then a sigh must dry it ; euery kisse did beare a sigh ; and euery sigh begat a teare : if i had lou'd thee , for thy heauenly eye , i might haue courted the bright maiesty of tiran : if thy curious lips had snar'd my lick'rish thoughts , i might haue soone prepar'd a blushing currall , or some full ripe chery , and pleas'd my lips , vntill my lips were weary ; or if the smoothnesse of thy whiter brow had charm'd mine eyes , and made my fancy bow to outwards obiects , polishs marble might haue giuen as much content , as much delight ; in briefe , had argalus his flatter'd eye bin pleas'd with beauties bare epitomy , thy curious picture might haue then supply'd my wants , more full , then all the world beside ; no , no ; 't was neither brow , nor lip , nor eye nor any outward exc'lence vrg'd me , why to loue parthenia : 't was thy better part , which mischiefe could not wrong , surpris'd my heart . thy beauty was but like a christall case , through which , the iewell of admired grace transparent was , whose hidden worth did make me loue the c●…ket , for the iewels sake ; no , no ; my well-aduised eye pierc'd in beyond the filme ; sunk deeper then the skin ; else , had i now bin chang'd , and that firme duty i owe my vowes , had faded , with thy beauty ; nay , weepe not ( my parthenia ; ) let those teares ne're waile that losse , which a few after yeares had claim'd as due ; cheare vp ; thou hast forsaken but that , which sicknesse would ( perchance ) haue taken , with greater disaduantage ; or else age , that common euill , which ●…rt cannot asswage ; beauty 's but bare opinion : white and red haue no more priuiledge , but what is bred by humane fancie ; which was ne're confinde to certaine bounds , but varies like the winde ; what one man likes , another disrespects ; and what a third most hates ; a fourth , affects ; the negro's eye thinkes blacke beyond compare , and what would fright vs most , they count most faire : if then opinion be the tutch , whereby all beautie 's tride ; parthenia , in my eye out shines faire hellen ; or who else she be , that is more rich in beauties wealth , then she . cheare vp : the soueraignty of thy worth , enfranches thy capti●…e beaut●… ; and thy vertue blanches these staines of fortune ; come ; it matters not what others thinke : a letter 's but a blot to such as cannot reade ; but , who haue skill , can know the faire impression of a quill from grosse and heedl●…sse blurres ; and such can thinke no paper foule , that 's fairely writ with ●…nke : vvhat others hold a blemish in thy face , my skilfull eyes reade characters of grace ; vvhat hinders then ; but that without delay , triumph may celebrate our nuptiall day ? she that hath onely vertue to her guide , though wanting beautie , is the fairest bride . a bride ? ( said she ) such brides as i , can haue no fitter bridall chamber , then a gra●…e ; death is my bridegroome ; and to welcome death , my loyall heart shall plight a second faith ; and when that day shall come , that ●…oyfull day , wherein transcendent pleasures shall allay the heat of all my sorrowes , and conioyne my palefac'd bridegrooms lingring hand , with mine ; these ceremonies , and these triumphs shall attend the day , to grace that day with all . time with his empty howreglasse shall lead the triumph on ; his winged hoofes shall tread slow paces ; after him , there shall ensue the chast diana , with her virgin crew , all crown'd with cypresse girlands ; after whom in ranke , th' impartiall destinies shall come ; then , in a sable chariot faintly drawne with harnast virgins . vail'd with purest lawne , the bride shall sit ; despaire and griefe shall stand , like heartlesse bridem●…ids , vpon either hand . vpon the chariot top , there shall be plac'd the little winged god , with arme vnbrac'd , and bow vnbent ; his drooping wings must hide his naked knees ; his q●…iuer by his side must be vnarm'd , and either hand must hold a bann●…r ; where , with char●…cters of gold shall be decipher'd , ( fit for euery eye to read , that runs ; faith loue , and constancy , next after , hope , in a discoloured weed , shall sadly march alone ? a slender reed shall guide her feeble steps ; and , in her hand , a broken anchor , all besmear'd with sand . and after all , the bridegroome shall appeare like ioues lieu●…enant , and bring vp the reare ; he shall be mounted on a coa●…e-black steed ; his hand shall hold a dart ; on which , shall bleed a pierced heart ; wherein , a former wound which cupids lauelin entred shall be found . when as these triumphes shall adorne our feast , let argalus be my inuited guest , and let him bid me nuptiall ioy : from whom i once expected all my ioyes should come . with that ; as if his count'nance had thought good to weare death's colours ; or as if his blood had beene imployed to condole the smart and torm●…nt of his poore afflicted heart , he thus bespake : vnhappiest of all men , why doe i liue ? is death my riuall then ? vnequall chance ! had it bin flesh and blood , i could ●…aue grapled , and ( perchance ) withstood some stout encounters : had an armed host of mort all riualls ventur'd to haue crost my blest desires ; my partheniaes eye had giuen me power to make that army fly like frighted lambs , before the wolfe ; but thou before whose presence , all must stoope and bow their seruile necks ! what weapon shall i hold against thy hand , that will not be controll'd ? great enemie ! whose kingdome 's in the dust and darkesome caues ; i know that thou art iust ; else had the gods ne're trusted to thy hand so great a priuiledge , so large command and iurisdiction o're the liues of men , to kill , or saue euen whom thou please , and when ; o , suffer not partheniaes tempting teares to moue thy heart ; let thy hard hearted eares be deafe to all her suits : if she profess●… affection to thee , beleeue nothing lesse ; she 's my betrothed spouse , and hymens bands haue firmely ioyn'd our hearts , though not our hands . where plighted faith , and sacro-sanctius vowe hath giuen possession , dispossesse not thou . be iust ; and though her briny lips bewaile her griese with teares , let not those teares preuaile . whom heauens haue ioyn'd , thy hands may not disioyne , i am 〈◊〉 ; and partheniaes mine . alas ! we are but one ; then thou must either refuse vs both ; or , else , take both together . my deare parthenia , let no cloudy passion of dull despaire molest thee , or vnfashion thy better thoughts , to make thy troubled mind either forgetfull , or thy selfe vnkind . starue not my pining hopes , with longer stay my loue hath wings , and brookes no long delay . it houers vp and downe , and cannot rest vntill it light , and perch vpon thy brest . torment not him , within these lingring fires , that 's rack●… already on his owne desires . seale and deliuer as thy deed , that band , whereto thy promist faith hath set her hand ; and what our plighted hearts , and mutuall vew haue so long since begun , o finish now ; that our imperfect and halfe pleasures may receiue perfection , by a mariage day : wh●…reto , she thus ; had the pleas'd god aboue , forgiuen my faults , and made me fit for ioue to blesse at large ; had all the powers of heauen ( to boast the vtmost of their bounty ) giuen as great addition to my slender fortune as they could giue , or couetous mind importune , i vow to heauen and all those heauenly powers , they should no sooner beene made mine , but yours . nay , had my fortunes staid but at the rate they were ; had i remained in that state i was ( although , at best , vnworthy farre of such a pee●…lesse lesse blessing as you are ) my deare acceptance should haue fill'd my heart as full of ioyes as now it is of smart ; but , as i am , let angry ioue then vent on me his plagues , till all his plagues be spent . and when i roare , let heauen my paines der●…de , when i match argilus to such a bride . liue happy , a●…galus , let thy soule receiue what blessings poore parthenia cannot haue ; liue happy : may thy ioyes be neuer done , but let one blessing araw another on : o may thy better angell watch and ward thy soule , and pitch an euerlasting guard about the portals of thy tender heart , and showre downe blessings wheresoere thou art ; let all thy ioyes be as the month of may , and all thy dayes be as a mariage day . let sorrow , sicknesse , and a troubled minde be strangers to thee ; let them neuer finde thy heart at home ; let fortune still alot such lawlesse guests to those that loue thee not : and let those blessings , which shall wanting be to such as merit none , alight on thee . that mutuall faith , betwixt vs , that of late hath past , i giue thee freedome to translate vpon the merits of some fitter spouse : i giue , thee leaue , and freely quit thy vowes . i call the gods to witnesse , nothing shall more blesse my soule ; no comfort can befall more truely welcome to me , then to see my argalus , ( what ere become of me ) so linckt in wedlocke , as shall most augment his greater honour , and his true content . with that , a sudden and tempestuous tyde of teares orewhelm'd her language , and denyde a passage , but when passions flood was spent , she thus proceeds : you gods , if you are bent to act my tragedy , why doe you wrong our patience so , to make the play so long ? your sceanes are tedious ; gainst the rules of art , you dwell too long ; too long , vpon one part . be briefe , and take aduantage of your odds ; one simple mayde against so many gods ? and not be conquer'd yet ? conioyne your might , and send her soule into eternall night , that liues too long a day ; i le not resist , prouided you strike home , strike where ye list . accursed be that day , wherein these eyes first saw the light ; let desp'rate soules deuise a curse sufficient for it ; let the sun ne're shine vpon it ; and what ere 's begun vpon that fatall day , let heauen forbid it successe ; if not , to ensnare the hand , that did it . why was i borne ? or , being borne , o why did not my fonder nurses lullaby ( euen whilst my lips were hanging on her brest ) sing her poore babe to euerlasting rest ? o then my infant soule had neuer knowne this world of griefe , beneath whose weight igroane . no , no , it had not : he that dyes in 's prime , speeds a long businesse , in a little time . but argalus ( whose more extreame desire , vnapt to yeeld , like water-sprinkled fire , did blaze the more ) impatient of denyall , gaue thus an onset to a further tryall ; life of my soule ; by whom , next heauen , i breath , excepting whom , i haue no friend but death , how can thy wishes ease my griefe , or stand my miserie in stead , when as thy hand , and nothing but thy helping hand can giue me reliefe , and yet refuses to relieue me ? strange kinde of charity ! when , being afflicted , i finde best wishes , yet am interdicted of those best wishes , and must be remou'd from loues enioyment ; why ? because belou'd . alas ! alas ! how can thy wishes be a blessing to me , if vnblest in thee ? thy beauty 's gone , ( thou saist ; ) why , let it goe ; he loues but ill , that loues but for a show ; thy beauty is supply'd in my affection , that neuer yet was slaue to a complexion . shall euery day , wherein the earth does lacke the suns reflex , b'expell'd the almanacke ? or shall thy ouer-curious steps for beare a garden , 'cause there be no roses there ? or shall the sunset of parthenia's beauty enforce my i●…dgement to neglect that duty , the which my best aduis'd affection owes her sacred vertue , and my solemne vowes ? no , no ; it lyes not in the power of fate , to make parthenia too vnfortunate , for argalus to loue . it is as easie for parthenia's heart to proue lesse vertuous , as for me to start from my firme faith : the flame that honours breath hath blowne , nothing hath powre to quench , but death . thou giu'st me leaue to chuse a fitter spouse , and freedome to recall , to quit those vowes i tooke : vvho gaue thee license to dispense vvith such false tongues , as offer violence to plighted faith ? alas , thou canst not free thy selfe , much lesse hast power to license me : vowes can admit no change ; they still perseuer against all chance , they binde , they binde for euer : a vow 's a holy thing ; no common breath ; the limits of a vow , is heauen , and death ; a vow that 's past , is like a bird that 's flowne from out thy hand ; can be recall'd by none ; it dies not , like a time beguiling i●…st , as soone as vented ; liues not in thy brest , vvhen vtterd once ; but is a sacred word , straight enterd in the strict and close record of heauen ; it is not like a iuglers knot , or fast , or loose , as pleases vs , or not . since then thy vowes can finde no dispensation , and may not be recall'd , recall thy passion ; performe , performe , what now it is too late t' vnwish againe ; too soone to violate ; seeke not to quit , what heauen denies to free , performe thy vowes to heauen ; thy vowes to me . thrice dearer then my soule , ( she thus r●…plide ) mad my owne pamper'd fancy beene the guide to my affection , i had condescended ere this to your request , which had befriended my best desiers too ; i lou'd not thee for my owne pleasure , in that base degree , as gluttons doe their diet , who dispense with vnwash'd hands , ( lest they should giue offence to their grip'd stomackes , when a minutes stay will make them curse occasion all the day . ) i lou'd not so ; my first desires did spring from thy owne worth ; and , as a sacred thing , i alwaies view'd thee , whom my zeale commands me not prophane with these desiled hands : t is true ; performance is a debt we owe to vowes , and nothing's dearer then a vow ; yet when the gods doe rauish from our hand the meanes to keepe it , ' ●…is a countermand . he that hath vow'd to sacrifice each day at iuno's altar's bound , and must obey . but if ( being vnder vow ) the gods doe please to strike him with a leperous disease , or foule infection ; which is better now , prophane the al●…ar , or to breake the vow ? the case is mine ; where then the gods dispense , we may be bold , yet tender no offence . admit it were an euill ; 't is our be●…est of necessary ills to choose the least . the gods are good : the strickt recognisance of vowes , is onely taken to aduance the good of man ; now if that good proue ill , we may refuse , our vowes entire still . i vow a mariage ; why ? because i doe entirely affect that man , my vowes are to ; but if some foule disease should interpose betwixt our promis'd mariage , and our vowes . the strict performance of these vowes must proue i wrong ; and therefore loue not , whom i loue . then vrge no more : let my deny all be a pledge sufficient twixt my loue and thee . so ended sl●…e : 〈◊〉 vehement desire , ( that c●…n be quencht with no ; no more , then fire , with oyle ; and can submit to no condition ) lends him new breath : loue makes a rethoritian . he speaks : she answers : he , afresh , replyes ; he stoutly sues ; as stoutly she denyes . he begs in vaine ; and she denics in vain●… ; for she denies agai●…e ; he begs again●… ; at last , both weary , ●…e his suite adiournes , for louers dayes are good , and bad by turnes . he bids farewell : as if the heart of either gaue but one motion , they both sigh'd together . she bids farewel ' ; and yet she bids it so , as if her farewell ended , if he goe ; he bids farewel ' ; bu●… so , as if delay had promis'd better farewells to his stay . she bids farewell ; but holds his hand so fast , as if that farewell , should not be the last . both sigh'd , both wept , and both , being heauy harted , she bids farewell ; he bids farewell ; and parted . so parted they : now argalus is gone ; and now parthenia's weeping all alone ; and , like the widowed turtle , she bewailes the absence of her mate : passion preuailes aboue her strength : now her poore heart can tell , what 's heauen , by wanting heauen ; and what is hell by her owne torments : sorrow now does play the tyrants part ; affection must obey ; and , like a weathercocke , her various minde is chang'd , and turn'd with euery blast of winde . in desp'rate language she deplores her state ; she faine would wish ; but then , she knowes not what ; resolues of this ; of that ; and then of neither ; she faine would ●…lee , but then she knows not whither ; at length ( consulting with the heartlesse paire of ill aduisers , sorrow , and despaire ) resolues to take th' aduantage of that night , to steale away ; and seeke for death , by flight ; a pilgrims weed her liuelesse limmes addrest from hand to foot : a thong of leather blest her wasted loynes ; her feeble feet were shod with sandalls ; in her hand a pilgrims rod. when as th' illustrious soueraigne of the day had now begun his circuit , to suruay his lower kingdome , hauing newly lent the vpper world to cynthiaes gouernment , forth went parthenia , and begins t' attend the progresse now , which only death can end . goe haplesse virgin ! fortune be thy guide , and thine owne vertues ; and what else beside , that may be prosperous : may thy merits find more happinesse , then thy distressed mind can hope ; liue , and to after ages proue the great example of true faith and loue : gone , gone she is ; but whither she is gone , the gods , and fortune can resolue alone ; pardon my quill , that is enforc'd to stray from a poore lady , in an vnknowne way . to number forth her weary steps , or tell those obvious dangers , that so oft befell our poore parthenia , in her pilgrimage , or bring her miseries on the open st●…ge ; her broken slumbers ; her distracted care ; her hourely feares , and srights ; her hungry fare ; her daily pe●…ils ; and her nightly scapes from rauenous beasts , and from a●…tempted rap●…s , is not my taske ; who care not to incite my r●…aders p●…ssion to an appetite . we leaue parthenia now ; and our discourse must cast an ●…ye , and bend a settled course to argalus . when argalus ( returni●…g to v●…sit his parthenia , the n●…xt morning ) p●…rceiued she was fled , not knowing whither ; he makes no stay ; consults not with the weather ; stayes not to thi●…ke , but claps his hasty knees to his fleet courser ; and away he flees ; his haste enquires no way ; ( he needs not feare to lose the roade , that goes he knowes not where ; ) one w●…ile he pricks vp●… the fruitfull plaines ; and now , he gently s●…ks his prouder reines , and climbes the barren hills : with fresh c●…reers he tryes the right hand way ; and then he ver●…s his course vpon the left : one while he likes this path ; when , by and by , his fancy strikes vpon another tract . sometimes , he rou●…s among the springs , and solitary groues ; where , on the tender barkes of sundry trees , h'engraues parthenia's name , with his : then flees to the wild champian : his proud ste●…d remoures the hopefull fallowes , with his horned 〈◊〉 ; he baulkes no way ; rides ouer rocke , and mountaine ; when led by fortune to diana's fountaite , he straight dismounts his steed ; begins to quench his thirsty lippes ; and after that , to drench his fainting limmes , in that sweet streame , wherein parthenia's dainty fingers of●… had bin . the fountaine was vpon a steepe descent , whose gliding current nature gaue a vent through a firme rock ; which art ( to make it known to after ages ) wall'd , and roof'd with stone ; aboue the christall fountaines head , was plac'd diana's image ( though of late defac'd : ) beneath , a rocky cysterne did retaine the water , s●…ding through the cocks of cane ; whose curious current , the worlds greater eye ne're viewed , but in his mid-day m●…jestie : it was that fountaine ; where , in elder times poore corydon compos'd his rurall rimes , and left them closely hid , for his vnkinde and marble hearted phyllida to finde . all rites perform'd ; he re-amounts his steed , redeemes his losse of time with a new speed : and with a fresh supply , his strength renewes his progresse , god knowes whither ; he pursues his vow'd aduenture , brooking no delay , and ( with a minde as doubtfull as the way ) he iournies on ; he left no course , vnthought ; no traueller , vnask'd ; no place , vnsought . to make a iournall of each circumstance ; his change of fortunes , or each obuious chance befell his tedious trauell : to relate the braue attempt of this exploit , or that ; his rare atchieuements , and their faire successe ; his noble courage , in extreame distresse ; his desp'rate dangers ; his deliuerance : his high esteeme with men , which did enhanse his meanest actions to the throne of i●…ue : and what he sufferd , for partheniaes loue , would make our volume endlesse , apt to try the vtmost patience of a studious eye ; all which , the bounty of a free conceit may sooner reach too , then my pen relate . but till bright cynthiaes head had three times thrise repayr'd her empty hornes , and fill'd the eyes of gazing mortalls , with her globe of light , this re●…lesse louer ceas'd not , day and night , to wander , in a sollitarie quest for her , whose loue had taught him to digest the dregges of sorrow , and to count all ioyes but follyes ( weigh'd with her ) at least , but toyes . it hapned now that twise six months had run , since wandring argalus had first begun his toylesome progresse ; who , in vaine , had spent a yeare of houres , and yet no euent , when fortune brought him to a goodly seat ( wall'd round about with hills ) yet not so great as pleasant ; and lesse curious to the fight , then strong ; yet yeelding euen as much delight , as strength ; whose onely outside did declare the masters iudgement , and the builders care . arround the castle , nature had laid out the bounty of her treasure ; round about , well fenced meadowes ( fill'd with summers pride ) promis'd prouision for the winter tide , neere which the neighb'ring hills ( well stockt and stor'd with milke white flocks ) did seuerally afford their fruitfull blessings , and deseru'd encrease to painfull husbandry , the childe of peace ; it was kalanders seat , who was the brother of lost parthenia's late deceased mother . he was a gentleman , whom vaine ambition nere taught to vnderualue the condition of priuate gentry , who preferr'd the loue of his respected neighbours , farre aboue the apish congies of th'vnconstant court ; ambitious of a good , not great report . beloued of his prince , yet not depending vpon his sauours so , as to be tending vpon his person : and , in briefe , too strong within himselfe , for fortunes hand to wrong : thither came wandring argalus ; and receiu'd as great content , as one that was bereau'd of all his ioyes , could take , or who would striue t' expresse a welcome to the life , could giue : his richly furnisht table more exprest a common bounty , then a curious feast ; wherea●… , the choice of precious wines were profer'd in liberall sort ; not vrg'd , but freely offer'd ; the carefull seruants did attend the roome , no need to bid them either goe or come : each knew his place , his office , and could spy his masters pleasure , in his masters eye . but what can rellish pleasing to a taste that is distemper'd ? can a sweet repast please a sicke pallate ? no , there 's no content can enter argalus , whose soule is bent to tyre on his owne thoughts : kalanders loue , ( that other times would rauish ) cannot moue that fixed heart , which passion now incites t' abiure all pleasures , and forsweare delights . it fortun'd ; on a day , that dinner ending , kalander and his noble guests , intending t' exchange their pleasures in the open ayre , a messenger came in ; and did repaire vnto kalander ; told him , that the end of his imployment , was to recommend a noble lady to him ( neare allyde to faire queene hellen ) whose vnskilfull guide had so misled , that she does make request , this night , to be his bold , and vnknowne guest ; and by his helpe , to be inform'd the way to finde to morrow , what she lost to day . kalander ( the extent of whose ambition was to expresse the bountious disposition of a free heart , as glad of such occasion to entertaine ) return'd the salutation of an vnknowne seruant ; and withall profest , a promis'd welcome to so faire a guest . forthwith kalander , and his noble friends ( all but poore argalus , who recommends his thoughts to priuate vses , and confines his secret fancy to his owne designes ) mounted their praunsing steeds , to giue a meeting to his faire guest , they met , but at first meeting kalander stood amaz'd ; ( for he suppos'd it was parthenia ) and thus his thoughts disclos'd ; maddam ( said he ) if these mine aged eyes retaine that wo●…ted strength , which age denies to many of my yeares . i should be bold ( in viewing you ) to say , i doe behold . my neece parthenia's , face : nor can i be perswaded ( by your leaue ) but you are she ? thrice noble sir ( she thus replide ) your tongue ( perchance ) hath done the faire parthenia wrong , in your mistake , and too much honour'd me , that ( in my iudgement ) was more fit to be her foyle , then picture ; yet hath many an eye giuen the like sentence , she not being by ; nay , more ; i haue bin told ; that my owne mother fail'd often to distinguish t'one from t'other . said then kalander : if my rash conceit hath made a fault , mine error shall await vpon your gratious pardon ; i alone vvas not deceiu'd ; for neuer any one that view'd parthenia's visage , but would make as great an error , by as great mistake . but ( madd●…m ) for her sake , and for your owne , ( vvhose worth may challenge to it selfe alone , more seruice then kalander can expresse ) y' are truly welcome . enter , and possesse this castle as your owne ; which can be blest in nothing , more , then in so faire a guest . whereto , the lady ( entring ) thus replide . let euerlasting ioyes be multiplide vvithin these gentle gates ; and let them stand as lasting monuments in th' arcadian la●…d , of rare and bounteous hospitalitie to after-times . let strangers passing by blesse their succeeding heires as shall descend from such a lord , from such a noble friend . when as a little 〈◊〉 had repai●…'d her weary limmes , which trauell had impair'd , the freenesse of occasion did present new subiects to discourse ; wherein they spent no little time ; among the rest , befell kalander ( often stopt with teares ) to tell of argalus , and lost parthenia's loue , whose vndissembled passion did moue a generall griefe ; the more that they attended to his sad tale , the more they wish'd it ended . maddam ( said he ) although your visage be like hers ; yet may your fortunes disagree ; poore girle ! and as he ●…pake that word , his eyes let fall a teare . the lady thus replyes ; my soule doth suffer for parthenia's sake ; but tell me , sir , did argalus for sake his poore 〈◊〉 whom he lou'd so deare ? how hath he spent his daies e're since ? and where ? maddam ( said he ) when as their marriage day drew neare ; mischiefe , that now was bent to play vpon the stage , her studied master prize , with ougly leprosie did so disguise her beauteous face , that she b●…came a terroar to her owne selfe : but arg●…lus the mirrour of truest constancy , ( whose loyall heart , not guided by his eye , 〈◊〉 to start from his past v●…wes ) did , in despight of fortune , pursue his fixt desires , and importune th' entended mariage 〈◊〉 : but she , whom reason now had taught to disagree vvith her distracted thoughts stands deafe and mute , and at the last , to auoyd his further suit , not making any prinie to her flight , she quits the house , and steales away by night ; but maddam , when as argalus perceiu'd that she was fled ; and being quite bereau'd of his last hope poore louer , he assayes by toyle some pilgrimage to end his dayes , or finde her out : now twice sixe months haue run their tedious courses , since he first begun his fruitlesse iourney , ranging farre and neare , suffering as many sorrowes as a yeare could send ; and made by the extreames of weather vna●…t for trauell , fortune brought him thither ; vvhere he as yet remaines , till time shall make his wasted bodie fit to vndertake his discontented progresse , and renew his great enquest for her , who at first view , maddam , you seem'd to be . so said ; the lady from whose tender eyes some drops did slide , whose heart did sympathize w●…th both their sorrowes , said ; and is their then such vnexpected constancy in men ? most noble sir ; if the too rash desires of a stranger may be dispens'd withall without the danger of too great boldnesse , i should make request to see this noble lord , in whose rare brest ( by your report ) more honour doth reside , then in all greece ; nay , all the world beside ; i haue a message to him , and am loath to doe it , were i not ingag'd by ●…ath . whereat , kalander , not in breath , but action applies himselfe to giue a satisfaction to her propounded wish : protraction wasts no time ; but vp to arg●…s he hasts : argalus comes downe ; and after s●…lutation g●…uen , and re●…iu'd , she accosts him on this fashion my noble lord , vvhereas the loud resounding trump of fame hath nois'd your worth , and gloriside your name aboue all others , let your goodnesse now make good that faire report ; that i may know by true experience , what my ioyfull eare ●…ad but , as yet , the happinesse to heare . and if the frailty of a womans wit may chancet ' o●…end ; ●…e noble , and r●…mit . then know ( most noble lord ) my natiue place , is co●…inth ; of the selfe same biood and race , vvith faire queene h●…llen , in whose princely court i had my birth , my breeding : to be short ; thither not many daies ago●… , there came , disguis'd and chang'd in all things but her name , the rare par●…a , so in shape transform'd , in feature altred , and in face d●…form'd . that ( in my iudgement ) all this region could not show a thing , more vgly to b●…hold . long was it , ere her oft repeated vowes and solemne protestations could rouze my ouer dull beliefe ; till , and the last , some passages , that heretofore had past in secret , twixt parthenia and me , gaue full assurance't could be none but she ; abundant welcome , ( as a soule so sad as mine , and hers , could giue or take ) she had so like we were in face , in speech , in growth , that whosoeuer saw the one , saw both : yet were we not alike in our complexions so much as in our lones , in our affections one sorrow seru'd vs both ; and one reliefe could ease vs both , both partners in one griefe much priuate time we ioyntly spent ; and neither could finde a true content , if not together . the strange occurrents of her dire misfortune she oft discourst , which strongly did importune a world of teares from these suffused eyes , the true partakers of her miseries . and as she spake , the accent of her story would alwaies point vpon th' eternall glory of your rare constancy , which whosoere in after-ages shall presume to heare and not admire let him be proclaim'd arebell to all vertue , and ( defam'd in his best actions ) let his leprous name or die d●…shonour'd , or suruiue with shame . but ah ! what simples can the hand of art finde out to stanch a louers bleeding heart ? or what ( alas ) can humane skill apply to turne the course of loues phlebotomie ? loue is a secret sire , inspir'd and blowne by fate ; which wanting hopes , to feed vpon workes on 〈◊〉 very soule , and does torment the vniuerse of man : which being spent and wasted in the conflict , often shrinkes beneath the burthen ; and , soconquerd sinkes ; all which , your poore parthenia knew too well , vvhose bed rid hopes , not hauing power to quell th' imperious fury of extreame despaire , she languisht , and not able to contraire the will of her victorious passion ; cryed , my dearest argalus , farewell , and dyed : my lord , not long before her latest breath had freely paid the full arrears to death , she cald me to her ; in her dying hand she strained mine , whilst in her eyes did stand a showre of teares , vnwept ; and in mine eare she whisperd so , as all the roome might heare . sister ( said she ) ( that title past betweene vs not vndeseru'd ; for , all that ere had scene vs , mistooke vs so , at least ) the lat●…st sand of my spent 〈◊〉 is now at hand . those ioyes , which heauen appointed out for me , i here bequeath to be possest by thee . and when sweet death shall clarifie my thoughts , and draine them from the dregs of all my faults , enioy them thou , wherewith ( being so refinde from all their drosse ) ●…ull fraught thy constant minde and let thy prosprous voyage be addrest to the faire port of argalus his brest , as whom the eye of noone did ne'er discouer so loyall , so renownd , so rare a louer : cast anchor there , for by this dying breath nothing can please my soule more , after death , and make my ioyes more perfect , them to see a mariage twixt my argalus and thee ; this ring the pledge betwixt his heart and mine , a●… freely as he gaue me , i make thine : with it , vnto thy faithfull heart i tender my sacred vowes : with it , i here surrender all right and title , that i had , or haue in such a blessing , as i now must leaue ; goe to him , and coniure him in my name what loue he bare to me , the very same that he transferre on thee : take no deniall . vvhich granted , liue thou happy , constant , loy all . and as she spake that word , her voice did alter ; her breath grew cold , her specch began to faulter ; faine would she vtter more , but her spent tongue ( not able to gos further ) faild , and clung to ber dry roofe . a while , as in a trance , she lay ; and , on a sudden , did aduance her forced language to the height , and cryed , farewell my dearest argalus : and died . and now , my lord , although this office be vnsutable to my sex , and disagree t●…o much perchance , with the too mean condition of my estate , more like to finde dirision , then satisfaction ; yet , my gratious lord , extr'ordinary merits doe afford extr'ordinary meanes , and can excuse the breach of custome , or the common vse ; vvherefore , incite●… 〈◊〉 the deare directions of dead parther●… , 〈◊〉 mine owne affections , and by the exc'lence of your high desert , i here present you with a faithfull heart , a heart , to you deuoted ; which assures it selfe no happinesse , but in being yours . pardon my boldnesse . they that shall reproue this , as a fault , reproue a fault in loue . and why should custome doe our sex that wrong , to take away the priuiledge of our tongue ? if nature giue vs freedome , to affect , why then should custome barre vs to d●…tect the gifts of nature ? she that is in paine hath a sufficient warrant to complaine . then giue me leaue ( my lord ) to reinforce a virgins suit , ( thinking ne're the worse of proferd loue ) let my desiers thriue , and freely ' accept what i so freely giue . so ending ; silence did enla●…ge her eare , ( prepar'd with q●…icke attention ) to heare his gracious words : but argalus whose passion had put his amorous courtship out of fashion , return'd no answer , till his trickling eies had giuen an earnest of such obsequies , as his adiourned sorrow had entended to doe at full , and therefore recommended to priuacy ; true griefe abhorres the light , who grieues without a witnesse , grieues aright . his passion thus suspended for a while , ( and yet not so , but that it did recoyle strong sighes ) he wip'd his teare-bedewed ey●…s , and turning to the lady , thus replyes . madam , your no lesse rare , then noble fauours show how much you merit , and how much i owe your great desert , which claimes more thankfulnesse , then such a dearth of language can expresse . but most of all , i stand for euer bound to that your goodnesse , my parthenia found in her distresse , for which respect ( in duty as i am tyed ) poore argalus shall repute ye the flowre of noble courtesie , and proclaime your high deseruings . lady ; as i am , a poore vnhappy wretch , the very scorne of all prosperitie , distrest , forlorne , vnworthy the least fauour you can giue ; i am your flaue , your beadsman will i liue : but for this weighty matter you propound , although i see how much it would redound to my great happinesse , yet heauen knowes ( most exc'llent lady ) i cannot dispose of my owne thoughts ; nor haue i power to doe what , else , you needed not perswade me to ; for trust me , were this heart of mine , mine owne , to carue according to my pleasure , none but you should challenge it ; but while i liue it is parthenia's , and not mine to giue . whereto she thus replies : most noble sir , death , that hath made diuorse 'twixt you , and her , hath now returned you your heart againe , dissolu'd your vowes , dislink'd that sacred chaine , which tide your soules ; nay more , her dying breath bequeath'd your heart to me ; which by her death is growne a debt , that you are bound to pay ; then know ( my lord ) the longer you delay , the longer time her soule is dispossest ( and by your meanes ) of her desired rest . whereto the poore distressed argalus pausing a while return'd his answere thus ; incomparable lady , when first of all , by heauens diuine directions , vve lou'd , we lik'd , we linkt our deare affections , and with the solemne power of an oath , in presence of the better gods , we both exchang'd our hearts : in witnesse of which thing , i gaue , and she receiued this deare ring , which now you weare ; by which she did resigne her heart to me ; for which , i gaue her mine . now , maddam , by a mutuall commerce , my exchang'd heart is not my owne , but hers ; which if it had the power to suruiue , she being dead , what heart haue i to giue ? or if that heart expired in her death , vvhat heart had shee ( poore lady ! ) to bequeath ? maddam , in her began my deare affection ; in her , it liu'd ; in her , it had perfection ; in her , it ioy'd , although but ill befriended by fate ; in her begun , in her , it ended . if i had lou'd , if i had onely lou'd parthenia's beautie , i had soone beene mou'd to moderate my sorrowes , and to place that loue on you , that haue parthenia's face ; but 't was parthenia's selfe i lou'd , and loue ; vvhich as no time hath power to remoue from my sixt heart , so nothing can diminish , no fortune can dissolue ; no death can finish . with mingled frownes and smiles , she thus replide , h●…lfe in a rage , and must i be denide ? are those the noble fauours i expected ? to finde disgrade ? and goe away reiected ? most noble lady , if my words ( said he ) suit not your expectation , let them be imputed to the miserie of my state , which makes my lips to speake they know not what ; mistake not him , that onely studies how , vvith most aduantage still to honour you . alas ! what ioyes i euer did receiue from fortune's buried in parthenia's graue , vvith whom , ere long ( nor are my hopes in vaine ) i hope to meet , and neuer part againe . so said ; with more then eagle winged hast , she flew into his bosome and embrac'd , and her clos'd armes , his sorrow-wasted wast ; surcharg'd with ioy , she wept , not hauing power to speake . haue you beheld an aprill shower send downe her hasty bubbles , and then stops , then storms afresh , through whose transparent drops the vnobscur●…d lamp●… of heauen conuaies the brigh●…er glory o●…'s refulgent rayes : euen so , within her blushing checks resided a mixt a●…pect , 'twixt smiles and teares diuided , so euen diuided ; no man could say , whether she wept , or 〈◊〉 , she smil'd , and wept together , she held him fast , and like a fainting louer , whose passion now had license to discouer some words ; since then thy heart is not for me , take , take thy owne parthenia ( said she ) cheare vp , my argalus ; these words of mine ate thy parthenia's , as parthenia's thine ; beleeue it ( loue ) these are no false alarmes ; thou hast thine owne parthenia in thine armes . like as a man , whose hourely wants implore each meales reliefe , trudging from doore to doore , that heares no dialect from churlish lippes , but newes of beadles , and their tor●…uring whips , takes vp ( perchance ) some vnexpected treasure , new lost ; departs ; and , ioyfull beyond measure , i●… so transported , that he scarce beleeu●…s so grea●… a truth ; and what his eye perceiues not daring trust , but feares it is some vision , or 〈◊〉 dre●…me , deseruing but derision . so argalus●…mazed ●…mazed at the newes , f●…ine wo●…ld beleeue , but da●…ing not abuse his easie saith too soone , for feare his heart should s●…rfeit on conc●…it , he did impart the truth vnto his fancie by degrees , vvhere stopp'd by passion , falling on his knees , he thus began ; o ●…ou eternall powers that haue the guidance of these soules of ours , who by your iust prerogati●…e can doe what is a sin for man to diue into ; whose vndiscouer'd actions are too high for thought ; too deepe for man ●…'enquier , why ? delude not these mine eyes with the false show of such a ioy , as i must neuer know but in a dreame : or if a dreame it be , o let me neuer wake againe , to see my selfe deceiu'd , that am ordain'd t' enioy a reall griefe , and but a dreaming ioy . much more he spake to this ●…ffect , which ended ; he blest himselfe , and ( with a sigh ) vnbended his aking knees ; and rising from the ground , h●… c●…st his rolling eyes about , and found t●…e roome auoyded , and hims●…lfe alone ; the doore halfe clos'd , and his parthenia gone , his new distemper'd passion grew extreame ; i knew , i knew , ( said he ) 't was but a dreame ; a minutes ioy ; a flash ; a flattering bubble blowne by the fancy , full of pleasing trouble ; which waking breakes ; and empties into ayre , and breathes into my soule a fresh despaire . i knew 't was nothing but a golden dreame , which ( waking ) makes my wants the more extreame ; i knew 't was nothing but a dreaming ioy , a blisse , which ( waking ) i should ne're enioy . my deare parth●…nia tell me , where , o where art thou that so 〈◊〉 ' st mine ●…ye , mine eare ? o that my wak'ned fancy had the might to represent vnto my reall sight what my deceiued eyes beheld , that i might surfeit with excesse of ioy , ●…nd die . with that the faire parthenia ( whose desire was all this while , by fire , to draw out fir●… ; and by a well aduised course to smother the s●…ry of one passion with another ) stept in , and said ; then argalus take thou thy true parthenia : thou dream'st not now ; behold this ring , whose motto does impart the constancy of our diuided heart : behold these eyes , that for thy sake haue vented a world of teares , vnpittied , vnlamented : behold the face , that had of late the power to curse all beauty ; yet it selfe , secure : witnesse that tapour , whose prophetick snuffe vvas outed and re●…iued with one puffe : and that my words may whet thy dull belief●… , 't was i , that roard beneath the scourge of griefe , vvhen thou did'st curse the darknesse , for concealing my face ; and then the t●…pour , ●…or revealing so ●…oule a face ; 't was i , that , ouercome vvith violent despaire , stood deafe and dumbe to all thy vrg'd perswasions . it was i , that , in thy absence , did resolue to die a wandring pilgrime , trusting to be led by fortune , to my death ; and therefore fled : but see ; the powers aboue can worke their ends , in spight of mortals : and what man intends , the heauens dispose , and order the euent : for when my thoughts were desperately bent to mine owne ruine , i was led by fate ( through dangers , now too tedious to relate ) to faire queene hellens court , not knowing whither my vnaduised steps were guided . thither my genius brought me ; where , vnknowne to any , i mournd in silence ; though obseru'd by many , relieu'd by none . at length , they did acquaint the faire queene h●…llen with my strange complaint , whose noble heart did truly sympathize with mine , partaking in my miseries : who , fill'd with pitty , strongly did importune the wofull cause of my disastrous fortune , and neuer rested , till she did inforce these lips t' acquaint her with the whole discourse . vvhich done , her gratious pleasure did command her owne physitian , to whose skilfull hand she left my foule disease ; who in the space of twice ten dayes , restor'd me to this face : the cure perfected , straight she sent about ( without my knowledge ) to enquier out that party , for whose sake i was contented t' endure such griefe with patience , vnrepented . hoping ( since by her meanes , and help of art ) my face was cur'd ) euen so to cure my heart . but when the welcome messenger return'd thy place of boad , ô how my spirits burnd to k●…sse her hands , and so to leaue the court ; but she ( whose fauours did transcend report as much , as they exceeded my desert ) detain'd me for a while , as loath to part vvith her poore handmaid ; till at last , perpending a louers haste , and freely apprehending so iust a cause of speed , she soone befriended my best desiers , and sent me thus attended , vvhere ( vnder a false maske ) i laid this plot , to see how soone my argalus had forgot his dead parthenia , but my blessed eare hath heard , what few or none must hope to heare : now farewell sorrow , and let old despaire goe seeke new brests : let mischiefe neuer dare attempt our hearts : let argalus inioy his true parthenia ; let parthenia's ioy reuiue in him : let each be blest in eyther , and blest be heauen , that brought vs both together . with that , the well-nig●… broken hearted louer , rauisht with ouer ioy , did thus discouer his long pent words : and doe these eyes once more behold what their extreame despaire gaue o're to hope for ? doe these wretched eyes attaine the happinesse , to see this face againe ? and is there so much happinesse yet left for a broke heart , a heart that was bereft of power t' enioy , what heauen had pow●…r to giue ? breathes my p●…rthenia ? does partheni●… liue ? who euer saw the septentrionall stone , by hidden power , ( a power as ye●… vnknowne to our confinde and darkned reason ) draw the neighb'ring steele ; which , by the mutuall law of natures secret working , striues as much to be attracted , till they ioyne and touch ; euen so these greedy louers meet , and charmes each other strongly in each others armes ; euen so they meet ; and with vnbounded measure os true content , and time beguiling pleasure , enioy each other with a world of kisses , sealing the patent of true worldly blisses ; where for a while i leaue them to receiue , what pleasures new met louers vse to haue . readers forbeare ; and let no wanton eye abuse our sceane : let not the stander by corrupt our lines , or make an obsceane glosse vpon our sober text , and mixe his drosse with our refined gold , extracting sower from sweet , and poyson from so faire a flower . correct your wandring thoughts , and doe not feare to thinke the best : here is no tarquine here ; no lustfull , no insatiate messaline , who thought it gaine sufficient to resigne an age of honour , for a night of pleasure ; whose strength t' endure lust , was the iust measure of her adust desire : yee need not feare our priuate louers , who esteeme lesse deare their liues then honours , daring not to doe , but what vnsham'd the sun may pry into . if any itching eares desire to know , what seret conf'rence past betwixt these two ; to them my muse thus answers ; when your case shall proue the like , she wils you to embrace true honour , as these n●…ble louers did , and you shall know ; till then you are forbid to enquire further : onely this she pleases to let you vnderstand , that loues diseas●…s being throughly cured , by their meeting , they h●…ue once againe 〈◊〉 a mariage day ; which that it might succeed with fairer fortune , readers , she moues your pleasures , to importune the better gods , that they would please t'appay their griefes with ioy , and smile vpon that day . the end of the second booke . argalvs and parthenia . the third booke . vvhen sturdy marches stormes are ouerblowne and aprill , gentle show'rs are slidden downe to close the windchapt earth , succeeding may enters her month , whose earely breaking day calls ladies from their hasty beds to view sweet maias pride , and the discolour'd hiew of dewy-brested flora , in her bower where euery hand hath leaue to picke the flowre her fancy likes , wherewith to be possest , vntill it fade , and wither in her brest . now smooth-fac'd neptune , with his gladder smiles visits the bankes of his beloued isles ; eolus calls in the winds , and bids them hold their full-mouth'd blasts , that breathles are controlld ; each one ●…tyres and shrinks into his seat and seagreene triton sounds a shrill retreat : and thus at length , our pinace is past o're the barre ; and rides before the maiden-towre . vp , now in earnest ( voyagers ) and stand yee on your faint legs ; o●…r long boat straight shal land ye . forget your trauels now , and lead your eyes from your past dangers to your present prize . you traffick'd not for toyes ; the gods haue set no other price to things of price , but sweat . cheare vp ; call home your hearts , and be aduis'd , goods eas'ly purchas'd , are as eas'ly priz'd . you traffick'd not for trifles ; and your trauell was not to compasse the almightie grauell of th' indian mines , to ballace your estates ; t was not for blasts of honour ; whose poore dates depend on regall smiles , and haue no measures , but monarchs wils , expiring with their pleasures . t was not to conquer kingdomes , or obtaine the dangerous title of a soueraigne ; these are poore things : it is but false discretion to toyle , where hopes are sweeter then possession . no , we are bound vpon more braue aduentures ; true honour , vertue , beauty , are the centers to which we point , whereto our thoughts doe tend , and heauen hath brought our voyage to an end . haile noble argalus ; now the cock boate stands secure : step forth , and reach thy widened hands , and take thy fairest bride into thine armes ; strike vp ( braue spirit ) cupids fresh alarmes vpon her melting lips : take toll , before thou set her dainty foot vpon the shore ; so let her slide vpon thy gentle brest , and feele the ground : then lead her to her rest . goe imps of honour ; let the morning sun gild your delights , and spend his beames vpon your marriage triumphs ; let his westerne light decline apace , and make a early night . go●… , turtles , goe ; let trebble ioyes betide the faithfull bridegroome , and his fairest bride . l●…t your own●… ve●…tues light you to your rest ; tomorrow come we to your n●…ptiall feast . by this the curld pate vvaggoner of heauen h●… 〈◊〉 his diurnall course , and drinen hi , pan●…ing s●…eds adowne the w●…sterne hill , when silu●…r cynthia , rising to fulfill he●…n g●…tly course , le ts fall an euening teare , to see her bro●…her lea●…e the hemisphere , w●…ich , by the ayre disper●…d , is early found ( and call'd a pearlly dew ) vpon the ground : still was the night , no language did molest the waking ear ; all mortals were at res●… ; no 〈◊〉 of wind had power to prouoke the aspine lea●…e , or quell the aspiring smoake ; sweet was the ayre , and clear●… ; no s●…arre was hi●… ; no enu●…ous cloud was stirring , to forbid the 〈◊〉 astronomer , to gaze , and looke into the secrets of his spangled booke ; whilst round about , in each resounding groue , ( as if the 〈◊〉 of night had stroue 〈◊〉 the warbling philomele compares , and 〈◊〉 by turn●…s her polyphonian ayres . and now the horn-mouth'd belman of the night had se●…t his midnight summons , to inuite nights 〈◊〉 rebuls , from their secret holds to 〈◊〉 and visite the securer folds , whilst drouzie morpheus , with his leaden keyes , locks vp the shepherds eye-lids , and betrayes the sc●…ttered flocks , which lye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , expecting fire when the 〈◊〉 - 〈◊〉 . by ●…his the p●…lefac'd empresse of the night h●…d 〈◊〉 vp her borrowed light , and to the lower world she now retites , attended with her traine of lesser 〈◊〉 , and early hesper shoots his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to vsher titan from his purple bed . the gray ey'd lanitor does now begin to ope his easterne portals , and let in the new borne day ; who hauing lately hu●…ld the shades of night into the lower world , the dewy cheek'd aurora does vnfold her purple curtaines , all be●…ng'd with gol●… ; and from the pillow of his crocian bed , don phoebus rouzes his resulg●…t head ; that with his all d●●scerning eye suruayes , and gilds the mountaines with his morning rayes . now , now the wakefull bride groome ( whose last night had made her shades too long ) salutes the ligh●… ; salutes the welcom●… light , which now a●…length , shall crown his heart with ioyes , beyond th●… 〈◊〉 of mortall language , whose religious 〈◊〉 shall light these lou●… to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vp argalus , and 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t' enioy that ioye , from whence all ioy proc●…ds : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioyes , from whence all ioy 〈◊〉 vp 〈◊〉 ; and 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and thou f●…ite b●…ide , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day , thy day is come , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 awake , and rouze 〈◊〉 ●…om thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; thy day is come : and m●…y thy ioy 〈◊〉 number thy minutes that are 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; arise , and bid thy maid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put on thy nuptiall robes , time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o may thy after dayes be like this 〈◊〉 . by this , bright phoebus with redoubled glorie had halfe way mounted to the highest storie of his olympicke palace : there to see this long expected dayes solemnitie : when all on sudden , there was heard around from euerie quarter ) the maiestick sound of many trampets : all in consort running one point of warre , transcending farre the cunning of mortall blasts ; and what did seeme more strange , the shrill mouth'd musicke did as sudden change to dorick straines , to sweet mollitious ayres , to lyrick songs , and voyces , like to theirs that charm'd vlysses : whil'st th' amazed eare stood rauisht at these changes , it might heare those voyces , ( by degrees ) transforme to lutes , to shaulms , deepe throated sackbuts , and to flutes , and eccho-forcing cornets ; which surpast the art of man : this harmony did last vntill the bridegroome came : but all men wondred to heare the noyse : some thought the heauens had thundred to a new tun●… ; and some more wiser eares conceiu'd , it was the musick of the spheares : all wonderd , all men gaz'd ; and all could heare , but none knew whence the musicke was , or where . forthwith , as if a second sun had rose , and stroue with greater brightnesse , to depose the glory of the first , the bridegroome came , vsher'd along with eagle-winged fame , whose twice fiue hundred mouthes did at one blast inspire a thousand tr●…mpets , as he past . his nuptiall ves●…re was of scarlet dye so deepe , as it would dazle a weake eye to gaze vpon 't ; to which , the curious art of the laborious needle did impare so great a glorie , that you might behold a rising sunne , imbost with purest gold , from whence ten thousand trailes of gold came down in waued poynts , like sunbeames from that sun : thus from his chamber , midd'st the vulgar crowd ( like titan breaking through a gloomy cloud ) the long expected bridegroome came , and past th' amazed multitude , till at the last , his herauld brought him to the hall of state , when all th' arcadian nobles did awaite to welcome his approach , and to discharge the lowder volley of their ioyes at large . the hall was spacious , lightsome , and bestrow'd with flora's wealth ( a bountie that she ow'd this glorious feast ) the wals were richly clad with curious tap'strie ; ( such as greece ne're had before this day ) wherein you might behold , wrought to the life , in colourd silkes , and gold , this present story of these peerelesse louers , which , like a silent chronicle , discouers the seuerall passages , that d●…d be fall 'twixt their first meeting , and their nuptiall ; deuis'd and wrought by virgins borne in greece , presented to this triumph , as a peece deuoted to the memorie and fame of argalus , and his parthenia's name . no sooner was the ceremony ended , ( wherein each noble spirit more contended t' expresse affection , then affect th'expession of courtly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ba●…e profession of ayrie friendship ) but a sudden shout of rudely mingled ●…yees flew th●…oughout the spatious castle , which confus'dly cry'd ioy to parth●…nia , to the fairest bride . fo●… 〈◊〉 ( as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had broken loose , and dei●…ies had meant to enter pose their heauenly bodies , with the mortall tribe of men ; or , else , intending to ascribe their pers'nall honour to this nuptiall ) in more then prin●…ly st●…te , enters the hall a gloriou●… show of ladies , all aray'd in rare and costly robes , and richly laid with iems vnualued ; and each lady wore a scarfe vpon her arme , embroidered o'er with gold and pearle ; thus hand in hand they pa●…t into the hall , but oft their eyes did ●…ast a backward looke , as if their thoughts did minde some greater glory , comming on b●…hinde : next after them , came in the virgin crew in milke white robes ( virgins that neuer knew the sacred mysteries of the mariage bed , nor , finding trouble in a maidenhead , erelent a thought to nuptiall ioyes , till now ) thus past these buds of nature ; two , by two , their long dis●…heueld treffes d●…angled downe with car●…sse art , and on each head a crowne of golden laurell stood : their ●…aces 〈◊〉 beneath a vaile , seem'd 〈◊〉 the stars were clouded . h●…ue ye beheld in fros●…y winters euen , when all the lesser twin●…ng lamps of heauen are fully ●…indled , how the ●…uddy face of rising cynthi●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with what a grace she views the throne of darkenesse , and aspires th' olympick brow , amidst the smaller fires ? so after all these sparkes of beauty , came ( they were but sparks to such a glorious flame ) the fayre parthenia , thus the rose-cheek'd bride enters the roome ; a milke white vayle did hide her blushing face ; which , ne'erthelesse discloses some glymps of red , like lawne o're spreading roses ; thus entred she ; the garments , that she wore , were made of purple silke , bespangled o're with starres of purest gold , and round about each seuerall s●…arre went , winding in , and out , a trayle of orient pearle , so rarely wrought , that as the garments moou'd , you would haue thought , the starres had twinckled ; her dissheueld hayre hung downe behind , as if the onely care had bin to reconcile neglect and art , h●…ng loosely downe , and vayl'd the backer part of those her sky-resembling robes ; but so , that euery breath would waue it too and fro , like flying clouds ; through which , you might discouer sometimes one glim'ring starre , sometimes another : thus on she went ; her ample traine supported by thrice three virgins , euenly siz'd and sorted in purple robes : forthwith , the bridegroome rises from off his chaire ; bowes downe ; and sacrifices the peacefull offring of a morning kisse , vpon her lips : to such a saint as this , o , what rebellious heart could chose but bowe , and offer freely the perpetuall vowe of choyce obedience ? with that , each noble moues him from his place , and with a posture , full of princely grace , salutes the louely bride , with words , expressing the ioy●…ull modell of a kingdomes blessing . but hark●… ! the hymenean trumpet sends her latest summons forth : hymen attends the noble payre , and is prepar'd to y●…ke their promis'd hands ; the sacred altars smoake with mirr●… and frankinsence , thewayes are strowd with flora's prid●… ; and the expecting crowd haue throng'd the streets , and ●…uery greedy eye attends , to see the tryumph passing by : at length , the gates flew open . and on this fashion began the tryumph ; first a proclamation was made , with a loud voyce : if any be , or lord , or knight , or whatsoere degree , professing armes , or honour in the land , that at this time , can chalenge , or pretend a ti●…le to parthenia's heart , or claime a right , or interest in her loue , or name ; let him come forth in person ; or , appeare by noble proxy , if not present here ; and by the exc●…lent honour of a knight , he shall receiue such honourable right as the iust sword can giue ; let him now come , and speake ; or , else , for euermore be dumme . thrice was it read ; which done ; forthwith there came true honours eaglewinged herauld , fame , sounding a siluer trump ; and as she past , she shooke the earths foundation , with her blast . next after whom in vndissembl●…d state the bridegroome came ; on his right hand did wait the god of warre , in 〈◊〉 robes of greene , all stain'd with bleeding hearts , as they had ●…eene but newly wounded , and from euery wound , fresh bloud due seeme to trickle on the ground ; and as the garments moo●…'d , each dying heart would seeme to pant a while , and then depart . vpon the bridegroomes left hand there attended heauens pursu●…uant , whose brawny arme extended a winged caduce ; he had scarce the might to curbe his feet ; his feet were wing'd for flight . aboue his head their hands did ioyntly hold a crimzon canopie embost with gold . next them , twice twenty famous nobles follow'd , braue men at armes , whose names the world had hallow'd for rare exploits , and twice as many knights , whose bloods haue ●…ansom'd , and redeem'd the rights of wronged ladies : these were all aray'd in robes of needle worke , so rarely made , that he which sees them , thinkes he doth behold armours of steele , saire filletted with gold : and as they marcht , their squires did aduance before each knight his warlike shield and lance. and after these , the princely virgin bride , on whom all eyes were fastned , did diuide her gentle paces , being led betweene two goddesses , the one arai'd in greene , on which the curious needle vndertooke to make a forest : here a bubling brooke diuides two thickets : through the which doth flie the singled deere , before the deepe-mouth'd crie , that closely followes : there th' affrighted herd stands trembling at the musicke , and afeard of euery shadow , gazes to and f●…o , not knowing where to stay , or where to goe ; where , in a launskip , you may see the faunes , following their crying mothers o're the lawnes ; the other was in robes , the purer dye whereof , did represent the midday sky , full of black clouds ; through which , the glorius beams of the obscured sun appeares , and seemes as ' ●…were to scatter ; and at length , to shed his brighter glory , on a fruitfull bed of noisome weeds ; from whence , you might discerne a thousand painfull bees extract and earne their sweet prouision ; and , with laden thighes , to beare their waxy burthens : on this wise the princely bride was led betwixt these two , the first , was she , that on act●…ons brow reueng'd her naked chastity ; the other was she , to whom loues pregnant braine was mother through vulcans helpe ; and these did iointly hold vpon her head , a coronet of gold ; whose traine dianas virgin crew , all crown'd with golden wreathes , supported from the ground . next after her , vpon the triumph waited an order , by diana new created , and styl'd the ladies of the maidenhead , in white , wrought here and there with spots of red , and euery spot appeared as a staine of louers blood , whom their hard hearts had slaine : ranckt three , and three ; and on each h●…ad a crowne of primeroses , and roses not yet blowne . next whom , the beauties of th' a●…dian court march'd two and two , whose glory came not short of what th'vnlimited , and studied art of glory-vying ladies could impart to such solemnities ; where euery one stroue to excell , and to b'excell'd of none . thus came they to the temple ; where attended the sacred priests , whose voices recommended the dayes successe to heauen , and did diuide a blessing ' ●…wixt the bridegroome , and the bride : which done ; and after low obeysance made , the first ( whilst all the rest kept silence ) said : welcome to iuno's sacred courts ; draw neare : vnspotted louers , welcome : doe not feare to touch this holy ground ; passe on secure ; our gates stand open to such guests , as you are ; our gracious goddesse grants you your desires , and hath accepted of those holy fires , we offered in your name , and takes a pleasure to smell your incense in so great a measure of true delight , that we are bold to say , she crownes your vowes , and smiles vpon this day . so said ; they bowed to the ground , and blest themselues ; that done , they singled from the rest the noble bridegroome , and his princely bride , and said ; our gracious goddesse be our guide , as we are yours ; and as they spake that word , their well-tun'd voices sweetly did accord with musick from the altar : as along they past , they ioyntly warbled out this song : thus in pompe , and priestly pride , to glorious iuno's altar goe we ; thus to iuno's altar show we the noble bridegroome and his bride : let iuno's hourely blessing send ye as much ioy as can attend ye . may these louers neuer want true iores , nor euer beg in vaine their choice desiers ; but obtaine what they can wish , or she can grant . let iuno's hourely blessings send ye as much ioy as can attend yee . from sacietie , from strife , iealousies , domesticke iars , from those blowes , that leaue no scars , iuno protect your mariage life . iuno's hourely blessings send yee as much ioy as can attend ye . thus to hymens sacred bands we commend your chast deserts , that as iuno link'd your hearts , he would please to ioyne your ●…ands . and let both their blessings send ye as much ioy as can attend ye . no sooner was this nuptiall caroll ended , but bowing to the ground , they recommended this princely paire ( both prostrate on the floore ) and with their hands presented them before the sacred altar , whereunto they brought two milke white turtles ; and with prayers be sought that iuno's lasting fauours would descend , and make their pleasures , pleasures without end . with that , a horrid cracke of dreadfull thunder possest each fainting heart , with feare and wonder : the rafters of the holy temple shooke , as if accu●…sed archimagoes booke ( that cursed legion ) had beene newly rea●… the ground did tremble , and a mist ore-spread the da●…kned altar . at length , deepe silence did possesse and fill the spatious temple , all was whist and still ; when , from the clouded altar , brake the sound of heauenly musicke ; such , as would confound with death , or rauishment the earth bred eare , h●…d not the goddesse giuen it strength , to beare so strong a rapture . as the musicke ended , the mist on sudden vanisht , and ascended ●…rom whence it came . the altar did appeare , and ashes lying , where the turtles were : neere which , great hymen stood , not seene before : his purple mantle was embroidred o're with crownes of thorne ; mongst which , you might behold some , here and there ( but very few ) of gold ; vpon each little space , that did diuide the seuerall crownes , a gordian knot was tied : and , turning to the priest , he thus began ; what meane these sumes ? say , what hath mortall man to doe with vs ? what great request , what suite does now attend vs , that they thus salute our nostrills , with such acceptable sauours ? tell vs , wherein doe they implore the sauours of the pleas'd gods ; sor by the eternall throne , and m●…iesty of heauen , it shall be done . whereto , with b●…nded kne●…s , they thus ●…eplide ; great god , this noble bride-groome , and his bride whom we , most humbly here , present before great iuno's sacred altar , doe implore your gracious aide : that with your nuptiall bands , your grace would please to tie their promist bands . with that , he straight descends the holy stayres , and with his widened armes diuides and shares an equall blessing twixt them both , and said , noble youth , and louely maide , heauen accepts your ple●…sing fires , and hath granted your desires : by the mystry of our power , first , we consecrate this howre to iuno's name , that she would blesse our prosprous actions with successe . with this oyle ( which we appoint for holy vses ) we anxoint your temples , and with nuptial●… bands thus we firmly ioyne your hands : be ioyn'd for euer : and let none presume t' vndoe , what we haue done . be ioyn'd till lawlesse death shall seuer both hands & hearts : be ioyn'd for euer : eternall curses we alot to those , till then , shall loose this knot . so said , he blest them both in iuno's name , and from their sight he vanisht in a flame . that done , they rose , and with new fumes saluted the smoaking altar . thrice they prostituted their bended bodies on the holy ground , where sending forth the well accepted sound of thankes and vowes , from their diuided heart , they kisse the sacred altar and depart ; and with the selfe same triumph as the came , returned ; whil'st the louder trumpe of fame with a full blast , sends forth a shrill retreate , and reconducts them to the hall of state ; whose richly furnisht table would inuite a bed rid stomacke to an appetite , and make the wastfull glutton , that does eate his vnearn'd di●…t with his daily sweat , b●…hold his heauen in a more ample measure , then he had hopes to purchase , with the treasure of his b●…st fait●… ; such were the dainties : such the vyands , that i dare not thinke too much to tearme it paradise , where all things did offer themselues , and nothing was forbid . soone as the martial of this princely feast , had in his rightfull seat , plac'd euery guest , a soft harmonious rapture did confine all tongues with wonder , as a thing diuine . forthwith ; with ioyned hands , and smiling faces , with habits more vnequall then their paces , a ●…olly paire drew neare the table ; the one in greene ; his pamper'd body had outgrowne his seame-ript garments , all embroyder'd ouer with spreading vines , whose fruitful leaues did couer her swelling clusters , his outstrutting eyes 〈◊〉 ' d in his head : his dropsie swollen thighes quagg'd as he went ; his purple colour'd snout was freely furnisht , and enricht about with carbuncles ; around his browes did twine full laden clusters , rauisht from the vine : the other was a lady , whom the sun with his bright rayes had too much gaz'd vpon : the colour of her silken mantle was twixt greene and yellow , like the saded grasse ; on which were wrought enclosed fields of corne , some reap'd , some bound in sheaues , & some vnshorne well f●…uour'd was her count'nance ; plump & round ; her golden tresses dangled to the ground ; her temples bound with full ripe eares of wheate , made like a girland : frequent drops of sweat downe ●…rom her sw●…rty browes did 〈◊〉 trickle , and in her sun-●…urnt hand she bare a sickle . thus vsherd , wi●…h a bag-pipe , to the table , they both stood mute : bacchus as yet vnable to challenge language from his breathlesse tongue , till smiling ceres thus began the song . ceres . welcome , fairest virgin b●…ide ; welcome to our i●…lly seast ; tast what ceres did prouide for so faire , so faire a guest . bacch . tast what ceres did prouide for so faire so faire a guest : welcome fairest virgin b●…ide ; vvelcome to our iolly feast . chor. our conioyned bounties doe make m●…rs smile , and venus to . ceres . vvelcome noble bridegroome hither ; vvorlds of blisse and ioyes attend ye : freely welcome both together ; see what ceres bounty sends ye . bacch . freely welcome both together ; see what bacchus bounty ●…ends yee : vvelcome noble b●…idegroome hither ; vvorlds of blisse , and ioyes attend yee . chor. our conioyned bounties doe make mars smile , and venus to . ceres . here is that whose sweet variety giues you pleasure and delight ; makes you full , without s●…cietie ; wasts the day , and hasts the night . bacch . this will 〈◊〉 the man of warr , when the drum shall beate in vaine ; when his spirits drooping are , this will make them rise againe . chor. you that ioyntly doe inherit venus beautie , mars his spirit , freely taste our bountie ; so mars shall smile , and venus to . the song thus ended ; ioyning hands together , they bow'd ; and vanish●… , none knew how , nor whither . to make relation of each quaint deuise , that art presented their vnwearied eyes ; the nature of their mirth , of their discourse ; the dainties of the first , the second course ; the secret glances of the bridegroomes eye on his faire bride ; how oft she blusht , and why ; were but to robbe the bridegroome of his right , who counts each houre a summers day , till night . me thinke it grieues me , that my pen should wrong poore louers disappointed hopes so long ; and it repents me so , that oftentimes , me thinkes , i could be angry with my rimes , and for the cruell sins , that they commit , in being tedious ; some i wish vnwrit . let it suff●…e , what glory , what delight , what state ; or , what to please the appetite , the eye , the eare , the fancy . in a word , what ioy so short a season could afford to well prepared hearts , was here exprest in this our nuptiall , this our princely feast . thus when the board was voided , and the sewer had now resignd his office with the ewer , the curious linnen gone , and all the rights perform'd , that ●…ong to festiuall delights ; the light foot hermes ent●…rs in the hall , holds forth his c●…duce , and adiures them all to depth of silence ; tells them ; ' ●…is his taske ; to let them know , the gods intende a maske , to grace these nuptialls ; and , with that , he spred his ayre-diuiding pinions , and fl●…d : vvhen silence 〈◊〉 had charmed euery eare vvith wonder , and attention ; they might heare the winged 〈◊〉 of night , about in euery corner , sweetly wa●…bling out their philomelian ayres , and wilder note vvhich nature taught them to diuide , by rote ; so that the hall did seeme a shady groue , vvherein b●… turnes , the ambitious 〈◊〉 stroue t'xcell themselues . vvhile thus their eares were seeding with delight vpon these straines ; the goddesse of the night enters her sceane ; her body was confind vvithin a coale black mantle thorow linde vvith sable furres ; her tresses were , of hiew , like ebonie ; on which , a pearely dewe hung , like a spiders webb ; her face did shrowd a swarth complexion , vnderneath a cloud of black curld cypresse : on her head , she wore a crowne of burnisht gold , be shaded o're vvith foggs and ●…ory mists ; her hand did beare a scepter , and a sable hemispheare ; she sternely shooke her dewly lockes , and brake a melancholly smile , and thus bespake , driue on , driue on , ( dull waggoner ) let slippe your louser reines , and vse thine idle whippe ; thy pamperd steeds are pursie ; driue away ; the lower world thinkes long to see the day ; darkenesse befits vs best ; and our delight will rellish farre more sweeter , in the night ; approach ( yee blessed shadowes ) and extend your early iurisdiction , to befriend our nightly sports ; approach ; make no delay ; it is your 〈◊〉 , your soueraigne calls away . vvith that a sudden darknesse fill'd the hall : the light was ba●…sht , and the windowes all so neerely clos'd their eye lids , round about that day could not get in ; nor darknesse , out ; thus while the death resembling shades of night had drawne their misty curtaines twixt the light and euery darkned eye , which was denide to see , but that , which darkenesse could not hide ; the iealous god , fearing he knowes not whom ( indeed , whom feares he not ? ) enters the roome , and , with his clubfoot , groping in the shade of night , he mutter'd forth these words and said . where is this wanton harlot now become ? is light so odious to her ? or is home so homely in her wandring eyes , that she must still be rambling , where vnknowne to me ? can nothing be concluded , nothing done , but intermedling venus must be one ? is 't not enough that phebus does applaud her lust , but must nights goddesse be her baud ? darkenesse , be gon , thou patronesse to lust ; if faire m●…anes may not rid ●…hee , fouler must : away ; my power shall outcharme thy charmes , and find her , painting , in her louers armes , enter you lamplets of terrestriall fire , and let your golden heads ( at least ) conspire to counterfeit a day , and on the night reuenge the wrongs of phebus , with your light . so said ; the darkned hall was garnisht round with lighted tapors : euery obiect found an eye to owne it , and each eye was f●…li'd vvith pleasure , in the obiect it beheld . as these deuisefull changes did incite their quickned fancies , with a fresh delight , morpheus came in ; his dreaming pace was so , that none could say , he moou'd ; he moou'd so slow ; his folded armes , athwart his brest , did knit a sluggards knot ; his nodding chinne did hit against his panting bosome , as he past ; and often times his eyes were closed fast ; he wore a crowne of poppy on his head ; and , in his hand , he bore a mace of lead : he yauned thrice , and , after ho●…age done to nights blacke soueraigne , he thus begun : great empresse of the world ; to whom , i owe my selfe , my seruice , by perpetuall vowe ; before the footstoole of whose dreadfull throne , the princes of this lower world , lay downe their crownes , their scepters ; whose victorious hand , in twice twelue houres did conquer and command this globe of earth ; your seruant ( whose dependance quickens his power ) comes , to giue attendance vpon thy early shaddowes , and to seize vpon these wearied mortals , when you please t' appoint ; till then , your seruant is at hand , to put in execution your command . to whom the smiling goddesse thus replide ; morpheus ; our pleasure is to set aside this night to mirth , and time-beguiling sports ; our sleepe restrayning buisnesse much imports your welcome absence , whil'st our eares shall number the flying houres : our mirth admits no slumber . that word scarce ended ; but the queene of loue descended from her vnseene seate aboue ; in her faire hand she led her winged son , and like a full mouth'd tempest , thus begun ; d●…sloyall sic●…phant ; deaths bastard brother ; accursed spaune , cast from a cursed mother ; that with thy base impostures , ri●…est man of halfe his dai●…s , of halfe that little spanne , nature hath lent his life ; that with thy wiles , hugg'st him to death ; betray'st him with thy smiles ; what mak'st thou here , and to vsurpe my right , perfideous caitife ? venu●… day is night . goe to the frozen world ; where mans desire is made of ice , and melts before the fire , yet ne're the warmer : goe , and visit ●…ooles , or p●…legmatick old age , whose spirit cooles as quickly as their breath : goe ; what haue we to doe ( dull morpheus ) with thy mace , or thee as leaden as thy mace ? th' art made for nought , bu●… to still children , or to ease the thought or brain-sick phranticks ; or with ioyes to ●…ter po●…re slumbring soules ; which wak'd , finde no such matter . goe succour those , that vent by quick retaile their wits , vpon deare penny-worths of al●… ; or marrow'd eunuchs , whose adust desire wants meanes to slake the fury ' of their false fire . o that i were a basiliske , that i might dart my venome ; or else venom'd , die . boy , bend thy bow ; and with thy forked dart , drawne to the head , thrill , thrill him to the heart : let flie deaths arrow ; or if thou had none , in deaths name send an arrow of thine owne ; we are both wrong'd , and in the same degr●…e ; shoot then ; at once , reuenge thy s●…lfe and me . vvith that the little angry god did bend his steelen bow , and in deaths name did send his winged messenger , whose faithfull hast dispatch'd his irefull errand and stuck fast within his pierced liuer , and did hide his singing feathers , in his wounded side . morpheus fell downe as dead ; and on the ground lay for a little season in a sound , gasping for breath ; and louers dreames they say , haue euermore beene wanton since that day . venus was pleas'd ; the goddesse of the night grew angry ; she would needs resigne her right of gouernment ; and in a spleene threw downe her h●…mispheare , her scepter , and her crowne ; and with a duskie fogge , she did besmeare the face of venus ; soyld her golden haire , vvith her blacke shades ; and , with foule tearmes reuil'd both her , her cuckold mate , and bastard childe ; vvhere at the god of warre , being much offended , forsooke both seat and patience , and descended ; and , to the world , he proffer'd to make good faire venus honour , with his dearest blood . to whom poore vulcan ( puffing in a rage , to heare his well knowne fortune on the stage ) scrap'd many a thanke ; and , with his crouching knee profest true loue , to such true friends , as hee . and euer since , experience lets vs know , cuckolds are kind , to such as m●…s them so . by this , god morpheus , waking from his swound , began to groane ; and , from his aking wound drew forth the buried shaft : but mars ( whose word admits no other organ , but his sword ) vnsheath'd his furious brondyron , and let flye a blow at morpheus head , which had wellnye clouen him in twaine , had not the queene of night hurl'd hasty mists , before his darkned sight ; so that the sword , by a false guided ayme , struck vulcans foot , which euer since , was lame . at last , the gods came downe , and thought it good , to n●…ppe this earely quarrell in the bud . vvho fearing vprores , with a friendly cup of blest 〈◊〉 , tooke the quarrell vp ; and , for th' offence committed , did proclame this sentence , in offended iuno's name . morpheus , from hence is banisht , for this night , and not to approch before the morning light ; mars is exilde for euer , as a guest , adiudg'd vnfitting for a mariage feast . cupid is doom'd to rome and ro●… about to the worlds end , and both his eyes put out . venus is 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 night , and not ( vnlesse by stealth ) to see the light : her chiefest ioy to be bu●… pleasing folly , p●…rm'd w th madnes , dog'd with melancholly . and there the musicke did inuite their paces to measure time ; and , by exchange of places , to lead the curious beholders eye , a willing captiue to variety . thus , with the sweet vicissitude of mirth they spent the time , as if that heauen and earth had studied to please man , in such a measure , that art could not doe more , ●…augment their pleasure ; and so they vanisht . now ceres euening bounty reinuites her noble guests , to her renew'd delights ; and frolicke bacchus , to refresh their soules , with a full hand , presents his swelling bowles . wine came vnwish'd like water from a sourse , and delicates were mingled with discourse . what art could doe , to make a welcome guest , was liberally presented at that feast . it was no sooner ended , but appeares an old gray pilgrime , deeply strucke i●… yeares , in tatterd garments ; in his wrinkled hand an houreglasse , l●…bouring with her latest sand . beneath his arme , a buffen knapsacke hung , stuft full of writings , in an vnknowne tongue ; chronologies , outdated almanacks , and patents , that had long suruiu'd their waxe . vnto his shoulders , eagles wings were ioyn'd ; his head ill thatch'd before , but bal'd behind : and leaning on his crooked sythe he made a little pause , and after that , he said , mortalls , 't is out : my glasse is runne , and with it , the day is done . darke shadows haue expell'd the light , and my glasse is turn'd for night . the queene of darkenesse bids me say , mirth is fitter for the day . vpon the day , such ioyes attend ; with the day such ioyes must end . thinke not , darknesse goes about , like death , to puffe your pleasures out . no , no , shee le lend you new delights ; she hath pleasures for the nights . when as her shadows shall benight yee , she hath what shall still delight ye . aged time shall make it knowne , she hath dainties of her owne . t is very late ; away , away , let day sports expire with day . for this time , we adiourne your feast ; the bridegroome faine would be at rest . and if night pastimes shall displease yee , day will quickly come , and ease yee . with that , a sweet vermillian tincture stayn'd the brides faire cheekes ; the more that she restrayn'd her blush , the more her disobedient blood did ouerflow ; as if a second flood had meant to rise , and , for a little space , to drowne that world of beauty in her face s●…e blusht ; ( but knew not why ) and like the moone s●…e look'd most red , vpon her going downe . but see : the smiling ladi●…s do●… begin to ioyne their whispring heads , as there had beene a plot of treason ; till at length , vnspide , they stole away , the vnwilling-willing bride ; their busi●… hands disrob'd her , and so led the timorous virgin to her nuptiall b●…d . by this , the nobles hauing recommended their tongues to silence , their discourse being ended , they look'd about , and thinking to haue done their seruice to the bride ; the b●…ide was gone . and now , the bridegroome ( vnto whom delay seem'd worse then death ) could brook no longer st●…y : attended by his noble guests , he enters that roome , where th'enterchangeable indenters of dearest loue , lay ready to be seal'd with mutuall pleasures , not to be reueald . his garments grow too tedious , and their waight ( not able to be borne ) doe ouer fraight his weary shoulders ; atlas neuer stoopt beneath a greater burthen , and not droopt ; no helpe was wanting ; for he did receiue what sudden ayde he could expect , or haue from speedy hands , from hands that did not wast the time , vnlesse ( perchance ) by ouer hast ; meane while , a dainty warbling brest , not strong , as sweet , presents this epithalamion song . man of warre , march brauely on , the field 's not easie to be wonne ; there 's no danger in that warre , where lips both swords and bucklers are . here 's no cold to chill thee ; a bed of downe's thy field : here 's no sword to kill thee , vnlesse thou please to yeeld ; here is nothing will incumber , here will be no scars to number . these are warres of cupids making , these be warres will keepe yee waking , till the earely breaking day call your forces hence , away . these are warres that make no spoyle , death shoots his shafts in vaine ; though the souldier get a foyle , he will rouze , and fight againe . these be warres that neuer cease , but conclude a mutuall peace . let benigne and prosp'rous starres breathe successe vpon these warres , and when thrice three months be runne , be thou father of a sonne ; a son , that may deriue from thee the honor of true merit , and may to ages , yet to be , conuay thy blood thy spirit ; making the glory of his fame perpetuate , and crowne thy name , and giue it life in spight of death , when fame shal want both trump and breath . haue you beheld in a faire summers euen , the golden-headed charioter of heauen , with what a speed , his prouder reynes doe bend his panting horses , to their iourneyes end ? how red he lookes ; with what a swift careire her hurries to the lower hemisphere ; and in a moment , shootes his golden head vpon the pillow of blushing thetis bed . euen so the bridegroome ( whose defire had wings more swift then time , switcht on w th pleasure ) springs into his nuptiall bed ; and looke how fast the stooping faulkon clips ; and , with what hast , her tallons seize vpon the timorous prey , euen so , his armes ( impatient of delay ) his circling armes embrac'd his blushing bride , while she ( poore soule ) lay trembling by his side . the bridegroome now growes weary of his guests : what mirth of late was pleafing , now molests his tyred patience : too much sweet offends ; sometime , to be forsaken of our friends , in cupids moralls , is obseru'd to be the fruits of friendship , in the best degree . and thus , at last , the curtaines being clos'd , they left them , each , in others armes repos'd . and here my muse bids , draw our curtaines too , t is vnfit to see , what priuate louers doe . reader , let not thy thoughts grow ouer rancke ; but vaile thy vnderstanding , with a blancke . thinke not on what thou think'st ; and , if thou canst , yet vnderstand not , what thou vnderstandst . sow not thy fruitfull heart with so poore seeds ; or if , perchance , ( vnsowne ) they spring like weeds , vse them like weeds , thou knowst not how to kill ; sleight them ; and let them thriue against thy will. view them like euills , which art cannot preuent , but see , thou take no pleasure in their sent . and one thing more ; when as the morrow light shall bring the bash full bride into thy sight ; be not too cruell ; let no wanton eye disturbe , and wrong her conscious modesty ; and if she blush , examine not for what ; nay , though thou see it ( reader ) see it not . and shall our story discontinue here ? or want a period , till another yeare ? shall we befriend these louers , with the night , and leaue them buried in their owne delight ? and so conclude ? no , it shall ne're be sed , that mariage ioyes end in the mariage bed . fond , and adulterate is that loue , which founds her happinesse on such vnstable grounds : and , like a sudden blaze , it neuer lasts , but as the pleasure waxes cold , it wasts . now argalus awakes ; and now the light is euen as welcome to him , as the night : his eyes are fixt vpon his louely bride , while she la●…s sweetly slumbring by his side . she sle●…pes ; he views her ; thrice , his mind was bent , to call parthenia , and thrice it did repent . sometimes , his lips , with a stolne kisse would greet her gu●…ltlesse lips ; ( they say stolne goods are sweet ) at length , sh●… wakes ; and hides her blushing cheekes in his warme bosome ; where , she safely seekes for sanctuary , whereunto should ●…ly the guil●… of her protected modesty . he smiles , and whispers in her deafned eare ; ( women can vnderstand , and yet not heare ) he sp●…akes , but she ( euen whilst his lips wa●… b●…eaking their words ) with hers , did stop his lips frō speaking when thrice three suns had now almost , out-worne the rare solemnities , that did adorne these princely nuptialls , and had made report grow something sparing in th' arcadian court , argalus , whose endeuours were addrest , to practise what might please parthenia best , resolu'd to leaue kalanders house , and crowne parthenia sole commandresse of her owne . long was it , ere kalanders liberall eare could be vnlockt ; it had no power to heare the word , farewell ; s●…ill argalus entreated , and fram'd excuses ; which , he soone defeated ; but as the stout alcides did casheire one rising head , another would appeare , euen so , whilst his ingenious loue did smother one cause of parting , he would find another . kalander thus at last , ( being ouerwrought with words , which importunity had taught inexorable argalus ) was faine to yeeld , what he so long gainsaid , in vaine ; t is now concluded , argalus must goe , but yet kalander must not leaue them so ; there is no parting , till the aged sire shall warme his fingers , by partheniaes fire ; parthenia sues ; kalander must not rest , till he become partheniaes promis'd guest . the morrow next , when titans earely ray had giuen faire earnest of a fairer day ; and , with his trembling beames , had repossest the eyes of mortalls , newly rouz'd from rest , they left kalanders castle , and that night , arriu'd they at the pallace of delight , ( for so 't was call'd ) it was a goodly seate , well chosen ; not capatious , as neate ; yet was it large enough , to entertaine a potent prince with all his princely trayne ; it seem'd a center to a parke , welstor'd with deere ; whose well thriuen bounty did afford continuall pleasure , and delight ; nay what , that earth cals good , this seat afforded not ? th' impatient falkner here may learne to say forgotten pray'rs , and blesse him euery day . the patient angler , here may tire his wish ; and ( if he please ) may sweare , and yet catch fish . the sneaking fouler , may goe boldly on , and ne're want sport vntill his powder 's done . and to conclude , there was no stint , no measure to th' old mans profit , or the young mans pleasure : thither this night the nuptiall troope is gone ; and now parthenia's welcome to her owne : but would yee heare what entertainment past ? conceiue it rather ; for my quill would wast th' vnthriuing stock of my bespoken time , while such free bounty cannot stand with rime : but that , which most did season , and imbellish their choyce delights , and gaue the truest relish to their b●…st mirth , and pleasures ; was to see with what a sweet conjugiall harmony all things were carried : euery word did proue to adde some acquisition to their loue ; so one they were , that none couldiusty say , which of them rul'd , or whether did obey ; he rul'd ; because she would obey , and she in thus obeying , rul'd as well as he : what pleased him , would need no other cause , to please her to , but onely his applaus●… ; a happy paire ! whose double life , but one , made one life double ; and the single , none . thus when th' vnconstant lady of the night had chang'd her sharpned horns , for an orbe of light , kalander ( whose occasions grew too strong , and may not be dispenc'd withall too long ) takes leaue , and ( being equall heauy hearted with sad parthenia for his hast ) departed . but argalus ( who neuer yet could owne himselfe with more aduantage then alone ) and faire parthenia ( whose well pleas'd desire hopes nothing else , if argalus be by her ) need not the helpe of any , to augment the better ioyes of their retir'd content : sometimes the curious garden would inuire their gentle paces , to her proud deligh ; sometimes the welstor'd parke would change their pleasure , and tender to her view , her light ●…oot treasure ; where th'vnmolested herd would seeme to 〈◊〉 , and craue a death at faire parthenia's hand . sometimes their steps would clime th' ambit●…us tower , from whose aspiring top they might discouer a little commonwealth of land , which none but argalus durst challenge as his owne . sometimes ( for change of pleasure ) he would read selected stories , whilst her 〈◊〉 would seed vpon his lips , and now and then a kisse would interpose , like a parenthesis betweene their semicircled armes , enclos'd ; ( o what dull spirit could be indispos'd to read such lines ! ) and whilst vpon the booke his eyes were fix'd her pleased eyes would look vpon the gracefull reader , and espie a story farre more pleasing in his eye . vpon a day , as they were closely seated ; h●…r cares a trending , whil'st his lips repeated a story , treating the renown'd aduentures and famous a●…s of great alcides ; enters a messenger , whose countenance did bewray a hast too serious , to admit delay ; his hand presents him letters , which did bring their sealed errand from th' arcadian king ; whereat parthenia rose , and stept aside ; her thoughts were troubled ; euer as she eyed the messenger , her colour comes and goes ; parthenia feares ; and yet parthenia knowes not what to feare ; her iealous heart knowes how to feare an euill , because it feares to know ; and as he read the lines her eye was fixt vpon his eye , which seem'd to striue betwixt a thousand thwarting passions : once he cast his eye on hers ; and finding hers so fast on his , he blusht ; she blusht ; both blusht together , because they blusht for what , vnknowne to either . the letter being read ( and hauing kist basilius name ) he speedily dismist the messenger ; with promise to obey basilius iust commands , without delay . that done ; he tooke pathenia by the hand , his deare parthenia , by the trembling hand ; and to her greedy eye he straight presents the paper , ballac'd with it's sad contents : parthenia , with a fearefull slownesse tooke it ; and with a fearefull hast did ouerlooke it : her face being blanched with the pallide signes of what she fear'd too soone , she read these lines . basilius rex . vvhereas the famous and victorious name of great amphialus , makes the trumpe of fame breathe nothing but his conquests and renowne ; vvhose lawlessè actions fortune striues to crowne ( in spight of iustice ) with a victors merit , respecting more the greatnesse of his spirit , then iustnesse of his cause , to the dishonour of vertue , and all such as wa●…te vpon her . and furthermore ; whereas his power is knowne t' oppugne the welfare of our state and crowne , vvith strong rebell●…on , to the high aduancement of his disloyall glory , and inhancement of his perfidious name , the great increase of factions , and disturbance of our peace . likewise , where as his high preuailing hand ( against the force whereof no flesh can stand ) could ne're he equall'd yei , much lesse o'recome , but with loud triumph , still does carry home the spoyles of our lost honour , to the fame of his rebellious glory , and our shame . we therefore in our princely care , perpending the serious premises , and much depending , on your knowne courage , haue selected you to stand our champion royall , and renew our wasted honour , with your sword and launce , in equall duell ; thus you shall aduance the glorious pitch of your renowned name , with the braue purchase of eternall fame : in this you shall reuiue our dying glorie , and liue the subiect of this ages story , ( vvhich shall be read tili time shall haue an end ) and tye basilius your perpetuall friend . to our right trusty and noble kinsman argalus . but as she read , a teare did trickle downe vpon the lines , as if it meant to drowne th' vnwelcome message , and at length she said ; ah me ! my argalus was 't this you made such hast to answere ? did that answere need to be returned with so great a speed ? can you , oh can you be so quickly won , to leaue your poore parthenia , and be gon ? to whom resolued argalus ( whose eye was fixt vpon his honour ) made replie ; my deare parthenia ; were it to obtaine the vnsumm'd welth of pluto ; or to gaine the soueraignty of the earth , without th' expence of blood or sweate , without the least pretense of danger , my ambition would despise the easie conquest of so great a prize , if purchas'd by thy discontent , or by the poorest teare that trickles from thine eye ; but to recall my promise , or forsake that resolution honour bid me make in this behalfe ; or to betray that trust repos'd in me , the gods would be vniust , ( and not themselues ) if they should but command or vrge me , with an ouerswaying hand . my deare parthenia ; let no false suggestion abuse thy passion , or presume to question my dearest loue ; though honour bids vs part , yet honor can not robbe thee , of my heart : honour , that calls me with her loud alarmes , vvill bring me back , with tryumph , to thine armes ; so said ; the sad parthenia , ( whose teares are turnd lieutenants to her tongue ) forbeares to tempt her language : griefes , that are but sm●…ll , can speake , when great ones cannot vent at all : but tender hearted argalus ( to whom such silence speakes too loud ) forsooke the roome ; and , with a brest , as full of pensiue care , as honor , gaue directions to prepare his warlike steed , his martiall attire and all things , such imployment does require . and here o thou , thou great supreame protectresse of bolder spirits , and the sole directresse of lofty flying quills , which shall deriue to after times , what glorious swords acchiue ; and mak'st the actions of heroick spirits perpetuate , and crowne their names their merits ; illustrious clio : aide me , and inspire my ragged rimes , with thy diviner fire ; teach me to raise my stile , and to attaine a pitch , that may transcend the vulgars straine ; reach me a quill , rent from an eagles wing ; and let my incke be blood ; that i may sing death to the life : let him ; that reads , expound each dash , a sword ; and euery word , a wound , by this , the champion royall had put on his martial weeds ; and hasting to be gone , the poore parthenia , whose cold 〈◊〉 , past : ( like those in agues ) now does burne as fast : she leaues the lonely roome ; and comming out , she finds her argulus , enclosed about with glittering walls of steele , apparell'd round in his bright armes , ( whom she had ●…ather found lockt vp in her's ) and wanting nothing now , but what her lips could not ( poore soule ) allow , without sea of teares , her last farewell ; she ranne vnto him ; and wept ; and , weeping fell vpon her knees ; she claspt him by the arme , and looking vp , she thus began to charme ; my argalus ; my argalus : my deare , and wilt thou goe , and leaue parthenia here ? vvilt thou forsake me then ? and can these teares not intercede betwixt thy deafned ●…ares , and my sad suit ? canst thou , ô canst thou goe , and leaue thy poore distrest parthenia so ? parthenia sues ; parthenia does implore ; parthenia begges , that neuer begg'd before ; remember , o remember you are , now , vnder the power of a sacred vow : honour must stoope to vowes , which once being crackt , you cannot doe an honourable act : i haue a right vnto you ; you are mine ; i haue that interest , which i le ne're resigne , till death : i le neuer hazard to forgoe my whole estate of happìnesse , at one throw , no , no , i will not : i will hold thee fast in spight of honor and her nine dayes blast ; your former acts haue giuen sufficient proofe to the wide world ; your valour 's knowne enough vvithout a further tryall : there 's enow to lose their liues ( lesse worthy ) besides you ; 't was then a time for armes , when you had none , none other life to venture , but your owne ; excuse me then , that onely doe endeauor to hold mine owne ; which now i must , or neuer ; mine , mine you are , and you can vndertake no danger , but 〈◊〉 must partake ; shall your parthenia be indanger'd then ? parthenia shall be present , euen when the strokes fall thickest ; and parthenia shall suffer what ere to argalus may befall ; parthenia , in your greatest paines , shall smart ; your blood shall trickle from parthenia's heart : can prayers obtaine no place ? by this deare hand , the sacred pledge of our coniugiall band ; by all the pleasures of our dearest loue ; by heauen , and all the heauenly powers aboue ; or if those motiues cannot finde a roome , yet by the tender fruit , that in my wombe begins to budde , or if ought else appeare to thy best thoughts more pretious or more deare , by that , forsake me not , although the rest preuaile not . grant this first , this last request : to whom the broken hearted argalus , vvearied , but not o'recome , made answer thus ; my deare parthenia ; thy desires neuer gainesaid my will , till now : doe not perseuer to craue that boone , i cannot grant : forbeare to vrge me : resolution hath no eare : vveepe not ( my ioy : ) let not those drops of thine , that trickle from so faire an eye , diuine a foule successe ; cheare vp ; a smile , or two would make me halfe a conqueror , ere i goe : shine forth ; and let no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benight the glorious luster of so faire a light ; doubt not my life : the iustnesse of my cause , that brings me on , will quite me with applause ; feare not , that such a blessing , such a wife was e're intended for so short a life . expect my safe returne ; as quicke , as glorious ; my genius tells me , i shall 〈◊〉 , victorious . so said , as if that passion had forgot her mother tongue , her tongue replyed not : but , like to one , new stricken with the thunder , she stood betwixt 〈◊〉 , feare , and wonder : his lips tooke leaue , and as his armes surrounded her feeble wast , she straight fell down , and swounded ; but argalus , transported with the tide and tyranny of honour , could abide no longer stay ; he 〈◊〉 her to the guard of her owne women ; left her , and repair'd vnto the campe ; wherein , he spent some dayes , in parley , with amphialus ; and assayes , by all perswasine meanes , to make him yeeld to iust demands , and not to staine the field with needlesse blood ; but finding him vnapt for peacefull counsell ( being strongly rapt with his owne fame ) and scorning to afford his eare to any language , but the sword , he ceas'd t' aduise him ; and ( enforc'd to try a rougher dialect ) wrote him this defie . renown'd amphialus , if strong perswasions , backt with reasons could bin honour'd with your eare ; your wisedome would , in yeelding to so faire a peace , haue won as ample glory , 〈◊〉 your sword hath done . you should haue conquer'd soules where now , at most , you can subdue but bodies , that haue lost the power to resist : but since my suit , sowne on so barren 〈◊〉 , can find no fruit ; receiue a mortall challenge , from a hand , whose iustice takes a glory to withstand so foule a cause , and labours to subdue your heedlesse errors , whilst it honours you . compose you then , to make a preparation , according to your noble wonted fashion ; and thinke not sleight , of ne're so weake an arme , that strikes , when iustice strikes vp her alarme . argalus . no sooner had he read it , but his pen , with noble speed , return'd these lines agen . much more renowned argalus , your faithfull seruant , whose victorlous brow was neuer daunted yet , is daunted now , by your braue curtesie , being stricken dumbe with your rare worth , and fairly ouercome ; yet doubting not the iustnesse of my cause ( that 's ouer ruled by the sacred lawes of dearest loue ) will giue my sword the power , euen to maintaine it , to the latest houre . i shall expect your comming in the 〈◊〉 , where , with a heart , ( not poyson'd with the 〈◊〉 or gall of 〈◊〉 ) with my dearest blood , your seruant shall be ready to make good his iust designes ; assured of no lesse then treble same , if crowned with 〈◊〉 ; if not , there 's no dishonour can accrew , in being conquer'd , and o'recome by you , 〈◊〉 : soone after ; argalus , ( whose blood did boyle to be in action ) comes into the isle ; clad in white 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , and strangely drest with knots of womans hayre , which from his crest hung dangling down ; 〈◊〉 , with their bountious treasure , orespred his corslet in a liberall measure ; his curious furniture was fashion'd out , like to a flying eagle , round about beset with plumes ; whose crooked beake ( being cast into a costly 〈◊〉 ) was made fast to th' saddle bow : her spredden traine did couer his crooper , whilst the trappers seem'd to houer like wings ; that , to the fixt 〈◊〉 eye , as the horse pranc'd , the eagle seem'd to fly ; vpon his arme , ( his threatning arme ) he wore a sleeue , all curiously embroydred ore with bleeding 〈◊〉 , which faire parthenia made , ( in those crosse times , when fortune so betraid their secret loue , and with a smiling frowne 〈◊〉 their false hopes ) as copies of her owne ; vpon his shield ( for his deuice ) he set two neighbring palmes whose budding branches met and twin'd together ; the obscure imprese imported this , thus 〈◊〉 , as these : his horse was of a fiery sorrell : blacke his maine , his feet , his taile ; on his proud backe , a coaleblacke list : his nostrells , open wide , breath'd warre , before his sparkling eye descryde an enemy to encounter ; vp by turnes , he lifts his hasty hoofes , as if he scornes the earth , or if his tabring feet had found away , to goe , and yet ne're change the ground . by this amphialus ( who all this while thought minuts yeares ) was landed in the isle , in all respects prouided , to afford as bountious intertainment , as the sword and launce could giue : and at the trumpets sound , their steeds , ( that needed not a 〈◊〉 to wound their bleeding flanks ) both start , & with smooth running their 〈◊〉 declining with vnshaken cunning perform'd their masters will , with angry speed ; but argalus his well instructed steed being hot , and full of courage ( fiercely led by his owne pride ) prest in his prouder head , the which when stout amphialus espide , ( well knowing it vnsafe to giue his side ) prest likewise in ; so that both men , and horse shouldring each 〈◊〉 , with a double force fell to the ground . but by accustom'd skill , and help of fortunes hand , that succours still bold spirits , shunn'd the danger of the fall , and had ( lesse fear'd then hurt ) no harme at . they rose , drew forth their swords ; which now begun to doe what their left staues had lest vndone . haue ye beheld a leaguer ? in what sort the deepe mouth'd cannon playes vpon the fort , and how by peecemeales it doth batter downe the yeelding walls of the besieged towne ? euen so their swords ( whose oft repeated blowes could finde no patience yet to interpose a breathing respite ) with redoubled strength so hew'd their proofelesse armours , that at length their failing trust began to proue vnsound , and peece by peece , they dropt vpon the ground , trusting their bodies to the bare defence of vertue , and vnarmed innocence . such deadly blowes were dealt , and such 〈◊〉 , that mars himselfe stood rauisht and affrighted to see the cruell combate : euery blow did act two parts ; both 〈◊〉 and guarded too at selfe-same 〈◊〉 . so incomparable their skilfull quicknesse was , that none was able to say ( although their watchfull eyes attended the strokes ) who made the blow , or who defended . long was it ere their equall skill and force of armes could show a better , or a worse . neither preuail'd as yet ; yet both excell'd in not preuailing . neuer eye beheld more equall ods : no wound as yet could show a droppe of wasted blood , yet euery blow was full of death . when skilfull gamesters play , the christmas box gaines often more then they . at length the sword of argalus ( that neuer thirsted so long in vaine till now ; nor euer 〈◊〉 victory doubtfull for so long a space ) fastned a wound on the disarmed face of stout amphialus , who now does feele the equall temper of his enemies steele , yet was not daunted , by the blow receiu'd , nor of his wonted courage so breau'd , as by the saucy daring of one thrust to faint or yeeld : rather a braue distrust of his old worth , call'd a new anger on , and fir'd him to a sudden talion : when as directed by some fate-blest charme he made a second stroake that pierc'd the arme of haughty argalus , and made him know amphialus would rather dye then owe. argalus blush't for want of blood . expecting a quicke reuenge , which was not long effecting ; for whilst amphialus ( whose hopes inflam'd his tyrannous thoughts with conquest , & proclaim'd vndoubted victory ) heapt his strokes so fast , as if each blow had scorn'd to be the last . the watchfull argalus ( whose nimble eye dispos'd his time , in onely putting by ) put home a thrust , ( his right foot comming in ) and pierc'd his nauell ; that the wound had bin no lesse then death , if fortune , ( that can turne a mischiefe to aduantage ) had for borne to show a miracle ; for with that blow , amphialus last made , his arme had so o , estrucke it selfe ; that sideward to the ground he fell ; and falling , he receiu'd that wound which ( had he stood ) had enter'd in , point blancke , but , falling , only graz'd vpon his flancke . being downe , braue argalus his threatning sword bids yeeld ; amphialus answering not a word , ( as one , whose mighty spirit did disdaine a life of almes ) but striuing to regaine his legs , and honour , argalus let driue , with all the strength , a wounded arme could giue , vpon his head ; but his hurt arme ( not able to doe him present seruice , answerable to his desires ) let his weapon fall ; with that , amphialus ( though daz'd withall ) arose ; but argalus ran in , and graspt ( 〈◊〉 clos'd together ) with him ; where , both claspt and grip'd each in th'unfriendly armes of either ; a while they grappled ; grappling , fell together , and on the ground , with equall fortune stroue ; some time 〈◊〉 was got aboue , and sometimes argalus ; both ioyntly vow'd 〈◊〉 ; both wallowed in their mingled blood , both bleeding fresh : now , argalus bids yeeld . and now , amphialus : both would win the field , yet neither could ; at last , by free consent , they rose ; and to their breathed swords they went ; the combat's now renew'd , both laying on , as if the fight had beene but new begon . new wounds asswage the smarting of the old , and warme blood entermingles with the cold . but argalus ( whose wounded arme had lost more blood , then all his body could almost supply ; and like an 〈◊〉 , that expends so long as he hath either stocke , or friends ) bled more then his spent fountains could make good his spirit could giue courage , but not blood . as when two wealthy clyents , that waxe old in suit , ( whose learned councell can vphold and glaze the cause alike , on either side ) during the time their tearmly golden tide shall flow alike , from both , 't is hard to say who prospers best , or who shall get the day . 〈◊〉 he , whose water first shall cease to flow , and ebbe so long , till it shall ebbe too low . his cause , ( though richly laden to the brincke , with right ) shall strike vpon the barre and sincke , and then 〈◊〉 easie councell may vnfold the doubt ; the question 's ended , with the gold . euen so our combatants , the 〈◊〉 their blood was equall 〈◊〉 ; the cause seem'd equall good , the victory equall ; equall was their armes ; their hopes were equall : 〈◊〉 was their harmes . but when poore argalus his wasting blood ebb'd in his veines , ( although it made a flood a 〈◊〉 flood , in the vngratefull field ) his cause , his strength , ( but not his heart ) must yeeld : thus wounded argalus the more he fail'd , the more , the proud amphialus preuail'd : with that , amphialus ( whose noble strife was but to purchase honour , and not life ) perceiuing what aduantage , in the fight , he gained , and the valour of the knight , became his suitor , that himselfe would please to pitty himselfe , and let the combat cease ; which noble argalus ( that neuer vs'd in honour to part stakes ) with thankes , refus'd : ( like to a lucklesse gamester ; who , the more he loses , is 〈◊〉 willing to giue o' 〈◊〉 ) and filling vp his empty veines , with spite , begins to summe his forces , and vnite his broken strength , and ( like a lampe that makes the greatest blaze at going out ) he takes his sword in both his hands ; and , at a blow , cleft armour , shield , and arme , 〈◊〉 , in two ; but now enrag'd amphialus forgets all pitty ; and , trusting to his cards , he sets that stock of courage , treasur'd in his brest , making his whole estate of 〈◊〉 , his rest ; and vies such blowes , as arg'lus could not see without his losse of life : so thundred he vpon his wounded body , that each wound seem'd like an open sluce of blood , that found no hand to stop it , till the dolefull cry . of a most beautious lady ( who well nie had run her selfe to death ) restrain'd his arme ( perchance too late ) from doing further harme . it was the faire parthenia , who that night had dream'd , she saw her husband in that plight she now had found him : feare and loue together , gaue her no rest , till they had brought her hither : the nature of her feare did now begin t' expell the feare of nature ; stepping in , betweene their pointing swords , she prostrate lay before their blood-bed abbled feet , to say she knew not what ; for as her lips would striue to be deliuer'd , a deepe sigh would driue the abortiue issue of her language forth ; which , borne vntimely , perisht in the birth ; and if her sighes would giue her 〈◊〉 to vent it , o then a teare would trickle , and preuent it ; but 〈◊〉 the winde of her loud sighes had laid the 〈◊〉 of her teares , she sobb'd , and said : o wretched eyes of mine ! o wailfull sight ! o day of darknesse ! o eternall night ! and there 〈◊〉 stopt ; her eyes being fixt vpon amphialus ; she sigh'd , and thus went on : my lord , 't is said you loue : then , by that sacred power of loue , as you 'd 〈◊〉 mercy in the houre of greatest misery , leaue off ; and sheathe your bloody sword : or else if nought but death may slake your anger , o let mine , let mine be a sufficient offring at the shrine of your appeased thoughts ; or , if you thirst for argalus 〈◊〉 life , then take mine first : or , if for noble blood you seeke , if so accept of mine ; my blood is noble too , and worth the spilling : euen for her deare sake , your tender soule affects , awake , awake , your noble mercy : grant , i care not whether ; let me dye first ; or , kill vs both together . with that amphialus was about 〈◊〉 speake , 〈◊〉 argalus ( whose heart 〈◊〉 almost 〈◊〉 to heare partheniaes words ) 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 , ah parthenia ; then must i 〈◊〉 bought and sold for teares ? is my condition so poore , i cannot 〈◊〉 , but by petition ? so said ; he 〈◊〉 aside ( for feare , by chance , the fury of some misguided blow may 〈◊〉 and touch parthenia ) and , fill'd with high 〈◊〉 , would haue 〈◊〉 the combat fresh againe . but now , amphialus was charm'd ; his hand 〈◊〉 no sufficient warrant to withstand parthenia's suit , from whose faire eyes there came such precious teares , in so belou'd a name ; his eyes grew tender , and his melting heart was ouercome ; his very soule did smart ; he 〈◊〉 not , but kept him at a distance , and ( putting by some blowes ) made no resistance . but what can long endure ? lamps wanting oyle , must out at last , although they blaze a while ; trees wanting sap , must wither ; strength and beauty can claime no priuiledge to quit that duty they owe to time and change ; but like a vine ( the vnsound supporters failing ) must decline : poore argalus growes 〈◊〉 , and must giue o're to strike ; his feeble arme can strike no more ; and natures 〈◊〉 ' d bayly now destraines his blood , for that small debt that yet remaines 〈◊〉 ; his arme that cannot vse the poynt , now 〈◊〉 vpon the pomell ; euery ioynt disclaimes their idle sinews ; and his eye begins to double euery obiect by ; nothing appeares the same it was ; the ground , and all thereon does seeme to daunce the round . his legs grow faint ; and thinking to sit downe , he mist his chaire , and 〈◊〉 into a swoune . with that amphialus and parthenia ran , ran in with hast , amphialus 〈◊〉 to loose his helmet , whil'st her busie palme chaf'd his cold temples , and ( distilling balme into his wounds ) her hasty fingers tore her linnen sleeues , and partlet that she wore , no wipe the teare mixt blood away , and wrap his wounds withall ; vpon her panting lappe she laide his liuelesse head , and ( wanting bands to binde the bloody cloathes ) her nimble hands ( as if it were ordained for that end , and therefore made so long ) did freely rend her dainty haire , by handfuls from her head ; but as she wrapt the wounds , her eyes would shed and wet the rags so much , that she was faine 〈◊〉 sighs and sobs to drie it vp againe . thus halfe distracted with her griefes and feares , these words she enter mingles with her teares ; distrest parthenia ! into what estate hath fortune , and the direfull hand of fate driuen thy perplexed soule ? o thou , o thou , that wert the president of all ioyes , but now ; now turn'd th' example of all misery , for torments worse then death to practise by ! how lesse then nothing art thou ? and how more then miserable ! thou that wert before all ladies of the earth for happinesse but very now ; ( ah me ) now , nothing lesse ! o angry heauens ; what hath parthenia done , to be thus plagu'd , or why not plagu'd alone if guilty ? what shall poore parthenia doe ? to whom shall she complaine ? alas ! or who shall giue reliefe ? nay who can giue reliefe to her , that hopes for succour from her griefe ? o death ! must we be parted then ? for euer ? and neuer meet againe ? what , neuer ? neuer ? or shall parthenia now be so vnkinde , te leaue her argalus , and stay behind ? no , no , my dearest argalus , make roome , ( there 's roome enough in heauen ) i come , i come . who euer saw a dying coale of fire , lurke in warme embers ( till some breath inspire a forc'd reuiuall ) how obscure it lies ; and being blowne , glimmers a while , and dies ? so argalus , to whom parthenia's breath giuing new life , ( a life in spite of death ) recall'd him from his death-resembling traunce ; who from his panting pillow did aduance his feeble head ; and looking vp , he made hard shift to sorce a language , and thus said ; my deare parthenia : now my glasse is runne ; the tapours tell me that the play is done ; my dayes are summ'd ; death seizes on my heart ; alas ! the time is come , and we must part : yet by my better hopes ; grimme death does bring no griefe to argalus , no other sting but this , that i must leaue thee , euen before my gratefull actions can crosse the score of thy deare merits : but since it pleases him , whose wisedome still disposes all things by his better will , depend vpon his goodnesse , and relye vpon his pleasure , not inquiring why : and trust that one day we shall meet , and then enioy each other , ne're to part agen : meane while liue happy : let parthenia make no doubt , but bessed argalus shall partake in all her ioyes on earth , which shall encrease his ioyes in heauen , and soules eternall peace . loue well the deare remembrance of thy true and faithfull argalus ; let no thought renew my last disgrace ; thinke not the hand of fate made me vnworthy , though vnfortunate . and as he spake that word , his lips did vent a sigh , whose vio'lence h●…d well nigh rent his heart in twaine ; and when a pa●…ting kisse h●…d giuen him earnest of appoaching blisse , he snatch his sword into his hand and cryed ; o death ! thou art the conquerour ; and dyed . with that ; parthenia , whose liuelihood was founded vpon his life , bow'd downe her head and swounded ; but griefe , that ( like a lyon ) loues to play before it kils , gaue death a longer day ; else had parthenia dy'd , since death depriued him of his life , in whose deare life she liued . but ah ! parthenia's sorrow was too deepe , too too vnruly , to be lull'd asleepe by ought but death : she startles from her swound ; and nimbly rising from the loathed ground , kneeles downe ; and layes her trembling hand vpon his lukewarme lips , but finding his breath gone , griefe playes the tyrant ; fierce distruction driues her she knowes not where ; vnbounded 〈◊〉 depriucs her of sense and language ; here and there she goes , not knowing what to doe ; nor what she does ; somtimes her faire misguided hand would teare her beautious face ; sometimes , her bountious haire , as if their vse could stand her in no stead , since her beloued argalus was dead . but now amphialus ( that all this space stood like an idol , fastned to his place ; where with a world of teares , he did bemoane the deed , that his vnlucky hands had done ) well knowing ; that his words would aggrauate , not ease the miserie of her woefull state , spake not , but caus'd her women that came with her to vrge her to the ferrie ; where together with her dead argalus , she ' embrackt ; from whom she would not part : no sooner was she come to t'other shore , but all the funerall state of militarie discipline did waite vpon the corps , whil'st troopes of trickling eyes fore-ran the well perform'd solemnities : the martiall trumpet breath'd her dolefull sound , whil'st others traild their ensignes on the ground ; thus was the most lamented corpes conuaid , vpon a chariot , lin'd , and ouerlaid with sables , to his house ; a house , then night more black , no more the palace of delight ; where now we leaue him to receiue the crowne prepar'd for vertue , and deseru'd renowne ; where now we leaue him to be full possest of endlesse peace , and euerlasting rest. but who shall comfort poore parthenia now ? what oratory can preuaile ? or how can counsell chuse but blush to vndergoe so vaine taske , and be contemned too ? may counsell mooue a heart , whose best 〈◊〉 consists in desperate yeelding to a griefe ? o : what aduice can rellish in her eares , that weepes , and takes a pleasure in her teares ? readers , forbeare : sorrowes that are lamented , are but exulcerated , but augmented ; forbeare attempt , where there is no preuayling ; a desperate griefe growes stronger by bewaying . leaue her to time and fortune : let your eyes no longer prye into her miseries ; true mourners loue to be beheld of none ; who truly grieues , desire to grieue alone . but now our bloodhound muse must draw , and track amphialus , and bring the murtherer backe to a new combate : where if fortune please to crowne our tragick sceane , and to appease the crying blood of argalus , with blood ; our better rellisht story ( making good your hopefull expectations ) shall besriend the teares of our parthenia , and end . soone as the stout amphialus had out worne the danger of his wounds , and made returne into the martiall campe ; there , to maintainc his new got honor , and to entertaine aggrieued challengers , that shall demand , o●… seeke for satisfaction from his hand ; an armed knight came praunsing o're the plaine , d●…nouncing watre , and breathing forth disdaine . foure dam ' sells vsherd him , in sable weeds ; and foure came after , all on mourning steedes ; his curious armour was so painted ouer with liuely sh●…dowes , that you might discouer the image of a gaping sepulchre ; about the which , were scattered here and there some dead mens bones : his horse was black as let ; his furniture was round about beset with branches , slipt from the sad cypresse tree ; his bases ( reaching farre below the knee ) embroydred were with wormes : vpon his shield , for his lmprese , he had a beautious childe , whose body had two heads ; whereof the t'one appear'd quite dead ; the t'other ( drawing on ) did seeme to gaspe for breath ; and vnderneath , this motto was subscrib'd , from death , by death . thus arm'd to point , he sent his bold defie . t' amphialus , who sent as quick replye . forthwith , being summon'd by the trumpets found , they start ; but braue amphialus , that sound , the knight had mist his rest , ( as yet not met ) scorning to take aduantage , would not let his launce descend , nor ( brauely passing by ) encounter his befriended enemy . whereat the angry knight ( not apt to brook such vnsupportable mishappe forsooke his white mouth'd steed ; throwing his l●…nce aside , ( which too too partiall fortune had denide a faire successe ) drew forth his glittering sword ; whereat amphialus lighted ( who abhorr'd a conquest meerely by aduantage gain'd , esteeming it but robb'd , and not obtain'd ) drew forth his sword ; and , for a little space , their strokes contended with an equall pace , and fiercenesse : he did more discouer a brauery , then anger ; whil'st the other bewray'd more spleene , then either skill , or strength , to manage it : 〈◊〉 , at length , with more then wonted ease , did b●…tter so his ill defended armour , that each blow , open'd a door●… , for death to enter in ; and now the noble conquerour does begin to hate so poore a conquest , and disdain'd to take a life , so easily obtain'd . and mou'd with pitty , ( stepping backe ) he staid his vnresisted violence , and said , sir knight , contest no more ; but take the peace of your owne passion ; let the combate cease , seeke not your causlesse ruine ; turne your arme ( better imployd ) gainst such , as wish you harme . husband your life , before it be too late , fall not by him , that ne're deseru'd your hate . to whom , the knight return'd these words againe , thou lyest , false traitor ; and i here disdaine both words and mercy , with a base defie , and to thy throat , my sword shall turne the lye . to whom amphialus : vnciuill knight , couragious in nothing , but in spight , and base discourtesie ; thou soone shalt know , whether thy tongue betrayes thy heart or no. and as he spake , he gaue him such a wound vpon the necke , as strucke him to the ground . and , with the fall , his sword ( that now de●…y de all mercy ) deepely pierc'd into his side ; that done ; he loos'd his helmet , with intent , to make his ouerlauish tongue repent of those base words , he had so basely said , or ●…lse , to crop him shor●…er , by the head . who ●…uer s●…w th' illustrious eye of no●…e ( new broken from a gloomy cloud ) ●…nd downe his earth reioycing glory , and d●…play his golden beames vpon the sonnes of day : euen so , the helmet being gone , a faire and costly treasure of vnbraided haire o'respred the shoulders of the vanquisht knight , whose , now discouer'd visage ( in despight of neighb'ring death ) did witnesse and proclaime a soueraigne beautie in parthenia's name , and she it was indeed ; see how she lies smiling on death , as it her blessed eyes ( blest in their best desire●… ) had espied his fice already , for whose fake she died . the lillies , and the roses ( that while 〈◊〉 stroue in her cheekes , till they compounded there ) haue broke their truce , and freshly falne to blows ; behold ; the lilly hath o'recome the rose . her alablaster neck ( ●…hat did ou●…goe the doues in whi●… ness●… ; or the new falne snow ) was stain'd with blood , as if the red did se●…ke pro●…tion there , being banisht from her che●…ke : so full of ●…weetnesse was her dying face , th●…t death had not the power to displace her natiue beauti●… ; onely by translation , moulded , and cloath'd it in a newer fashion . but now amphialus ( in whom griefe and shame of this vnlucky victorie , did claime an eq●…ll interest ) prostrate on the earth , accurs'd his swo●…d , his arme , his houre of birth ; casting his helmet , and his gauntlet by , h●…s vndissembled teares did testifie , what words could not : but finding her estate more apt for helpe , then griefe , ( though both too late ) crept on his knees , and begging pardon of her , his hands ( his often cursed hands ) did proffer their needlesse helpe , and with his life to sh●…w what honour a deuoted heart could doe . whereto parthenia ( whose expiring breath g●…ue speedy signes of a desired death ) turning her fixt ( but oft recalled eyes ) vpon amphialus , faintly thus replies : sir you haue done enough ; and i require no more ; your hands haue done , what i desire ; what i expect ; and if against your will , the better ; so 〈◊〉 wish your fauours still ; yet one thing more , ( if enemies may sue ) i craue , which is , to be vntoucht by you ; and as for honour , all that i demand is not to 〈◊〉 honour from your hand . no , no ; 't was no such bargaine made ; that he whose hands had kill'd my argalus , should helpe me ; your hands haue done enough ; i craue no more ; and for the deed sake , i forgiue the doer ; what then remaines ? but that i goe to rest with argalus , and to be repossest of him ; with him for euer to abide , e're since whose death , i haue so often died . and there she fainted ( euen as if the clock of death had giuen a warning , e're it struck ) but foone returning to her selfe againe ; welcome sweet death , said she , whose minutes paine , shall crowne this soule with euerlasting pleasure ; come , come , and welcome ; i attend thy leasure : delay me not ; o doe me not that wrong , my a●…galus will chide , i stay so long ; o now i fe●…le the gordian-knotted bands , of life vntied ; o heauens ! into your hands , i recommend my better part with trust , to finde you much more mercifull , then iust ; ( yet truly iust withall ) o life , o death , i call you both to witnesse , that this breath ne're drew a dram of comfort , since that houre my a●…galus dyed : o thou eternall power , shroud all my faul●…s beneath the milkewhite veile of thy deare mercy ; and when this tongue shall faile to speake , o then : and as she spake ( o then ) o then she left to spe●…ke ; ●…d , being suddenly bereft of words , the fatall s●…ster did diuide h●…r slender twine of life , and so sh●… dyed . so dyed parthenia ; in whose closed ey●…s the world of beauty and perfection ly●…s lockt vp by angels ( as a thing diuin●… ) from mortall ey●…s , the whilst her vert●…es shine in perfect glory , in the throne of glory , leauing the world no relique , but the story of earths perfection , for the mouth of fame to confecrate to her eternall 〈◊〉 : which shall suruiue , ( if 〈◊〉 a●… d●…uine ) ( though not in these poore monuments of mine ) to th' end of dayes ; and , by th●…se looser ●…imes , shall be d●…liuer'd to succeeding times : so long as beauty shall but finde a friend , partheni●…es lasting f●…me shall neu●…r end . till , to be truly vertuous , to be chast , be held a sinne , partheniaes name shall last . thus when amphialus had put out this lampe , this lampe of hono●…r , he forsooke the campe ; and , like a willing pris'ner , was confinde to the strict limits of a troubled minde ; no iury need b'impanell'd , or agreed vpon the verdict ; none , to att●…st the deed ; none to gi●…e sentence , in the iudgement hall ; himselfe was witnesse , iury , iudge , and all ; where now we leaue him , whilst we turne our eyes vpon partheniaes women , whose fierce cryes inforce a helpl●…sse audience . it is said , when troy was taken , such a cry was made . one snatcht partheniaes sword , resolu'd to dye partheniaes death : another , rauing by , stroue for the weapon ; through which eager strife , they both were hindred ; and each lau'd a life : others , whom wis●…r passion had taught how to grieue at e●…sier rates , did rudely throw their carelesse bodies on the purple floore ; where , sprinkling dust vpon their heads , they tore their tangled haire , and garments , drencht in teares : and cryed , as i●… partheniaes blessed eares could heare the 〈◊〉 of griefe ; such griefes as would returne her from her glory , if they could ; 〈◊〉 heart was turn'd a wardrobe of true passion , where griefes were cloa●…hed in a seuerall fashion ; sometimes their sorrow would recall to view h●…r vertue , chastnesse , sweetn●…sse , and renew their wast●…d p●…ssions ; and , oft-times , they bann'd themselues , for obeying her v●…iust command . and now by this , the mourn●…ll trumpe of fame ( grow e ho●…se with very sorrow ) did proclaime and spr●…d her dolefull tidings , whilst all eares a●…d ey●…s were fill'd with death , and sliding teares ; pitty and sorrow , mixt with admiration , becam●… the threefold subiect of all passion ; gri●… w●…ther progresse through all he●…rts ; and none from t●…e poore cottage , to the princely throne , could own a thoght , whose best aduice could borrow the smallest respite from th'extreames of sorrow . but all this while , basilius princely brest , as it commanded , so outgrieu'd the rest ; his share was treble : hearts of kings are deepe and close ; what once they entertaine , they ke●…pe with violence : the violence of his passion admits no meane , as yet , no moderation ; but soone as griefe had done her priuate rights and dues to honour ; honour ( that delights in publique seruice , and can make the breath of sighes and sobs to triumph ouer death ) call'd in solemnity , with all her traine , and military pompe , to entertaine our welcome mourners , whose slow paces tread the paths of death ; and , with sad triumph lead the slumbring body , to that bed of rest , where nothing can disquiet , or molest her sacred ashes : there , intombed , lay the valiant argalus ; and there , they say , ere since that time , th' arcadians , once a yeare , visit the ruines of their sepulchre ; and , in memoriall of their faithfull loues , there , built an altar ; where , two milk white d●…ues they yearly offer to the hallowed fame of argalus , and his partheniaes name . finis . hos ego versiculos . like to the damaske rose you see , or like the blossome on the tree , or like the daintie flowre of may , or like the morning to the day , or like the sunne , or like the shade , or like the gourd which ionas had , euen such is man whose thred is spunne , drawne out and cut , and so is done . the rose withers , the blossome blasteth ; the flowre fades , the morning hasteth ; the sunne sets ; the shadow flies , the gourd consumes , and man he dies . like to the blaze of fond delight ; or like a morning cleare and bright ; or like a frost , or like a showre , or like the pride of babels towre , or like the houre that guides the time , or like to beauty in her prime ; euen such is man , whose glorie lends his life a blaze or two , and ends . delights vanish ; the morne o're casteth , the frost breakes , the shower basteth , the tower fals , the flowre spends , the beauty fades , and mans life ends . finis . fr. qu. the authors dreame . my sinnes are like the haires vpon my head , and raise their audit to as high a score : in this they differ : these doe daily shed ; but ah ! my sinnes grow daily more and more . if by my haires thou number out my sins , heauen make me bald before the day begins . my sins are like the sands vpon the shore , which euery ebbe layes open to the eye : in this they differ : these are couer'd o're with euerie tyde : my sinnes still open lye . if thou wilt make my head a sea of teares , o they will hide the sinnes of all my yeares . my sins are like the starres within the skies in view , in number , euen as bright as great ; in this they differ ; these doe set and rise ; but ah ! my sins doe rise but neuer set . shine sun of glorie , and my sins are gone like twinkling stars before the rising sun. finis . fr. qu. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the masque of the gods. vulcan●… speech . morphe●… speech . the goddesle of the nights speech venus speech to morpheus the sentence . argalus last speech . parthenia's last speech . an elegie vpon my deare brother, the ionathan of my heart, mr. iohn wheeler, sonne to sir edmond wheeler of riding court neare windsor, in the county of buckingham, deceased quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an elegie vpon my deare brother, the ionathan of my heart, mr. iohn wheeler, sonne to sir edmond wheeler of riding court neare windsor, in the county of buckingham, deceased quarles, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by t[homas] c[otes] for n. alsop, and t. nicholes; and are to be sold at the angell in popes head alley, london : . dedication signed: fra: quarles. in verse. printer's name from stc. the first leaf and the last leaf are blank. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng wheeler, john, -- mr -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an elegie vpon my deare brother , the ionathan of my heart , m r. iohn wheeler , sonne to sir edmond wheeler of riding court neare windsor , in the county of buckingham , deceased . angustia est mihi propter te frater mi iehonathan ; jucundus fuisti mihi valde ; admirabilor fuit amor tuus mihi , amore foeminarum . . sam. . . london , printed by t. c. for n. alsop , and t. nicholes ; and are to be sold at the angell in popes head alley . . to the right honorable the lady elizabeth , lady wheeler . madam , all that iob lost in his affliction , he found double in his readvancement : his children were not doubled , therefore were not lost . this i speake not to spoyle the complement of common comforters : i know roone descants upon these marriages , i will neither recite nor avouch , but wil conclude as charoone does in many things , nothing : onely my drift is , to make knowne , that this last marriage was consummated betwixt your incomparable brother ( whose funeralls i here celebrate ) and me ; betwixt whom there was rather an identity , then a brotherhood ; frater , ferè alter , amicus , verè alter . the elegie which david wrote upon his ionathan , sam. . . warrants mee to doe the like upon mine ; whose loves were both alike , both passing the love of women : what i have done , is the ensigne of my true affection , whose supporters are , an honorable lady , and her noble sonne : accept it from his hands who is , yours in the true complement of a faithfull heart . fra : quarles . an elegie . away , those ioyes ; away , those full delights , the late vnbenders of my thoughtfull minde ; which fedde my time with sweeter dayes and nights then were , at first , allotted to mankinde : goe seeke out those that feast ; leave me to sadnesse : sorrow is the guest which i must entertaine , and billet in my brest . breake not the peace of my compos'd resolves rebellious fancy ; cease to make resort into my setled browes , whose thought revolves businesse of great import : invention , rest ; till servile bribes entice some bards corrupted pen , to set a price on some unworthy lord , or paint his noble vice . come then , my genius ; let the needlesse care of quaint expressions passe : the mourners garbe is not to crispe the hayre , and true bread teares consult not with the glasse : lick not thy lines , nor scanne their carelesse feete , vnmeasur'd griefe and measures seldome meete : neglected wrincles best beseeme the winding-sheete . draw neere you gentle heart , draw neere , whilst i bedable my suffused eyes ; you shall not spend a teare ; you are my guests , and these my obsequies . no neede to begge a droppe ; my dearest sim and i will fill the cisterne to the brim : then let me beg my bread , if i beg teares for him. ev'n him , to whose sweet memorie i owe this sad memoriall of my deare affection ; whereby ( who ever please to reade ) may knowe the perfect president of youths perfection : but , ah , these too supicious times ! alas , it will surpasse a good beleevers faith , to tell but what hee was . for me ; let scorne and slight opinion fill my undervalu'd rymes with disrepute ; let every tongue deride my bafsled quill , and let my lines consume like summer fruit , when i turne vices advocate ; or when affection , or base by-respects of men , shall falsify the just geometry of my pen. goodnes , and vettue , and heroick worth , sweetnesse of nature , seconded with arts ; a noble brest , and birth ; compleatnes both of person , and of parts : must be our theame : we charge the mouth of fame to blow her louder trumpet , and proclame his merits , whom we monrne , and glorifie his name . he was an early spring , and beautified with all that flora's bounty could bestow ; life-breathing zephyr tooke a pride to see his buds sprout forth , and flowers growe ; the nymph pomona feard the lord of time mistooke his tropick , to show fruit in prime before the time of fruit , and in so cold a clime . injurious sisters , tell me why you made his twine so small , yet spun so short a twine ? thread had beene the glory of your trade , had you spun strong as well as fine : but ah ! what strength is able to withstand the direfull stroke of your imperious hand , which prayers can not entreat , nor power countermand ? now , readers , know , he was a marke too fayre for death to misse ; his ripenesse did invite her over-daynty palate not to spare my lifes delight : he was the flowre of youth ; the ioy of art ; a faithfull partner of a faithfull heart : the very soule of love , and friendships counterpart . learning divine and morall did enrich his wealthy soule with her abundant store : there was no excellence , in which he was not halfe a master , if not more : sometimes , the busy quadrant , now and then , appelles pencill , and appollo's pen imployd his skinfull hand : he studyed bookes and men. mvsick , the language of th' eternall quire , breath'd in his soule celestiall straynes , and fild his spirits with seraphick fyre , whose gentle flames calcin'd his ravisht brynes ; and made him ripe for heav'n : he did depart more then a scholler in that sacred art , his fancy , singers , voyce , perform'd a masters part . noble were all his actions , strict and just , quicke , but advis'd ; and milde , yet full of spirit : his heart was buxom , tender , full of trust ; prudently simple , free to men of merit : his resolutions weighd , reserv'd and strong , his silence studious , sweet his tongue ; lesse ready to require , then to conceive a wrong . o , but those firme indentures , sweetly past betwixt his soule and mine , ( thy bands , ô hymen , are not halfe so fast ; ours are too strong for death ; death cancells thine ) o , how they vrge my frailty ! how they thresh my wounded soule , and tribulate my flesh ! and all my teares being sqent , they spueeze out teares afresh . passion usurpes the kingdome of my soule : my heart is full and it must vent , or breake : peace , iudgement , peace ; o , shall i not condole so deare a losse ? give losers leave to speake . thou knowest my teares are just shall , shall they not embalme the precious dust of my true bosome friend ? they shall , they will , they must . qvench not those flames which your owne breath hath blowne in my affection ; o , limit not those bon-fires which are growne beyond your reach ; love burnes without direction : nor tell me , what i know , that he sits crown'd with endlesse ioy : my sorrow does propound the joyes that i have lost , not those which he hath found . reason must stoope , and iudgement strike her sayle : his ioyes befoole the wisedome of a pen ; fancy must flagge , and language must turne taile ; no , these are heights for angels , not for men : alas the stormes of passion that burst from natures clowds , have dispensation to ease themselves by vent , & vent by lamentation . so vaine , so fraile , so poore a thing is man ! a weather cocke , that 's turnd with every blast ; his griefes are armefulls ; and his mirth a span ; his ioyes soone crost , or past his best delights are sauc'd with doubts and feares : if had ; we plunge in care : if lost ; in teares : let goe , or hold , they bite ; we hold a wolfe by th' eares . time , shake thy glasse , and let thy minits flye , switcht on with angels , till thy sand be spent ; till then , their 's nothing certaine , but to dye ; or worse , to droyle in feares , or discontent : thy best of all thy sweets are but a snare ; thy honours , blasts of ayre ; thy wealth , but golden trash ; and trifles , full of care . vndresse thy selfe , my soule , and dissinvest thy thoughts of all these ragges of flesh and blood ; returne thee to thy rest ; o , there be monsters lurke in natures flood : close up thy springs ; thy bankes are to the brim : weepe for thy selfe ; my soule , thou canst not swim in the dead sea of teares ; o , weepe no more for him. wander no more in the distracted path of sense : the teares are lost which passion vent ; o , rather seeke the pleasures that he hath , whose death thine eyes lament ; he lives in joy ; thou show'st a weeping eye ; he sits in glory ; thou sittst downe to cry ; thou either lou'dst him not , or giv'st his joyes the lye. you , that are partners in so great a losse , strive to be partners in so great a gaine ; pry not too much into his dust , his drosse ; the hopes of comfort there , are lesse then vaine . cast up your better eyes , and view that palace , where his glory lyes , where time cannot suppresse , where death cannot surprize . finis . the life and death of dr. martin luther the passages whereof have bin taken out of his owne and other godly and most learned, mens writings, who lived in his time. martinus lutherus. english adam, melchior, d. . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing a ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the life and death of dr. martin luther the passages whereof have bin taken out of his owne and other godly and most learned, mens writings, who lived in his time. martinus lutherus. english adam, melchior, d. . quarles, francis, - . hayne, thomas, - . adam, melchior, d. . vitae germanorum theologorum. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by i.l. for john stafford, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . reproduction of original in bodleian library. attributed to melchior adam. cf. nuc pre- . the epistle dedicatory and the epistle to the reader are both signed by thomas hayne, the translator. translated from melchior adam's vitae germanorum theologorum, and first published in english in . cf. stc. "to the precious memory of dr. mart. luther" (sonnet, by francis quarles): recto of th p.l. errata: p. [ ] at end. eng luther, martin, - . a r (wing a ). civilwar no the life and death of dr martin luther the passages whereof have bin taken out of his owne and other godly and most learned, mens writings, adam, melchior b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the life and death of dr martin lvther the passages where of haue bin taken out of his owne and other godly and most learned , mens writings , who liued in his time . . thess : : : : wee beseech you , bretheren , to know the m. who labour among you : etc : and to esteeme them very highly for there worke sake , and be at peace among your selues : london printed by i : l : for iohn stafford , and are to be sould at his shop in chancery lane , ouer against the rolles : . to the right honovrable sr. thomas roe knight ; chancellour of the most noble order of the garter , and one of his majesties most honourable privy councell . to whom rather should i addresse this present discourse , then to your honourable selfe , who by your a embassie extraordinary for his majestie of england into germany well observed the countrey and the present estate thereof , where many passages here mentioned were acted . and much the rather doe i humbly present it to your honourable patronage , because , upon that happie occasion , it pleased our gracious god to put then into your mind and to nourish therein ever since , a serious consideration of the deplorable distractions of the christian church ; as he did into good b nehemiahs minde , of the lamentable estate of ierusalem in his time . your compassionate and tender affection was , and is still much moved to c observe the living stones of the new ierusalem lying in the dust , or drencht in their own blood , some of her priests and their slocks clad in sackcloth , others with their people by sword and fire cast out and banished : and which is worst of all , your honour well discerned how difficult a task it was to cure this fearfull maladie : because disaffection of parties & dissention of opinions , unlesse god prevented the mischiefe , would not admit the binding up of the wound . nor did these miserable calamities of gods people only vex and grieve your pious and religious soule , but also so rouzed and summoned up your honours most serious thoughts , that with d an heartie and godlie providence , with a sincere and prudent circumspection you presentlie consulted with other most learned , religious & christian lovers of gods church about the peace thereof , so far as possiblie may be attained , and so far , as it lies in the power of christian princes , of most judicious divines , and of truly zealous people , guided by them both : that as much as may be , we may all be e of one minde and accord , and think , and speak one and the same thing , as the sacred scripture often and straightly giveth us in charge . for this end mr. iohn dury a divine of singular pietie & learning , truly studious of the churches peace , and incomparably sedulous to advance the same , and first interessed in the work by your honourable means and incouragement , hath so much prevailed with many illustrious f princes & states , and the most eminent learned men in germany , and the parts adjoyning , that the work is very wel promoted , and an heartie inclination wrought towards a good correspondencie for ecclesiasticall peace . god grant your honour life and health , that to your great comfort , and all true christians joy , you may shortly see the work come to more maturitie and perfection . amidst your honours grave and vveightie intendments for this and other occasions of much concernement , may you please to reflect on this discourse . i conceive that there be many passages therein very confiderable for these and after times : and that they will make much for the exciting of our thankefulnesse to god : when we behold from what beginnings , in an and few moe yeares , gods truth hath risen , and papisticall and anabaptisticall errour faln . it is remarkable that the points by d. luther mainly opposed were indulgences , the popes boundlesse power , merit of workes , purgatory , communion but in one kinde : all g chiefe points and palpably and and undeniably grosse . and on the other side , that he stood up against the anabaptists rebaptization of themselves , their not baptizing infants ( as not commanded by christ ; ) their having all things in common ( as had the primitive christians , acts . . ) and against the antinomians heresies concerning the law , and other like erroneous fancies . it is also observable that dr. luther striking at the popes unlawfull power , never sought to exalt himselfe to honour or h riches . for though , as he saith , he himselfe with other learned men executed episcopall authority in visiting the churches of saxony , & reforming things amisse : yet he knowing his talent fittest for the chaire of wittenberg , never would rise higher ; but wrote a book concerning christian episcopacy , and installed nicolas amsdorf bishop of neoburg , and george anhaltinus bishop of mersburg . and in regard that luther studied and read , as professor , philosophie of divers kinds , was well versed in the fathers , and in aquinas , scotus , occam , & other schoolmen , and attained to the greek and hebrew tongues : he was thereby i inabled rightly , and soundly , and gravely , and not k ignorantly , rashly , or humorously to judge of these studies , and of their use in theologie . it was also very commendable in him , that he disliked railing discourse without solid and concluding arguments , slighted foolish and groundlesse calumnies , reproved young students forward and rash attempts without authority for the promoting of his cause , blamed the headie and disorderly tumults raised by the boores and vulgar sort , confessed ingenuously his doubting of some points , his ignorance in others , and craved pardon , if having beene lately a popish monk , he should in any point erre from the truth . seeing this was d. luthers prudent and religious course , i shall never marvell at his * heroicall spirit , and impregnable confidence of gods assistance , and of the successe of his attempts : and on very good ground famous and worthy princes countenanced and assisted him , as a man , by his then opposites , convicted of no errour , doing much good service in the university , offering his cause to any just triall , appealing from the pope to the generall counsell , and in his whole course manifesting l a true correspondence of his life with his doctrine . much more i might here adde , but will not longer detaine your honour from the discourse it selfe . i humbly beseech our gracious god , who inabled d. luther to be an excellent instrument for the reformation of the christian church , for beating downe of errour , and setting up of gods truth , that he would implant in us all , quiet , temperate , and christian affections , m and love of christs name , & still more and more perfect the setling of truth , and building up of his church , untill we all become living stones in the spiritual temple sitted for our god . the same god of peace crowne your honourable selfe , and all sincere promoters of christian peace , with peace externall and internall here , and with eternall blisse hereafter . so prayeth he , who is your honours ever to be commanded thomas hayne . christian reader . david a man after gods owne heart , as in other respects so especially in not forgetting any of gods benefits , but frequently and sweetly descanting on them in his sacred songs of praise , among many other blessings , mentions gods gracious leading his people out of egypt , & teaching them by the ministery of moses and aaron . the like thankfulnesse to god should we shew in our a hymns of glorie to god , as for infinite other favours in these later times , so especially for our comming out of the spirituall egypt , by the ministery of dr. mart. luther . the goodnesse of god to the israelites and us is much alike in both these our deliverances . for when egypts tyrannie was growne to extremity , and romes heresies at full maturity , god seasonably put to his hand , and by moses , then bred up in pharaohs court , and by d. luther lately trained up in monkery , shewed alike mercy to us both . however men did project to bend the excellent endowments of these worthy men to their owne purposes , god turned them to better use , and seasoning them with his grace , fitted them for the confusion of the old & new egypts . god will be b plainly knowne to have matters of great importance at his owne disposing . he of his great goodnesse directs to the right object his servants ardent zeale to do good : as in judgement he lets the malicious and envious zeale of both egypts persist in an evill course to their overthrow . hence it was , that as god took off s. paul from his blinde and unseasonable zeale for moses law in the pharisaicall way , and bent it to the advancing of the gospell : so he quelled luthers raging fury and intent c to vex and kill the opposers of the pope : and put a zealous spirit in him for the maintenance of sacred truth , and the downfall of popish superstition . and indeed rightly did erasmus judge , that d those corrupt times called for a sharpe , and launcing and searing chirurgion , to cure their long festered maladies . for the worship of god and the truth of religion was then ( as amongst the israelites in elias time ) much depraved and defaced , and required a magnanimous and undaunted spirit , like to that in elias , to reforme matters extreamly out offrame . erasmus saw full well , how difficult a taske d. luther underwent , and for his owne part and undertaking was assured , that if the e knowledge of good arts , of polite learning , of the originall tongues , of the sacred scripture florisht , that the dark fogs of popery could not long continue undispel'd . and therefore he complyed with all f princes , and g men studious of good letters whatsoever , to make a knowing world : and would in no wise , though earnestly set upon both by loving intreaties and kinde usage , as also by bitter calumnies , and harsh railings of the pontificians , doe any thing of speciall moment against luther . he was confident , that , if luther , being violently opposed and maliced , should faile , yet the truth of christ , by the light of all good literature and gods blessing , would , maugre all the papists malice , get the upper hand , and spread it selfe . but god was abundantly gracious to d. luther , and made him , as ieremy , h a defenced citie , an iron pillar , and a vvall of brasse , against which his antagonists could in no wise prevaile . had a spirit of pride or contention , or any by-respect set luther on work against the pope , or had he stood upon questions litigious , or of an indifferent nature , he could never have begun with that courage , gone forward with that confidence , come off with that honour , which he did . the blessing of god and a good conscience bore him out , to take such incredible paines in reading , preaching , translating , commenting , disputing , writing , advising the politicall state , directing the ecclesiasticall , restraining the papists fury from open war , counselling some protestants from too hastie proceedings , preventing tumultuous designes , avoiding secret traps set for him , and in daily praying to god for the prosperity of the gospell . all true christians will heartily blesse god for him , and his resolute and happy beginning of reformation : if papists who notoriously defamed and standered him in his life time , persist still to calumniate him after his death , * god in the last day will be judge betweene them . luther was ( and who is not ? ) subject to such weaknesses , as humanity makes incident to the best men . he knew his slips , he acknowledged them , he craved pardon for them . yea , he considering , that he was a man , and might erre , intrusted his learned and faithfull friend i melancthon to revise and moderate some of his tenents after his decease . in briefe luthers faith was admirably strong in his god , his labours and studies of singular benefit to gods church , his books and writings very many and learned , his life most pious , and therefore his death full of comfort and blessed . accept ( good reader ) this treatise now presented unto you in an english dresse , out of the leerned and laborious work of melchior adamus : and expect the lives of other most godly and reverend fathers in gods church , and worthy champions , against the enemies of gods truth , both english and forraine . some whereof were never extani before , others , but sparingly in english set forth ; all of them worthy of ever lasting memory for their promoting of gods glory , and their love to christian truth . these will shortly appeare from the pens of sundry reverend , religious , and faithfull divines amongst us . god make all these labours usefull to gods people , and us all thankfull for his divine and gracious goodnesse to these last and worst times . yours in all christian offices tho. hayne . to the pretious memory of dr. mart. luther . welfare those gentle quils ( whose ere they be ) whose meritorious labours shall set free the urne imprisoned dust of that renown'd thrice famous luther : let his head be crown'd with sacred immortality , and rais'd much rather to be wondred at then prais'd . let babes unborne , like fruitfull plants bring forth to after dayes new monuments of his worth , and time-outlasting name : that babels whore and all her bald-pate panders may ev'n roro for very anguish , and then gnaw and bite their tongues for malice , and their nailes for spite , whilst men made perfect in his well knowne story may all turne patrons , and protect his glory . francis quarles . when blackest clouds of romish errours base , had quite ore-spred truths amiable face , and antichrists ore-topping tyrannie had chain'd all europe to idolatry ; then , suddenly and strangely god did raise ( to romes deepe admiration and amaze ) renowned martin luther , dauntlesly to vindicate his truth , and rome defie . he , maugre all their spight and fury fell , did papall fogs of errour cleane expell ; clearing the sun of truth to such pure light as , ever since , hath shone abroad most bright . of hercules his club , what talk we , then ? since rome is ruin'd with great luthers pen . i. vicars . the life and death of dr. martin luther . the family of the luthers was ancient , and spred into divers parts of the territories of the earle of mansfield . it consisted of the middle degree of men . the parents of martin luther first lived in isleben a town in that earldome : thence they went to dwell in mansfield , the place , of which the earldome took its name . there iohn luther father of martin possessed mettle mines , bore office , and for his integritie was in good esteem among the best citizens . margaret lindeman was the wife of iohn luther , and mother of martin ; she was a woman commendable for all vertues beseeming a worthy matron , especially for her modesty , feare of god , and calling on his name : so that she was a pattern of vertue to many others . martin luther was born of isleben , ann. dom. . novem. . at . a clock at night on st. martins day : and was thence call'd martin . his parents brought him up in the knowledge and feare of god , according to the capacitie of his tender yeeres , and taught him to read at home , and accustomed him to vertuous demeanour . the father of george aemilius ( as luther often hath related ) first put him to schoole , where though the trueth was much darkned by clouds of popery , yet god preserved still the heads of catechisme , the elements of the cisioian grammar , some psalmes and formes of prayer . at fourteene yeeres of age , he with iohn reineck , who proved a man of especiall vertue and authoritie in those parts , were sent to magdeburg . whence a league of intire friendship ever continued between these two ; either because of a sympathy and agreement of their natures , or their education together in their first studies . at magdeburg he , as many others born of honest parents , lived a poore scholler for the space of one yeere . thus even the greatest matters have small beginnings , and scarce any thing is highly exalted , but from a lowly degree . thence by his parents he was removed to isenak , where was a schoole of great fame : here was a schoolemaster , who ( as luther by experience found , and would professe ) taught grammar more dextrously and truely . one reason also of his being sent thither was , because his mother was born there of a worthy and ancient family . there he perfected his grammar learning , and being of a very quick wit , and by nature fitted for eloquence , he soone surpassed his school-fellows in copiousnesse of speech and matter , and excelled in expression of his minde both in prose and verse . upon this his tasting the sweetnesse of learning , he was inflamed with an earnest desire to goe to some vniversitie , the well-spring of all good literature ; and surely had he met with good and commendable tutors , he by his piercing wit had attained all good arts : and perhaps he might by the milder studies of true philosophy , and diligence in well framing his style somewhat have tempered the vehemencie of his nature . he went to erford an. . where he fell upon the crabbed and thorny logick of that age : which he soone attained , as one who by the sagacitie of his wit , was better able to dive into the causes and other places of arguments then others . here , out of a desire of better learning , he read over cicero , livy , virgil , and other monuments of ancient latine authors . these he perused , not as a child , to glean phrases from them : but to discern what therein was usefull towards the right conforming of mans life . and to that end seriously observed the counsels and grave sentences in those writers : and having a faithfull and sure memory , what ever he read or heard , he had it still in readinesse for present use . hereby he so excelled in his youth , that the whole universitie admired his wit . when at erphord he was graced a with the degree of master of arts at twentie yeeres of his age , he read , as professour , aristotles physicks , ethicks and other parts of philosophy . afterward his kindred seeing it fit that so worthy indowments of wit and eloquence should be cherished for the publique good , by their advise he betooke b himself to the study of the law . but not long after when he was . yeeres old , of a sudden besides the purpose of his parents and kindred ( upon an affright from his faithfull mates violent death ) : he betook himself to the augustine monks c colledge in erphord . but before he entred the monastery , he entertained his fellow d students with a cheerfull banquet : and thereupon sent them letters valedictory ; and sending to his parents the ring and gown of his degree of master of arts , unfolded to them the reason of the change of his course of life . it much grieved his parents that so excellent parts should be spent in a life little differing from death . but for a moneths space no man could be admitted to speake with him . nor was it povertie , but the love of a pious life , which bent his minde to the monastical life . in which though he spent his time in the usual schoole learning , and read the writers upon the sentences , and in publique disputations clearly opened their inextricable labyrinths to the admiration of many : yet because in this kinde of life he sought not to ennoble his fame , but to further his study of a pious life ; he looked into those studies but upon the by ; and with much ease attained their scholastical methods . when on a time in the library of the colledge , running over the books thereof in order , he met with a copie of the latine bible , which he never saw before ; there with admiration he observed that there were moe evangelical and apostolical texts then what were read to the people in churches . in the old testament with great attention he read the story of samuel and anna his mother : and began to wish , that he was the owner of the like book ; which not long after he obtained . hereupon he spent his time on the propheticall and apostolicall writings , the fountaines of all heavenly doctrine , seeking thence to enforme his minde with gods will , and to nourish in himself the feare of god , and true faith in christ from true and undoubted grounds . some sicknesse and feare whet him on to attempt these studies more earnestly . it is said , that in this colledge luther in his younger yeers fell into a most violent disease , in so much that there was no hope of life : and that an ancient priest came to him , and with these words comforted him . sir , be of good courage , for your disease is not mortall : god will raise you up to be a man who shall afford comfort to many others . at the first , the monks handled him somewhat harshly , whilest he performed the office of the custos , and was compelled to cleanse the uncleane places : as also to walk up and down the citie with a bagge or wallet . but upon the request of the universitie , of which he had been a member , he was eased of that burden . he was often cheered up by conference with the ancient priest ; to whom he revealed his feares and scruples of minde , and heard him discoursing of faith at large , and going on in the creed to the article . i beleeve the remission of sins . which he thus explained . namely , that a man must not onely in generall beleeve that sinnes are remitted to some men , as to david , and to ester , for this the devils beleeve : but that god commands , that we should each man in particular beleeve , that our sinnes be forgiven us in christ jesus . this exposition , said he , is confirmed by st. bernard : and shewed him the place in his sermon upon the annuntiation : where these words are to be found . but adde this , and beleeve this also , that thy sins are forgiven thee for christs sake . this is the testimony in thy heart , which the spirit of god giveth , saying , thy sins are forgiven thee . for the apostle thus determines of the matter ; that a man is freely justified by faith . luther said , that he was not onely confirmed in the truth ; but also put in minde of saint paul ever in these words , asserting this trueth : we are justified by faith . concerning this point , after that he had read the expositions of divers men , he further said , that from the speeches of paul , he observed to accrew unto himself much comfort , and great light to discerne the vanitie of other interpretations , which then were used . then he began to read st augustines workes : where both in his comment on the psalmes , and in the booke , of the spirit and letter , he found many evident places , which confirmed this doctrine concerning faith , and the comfort , which was before kindled in his breast . yet did he not utterly cast of the reading of gabriel and camaracensis , writers on the sentences , but was able to recite them by heart in a manner . he spent much time in often reading occam , and esteemed him for acutenesse of wit before thomas aquinas and scotus : also he studiously perused gerson . but chiefly he read often austins workes , and kept them well in memory . this earnest prosecution of his studies he began at erphord : and spent there five yeers in the colledge . in the yeare . he put on the priests hood . the first masse which he celebrated , was may . domini cantate . then was he . yeares old . in this course he continued . yeares ; to the yeare of our lord . at that time io. staupicius , who endeavored to promote the university of wittenberg lately begun , desired that the study of theologie should there flourish , and well knew the wit and learning of luther : and removed him to wittenberg , an. . when he was . yeares old . here in regard of his daily exercises in the schooles and his sermons , the eminency of his good parts did more and more shew themselves . and among other learned men , who attentively heard him martinus mellurstad , commonly cal'd lux mundi , the light of the world , often said of luther : that there was in him so noble a straine of wit , that he did verily presage , that he would change the vulgar course of studies , which at that time was usuall in schooles , and prevailed . at wittenberg luther first explained aristotles logick and physickes : yet intermitted not his study of divinitie . three yeares after , that is an. . he was sent into italy and to rome in the behalfe of his covent , for the deciding of some controveramong the monkes . there he saw the pope , and the popes palace , and the manners of the roman clergie . concerning which he sayth : i was not long at rome : there i sayd , and heard others say masse : but in that manner , that so often as i call them to minde , i detest them . for at the table i heard among other matters some curtisans laugh and boast , and some concerning the bread and wine on the altar to say : bread thou art , and bread thou shalt remalne ; wine thou art , and wine thou shalt remaine . he further addeth , that the priests celebrated the masses so hastily and perfunctorily , that he left of saying masse , before he betooke himselfe to the gospell . and cried out , away with it , away with it . in talke with his familiar friends he would often rejoyce at this his journey to rome , and say ; that he would not for . florens have been without it . after his returne from rome , staupicius so advising , he was made doctor in divinity , after the manner of the schooles , and at the charge of duke frederike elector of saxony . for the prince heard him preach , and admired the soundnesse of his invention , the strength of his arguments , and the excellence of the things , which he delivered . now was luther . yeares old , and had attained a maturity of judgement . luther himselfe used to professe , that he would have refused this honour , and that staupicius would have him permit himselfe to be graced with this degree , saying pleasantly : that there were many businesses in gods church , wherein he would use luthers helpe . this speech then spoken in a complementall way , at length proved true by the event . thus many presages goe before great changes . soone after he began ( as the place required ) to explaine the epistle to the romans and some psalmes : which he so cleared , that after a long and darke night , there seemed a new day to arise in the judgement of all pious and prudent men . here he shewed the difference of the law and gospell , and refuted an errour then most frequent both in the schooles and sermons : namely that men by their workes can deserve remission of their sinnes : and that men are just before god by observing the discipline commanded : as the pharisees taught . luther therefore recal'd mens mindes to the sonne of god , & ( as iohn baptist ) shewed them the lamb of god , who taketh away the sinnes of the world . and taught them , that for christs sake their sinnes are forgiven , and that this benefit is received by faith . he cleared also other poyntes of ecclesiasticall truth . this beginning made him of great authority , and that much the more , because his demeanor was sutable to his doctrine , so that his speech seemed to come from his heart , not from his lippes onely . for the saying is as true , as old , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , a mans pious carriage makes his speech perswasive . hence it was , that men easily assented to him , when afterward he changed some of their rites . as yet , he attempted not to doe it , but was a rigid observer of good order , and added something more strict then usuall . with the sweetnesse of this doctrine all godly minded men were inamoured , and much it affected the learned , that christ , the prophets and apostles were brought out of darknes & prison , & that the difference of the law and the gospell , of gods word & philosophy , ( of which they read nothing in thomas , scotus and their fellowes ) now was manifested . at this time also young students were invited to a mote exact study of the latine & greek tongue , whereupon many worthy and ingenious men were much affected with the sweetnesse of polite learning , and abhorred the barbarous and sophistical style of the monkes . and now also luther betook himselfe to the study of the greeke and hebrew tongues , that upon his knowledge of the phrase and proprietie of the originall , he might more exactly judge of doctrines grounded thereupon . luther being thus busied , into misnia and saxonie , iohn tecelius a dominican frier brought indulgences to be sold . this tecelius was adjudged to death by maximilian the emperour , and commanded to be throwne into the river oenoponte , but was pardoned at the request of frederike duke of saxony , who as it befell was in those coastes at his condemnation . this tecelius averred ( as other matters , so especially ) that he had so large a commission from the pope , that though a man should have defloured the blessed virgin , for money he could pardon the sinne . and further he did not onely give pardons for sins past , but for sins to come . and not long after an edict was set forth with albertus the archbishops arms , which enjoyned the officers in especiall manner to commend the validitie of the indulgences . the pardoners also at certain rates gave license on dayes prohibited to eate milke , cheese , egges , flesh . luthers godly zeale being inflamed with these proceedings , set forth certaine propositions concerning indulgences . these he publikely affixed at the church next to the castle of wittenberg , on all saints eve , an. . hereupon tecelius persisting in his old course , and hoping thereby the more to oblige the pope to himself , calleth a senate of monks and divines of his own stamp : and sets them on work to write something against luther . in the meane time he himself might not be silent : nor would he onely preach against luther , but with open mouth cryeth and thunders , that luther was deservedly to be burnt as an heretick : and withall publikely cast luthers propositions and his sermon concerning indulgences into the fire . these violent courses of tecelius and his complices , necessarily put luther upon a more copious declaration and defence of the trueth . thus began these controversies , in which luther aymed not at , nor so much as thought of the change , which followed : nor indeed did altogether disallow of the indulgences , but desired a moderation in their use . yea , it appeared that luther would have been quiet , so that his adversaries had been injoyned silence . but when he saw , that whatsoever the popes crafty mony-gatherers insinuated to albertus archbishop of mentz , was defended and beleeved by the common sort , and yet knew not that tecelius was hired by albertus to make those sermons for the purchasing of his bishops roab : he the day before the calends of novemb. an. . complained to the archbishop by writing concerning their impious clamours , and intreated that he by the authoritie of his place would call in their libels , and prescribe to the preachers some other forme of preaching their pardons : so luther himself saith . at the same time luther sent him propositions concerning repentance and indulgences : which he then first set forth . these are extant tom. . of luthers works . the archbishop returned no answer to luthers epistle . tecelius opposed contrary positions made by conrade wimpin and others , at franckfort on viadrus ; and compared the pope with peter , and the crosse erected by the pope with christs crosse : at hal in saxony the students of wittenberg publikely burnt in the market place tecelius his theses : of this luther thus writeth to ioh. longus . that you may understand aforehand , what was done about the burning of tecellus propositions , left fame ( as often it comes to passe ) should misreport the matter the students being extreamly weary of the old dunstical course of studies , and most desirous of the sacred bible , and it may be out of their love to me , when they knew that one was sent by tetzel hal , and was come with his positions , went presently unto him , and terrified him , asking him how he durst bring such stuffe thither . some bought of him , some took the rest from him , and ( giving intimation that whosoever would see tecelius positions burnt , should come to the market place at two a clock ) burnt of them . all this was unknown to the prince , the senate and rector , and all of us . this great injury done the man by our students displeaseth my self and the rest . and though i am blamelesse , yet i feare that the whole proceeding will be laid to my charge . a great bruite was raised hereupon , but especially amongst them , with a just indignation . what will be the issue hereof , i cannot say : sure it is , that my danger will be much the more . when luther perceived that the positions were very well liked of , and entertained as sound and orthodox ; which he at first propounded to be discussed by disputation , till the church defined , what was to be thought concerning indulgences ; he wrote to ierom bishop of brandenburg , under whose jurisdiction he was , and submitted what he had written to the bishops judgement ; and intreated him that he would dash out with his pen , or consume with the fire , what he thought unsound . the bishop answered luther , and declared that his desire was , that the setting forth of his arguments about those matters should a little while be deferred : and that he wished that the common talk about indulgences had never been . luther answered : i am content so to do : and had rather obey , then work miracles , if i could well do them . he wrote also to ioh. staupicius the vicar of the augustinian partie : and giveth him an account of his proceedings , and sendeth to him the answers of the disputations concerning the validitie of indulgences to be imparted to pope leo the tenth . in these he shewed the pope how inconsiderately and sordidly the disposers of his indulgences had abused his authoritie . he also annexed thereunto the protestation , which is extant in the . tom. of his works . now also iohn eckius opposed luthers conclusions , with obilisces or markes of disgrace . to them luther opposed his asterisces or notes of approbation . after this silvester prierias a dominican , and mr of ( as they call it ) the sacred palace , very confidently enters into the quarrell with a dialogue and preface to leo the pope . in this writing prierias set downe certaine theses for the ground of his judgement . luther answered him and opposed the sacred scripture to the authority of thomas aquinas , whom prierias cited . upon this a reply was made against luther : in it prierias sayd that he liked it well , that luther did submit himselfe to the pleasure of the pope ; was not ambitious , and did defend thomas , as the angelical doctour . luther answered this with an epistle onely to the reader : & together with other matters , sayth : if the pope and cardinals be of the same opinion , if at rome the same doctrine be taught , there is no doubt , but that rome is the very seat of antichrist : and that greece , and bohemia , and all others are happie , that they made a departure from the pope : and that new commendations of the pope were dayly invented to prevent the calling of a lawfull councel . afterward io. hogostratus a dominican writeth bitterly against luther & exciteth the pope to use the rounder course of fire and faggot . luther answered him in briefe , and told him of his cruell bent : and wittily taxed the ignorance of the man : and admonisheth him not to proceed to seeke laureolam in mustaceo , the laurel garland in so mean a perfection . in the yeere . luther , though most men disswaded him , yet to shew his observance of authority , went ( for the most part on foot ) to the colledge of hidelberg . at herbipolis the bishop entertained him courteously . so also did wolfgang the count palatine at hidelberg . in the colledge of the augustinians now cal'd the colledge of sapience , he disputed about justification by faith . bucer was there present , and by his quicknesse in writing tooke what luther spake , and imparted all to beat. rhenanus , who gave luther much deserved commendations . of this disputation luther thus speaketh . the doctours admitted my disputing with them willingly , and argued the matter with me with much modesty , that in that very regard , i hold them worth much commendations . for though they thought that divinity strong , yet they all argued seriously and strongly against it , except one alone , who was the fifth of them a iunior doctour : he made all the auditory to laugh by saying , if the rustick rout should heare this , they would stone and kill us . upon luthers returne he wrote an epistle to * iudocus a divine and philosopher of isenac , once his tutour . where he hath this speech . all the doctours of wittenberge ( in the doctrine concerning grace and good workes ) are of my iudgement , yea the whole vniversity except one licentiat doctour sebastian : even the prince himselfe and our ordinary bishop , and many of the chieftaines , and all the ingenious citi zens with joynt consent affirme , that before they neither knew , nor heard of the gospel , nor of christ . after that he put forth in print the resolutions and declarations of his propositions about indulgences , wch he dedicated to pope leo the . as was before said . the causes of his printing them were , as he said : to mitigate his adversaries , to satisfie some mens request , and not to suffer some to conceive , that the whole businesse was determined . for he confessed that of many things he yet doubted , of some things he was ignorant , and did pertinaciously affirme nothing ; but did humbly submit all to the popes determination . hereupon maximilian the emperour being solicitous of the event of disputations of this nature , moved the pope to interpose his own authoritie . the pope by tho. cajetan cardinal cited luther to rome . this he also desired of frederick elector of saxony . luther having notice hereof , mainly indeavoured , that the cause might be handled in germany under competent judges : and at length he prevailed , by the mediation of wittenberg * vniversity to the pope , and by charles multitius a german the popes chamberlain , and the mediation of the elector of saxony to cajetan then the popes legate , that at auspurg before the legate himself luther might plead his own cause . about the beginning of october , luther came on foot to auspurg , in his hood borrowed of wenceslaus linkius , and much wearied with the journey : and upon assurance of his safetie was admitted to the cardinals presence . who admonished him , first , to become a sound member of the church , and to recant the errours , which he had divulged : secondly , to promise that he would not again teach his former doctrines : thirdly , that he would abstain from other doctrines , which would disturb the peace of the church . here also it was objected to him , that he denyed the merit of christ to be a treasure of indulgences : and that he taught that faith was necessary for all which should come to the sacrament . cajetan proved his own opinion by the decree of clement the sixth , and at large extolled the authoritie of the see of rome , as being falsly preferred before all scriptures and councels . after much debating the matters , luther intreated some time to deliberate thereon : and returned the next day , and in the presence of some witnesses and a scribe , and foure of the emperours counsellors , professed , that he gave the church of rome all due observance , and if he had spoken any thing dissenting from the judgement of the church , he would reverse it : but could revoke no errour , being not yet convicted by scripture of any , and did appeale to the judgement of the church . hereupon the legate , sharply chiding luther , dismissed him , and dealt with staupicius to bring luther to revoke , what he had taught . but luther not convinced as yet by scripture , persisted in the trueth . yet at length fearing least the cardinal should make more use of his power and greatnesse , then scholarlike disputations , he appealed to rome , and departed from auspurg , octob. . because the cardinal charged him not to come into his presence , unlesse he would recant . yet luther left behind him an epistle to the cardinal , and affixed thereunto a formal appeale unto the pope . cajetan took luthers departure in ill part , and wrote to the duke of saxony , that he would either send luther to rome , or banish him out of his territories , and intreateth him not to give credit to luthers defenders , and to take heed of staining the illustrious family , whence he was descended . the elector returned answer : that now it was not in his power to do this , because luther was not convicted of any errour , and did much good service in the vniversitie , and did offer his cause to triall and disputation . the resolution of the duke was more confirmed by an epistle of erasmus , and the intercession and vote of the vniversitie of wittenberg . here i may not passe over a notable proofe of luthers heroike courage . when luther came to auspurg , he by the counsell of such as the prince elector sent with him , waited three dayes for to have the emperours letters for his safetie . in the mean time the cardinal sent one for luther : but he denyed to come , untill the emperour granted what he desired . at this the messenger was offended and said : do you think that prince frederick will take up armes in your behalfe ? i desire it not , said luther , in any wise . then the partie ; where then will you abide ? luther answered : vnder the cope of heaven . the italian replyed : had you the pope and the cardinals in your power , what would you do ? i would , said luther , give them all due honour and reverence . at this the messenger after the italian manner biting his thumbs , went away . upon these dealings luthers spirit fainted not , yet least he should cause detriment or danger to any one , or derive suspicion on his prince , and that he might more freely deale with the papall crue , would have gone into france or some other countrey . but his friends on the contrary , counselled him to stick firmely to saxony : and that the popes legate should be certified , that luther was ready in any safe place appointed him to make his answer . but luther having setled his resolution to depart , tooke his leave of the prince elector , and by a letter sent to him , novemb. . thanked his highnesse for all friendly offices of his love . the prince sent that letter to the legate : and appointed luther to abide at wittenberg . of this luther thus wrote : the prince was fully minded , that i should stay : but what his minde now is , since the royal proceedings are published , and i have appealed to the councel , i know not . for he understanding by the cardinals letter , that judgement should passe on him at rome , he made a new appeal , saying , that he was forced of necessitie to appeal from the pope to the councel ensuing : which was in many respects to be preferred before the pope . about the same time towards the end of the yeere , the pope sent charles multitius a misnian knight , and bestowed on prince frederick a golden rose , according to custome consecrated by the pope on the fourth sunday in lent : and exhorted him to continue in the faith of his ancestours . he was earnest with luther to be reconciled to the pope : and had seventie briefes apostolicall ( as they call them ) to shew : that if the prince would deliver him out of his custody , for which cause the pope sent him the rose , in seventie townes the seventie briefes should be set up , and so he should be brought safe to rome . but he opened the closet of his heart to luther himself , when he thus spake . o martin , i conceived you to be an old man , and sitting in some solitary place as an ancient divine , in some private manner to have disputed your tenents : but now i see you to be in your best age , and full of vigour . had i . armed men i could not be confident that i could bring you to rome : for as i came hitherward , i tried how men stood affected ; and found , that where one man stood for the pope , three stood for you against him . what multitius did in this kinde was ridiculous , for he asked of women and maids in the innes as he came , what they thought of the seat of rome . they not knowing the force of this speech , answered , what know we , whether at rome ye sit on wooden or stone seats ? he further required of luther , that he would have a regard to the churches peace ; and promised to endeavour , that the pope should do the like : luther freely promised most readily to doe what ever he could with a safe conscience in regard of gods trueth : and affirmed that himself was desirous and studious of peace , and that it was not his fault that these stirres arose ; for necessitie had urged him to do , what he had done . multitius also called unto him tecelius the cheife original of these debates : and with sharp wordes and threates so daunted the man , till now a clamorous , unaffrighted , bold face , terrible to all : so that ever after he languished and with heartes griefe pined away . luther wrote a consolatory letter to him in this case : but for feare of the popes indignation he died . frederik the elector a prudent and religious prince neither yeelded to the popes desire , nor vouchsafed his rose any respect : though multitius wonderfully boasted of it at dresa , & sayd : doctour martin is in my power . about this time the bohemians sending a booke written by iohn hus to luther , encouraged him to constancy and patience : and confessed that the divinity taught by luther was sound and right . matters being growne to this height of dispute , and luther having many adversaries ; at leipsick a towne in misnia belonging to george duke of saxony cosen german to prince frederik , in the . yeere a disputation was held . thither came andreas carolostadius accompanied with luther , melanchthon and barninus duke of pomerania . he at that time was in office in the university of wittenberg . thither came also iohn eckius a divine of ingolstad . hereupon the . day of june , iohn eckius and carolostadius began the disputation about free-will . namely , whether there be in man any free will to doe good as of himselfe ? that is , as they say : whether in congruitie we deserve grace , when we doe what is in us to doe ? eckius granted that there is not in man a genuine and naturall power and abilitie to doe a good worke , but an acq●…ired . on this point eight dayes were spent by his playing the sophister . luther could by no meanes obtaine leave of duke george freely with his safety to dispute , and thereupon came not as a disputer , but an as auditor to leipsick , under the protection granted to carolostadius . whereupon eckius comming to luthers lodging said , that he heard that luther refused to dispute , luther answered : how can i dispute , seeing i cannot obtaine protection from george the duke . to this eckius replied : if i may not dispute with you , i will no longer dispute with carolostadius . for i came hither to dispute with you . if i can obtaine for you the dukes leave , will you dispute ? when luther assented thereunto , eckius presently procured for him a publique grant of safety and liberty to dispute . this eckius did out of an assured confidence of victorie and renowne to himselfe , by confirming that the pope is the head of the church , iure divino , by divine right : which luther denied . hence eckius tooke occasion at large to flatter the pope and demerit his favour , and to derive much hatred and envie on luther . this the bold champion stoutly attempted in the whole disputation , but was not able to make good his cause , or confute luther . eckius chiefe arguments were : that the church could not be without an head , seeing it was a body consisting of severall members . then he produced the place in matthew : thou art peter &c. and some speeches of st ierome and cyprian , and the councel of constance , where against the articles of the hussites , it was concluded : that it was necessary to salvation , that men should beleeve that the pope was the oecomenicall bishop , or christs vicar over the whole world . afterward they entred into dispute about purgatorie , and indulgences , ( but in briefe ) about repentance , about remission both of sin and its punishment , and about the power of priests . the two last dayes carolostadius disputed againe , and on the . day of july the disputation ended . this disputation was set forth afterward by luther , who granted that the pope by humane right was head of the church . whereupon duke george inviting luther and eckius to dinner , and embracing both of them , sayd : whether the pope have his authority by divine or humane right , pope he is . luther afterward changed his opinion about this point . before this disputation at leipsick , luther was desired by charles multitius to goe to confluence , there to plead his cause before him being the popes commissary . but luther excused himselfe , and shewed that for many reasons , he neither could , nor ought to goe thither . in the yeere . upon multitius advise , luther wrote to the pope , and sent him his booke lately written concerning christian liberty , and offered conditions of peace . about this time frederik the elector fell into a grievous sicknesse . whereupon luther moved by some friends , and out of christian charity wrote the booke called tesseradecas to comfort him . then also he wrote the book of confession of sins : in which he took occasion to speak of vowes , and deplored their torturing of mens consciences . and whereas in an other treatise written by him , he had said : that he judged it behoofefull , if the councel would so permit , that the lords supper should be administred to all in both kindes : this speech , because it directly crossed the last lateran councel , was excepted against by many : amongst whom was iohn bishop of misnia ; who prohibited the the churchmen under his jurisdiction to administer the lords supper in both kindes , and enjoyned them to suppresse luthers booke . luther maintained his cause and answered his edict . in the mean time the divines of lovan ( consulting with adrian cardinal of derthuse then in spain ) and the divines of cullen by a decree censure some of luthers bookes as wicked and worthy to be burnt : and held it fit that luther should recant his opinions . when luther heard of this , he answered every particular punctually . and because he found so many and so great adversaries , he wrote to charles the fifth newly created emperour : and intreating pardon for this his addresse , humbly besought him , that he would so long onely afford him protection , as that he might give account of his proceedings , and overcome , or be overcome : because it would well beseeme the imperirial power not to permit the innocent to be violently handled , and trampled on by their wicked adversaries . to the same purpose he wrote to other the dukes and lords of the empire , and shewed them how he began and was drawn into these attempts . not long after he wrote to albertus archbishop of mentz , cardinal , and in submissive manner shewed how he was condemned by two sorts of men ; one who never read his books ; the other , who read them , but with hearts full of hatred and prejudice . the bishop answered , that he heartily desired , that all sacred matters should be handled both by luther and all other divines , ( as it was meet ) religiously , reverently , modestly , without tumults , envie , contumely . he said moreover , that it was a griefe to him to heare , that some great men disputed concerning the primacie of rome , free-will , and other sleight matters ( so he call'd them ) not much pertaining to a christian indeed : and that such like rash opinions could not be broached among the ignorant people , but with incouraging them to disobedience ; he wrote also about the lords suppers celebrating in both kinds , and about the authoritie of councels . and shut up his letter with gamaliels verdict . if thy work be of god ; it will stand firme and unmoveable : if it was begun of envie or pride , it will easily be blown away . in like manner luther wrote to adolphus bishop of mersberg , who answered him to the same purpose , and admonished him , that he would over-rule his pen with the love of christ the author of our peace . at the same time it befell , that frederik duke of saxony had some occasion to send to rome , and gave the businesse in charge to valentine a dithleben a german . he brought word back , that the elector was in disgrace at rome for luthers sake : because he permitted his new opinions to be dispersed . the prince hereupon thus wrote in his own defence , and answered , that he never defended the doctrine and books of luther , nor was of that bent : and though he did heare , that many learned men approved luthers judgement ; yet he opened not his minde therein . further he said , that luther was ready to give an account of his doctrine before the popes legate , so that he might be assured of safe conduct : and that if his error was detected , he would change his opinion : and that luther of his own accord would have departed out of those coasts , had not multitius perswaded to detaine him there , rather then to permit him to settle elsewhere , that so he might more freely and safely attempt some higher designe . and therefore that there was no cause , why any one should have an ill opinion of him . to this letter the pope returned answer , and sending a copie of the bull , which eckius had obtained , desired , that the elector would make luther to recant , or if he refused so to do , he would imprison him , and keep him safe , till he further declared his pleasure . at this the court of saxony was somewhat * troubled ; and luther began to think of some retired place , where he might conceale himself . some noble germans approvers of luthers judgement , hearing this , offered luther entertainment and protection , as namely , francis a sickengen , hulderike hutten , sylvester de schavenburgen . of whom the said sylvester wrote to luther , and intreated him , not to depart into bohemia , or into any other countrey , but to come to him , during the time of the popes exasperation and menaces , and promised that an . french horse should attend his safetie . hereupon luther taking courage admonisheth spalatenus , that this course should by the letter of duke frederik , be made known to the cardinal of st. george . these are luthers words . i send you the letter of sylvester schavenb . the french knight , and were it not displeasing to you , i desire that by the letter of the prince , notice may be given to the cardinal of st. george , whereby they may know , that should they with their threats and curses expell me from witten . they should effect nothing else , but to make a bad matter much worse . for now there are not onely in bohemia , but even in the midst of germany such princes , who both will and can defend me from the threats thundred out against me by mine adversaries . and then perhaps it may so fall out , that biding under their protection , i shall more strongly bend my forces against the romanists , then if under the princes government , i should publiquely performe my place as reader of divinitie . this , unlesse god prevent it , will doubtlesse be the issue of this matter . hitherto i have given all due respect to the prince , but then , if i be provoked by ill usage , i shall not need to submit unto him . and therefore in what matters soever i have not so roughly dealt with them , let them attribute my forbearance therein not to my modesty , nor to their tyranny , nor their deserts , but to my respect to the prince , and to his authoritie , as also to the common good of the students of wittenberg . concerning my self , i venture upon the danger , and contemne romes both fury and favour . let them censure and burne all mine , i will not be reconciled to them , nor at any time hereafter joyne with them . on the contrary i ( unlesse i can get no fire ) will burn all the pontifician law , the sink of heresies ; yet , i will put an end to my humble observance , which i have hitherto in vaine shewed ; and wherewith the enemies of the gospel are more and more incensed . luther also before he saw the popes bull , put forth his book , of the babylonian captivitie . in which he wished , that what he had written concerning indulgences was abolished , and this proposition divulged in stead thereof ; indulgences are the wicked tricks of romes flatterers : and in stead of what he wrote against the pope , this proposition ; the popedome is a robustious hunting practised by the bishop of rome . then he handled the sacraments , and acknowledged but three of the seven to be sacraments of christs covenant . he wrote also against the execrable bull of antichrist ; and call'd the pope antichrist : and confirmed the articles censured by the bull . charles the emperour that yeere came to aquisgran , where with great solemnitie he was crowned emperour . about the calends of septemb. he with frederik elector of saxony went to colonia agrippina . at this time the controversies of religion being hotly prosecuted , the elector would not suddenly do any thing of his own head , in a matter of so great import : but would try the votes of the most prudent and learned clarkes , and among o thers of erasmus , whom he sent for from lovan to collen . when first he requested to heare erasmus judgement concerning luther , and wondered that so great and extreame hatred should be raised by some monks and the pope against luther , whose life and carriage he conceived to be commendable , and his doctrine not impious ; erasmus answered in a pleasant manner ; that his highnesse needed not wonder at that : for luther had in his dispu tations dealt against the monks bellies , and the popes crowne . afterward seriously and gravely giving his opinion concerning the controversies of these times , he shewed , that indulgences , and other abuses and superstitions were justly taxed , and that their reformation was necessary , and that the summe of luthers doctrine was orthodox : and that onely he seemed too vehement and violent in contending with his adversaries : and that an evangelical businesse was to be handled after an evangelical manner . frederick the elector being confirmed in the truth by the sage judgement of erasmus , did gravely admonish luther to moderate his fiercenesse in disputes . then also there came to collen martinus coroccialus and leronymus alexander , who again set upon duke frederik in the popes name . but when the elector answered not as they expected , they said , that they must deale with him according to the forme of the decree , and burnt luthers books . it is reported that these advocates of the pope did promise erasmus a bishoprick of rich revenew , if he would write against luther . but he answered : that luther was a man too great for him to write against : and that he learned more from one short page of luthers writings , then from all thomas aquinas bookes . it is also said , that margaret the emperours aunt , who ruled all belgium , when the magistri nostri of lovan complained , that luther with his writings did subvert all christendome did demaund , what manner a man luther was ; when they answered , that he was an unlearned monke ; she replied : why then , see that all you learned men , being a great multitude , write against that one unlearned fellow : and doubtlesse the world will give more credit to many of you being learned , then to him being but one and unlearned . luther knowing what was done with his writings , an. . decemb. . called the students of wittenberg together , and in a frequent assembly of learned men , before the gate of elister neer to the great colledge , where a fire was made , cast the popes lawes and the bull of leo with some writings of eckius , emser and others thereinto ; and said : because thou troublest christ the holy one of god , eternall fire will trouble thee . the next day he expounded the psalmes and earnestly charged his auditors that as they loved the salvation of their soules , they should take heed of the popes statutes . and in writing gave a reason presently of this his action . and out of the great multitude of errors in the popes lawes culled out these thirty . . the pope and his clergy are not bound to be subject and obedient to the commandements of god . . it is not a precept , but a counsel of st peter , where he saith : that all men ought to be subject to kings . . that by the sun the papal power , by the moon the imperialor secular power in a common wealth was signified . . that the pope and his chaire were not bound to be subject to councels and decrees . . that the pope had in the closet of his breast all lawes , and plenary power over all lawes . . whence it followeth : that the pope hath power to disanull , to change and determine of all countels , and all constitutions and ordinances : as he daily practiseth . . that the pope of rome hath a right to require an oath of all bishops , and to oblige them to him in regard of their palls received of him . . if the pope be so neglective of his owne and his brethrens salvation , and so unprofitable and remisse in his place , that he carry along with himself ( as if he was the chiefe slave of hell ) innumerable people to be eternally tormented ; no mortall man ought to reprove him for this sinne . . that the salvation of all faithfull men dependeth on the pope , next after god . . no man on earth can judge the pope , or censure his determinations : but the pope is judge of all men . . the sea of rome giveth authority to all rights and lawes , and is it selfe subject to none of them . . the rocke on which christ , matt. . buildeth his church is the sea of rome , with them adjoyning . . the keyes were given to saint peter onely . . christs prtesthood was translated from him to saint peter . . the pope hath power to make ordinances and laws for the catholike church . . this sentencce , what soever thou bindest on earth , shall also be bound in heaven , establisheth this conclusion : that the pope hath power to charge the catholike church even with his rash lawes . . that his command of abstinence from flesh , egges , butter , and other meates made of milke , is to be observed , else men sin and are liable to excommunication . . the pope forbidding all priests to marry wives , inhibits all the priesthood from matrimony . . pope nicolaus either the . or . in his antichristian decretal , among other matters badly decreed , well judged that christ by giving the keyes gave power over both the celestial and terrestrial kingdome . . the pope judgeth that loud and impious lye for a truth and requireth that it be received , namely , that constantine the great gave him the romans provinces and countries and power over the whole inferior world . . the pope affirmeth , that he is the heire of the sacred roman empire . de sentent . et re judic. c. pastoralis . . the pope teacheth that it is just and lawfull for a christian by force to repulse force and violence . . that inferiors and subjects may be disobedient and resist their princes , and that the pope can depose kings . . the pope laboureth to have power to dissolve and breake all oathes , leagues , obligements made between superiours and inferiours . . the pope hath power to break and alter vowes made to god . de vot . et vot . red . . the pope teacheth that he that delayes to pay his vow commanded by god , is not to be censured , as a breaker of his vow . ibid. . the pope teacheth , that no married man or woman can serve god . . the pope compareth his unprofitable lawes with the gospels and sacred scriptures . . the pope hath power to interpret and unfold or expound the sacred scripture at his pleasure and will : and to permit no man to interpret the same otherwise then the pope himselfe pleaseth . . the pope receiveth not his authority , power , strength , , and dignitie from the scripture ; but the scripture from the pope . this in briefe is the summe of the whole canon law : the pope is god on earth , supreame in all heavenly , earthly , spirituall , and secular matters . and , all things are the popes ; to whom none dare say : what doe you ? here prederik prince elector obtained of the emperour to call luther to the court held at wormes in march an. . luther receiving the emperours graunt for his safety , went from wittenberg , and was conducted thence by casparus sturnius herauld , and accompanied with iustus ionas , ier. schurfius , and nic. amsderfe . of the students he tooke onely peter suavenus a dane as his companion : who afterward being called by christian king of denmarke to his court did much advance good letters , and did the church good service . when he came to hidelberg , he proffered to dispute publiquely with any that would . here many did dehort luther from going to worms : others said , that by the burning of his books , he might know what was the popes censure concerning himselfe : others told him of the usage of hus and savonarola . but luther with a resolute courage lightly regarded their advise , and sayd , that these discouragements were but cast into his way by satan , who knew , that by the profession of the truth , especially inso illustrious a place , his kingdome would be shaken and indamaged . he further brake forth into these words : if i knew that there were so many devils at wormes , as tiles on the houses , yet would i goe thither . also francis of sickingen one in high esteeme with the emperour , at bucers request did invite luther to come to his castle at ebernburgh : where the cause might more commodiously be agitated . but luther answered , that he was sent for by the emperour , not to ebernburgh , but to wormes : and thither he would goe . so taking his journey he came to wormes on april the sixth , which was the third holyday after misericordias domini . they say the duke of bavaria his iester , whether suborned by others , or by some instinct , met luther at his entrance into the towne with a crosse , as is wont in funerals , and sung with a loud voyce : welcome comest thou hither , and much desired of us , who sate in darknesse . presently some counselled caesar , that luther was to be delt with , as they did with hus. but caesar thought it just to make good his promise : and especially lodowik the elector palatine withstood the designment : and prudently sayd ; that if they should take that course with luther , it would set a brand of imfamy and eternall disgrace on the name of germany . on the . day of april , at . a clock in the afternoon , he appeared before the emperour , and many princes , his assessours . here iohn eckius a lawyer , caesars spokesman , and officiall of triers , upon command said , with an audible voyce . martin luther , there are two causes , why caesar with the consent of the princes and states have sent for you : which i now propound to you , and expect your answer . first , whether these books ( here he held up a bundle of books written in the latine & german tongues ) were written by you , and do you acknowledge them to be yours ? the second , whether you will revoke and recant any thing in them , or stand in defence of them . ierome schurfius a lawyer on luthers part , desired that the titles of the books might be recited and spoken publiquely , which being done ; luther briefly repeated what was desired of him , and answered . concerning the books now named , i professe and acknowledge that they be mine ; but concerning my defence of what i have written , ( that i may answer rightly thereunto ) seeing it is a matter of very great moment , i desire ( that i may not speake rashly and against my conscience ) some time to deliberate . after some debate of the matter , eckius said again . though by caesar letters missive you might well understand the cause , why you were sent for ; and therefore need not to delay , but make your answer presently : yet caesar , such is his clemency , granteth you one day for to deliberate on the matter : and commands that tomorrow about this houre you here present yourself , and make your distinct answer by word of mouth , and not by writing . upon luthers desiring of respit , some thought that he would not be constant : but they failed in their opinion . here i may not passe it over in silence , that when luther drew neere to caesars throne , many of the princes counsell encouraged him , saying : that he should be of good courage and not faint , nor feare them who could kill the body onely , but not hurt the soule . others put him in minde , to meditate on this : when ye shall appeare before kings and princes , be not solicitous , how and what to answer . for in that moment , it shall be given you , what you shall say . the day following , luther appeared at the houre appointed . and after that eckius had asked him : what now was his resolution ? he first humbly desired of the emperour and princes , that they would grant him their gentle attention : and then said : of the books which i have written , some of them tend to faith and pietie ; to these my adversaries give ample testimony . should i recant these , i might be justly censured as a wicked man . other of my books are against the pope of rome and papisticall doctrine , which both hath and still doth much trouble the christian world , and doth much mischiefe . these should i revoke , i should confirme their tyranny . the third sort of my books are against some private men , who defend the papists cause , and by many calumnies upon me . in these , i confesse , i have been too vehement : and besides i confesse , that i am not of an unerring perfection : but yet i can not safely revoke these books , unlesse i will set open a gap to the impudency of many . being a man i may erre : and therefore desire any one better to instruct me by the testimony of scripture . when he had thus said , eckius with a sowre countenance replyed . you answer not to the matter , nor doth it pertaine to you to call the authoritie of the councell into question . a plaine and direct answer is required of you , whether you desire that your writings should stand good . then said luther . seeing you , o caesar , and the princes command me to answer punctually , i obey . this is my resolution : unlesse i be convicted by testimony of scripture or evident reason , i may not revoke any thing , which i have written or spoken . for i will not in any wise wound my conscience . i do not conforme my beleefe to the popes or the councels determinations alone ; for they have often erred and delivered contrarieties one to another . i neither can nor will doe any thing concerning gods word to the offence of my conscience . seeing it is neither safe nor honest to do any thing against conscience . this will i stand to : vary from this i may not . god helpe me , a men . when he was againe urged , he persisted in this answer . so they departed . the next day caesar sent a letter to the assembly of the princes ; this was the summe thereof . our ancestors and other christian princes obeyed carefully the church of rome which now d martin luther opposeth : now because he is resolute not to yeeld one inch of his errors , we cannot without a blemish to our name depart from the example of our ancestors , but must defend the ancient faith , and be assistant to the sea of rome : we will then excomunicate martin luther himselfe and all his adherents , and take any other course , which may conduce to extinquish these disputes . but we will not in any wise violate , and breake our promise made to him under our seale , but give him safe conduct to the place , whence he came . this letter of caesar was diligently and a good while scanned in the senate by the princes . it is reported that some there were among them , who would have followed the decree and practise of the councel of constance : and held themselves not bound to make good the promise of his safe return . but some of the princes , especially lodowik prince palatine ( as it is reported ) earnestly withstood them . wherefore they judged that not onely fidelitie was to be observed towards him , but also , that he was not rashly to be condemned : because the matter was of very great consequence , whatsoever the emperour decreed : whom being newly come to the imperiall seat they did well perceive to be pressed and provoked by the popes instruments against luther . after a few dayes the archbishop of triers and other princes , who by caesars permission were present , call luther april . unto them . the bishop then in a friendly manner delt with him to desist from his resolution . but luther giving him thankes for care of his safety , stood firmly in his former doctrine : and submitted what even he had written to caesars and the princes perusall , and judgement , so that they tried them by gods word . when the bishop asked him , what remedy he knew or could advise for these stirres ? luther answered : none other then that of gamaliel in the acts of the apostles . if this counsel and proceeding be of men , it will not continue : if of god , no power of man can dissolve it . and this he besought him to siguisie to the pope . the bishop againe said ; what if the articles were collected and submitted to the councel ? luther answered , yes they might , so that they were not the same which the councel at constance condemned . the bishop replying : that he feared they would be the very same . luther couragiously answered ; those will i defend , though i was presently to die . hereupon the bishop quietly dismissed luther : who intreated him , that he might have leave to returne to his friends , and have safe conduct from caesar . the bishop promised to obtaiue it for him , and a little while after sent eckius the officer of caesar to signifie to luther , that he had free liberty to depart under caesars protection within . dayes : withall he was bid not to preach in his journey home , nor to write any thing , which might rayse further stirres . luther answered as it seemeth good to the lord , so be it : blessed be the name of god . afterward he gave humble thankes to caesar and the princes , and commended himselfe to them . on the . of april luther taking his leave departed from wormes . casp. sturmius a messenger some houres after followed him , and found him at openheim . luther being in his journey sent letters backe both to caesar and the princes electors , and states of the empire , commending himselfe and his cause to them ; and sayd he was ready to doe any thing , which was meet , except to revoke any thing , that he knew to be warranted by gods word . the emperour hereupon , may the . proscribed luther : whom pope leo on the . of march on the day of the administration of the lords supper , had excommunicated . at this all men stood earnestly expecting , what those thunder-bolts would effect . frederik the elector a prudent prince , seeing luther to have incurred the hatred of all ; that no danger might seize on him , committed the businesse of conveying luther into some safe place , where he might be free from accesse , to some faithfull friends of the nobility , that there he should be kept private , till caesar was departed out of germany . they presently , faithfully , and secretly conveyed him to the castle of wartenburg neere isenack : this place luther afterward used to call his patmos . there were but eight privy to this , who did it with that secrecy that not any but themselves could know what was become of him . it is reported that the papists set their wisards on worke to descry him : but they could not certainly designe the place where he was . luther abode in that woody wildernesse about tenne monethes : and in this retirednesse wrote diverse usefull treatises for the church ; as the explications of the gospels and epistles dedicated to albertus of mansfield : the book against latomus about sinne remaining in the regenerate . besides he cut in two the two sinnewes of the popes kingdome , namely , private masses and monastick vowes , which books he dedicated to the augustine friers ( who in his absence abrogated private masses and began to dispute about monastick vowes ) and to his father . they of wittenberg also gave a reason to the elector why they did so : and shewed to what end temples and colledges were instituted at the first ; that is , not for private masses , but that young people might be there brought up piously : and that the meanes they were indowed with , were for the use of both readers and scholars that were in want . and that this buying and selling of masses was crept in within foure hundreth yeeres of that time . luther found courteous entertainment and kind respect in that his wildernesse : for in his epistles he often mentions the friendly offices of his hoste : to whom he preached on the lords day and at festivall times in his private chappell . some times luther for his healths sake went forth into the strawberry groves , and somewhat farther into the monasteries , which were neere , taking upon him the name iunker george a noble man , and accompanied onely with one attendant , who was faithfull and secret , and would often warne luther in the places where they were entertained , not presently to lay aside his sword , and to take in hand the books before him ; for so he might be descried . sometimes he went forth a hunting with his friends . of this sport thus he writeth . i was a hunting two dayes , to see that lordly but bitter-sweet sport . here we took two hares , and some silly young partridges . the sport is meet for such as have nothing else to do . there did i contemplate as a divine amidst their nets and dogs . nor did the outward appearance of the game more delight me , then what i conceived by it , move me to pitie and griefe . for what could this sport signifie and resemble , but by the dogs , wicked popish divines , and by the nets , the cunning tricks and wiles by which they seeke to catch harmlesse christians , as hunters those silly creatures ? this was a most evident mysterie of the pursuing of plain hearted and faithfull souls . yet was there a more cruell mysterie presented to me : when by my meanes , we kept a young hare alive ; and put her in my coats sleeve , and so left her : in the meane time the dogs finding it , broke one of her legs , and taking her by the as she was in the sleeve , stopt her wind . thus it is with satan and the pope , who cruelly destroy poore souls without regard of my paines to save them . i was by this time weary of this sport , and thought that more pleasing , where beares , wolves , bores , foxes , and such like savage creatures are strook dead with darts and arrows . it comforted me again , ( for i took it as a mystery & resemblance of salvation ) that hares and harmless creatures are taken by men , & not by beares , wolves and ravenous hawkes who resemble popish bishops and divines : because by these may be signified a devouring by hell , by those an eating of them as food for heaven . he passed also to wittenberg from his patmos making few acquainted therewith , and lodged with amsdorf : here he spent some few dayes and was merry with his friends , without the electors knowledge . in his retirednesse he was much troubled with costivenesse , having the benefit of naturall ease that way but once in foure or five dayes : then also was he tried by some devillish tentations , which much disquieted him . this disease he overcame by exercise , and medicines sent him from spalatinus . then read he also the hebrew and greek bibles : and besides the books above mentioned , he wrote many letters to his friends , which be now printed . at length not enduring further delay and innovations , he returned from his patmos to wittenberg , without the knowledge of the electour . march the sixth , ann. . he rendred these reasons of his return to the electour . first , said he , i am call'd back by the letters of the church and people of wittenberg , and that with much solicitation and entreaty . secondly , at wittenberg satan hath made an inrode into my flock , and raised such stirres , that i cannot well represse and quiet them with my writing alone , but of necessitie i must live there , be present among them , and both heare them and speake to them , go in and out before them , and do what i can for their good . besides i feare , that some great and violent sedition will arise in germany , and make germany undergo grievous punishment for its contempt and ingratitude . i thought it therefore needfull to do doe what i ought and could for them in this regard by my counsell and endeavour , to teach , admonish and exhort them , thereby to avert gods anger and judgement , or at least to stay them a while . furthermore , i know well , and am verily perswaded that my preaching , and my proceeding to divulge the gospel of christ is not of my own motion ; but the worke of god . nor shall any kinde of death or persecution shake this my confidence , and make me thinke otherwise ; and i conceive that i rightly divine that no terrours or crueltie can put out the light already shining . and in an other epistle . i return to wittenberg under a more sublime and strong protection , then the elector of saxonie can give me . nor did i ever minde to sue for defence from your highnesse . moreover did i know that your highness would and could defend me , verily i would not returne . no sword can advance and maintaine this cause . god alone can order and promote it , without any mans excessive care and helpfull hand . therefore in this cause he that most strongly trusts to gods assistance , he most surely defendeth himself and others . seeing therefore i perceive your highnesse to be weake in faith , i can by no meanes attribute so much to your highnesse , as to be perswaded that i can be defended and freed from danger by you . i will keep your highnesse person , your minde and body , and estate safe from all danger and damage in this my cause , whether you beleeve me or not . let your highnesse then be assured and not doubt at all , that this matter is farre otherwise concluded of in heaven , then at norimberg . for we shall finde , that they which think they have devoured all the gospel and queld it in the rising , are not yet come to the benedicite . i have to deale with another manner and more powerfull prince , then our duke . he knoweth me , and i him conveniently well . did your highnesse beleeve , you should behold the wonderfull works and glory of god : whereas you not yet beleeving , see none of these things . to god be glory and praise for ever . this and much more to this purpose he wrote , shewing his full assurance and plerophory of faith most admirable . he also wrote thus to melancthon concerning the cause of his return . provide a lodging for me , for the translation of the bible compels me to return to you : pray to god that it may stand with his good pleasure . i desire to conceale my self , as much as i can , yet will i proceed in my worke resolved upon . he wrote the like to amsdorf : that for the translation of the bible he must return to wittenberg , that therein he might use other mens counsell and help . luther being returned , from the lords day first in lent that whole weeke every day preached one sermon ; these are extant : and in them he shewed what he liked or disliked in the alterations made in his absence . he found fault with them , who had abrogated private masse and idols , and administred the lords supper in both kinds , and taken away auricular confession , differences of meats , invocation of saints , and other the like matters ; not because they had done impiously , but because they proceeded not herein orderly . he affirmed that he condemned the papisticall masse , the worshipping of images , the rules of auricular confession , prayer to saints , the popish fasting : but he did condemne them onely by the word of god preached , and not by a violent abrogation of them . how much he prevailed by those sermons , he telleth in these words . i , saith he , gave offence to carolostade , because i blamed his proceedings , though i condemned not his doctrin . onely this disliked me , that dealing about ceremonies and outward matters , he laboured lesse in that which is christian doctrin indeed , namely , faith and charitie : for by his unadvised course of teaching , he brought the people to this passe , that he thought himselfe a christian by these petty matters , by communicating in both kinds , by not using confession , and by breaking down images , &c. and this was the beginning of dissention between luther and carolostade . in this . yeer the new testament came forth , as it was translated into the german tongue in his patmos , and afterward revised somewhat by * melancthon . some popish princes and bishops prohibited their people to read it . he wrote also a letter to the a bohemians concerning matters of great moment : and exhorted them to constancie in the truth , which they had received , and that they would not fall back to antichrist for a vain hope of peace : he also disswaded them from making themselves guiltie of the innocent blood of john hus and jerome of prague . and where as some objected their many different sects ; he shewed that there were many more among the papists : and prescribed the bohemians a course , how they might cure this disease . here he inveighed earnestly against such bishops , as did condemne and persecute the doctrin of the gospel : and being often provoked did neither defend their own doctrin , nor refute luthers . he shewed them that by their tyranny they should not prevaile : because he was neither moved by the popes anathema or curse , nor caesars proscription , and that he would endeavour so much the more to propagate the gospel , and set to it with the more courage , by how much the more violently they withstood it : and that the gospel would not be extinguished , though they should kill him : and that god would plague them most conspicuously and grievously , if they proceeded in their furious course . in this booke he so angred the then bishops , abbats , monks , and the whole dregs of them , that they resolved that seeing they could not burne luther himself , they would burne all his books . about this time also , luther confuted nicolas stork , thomas muncer and other fanaticall ring-leaders , and prophets broaching new doctrines , who pretended revelations angelical , and conferences with god , and denyed the baptisme of infants : and thereby sowed the seed of anabaptisme . these false prophets came from the cygnean citie to wittenberg , in luthers absence , and molested carolostade , and melancthon . now also luther answered henry the eight king of england , who , as other adversaries also , set out a book against luther , and had given him by pope leo the title of defender of the faith of the church . onely luther answered him somewhat sharply : which course some of luthers friends disliked . of the same thus erasmus wrote . if luther first commending the godly care of the king , had afterward with solid arguments refuted his opinions , and laid no disgrace on the kings person , i suppose he had done that which would much have advanced his cause . againe . what set luther on , to say in his book against the king ? let your highnesse come to me , and i will teach you . truely the kings book was written in a good latine style , and not unlearnedly . luther thus excuseth this his fact . if any man be offended at my sharpnesse towards the king , i thus answer him . in that book i have to do with senselesse monsters , who contemne my best and most modest writings , and my humble submission , and are more hardened by my calmnesse . besides i abstained from bitter speeches and lyes , with which the kings book is full fraught : nor is it any great matter , if i give no more respect to an earthly king , and speake sharply , seeing he was not afraid to blaspheme the king of heaven with his speech , and to speake profanely in his virulent lyes . god the righteous judge divide the matter between us . this book he dedicated to sebastian earle of schlick , whose singular pietie and zeale he commendeth : and saith , he will make this writing the beginning of his flying to the bohemians . for both the king and others had falsely accused him of flying thither and did triumph and brag , saying : we have wonne the day , the heretick is fled to the hereticks . in the yeere . at the assembly at norinberg , the emperour being absent , the decree made at wormes was disannulled . and when the popes legate complained thereof , and said , that luther was not punished according to caesars decree ; the princes answered that most men in germany were so instructed by luthers sermons and books ; that if that decree had been executed , it would have given occasion of great sedition : and that this construction would have been made thereof : namely , that the truth of the gospel was thereby oppressed and extinguished , and manifest errors and evils stood for , which might not be tolerated or winked at any longer . and that now this assembly was gathered ; that a free councell might shortly be kept in germany at mentz , or argentorate , or mets , or cullen . and that in the meane time luther and others should set forth no books ; the preachers should preach nothing but the gospel , plainly and modestly , according to the interpretations commonly received by the church : that such preachers as transgressed should be mildly punished , by fit men appointed by the bishops : lest any one should suspect , that this was done to hinder the free preaching of the gospel : that the printers should imprint , or divulge nothing , but what was allowed and approved by learned and judicious men ; that the priests who had married wives , should be amerced according to the award of the popes lawes . there were here also exhibited to the legate an hundreth grievances of the german nation : of which we will speak else-where . this decree was diversly interpreted by severall parties . luther by his letters to the princes declared how he conceived the meaning of it . and , that they commanding that the gospel should be taught according to the received judgement of the church , intended not according to the course of thomas or scotus , but of hilarie , ambrose , augustine and the like . againe , that the bishops should chuse fit men , who should be present at sermons , and mildly admonish such as offended , if need were . this luther shewed to be well decreed , but could never be effected : because they wanted learned men . concerning that which they decreed about books , he rejected it not : so that the decree did not extend to the sacred books of the scripture ; the publishing whereof was in no wise to be prohibited . lastly , concerning the amercing of priests who either married , or left their order , the decree was too harsh , and if the gospel was purely to be preached , ought to be mitigated . the emperour was somewhat offended with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tempted by his legate to take it away : but all in vain . for this businesse was farre otherwise concluded of in heaven then at norinberg , as luther wrote . for the princes and cities of the empire strove , who first should admit the reformed doctrin . this was done in denmark , prussia , livonia , silesia , and elsewhere . in this yeere luther set forth the book concerning the dignitie and office of the civil magistrate : frederik the elector was much delighted with this book . he wrote also to the waldenses , commonly called the picards , concerning the adoring the sacrament . in which book he first mentions the opinion of berengarius concerning the lords supper , before he began the contention with the helvetians . he now also set forth the five books of moses in the german tongue , three thousand yeers since the death of moses . he published also a book to the senate of prague , about ordaining of ministers , and another , about avoyding the doctrine of men . he wrote this yeere also to the livonians , and shewed his great joy at their entertaining the evangelicall doctrin : which many tyrants in germany sought obstinately to oppresse : and forewarned them , that they must expect cruell persecutions of the same kind : to the undergoing whereof , he gravely and piously exhorted them , encouraging them to be resolute and to persevere valiantly in the truth of the gospel , which they had received . he further did instruct them briefly and pudent and brasen forehead . for this he called amsdorfe to witnesse : and sayd that all of them , except three , were want on persons , and not to be maintained : yea , that it was the duty of the magistrats to prohibite their whoredom , & compell them to marry . for though no man can be compelled and forced to the truth : yet publique wickednesse is to be taken away . at the least the masses might be forborne , which were maintained at the princes charge , and were wickedly performed , and to no good end . iohn the prince of anhalt by doctour ieronymus and a franciscan warned luther to acquite himselfe of holding a new article , with which ferdinand of norinberg did charge him , namely , that he held that christ was the seed of abraham . at the first luther conceived that they jested with him : but when he found that they spoke it sadly ; he was forced to give credit to their speech , that he was in very deed so accused . pope adrian then opposed the gospel , and by his bull , as they call it , very much blamed frederik electour of saxony for the neglect of his duty in not punishing or banishing luther . and then warned and intreated the prince , that now at length he he would doe it : and if he would not , he should try how keen the popes and emperours swords were . the same request henry the eight king of england and lodowik king of hungary and bohemia made . to all these the elector returned no other answer , then that luther was first to be heard in the councel , before he was to be condemned . the popes legate also accused luther at the norician assembly ; as being most like to mahomet . for as the turkes by polygamy , so luther taking away the vowes of chastity doth loose the reines to all licentiousnesse , and overthrow the state of the church , and therefore he might be condemned before he was heard : besides , as now he did shew his cruelty against the ecclesiasticall state , he would afterward doe the like against the political . in this yeere christiern king of denmark and his wife sister of charles the fifth were expulsed their kingdome for his too violent government . and being in banishment at the court of his unkle frederik elector of saxony , heard luther preach . in the . yeere clemens the . made pope in adrians steed sent laur. campegius the cardinal his logate to norinberg . he wrote at large to frederik the elector : and highly praysed the popes good will , and did undertake that a councel should be called . then also caesar and most of the princes of the empire pressed for the decree of wormes . which thing when luther had notice of , he bewayled the state of germany , and complained of the blindnesse of men . that yeare erasmus roterod . perswaded by the king of england and thomas wolsey cardinal , wrote against ●…ker . he put forth ( against his will , as he wr●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…thor ) the treatise concerning f●… what was luthers judgement about the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he wrote to spalatinus sheweth ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the booke of eras. concerning free-will : and yet i have scarce read eight leaves thereof . it grieveth me to answer so unlearned a book of a man so learned . that book was answered by luther , an. . with which delay the mindes of learned men were held in suspence , what would be the issue of the controversie . this yeere was remarkable for the unhappy sacramentary controversie ; the beginning and proceeding whereof is related in the life of carolostade , zwingl . and oecolamp . and i list not here to renew our griefe by opening the sore again . about this time came forth the fanatick writing of tho. muncer of stolberg , and the preacher of alstet : in which he disgorged his venemous fury against the lutherans . the book which he wrote against luther , was dedicated to christ prince of princes . he rayled on luther , because he wanted an enthusiasticall spirit , and had nothing in his writing but a carnall spirit . the same muncer wrote to melancthon a letter plainly shewing his fanaticall spirit . luther now put forth davids psalter in the german tongue , & a book against the seditious , and an epistle to frederik and iohn princes of saxony against the enemies of images , and enthusiasts , who boasted of illumination and conference with god . he also set forth a booke about the exaltation of benno a bishop once of misnia : whose bones were on the sixteen day of may digged up at misnia , exalted , and placed in a marble tombe : which act some took to be religious , other jested and laughed thereat . this yeere in october , luther laid aside his monkishhood : and declared his judgement concerning the synode to be called for determination of the ceremonies , saying thus . i thinke it not very safe to call together a councell of our men for the setling an uniformitie of ceremonies : for it will set a bad example , though it be attempted with a good zeale , as appeareth by all councels from the beginning . so that in the apostolicall synode they did more treat concerning matter of action and traditions , then of faith . in the synodes after this they never disputed about faith ; but alwayes about opinions and questions , that the name of councels is more suspected and hated by me then the name of free will . if one church will not of its own accord imitate another in externall matters , what need is there to compell them by the decrees of councels , which presently are changed into lawes and snares to intangle mens soules . rather let one church freely follow the good example of another , or let each church enjoy her owne wayes , so that the unitie of the spirit be kept intire in faith by the word of god , though there be diversitie and outward ceremonies , and elements of the world . about this time the priests of wittenberg keeping their popish rites , were at length evicted , and in the end of the yeere abrogating private masse , began a reformation in the cathedrall church . luther had long pressed them to this , and had written thus to spalatinus in this yeere . by gods help i will abrogate private masse , or venture upon another designe . the yeere . is famous by the rising of the boores : when this broyle was a hatching , and the ruftick fury did not yet breake forth into taking up armes , luther did disswade all men from sedition , as being a crime of very high nature . he also handled the articles of the boores , and shewed how most of them were contrary to the word of god . he wrote also to the princes and nobilitie , and put them in minde of their dutie : and by another treatise exhorted all men , to joyne for the subversion of the theevish insendiaries , as for the quenching of a common fire , this book was censured by some as too sharp , but was at large defended by luther . in the beginning of this yeere , luther answered carolostadius his books , intitling his book ( against the celestiall prophets . ) at wittenberg then the chieftains of the anabaptists were called prophets : because they boasted of secret revelations , and propheticall spirits ; the principall men were muncer , ciconius , cellarius , and his friend carolostad . luther in the first part of his book speaketh of images , private masse and carolostade : and affirmeth that images were forbidden in the old testament not in the new : and that carolostade was not expelled by his meanes : and that the name of [ masse ] was given by the apostles to the sacrament of the altar . the subject of the second book was the eucharist , where he first dealt against carolostades exposition of the word ( {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) this : and then answered the arguments of carolostade : and said that the words ( which is given for you ) have this sense . the body which you eate in the bread , ere long , when it is not eaten shall be given for you . and as it is not written , take the body and eate it ; so neither is it written , take the bread and eate it . and that christs speech , the flesh profiteth nothing , is to be taken as spoken not of the flesh of christ , but of the sense of the flesh , which is death , rom. . that the breaking the bread , is the distribution of the body : and that the bloud of christ which is powred out for us , now sitteth at the right hand of god ; but that the efficacy of that effusion of his bloud is for ever . and finally that it is unknown how the bread becometh and is the body of christ : and that we must stick to the very words of christ . against this zwinglius and oecolampadius wrote , as is said in its due place . now also luther renewed the ordination of ministers of the gospel in the church : of whom george rorarius was the first : and now first the masse was celebrated at wittenberg in their mother tongue . and now was set forth a booke of german songs composed by luther and others the last yeere : and a book of the abomination of the masse , in which he galled the popish sore backcjades , and made many of them kick against him . he wrote also a letter to them of strasburg , where he heard that carolostade abode , and disswaded them from devouring his poyson . on the contrary strasburg sent george caselius the hebrew professor , and entreated luther that he would not break the unitie of the church for the controversie of the eucharist : that he would acknowledge zwinglius and oecolampadius , learned men and of good fame , for brethren : that he would write of the lords supper , and shew , what he taught was consonant to the truth . luther returned this answer by caselius . namely , that nothing was more to be desired then peace : but to be tyed to a continuall silence was not safe : that answer could not be made without condemning them : and that he word [ condemn ] was censured as opprobrious . that he was censured of those most modest men as a cannibal , and a worshipper of god turned bread and eatable : that he liked not the advise of the divines straburgh , concerning silence about the question of the bodily presence , and preaching faith and other parts of the word : that either he himself or they were ministers of satan : and that therefore in this case there was counsell to be taken , and no mean between both to be followed : that the reasons brought to make the speech tropicall were of no force . and that it must be proved , that the verb [ est ] not in other places of scripture , but here is in effect [ significat . ] that where paul saith , the rock was christ , he speaketh not of the corporall , but the spirituall drink : for he addeth the drank of the spirituall rock . and that there was a manifest mistake in that [ this lambe is the lords passeover , ] for this phrase is no where extant in the scripture : and therefore he besought the brethren for christs sake , that they would avoyd this errour . luther being fortie two yeers old , of a sudden and unexspectedly married katherin a bora a noble virgin late a nun , and this was the occasion . luther had a purpose that this katherine should have been married to m. glanus the pastor of orlamund . of this she having intimation , acquainted amsdorf , luthers inward friend , therewith , and by him intreated luther to alter his determination , and to signifie to him , that she would enter into the honourable estate of matrimony with any other , rather then with glanus . when luther heard this , and what ierom schursius had said ; namely , that if that monk should marry her ; the whole world and the devill himself would laugh thereat , and so the monk should undoe all that formerly he had done . here luther to grieve the world of papists , and the devill , and gratifie her father perswading him thereunto , resolved to marry her . and on the . day of iune , inviting to supper pomeranus , and apelles the lawyer , and luke the limmer was betrothed to her , and not long after married her . this luthers enemies much disliked , so did his friends also : not because they thought the marriage unlawfull : but because they wished it had been done at some other time . for thus writeth camerarius . it fell out , that when these turbulent and dangerous broyles were not yet pacisied , martin luther married , not long after the death of frederik the chiefe of the seven electors of the empire . philip melancthon much grieved at luthers marriage , not that he condemned it as unlawfull , but because hereby an occasion was given to luthers enemies and ill willers , who were many , rich , and of great power , to speak against him bitterly , and with open mouth to reproach him : when especially the very time did help forward and set them on , who were minded so to do . and of what power the conveniency of time is in every action all know full well . but when he perceived that luther himself was somewhat troubled with the same thoughts , he not onely moderated his passion , but did cheere up luther , and endeavoured to ease his griefe and sorrow with pleasant conference , and thereby brought him to his wonted cheerefulnesse again . luthers adversaries not onely observed the time of the marriage , but proclaimed the marriage to be incestuous , in which a monk married a nun. hereupon the king of england in his answer to luther , stiles this marriage incestuous , and there saith among other opprobries put upon luther , that he could not have committed a sinne of higher nature . conradus collinus prior of cullen and ierome emsenus * the best divine among the papists wrote virulently and disgracefully of this marriage . yea some there were , ( whom erasmus gave credit unto ) who laid a sinne to luthers charge , from which the time of his childs birth did acquit him . against these disgraces luther thus animated himself : saying . if my marriage be a work of god , what wonder is there , if the flesh be offended at it ? it is offended even at the flesh which god our creator took , and gave to be a ransome , and food for the salvation of the world : if the world was not offended with me ; i should be offended with the world , and should feare that it was not of god , which i have done . now seeing the world is vexed and troubled at , i am confirmed in my course and comforted in god . so do you . the cause of his marriage he there also relateth ; saying . we resigned the revenew of the monastery to the prince . i who abode in the monastery so long as it pleased god , now like a private housekeeper . i have not married to prolong my life , but ( seeing my dissolution neerer approaching , and people with their princes to rage against me ) that i might leave mine own doctrine for the weaks sake confirmed by mine own example ; for my doctrine may perchance be kicked against and trodden on after my death . this yeere the anabaptists spread themselves over helvetia and other parts of germany : and began to broach their fancies at anwerp . hereupon luther by an epistle warned them of anwerp to take heed of the erroneous spirit , which had hindred him very much : and recited the impostures of false spirits in popery , and the by-pathes of the seducing spirits of the present times . there he set downe the erroneous articles of a tumultuous spirit at anwerp and opened the inconstancy , lying , boldnesse , and ambitious desire of honour lurking in that spirit : and entreateth them to forbeare the question concerning gods hidden will , and to attend to , and learne the necessary precepts set before us by our god . the articles were these . . that every man hath the spirit . . that the spirit was nothing else but our reason and understanding . . that every man beleeveth . . that there were no ( inferi ) or place of torment for mens soules , but that the body onely was condemned . . that every soule should be saved . . that by the law of nature we are taught to do good to our neighbour ; as we would he should doe to us : and that this will in us was faith . . that we sinne not against the law by desiring any thing if our will consent not to our desire and lust . . that he which hath not the spirit , hath not sin , because he wanteth reason , which they called the holy ghost . now also luther wrote to the king of england by the perswasion of christiern the banished king of denmark . this epistle was submissive , and is extant in his epistles . he wrote also humbly to george duke of saxony : that he would be pleased to afford him his favourable respect . but the king returned him an harsh answere , and objected to him his levity and inconstancy : and defended cardinal wolsey against luthers writing to him : that hence it appeared , how he hated luther . when luther saw the kings answer printed , he was very much grieved at what he had done , and that he had so much yeelded to his friends , as to write in so humble a strain . the like befell him upon his writing to cajetan , george duke of saxony and erasmus rotterod . who by luthers lenity were incensed rather then pacified . he resolved never afterward to run into the like errour . cocleus and eckius wonderfully also insulted over luthers submissivenesse . wherefore luther now printed a booke against ( as he calledit ) the ill languaged and contumelious booke of the king of england . in the yeare . luther refused erasmus book , intituled de servo arbitrio . the delaying of his answer proceeded from the cause certified to * amsdorf : in these words . i will not answer erasmus till i have done with carolostade , who makes great troubles and stirres in upper germany . erasmus provoketh thereby , put forth his hyperaspides , of which book luther thus writeth . erasmus that viper being rouzed up will write against me again : what eloquence will that most vain hunter after glory exercise to cast down luther ? about the same time duke george and the bishops attempted many wayes to wrong luther , as appeareth by his letter to myconius : saying . the wicked papists conspire , and , as melanctheus writeth to me from iena threaten warre against me . wherefore see you , that the people admonished hereof , manfully contend by faithfull and continuall prayer to the lord , that they may be overcome and withheld by the spirit , and constrained to keepe outward peace . verily i understand by the writings and speeches of many , that there is very great need of earnest prayer : for satans plots are a working . wherefore i intreat you , that you would perswade the people to this most necessary and prevalent work , because they are endangered and exposed to satans sword and fury encompassing them . he further saith , that the sectaries were divided into sixe sects . sixe heads in one yeere are sprung up among the sacramentarians : t is a strange spirit , which so much differs from it selfe . one sect followed carolostade , that is fallen : a second is that of zwinglius , which is falling : the third is with oecolampadius which will fall : the fourth also which is carolostade is fallen : he thus disposeth of the words . that which is given for you , is my body . the fifth is now arising in silesia , set forth by valentine crantwald and caspar schwenkfeld , who thus invert the words . my body which is given for you , is this , that is , spirituall meat . these grievously vex and molest us with their writings , for they are most obstreperous and full of words , i wish they had my disease of the stone , they seeme so strong to undergo it . the sixth is that of peter florus at cullen , which melancthon will deale with : i never saw ought but one letter about it . o how he reprobates luther . i know saith he , that luther is forsaken of the lord . all those spirits differing each from other contend with subtle arguments , all of them boast of revelations obtained by prayer and teares , and agree onely in this , that all of them fight each with other for us . this christ effecteth for us . luther wrote a consolatory letter to iohn husse of breslow a teacher of the gospel , notwithstanding the scandall raised by the heretiks , and their fighting against the articles of our faith : and in speciall manner he animated him against schwenfeld and crantwald ; saying , you speak the truth , friend hesse . hitherto the combate was about points not grounded in the scriptures , as about the pope and purgatory , and the like : now ye come to more serious matters , and to the battell already won concerning points in the scripture . here we shall see the dragon fighting , or rather we shall combat with him , michael being our captain in these heavenly fights . when the dragon shall pull down the third part of the stars with his tayle to the earth : then the cause will call for our strength in christ . here you shall see , what manner a warriour , and how strong a champion satan is , whom yet you have not sufficiently tried , or had experience of . schwenkfeld and crantwald , which i much lament , are reserved for these mischiefes . but the foundation of god standeth firme , having this seale . the lord knoweth who are his , let this be our comfort , and in this let us be confident to prevaile over the gates of hell . besides other studies of luther , he now expounded ecclesiastes : which was not easie and plain ( as he said ) for an interpreters labour . there are , saith he , therein many hebraismes and obstacles in that tongue , not yet well made known . yet by the grace of god i break thorow them . this yeere he wrote a forme of the masse in the german tongue : in which he permitted some ceremonies , to be used or not used at mens pleasures . among other speeches thus he saith . yet we retain those garments , altars , waxecandles used at the masse , till they grow old , or that it seeme good to change them . if it please any man to do otherwise , i permit him to do as he liketh best . but in the true masse among christians unmixt with papists , it is fit that the altar should not remain , but that the minister should turn himself to the people : as christ doubtlesse did , at the first celebration of the lords supper . but let this also await its due time . he wrote also foure consolatory psalmes to mary queen of hungary , upon the miserable death of her husband king lodowick , who was drowned . he then also divulged other treatises , which are mentioned in his works . in the . yeere the anabaptists broached their new doctrin , about the not baptizing of infants ; and were themselves rebaptised : they also taught communitie of goods . both luther and zwinglius wrote against them , and the magistrates punished them in divers places . luther wrote also upon the question , whether souldiers lived in a kinde of life , tending to happinesse ? in which discourse he learnedly and godly handled many things concerning warre , and its discipline . he dealt also against the sacramentarians , as he calleth them , and in his book averreth that christs word , this is my body , yet stand firme . of the book thus luther writeth to spalatinus . i doubt not , but that i have throughly moved the sacramentarians : for though my book be full of words , and not so learned , yet i am perswaded that i have touched them to the quick . bucer hath written most virulent letters against me unto our jonas ; already they make a satan of luther : what suppose you that they will do when they be gauled with that book . but christ liveth and raigneth . amen . he also comforted them of hall , for the death of george winckler their pastor , who was slain by conspiracy . he also answered iohn hessus to the question : whether a christian man may flie in time of pestilence ? and to an other question , namely . whether after the truth of the gospel is made known , a man may for feare of the tyrants forbeare to administer the lords supper in both kinds : which luther denyed against the prischanists . about the beginning of the yeere . luther fell suddenly : sicke of a congealing of bloud about his heart , which almost kil'd him : but the drinking of the water of carduus benedictus , whose vertue then was not so commonly knowne , he was presently helped . but he wrastled with a farre worse agony afterward on the sabbath after the visitation of the blessed virgin . this is recorded by iohn bugenhagius , and iustus ionas , who saw his affliction . here he indured not onely a corporall malady , but also a spirituall tentation , which luther called a buffiting of satan . it seemed to him , that swelling surges of the sea in a tempest did sound aloud at his left eare , and against the left side of his head : yet not within , but without his head , and that so violently , that die he must except they presently grew calme . afterward when it seemed to come within his head , he fell downe as one dead : and was so cold in each part of his body , that he had remaining neither heat , nor bloud , nor sence , nor voyce . but when his face was besprinckled with cold water by jonas ( for so luth. had bidden ) he came again to himself : and began to pray most earnestly , and to make a confession of his faith ; & to say , that he was unworthy of martirdom , which by his proceedings he might seemed to run upon . his will and testament concerning his wife with child and his young sonne this he made . lord god i thank thee that thou wouldest have me live a poore and indigent person upon earth , i have neither house , nor lands , nor possessions , nor mony to leave . thou hast given me wife and children , them i give back unto thee : nourish , teach , keep them ( o thou the father of orphans and iudge of the widow ) as thou hast done to mee : so do unto them . but by using daily prayers and continuall fomentations , after that he had sweat thoroughly , the griefe by degrees decreased , so that in the evening of that day , he rose up and supped with his friends : and confessed that his spirituall temptation was farre sorer then his corporall sicknesse . hereupon the day following he sayd to iustus ionas . i will take speciall notice of the day last past : in which as in a schoole , i was put to the try all of my progresse . and sate in a most hot sweating house . the lord bringeth to the graves mouth and fetcheth back againe . he often makes mention of this tentation in his letters to his friends ; and consirmed the faith by receiving absolution from a minister , and the use of the sacrament . this yeere also he put forth the story of leonard keisar his friend , who was burnt for the gospels sake , at the command of william duke of bavaria . of this mans martyrdome thus luther writes . i have received the relation concerning leonard keisars death : as also all his manuscripts from his vnkles son : which shall shortly be published , god willing . pray for me , who have been much buffetted by the angel of satan ; that christ should not for sake me . o wretch that i am ! and so much inferiour to leonard : i am a preacher onely in wordes , in regard of him , so powerfull a preacher by his suffering . who can make me fit , that not by his spirit double on me ; but by one halfe of it , i may overcome satan , & put a period to this life . blessed be god , who among so many monsters hath shewed us unworthy sinners this one glorious spectacle of his grace , that he may not seeme wholly to have forsaken us . then also by the advise of luther and the command of iohn the elector was ordained a visitation of the churches in saxony . the chiefe care of this businesse was committed to iohn a plaunitz a noble knight , to ierom schurfius a lawyer , asmus hanbicius and melancthon . many matters were hereby discried , which needed speedy redresse : many faults were found , which must necessarily be amended : nor can i easily say : how great was the benefit of this visitation . for faults of many yeeres continuance , were reformed , the churches falne backe were in many places confirmed , and their safety for time to come was well provided for . this visitation ended an. . in which yeere luther put forth the institution of visiters , and the large confession concerning the lords supper , which were added for their direction . there it is that luther thus writeth to amsdorf . we * are visiters , that is bishops , and we find poverty and scarsity every where . the lord send forth workmen into his harvest . amen . and in another place to spalatinus . our visitation goeth on , of what miseries are we eye witnesse ? and how often doe we remember you , when we find the like or greater miseries in that harsh natured people of voytland . let us beseech god to be present with us , and that he would promote the work of his poore bishops : who is our best and most faithfull bishop against all the arts and forces of satan . amen . and again . in our visitation in the territories of wittenberg , we find as yet all pastors greeing with their people , but the people not so forward for the word and sacraments . the . part of the book , called the great consession of the faith concerning the lords supper , dealeth with zwinglius , the . part with oecolampadius ; and blameth both of them . to this oecolampadius and zwinglius replyed at large : and dedicated their books to the prince of saxony and landgrave of hessen . bucer also in the german tongue answered luther in a dialogue where he maketh sebaldus and arbogastus speakers . these are the last books , which these men wrote against luther . this yeer also carolostadius wrote a letter to george pontamus chancellour of the duke of saxonie ; in which he layeth down the ground-work of his tenents concerning the lords supper . this was answered by luthers epistle to the same pontamus : luther therein admonisheth that care must be taken , that no blemish be layd upon the electour , by whose connivence carolostade doth there divulge his own dreams and heresies . luther also * wrote to carolostadius , and confuted his arguments : and in the end of his letter graunteth , that christ alone doth give his body : but denieth that thence it followeth that the minister doth not give it by the lords command . in the beginning of the yeere . luther put forth his greater and lesser catechismes for the good of the under sort of people , and admonished the pastors and ministers that they would seriously attend their offices , and teach carefully in the villages . that they would preach still the same things about the same points and often presse them upon the people . here also luther put forth a book against the turk in the german tongue : this he did partly because it was then reported that the turk was comming upon hungary and germany , which appeared true by his besieging of vienna : partly because some pastors endeavoured to perswade the people , that warre was not to be waged against the turk . yea some proceeded to that height of folly , that they desired that the turk would come , and lay his yoake upon them . and when at that time there was held an assembly at spire , where first arose the name of protestants , and luthers assistants , whose helpe he used in translating the prophets , were seperated he himselfe being sickly , that he might be in some imployment in melancthons absense , translated the booke of wisdome which was afterward revised by melancthon and printed . in october this yeere philip landgrave of hessen , with a pious intent called together the prime doctors of the saxon and helvetick churches . among whom luther beeing sent for returned this answer : that little good was to be hoped for by that conference : except the adverse part came thither to yeeld : and that himselfe could not yeeld : because he was assured that he was in the truth . in this meeting the chiefe heads of divinity were handled , and concluded of . no one point was with choler contended about : nor did they depart alienated or divided in their affections by any controversie : as else where * is shewed . in the last yeere a fame was spread of a league made by some popish princes against the duke of saxonie and landgrave of hessen : of this thus luther writeth to wenceslaus lincus . that ungodly league of wicked princes , though they deny it , what stirres hath it caused : but i do interpret the sleight and poore excuse of duke george , as a confession of the fact . but let them deny , excuse , dissemble it : i know , that that league was not a chimera or a thing of no being : a monster cannot be but monstruous and conspicuous enough . and the world knoweth well , that they with most pertinacious mindes , deeds , edicts , designes , have hitherto publiquely attempted , and still do attempt the like . for they desire that the gospel was abolished : this none can deny . but why write i thus to you ? who know this to be undoubtedly true . i doe it onely , that you may know , that we will not trust that wicked crew , though we offer them peace . the lord confound the counsels of that * morotatos moores bundle of folly , who like moab dares attempt more then he can effect : and as ever , so still is proud above his power . let us pray against such men-slayers . hitherto they have been forborn , if again they plot anything , first we will pray to god , then we will admonish princes of them , that they may be destroyed without pitty : seeing they be unsatiable bloud-suckers and cannot be at rest , unlesse they see germany weltring in her her bloud . this letter intercepted and brought to duke george gave occasion of a great disaffection between the duke and luther : as the letters written from each of them to the other fully manifest . for luther printed a treatise of letters privately sent and intercepted : and on the other side george the duke printed a preface to the translation of the new testament set forth by emser : this preface was full fraught with gall . luther thus saith of it . i have received your letter , friend vvenceslaus , by which you certifie me , what duke george hath adventured to doe . he required the same of me not long agone , and afterward of our duke : when he could not prevayle : he hath printed the coppie of it with an invective against me : such is his notorious folly , rayling fury . they say that there are . books printed : which he transports into all coasts under his owne seale . thus shall poore luther at length be kept down , and duke george shall triumph most gloriously . to the mart he will send them . after i by some private meaues had got a coppie thereof , i wrote an answere thereunto , which shall be divulged at once with his writing contrary to his expectation . perhaps he will burst with rage , and die like a miserable idiot . i could wish that the evish mericion had taken it in mine owne hand : i am so farre from fearing that satan : though i wonder at scheurferus , that not delivered my letter up to them , but that he is so familiar with my bitterest enemies . i intreat you that with your congregation you would pray against that furious homecide and bloudy ruffian , as a man possessed by more then one devil , and breathing out nothing but menaces and slaughter : that it would please christ to save him , as he did saint paul ; or confound him . for why should this unquiet and mischeivous vassall of satan be offensive to heaven and earth ? the remembrance of the thirtieth yeere will never be razed out , while men live on earth : for in this yeere was held that solemne and numerous assembly before the emperour and the states of the empire , which was printed and made known to all the nations of europe . read the story * elsewhere . we return to luther . he composed the seventeen articles , before the divines of saxony took their journey to augusta : in these articles he omitted scholastick disputes and points unnecessary for the peoples instruction , and comprised the summe of holesome and necessary doctrin for the salvation of mens soules and true pietie . other princes and cities , who embraced the doctrin of luther , commanded their divines to set down in writing a briefe declaration of the doctrin commonly taught in the churches of their territories . that these seventeen articles written by luther , were especially made use of by melancthon in writing the confession , the very words and phrases in most of the articles retained , and the order and methode of the articles much alike , and the epistle of iohn elector of saxony dated from augusta to luther before caesars coming , do witnesse . for iohn elector of saxony came to auspurg contrary to the opinion and exspectation of all men ; yea he came thither first of all the princes , accompanied with iohn frederik his sonne , francis duke of lunenburg his sisters sonne , wolfgang prince of anhalt his wives brother , and these divines , ionas , philip , spalatinus , and islebius . for when he went from coburg he left luther in the castle , because he was banished by the pope and emperour , and was extreamly hated by the pontificians : yet would that he should remain in that place neere at hand , that more easily and speedily he might be consulted with , for any matter pertaining to religion . luther that he might further the common good , though he was absent , wrote a book to the bishops and other divines of note in that assembly : in which he deciphered , fully , what was the state of the romane church under the popedome , and opened their cruelty , and exhorted them , that they would not now omit the occasion of curing this sore . he further shewed that the doctrin taught by himself was agreeable to that of the prophets & apostles , & that all designes undertaken against god would be frustrate . melanct. knowing the rage of the papists & caesars threats was very solicitous & troubled thereat , not so much for his own , as for the issue of these matters and posterities sake : and gave himself almost wholly up to griefe , sighes and teares . luther having notice hereof did often cheere him up and comfort him by his letters . these words are part of one of his epistles . in private conflicts i am somewhat weake , and you strong : and on the contrary you in publique conflicts are somewhat weake , i stronger . if i may call that a private conflict , which is between me and satan , for you are ready to die , if you were called to it ; but feare the disaster of the publique cause . but i am resolute and secure for the publique cause , because i am assured that it is just and true , that it is gods and christs ; and is not appaled with the guilt of sinne , as i a private servant of god am compelled to trembling and palenesse . for this cause like a secure spectator , and do not regard the menaces and crueltie of the papists . if we fall , christ the lord and ruler of the world falleth with us . and suppose he fall , i had rather fall with christ , then stand with caesar . nor do you alone strive to hold up gods cause , i constantly stand to you with my sighes & prayers , i wish i might also with my bodily presence . for the cause is mine ; rather i say mine then all yours : and attempted by me not out of any rash humour , or desire either of glory or gain : which thing the spirit witnesseth to my conscience : and the matter it self hath already plainly shewed , and will more and more shew it even to the end . wherefore i entreat you for christs sake not to forget gods promises and the divine comforts , where t is said . cast thy care upon the lord : have thine eyes sixt on the lord , play the man , let thine heart be comforted . the booke of the psalmes and the gospels are full of the like speeches . be of good comfort i have overcome the world . if christ be the conquerour of the world , why should we feare it , as if it would overcome us . a man could finde in his heart to fetch such a sentence upon his knees from rome , or jerusalem . and in the same epistle , you would determine of these businesses according to your philosophy by reason , that is , cum ratione insanire , run wild with humane overcare : and kill your self : nor do ye see that this matter is beyond your reach and providence : and i pray christ to keep it , that it come not into your hand and counsell , which is a thing vehemently desired by you . for then publikely and apparantly , and suddenly we shall perish . and in another epistle . grace and peace in christ . in christ i say , not in the world , amen . concerning your apologie for your silence , i will speake elsewhere . i extreamely dislike your excessive cares with which you say you are consumed . that these raigne so much in your heart , is not from the greatnesse of the cause , but the greatnesse of your incredulitie . for there was greater cause of this in iohn hus his time then in ours . then again suppose there be great cause , the agent and chief mover in it is of great power ; for it is not our cause . why then do you continually and without ceasing macerate your self ? if the cause be faultie , let us revoke it ; and flie back ; if it be good : why do we make god a lyer ? who hath made us so great promises , and bids us to be of a quiet and contented mindes : saying , cast thy care upon the lord . the lord is neere unto all them , who being of a troubled heart call upon him . speaketh god these things into the wind , or casts he these pearles to bruits ? i am often troubled , but not perpetually . your philosophy and not your divinity doth thus vexe you ; the same befalleth your ioachim . as if it were possible that you should effect any thing with this unprofitable care . i pray you , tell me , what can the divell doe more then kill us ? i beseech you , that seeing in all other matters you are a good souldier , you would wrastle with your selfe as being your owne greatest enemie , by providing such store of armour for satan against your selfe . christ once died for sin : but for justice and truth he shall not die , but live and raigne . if this be true , what feare is there for the truth , if he raigne ? but it will be cast downe by the wrath of god , let us be cast downe with it ; but let it not bee done by our selves . he who is become our father , will be the father of our children . i pray for you earnestly , and i grieve that you make my prayers , the most violent sucking-leech of cares , to be fruitlesse . i truly as concerning the cause ( whether it proceed from stupidity in me or from the spirit , christ knoweth ) am not troubled much , yea i have a better hope , then ever i expected : god is able to raise the dead : he is powerfull also to maintaine his owne cause now ready to fall , yea to raise it againe , were it fallen , and to advance it , if it subsist : if we be not worthy , let it be done by others . for if we be not sustained by his promises , who , i pray you are there in the world , to whom they doe belong ? but more annother time : so that it be not to carry water into the sea . christ with his spirit comfort , teach and strengthen us all . amen . if i perceive that the cause goeth not well with you , or be indangered , i shall not containe my selfe , but shall come with speed unto you , that i may see the gastly jawes of satans teeth , as the scripture calleth them . from our wildernesse . ian. an. . after this the confession written by melancthon according to luthers direction and advise , was exhibited in the latine and german tongues in caesars palace , ian. . at . a clock in the afternoone : and was read by the chancellor of saxony before charls the fifth , ferdinando and all the electors & princes being assessors , & that with so shrill & loud a voice , that not onely in that large hall , but also in the court beneath and in the places adjoyning it was well heard . they who subscribed to this confession were iohn duke of saxony , george marquesse of brandenburgh , ernest and francis brothers , dukes of brunswick and lunenburgh ; philip landgrave of hassia , wolfgang prince of anhalt ; and two cities of the empire , norinberg and reutling . after it was read , the princes judgement was threefold . first , some thought fit that the decree of wormes should be pressed , and the refractary compelled to it . secondly , others would have had the confession examined by learned and pious men , and then to be delivered to caesar . thirdly , some desired that the papists should exhibite a confutation of it to the protestants : and that the whole cause should be left to caesars judgement : to this last most of the princes agreed . thereupon the pontifician divines ( of whom iohn faber and eckius were chief ) were iujoyned to prepare their confutation . they wrote many things bitterly against the protestants , and rather multiplied revilings then arguments . when therefore they were bid to new mould their writings , the publication of the pontifician refutation was deferred seven weekes from the exhibiting of the confession . in the mean space luther and melancthon conferred by their letters concerning many points controverted , and discussed , what might with a good conscience be yeelded to their adversaries , especially concerning humane traditions , and matters devised by men in gods worship . luther also by many epistles gravely written , and by exhortations full of spirit and life ( which are indeed the treasures of all wholesome and powerfull comfort ) confirmed the hearts of the prince elector , and of pontanus his chancellour , and their collegues in the prosecution of their attempts for the common safety and peace of peace of the church and state , and posterity , and for curing the apparent wounds thereof , & preventing the distractions of the church , & the confusion of opinions . he sent also to albertus of mentz the cardinal in the time of the assemblies sitting , a printed epistle . he was a man of chiefe authority amongst the rest ; wherefore luther endeavoured to perswade him , that seeing there was small hope to setle a concord in religion , he would obtaine of the emperour at least a graunt of political peace . at the same time erasmus wrote a letter of the same argument to campegius . at length the refutation of the protestants confession was new dressed and refined , and on the third day of august , was in caesars palace publiquely read before the states of the empire . the emperour professed that he would persist in his opinion , and requested the duke of saxony , and such as joyned with him , to give an assent . but , when as they could hardly obtain a copie of the confutation , and that with these conditions , that it should not be published , nor transcribed , nor any reply made thereunto , and could not prevaile to have these conditions omitted ; the archbishop of mentz , and his brother the marquesse of brandenburgh , and henry of brunswick , requested of the emperour that he would give them leave to take a friendly course for the composing the controversie . when caesar had yeelded thereunto , there were of each partie , seven at first , and then secondly , three chosen out of each seven , who were to take a course for setling of concord . here when the saxon partie seemed to yeeld too farre to the pontifician , luther wrote thus to melancthon . concerning obedience to be performed to the bishops , as in jurisdiction and the common ceremonies , i pray you have a care , look to your self , and give no more then you have , lest ye should be compelled again to a sharper and more dangerous warre for the defence of the gospel . i know that you alwayes except the gospel in those articles : but i feare lest afterward they should accuse us of breach of our covenant , and unconstancy , if we observe not what they please . for they will take our graunts in the large , larger , largest sense : and hold their own strictly , more strictly , and as strictly as they can . in briefe , i wholly dislike this agitation for concord in doctrin , as being a thing utterly impossible , unlesse the pope will abolish his popedome . concerning the confutation , this should have been added , that it was a very cold one . of it thus luther wrote to melancthon . grace and peace in christ the lord over his enemies . i thanke god , who permitted our adversaries to devise so fond a confutation . christ is come and reigneth . let the devils , if they will , turn monks and nunnes : nor doth any shape better become them , then that in which they have hitherto set forth themselves to be adored by the world . — then a little after this : did not i foretell you , that you troubled your self in vain about traditions , because that point exceedeth very much the capacitie of sophisters ? there hath ever been disputation about laws amongst the wisest men : and truly it requireth an apostolicall abilitie to judge purely and surely thereof , for there is no author extant , except paul alone , who hath written fully and perfectly of this matter . because it is the death of all humane reason to judge the law : the spirit in this case being the onely iudge . what then can sophisters here performe , whose reason is blinded ? well , we have done our part , and well satisfied them . now is the time of working together with the lord , whom i beseech to direct and preserve us . amen . in that loving course for composing the differences by the arbitratours , when the point of invocation of saints was handled , and eckius produced iacobs speech , let my name be called upon those children : melancthon first answered , and then brentius said , that there was nothing extant in all the scripture of the invocation of saints . hereupon coclaeus , that he might step in as patrone to the cause , did thus excuse the matter . that in the old testament the saints of god were not prayed unto : because they were then in limbo , and not in heaven . here iohn duke of saxony concluded and said to eckius . behold o eckius , the speech by you brought out of the old testament notoriously defended . the confession of our partie , which caesar , ferdinandus his brother , the princes of bavaria , and some bishops attentively listened unto , and the other partie could not endure , was translated into italian ( for the pope , who was not very well skilled in latine ) and into the english , spanish , french , boemian , vngarian tongues . the issue of all came to this , that though the protestants did desire peace of caesar , and space farther to deliberate of the matter , they could not obtain their desire . the confession it self was rejected , and all who assented to it , unlesse they suffered all matters to run in their old tenour , were brought into hazard of their lives and states : therewere some also appointed to execute caesars decree . whereas therefore it was daily exspected , that the protestants should be warred against by the pontificians : luther soon after the assembly with a noble and heroik spirit set forth a book to the germans , whose title was * warnungan seine liebe deutschen . wherein he exhorted them to embrace peace , and shewed that they ought not to obey a wicked edict , and further by armes the persecution of the true doctrin of the gospel , and harmelesse princes and churches : and fight for idols and other abominations of the papists . yet he did not counsell the protestant side to take up armes , before the pontifician faction should in the emperours name invade them with warre : but if they should resist , and defend themselves with force of armes when they were set upon , he excused them from being traduced and condemned as seditious persons : and shewed that they must be conceived to stand onely upon their own and their peoples defence . before we leave the wildernesse of coburg , and come thence with luther : observe first , what books he there wrote ; besides some mentioned before , of the rest he thus writeth to melancthon . though i have been troubled with wearinesse of the taske , and head ache , and have laid aside ezekiel , yet do i in the meane time translate the small prophets : and in one week more , i hope , shall finish them , by gods help . for now onely haggai and malachi remain undone . i busie my self herein rather for the comfort i reap by them , then that i am able to undergo the pains . secondly know the fervency of his prayers in this wildernesse : of which vitus theodorus , who accompanied him at coburg , thus wrote to melancthon . no day passeth , in which luther spendeth not three houres at the least , and they are the houres most fit for studie , in prayer . once it so fell out , that i heard him praying . good god! what a spirit , what a confidence was in his very expressions ? with such reverence he sueth for any thing , as one begging of god ; and yet with such hope and assurance , as if he spake with a loving father or friend . i know , saith he , that thou art a father and our god : i know therefore assuredly , that thou wilt destroy the persecuters of thy children . if so be thou please not so to doe , thy danger will be joyned with ours : this businesse is wholly thine : we adventured not on it , but were compelled thereunto . wherefore thou wilt defend us . when i heard him praying in this manner with a cleare voyce as i stood a farre off , my mind also was inflamed with a singular kind of ardency : because i observed how passionately , how gravely , how reverently , he in his prayer spake of god , and urged gods promises out of the psalmes , as one assured , that what he asked , should come to passe . i doubt not therefore , but that his prayers will much advance and further the desperate cause treated of at the assembly . when in that assembly the chiefe and almost the sole dissention between luther and the protestants was about the lords supper : this liked the papists , but grieved the protestants . bucer therfore by the consent of the duke of sanony and his magistrates consent , went from auspurg to coburg to see what agreement could be made betweene him and luther : nor did he receive a crosse answer , but diversly the businesse was hindred . thither also came vrbanus regius * for to consult with luther . an. . luther mildly wrote an interpretation of caesars edict , not against the emperour , but against the princes and bishops who were the chiefe instruments of the civill broyles . in this he defended diverse chiefe heades of christian religion : as the eucharist in both kindes ; that the church might erre ; the masse and free will he disallowed , and shewed that we are justified by faith , not by workes . of this point observe his remarkable profession . i martin luther an unworthy preacher of the gospel of our lord iesus christ thus professe and beleeve : that faith alone without respect to our good workes doth justify us before god : and that this article cannot be overthrown by the roman emperour , or the turk , or the tartarian , or the persian ; nor by the pope , or all his cardinals , bishops , sacrificers , monks , nunnes , kings , princes , potentates of the world , and all the devils . this article , will they nill they , will stand : hell gates cannot prevayle against it . the spirit of god doth dictate this unto me , this is the true gospel . for thus the article in the mouth of all christian children hath it . i beleeve in iesus christ crucified and dead . now no man died for our sinnes but iesus christ the sonne of god , the one and onely sonne of god : i say it again & again , iesus the one and onely son of god redeemed us from our sinnes . this is most surely grounded & undoubted doctrin : this the whole scripture crieth out aloud , though the devils & all the world storme and burst with anger at it . and if he alone take away the sinnes of the world , we verily cannot doe it with our workes . and it is impossible that i can lay hold on christ otherwise then by faith : he is never apprehended by my good workes . and seeing faith alone layeth hold on our redeemer , and not our workes the concomitants of our faith , it abideth undoubted truth ; that faith alone before our works , or without our works considered , doth this , which is nothing else , but to be justified , but to be redeemed from our sinnes . then good works follow our faith , as the effects and fruits thereof . this doctrin i teach : and this the spirit of god , and the whole christian church delivereth for truth : in this i will persist , amen . with these two writings , the admonition to the germans , and the interpretation of caesars edict , luther madded the nest of the popish hornets : who thereupon put forth a book against him ; but without any mans name to it . luther sharply answered this book , and gravely acquitted himself of the crimes objected against him , that is , that he denyed the yeelding obedience to caesar : that he himself was a trumpet for rebellion and sedition : that all things written by him concerning the designes of the pope were figments , and lies . but he proved them to be true by many remarkable sayings and deeds of the pontificians : which are contained in * his german writings , and other books by him set out this yeere . in the yeere . by gods gooduesse and the intercession of the archbish. of mentz , and the elector palatine , the emperour a granted peace to the protestant churches , upon some certain conditions , propounded to the duke of saxony especially . which that he should most willingly embrace , luther by his b letter seriously perswaded the then present elector , and his sonne frederik , who soone after succeeded his father . for this very yeere the day of august , that godly duke , a most constant confessour of the evangelicall truth departed this life . for the perpetuating of whose memory , luther made two funerall sermons , and melancthon a funerall oration at his buriall , which expressed the idea or character of a good prince . in the yeere . luther comforted the citizens of oschatz by his letter , who had been turned out for the confession of the gospel ; in his letter he saith : the devil is the host , and the world is his inne : so that where ever you come , you shall be sure to find this ugly hoste . he answered also the elector of saxony to this question : how farre it is lawfull to take up armes in our own defence ? especially , now there was a great controversie betweene luther and george duke of saxony , who of old hated most vehemently luther and his doctrin . therefore that the protestant partie might not be inlarged by his peoples embracing it , he bound them all by oath not to receive luthers doctrin . he also provided that the citizens of leipsick , who coming to confession after the papists manner , and then received the sacrament , should have a ticket given them , which afterward they should redeliver to the senate . about seventie were found without tickets . for these consulted with luther what they should do ? luther answered ; that they should do nothing contrary to their consciences , as men which firmely beleeved that they should receive the sacrament in both kinds ; and that they should undergo any extreamitie . in the epistle are these words . seeing now duke george dareth undertake to dive into the secrets of mens consciences he is worthy to be deceived , because he will be the devils apostle . hereupon duke george wrote to the elector of saxony his cousen german ; and accused luther both of giving him base language , and also of stirring up the people under his command to rebellion . the elector wrote this to luther , and told him that unlesse he can cleare himself , he must receive condigne punishment . upon this occasion luther refuted this accusation : and denyed , that he ever counselled them to resist their prince : but that patiently they would endure their banishment : and that he was so farre from infringing the authoritie of the magistrate , that no man did more stoutly confirme it , or more fully declare it : and that george the duke was called the devils angel for the subjects sake ; because they should not thinke , that the edicts were a lawfull magistrates , but the devils . he joyned thereunto an epistle to them of leipsick , to comfort them in their banishment , and to counsell them cheerfully to undergo their present calamitie , and to give god thanks for giving them courage & constancy . he told them , that this rejoycing of their adversaries was neither sound nor lasting : and that it would perish sooner then any man thought : and that all attempts of the enemies of the gospel were hitherto frustrate , & by gods singular favour faln to the ground . he wrote also a briefe apologie : in which he cleareth himself of these crimes objected against him : namely , that he was a lyer , a breaker of his promise , an apostate . here denying the former , he yeelded himself to be an apostate or revolter , but a blessed and holy one , who had not kept his promise made to the devil : and that he was no other revolter then a mammeluke , who turneth christian , or a magician , who renouncing his covenant made with the devil , hetaketh himself to christ . to these passages he added divers things concerning monkery . and again in a new treatise he oppugned private masse , and their consecration of priests . in this treatise he related his disputation with the devil : which the papists & jesuits diversly play upon . the truth of that matter , he in this book unfoldeth , as being the best expositour of his own meaning . he sent also a letter to the senate and people of frankford , in which he exhorted them to take heed of zwinglius doctrin , and instructed them about the confession . in the yeere . the elector of saxony joyned in pacification with king ferdinando . this highly grieved petr. paulus vergerius , so that in the name of pope clement he expostulated the matter with ferdinando . this yeere luther spent in preaching , writing treatises , and commenting . and this yeere the german bible translated by him , and brought into one body , was first printed , as the old priviledge dated at bibliopolis under the electors hands sheweth . in the . yeer , this bible was published . then the fancies of the anabaptists began to appeare in westphalia , and made a very great combustion . this yeere p. paul . vergerius was sent back by the pope into germany . he spake to the duke of saxony about the holding a councel at mantua . he also met with luther , and dealt with him about matters of religion ; then luther wrote many sermons and epistles , and a book in a popular way about prayer , and a preface to vrbanus rhegius book against the monasterians , new valentinians , and donatists . and when the pope had appointed the councel at mantua , luther wrote certain asseverations and theses against the constantian ( as he call'd it the obstantian ) councell . he sent also a consolatory writing to the christians of mittweid expulsed for the gospels sake : and a letter to the archbishop of mentz , the last he calleth it , yet he wrote many after it . this yeere luther began publiquely to preach on genesis , which taske he ended ( as himself was wont to ominate ) with his life , six yeers after . in the yeer . the forme of the concord between luther and bucer , and other doctors in the churches of upper germany was written by melancthon at wittenberg ; and published in the end of may . this elsewhere we spake of , and told who subscribed therunto . this yeer philip duke of pomerania at torgaw married mary daughter of iohn elect. of saxony , and of marg. of anhalt . luther was at the marriage , and prayed for gods blessing upon the new married couple . when all the rites were performed , duke philip reached out his hand to luther : at this luther stood a while silent , and still held his hand : and with a loud voice said . the lord god be with you : and keep your posteritie from failing . now when as barnimus the vnkle of philip had no male children , philips wife for foure yeeres was barren : so that all the male stocke of the duke of pomerania was likely to be ere long extinct : at length , by gods blessing , according to the prayer of luther , he had seven sonnes by this wife : and wonderfully enlarged that noble family . in february the yeere following the duke elector of saxony with the confederate princes and cities , and their divines held an assembly at smalcald for matters of religion : that the princes might deliberate about calling the councel to mantua : and the divines conferre about matters of doctrine . hither therefore luther and melancthon were called , luther wrote articles concerning the chiefe controverted heads of christian doctrine . these the other divines did approve , and these were to be exhibited in the councel of mantua ( if ever it were held ) and put up in the name of the saxon and neere thereunto adjoyning churches . commonly they are called the smalcaldick articles . these were joyned to the augustane confession , and the apologie , and luthers catechismes . at this meeting luther fell sick of a grievous disease , so that there was no hope of his life . he was pained of the stone , and obstruction in the bladder eleven dayes . here he , though most of his friends disliked and reasoned against it , would be carried thence ; the event proved his resolution good . george sturk the physitian being sent for from erphord went along with him . luther as he was carried along , made his will : in which he bequeathed his detestation of popery to his friends and the pastors : as before in the house of spalatinus in the yeere . where he made this verse . pestis eram vivus , moriens ero mors tua papa . i living , stopt romes breath , and dead , will be romes death . but the night after his departure thence he began to be somewhat better . at tambach the passages of his urine opened , so that he voyded it in great abundance : and called that village the place of his happinesse . this recovery of luther was cause of great joy to many godly men , even to all who loved luther , especially to melancthon : who signified the same to luther in these words by his letter . i heartily thanke the god of all mercy and our lord iesus christ our high priest interccding for us , and compassionating our infirmities , for your recovery from your dangerous disease . i rejoyce at my heart both for your and the churches sake , that you enjoy your health againe , and the rather because herein we behold the apparent love & mercy of god to his church . your letter expressing your recovery put cheerfulnesse into the countenances of the princes and all good men : they all acknowledg that the light of the gospel hath been in these dayes made known to the world by your ministry , and know that they are beholding to you for it : and fore see what a losse it would be to the church if they should lose you . therefore with joynt votes they pray that long you may live among us , and thanke god , who hath restored you from death to life . i hope god accepted of this their joy and thanks . and i pray god for christs sake to make you perfectly sound and healthfull . — here we have not yet ended our deliberation about giving caesars messenger an answer to his harsh dispute against our former answer . so that neither yet is any answer given to the pope . the duke of wittenberg commendeth your noble courage , who durst in such a disease travel , and fly from this cave . he mindeth to follow your example : for having been eight dayes sicke he resolveth to be gone to morrow . christ graunt , that i may shortly see you in good health . i was much grieved for you , & that the more , because being absent , i could not performe any friendly office to you . i was perplexed at some physical errours , by which your disease was augmented : so that no man can expresse how extreamity of griefe wrought upon me . nor am i yet freed from all griefe . if your malady was onely a difficulty of urine from some stopping , i hope all danger is past . but if it be from the bignesse of any stone , i trust that the danger will be much the lesse , and that you have a prudent and faithfull physitian , whom i pray god to direct and assist . from smalcald . . here the pope rejourned the meeting of the synod from the first of november to the first of may the yeere following : and designed the place for it to be vincentia a large and renowned city of the venetians , and sent thither some of the cardinals to begin the councel . he pretended a serious consultation for the purging the augean stable : and now commended the same busines to some choise men , but omitted the propounding of the oath to them , and would that no man should know the intent of this reformation . yet was it not long hid : and as soone as it was taken notice of in germany , luther in the vulgar tongue , and iohn sturmius in latine wrote to the reformers an answer . luthers booke by a picture in the frontispice shewed its argument . for the pope was pictured sitting on a high throne with some cardinals standing round ; who with fox tails on the end of long poles , as with brushes cleansed all parts above and beneath . at length all that reformation came to nothing , by whose policy and tricks it is well enough knowne . luther now divulged one of the chiefe articles of the papists belief ( namely , concerning constantines donation ) with annotations confuting it , for the pontificians sake . he published also some epistles of iohn hus , which were sent to the bohemians in the prison at constance , an. . and wrote a preface to the spiritualty , who would be present at the councel . he sent also to the pope , cardinals and prelates , the legend concerning iohn chrysostome with a preface and annotations . he sent also an epistle written in a way of friendly compliance to them of the evangelical league , concerning the concord of the helvetians , and therein shewed his consent , and what was his judgement concerning the supper of the lord . here , as if the church had not contentions enow already , the new sect of the antinomians start up . their chief ring-leader was iohn agricola of isleben , who formerly had been familiarily acquainted with luther . they held that repentance was not to be taught from the decologue , and they reasoned against them , who taught that the gospel was not to be taught to any , but to such as were humbled by the law . and they themselves taught , that whatsoever a mans life was , though impure , yet he was justified , so that he beleeved the gospel . thus luther was put to a new paines , and at large confuted them . and shewed that the law was not given , that we might be justified by it , but to shew us our sinnes , and to terrifie our consciences . therefore the law was first to be taught , and the gospel afterward , which sheweth the mediator . iohn agricola being better instructed by luther acknowledged his errour , and revoked it under his owne hand in publique . about this time an. . neere whitsontide melancthon being rector of the university the summer halfe yeere , one sim. lemnius put forth a booke of epigrams : by which some thought the fame of diverse men and women was blemished . luther hereupon shewed himselfe to be , as ever , a detester of such notorious libels , and wrote an epistle to the church of wittenberg in which he inveighed against the author of the libell , and shewed how he disliked the course of this base poet . but the author escaped , and afterward by most impudent lying set forth so filthy and impure writings , that all good people judged , that he was not to be pardoned for his former folly : and that what evill soever befell him , it was farre lesse then his wickednesse and madnesse deserved . this yeere also were put forth the three oecomenicall creeds with luthers annotations and exposition . in the yeere . were agitated deliberations with much care and difficultie concerning the obtaining peace of the emperour : because many feared an attempt unjustly to oppresse the state . luther therefore together with his collegues of wittenberg , composed and put forth a treatise concerning a defence lawfull , approved , and not contrary to gods will . and because now the name of the councell and church were in every mans mouth , luther put forth a book in their mother tongue concerning both of them . in the preface whereof he saith , that the pope by calling a councell doth play with the church of christ , as they do with a dog , who offer him a crust of bread on the point of a knife , and when the dog taketh it , knock him on the nose with the handle thereof , to make such as see it laugh . luther in that booke declared the authoritie of the scriptures . and then treats of the councell apostolicall , of the nicene , constantinopolitan , ephesine , carthaginian councels . and sheweth what a councell is , and which to be called true , what are the signes and works thereof : and that christian schooles are perpetuall councels ; and therefore that they are with great care to be maintained , as much advancing the good of the ecclesiasticall , politicall , oeconomicall hierarchy on earth . about the conclusion of the smalcald assembly , april . george duke of saxony died childlesse : and declared henry his brother with his sons maurice and augustus his heires upon condition , that they should not alter the religion : which if they should attempt , he bequeathes his whole territories to king ferdinando , to have and hold the same , till the condition was observed . but whilest the embassadours treat with henry about the same , making glorious propositions to him , and promising him mountaines of gold : he resolutely denyed to do it : george died before the embassadours could returne ; so that george otherwise then he intended , held henry for his heire . hereupon in misnia was presently made such an alteration , that whereas in easter holidaies the papisticall priests preached , at whitsontide luther * and his schollers had free possession of the pulpits . so luther here began reformation , others after him added perfection thereunto . in the yeere . it was decreed that the divines should meet at hagenaw on the rhine , and peaceably conferre about the doctrin of controverted points . melancthon journying thither , fell into a grievous disease at vinaria : so that there he stayd , and made his will , and prepared himself for death . hither luther and cruciger , at the electors instance , took their journey both by night and day . here luther finding melancthon pittyfully consumed with the disease , weeping and sighing cried . how excellent and usefull an instrument of the church do we find miserably sick and almost dead . and when he had saluted him , he fell down on his knees , and heartily prayed for him : and then performed what friendly offices he could by comforting , admonishing , and sometimes chiding the sick man . of this melancthon thus wrote to camerarius . i cannot by words expresse , what paines i have undergone , into which sometimes i have a relaspe . i perceived also that doctor luther was much afflicted in minde for me : but he concealed his sorrow , because he would not encrease mine . and endeavoured to cheere me up with his noble courage , sometimes comforting , sometimes reproving me somewhat sharply . had he not come to me , i had died . this yeere robert barnes a learned divine was burnt at london the last of iune , for witnessing to gods truth . he was familiarly known to luther , upon his coming to wittenberg in the embassie about the divorce made by king henry . luther caused the confession of this his friend , and the faithfull martyr of christ to be printed with his preface ; and besides admonished the pastours by another peculiar treatise , to inveigh against usurers and usury . in the beginning of the yeere . luther wrote a consolatory letter to frederik myconius lamentably spent with a consumption : and affirmed that himself could have no joy to live , if he died : and thereupon wished that he himself might first lay down the tabernacle of his weake body : and said that he was verily perswaded that his prayers should be granted for myconius life . as indeed it came to passe : for myconius out-lived luther six yeers , and would say : that luther obtained this for him by his prayers . after easter , bernard the infant sonne of iohn of anhalt was baptized at dessaw . here luther preached two sermons to the courtiers , the brother of the prince of anhalt , and the bishop of brandenburgh : which were printed . he wrote also an answer to a rayling book of one , whom he calleth hans wurst . wherein he defended himself and his doctrin , against the papists and their popish errours . he put forth also an exhortation to prayer against the turk : and answered the princes questions concerning transubstantiation , free-will . justification by faith , and other points . about this time the bishoprick of neoburg , by sala , was voyd ; there nicolas amsdorf a divine born of a noble family , was enstalled by luther , at the command of the elector of saxony the patron of that diocesse , and iulius pflugius , whom the canons of the colledge chose , was refused . luther placed him in the bishoprick , ian. . an. . this thing , as many conceived , gave occasion to other stirres : and very much offended the emperour , who much affected pfugius for divers respects . of this see more in amsdorfs life . after this luther wrote a book in the german tongue , and call'd it , the pattern of the inauguration of a true christian bishop . he published at that time the alcoran , which by richard a dominican was translated into the vulgar tongue : he added to it a faithfull admonition concerning the abandoning the turks doctrin , and affirmed that not the turk , but the pope was antichrist . and upon a difference rising between the elector of saxony and maurice concerning the territories and town of wurcen ; so that warre was likely to ensue ; luther with weightie reasons in his letters disswaded both the princes from their designes . he further also opened his judgement about a position some yeeres agone by him propounded : namely , that to warre against the turk was nothing else but to fight against god , who useth him as his whip to scourge us . now also he wrote a consolatory letter concerning abortive birthes and bringing forth dead children . the yeers and , produced many great troubles and stirres . for now the sacramentary contention began afresh , to melancthons great grief : whom some attempted to set at jarres with luther . some there were also , who sought to coole luthers heat , and spake little more favourably of the rhenan churches , then of the turks . wherefore when christopher froschoverus the printer of tigur sent luther a copie of his tigurin bible then printed ; luther admonished him by his letter , that he should not publish anything , which came to him from the ministers of tigur : and that he had nothing to do with them , nor would receive or read their books : that the churches of god could not joyne in communion with them , who already were running into the way of perdition , and would bring others into hell and damnation : and that he would oppugne them with his prayers and books whilest he lived . and now luther first wrote against the jews , and refuted their lies , and their blasphemous conceit about shemhamphoras , the name of god expounded . he also wrote his judgement , and a short answer to casp. schwenckfelds book and letter : whom he bad not to mention him in his writings , and sent him away with this answer . the lord reprove satan who is in thee , confusion befall the spirit , which called thee , and the course which thou runnest , and all the sacramentarians and eutychians , who partake with thee ; and all thy blasphemies . thou doest as they , of whom it was written : they ran and i sent them not ; they spake and i commanded them not . he wrote also his minde to others concerning the ceremonies and excommunication : he desired that there should be few ceremonies , and they tending to edification , and that excommunication should be brought into the church as a profitable discipline : but could scarce hope to see it . he admonished the young students at wittenberg to avoyd fornication , with wch some then were taxed : yea he threatned that he would hold no societie with men of that ill condition : and tarried some time at mersburg with the prince of anhalt : but afterward he was call'd to his ordinary taske by the university , sending for him an honourable embassie . about this time he wrote an excellent commentary upon the last words of david ; wherein he soundly and plainly declared the article of the trinitie , the distinction of the persons , christs deitie and humanitie . in the yeere . he finished the first part of his commentaries on genesis : in which he often blameth the sacramentarians : and foretelleth , that after his death many would oppugne luthers doctrin . then in september he published the briefe and last confession concerning the eucharist : wherein he expressely explaineth what in the lords supper is received by the worthy receivers , what by the unworthy ; what by faith , what without faith : and censures zwinglius , oecolampadius and others at tigur : who set forth an apologie of their doctrin the yeere following . of this * elsewhere is spoken . this very yeere the . of november he finished his explication of genesis : which was his last publique reading in the universitie : which he concluded with these words . thus end i my explication on genesis ; god grant that others may more rightly and truly expound it , then i have done . i cannot proceed farther therein : my strength faileth me : pray for me , that it would please god to grant me a quiet and comfortable departure out of this life . this yeere in italy was spread a most impudent lie about luthers death : the summe of it translated out of the italian is this . a stupendious & rare miracle which god ever to be praised , shewed about the filthy death of martin luther , a man damned both in body and soule , so that it conduced to the glory of jesus christ , and the amendment and comfort of godly men . when martin luther was sick , he desired the lords body to be communicated to him , which he receiving , died presently . when he saw that he must die ; he requested that his body might be set upon the altar , and be adored with divine worship . but god to put an end to his horrible errours , by a great miracle warned the people to abstain from the impietie , which luther invented : for when his body was laid in his grave : suddenly so great a stirre and terrour arose , as if the foundations of the earth were shaken together . whereupon all at the funerall trembling , were astonished , and after a while lifting up their eyes , beheld the sacred hoste appearing in the ayre . wherefore with great devotion of heart , they placed the most sacred host in the holy altar . whereupon the fearefull noyse ceased . but in the night following a loud noyse and ratling much shriller then the former was heard about the sepulcher of luther , which awaked all the citie , terrified them , and almost kill'd them with astonishment . in the morning when they opened the sepulcher , they found neither his body , nor his bones , nor any of the cloathes : but there came a sulphurous stinke out thereof , which almost overcame the standers by . by this miracle many were so amazed , that they amended their lives for the honour of the christian faith , and the glory of jesus christ . when this lye came printed into germany , luther did subscribe with his own hand , words to this purpose . i martin luther doe professe and witnesse under mine owne hand , that i on the . day of march received this figment full of anger and fury concerning my death , and that i read it with a joyfull mind , and cheerfull countenance : and but that i detest the blasphemy , which ascribeth an impudent lie to the divine majestie , for the other passages , i cannot but with great joy of heart laugh at sataus , the popes , and their complices hatred against me . god turne their hearts from their diabolicall maliciousnesse . but if god decree not to heare my prayers for their sinne unto death : then god graunt that they may fill up the measure of their sinnes , and solace themselves to the full with their libels , full fraught with such like lies . this yeere luther set forth a book intituled , against the popedome ordained by the devill . in this he treats of the councel appointed by the pope , and often adjourned , or translated from place to place , and of other plots of the popes . there he speaketh of the campanian , who comming out of germany into italy , turned his bare breech towards germany , using words to the disgrace of the nation . luther published divers other treatises as the explication of christs speech . search the scriptures : and the blindnesse and ingratitude of the world , in handling christs complaint of ierusalem . by luthers advice especially , georgius anhaltenus undertooke the government of the church of mersberg . of this is spoken in the life of duke george . in the yeere . luther accompanied with melancthon visited his owne countrey : and returned again in safety . not long after , the counsel of trent being begun , and having sate once or twice , luther was called again by the earles of mansfield to his owne countrey , for to compose a dissention among them concerning their bounds and heritages . luther was not wont to deale in matters of this nature , having been versed in sacred studies all his life time : but because he was borne at islebon , a towne in the territories of mansfield , he was willing to do his countrey service in this kind . wherefore making his last sermon at wittenburg the . day of ianuary , he tooke his journey on the . day : and at hall in saxony lodged at iustus ionas his house , where he stayed three dayes because of the roughnesse of the waters , and preached the . of ianuary upon pauls conversion . on the . day being thursday at hall he passed over the river with iustus ionas and his own three sonnes , and being in danger of drowning said to dr ionas ; think you not , that it would rejoyce the devill very much , if i and you and my three sonnes should be drowned ? when he came to the earles of mansfield , he was entertained by a hundred horsemen or more of the court , and was brought into isleben very honourably , but very sick , and almost past recovery : which thing he said did often befall him , when he had any great businesse to undertake . but using some meanes for cure of his infirmity , he sate at supper with the company : and so continued to do from the . of ianuary to the . of february , and treated of the differences , for whose determination he came thither . in this time he preached sometimes , and twice received the lords supper , and publikely received two students into the sacred order of the ministery . and at his lodging used much godly conference at table with his friends , and every day devoutly prayed . the day before his , death though he was somewhat weake , yet he dined and supped with the company : and at supper spake of divers , matters and among other passages asked , whether in heaven we should know one another ? when the rest desired to heare his judgement thereof . he said . what befell adam ? he never saw eve , but was at rest in a deep sleep , when god formed her , yet when he awaked and saw her , he asketh not ; what she was , or whence she was ? but saith , that she was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone . now how knew he that ? he being full of the holy ghost , and endued with the knowledge of god , thus spake . after the same manner we also shall be in the other life renewed by christ ; and shall know our parents , our wives , and children , and all about us , much more perfectly , then adam knew eve at her bringing to him . after supper , when he went aside to pray , as was his custome , the paine in his breast began to increase : whereupon by the advice of some there present , he tooke a little vnicornes horne in wine : and after that slept quietly an houre or two on a pallat neer the fire . when he awaked , he betooke himselfe to his chamber , went to bed , and bidding his friends , good night , admonished them , who were present to pray god for the propagation of the gospel : because the councel of trent and the pope would attempt wonderfull devises against it . having thus said , after a little silence he fell asleep : but was awaked by the violence of his disease after midnight . then complained he again of the narrownesse of his breast , and perceiving that his life was at an end , he thus implored gods mercy , and said . o heavenly father , my gracious god , and father of our lord iesus christ , thou god of all consolation , i give thee heartie thanks , that thou hast revealed to me , thy son iesus christ ; whom i beleeve , whom i professe , whom i love , whom i glorifie , whom the pope of rome and the rout of the wicked persecute and dishonour . i beseech thee , lord iesus christ to receive my soule . o my gracious heavenly father , though i be taken out of this life , though i must now lay down this fraile body : yet i certainly know , that i shall live with thee eternally , and that i cannot be taken out of thy hands . he added moreover . god so loved the world , that he gave his onely begotten son , that every one , who beleeveth in him should not perish , but have life everlasting . and that in the . psalme . our god is the god of salvation : and our lord , is the lord , who can deliver from death . and here taking a medicine , and drinking it , he further said . lord i render up my spirit into thy hands and come to thee . and again , lord into thy hands i commend my spirit , thou , o god of truth , hast redeemed me . here as one falling asleep and without any bodily pain , that could be discerned , he departed this life . and when doctor ionas and caelius said . o reverend father , do you die in the constant confession of that dectrin of christ , which you have hither to preached ? he answered so as he might be heard : yea , which was the last word he spake . thus he in his native countrey , not having seen it many yeers before , dyed much lamented by many . this fell on the eighteen of february on the day in the calender ascribed to concord , about three a clock in the morning , in the great climaclericall yeere of his age . soone after his body put into a coffin of lead , was carried in funerall manner to the temple of isleben : where iustus ionas preached . then the earles of mansfield desired that his body should be interred within their territories : but the elector of saxony , required that it should be brought back to wittenberg . in the return thereof , which way so ever it went , it was honourably attended , and with much griefe accompanied out of each princes dominion : and at length upon the . of february in the afternoon , was brought to wittenberg , and was carried into the temple neere adjoyning to the castle , with such a troop of princes , earles , nobles , their living as students , and other people , that the like was seldome or never seene in that town . when the funerall rites were performed , pomeranus preached to an assembly of many thousands . and after that melancthon with many teares and sighes made a funerall oration . when this was done , the coffin with his body was put by the hands of divers learned men , into the tomb neere to the pulpit , in which he had made many learned sermons before divers princes , electors , and the congregation of many faithfull christians . in a brazen plate his picture , lively deciphered , was there set up , with verses by it to this effect . this sepulchre great luthers corps containe ; this might suffice : yet , read these following strains . heer , in this vrne doth martin luther rest , and sweetly sleep in hope to rise most blest . by whose rare pains , firme faith , and christs free grace , which formerly , thick fogs of error base , and duskie clouds of works desert bid quite , were well reduced to their ancient light . for , when blind superstition ruled all , and did faire truth , long time , suppresse , and thrall , he , by gods word and spirits inspiration , the gospels light re-spred , for every nation . and , well-instructed by pauls sacred voyce , ( choice . ( scorning romes cheats , ) to teach pure truth , made and , as iohn baptist , in the wildernesse , did gods lamb , who heales sin preach and expresse : so ( o sweet christ ) did luther cleare thy book , when all the world was caught with errors hook . and , what the difference was betwixt the law ( whose tables moses brake , though god he saw , vpon mount-sinai ) and the gospel sweet , ( meet . which heales sin-conscious hearts , which gods wrath this difference , lost , to th' world he did restore , that , so , christs gifts of grace might shine the more ; he stoutly did oppose romes cheats and charmes , and papal rule , which wrought gods saints great harms . exhorting all , romes idols for to flie , he many soules wan to true pietie . and , maugre all romes threats and snares most slie , finisht , in faith , his course , most valiantly . dying in peace , his soule with christ doth rest , crown'd with immort all glory , truly blest . for which rare doctor let both high and low blesse god , that they so cleare christs truth do know . and pray the lord that these his gospels rayes may to the world shine-forth for datelesse dayes . philip melancthon . dead is grave luther , worthy all due praise , who set forth christ , in faith illustrious rayes . his death the church laments , with sighs sincere , who was her pastour , nay , her patron deare . our israels chariots and horsemen rare , is dead , with me , let all sad sables weare ; let them their griefe in groaning verses sing , for , such sad knells , such orphans , best , may ring . theodore beza . rome tam'd the world , the pope tam'd rome , so great ; rome rul'd by power , the pope by deep deceit . but , how more large , than theirs , was luthers fame , who , with one pen , both pope and rome did tame ? go , fictious greece , go tell alcides , then , his club is nothing to great luthers pen . john major . by luthers labours , leo the tenth is slain ; not hercles club , but luthers pen's his bane . joachim a beust . when luther dy'd , then , with him dy'd , most sure , a crown , and credit of religion pure . his soul soar'd-up to heaven , on concords day , which tended luther , thither , on his way : deare christ , since discord followed with coates rent , give to thy spouse elijahs ornament . upon his tomb-stone the universitie of wittenberg , as to her beloved father , engraved . martini lvtheris . theologiae d. corpvs h. l. s. e. qvi anno christi m. d. xlvi . xii . cal . martii eislebii in patrias . m. o. c. v. an. lxiii . m. iii. d. x. thus luther ran his course , & this was the period of his travels . when first melancthon heard newes of his death , he utttered these sacred words of the scripture : the charriot and horsemen of israel is gone : and tooke his death most heavily . for they had lived together . yeeres in most religious manner , so that melancthon truely loved him for his admirable vertues : and was a faithfull mate and helper to him in clearing the doctrine of the gospel . for though those times were prone to distractions , and mens wavering mindes desirous of dissention , yet when as each knew others infirmities , there never fell any jarre betweene them , which caused any alienation of their affection , or parting their company and fellowship . but what and how great stormes rose in germany after the death of luther ( out alas ! ) each christian knoweth . so that luther said truly , and often foretold : that whilst he lived , by gods help , there would no warre be raysed in germany ; but when he was dead , the age to come would see the event . concerning the doctrine of the gospel , he uttered this heavenly truth . these things will be a great bane to christian religion . first , forgetfullnesse of gods blessing on us in restoring to us the gospel . secondly , security , which already commonly and every where raigneth . thirdly , worldly wisdome , which would bring all things into good order , and cure the publique stirres with wicked councels . there was in this worthy man of god a quicke and prudent understanding , a magnanimous and noble spirit . he was ever constant in known truth : from the confession whereof he could never be removed with threats or promises . so that when upon a time , one papist demanded of an other , why do you not stop the mans mouth with gold and silver ? the other answered : see , this german beast careth not for money . there appeared in him a singular proofe of his valour and noble courage in the auspurg assembly , when thus he wrote out of his wildernesse to spalatinus . that kings and princes and people , rage against the christ or anointed of god , i esteem it a good sign , and think it much better then if they flattered . for thereupon followeth , that he that dwels in heaven laughes at them . and when our lord and king laughes , i see no cause , why we should weep before their faces . he laughes not for his own sake , but for ours , that we rather trusting to him then to any thing else , might laugh at their vain designs : so much need is there of faith , that the cause of faith may not be looked upon without faith . but he that begun this worke , he began it without our counsell and contrivance ; and he himself will forward with it , and finish it without , and beyond all our counsels and devises : of this i make no question ; i know and am assured hereof . he in whom i beleeve , is able to do above all , which we can aske or conceive . though philip melancthon contrive and desire that god should work according to , and within the compasse of his counsels , that he might have wherein to glory : and say . surely thus the businesse should be carried : thus would i have done . but this is not well spoken : i philip would have it so : this ( i ) is too flat and dull , too low a style . it must be thus . the god , who saith , i am that i am ; this is his name , i am ; he will have it so . it is not yet seen who he is , but he will appear , as he is , and we shall see him . but i have done . be you valiant in the lord , and put melancthon in minde from me , that he set not himself in gods place : but fight against that ambition of deitie , which was inbred and took root in us in paradise by the devils suggestion : for that is an affectation not furthering the businesse now in hand . the desire of being like god , thrust adam and eve out of paradise , and it alone doth trouble us , and turn us out of the course of peace . we must be mortall men , and not gods : thus in briefe : if we think otherwise , everlasting unquietnesse and anguish of heart will be our reward . luther was ready for martyrdom once or twice , and thought his adversaries would have him to it : whereupon at his going to auspurg . an. . thus he wrote to his deare freind * melanct. shew your selfe a man of resolution , as you already doe . teach the students gods truth . i am going ( if god so please ) to be sacrificed for them and you . for i had rather die , and never more enjoy ( which thing alone would be most grievous to me ) your most sweet societie , then to recant and revoke any truth which i have preached , and give occasion to overthrow the right course of studies . and elsewhere he thus wrote * to spalatinus . i had rather , as i have often sayd , die by the hands of the romanists alone . and would by no meanes that charles and his counsellours should interpose themselves in putting mee to death . i know what misery befell sigismund the emperor after the martyring of hus : how nothing prospered with him afterward , how he died without issue male , how his daughters sonne ladislaus also died , and so had he his name extinguished in one age of men : besides barbara his queen became a dishonour to the royall place she held ; and other matters which you well know . but yet if it so please god , that i shall be delivered into the hands not only of the papists & spiritual governours , but of temporal magistrates also , the lords will be done . amen . and againe thus to lambert thorn imprisoned . i rejoyce with you most heartily , and give thanks to our lord and saviour iesus christ , that he hath not onely graciously given me the knowledge of his word , but made me see a plentifull and glorious encrease of his grace in you . wretched man that i am ! it is reported that i first taught those things , for which you suffer , and yet shall be the last , or perhaps shall not be vouchsafed at all , to be made partaker of your imprisonments & martyrdoms . yet herein will i challenge something , and comfort my selfe in this , that your miseries , your bondes and imprisonments , the fires prepared for you are mine also : and so indeed they are , seeing i professe and preach the same things with you , and suffer and rejoyce together with you . god by luther and his fellow workmen opened and cleared the necessarie doctrin of gods church concerning the mediatour and justification of man before god , of the differences of the law and the gospel , of worship pleasing god , of invocation : and other points . he was wont often to deplore the ungodly praying to the saints departed , and said : that there were many reasons , why that invocation was execrable , and that this was one chiefe : namely , that by that profane custome the testimony of christs divinity was obscured , to whom both the writings of the prophets and apostles attribute the honour of invocation . these are the idols which sharpen the barbarous sword of the turk to cut of our neckes . nor will he ever be kept from shedding our bloud , except in godly manner those things be reformed . for how wicked and impious those hymnes be , which are sung in the popes quires , who knoweth not ? o mary , thou mother of grace defend us from our enemie , and in the houre of death receive us . and a gaine . saint dorothy create a new heart within us : saint catharin translate us from the troublesome sea of the world to the pleasures of paradise : open paradise for us . and that gods truth might be propagated to posterity , with continuall and great labour and study he so plainly and perspicuously out of the originall texts translated the bible into the german tongue , that his translation may well serve in steed of a commentary . he often speaketh of the labour and difficulty of this taske . as in his letter to wenceslaus lincus . we are now busied in translating the prophets , a worke ( god knoweth ) of great paines and industry , to bring hebrew writers to speake the german tongue ; to leave their hebrew idiom , and expresse themselves in our barbarous language : this is as if the nightingale should be compelled to imitate the cuckow , to leave her warbling melody , and fall into an unisone . and again to spalatinus . in translating iob we are put to very great paines in regard of the loftinesse of the style : that this book may seeme more impatient of our translation , then iob himselfe of his friends comforting him : he may seeme yet still to sit upon the dunghill . vnlesse perhaps the author of the booke desired , that it never should be translated . this is the reason why the presse maketh no better hast in this part of the bible . in this worke he used the paines and counsel of his colleagues , whom elsewhere we have named , that they might be witnesses of his faithfull care in darke places . he entreated spalatinus to send precious stones from the court , for his better knowledge of them : and took care that he might know the names and differences of certain beasts and fowles , and creeping things , and insects . he had rams , sheep , calves kild and cut up at his house , and learned the names of their joynts and the proprietie of speech about them , from the butchers . oftentimes , as himself relateth , he spent fourteen dayes together in the interpretation of one word or line with melancthon and aurogallus help . in their consultation , this was their course . luther was president in the work performed in the monastery , and ever had by him the old latine translation , and his new one , and the originill text : to melancthons care was commended the greek bible ; to crucigers the hebrew and chaldee : other professours were imployed in the perusing the rabbins : and every one of them still came to the worke well premeditated . every one gave his judgement concerning the place to be translated , they compared all together , and at length concluded of the expression thereof . but luther before his death revised the first edition : for one day teacheth another . for this paines we owe him perpetuall thanks : for it much benefits the church , and informeth such as know not the originall : yea it much pleasures the learned in the tongues for conference of translations . yet this paines was blamed by vicelius and staphylus and other vassals of the pope . luther also published many learned expositions and comments on the scripture : of wch thus saith erasmus . in one leaf of luthers commentaries is more solid divinitie , then in many prolix treatises of the school-men , and other the like . he also refined and much enriched the german tongue : he translated out of latine , some things which other thought not possible to be rendred in the vulgar tongue , and yet used most significant and proper words , so that some one word might seeme to set the whole matter forth most expressely . of the pope luther wrote , how he made use of the masse even for the souls departed : and saith , that he with his masse had gone not onely into all corners of the world , but even into purgatory it self : here he useth a word in the german tongue signifying the noyse * of his tumbling down into hell . also he calleth indulgence-mongers , pursethreshers , because the pope winnowed good money out of that chaffe . there are full many such passages in his german writings . well therefore said renowned sturnius concerning him . luther may be reputed very well the master of our tongue , whether you speake of the puritie or copiousnesse of it . the counsellers of princes , the judges of cities , all secretaries , all embassadours and lawyers attribute this praise to him being a divine . the cause defended by him was just and cessary , and of it self deserved the victory : but assuredly he shot forth the darts of his arguments , with the strong armes of true oratory . if he had not revived religion , if he had preached no sermons ; had he written nothing else , but what he divulged of the scriptures translated , yet for this his paines , he deserved very excellent and perpetuall glory . for if the greek and latine , and other translations be compared with the german , they come short for clearnesse , purenesse , proprietie , & agreeing with the original . i am perswaded that as no painter could passe apelles ; so not any writer can go beyond luther for his translation in our tongue . he began a matter , as was conceived , beyond the reach of man ; and liable to extreame danger . but there is no counsell , no power prevalent against the lord : who most admirably defended luther living and dead against all his adversaries . whilest he lived , he had most potent , most subtle enemies , and in a word , all antichrists kingdome : nor onely did the pope and his bishops , his universities and other sophisters openly set upon him with buls and treatises published : but designed to take him away closely with poyson , daggers , guns , and other meanes . concerning secret plots against him , they be well known . he thus speaks of them . there is here a polonian jew hired with two thousand crownes to poyson me : my friends have disclosed the plot to me by their letters . he is a doctor of physick , and dare attempt any thing , and will go about it with incredible craft and celerity . this very houre i caused him to be apprehended ; what the event will be , i cannot say . this is the news . to spalatinus also a he wrote , that there were many actors of the plot , whom he would not have wrackt , if they would not voluntarily confesse by whom they were suborned , but endeavoured to have them set at libertie . yet he addeth . though i am fully perswaded that he was the man descried unto me , all marks of him did so rightly answer the description sent to me . again , what the papists did attempt , the words of alexander the popes legate do well declare . of wch luther thus speaks . spalatinus writeth b that alexander was bold to say ; though you germans , who paythe least summes of money to the pope , have shaken of the yoke of servitude , yet we will take a course that ye shall be consumed with civill broyles , and perish in your own bloud . concerning the fables and lies cast abroad in his life time , what should i say ? of his countrey and parentage , it was bruited , that he was a bohemian , and borne of ( as they call them ) heretical parents . then they layd aspersions upon his promotion at wittenberg , and defamed it with sundry lies . heare what he wrote to spalatinus : that embassador , or i know not what of ferdinands , was with me , to see what manner of man i was , and how i carried my selfe . he sayd that it was told his master , that i went up and down armed and guarded , and did spend my time among queanes , divers tavern hunters , and was notorious among all men , with i know not what other the like honours . but i am now well inured to such lies . how often was he reported to fly to the bohemians ? how often were scandals raysed from his writings ? how often was he cal'd a flatterer of princes , a trumpet of sedition ? his bold speech and vehemency was a string much harped upon . whence he saith of himselfe . almost all men * condemne me of two much eagernesse . but i am of your mind , that it is gods will to have the inventions of men in this manner thus revealed . for i see matters in this our age quietly handled to be quickly forgotten , and no man to regard them . and again . * yet do not i deny , but that i am more vehement then is fit : which thing seeing they know so well , they should refraine from provoking me : how hard a thing it is to bridle the pen , you may well enough learne by your selfe . and this is the reason , why i have ever been averse from shewing my selfe in publique matters : but the more averse that i was , so much the more was i carried against my owne desire , yet never , unlesse most grievous wrongs were done , the word of god or my selfe for its sake . whereupon it fell out that had i not been apt by nature to vehemency and imbittering my style , the very indignity of the matter would have urged a dead and stony heart to write sharply : how much more my selfe , who am of an ardent spirit , & write not a dul stile . monsters of men carried me beyond the due temper of modesty . for the warrant of this sharpnes he used to allead ge the example of christ , who called the jewes , an adulterous & perverse generation , a generation of vipers , hypocrites , children of the devill : and pauls example , who calleth them dogs , vaine bablers , seducers , illiterate : yea act. . most sharply inveighes against the false prophet . moreover erasmus often used to say . in regard of the height of the diseases of this last age of the world , god hath sent them a sharpe physitian . also charles the emperour sayd . if the popes priests were such as they should be , they would not need a luther . further he had divers spirituall tentations and terrible buffets of satan : as namely in his sicknesse at coburg , and at other times , when his body was weake . these much afflicted him , and sometimes made him lie as one dead ; but by physick applyed for his cure , and reading the scripture , and singing of psalmes , which he used to call them about him unto , he was recovered , and eased of those affrights , and esteemed them but as the devils traps , from which god would deliver him . in the dismall warre of germany , scarce could the souldiers be restrained from exercising their cruelty upon his dead corps . for when wittenberg yeelded to the emperour charles : and he came to see the towne ; the spaniards would have digged up luthers tombe , and burnt his body , charles the fifth ( as faithfull witnesses have related ) said . suffer him to rest till the day of resurrection , and the iudgement of all men . but in the beginning of luthers preaching , he minded not to have proceeded so farre , as the issue drew him to . for an. . he thus wrote . i will offer them silence with all humility : so that others be also silent . for i will omit nothing on my part , which may conduce to peace : and have ever been carefull so to doe . i will therefore make ready an humble letter to the pope : if matters prove calme as i hope , it is well . if not , it is well also : for it is gods pleasure so to have it . he often purposed also to have departed from the papists malice . for thus he writeth to spalatinus . had not your letter come to my handes , i had prepared to have gone out of the way . and yet i am ready to be gone , or to stay . and againe , i have not free liberty to speake or write ; if i goe hence , i will poure out my whole mind , and offer my life to christ . he daily more and more discerned gods truth , and could not wind himselfe out of some errours in the beginning presently : for about the invocation of saints thus he wrote an. . my good spalatinus , i never judged , that the worship of saints was superstitious , nor the praying to them for matters especially pertaining to the body . for thus our neighbours the pighards hereticks in boemia conceit . for we in better manner obtaine of god by his saints any good thing ( for assuredly all good is gods gift ) then others get by magicians and wisards of the devill , as the manner is . but this my meaning was , that it is superstitious , yea ungodly & wicked to beg of god and the saints things corporall onely , and to neglect the things which concerne the soule and salvation , and are sued for according to gods will : as if we forgot or beleeved not his word , saying ; seeke first or cheifely the kingdome of god , and all these things shall be added to you . yea every where christ teacheth us to slight corporall matters , and our bodies , as base things in regard of our soules . concerning the adoration in the sacrament thus he wrote . i say a it is free for us to adore christ , and call upon him sub sacramento under the sacrament . for he sins not , who doth not adore : nor doth he sinne , who doth adore . concerning the administration of the lords supper in the vulgar tongue thus he wrote . i wish the masse b might be used in the mother tongue , rather then can promise to have it so because i cannot bring it to passe , as being a matter requiring both musick and the spirit . so in the mean time i permit every man to abound in his own sense ; till christ inables me to say more . he first celebrated the masse in the mother tongue , an. . as he writeth to langus and the members of erford . this day we attend the princes command , the next lords day we will publiquely sing in the name of christ : and masse shall be in the mother tongue for the lay people . but the daily service shall be in latine , but we will have the lessons in the vulgar tongue . these things ye shall have shortly published . luther causes psalmed in the german tongue to be used . concerning this thus he wrote to spalatinus , an. . we intend according to the example of the prophets and ancient fathers of the church , to make psalmes or spirituall songs for the common people , that the word of god may continue among the people , if not otherwise , yet surely in psalmes . we seeke for poets , where we may . now seeing you have attained both the free use and elegancy of the german tongue , i intreat you to take some paines with us in this businesse , and try how you can turn a psalme into verse : as i have given you a pattern . i would have you not to use late invented and courtly termes : but make the verse to sit the simplest and most vulgar capacitie : yet let the words be smooth and proper . let the sense also be cleare , and as neere as may be to the originall : yet may you use this freedome , as to vary the words sometimes , so that you keep the sense . i cannot performe the worke so neatly , as i would , and therefore desire to try how neere you can come to heman , asaph or jeduthun . he taught many things soundly and gravely about the scripture and the authoritie thereof , as , that our faith was to be built on the canonicall books , the other books required our judgement . of the word , the sacraments and ministers he taught . that we are planters and waterers , and are ministers , of the word of life and sacraments of salvation : but are not givers of the increase . concerning our justice he said . thou lord art my justice : i am sinne . thou hast taken what i am , and given me , that which was thine . thou hast taken that which thou wast not ; and given me , that which i was not . concerning ceremonies he said . i condemne no ceremonies , but those which are contrary to the gospel . concerning moses : as the learned men of the world say ; that homer is the father of all the poets , the fountain , yea the ocean of all learning and wisdome , and eloquence : so our moses is the father and fountain of all the prophets and sacred books : that is , of all heavenly wisdome and eloquence . concerning humane learning . i am perswaded that theologie could not wholly be kept sincere without the skill of other arts . for heretofore , when knowledge of other learning was decayed or despised , theologie did fall and lay neglected most miserably . nay , i discern that the revelation of gods word would never have become so glorious , unlesse first the tongues and arts had been brought into use and flourished , and made a way for divinitte , as john baptist did for christ . and elsewhere , i think they erre , and are extremely out of the way , who think the knowledge of philosophy and of nature to be of no use for theologie . of tentations thus he speaketh . i would have men , who are tempted , thus to be comforted with faith and hope : first to avoyd solitarinesse , and still to have company and to sing psalmes and talke of holy matters . then secondly , to be assuredly perswaded , ( which though it be most difficult , yet is it the most ready cure ) that those thoughts are not their own , but satans : and therefore that they should earnestly endeavour to turn their hearts to some other thoughts , and leave those evill thoughts to satan . for to insist upon them , to strive with them , or to struggle to overcome them is a provoking and strengthning them , to a mans perdition without remedie . of men distracted and fooles this was his judgement . i think that all fooles and such as have not the use of reason are vexed or led aside by satan : not that they are therefore condemned , but because satan doth diversly tempt men , some grievously , some easily ; some a longer , some a shorter time . and whereas physitions attribute much to naturall causes , and mitigate those evils by naturall meanes sometimes ; this cometh to passe , because they know not , how great the power and strength of the devils are . concerning the assembly at auspurg , whose remembrance melancthon delighted not in , because there such as endeavoured the propagation of the gospel were censured by charles the fifth , harshly and grievously . whereunto five electors , thirtie ecclesiasticall princes , secular princes twentie three , abbats twentie two , earles and barons thirtie three , and thirtie nine free cities subscribed ; of this assembly , i say , this was luthers judgement ; though after much expense ye see nothing done at auspurg , yet thus i think : though their cost had been double , yet the publique confutation of the sophisters and envious persons would be equivalent thereunto : for they sought to disgrace our doctrin with lies , as if it was the most erroneous that ever was heard . of it also brentius saith . the cost bestowed in all assemblies within the memory of men are not a sufficient price for the excellent treasure of the confession and apology . of the lords supper thus luther writeth . i neither can nor will deny this , that if carolostadius or any other man within these five yeeres could have perswaded me , that there was nothing in the sacrament but bread and wine , he should have done me a singular kindnesse . for i have laboured much and been most studious about this points discussion , i have endeavoured with all possible intention of minde to cleare and fully open this matter ; because i well saw that hereby i could especially wound the papists . besides i had two others , who wrote to me more soundly and acutely of this point , then carolostadius , nor did so wrest the words to the conceit of their own humour . but i saw my self fast taken , and had no way left to escape . for the text of the gospel is so cleare and powerfull , that it cannot be shaken , much lesse be overthrown with words and glosses suggested by addle heads . of this question he wrote a large epistle and indeavoured to prove that christs flesh was not only eaten spiritually , but corporally . and whereas elsewhere he speaketh otherwise of this matter , there be some , who affirm that he opened his minde thereof a little before his death . for t is said , that as he was fitting himself for his journey to isleben , ian. . an. . he affirmed to melancthon , that he confessed , that he had gone to farre in the sacramentary controversie . and when melancthon perswaded him to explicate his minde by publishing some book : he answered ; that by this course he should derive a suspition on all his doctrin as faultie : but melacthon might do as he saw cause , when he was dead . the witnesses of this his speech are melancthon , herbert de langen , daniel burenius cons. of breme and others . when antonius musa the pastor of rochle on a time complained ; that he himself could not beleeve , what he taught others . luther answered , i thank god that i heare others to be affected to the papists doctrin , as i was . he was wont to say , that a preacher should beware of bringing three dogs into the pulpit with him , pride , covetousnesse , envie . this rule he gave concerning government of ones selfe in preaching . when , saith he , you see the people heare most diligently , conclude that they will go away more cheerefully . he judged them in princes courts to undergoe the greatest labours , who are compelled to drink so extreamely , that they cannot rest night or day . when a stone was brought unto him out of the mansfeild stone-pits : wherein was the image of the pope with a triple crown . lo , said he , the pope must be revealed and extold by metal mines , and diggers of metals . three things , said he , make a divine . meditation , prayer , tentation . and that three things were to be done by a minister . . he must read the bible over and over . . pray earnestly . . alwayes be a learner . and that they were the best preachers to the people , who spake as to babes in christ , in the ordinary strain , popularly and most plainly . when he visited the churches in saxony , and a countrey man repeated the words of the creed in the vulgar tongue , saying , i beleeve in god the father almightie . he asked the countrey man , what was meant by almightie ? who answered ; i know not . luther said , neither do i nor any learned man know it . onely beleeve thou that god is thy father , and that he can and will preserve thee and thine . he tooke delight to expresse some things in his owne tongue , and in ryme . of which some were to this sense and meaning . eate what is sodden well ; drinke what is pure and cleare : that thou the truth doth tell , to all let it appeare . speake not to all , what ever thou doest know : if thou be well , keepe wisely were thou art : conserve with care , what ever is thine owne , mischance sure-footed comes like th' nimble hart. be silent in due time , abstaine , sustaine , hold up thy head . of need to none complaine . despaire not of gods helpe , thy state to stay : who sends assistance to us every day . he was in his private converse of such behaviour that his life was a patterne of vertue . as he dined or supped , oftentimes he would dictate matter to be preached ; sometimes correct the faults of the presse , sometimes he would recreate himselfe and others with musick . he was by nature ( which melancthon would often wonder at ) a moderate eater and drinker : and yet had no small or weake body : he hath beene seene for foure dayes together and being in health , to eate and drinke nothing at set meale times : and often at other times for many dayes to be content with a little bread and fish . i will say nothing how in the cloysters he macerated himselfe with watchings , fasting , labours . oftentimes being invited to banquets , he went not , because he would not lose his time , i , sayd he , lose too much time by invitations to feasts here in the city : i know satan hath such an hand in it : that i may not deny it , and yet it doth me harme to accept the courtesy . in company he was familiar , pleasant , courteous , yet grave , as beseemed a man of his place . he was affable , and studious of truth . melancthon affirmeth , that he often found him at prayer with great ardency and teares imploring god for the whole church . he set apart every day a certain time for reading some psalmes , and intermixt his owne prayers and teares with them . he often used to say ; that he was offended with them , who either through idlenesse or variety of imployment sayd , that it was enough to pray with groanes onely . and for that end , said he , formes of prayer are prescribed us by the will of god , that reading might inflame our minds , yea that the voice also might professe , what god we call upon . when he recreated his mind , and tooke it of from study , he delighted to play at chesse , and was skilfull at it . he sometimes practised the art of turning with his servant wolfgang : and would say : if the world should deny us sustenance for my paines in gods word , we would learne to get our livings with our hands . sometimes he did play on an instrument , sometimes shoote . he was carefull also of the neatnesse of his garden , and desired of his friends varietie of plants to furnish it : so that he had no vacant time . of his imployments thus he writeth . i am very full of imployment : the psalter requireth a whole man : preaching to the people might well require all my paines : my course of worshipping god and prayer might wholly busie me : my paines in expounding scripture by writing , my writing epistles , my care of other mens affaires taketh up my time ; my converse with my friends ( which i use to call a feeding of my corps ) doth very badly steale away a great part of my time . it was his usuall course either to meditate , or to read , or preach , or to give good counsel to his friends : so that he was never idle . he was very liberall to the poore . on a time when a student asked some money of him , he bad his wife give him some thing : and when she excused the matter in regard of their penurie at that time : he tooke up a silver cup and gave it to the scholler , and bid him sell it to the gold-smith , and keep the money for his occasions . when a friend sent him . angels of gold from the metal-mines , he bestowed them all on poore students : when iohn the electour gave him a new gowne : he said , that he was made to much of : for if here we receive a full recompence of our labours , we shall hope for none in another life . when the same electour offered him a vayne of metals at sneberg : he refused it , lest he should incurre the tentation of the devill , who is lord of treasure under the earth . he tooke nothing of printers for his copies , as he writeth , saying . i have no plenty of money : and thus yet i deale with the printers : i receive nothing from them for recompence of my many copies , sometimes onely i receive of them one copie . this i think is due to me , whereas other writers , yea translaters , for every eight leaves have an angel . concerning money given him , thus he writeth . the hundreth angels given me i received by tanbenhem : and schart gave me fifty : that i stand in feare , that god will give me my reward here . but i protested that i would not so be satisfied by him , i will either presently repay it , or spend it . for what should i doe with so much money ? i gave one halfe of it to p. prior , and made him a joyfull man . he was very lovingly affectioned towards his children , and gave them liberall education : he kept in his house a schoole-master to traine them up in good arts and a godly life . when he saw magdalen his eldest daughter ready to die , he read to her that in esay . . thy dead servants shall rise againe , together with my dead body shall they arise . awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust : for thy dew is as the dew of hearbs , and the earth shall cast out the dead . come my people , enter into thy chambers , and shut thy doores about thee : hide thy selfe as it were for a little moment , untill the indignation be over-past . my daughter enter thou into thy chamber with peace : i shall ere long be with thee . for god will not permit me to see the punishments hanging over the head of germany . and upon this wept plentifully . but in publique when he went along with the herse he bridled his affection , and was not seene to shed one teare . and as all men of excellent spirits have a zealous anger in due place . so luther by nature was vehement , but yet placable : as appearethin this , that when melancthon much moved to passion once came unto him , and all the rest were very mute , luther uttered this verse . vince animos irámque tuam , qui caetera vincis . thine owne heart overcome , thy fury tame , vvho all things els hast stoutly overcame . and then smiling said , we will not further dispute of this matter , and turned his speech to other occasions . he foresaw and foretold many things , as the combustion which rose in germany ; saying , i am very much afraid , that if the princes give eare to duke george his ill counsell , there will arise some tumult , which will destroy all the princes and magistrates in all germany , and ingage in it all the clergy . of the death of frederik elector of saxony , thus he writeth . if god in heaven hath resolved in wrath to deale with us , that neither our prayers , nor counsels of amendment can hinder it , let us obtain this that our josias may sleep in peace , though the world be left to go into its babylon . of the covetousnesse of germany and the dearth there , thus he speaketh . we feare famine , and we shall suffer it , and finde no remedie for it . and when as without necessitie , we are solicitous to prevent famine , like wicked and incredulous gentiles , and neglect the word of god and his work ; he will permit shortly a dismall day to come upon us , which will bring with it whole wain-loads of cares ; which we shall neither have power or meanes to escape . divers other things he also foretold . he had his health competently well , but that sometimes he was troubled with headach , especially in his elder yeeres . whereupon he was afraid of some violent apoplexie : and when he felt a swimming in his head , or noyse in his eares , he used to say : lord iesu , smite me gently , for i am absolved from my sins according to thy word , and am fed unto life eternall by thy body and bloud . thine apostle john and our elector were taken out of this world , by this kinde of death . he endured often tentations , whereupon he said : all here are in health except luther , who is sound in body , and without suffers at no mans hand in the world : onely the devil and all his angels vex him . he was of an indifferent stature , of strong body , of so lionlike a quicknesse of his eyes , that some could not endure to look directly upon him , when he intentively beheld them . they say that one of mild spirit , who could not endure in private to talk with luther ; was courteously used by luther , yet was so pierced with the quicknesse of his eyes , that being amazed he knew no course better then to run from him . his voyce was mild and not very cleare , whereupon , when on a time there was mention at table about pauls voyce , which was not very perfect and full : luther said ; i also have a lowe speech and pronuntiation . to whom melancthon answered . but this small voyce is heard very farre and neere . in wedlock he lived chastly and godly above twentie yeers , and when he died , left three sonnes and catharin de bora a widow , who lived after his death seven yeeres . to her it was a great grief that her husband died in a place farre from her , so that she could not be with him , and performe the last conjugall offices to him in his sicknesse . in the time of the warre which presently followed , she wandred up and down with her orphans , and in banishment was exposed to many difficulties and dangers : and besides the miseries of widowhood , which are full many , the ingratitude of many did much afflict her : for where she hoped for kindnesse in regard of her husbands worthy and noble deserts of gods church , often she was put of with great indignitie . when afterward her house at wittenberg in time of pestilence was infected , she for her childrens safetie , as became a godly mother , betooke her self to torg , where was also an universitie . but in the way , when the horses affrighted ran out and seemed to indanger the waggon , she amazed not so much for her own , as her childrens preservation , lept out of the waggon , whereby poore wretch she grievously bruised her body in the fall , and being cast into a poole of cold water , caught thereby a disease , of wch she lay sick three monethes in banishment , and pining away at length died quietly in the yeere , . luthers writings were published at wittenberg and iene in severall towns both in latine and the german tongue . part of them were expositions of scriptures , part doctrinall , part polemicall . of these this was his own judgement . above all i beseech the godly reader , and i beseech him for our lord iesus christs sake , that he would read my writings judiciously , and with much pittying my case . and let him know , that i was formerly a monk and a most furious papist , when i first entred into the cause undertaken by me : yea , i was so drunk & drowned in the opinions of papisme , that i was most ready to kill all men , if i could , or to assist and consent to their attempts that did kill them , who even in one syllable should dissent from the pope . such a saul was i , as some that be yet alive . i was not so cold and calme in defending popery as was eckius and his mates , who more truly for their bellies sake seemed to defend popery , then that they were serious in the cause : yea they seeme still to me to laugh at the pope in secret , as epicureans . but i proceeded in the popes defence earnestly , because i set before mine eyes the last day of judgement , and trembled there at : and desired from my very heart to attain salvation . in another of his writings , he in a manner wisheth his books extinct , saying . alas , my friends should not trouble me : i have enough to do with the papists , and might almost say with job and jeremy , would i had not been born , yea almost say , i would i had not published so many books : and would not care , if they were all perished . let other such spirited mens writings be sold in every shop , as they desire . luther also was much against it , that any man should be called a lutheran after his name . because the doctrin was not his , neither did he die for any one ; and because saint paul would not endure to have it done by his own person , cor. . against this humour of men also . luther said . how should it come to passe , that i a sack of wormes meat should be accessary to this , that the children of christ should be called after my base and unworthy name . he also much opposed the title of lutherans , because we be all christians , and professe the doctrin of christ : as also because the papists are guiltie of this crime , by calling themselves pontificians . we ought not to imitate them in evill . of luthers books thus writeth sturmius . i remember that in an epistle of luthers to wolfgangus capito , which is in conradus huberts library some yeeres ago i read , that he himself took content in none of his books , but onely in his catechisme and his book against free will . for a conclusion i will here adde melancthons judgement concerning the talents by god bestowed on luther and others . pomeranus , saith he , is a gramarian , and explains the force of words , i intend logick and shew the context of the matter , and the arguments , justus jonas is an orator , and copiously and elegantly discourseth : but luther is all these , a very miracle among men . what ever he saith , what ever he writeth it , peirceth mens minds and leaves behind it a wonderfull sting in their hearts . and camerarius speaketh thus of luther . the name of luther is so odious to some , that they detest the hearing it : on the contrary other endure not that any thing should be found fault with , which either he speak or did : & if any man dare speake against him , they declaime against him presently , as one guilty of impiety . they who thus extoll the name and authority of martin luther , as not doubting to elevate him above the condition and measure of mortall men , should see to it , that they doe not wrong the good name of so excellent and admirable a man by attributing too much to him : and that they doe not seeme to shelter and protect their audaciousnesse , under his excellency . and those calumniators , who not onely condemne all his writings as ungodly and turbulent , now also , if they had any wit , might remember and consider , what is gotten by bitter envie , contumacy , froward opposition and outragious clamours . wolfgang severus tutour of ferdinando of austria , afterward emperour , wrote a distich encomiastick upon luther to this purpose . of iaphets race hath luthers like n'ere been , and his superiour , sure , will n'ere be seen . his imprese was a rose and a crosse , the explication whereof is this . a rose and crosse great luthers heart disclose . the rose , his ioy , the crosse , christs yoak , he chose . thus have we described luthers life and death out of his owne and other learned mens writings : in perusing whereof , the reader is to be intreated ( which thing luther himselfe requested concerning his whole workes ) to judge well what he readeth , and to consider well , whence luther came , and at what time he wrote , namely , out of the dark mistes of popery , and when the raies of the gospel began again to shew themselves . finis . errata . pag. . l. . borne at . p. . l. . dominica . p. . l. . controversy . p. . l. . were by erasmus writings . p. . l. . to hal. p. . l. . beeing justly pref. p. . l. . barnimus . p. . l. . aleander . p. . l. . his jester . p. . l. . and lay many . p. . l. . name of . p. . l. . and against euth . p. . m. glacius . p. . l. pen . refuted . p. . l. . provoked . l. . hyperaspistes . l. . melvictbon . l. pen . carolostades . p. . l. . hesse . p. . l. . words . p. . l. . priscilianists . p. . l. . suddenly sick . l. . but by the . p. . l. . sonthus . p. , pontanus . l. . the rudersort . p. . l. . morotatos moros . p. . l. . scheurlerus . p. . l. . i am like . p. . l. . whereas . l. . cruciger . p. . l. . in faiths . p. . l. . sturmius . p. . aleander l. . dicers . p. . l. . the ministers of . l. . caused psalmes . p. . l. . judged . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- a ann. dom. . and once since that time b b nehem. . & . c c segnius irritant animos demissa per aures , quam quae sunt oculis subjecta sidelibus , hor. d d as the good samaritan not only pitied , but took care of the woundded man . e e christians shold be peaceable one with another : the devill and the world raise stirs too many to molest tho church . f f this by severall instruments signed by them will plainly appear . g when walled cities and castles are taken , villages must yeeld . isor . h he left his wife and three children in want and distresse too manifest a signe thereof . i {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . arist. k some who know nothing dote about questions and strife of words , &c. tim. . . * the cause required it . and god sweetly moderated luthers vehemency with p. melanct●…hons mild and calm temper . l lutheri vitam apud nos , nemo non probat . eras epist. lib. . m luthor endured not to have any one called a lutheran . and erasmus saith , prorsus odi ista dissidiorum nomina : christi sumus omnes . lib. ep. . notes for div a e- a these are a chiefe and excellent work of the new testament church . rev. . rev. . , . rev. . . b when the event is seene , then wee can observe , how godshand was in the worke . c as s. paul did to vex and kil christians , act. . . & . . d epist. b. . pag. . . e he foresaw , that by these novum saeculum brevi exoriturum . lib. epist. . f even with george duke of sax. whom luther found most opposite to the gospell . eras. epist. b. pag. . g hee praised some for learning , that they might strive to be praise-wor thy for it . epist. pag. . h ier. . . * men may judge something now by the good effect of his labours . i these two by conjoyning their studies setled truth : whereas in the councel of trent , though some divines saw the truth yet the major part confirmed errour . notes for div a e- luthers parentage . thence m. luther went to isenak . lu. epist. tom. . pag. . the birth of luther , an. . aemilius put him to schoole . an. dom. . john reineck his school-fellow at magdeburg . an. . he went to isenak . how he perfected his grammar learning . luthers love to learning . he studied at erford , an. . his course in his reading . a a his being m. of arts , an. . or as others , . b b his study of the law . c c he entred the monastery , an. . d d he taketh his leave of his fellow students , tom. . epist. luther meets with a latine bible . luther fell into a grievous sicknesse , an. . a priest comforted him . the monks used him hardly . the article of remission of sinnes explained . bernard . sermon on the annunt . he read st augustine . and writers on the sentences . he began to say masse an. . b. . epist. . he was removed to wittenberg an. . mellurstads judgement of luther . he was prosessor of philosophy at wittenberg and inveyes against arist. tom. . epist. . he went to rome an. . what manner of masses at rome . tom. . ien. germ. pag. . he was made doctor of divinitie , a. . staupicius would have him doctour and why . luther expoundeth the epistle to the romans . he recal'd men to christ his manners and doctrine agreed . the prophets and apostles cleared . erasmus writings . luther studieth greeke & hebrew . an. . io. tecelius sold indulgences . luthers propositions about indulgences . the day of indulgences confusion . tom. . epist. pag. . tecelius his opposing luther . luthers temper in this cause . tom. . epist. p. . . luther writes to the archbishop , who answered him not . tecelius his theset burnt by the students of wittenb . tom. . epist. p. . luthers excuse . tom. . . lat. luther writeth to the bishop of of brandenb . tom. . p. . ep. & . p. he wrote to staupicius . he wrote to the pope . t. . epist. eckius opposeth luther . prierias writeth against luther . tom. . witt. p. . luthers anfw . luthers conclusion concerning rome . hogostratus controversie with luther . luther goeth to hidelberg . * cal. of may . see the theses . tom . pag. . bucer present luthers speecl of that disputation . * tom . epist. pag. . luthers judgement approved . the declaration of luthers propos. tom. . lat. an. . luther cited to rome . tom. . lat. witt. pag. . * tom. . pag. . on saint marks day . tom. . epist , p. . what was required of him . cajetan defended the pope . luthers answer to the cardinal . tom. . epist. p. . b. & . b. cajetans letter to the duke of saxony . the dukes answer . luthers conference with the cardinals messenger . luther was intended to goe from saxony . tom. . epist. pag. . luther appealeth from the pope to the councel . an. . charles multitius sent to bring luther to rome . his speech concerning luther . praef. tom. . luther . lat. worke at wittenb . multitius reproveth tecelius . tom. . ep. luth. p. . and . tecelius his death . the bohemians encourage luther . carolostadius dispute with eckius . luther invited by eckius to dispute . whether the pope be head of the church jura divino . eckius his argument . epist. tom. . p. . luther wrote to the pope an. . the divines of lovan and cullen oppose luther . luther writeth to charles the fifth emperour . luther writeth to the archbishop of mentz . the archbishops answer . tom. . lat. witt. pag. . . the duke of saxon maliced for luther . his excuse . tom. . lat. wittemb . p. . ton . . lat. wittemb . pag. . &c. the popes bull . * tom. . epist. pag. . luther thought of a place to retire himself in . tom. . epist. tom. . lat. p. pag. . . book of captivitie of babyl on . the pope called antichrist . an. . erasmus judgement about luther desired . tom. . lat. sleidan . luthers judgement . tom. . lat. luthers book : burnt . erasmus is instigated against luther . lady margarets answer . tom. . epist. p. . luther burneth popish books . thirty errors of popery . tom. . lat . pag. . de constit. c. translat . . . . jdco permittexte . luther sent for to wormes . . and goeth thither . some dehort him . luther commeth to wormes . promise of safety to luther was to be kept . luther appeareth before caesar . what he is to answer to . luthers answer . luther incouraged by divers present . mat. . . . luthers second answer . eckius indignation and reply . caesars letter to the princes about luthers , cause . the archbishop of triers dealing with luther-slcidan . b. . luthers departure from wormes . luther excommunicate & proscribed . luther conveyed to wartenburgh . luthers patmos . luthers works written in this his retirednesse . private masse taken away at wittenberg . luthers taking the aire and his recreation . hunting is a resemblance of the devils practise . he came privately to wittenberg . tom. . epist. pag. . luthers infirmitie . tom. . epist. pag. . he returned to wittenberg . tom. . epist. pag. . luthers confidence , and relying on god . another cause of luthers return . carolostade offended with luther . . luther translated the new testament and printed it . * melanct. used about it . tom. . epist. p. . & epist. . to camerar . a tom. . epist. pag. . luthers dealing with the ring-leaders of the anabaptists . luthers harsh answer to the king of england . luthers excuse for so writing . sebastian earl of schlick . . an assembly at norinberg . a councell to be held in germany . the hundred grievances of germany . sleid. lib. . pag. . luther interprets the decree . sleidan . . pag. . caesar was offended at the decree . the gospel propagated . tom. . epist. pag. . luthers book concerning the civill magistrate . . the german pentateuch . luther excusing bimselse . tom. . pag. . frederik duk. of saxony warned to punish luther . the popes legate accuseth luther . laurent . campegius the popes legate erasmus wrote against luther being much importuned thereunto . tom. . epist. . muncers writing against luther . the psalmes put forth , &c. of benno bishop of misnia . luther casts away his monkish weed . of calling a counsel . reformation in the cathedal church at wirtenberg . tom. . ep. p. . . the boores rise in armes . luther exhorts to quell them . the contention with carolostade . the anabaptists . the name of masse . the flesh profiteth nothing . ordering of ministers . german songs . luther writeth to strasburg about carolostade . luther marrieth . camerarius in the life of melancthon . what luthers adversaries did about this marriage . * chaplain to george duke of saxony . luthers answer to their opprobries . the cause of luthers marriage . anabaptists at anwerp . luther writeth to anwerp . the articles of the anabaptists . tom. . ep. . luther writeth to the king of england , &c. an. . * tom. . ep. . erasm. his hyperasp . tom. . epist. . epist. pag. . sixe sects of the sacramentarians . luthers speech of comfort to hessus . tom. . epist . the forme of the german masse . his work at jen. tom. . p. . an. . the anabaptists . of the military life . tom. . epist. p. . what strange portent was before his death . see tom. . epist. pag. . luther sicknesse . . a worse sicknesse afterward . luthers last will . luibers recovery . leon keisar burnt for religion . tom. . pag. . b. an. . . * tom. . ep. p. . ibid. p. . answer to zwinglius and oecolampadius . bucers dialogue carolostade epistle to pontanus . luthers answer . * tom. . ep. ien. an. . the greater and lesse catechisme . luthers booke against the turk . the assembly at spire . the name of protestants . conference at marpurg . luther called . tom. . ien. p. ●… . * the life of oecolampadius and others . tom. . ep. p. . fame of the popish princes league . luthers letter about it . * george duke of saxonie . the letter intercepted . ep. tom. . p. . new broiles there upon . an. . the assembly at august . and conformitie of protest . * tom. . jer. germ. chitr . b. . sax. sleid. b. . luther wrote the seventeen articles . luthers articles followed by melanct. joh. elector of saxony came first to august . luther abode at coburg . melanct care in this assembly . in his book written , an. . psal. . psal. . joh. . luthers desire to come to the assembly . apoc. . . the protestants confession . who subscribed to it . it was commanded the papist to confute it if they could . melancthon & luthers letter each to other . luthers exhortaion . luther writeth to albertus cardinal . the refutation of the confession , read . the copie of it hard to be got . arbiters of the cause . luthers admonition to melancthen . the confession of the protestants , translated into divers tongues . the issue of matters in this assembly . * luthers admonition ad germanos . luther studies in the wildernesse at coburgh . luthers ardent prayers . bucer goeth to luther . * see regius his life . an. . an interpretation of caesars edict . an exelene protestation of m. luther . in the book weber den wrucht . &c. * tom. . of his works at ien. p. , &c. an. . a first peace to the protestants . b sleid. b. . p. . an. . luther comforted the oschatz . a controversie with george duke of saxony . george the duke call'd the devils angel . luther comforts the banished citizens of leipsick . luthers lesse apologie . of the dispute with the devil . a letter to frankford . an. . petrus paulus vergerius . an. . p. vergerius returneth into germany . luthers labours . councel at mantua . an. . concord between luther and bucer , &c. in bucers life . the assembly at smalcald . luthers articles there approved and to be exhibited to the councel . luther sick of the stone . luthers recovery . the joy at his recovery shewed by melancthons letter . an. . luthers booke of the popes reformation . the popes reformation turned to smoake . the legend of iohn chrysostom . luther of the helvetians . the sect of the antimonians . an. . sim. lemnius his libel . sleid. b. camerarius in melancthons life . an. . of lawfull defence . of the name of councels and the church . george duke of saxony dyeth . henry succeeds . protestancy in misnia . * now fiftie yeeres old . an. . the conference at hagenaw . melancthon sick in his journey . luther prayeth for melancthon , &c. robert barnes burnt at london . his confession printed by luther . an. . myconius sick and comforted by luther . iohn ●…udding . tom. . ien. an. . the alcoran in the german tongue . an. . camerarius in the life of melancthon . luther to the printer to tigur . luther writeth against the jews . his answer to c. schwenckfeld . his judgement about ceremonies and excommunication . luther at mersberg . a commentary upon davids last words . an. . commentary on genesis . * in the life of bulling . and lavat. histor. sacr. luthers last lecture . see mathes . sermon concerning luther . p. . b. the lye in italy about luthers death . tom. . jen. p. . the italians disgrace the germans . an. . the councel of trent began . camerarius in vita melanct. luther called to mansfield . he lodged at justus jonas his house . luthers danger . luther very sick . luthers imployment . luthers conference . whether in the other life we shall know one another . luthers disease of which he died . luthers prayer before his death . luthers death . luthers body brought to wittenberg . his honourable buriall . the body of martin luther doctour of divinity lieth here interred , who in an. . the . of the kalends of march died in isleben the place of his birth : when he had lived . yeeres . moneths and tenne dayes . melancthons sorrow for luthers death . their intire love & faithfull society . what followed luthers death . see mathel . serm. on luthers life . what will be great hinderances of christian religion . luthers vertues . his constancy in the truth . luthers couragious speech about the gospels successe at the assembly at auspurg . * tom. . epist. p. . * tom. . epist. p. . and tom. . p. . the emperour sigismund unhappy after hus his death . tom. . epist. the chiefe points of religion opened and cleared by luther . melancthon tom. . declam . luthers worthy paines in translating the bible . the difficulty of jobs translation . luthers course in translating the bible . tom. . epist. . mathes . sermon concerning luthers life . p. . luthers revising the first edition of the bible . who carped at this . luther expositions of the bible . erasm. judgement thereof . luthers eloquence in his own tongue . * i st binnunter gerum , pett in die helle . luthers adversaries . secret plots against luther . a tom. . epist. . the papists designes . b tom. . epist. p. . lies against luther . tom. . epist. p. . tom. . ep. p. . . . * tom. . ep. pag. . * tom. . ep. p. . charles the emperour kept the souldiers from digging up luthers bones . tom. . ep. luth. p. . b. luther discerned not all truth at first . tom. . ep. pag. . a tom. . ep. pag. . b tom. . ep. pag. . tom. . ep. pag. . tom. . ep. pag. . tom. . epist. p. . tom. . epist. p. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. melanct. pag. . to . obenburg . tom. . oper. jen. pag. . conf. theolog. melanct. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . & . luthers private life . his temperance . tom. . ep. p. . his zeale in prayer . his recreations . tom. . ep. p. . and . tom . ep. p. . luthers liberality . mathes . in his serm. p. . tom. . ep. pag. . how he dealt with printers . his loving affection to his children . his anger & zeale . tom. . epist. p. . & p. . tom. . epist. pag. . tom. . epist. pag. . of luthers health . of luthers person . of his wife and children after his death . luthers writings . his judgement of them in the praes. of tom. . lat. work printed at wittenberg . tom. . jen. germ. p. . the antimonians . tom. . jen. germ. p. . in his b. of rhiloric . exer. melancth. in mathes . serm. camerarius in melancth. life pag. . wolf . severus of luthers ; the virgin widow a comedie : vvritten by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the virgin widow a comedie : vvritten by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the virgin widow . a comedie . vvritten by fra : quarles . claudian . virginis & viduae sunt rara trophaea pudicae , nec miranda satis spectantibus — london , printed for r. royston , at the angel in ivie-lane . m dc xlix . the stationer to the reader . this enterlude , to sweeten the brackish distempers of a deluded age , is here ( curteous reader ) to thy judicious view freely offered : having been sometimes at chelsie privately acted ( by a company of young gentlemen ) with good approvement . the author , whose divine vvorks have sufficiently proclaim'd his abilities , may give thee assurance of finding in it , wit , worth , and well-season'd mirth . invention to quicken conceipt ; disposition to beautifie art . it is confest , that this dramatick poem was mr quarles his very first assay in that kind : yet shalt thou collect by this piece , that he knew as well to be delightfully facetious , as divinely serious . thy friend to serve thee , r , . r , . the actors names . evaldus the king . augusta the queene . bellarmo palladius museus the kings three sonnes . artesio a doctor of physick . rosia kettreena marina artesio's three daughters . pertenax formidon comodus husband to kettreena . rosia . marina . lactusia a nurse . quack artesio's apothecarie . quisquilla quacks wife . quibble quacks man . phonilla trippit the queenes maids . madge cis chambermaids . frank a faulkoner . antony a head drawer . glisterpipe artesio's boy . two pages , and officers . the virgin widow . act. i. scen. i. formidon . comodus . for. comodus , what eye did ere till now behold folly and madnesse acted to the life ? co. i wonder formidon , the king could bear such sawcy passion with so clear a brow . for. his wisdome knew that pertenax was far too mean a subject for his discontent . and rather look'd upon his crack-brain'd words with princely eyes of pity then revenge . com. such frantick tearms without the priviledge of fool or mad-man would have easily rais'd billowes of fury in the calmest breast , and heav'd a wel-hang'd patience off her hinge . for. nay , to be basely rude in such a place , artesio's house , whose roof the king was pleas'd to honour with his presence — com. nay worse , at such a time when he was pleas'd to lend free reines to mirth , and to suspend those cares that claime such interest in th' imperiall brow . for. nay , when his fair acceptance crown'd the feast of glad artesio , with his princely thanks ; nay , when his royall hand had newly laid the sword upon his shoulders , and receiv'd him into the glorious order of a knight , then to break out into such basenesse thus — com. what mov'd him to 't ? for. nay , he were wise could tell : i saw no cause at all com. unlesse it were some jealous qualme arising from a kisse too hardly printed on kettreena's lip by way of welcome to her ladyship . for. that might well be , for 't was no sooner done but he ( not far to seek for passion or tearms to vent it ) brake into this fury , and being choak'd with choller left the room : whereat his new-made lady pale as death ( no stranger to his passion ) winck'd me out to follow him . com. i mark'd that passage well , and reading the dumb message in her eye writ in pale characters , i quit the room to feel his pulse ; whom if i chance to spie i le read a lecture to him : for. so will i. exeunt . sir pertenax . pert. were he as many kings as he has subjects to abuse , i 'de not endure 't . come , the plaine truth is , i don't like it , so i don't , nor should i spare him had he been a king of gold : what ? should i stood like a fool to be his shooing-horne to draw a paire of hornes upon my head , and turn pander to his lickerish kisses , while he wipes my mouth with a cod-piece knighthood ? i 'le hang first . let him bestow his honour with a vengeance upon those that hold it a good pen'worth on such tearms : for my part i like it not . have i liv'd these thrice thirty years , to be caught with chaffe ? kettreena must be a lady forsooth , to be more capable of his princely lust . and pertenax must be dubb'd , and gain the glorious attribute of a right worshipfull cuckold . come , these are baits to catch young birds with , and honourable mists to blind ambitious fools with . his politique majesty has taken a wrong sow by th'eare . i 'm none of those that for a smile can play the royall pander , nor like a temporizing wittold can help my wanton prince into the saddle , or hold his stirrop . did i not mark the lustfull progresse of his lascivious glaunces ? and how his ugly rowling eyes shot fire-brands at kettreena's face ? how every word was garnish'd with a wanton smile , and still presented to kettreena's eare ! his antick gestures , croutches , congies , cringes , complements , and all directed to kettreena ! while she like a wel-disciplin'd curtezan could counterfeit a modesty , against her conscience , to whet his lust into an appetite ; and like a coy dissembling bride , could sit and mince it , and inwardly rejoice to think of future times . — but see they come ; i 'le stand aside and watch . evaldus leading kettreena , artesio , formidon , comodus , rosia , marina . evald. artesio , we shall study to requite thy bounteous entertainment , and whilst we possesse th'imperiall crown , be confident thou hast a friend at court . come kettreena , chear up : w' are pleas'd to set thy husbands rudenesse upon the score of age the advocate of all infirmity . kett. most gratious prince , the strength of your known wisdome does appear more eminent in his weaknesse . pert. a courtly whore ! kett. and his extream defects are by your goodnesse gratiously supplied . pert. an ignominious whore ! kett. for which kettreena , as duty binds , shall with a gratefull heart lie prostrate at your feet . pert. a prostrate whore ! kett. and alwaies active to discharge that score of your high favours . pert. hey ! an active whore ! evald. enough kettreena ; thy fair merits give breath to our favours , and make virtue live . exeunt manent roscia , & marina . ros. i , let them go : sister , we are too course for their respects . ma. methinks we meerly serve like worthlesse cyphers to encrease a number . ros. or like odde mony in a taylors bill only to be abated : let them go . ma. but yet methinks 't is odde , that all the trumps should lie in fair kettreena's hand , and none in ours . ros. come , kissing goes by favour ; let her go with her fair game . ma. but that which vext me most , the foolish king had nothing else to say but i was like my father , when he knowes comparisons are odious . ros. nay worse , his complement to me was this , that i bore my years well ; as good h'ad call'd me old , a word far more injurious then whore . beare my years well ? what is there in this face to merit such a complement ? [ looks in her . glasse . ma. i like my father ? though i say 't , i scorn 't : [ looks in her glasse . ros. my brow 's not wrinkled . ma. these my fathers eyes ? ros. my teeth all sound . ma. my fathers lips like these ? ros. cheeks plump enough . ma. is this my fathers haire ? ros. eyes quick and clear . ma. was h'ever half so faire ? ros. a double chin ! what symptons can he gather of age ? ma. or what resemblance of my father ? ros. what secret beauty lurks there in kettreena that is ecclip'd in rosia ? ma. or marina ? ros. true , she 's snout faire ; yet by her favour i would scarce turn tables with her , though i say 't . ma. she has a courtly tongue , to breed delight . she has a husband too ; that is a knight . ros. had he not been the king , he should have known that i was sensible of his affront . ma. king , or no king , my ready fingers itch'd to scratch revenge on 's face : i like my father ! ros. and yet our valiant husbands could stand by and heare all this , and yet make no reply . when pertenax impatient of disgrace could nose the king , and beard him to his face . ma. husbands ! husbands of clouts . ros. but , as for mine , i 'le ring his ears a peal of discipline : ma. i 'le act my part ; and if marina fails , let me want fingers , or these fingers nails . [ exeunt . artesio . quack . art. then let everlasting health be entayl'd upon the sons of men , and let the curse of a strong constitution fall upon man-kind , if i dis-card thee not : away , avoid my sight ; must i thus squander out my pretious howers , and wast my wakefull night , to turn baud to a hundred marks , and connive at these your avaritious murthers ? away , thine eyes are basilisks , and dart venome at me too strong for antidotes to resist . quack . 't was but once or twice six months , good doctor be appeased . art. appeased ! my fury hath no eares ; my boyling gall breathes up such fumes of bitternesse into my crazy brains , that there is left no place for patience to repose . quack . i thought so faithfull a servant as i might have deserv'd one life among so many patients , to put me into a new suit of apparel , against easter , without so much adoe . art. slave ! shall you be first serv'd or i ? who gave you leave to send my patients to the shades of death without my licence ! how durst you be so bold to snatch my wel-dealt cards out of my skilfull hand , whilst i was studious to contrive and make the best advantage to my self ? quack . he could not by nature have liv'd much longer , sir , i did but save neighbouring death a labour . art. what tell'st thou me of nature ? is not the patent mine ? have not i power to produce the twine of fraile mortality , in spight of death , or nature ? cannot i lengthen out the groaning daies of transitory flesh , or cut them short according to my pleasure and advantage ? quack . good sir , all this i know . art. why , varlot , then durst you presume to stop the gainfull practises which i intended ? when as the saplesse stock could thrust no further branches forth , worthy our notice , you might have then by permission , done your will upon him for your best advantage : when we had taken the first crop of his exuberous bags , you might have then made bold to eat the rowens ; till then your insolence exceeded our commission . had he been born to swim against the stream of fortune , or tortur'd in the stubborn schools of daring resolution : or had his hide-bound purse preferr'd his sacred wealth before the lingring hopes of costly health — but thus , to ravish from our thriving hand a man of fortunes , one that desir'd to take up life at interest , nay to buy his languishment at so profuse a rate , denies all thought of patience . away , avaunt , begone , no more artesio's servant now . bad be those drivers that unhorse the plough . exit . quack . is it even so ? quack's thread is fairly spun , quack may go home again , his market 's done . sir pertenax . formidon . pert. is there never a statute throughout the volumes of the law , that tolerates a man to hang himself ? for. if there were , it was repeal'd in the next king's reigne , for a great inconvenience that grew upon 't . pert. the more 's the pity : to my thinking it were a very fine harmlesse exercise . for. why ? there 's a custome for 't , for those that will seek the rolls , and have such wives as i with cornelius his motion in her mouth . pert. come , you are happy , the disease lies at that end ; i would my baggage would speak till her heart ake so she did lesse . for. fie pertenax , wrong not sweet innocence so much . had but the stars been pleas'd , would our wives had been like our indentures made enterchangeable : comodus and i pick'd out both the vices , and left the virtue for you . never could any but artesio that by art can alter his constitution as he lists , been father to three such different daughters . marma vents her spirit by the nayles , my rosia , hers by tongue ; and kettreena hers by tears : which like fluent orators , plead a soft heart , a sweet nature , and a high spirit qualified with a mild discretion , and a harsh husband . pert. every one knowes best where his shoe wrings him : she 's mild enough , and that the king knows , i fear to my cost . for. and though i say 't before thy face , she 's fitter for a king then such a testy fool . but who comes here ? comodus ? ent. comodus with a night-cap , and a scratch'd face . com. from harpies nayles , from furies whips , from all sharp noses , and thin lips ; from two-legg'd cats with thrice nine lives , from scalding woort , from scolding wives , from ful-mouth'd blasts , from female blowes , from smooth-fac'd sluts , from sharp-nail'd shrowes ; from wounds t' inflict , from plagues t' inflict me , my genius blesse , my stars protect me . for. now comodus , what means this desperation ? what fury has possest thee ? what strange fit usurps thy patience , and beclouds thy brow ? what means this strange militia in thine eyes ? who rais'd this storm ? has age or wedlock lent thee this sickly night-cap ? tell us what 's the cause of this dull change ? com. i have a reason for ' 〈…〉 for. i fear , i fear , some oeconomick fire hath late been kindled : tell us what 's the cause of these sad looks ? com. i have a reason for 't . for. disclose it then : come , if the bile be ripe 't is best to launce it : a revealed grief invites to cure , lies open to relief . com. he that can still the thunder , or asswage the flames of sulphrous aetna , or command the hideous powers of infernall spirits resolve for vengeance , he , and only he can cure my grief : marinas louder tongue out-rores the thunder , and her flaming eyes out-scorches aetna : her impetuous rage out-devils the whole academe of hell . pert. blowes the wind there away ? what ayles thy face ? com. 't was lately harrow'd with her harpy nailes . pert. why didst not pare them then ? why didst not stop her viperous mouth ? why didst not drive those troups of devils from her stormy tongue ? com. bid me go snatch a daring thunder-bolt , or twi-forkt lightning from the hand of iove : bid me go stop the flowing tides , or stay a singing bullet in her middle way : bid me go tame a dragon ; or restrain the armes of furies bent to high revenge , this were an easie taske ; nay , easier far to slack hels flames , then quench marina's rage . for. nay , then thy case is desperate , farewell . exit . com. who finds a shrew , need fear no other hell . exit . pert. such devils 〈◊〉 be tam'd ; but when the ram begins to butt , ô there 's both devil , and dam. exit . augusta , phonilla , trippit . aug. but trippit is this certain ? trip. yes as sure madam , as fame can make it : 't is the voice of the whole court , whisper'd from ear to ear . pho. madam , let not your easie faith relie too much upon the voice of babling fame ; the court is grown so vain , that it beholds all in extreams , and in ownes nothing good but what it censures evill . aug. there 's no smoake without some fire : report must have some ground . trip. nay madam , it is gone so far , that they stick not to stile her by the name of queen . aug. that 's far enough a conscience , but i hope the faire kettreena will be pleas'd to stay till we resigne , ordie . pho. madam , believe it not , the court is too censorious , and will tax the innocency of a very smile : they weigh our reputations with the scales of their own loose conceits , and our good names , though nere so faire , must be allow'd by them , or given for light . aug. but is she stiled queen ? pho. yes , by that frantick fool , old pertenax her jealous husband , whose malignant eye reads rank adultery in a harmlesse smile , and construes friendly mirth , and faire deportment no lesse then whoredome , and a crime that 's fit to suffer an aspect more grim then death . trip. such looks as his are sowre enough to fright diana from her chastity : and who ere canoniz'd kettreena for a saint ? or took the king for more then flesh and bloud ? aug. there 's something in the wind , that here of late the king is more estrang'd in his behaviour then he was wont ; his language more reserv'd ; his thoughts so various , that an easie eye may read some alteration in his brest , i fear , i 'm wrong'd . pho. madam , let not such thoughts possesse your fancy , or disturb your peace : evaldus is a prince too noble , and too just to be surpriz'd by any eyes , but yours , the only stars whereby his fortunes fayle . aug. but has he knighted pertenax ? trip. yes madam , and whispering joy in his new ladies eare , he feal'd it with a kisse , which pertenax could not digest , but straight brake out in flames at old artesio's house , where he was late received as a self-invited guest . aug. 't was kindly done : evaldus has his end ; fire will want heat when beauty lacks a friend . exeunt . eval : bellar : pallad : museus , artesio , formidon , comodus , kettreena . evald. let 's hear no more on 't . come , sheath up your swords , and as ye love my quiet and your owne , let 's hear no more on 't . what ? have i three sons , and nere a wife one ? ye are both too blame to raise such tumults , and to sow these seeds of factious discords in our setled state . away ! each one to his command : for you bellario , and palladius , we shall find a speedy way to let you understand whose is the birth-right ; and since the pleased fates have made so little difference betwixt you by your twin-birth , in your aspects and marks doe you the like in your united hearts till time and our best care shall bring to light our true successour in our doubtfull throne stand both contented , and let your contentions find out no object , but obedience . and you museus , whose unrivall'd thoughts have pitcht their territories , far more safe where you enjoy more happinesse , more rest then he that wept for want of worlds to win , whose boundlesse limits , and more vast confines extend from th' artick to th' antartick pole , and in the closet of thy contemplation , canst sit and blow new worlds like bubbles ; then demolish and dissolve them at thy pleasure , advise thy factious brothers : let them know that birth-right which they strive for can but make a king at best , and fill their armes with ayre ; their lives with dangers , and their crowne with care . mus. sir , i 'le doe my best t' advise . bel. & pal. and we t' obey . bel. crownes are too great , pal. for breath to blow away . exeunt bell. & pal. evald. artesio , say , what discontents have rais'd these clouds , that over-cast thy chearfull brow , and make sad weather in kettreena's face ? art. my age , most gracious soveraigne can expect small sun-shine in this world : my wasted years find little relish in these worldly toyes . evald. chear up artesio , if our favours can quicken thy joyes , and make thy times more sweet thou shalt not want them ; we shall bend our care for thy advancement , and thy childrens good . but say , artesio , what disastrous evill hath stampt thy looks with these late sad impressions ? kettreena , tell me , for thine eye appears an equall sharer in his silent tears ? ket . most ex'lent prince , my fathers tender care and dear affection , looking on my merits with multiplying glasses , and conceiving all happinesse too little for my heart , thinks ( though perchance without just ground ) that i receive not those sweet comforts , that should spring from the blest bounty of conjugall love : but i lesse conscious of my own deserts . complain not of my fortunes ; but joy , rather to find the sweet indulgence of a father . art. o that these cursed fingers had been struck with a dead palsie when i tied that knot , and these gold-blinded eyes when they survey'd his vast possessions , had been strucken blind : poore girle ! eval . but how can pertenax devise to wrong such patience ? on what just ground can he pretend to build the least distast ? for. upon her noted virtue , by which light his ugly vices doe appear more bright . com. which then reflecting on his conscious soule affrights him into madnesse , who , enrag'd flies in the very face of all desert . evald. well , good artesio , what 's not past our help shall be redrest , we 'l paliate the disease we cannot cure , and with our favours strive to hide the wrinkles of curst fortunes brow . in which respects , artesio , we are pleas'd to make thee our chief doctor to attend on our owne person ; likewise for the trust repos'd in thy fidelity , we make , and choose thee here a counsellour of state . thee formidon for thy sweet rosias sake artesio's daughter , we appoint and choose attourney-generall for our royall causes : thee comodus the master of our mint . omnes , long live evaldus our most gracious lord and master . exeunt . evald. go museus , see them sworne . kettreena , stay , we have a word t' exchange : sit down kettreena : here 's an empty chaire invites thy presence ; come , why com'st thou not ? kett. most gracious soveraigne , that 's a seat not fit for subjects ; sir , be pleas'd to lay commands my duty may not blush to-execute . evald. lay by your complements , kettreena , come repose by us ; we 'l warrant our commands . kett. excuse me sir , and let this bended knee ( a posture far more fit ) attend your pleasure . evald. nay , rise kettreena : something tels my heart thou art too blame : sit here ; we 'l have it so . sits downe . so , now kettreena , time and place conspire to give advantage to my long desire . shall i not seem too curious to propound a harmlesse question , to thy private eare ? kett. in confidence , your grace will not command beyond my power and honour , i obey . evald. then tell me sweet kettreena , and tell true , had peevish pertenax the maiden-head of thy affection ; did thy heart nere flame untill his amorous bellowes blue the fire ? kett. sir , were it not too high presumption to enquire the cause of your command — evald. nay , blush not lady . 't is nor sin nor shame to tell the secrets of so sweet a flame . that blush has half resolv'd me ; what remains to clear my doubt , let thy faire words produce . kett. sir , wer 't a sin , my sin would not despair that have my sovereigne to my confessour : sir , i was nere so wise above my sex to blast affections blossome in her spring , nor yet so nicely foolish to deny that passion which has conquer'd more then i. evald. liv'd there a soule subjected to our crowne , so blest in his deservings , as to find so great a favour at kettreenas eyes ? kett. sir , may your subjects flourish with desert to merit such a prince , but — evald. but ? but what ? speak on kettreena . kett. let your grace excuse my blunt abruption . evald. come , speak out , thy full perfection can no way admit imperfect languages . say on ; but what ? kett. but , 't was no subject , gracious prince of yours that first enthrall'd my heart . evald. what was he then ? was he some foraine prince in a disguise that came to rob our land of such a prize ? tell me ketreena , if thou darest repose so great a secret in evaldus brest . what was he for a man ? of what condition ? from whence ? what were his fortunes ? his allyes ? kett. most gracious soveraign , what , or whence he was i cannot well relate : so many years have pass'd since then , that my remembrance may well plead her frailty : whatsoere he was , a pilgrims weed eclips'd him . evald. could thy heart make a sad pilgrim th' object of thy love ? kett. sir , i was then but young , and my affection could find no tutor but her owne desires which curb'd my nonag'd reason , with a hand too too severe for councell to withstand . evald. i wonder how a pilgrim durst attempt so strong a taske ! upon what hopefull grounds could he presume to build his vain desire ? kett. the ground of love is love : and the direction which meer affection takes , is meer affection . evald. how long kettreena since thy soft desire relented first at thy bold pilgrims fire ? kett. fates blesse the token : even that very year your highnesse first set happy footing here to tie that blest , that royall knot between your sacred self , and our as sacred queen . evald. but did that pilgrim never since appear discover'd to thine eye ? kett. great sir , mine ear was never since made happy with the newes that he is living , for whose sake i wear these weeds of mourning : true , the great desire of my wel-being urg'd my fathers heart to match me to a wealthy discontent , but my obedience thwarted my affection , and made me prisoner to a secret vow , which i have kept as spotlesse as my name . evald. has not thy mariage-bed dissolv'd that vow . kett. although i live sad pertenax his wife , yet shall i prove his virgin when i die . evald. tell me kettreena , do'st thou know this ring ? why do'st thou start kettreena ? do'st thou know 't ? what meanes these teares ? what meanes this change of weather ? tell me , kettreena , do'st thou know this ring ? kett. sir , too too well , and in this ring i read the secret story of my pilgrims death : heavens rest and all my joyes be with him ; sir , he was too good to live , and wretched i a slave to life , not good enough to die . evald. come , come , kettreena , let those pretious drops forbear to trickle : come , thy pilgrim lives and fares no worse then i : i am the man . kett. abuse me not great prince : o punish not my rude ( but yet obedient ) boldnesse thus : deride not her whom fortune hath deprest , and hath a loyall , though a troubled brest . evald. 't is i that was that pilgrim , and disguis'd wandred this land ( whose crowne i was fore-told by our chaldean prophet should be set upon my temples ) and directed to artesio's house ; i found that very face his glasse presented to my wandring eyes in viewing thee , whom he mistook as queen , and read my regall fortunes in thy love ; adding this prophesie , as yet untold , she that gives thee the first ring shall crown thy head , and make thee king . this is that ring , which given thou drop'dst a tear , and whispered'st thus : this ring is cupid s sphere . 't was i , to whose safe trust thou didst repose a secret , which this tongue shall nere disclose ; these were the lips which gave thee that advise , my judgment thought most fit , and thine approv'd . kett. i am convinc'd dread soveraigne , and amaz'd , my trembling heart 's surpriz'd 'twixt joy and fear . evald. fear not kettreena , i am still the same , and so art thou , excepting this alone : thou found'st a croffe , and i have gain'd a crown , which i 'le renounce , and call no longer mine when it shall cease t' advance both thee and thine : and for a pledge , we tender on our part our royall hand ; with it a reall heart . kett. your hand 's enough great prince ; as for the rest i 'm not ambitious now . evald. be not deceiv'd my sweet kettreena , there 's no dregs of lust defiles that bosome thou so fear'st to trust : 't is fair and spotlesse , and contrives no end but what may merit so divine a friend . kett. i question not ; and for that heart , return a heart ( though far unequall , yet ) shall burn with equall fires . evald. and let kettreena know nor time , nor fortunes shall have pow'r to show the shadow of a change : and mark how long times hower-glasse shall measure out my daies . ent. augusta , phonilla , trippit . till then — but hold ! the queen prevents the rest . how now my dear augusta ? art thou come to give 's a visit ? love , 't is kindly done . aug. i fear my lord the king , my blunt accesse hath given the privacies of your discourse too quick a period . evald. no , no my dear , at thy approach , all businesse does appear like pale-fac'd stars before the rising sun . aug. madam kettreena , i must give you joy . kett. me joy , most excellent princesse ! pray , for what ? aug. nay , never blush : i say , i wish you joy . kett. i thank your grace , be pleas'd to say , wherein . aug. of your new ladiship : come , now you know . what ayles my lord the king ? are you not well ? evald. why ? dear augusta . aug. cause ye look so pale , your colour 's gone into kettreenas cheeks ; but are you well indeed ? i wish you joy , too . evald. thanks sweet augusta : tell me dear of what ? aug. of your new servants that you made to day . but i transgresse : my lord , the king , farewell . evald. what haste augusta ? we 'l together hence . aug. madam kettreena — offers the place kett. lord ! what means your grace ? aug. excuse me madam — pray — kett. your highnesse now make me ridiculous . aug. you 'l wrong your self — exeunt . act. ii. scen. i. quack , reading a bill . mistresse penelope trippits bill , aprill . for ounces of syrrop of savin , and keeping her councels -- s- d item for one ounce and a half of surfling water -- -- item for a glasse of the best mercury-water , and a box of pomatum — -- -- item for ounces of talk -- --- master lustybloods bill , iune . for a sweating chaire -- -- . for a purge - -- . item for the same again -- --- . item for turpentine pills -- --- . item for a diet drinke -- -- . item for a serynge -- -- . item for fluxing his body - -- . item for penny-worth of diascordium -- --- . summ. tot . a prety reck'ning ! as i am a virtuous ' pothecary , i know not how to subsist . here 's all that 's comming to me , and that 's not to be expected till christmas , if paid then . gentlemen , i am in a very skirvy case . artesio has turn'd me out of his service , and i must break . what shall i doe ? i must play the good fellow abroad , and then my wife plaies the devill at home . how can the one be maintain'd ? or the other endured ? i have pawn'd already her tuftaffaty peticote and all her child-bed linnen , besides two tiffiny aprons , and her bearing-cloth , for which i have had already two curtame lectures , and a black and blue eye . but stay ! my satten dublet had yet a good glosse , and her silk mohaire petticote and wastcote will make a good show in a country church . nay , my credit will yet passe in bucklers berry for five pounds worth of commodity , which with the help of a gold night-cap , a few conjuring words and a large conscience will go far , and set me up in a market towne , where i may passe for a padua doctor : 't is but italianating my name , garb , language , and habit , and then seignior quackquinto may practice as safely , kill as ignorantly and innocently as artesio himselfe , or any doctor in the king's dominions . and when my name is once but rais'd upon the wings of popularity , the better sort will hold it disparagement to their judgments not to magnifie quackquinto , and rather not be sick at all , then to be counsell'd by quackquinto ; every disease will call upon quackquinto . if any foolish lord be sick of a plurisie of gold , who must be sent for but the italian doctor , seignior quackquinto ? if any love-sick lady would take a pill to purge mellancholly , who must be sought to but the italian doctor , seignior quackquinto ? and then so honourable will the name of the italian doctor be , that he 's not fashionably sick that will not advise with seignior quackquinto . but the way to proceed is not to stay here . exit . museus . so , let their ambitions clime and shake the tree , when the fruit falls 't may chance to fall to me : i 'le stand below and watch ; they seldome fall that keep their stations , and not clime at all : low fortunes find most rest , abide most sure , when lofty cedars shake , shrubs stand secure : bellarmo will be prince : palladius , he assumes the self-same title : both will be evaldus heires , both kings ; both joyntly scorn the stile of subject : both will be first-borne : i , let them jarre ; and let the golden apple remain still doubtfull ; let them grasp and grapple : museus , stand thou neuter : oft 't is known , when two dogs fight , the third does catch the bone . exit . rosia , marina , quisquilla . ros. had i imagin'd kettreenas ladiship had been no worse , i should have made bold to owe her this visit a day longer . ma. for any thing i see , she may live til all her friends be weary of her . quisquilla , what brought thee thither ? did her ladiship send for thee to watch ? quis. truly , i heard she was very ill , and when i came , i found her very ill . ma. some qualm ! may be she 's breeding of a young prince . ros. or sick of an old knight : methought she lookt very peevishly : if he 'd but drop out of the way a little , she 'd be well enough . quis. nay , indeed , they say , if ladies , be not ( as it were ) sick once a fortnight , they forfeit their honour . ma. why , then quisquilla , thou thinks she 's but a little sick of course . ros. introth then , our visit is sutable to her disease . ma. for my part , if her ladiship had been sick to the heart i should ha visited her with a better heart ; but sirrah , i believe our welcome was as hearty as our visit . quis. truly , i believe you had been more welcome , if you had staid two minutes longer . ros. prithee , why sirrah ? quis. nothing , but only her maid could not find the perfuming pan , to take away the smell of the — ma. of the what ? prithee quis. what was the matter ? i know by thy simpring , thou hast some roguery at thy tongues end . ros. prithee quis. out with it . quis. shall i ? but as i live , ye must say nothing . when she first heard of your coming , her ladiship was heartily tugging a piece of sod bacon , and fearing ye would come up a little too soon , as in truth ye did , her maid for haste hiding it under the bed , it slipt into the chamber-pot . ma. the best that ever i heard , she should ha thrown a few oynions after 't , and stued it for the old knight , quis. 't had been good enough for such an old miserable hound , to allow a sick lady so course a diet . ros. sirah , we have husbands bad enough , but not so bad . ma. gramercy good wives , that won't be such fools to endure it . quisquilla , i think thy husband is no saint neither . is he ? quis. yes , of the devils canonizing , would i had been hang'd the first hower he saw me . ros. why ? what 's the matter , quis ? quis. what ? all that he gets he spends , and all he can find he pawnes : yesterday , he broke open my chest and pawn'd all my child-bed linnen , and to day my taffaty petticoat , and my best purld gorget , and to make up the matter , he hath plaid such pranks that the doctor has turn'd him out of his service . ma. why do'st not discipline him ? quis. discipline him ? if i counsell him , he stands like an asse and casts up his ugly gray eyes : if i ring him a peal he slights me with his silence , and that which vexes me to the heart , stands and whistles . but if i live till to morrow , for i know he 'l come in drunk to night , i 'le whistle him , y'faith i wil ; i 'le make him know what 't is to whistle a wife , the longest howre he has to live , y'faith i will . ros. a g●rle worth gold . mar. come , lead away , let 's go . quis. she 's a meer fool , that sometimes is no shrow . exeunt . quack , lactusia . quack . as i live and hope to be a doctor , 't was for nothing in the universall world but for killing a rich patient of his a little before his time . lact. that was a poor thing to turn away an old servant for , especially a man of your profession . quack . 't was nothing else as i am virtuous . nay more , he was a slow pay-master too , and took phisick upon the ticket . ah madam , had he conniv'd a little , i had clearly gain'd a hundred marks by his death . lact. how ? quack . his younger brother , a fine gentleman , laid me a hundred marks he would live till our lady-day . alas ! i did no more for a considerable summe then my doctor has done a hundred times for nothing ; i 'm sure i have been a gainfull servant to him , and that he knows right well . but the truth is , he has no more conscience with him then the dog has : how often have i left out the chief ingredient out of his receits to prolong the cure for his profit ? how often dropt in a dram of a malignant quality into his dose to make a cure for his gain ! nay , as i am an honest man , out of my rank affection to him , at my owne cost and charges kept a brace of hot creatures in ordinary to help yong gentlemen to their diseases for his sweet sake : had i been a knave , his daughters had wanted many a satten petticote . and thus my honest dealing is requited : but 't is no matter , there 's more waies to the wood then one . i have corruption enough in me to make a country doctor . and 't is no new thing to build up a new phisitian upon the ruines of an old broken ' pothecary . lact. quack , you have a voluble tongue , and can easily work upon the ignorant multitude , i could rather wish you to turn mountebank , what think'st thou of that quack ? quack . madam , i doubt not but i could cheat the king's liege people as plausibly as another , if the king , or any of his mad sons would give me a license . lact. as for the king , artesio is in too great favour with him . but prince bellarmo will do 't if you make the means . quack . your ladyships word in my behalf will soon be heard , for which , i shall present you with a new-years-gift a hundred marks thick . lact. i 'le move his highnesse in 't . go get a license drawn for him to signe . quack . i humbly thank your ladyship . exeunt . pertenax . so they are fat enough , and there let 'em sterve and rot , and let their children pick their bones . i 'le not abate one single penny . tell me of mercy ? if their wives brests want milk , let their children suck bloud . their bonds are forfeit , and i 'le have ev'ry farthing ere they quit those grates . hoe , there within , hoe , kettreena . [ knocks . ent. kettreena . ket . sir , did you call ? pert. o are ye come , hussif , go fetch my box of obligations down , make haste , away . [ exit kettreena . compound quoth her , i 'le no compounding , though they are beggers , they have able friends . i wonder ther 's no statute to brand all bankrupts in the forehead with a hot iron , that men may know 'em . nature had been very provident if she had ordain'd that their flesh might ha' risen and fallen with their fortunes , that we monymasters might have traded without broken slumbers , and ha' known a rascall from a fat deere . enter kett. with a box . pert. o are ye come , give me , give me , quickly , quickly ? [ looks among the papers . kett. o that his virtues were enclosed there , and that his honour were but half so deare ! pert. iohn havelands bond . l to pay the sixt of iune next : good . what 's here ? henry thrift , l to pay the of march next : and good . humphry rich his bond to pay the double interest of l for years , and lose the principall : good . quack's bill of sale of a tuftaffaty peticote , and a chest of fine linnen , at d per month in the pound , that 's as good as mine own already . kett. ah poor quack , art thou come into his clutches ? pert. o here 't is , here 't is , here 't is , they are both come together . thomas badluck , l to pay . and george ●aile l to pay . both forfeit , and fast enough . there 's l good besides cost and charges , or there let 'em rot . kett. deare sir , let me be a suiter for mercy upon these two . pert. mercy ! then let me never find mercy , if i show 'em any . kett. i prithee , be good to 'em . they have children between 'em , and of them are motherlesse . if they remain in prison , they must all sterve . pert. hey , tittle tattle , tittle tattle , tittle tattle , pray go to your favorite the king ; he 'l redeem 'em for the tother kisse , or if your kisses are growne cheap , for a nights lodging . now your father 's a privy counsellour you 'l have a glorious pander . kett. sir , you wrong three at once , and your self that 's four , and i have a conscience that 's a thousand will justifie it : but i forgive ye . pert. forgive me , ye court munkey ! they say y' are breeding and keep your chamber , and puke a mornings , and eat caudels and cordials in a corner to cherish you after your journey , and my purse must pay for all , but i 'le keep you short . kett. heaven and my innocence comfort me : what i breed i fear you 'l justly father ; even that child will make us both happy . pert. i father your bastard ! you extract of court impudence ! o that my hand were turn'd to lyons pawes that i may tear thee to bits . kicks her and falls . murther , murther , murther ! kett. sir , let my arme assist ye . helps him up . pert. o i am murther'd ! o my bonds , my bonds , my bonds ! o let me once embrace ye more my deare bonds ! taks up his box . o my dear bonds . kett. feare not , my arme shall hold you up . pert. o my legge , my legge ! o my bonds , my bonds , my sweet bonds ! [ leads him out . exeunt bellarmo . quack , with a paper in his hand , at one dore . bel. quack , but i fear 't will doe artesio wrong . quack no wrong at all , my lord : my practice lies among the fooles , he deales with none but wise . bel. i , but you promise cure to their disease . quack their mony loads 'em , and we give 'em ease . bel. why then you rob them for your own relief . quack who takes what 's freely offer'd , is no thief . bel. but they expect recovery of their health . quack and we accept what 's much inferiour , wealth . bel. they heal your wants , you fail to help their grief . quack 't is true , our sense exceeds their dull belief . bel. can then belief give help to their disease ? quack faith in the doctor gives the patient , ease . bel. if these be penny-worths , he 's a fool that buyes . qu. if they be fools , our pen'worths make them wise . bel. but quack , i know that mountebanks are bold , ignorant , and covetous ; and when these three qualities meet and present themselves to the vulgar , who are naturally confident , simple , and admirers of novelties , like files , they 'l buz about the flame till they have burnt their wings , nay sometimes scortch their bodies too , and that must not be suffer'd . quack my lord , we mountebanks are in that kind very circumspect : what we prescribe , if it doe no good , we are confident can doe no harme . for most of what we give , carries the bare name of phisick , but is none . bel. why doe ye give it then ? quack to cure our own diseases , and with the help of a little foolish faith , theirs too . bel. but methinks your knavery should quickly be discover'd quack , what doe ye then ? quack why , then we flee to the next good towne , and there we meet with fresh fooles , where if one among a hundred hap to be cured , he more cries up our credit , then the ninety nine can disparage it . every prize hath his trumpet when thousands of blanks are swallow'd up in silence , that others may be fool'd as well as they . howsoever , they depart all satisfied , and i dare say , repent no more of their sixpences , then they doe of their sinnes . bel. well quack , give me thy paper . once for old lactusia's sake , i 'le be accessary to a piece of knavery . [ signes the license , & exit . qu. thanks noble lord , y' are principall in my esteem . now quack , skrue up thy brains : provide thee a fit man , and him a fit habit , and oyle thy tongue ; that it may neatly cosen poor country-fools as they draw doves , by th'dozen . augusta , lactusia , trippit . lactusia , i 'de have it made up into a potion , and so convey'd to her . canst-a make a composition ? lact. an 't please your grace , i le doe my best , but dare not warrant the present working of it . i ha' poyson'd many a rat , but my practice lies no further . aug. art acquainted with no pothecary , that will take an anuity of a hundred mark to doe the feat ? lact. now i think on 't , i have one fit for the purpose , a man of a desperate fortune , that will bite at such a baite . cornelius quack , lately pothecary to artesio , who is about to get a license to be a mountebank . aug. i 'le grant it him , but will he be secret ? where is he ? lact. i met him just now . aug. go find him , and if he entertain the motion , bring him hither . lact. i know no fitter man . exit . aug. but trippit , in whose name shall we send it to her ? trip. no better then in her fathers , he being a doctor , and the ( as i heare ) at this time not well , may send it as phisick to be taken presently . aug. had quack contemned her fathers pothecary it would ha' done well , but having left his service , it will breed suspition . trip. what if it should be sent in a bottle of greekwine , as a token from one of her sisters ? aug. i believe there 's no such correspondency between 'em , and besides , wine of that nature will break the glasse ; and make discovery . [ ent. lact. & quack whispering . what think'st thou of counterfeiting a kind letter from evaldus , which shall intimate his notice of her sicknesse , and that he hath sent her one of his own cordials , wishher for his sake ; to drink it fasting ? trip. your highnesse has hit it . and he may adde , that he hath drunk her health in the same , which may the better indure her to pledge it . it will be a way beyond all exception . aug. look , here 's a letter pend to the same purpose , read softly . quack . madam , teach a miller to be a thief ; if i doe not like a workman , let my wages be thereafter . lact. madam , here 's the man i recommended to your highnesse . aug. bring him near , [ kisses her hand . you are acquainted with the businesse ? quack . yes an 't please your grace , and am ready to perform it . aug. let the cordiall be made of sudden execution , and convey it to her with this letter . lact. will your highnesse be pleas'd to signe this his license to practice phisick and chirurgery in your majesties dominions . aug. trippit , keep both the license and the letter , and put us in mind to signe the one , and seale the other , let 's away . fellow , be silent , sudden and circumspect . quack . your grace will beare me out in 't . aug. doubt it not . [ exeunt . manet quack . quack . so , now my license will have authority enough . a hundred marks a year besides , and the queens servant ? i 'le venture a hanging upon these tearms at any time . enter quisquilla . quis. come , art thou there ? hah ! must my fury await your pleasure ! must my sweet revenge attend your leisure ? have i nothing else to doe , but to figge from place , from taverne to taverne , from corner to corner ? must i be still yawling , and calling , and bauling for you whilst y' are rambling , and roving , and roaming , and potting , and piping , and driveling and snivelling ! am i born to trot after you ? to wait upon your taile ? or else like a fool , sit moaping at home , with neither clothes to my back nor meat for my belly , nor a penny in my purse ? quack . so now the game begins . quisq . must i be thus slighted , and scorn'd , and contemn'd , and undone by a runnagate , a sneap-nose , a thin-gut ? must i daunce attendance after such a shotten herring as you ? be a slave to such a sot as you ? such a bul-pated milk-sop as you ? you a citizen ! you a trades-man ! you a husband ! you a companion for gentlemen ! mary , come up ! you must be prankt up in your satten doublet , when i ha' scarce a smock to my back , nor a shoe to my foot , nor a tatter to my tayle , nor a hot bit to put into my belly , from sunday to sunday . quack . heyday , heyday , heyday ! quisq . and heyday , and heyday , and heyday too ; go heyday your base trulls , your three-half-peny draggle-tayl'd queanes , that can endure your heydayes , and your mocks , and your mowes , and your taunts for an ounce of coventree-blue . quack as i went to walsingham . [ whistles quisq . go , ye weasel-snouted , addle-pated , buzzleheaded , splatter-footed moon-calf . go whistle your dogs , and your flap-mouth'd whores , that ye carried to the tap-house , and then ran away and left them to pay for the reck'ning , when they follow'd ye , and rung ye by th' eares , till they made ye roar like your mother , when she was delivered of such a coxcombly booby as you . quack so , is all out now ? quisq . go , go ye sycophant , the dregs of the suburbs , that can murther a patient for the hopes of a hundred marks , and then be turn'd out of service for your paines . o how my fingers itch , to set their marks upon those meager cheeks of thine ! but you sir know , i have all your villanies upon the score , [ claps here hands and at the next offence , i 'le call ye to accompt , and if ye bauke me , then i ransake ye out , and make ye understand the sharp-nail'd language of quisquilla's hand . exit quack it is some comfort yet i find a warning ere i feel the fit . exit palladius , bellarmo , museus . pal. i scorn your words , bellarmo ; my spirit flies as high a pitch as yours , have every whit as good bloud in my veines as you . mus. nay good bellario . bel. i , to keep for wanton ladies . pal. no , to spend in a just cause . mus. nay good palladius . bel. come , come , ye dare not . pal. provoke me not . bel. i dare thee to thy face . mus. nay , what d'ye mean ? pal. meet me with your horse and sword . bel. i will : to morrow expect to heare from me the time and place . exeunt . mus. so , now it works like wax : whilst they prepare to beat the bush , my hound may catch the hare . act. iii. scen. i. phonilla . there 's old whispering between them . pray heav'n they be not hatching of a cockatrices egge . look where they come . ent. aug. lact. trippit , aug. where 's phonilla all this day ? whispering . pho. here madam . aug. o are ye there ? my heart 's much opprest with melancholly ! come phonilla ; sing the song , the king likes so well . song . how blest are they that wast their weary howers in solemne groves , and solitary bowers , where neither eye , nor eare , can see , or heare , the frantique mirth , and false delights of frolique earth ; where they may sit , and pant , and breathe their pursy souls , where neither grief consumes , nor griping want afflicts , nor sullen care controuls . away false joyes , ye murther where ye kisse : there is no heav'n to that ; no life to this . aug. truth , sweetly sung . come let 's away . exeunt pertenax with a letter , and cup. murther will out : a letter , and a silver cup ! to the fair hands of the most honourable lady , the lady kettreena these . good . so much for the preface , now to the businesse . [ opens the letter and reads . the ill construction of our loves , enforces me to whisper my affection in the sympathie of thy sufferings : cheare up , and let thy courage for a while beare what present time cannot remedy . receive this cordiall , as a deare pledge of my love , and a certaine meanes of thy health : it will restore thy wasted spirits , and wind up the plum●ets of thy weakned constitution , it will fill thy heart with mirth , and bones with marrow , whose welfare is the studious care of thy evaldus . evaldus ? so now 't is out . hah ! does the jade begin to tyre ? must her plummets be wound up ? nay , it shal ha' my blessing too , i had a dose of arsnick [ feels in 's packet but 't is gone . well , if i cannot make it fit for her , the king has made it fit for me : let me see [ peruses the letter 't will fill thy heart with mirth , and bones with marrow . good ! muth and marrow , and a silver cup , three good commodities ! first i 'le up with this . so — now i 'le up with that [ drinks . puts up the cup in 's pocket evaldus , we thank ye . kettreena , we thank ye , health and wealth 's a double purchase . enter kettreena . kett. sir , if mine eyes may not be made partakers of the kings message , make my eares happy with your relation . pert. d'ye want restority ? are the plummets of your soule downer ? does your heart want mirth ? or your bones marrow ? kett. sir , what meane ye ? pert. most honourable lady , to cut your throat : away ye strumpet . kett. sir , will you be pleased — pert. to slit your nose ; avoid my sight [ exit kett. o what ayle i ! in the name of gold what ayle my bowels thus to gripe ? oh! her very breath 's a purge ; her eyes are granadoes , and have set my bloud on fire . i burne like hell : my liver scorches ; my heart is in a fornace , o water , water , water ! o , for a crust of ice , that i may gnaw and coole my flaming tongue ! oh , my leggs begin to faile , i faint , i faint , i faint ! oh that this earth were snow that i might roule , and roule , and roule ! where are ye ô my bags , my blessed bags ! help me , ô help me my deare bags . oh , will ye suffer me to be thus tormented ! what are ye deafe now ? are ye dumb ? take , take away the witch ; she comes , she comes , she comes to pinch me with hot irons , & fils my veynes with boyling lead . o the witch , the witch , the witch , the witch . languishes . dies . enter kettreena . kett. what ? falne asleep ! how miserable is poore kettreena that has no happinesse but then ! how well quietnesse becomes him ! he lies very still ; he was wont to snort , that th' whole house was witnesse of his slumbers , i 'm loath to wake him . i 'm affraid he 's dead . sir , sir , sir . [ jogs him oh , he 's dead ! he 's dead ! he 's dead ! [ ent. comodus utterly dead , dead for ever . com. deare sister , what 's the matter ? kett. o he 's dead , he 's dead , he 's dead ! com. nay , sweet sister , have patience . kett. oh , woe is me , that i have liv'd to see this heavy hower ! com. pray sister be patient , you wrong your self too much . kett. i care not , so long as i never wrong'd him . oh my deare husband is dead , and i am undone , undone for ever ! com. come , pray sister leave the roome , and take some comfort ; your teares cannot recall him . kett. no , no , i 'le never leave him , i 'le never leave him thus . com. come , come , let me perswade ye . nay come , good sister . kett. then let me take my last farewell : deny me not that good brother . kisses him . i hope he 's happier far then i. exeunt ent. quack . quibble , at one dore . quack conscience ! what tell'st thou me of conscience ? conscience , and commodity , are two severall trades : if thou keep the one , the other will scarce keep thee . conscience , quoth her ? i cry my stars mercy . there 's a word indeed ! you a mountebanks man ! you a hang-man as soon . tell me of conscience ? quib. i beseech you , sir , excuse me . 't was but a hasty word let slip , before i was aware . quack he that 's my servant must forget to blush , must teach his ready lips to mouthe an oath , must have a daring brow , hatcht ore with brasse ; must have a smooth-fac'd tongue , that has the art to cloath a naked lie with robes of truth ; and learne to work upon the easie faith of the believing multitude : he must be bold and plausible , and captivate the eare with lines of wit ; and with some bugbeare words of seeming art , must fright their understandings into an admiration . which , like a nightly lowbell , may entice th' amaz'd plebeans to his batfoule net . quibble , what say'st to this ? quib. sir , if you 'd be pleas'd to excuse me a little for swearing , i should do wel enough for lying . for indeed , i must confess , swearing goes a litle against my conscience . quack more conscience yet ? come , come , ye must not stand upon such niceties : he that will thrive must fear to act no profitable crime : almighty gold hath power to absolve the evils of poverty : he may be bold to sin in want , that may repent in gold . quib. well sir , i am resolv'd . conscience , farewell . and now that blocks remov'd , quibble shall undertake your faire instructions , and approve himself a scholar worthy of so sage a master . quack but one thing more ; when you shall mount my stage be sure , your lavish tongue reflect upon the honour of my name : let all your words ayme at my merits , and inhaunce my fame , advance my cures , and let thy tongue relate the greatnesse of my patients , and rewards of foraine princes , and those powers above . 't is easier to believe , then to disprove . quib. it is enough : if quibble undertake , and fail , trust neither foole nor knave for quibble's fake . exeunt , severall dores . lactusia , trippit . lact. the queen 's extreamly discontent , that her designes have fall'n so crosse . trip. who can help it ? lact. this is the fruit of jealousie ; had not that peevish foole been jealous of kettreena , my conscience tells me this had never been . trip. nay , to see the old foole must needs run upon his owne death , and not suffer her to die , whose death he so desired ! lact. well , 't was the first time that i was ere engag'd in such a business , and shall be the last . trip. nay , to see the luck on 't , the counterfeited letter was found in pertenax his pocket , and may discover all . lact. but my feare is , that quack will be examin'd , and then all will out . trip. no , quack did wisely deliver his message in a disguise ; can he but keep his owne counsell , all may be well . in the mean while , i have given out that kettreena had a hand in the businesse , which perchance may prove an after-game , and strengthen'd with report may leave her to the law . exeunt evald. artesio , formid : comodus . evald. i send a letter and a cordiall ! i 'm abus'd . art. it appeares , the mischief was meant to kettreena , sir . evald. but heav'n protected her : who brought the letter and the potion ? for. the messenger was a stranger , sir . evald. how habited ? com. sir , like a cavalier , in a slasht suit , a black lock , and a gilt rapier , down to his heels . evald. we 'l make a strict enquiry ; such murther will not long lie smother'd . but how does poor kettreena take it ? com. exceeding heavily sir , and the worse , that some base tongues would make her accessary . evald. my soule acquits her . artesio , let her know , we 'l visit her to morrow . bid her from me cheare up ; upon my honour i 'le not rest , till she be righted . art. heav'n blesse your highnesse . evald. 't is certain , there 's a challenge pass'd betwixt bellarmo , and palladius : i feare the unhappy difference concerning the birthright , will never be compos'd but by the oracle . on wednesday is their birth-day , and most fit for such solemnity : formidon , let proclamation be issued forth , that all the court , upon the paine of our displeasure that day awaite the oracle , where we in person will attend it . artesio send you warrant out in our name to the pythian priests to make their preparations . comodus . museus . so now museus , if the plot hit right there 's but a haire 'twixt monarchy and thee : the gap stands faire ; if thy auspitious stars light thee the way , and prosp'rous fortune breathe successe upon thy high contriv'd designes , thy sole-commanding hand , shall grasp and sway the glorious scepter , and thy gracious browes shall be encompass'd with th' imperiall crowne . but stay ! what if palladius should advise with his soft pillow ? what if pleading tears softly distilling from the amorous eyes of his faire idoll should prevaile and turne his martiall flames into a love-sick fire ? what if the blaze of our bellarmo's rage ( not having solid fuell to maintain the wastfull bounty of his lavish flames ) should slake and languish , and consume it self to the warme ashes of a soft accord ? here , here , museus , thou must act thy part with care and judgment , and ingenious art . be circumspect ; be studious to encrease those fires : their wars produce thy peace . be thou the bellowes to advance their flame : and having wisely dealt , play thus thy game . first baite thy hook with deep dissembled love , keep close thy serpent , and shew them thy dove : seem friend to both ; who ever fail'd his end , that hammer'd treason with the hands of friend ? feel both their pulses : if they chance to beat active and sprightly , wish , advise , entreat to peace : perswaded fury , and stopt streames when most resisted , run to most extreams : but if their tilted spirits run too low , urge reputation , and the faith they owe to sacred honour in a princes name : the whet-stone of abated valour 's shame . [ ent. palla . softly , reading . letters . but see , how pat palladius presence gives a faire advantage to my new desires ! i le stand aside , untill his serious eyes have given free welcome to his paper-guests . pall . i stand betwixt two minds ! what 's best to doe ? this bids me stay ; this spurs me on to goe . once more let our impartiall eyes peruse both t'one and t'other : both may not prevaile . my lord , prize not your honour so much as to disprize her that honours you , in choosing rather to meet death in the field , then pulchrella in her desires . give my affection leave once more to disswade you from trying conquest with so unequall a foe : or if a combate must be tryed , make a bed of roses the field , and me your enemie . the interest i claim in you is sufficient warrant to my desires , which according to the place they find in your respects , confirme me either the happiest of all ladies , or make me the most unfortunate of all women . pul chrella . a charme too strong for honour to represse . mus. a heart too poore for honour to possesse . pall . honour must stoop to vows . but what saies this ? [ reads the other letter . my lord , the hand that guides this pen , being guided by the ambition of your honour , and my owne affection , presents you with the wishes of a faithfull servant , who desires not to buy your safety with the hazard of your reputation . goe on with courage , and know , panthea shall partake with you in either fortune : if conquer'd , my heart shall be your monument , to preserve and glorifie your honour'd ashes ; if a conqueror , my tongue shall be your herault to proclaime you the champion of our sex , and the phoenix of your own , honour'd by all , equall'd by few , beloved by none more dearly then your owne panthea . i sayle betwixt two rocks ! what shall i doe ? what marble melts not if pulchrella wooe ? or what hard-hearted eare can be so dead , as to be deafe , if faire panthea plead ? whom shall i please ? or which shall i refuse ? pulchrella sues , and faire panthea sues : pulchrella melts me with her love-sick teares , but brave panthea batters downe my eares with love's pettarre : pulchrellas breast encloses a soft affection wrapt in beds of roses . but in the rare pantheas noble lines , true worth and honour , with affection joynes . i stand even-balanc'd , doubtfully opprest , beneathe the burthen of a bivious brest . when i peruse my sweet pulchrellas teares , my blood growes wanton , and i plunge in feares : but when i read divine panthea's charmes , i turne all fierie , and i grasp for armes . who ever saw , when a rude blast out-braves , and thwarts the swelling tide , how the proud waves rock the drencht pinace on the sea-greene brest of frowning ahimptrite , who opprest betwixt two lords , ( not knowing which t' obey ) remaines a neuter in a doubtfull way . so tost am i , bound to such strair confines , betwixt pulchrella's and panthea's lines . both cannot speed : but one that must prevaile . i stand even poys'd : an atome turnes the scale . mus. dar'st thou be doubtfull ? fie , palladius , fie . pall . how now ? what , is museus care so nigh ! lend me thy grave advice : peruse these lines , my choice shall fix on what thy judgment sings . reads the letters softly . reade both . compare and judge . mus. weigh heaven with hell : compare harsh owles to warbling philomel : weigh froth with honour , or dejected shame with the downe-weight of an illustrious name . pulchrella wooes thee with a syrens song ; but brave panthea's more heroick tongue chaunts streynes of honor : false pulchrella sheds the teares of crocodiles : panthea treads high steps to triumph , where thy growing name . shall stand recorded in the rolls of fame . but take thy course : th'advice is onely mine : thine is the interest , as the choice is thine . restores the letters . this onely know , bellarmo's tongue proclames palladius dares not fight , but with his dames . pall . the scales are turn'd . panthea lodge thou here next to my heart , pulchrella , lie thou there . puts that in his bosome , teares the other . farewell my soft embraces : sports stand by : bellarmo , if palladius lives , shall die . ex. mus. so , now it works : if either hap to fall , i the sole-second to both parties shall with my breath'd sword doe justice on the other : crowns weigh no friends : ambition knows no brother . then , then , museus , shall th' imperiall crowne adorne thy sacred temples ; and the throne of earth's unrivall'd majesty shall be thy purchas'd prize , possest alone by thee . then shall those golden , those forgotten dayes returne to earth : then shall the learned bayes that wants deservers , in this trifling age , immortalize the sophoclean stage : unbroken faith shall then forget to start , and be entayl'd upon the single heart . unblemisht loyaltie shall crowne the loves of twined soules , more innocent then doves . but stay , museus ! thou forgett'st to play the tother part with thy bellarm ' , away : goe feele his humor : if his rage be downe , goe switch it up : thou labour'st for a crowne . ex. act. iv. scen. i. quibble mounting his bank . quib. be it knowne to all men by these presents , that i jeffery quibble , am the trusty and right well-beloved servant and kinsman to the renowned , famous , skilfull , learned , able , admirable , incomparable master of phisgigge , cornelius quack , a man of rare qualcoms , and singular imperfections , who by his studies abroad , and travells at home , through france , spaine , italie , germany , denmark , poland , finderland , freezeland , hath marvellously unbefitted himselfe with all manner of oyles , waters , powders , drugs , spirits , balsomes , syrops , salves , sere-cloathes ; bountifully unstor'd with all sorts of preservatives , conservatives , restoritives , antidotes , for all manner of temperatures , constitutions , complexions ; richly unfurnisht with all kind of prescripts , deceits , and all other rare impediments belonging to a man of his defunction , who to the great dimolishment of this towne , and benefice of this incorruption , hath redressed himselfe to you , and here sets up his banck , offering health to the imperfermity of your bodies , soundnesse to the impudencie of your limbs , and present cure to your outward mallanders , and inward exturbances . and for your farther sartifaction of his deficiencie in this kind , behold his licence under the hands of her most excellent majestie , and bellarmo her illustrious sonne ; which , when occasion shall require it , shall be shewne , to the honour of my renowned master , cornelius quack , and his pragmaticall servant jeffery quibble . but to the purpose , gentlemen : it may be you will think me more knave then foole , and may be so i am : and now perchance you 'l say i 'm both by my owne confession : and may be i am so too . artesio my old master made me a knave , and my new master hath made me a foole : and so he 'll doe ye all before h'as done with ye . which that he may the better doe , have patience a while . drawes a curtaine , and discovers his shop furnisht . gentlemen , here 's that will doe the deed . here 's physick of all kinds , for all diseases : salves of all natures for all sores : medicines of all compositions , for all constitutions , colours , of all sorts , for all complexions . [ takes a box and reads . the costly pouder in this box cures him that 's pouder'd with the pox . this helps the back , and cures the reyns ; reads another . makes her weight that wants two graines . the ointment that this glasse incloses , reads another . palliats blew cheeks , and purple noses . this cures the cholick , stone , or wind , reads another . makes craz'd bodies belch behind . this cures the carefull marryed life reads another . of that disease men call a wife . this cleares complexion when it fades ; reads another . cures falling-sicknesses in maids . this cures the twattles , and the flouts ; takes a wand . grumbles , sullens , and the pouts . this helps all gouts both old and young , reads another . and cures the palsie in the tongue . this makes night-walkers keep their beds ; reads another . cures heavy hearts , and giddy heads . if jack love jone , and jone fly back , reads another . this pouder will make jone love jack . if jone love jack , and jack will none , reads another . this pouder will make jack love jone . this first and last if ye apply , reads another . you 'l nere be sick but when ye die . but this rare quintessence such strength does give , anoth. you 'l never die so long as ere ye live . gentlemen , this is a rare man , ( though i say 't ) and hath a thousand secrets more , which next market day you shall have from his owne plentifull mouth . he hath done rare cures by naturall magick , sympathies , and antipathies ; but this is heathen greek to you : who would have conceiv'd that sir walter raleighs blood should have cured goudomors fistula in ano ? but this is likewise greek to you : wee 'l leave these mysteries to the wise , and tell ye things according to the measure of our apprehensions . my master had for taking a corne out of the great mogulls toe , — . . sterling . for strengthning the pr : of orenge's back , . gilders . for curing the emperor of a dropsie , . rx dollers . for taking a black cataract out of his holinesse his left eye , — . checkeens . for curing card : richelieu of the kings evil , . french crownes . well gentlemen , to be short , my master loves money woundly well , and so does my masters man . if therefore ye want any thing , greaze my fist with a tester or two , and ye shall find it in your penny-worths . and why should not i cheat him with as good a conscience , as he you ? but stay ! we must have a parting song , before ye goe . sirrah , iack , rogue , boy , hoe iack ! enter boy . o are you come , sirrah ! sing these gentlemen a song . come , be nimble , 't will be your owne another day . boy . song . is any sick ? is any sore opprest with qualmes and fainting fits ? or bound behind ? or loose before ? has any lover lost his wits ? let him draw neare , and make his griefs appeare , wee 'l cure them all from top to toe , before , behind , above , below . ii. is any heart opprest with dolor ? sullen , sad , or melancholly ? ore-flowne with blood ? inflam'd with choler ? or surcharg'd with flegme or folly ? let him draw neare , and make his griefs appeare , wee 'l ease ye all , what ere ye feele , within , without , from head to heele . iii. is any foule that would be faire ? would rav'ns appeare as white as lambs ? has any courtier lost his haire ? or finds a crickling in his hammes ? let him draw neare , and make his griefs appeare , wee 'l cure all their wants throughout , above , below , within , without . iv. has any morpheus , freckles , staynes , warts , or wounds , or wens , or scar's ? blisters , botches , biles , or blanes , coughs , consumptions , colds , catarrs ? let them draw neare , and make their griefs appeare , wee 'l make them sound from bone to skin , above , below , without , within . v. chollicks , fevers , palseyes , flux , cancers , dropsies , nauseous fumes ? megrims , skirvies , cramps , or cricks , iaundies , rickets , piles , or rhumes ? let them draw neare , and make their griefs appeare , wee 'l give them ease , and health restore , within , without , behind , before . quibble . t is a good boy ! now gentlemen , y 'ave heard the truth both sung and said , confirm'd by fooles and children , who ye know speak truth . if after all this ye cannot beleeve , we have lost our breath , and you the benefit . but to confirme your confidence , and to magnific the excellence of our skill , i will present such visible demonstrations to your eye , that doubt shall find no ground to question , and unbelief shall blush at her own infidelity . and first , here is a soveraigne balsome , that in the space of one minute and three quarters , shall cure the deepest wound that dagger can inflict , whereof behold sufficient proofe . stabs himself . gentlemen , this wound which i have made , shall by the vertue of this balsome be as quickly cured . annoynts . so , now the blood retyres unto his wonted veynes , i feele the orifice , which even just now had roome enough to lodge my finger , now clos'd , and smoothe , and flesh deliver'd from the sense of paine . secondly , here is an excellent antidote , which taken , shall preserve the taker from the injury of poyson , hot or cold . as for example — this ugly spider here contains the rankest of all venim . now gentlemen , i take my antidote . and now my spider . eates it . t is gone ! fight dog , fight beare . hem ! poyson doe thy worst . hah ! dost thou rejounce ? thy power 's curb'd , and cannot work her end . needs feare no foe , that hath so true a friend . thirdly , here 's a soveraigne restoritive which shall correct the deadlyest poyson in the height of operation . see ye this swelling toad , whose poyson taken shall swell ye till ye burst , and from the very porch of death this rare preservative shall soone redeeme ye . gentlemen , mark how i squeeze this mortall bit into this boule . now gallants , a health to my mistresse . drinks . now pledge it that dare . mark the operation , hem ! hem ! hem ! now it begins to work , o i am sick , my bowels gripe , i sweat , i burne , i burst — takes the restorative . o what a julip breathes into my veynes ! and how these strong convulsions of my soule begin to loosen ! how the loathsome qualmes of my obstructed stomach turnes to ease and appetite ! o soveraigne drop how , how hast thou restor'd my dying life with thy unvalu'd excellence , and lent my tongue new pow'r to call thee excellent ! now , my masters , you that delight in chimestry , know also , my master can shew you many rare experiments . he sayes he can make the philosophers stone , but saving his reverence i think he lyes , else he 'd be hang'd ere he 'd thus quack for testers . but this upon my knowledge : he can bring an artificiall resurrection , and vivification to mercury , which being mortified into a thousand shapes , assumes againe its owne body , and returnes to its numericall selfe . he can likewise from the ashes of a plant , revive the plant , and from its cinders recall it to the stalk and leaves againe . lastly , by the vertue of a thing called wit , he can doe such wonders at cribbidge , or new-cut , that the experience thereof shall teach ye more wisdome in an houre , then all the volume of thomas aquinas can afford you in ten dayes : wherein if you please the next market day he shall give you a plenary satisfaction , if you repaire hither with purses to be handled , and minds to be instructed . exit . madge , cis. cis. well madge , though i pawne my poppingay petticoat for 't , i le ha' some of that pouder next market day . madge . what pouder cis ? cis. that pouder that will make iack love ione . madge . p'sh , i don't think 't will work any such effect . cis. yes madge , as sure as i live . doll our dairy-maid gave some on 't to nick the butlers boy , and within an houre after the boy was so mad of her : he would never let her alone , but dogg'd her from corner to corner , and would so tumble her and so touze her : and when company was by her would so gloit and cast sheeps eyes at her , as past . she could goe no where but the boy would make one . sometimes he would bring her may-bushes , sometimes mellow-apples , sometimes a busk-point , sometimes a silk-lace . and if she spake but a kind word to him , lord , he would so simper , and so jemper , and so lick his lips , and so scratch his elboe , as 't was admirable . madge . is 't possible ? cis. i tell thee madge , i saw it with my owne eyes , and thought the next time the mountebank came i 'de buy some on 't to see what mettle our frank the faulkner was made on . madge . why sirrah , he loves thee well enough without it : would i know who lov'd me halfe so well . cis. yes verily , i confesse i think he loves me dearly well , but yet not so dearly as i 'de have him . he 's such a maydenly man ! — madge . why ? i 'm sure i saw him kisse thee twenty times together , to be sure so often that my teeth water'd soundly . cis. twenty times ? what 's twenty times ? what 's that ? 't is done before one can say what 's this ? twenty times ? t is a mighty piece of businesse . and then forsooth , he must stroak his hawke , and then forsooth he must feed his hawke , and then forsooth , he must bathe his hawke , and then forsooth , he must lie down by his hawke , and see his hawke pick her self , and prune her self , and there 's such a deal of fidling , and such a deal of fadling , and then forsooth , he must goe abroad a hawking , and stay out all day , and then at night come home as weary as his dogs , and sit without life or soul , that one has as much comfort in him as comes to nothing . madge . well cis , wou'd some body did but love me halfe so well , a that condition it cost me a fall . cis. goodly , goodly , wou'd antony at george were here to draw his name out a your politique mouth , you are so close , and so wise now . madge . why , i am not ashamed to name him , nor he of his name : well , he has cost me many a bitter sigh in his dayes , yet i dare take my oath hee 's as honest a young man as lives by bread . cis. why dost thou sigh ? he may leave his honesty when he will , and see ne'r a whit the worse for 't . madge . i care not , so he left it with no body but me ; yet in the way of honesty too ( i tell ye but so : ) well , no body knowes what i have endur'd for his sake ; but i may thank my modesty for 't , and my mother for that . she gave my a rule forsooth , once , which i ha' beshrew'd her for a thousand times . cis. what rule was that , madge ? madge . she charg'd me , that when any sued for my love , i should be coy , and say noforsooth , and still noforsooth , and noforsooth , which i ha' done so long , that i have almost noforsooth'd away all my fortunes . but sirrah , ( here 's none but thee and i ) i le tell thee . this very day two moneths ( well fare all good tokens ) antony at the george would needs ha'me downe into his wine-celler , and gave me a pint of brown-bastard ; and being in a good humour , brake his minde to me , and taking a glasse of wine , wisht it might be his poyson if he did not love me with all his heart . cis. but did he drink it ? madge . every drop as i live ; nay more , wou'd may nere store , if he offered not ( i le tell it to thee ) to fetch a licence instantly , and marry me forthwith , if i 'de goe with him ; but i , like a puppinos'd foole , followed my mothers directions , and cry'd noforsooth , to make him the more eager , which he taking in earnest , flung away in a pet , and as i live , took me at my word , and never spake kindly to me since : and this is the fruits of noforsooth . cis. and wert thou not serv'd in thy kind , to be such an asse , to refuse a good thing when 't was offer'd ? madge . nay , sirrah , see the luck on 't ; had he but ask'd me once more , i had resolv'd to ha'taken him at his word : but if he , or any other hereafter take madge a crying noforsooth , i 'le give him leave to bite off my tongue , and spit it in my face , i tell ye but so . cis. dost thou think he has forsaken thee upon 't ? madge . i can't tell : i ha' made many a frivolous errand to the george since , and when he sees me , the gentleman will bite his lip , and put off his hat , but as i live , neither kisse me , nor nothing else , that i came away with a flea in mine eare , and in a fustian fret , and had such qualmes , and such swamps come over my stomach all night long — cis. but art not mightily troubled with him in thy dreames ? madge . o , sirrah , abomination ; there 's ne'r a night scapes me , on my conscience : sometimes , methinks i see him twirling up his pretty little black beard : sometimes stroaking up his fore-top : sometimes singing that heavenly tune of walsingham to his citterne : sometimes crying anon anon sir , and running up stairs : sometimes very welcome gentlemen , is all paid i'th'rose ? which he fetches up with such a grace — as indeed every thing he does becomes him most sweetly . o how i could curse this peevish tongue of mine for saying that last noforsooth . ah! if he had askt me the question but once more , verly i had been to morrow two moneths gone : but who can help it ? cis. well madge , our conditions are much alike : we must even comfort one another as well as we can . madge . that 's but cold comfort cis : i but my case is thousand times worse then thine ; thou mayst see him thou lovest every day , and dine together , and sup together , and sleepe together under the same roofe ; but i a poore forsaken creature must waste my disconsolate hours in thinking , & in sighing , and in [ weeps ] sobbing . insomuch that i han't eaten a bit of bread that has done me any good these three dayes . but yet i can't choose but laugh to think — ha , ha , ha , ha , how frank the fawlkner — ha , ha , ha , ha , was catch'd in 's roguery last night , ha , ha , ha , ha . cis. how ? prithee tell me . madge . i think my heart will burst when i think on 't . ha , ha , ha , ha . cis. prithee tell me the conceit . madge . sirrah , yesternight when thou wert gone up with my lady , frank and i were raking husbands and wives in the embers , and frank hearing the stayres creake , and thinking thee hadst been comming downe , catcht my lady fast by the — ha , ha , ha , ha , middle ; but she lent him such a whirrit upon the eare , that all the house rung on 't : but 't would make a horse break his halter to see how like an asse poore frank lookt and sneakt away with his taile clapt betweene his legs , ha , ha , ha , ha , did he not tell thee on 't yet ? cis. no verily , i see him not to day : huds lifelykins , alas poore heart , but 't is no matter : let him keep home adayes then , that he may see what he does , and whom he embraces . but sirrah , now i think on 't , i ha some a dolls pouder , which i stole from her , till we get more , let 's try conclusions with that . madge . with all my heart , let 's : but how shall we give it them ? cis. how ? leave that to me : frank and i will goe to the george , and drink a pint with antony , and then we 'll send for thee , and i warrant thee i le spice their cups , and then in spight of my mother , my grandame , my aunt , we 'll drink off our cups , and make a night on 't . madge . a match ! come , let 's way ; we shall be both hang'd for staying so long . exeunt . evald. artesio , formidon , comodus . evald. artesio , can you resolve us yet concerning the death of pertenax ? art. sir , he was open'd , and we apparently find that he was poyson'd . evald. goe artesio , and comfort thy poore afflicted daughter , let her know , that we are partners in her sorrow , and will be a husband to the widow , and take her welfare into our protection . art. heaven blesse your highnesse . ex. artes. evald. does there appeare any new light by your examination ? formid . sir , i find there was such a letter counterfeited from your highnesse , and a silver cup was delivered to kettreena by a stranger , who after the delivery instantly departed . likewise i find that pertenax comming in the nick , snatcht it from kettreena's unwilling hand , and in a passion retyr'd into a roome , not suffering her to follow him , where he was found dead an houre after . another examinate faith , that he sent for a dramme of arsnick the night before , but for what purpose the examinate knoweth not . another examinate , being one of his servants , saith , that she harkning at the doore , did heare him say , that he would put in a dose of arsnick into the cup for ? kettreena , which she saw him search in his pockets for ; but being suddenly call'd away by her lady , stayed not to see the rest . and indeed it is generally beleeved , that he was chiefe agent in his owne death . evald. comodus , what account can you give us of this businesse ? com. sir , we found in his pocket the cup and the letter , but no arsnick : upon suspition i examined madam lactusia , and one cornelius quack , once servant to artesio , who falter something in their examination , but deny any knowledge of the proceedings : onely they both heare that pertenax counterfeited the letter , to see with what affection his lady would receive it . evald. even like enough , the just reward of a jealous braine . com. but this she added , that when time should serve , she would discover a secret of another nature , which will make such an alteration in the state , as time could not example : whereupon i committed them both to prison till a farther examination . evald. 't was wisely done . formidon , see a firme conveyance made of all pertenax his estate to our use , which we freely give to kettreena . and you comodus , take a speciall care to call in her debts that are upon book and specialties . ex. act. v. scen. i. glisterpipe . the devill a bit of meat have i gotten these nine dayes , but once a leane scrag end of a neck of mutton , which one of my masters patients loath'd to eate : else my whole diet hath been nothing but the overplus of thin physick-broth , and my drink , the heartlesse reversion of dis-curded posset-ale : insomuch , i had rather be my masters hang-man , then his serving-man ; for then perchance i might get a caft suit , and a gratuity for a quick dispatch . knocks at doore . who 's at doore there ? opens it , and enter page with an vrinall . page . sir , is master doctor within ? i have brought him a urine . glist . from whom ? page . from my lady albion . glist . my master is very busie , and cannot be spoken with these two houres . page . good sir , my businesse is upon life and death : i pray bring me to him , and i shall be very thankfull . glist . how shall that appeare ? page . by this small carnest of a greater reward . gives him a fee . glist . wel sir , i shal make a tryal . opens the curtain . sir , here is one would speak with you from my lady albion . artes. bring him in . now friend , what 's your businesse ? page . sir , my lady hath sent you her urine , and desires your advice . art. glisterpipe . glist . sir . poures it in a dish . art. goe ayre it . glist . now i de as liefe he had bid me gone to supper , but take him in that fault , & hang him . stumbles , & spils the urine , and rises . so , now am i as sure of a crackt crowne , as my master is of a whole angel : but i le serve him a trick , and save my selfe some labour . i le make it up againe out of my owne stock . exit . art. has your lady made no use of any other doctor formerly ? page . yes sir , she took advice of a scottish doctor , but she is not much the better for him : he drew a great deale of money from her ladiship , who is now faine to give him money to be rid on him — whisper . ent. glisterpipe . glist . t is all but pisse , and t is not the first time my master has had an eye to my water . page . truly i cannot tel sir . shakes the urinal . art. this water shews no great defect in her ladiships stomach . glist . his doctorship may sweare it . art. her ladiship accustomes her self to too thin a diet , eats too much broth , and too many sillibubs . glist . posset-ale ye meane sir , a halter stretch ye . art. and does not encourage her stomach with good substantiall meat . glist . thanks to your miserable purse sir , he would if he could get it . art. her ladiships body is much out of order , and there 's a malignant hypocondriacall flate within her , which fumes up , and disturbs her head : is she not much troubled with the head-ache ? page . yes sir , exceedingly : she complains of it every day . art. she is likewise much troubled with inflamations , and obstructions in the liver , which causes an inordinate swimming in the braine , and giddinesse . is she not apt now and then to speak idly ? page . o sir , when the fit takes her , she speaks never a word of sense : she talks of nothing but bishops , and petitions , and i can't tell what , and her tongue runs so wildly , and indeed i think she is scarce sensible sometimes of her own sicknesse . art. that proceeds altogether from the rude confluence of loose humors . i find by her water , she is much troubled with wind and choller , which occasions a great and frequent heart-burning : is she not much subject to unaccustomed sadnesse at times ? page . extreamly sir . art. i find she has a great imbeeility in her spirits naturall , which causes in her a generall faintnesse , and now and then enclined to the cardiaca passio . is she not often possest with sudden frights , and feares , and jealousies , and mis-understandings ? page . exceedingly sir . art. i find likewise , that she is much troubled with the spleene , which occasions stupidity , melancholy , and at times distractions ? is she not often in a brown study ? page . very much sir . art. well , i feare we must be forc'd to draw some blood from her , which as the case stands now with her , i should be loth to doe . there is some bad blood in her veynes ; but if a veyne be once opened , the best blood in her body may chance to passe too , which she can hardly spare , without palpable danger . untill i see her , i can prescribe little . to morrow i shall wait upon her ladiship , and what i shall then find fitting , shall be carefully administred . in the meane while , let her keep her head warme , and be very careful of her temples : let her forbeare salt and usquebagh : let her use moderation in her exercises , wherein she might not be forc'd to lift her armes too neare her head : and for the relieving of her drooping spirits let her recreate her selfe now and then with a game at irish : let her forbeare noddy , and chesse , as games too serious . farewell . page . take this , glisterpipe , to drink my ladies health . gives glist a fee , & ex. glist . how odoriserous is a very stoole ! how sweet , when full-cramm'd purses , and craz'd bodies meet ! knocks . what ? more fees yet ? who 's at doore ? page . pray is mr. doctor within ? ent. page with an urinall . i have brought him a water . glist . from whom ? page . from my lady temple . glist . he cannot be spoken with as yet , unlesse — page . i know your mind , sir , let this quicken you . art. glisterpipe ? glist . sir . art. who 's there ? glist . one that would speak with your honour from my lady temple . art. bring him in : now friend , what 's your businesse ? page . sir , my lady desires your advice upon her urine . art. glisterpipe , goe chafe it . glist . so , there 's a shilling more for glisterpipe . ex. art. how long has your lady been sick ? page . these three years , sir : she took a tedious journey to canterbury , where she conceives she took a surfet with too much duck , which hath laine very heavy upon her ladiships stomach ever since . enter glist . with the urinall . art. this water shewes a great diftemper in her principall parts , which indeed sets her whole frame out of order . has she taken no advice formerly ? page . sir , she has had many advisers , but men of mean quality , and of no skill at all . art. what were they ? page . her poore neighbours sir , coblers , weavers , felt-makers , coachmen , and brewers clerks , who pretend a great deale of slovenly skill . art. in good time ! but what doctors had she ? page . some doctors of very good worth , but this rabble jeers them , and laughs them out of doors . art. i find by her water she has a foule liver , & can digest no wholsome food : and her first digestion being bad , makes her second worse : is she not apt to frights ? page . sir , her ladiships stomach was prittily well purg'd of her canterbury duck , and being finely at ease , and laid to rest , a rude company of cock-brain'd rascals in an humor beset her house , and brake downe all her glasse-windowes , and put her into such a fright , that she has been the worse for 't ever since . art. i find by her water , there has been too sudden alterations in her constitution : is she not sometimes very hot , and sometimes very cold ? page . yes sir , sometimes as cold as charity , sometimes as hot as zeale . art. i find obnoxious fumes rising from her stomach , and stupifying her braine : is she not at times very drowzie ? page . yes sir , insomuch that the common people think she is troubled with a liturgic . art. a lethargie you meane . it is a chronicall disease , and time must cure it . but let her know , that so long as she entertaines this rude rabble of unsanctified mechanicks , she can never prosper in her health . till she banish them , there will be no roome for me . fare ye well . but heare ye . let her fasting be frequent , and her prayers , common . glist . sir , i shall pray for your ladies health . page . fast too . ex. glist . a faire reward ! t is supper time : i le hence . my pater nosters shall be like her pence . ex. evaldus , augusta , bellarm. pallad : museus , artes. form . comod . kettreena , marina , roscia , phonilla , tripit . all bow to the oracle and take their places . enter three pythian virgin priests with censers in their hands , in linnen robes , and crown'd with bayes . thrice bow to the oracle . . great apollo , we adore thee . . we importune , we implore thee . . thus we prostrate fall before thee . all bow to the oracle . . sacred phebus draw thee nigher . . grant the boone that we desire . . and resent our . holy fire . offer their incense . . thou before whose open eye . all unshadow'd secrets lye , . cleare our doubts , and make reply . bowe , and stepping nearer to the oracle , bowe againe , and retiring back , bow the . time . . when evaldus shall lay downe , shall bellarmo weare the crowne ? oracle , no . bell. apollo lyes : this is the oracle i appeale to . layes hand on his sword . evald. on paine of death , keep silence there . proceed . . when evaldus shall lay downe , shall palladius were the crowne ? oracle , no . pall . nay now apollo's ignorant or unjust . eva . silence once more . the next disturberdies . proceed . . when evaldus shall lay downe , shall museus weare the crowne ? oracle , no . when evaldus shall lay downe , whose head then shall weare the crowne ? oracle . the babe unborne shall end the strife , whose mother is both widow , maid , and wife . aug. the oracle speaks treason , and apollo's priests are all impostors — a flash of fire from the oracle ; a cloud of smoak ; which being vanisht , augusta is found dead in her chaire of state , her crown struck off , convey'd upon kettreena's head : bellarmo , palladius , and trippit , dead upon the ground , and the . pythians kneeling upon the floore . evald. are we all safe ? are we not all consum'd ? for. bellarmo's stricken dead . kett. he 's in a trance , o chafe his temples ! art. ye stand too close , beare back , & give him aire . com. palladius . mar. bend him , o bend him forwards . for. he 's past recovery . art. i feele no pulse . pho. her eyes are open . ros. methinks i feele some breath . art. stand by . evald. are they all dead artesio ? art. all three as dead as earth . evald. o unexampled justice ! who can stand before the power of great apollo's hand ? augusta , let 's away ; our flight may scape approaching after-claps : augusta , come . what , fall'n asleep ? art. the queene is in a trance . evald. augusta . ket . heaven blesse the queene . ros. she stirs not . ma. she breathes not . art. make roome , stand farther off . evald. o she is dead , is any hope of life ? art. sir none at all . evald. augusta , deare augusta , speak , move but a finger : o she 's past all cure ! ros. but where 's her crowne ? ma. look here , upon kettreena's head . mus. how came it thither ? kett. most royall sir , how this crown came here i cannot tell : excuse me gracious prince , who humbly lay it at your sacred feet . evald. kettreena , keep it for us ; keep it safe , till we require it , and dispose thereof . apollo's will must be , who give us patience to beare his punishments : take up the dead , and let us see them all bestow'd , and laid in the sad clofets of eternall rest . exeunt . antony , frank . frank . wou'd may never sweare if i had not rather ferve the great turk in his gallies , then a court lady in her humors . ant. sirrah , how the poore wenches trembled when we made them stay tother pint . but is my lady so strict frank ? frank . o she 's a pestilent vixen when she 's angry , and as proud as lucifer . she has been to me knowledge a whole houre by the houre-glasse making faces in a looking-glasse . sometimes putting out the nether lippe , sometimes bridling in the chinne ; sometimes forming of a smile , sometimes figging up her cheeks , sometimes kissing of her white hand , sometimes practising a new french curtsie . and then cis must be call'd , and then her ladiships haire must be crispt , and then her ladiships face must be complexion'd , and then her ladiships teeth must be scaled , and then her ladiships browes must be mullited , and then her ladiships turkie-egge must be eaten with a good grace . and then her ladiships foysting dog must be comb'd , and then cis must be sent for this dressing , and for that petticote , and madge must be imploy'd for that plaine hankercher , and then for that purl'd gorget which cis was filling all last night . then fault must be found , then cis must be chidden , and madge must be rated : and her sullen ladiship must keep her chamber all day , and at night her peevish ladiship must be sick and goe to rest . then at midnight cis must be call'd to kil the flea that keeps her ladiship from sleeping forsooth . then cis must slip on her petticote to see if the hall-doore be shut , then downe againe to rate the dogs , then downe againe to fetch her ladiship some beere . then cis must look under the bed ; after that into the closer , to see if there be ne'r a cat to break her ladiships glasses . insomuch that i hold it the greatest misery i' th' world , next being a lady , to be a chambermaid . but i must away . tony , farewell . ant. nay frank , we 'll have one sresh pint to drink madge and cis's healths before we part . knock within . anon , anon , presently , presently . frank . but tony , tony , tony , let it alone , for t is hawking time ; my hawk has been empty pannel'd these three houres . knock within . ant. i come , i come , presently , presently . hang hawks , we 'll have one pint . knock within . by and by , by and by , i come i come . frank . prethee tony be nimble then . ex. now had i as liefe goe a hanging as a hawking — whatsoere the matter is , i ha' no mind to that sport . i de rather ha' cis in my armes , then a leash a partridges in my poutch : t is a feat girle . o that this were my marriage day ! on that condition i went barefoot to bed . pretty rogue ! well , i 'm resolv'd , what ere come on 't , i will marry and i must marry , and i will marry ere two dayes come to an end . let my lady get her a new fawlconer , or eate mutton if she please . o mutton , mutton , mutton ! well , i must marry , and i will marry ; to day i receive my wages , and to morrow i le buy a licence , and next day cis and i le clap hands , and hey ! then up goe we . ent. antony . ant. here frank , a health to cis. drinks . frank . come , i le pledge't , wer't a mile to the bottome . pledges . now tony , fill me a cup : a health to madge . drinks . ant. come away : madge shall never go unpledg'd whilst i am worth a pint , nor never want while i am worth a penny . pledges . frank . thou art grown wondrous kind to day , tony. ant. i think the moone 's i' th hotti-totty , and all the loving planicles are in conjunction . sirrah , i am so strangely taken within these two houres , that i ha' much adoe to keep my selfe honest . frank . hudds wookers , i 'm i' th' same predicature tony. my stars lend me honesty enough to light me to bed , and keep cis out of my way . but tell me , how likest thou cis ? ant. hougely well i perrest . as i live , t is a dainty girle : she speaks so wisely and her words are so well plac'd , and she lisps so prettily , and so thweetely , and sirrah they say that lithping wenches are good to kith . now tell me thy opinion of madge . frank . i tell thee tony , she 's as good a creature as ever liv'd in a house , and as well belov'd of the servants . thou shalt have a dainty huswife , and an excellent starcher , and one that my master respects above all the rest . if his band be to be pinn'd , no body can please him but madge ; when his cornes are to be cut , none must do 't but madge . if his cuffe-strings are to be ty'd , none can tye 'em but madge . when his muskadine and egges are to be prepar'd , none can please him but madge : when his head akes , madge must hold it : if his back itch , madge must scratch it : and to her credit be it spoken , he sweares , for a foot , and a leg , and a dainty black eye , and a white smoothe skin , and a — ant. no more good frank , thou mak'st me mad . my stars lend me but honesty enough till i have opportunity to lose it . frank . and me but patience till thursday . ant. why thursday ? frank . if i breathe , cis and i le have a marriage day on t . ant. say'st thou me so ? art in carnest ? give me thy hand . frank . i , as sure as this is flesh , and blood , & knuckles . ant. if madge and i don't the like ( if she be as willing as i ) hang tony. but shall's marry in our old cloathes ? frank . huds diggers , i 'de not stay till friday for the kings wardrobe . ant. a match then ! give me thy clutch , bring them bither a thursday morning , by break a day , and wee 'l dispatch the businesse before the crow pisse . now frank , here 's a health to the happy day . ( drinks . frank . let it come , boy . pledges . here 's another to the happy night . drinks . ant. come away . pledges . anon , anon , presently , presently . knock within . farewell frank . frank . tony farewell , and remember — exeunt . ant. very very welcome , gentlemen . without . a pint a canary in the lyon , skore ! evald. museus , artesio , form : com : kettreena , rosia , marina , officers . evald. i cannot rest , artesio , till i purge this groaning land of pertenax his blood . for. see , here the prisoners . ent. prisoners with keepers lact. mercy , o mercy , gracious prince . quack . mercy , dread soveraigne , mercy . evald. wretches ; the way to mercy , is confession . speak truth , are ye guilty of this murther ? lact. most gracious prince , i was no actor in it . quack . nor i contriver , may it please your grace . for. no , she contrived , and he acted it . evald. speak , is it so ? come speak the truth . lact. true gracious soveraigne , but we hope for mercy from your gracious hands . evald. say , what confederates had ye ? quack . may't please your grace , lactusia set me on . lact. trippit first call'd me in . evald. she has her punishment : who writ the letter ? lact. the queene , most royall sir . quack . who promis'd on her royall faith to stand 'twixt me and danger . sir , for her deare sake be gracious , evald. o marble hearts , to plot so vile a fact against such dove-like innocence as this . points to kettreena . well , take them hence , and see due justice done according to our lawes , whereof we charge a present execution . prisoners . mercy , o mercy . t is the first offence . be gracious to us . mercy , mercy . evald. officers , away with them . exeunt . since heaven hath pleased to deprive us thus of our deare consort , our beloved queene , we think it fit , to let our people know that we have made a second choice , to cafe the weighty burthen of our carefull crowne . kettreena , bring the crowne . delivers it . and for thy paines , we here accept thee for our lawfull spouse , to be our consort in augusta's stead : in pledge whereof we crowne thy royall head . dost thou consent kettreena ? crowns ber. ent. lact. with keepers . lact. be pleas'd most royall sir to give me leave to disburthen my conscience of a secret that concernes the state . evald. speak on . lact. sir , augusta was no lawfull queene . mus. the woman's mad . for. away with her . lact. good sir be pleas'd to heare me out . evald. speak on , speak on . lact. kettreena was the lawfull queene , whom newly borne , i then her nurse , exchang'd for augusta your late wife , who was no other but artesio's daughter . entic'd by him i did it , unto which he did corrupt me with a great reward . that this is truth , i seale it with my blood . artesio , is 't not so ? evald. artesio speak . what say'st to this ? art. sir i 'm a dying man , if not by law , by age . i , whom my frozen blood denyes to blush , must not be bold to lye . mus. i 'm likely to have a fine pull of this . art. lactusia speaks but truth : the act 's confest . mus. are my hopes come to this ? art. my life or death lies in kettreena's brest . evald. officers conduct the pris'ners back , and stay their execution till you farther heare : if this be so , evaldus must resigne both place and crowne , ( leads up kett. into the chaire . and now an humble subject joyne omnes . with all the rest , and say , long live our queene kettreena . mus. and now museus may goe hang himselfe . kett. being thus ordain'd by heavenly powers to wear the sacred crowne of unexpected care ; and well advising , what great danger waits upon the scepters of ungovern'd states : conscious of too much weaknesse to command so great a kingdome with a single hand : w' are pleas'd to choose a consort , in whose care the realme hath prosper'd , and to whom we dare commit our selfe and it . evaldus , to requite thy charge , we choose thee our deare husband , and with sacred vowes we make thee partner in our unknowne bed , and set this crowne imperiall on thy head . crownes him . and let the tongues of our good subjects ring loud peales of joy , omnes . long live evaldus king . evald. two crowns have blest evaldus in one houre . this crowns my heart with joy : embraces kett. this crowns my head with power . touches the crown . faire queene , artesio's punishment we leave to thy dispose . kett. the personall offence we freely pardon ; but for the publique wrong , we must confine him . evald. and left that after-ages should interrupt the right of true succession , we charge museus to the self-same place : where they shall want for nothing , but enjoy ( excepting freedome ) their owne hearts desires . meane while , what art , and industry can doe t' expresse our joyes , and subjects full content , let not be wanting : let us bend our care t' advance a publique mirth , and to prepare such triumphs , whose bright honour might display a panick joy , and glorifie the day of marriage-royall , solemniz'd betweene new-crown'd evaldus , and his royall queene . exeunt . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text known defects for a .xml defect summary missing or defective tokens known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : g●rle known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : ●aile known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : plum●ets sions elegies. wept by ieremie the prophet, and periphras'd by fra. quarles bible. o.t. lamentations. english. quarles. paraphrases. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : , : ) sions elegies. wept by ieremie the prophet, and periphras'd by fra. quarles bible. o.t. lamentations. english. quarles. paraphrases. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed by w. stansby for thomas dewe, and are to bee sold at his shoppe in saint dunstanes church-yard, london : . signatures: pi² a-g⁴ h² . another issue of the edition, with an added bifolium consisting of a preliminary blank leaf and a title page with woodcut frame and dated . most copies retain the title page. identified as stc on umi microfilm reel . reproductions of the originals in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery and the british library. appears at reel # (henry e. huntington library and art gallery copy, identified as stc ), and at reel # (british library copy). created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - haley pierson sampled and proofread - haley pierson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sions elegies . wept by ieremie the prophet , and periphras'd by fra. qvarles . london printed by w. stansby for thomas dewe , and are to bee sold at his shoppe in saint dunstanes church-yard . . sions elegies . wept by jeremie the prophet : and periphras'd by fra. qvarles . thov shalt labor for peace plentie london . printed by w. stansby for thomas dewe , and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstanes church-yard . . to the great example of honovr , worth , and pietie , william , earle of pembroke . when time had brought this embrion to the light , it wept , it cryde , and oft it deeply sight ; i ask'd my muse the cause ; shee made no other reply , then this , shee 's like the muse , her mother ; i ask'd her name ; shee said , melpominé , i ask'd a patrone , and shee named thee . to thee , the darling of my child-bed muse , i here preferre those long deuoted dues , i owe to honor ; with a truer heart none e're presented , though with greater art : my muse , perswades me , though her infant cry , you 'll pardon't , when you reade the reason , why . to the reader . if the ruines of troy , rome , thebes , or carthage haue been thought a subject , worthy the imployment of more serious pennes , to entayle the remembrance thereof to posteritie , how much more worthy the paines of a liuelyer pen then mine , is this ancient , most true , and neuer enough to be lamented desolation , and captiuitie of ierusalem , ierusalem , the holy citie of god , ierusalem , the type of the catholike church ? after eighteene moneths siege in the eleuenth yeere of zedekiah , the ninth day of the fourth moneth , ( which was the eighteenth yeere of nebucadonozor ouer babylon ) the princes of babylon surprized and tooke this braue citie of ierusalem : presently after which , nebuzaradan the generall of the babylonian armie commanded by nebucadonozor ) spoyled the temple , carried away the vessels of gold and siluer , that were consecrated to gods seruice , and the great lauar giuen by king salomon , and burned the temple , the first day of the next moneth , which was one and twentie dayes after the surprizall : . yeeres sixe moneths , and ten dayes after the foundation thereof ; . yeeres , sixe moneths , ten dayes after the departure of the people out of egypt ; . yeeres , sixe moneths , ten dayes after the deluge ; and . yeeres , sixe moneths , ten dayes after the creation of adam . thus , and then , was this citie of ierusalem taken , and for seuentie yeeres , remayned the iewes in this captiuitie : and this , in briefe , is the generall occasion why , and the time when these lamentations were composed . reader , i tender to thy consideration , two things ; first , the pen-man : secondly , the art and methode of this threnodia . as for the first , it was penn'd by ieremie the prophet , the sonne of hilkiah a priest ; and vndoubtedly endighted by the spirit of god ; some thinke it was written , when the prophe : was in prison ; others , when hee was with godoliah at maspath : but whither at the one place or at the other , it is not much materiall to discourse . secondly , as touching the art and methode , it is short and concise , as being most naturall to so lamentable a subject : cicero sayes , lamentationes debent esse concisae , & breues , quia cito lachryma exarescit , & difficile est , auditores autlectores , in illo affectu summae commiserationis , diu tenere . the methode is truly elegious , not bound to any ordinarie set forme , but wildly depending vpon the sudden subject , that new griefes present ; and indeed the deepest sorrowes can not be , but distracted from all rules of methode , the neglect of which , is veniall in such ejulations as these , as which , in all the scriptures , there is none so copious , none so ardent , concerning which gregorie nazianzene confesses , threnos ieremiae nunquam à se siccis oculis lectos esse . yet some think there is a methode kept , but too fine and intricate , for our grosse apprehensions ; touching this point , saint ambrose lib. . epist . ad iust . sayes , demus , cas secundum artem non scripsisse , at certè secundum gratiam scripsisse fatendum est , quae omn em artem longe supera● , and with this i rest . you shall obserue , that the foure first chapters of these lamentations carry a strict order , in the originall , for euery verse throughout euery chapter begins with a seuerall letter of the hebrew alphabet , except the third chapter , wherein the first and euery third verse onely is tyed to a letter , and continues the alphabet through , which forme the prophet vsed , partly for eloquence , partly for memorie sake , meaning either literally thus , that it ought to be perfect as the alphabet , in memorie , or hieroglyphically thus , that as the alphabet is the radix of all wordes , so the miseries of the iewes , were the combination of all miseries . for the same causes , i likewise here in my periphrase , haue obserued the same forme , and continue the alphabet , in english , as the prophet did in hebrew , desirous to be his shaddow , as much as i can . it appeares by the strictnesse of the order , that these lamentations were originally writ in verse , and as some thinke , in sapphicks , but many of our learned neotericks denie , that any writings of the iewes carry , now , any direct , or certaine lawes of poesie , though ( they confesse ) some ruinous accents , here and there discouered , makes them imagin , they writ some things in verse , but now , it seemes that god in dispersing them , hath likewise dissolued , and strucke dumbe their musicke . farewell . eleg . . behold ! her eyes , those glorious eyes , that were like two faire sunnes , in one celestiall sphaere , whose radiant beames did , once , reflect so bright , are now eclipsed , and haue lost their light , and seeme like ilands , about which , appeares a troubled ocean , with a tide of teares ; her seruant cities , that were once , at hand , and bow'd their seruile necks , to her command , stand all aloofe , as strangers to her mone , and giue her leaue , to spend her teares alone ; her neighbours flatter , with a false reliefe , and with a kisse , betray her , to her griefe . eleg . . compast around , with seas of briny teares , iudah laments , distraught with double feares ; euen as the fearfull partridge , to excuse her from the fierce gos-hawke , that too close pursues her , falls in a couert , and her selfe doth couer , from her vnequall foe , that sits aboue her , meanewhile , the treason of the quick retriuers , discouers nouell dangers , and deliuers her to a second feare , whose double fright findes safetie , nor in staying , nor in flight ; euen so , is iudah vext , with change of woes , betwixt her home-bred , and her forrein foes . eleg . . did not these sacred cawsies , that are leading to sion , late , seeme pau'd , with often treading ? now secret dens , for lurking theeues to meet , vnprest , vnlesse with sacrilegious feet ; sion , the temple of the highest god , stands desolate , her holy steps vntrod ; her altars are defac'd , her virgin fires surcease , and with a stinke , her snuffe expires ; her priests haue chang'd their hymns to sighes & cries , her virgins weepe forth riuers from their eyes : o sion , thou that wert the childe of mirth , art now the scorne , and by-word of the earth . eleg . encreas'd in power , and high cheuisaunce of armes , thy tyrant foemen doe aduaunce their craftie crests ; he , he that was thy father , and crownd thee , once , with blessings , now doth gather his troops to worke thy end ; him , who aduanc't thee to be earths queene , thy sins haue bent against thee : strange spectacle of griefe ! thy tender frie , whom childhood taught no language , but their crie , t' expresse their infant griefe , these , wretched these , by force of childish teares , could not appease the ruthlesse sword , which , deafe to all their cryes , did driue them captiues , from their mothers eyes . eleg . . faire virgin sion , where ( ah ) where are those pure cheekes , wherein , the lilly , and the rose , so much contended , lately , for the place , till both compounded , in thy glorious face ? how hast thou blear'd , those sun-bright eyes , of thine , those beames , the royall magazens of diuine and sacred majestie , from whose pure light , the purblind worldlings , did receiue their sight , thy fearfull princes , leaue their fencelesse towers , and flie like harts , before their swift pursuers , like light-foot harts they flie , not knowing , where , prickt on with famin , and distracted feare . eleg : . gall'd with her griefe , ierusalem recalls to minde , her lost delights , her festiualls , her peacefull freedome , and full joyes , in vaine wishing , what earth cannot restore againe ; succour shee sought , and begg'd , but none was there , to giue the almes , of one poore trickling teare , the scornfull lips , of her amazed foes , deride the griefe , of her disastrous woes ; they laugh , and lay more ample torments on her , disdaine to looke , and yet they gaze vpon her , abuse her altars , hate her offerings , prophane her sabbaths , and her holy things eleg . . hadst thou ( ierusalem ) ô , had thy heart beene loyall to his loue , whose once thou wert , o , had the beames of thy vnvailed eye , continu'd pure ; had'st thou beene nice , to trie new pleasures , thus thy glorie ne're had wasted , thy walls , till now , like thy reproach , had lasted . thy louers , whose false beauties did entice thee , haue seene thee naked , and doe now despise thee , drunke with thy wanton pleasures , they are fled , and scorne the bountie , of thy loathed bed ; left to thy guilt ( the seruant of thy sin ) thou sham'st to show , what once , thou gloriedst in . eleg . . ierusalem is all infected ouer with leprosie , whose filth , no shade can couer , puft vp with pride , vnmindfull of her end , see , how shee lyes , deuoid of helpe , or friend . great lord of lords ( whose mercy farre transcends thy sacred iustice ) whose full hand attends the cryes of emptle rauens , bow downe thine eares , to wretched sion , sion drown'd in teares ; thy hand did plant her ( lord ) shee is thy vine , confound her foes , they are her foes , and thine : shew wonted fauour , to thy holy hill , rebuild her walls , and loue thy sion still . eleg . . knees , falsly bent to dagon , now defile her wasted temple , rudely they dispoile th' abused altars , and no hand releeues ; her house of prayer is turn'd a den of theeues , her costly robes , her sacred treasure stands , a willing prey to sacrilegious hands , her priests are slaine , and in a lukewarme flood , through euery channell runnes the leuits blood ; the hallowed temple of the highest god , whose purer foot-steps , were not to be trod with vnprepared feet , before her eye is turn'd a groue , for base idolatrie . eleg . lingring with death and famin , iudah groanes , and to the aire , breathes forth her ayrie moanes , her fainting eyes waxe dimme , her cheeks grow pale , her wandring steps despaire to speede , and faile , shee faints , and through her trembling lips ( halfe dead ) shee whispers oft the holy name of bread : great god , let thy offended wrath surcease , behold thy seruants , send thy seruants peace , behold thy vassalls , groueling on the dust ; be mercifull ( deare god ) as well as just ; 't is thou , 't is thou alone , that sent this griefe , 't is thou , 't is thou alone , can send reliefe . eleg . . my tongu's in labour with her painfull birth , that findes no passage ; lord , how strange a dearth of wordes , concomitates a world of woes ! i neither can conceale , nor yet disclose : you weary pilgrims , you , whom change of clymes haue taught the change of fortunes , and of times , stay , stay your feeble steps , and cast your eyes on me , the abstract of all miseries . say ( pilgrims ) say , if e're your eyes beheld more truer iliades ; more vnparalleld , and matelesse euills , which my offended god reulcerates , with his enraged rod. eleg . . no humane power could , no enuious art of mortall man , could thus subiect my heart , my glowing heart , to these imperious fires : no earthly sorrow , but at length expires ; but these my tyrant-torments doe extend to infinites , nor hauing ease , nor end ; lo , i the pris'ner of the highest god , inthralled to the vengeance of his rod , lie bound in fetters , that i cannot flie , nor yet endure his deadly strokes , nor die : my ioyes are turn'd to sorrowes , backt with feares , and i ( poore i ) lie pickled vp in teares . eleg . . o! how vnsufferable is the waight of sinne ! how miserable is their state , the silence of whose secret sinne conceales the smart , till iustice to reuenge appeales ! how ponderous are my crimes , whose ample scroule , weighs downe the pillars of my broken soule ! their sower , masqu'd with sweetnesse , ouerswai'd me , and with their smiling kisses , they betrai'd me , betrai'd me to my foes , and what is worse , betrai'd me to my selfe , and heauens curse , betrai'd my soule , to an eternall griefe , deuoid of hope , for e're to finde reliefe . eleg .. . perplext with change of woes , where e're i turne my fainting eyes , they finde fresh cause , to mourne ; my griefes mooue like the planets , which appeare chang'd from their places , constant to their sphaere ; behold , the earth-confounding arme of heauen , hath cow'd my valiant captaines , and hath driuen their scattered forces vp and downe the street , like worried sheepe , afraid of all they meet ; my yonger men , the seede of propagation , exile hath driuen from my diuided nation ; my tender virgins haue not seap'd their rage , which neither had respect to youth , nor age . eleg . . qvick change of torments ! equall to those crimes , which past vnthought-of , in my prosp'rous times ; from hence proceede my griefes , ( ah me ) from hence , my spring-tyde sorrowes haue their influence ; for these , my soule dissolues , my eyes lament , spending those teares , whose store will ne're be spent ; for these , my fainting spirits droope , and melt in anguish , such as neuer mortall felt ; within the selfe-same flames , i freeze , and frie , i roare for helpe , and yet no helpe is nigh ; my sonnes are lost , whose fortunes should relieue me , and onely such triumph , that hourely grieue me . eleg . . rent from the glorie of her lost renowne , sion laments ; her lips ( her lips o'reflowne with floods of teares ) shee prompteth how to breake new languages , instructs her tongue to speake elegious dialects ; shee lowly bends her dustie knees vpon the earth , extends her brawnelesse armes to them , whose ruthlesse eyes are red , with laughing at her miseries ; naked shee lyes , deform'd , and circumvented with troopes of feares , vnpitied , vnlamented , a loathsome draine for filth , despis'd forlorne ; the scorne of nations , and the childe of scorne . eleg . . sowre wages issue from the sweets of sin . heauens hand is just , this treacherous heart hath bin the author of my woes : 't is i alone ; my sorrowes reape , what my foule sinnes haue sowne ; often they cry'd to heauen , e're heauen replyde , and vengeance ne're had come , had they ne're cryde ; all you that passe , vouchsafe your gracious eares , to heare these cryes , your eyes , to view these teares ; they are no heat-drops of an angrie heart , or childish passions of an idle smart , but they are riuers , springing from an eye , whose streames , no ioy can stop , no griefe draw drye . eleg . . tvrne where i list , new cause of woe , presents my poore distracted soule with new laments ; where shall i turne ? shall i implore my friends ? ah! summer friendship , with the summer ends ; in vaine to them my groanes , in vaine my teares , for haruest friends , can finde no winter eares ; or shall i call my sacred priests for aid ; alas ! my pined priests are all betraid to death , and famin ; in the streits they cryde for bread , and whilst they sought for bread , they dyde : vengeance could neuer strike so hard a blowe , as when shee sends an vnlamented woe . eleg . . vouchsafe ( great god ) to turne thy tender eyes on me , poore wretch : ô , let my mid-night cryes , ( that neuer cease , if neuer stopt with teares ) procure audience from thy gracious eares ; behold thy creature , made by change of griefe the barest wretch , that euer begg'd reliefe ; see , see , my soule is tortur'd on thy racke , my bowells tremble , and my heart-strings crack ; abroad , the sword with open ruine frights me ; at home , the secret hand of famin smights me ; strange fires of griefe ! how is my soule opprest , that findes abroad , no peace ; at home , no rest ! eleg . . where , where art thou , ô sacred lambe of peace , that promis'd to the heauie laden , ease ? thee , thee alone , my often bended knee inuokes , that haue no other helpe , but thee ; my foes ( amazed at my hoarse complayning ) scoffe at my oft repeated cryes , disdayning to lend their prosp'rous hand , they hisse and smile , taking a pleasure to behold my spoile ; their hands delight to bruze my broken reeds , and still persist , to prick that heart , that bleeds ; but ther 's a day ( if prophets can diuine ) shall scourge their sinnes , as they haue scourged mine . eleg . . you noysome weedes , that lift your crests so high , when better plants , for want of moisture , die , thinke you to flourish euer ? and ( vnspide ) to shoot the flowers of your fruitlesse pride ? if plants be lopt , because their fruits are small , thinke you to thriue , that beare no fruit at all ? looke downe ( great god ) and from their places , teare these weeds , that suck the juyce , should make vs beare ; vndew'd with showers , let them see no sunne , but feele those frosts , that thy poore plants haue done . o , clense thy garden , that the world may knowe , we are the seedes , that thy right hand did sowe . sions elegies . threnodia ii. eleg . . alas ! my torments , my distracted feares , haue no commerce with reasonable teares ; how hath heauens absence darkned the renowne of sions glorie ! with one angrie frowne , how hath th' almightie clouded those bright beames , and chang'd her beauties streamers , into streames ! sion , the glorie of whose refulgent fame , gaue earnest of an euerlasting name , is now become an indigested masse , and ruine is , where that braue glorie was ; how hath heauen struck her earth-admired name , from th' height of honour , to the depth of shame ! eleg . . beautie , nor strength of building , could entice , or force reuenge from her iust enterprise ; mercy hath stopt her eares , and iustice hath powr'd out full vialls , of her kindled wrath ; impatient of delay , shee hath struck downe the pride of sion , kickt off iuda's crowne , her streets vnpeopled , and disperc'd her powres , and with the ground hath leuell'd her high towres , her priests are slaine , her captiu'd princes are vnransom'd pris'ners ; slaues , her men of warre ; nothing remaynes of all her wonted glorie , but sad memorialls of her tragick storie . eleg . . confused horror , and confounded shame , hath blurr'd the beautie , and renowned name of righteous israel ; israels fruitfull land , entail'd by heauen , with the vsurping hand of vncontrolled gentiles , is laid waste , and with the spoile of ruine is defac't ; the angrie mouth of iustice blowes the fires of hastie vengeance , whose quick flame aspires , with furie , to that place , which heauen did seuer , for iacob , and his holy seede , for euer ; no part , no secret angle of the land , which beares no marke of heauens enraged hand . eleg . . darts , thrill'd from heauen , transfixe my bleeding hart , and fill my soule with euerlasting smart , whose festring wound , no fortune can recure ; th' almightie strikes but seldome , but strikes sure ; his sinowy arme hath drawne his steely bowe , and sent his forked shafts , to ouerthrowe my pined princes , and to ruinate the weakned pillars , of my wounded state ; his hand hath scourg'd my deare delights , acquited my soule , of all , where in my soule delighted ; i am the mirrour of vnmasqued sin , to see her ( dearely purchas'd ) pleasures in . eleg . . even as the pilot , whose sharpe keele diuides th' encountring waues , of the cicilian tides , tost on the lists of death , striuing to scape the danger of deepe mouth'd carybdis rape , rebutts on scylla , with a forc'd careere , and wrecks vpon a lesse suspected feare ; euen so poore i , contriuing to withstand my foemans , fall into th' almighties hand ; so i , the childe of ruine , to auoyd lesse dangers , by a greater am destroyd : how necessarie , ah! how sharp's his end , that neither hath his god , nor man , to friend ! eleg . . forgotten sion hangs her drooping head , vpon her fainting brest ; her soule is fed with endlesse griefe , whose torments had depriu'd her long since , of life , had not new paines reviu'd her ; sion is like a garden , whose defence being broke , is left to the rude violence of wastefull swine , full of neglected waste , nor hauing flowre for smell ; nor herbe for taste ; heauen takes no pleasure in her holy feasts , her idle sabbaths , or burnt fat of beasts ; both state , and temple are despoil'd and fleec't of all their beautie ; without prince , or priest . eleg : . glorie , that once did heauens bright temple fill , is now departed from that sacred hill ; see , how the emptie altar stands disguiz'd , abus'd by gentiles , and by heauen despiz'd ; that place , wherein the holy one hath taken so sweet delight , lyes loathed , and forsaken ; that sacred place , wherein the pretious name of great iehouah was preseru'd , the same is turn'd a den for theeues ; an open stage , for vice , to act on ; a defiled cage of vncleane birds ; a house of priuiledge for sinne , and vncontrolled sacriledge . eleg . . heauen hath decreed ; his angrie breast doth boile , his time 's expir'd , and he is arm'd to spoile ; his secret will adjourn'd the righteous doome of threatned sion , and her time is come ; his hand is arm'd with thunder , from his eyes , a flame more quick , then sulphrous aetna , flyes ; sion must fall ; that hand , which hath begun , can neuer rest , till the full worke be dun ; her walls are sunke , her towres are ouerthrowne , heauen will not leaue a stone vpon a stone ; hence , hence the flouds of roaring iudah rise , hence sion fills the cisterns of her eyes . eleg . . ioy is departed from the holy gates of deare ierusalem , and peace retraits from wasted sion ; her high walls , that were an armed proofe , against the brunt of feare , are shrunke , for shame , if not withdrawne , for pitie , to see the ruines , of so braue a citie ; her kings , and out-law'd princes liue constrain'd , howrely to heare the name of heauen profan'd ; manners and lawes , the life of gouernment , are sent into eternall banishment ; her prophets cease to dreame ; they vow , vnheard ; they howle to heauen , but heauen giues no regard . eleg . . king , priest , and people , all alike are clad , in weedes of sack-cloth , taken from the sad wardrobe of sorrow ; prostrate on the earth , they close their lips , their lips estrang'd to mirth ; silent they sit , for dearth of speech , affords a sharper accent , for true griefe , then words ; the father wants a sonne ; the sonne , a mother ; the bride , her groome ; the brother wants his brother ; some , famin ; exile , some ; and some , the sword hath slaine ; all want , when sion wants her lord : how art thou all in all ! ther 's nothing scant ( great god ) with thee ; without thee , all things want . eleg . . launch forth , my soule , into a sea of teares , whose ballac'd bulke , no other pilot steares , then raging sorrow , whose vncertaine hand , wanting her compasse , strikes on euery sand ; driuen with a storme of sighes , shee seekes the hauen of rest , but like to noahs wandring rauen , shee scowres the mayne , and , as a sea-lost rouer , shee roames , but can no land of peace , discouer : mine eyes are faint with teares ; teares haue no end ; the more are spent , the more remayne to spend : what marble ( ah ) what adamantine eye , can looke on sions ruine , and not crye ? eleg . . my tongue ? the tongues of angels , are too faint , t' expresse the causes of my just complaint ; see , how the pale-fac'd sucklings roare for food , and from their milklesse mothers brests , draw blood , children surcease their serious toyes , and plead with trickling teares , ah mothers , giue vs bread ; such goodly barnes , and not one graine of corne , why did the sword escape's ? why were we borne to be deuour'd , and pin'd with famin ? saue vs with quick reliefe , or take the liues , you gaue vs ; they cryde for bread , that scarce had breath to crye ; and wanting meanes to liue , found meanes to dye . eleg . . neuer , ah ! neuer yet , did vengeance brand a state , with deeper ruine , then thy land , deare sion ; how could mischiefe beene more keene , or struck thy glorie , with a sharper spleene ? whereto ( ierusalem ) to what shall i compare this thy vnequall'd miserie ? turne back to ages past ; search deepe records : theirs are , thine cannot be exprest , in words ; would , would to god , my liues cheape price might be esteem'd of valew , but to ransome thee ; would i could cure thy griefe ; but who is able , to heale that wound , that is immedicable ? eleg . . osion , had thy prosp'rous soule endur'd thy prophets scourge , thy ioyes had beene secur'd ; but thou ( ah thou ) hast lent thine itching eare , to such as claw'd , and onely such , would'st heare ; thy prophets , 'nointed with vnhallow'd oile , rubb'd , where they should haue launcht , & did beguile thy abused faith , their fawning lips did crie peace , peace , alas , when there was no peace nigh ; they quilted silken curtains for thy crimes , belyde thy god , and onely pleas'd the times ; deare sion , oh ; hadst thou , but had the skill , to stop thine eares , thou hadst beene sion still . eleg . . people , that trauell through thy wasted land , gaze on thy ruines , and amazed stand , they shake their spleenfull heads , disdaine , deride the sudden downfull , of so faire a pride ; they clap their ioyfull hands , and fill their tongs with hisses , ballads , and with lyrick songs ; her torments giue their emptie lips new matter , and , with their scornfull fingers , point they at her ; is this ( say they ) that place , whose wonted fame , made troubled earth , to tremble at her name ? is this that state ? are these , those goodly stations ? is this that mistris , and that queene of nations ? eleg . . qvencht are the dying embers of compassion , for emptie sorrow , findes no lamentation ; when as thy haruest flourisht with full eares , thy slightest griefe , brought in a tyde of teares ; but now , alas ! thy crop consum'd , and gon , thou art but food , for beasts to trample on ; thy seruants glorie in thy ruine , those that were thy priuate friends , are publike foes ; thus , thus ( say they ) we spit our rancrous spleene , and gnash our teeth , vpon the worlds faire queene ; thrice welcome this ( this long expected ) day , that crownes our conquest , with so sweeta pray . eleg . . rebellious iudah ! could thy flattring crimes secure thee , from the danger of these times ? or did thy summer prophets e're foresay these euills , or warne thee of a winters day ? did not those sweet-lipt oracles begude thy wanton eares , with newes of wine , and oile ? but heauen is iust ; what his deepe counsell will'd , his prophets told , and iustice hath fulfill'd ; he hath destroyd ; no secret place , so voyd , no fort so sure , that heauen hath not destroyd ; thou land of iudah ! how 's thy sacred throne , become a stage , for heath'n , to trample on ! eleg . . see , see , th' accursed gentiles doe inherit the land of promise ; where heauens sacred spirit built temples for his euerlasting name ; there , there , th'vsurping pagans doe proclaime their idle idols , vnto whom they gaue that stollen honour , which heauens lord should haue : winke sion ; ô , let not those eyes be stain'd . with heauens dishonour , see not heauen profan ; d ; close , close thine eyes , or if they needs must bee open , like flood-gates to let water flee , yet let the violence of their flowing streames obscure thine open eyes , and maske their beames . eleg . . trust not thine eye-lids , least a flattering sleepe , bribe them to rest , and they forget to weepe ; powre out thy heart , thy heart dissolu'd in teares , weepe forth thy plaints , in the almighties eares ; oh , let thy cryes , thy cryes , to heauen addrest , disturbe the silence of thy mid-night rest ; preferre the sad petitions of thy soule to heauen , ne're close thy lips , till heauen condole confounded sion , and her wounded weale ; that god that smit , oh , mooue that god to heale ; oh , let thy tongue ne're cease to call , thine eye , to weepe , thy pensiue heart , ne're cease to crye . eleg . . vouchsafe , oh thou eternall lord of pitie , to looke on sion , and thy dearest citie , confus'd ierusalem , for thy davids sake , and for that promise , which thy selfe did make to halting is'rel ; loe , thy hand hath forc'd mothers ( whom lawlesse famin , hath diuorc'd from deare affection ) to deuoure the bloomes , and buds , that burgeond from their painfull wombes ; thy sacred priests , and prophets that whilere , did howrely whisper , in thy neighb'ring eare , are falne before the sacrilegious sword , euen where , euen whilst they did vnfold thy word . eleg . . wounded , and wasted , by th' eternall hand of heauen , i grouell on the ground ; my land is turn'd a golgotha , before mine eye , vnsepulchred my murthred people lye ; my deadlye rudely scattred on the stones , my cawsies all are pau'd with dead mens bones ; the fierce destroyer doth alike forbeare the maidens trembling , and the matrons teare , th' impartiall sword spares neither foole , nor wise , the old mans pleading ; nor the infants cryes ; vengeance is deafe , and blinde ; and shee respects nor young , nor old , nor wise , nor foole , nor sexe . eleg . . yeeres , heauy laden with their months , retire ; months , gone their date of numbred dayes , expire ; the dayes , full howerd , to their period tend ; and howres , chac'd with light foot minutes , end ; yet my vndated euills , no time will minish , though yeers , & months , though daies & howers , finish : feares flock about me , as inuited guests , before the portalls , at proclaimed feasts ; where heauen hath breath'd , that man , that state must fall ; heauen wants no thunder-bolts , to strike withall ; i am the subiect , of that angrie breath , my sonnes are slaine , and i am mark'd for death . sions elegies . threnodia iii. eleg . . all you , whose vnprepared lips did taste the tedious cup of sharpe affliction , caste your wondings eyes on me , that haue drunke vp those dregs , whereof you onely kist the cup : i am the man , ' gainst whom th' eternall hath discharg'd the lowder volley of his wrath ; i am the man , on whom the brow of night hath scowl'd , vnworthy to behold the light ; i am the man , in whom th'almightie showes the dire example of vnpattern'd woes ; i am that pris'ner , ransome cannot free ; i am that man ; and i am onely hee . eleg . . bondage hath forc'd my seruile necke to faile beneath her load ; afflictions nimble flaile hath thrasht my soule vpon a floore of stones , and quasht the marrow of my broken bones ; th' assembled powres of heauen enrag'd , are eager to roote me out ; heauens souldiers doe beleager my worried soule , my soule vnapt for fleeing , that yeelds , o'reburthen'd with her tedious being ; th' almighties hand hath clouded all my light , and clad my soule with a perpetuall night , a night of torments , and eternall sorrow , like that of death , that neuer findes a morrow . eleg . . chain'd to the brazen pillars of my woes , i striue in vaine ; no mortall hand can loose what heauen hath bound ; my soule is wall'd about , that hope can nor get in , nor feare get out ; when e're my wauering hopes to heauen addresse the feeble voice of my extreame distresse , he stops his tyred eares ; without regard of suit , or sutor , leaues my prayers vnheard . before my faint and stumbling feet , he layes blocks to disturbe my best aduised wayes ; i seeke my peace , but seeke my peace in vaine . for euery way 's a trap ; each path's a traine . eleg . . disturbed lions are appeas'd with blood , and rauenous beares are mild , not wanting food , but heauen ( ah heauen ! ) will not implored bee : lions , and beares are not so fierce as hee : his direfull vengeance ( which no meane confines ) hath crost the thriuing of my best designes ; his hand hath spoil'd me , that erewhile aduanc't me , brought in my foes , possest my friends against me ; his bowe is bent , his forked rouers flye , like darted haile stones from the darkned skye ; shot from a hand that cannot erre , they bee transfixed in no other marke , but mee . eleg . . exil'd from heauen , i wander to and fro , and seeke for streames , as stags new striken doe , and , like a wandring hart i flee the hounds , with arrowes deeply fixed in my wounds ; my deadly hunters with a winged pace , pricke forwards , and pursue their wearie chace , they whoope , they hallow me , deride , and flout me , that flee from death , yet carrie death about me : excesse of torments hath my soule deceiu'd of all her ioyes , of all her powres bereiu'd . ocurious griefe , that hast my soule brim-fill'd with thousand deaths , and yet my soule not kill'd ! eleg . . follow'd with troopes of feares , i flie in vaine , for change of places , breedes new change of paine ; the base condition of my low estate , my'exalted foes disdaine , and wonder at ; turne where i list ( these ) these my wretched eyes , they finde no objects , but new miseries ; my soule , accustom'd to so long encrease of paines , forgets that shee had euer peace ; thus , thus perplext , thus with my griefes distracted , what shall i doe ? heauens powers are compacted , to worke my'eternall ruine ; to what friend shall i make moane , when heauen conspires my end ? eleg . . great god ! what helpe ( ah me ) what hope is left to him , that of thy presence is bereft ? absented from thy fauour , what remaines , but sense , and sad remembrance of my paines ? yet hath affliction op'ned my dull eare , and taught me , what in weale i ne're could heare ; her scourge hath tutor'd me with sharpe corrections , and swag'd the swelling of my proud affections ; till now i slumbred in a prosp'rous dreame , from whence awak'd , my griefes are more extreame ; hopes , newly quickned , haue my soule assur'd , that griefes discour'd , are one halfe recur'd . eleg . . had not the milder hand of mercy broke the furious violence , of that fatall stroke , offended iustice struck , we had beene quite lost in the shaddowes of eternall night ; thy mercy , lord , is like the morning sun , whose beames vndoe , what sable night hath don ; or like a streame , the current of whose course , restrain'd awhile , runnes with a swifter force ; oh , let me swelter in those sacred beames , and after , bathe me in these siluer streames ; to thee alone , my sorrowes shall appeale ; hath earth a wound , too hard for heauen to heale ? eleg . . in thee ( deare lord ) my pensiue soule respires , thou art the fulnesse of my choice desires ; thou art that sacred spring , whose waters burst in streames to him , that seekes with holy thurst ; thrice happy man , thrice happy thirst , to bring the fainting soule to so , so sweet a spring ; thrice happy he , whose well resolued brest expects no other aide , no other rest ; thrice happy he , whose downie age hath bin reclaim'd by scourges , from the prime of sin , and earely season'd with the taste of truth , remembers his creator in his youth . eleg . . knowledge concomitates heauens painfull rod , teaches the soule to know her selfe , her god , vnseiles the eye of faith , presents a morrow of ioy , within the sablest night of sorrow ; th' afflicted soule abounds in barest neede , sucks purest honie from the foulest weede , detests that good , which pamper'd reason likes , welcomes the stroke , kisses the hand that strikes in roughest tides his well-prepared brest , vntoucht with danger , findes a hauen of rest ; hath all in all , when most of all bereauen ; in earth , a hell ; in hell , he findes a heauen . eleg . . labour perfected , with the euening ends , the lampe of heauen ( his course fulfill'd ) descends ; can workes of nature seeke , and finde a rest ; and shall the torments of a troubled brest , impos'd by natures all-commanding god , ne're know an end , ne're finde a period ? deare soule , despaire not , whet thy dull beliefe with hope ; heauens mercy will o'recome thy griefe ; from thee , not him , proceedes thy punishment , hee 's slowe to wrath , and speedie to relent ; thou burn'st like gold , consumest not like fuell ; o , wrong not heauen , to thinke that heauen is cruell . eleg . . mountaines shall mooue , the sun his circling course shall stop ; tridented neptune shall diuorce th' embracing floods , from their beloued iles , ere heauen forgets his seruant , and recoiles from his eternall vow : those , those that bruise his broken reedes , or secretly abuse the doubtfull title of a rightfull cause , or with false bribes adulterate the lawes , that should be chaste ; these , these th' almightie hath branded for subiects of a future wrath ; oh , may the iust man know , th' eternall hastens his plagues for trialls ; loues the childe he chastens . eleg . . no mortall power , nor supernall might , not lucifer , nor no infernall spright , nor all together , ioyn'd in one commission , can thinke or act , without diuine permission ; man wills , heauen breathes successe , or not , vpon it ; what good , what euill befals , but heauen hath done it ? vpon his right hand , health and honours stand , and flaming scourges on the other hand : since then the states of good or euill depend vpon his will , ( fond mortall ) thou , attend vpon his wisedome ; why should liuing dust complaine on heauen because that heauen is iust ? eleg . . o let the ballance of our euen-pois'd hearts , weigh our afflictions with our just desarts , and ease our heauie scale ; double the graines we take from sinne , heauen taketh from our paines ; oh , let thy lowly-bended eyes not feare th' almighties frownes , nor husband one poore teare ; be prodigall in sighes , and let thy tongue , thy tongue , estrang'd to heauen , crie all night long : my soule , thou leau'st , what thy creator did will thee to doe , hast done what he forbid ; this , this , hath made so great a strangenesse bee , ( if not diuorce ) betwixt thy god , and thee . eleg . . prepar'd to vengeance , and resolu'd to spoile , thy hand ( iust god ) hath taken in thy toile our wounded soules ; that arme , which hath forgot his wonted mercy , kills and spareth not ; our crimes haue let a barre , betwixt thy grace and vs ; thou hast eclipst thy glorious face , hast stopt thy gracious eare , lest prayers enforce thy tender heart to pitie and remorse : see , see , great god , what thy deare hand hath done ; we lye like drosse , when all the gold is gone , contemn'd despis'd , and like to atomes , flye before the sunne , the scorne of euery eye . eleg . . qvotidian feuers of reproach , and shame , haue chill'd our honour , and renowned name ; we are become the by-word , and the scorne of heauen and earth ; of heauen and earth , forlorne ; our captiu'd soules are compast round about , within , with troopes of feares ; of foes , without ; without , within distrest ; and in conclusion , we are the haplesse children of confusion ; oh , how mine eyes , the riuers of mine eyes , o'reflow these barren lips , that can deuise no dialect , that can expresse or borrow sufficient metaphores , to show my sorrow ! eleg . . riuers of marish teares haue ouer-flowne my blubberd cheekes ; my tongue can finde no tone , so sharpe , as silence , to bewaile that woe , whose flowing tides , an ebbe could neuer knowe : weepe on ( mine eyes ) mine eyes shall neuer cease : speake on ( my tongue ) forget to hold thy peace ; cease not thy teares ; close not thy lips , so long , till heauen shall wipe thine eyes , & heare thy tongue ; whatheart of brasse , what adamantine brest can know the torments of my soule , and rest ? what stupid braine , ( ah me ! ) what marble eye can see these , these my ruines , and not crye ? eleg . . yet sleepes thy vengeance ? can thy iustice bee so slowe to them , and yet so sharpe to mee ? dismount ( iust iudge ) from thy tribunall throne , and pay thy foemen , the deserued lone of their vnjust designes ; make fierce thy hand , and scourge thou them , as they haue scourg'd my land ; breake thou their adamantine hearts , and pound them to dust , and with thy finall curse confound them ; let horror seize their soules ; ô may they bee the scorne of nations , that haue scorned thee ; o , may they liue distrest , and die bereauen of earths delights , and of the ioyes of heauen . sions elegies . threnodia iiii. eleg . . alas ! what alterations ! ah , how strange amazement flowes from such an vncouth change ! ambitious ruine ! could thy razing hand finde ne're a subiect , but the holy land ? thou sacrilegious ruine , to attempt the house of god ! was not heauens house exempt from thy accursed rape ? ah me ! behold , sion , whose pauement of refulgent gold , so lately did reflect , so bright , so pure , how dimme , how droffie now , ( ah ! ) how obscure ! her sacred stones lie scatter'd in the street , for stumbling blocks before the leuites feet . eleg . . foule sodome , and incestuous gomorrow had my destruction , but ne're my sorrow ; vengeance had mercy there ; her hand did send a sharpe beginning , but a sudden end ; iustice was milde , and with her hastie flashes they fell , and sweetly slept in peacefull ashes ; they felt no rage of an insulting foe , nor famine pinching furie , as i doe ; they had no sacred temple to defile ; or if they had , they would haue helpt to spoile ; they dyde but once , but i , poore wretched i , die many deaths , and yet haue more to die . eleg : . gold , from the mint ; milke , from the vberous cow , was ne're so pure in substance , nor in show , as were my nazarites , whose inward graces adorn'd the outward lustre of their faces ; their faces robb'd the lilly , and the rose , of red and white ; more faire , more sweet then those ; their bodies were the magazens of perfection , their skins vnblemisht , were of pure complexion , through which , their saphire-colour'd veines descride the azure beautie of their naked pride ; the flaming carbuncle was not so bright , nor yet the rare discolour'd chrisolite . eleg . . how are my sacred nazarites ( that were the blazing planets of my glorious sphaere ) obscur'd , and darkned in afflictions clowd ? astonisht at their owne disguize , they shrowd their foule transformed shapes , in the dull shade of sullen darknesse ; of themselues afraide ; see , how the brother gazes on the brother , and both afrighted , start , and flie each other ; black , as their fates , they crosse the streets , vnkend ; the sire , his sonne ; the friend disclaimes his friend ; they , they that were the flowers of my land , like with'red weedes , and blasted hemlock stand . eleg . . impetuous famin , sister to the sword , left hand of death , childe of th' infernall lord , thou tort'rer of mankinde , that with one stroake , subiects the world to thy imperious yoake : what pleasure tak'st thou in the tedious breath of pined mortalls ? or their lingring death ? the sword , thy generous brother 's not so cruell , he kills but once , fights in a noble duell , but thou ( malicious furie ) dost extend thy spleene to all , whose death can finde no end ; alas ! my haplesse weare can want no woe , that feeles the rage of sword , and famin too . eleg . . kinde is that death , whose weapons doe but kill , but we are often slaine , yet dying still ; our torments are too gentle , yet too rough , they gripe too hard , because not hard enough ; my people teare their trembling flesh , for food , and from their ragged wounds , they suck forth blood ; the father dies , and leaues his pined course , tinrich his heire , with meate ; the hungrie nurse broiles her staru'd suckling on the hastie coales , deuours one halfe , and hides the rest in holes : o tyrant famin ! that compell'st the mother , to kill one hungrie childe , to feed an other ! eleg . ii. lament , ô sad ierusalem , lament ; o weepe , if all thy teares be yet vnspent ; weepe ( wasted iudah ) let no drop be kept vnshed , let not one teare be left , vnwept ; for angrie heauen hath nothing left vndon , to bring thy ruines to perfection : no curse , no plague the fierce almightie hath kept back , to summe the totall of his wrath ; thy citic burnes ; thy sion is despoil'd ; thy wiues are rauisht , and thy maides defil'd ; famin , at home ; the sword abroad destroyes thee ; thou cry'st to heauen , and heauen his caredenyes thee . eleg . . may thy dull senses ( ô vnhappy nation , possest with nothing , now , but desolation ) collect their scatter'd forces , and behold thy nouell fortunes , ballanc'd with the old ; could'st thou , ô could thy prosp'rous heart conceiue , that mortall powre , or art of state could reiue thy'illustrious empire , of her sacred glorie ; and make her ruines , the threnodian storie of these sad times , and ages , yet to bee ? enuie could pine , but neuer hope to see thy buildings crusht , and all that glorie ended , which man so fortifyde , and heauen defended . eleg : . ne're had the splendor of thy bright renowne beene thus extinguisht ( iudah ; ) thy fast crowne , had ne're beene spurn'd from thy emperiall brow , plentie had nurs'd thy soule , thy peacefull plough had fill'd thy fruitfull quarters with encrease , hadst thou but knowne thy selfe , and loued peace ; but thou hast broke that sacred truce , concluded betwixt thy god , and thee ; vainly deluded thy selfe with thine owne strength ; with deadly feud thy furious priests , and prophets haue pursude the mourning saints of sion , and did slay all such , as were more iust , more pure , then they . eleg . . o how the priests of sion , whose pure light should shine to such , as grope in errors night , and blaze like lamps , before the darkned eye of ignorance , to raise vp those that lye in dull despaire , and guide those feet that strey , ay me ! how blinde , how darke , how dull are they ! fierce rage , and furie driues them through the street , and , like to mad-men , stabbe at all they meet ; they weare the purple liuerie of death , and liue themselues , by drawing others breath ; say ( wasted sion ) could reuenge behold so foule an acted scene as this , and hold ? eleg . . prophets , and sacred priests , whose tongues whilere , did often whisper in th' eternals eare , disclos'd his oracles , found readie passage twixt god , and man , to carrie heauens embassage , are now the subiects of deserued scorne , of god forsaken , and of man forlorne ; accursed gentiles are asham'd to knowe , what sions priests are not asham'd to doe ; they see , and blush , and blushing flee away , fearing to touch things so defil'd as they ; they hate the filth of their abomination , and chace them forth , from their new cōquer'd nation . eleg . . qvite banisht from the joyes of earth , and smiles of heauen , and deeply buried in her spoiles , poore iudah lyes ; vnpitied , dis-respected ; exil'd the world ; of god , of man reiected ; like blasted eares among the fruitfull wheate , shee roames disperc'd , and hath no certaine seate ; her seruile neck 's subiected to the yoke of bondage , open to th' impartiall stroke of conquering gentiles , whose afflicting hand smites euery nooke of her disguized land ; of youth respectlesse , nor regarding yeeres , nor sexe , nor tribe ; like scourging prince , and peeres . eleg . . rent , and deposed from imperiall state , by heauens high hand , on heauen we must awaite ; to him that struck , our sorrowes must appeale ; where heauen hath smit , no hand of man can heale ; in vaine , our wounds expected mans reliefe , for disappointed hopes renew a griefe ; aegypt opprest vs in our fathers loynes , what hope 's in aegypt ? nay , if aegypt ioynes her force with iudah , our vnited powers , could ne're preuaile ' gainst such a foe , as our's ; aegypt , that once did feel heauens scourge , for grieuing his flock , would now refinde it , for relieuing . eleg . . so , the quick-sented beagles , in a view , o're hill , and dale , the fleeing chace pursue , as swift-foot death , and ruine follow mee , that flees , afraid , yet knowes not where to flee : flee to the fields ? there , with the sword , i meet , and , like a watch , death stands in euery street ; no couert hides from death ; no shade , no cells so darke , wherein not death , and horror dwells ; our dayes are numbred , and our number 's don , the emptie houre-glasse of our glorie 's run ; our sinnes are summ'd , and so extreame 's the score , that heauen could not doe lesse , nor hell doe more . eleg . . to what a downfall are our fortunes come , subiected to the suffrance of a doome , whose lingring torments , hell could not conspire more sharpe ! then which , hell needs no other fire : how nimble are our foemen , to betray our soules ? eagles are not so swift as they : where shall wee flee ? or where shall sorrow finde a place for harbour ? ah , what prosp'rous winde , will lend a gale , whose bountie ne're shall cease , till we be landed on the i le of peace ? my foes , more fierce , then emptie lions , are , for hungrie lions , woed with teares , will spare . eleg . . vsurping gentils rudely haue engrost into their hands , those fortunes we haue lost , deuoure the fruits , that purer hands did plant , are plump and pamp'red ; with that bread we want , and ( what is worse then death ) a tyrant treades vpon our throne ; pagans adorne their heades , with our lost crownes ; their powers haue disioynted the members of our state , and heauens anoynted , their hands haue crusht , and rauisht from his throne , and made a slaue , for slaues to tread vpon ; needes must that flock be scatter'd , and accurst , where wolfes haue dar'd to seize the shepheard , first . eleg . . vvaxefat with laughing ( edom ; ) with glad eyes , behold the fulnesse of our miseries ; triumph ( thou type of antichrist ) and feede thy soule with ioy , to see thy brothers seede ruin'd , and rent , and rooted from the earth ; make haste , and solace thee with earely mirth ; but there 's a time , shall teach thee how to weepe , as many teares , as i ; thy lips , as deepe shall drinke in sorrowes cup , as mine haue don , till then , cheere vp thy spirits , and laugh on : offended iustice often strikes by turnes ; edom , beware , for thy next neighbour burnes . eleg . . yee drooping sonnes of sion , ô , arise , and shut the flood-gates of your flowing eyes , surcease your sorrowes , and your ioyes attend , for heauen hath spoke it , and your griefes shall end ; beleeue it sion ; seeke no curious signe , and waite heauens pleasure , as heauen waited thine ; and thou triumphing edom , that doest lye in beds of roses ; thou , whose prosp'rous eye did smile , to see the gates of sion fall , shalt be subiected to the selfe-same thrall ; sion , that weepes , shall smile ; and edom's eye , that smiles so fast , as fast shall shortly crye . the prophet ieremie his prayer for the distressed people of iervsalem , and sion . great god , before whose all-discerning eye , the secret corners of mans heart , doe lye as open as his actions , which no clowde of secrecie can shade ; no shade can shrowde , behold the teares , ô , harken to the cryes of thy poore sion ; wipe her weeping eyes , binde vp her bleeding wounds , ô thou , that art the best chirurgeon , for a broken heart : see , how the barb'rous gentiles haue intruded into the land of promise , and excluded those rightfull owners , from their iust possessions , that wander now , full laden with oppressions ; our fathers ( ab ) their sauage hands haue slaine , whose deaths , our widdow-mothers weepe in vaine ; our springs , whose crystall plentie , once disburst their bounteous fauours , to quench euery thurst ; our lib'rall woods , whose palsie-shaken tops , to euery stranger , bow'd their yeelding lops , are sold to vs , that haue no price to pay , but sweat , and toile , the sorrowes of the day ; oppressors trample on our seruile necks , we neuer cease to groane , nor they , to vexe ; famin , and dearth haue taught our hands t' extend to ashur , and our feeble knees , to bend to churlish pharoe ; want of bread compells thy sernants to begge almes of infidells ; our wretched fathers sinn'd , and yet they sleepe in peace , and haue left vs , their sonnes , to weepe ; we , we extracted from their sinfull loynes , are guiltie of their sinnes ; their ossa ioynes , to our high pelion ; aye ! their crimes doe stand , more firmely entayled to vs , then our land : we are the slaues of seruants , and the scorne of slaues ; of all forsaken , and forlorne ; hunger hath forc'd vs , to acquire our food , with deepest danger , of our dearest blood ; our skins are wrinckled , and the fruitlesse ploughs of want , haue fallow'd vp our barren browes ; within that sion , which thy hands did build , our wiues were rauisht , and our maides defil'd ; our sauage fee , extends his barb'rous rage to all , nor sparing sexe , nor youth , nor age ; they hang our princes , on the shamefull trees of death ; respect no persons , no degrees ; our elders are despised , whose gray haires , are but the index of their doting yeares ; our flowring youth are forced to fulfill their painfull taskes , in the laborious mill ; our children faint , beneath their loades , and crye , opprest with burthens , vnder which they lye ; sages are banisht from iuditiall courts , and youth takes no delight in youthfull sports ; our ioyes are gone , and promise no returning , our pleasure 's turn'd to paine ; our mirth , to mourning ; our hand hath lost her sword ; our head , his crowne ; our church , her glorie ; our weale , her high renowne ; lord , we haue sinn'd , and these our sins haue brought this world of griefe ; ( o purchace dearely bought ! ) from hence our sorrowes , and from hence our feares proceed ; for this , our eyes are blinde with teares ; but that ( aye that ) which my poore heart doth count her sharpest torture , is ; thy sacred mount , sacred mount sion ; sion , that diuine seate of thy glorie 's raz'd ; her tender vine , laden with swelling clusters , is destroyd , and foxes now , what once thy lambs , enioyd . but thou ( o thou eternall god ) whose throne is permanent , whose glorie 's euer one , vnapt for change , abiding still the same , though earth consume , and heauen dissolue her frame , why dost thou ( ah ! ) why dost thou thus absent thy glorious face ? oh , wherefore hast thou rent thy mercy from vs ? o! when wilt thou bee attond to them , that haue no trust , but thee . restore vs ( lord ) and let our soules possesse our wonted peace ; o , let thy hand redresse , our wasted fortunes ; let thine eye behold thy scatter'd flocke , and driue them to their fold ; canst thou reject that people , which thy hand hath chose , and planted in the promis'd land ? o thou ( the spring of mercy ) wilt thou send no ease to our afflictions , no end ? finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e reade iosephus de antiq. iud. lib. . cap. . notes for div a -e gen. . . schola cordis, or, the heart of it selfe, gone away from god brought back againe to him & instructed by him in emblems. harvey, christopher, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) schola cordis, or, the heart of it selfe, gone away from god brought back againe to him & instructed by him in emblems. harvey, christopher, - . haeften, benedictus van, - . schola cordis. quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed for h. blunden ..., london : . illustrated t. p. adapted by christopher harvey from bendictus van haeften's "schola cordis." sometimes wrongly ascribed to francis quarles. reproduction of original in british library. eng emblem books. a r (wing h ). civilwar no schola cordis or the heart of it selfe, gone away from god; brought back againe to him & instructed by him. in emblems. harvey, christopher d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - kirk davis text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion schola cordis or the heart of it selfe , gone away from god brought back againe to him & instructed by him in emblems . audiam quid loquatur in me dominus psalm . . loquar ad 〈…〉 cer. osa . london printed for h blunden at the castle in corn-hill . mickael uan lochom facit to the divine majestie of the onely begotten , eternall , well-belov 〈…〉 d son of god and saviour of the world christ jesus , the king of kings and lord of lords , the maker , the 〈◊〉 , the searcher and the teacher of the heart ; the meanest of his mostunworthy servants offers up this poore account of his thoughts , humbly begging pardon for all that is amisse in them , and a gracious acdeptance of these weak erdeavours for the advancement of his honor the good of others . the contents . the introduction . e bleme , . the infection of the heart . . the taking away of the heart . . the darknesse of the heart . . the absence of the heart . . the vanity of the heart . . the oppression of the heart . . the covetousnesse of the heart . . the hardnesse of the heart . . the division of the heart . . the insatiablenesse of the heart . . the returning of the heart . . the powring out of the heart . . the circumcision of the heart . . the contrition of the heart . . the humiliation of the heart . . the softening of the heart . . the cleansing of the heart . . the giving of the heart . . the sacrifice of the heart . . the weighing of the heart . . the trying of the heart . . the sounding of the heart . . the levelling of the heart . . the renewing of the heart . . the enlightening of the heart . . the table of the heart . . the tilling of the heart . . the seeding of the heart . . the watering of the heart . . the flowers of the heart . . the keeping of the heart . . the watching of the heart . . the wounding of the heart . . the inhabiting of the heart . . the enlarging of the heart . . the inflaming of the heart . . the ladder of the heart . . the flying of the heart . . the union of the heart . . the rest of the heart . . the bathing of the heart . . the binding of the heart . . the prop of the heart . . the scourging of the heart . . the hedging of the heart . . the fastening of the heart . . the new wine of the heart . $he conclusion . the school of the heart . the introdvction . turne in , my mind , wander no more abroad , her 's work enough at home , lay by that load of scatter'd thoughts that clogs and cumbers resume thy long neglected liberty ( thee ) of selfe-examination : bend thine eye inward , consider where thine heart doth lie , how 't is affected , how 't is busi'd : looke what thou hast writ thy selfe in thine own booke , thy conscience : - here set thou thy selfe to schoole . selfe-knowledge 'twixt a wise man and a foole doth make the difference : he that neglects this learning , sideth with his owne defects . dost thou draw backe ? hath custome charm'd thee so , that thou canst relish nothing but thy woe ? find'st thou such sweetnesse in those sugar'd lyes ? have forain objects so ingrost thine eyes ? canst thou not hold them off ? hast thou an eare to listen but to what thou should'st not heare ? art thou incapable of every thing , but what thy senses to thy fancie bring ? remember that thy birth and constitution both promise better then such base confusion . thy birth 's divine , from heaven ; thy composure is spirit , and immortall ; thine inclosure in walls of flesh not to make thee debtor for house-roome to them , but to make them better . thy body 's thy freehold , live then as the lord , no tenant to thine owne : some time afford to view what state 't is in : survey each part , and above all take notice of thine heart . such as that is the rest is , or will be , better or worse , blame-worthy or fault-free . what ? are the ruines such thou art affrai'd , or else asham'd , to see how 't is decai'd ? is 't therefore thou art loth to see it such , as now it is , because it is so much , degenerated now from what it was , and should have been ? thine ignorance , alas , will make it nothing better , and the longer evills are suffer'd grow , they grow the stronger . or hath thine understanding lost its light ? hath the darke night of error dimm'd thy sight so that thou canst not , though thou would'st , observe all things amisse within thee , how they swerve from the straight rules of righteousnesse and reason ? if ' so , omit not then this precious season . t is yet schoole time , as yet the doore 's not shut . harke how the master calls . come let us put up our requests to him , whose will alone limits his pow'r of teaching , from whom none returnes unlearned , that hath once a will to be his scholar , and implore his skill . great scearcher of the heart , whose boundlesse sight discovers secrets , and doth bring to light the hidden things of darkenesse , who alone perfectly know'st all things that can be knowne . thou know'st i doe not , cannot , have no mind to know mine heart : i am not onely blind , but lame , and listlesse : thou alone canst make mee able , willing : and the paines i take , as well as the successe , must come from thee , who workest both to will and doe in mee : having now made mee willing to be taught , make mee as willing to learne what i ought . or , if thou wilt allow thy scholar leave to choose his lesson , lest i should deceive my selfe againe , as i have done too often , teach mee to know mine heart . thou , thou , canst soften lighten , enliven , purifie , restore , and make more fruitfull , then it was before , its hardnesse , darkenesse , death , uncleannesse , losse , and barrennesse : refine it from the drosse , and draw out all the dregs , heale ev'ry sore , teach it to know it selfe , and love thee more . lord , if thou wilt , thou canst impart this skill : and for all other learning take 't who will . embleme . the infection of the heart . acts . . why hath satan filled thine heart ? epigr. . whilst thou enclin'st thy voyce-envcigled eare , the subtill serpents syren-songs to heare , thy heart drinks deadly poyson drawn from bell , and with a vip'rous broed of sinne doth swell . ode . the soule . . profit , and pleasure , comfort , and content , wisedome , and honour , and when these are spent a fresh supply of more ! oh heav'nly words ! are these the dainty fruits , that this faire tree affords the serpent . . yes these , and many more , if more may be , all , that the world containes , in this one tree contracted is . take but a tast , and try , thou maist beleeve thy self , experience can not lye . the soule . . but thou maist lye : and with a false pretence of friendship rob me of that excellence , which my creators bounty hath bestow'd , and freely given me , to whom he nothing ow'd . the serpent . . strange composition ! so credulous , and at the same time so suspicious ! this is the tree of knowledge , and untill thou eat thereof , how canst thou know what 's good or ill ? the soule . . god infinitly good my maker is , who neither will , nor can , doe ought amisse . the being i receiv'd was that he sent , and therefore i am sure must needs be excellent : the serpent . . suppose it be : yet doubtlesse he that gave thee such a being must himselfe needs have a better farre , more excellent by much : or else be sure that he could not have made thee such . the soule . . such as he made me i am well content still to continue : for , if he had meant i should enjoy a better state , he would as easily as not have giv'n it , if he would . the serpent . . and is it not all one , if he have given thee meanes to get it ? must he still be driven to new workes of creation for thy sake ? wilt thou not what he sets before thee daine to take ? the soule . . yes , of the fruits of all the other trees i freely take and ear : they are the sees allow'd me for the dressing by the maker : but of this fatall fruit i must not be partaker . the serpent . . and why ? what danger can it be to eat that which is good being ordain'd for meat ? what wilt thou say ? god made it not for food ? or dur'st thou think that made by him it is not good the soule . . yes , good it is , no doubt , and good for meat : but i am not allow'd thereof to eat . my makers prohibition under paine of death the day i eat thereof , makes me refraine . the serpent . . faint-hearted fondling , canst thou feare to dye , being a spirit and immortall ? fie . god knowes this fruit once eaten will refine thy groster parts alone , and make thee all divine . the soule . . there 's something in it sure : were it not good , it had not in the mid'st of th'garden stood : and being good , i can no more refraine from wishing , then then i can the fire to burne restraine . why doe i trifle then ? what i desire why doe i not ? nothing can quench the fire of longing but fruition . come what will , eat it i must , that i may know what 's good and ill . the serpent . . so , thou art taken now : that resolution gives an eternall date to thy confusion . the knowledge thou hast got of good , and ill , is of good gone , and past , of evill present still . embleme . the taking away of the heart . hos. . . whoredome and wine , and new win take away the heart . epigr. . base lust and luxury the scumme and d●…osse of hell-borne pleasures , please thee to the losse of thy souls precious eyesight , reaso●… ; ●… mind●…sse thy mind , hear●…●… heart doth grow . ode . . laid downe already ? and so fast asleepe ? thy precious heart left loosly on thine hand , which with all diligence thou shouldest keep , and guard against those enemies , that stand ready prepar'd to plunge it in the deep of all distresse ? rouze thee , and understand in time , what in the end thou must confesse , that misery at last and wretchednesse is all the fruit that springs from slothfull idlenesse . . whilst thou list soaking in security , thou drown'st thy selfe in sensuail delight , and wallow'st in debauched luxurie , which when thou art awake and see'st , will fright thine heart with horror . when thou shalt de●…cry by the daylight the danger of the night , then , then , if not too late , thou wilt confesse , that endlesse misery and wretchednesse is all the fruit that springs from riotous excesse . . whilst thou dost pamper thy proud flesh , and thrust into thy panch the prime of all thy store , thou dost but gather fuell for that lust , which boyling in thy liver runneth o're , and frieth in thy throbbing veines , which must needs vent , or burst , when they can hold no more . but oh consider what thou shalt confesse at last , that misery and wretchednesse is all the fruit that springs from lustfull wantonnesse . . whilst thou dost feed effeminate desires with spumy pleasures , whilst fruition the coals of lust fannes into flaming fires , and spurious delights thou doatest on , thy mind through cold remisnesse ev'n expires , and all the active vigour of 't is gone . take heed in time , or else thou shalt confesse at last that misery and wretchednesse is all the fruit that springs from carelesse-mindednesse . . whilst thy regardlesse sense-dissolved mind lies by unbent , that should have been thy spring of motion , all thy headstrong passions find themselves let loose , and follow their own swing , forgetfull of the great account behind , as though there never would be such a thing , but , when it comes indeed , thou wilt confesse that misery alone and wre●…hednesse is all the fruit that springs from soule forgetfulnesse . . whilst thou remembrest not thy later end , nor what a reck'ning one day thou must make , putting no difference betwixt foe and friend , thou suffer'st hellish fiends thine heart to take , who , all the while thou triflest , doe attend , ready to bring it to the burning lake of fire and brimstone : where thou shalt confesse that endlesse misery and wretchednesse is all the fruit that springs from stupid heartlesnesse . embleme . the darknesse of the heart . rom. . . their foolish heart was darkened . epigr. . svch cloudy shadowes have eclips'd thine heart as nature cannot parallel nor art : vnlessethou take my light of truth to guide thee , blacknesse of darknesse will at last betide thee . ode . . tarry , o tarry , lest thine heedlesse hast hurry thee headlong unto hell at last : see , see , thine heart 's already half-way there , those gloomy shadowes , that encompasse it , are the vast confines of th'infernall pit . o stay , and if thou lov'st not light , yet feare that fatall darknesse , where such danger doth appeare . . a night of ignorance hath overspread thy mind and understanding : thou art led blindfolded by unbridled passion : thou wand rest in the crooked wayes of errour , leading directly to the king of terrour : the course thou takest , if thou holdest on , will bury thee anon in deep destruction . . whilst thou art thus deprived of thy ●…ight , thou know'st no difference between noone and night , though the sun shine , yet thou regard'st it not . my love-alluring beauty cannot draw thee , nor doth my mind-amating terrour awe thee : like one that had both good and ill forgot , thou carest not a jot what falleth to thy lot . . thou art become unto thy selfe a stranger , observest not thine own desert , or danger , thou know'st not what thou dost , nor canst thou tel whither thou goest : shooting in the darke how canst thou ever hope to hit the marke ? what expectation hast thou to doe well , that art content to dwell within the verge of hell ? . alas , thou hast not so much knowledge left , as to consider that thou art bereft of thine owne eye-sight . but thou runn'st , as though thou sawest all before thee : whilst thy minde to neerest necessary things is blind . thou knowest nothing as thou ought'st to know , whilst thou esteemest so the things that are below . . would ever any , that had eyes , mistake as thou art wont to doe : no difference make betwixt the way to heaven and to hell ? but , desperatly devoted to destruction , rebell against the light , abhorre instruction ? as though thou did'st desire with death to dwell , thou hatest to heare tell how yet thou maist doe well . . oh that thou didst but see how blind thou art , and seel the dismall darkenesse of thine heart : then would'st thou labour for , and i would lend my light to guide thee : that 's not light alone , but life , eyes , sight , grace , glory , all in one . then should'st thou know whither those by wayes bend , and that death in the end on darkenesse doth attend . embleme . the absence of the heart . prov. . . wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome , seeing he bath no heart to it ? epigr. . had'st thou an heart , thou fickle fugitive , how would thine heart hate and disdaine to live mindfull of such vaine trifles , as these be , resting forgetfull of it selfe and me ? ode . the soule . . brave , dainty , curious , rare , rich , precious things ! able to make fate-blasted mortals blest , peculiar treasures , and delights for kings , that having pow'r of all would choose the best . how doe i hugge mine happinesse that have present possession of what others crave ? christ . . poore , silly , simple , sense-besotted soule , why dost thou hugge thy self-procured woes ? release thy freeborne thoughts , at least controul those passions , that enslave thee to thy foes . how would'st thou hate thy self , if thou did'st know the basenesse of those things thou prizest so ! the soule . . they talk of goodnesse , vertue , piety , religion , honesty , i know not what ; so let them talk for me : so long as i have goods and lands , and gold , and jewells , that both equall and excell all other treasure , why should i strive to make their paine my pleasure christ . . so swine neglect the pearles that lie before them , trample them under foote , and feed on draffe : so fooles gild rotten idols , and adore them , cast all the corne away , and keep the chaffe . that ever reason should be blinded so , to graspe the shadow , let the substance goe ! the soule . . all 's but opinion that the world accounts matter of worth : as this or that man sets a value on it , so the price amounts : the sound of strings is vari'd by the frets . my mind 's my kingdome : why should i withstand , or question that , which i my selfe command ? christ . . thy tyrant passions captivate thy reason : thy lusts usurpe the guidance of the mind : thy sense-led fancy barters good for geason : thy seed is vanity , thine harvest wind : thy rules are crooked , and thou writ'st awry : thy wayes are wand'ring , and thine end to die . the soule . . this table summes me myriads of pleasure : that booke enroules mine honours inventory : these bags are stuft with millions of treasure : those writings evidence my state of glory : these bells ring heav'nly musicke in mine eares , to drown the noise of cumbious cares and feare . christ . . those pleasures one day will procure thy paine : that which thou glorist in will be thy shame : thou 'lt finde thy losse in what thou thought'st thy gaine : thine honour will put on another name . that musicke in the close will ring thy knell , in stead of heaven toll thee into hell . . but why doe i thus wast my words in vaine on one , that 's wholly taken up with toyes , that will not loose one dramme of earth to gaine a full eternall weight of heav'nly joyes ? all 's to no purpose , 't is as good forbeare , as speak to one , that hath no heart to heare . embleme . the vanity of the heart . iob . . let not him that is deceived trust in vanity , for vanity shall be his recompence . epigr. . ambitious bellowes with the wind of honour puffe up the swelling heart , that dotes upon her : which fill'd with empty vanity breaths forth nothing , but such things as are nothing worth . ode . . the bane of kingdomes , worlds disquieter , hells heire apparent , satans eldest sonne , abstract of ills , refined elixir , and quintessence of sinne , ambition , sprung from th'infernall shades , inhabits here , making mans heart its horrid mansion , which , though it were of vast content before , is now puft up , and swells still more and more . . whole armies of vaine thoughts it entertaines , is stuft with dreames of kingdomes and of crownes , presumes of profit without care or paines , threatens to baffle all its foes with frownes , in ev'ry bargaine makes account of gaines , fancies such frolicke mirth , as choakes and drownes the voyce of conscience , whose loud alarmes cannot be hard for pleasures countercharmes . . wer 't not for anger and for pity , who could choose but smile to see vaineglorious men racking their wits , straining their sinewes so , that thorow their transparent thinnesse , when they me●… with wind and sun , they quickly grow riv'led and dry , shrinke till they crack againe , and all but to seeme greater then they are : stretching their strength they lay their weaknesse bare . see how hells fueller his bellowes plies , blowing the fire , that burnt too fast before : see how the furnace flames , the sparkles rise and spread themselve abroad still more and more : see how the doating soule hath fixt her eyes on her deare fooleries , and doth adore with hands and heart lift up those trifling toyes , wherewith the devill cheates her of her joyes . . alas , thou art deceiv'd , that glitt'ring crowne , on which thou gazest , is not gold but grief , that scepter sorrow : if thou take them downe , and try them , thou shalt find what poore relief they could afford thee , though they were thine owne , didst thou command ev'n all the world in chief , thy comforts would abate , thy cares encrease , and thy perplexed thoughts disturbe thy peace . . those pearles so thorow pierc'd , and strung together , though jewells in thine eyes they may appeare , will prove continu'd perills , when the weather is clouded once , which yet is faire and cleare . what will that fanne , though of the finest feather , steed thee , the brunt of windes and stormes to beare ? thy flagging colours hang their drooping head , and the shrill trumpets sound shall strike thee dead . . were all those balls , which thou in sport dost tosse , whole worlds , and in thy power to command , the gaine would never countervaile the losse , those slipp'ry globes will glide out of thine hand , thou canst have no fast hold but of the crosse , and thou wilt fall , where thou dost thinke to stand . forsake these sollies then , if thou wilt live : timely repentance may thy death reprive . embleme . the oppression of the heart . lvke . . take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse . epigr. . two massy weights , surfciting , drunkennesse , like mighty logs of lead , doe so oppresse the heav'n-borne hearts of men , that to aspire vpwards they have nor power nor desire . ode . . . monster of sins ! see how th'inchanted soule o'rcharg'd already calls for more . see how the hellish skinker plies his bowle , and 's ready furnished with store , whilst cups on every side planted attend the tide . . see how the piled dishes mounted stand , like hills advanced upon hills , and the abundance both of sea and land doth not suffice , ev'n what it fills , mans dropsy appetite , and cormorant delight . . see how the poyson'd body s puft , and swell'd , the face enflamed glowes with heat , the limbs unable are themselves to welld , the pulses deaths alarme doe beat : yet man sits still , and laughs , whilst his owne bane he quaffes . . but where 's thine heart the while , thou senselesse sot ? looke how it lieth crusht , and quell'd , flat beaten to the board , that it cannot move from the place , where it is held , nor upward once aspire with heavenly desire . . thy belly is thy god , thy shame thy glory , thou mindest only earthly things ; and all thy pleasure is but transitory , which grief at last and sorrow brings : the courses thou dost take will make thine heart to ake . . is 't not enough to spend thy precious time in empty idle complement , unlesse thou straine ( to aggravate thy crime ) nature beyond its owne extent , and force it to devoure an age within an houre ? . that which thou swallow'st is not lost alone , but quickly will revenged be , ●… on thine heart , which like a stone lyes buri'd in the midd'st of thee , both void of common sense and reasons excellence . . thy body is diseases rendevouze , thy mind the market place of vice , the devill in thy will keeps open house , thou liv'st , as though thou would'st intice hell torments unto thee , and thine owne devill be . oh , what a dirty dunghill art thou growne , a nasty stinking kennell foule ! when thou awak'st and seest what thou hast done , sorrow will swallow up thy soule , to think how thou art foyl'd , and all thy glory spoyl'd . . or if thou canst not be asham'd , at least have some compassion on thy self : before thou art transformed all to beast , at last strike saile , avoid the shelf , which in that gulse doth lie , where all that enter die . embleme . the covetousnesse of the heart . mat. . . where your treasure is , there will your heart be also . epigr. . dost thou enquire , thou heartlesse wanderer , where thine heart is ? behold , thine heart is here . here thine heart is , where that is , which above thine own deare heart thou dost esteem , and love . ode . . . see the deceitfulnesse of sinne , and how the devill cheateth worldly men : they heap up riches to themselves , and then they think they cannot choose but winne , though for their parts they stake their hearts . . the merchant sends his heart to sea and there together with his ship 't is tost : if this by chance miscarry , that is lost , his considence is cast away : he hangs the head , as he were dead . . the pedlar cryes , what doe you lack ? what will you buy ? and boasts his wares the best : but offers you the refuse of the rest , as though his heart lay in his pack , which greater gaine alone can draine . . the plowman furrowes up his land , and sowes his heart together with his seed , which both alike earth-borne on earth doe feed , and prosper or are at a stand : he and his field like fruit doe yeeld . . the broker , and the scriv'ner have the us'rers heart in keeping with his bands : his souls deare sustenance lyes in their hands , and if they break their shop 's his grave . his int'rest is his only blisse . . the money-horder in his bags binds up his heart , and locks it in his chest ; the same key serves to that , and to his brest , which of no other heaven brags : nor can conceit a joy so great . . so for the greedy landmunger : the purchases he makes in ev'ry part take livery and seifin of his heart : yet his insatiate hunger , for all his store , gapes after more . . poore wretched muckwormes , wipe your eyes , uncase those ●… that be●…ot you so : your rich appearing wealth is reall woe , your death in your de●…res lyes . your hearts are where you love , and feare . . oh , think not then the world deserves either to ●…e belov'd , or fear'd by you : give heaven these affections as its due , which alwayes what it hath preserves in perfect blisse that endlesse is . embleme . the hardnesse of the heart . zech. . . they made their hearts as an adamant stone , lost they should beare th●… law . epigr. . words move thee not , nor works : nor gifts , no●… strokes thy sturdy adamantine heart provokes my justice , sleights my mercies : an●…le ●… thou stand'st unmoved , though my ha●…mer strike . ode . . what have we here ? an heart ? it lookes like one , the shape , and colour speake it such : but having brought it to the touch i find it is no better then a stone . adamants are softer by farre . . long hath it steeped been in mercies milke , and soaked in salvation , meet for the alteration of anvills to have made them soft as silke ; yet it is still hard'ned in ill . . oft have i rain'd my word upon it , oft the dew of heaven hath distill'd , with promises of mercy fill'd , able to make mountaines of marble soft : yet it is not changed a jot . . my beames of love shine on it every day , able to thaw the thickest ice , and where they enter in a trice to make congealed cry●…all melt away : yet warme they not this frozen clot . . nay more , this hammer , that is wont to grind rocks unto dust , and powder small , makes no impression at all , nor dint , nor crack , nor flaw , that i can find ; but leaves it as before it was . . is mine almighty arme decai'd in strength ? or hath mine hammer lost its weight ? that a poore lumpe of earth should sleight my mercies , and not feele my wrath at length , with which i make ev'n heav'n to shake ? . no , i am still the same , i alter not , and , when i please , my workes of wonder shall bring the stoutest spirits under , and make them to confesse it is their lot to bow or break , when i but speak . . but i would have men know , 't is not my word , or works alone can change their hearts : these instruments performe their parts , but 't is my spirit doth this fruit afford . 't is i , not art , can melt mans heart . . yet would they leave their customary sinning , and so unclench the devills clawes , that keepes them captive in his pawes , my bounty soone should second that beginning : ev'n hearts of ●…eel my force should feel . . i gave 't thee whole , and fully furnished with all its faculties entire , there wanted not the smallest jot , that strictest justice could require to render it compleatly perfected . . and is it reason what i gave in grosse should be return'd but by retaile ? to take so small a part for all , i reckon of no more availe , then where i scatter gold to gather drosse . . give me thine heart but as i gave it thee : or give it me at least as i have given mine to purchase thine . i halv'd it not when i did die : but gave my self wholly to set thee free . . the heart i gave thee was a living heart , and when thine heart by sinne was slaine , i laid downe mine to ransome thine , that thy dead heart might live againe , and live entirely perfect , not in part . . but whilst thine heart 's divided it is dead , dead unto me , unle●… it live to me alone , it is all one to keepe all , and a part to give : for what 's a body worth without an head ? . yet this is worse , that what thou keep'st from me thou dost bestow upon my foes : and those not mine alone but thine , the proper causes of thy woes , for whom i gave my life to set thee free . . have i betroth'd thee to my selfe , and shall the devill , and the world , intrude upon my right , ev'n in my fight ? think not thou canst me so delude . i will have none , unlesse i may have all . . i made it all , i gave it all to thee , i gave all that i had for it : if i must loose , i 'll rather choose mine interest in all to quit : or keep it whole , or give it whole to me . embleme the insatiablenesse of the heart . hab. . . who inlargeth his desire as hell , and is as death , and cannot be satisfied . epigr. . the whole round world is not enough to fill the hearts three corners , but it craveth still . onely the trinity , that made it , can suffice the vast triangled heart of man . ode . . . the thirsty earth and barren wombe cry , give : the grave devoureth all that live : the fire still burneth on , and never saith , it is enough : the horseleech hath many more daughters : but the heart of man outgapes them all as much as heav'n one span . . water hath drown'd the earth : the barren wombe hath teem'd sometimes , and been the tombe to its owne swelling issue : and the grave shall one day a ●…cke surfeit have : when all the fuell is consum'd , the fire will quench it selfe , and of it self expire . . but the vast heart of man's insatiate , his boundlesse appetites dilate themselves beyond all limits , his desires are endlesse still : whilst he aspires to happinesse , and faine would find that treasure where it is not , his wishes know no measure . . his eye with seeing is not satisfi'd , nor 's care with hearing : he hath tri'd at once to furnish ●…ry sev'rall sense with cho●…e of curious objects , whence he might e●…tract , ●… into one unite a perfect quinteflence of all delight . . yet , having all that he can fancy , still there wanteth something more to fill his empty appetite . his mind is vext , and he is inwardly perplext he knowes not why : when as the truth is this , he would find something there where nothing is . . he rambles over all the faculties , ransacks the secret treasuries of art and nature , spells the universe letter by letter , can reherse all the records of time , pretends to know reasons of all things , why they must be so . . yet is not so contented , but would faine prie in gods cabinet , and gaine intelligence from heav'n of things to come , anticipate the day of doome , and read the issues of all actions so , as if gods secret counsells he did know . . let him have all the wealth , all the renowne , and glory , that the world can crowne her dearest da●…gs with ; yet his desire will not rest there , but still aspire . earth canno●… hold him , nor the whole creation containe his wishes , or his expectation . . the heart of man 's but little , yet this all compared thereunto's but finall , of such a large unparallel'd extense is the short-lin'd ●… of that three-corner'd figure , which to fill with the round world is to leave empty still . . go greedy soule , addresse thy selfe to heav'n , and leave the world , as 't is , bereav'n of all true happinesse , or any thing that to thine heart content can bring , but there a trine-une god in glory fits , who all grace-thirsting hearts both fills and fits . embleme . the returning of the heart . isay . . remember this , and shew your selves men : bring it again to heart , o ye transgressors . epigr. . oft have i call'd thee : o returne at last , returne unto thine heart : let the time past suffice thy wanderings : know that to cherish revolting still is a meer will to perish . ode . . christ . . returne o wanderer , returne , returne . let me not alwayes wast my words in vaine as i have done too long . why dost thou spurn and kick the counsells that should bring thee back again ? the soule . . what 's this that checks my course ? me thinks i feel a cold remisnesse seifing on my mind : my stagger'd resolutions seem to reel , as though they had in hast forgot mine heart behind . christ . . returne , o wanderer , returne , returne . thou art already gone too farre away , it is enough : unlesse thou meane to burne in hell for ever , stop thy course at last and stay . the soule . . there 's something holds me back , i cannot move forward one foot : me thinks the more i strive the leste i stirre . is there a pow'r above my will in me , that can my purposes reprive ? christ . . no power of thine own : 't is i , that lay mine hand upon thine haste : whose will can make the restlesse motions of the heavens stay , stand still , turne back againe , or new found courses take . the soule . . what ? am i riveted , or rooted here ? that neither forward , nor on either side i can get loose ? then there 's no hope i feare , but i must back againe , what ever me betide . christ . . and back again thou shalt . i 'll have it so . though thou hast hitherto my voyce neglected , now i have handed thee , i 'll have thee know , that what i will have done shall not be uneffected . the soule . . thou wilt prevaile then , and i must returne . but how ? or whither ? when a world of shame , and sorrow , lie before me , and i burne with horror in my self to think upon the same . . shall i returne to thee ? alas , i have no hope to be received : a runne away , a rebell to returne ! mad men may rave of mercy miracles , but what will justice say ? . shall i returne to mine owne heart ? alas , 't is lost , and dead , and rotten long ago , i cannot find it what at first it was , and it hath been too long the cause of all my woe . . shall i forsake my pleasures , and delights , my profits , honours , comforts , and contents , for that , the thought whereof my mind affrights , repentant sorrow , that the soule asunder rents ? . shall i returne , that cannot though i would ? i , that had strength enough to go astray , find my self saint , and feeble , now i should returne . i cannot runne , i cannot creep this way . . what shall i doe ? forward i must not goe , backward i cannot : if i tarry here , i shall be drowned in a world of woe , and antidate mine own damnation by despaire . . but is 't not better hold that which i have , then unto future expectation trust ? oh no : to reason thus is but to rave . therefore returne i will , because returne i must . christ . . returne , and welcome : if thou wilt thou shalt . although thou canst not of thy selfe , yet i , that call , can make thee able . let the fault be mine , if when thou wilt returne i let thee lie . embleme . the powring out of the heart . lam. . . powre out thine heart like water before the face of the lord . epigr. . why dost thou hide thy wounds ? why dost thou hide in thy close breast thy wishes , and so side with thine owne soares and so rowes ? like a spout of water let thine heart to god break out . ode . . the soule . . can death , or hell , be worse then this estate ? anguish , amazement , horror , and confusion , drowne my distracted mind in deep distresse . my grief 's grown so transcendent , that i hate to heare of comfort , as a false conclusion vainly inferr'd from feigned premises . what shall i do ? what strange course shall i try , that , though i loath to live , yet dare not die ? christ . . be rul'd by me , i 'll teach thee such a way , as that thou shalt not onely draine-thy mind from that destructive deluge of distresse , that overwhelmes thy thoughts but clear the day , and soone recover light , and strength to find , and to regaine thy long lost happinesse . confesse , & pray . say what it is doth aile thee , what thou wouldst have , and that ●…all soon ava●…e thee●… the soule . . confesse and pray ? if that be all , i will . lord , i am sick , and thou art health , restore me . lord , i am weake , and thou art strength , sustaine me . thou art all goodnesse , lord , and i all ill . thou lord , art holy , i uncleane before thee . lord , i am poor , and thou art rich , maintaine me . lord , i am dead , and thou art life , revive me . justice condemnes , let mercy , lord , reprieve me . . a wretched miscreant i am , compos'd of finne , and misery ; 't is hard to say , which of the two allyes me most to hell : native corruption makes me indispos'd to all that 's good , but apt to go astray , prone to doe ill , unable to doe well . my light is darknesse , and my liberty bondage , my beauty foule deformity . . a plague of leprosie o'rspreadeth all my pow'rs , and faculties : i um uncleane , i am uncleane : my liver broyles with lust , rancor and malice overflow my gall , envy my bones doth rot , and keep me leane , revengefull wrath makes me forget what 's just : mine eare 's uncircumcis'd , mine eye is evill , and hating goodnesse makes me parcell devill . . my callous conscience is cauteriz'd ; my trembling heart shakes with continuall feare : my frantick passions fill my mind with madnesse : my windy thoughts with pride are tympaniz'd : my poys ' nous tongue spits venome ev'ry where : my wounded spirit 's swallow'd up with sadnesse : impatient discontentment plagues me so , i neither can stand still , nor forward goe . . lord , i am all diseases : hospitalls , and bills of mountebanks , have not so many , nor halfe so bad . lord , heare , and help , and heale me . although my guiltinesse for vengeance calls , and colour of excuse i have not any , yet thou hast goodnesse , lord , that may availe me . lord , i have powr'd out all my heart to thee : vouchsafe one drop of mercy unto me . embleme . the circumcision of the heart . devt. . . circumcise the foreskin of your heart , an be no more stiffnecked . epigr. . here , take thy saviours crosse , the nailes , and speare , that for thy sake his holy flesh did teare : use them as knives thine heart to circumcise , and dresse thy god a pleasing sacrifice . ode . . . heale thee ? i will . but first i 'll let thee know what it comes to . the plaister was prepared long agoe : but thou must doe something thy selfe , that it may bee effectually apply'd to thee . . i , to that end , that i might cure thy sores , was slaine , and dy'd , by mine owne people was turn'd out of doores , and crucify'd : my side was pierced with a speare , and nailes my hands and feet did teare . . doe thou then to thy selfe , as they to mee : make haste , and try , the old man , that is yet alive in thee , to crucifie . till he be dead in thee , my blood is like to doe thee little good : . my course of physick is to cure the soule by killing sinne . so then , thine owne corruptions to controule thou must beginne . untill thine heart be citcumcis'd , my death will not be duly priz'd . . consider then my crosse , my nailes , and speare , and let that thought cut rasor-like thine heart , when thou dost heare , how deare i bought thy freedome from the pow'r of sinne , and that distresse which thou wast in . . cut out the iron finew of thy neck , that it may be supple , and pliant to obey my beck , and learne of me . meeknesse alone , and yeelding , hath a power to appease my wrath . . shave off thine hairy scalpe , those curled locks powd'red with pride , wherewith thy scornfull heart my judgements mocks , and thinks to hide its thunder-threatned head , which bared alone is likely to be spared . . rippe off those seeming robes , but reall rags , which earth admires as honourable orna●…nts , and brags that it attires , cumbers thee with indeed . thy sores fester with what the world adores . . clip thine ambitions wings , let downe thy plumes , and learne to stoope , whilst thou hast time to stand . who still presumes of strength will droope at last , and flagge , when he should flye . falls hurt them most that climbe most high . scrape off that scaly scurffe of vanities , that clogges thee so : profits and pleasures are those enemies , that worke thy woe . if thou wilt have me cure thy wounds , first ridde each humor that abounds . embleme . the contrition of the heart . psal. . . a broken and contrite heart , o god , thou wilt not despise . epigr. . how gladly would i bruise , and breake this heart into a thousand pieces , till the smart make it confesse , that , of its owne accord , it wilfully rebell'd against the lord ? ode . . . lord , if i had an arme of pow'r like thine , and could effect what i desire , my love-drawne heart , like smallest wyre , bended and writhen , should together twine , and twisted stand with thy command : thou should'st no sooner bid , but i would goe , thou should'st not will the thing i would not doe . . but i am weake , lord , and corruption strong : when i would faine d●…e what i should , then i cannot doe what i would : mine action 's short , when ●… intention 's long : though my desire be ●… as fire , yet my performance is as dull as earth , and stitles its own issue in the birth . . but what i can doe , lord , i will , since what i would i cannot : i will try whether mine heart , that 's hard and dry , being calm'd , and tempered with that liquor which falls from mine eye-balls , will worke more pliantly , and yeeld to take such new impression as thy grace shall make . . in mine owne conscience then , as in a mortar i 'le place mine heart , and bray it there : if griefe for what is past , and feare of what 's to come be a sufficient torture , i 'le breake it all in pieces small : sinne shall not finde a sheard without a flaw , wherein to lodge one lust against thy law . . remember then , mine heart , what thou hast done ; what thou hast left undone : the ill of all my thoughts , words , deeds , is still thy cursed issue onely : thou art growne to such a passe , that never was , nor is , nor will there be , a sinne so bad , but thou some way therein an hand hast had . . thou hast not been content alone to sinne , but hast made others sinne with thee , y●… made their sinnes thine owne to be , by liking , and allowing them therein . who first beginnes , or followes , sinnes not his owne sinnes alone , but sinneth o're all the same sinnes , both after , and before . . what boundlesse sorrow can suffice a guilt growne so transcendent ? should thine eye weepe seas of blood , thy sighes outvie the winds when with the waves they run at tilt , yet they could not cancell one blot . the least of all thy sinnes against thy god deserves a thunderbolt should be thy rod . . break then , mine heart : and since thou cannot grieve enough at once , while thou art whole , shiver thy self to dust , and dole thy sorrow to the sev'rall atomes , give all to each part , and by that art strive thy dissever'd self to multiply , and want of weight with number to supply embleme . the humiliation of the heart . eccl. . . the patient in spirit is better then the proud in spirit . epigr. . mine heart , alas , exalts it self too high , and doth delight a loftier pitch to flye , then it is able to maintaine , unlesse it feel the weight of thine imposed presse . ode . . . so let it be , lord , i am well content , and thou shalt see the time is not mis-spent , which thou dost then bestow , when thou dost quell and crush the heart , that pride before did swell . . lord , i perceive as soone as thou dost send , and i receive the blessings thou dost lend , mine heart begins to mount , and doth forget the ground whereon it goes , where it is set . . in health i grew wanton , began to kick , as though i knew i never should be sick . diseases take me downe , and make me know , bodies of brasse must pay the death they owe . . if i but dreame of wealth , mine heart doth rise with a full streame of pride , and i despise all that is good , untill i wake , and spie the swelling bubble prickt with poverty . . a little wind of undeserved praise blowes up my mind , and my swoll'n thoughts doth raise above themselves , untill the sense of shame makes me contemne my self-dishonour'd name . . one moments mirth would make me run starke mad , and the whole earth , could it at once be had , would not suffice my greedy appetite , did'st thou not paine in stead of pleasure write . . lord , it is well , i was in time brought downe , else thou canst tell , mine heart would soone have flow'n full in thy face , and studi'd to-requite the riches of thy goodnesse with despight . . slack not thine hand , lord , turne thy screw about : if thy presse stand , mine heart may chance slip out . o quest it unto nothing , rather then it should forget it selfe , and swell again . . or if thou art dispos'd to let it goe , lord , teach mine heart to lay it selfe as low , as thou canst cast it : that prosperity may still be temper'd with humility . . thy way to rise was to descend : let me my selfe despise , and so ascend with thee . thou throw'st them down , that lift themselves on high , and raisest them , that on the ground doe lie . embleme . the softening of the heart . iob . . god maketh my heart soft . epigr. . mine heart is of it selfe a marble ice , both cold , and hard : but thou can●… in a trice meli it like ●…axe , great god , if from above thou kindle in it once thy fire of love . ode . . . nay , blessed founder , leave me not : if out of all this grot there can but any gold be got , the time thou dost bestow , the cost , and paines will not be lost : the bargaine is but hard at most . and such are all those thou dost make with me : thou know'st thou canst not but a loser be . . when the sun shines with glitt'ring beames , his cold dispelling gleames turne snow , and ice to wat'ry streames . the waxe , as soone as it hath smelt the warmth of fire , and felt the glowing heat thereof , will melt . yea pearles with vinegar dissolve we may , and adamants in bloud of goats , they say . . if nature can doe this , much more , lord , may thy grace restore mine heart to what it was before . there 's the same matter in it still , though new inform'd with ill , yet can it not refist thy will . thy pow'r , that fram'd it at the first , as oft as thou wilt have it , lord , can make it soft . . thou art the sun of right●… e●…e : and though i must ●… mine heart 's growne hard in wickednesse , yet thy resplendent rayes of light , when once they come in sight , will quickly thawe what froze by night . lord , in thine healing wings a pow'r doth dwell able to melt the hardest heart in hell . . although mine heart in hardnesse passe both iron , steel , and brasse , yea th'hardest thing that ever was , yet , if thy fire thy spirit accord , and working with thy word a blessing unto it afford , it will grow liquid , and not drop alone , ●…●… it self ●… before thy throne . . yea , though my flinty heart be such , that the sun cannot touch , nor fire sometimes affect it much , yet thy warme reeking self shed blood , o lamb of god , 's so good it cannot alwayes be withstood . that aqua-regia of thy love prevailes , ev'n where thy powers aqua-fortis failes . . then leave me not so soon , dear lord , though i neglect thy word , and what thy power doth afford , yet try thy mercy , and thy love , the force thereof may move , when all things else successesse prove . soakt in thy bloud mine heart will soone surrender its native hardnesse , and grow soft , and tender . embleme . the cleansing of the heart . ier. . . o jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse , that thou maist be saved . epigr. . ovt of thy wounded husbands saviours side , espoused soul , there flowes with ●… tide a sountaine for uncleannesse : wash thee there , wash there thine heart , and then thou need'st not feare . ode . . . o endlesse misery ! i labour still , but still in vaine . the staines of sinne i see are oaded all , or d●…d in graine . there 's not a blot will stirre a jot for all that i can doe : there is no hope in fullers sope , though i adde nitre too . . i many wayes have tri'd , have often soakt it in cold feares , and , when a time i spi'd , powred upon it scalding teares , have rins'd , and rub'd , and scrap't and scrub'd , and turn'd it up , and downe : yet can i not wash out one spot , it 's rather fouler growne . . o miserable state ! who would be troubled with an heart , as i have been of late , both to my sorrow , shame , and smart ? if it will not be cleaner got , 't were better i had none . yet how should we divided be , that are not two , but one ? . but am i not starke wilde , that go about to wash mine heart with hands that are defil'd , as much as any other part ? whilst all thy teares , thine hopes , and feares , both ev'ry word , and deed , and thought is foule , poore filly soule , how canst thou looke to speed ? . can there no helpe be had ? lord , thou art holy , thou art pure : mine heart is not so bad , so soule , but thou canst cleanse it sure . speak , blessed lord , wilt thou afford me meanes to make it cleane ? i know thou ●… : thy ●…loud were spilt should it runne still in vaine . . then to that blessed spring , which from my saviours sacred side doth flow , mine heart i 'll bring , and there it will be purifi'd . although the dye , wherein i lie , crimson , or scarlet were , this bloud i know will make 't , as snow , or wooll , both cleane , and cleere . embleme . the giving of the heart . prov. . . my sonne give me thine heart . epigr. . the onely love , the onely seare , thou art , dear , and dread saviour , of my sin-sick heart . ●… heart thou gavest , that it might be mine : take thou mine heart then , that it may be thine . ode . . . give thee mine ●… lord so i would , and there 's great reason that i should , if it were worth the having : yet sure thou wilt esteem that good , which thou hast purchas'd with thy bloud , and thought it worth the craving . . give thee mine heart ? lord , so i will , if thou wilt first impart the skill of bringing it to thee : but should i trust my selfe to give mine heart , as sure as i doe live , i should deceived be . . as all the value of mine heart proceeds from favour , not ●… , acceptance is its worth : so neither know i how to bring a present to my heav'nly king , unlesse he set it forth . . lord of my life , me thinkes i heare thee say , that thee alone to feare , and thee alone to love , is to bestow mine heart on thee , that other giving none can be , whereof thou wilt approve . . and well thou dost deserve to be both loved , lord , and fear'd by me , so good , so great , thou art : greatnesse so good , goodnesse so great , as pa●…eth all finite conceit , and ravisheth mine heart . . should i not love thee , blessed lord , who freely of thine owne accord laid'st downe thy life for me ? for me , that was not dead alone , but desp'ratly transcendent grown in enmitie to thee ? . should i not feare before thee , lord , who●… hand ●… heaven , at whose word devills themselves doe quake ? whose eyes out-shine the sunne , whose beck can the whole ●… of nature check , and its foundations shake ? . should i with-hold mine heart from thee , the fountaine of felicity , before whose presence is fulnesse of joy , at whose right hand all pleasures in perfection stand , and everlasting blisse ? . lord , had i hearts a million , and ●…riads in ev'ry one of choisest loves , and feares , they were too little to bestow on thee , to whom i all things owe , i should be in arreares . . yet , since mine heart 's the most i have , and that which thou dost chiefely crave , thou shalt not of it misse . although i cannot give it so , as i should doe , i 'll offer 't though : lord take it , here it is . embleme . the sacrifice of the heart . psal . . the sacrifices of god are a broken heart epigr. . nor calves , nor bulls , are sacrifices good enough for thee , who gav'st for me thy bloud , and more ●… that , thy life : take thine own part , great god , that gavest all , here take mine heart . ode . . . thy former covenant of old , thy law of ordinances , did require fat sacrifices from the fold , and many other oft rings made by fire . whilst thy first tabernacle stood , all things were consecrate with ●… and can thy better covenant , thy law of grace , and truth by jesus christ , it s proper sacrifices want for such an altar , and for such a priest ? no , no , thy gospell doth require choyse off'rings too , and made by fire . . a sacrifice for ●…nne indeed , lord , thou didst make thy self , and once for all : so that there never will be need of any more sin-off'rings , great , or small . the life bloud thou did'st shed for me , hath set my soule for ever free . . yea , the same sacrifice thou dost still offer in behalfe of thine elect : and to improve it to the most , thy word , and sacraments doe in effect offer thee oft , and sacrifice thee daily in our eare●… , and eyes . . yea , each beleeving soule may take thy sacrificed flesh , and bloud by faith , and therewith an atonement make for all its trespasses , thy gospell faith . such infinite transcendent price is there in thy sweet sacrifice . . but is this all ? must there not be peace-offerings , and sacrifices of thanksgiving tendered unto thee ? yes , lord , i know i should but mock , and scoffe thy sacrifice for ●…nne , should i my sacrifice of praise deny . . but i have nothing of mine owne worthy to be presented in thy fight , yea the whole world affords not one or ramme , or lambe , wherein thou canst delight . lesse then my self it must not be : for thou didst give thy self for me . . my self then i must sacrifice : and so i will , mine heart , the onely thing thou dost above all other prize as thine owne part , the best i have to bring . an humble heart 's a sacrifice , which i know thou wilt not despise , . lord , be my altar , ●… mine heart thy sacrifice , and ●… thy spirit kindle thy fire of love , that i , burning with zeale to mag●… thy merit , may both consume my ●… , and ●… et●…nall ●…phie to thy ●… . embleme . the weighing of the heart . prov. . . the lord pondereth the heart . epigr. . the heart thou giv'st as a great gift , my love , brought to the triall nothing such will prove , if iustice equall baliance tell thy fight that weighed with my law it is too light . ode . . 't is true indeed , an heart such as it ought to be , entire , and sound in ev'ry part , is alwayes welcome unto me . he that would please me with an offering cannot a better have , although he were a king . . and there is none so poore , but if he will he may bring mean heart , although no more , and on mine altar may it lay . the sacrice which i like best , is such as rich men cannot beast , and poore men need not grutch . yet ev'ry heart is not a gift sufficient , it must be purg'd from ev'ry spot , and all to pieces must be rent . though thou hast sought to circumcise , and bruise't , it must be weighed too , or else i shall refuse 't . . my ballances are just , my law 's an equall weight , the beame is strong , and thou maist trust my steady hand to hold it streight . were thine heart equall to the world in ●…ght , yet it were nothing worth , if it should prove too light . . and so thou see'st it doth , my pond rous law doth presse this scale , but that , as fill'd with froth , tilts up , and makes no shew of stresse . thine heart is empty sure , or else it would in weight , as well as bulke , better proportion hold . . search it , and thou shalt find it wants integrity , and is not yet so thorow lin'd with single ey'd sincerity , as it should be : some more humility there wants to make it weight , and some more constancy . . whilst windy vanity . doth ●…any up with pride , and double fac'd hypocri●… doth many empty hollowes hide , it is but good in part , and that but little , wav'ring unstaidnesse ma●… its resolutions brittle . . the heart , that in my sight as currant coyne would passe , must not be the least graine too light , but as at first it stamped was . keep then thine heart till it be better growne , and , when it is full weight , i 'll take it for mine owne . . but if thou art asham'd to find thine heart so light , and art afraid thou shalt be blam'd , i 'll teach thee how to set it right . adde to my law my gospell , and there see my merits thine , and then the scales will equall be . embleme . the trying of the heart . prov. . . the fining pot for silver , and the furnace for gold : but the lord trieth the hearts . epigr. . thine heart , my deer , more precious is then gold , or the most precious things that can be told : provided first that my pure fire have tri'd out all the drosse , and passe it purifi'd . ode . . . what ? take it at adventure , and not try what metall it is made of ? no , not i. should i now lightly let it passe , take sullen lead for silver , sounding brasse in stead of solid gold , alas , what would become of it ? in the great day of making jewells 't would be cast away . . the heart thou giv'st me must be such a one , as is the same throughout . i will have none but that , which will abide the fire . 't is not a glitt'ring outside i desire , whose seeming shewes doe soone expire : but reall worth within , which neither drosie , nor base allayes , make subject unto losse . . if in the composition of thine heart a stubborne steely wilfulnesse have part , that will not bow and bend to me , save onely in a meer formality of tinsell-trim'd hypocrisie , i care not for it , though it shew as faire , as the first blush of the sun-gilded aire . . the heart that in my furnace will not melt , when it the glowing heat thereof hath felt turne liquid , and dillolve in teares of true repentance for its faults , that heares my threatning voyce , and never feares , is not an heart worth having . if it be an heart of stone , 't is not an heart for me . . the heart , that cast into my fornace spits , and sparkles in my face , falls into fits of discontented grudging , whines when it is broken of its will , repines at the least suffering , declines my fatherly correction , is an heart on which i care not to bestow mine art . . the heart that in my flames asunder flies , scatters it selse at randon , and so lies in heapes of ashes here , and there , whose dry d●…persed parts will not draw nee●… to one another , and adhere in a firme union , hath no metall in 't fit to be stamp'd , and coyned in my mint . . the heart , that vapours out it selfe in smoak , and with those cloudy shadowes thinks to cloak its empty nakednesse , how much so ever thou esteemest it , is such as never will endure my touch . before i tak 't for mine then i will trie what kind of metall in thine heart ' doth lie . . i 'll bring it to my furnace , and there see what it will prove , what it is like to be . if it be gold , it will be sure the hottest fire that can be to endure , and i shall draw it out more pure . affliction may refine , but cannot wast , that heart wherein my love is fixed fast . embleme . the sounding of the heart . jer. . . the heart is deceitfull above all things , and desperatly wicked . who can know it ? i the lord . epigr. . i , that alone am infinite , can try how deep within it self thine heart doth lie . the sea-mans plummet can but reach the ground : i find that which thine heart it self ne'er sound , ode . . . a goodly heart to see to , faire and fat ! it may be so : and what of that ? is it not hollow ? hath it not within a bottomlesse whirlpoole of sinne ? are there not secret creeks , and cranies there , turning , and winding corners , where the heart it self ev'n from it self may hide , and lurke in secret unespi'd ? i 'll none of it , if such a one it prove : truth in the inward parts is that i love . . but who can tell what is within thine heart ? 't is not a worke of nature , art cannot performe that taske : 't is i alone , not man , to whom mans heart is knowne . sound it thou maist , and must : but then the line and plummet must be mine , not thine , and i must guide it too , thine hand , and eye may quickly be deceiv'd : but i , that made thine heart at first , am better skill'd to know when it is empty , when 't is fill'd . . lest then thou should'st deceive thy self , for me thou canst not , i will let thee see some of those depths of satan , depths of hell , wherewith thine hollow heart doth swell . under pretence of knowledge in thy mind errour and ignorance i find , quick-sands of rotten superstition spred over with misprision . some thing thou knowest not , misknowest others , and oft thy conscience its owne knowledge smothers . . thy crooked will , that seemingly enclines to follow reasons dictates , twines another way in secret , leaves its guide and laggs behind , or swarves aside , crab-like creepes backward when it should have made progresse in good , is retrograde . whilst it pretends a priviledge above reasons prerogative , to move as of it self unmov'd , rude passions learne to leave the oare , and take in hand the sterne . . the tides of thine affections ebbe , and flow , rise up aloft , fall downe below , like to the suddaine land-flouds , that advance their swelling waters but by chance . thy love , desire , thy hope , delight , and feare , ramble they care not when , nor where , yet cunningly beare thee in hand they be only directed unto me , or most to me , and would no notice take of other things , but only for my sake . . such strange prodigious impostures lurke in thy prestigious heart , 't is worke enough for thee all thy life time to learne how thou may'st truly it discerne : that , when upon mine altar thou dost lay thine off'ring , thou may'st sasely say , and sweare it is an heart : for , if it should prove only an heart-case , it would nor pleasing be to me , nor doe thee good . an heart 's no heart not rightly understood . embleme . the levelling of the heart . psal. . . gladnesse to the upright in heart . epigr. . set thine heare upright , if thou would'st reioyce , and please thy self in thine hearts pleasing cho●…se : but then be sure thy plimme , and levell be rightly appli'd to that which pleaseth me . ode . . . nay , yet i have not done : one triall more thine heart must undergo , before i will accept of it : unlesse i see it upright be , i cannot think it fit to be admitted in my sight , and to partake of mine eternall light . . my will's the rule of righteousnesse , as free from errour as uncertainty : what i would have is just . thou must desire what i require , and take it upon trust : if thou preferre thy will to mine , the levell's lost , and thou go'st out of line . . do'st thou not see how thine heart turnes aside , and leanes toward thy self ? how wide a distance there is here ? untill i see both sides agree alike with mine , 't is cleer the middle is not where 't should be , likes something better , though it looke at me . . i , that know best how to dispose of thee , would have thy portion poverty , lest wealth should make thee proud , and me forget : but thou hast set thy voyce to cry aloud for riches , and unlesse i grant all that thou wishest , thou complain'st of want . . i , to preserve thine health , would have thee fast from natures dainties , lest at last thy senses sweet delight should end in smart : but thy vaine heart will have its appetite pleased to day , though grief , and sorrow threaten to cancell all thy joyes to morrow . . i , to prevent thine hurt by clining high , would have thee be content to lie quiet and safe below , where peace doth dwell ; but thou dost swell with vast desires , as though a little blast of vulgar breath were better then deliverance from death . . i , to procure thine happinesse , would have thee mercy at mine hands to crave : but thou dost merit plead , and wilt have none but of thine owne , till justice strike thee dead . thus still thy wand'ring wayes decline , and all thy crooked ●… go crosse to mine . embleme . the renewing of the heart . ezek. . . a new heart will i give you , and a new spirit will i put within you . epigr. . art thou delighted with strange novelties , which often prove but old fresh garnisht lies ? leave then thine old , take the new heart i give thee : condemne thy self , that so i may reprieve thee . ode . . . no , no , i see there is no remedy , an heart , that wants both weight , and worth , that 's fill'd with naught but empty hollownesse , and screw'd aside with stubborne wilfulnesse , is onely fit to be cast forth , nor to be given me nor kept by thee . . then let it goe , and if thou wilt bestow an acceptable heart on me , i 'll furnish thee with one shall serve the turne , both to be kept , and given : which will burne with zeale , yet not consumed be : nor with a scornfull eye blast standers by . . the heart , that i will give thee , though it lie buri'd in seas of sorrowes , yet will not be drown'd with doubt , or discontent , though sad complaints sometimes may give a vent to grief , and teares the checks may wet , yet it exceeds their art to hurt this heart . . the heart i give , though it desire to live , and bath it self in all content , yet will not toyle , or taint it self , with any : although it take a view , and tast of many , it feeds on few , as though it meant to break fast only here , and dine elsewhere . . this heart is fresh , and new : an heart of flesh , not , as thine old one was , of stone . a lively sp'ritly heart , and moving still , active to what is good , but slow to ill : an heart , that with a sigh , and grone can blast all worldly joyes , as trifling toyes . . this heart is sound , and solid will be found ; 't is not an empty ayrie flash , that baites at butterflies , and with full cry opens at ev'ry flirting vanity . it sleights , and scornes such paltry trash : but for eternity dares live , or die . . i know thy mind : thou seek'st content to find in such things as are new , and strange . wander no further then : lay by thine old , take the new heart i give thee , and be bold to boast thy self of the exchange , and say , that a new heart exceeds all art . embleme . the enlightening of the heart . psal. . . they looked unto him , and were lightened . epigr. . thou that art light of lights , the onely sight of the blind world , lend me thy saving light : disperse those mists , which in my soule have made darkenesse as deepe as hells eternall shade . ode . . . alas , that i could not before espie the soule-confounding misery of this , more then egyptian , dreadfull night ! to be deprived of the light , and to have eyes , but eyes devoid of sight , as mine have been , is such a woe , as he alone can know , that feeles it so . . darknesse hath been my god and me between like an opacous doubled skreen , through which nor light , nor heat could passage sind . grosse ignorance hath made my mind , and understanding not bleer-ey'd , but blind ; my will to all that 's good is cold , nor can i , though i would , doe what i should . . no , now i see there is no remedy lest in my self : it cannot be that blind men in the darke should find the way to blessednesse : although they may imagine that high midnight is noone-day , as i have done till now , they 'll know at last unto their woe , 't was nothing so . . now i perceive presumption doth bereave men of all hope of helpe , and leave them , as it finds them , drown'd in misery : despairing of themselves , to cry for mercy is the only remedy that sinne-sicke soules can have : to pray against this darknesse may turne it to day . . then unto thee , great lord of light , let me direct my prayer , that i may see . thou , that did'st make mine eyes , canst soone restore that pow'r of fight they had before , and , if thou seest it good , canst give them more . the night will quickly shine like day , if thou doe but display one glorious ray . . i must confesse , and i can doe no lesse , thou art the sun of righteousnesse : there 's healing in thy wings : thy light is life ; my darkenesse death . to end all ●…rise , be thou mine husband , let me be thy wife . then both the light , and life that 's thine , though light , and life divine , will all be mine . embleme the table of the heart . ier. . . i will put my law in their inward parts , and write it in their hearts . epigr. . in the soft table of thine heart i 'll write a new law , which i newly will ind te . hard stony tables did containe the old : but tender leaves of flesh shall this infold . ode . . . what will thy fight availe thee , or my light , if there be nothing in thine heart to see acceptable to me ? a self-writ heart will not please me , or doe thee any good , i wot , the paper must be thine , the writing mine . . what i indite 't is i alone can write , and write in bookes that i my self have made . 't is not an easie trade to read or write , in hearts : they that are skilfull in all other arts , when they take this in hand , are at a stand . . my law of old tables of stone did hold , wherein i writ what i before had spoken , yet were they quickly broken : a signe the covenant contain'd in them would due ob●…ervance want . nor did they long remaine coppy'd again . . but now i 'll try what force in flesh doth lie : whether thine heart renew'd afford a place fit for my law of grace . this covenant is better then that , though glorious , of the killing letter . this gives life , not by merit , but by my spirit , . when in mens hearts , and their most inward parts , i by my spirit write my law of love , they then begin to move , not by themselves , but me , and their obedience is their liberty . there are no slaves , but those that serve their foes . . when i have writ my covenant in it , view thine heart by my light , and thou shalt fee a present fit for me . the worth for which i look , lies in the lines , not in the leaves of th book . course paper may be lin'd with words refin'd . . and such are mine . no furnace can resine the choisest silver so to make it pure , as my law put in ●… purgeth the hearts of men : which being rul'd , and written with my pen , my spirit , ev'ry letter will make them better . embleme . the tilling of the heart . ezek. . . i will turne unto you , and yee shall be tilled , and sowne . epigr. . mine heart 's a field , thy crosse a plow : be pleas'd dear spouse , to till it , till the mould be rais'd fit for the seeding of thy word : then sow , and if thou shine upon it , it will grow . ode . . . so , now me thinks i find some better vigour in my mind , my will begins to move , and mine affections stirre towards things above : mine heart growes bigge with hope it is a field , that some good fruit may yeeld , if it were till'd , as it should be , not by my self , but thee . . great husbandman , whose pow'r all difficulties can devour , and doe what likes thee best , let not thy field , mine heart , lie lay , and rest , lest it be over-runne with noysome weeds , that spring of their own seeds : unlesse thy grace the growth should stoppe , sinne would be all my croppe . . break up my fallow ground , that there may not a clod be found to hide one root of finne . apply thy plow betime : now , now beginne to furrow up my stiffe , and starvy heart , no matter for the smart , al though it roare , when it is rent , let not thine hand relent . . corruption 's rooted deep , showres of repentaut teares must steep the mould to make it soft : it must be stirr'd , and turn'd , not once , but oft . let it have all its feasons . o impart the best of all thine art . for , of it self it is so tough , all will be but enough . . or , if it be thy will to teach me , let me learne the skill my self to plow mine heart : the profit will be mine , and 't is my part to take the paines , and labour , though th' encrease without thy blessing cease : if fit for nothing else , yet thou may'st make me draw thy plow . . which of thy plowes thou wilt , for then hast more then one . my guilt , thy wrath , thy rods , are all ●… fit to ●… mine heart to pieces small : and , when in ●…●… prehends thee neer , 't is furrowed with fear : each weed turn'd under hides its head , and shewes as it were dead . . but , lord , thy blessed passion is a plow of another fashion , better then all the rest . oh fasten me to that , and let the best of all my powers strive to draw it in , and leave no roome for finne . the vertue of thy death can make sinne its fast hold forsake . embleme . the seeding of the heart . lvke . . that on the good ground are they , which with an honest , and good heart , having heard the word , keep it , and bring forth fruit with patience . epigr. . lest the field of mine heart should unto thee , great husbandman that mad'st it , barren be , manure the ground , then come thy self and seed it ; and let thy servants water it , and weed it . ode . . . nay , blessed lord , unlesse thou wilt afford manure , as well as tillage , to thy field , it will not yeeld that fruit which thou expectest it should beare : the ground i feare will still remaine barren of what is good : and all the graine it will bring forth , as of its owne accord , will not be worth the paines of gathering so poore a thing . . some faint desire , that quickly will expire , wither , and die , is all thou canst expect . it thou neglect to sow it now 't is ready , thou ●… find that ●…●…●… , and ●… grow then at the first it was . thou must bestow some further cost , else all thy former labour will be lost . mine heart no corne will breed without thy seed . . thy word is seed , and manure too : will seed , as well as fill mine heart . if once it were well rooted there , it would come on apace : o then neglect no time expect no better season . now , now thy field mine heart is ready : reason surrenders now , now my rebellious will begins to bow , and mine affections are tamer by farre . . lord , i have laine barren too long , and saine i would redeem the time , that i may be fruitfull to thee , fruitfull in knowledge , saith , obedience , ere i goe hence : that when i come at harvest to be reaped , and brought home ; thine angels may my soule in thy celestiall garner lay , where perfect joy , and blisse eternall is . . if , to intreat a crop of purest wheat , a blessing too transcendent should appeare for me to beare , lord , make me what thou wilt , so thou wilt take what thou do st make , and not disdaine to house me , though amongst thy coursest graine , so i may be laid with the gleanings gathered by thee , when the full sheaves are spent , i am content . embleme . the watering of the heart . isa. . . i the lord doe keep it . i will water it every moment . epigr. . close downwards tow'rds the earth , open above tow'rds heaven mine heart is . o let thy love distill in fructifying dewes of grace , and then mine heart will be a pleasant place . ode . . . see how this dry , and thirsty land , mine heart , doth gaping gasping stand , and close below opens towards heav'n , and thee thou fountaine of felicity , great lord of living waters , water me : let not my breath that pants with paine , waste , and consume it selfe in vaine . . the mists , that from the earth doe rise , an heav'n-borne heart will not suffice : coole it without they may , but cannot quench the scalding heat within , nor drench its dusty dry desires , or fill one trench . nothing , but what comes from on high , can heav'n-bred longings satisfie . . see how the seed , which thou did'st sow lies parch'd , and wither'd , will not grow without some moisture , and mine heart hath none , that it can truly call its owne , by nature of it self , more then a stone : unlesse thou water't , it will lie drowned in dust , and still be dry . . thy tender plants can never thrive , whilst want of water doth deprive their roots of nourishment : which makes them call , and cry to thee , great all in all , that seasonable show'rs of grace may fall , and water them : thy word will do 't , if thou vouchsafe thy blessing to 't . . o then be pleased to unseal thy fountaine , blessed saviour , deal some drops at least , wherewith my drooping spirits may be revived . lord , thy merits yeeld more refreshing then the world inherits : rivers , yea seas , but ditches are , if with thy springs we them compare . . if not whole show'rs of raine , yet lord , a little pearly dew afford , begot by thy celestiall influence on some chast vapour , raised hence to be partaker of thine excellence : a little , if it come from thee , will be of great availe to me . . thou boundlesse ocean of grace , let thy free spirit have a place within mine heart : full rivers then i know of living waters forth will flow , and all thy plants , thy fruits , and flow'rs will grow . whilst thy springs their roots doe nourish , they must needs be fat , and flourish . embleme . the flowers of the heart . cant. . . my beloved is gone downe into his garden , to the beds of spices , to feed in the gardens , and to gather lillies . epigr. . these lillies i doe consecrate to thee , beloved spouse , which spring as thou ma●…st see , out of the seed thou sowedst , and the ground is better'd by thy flow'rs , when they abound . ode . . . is there a joy like this ? what can augment my blisse ? if my beloved will accept a po●…e of these flowers kept , and consecrated unto his content , i hope hereafter he will not repent the cost , and paines he hath bestow'd so freely upon me , that ow'd him all i had before , and infinitly more . . nay , try them , blessed lord , take them not on my word , but let the colour , ●…ast and ●… the truth of their ●…●… tell . thou that art in●…nite in wisdome ●…ee if they be not the same that came from thee . if any difference be found , it is occasion'd by the ground , which yet i cannot see so good as it should be . . what say'st thou to that rose , that queen of flowers , whose maidenly blushes , fresh , and faire , out-brave the dainty morning aire ? dost thou not in those lovely leaves espy the perfect picture of that modesty , that self-condemning shamefastnesse , that is more ready to confesse a fault , and to amend , then it is to offend ? . is not this lilly pure ? what fuller can procure a white so perfect , spotlesse , clear , as in this flower doth appear ? do st thou not in this milky colour see the lively lustre of sincerity , which no hypocrisie hath painted , nor self-respecting ends have tainted ? can there be to thy sight a more entire delight ? . or wilt thou have beside violets purple-di'd ? the sun-observing marigold , or orpin never waxing old , the primrose , cowslip , gilliflow'r , or pinke , or any flow'r , or herbe , that i can think thou hast a mind unto ? i shall quickly be furnisht with them all , if once i doe but know that thou wilt have it so . . faith is a fruitfull grace , well planted stores the place , fills all the borders , beds , and bow'rs with wholsome herbs , and pleasant flow'rs . great gardiner , thou saist , and i beleeve , what thou do'st meane to gather thou wilt give . take then mine heart in hand to fill 't , and it shall yeeld thee what thou wilt . yea thou , by gath'ring more , shalt still increase my store . embleme . the keeping of the heart . prov. . . keepe thy heart with all diligence . epigr. . like to a ●… , that is ●… , ●… heart is ●… , ●… still is found comp●…st w●…th care , ●…nd ●… with the feare of god , as with a flaming sword , and speare . ode . the soule . . lord , wilt thou suffer this ? shall vermine spoile the ●…uit or all thy toyle , thy trees , thine herbs , thy plants , thy flow'rs thus : and for an overplus of spite , and malice overthrow thy mounds , lay common all thy grounds ? canst thou endure thy pleasant garden should be thus turn'd up as ordinary mould ? christ . . what is the matter ? why do'st thou complaine ? must i as well maintaine , and keep , as make thy fences ? wilt thou take no paines for thine own sake ? or doth thy self-confounding fancy feare thee , when there 's no danger neer thee ? speak out thy doubts , and thy desires , and tell me , what enemy or can , or dares to quell thee ? the soule . . many , and mighty , and malicious , lord , that seek , with one accord , to work my speedy ruine , and make haste to lay thy garden waste . the devill is a ramping roaring lion , hates at his heart thy zion , and never gives it respit day , nor houre , but still goes seeking whom he may devoure . . the world 's a wildernesse , wherein i find wild beasts of ev'ry kind , foxes , and wolves , and dogs , and boares , and bears ; and which augments my feares , eagles and vultures , and such birds of prey , will not be kept away : besides the light-abhorring owles , and bats , and secret corner-creeping mice and rats . . but these , and many more would not dismay me much , unlesse there lay one worse then all within , my self i meane , my false , unjust , unclean , faithlesse , disloyall self , that both entice , and entertaine each vice . this homebred traiterous partaking 's worse , then all the violence of forain force . . lord , thou maist see my feares are grounded , rise not from a bare surmise , or doubt of danger only , my desires are but what need requires , of thy divine protection , and defence to keep these vermine hence : which , if they should not be re●…rain'd by thee , would grow too strong to be kept out by me . christ . . thy feare is just , and i approve thy care . but yet thy comforts are ●… for , ●… in that care , and feare : whereby it d●…th appeare ●…●… what then ●… , my protection to keep thee from defection . the ●…●… cares , and ●… , is kept by me . i watch thee , whilst thy foes are watch'd by thee . embleme . the watching of the heart . cant. . . i sleep , but my heart waketh . epigr. . whilst the soft hands of sleep tie up my sences , my watchfull heart , free from all such ●… , searches for thee , enquires es all about thee , nor day , nor night , able to be without thee . ode . . . it must be so : that god that gave me senses , and a mind , would have me use them both , but in their severall kinds . sleep must refresh my senses , but my minds a ●… of heav'nly fire , that seeds on ●… , and employment , needs no ●… or rest : for , when it thinks to please ●… with idlenesse , 't is least at ease . though quiet rest refresh the head , the heart that stirres not sure is dead . . whilst then my body ease doth take , my ●… refusing heart ●… all wake : and that mine heart the better watch may keep , i 'll lay my senses for a t●…e to sleep . wanton de re shall not ●… , nor lust enveigle them to vi●…e : no fading colours shall ●… my fight , nor sounds enchant mine eares with their delight : i 'll bind my smell , my touch , my tast , to keep a strict religious fast . . my worldly businesse shall lie still , that heav'nly thoughts my mind may fill : my marthaes cumb'ring cares shall cease their noise , that mary may attend her better choise . that meditation may advance mine heart on purpose , not by chance , my body shall keep holy day , that so my mind with better liberty may goe about her bus'nesse , and ingrosse that gaine , which worldly men count losse . . and though my senses sleep the while , my mind my senses shall beguile with dreames of thee , dear lord , whose rare perfections of excellence are such , that bare inspections cannot suffice my greedy soule , nor her fierce appetite controule , bur that the more she lookes the more she longs , and strives to thrust into the thickest throngs of those divine discoveries , which dazell even angels eyes . . oh could i lay aside this flesh , and follow after thee with fresh and free desires , my disentangled soule , ravisht with admiration , should roule it self , and all its thoughts on thee , and by beleeving strive to see , what is invisible to flesh and blood , and only by fruition understood , the beauty of each sev'rall grace , that shines in thy sunne-shaming face . . but what i can doe that i will , waking and sleeping , seek thee still : i 'll leave no place unpri'd into behind me , where i can but imagine i may find thee : i 'll aske of all i meet , if they can tell thee where thou art , which way thou go'st , that i may follow after thee , which way thou com'st , that thou mai'st meet with me . if not thy face , lord , let mine heart behold with moses thy back part . embleme . the wounding of the heart . lam. . . he hath bent his bow , and set me as a mark for the arrow . epigr. . a thousand of thy strongest shasts , my light , draw up against this heart with all thy might , and strike it through : they , that in need doe stand of cure , are healed by thy wounding hand . ode . . . nay , spare me not dear lord , it cannot be they should be hurt , that wounded are by thee . thy shafts will heale the hearts they hit , and to each sore its salve will fit . all hearts by nature are both sick , and sore , and mine as much as any else , or more : there is no place that 's free from finne , neither without it , nor within , and universall maladies doe crave variety of medicines to have . . first , let the arrow of thy piercing eye , whose light outvieth the star-spangled skie , strike through the darkne●… of my mind , and leave no cloudy mist behind . let thy resplendent rayes of knowledge dart bright beames of understanding to mine heart , to my finne-shadow'd heart , wherein black ignorance did first begin to blurre thy beauteous image , and deface the glory of thy self-sufficing grace . . next let the shaft of thy sharp-pointed pow'r discharged by that strength that can devour all difficulties , and encline stout opposition to resigne its steely stubbornesse , subdue my will , make it hereafter ready to fulfill thy royall law of righteousnesse , as gladly , as i must confesse it hath fulfilled heretofore th' unjust , prophane , and cruell lawes of its own lust . . then let that love of thine , which made thee leave the bosome of thy father , and be●…eave thy self of thy ●… glory , matter for an eternall story . strike through mine affections all together , and let that sun shine ●…eer the cloudy weather , wherein they wander without guide , or order , as the wind , and tide of floting ●… transport , and tosse them , till self-begotten troubles curbe and crosse them . . lord , empty all thy quivers , let there be no corner of my spacious heart left free , till all be but one wound , wherein no subtill sight-abhorring sinne may lurk in secret unespi'd by me , or reigne in power unsubdu'd by thee . perfect thy purchas'd victory , that thou mai'st ride triumphantly , and leading captive all captivity mai'st put an end to enmity in me . . then , blessed archer , in requitall i to shoote thine arrowes back again will try . by pray'rs , and praises , sighs , and sobs , by vowes , and teares , by groans , and throbs , i 'll see if i can pierce , and wound thine heart , and vanquish thee againe by thine own art . or , that we may at once provide for all mishaps that may betide , shoot thou thy self , thou polisht shaft , to me , and i will shoot my broken heart to thee . embleme . the inhabiting of the heart . gal. . . god hath sent ●… the spirit of his son into your hearts . epig●… . . mine heart 's an ●… , my ●… , and thou ●… tell ●…●… enough ●… thy spirit dwell for ever ther●…●…●…●… mai'st love me , and being to ●… i m●…y aga●…ne love thee . ode . . . welcome , great guest , this house , mine heart , shall all be thine : i will resigne mine interest in ev'ry part : only be pleas'd to use it as thine own for ever , and inhabite it alone : there 's roome enough , and if the furniture were answerably fitted , i am sure thou would'st be well content to stay , and by thy light possesse my sight with sense of an eternall day . . it is thy building , lord , ' r was made at thy command , and still doth stand upheld , and shelter'd by the shade of thy protecting providence : though such as is decaied , and impaired much , since the removall of thy residence , when with thy grace glory departed hence , it hath been all this while an inne to intertaine the vile , and vaine , and wicked companies of sinne . . although 't be but an house of clay , fram'd out of dust , and such as must dissolved be , yet it was gay , and glorious indeed , when ev ry place was furnished , and fitted with thy grace : when in the presence-chamber of my mind , the bright sun-beames of perfect knowledge shin'd : when my will was thy bed-chamber , and ev'ry pow'r a stately tow'r sweetned with thy spirits amber . . but whilst thou do'st thy self absent , it is not grown noysome alone , but all to pieces torne , and rent . the windowes all are stopt , or broken so , that no light without wind can thorow goe . the roofe's uncover'd , and the wall 's decai'd , the door 's flung off the hooks , the floor 's unlai'd , yea , the foundation rotten is , and every where it doth appeare all that remaines is farre amisse , . but if thou wilt returne againe , and dwell in me , lord , thou shalt see what care i 'll take to intertaine thee , though not like thy self , yet in such sort , as thou wilt like , and i shall thank thee for 't . lord , let thy blessed spirit keep possession , and all things will be well ; at least confession shall tell thee what 's amisse in me , and then thou shalt or mend the fault , or take the blame of all on thee . embleme . the enlarging of the heart . psal. . . i will runne the way of thy commandements , when thou shall enlarge my heart . epigr. . how pleasant is that now , which heretofore mine heart hela buter , sacred learnings l●…e ? ●… hearts enter with greatest ease the ●… paths , and runne the narrowest wayes . ode . . . what a blessed change i find , since i intertain d this guest ! now me thinks another mind moves and rules within my brest . surely i am not the same , that i was before he came , but i then was much too blame . . when before my god commanded any thing he would have done , i was close , and gripple handed , made an end ere i begunne . if he thought it fit to lay judgements on me , i could say they are good , but shrinke away . . all the wayes of righteous●…sse i did think were full of trouble , i complain'd of tediousnesse , and each duty ●… double . whilst i serv'd him but of feare , ev'ry minute did appeare longer sarre then a whole yeare . . strictnesse in religion seemed like a pined pinion'd thing : bolts , and fetters i esteemed more beseeming for a king , then for me to bow my neck , and be at anothers beck , when i felt my conscience check . . but the case is alter'd now : he no sooner turnes his eye , but i quickly bend , and bow , ready at his feet to lie : love hath taught me to obey all his precepts , and to say , not to morrow , but to day . . what he wills i say i must : what i must i say i will : he commanding , it is just what he would i should fulfill . whilst he biddeth i beleeve what he calls for he will give . to obey him is to live . . his command'ments grievous are not longer then men think t●…m so : though he send me forth i care not , whilst he gives me strength to goe . when , or whither , all is one , on his bus'nesse , not mine owne , i shall never goe alone . . if i be compleat in him , and in him all fulnesse dwelleth . i am sure aloft to swim , whilst that ocean overswelleth , having him that 's all in all , i am confident i shall nothing want , for which i call . embleme . the inflaming of the heart . psal. . . my heart was hot within me : while i was musing the sire burned . epigr. . spare not , my love , to kindle , and enflame mine heart within throughout , untill the same breake forth , and burnc : that so , thy salamander , mine heart may never from thy furnace wander . ode . . . welcome , holy , heavenly fire , kindled by immortall love : which descending from above , makes all earthly thoughts retire , and give place to that grace , which with gentle violence conquers all corrupt affections , rebell natures insurrections , bidding them be packing hence . . lord , thy fire doth heat within , warmeth not without alone ; though it be an heart of stone , of it self congeal'd in sinne , hard as steel , if it feel thy dissolving pow'r , it groweth soft as waxe , and quickly takes any print thy spirit make , paying what thou sai'st it oweth . . of it self mine heart is dark , but thy fire by shining bright , fills it full of saving light though 't be but a little spark lent by thee , i shall see more by it , then all the light , which in fullest measures streames from corrupted natures beames , can discover to my sight . . though mine heart be ice , and snow , to the things which thou hast chosen , all benum'd with cold , and frozen , yet thy fire will make it glow . though it burnes , when it turnes tow'rds the things which thou do'st hate : yet thy blessed warmth , no doubt , will that wild-fire soone draw out , and the heat thereof abate . . lord , thy fire is active , using alwayes either to ascend to its native heav'n , or lend heat to others : and diffusing of its store gathers more , never ceasing till it make all things like it selfe , and longing to see others come with thronging of thy goodnesse to partake . . lord , then let thy fire enflame my cold heart so thoroughly , that the heat may never die , but continue still thr same : that i may ev'ry day more , and more , consuming sinne , kindling others , and attending all occasions of ascending , heaven upon earth begin , embleme . the ladder of the heart . psal. . . in whose heart are the wayes of them . epigr. . would'st thou , my love , a ladder have , whereby thou mai'st climbe heaven to sit downe on high ? in thine owne heart then frame thee steps , and bend thy mind to muse how thou mai'st there ascend . ode . . the soule . . what ? shall i alwayes lie grov'ling on earth , where there is no mirth ? why should i not ascend , and climbe up , where i may mend . my meane estate of misery ? happinesse i know's exceeding high : yet sure there is some remedy for that christ . . true , there is . perfect blisse , the fruit of love , may be had above : but he , that will obtaine such a gold-exceeding gaine , must never think to reach the same , and scale heav'ns walls , untill he frame a ladder in his heart ●…●…●… the soule . . lord , i will : but the skill is not mine owne : such an art 's not knowne , unlesse thou wilt it teach : it is farre above the reach of mortall minds to understand . but if thou wilt lend thine helping hand , i will endeavour to obey thy word . christ . . well then , see that thou be as ready prest to performe the rest , as now to promise faire , and i 'll teach thee how to reare a scaling-ladder in thine heart to mount heaven with : no rules of art , but i alone , can the composure tell . . first , thou must take on trust all that i say , reason must not sway thy judgement crosse to mine , but her scepter quite resigne . faith must be both thy ladder sides , which will stay thy steps what e'er betides , and satisfie thine hunger , and thy thirst . . then , the round next the ground , which i must see ; is humilitie : from which thou must ascend , and with perseverance end . vertue to vertue , grace to grace , must each orderly succeed in' ts place . and when thou hast done all beginne againe . embleme . the flying of the heart . isa. . . who are these that fly as a cloud , and as the doves to their windowes ? epigr. . oh that mine heart had wings like to a dove , that i might quickly hasten hence , and move with speedy flight tow'rds the cel●…stiall spheares , as weary of this world , its faults , and feares ! ode . . . this way , though pleasant , yet me thinks is long : step after step makes little haste , and i am not so strong as still to last among so great so many lets : swelter'd and swill'd in sweat my toyling soule both fumes and frets , as though she were inclin'd to a retreat . . corruption clogs my feet like filthy clay , and i am ready still to slip : which makes me often stay , when i should trip away . my feares and faults , are such , as challenge all my teares so justly , that it were not much , if i in weeping should spend all my yeares . . this makes me weary of the world below , and greedy of a place above , on which i may bestow , my choisest love , and so obtaine that favour , which excells all worldly gaine , and maketh the possessour rich , in happinesse of a transcendent straine . . what ? must i still be rooted here below , and riveted unto the ground , wherein mine haste to grow will be though sound , but slow ? i know the sunne exhales grosse vapours from below , which , scorning as it were the vales , on mountaine-topping clouds themselves bestow . . but my fault-frozen heart is flow to move , makes poore proceedings at the best , as though it did not love , nor long for rest above . mine eyes can upward looke , as though they did despise all things on earth , and could not brooke their presence : but mine heart is slow to rise . . oh that it were once winged like the dove , that in a moment mounts on high , then should it soone remove , where it may ly in love . and loe , this one desire me thinks hath imp'd it so , that it already flies like fire , and ev'n my verses into wings doe grow . embleme . the union of the heart . ezek. . . i will give them one heart . epigr. . like minded minds , hearts alike heartily affected will together live , and die : many things meete , and part : but loves great gable tying two hearts makes them inseparable . ode . . the soule . . all this is not enough : me thinks i grow more greedy by fruition : what i get serves but to set an edge upon mine appetite , and all thy gifts doe but invite my pray'rs for more . lord , if thou wilt not still encrease my store , why did'st thou any thing at all bestow ? christ . . and is 't the fruit of having still to crave ? then let thine heart united be to mine , and mine to thine in a firme union , whereby we may no more be thou , and i , or , i , and thou , but both the same : and then i will avow , thou canst not want what thou do'st wish to have . the soule . . true , lord , for thou art all in all to me , but how to get my stubborne heart to twine , and close with thine , i doe not know , nor can i guesse how i should ever learne , unlesse thou wilt direct the course that i must take to that effect . 't is thou , not i , must knit mine heart to thee . christ . . 't is true , and so i will : but yet thou must doe something tow'rds it too : first , thou must lay all ●…nne away , and separate from that , which would our meeting intercept , and hold us distant still : i am all goodnesse , and can close with ill no more , then richest diamonds with dust . . then thou must not count any earthly thing , how ever gay , and gloriously set forth , of any worth , compar'd with me , that am alone th' eternall , high , and holy one : but place thy love onely on me , and on the things above : which true content , and endlesse comfort bring . . love is the loadstone of the heart , the glew , the cement , and the ●…oder , which alone unites in one things that before were not the same , but only like , imparts the name , and nature too of each to th' other : nothing can undoe the knot that 's knit by love , if it be true . . but if in deed , and truth thou lovest me , and not in word alone , then i shall find that thou dost mind the things i mind , and regulate all thine affections , love , and hate , delight , desire , feare , and the rest , by what i doe require , and i in thee my self shall alwayes see . embleme . the rest of the heart . psal. . . returne unto thy rest , o my soule . epigr. . my busie , stirring heart , that seekes the best , can find no place on earth wherein to rest : for god alone , the author of its blesse , it s only rest , its onely center ●… . ode . . . move me no more , mad world , it is in va●…ne , experience tells me plaine i should deceived be , if ever i againe should trust in thee . my weary heart hath ransackt all thy treasuries both great , and small , and thy large inventories beares in minde : yet could it never finde one place wherein to rest , though it hath often tried all the best . . thy profits brought me losse in stead of gaine , and all thy pleasures paine : thine honours blurr'd my name with the deep staines of self-confounding shame , thy wisdome made me turne starke fool , and all the learning , that thy school afforded me , was not enough to make me know my self , and take care of my better part , which should have perished for all thine heart . . not that there is not place of rest in thee for others : but for me there is , there can be , none : that god , that made mine heart , is he alone , that of himself both can , and will , give rest unto my thoughts , and fill them full of all content , and quietne●… , that so i may ●… my soule in patience , untill he find it time to call me hence . . on thee then , as a sure foundation , a tried corner-stone , lord , i will strive to raise the tow'r of my salvation , and thy praise . in thee , as in my center , shall the lines of all my longings fall . to thee , as to mine anchor , surely ti'd my ship shall safely ride . on thee , as on my bed of soft repose , i 'll rest my weary head . . thou , thou alone , shalt be my whole desire , i 'll nothing else require , but thee , or for thy sake . in thee i 'll sleepe secure , and when i wake thy glorious face shall satisfie the longing of my looking eye . i 'll roule my self on thee , as on my rock , and threatning dangers mock . of thee , as of my treasure , i 'll boast , and bragge , my comforts know no measure . lord , thou shalt be mine all , i will not know a profit here below , but what ●… on thee : thou shalt be all the pleasure i will see in any thing the earth affords . mine heart shall owne no words of honour , out of which i cannot raise the matter of thy praise . nay , i will not be mine , unlesse thou wilt vouchsafe to have me thine . embleme . the bathing of the heart . joel . . i will cleanse their bloud , that i have not cleansed . epigr. . this bath thy saviour swet with drops of bloud , sick heart , of purpose for to doe thee good . they that have tri'd it can the vertue tell , come then and use it , is thou wilt be well . ode . . . all this thy god hath done for thee : and now mine heart it is high time that thou should'st be acting thy part , and meditating on his blessed passion , till thou hast made it thine by imitation . . that exercise will be the best and surest meanes , to keep thee evermore at rest , and free from paines . to suffer with thy saviour is the way to make thy present comforts last for aye . . trace then the steps , wherein he trade , and first begin to sweat with him . the heavy load , which for thy sinne he underwent , squeez'd bloud out of his face , which in great drops came trickling downe apace . . oh let not then that precious bloud be spilt in vaine , but gather ev'ry drop . 't is good to purge the staine of guilt , that hath defil'd , and overspred thee from the sole of th'foot to th'crown of th'head . . poison possesseth every veine , the fountaine is corrupt , and all the streames uncleane : all is amisse . thy bloud 's impure , yea thou thy self , mine heart , in all thine inward pow'rs polluted art . . when thy first father first did ill , mans doome was read , that in the sweat of 's face he still should eat his bread . what the first adam in the garden caught , the second adam in a garden taught . . taught by his owne example , how to sweat for sinne , under that heavy weight to bow , and never linne begging release , till with strong cries , and teares the soule be drain'd of all its saults , and ●…eares . . if sins imputed guilt opprest th' almighty so , that his sad soule could find no rest under that woe : but that the bitter agony he felt made his pure bloud , if not to sweat , to melt . . then let that huge inherent masse of sinne , that lies in heapes on thee , make thee surpasse in teares , and cries , striving with all thy strength , untill thou sweat such drops as his , though not as good , as great . . and if he thinke it fit to lay upon thy back , or paines , or duties , as he may untill it crack , shrinke not away , but straine thine utmost force to beare them cheerfully without remorse . embleme . the binding of the heart . hos. . . i drew them with cords of a man , with bands of love . epigr. . mr sinnes , i doe consesse , a cord were found heavy , and hard by thee , when thou wast bound , great lord of love , with them , but thou hast twin'd gentle love cords my tender heart to bind . ode . . . what ? could those hands , that made the world , be subject unto bands ? could there a cord be found , wherewith omnipotence it self was bound ? wonder mine heart , and stand amaz'd to see the lord of liberty led captive for thy sake , and in thy stead . although he did nothing deserving death , or bands , yet he was bound , and put to death , to set thee free . . thy sinnes had ti'd those bands for thee , wherein thou should'st have di'd and thou did'st daily knit knots upon knots , whereby thou mad'st them ●…t closer , and faster , to thy faulty self . so like a cursed else , helplesse , and hopelesse , friendlesse , and forlorne , the sinke of scorne , and kennell of contempt , thou should st have laine eternally enthrall'd to endlesse paine . . had not the lord of love and life been pleased to afford his helping hand of grace , and freely put himself into thy place . so were thy bands transferr'd , but not unti'd , untill the time he did , and by his death vanquisht , and conqu'red all , that adams sall had made victorious . sinne , death , and hell , thy fatall foes , under his footstool sell . . yet he meant not that thou should'st use the liberty he got as it should like thee best , to wander as thou listest , or to rest in soft repose carelesse of his commands : he that hath loos'd those bands , whereby thou wast enslaved to the foes , binds thee with those , where with he bound himself to doe thee good , the bands of love , love writ in lines of blood . . his love to thee made him to lay aside his majesty , and cloathed in a vaile of fraile , though faultlesse flesh , become thy baile . but love requireth love : and since thou art loved by him , thy part it is to love him too : and love affords the strongest cords that can be : for it ties , not hands alone , but heads , and hearts , and soules , and all in one . . come then , mine heart , and freely follow the prevailing art of thy redeemers love . that strong magnetique tie hath pow'r to move the steeli'st stubbornesse . if thou but twine , and twist his love with thine , and by obedience labour to expresse thy thankfulnesse , it will be hard to say on whether side the bands are surest , which is fastest tide . embleme . the prop of the heart . psal. . , . his heart is fixed , trusting in the lord . his heart is established , he shall not be affraid . epigr. . my weak , and seeble heart , a prop must use , but pleasant fruits , and flow'rs doth refuse : my christ my pillar is , on h●…m rely , repose , and rest my self , alone will i. ode . . . suppose it true , that whilst thy saviours side was furrowed with ●…courges he was ti'd unto some pillar fast , think not , mine heart , it was because he could not stand alone , or that left loose he would have shrunk away at last . such weakne●… suits not with omnipotence , nor could mans malice match his patience . . but , if so done , 't was done to tutor thee , whose frailty , and impatience he doth see such , that thou hast nor strength , nor will , as of thy self , to undergo the least degree of duty , or of woe , but would'st be sure at length to flinch , or faint , or not to stand at all , or in the end more fearfully to fall . . thy very frame , and figure , broad above , narrow beneath , apparently doth prove thou canst not stand alone , without a prop to boulster , and to stay thee . to trust to thine own strength would soone betray thee . alas , thou now art growne so weak , and feeble , wav'ring , and unstaid , thou shrink'st at the least weight that 's on thee laid . . the ea●…est command'ments thou declinest , and at the lightest punishments thou whinest : thy restlesse motions are innumerable , like the troubled sea whose waves are toss'd , and tumbled ev'ry way . the hound-pursued hare ●…●… so many doubles , as thou do'st , till thy crosse courses in themselves are lost . . get thee some stay that may support thee then , and stablish thee , lest thou should'st start againe . but where may it be found ? will pleasant fruites , or flowers serve the turne ? no , no , my tott'ring heart will overturne , and lay them on the ground . dainties may serve to minister delight , but strength is onely from the lord of might . . betake thee to thy christ then , and repose thy selfe in all extremities on those his everlasting armes , wherewith he girds the heavens , and upholds the pillars of the earth , and safely folds his faithfull flocke from harmes . cleave close to him by saith , and let the bands of love tie thee in thy redeemers hands . . come life , come death , come devills , come what will , yet ●… ned so thou shalt stand ●… still : and all the pow'rs of hell shall not ●… to shake thee with their shock , so long as ●… art founded on that rock : no duty shall thee quell , no danger shall ●… thy ●… state , nor soule-perplexing ●… thy mind ●… embleme . the scourging of the heart . prov. . . a rod is for the backe of him that is void of understanding . epigr. . when thou withhold'st thy scourges , dearest love , my sluggish heart is slack , and slow to move . oh let it not stand still , but lash it rather , and drive it , though unwilling , to thy father . ode . . . what doe those scourges on that sacred flesh , spotlesse and pure ? must he , that doth sin-weari'd soules refresh , himself endure such tearing tortures ? must those sides be gash'd ? those shoulders lash'd ? is this the trimming that the world bestowes upon such robes of majestie as those ? . is 't not enough to die , unlesse by paine thou antidate thy death before hand , lord ? what do'st thou meane to aggravate the guilt of sinne ? or to enhance the price thy sacrifice amounts to ? both are infinite i know , and can by no additions greater grow . . yet dare i not imagine that in vaine thou did'st endure one stripe : though not thine owne thereby , my gaine thou did'st procure , that when i shall be scourged for thy sake , thy stripes may make mine acceptable , that i may not grutch , when i remember thou hast borne as much . . as much , and more , for me . come then mine heart , and willingly submit thy selfe to suffer : smile at smart and death de●…e . feare not to feel that hand correcting thee , which set thee free . stripes as the tokens of his love he leaves , who scourgeth ev'ry sonne whom he receives . . there 's foolishnesse bound up within thee fast : but yet the rod of fatherly correction at the last , if blest by god , will drive it farre away , and wisdome give , that thou maist live , not to thy self , but him , that first was slaine , and died for thee , and then rose againe . . thou art not onely dull , and slow of pace but stnbborne too , and refractory , ready to outface , rather then doe , thy duty : though thou know'st it must be so , thou wilt not go the way thou should'st , till some affliction first set thee right , then prick , and spurre thee on . . top-like thy figure , and condition is , neither to stand , nor stirre , thy self alone , whilst thou do'st ●… an helping hand to set thee up , and store of stripes bestow to make thee goe . begge then thy blessed saviour to transferre his scourges unto thee , to make thee stirre . embleme . the hedging of the heart . hos. . . i will hedge up thy way with thornes . epigr. . he , that of thornes would gather roses , may in his own heart , if handled the right way . hearts hedged with christs crowne of thornes , in stead of thorny cares , will sweetest roses breed . ode . . a crowne of thornes ! i thought so : ten to one , a crowne without a thorne there 's none : there 's none on earth i meane , what shall i then rejoyce to see him crown'd by men , by whom kings rule , and reigne ? or shall i scorne , and hate , to see earths curse , a thorne , prepost ' rously preferr'd to crowne those browes , from whence all blisse , and glory flowes ? or shall i both be clad , and also sad , to think it is a crowne , and yet so bad ? . there 's cause enough of both , i must confesse : yet , what 's that unto me , unlesse i take a course his crowne of thornes may be made mine , transferr'd from him to me ? crownes had they been of starres could adde no more glory , where there was all before , and thornes might scratch him , could not make him worse then he was made finne , and a curse . come then , mine heart , take downe thy saviours crowne of thornes , and see if thou canst make 't thine owne . . remember first , thy saviours head was crown'd by the same hands that did him wound : they meant it not to honour , but to scorne him , when in such sort they did bethorne him . think earthly honours such , if they redound not to his glory , th' are not sound . never beleeve they minde to dignifie thee , that thy christ would crucifie . think ev'ry crowne a thorne , unlesse 't adorne thy christ , as well as him , by whom 't is worne . . consider then that , as the thorny crowne circled thy saviours head , thine owne continuall care to please him , and provide for the advantage of his side , must fence thine actions , and affections so , that they shall neither dare to goe out of that compasse , nor vouchsase accesse to what might make that care goe ●… . let no such thing draw nigh , which shall not spie thornes ready plac'd to ●…ick it till it die . . thus , compass'd with thy saviours thorny crowne , thou mai'st securely sit thee downe , and hope that he , who made of water wine , will turne each thorne unto a vine , were thou ●… gather grapes , and to delight thee roses : nor need the prickles fright thee . thy saviours sacred temples tooke away the curse , that in their ●… lay . so thou mai'st crowned be , as well as he , and at the last light in his light shalt see . embleme . the fastening of the heart . jer. . . i will put my feare in their hearts , that they shall not depart from me . epigr. . thou , thath wast nailed to the crosse for me , lest i stould slip , and fall away from thee , drive home thine holy feare into mine heart , and clench it so , that it may ne'er depart . ode . . . what ? do'st thou struggle to get loose againe ? hast thou so soone forgot the former paine , that thy licentious bondage unto sinne , and lust enlarged thraldome , put thee in ? hast thou a mind againe to rove , and ramble rogue-like a vagrant through the world , and scramble for scraps , and crusts of earth bred base delights , and change thy dayes of joy for tedious nights of sad repentant sorrow ? what ? wilt thou borrow that griefe to day , which thou must pay to morrow ? . no , self-deceiving heart , lest thou should'st cast thy cords away , and burst the bands at last of thy redeemers tender love , i 'll try what further fastnesse in his feare doth lie . the cords of love soaked in lust may rot , and bands of bounty are too oft forgot : but holy filiall feare , like to a naile fast ned in a sure place , will never faile . this driven home will take fast hold , and make thee that thou darest not thy god forsake . . remember how , besides thy saviours bands , wherewith they led him bound , his holy hands , and feet , were pierced , how they nail'd him fast unto his bitter ●… , and how at last his precious side was goared with a speare . so hard sharp-pointed ●… , and steel did teare his tender flesh , that from those wounds might flow the sov'raigne salve for sin-procured woe . then that thou mai'st not saile of that availe , refuse not to be fast'ned with his naile . . love in an heart of flesh is apt to taint , or be fly-blowne with folly : and its saint and feeble spirits , when it shewes most faire , are often fed on by the empty aire of popular applause , unlesse the salt of holy feare in time prevent the fault : but season'd so it will be kept for ever . he , that doth feare because he loves , will never adventure to offend , but alwayes ●…end his best endeavours to content his friend . . though perfect love cast out all servile feare , because such feare hath torment : yet thy dear redeemer meant not so to set thee free , that filiall feare , and thou should strangers be . though , as a sonne , thou honour him thy father , yet , as a master , thou maist feare him rather . feare 's the soules centinell , and keepes the heart , wherein love lodges so , that all the art , and industry , of those , that are its foes , cannot betray it to its former woes . embleme . the new wine of the heart . psa●… . . . wine that maketh glad the heart of man . epigr. . christ the true vine , grape , cluster , on the crosse trod the ●…nepresse alone , unto the losse of bloud , & life . draw , thankfull heart , and spare not : here 's wine enough for all , save those that care not . ode . . . leave not thy saviour now , what ev'r thou do'st , doubtfull distrustfull heart , thy former paines , and labours , all are lost , if now thou shalt depart , and faithlesly fall off at last from him , who to redeeme thee spar'd nor life nor limme . . shall he , that is thy cluster , and thy vine , tread the winepresse alone , whilst thou stand'st looking on ? shall both the wine , and worke be all his owne ? see how he bends , crusht with the straitned screw of that fierce wrath , that to thy sinnes was due . . although thou canst not helpe to beare it , yet thrust thy selfe under too , that thou mai'st feel some of the weight , and get although not strength to doe , yet will to suffer something as he doth , that the same stresse at once may squeeze you both . . thy saviour being press'd to death , there ran out of his sacred wounds that wine , that maketh glad the heart of man , and all his foes confounds . yea , the full-flowing fountain s open still for all grace-thirsting hearts to drinke their fill . . and not to drinke alone , to satiate their longing appetites , or drowne those cumbrous cares , that would abate the edge of their delights , but , when they toyle , and foile themselves , with sinne , both to refresh , to purge , and cleanse them in . . thy saviour hath begun this cup to thee , and thou must not refuse 't . presse then thy sin-swoll'n sides , untill they be empty , and fit to use 't . doe not delay to come , when he doth call , nor feare to want , where there 's enough for all . . thy bounteous redeemer in his bloud fills thee not wine alone , but likewise gives his flesh to be thy food , which thou ●… make thine owne , and feede on him , who hath himself revealed the bread of life by god the father sealed . . nay , he 's not food alone , but physicke too , when ever thou art sick , and in thy ●… strength , that thou mai'st doe thy duty , and not stick at any thing , that he requires of thee , how hard soever it may seeme to be . . make all the haste then that thou canst to come , before the day be past , and think not of returning to thy home , whilst yet the light doth last . the longer , and the more thou draw'st this wine , still thou shalt find it more , and more divine . . or if thy saviour think it meet to throw thee in the presse againe , to suffer as he did : yet doe not grow displeased at thy paine : a summer season followes winter weather , suffring you shall be glorifi'd together . revel. . . the spirit , and the bride say , come . and let him that heareth say , come . and let him that is a thirst , come . and whosoever will , let him take the water of life freely . the conclvsion . is this my period ? have i now no more to doe hereafter ? shall my mind give o're it s ●…●… thus , and idle be , or buss'd other wise ? should i not see how to improve my thoughts more ●… , before ●… these heart school ●… by ? sea-knowledge is an ●…●… , an ●… that doth not onely aske a ●… time , but challengeth to ●… until death . yet as in ●… they have a care to call for ●…●… , and are ●… ●… ●… ●… so ●… what i have done , ●… perhaps i may ●… to alter , or to ●… and i may ●… with my great ●… from taking our ●… how i retaine ●… old ●… and if it be his pleasure , i shall say these ●… before others , that they may , or learne them too , or only censure me ; i 'll wait with patience the successe to see . and though i looke not to have leave to play , for that this school allowes not , yet i may another time perhaps , if they approve of these , such as they are , and shew their love to the school of the heart , by calling for 't , adde other lessons more of the like sort . the learning of the heart . the preface . i am a scholar . the great lord of love and life , my tutor is : who from above all that lack learning , to his school invites , my hearts my prayer-book , in which he writes , systemes of all the arts and faculties : first reads to me , then makes me exercise , but all in paradoxes , such high strains , as flow from none but love inspired brains ; yet bids me publish them abroad and dare t' excell his arts above all other arts that are . why should i not ? me thinks it cannot be , but they should please others as well as me . come then joyn'd hands , and let our heart's embrace , whil'st thus loves labyrinth of arts we ●… ; i mean the sidem's call'd ●… : both ●… , and ●… . with the higher ●… , ●… ; and law , and ●… the grammar of the heart . psal. . . that speaketh the truth in his heart . my grammar , i define to he an art , which teacheth me to write and speak mine heart , by which i learn that smooth tongu'd flatt'ries are false language , and in love irregular . among'st my letters , vow-wells i admit , of none but consonant to sacred ●… . and therefore when my soul in silence moans , half vowel'd sighs , and double deep thong'd groans , mute looks , and liquid tears in stead of words , are of the language that mine heart affords . and since true love abhors all variations , my grammar hath no moads nor conjugations : tenses , nor persons , nor declensions , cases , nor genders , nor comparisons : what are my letters are , my words but one , and on the meaning of it love alone . concard is all my syntax and agreement : is in my grammar perfect regiment . he wants no language that hath learn'd to love , when tongues are still , hearts will be heard above . the rethorick of the heart . psal. . . my heart is inaiting a good matter . my rethorick is not so much an art , as an infused habit in mine heart , which a sweet secret elegance instills , and all my speech with tropes and figures fills . love is the tongues elixir , which doth change the ordinary sense of words , and range them under other kinds , dispose them so that to the height of eloquence they grow , e'vn in their native plainness , and must be so understood as liketh love and me . when i say christ , i mean my saviour ; when his command'ment my behaviour ; for to that end it was he ●…●… , and to this purpose 't is i bear his name . when i say hallow'd be thy name , he knows i would be holy : for his glory grows together with my good , and he hath not given more honour then himself hath got so when i say , lord let thy kingdom come , he understands it , i would be at home ; to raign with him in glory . so grace brings my love in me to be the ●… of kings he teacheth me to say . thy will be done , but meaneth he would ●… me do mine own ; by making ●… to ●… and so to rule my self and serve him both . so when he saith , my son give me thine heart : i know his meaning is , that i should part with all i have for him , give him my self , and to be rich in him from worldly pelf . when he says come to me , i know that he means i should wait his coming unto me , since 't is his coming unto me that makes me come to him , my part he undertakes . and when he says , behold i come , i know his parpose and intent is i should go with all the speed i can , to meet him whence his coming is attract ve , draws me hence . thick folded repititions in love , are no ●… , but strongly move and bind ●… attention . exclamations , are the hearts heaven ●… exaltions . epiphonemaes and apostrophes , love likes of well , but no prosopopes . not doubtful but careful deliberations , love holds as grounds of strongest resolutions . thus love and i a thousand ways can find , to speak and understand each others mind , and descant upon that which unto others , is but plain song , and all their musick smothers ●… that which worldly wit worms call nonsence , is many times loves purest eloquence . the logick of the heart . pet. . . be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you . my logick is the faculty of faith , where all things are resolv'd ●… be saith ; and ergoes drawn from trust and ●… twist and tie truths with stronger ●… then either sense or reason : for the heart and not the head is fountain of this art . and what the heart objects none can ●… , but god himself , till death the frame ●… , nay faith can after death ●… with dust , and argue ashes into stronger trust . and better hopes then brass and ●… can be emblemes , of unto the outward man . all my invention is to find what terms my lord and i stand in : how he confirms his ●… to me , how i inherit what he hath purchased for me by his merit . my judgment is submission to his will . and when he once hath spoken to be still . my method 's to be ●… by him what he ●… , that i think most trim . loves arguments , are all will , thou must , what he says and commands are true and ●… . when to dispute and argue's ●… of ●… , then to ●… and to ●… is ●… . finis . institutions, essays and maxims, political, moral & divine divided into four centuries. enchiridion quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) institutions, essays and maxims, political, moral & divine divided into four centuries. enchiridion quarles, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for sam. briscoe ..., london : . a reprint of his enchiridion with slight differences in arrangement of material. issued in as the work of george savile, st marquis of halifax. advertisements: p. 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street , covent-garden . . the index . cent . i. alteration max. auxiliar max. ambitious men max. ambitious natures max. assault max. advice max. conquest max. climatical advantages max. calumny max. composition max. conspiracy max. correspondency max. custom max. conquest max. civil commotion max. courage max. castles max. clergy max. covetousness max. counsellors max. , commanders max. , clemency and severity max. , commission max. church government max. confidence . max. demeanour max. deliberation max. disposition max. discovery max. design max. debt max. discontents max. delay max. deserts max. experiments max. exactions max. exuls max. encouragement max. fortresses max. , foolish confidence max. foreign king max. foreign humours max. foreign inclinations max. hearts of subjects max. hierarchy max. hunting max. invasion max. just war max. idleness max. liberality max. league max. love and fear max. mixt government max. money max. manufacture max. neutrality max. nobility max. , necessity max. new gentry max. opinion max. order and turn . max. piety and policy max. peace max. , pillars of state max. prevention max. pleasures max. popular sects max. power max. quo warranto max. rebel max. rewards and punishments max. reformation max. religion max. , resolution max. repute max. strength of parts max. successor max. strength to keep max. scandal max. state-change max. secrecy max. scruples max. situation max. sudden resolution max. times max. timely war max. true temper max. treachery max. variance max. virtue max. war in league max. war offensive and defensive max. weighty service max. cent . ii. action max. , , affections max. , , afflictions max. , anger max. , , acquaintance max. , advancement max. advantage max. avarice max. apparel max. brother max. charity max. , care max. company max. custom max. confession max. censure max. child max. , ceremonies max. daughter max. death max. , evil max. , enemy max. faith max. , fancy max. friendship max. friend max. haste max. god max. , gift max. grace max. giver max. honour max. , , , happiness max. heaven max. ignorance max. , love max. , loss max. luxury max. money max. , moderation max. mysteries max. mother max. news max. oppression max. promise max. pleasing max. pride max. possession max. passion max. , , prosperity max. , popularity max. prayer max. puritan max. pride max. riches max. reason max. , religion max. recreation max. redemption max. sinful custom max. souls progress max. sin max. , swearer max. servant max. time max. trembling max. theology max. thy self max. treasure max. vndertaking max. vow max. valour max. work max. wrong max. , cent . iii. argument max. alms max. actions max. apparel max. argument max. adversity max. , banishment max. beauty max. brother max. censure max. , child max. children max. conversation max. copy-book max. charity max. conscience max. consideration max. discourse max. , drunkenness max. danger max. doubt and opinion max. eucharist max. esteem max. exercise max. familiars max. fasting max. festival max. gift max. god max. , harlot max. heir max. honour max. hope max. hope and fear max. idiot max. journey max. intention max. justice max. innocence and wisdom max. knowledge max. , laughter max. lyer max. law and physick max. love max. , library max. mysteries max. mercy max. money max. multitude max. mirth max. merit max. magistrate max. , obloquy max. pains max. poor max. , priest max. patience max. palat max. providence and experience max. repentance max. resolution max. reproof max. rest max. riches max. reproof max. saviour max. sin max. silence max. , servant max. sabbath max. soldier max. treasure max. tongue max. traffick max. theft max. table max. theology max. truth max. virtue max. , vanity max. vndertaking max. wife max. wedlock max. well-doing max. words max. , wages max. wisdom max. , cent . iv. action max. affection max. banquet max. contentedness max. content max. , church max. confession max. cross max. commendations max. calling max. circumspection max. common-place-book max. complaint max. child max. demeanour max. , drunkenness max. death max. , discourse max. devotion max. envy max. example max. exercise max. estimation max. fear max. , folly max. forgiveness max. frugality max. friend max. god max. giver max. glory max. gift max. give and forgive max. gaming max. humiliation max. heaven max. humility max. humane writings max. heir max. infamy max. impropriations max. ignorance max. idleness max. jest max. knowledge max. , , loss max. , letters max. language max. last sin max. magistracy max. man max. marriage max. magnanimity max. misery max. mysteries max. name max. obedience max. , obsceneness max. opinion max. painting max. praise max. prayer max. practice max. place max. philosophy max. praise and censure max. reputation max. repentance max. , recreations max. rules max. reversion max. sin max. security max. safety max. superstition max. scoffs max. scripture max. , style max. truth max. theft max. t●por max. temperance max. tuition max. to day max. times max. virgin max. vain-glory max. vse of creatures max. wicked max. want max. institutions and maxims political and moral , &c. cent . i. maxim . let not civil discords in a foreign kingdom encourage thee to make invasion : they that are factious among themselves , are jealous of one another , and more strongly prepared to encounter with a common enemy . those whom civil commotions set at variance , foreign hostility reconciles : men rather affect the possession of an inconvenient good , than the possibility of an uncertain better . max. . if thou hast made a conquest with thy sword , think not to maintain it with thy sceptre , neither conceive , that new favours can cancel old injuries : no conquerour sits secure upon his new got throne , so long as they subsist in power that were despoiled of their possessession by this conqueror . max. . let no price , nor promise of honour , bribe thee to take part with the enemy of thy natural prince ; assure thy self whoever wins , thou art lost : if thy prince prevail , thou art proclaimed a rebel , and branded for death ; if the enemy prosper , thou shalt be reckoned but as a meritorious traytor , and not secure of thy self . he that loves the treason , hates the traitor . max. . if thy strength of parts hath raised thee to eminent place in the commonwealth , take heed thou sit sure ; if not , thy fall will be the greater . as worth is fit matter for glory , so glory is a fair mark for envy . by how much the more thy advancement was thought the reward of desert , by so much thy fall will administer matter for disdain . it is the ill fortune of a strong brain , if not to be dignified as meritorious , to be deprest as dangerous . max. . it is the duty of a statesman , especially in a free state , to hold the commonwealth to her first frame of government , from which the more it swerves the more it declines ; which being declined , is not commonly reduced without that extremity , the danger whereof rather ruines than rectifies , fundamental alterations being inevitable perils . max. . there be three sorts of governments , monarchical , aristocratical , democratical ; and they are apt to fall three several ways into ruine ; the first by tyranny , the second by ambition , the last by tumults : a commonwealth grounded upon any one of these is not of long continuance , but wisely mingled , each guard the other , and make the government exact . max. . let not the proceedings of a captain , though never so commendable , be confined : as the times alter , so must they ; if these vary , and not they , ruine is at hand . he least fails in his design , that meets time in its own way ; and he that observes not the alteration of the times , shall never be a conqueror . he is a wise commander , and only he , that can discover the change of times , and changes his proceedings according to the times . max. . if thou desire to make war with a prince with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league , assail some of his allies rather than himself ; if he resent it , and come or send in , then thou hast a fair gale to thy desires : if not , his infidelity in not assisting his allie will be discovered . hereby thou shalt gain thy self advantage , and facilitate thy designs . max. . before thou undertakest a war , let thine eye number thy forces , and let thy judgment weigh them . if thou hast a rich enemy , no matter how poor thy soldiers be , if couragious and faithful . trust not too much the power of thy treasure , for it will deceive thee ; being more apt to expose thee for a prey , than to defend thee . gold is not able to find good soldiers ; but good soldiers are able to find out gold. max. . if the territories of thy equal enemy are situated far south from thee , the advantage is thine , whether he make offensive or defensive war : if north , the advantage is his ; cold is less tolerable than heat ; this is a friend to nature , that an enemy . max. . it is not only uncivil , but dangerous , for soldiers by reproachful words to throw disgrace upon their enemy : base terms are bellows to a slacking fury , and goads to quicken up revenge in a fleeing foe . he that objects cowardice against a failing enemy , adds spirit to him , to disprove the aspersion at his own cost . it is therefore the part of a wise soldier to refrain it , or of a wise commander to punish it . max. . it is better for weak kingdoms , rather to compound an injury ( tho' to some loss ) than seek for satisfaction by the sword ; lest while they weaken themselves by mutual blows , a third decide the controversy to both their ruines . when the frog and the mouse could not take up the quarrel , the kite was umpire . max. . let that commonwealth which desires to flourish be very strict both in her punishments and rewards , according to the merits of subjects , and offence of the delinquents . let the service of the deserver be rewarded , lest thou discourage worth ; and let the crime of the offender be punished , lest thou encourage vice. the neglect of the one weakens a commonwealth ; the omission of both ruines it . max. . it is wisdom for him that sits at the helm of a settled state , to demean himself toward his subjects at all times , so that upon any evil . accident they may be ready to serve his occasion . he that is only gracious at the approach of a danger , will be in danger when he expects deliverance . max. . in all designs which require not sudden execution , take mature deliberation , and weigh the convenients with the inconvenients , and then resolve ; after which neither delay the execution , nor betray thy intention . he that discovers himself , till he hath made himself master of his desires , lays himself open to his own ruine , and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue . max. . liberality in a prince is no virtue , when maintained at the subject's unwilling cost . it is less reproach , by miserableness , to deserve the popular love : than by liberality , to deserve private thanks . max. . it is the excellent property of a good and wise prince , to use war as he doth physick , carefully , unwillingly , and seasonably ; either to prevent approaching dangers , or to correct a present mischief ; or to recover a former loss . he that declines physick till he be accosted with the danger , or weakned with the disease , is bold too long , and wise too late : that peace is too precise that limits the justness of a war , to a sword drawn , or a blow given . max. . let a prince that would beware of conspiracies , be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary favours have advanced , than of those whom his pleasure hath discontented . these want means to execute their pleasures ; but they have means , at pleasure to execute their desires . ambition to rule is more vehement than malice to revenge . max. . before thou undertake a war , cast an imperial eye upon the cause . if it be just , prepare thy army , and let them all know they fight for god and thee : it adds fire to the spirit of a soldier to be assured that he shall either prosper in a fair war , or perish in a just cause . max. . if thou desire to know the power of a state , observe in what correspondence it lives with her neighbouring state : if she make alliance with the contribution of money , it is an evident sign of weakness : if with her valour , and repute of her forces , it manifests a native strength ; it is an unfallible sign of power to sell friendship , and of weakness to buy it . that is bought with gold will hardly be maintained with steel . max. . in the calms of peace , it is most requisite for a prince to prepare against the storms of war ; both theorically , in reading heroick histories , and practically , in maintaining martial discipline . above all things , let him avoid idleness , as the bane of honour ; which in peace indisposes the body , and in war effeminates the soul. he that would be in war victorious , must be in peace laborious . max. . if thy two neighbouring princes fall out , shew thy self either a true friend , or a fair enemy . it is indiscretion to adhere to him whom thou hast least cause to fear , if he vanquish . neutrality is dangerous , whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conqueror . max. . it is a great argument of a prince's wisdom , not only to chuse but also to prefer wise counsellors , and such are they , that seek less their own advantages , than his ; whom wise princes ought to reward , lest they become their own carvers , and so of good servants , turn bad masters . max. . it much conduces to the dishonour of a king , and the ill-fare of his kingdom , to multiply nobility in an over proportion to the common people : cheap honour darkens majesty , and a numerous nobility brings a state to necessity . max. . it is very dangerous to try experiments in a state , unless extreme necessity be urgent , or popular utility be palpable . it is better for a state to connive a while , at any inconveencies , than too suddenly to rush upon a reformation . max. . if a valiant prince be succeeded by a weak successor he may for a while maintain a happy state , by the remaining virtue of his glorious predecessor ; but if his life be long , or dying , he be succeeded by one less valiant than the first , the kingdom is in danger to fall to ruine : that prince is a true father to his country that leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave son. when alexander succeeded philip , the world was too little for the conqueror . max. . it is very dangerous for a prince or republick to make continual practice of cruel exaction : for where the subject stands in sense or expectation of evil , he is apt to provide for his safety , or for the danger he fears : and growing bold in conspiracy , makes faction , which faction is the mother of ruine . max. . be careful to consider the good or ill disposition of the people towards thee upon ordinary occasions ; if it be good , labour to continue it ; if evil , provide against it . as there is nothing more terrible than a dissolute multitude without a head ; so there is nothing more easily reduc'd , ( if thou canst endure the first shock of their fury ) which if a little appeased , every one begins to doubt himself and think of home , and secure themselves either by flight or agreement . max. . that prince who stands in fear more of his own people , than strangers , ought to build fortresses in his land. but he that is more afraid of strangers , than his own people , shall build them more secure in the affections of his subjects . max. . carry a watchful eye upon dangers before they come to ripeness ; and when they are ripe , let loose a speedy hand . he that expects them too long , or meets them too soon , gives advantage to the evil ; commit their beginnings to argus his hundred eyes , and their end to briareus's hundred hands , and thou art safe . max. . of all the difficulties of a state , the temper of true government most felicifies and perpetuates it . too sudden alteration distempers it . had nero tuned his kingdom as he did his harp , his harmony had been more honourable and his reign more prosperous . max. . if a prince , fearing to be assailed by a foreign enemy , hath a well armed people , well addrest for war : let him stay at home and expect him there ; but if his subjects be unarmed , or his kingdom unacquainted with the stroke of war , let him meet the enemy in his quarters . the farther he keeps the war from his own home the less danger . the seat of war is always miserable . max. . it is a necessary wisdom for a prince to grow in strength as he encreases in dominions . it is no less virtue to keep than to get ; conquests not having power answerable to their greatness , invite new conquerors to the ruine of the old. max. . it is great prudence in a statesman to discover an inconvenience in the birth , which so discovered , is easie to be supprest . but if it ripen into a custom , the sudden remedy thereof is often worse than the disease ; in such a case it is better to temporise a little , than to struggle too much . he that opposes a full aged inconvenience too suddenly , strengthens it . max. . if thou hast conquered a land , whose language differs not from thine , change not their laws and taxes , and the two kingdoms will in a short time incorporate and make one body . but if the laws and language differ , it is difficult to maintain thy conquest , which that thou mayst the easier do , observe three things ; first , to live there in person , ( or rather send colonies . ) secondly , to assist the weak inhabitants and weaken the mighty . thirdly , to admit no powerful foreigner to reside there . remember lewis xiii . of france , how suddenly he took milan , and how soon he lost it . max. . it is a gracious wisdom in a prince , in civil comotions rather to use juleps than phlebotomy , and rather to break the distemper by a wise delay , than to correct it with too rash an onset : it is more honourable by a slow preparation to declare himself a gracious father , than by a hasty war to appear a furious enemy . max. . it is wisdom for a prince in fair weather , to provide for tempests : he that so much relies upon his people's faith , to neglect his own preparation , discovers more confidence than wisdom . he that ventures to fall from above , with hopes to be catch'd below , may be dead e'er he come to ground . max. . he that would reform an ancient state in a free city , buys convenience with a great danger . to work this reformation with the less mischief , let such a one keep the shadows of their ancient customs , tho' in substance they be new . let him take heed when he alters the nature of things , they bear at least their antient names . the common people that are naturally impatient of innovations will be satisfied with that which seems to be as well as that which is . max. . upon any difference between foreign states , it is neither safe nor honourable for a prince , either to buy his peace , or to take it up at interest . he that hath not a sword to command it , shall either want it , or want honour with it . max. . it is very requisite for a prince not only to weigh his designs in the flower , but likewise in the fruit. he is an unthrift of his honour , that enterprises a design , the failing wherein may bring him more disgrace , than the success can gain him honour . max. . it is much conducible to the happiness of a prince , and the security of his state , to gain the hearts of his subjects . they that love for fear , will seldom fear for love ; it is a wise government which gains such a tye upon the subject , that he either cannot hurt , or will not . but the government is best and most sure , when the subject joys in his obedience . max. . let every soldier arm his mind with hopes and put on courage , whatsoever disaster falls , let not his heart sink . the passage of providence lies through many crooked ways ; a despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil. his actions may weave the webs of fortune , but not break them . max. . it is the part of a wise magistrate to vindicate a man of power or state-employment , from the malicious scandals of the giddy-headed multitude , and to punish it with great severity . scandal breeds hatred , hatred begets division , division makes faction and faction brings ruine . max. . the strongest castles a prince can build , to secure him from domestick commotions , or foreign invasions , is in the hearts of his subjects ; and means to gain that strength is , in all his actions to appear for the publick good. studious to contrive and resolute to perform . max. . a kingdom is a great building whose two main supporters are the government of the state , and the government of the church . it is the part of a wise master , to keep those pillars in their first posture irremoveable . if either fail , it is wisdom rather to repair it than to remove it . he that pulls down the old , to set up a new , may draw the roof upon his head and ruine the foundation . max. . it is a necessary wisdom in a prince to encourage in his kingdoms manufacture , merchandise , arts , and arms ; in manufacture , lies the vital spirits of the body-politique ; in merchandise the spirits natural ; in arts and arms , the animal . if either of these languish the body droops ; as these flourish the body flourishes . max. . true religion is a settler in a state , rather than a stickler ; while she confirms an established government , she moves in her own sphere ; but when she endeavours to alter the old , or to erect a new , she works out of her own vineyard : when she keeps the keys , she sends showers of milk : but when she draws the sword , she fails in seas of blood. labour therefore to settle religion in the church ; and religion shall settle peace in thy land. max. . if thou entertain any foreign soldiers into thine army , let them bear thy colours , and receive thy pay , lest they interest their own prince . auxiliary soldiers are most dangerous : a foreign prince needs no greater invitation to seize upon thy city , then when he is required to defend it . max. . be cautious in undertaking a design , upon the report of those that are banish'd their country , lest thou come off with shame , or loss , or both . their end expects advantages from thy actions ; whose miseries lay hold of all opportunities , and seek to be redrest by thy ruines . max. . if thou endeavourest to make a republick in a nation where the gentry abound , thou shalt hardly prosper in that design ; and if thou would'st erect a principality in a land where there is much equality of people , thou shalt not easily effect it . the way to bring the first to pass , is to weaken the gentry . the means to effect the last , is to advance and strengthen ambitious and turbulent spirits ; so that being placed in the midst of them , their forces may maintain thy power , and thy favour may preserve their ambition . otherwise there shall be neither property nor continuance . max. . it is more excellent for a prince to have a provident eye for the preventing future mischiefs , than to have a potent arm for the suppressing present evils . mischiefs in a state are like hectick feavers in a body , in the beginning hard to be known , but easie to be cured : but let it alone a while , it becomes more easie to be known , but more hard to be cured . max. . if a kingdom be apt to rebellion , it is wisdom to preserve the nobility and commons at variance ; where one of them is discontented , the danger is not great . the commons are slow of motion , if not quicken'd with the nobility : the nobility is weak of power , if not strengthen'd by the commons . then is danger when the commonalty troubles the water , and the nobility steps in . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to have an eye , that the clergy be elected , and come in , either by collation from him or particular patrons , and not by the people ; and that their power hold dependance upon home and not foreign authority : it is dangerous in a kingdom where the crosiers receive not their power from the regal-sword . max. . it is a perillous weakness in a state , to be slow of resolution in the time of war : to be irresolute in determination is both the sign and the ruine of a weak state. such affairs attend not time . let the wise statesman therefore abhor delay , and resolve rather to do , than advise what to say . slow deliberations are symptoms either of a faint courage , or weak forces , or false hearts . max. . if a conqueror hath subdued a country or a city abounding with pleasures , let him be very circumspect to keep himself and his soldiers temperate . pleasures bring effeminacy , and effeminacy foreruns ruine : such conquests , without blood or sweat , sufficiently do revenge themselves upon their intemperate conquerors . max. . it is an infallible sign of approaching ruine in a republick , when religion is neglected , and her establisht ceremonies interrupted . let therefore that prince that would be potent be pious ; and that he may punish loosness the better , let him be religious . the joy of jerusalem depends upon the peace of sion . max. . let that prince that desires full sovereignty temper the greatness of too potent a nobility : a great and potent nobility quickens the people , but presses their fortunes : it adds majesty to a monarch , but diminishes his power . max. . it is dangerous for a prince to use ambitious natures , but upon necessity , either for his wars , or to be skreens to his dangers , or instruments for the demolishing insolent greatness ; and that they may be the less dangerous , let him choose them rather out of mean births than noble , and out of harsh natures rather than plausible , and always be sure to ballance them with those that are as proud as they . max. . let princes be very circumspect in the choice of their councellours , choosing neither by the greatness of the beard , nor by the smoothness of the face . let him be wise , but not crafty ; active , without private ends ; couragious , without malice ; religious , without faction ; secret , without fraud : one better , read in his prince's business than his nature ; and a riddle only to be read above . max. . in a mixt monarchy , if the hierarchy grow too absolute , it is wisdom in a prince , rather to depress it than suppress it ; all alterations in a fundamental government being apparent dangers ; but too sudden alteration threatens inevitable ruine . when aaron made a molten calf , moses alter'd not the government , but reproved the governour . max. . before thou build a fortress , consider to what end : if for resistance against the enemy , it is useless ; a valiant army is a living fortress : if for suppressing the subject , it is hurtful ; it breeds jealousies , and jealousies beget hatred . if thou hast a strong army to maintain it , it adds nothing to thy strength : if thy army be weak , it conduces much to thy danger . the surest fortress is the hands of thy soldiers ; and the safest cittadel is the hearts of thy subjects . max. . it is a princely alchymy , out of a necessary war , to extract an honourable peace ; and more beseeming the majesty of a prince , to thirst after peace , than conquest . blessedness is promised to the peace-maker , not the conqueror . it is an happy state , whose prince hath a peaceful hand , and a martial heart ; able both to use peace , and to manage war. max. . it is a dishonourable thing for a prince to run in debt for state-service ; but to pay it in the pardon of a criminal offence , is most dangerous . to cancel the faults of subjects , with their deserts , is not only the symptom of a disorder'd commonwealth , but also of her ruine . max. . let not a commander be too forward to undertake a war , without the person of his prince . it is a thankless employment , where mischief attends upon the best success : and where ( if a conqueror ) he shall be in danger , either through his own ambition , or his prince's suspicion . max. . it is a great oversight in a prince , for any respect , either actively or passively , to make a foreign kingdom strong . he that gives means to another to become powerful , weakens himself , and enables him to take the advantage of his own weakness . max. . when the humours of the people are stirr'd by discontents or popular grief , it is wisdom in a prince to give them moderate liberty to evaporate . he that turns the humour back too hastily , makes the wound bleed inwardly , and fills the body with malignity . max. . if , having levied an army , thou findest thy self too weak , either thro' the want of men or money , the longer thou delayest to fight , the greater thy inconvenience grows . if once thy army falls asunder , thou certainly losest by thy delay . where , hazarding thy fortunes betimes , thou hast the advantage of thy men , and mayst by fortune win the day , it is less dishonour to be overcome by force than by flight . max. . it is the part of a wise commander , in wars either offensive or defensive , to work a necessity of fighting into the breasts of his soldiers . necessity of action takes away the fear of the act , and makes bold resolution the favourite of fortune . max. . clemency and mildness is most proper for a principality , but reservedness and severity , for a republick ; but moderation in both . excess in the one breeds contempt ; in the other hatred : when to sharpen the first , and when to sweeten the last , let time and occasion direct thy judgment . max. . it is very requisite for a prince that desires the continuance of peace , in time of peace to encourage and respect his commanders . when brave spirits find neglect to be the effect of quiet , they devise all means to remove the cause ; and by suggesting inducements to new wars , disturb and unsettle the old peace , buying private honour with publick danger , max. . be not covetous of priority in advising thy prince to a doubtful attempt , which concerns his state. if it prosper , the glory must be his ; if it fail , the dishonour will be thine . when the spirit of a prince is stopped in the discharge , it will recoile & wound the first adviser . max. . if , being the commander of an army , thou espiest a gross and manifest error in thine enemy , look well to thy self ; for treachery is not far off . he whom desire of victory binds too much , is apt to stumble at his own ruine . max. . it is the height of a provident commander , not only to keep his own designs indiscoverable to his enemy , but likewise to be studious to discover his : he that can best do the one , and nearest guess at the other , is the next step to a conqueror ; but he that fails in both , must either ascribe his overthrow to his own folly , or his victory to the hand of fortune . max. . if thou be ambitious of honour , and yet fearful of the canker of honour , envy ; so behave thy self , that opinion may be satisfied in this , that thou seekest merit , and not fame ; and that thou attributest thy preferment rather to providence than thy own virtue . honour is a due debt to the deserver ; and who ever envied the payment of a debt ? a just advancement is a providential act ; and who ever envied the act of providence ? max. . it behoves a prince to be very circumspect before he makes a league , which being made , and then broke , is the forfeiture of his honour . he that obtains a kingdom with the rupture of his faith , hath gained the glory of a conquest , but lost the honour of a conqueror . max. . let states that aim at greatness , beware lest new gentry multiply too fast , or grow too glorious : where there is too great a disproportion betwixt the gentry and the common subject , the one grows insolent , the other slavish . when the body of the gentry grows too glorious for a corslet , the heads of the vulgar wax too heavy for the helmet . max. . upon the beleaguering of a city , let the commander endeavour to take from the defendants all scruples which may invite them to a necessity of defence . whom the fear of slavery necessitates to fight , the boldness of their resolution will disadvantage the assailants , and difficilitate their design . sense of necessity justifies the war , and they are hopeful in their arms , who have no other hope , but in their arms. max. . it is good for states and princes ( if they use ambitious men for their advantage ) so to order things , that they be still progressive rather than retrograde . when ambitious men find an open passage , they are rather busie than dangerous ; if well watch'd in their proceedings , they will catch themselves in their own snare , and prepare a way for their own destruction . max. . of all recreations , hunting is most proper for a commander ; by the frequency whereof he may be instructed in that necessary knowledge of situation with pleasure , which by earnest experience would be dearly purchased . the chase is a fair resemblance of a hopeful war , proposing to the pursuer a flying enemy . max. . expect the arms of thy enemy on plain and easie ground , and still avoid mountainous & rocky places and strait passages to the utmost of thy power . it is not safe to pitch any where , where the forces cannot be brought together . he never deserved the name of a good gamester , that hazards his whole rest upon less than the strength of his whole game . max. . it matters not much whether in government thou tread the steps of severe hanibal , or gentle scipio , so thy actions are honourable , and thy life virtuous : both in the one and the other there is both defect and danger , if not corrected and supported by the fair repute of some extraordinary endowments . no matter whether black or white , so the steed be good . max. . it is the safest way , in martial expedition , to commit the main charge to one . companions in command beget confusion in the camp. when two able commanders are joyned in equal commission , each is apt to think his own way best , and by mutual thwarting each other , both give opportunity to the enemy . max. . it is a high point of providence in a prince to observe popular sects in their first rise , and to nip them in the bud ; but being once full aged , it is wisdom not to oppose them with too strong a hand , lest in suppressing one , there arise two . a soft current is soon stopt ; but a strong stream resisted breaks into many , or overwhelms all . max. . it makes very much to thy advantage , to observe strictly the national virtues and vices and humours of foreign kingdoms , whereby the times past shall read useful lectures to the time present . he that would see what shall be , let him consider what hath been . max. . if like manlius thou command stout and great things , be like manlius stout to execute great commands . it is a great blemish in sovereignty when the will roars , and the power whispers . if thou canst not execute as freely as thou commandst , command no more than what thou mayst as freely execute . max. . if one prince desire to obtain any thing of another , let him ( if occasion will bear it ) give him no time to advise ; let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution , and the danger either of denial or delay . he that gives times to resolve , gives leisure to deny , and warning to prepare . max. . let not thine army at the first encounter be too prodigal in her assaults , but husband her strength at a dead lift . when the enemy hath abated the fury of his first heat , let him then feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last blow . so shall the honour he hath gained by his valour , encrease the glory of thy victory . fore-games when they prove are speediest , but after-games , if wisely plaid are surest . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to keep the church always in proportion to the state. if the government of the one be monarchical , and the other democratical , they will agree like metal joyned with clay . but for a while durable is that state where aaron commands the people , and where moses commands aaron ; but most happy in the continuance where god commands both . max. . let not the covetousness of a captain purloyn to his own own use , or any way bereave his soldiers of any profit due unto their service , either in their means or spoils : such injuries ( being quickned by their daily necessities ) are never forgot : what soldiers earn with the hazard of their lives ( if not enjoyed ) prophesies an overthrow in the next battle . max. . if a prince expect virtuous subjects , let his subjects have a virtuous prince , and so shall he the better punish the vices of his degenerate subjects ; so shall they trulier prize virtue , and follow it being exemplified in their prince . max. . it is the property of a wise commander , to cast an eye rather upon actions than upon persons ; and rather to reward the merits of men , than to read the letters of ladies . he that for favour or reward prefers a worthless soldier , betrays a kingdom to advance a traytor . max. . where order and fury are well acquainted , the war prospers , and soldiers end no less men than they begun : order is quickned by fury , and fury is regulated by order : but where order is wanting , fury runs her own way , and being unthrift of its own strength , failing in the first assault , cravens ; and such beginning more than men , end less than women . max. . it is the quality of a wise commander , to make his soldiers confident of his wisdom , and their own strength ; if any danger be , to conceal it ; if manifest , to lessen it . let him possess his army with the justness of the war , and a certainty of victory . a good cause makes a stout heart and a strong arm. they that fear an overthrow are half conquered . max. . it is requisite in a general to mingle love with the severity of his discipline . they that cannot be induced to fear for love , will never be inforced to love for fear ; love opens the heart , fear shuts it ; that encourages , this compels , and victory meets encouragement , but flees compulsion . max. . it is the part of a well-advised state , never to entrust a weighty service , unto whom a noted injury or dishonour hath been done ; he can never be zealous in performance of service , the height of whose expectation can rather recover a lost name than gain a fresh honour . max. . three ways there be to begin a repute , and gain dignities in a common-wealth . the first , by the virtue of glorious parents , which till thou degenerate too much may raise thee upon the wings of opinion . the second , is by associating with those whose actions are known eminent . the third , by acting some exploit , either publick or private , which in thy hand hath proved honourable . the two first may miss , being founded upon opinion : the last seldom fails , being grounded upon evidence . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a commander , dignify thy place by thy commands , and that thou mayst be the more perfect in commanding others , practise upon thy self . remember that thou art a servant to the publick-weal , and therefore forget all private respects either of k●n or friends . remember thou art a champion for a kingdom : forget therefore all private affections either of love or hate . he that would do his country right , must not be too sensible of a personal wrong . max. . it is the part of a wise commander to read books , not so much as men ; nor men so much as nations : he that can discern the inclinations , conditions , and passions , of a kingdom , gains his prince a great advantage both in peace and war. max. . and you most high and mighty princes of this lower world , who at this intricate and various game of war , vye kingdoms and win crowns ; and by the death of your reverend subjects gain the lives of your bold hearted enemies : know there is a quo quarranto , whereto you are to give account of your eye-glorious actions , according to the righteous rules of sacred justice . how warrantable it is to read imperial crowns from off the sovereign heads of their too weak possessors , or to snatch scepters from out the hand of heaven : anointed majesty , and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge dominions with kingdoms ravish'd from their natural princes , judge you . o let your brave designs , and well weighed actions be as just as they are glorious , and consider , that all your wars , whose ends are not to defend your own possessions , or to recover your dispossessions , are but princely injuries , which none but heaven can right . but where necessity strikes up her hard alarms , or wrong'd religion beats her zealous marches , go on and prosper , and let both swords and stratagems proclaim a victory , whose nois'd renown may fill the world with your eternal glory . max. . piety and policy are like martha and mary , sisters : martha fails if mary helps not , and mary suffers if martha be idle . happy is that kingdom where martha complains of mary , but most happy where mary complys with martha : where piety and policy go hand in hand , there war shall be just , and peace honourable . the end of the first century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . ii. maxim . a promise is a child of the understanding and the will : the understanding begets it , the will brings it forth . he that performs it , delivers the mother ; he that breaks it murthers the child . if he be begotten in the absence of the understanding , it is a bastard ; but the child must be kept . if thou mistrust thy understanding , promise not ; if thou hast promis'd , break it not : it is better to maintain a bastard than to murther a child . max. . charity is a naked child , giving honey to a bee without wings ; naked , because excuseless and simple ; a child , because tender and growing ; giving honey , because honey is pleasant and comfortable : to a bee , because a bee is laborious and deserving , without wings , because helpless and wanting . if thou deniest to such , thou killest a bee ; if thou givest to other than such , thou preservest a drone . max. . before thy undertaking of any design , weigh the glory of thy action with the danger of the attempt : if the glory outweigh the danger , it is cowardise to neglect it : if the danger exceed the glory , it is rashness to attempt it : if the ballances stand pois'd , let thy own genius cast them . max. . wouldst thou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake ? let thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing : if it be lawful , thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by prayer : if unlawful , thou shalt find thy prayer discouraged by thy heart . that action is not warrantable , which either blushes to beg a blessing , or having succeeded , dares not present thanksgiving . max. . if evil men speak good , or good men evil of thy conversation , examine all thy actions , and suspect thy self . but if evil men speak evil of thee , hold it as thy honour , and by way of thankfulness love them , but upon condition , that they continue to hate thee . max. . if thou hope to please all , thy hopes are vain ; if thou fear to displease some , thy fears are idle . the way to please thy self is not to displease the best ; and the way to displease the best , is to please the most . if thou canst fashion thy self to please all , thou shalt displease him that is all in all . max. . if thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbour , in vain thou professest thy love to god ; for by thy love to god , the love to thy neighbour is begotten , and by the love to thy neighbour , thy love to god is nourish'd . max. . thy ignorance in unreveal'd mysteries , is the mother of a saving faith ; and thy understanding in reveal'd truths is the mother of a sacred knowledge : understand not therefore that thou mayst believe , but believe that thou mayst understand : understanding is the wages of a lively faith , and faith is the reward of an humbler ignorance . max. . pride is the ape of charity , in shew , not much unlike ; but somewhat fuller of action . in seeking the one , take heed thou light not on the other ; they are two parallels ; never but asunder . charity feeds the poor , so does pride : charity builds an hospital , so does pride : in this they differ ; charity gives her glory to god , pride takes her glory from man. max. . hast thou lost thy money , and dost thou mourn ? another lost it before thou hadst it ; be not troubled ; perchance if thou hadst not lost it now , it had lost thee for ever : think therefore what thou hast rather escaped than lost : perhaps thou hadst not been so much thine own , had not thy money been so little thine . max. . flatter not thy self in thy faith to god , if thou wantst charity for thy neighbour ; and think not that thou hast charity for thy neighbour , if thou wantst faith to god ; where they are not both together , they are both wanting ; they are both dead if once divided . max. . be not too slow in breaking of a sinful custom : a quick couragious resolution is better than a gradual deliberation : in such a combate , he is the bravest soldier that lays about him without fear or wit. wit pleads , fear disheartens ; he that would kill hydra , had better strike off one neck than five heads : fell the tree , and the branches are soon cut off . max. . be careful rather of what thou dost , than of what thou hast : for what thou hast is none of thine , and will leave thee at thy death , or thou the pleasure of it , in thy sickness : but what thou dost , is thine ; and will follow thee to thy grave , and plead for thee , or against thee , at thy resurrection . max. . if thou enjoyest not the god of love thou canst not obtain the love of god , neither until then canst thou enjoy a desire to love god , nor relish the love of god : thy love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to thee : till he please to love thee , thy love can never please him . max. . let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye , nor let thy will be govern'd by thy fancy : thine eye may be deceived in her object , and thy fancy may be deluded in her subject . let thine understanding moderate between thine eye and thy fancy ; and let thy judgment arbitrate between thy fancy and thy will ; so shall fancy apprehend what is true , so shall thy will elect what is good . max. . endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible as thy concupiscible affections : to endure injuries with a brave mind is one half of the conquest ; and to abstain from pleasing evils with a couragious spirit , is the other . the sum of all humanity , and height of moral perfection , is bear , and forbear . max. . if thou desire not to be too poor , desire not to be too rich : he is rich , not that possesseth much , but he that covets no more ; and he is poor , not that enjoys little , but that wants too much . the contented mind wants nothing which it hath not ; the covetous mind wants not only what it hath not , but likewise what it hath . max. . the outward senses are the common cinque-ports , where every subject lands towards the understanding . the ear hears a confused noise , and presents it to the common sense ; the common sense distinguishes the several sounds , and conveys them to the fancy ; the fancy wildly discants on it : the understanding ( whose object is truth ) apprehending it to be musick , commends it to the judgment ; the judgment severally and jointly examines it , and recommends it to the will ; the will ( whose object is good ) approves it ; or dislikes it , and the memory records it : and so in the other senses , according to their subjects , observe this progress , and thou shalt easily find where the defect of every action lyes . max. . the way to subject all things to thy self , is to subject thy self to reason ; thou shalt govern many , if reason govern thee : would'st thou be crowned the monarch of a little world ? command thy self . max. . tho' thou givest all thou hast for charity 's sake , and yet retainest a secret desire of keeping it for thy own sake , thou rather leavest it than forsakest it . he that hath relinquish'd all things , and not himself , hath forsaken nothing : he that sets not his heart on what he possesses , forsaketh all things , tho' he keep his possessions . max. . search into thy self before thou accept the ceremony of honour : if thou art a palace , honour , ( like the sun-beams ) will make thee more glorious ; if thou art a dunghil , the sun may shine upon thee , but not to sweeten thee ; thy prince may give thee honour , but not make thee honourable . max. . every man is a king in his own kingdom : if reason command , and passion obey , his government bespeaks a good king ; if thine inordinate affection rules , it shews a proud rebel ; which if thou destroy not , will depose thee . there is no mean between the death of a rebel and the life of a prince . max. . a vow , a promise , and a resolution , have all one object , only differ in respect of the persons to whom they are made ; the first is between god and man ; the second between man and man ; the third between man and his own soul ; they all bind , if the object be lawful , to necessity of performance ; if unlawful , to the necessity of sin : they all take thee prisoner ; if the object be lawful , thy performance hath redeemed thee ; if unlawful , blood and fears must ransom thee . max. . if thou hast any business of consequence in agitation , let thy care be reasonable and seasonable : continual standing bent weakens the bow ; too hasty drawing breaks it : put off thy cares with thy clothes ; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labour , and so shall thy labour sweeten thy rest . max. . when thy inordinate affections do flame towards transitory happiness , quench them thus ; think with thy self , if my prince should give me what honour he hath to bestow , or bestow on me what wealth he hath to give , it could not stay with me , because it is transitory ; nor i with it , because i am mortal : then revise thy affections , and weigh them with their objects , and thou wilt either confess thy folly , or make a wiser choice . max. . with three sorts of men enter no serious friendship ; the ingrateful man , the multiloquious man , the coward ; the first cannot prize thy favours ; the second cannot keep thy counsel ; and the third dare not vindicate thy honour . max. . if thou desire the time should not pass too fast , use not too much pastime ; thy life in jollity blazes like a taper in the wind : the blast of honour wastes it ; the heat of pleasure melts it : if thou labour in a painful calling , thou shalt be less sensible of the flux of time , and sweetlier satisfied at the time of death . max. . god is the alpha and omega in the great world ; endeavour to make him so in the little world ; make him thy evening epilogue , and thy morning prologue ; practise to make him thy last thought at night when thou sleepest , and thy first thought in the morning when thou awakest ; so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night , and thy understanding rectified in the day ; so shall thy rest be peaceable , thy labours prosperous , thy life pious , and thy death glorious . max. . be very circumspect in the choice of thy company . in the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure ; in the society of thy superiours thou shalt find more profit . to be the best in the company is the way to grow worse ; the best means to grow better , is to be the worst there . max. . think of god ( especially in thy devotion ) in the abstract , rather than in the concrete : if thou conceive him good , thy finite thoughts are ready to terminate that good in a conceiv'd subject ; if thou think him great , thy bounded conceit is apt to cast him into a comprehensible figure : conceive him therefore a diffused goodness without quality , and represent him an incomprehensible greatness without quantity max. . if thou and true religion be not as yet met , or met unknown , by these marks thou shalt discover it : first , it is a religion that takes no pleasure in the expence of blood. secondly , it is a religion whose tenents cross not the book of truth . thirdly , it is a religion that takes most from the creature , and gives most to the creator . if such an one thou meet with , assure thy self it is the right , and therefore profess it in thy life , and protect it to thy death . max. . let another's passion be a lecture to thy reason , and let the shipwrack of this understanding be a sea-mark to thy passion : so shalt thou gain strength out of his weakness , safety out of his danger , and raise thy self a building out of his ruines . max. . in the height of thy prosperity expect adversity , but fear it most ; if it come not , thou art the more sweetly possess'd of the happiness thou hast , and the more strongly confirm'd ; if it come , thou art the more gently dispossest of the happiness thou had'st , and the more firmly prepared . max. to tremble at the sight of thy sin , makes thy faith the less apt to tremble : the devils believe and tremble , because they tremble at what they believe : their belief brings trembling ; thy trembling brings belief . max. . authology is the way to theology : until thou see'st thy self empty , thou wilt not desire to be fill'd . he can never truly relish the sweetness of god's mercy , that never tasted the bitterness of his own misery . max. . is any outward affliction fallen upon thee by a temporary loss ? advise with thy self , whether it be recoverable or not ; if it be , use all lawful means ( the violence and unseasonableness whereof may not disadvantage thee in the pursuit ) to recover it : if not recoverable , endure with patience what thou can'st not recover with pains . he that carnally afflicts his soul for the loss of a transitory good , casts away the kernel because he hath lost the shell . max. . natural anger glances into the breasts of wise men , but rests in the bosom of fools : in them it is infirmity ; in these a sin ; there is a natural anger , and there is a spiritual anger ; the common object of that is the person ; of this , his vice. he that is always angry with his sin , shall seldom sin in his anger . max. . if any hard affliction hath surprized thee , cast one eye upon the hand that sent it , and the other upon the sins that brought it . if thou thankfully receive the message , he that sent it will discharge the messenger . max. . all passions are good and bad , according to their objects : where the object is absolutely good , there the greatest passion is too little ; where absolutely evil , there the least passion is too much ; where indifferent , there a little is enough . max. . when thou dost evil , that good may come thereby , the evil is surely thine ; if good should happen to ensue upon the evil which thou hast done , the good proceeds from god : if therefore thou do evil , thereby to occasionate a good , thou lay'st a bad foundation for a good building , and servest the devil , that god may serve thee . where the end of evil is good in the intention , there the end of that good is evil in the extension . max. . be as far from desiring the popular love , as fearful to deserve the popular hate : ruine dwells in both ; the one will hug thee to death , the other will crush thee to destruction . to escape the first , be not ambitious ; to avoid the second , be not seditious . max. . when thou seest misery in thy brother's face , let him see mercy in thine eye ; the more the oyle of mercy is poured on him by thy pity , the more the oyle in thy cruise shall be encreased by thy piety . max. . read not books alone , but men , and amongst them chiefly thy self : if thou find any thing questionable there , use the commentary of a severe friend , rather than the gloss of a sweet lipt flatterer . there is more profit in a distastful truth than deceitful sweetness . max. . if the opinion of thy worth invite any to the desire of thy acquaintance , yeild a respect suitable to his quality : too great a reservation will expose thee to the sentence of pride ; too easie access will condemn thee to the censure of folly. things too hardly endeavoured discourage the seeker ; too easily obtained , disparage the thing sought for : too easily got , is lowly prised , and quickly lost . max. . when conveniency of time hath ripened your acquaintance , be cautious what thou say'st , and courteous in what thou dost : observe his inclination ; if thou find him weight , make him thine own , and lodge him in a faithful bosom : be not easily exceptious , nor rudely familiar ; the one will breed contention , the other contempt . max. . when passion is grounded upon fancy , it is commonly but of short continuance : where the foundation is unstable , there the building is not lasting . he that will be angry for any cause , will be angry for no cause ; and when the understanding perceives the cause vain , then the judgment proclaims the effect void . max. . if thou desire to purchase honour with thy wealth , consider first how that wealth became thine ; if thy labour got it , let thy wisdom keep it ; if oppression found it , let repentance restore it ; if thy parent left it , let thy virtues deserve it ; so shall thy honour be safer , better , and cheaper . max. . sin is a basilisk whose eyes are full of venom ; if the eye of thy soul see her first , it reflects her own poison and kills her : if she see thy soul , unseen , or seen too late , with her poison , she kills thee : since therefore thou canst not escape thy sin , let not thy sin escape thy observation . max. . if thou expect to rise by the means of him , whom thy father's greatness rais'd from his service to court-preferment , thou wilt be deceived , for the more in esteem thou art , the more sensible is he of what he was , whose servitude will be chronicled , by thy advancement and glory obscured by thy greatness : however , he will conceive it a dead service , which may be interpreted by thee , as a merited reward , rather than a meritorious benefit . max. . trust not to the promise of a common swearer , for he that dare sin against his god , for neither profit nor pleasure , will trespass against thee for his own advantage . he that dare break the precepts of his father , will easily be perswaded to violate the promise unto his brother . max. . let the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the least part of what thou believest , lest the greatest part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true ; where lies are easily admitted , the father of lies will not easily be excluded . max. . deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend , and when thy impartial judgment concludes him worthy of thy bosom , receive him joyfully and entertain him wisely , impart thy secrets boldly , and mingle thy thoughts with his ; he is thy very self and use him so , if thou firmly thinks him faithful thou makes him so . max. . as there is no worldly gain , without some loss , so there is no worldly loss without some gain ; if thou hast lost thy wealth , thou hast lost some trouble with it ; if thou art degraded from thy honour , thou art likewise freed from the stroke of envy ; if sickness hath blur'd thy beauty , it hath delivered thee from pride , set the allowance against the loss and thou shalt find no loss great , he loseth little or nothing that reserves himself . max. . if thou desire to take the best advantage of thy self , especially in matters where the fancy is most employed , keep temperate diet , use moderate exercise , observe seasonable and set hours for rest ; let the end of thy first sleep raise thee from thy repose : then hath thy body the best temper , then hath thy soul the least incumbrance , then no noise shall disturb thy ear , no object shall divert thine eye ; then if thy sprightly fancy transport thee not beyond the common pitch , and shew thee not the magazine of high invention , return thee to thy wanton bed , and there conclude thy self more fit to wear thy mistresses favour than apollo's bays . max. . if thou art rich , strive to command thy money , lest she command thee : if thou know how to use her , she is thy servant , if not , thou art her slave . max. . bring thy daughter a husband of her own religion , and of no hereditary disease ; let his wisdom out-weigh his wealth ; let his parantage excel his person , and let his age exceed hers ; let thy prayers recommend the rest to providence : if he prove good , thou hast found a son , if not thou hast lost a daughter . max. . so use prosperity that adversity may not abuse thee ; if in the one security admits no fear , in the other despair will afford no hopes : he that in prosperity can foretel a danger , can in adversity foresee deliverance . max. . if thy faith hath no doubts , thou hast just cause to doubt thy faith ; and if thy doubts have no hope , thou hast just reason to fear despair ; when therefore thy doubts shall exercise thy faith , keep thy hopes firm to qualify thy doubts , so shall thy faith be secured from doubts , so shall thy doubts be preserved from despair . max. . if thou desire to be truly valiant , fear to do any injury . he that fears not to do evil is always afraid to suffer evil ; he that never fears is desperate , and he that fears always is a coward ; he is the true valiant man that dares nothing but what he may , and fears nothing but what he ought . max. . anger may repast with thee for an hour , but not repose for a night ; the continuance of anger is hatred , the continuance of hatred turns malice , that anger is not warrantable that hath seen two suns . max. . if thou stand guilty of oppression , or wrongfully possest of another's right , see thou make restitution before thou givest an alms ; if otherwise , what art thou but a thief and makest god thy receiver . max. . when thou prayest for spiritual grace , let thy prayer be absolute ; when for temporal blessings add a clause of god's pleasure ; in both with faith and humiliation , so that thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest , or more or better ; never prayer rightly made was made unheard , or heard ungranted . max. . he that gives , all tho' but little , gives much , because god looks not to the quantity of the gift , but to the quality of the givers : he that desires to give more than he can hath equalled his gift to his desire , and hath given more than he hath . max. . be not too greedy in desiring riches , nor too eager in seeking them , nor too covetous in keeping them , nor too passionate in losing them ; the first will possess thy soul of discontent , the second will dispossess thy body of rest , the third will possess thy wealth of thee , the last will dispossess thee of thy self : he that is too violent in the concupiscible , will be as violent in the irascible . max. . be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom , as it was gotten so leave it by degrees ; danger attends upon too sudden alterations : he that pulls down a bad building by the great , may be ruin'd by the fall ; but he that takes it down brick by brick , may live to build a bettter . max. . if thou desire that inestimable grace of saving faith , detest that insatiable vice of damnable covetousness ; it is impossible one heart ( though never so double ) should lodge both : faith possesseth thee of what thou hast not , covetousness disposesseth thee of what thou hast , thou canst not serve god , unless mammon serve thee . max. . beware of him that is slow to anger , anger when it is long in coming is the stronger when it comes , and the longer kept : abused patience turns to fury : when fancy is the ground of passion , that understanding which composeth the fancy qualifies the passion , but when judgment is the ground , the memory is the recorder . max. . he that professeth himself thy open enemy , arms thee against the evil he means thee , but he that dissembles himself thy friend , strikes beyond caution and wounds beyond cure . from the first thou mayst deliver thy self , from the last good lord deliver thee . max. . if thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought reconcile thee to him in thought , if thou hast offended him in words , let thy reconciliation be in words , if thou hast trespassed against him in deeds be reconciled to him : that reconciliation is most kindly which is most in kind . max. . not to give to the poor is to take from him ; not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the utmost of thy power to kill him : that therefore thou mayst avoid both sacrilege and murther , be charitable . max. . so often as thou remember'st thy sins without grief , so often thou repeatest those sins for not grieving : he that will not mourn for the evil that he hath done , gives earnest for the evil he means to do ; nothing can asswage that fire which sin hath made , but only that water which repentance hath drawn . max. . look well before thou leap into the chair of honour , the higher thou climest the lower thou fallest ; if virtue prefer thee , virtue will preserve thee ; if gold or favour advance thee , thy honour is pinn'd upon the wheel of fortune , when the wheel shall turn , thy honour falls , and thou remainest an everlasting monument of thy own ambitious folly . max. . we are born with our temptations ; nature sometimes presseth us to evil , sometime provokes us unto good ; if therefore thou givest her more than her due , thou nourishest an enemy : if less than is sufficient , thou destroyest a friend ; moderation will prevent both . max. . if thou scorn not to serve luxury in thy youth , chastity will scorn thy service in thy age ; and that the will of thy green years thought no vice in the acting , the necessity of thy grey hairs makes no virtue in the forbearing ; where there is no conflict there can be no conquest , where there is no conquest there is no crown . max. . thou didst nothing toward thy own creation , for thou wert created for thy creator's glory ; thou must do something toward thy own redemption , for thou wert redeemed for thy own good ; he that made thee without thee , will not save thee without thee . max. . when thy tongue and heart agree not in confession , that confession is not agreeable to god's pleasure ; he that confesseth with tongue and wants confession in his heart , is either a vain man or an hypocrite ; he that hath confession in his heart and wants it in his tongue , is either a proud man or a timorous . max. . gold is caesar's treasure , man is god's , thy gold hath caesar's image , and thou hast god's ; give therefore unto caesar those things which are caesar's , and unto god which are god's . max. . in the commission of evil , fear no man so much as thy own self ; another is but one witness against thee , thou art a thousand ; another thou mayst avoid , but thy self thou canst not ; wickedness is its own punishment . max. . in thy apparel avoid singularity , profuseness , and gaudiness ; be not too early in the fashion , nor too late , decency is the half way between affectation and neglect ; the body is the shell of the soul , apparel is the husk of that shell , the husk often tells you what the kernel is . max. . let thy recreation be manly , moderate , seasonable , lawful ; if thy life be sedentary , more tending to the exercise of thy body , if active , more to the refreshing of thy mind , the use of recreation is to strengthen thy labour and sweeten thy rest . max. . be not censorious , for thou knowest not whom thou judgest ; it is a more dextrous error to speak well of an evil man , than ill of a good man , and safer for thy judgment to be misled by simple charity , than uncharitable wisdom : he may tax others with privilege that hath not in himself what others may tax . max. . take heed of that honour which thy wealth hath purchased thee ; for it is neither lasting nor thine own ; what money creates money preserves ; if thy wealth decays thy honour dies : it is but a slippery happiness which fortune can give and frowns can take , and not worth the owning which a night's fire can melt , or a rough sea can drown . max. . if thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of , thou art in a fair way to happiness ; if thou hast attained it , thou art at thy way's end : he is not happy who hath all that he desires , but that desires nothing but what is good ; if thou canst not do what thou need not repent , yet endeavour to repent what thy necessity hath done . max. . spend an hundred years in earth's best pleasures , and after that an hundred more , to which being spent add a thousand , and to that ten thousand , the last shall as surely end as the first are ended , and all shall be swallowed with eternity : he that is born to day is not sure to live a day ; he that hath lived the longest is but as he that was born yesterday ; the happiness of the one is , that he hath lived ; the happiness of the other is , that he may live , and the lot of both is , that they must die : it 's no happiness to live long , nor unhappiness to die soon : happy is he that hath lived long enough to die well . max. . be careful to whom thou givest , and how ; he that gives him that deserves not , loseth his gift , and betrays the giver ; he that confers his gift upon a worthy receiver , makes many debtors , and by giving receives ; he that gives for his own ends , makes his gift a bribe , and the receiver a prisoner ; he that gives often teacheth requitance to the receiver , and discovers a crafty confidence in the giver . max. . hath any wrong'd thee ? bravely reveng'd , slight it , and the work is begun ; forgive it , and it is finisht : he is below himself that is not above an injury . max. . let not thy passion miscall thy child , left thou prophesy his misfortunes ; let not thy tongue curse him , lest it return from whence it came : curses sent in the room of blessings are sent back with a double vengeance . max. . in all the ceremonies of the church which remain indifferent , do according to the constitution of that church where thou art . the god of order and unity , who created both the soul and the body , expects unity in the one , and order in both . max. . let thy religious fast be a voluntary abstinence , not so much from flesh as fleshly thoughts : god is pleased with that fast which gives to another what thou deniest to thy self , and when the afflicting of thy own body is the repairing of thy brother 's ; he fasts truly that abstains sadly , grieves really , gives cheerfully , and forgives charitably . max. . in the hearing of mysteries , keep thy tongue quiet ; five words cost zacharias weeks silence : in such heights , convert thy questions into wonders , and let this suffice thee ; the reason of the deed is the power of the doer . max. . deride not him whom the looser world calls puritan , lest thou offend a little one ; if he be an hypocrite , god , that knows him , will reward him ; if zealous , that god that loves him will revenge him ; if he be good , he is good to god's glory ; if evil , let him be evil at his own charges . he that judges shall be judged . max. . so long as thou art ignorant , be not ashamed to learn ; he that is so fondly modest , not to acknowledge his own defects of knowledge , shall in time be so foully impudent , to justifie his own ignorance . ignorance is the greatest of all infirmities , and justified , the chiefest of all follies . max. . if thou be a servant , deal justly by thy master as thou desirest thy servant should deal by thee ; where thou art commanded , be obedient , where not commanded , be provident ; let diligence be thy credit ; let faithfulness be thy crown ; let thy master's credit be thy care , and let his welfare be thy content : let thine eye be single , and thine heart humble ; be sober , that thou may'st be circumspect : he that in sobriety is not his own man , being drunk , whose is he ? be neither contentious nor lascivious ; the one shews a turbulent h●art , the other an idle brain , a good servant is a great master . max. . let the foundation of thy affection be virtue , then make the building as rich and as glorious as thou canst ; if the foundation be beauty or wealth , and the building virtue , the foundation is too week for the building , and it will fall . happy is he , the palace of whose affection is founded upon virtue , wall'd with riches , glaz'd with beauty , and roofed with honour . max. . if thy mother be a widow , give her double honour , who now acts the part of a double parent ; remember her nine months burthen , and her ten months travel ; forget not her indulgence when thou didst hang upon her tender breast ; call to mind her prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the world , and her cares for thee when thou wert come into it ; remember her secret groans , her affectionate tears , her broken slumbers , her daily fears , her nightly frights : relieve her wants , cover her imperfections , comfort her age , and the widow's husband will be the orphan's father . max. . as thou desirest the love of god and man , beware of pride ; it is a tumour in thy mind , that breaks , and poisons all thy actions ; it is a worm in thy treasure , that eats and ruines thy estate ; it loves no man , is beloved of no man ; it disparageth virtue in another by detraction ; it disrewards goodness in it self by vain glory ; the friend of the flatterer , the mother of envy , the nurse of fury , the band of luxury , the sin of devils , and the devil in mankind : it hates superiours , it scorns inferiours , it owns no equals ; in short , till thou hate it , god hates thee . max. . so behave thy self amongst thy children , that they may love and honour thy presence ; be not too fond , lest they fear thee not ; be not too bitter , lest they fear thee too much : too much familiarity will embolden them , too little countenance discourage them . so carry thy self , that they may rather fear thy displeasure than thy correction ; when thou reprovest them , do it in season ; when thou correctest them , do it not in passion . as a wise child makes a happy father , so a wise father makes a happy child . max. . when thy hand hath done a good act , ask thy heart if it be well done ; the matter of a good action is the deed done , the form of a good action is the manner of the doing ; in the first , another hath the comfort , and thou the glory ; in the other , thou hast the comfort , and god the glory . that deed is ill done , wherein god is no sharer . max. . should'st thou purchase heaven , advise not with thy own ability : the price of heaven is what thou hast ; examine not what thou hast , but what thou art ; give thy self , and thou hast bought it : if thy own vileness be thy fears , offer thy self , and thou art pretious . max. . the birds of the air dye to sustain thee ; the beasts of the field dye to nourish thee ; the fishes of the sea dye to feed thee ; our stomacks are their common sepulchres . good god! with how many deaths are our lives patch'd up ? how ful of death is the miserable life of momentary man. the end of the second century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iii. maxim . if thou take pains in what is good , the pains vanish , the good remains ; if thou take pleasure in what is evil , the evil remains , and the pleasure vanisheth : what art thou the worse for pains , or the better for pleasure , when both are past . max. . if thy fancy and judgment have agreed in the choice of a wife , be not too fond , lest she surfeit , nor too peevish , lest she languish : love so that thou may'st be feared ; rule so that thou may'st be honoured ; be not too diffident , lest thou teach her to deceive thee ; nor too suspicious , lest thou teach her to abuse thee . if thou see a fault , let thy love hide it ; if she continue it , let thy wisdom reprove it : reprove her not openly , lest she grow bold ; rebuke her not tauntingly , lest she grow spiteful ; proclaim not her beauty , lest she grow proud ; boast not her wisdom , lest thou be thought foolish ; shew her not thy imperfections , lest she disdain thee ; pry not into her dairy , lest the despise thee ; prophane not her ears with loose communication , lest thou defile the sanctuary of her modesty . an understanding husband makes a discreet wife ; and she a happy husband . max. . wrinkle not thy face with too much laughter , lest thou become ridiculous ; neither wanton thy heart with , too much mirth , lest thou become vain . the suburbs of folly is vain mirth ; and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools . max. . let thy tongue take counsel of one eye , rather than of two ears ; let the news thou reportest be rather stale than false , lest thou be branded with the name of a lyar : 't is an intollerable dishonour to be that , which only to be called so , is thought worthy of a stab ▪ max. . let thy discourse be such as thy judgment may maintain and thy company may deserve ▪ ●n neglecting this , thou losest thy words ; in not observing , the other , thou losest thy self . give wash to swine , and wort to men ; so shalt thou husband thy gift to the advantage of thy self , and shape thy discourse to the advancement of the hearer . max. . dost thou roar under the torments of a tyrant ? weigh them with the sufferance of thy saviour , and they are no plague . dost thou rage under the bondage of a raving conscience ? compare it to thy saviour's passion , and it is no pain ? have the tortures of hell taken hold of thy despairing soul ? compare it to thy saviour's torments , and it is no punishment . what sense unequally compares , let faith interchangeably apply , and thy pleasure have no comparison ; thy sins are the authors of his sufferings , and his hell is the price of thy heaven . max. . art thou banish'd from thy own country ? thank thy own folly : hadst thou chosen a right home , thou hadst been no exile ; hadst thou commanded thine own kingdom , all kingdoms had been thine own . the fool is banished in his own country ; the wise man is in his own country , though banished : the fool wanders , the wise man travels . max. . in seeking virtue , if thou find poverty , be not ashamed , the fault is none of thine ; thy honour or dishonour is purchased by thy own actions : tho' virtue give a ragged livery , she gives a golden cognizance ; if her service make thee poor , blush not ; thy poverty may disadvantage thee , but not dishonour thee . max. . gaze not on beauty too much , lest it blast thee , nor too long , lest it blind thee , nor too near , lest it burn thee ; if thou like it , it deceives thee ; if thou love it , it disturbs thee ; if thou lust after it , it destroys thee : if virtue accompany it , it is the heart's paradice ; if vice associate it , it is the soul's purgatory : it is the wise man's bonfire , and the fools furnace . max. . if thou would'st have a good servant , let thy servant find a wise master ; let his food , rest , and wages be seasonable ; let his labour , recreations , and attendance , depend upon thy pleasure ; be not angry with him too long , lest he think thee malicious , nor too soon , lest he conceive thee rash , nor too often , lest he count the humorous ; be not too fierce , lest he love thee not , nor too remiss , lest he fear thee not , nor too familiar , lest he prize thee not . in brief , whil'st thou givest him the liberty of a servant , beware thou losest not the majesty of a master . max. . if thou desire to be chast in wedlock , keep thy self chast before thou wed'est ; he that hath known pleasure unlawfully , will hardly be restrained from unlawful pleasure : one woman was created for one man. he that strays beyond the limits of liberty , is brought into the verge of slavery : where one is enough , two is too many , and three is too few . max. . if thou would'st be justified , acknowledge thy injustice : he that confesseth his sin , begins his journey toward salvation ; he that is sorry for 't , mends his pace ; he that forsakes it , is at his journey 's end . max. . before thou reprehend another , take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend : he that cleanseth a blott with blotted fingers makes a greater blur. max. . beware of drunkenness , lest all good men beware of thee : where drunkenness reigns , there reason is an exul , virtue a stranger , god an enemy ; blasphemy is wit , oaths are rhetorick , and secrets are proclamations . noah discovered that in one hour , drunk , which sober , he kept secret six hundred years . max. . what thou givest to the poor , thou securest from the thief ; but what thou witholdest from his necessity , a thief possesses . god's exchequer is the poorman's box ; when thou strikest a tally , he becomes thy debtor . max. . take no pleasure in the folly of an ideot , nor in the fancy of a lunatick , nor in the frenzy of a drunkard ; make them the object of thy pity , not of thy pastime , when thou beholdest them , behold how thou art beholden to him that suffer'd thee not to be like them ; there is no difference between thee and them , but god's favour . max. . if being in an eminent place thou hast incurr'd the obloquy of the multitude , the more thou endeavourest to stop the stream , the more it overflows : wisely rather divert the course of the vulgar humour , by divulging and spreading some ridiculous novelty , which may present new matter to their various fancy , and stave their tongues from off thy worried name ; the first subject of the common voice is the last news . max. . if thou desire to see thy child virtuous , let him not see his father's vices : thou canst not rebuke that in them that they behold practis'd in thee . till reason be ripe , examples direct more than precepts : such as thy behaviour is before thy childrens faces , such commonly is theirs behind their parents backs . max. . use law and physick only for necessity ; they that use them otherwise , abuse themselves into weak bodies and light purses . they are good remedies , bad businesses , and worse recreations . max. . be not over curious in prying into mysteries , lest by seeking things which are needless , thou omit things which are necessary ; it is more safe to doubt of uncertain matters than to dispute of undiscovered mysteries . max. . if what thou hast received from god thou sharest to the poor , thou hast gained a blessing by the hand : if what thou hast taken from the poor thou givest to god , thou hast purchased a curse into the bargain : he that puts to pious uses what he hath got by impious usury , robs the spittle to raise an hospital , and the cry of the one , will out-plead the prayers of the other . max. . let the end of thy argument be rather to discover a doubtful truth , than a commanding wit ; in the one thou shalt gain substance , in the other froth : that flint strikes the steel in vain that propagates no sparkles . covet to be truth 's champion , at least to hold her colours : he that pleads against the truth takes pains to be overthrown , or if a conqueror , gains but a vain-glory by the conquest . max. . take no pleasure in the death of a creature ; if it be harmless or useless destroy it not , if useful or harmful destroy it mercifully : he that mercifully made his creatures for thy sake , expects thy mercy upon them for his sake , mercy turns her back to the unmerciful . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a priest , the same voice calls thee to the honour of a judge : if thy life and doctrine be good , thou shalt judge others ; if thy doctrine be good and thy life bad , only thy self : if both be good , thou teachest thy people to escape condemnation : if this be good , and that bad , thou teachest god to condemn thee . max. . if thou be not a prometheus to adivise , before thou dost be an epimetheus to examine what thou hast done , when the want of advice hath brought forth an improvident act , the examination may produce a profitable repentance . max. . if thou desire the happiness of thy soul , the health of thy body , the prosperity of thy estate , the preservation of thy credit , converse not with a harlot ; her eyes run thy reputation in debt , her lips demand the payment , her breast arrest thee , her arms imprison thee , from whence believe it thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either ended the days of thy credit , or paid the utmost farthing of thy estate . max. . carry a watchful eye upon those familiars that are either silent at thy faults , or sooth thee in thy frailties , or excuse thee in thy follies , for such are either cowards , or flatterers , or fools : if thou entertain them in prosperity , the coward will leave thee in thy dangers ; the flatterer will quit thee in thy adversity ; but the fool will never forsake thee . max. . if thou hast an estate and a son to inherit it , keep him not too short , lest he think thou livest too long ; what thou givest let him receive from thy hand as gifts , not from thy tenants as rent ; keep the reins of thy estate in thy own hand , lest thou forsaking the sovereignty of a father , he forget the reverence of a child ; let his liberty be grounded upon thy permission , and keep him within the compass of thy instructions : let him feel thou hast the curb , though occasion urge thee not to check : give him the choice of his own wife if he be wise , counsel his affection rather than cross it ; if thou be'st wise let his marriage-bed be made in secret , or depend upon thy grave . if he be given to lavish company endeavour to stave him off with lawful recreations : be cheerful with him that he may love thy presence , and wink at small faults that thou mayst gain him ; be not always chiding lest thou harden him , neither knit thy brow too often lest thou dishearten him : remember the discretion of a father oft times prevents the destruction of a child . max. . if thou hide thy treasure upon earth , how canst thou expect to find it in heaven ? canst thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stock ? that thou gavest to god's glory and thy soul's health is laid up in heaven , and is only thine : that alone which thou exchangeth or hidest upon earth is lost . max. . regard not in thy pilgrimage how difficult thy passage is , but whither it tends ; nor delicate thy journey is , but where it ends ; if it be easie , suspect it ; if hard , endure it ; he that cannot excuse a bad way , accuseth his own sloth ; and he that sticks in a bad passage , can never attain a good journey 's end . max. . money is both the generation and corruption of purchased honour ; honour is both the child and slave to potent money : the credit which honour hath lost , money hath found ; when honour grew mercenary , money grew honourable ; the way to be truly noble is to contemn both . max. . give not thy tongue too great a liberty , lest it take thee prisoner ; a word unspoken is like the sword in thy scabbard , thine ; if vented , thy sword is in another's hand : if thou desire to be held wise , be so wise as to hold thy tongue . max. . if thou be a subject to any great vanity , nourish it not : if it will be entertained , encourage it not ; if it grow strong , more strongly strive against it ; if too strong , pray against it ; if it weaken not , joyn fasting to the prayer ; if it shall continue , add perseverance to them both ; if it decline not , add patience to all , and thou hast conquered it . max. . hath any wounded thee with injury , meet them with patience ; hasty words rankle the wounds , soft language dresses it ; forgiveness cures it , and oblivion takes away the scar ; it is more noble by silence to avoid an injury , than by argument to overcome it . max. . be not instable in thy resolutions , nor various in thy actions , nor inconstant in thy affections ; so deliberate , that thou mayst resolve ; so resolve , that thou mayst perform ; so perform , that thou mayst persevere : mutability is the badge of infirmity . max. . let not thy good intention flatter thee to an evil action ; what is essential evil , no circumstance can make good : it matters not with what mind thou didst that which is unlawful being done ; if the act be good the intention crowns it , if bad it deposeth thy intention ; no evil action can be well done . max. . love not thy children too unequally , or if thou dost , sh●w it not , lest thou make the one proud , the other envious , and both fools ; if nature hath made a difference , it is the part of a tender parent to help the weakest : that tryal is not fair where affection is the judge . max. . in giving of thy alms , enquire not so much into the person as his necessity ; god looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires , as into the manner of him that relieves ; if the man deserves not , thou hast given it to humanity . max. . if thou desire the eucharist should be thy supper , let thy life be thy chaplain ; if thy own worthiness invites thee , presume not to come ; if the sorrowful sense of thy own sins forbid , presume not to forbear ; if thy faith be strong , it will confirm it , if weak , it will strengthen it : he only that wants faith is the forbidden guest . max. . wouldst thou traffick with the best advantage , and crown thy virtues with the best return , make the poor thy chapman , and thy purse thy factor ; so shall thou give trifles , which thou couldst not keep , to receive treasure which thou canst not lose : there is no such merchant as the charitable man. max. . follow not the multitude in the evil of sin , lest thou share with the multitude in the evil of punishment ; the number of the offenders , diminisheth not the quality of the offence ; as the multitude of suiters draws more favour to the suit , so the multitude of sinners draws more punishment on the sin , the number of the faggots multiply the fury of the fire . max. . if thou be angry with him that reproves thy sin , thou secretly confessest his reproof to be just : if thou acknowledge his reproof to be just , thou secretly confessest thy anger to be unjust ; he that is angry with the just reprover , kindles the fire of the just revenger . max. . do well whilst thou mayst , least thou do evil when thou wouldst not : he that takes not advantage of a good power , shall lose the benefit of a good will. max. . let not mirth be thy profession , lest thou become a make-sport : he that hath but gained the title of a jester , let him assure himself the fool is not far off . max. . in every relative action change conditions with thy brother ; then ask thy conscience what thou wouldst be done to ; being truly resolved exchange again , and do thou the like to him , and thy charity shall never err : it is injustice to do , what without impatience thou canst not suffer . max. . love thy neighbour for god's sake , and god for his own sake , who created all things for thy sake , and redeemed thee for his mercy sake : if thy love have any other object , it is false love ; if thy object have any other end , it is self-love . max. . let thy conversation with men be sober and sincere ; let thy devotion to god be dutiful and decent ; let the one be hearty and not haughty ; let the other be humble and not homely ; so live with man as if god saw thee , so pray to god as if men heard thee . max. . god's pleasure is the wind our actions ought to sail by , man's will is the stream that tides them up and down ; if the wind blow not , thou mayst take the advantage of the tide ; if it blow , no matter which way the stream runs ; if with thee , thy voyage will be the shorter ; if against thee , the sea will be the rougher . it is easier to strive against the stream , than to sail against the wind. max. . if thou desire much rest , desire not too much ; there is no less trouble in the preservation , than in the acquisition of abundance ; diogenes found more rest in his tub , than alexander on his throne . max. . wouldst thou multiply thy riches , diminish them wisely ; or wouldst thou make thy estate entire , divide it charitably ; seeds that are scattered encrease , but hoarded up they perish . max. . how cam'st thou by thy honour ? by money ; how cam'st thou by thy money ? by extortion ; compare the pennyworth with the price , and tell me truly , how truly honourable thou art : it is an ill purchase that is cumbred with a curse , and that honour will be ruinous that is built on ruines . max. . if thy brother hath privately offended thee , reprove him privately ; and having lost himself in an injury thou shalt find him in thy forgiveness ; he that rebukes a private fault openly , betrays it , rather than reproves it . max. . what thou desirest inspect throughly before thou prosecute ; cast one eye upon the inconveniencies , as well as the other upon the conveniencies ; weigh the fulness of the barn with the charge of the plough ; weigh honour with her burthen , and pleasure with her dangers ; so shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desirest , or moderate thy desires in undertaking . max. . if thow owest thy whole self to thy god for thy creation , what hast thou left to pay for thy redemption , that was not so cheap as the creation ? in thy creation he gave thee thy self , and by thy self to him ; in thy redemption he gave himself to thee , and through him restored thee to thy self : thou art given and restored , now what owest thou to thy god ? if thou hast paid all thy debts , give him the surplusage , and thou hast merited . max. . in thy discourse , take heed what thou speakest , to whom thou speakest , how thou speakest , and when thou speakest : what thou speakest , speak truly ; when thou speakest , speak wisely : a fool 's heart is in his tongue , but a wise man's tongue is in his heart . max. . before thou act a theft , consider what thou art about to do ; if thou take it , thou losest thy self ; if thou keep it , thou disenablest thy redemption ; till thou restorest it , thou canst not be restored ; when it is restored ' it must cost the more sorrow and pain , than ever it brought thee profit or pleasure . it is a great folly to please thy palate with that which thou knowest must either be vomited or thy death . max. . silence is the highest wisdom of a fool , and speech is the greatest trial of a wise man ; if thou would'st be known a wise man , let thy words shew thee so ; if thou doubt thy words , let thy silence feign thee so : it is not a greater point of wisdom to discover knowledge than to hide ignorance . max. . the clergy is a copy-book ; their life is the paper , whereof some is purer , some courser ; their doctrine is the copies , some written in a plain hand , others in a flourishing hand , some in a text hand , some in a roman hand , others in a court hand , others in a bastard roman . if the choice be in thy power , choose a book that hath the finest paper ; let it not be too straight nor too loosely bound , but easie to lye open to every eye : follow not every copy , lest thou be good at none ; among them all choose one that shall be most legible and useful , and fullest of just writing : but if the paper chance to have a blot , remember that blot is no part of the copy . max. . virtue is nothing but an act of loving that which is to be beloved , and that act is prudence ; from whence not to be removed by constraint , is fortitude , not to be allured by enticements is temperance , not to be diverted by pride is justice ; the declining of this act is vice. max. . rebuke thy servant's fault in private ; publick reproof hardens his shame ; if he be past a youth , strike him not ; he is not fit for thy service that after wise reproofs will either deserve thy stroaks or digest them . max. . take heed rather what thou receivest , than what thou givest ; what thou givest leaves thee , what thou takest sticks by thee ; he that presents a gift , buys the receiver ; he that takes a gift , sells his liberty max. . things temporal are sweeter in expectation , things eternal are sweeter in the fruition ; the first shames thy hopes , the second crowns it : it is a vain journey whose end affords less pleasure than the way . max. . know thy self , that thou may'st fear god ; know god , that thou may'st love him ; in this thou art initiated to wisdom , in that perfected : the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom ; the love of god is the fulfilling of the law. max. . if thou hast providence to foresee a danger , let thy providence rather prevent it than fear it ; the fear of future evils brings often times a present mischief ; whil'st thou seekest to prevent it , practise to bear it : he is a wise man can prevent an evil ; he is a patient man that can endure it ; but he is a valiant man can conquer it . max. . if thou hast the place of a magistrate , deserve it by thy justice , and dignifie it with thy mercy : take heed of early gifts ; an open hand makes a blind eye . be not more apt to punish vice , than to encourage virtue ; be not too severe , lest thou be hated , nor too remiss , lest thou be slighted : so execute justice , that thou may'st be loved ; so execute mercy , that thou may'st be feared . max. . let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy revenue ; let thy provision be solid , and not far fetch'd , fuller of substance than art : be wisely frugal in thy preparation , and freely cheerful in thy entertainment : if thy guest be right , it is enough , if not , it is too much . : too much is a vanity ; enough is a feast . max. . let thy apparel be decent , and suited to the quality of thy place and purse : too much punctuality , and too much morosity , are the two poles of pride . be neither too early in the fashion , nor too long out of it , nor too precisely in it ; what custom hath civilized is become decent , till then ridiculous . where thy eye is the jury , thy apparel is the evidence . max. . if thy words be too luxuriant , confine them , lest they confine thee : he that thinks he never can speak enough , may easily speak too much ; a full tongue and an empty brain are seldom parted . max. . in holding of an argument , be neither cholerick nor too opinionate ; the one distempers thy understanding , the other abuseth thy judgment . above all things decline paradoxes and mysteries : thou shalt receive no honour either in maintaining rank falshoods , or medling with secret truths . as he that pleads against the truth makes wit the mother of his error , so he that argues beyond warrant makes wisdom the midwife of his folly. max. . detain not the wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it , lest god withold thy wages from thee : if he complain to thee , hear him , lest he complain to heaven , where he will be heard ; if he hunger for thy sake , thou shalt not prosper for his sake : the poor man's peny is a plague in the rich man's purse . max. . be not too cautious in discerning the fit objects of thy charity ▪ l●st a soul perish through thy discretion : what thou givest to mistaken want , shall return a blessing to thy deceived heart ; better in relieving idleness to commit an accidental evil , than in neglecting misery to omit an essential good ; better two drones be preserv'd than one bee perish . max. . theology is the empress of the world , mysteries are her privy council , religion is her clergy , the arts are her nobility , philosophy her secretary , the graces her maids of honour , the moral virtues the ladies of her bedchamber , peace her chamberlain , true joy and endless pleasures are her courtiers , plenty her treasurer , poverty her exchequer , the temple is her court. if thou desire access to this great majesty , the way is by her courtiers ; if thou hast not power there , the common way to the sovereign is by the secretary . max. . it is an evil knowledge to know the good thou should'st embrace , unless thou likewise embrace the good thou knowest : the breath of divine knowledge is the b●llows of divine love ; and the flame of divine love is the perfection of divine knowledge . max. . if thou desire rest unto thy soul , be just ; he that doth no injury fears not to suffer injury : the unjust mind is always in labour ; it either practiseth the evil it hath projected , or projects to avoid the evil it hath deserved . max. . accustom thy self to what is most usual : he that delights in rarities must often feed displeased , and sometimes lye at the mercy of a dear market ; common food nourisheth best , delicates please most ; the sound stomack prefers neither ; what art thou the worse for the last year's plain diet , or what now the better for the last great feast ? max. . whoever thou art , thou hast done more evil in one day than thou canst expiate in six , and canst thou think the evil of six days can require less than one ? god hath made us rich in days by allowing six , and himself poor by reserving but one ; and shall we spare our own flock , and sheer his lamb ? he that hath done nothing but what he can justifie in the six days , may play the seventh . max. . hope and fear , like hypocrates's twin's , should live and dye together ; if hope departs from fear , it travels by security , and lodgeth in presumption ; if fear depart from hope , it travels to infidelity , and inns in despair ; the one shuts up heaven , the other opens hell ; the one makes thee insensible of god's frowns , the other incapable of god's favour ; and both teach god to be unmerciful , and thee to be most miserable . max. . close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another ; if thou recieve not his words , they fly back , and wound the reporter ; if thou receive them , they fly forward , and wound the receiver . max. . if thou would'st preserve a sound body , use fasting and walking ; if a healthful soul , fasting and praying ; walking exerciseth the body , praying exerciseth the soul ; fasting cleanseth both . max. . wouldest thou not be thought a fool in another's conceit ? be not wise in thine own ; he that trusts in his own wisdom , proclaims his own folly : he is truly wise , and shall appear so , that hath folly enough to be thought not worldly wise , or wisdom enough to see his own folly. max. . desirest thou knowledge ? know the end of thy desire : is it only to know ? then it is curiosity ; is it because thou mayst be known ? then 't is vanity ; if because thou mayst edifie , then 't is charity ; if because thou mayst be edified , it is wisdom . that knowledge turns to mere excrement , that hath not some heat of wisdom to digest it . max. . wisdom without innocency is knavery ; innocency without wisdom is foolery ; be therefore wise as serpents , and innocent as doves : the subtilty of the serpent instructs the innocency of the dove ; the innocency of the dove corrects the subtilty of the serpent . what god hath joyned together , let no man separate . max. . the more thou imitatest the virtues of a saint departed , the better thou celebratest the saint's day : god is not pleased with surfeiting for his sake , who with his fasting so often pleas●d his god. max. . chuse not thy serviceable soldier out of soft apparel , lest ●e prove effeminate , nor out of a full purse , lest he grow ●morous : they are more fit for action that are fiery to gain a fortune abroad , than they that have fortunes to lose at home . expectation breeds spirit , fruition brings fear . max. . god hath given to mankind a common library , his creatures ; and to every man a proper book , himself ; being an abridgement of all the others . if thou read with understanding , it will make thee a great master of philosophy , and a true servant to the divine author ; if thou but barely read , it will make thee thy own wise man , and the author's fool. max. . doubt is a weak child , lawfully begotten between an obstructed judgment and a fair understanding . opinion is a bold bastard , gotten between a strong fancy and a weak judgment . it is less dishonourable to be ingeniously doubtful , than rashly opinionate . max. . as thou art a moral man , esteem thy self not as thou art , but as thou art esteemed . as thou art a christian , esteem thy self as thou art , not as thou art esteemed : thy price in both rises and falls as the market goes ; the market of a moral man is wild opinion ; the market of a christian is a good conscience . max. . providence is an exercise of reason , experience an act of sense ; by how much reason excels sense , by so much providence exceeds experience : providence prevents that danger which ezperience repents ; providence is the rational daughter of wisdom , experience the empirical mistress of fools . max. . hath fortune dealt thee ill cards , let wisdom make thee a good gamester ; in a fair gale every fool may sail , but wise behaviour in a storm commends the wisdom of a pilate ; to bear adversity with an equal mind , is both the sign and glory of a brave spirit . max. . if any speak ill of thee , flee home to thy own conscience , and examine thy heart ; if thou be guilty , 't is a just correction ; if not guilty , 't is a fair instruction : make use of both , so shalt thou distill honey out of gall , and out of an open enemy , create a secret friend . max. . as the exercise of the body natural is moderate recreation , so the exercise of the body politick , is military-discipline ; by that , the one is made more able ; by this , the other is made more active : where both are wanting there wants no danger ; to the one , through a humorous supply ; to the other , by a negligent security . max. . god is above thee , beasts are beneath thee ; acknowledge him that is above thee , and thou shalt be acknowledged by them that are under thee ; whilst daniel acknowledge god to be above him , the lyons acknowledge god to be above them . max. . take heed , whilst thou shewest wisdom in not speaking , thou betrayest not thy own folly in too long silence ; if thou art a fool , thy silence is wisdom ; if a wise man , too long silence is folly : as too many words from a fool 's mouth , gives a wise man no leave to speak , so too long silence in a wise man gives a fool the opportunity of speaking , and makes thee guilty of his folly. max. . consider what thou wert , what thou art , what thou shalt be , what is within thee , what is above thee , what beneath thee , what is against thee , what was before thee , what shall be after thee ; and this will bring to thy self humility , to thy neighbour charity , to the world contempt , to thy god obedience . he that knows not himself positively , cannot know himself relatively . max. . think not thy love to god , merits god's love to thee ; his acceptance of thy duty crowns his own gifts in thee . man's love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to man. max. . be always less willing to speak than to hear ; what thou hearest thou receivest , what thou speakest thou givest . it is more glorious to give , more profitable to receive . max. . seeft thou good days , prepare for evil times ; no summer but hath its winter : he never reapt comfort in adversity , that sow'd it not in prosperity . max. . if being a magistrate thou connivest at vice , thou nourishest it ; if thou sparest it , thou committest it ; what is not by thee punished in others , is made punishable in thee ; he that favours present evils , entails them upon his posterity : he that excuseth the guilty condemns the innocent . max. . truth haunts no corners , seeks no by-ways ; if thou profess it , do it openly ; if thou seek it , do it fairly : he deserves not to profess truth that professeth it fearfully : he deserves not to find the truth that seeks it fraudulently . max. . if thou desire to be wiser yet , think not thy self yet wise enough ; and if thou desire to improve knowledge in thy self , despise not the instructions of another : he that instructs him that thinks himself wise enough , hath a fool to his scholar ; he that thinks himself wise enough to instruct himself , hath a fool to his master . the end of the third century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iv. maxim . demean thy self more warily in thy study than in the street ; if thy publick actions have an hundred witnesses , thy private have a thousand ; the multitude look but upon thy actions , thy conscience looks into them ; the multitude may chance to excuse thee , if not acquit thee ; thy conscience will accuse thee , if not condemn thee . max. . of all vices , take heed of drunkenness ; other vices are but fruits of disorder'd affections , this disorders , nay banisheth reason ; other vices but impair the soul , this demolisheth her two chief faculties , the understanding and the will ; other vices makes their own way , this makes way for all vices : he that is a drunkard is qualify'd for all vice. max. . if thy sin trouble thee , let that trouble comfort thee ; as pleasure in the remembrance of sin exasperates justice , so sorrow in the repentance of sin mollifies mercy : it is less danger to commit the sin we delight in , than to delight in the sin we have committed ; and more joy is promised to repentance , than to innocency . max. . the way to god is by thy self , the way to thy self is by thy own corruptions ; he that baulks this way , errs ; he that travels by the creatures , wanders : the motion of the heavens shall give thy soul no rest ; the virtue of herbs shall not encrease thine ; the height of all philosophy both natural and moral , is to know thy self , and the end of this knowledge is to know god. max. . infamy is where it is received ; if thou art a mud-wall , it will stick ; if marble , it will rebound ; if thou storm at it , 't is thine ; if thou contemn it , 't is his . max. . if thou desire magistracy , learn to forget thy self : if thou undertake it , bid thy self farewel . he that looks upon a common cause with private eyes , looks through false glasses . in the exercise of thy politique office thou must forget both ethicks and oeconomicks : he that puts on a publick gown , must put off a private person . max. . let the words of a virgin , though in a good cause , and to as good purpose , be neither violent , many , nor first , nor last ; it is less shame for a virgin to be lost in a blushing silence , than to be found in a bold eloquence . max. . art thou in plenty , give what thou wilt ; art thou in poverty , give what thou canst : as what is received , is received according to the manner of the receiver , so what is given is priz'd according to the measure of the giver : he is a good work-man that makes as good work , as his matter will permit . max. . god is the author of truth , the devil the father of lies ; if the telling of a truth shall endanger thy life , the author of truth will protect thee from the danger , or reward thee for thy damage ; if the telling a lie may secure thy life , the father of lies will beguile thee of thy gains , or traduce the security : better by losing of a life to save it , than by saving of a life to lose it . however , better thou perish than the truth . max. . consider not so much what thou hast , as what others want ; what thou hast take heed thou lose not ; what thou hast not , take heed thou cover not : if thou hast many above thee , turn thy eye upon those that are under thee . if thou hast not inferiors , have patience a while , and thou shalt have no superiors ; the grave requires no marshal . max. . if thou seest any thing in thy self which may make thee proud , look a little and thou shall find enough to humble thee ; if thou be wise , view the peacock's feathers with his feet , and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections : he that would rightly prize the man , must read his whole story . max. . let not the sweetness of contemplation be so esteemed , that action be despised . rachel was more fair ; leah more fruitful ; as contemplation is more delightful , so is it more dangerous : lot was upright in the city and wicked in the mountain . max. . if thou hast but little , make it not less by murmuring ; if thou hast enough , make it not too much by unthankfulness ; he that is not thankfully contented with the least favour he hath received , hath made himself incapable of the least favour he can receive . max. . what thou hast taken unlawfully , restore speedily ; for the sin in taking it is repeated every minute thou keep'st it ; if thou canst , restore it in kind ; if not value ; if it may be , restore it to the party ; if not , to god ; the poor is god's receiver . max. . let the fear of a danger , be as a spur to prevent it ; he that fears otherwise gives advantage to the danger ; it is less folly not to endeavour the prevention of the evil thou fearest , than to fear the evil which thy endeavour cannot prevent . max. . if thou hast any excellence which is thine own , thy tongue may glory in it without shame ; but if thou hast received it , thy glory is but usurpation , and thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame ; where vain-glory commands , there folly counsels ; where pride rides , there shame lacquys . max. . god hath ordained his creatures not only for necessity but for delight ; since he hath carv'd thee with a bountiful hand , fear not to receive it with a liberal heart ; he that gave thee water to allay thy thirst , gave thee wine to exhilerate thy heart : restore him for the one , the necessity of thanks ; return him for the other , the cheerfulness of praise . max. . if the wicked flourish and thou suffer , be not discourag'd ; they are fatted for destruction , thou art dieted for health ; they have no other heaven but the thoughts of a long earth ; thou hast nothing on earth but the hopes of a quick heaven : if there were no journey 's end , the travel of a christian were most comfortless . max. . imp not thy wing with the church's feathers , lest thou fly to thy own ruine ; impropriations are bold metaphors , which continued are deadly allegories ; one foot of land in capite encumbers the whole estate ; the eagle snatch'd a coal from the altar , but it fir'd her nest . max. . let that table which god hath pleased to give thee , please thee ; he that made the vessel knows her burthen , and how to ballast her ; he that made all things very good , cannot but do all things very well ; if thou be content with a little , thou hast enough ; if thou complainest , thou hast too much . max. . wouldst thou discover the true worth of a man , behold him naked , distreasure him of his ill got wealth ; degrade him of his dear bought honour ; disrobe him of his purple habit ; discard his pamper'd body ; then look upon his soul , and thou shalt find how great he is : natural sweetness is never scented but in the absence of artificial . max. . if thou art subject to any secret folly , blab it not , lest thou appear impudent ; nor boast of it , lest thou seem insolent ; every man's vanity ought to be his greatest shame ; and every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret . max. . if thou be ignorant , endeavour to get knowledge , lest thou be beaten with stripes : if thou hast attained knowledge , put it in practice , lest thou be beaten with many stripes ; better not to know what we should practice , than not to practice what we know ; and less danger dwells in unaffected ignorance , than unactive knowledge . max. . take heed thou harbour not that vice called envy , lest another's happiness be thy torment , and god's blessing becomes thy curse : virtue corrupted with vain-glory turns pride ; poison'd with malice becomes envy : joyn therefore humility with thy virtue ; and pride shall have no footing , and envy shall have no entrance . max. . if thy endeavour cannot prevent a vice , let thy repentance lament it ; the more thou remember'st it without hearts-grief , the deeper it is rooted in thy heart : take heed it please thee not , especially in cold blood , thy pleasure in it makes it fruitless , and her fruit is thy destruction . max. . the two knowledges of god and of thy self , are the high-way to thy salvation ; that breeds in thee a filial love , this a filial fear . the ignorance of thy self is the beginning of all sin ; and the ignorance of god is the perfection of all evil. max. . rather do nothing to the purpose than be idle , that the devil may find thee doing . the bird that sits is easily shot , when flyers ' scape the fowler ; idleness is the dead sea that swallows all virtues , and the self made sepulchre of a living man : the idle man is the devil's hireling , whose livery is rags , whose dyet and wages are famine and diseases . max. . be not so mad , as to alter that countenance which thy creator made thee ; remember 't was the work of his hands ; if it be bad how darst thou mend it ; if it be good , why dost thou mend it ? art thou asham'd of his work , and proud of thy own ? he made thy face to be known by ; why desirest thou to be known by another ? it is a shame to adulterate modesty , but more to adulterate nature ; lay by thy art , and blush not to appear what he blushes not to make thee . it is better to be his picture than thine own . max. . let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience ; examine not why it is commanded , but observe it because it is commanded ; true obedience neither procrastinates nor questions . max. . if thou would'st buy an inheritance in heaven , advise not with thy purse , lest in the mean while thou lose thy purchase . the widow bought as much for two mites as zacheus did for half his estate . the price of that purchase is what thou hast , and is not lost for what thou hast not , if thou desire to have it . max. . with the same height of desire thou hast sinned , with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent ; thou that hast sinned to day , defer not thy repentance till to morrow . he that hath promised thee pardon to thy repentance , hath not promised life till thou repent . max. . take heed how thou receivest praise from men ; from good men , neither avoid it , nor glory in it ; from evil men , neither desire it nor expect it : to be praised of them that are evil , or for that which is evil , is equal dishonour ; he is happy in his worth who is praised by the good , and imitated by the bad . max. . proportion thy charity to the strength of thy estate , lest god proportion thy estate to the weakness of thy charity : let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gifts , lest in seeking applause thou losest thy reward . nothing is more pleasing to god than an open hand and a close mouth . max. . dost thou want things necessary ? grumble not ; perchance 't was a necessary thing thou should'st want ; endeavour lawfully to supply it : if god bless not thy endeavours , bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee ; thou art god's patient , prescribe not thy physitian . max. . if another's death , or thy own , depend upon thy confession , if thou canst , say nothing ; if thou must , say the truth : it is better thou lose thy life than god his honour ; it is as easie for him to give thee life being condemned , as repentance , having sinned : it is more wisdom to yeild thy body , than hazard thy soul. max. . cloath not thy language , either with obscurity or affectation ; in the one thou discoverest too much darkness , in the other too much lightness : he that speaks from the understanding to the understanding , is the best interpreter . max. . if thou expect death as a friend , prepare to entertain it ; if thou expect death as an enemy , prepare to overcome it : death hath no advantage , but when it comes a stranger . max. . fear nothing but what thy industry may prevent : be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat . it is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided , than to be secure when there is a possibility to be deprived . max. . let not the necessity of god's decree discourage thee to pray , or dishearten thy prayers ; do thou thy dury , and god will do his pleasure : if thy prayers make not him found that is sick , they will return , and confirm thy health that art sound : if the end of thy prayers be to obtain thy request , thou confinest him that is infinite ; if thou hast done well because thou wert commanded , thou hast thy reward , in that thou hast obeyed god's pleasure in the end of our prayers . max. . marry not too young ; and when thou art too old , marry not , lest thou be fond in the one , and dote in the other , and repent for both : let thy . liking ripen before thou love ; let thy love advise before thou chuse ; and let thy choice be first , before thou marry : remember that the whole happiness of thy life depends upon this one act ; remember that nothing but death can dissolve this knot : he that weds in haste , repents oftentimes by leisure ; and he that repents him of his own act , either is or was a fool by confession . max. . if god hath sent thee a cross , take it up and follow him ; use it wisely , lest it be unprofitable ; bear it patiently , lest it be intollerable ; behold in it god's anger against sin , and his love towards thee in punishing and chastising the other . if it be light , slight it not ; if heavy , murmur not : not to be sensible of a judgment , is the symptom of a hardned heart ; and to be displeased at his pleasure is a sign of a rebellious will. max. . if thou desire to be magnanimous , undertake nothing rashly , and fear nothing thou undertakest : fear nothing but infamy ; dare any thing but injury . the measure of magnanimity , is neither to be rash , nor timorous . max. . practise in health to bear sickness , and endeavour in the strength of thy life to entertain death . he that hath a will to dye , not having power to live , shews necessity , not virtue : it is the glory of a brave mind to embrace pangs in the very arms of pleasure . what name of virtue merits he that goes when he is driven ? max. . be not too punctual in taking place : if he be thy superiour , 't is his due ; if thy inferiour , 't is his dishonour ; it is thou must honour thy place , not thy place thee . it is a poor reward of worth , that consists in a righthand , or a brick wall. max. . pray often , because thou sinnest always ; repent quickly , lest thou dye suddenly : he that repents it , because he wants power to act it , repents not of a sin till he forsakes it : he that wants power to actuate his sin , hath not forsaken his sin , but his sin him . max. . make philosophy thy journey , theology thy journey 's end : philosophy is a pleasant way , but dangerous to him that either tires or retires : in this journey it 's safe neither to loyter , nor to rest , till thou hast attained thy journey's-end : he that sits down a philosopher , rises up an atheist . max. . fear not to sin , for god's sake , but thy own ; thy sin o'erthrows not his glory , but good : he gains his glory not only from the salvation of the repentant ; but also from the confusion of the rebellious . there be vessels for honour , and vessels for dishonour ; but both for his honour . god is not griev'd for the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence , but for the horror thou shalt find for thy impenitence . max. . insult not over misery , nor deride infirmity , nor despise deformity . the first shews thy inhumanity ; the second , thy folly ; the third , thy pride ; he that made him miserable , made thee happy to lament him : he that made him weak , made thee strong to support him ; he that made him deformed , gave thee favour to be humbled ; he that is not sensible of another's unhappiness , is a living stone ; but he that makes misery the object of his triumph , is an incarnate devil . max. . make thy recreations servants to thy business ; lest thou become slave to thy recreations ; when thou go'st up into the mountain , leave this servant in the valley ; when thou goest to the city , leave him in the suburbs ; and remember , the servant is not greater than his master . max. . praise no man too liberally before his face ; nor censure him too lavishly behind his back . the one savours of flattery ; the other , of malice , and both are reprehensible : the true way to advance another's virtue , is to follow it ; and the best means to cry down another's vice , is to decline it . max. . if thy prince command a lawful act , give him all active obedience : if he command an unlawful act , give passive obedience . what thy well-grounded conscience will suffer , do cheerfully , without repining ; where thou may'st not do lawfully , suffer couragiously without rebellion : thy life and livelihood is thy prince's , thy conscience is thy own . max. . if thou givest to receive the like , it is exchange : if to receive more , 't is covetousness : if to receive thanks , it is vanity : if to be seen , 't is vain-glory : if to corrupt , 't is bribery : if for example , 't is formality : if for compassion , 't is charity : if because thou art commanded , 't is obedience : the affection in doing the work , gives a name to the work done . max. . fear death , but be not afraid of death . to fear it whets thy expectation ; to be afraid of it dulls thy preparation : if thou canst endure it , it is but a slight pain ; if not , 't is but a short pain : to fear death , is the way to live long ; to be afraid of death , is to be long a dying . max. . if thou desire the love of god and man , be humble ; for the proud heart , as it loves none but it self , so it is beloved of none , but by it self : the voice of humility is god's rhetorick . humility enforces , where neither virtue , nor strength , nor reason , can prevail . max. . look upon thy burning taper , and there see the emblem of thy life : the flame is thy soul ; the wax thy body , and is commonly a span long ; the wax , ( if never so well temper'd ) can but last his length ; and who can lengthen it ? if ill temper'd , it shall waste the the faster , yet last his length ; an open window shall hasten either ; an extinguisher shall put out both : husband them the best thou canst , thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date : leave them to the injury of the wind , or to the mercy of a wastful hand , thou hastnest them , but still they burn their length : but puff them out , and thou hast shortned them , and stop'd their passage , which else had brought them to their appointed end. bodies according to their constitutions , stronger or weaker , according to the equality or inequality of their elements , have their dates , and may be preserved from shortning , but not lengthned . neglect may waste them , ill diet may hasten them to their journey 's end , yet they have lived their length ; a violent hand may interrupt them ; a sudden death may stop them , and they are shortned . it lies in the power of man , either permissively to hasten , or actively to shorten ; but not to lengthen or extend the limits of his natural life . he only ( if any ) hath the art to lengthen out his taper that puts it ●o the best advantage . max. . demean thy self in the presence of thy prince , with reverence and chearfulness . that , without this , is too much sadness ; this , without that , is too much boldness : let thy wisdom endeavour to gain his opinion , and labour to make thy loyalty his confidence : let him not find thee false in words , unjust in thy actions , unseasonable in thy suits , nor careless in his service : cross not his passion ; question not his pleasures ; press not into his secrets ; pry not in his prerogative : displease him not , lest he be angry ; appear not displeased , lest he be jealous . the anger of a king is implacable : the jealousie of a prince is incurable . max. . give thy heart to thy creator , and reverence thy superiors : give diligence to thy calling , and ear to good counsel : give alms to the poor , and the glory to god : forgive him that ignorantly offends thee , and him that wittingly offended thee , seeks thee . forgive him that hath forcibly abused thee ; and him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee : forgive all thine enemies ; but least of all thy self : give , and it shall be given to thee ; forgive , and it shall be forgiven thee ; the sum of all christianity is give and forgive . max. . be not too great a niggard in the commendations of him that professes thy own quality : if he deserves thy praise , thou hast discovered thy judgment ; if not , thy modesty : honour either returns , or reflects to the giver . max. . if thou desire to raise thy fortunes , encourage thy delights to the casts of fortune ; be wise be times , lest thou repent too late ; what thou gettest , thou gainest by abused providence ; what thou losest , thou losest by abused patience ; what thou winnest is prodigally spent ; what thou losest is prodigally lost : it is an evil trade that prodigally drives ; and a bad voyage where the pilot is blind . max. . be very wary for whom thou becomest security , and for no more than thou art able to discharge , if thou lovest thy liberty . the borrower is a slave to the lender ; the security is a slave to both : whilst the borrower and lender are both eased , the security bears both their burthens . he is a wise security that recovers himself . max. . look upon thy affliction as thou dost upon thy physick ; both imply a disease , and both are applied for a cure ; that of the body , this of the soul : if they work , they promise health ; if not , the threaten death : he is not happy that is not afflicted , but he that finds happiness by his affliction . max. . if the knowledge of good , whet thy desire to good , it is a happy knowledge : if by thy ignorance of evil , thou art surpriz'd with evil , it is an unhappy ignorance . happy is he that hath so much knowledge of good , as to desire it ; and but so much knowledge of evil , as to fear it . max. . when the flesh presents thee with delights , then present thy self with dangers : where the world possesses thee with vain hopes , there possess thy self with true fear . when the devil brings thee oil , bring thou vinegar . the way to be safe , is never to be secure . max. . if thy brother hath offended thee , forgive him freely , and be reconciled : to do evil for evil is humane corruption ; to do good for good , is civil retribution : to do good for evil is christian perfections ; the act of forgiveness is god's precept ; the manner of forgiveness is god's president . max. . reverence the writings of holy men ; but lodge not thy faith upon them , because but men : they are good pools , but no fountains . build on paul himself , no longer than he builds on christ : if peter renounce his master , renounce peter . the word of man may convince reason ; but the word of god alone can compel conscience . max. . in civil things follow the most ; in matters of religion , the fewest ; in all things , follow the best ; so shall thy ways be pleasing to god , so shall thy behaviour be plausible with men. max. . if any loss or misery hath befallen to thy brother ; dissemble it to thy self ; and what counsel thou givest him , register carefully ; and when the case is thine , follow it : so shall thine own reason convince thy passion , or thy passion confess her own unreasonableness . max. . when thou goest about to change thy moral liberty , into a christian servitude , prepare thy self to be the world's laughing stock ; if thou overcome her scoffs , thou shalt have double honour ; if overcome , double shame . he is unworthy of a good master that is ashamed of a bad livery . max. . let not the falling of a salt , or the crossing of a hare , or the crying of a cricket , trouble thee : they portend no evil , but what thou fearest . he is ill acquainted with himself , that knows not his own fortunes better than they : if evil follow it , it is the punishment of thy superstition , not the fulfilling of their portent : all things are lucky to thee , if thou wilt ; nothing but is ominous to the superstitious . max. . so behave thy self in thy course of life , as at a banquet . take what is offered with modest thankfulness ; and expect what is not as yet offered with hopeful patience . let not thy rude appetite press thee , nor a slight carefulness indispose thee , nor a sullen discontent deject thee . who desires more than enough , hath too much ; and he that is satisfied with a little , hath no less than enough . max. . is thy child dead ? he is restored , not lost . is thy treasure stoln ? it is not lost , it is restored : he is an ill debtor , that counts repayment loss ; but it was an ill chance that took thy child , and a wicked hand that stole thy treasure : what is that to thee : it matters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them ; what goods are ours by loan , are not lost when willingly restored , but when unworthily received . max. . censure no man ; detract from no man ; praise no man before his face ; traduce no man behind his back : boast not thy self abroad , nor flatter thy self at home : if any thing cross thee , accuse thy self ; if any extol thee , humble thy self : honour those that instruct thee , and be thankful to those that reprehend thee . let all thy desires be subjected to reason , and let thy reason be corrected by religion . weigh thy self by thy own ballances , and trust not the voice of wild opinion : observe thy self as thy greatest enemy ; so shalt thou become thy greatest friend . max. . endeavour to make thy discourse such as may administer profit to thy self , or standers by , lest thou incur the danger of an idle word : above all subjects , avoid all those that are scurrilous and obscene , tales that are impertinent and improbable , and dreams . max. . if god hath blest thee with a son , bless thou that son with a lawful calling ; chuse such employment as may stand with his fancy and thy judgment : if his country claims his ability towards the building of her honour ; if he cannot bring a cedar , let him bring a shrub : he that brings nothing , usurps his life , and robs his country of a servant . max. . at thy first entrance into thy estate , keep a low sail ; thou must rise with honour ; thou canst not decline without shame . he that begins as his father ended , shall end as his father begun . max. . if any obscene tale should chance to slip into thine ears , among the varieties of discourse ( if opportunity admit ) reprove it ; if otherwise , let thy silence or change of countenance interpret thy dislike : the smiling ear is bawd to the lascivious tongue . max. . be more circumspect over the works of thy brain , than the actions of thy body ; these have infirmity to plead for them , but they must stand upon their own bottoms ; these are but the objects of few , they of all ; these will have equals to defend them , they have inferiours to envy them , superiours to deride them , all to censure them : it is no less danger for these to be proclaimed at paul's-cross , than for them to be protested , in paul's church-yard . max. . use common place-books , or collections , as indexes to light thee to the authors , lest thou be abused : he that takes learning upon trust , makes him a fair cupboard with another's plate ; he is an ill advised purchaser , whose title depends more on witnesses than evidences . max. . if thou desire to make the best advantage of the muses , either by reading to benefit thy self , or by writing others , keep a peaceful soul within a temperate body : a full belly makes a dull brain , and a turbulent spirit a distracted judgment . the muses starve in a cook 's shop and a lawyer 's study . max. . when thou communicatest thy self by letters , heighten or d●press thy stile according to the quality of the person and business ; that which thy tongue would present to any if present , let thy pen represent to him absent . the tongue is the mind's interpreter ; and the pen is the tongue 's secretary . max. . keep thy soul in exercise , lest her faculties rust for want of motion ; to eat , sleep , or sport too long , stops the natural course of her natural actions . to dwell too long in the employments of the body , is both the cause and sign of a dull spirit . max. . be very circumspect to whose tuition thou committest thy child ; every good scholar is not a good master . he must be a man of invincible patience and singular observation : he must study children , that will teach them well , and reason must rule him that would rule wisely ; he must not take advantage of an ignorant father , nor give too much ear to an indulgent grandmother : the common good must outweigh his private gains , and his credit must out-bid gratuities : he must be diligent and sober , not too familiar , nor too reserv'd , neither amorous , nor phantastick ; just , without fierceness ; merciful , without fondness : if such an one thou meet with , thou hast found a treasure , which if thou know'st how to value , is invaluable . max. . let not thy laughter handsel thy own jest , lest whil'st thou laugh at it , others laugh at thee ; neither tell it often to the same hearers , lest thou be thought forgetful or barren . there is no sweetness in a cabbage twice sodd , or a tale twice told . max. . if opinion hath lighted the lamp of thy name , endeavour to encourage it with thine own oyle , lest it go out , and stink . the chronical disease of popularity is shame : if thou be once up , beware ; from fame to infamy is a beaten road. max. . cleanse thy morning soul with private and due devotion : till then admit no business ; the first born of thy thoughts are god's , and not thine but by sacrilege . think thy self not ready , till thou hast praised him , and he will be always ready to bless thee . max. . in all thy actions , think god sees thee ; and in all his actions labour to see him ; that will make thee fear him , this will move thee to love him . the fear of god is the beginning of knowledge , and the knowledge of god is the perfection of love. max. . let not the expectation of a reversion entice thy heart to the wish of a possessor's death , lest a judgment meet thee in thy expectation , or a curse overtake thee in thy fruition ; every wish makes the a murtherer ; and moves god to be an accessary : god often lengthens the life of the possessor , with the days of the expector . max. . prize not thy self by what thou hast , but by what thou art : he that values a jewel by her golden frame , or a book by its silver clasps ; or a man by his vast estate , errs : if thou art not worth more than the world can make thee , thy redeemer had a bad peny-worth , or thou an uncurious redeemer . max. . let not thy father , nor the fathers , nor the church , thy mother's belief , be the ground of thine : the scripture lies open to the humble heart , but lock'd against the proud inquisitor : he that believes with an implicite faith , is a meer empyrick in religion . max. . of all sins , take greatest heed of that which thou hast last , and most repented of : he that was the last thrust out of doors , is the next readiest to croud in again ; and he that thou hast forest battled , is likest to call more help for a revenge . it is requisite for him that hath cast one devil out , to keep strong hold , lest seven return . max. . in the meditation of divine mysteries , keep thy heart humble , and thy thoughts holy ; let philosophy not be ashamed to be confuted , nor logick blush to be confounded ; what thou canst not prove , approve ; what thou canst not comprehend , believe ; and what thou can'st believe , admire ; so shall thy ignorance be satisfy'd in thy faith , and thy doubts be swallow'd up with wonders : the best way to see day-light is to put out the candle . max. . if opinion hath cryed thy name up , let thy modesty cry thy heart down , lest thou deceive it , or it thee ; there is no less danger in a great name than in a bad ; and no less honour in deserving of praise , than in the enduring it . max. . use the holy scriptures with all reverence ; let not thy wanton fancy carry it out in jests , nor thy sinful wit make it an advocate to thy sin ; it is a subject for thy faith , not fancy : where wit and blasphemy is one trade , the understanding's bankrupt . max. . dost thou complain that god hath forsaken thee ; it is thou that hast forsaken him ; 't is thou that art mutable ; in him there is no shadow of change ; in his light is life : if thy will drive thee to a dungeon , thou makest thy own darkness ; and in that darkness dwells thy death ; from whence if he redeem thee , he is merciful ; if not , he is just ; in both , he receives glory . max. . make use of time if thou lovest eternity ; know yesterday cannot be recalled ; to morrow cannot be assured ; to day is only thine ; which if thou procrastinate , thou losest ; which loss is lost for ever ; one to day is worth two to morrow . max. . if thou be strong enough to encounter with the times , keep thy station ; if not , shift a foot to gain advantage of the times : he that acts a beggar to prevent a thief , is ne'er the poorer ; it is a great part of wisdom sometimes to seem a fool. max. . if thou intend thy writings for the publick view , lard them not too much with the choice lines of another author , lest thou lose thy own gravy ; which thou hast read and digested , being delivered in thy own stile , becomes thine ; it is more decent to wear a plain suit of one intire cloth , than a gaudy garment , chequer'd with other rich fragments . max. . if god hath bless'd thee with inheritance , and children to inherit , trust not the staff of thy family to the hands of one . make not many beggars in the building of one great heir , lest if he miscarry through a prodigal will , the rest sink thro' a hard necessity : god's allowance is a double portion : when high bloud and generous breeding , break their fast in plenty , and dine in poverty , they often fup in infamy : if thou deny them falcon's wings to prey on fowl , give them kite's stomachs to seize on garbage . max. . be very vigilant over thy child in the april of his understanding , lest the frost of may nip his blossom ; whilst he is a tender twig , streighten him ; whilst he is a new vessel , season him ; such as thou makest him , such commonly thou shalt find him ; let his first lesson be obedience , and the second shall be what thou wilt ; give him education in good letters , to the utmost of thy ability and his capacity ; season his youth with the love of his creator , and make the fear of his god , the beginning of his knowledge ; if he have an active spirit , rather rectifie than curb it ; but reckon idleness amongst his chiefest faults ; above all things keep him from vain lascivious and amorous pamphlets , as the primer of all vice. as his judgment ripens , observe his inclination , and tender him a calling that shall not cross it : forced marriages and callings seldom prosper ; shew him both the mow and the plough , and prepare him as well for the danger of the skirmish , as possess him with the honour of the prize . if he chuse the profession of a scholar , advise him to study the most profitable arts : poetry and mathematicks take up too great a latitude of the soul , and moderately used , are good recreations , but bad callings ; being nothing but their own reward . if he chuse the profession of a soldier , let him know withal , honour must be his greatest wages , and his enemies his surest pay-master : prepare him against the danger of war , and advise him of the greater mischief of a garison : let him avoid debauchedness and duels , to the utmost of his power , and remember he is not his own man ; and ( being his countries servant ) hath no estate in his own life : if he chuse a trade , teach him to forget his father's and his mother's wing ; advise him to be conscionable , careful , and constant ; this done , thou hast done thy part , leave the rest to providence , and thou hast done well . max. . convey thy love to thy friends , as an arrow to the mark , to stick there ; not as a ball against the wall , to rebound back to thee ; that friendship will not continue to the end that is begun for an end. meditation is the life of the soul , action is life of meditation , honour is the reward of action ; so meditate that thou may'st do ; so do that thou may'st purchase honour : for which purchase , give god the glory . finis . some books printed for sam. briscoe , at corner of charles street , covent-garden . . the history of polybius the megalapolitan ; containing a geneneral account of the transactions of the world , and principally of the roman people , during the first and s●cond punick wars , &c. translated from the original greek , by sir h. sheres : vol. vo . . the satyrs of titus petronius arbiter , a roman knight ; with their fragments recover'd at belgrade : made engglish by mr. burnaby of the middle-temple . . the young lawyer 's recreation ; being a collection of the most unusual and pleasant customs and passages in the law , as well for the use as diversion of the reader . . letters of love and gallantry , together with the pleasant adventures of a young lady , and nuns memoirs ; with several other letters that passed between ladies and gentlemen both in town and country . in two vol. . the religious stoick , or a brief discourse on these several subjests , viz. atheism , superstition , world's creation , eternity , providence , theology , strictness of churches , of the scriptures , of moral and judicial law , of man and his creation , of the immortality of the soul , of faith and reason , of the fall of angels , and what their sin was , of man's fall , of the stile of genesis , a refutation of the millinaries , &c. with a friendly address to the fanaticks of all sects and sorts . by sir george mackenzey . solomons recantation, entitvled ecclesiastes paraphrased with a soliloquie or meditation upon every chapter : very seasonable and useful for these times / by francis quarles ; with a short relation of his life and death. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) solomons recantation, entitvled ecclesiastes paraphrased with a soliloquie or meditation upon every chapter : very seasonable and useful for these times / by francis quarles ; with a short relation of his life and death. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread [ ], , [ ] p., leaf of plates : port. printed for richard royston ..., london : . in verse. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng quarles, francis, - . bible. -- o.t. -- ecclesiastes -- paraphrases. a r (wing q ). civilwar no solomons recantation, entituled ecclesiastes, paraphrased. with a soliloquie or meditation upon every chapter. very seasonable and usefull f quarles, francis c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion pictor adumbravit vultum guem cernimus , aft hic non vaset egregias pingere mentis opes has siscire cupis , sua consule carmina , in illis dotes percipies pectoris eximias . what heere wee see is but a graven face . onoly the shaddow of that brittle case wherin were treasur'd up those gemms , which he hath left behind him to posteritie . al : ross . w m sculy : solomons recantation , entitvled ecclesiastes , paraphrased . with a soliloquie or meditation upon every chapter . very seasonable and usefull for these times . by francis quarles . vvith a short relation of his life and death . the third edition . o curas hominum ! o quantum est in rebus inane ! london . printed for richard royston , and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the angel in ivy-lane . . a short relation of the life and death of mr. francis quarles , by ursula quarles , his sorrowfull widow . though it be inconsistent with the duty of a wife , to be injurious in any respect to her husband ; yet in this my bold undertaking i fear i shall be so to mine : which i doubt not but he would have forgiven , if he had been living , as proceeding from love ; and i hope his friends will pardon ( now he is dead ) as being the last duty i can perform to a loving husband . those that see with what pen his works are written , will say his life deserved a more skilful artist to set it forth : which office though many might have been procured to undertake ; and to which i doubt not , but some would voluntarily have offered themselves , if they had known that such a thing had been intended : yet have i ( with much zeal , though small discretion ) adventured upon it my self , as being fully assured that none can be more sensible of the losse of him , then i , though thousands might have exprest that losse to the world with more art and better judgement . he was a gentleman both by birth and desert : descended of an ancient family , and yet ( which is rare in these last and worst times ) he was an ornament to his ancestors . his father was iames quarles of rumford esquire , clerk of the green-cloth , and purveior of the navie to queen elizabeth , and yonger brother to sir robert quarles . his education was sutable to his birth ; first , at schoole in the country , where his school-fellows will say , he surpassed all his equals ; afterward at christs colledge in cambridge , where how he profited , i am not able to judge , but am fully assured by men of much learning and judgement , that his works in very many places doe sufficiently testifie more then ordinary fruits of his vniversity studies . last of all , he was transplanted from thence to lincolns inne , where for some years he studied the laws of england ; not so much out of desire to benefit himself thereby , as his friends and neighbours , ( shewing therein his continuall inclination to peace ) by composing suits and differences amongst them . after he came to maturity , he was not desirous to put himself into the world , otherwise he might have had greater preferments then he had : he was neither so unfit for court preferment , nor so ill beloved there , but that he might have raised his fortunes thereby , if he had had any inclination that way . but his mind was chiefly set upon his devotion and study : yet not altogether so much , but that he faithfully discharged the place of cup-bearer to the queen of bohemia , and the office of secretary to the reverend and learned lord primate of ireland , that now is ; and of chronologer to the famous city of london ; which place he held to his death , and would have given that city ( and the world ) a testimony that he was their faithfull servant therein , if it had pleased god to blesse him with life to perfect what he had begun . he was the husband of one wife , by whom he had eighteen children ; and how faithful and loving he was , my pen and their tears are not able to expresse . in all his duties to god and man , he was conscionable and orderly : he preferred god and religion to the first place in his thoughts , his king & country to the second , his family and studies he reserved to the last : as for god , he was frequent in his devotions and prayers to him , and almost constant in reading or meditating on his holy word , as his divine fancies and other parts of his works will sufficiently testifie . for his religion , he was a true son of the church of england ; an even protestant , not in the least degree biassed to this hand of superstition , or that of schisme , though both those factions were ready to cry him down for his inclination to the contrary . his love to his king and country in these late unhappy times of distraction , was manifest , in that he used his pen , and powred out his continuall prayers and tears to quench this miserable fire of dissention , while too many others added daily fewell unto it . and for his family , his care was very great over that , even then , when his occasions caused his absence from it . and when he was at home his exhortations to us to continue in virtue and godly life , were so pious and frequent ; his admonitions so grave and piercing ; his reprehensions so mild and gentle , and ( above all ) his own example in every religious and morall duty , so constant and manifest , that his equall may be desired , but can hardly be met withall . neither was his good example of a godly life contained only with●n his own family : others as well as we , have ( or at least might have ) made good use of it . for he was not addicted to any notorious vice whatsoever : he was courteous and affable to all ; moderate and discreet in all his actions : and though it be too frequent a fault ( as we see by experience ) in gentlemen whose dispositions incline them to the study of poetry , to be loose and debauch'd in their lives and conversations ; yet was it very far from him : their delight could not be greater in the tavern , then his was in his study ; to which he devoted himself late and early , usually by three a clock in the morning . the fruits thereof are best tasted by those , who have most perused his works , and therefore i shall be silent in that particular . for though it had been necessary in another to have spoken somewh●t of his writings ; yet i hope it will not be expected from me , seeing that neither the judgement of my sex can be thought competent , nor ( if it were ) would the nearnesse of my relation to him suffer me to praise that , ● commendations whereof from others , i have often blushed . i shall therefore rather desire le●ve to speak a word or two concerning the blessed end of my dear husband , which was every way answerable to his godly life ; or rather ( indeed ) surpassed it . for as gold is purified in the fire , so were all his christian virtues more refined and remarkable during the time of his sicknesse . his patience was wonderfull , insomuch as he would confesse no pain , even then when ●ll his friends perceived his disease to be mortall ; but still rendred thanks to god for his speciall love to him , in taking him into his own hands to chastise , while others were exposed to the fury of their enemies , the power of pistols , and the trampling of horses . he exprest great sorrow for his sins , and when it was told him , that his friends conceived he did thereby much harm to himself : he answered , they were not his friends , that would not give him leave to be penitent . his exhortations to his friends that came to visit him were most divine ; wishing them to have a care of the expence of their time , and every day to call themselves to an accompt , that so when they come to their bed of sicknesse , they might lie upon it with a rejoycing heart . and doubtlesse such an one was his : insomuch as he thanked god , that whereas he might have justly expected , that his conscience should look him in the face like a lyon , it rather looked upon him like a lamb : and that god had forgiven him his sins , and that night sealed him his pardon : and many other heavenly expressions to the like effect . i might here adde what blessed advice he gave to me in particular , still to trust in god , whose promise is , to provide for the widow and fatherlesse , &c. but this is already imprinted in my heart ; and therefore i shall not need here again to insert it . his charity was extraordinary , in freely forgiving his greatest enemies , even those who were the cause of his sicknesse , and by consequence of his death . for , whereas a petition full of unjust aspersions , was preferred against him by eight men , ( whereof he knew not any two , nor they him , save only by sight ) the first news of it struck him so to the heart , that he never recovered it , but said plainly , it would be his death . and when his friends ( to comfort him ) told him that mr. i. s. ( the chief promoter thereof ) was called to an accompt for it , and would go neer to be punished ; his answer was , god forbid , i seek not revenge , i freely forgive him , and the rest ; onely i desire to be vindicated from their unjust aspersions ; especially . [ that for ought they know i may be a papist ] whereas i never spake word to any of them in my life . which imputation , how slanderous it was , may e●sily be discovered by a pass●ge in his greatest extremity , wherein his discretion may ( perhaps ) be taxed by some , but his religion cannot be questioned by any . for , a very able doctor of the romish religion , being sent unto him by a friend , he would not take what he had prescribed , only because he was a papist . these were the remarkable passages in him during his sicknesse : the rest of the time he spent in contemplation of god , and meditating upon his word ; especially upon christs sufferings , and what a benefit those have , that by faith could lay hold on him , and what vertue there was in the least drop of his precious blood : intermingling here and there many devout prayers and ejaculations ; which continued with him as long as his speech : and after , as we could perceive by some imperfect expressions . at which time a friend of his exhorting him to apply himself to finish his course here , and prepare himself for the world to come ; he spake in latin to this effect ( as i am told ) o dulcis salvator mundi , sint tua ultima verba in cruce , mea ultima verba in luce : in manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meum . et quae ore meo fari non possint , ab animo & corde sint à te te accepta . o sweet saviour of the world , let thy last words upon the crosse , be my last words in this world : into thy hands lord i commend my spirit : and what i cannot utter with my mouth , accept from my heart and soul . which words being uttered distinctly , to the understanding of his friend , he fell again into his former contemplations and prayers ; and so quietly gave up his soul to god , the eight day of september , . after he had lived two and fifty years , and lyeth buried in the parish church of s. foster , london . thus departed that blessed soul , whose losse i have great reason to bewail , and many others in time will be sensible of . but my particular comfort is in his dying words , that god will be a husband to the widow : and that which may comfort others as well as me , is ( what a reverend divine wrote to a friend concerning his death ) that our losse is gain to him , who could not live in a worse age , nor die in a better time . and here again , i humbly beg the readers pardon . for i cannot expect but to be censured , by some for writing thus much , and by others for writing no more . to both which , my excuse is , my want of ability and judgement in matters of this nature . i was more averse ( indeed ) from medling with the petition , then any other thing i have touched upon ; lest ( perhaps ) it should be thought to savour a little of revenge ; but god is my witnesse i had no such intention . my only aim and scope was , to fulfil the desires and commands of my dying husband . who wished all his friends to take notice , and make it known , that as be was trained up and lived in the true protestant religion , so in that religion he died . ursula quarles . a letter from a learned divine upon the news of the death of master quarles . my worthy friend m. hawkins . i received your letter joyfully , but the news ( therein contained ) sadly and heavily ; it met me upon my return home from sturbridge ; and did work on my self and wife , i pray god it may work kindly on us all . we have lost a true friend ; and were the losse only mine or yours , it were the lesse , but thousands have a losse in him ; yea , the generations which shall come after will lament it . but our losse is gain to him , ( who could not live in a worse age , nor die in a better time ) let us endeavour like good gamesters to make the best we may of this throw , cast us by the hand of gods good providence , that it may likewise prove gain to us ; which will be , if in case we draw nearer unto him , and take off our hearts from all earthly hopes and comforts ; using this world as if we used it not ; so shall we rejoyce as if we rejoyced not in their using , and mourn as if we mourned not in the parting with them . — essex . sept. . . your assured friend nehemiah rogers . solomons recantation , intituled ecclesiastes . cap. i. the preacher sheweth that all humane courses are vain : because the creatures are restlesse in their courses , they bring forth nothing new , and all old things are forgotten , and because he hath found it so in the studies of wisdome . vers. . thus sayes the best of preachers and of kings , thus solomon the sonne of david sings . . the greatest happinesse that earth can prize is all most vain , and vainest vanities . . what profit can accrue to man ? what gains can crown his actions , or reward his pains ? beneath the orbe of heavens surrounding sun , what worth his labour hath his labour done ? . one generation gives another way , but earth abids in one perpetuall stay : . the prince of light puts on his morning crown , and in the evening layes his glory down : where leaving earth to take a short repose , he soon returns , and rises where he rose : . the troubled ayre provokes the southern states , and then it blusters at the borean gates ; it whirles about in his uncertaine spheare , and rides his unknown circuit ev'ry where ; . all rivers to the seas their tribute yield , and yet th' hydropick seas are never fill'd , their sliding streames pursue their passage home , and drive their hasty tides frō whence they come . . the world is all compos'd of change ; nor can her vanity be character'd by man : the eye 's not satisfi'd ; and what we heare , fils not the concave of th' insatiate eare : . the thing that heretofore hath been , we see is but the same that is , and is to be : and what is done , is what is to be done ; there 's nothing that is new beneath the sunne . . what novelty can earth proclaim , and say , it had no precedent before this day ? no , no , there 's nothing modern times can owne , the which precedent ages have not known : . the deeds of former days expire their date in our collapsed memories , and what times early sunshine hath not ripened yet , succeeding generations shall forget . . i solomon , whose choice affections owne the churches service dearer then my throne , was chosen and anointed king , and now wear israels crown upon my studious brow : . i bent my heart , by wisdome , to descry what are subsists beneath the spangled sky ; with such hard travel hath our god thought good to exercise the souls of flesh and blood . . my thoughts have ponder'd all that hath been done betwixt the solid center and the sunne , and loe ! the object of my contemplation is but meer vanity , and souls vexation . . not all this knowledge can reduce the state of crooked nature to a perfect straight ; nor summe our ignorances , which surmount the language of arithmeticks account . . i view'd my heart , and there found greater store of wisdome , then all those that liv'd before : no knowledge could remaine , no wisdome lye close from mine eare , nor clouded from mine eye . . i gave my all enquiring heart to know not wisdome onely , but ev'n folly too : and i perceiv'd that all this contemplation was vain , and nothing but the souls vexation : . for he that labours for much wisdome , gains grief in th' enjoyment ; in pursuit but pains : and who improves his knowledg , strives to borrow a fair advantage to encrease his sorrow . soliloquie i. how are the vain desires of flesh and blood befoold in that mistaken thing call'd good ! how travell seeks it ! how unwearied hearts make it the object both of armes and arts ! how many certaine obvious ev'lls attend the way to this uncertain iournies end ! we tyre the night in thought , the day in toyl , spare neither sweat nor lucubrated oyl , to seek the thing we cannot find ; or found , we cannot hold ; or held , we cannot ground so firm , as to resist the various swings of fickle fortune , or the frowns of kings . poor fruitlesse labours of deluded man ! how vainly are ye spent ? how short a span of seeming pleasure serves ye to requite long leagues of travell ? for one drops delight of ayry froth , how are ye forc'd to borrow strong gales of hope , to sail through seas of sorrow ? why do we thus afflict our l●b'ring soules with dregs of wormwood , and carouse full bowls of boyling anguish ? to what hopefull end droyl we our crazy bodies , and expend our sorrow-wasted spirits , to acquire a good , not worth a breath of our desire ? a good , whose fulsome sweetnesse clogs and cloyes the soul , but neither lasts nor satisfies : how poore an object pleases ! and how soon that pleasure finds an end ! how quickly noon how quickly night ! and what to day we prize above our souls , to morrow we despise beneath a trifle : what in former times we own'd as vertue , now we tax as crimes . what is this world , but ev'n a great exchange of dear-bought pen worths , all compos'd of change ? where frothy honour may be bought and sold with heart-corrupting , eye-beguiling gold : where sullen wealth , and friend-betraying treasure may passe in barter for repented pleasure : where painted sweetnesse ( though a grain too light ) shall buy a lords estate for one poor night : where unstain'd beauties youth shall buy an old breath-tainted churl , diseas'd with gouts and gold : where birthrights , blessings , nay and souls to boot ( and yet not deem'd a pen'worth under foot ) shall passe for fond delights : where very names without an alias , ( to lay after claimes to a poor lordship ) shall be swept away for clods of earth , and those for one nights play . tell me , my puzled soul , what wouldst thou buy ? goe in and cheapen : let thy curious eye . make her own choice : they will present thy view with numerous joyes : buy something that is new : alas ! there 's nothing new beneath the skie . look further ; further yet : goe please thine eye , search , till the object and thine eye agrees : thine eye 's not satisfi'd with what it sees . buy something that will last ; that will remain to after dayes : all 's momentary , all 's vain . i , but my soul , here 's fairer merchandise , wisdome and knowledge : that to make thee wise ; this to instruct thee : come , thou needst not fear too hard a bargaine : goe , and purchase there : alas ! much wisdome makes thy grief but double ; encrease of knowledge brings increase of trouble . i , but my soul , the gracious eye of heaven hath smil'd upon thee . his full hand hath given a large addition to thy thriv'n estate ; thy barns and bags are fill'd ; thy servants wait vpon thy businesse , and their shoulders bear thy fruitfull burdens ; who like pilots stear thy reeling vessell : thou art richly ' endow'd with knowledge , wisedome , iudgement , and allow'd some grains to make thee weight : me thinks , thy heart so arm'd with strong resolves should never start at threatning evills : me thinks , thy daring eye ( if all the crystall rafters of the skie should make one ruine , and that ruine fall about thine ears ) should be unmov'd at all . no , no , my soul , 't is neither barn nor purse cramm'd up with coin or corn , can balk the curse entaild upon thy sinne : nor height of blood , nor all that this mistaken earth calls good : not very knowledge , no nor wisdome can exempt thee from the common lot of man . the wisest prince that ever blest a nation found all things vain , and when enjoy'd , vexation . cap. ii. the vanity of humane courses in the workes of pleasure . . though the wise be better then the fool , yet both have but one event . . the vanity of humane labour , in leaving it they know not to whom . . nothing better then joy in our labour , but that is gods gift . . since knowledge then affords my soul no rest , my roving thoughts tri'd mirth , & were possest of all the pleasures earth could lend ; yet i found mirth and pleasure all but vanity : . i laugh'd at laughter as a toyish antick ; and counted all my mirth no lesse then frantick : . my heart ( but wisely foolish ) did encline to costly fare , and frolick cups of wine , that in these pleasures i might find some good , to crown the short lif'd dayes of flesh and blood : . i built magnifick palaces , did frame great buildings to the glory of my name : i planted vineyards , whose plump clusters might rejoyce my heart , and lend my soul delight : . i made me fruitfull orchards for my pleasure , and curious gardens to refesh my leisure ; i stored them with trees , and these with bowers , and made a paradise of fruits and flowers : . i made me standing pools , to entertain my breathlesse guests and all their num'rous train : i cut me aquiducts , whose current flees and water all my wildernesse of trees : . armies of servants do attend my state , both foreiners , and born within my gate : herds i possest , and flocks above all them that reign'd before me in jerusalem : . abundant silver , gold , and precious stones by kings presented , my exchequer ownes : all sorts of musick ( earths delight ) had i to feed mine ear , beauties to please mine eye : such state , magnificence , and princely store . wondring jerus'lem never saw before : in all this pomp , my heart had not forgot the lawfull use : my wisedome fail'd me not : i gave mine eyes what ere mine eyes requir'd , . deny'd my hearts no mirth my heart desir'd : for my poor hearts delight was all my gains , my pleasure was the portion of my paines . at length i cast my serious eye upon . my painfull workes , & what my hands have done : but loe , beneath the sun no contentation , all , all was vanity , and souls vexation . with that i turn'd my weary thoughts agen . on wisdome , and the foolishnesse of men ; ( search they that please to search , alas the'rs none can search the truth more strict then solomon ) when my impartiall judgement did compare . folly with wisdome , this doth ev'n as farre excell the other , as meridian light excels the shadows of the darkest night : the wise man eyes are in his head ; they stand . like watchmen in the towre , to guard the land : but fools haunt darknesse ; yet my selfe perceive the self-same lot both fools and wisemen have . ah! then ( said i ) if equall fortune lies . for fools and me , what vantage to be wise ? what profit hath my wisdome ? then thought i the height of wisdome hath her vanity . . the foolish bauble , and the learned bayes are both forgotten in succeeding dayes : impartiall death shall close the dying eyes both of the fool , and also of the wise : . therefore i hated life , for from th'events : of humane actions flow my discontents : life spent in action , or in contemplation , is all but vanity , and souls vexation . . i hated all that e'r my hands had done in seeking happinesse beneath the sunne ; for what i did i cannot call mine own , anothers hand must reap , what mine hath sown . . who knows if my successour is to be a wise man or a fool ? howe'r 't is he must spend with ease , what i have earn'd with pain and souls vexation ; this is also vain : . for which , my soul ( thus fool'd with vain pursuit of blossom'd happinesse that bears no fruite ) whisper'd despair of all that i had done to purchase perfect good beneath the sunne . . some men there be whose more elaborate gains ( the fruits of lawfull cares , and prudent pains ) descend to those that knew nor pains nor art ; this is a vanity and afflicts the heart . . for what reward hath man of all his droyl his ev'ning trouble , and his morning toyl , his hearts vexation , and his griefs that run through all his labours underneath the sun ? . his dayes are sorrows ; tedious griefs attend his travail , hopelesse of a journies end ; his restlesse nights afford his closed eye no slumbers : this is also vanity . . there 's nothing sweeter then to take repast of meats and drinks , and now and then to cast griefs burthen off , and gently loose the rains by intermingling pleasures with our pains : but this , i know , lies not in our command , it is a blessing from th' almighties hand : . for who can eat ? what mortall can apply his heart to force a pleasure more then i ? . heaven gives the just man wisdome , knowledg , mirth ; to sinners , travell ; to heap earth to earth ; wherewith t' enrich the righteous generation ; this is his vanity , and souls vexation . soliloquie ii. but stay my soule ! art thou resolved , than , t' abjure delight , and turne capuccian ? because thy earth hath thus eclips'd the light of thy contentment , wilt thou make it night ? wert thou condemn'd to sorrows ? wert thou born to live in languishment , and die forlorn ? abuse not thy creation : thou wert made not thus to sterve thy blossomes in the shade of barren melancholy ; or to wast thy pensive hours in the boysterous blast . of stormy discontent : com , com , my soul , hoyst up thy sails to mirth : let others houle and whine : let such as alwayes are at wars with their owne fortunes , curse their ill fac'd stars : passe thou thy frolique youth in revels , sports , and fresh delights : frequent the purple courts of prosperous princes : st●e thy heart in mirth , and crush the childe of sorrow in her birth : o but , my soul , what profit can accrew from lavish mirth ? what pleasure is 't , to skrue an antick face and grimme ? or to enforce an empty laughter in a vain discourse ? why then my soul , goe winde the plummets up of thy down spirits , with a chirping cup : redeem thee from the gripes of care , and rapes of grief , and drench them in the blood of grapes . i , but perchance in that sad heart of thine there is a wound , craves rather oyle then wine . if then thy cure prove worse then thy disease , that grief thou dar'st not cure , attempt to ease : forget thy sorrows ; or if rugged sense will not be woo'd by language to dispense with her provoking foe , advise with art : those stubborn streames thou canst not stop , divert : and like a pain-afflicted stripling , play with some new toy , to while thy grief away . goe , raise great works , whose structure may impart the masters wisdome , and the builders art : build houses , whose magnificence may proclaim thy worth , as lasting monuments of thy name . plant orchards for thy pleasure : deck thy bowers with dainty fruits , and delectable flowers : cut waterworks : instruct the silver tide to wanton up and down : teach her to slide in soft meanders , through the fluid veins of the green breasted stream embroydered plains ; ravish thy soul with musick , and refresh the wasted spirits of thy unweildy flesh with high-bred raptures : let harmonious ayres compose the discords of thy droyling cares : take pleasure in thy pale-enclosed grounds , and let the rhet'rick of thy deep-mouth'd hounds perswade thy head-strong sorrows so to fly before thy heard , as they before the cry . alas , alas , my poore deluded soul , think'st thou to quench thy fire with oyl , or cool thy flame with cordials ? can thy born disease expect a cure from such receipts as these ? no no , these bellows mount the blaze the higher , thou leap'st but from the pan into the fire . i , but my soul , me thinks a wife forecast ( though not redresse the mischiefs that are past ) may claim some kind of priv'ledge to prevent the ev'lls that future changes may present ; if not , what harm , what disconvenience lies in being fool ? what vantage to wise both fool and wise must pay an equall shot at natures table ; have the self-same lot . why then , my soul , since sorrow needs must haunt thy life , condemn'd to labour , cease to daunt thy bold endeavours with the sense of care , cheare up thy whining heart , and take thy share of all thy labours , eat , and drink ; and let thy sense enjoy the wages of thy sweat : 't is all thy portion : take what may be had ; bad is the best , then make the best of bad : sweeten thy pains ; mixe pleasure with thy sorrow ; who knows to day , what shall betide to morrow ? cap. iii. by the necessary change of times , vanity is added to humane travail , there is an exellency in gods works : but as for man , god shall judge his works there , and here he shall be like a beast . vers. . the great creator in his wise decree hath pitcht a time when every change shall be , and through his watchfull providence hath given a season to each purpose under heaven ; . there is a time appointed for our birth , and there 's a time for earth to turn to earth : there is a time to plant ; a time wherein to pluck those plants , thus planted , up again : . there is a season when to build , ev'n so , there is a season to demolish too : there is a season to inflict a wound , and there'is another season to make sound : . there is a time for teares to drown thy eye ; a time to laugh and lay thy sorrowes by : there is a time to mourn ; a time to meet the sprightly musick with thy numerours feet : . there is a due appointed season , either to scatter stones , or gather stones together : there is a time t' embrace , and there be spaces of time , appointed to resrain embraces : . there is a time to gain , and there 's ordain'd an other time to loosse the things we gain'd ; there is a time to recollect and lay thy treasure up ; a time to cast away : . there is a time appointed when to rend ; and there 's a time appointed when to mend : a time for silence , and a time to break reserved silence ; there 's a time to speake : . a time to love , and there 's a time t' abate our warm affections ; there 's a time to hate : a time of warre , and there 's a time to cease the bloody battell : there 's a time for peace . . if heavens decree thus bound the works of men , what profit gaines the fruitlesse worker then ? what boots our travell , or those works of ours , if all our plots depend on heav'nly pow'rs ? . nor are our actions , or their secret ends govern'd by chance ; nor doe our works depend on hood wink'd fortune ; no , pleas'd heaven thinks good to exercise the soule of flesh and blood : . what ere he did , is fair , and timely done , he gave the world for man to muse upon : whose eye , with admiration may discover the motion , not the progresse of the mover . . i know , that from the works of flesh and blood as they are mans , there can arise no good ; unlesse perchance to qualifie with oyle the soul-afflicting vin'gre of his toyle ; . or if it happen that his soule may eat and drink , and reap the harvest of his sweat to sweeten sorrows , may we understand it is a gift from the almigties hand : . i know that heavens decree is seal'd . and free from alteration , a most firme decree : and so or dain'd , that the presumptuous race of man may feare the majesty of 's face : . the thing that is , hath been ; and what of old hath been , succeeding ages shall behold : the great disposer keeps the selfe-same track and calls his timely revolutions back . . i view'd the chair of judgement , where i saw in stead of righteousnesse , perverted law : i view'd the courts of equity , and spy'd corruption there , and justice warp'd aside . . o then ( thought i ) the judge of heav'n shall do right to the wicked , and the righteous too . for ther 's a time true justice shall proceed on ev'ry purpose , upon every deed . . then puzzel'd in my thoughts , i thus advis'd , heav'n suffers mortalls to be exercis'd in their own miseries , that they may see they 'r not more happy then the sensuals bee . . to man and beast the self-same lots befall ; man dies , so dies the beast : alas they all enjoy one breath ; what royalties remain to man above a beast : for both are vain ; . both travell to the self same place ; both tend their paces to the self-same journies end : the substance of their flesh is both the same , but dust , to dust both turn from whence they came . . what curious inquisitor doth know the place whereto ascending souls do goe ? or can renown'd philosophy declare whither the dying spirits of beasts repair ? . this rightly weigh'd , it seems the better choyce for man to suck his labours , and rejoyce : 't is all the portion he is like to have : who knows the entertainments of the grave ? soliloquie iii. come now my soul , thou hast with toylsome pains outworn the day ; and , with thy dear-bought gains , thou hast refresht thy spirits ; and , at length , with lusty diet , hast redeem'd thy strength ; thou hast forgot thy labours , and thy rest hath crown'd contentment in thy peace full brest : art thou now pleas'd ? what can thy heart require , more then thou hast , to fill thy vast desire ? true , if my bubble life could get a lease of his small rest , nay , if the present peace were but secur'd from this succeeding sorrow , long since design'd to the next neighb'ring morrow , it were some hapinesse , and would present a large proportion of a short content : but change ( the moth of transitory things that 's never worse then when the seasons brings a flash of good ) doth all things so unframe that earths content doth scarce deserve the name of common happinesse ; which like the wind , varits , still meeting with a various mind . vnconstant earth ! what can thy treasure show , that is not , like thy selfe , unconstant too ? how full of change ! how full of alteration ! nay , fixt in nothing but thy meer foundation . and like thy selfe , our naturall parent , we constant in nothing , but in loving thee ! one while we plunge in tears ; and by and by , we rage in laughter , yet not knowing why : to day , the zeal of our affection 's such , we burn in love , to marrow , hate as much : sometimes we feare not when our ev'lls appear ; sometimes , affrighted at no cause of fear : one while we should and will not , will and should not ; nay , at the self same moment , would not would not . to day we feast , and quaffe in frolique bowles ; to morrow fast , and pinch our guilty soules : now musick , now a knell saluts our eares ; at noon we swim in wine , at night in teares . ore night our vowes are made , our joy concluded : to day the danger 's past , and heav'n deluded : the last six monthes our fortune swell'd with store , and now they break , was never iob so poore : time was , that peace enricht our joyfull i and ; time is , our martiall drum beats warre at hand . unconstant earth ! o , is it not enough thy days are ev'll at best ; and but a puffe at longest ? at the fruitfullest but vain ? but sad , at merriest ; and at sweetest , pain ? is not all this enough ? enough to make the miserable childe of man forsake the false protection of thy magick eye , with out th' addition of inconstancy ? it't not enough that we poor farmers pay quit-rent to nature at the very day , and at our dying howre bequeath to thee our whole subsistence for a legacie ? but thou must leave our frailties as a prey to time born change , that will permit no stay in one estate , nor give us leave to lye sad patients in a quiet misery ! o but my saul , why dost thou thus contend with thy creators pleasure ? cease to spend this needlesse breath : shall thy disordered will confront his providence ? or call that ill , which he thinks good ? tell me , my soul , shall he that gave thee being , be prescrib'd by thee ? he made thee for his glory ; not to spend thy days in slavish labour , nor to end thy painfull travell in the shades of death : but thou hast tainted that immortall breath , which qualif'd thy life , and made thee free of heav●n and earth , and joynt patentee with smooth fac'd cherubims ; and too too proud of thy short honoure , wrapt thy thoughts , and bow'd thy straight desiers to unknown delight , and wrapt thy glory in the clouds of night : lost thy freewill to good , didst overthrow thy perfect knowledg with desire to know ; bereft of wisdome lab'ring to be wise , now peer'd with beasts , that only works and dies . both , born to sorrow , breathe the selfe same breath ; live both alike , both die the selfe same death : since then , my soule , thy hopes may not aspire to what thou wouldst , suit thy supprest desire to what thou maist : and let thy wisdome play bad cards with best advantage : what the day brings in by travell , let the frolique night consume in mirth , and spend in full delight : take thou to day let others take to morrow ; he earns the solace , that endures the sorrow . cap. iv. . vanity is increased unto men by oppression , . by envy , . by idlenesse , . by covetousnesse , . by solitarinesse , . by wilfullnesse . . my soul return'd and fixt her thoughts upon the hard oppressions made beneath the sun ; and , loe . the tears of captives in distresse , cry'd loud for comfort , yet were comfortlesse ; great was th' oppressors power , yet the grief of the opprest was void of all relief : . o , then i counted their condition blest , whom death hath lulld in everlasting rest ; yea , farre more blest then those that live , to stand afflicted patients at th' oppressors hand . . nay , farre then both are they more blessed , whom conception never hansell'd in the womb ; or those abortives , whom untimely birth excus'd from all the sorrowes of the earth . . i mus'd again , and found when pains had crakt the harder shell to some heroick act , pale envy stricks the kernell with taxation ; o , this is vanity , and souls vexation . . the sluggish fool that solitary stands , with yauning lips , and bosome-folded hands , consumes his empty dayes , at last , is fed with his own flesh , that would not move for bread : . his idle tongue thus pleading for his sloth , better one hand be fill'd with rest , then both stretch'd forth in travell , to prepare full diet , with hearts vexation , and the souls disquiet . . thus pausing contemplation shew'd mine eye a new prospect of humane vanity ; . there is a lonely man that hath none other to foster then himselfe , nor child nor brother , whose droyling hands think nothing can supply the greedy wants of his insatiate eye ; he robs himselfe , nor knows for whose relife ; this is a vanity and wounding grief . . the single state of him that lives alone is double grief ; two better is then one : for two can share the sorrows that befall to one ; one 's worse then not to be at all ; . if eithers drooping shoulders be betray'd to a sad burden , there 's a mutuall ayd : woe to the man whom danger meets alone , for ther 's no arme to help him but his owne : . when two divide the comforts of a bed , if one gains kindly warmth , the others sped : but warmth turns back to him that lies alone ; the steel will yeeld no sparks without the stone . . if fury from a stronger arme assailes , one falls before the foe when two prevails : but if a third put in a timely stroke , the cord that 's threefold , is not quickly broke . . to be a poore wise child , is jud'gd a thing more honourable then to be a king that 's old and foolish , and whose disposition checks at advice , and spurns at admonition . . the low and lanke estates are often known to clime from prisons , to the princely throne ; and glorious monarchs have been seen to fail , and change their glittering glory for a goal . . so have i seen the vulgar hearts grow cold to with'ring greatnesse , whilest their eyes behold the blooming heyre , to whom affections run like morning eyes to greet the rising sun . . past ages quench the fathers fading light in the sons hopes , and future dayes benight the son in his succeeders expectation ; o , this is vanity and souls vexation . soliloquie iv. my soul , to what a strange disguised good art thou bewitcht ! o how hath flesh and blood betray'd thee to a happinesse that brings no comfort but from transitory things ! how is thy freedome curb'd ! how art thou clogg'd with dull mortality , bestow'd and bogg'd in thine own frailty ! how art thou repos'd in sin . polluted dust ! embrac'd , enclos'd in the foul armes of thy owne base corruptions ! how is thy will disturb'd with th' inturruptions of crosse desires ? desires , not knowing where to finde a center , rambling here and there ; which , like their objects , alterable , rome like idle vagrants without passe , or home . review thy selfe my soul ; cast up thy dayes , they are but few ; thy life is but a blaze : go take an inventory of those ioyes which thy false earth allowes : i hey are but toyes , to mock the frailty of thy flatter'd sense , attended with a thousand discontents : hath heaven inricht thy pains with thriving drift's of mighty gold ? endow'd thy minde with gifts of sacred art ? or glorifi'd thy name with honour posted on the wings of fame ? what is there then , that lies in earths election to raise thy hap'nesse to more higb perfection ? i , but my soule , what great , what higher hand shall stop the mouth of envy ? or command her snake devouring fangs to keep the peace vpon thy worried name ? to every lease of earths best granted happinesse , belongs the sharp proviso of malicious tongues : they , they shall blast thy fortunes ; leave a tang vpon thy new broch'd honour : they shall hang like burres , upon thy welfare , and destroy , like th' easternworm , the gourd of all thy joy . or if thou chance to scape the whispering tongue of secret envie , force , and bold-fac'd wrong , may hap to roare upon thy full mouth'd sails , and rude opression with her harpy nails , may gripe thy fair prosperity , and great vpon the vastnesse of thy great estate . or if those foraign dangers should forbeare to make ; assault , or made , prove lesse severe ; from out thy very bosome may arise intestine foes , to make thy peace , their prize : if that dull worme , that cloaths the mossy land withrags , but kissethy bosome-folded hand , it eats thy treasure with a secret rust , and layes thy bed-rid honour in the dust . or if thy droiling hand should once beslave thy glorious freedome with a thirst to have , and take thee prisner to thy loose desirets , thy happinesse , even whilst enjoy'd , expires . or if a liberall content should crown thy gould with rest , and make thine own , thine own ; perchance , thou want'st a partner , that may share in all thy fortunes : or ( if sped ) an heire , whose worth , and hopefull merrits may revive thy houor'd dust , and keep thy name alive . or if the pleased hand of heaven subscribe to those desires , a selfe-conceit may bribe thy passion guided will to take up arms 'gainst soveraign reason , at whose bold alarm 's thy false affections may riseup , and shake thy fancy-baffled judgement , and so make a gap for mischief , which may reccommend thy reeling fortunes to aruinous end now tell me , o my soul ! wherein can earth deserve thy pains , or gratifie thy birth , in framing equall happinesse ; nay , in freeing thy partiall heart from unrepented beeing ? o , is 't not better , not to thirst at all , then thirst in vain , or quench thy thirst with gall ? are not the cloysters of the barren wombe , far more desiderable , then to come into the wilde , into the common hall of troubled natures factious court , where all move in their orbs of care , and severall wayes , fulfill their revolutions of sad dayes ? are not the shady bowers of death more sweet then the bold sunshine , where we hourely meet fresh ev'lls , like atomes , whose deluding breath tickles our fancies till we laugh to death ? our day of birth leads in our dayes of trouble ; my soul prize not this earth ; this toy ; this bubble . cap. v. vanities in divine service , in murmuring against oppression , and in riches . ioy in riches is the gift of god . . attend thy footsteps when thou drawest near the house of god ; and be more apt to hear , then give the sacrifice of fools , which know not in their sacrifice what ev'll they do : . let not thy tongue be rash ; commit no wast of words before thy god by over hast ; since he from heav'n beholds thy actions here , all lavish babling let thy lips forbeare : . as dreams and rest-disturbing fancies flow from floods of businesse which by day we doe ; so multitude of words are daily sprung from th' idle fountain of a foolish tongue . . when thou hast bound thee to thy god by vow defer not payment , but perform it thou : discharge thy bonds , for heaven takes no delight in fools , that violate the faith they plight ; . far safer 't is thy vows vere never made , then heaven promis'd payment , never pai'd . . let not thy lips ensnare thee ; plead not thou before thy angel , 't was too rash a vow : o why should'st thou provoke thy god , and dare his curse upon thy practise , and thy pray'r ? . dreams oft are vain , and folly'is mixt among the language of a multiloquious tongue ; but let the wisdome of thy lips appeare before thy god with reverentiall fear . . seest thou perverred justice in the land , and poor men grip'd beneath th' oppressours hand stand not amaz'd : th' almighty views their way , and there be pow'rs at hand more high then they . . the fruitfull surface of the pregnant soyl , enrich'd by the laborious ploughmans toyl , brings forth to all ; nay , very kings do build their whole subsistence from the fertill field : . 't is not full heaps of eye-rejoycing gold can feed , or screen thy nakednesse from cold : nor can the piles of treasur'd wealth sustain thy drooping spirits : this is also vain . . as goods increase . ev'n so their number , who must share the goods encrease , encreaseth too . what hath the owner more then they , but this , what they consume , his eyes behold as his ? . how sweetly pleasant is the sleep of such as labour , eat they little , or eat much ? when as the wealth of idle owners , keep their heart from quiet , and their eyes from sleep : . there is an ev'll that happens now and then beneath the sun , among the sons of men . oft have i seen increasing riches grow to be their great made owners overthrow ; and vex their souls with care and then repay unprosp'rous pains with grief , and melt away . . his wealth is fled , and when he should transfer it upon his heir , ther 's nothing to inherrit . . look how he came into the world , the same he shall go out , as naked as he came ; of what his lab'ring arm hath brought about , his dying hand shall carry nothing out : . this is a wounding grief , that as he came , in ev'ry point , he shall returne the same , what profit can his soules affliction find , that toyls for aire , and travels but for wind ? . the pilgrimage of his laborious dayes , is sordid and obscure , and all his wayes are blockt with troubles , and his souls disquiet , to gain his very life-sustaining diet . . i hold it therefore the most happy lot , to eat and drink , and reap what pains hath got , to crown those days which his creator gave ; 't is all the portion he is like to have : . all such to whom the bounteous hand of heav'n gives wealth , and license to enjoy it giv'n , to sweeten labour , may they understand , it is a favour from th' almighties hand : . such , doubtlesse , in their labour , shall forget their painfull sorrows , and their toylsome sweat ; for heav'n , hath crown'd their fair desires , and sent a peacefull conscience , and a pleas'd content . soliloquie . v. but hark , my soul , the morning bels invite thy early paces to a new delight : away , away ; the holy saints-bell rings , put on thy robes , and oyle thy sacred wings : call home thy heart , and bid thy thoughts surcease to be thy thoughts ; go , bind them to the peace ; take good security , or if such fail , commit them to the all-commanding iail of thy cram'd bags , there to lie close and fast vntill thy heav'n atoning vowes be past : confine thy rambling pleasures to the trust of vacant houres : and let thy wisdome thrust indulgent hagar , and her base born child from thy sad gates ; let them be both exil'd from thy soft b●some ; let not ishmael share whith holy isa'c ; isa'c must be heire : nor let thy sorrow melted heart bemone thy banisht bondslave , nor her thirsty sonne : take thou no care for them ; heav'n will supply their craving thirst with bottles from thine eye : leave all thy servill fancies in the vale , mount thou the sacred hill , and there , bewaile thy dying isa'c , whose free gift may be a living pledge betwixt thy god and thee . here maist thou feast thy soul , and fill thy brest with heavenly raptures , and with holy rest. here shall thy piety sweeten all thy pains , and grace shall here replieve what griefe distrains : here maist thou shrowd thee from those ev'lls that wait upon the frailty of thy frail estate . here may thy griefs unbosome all their grones , and finde redresse from the high throne of thrones . hast then ; o hie thee to that sacred place : why stay'st thou ? see , the widened armes of grace invite thy presence , and with open brest promise fair welcome to so fair a guest ! o but my zeal-transported soul , take heed ; too rash a haste brings oft too dear a speed : observe thy steps ; thy feet are apt to slide , if thy misguided paces swerve aside ; death waits at either hand , to make a prize of wavering foot-steps , and miswandring eyes : near the best blessings neighb'ring dangers dwell , the very suburbs of blest heaven , is hell . thus when thy awfull presence shall draw near these hallalujous courts , advise , and fear ; put off thy shoes ; 't is holy ground thou tread'st : be not too bold ; thou dy'st unlesse thou dread'st . now , may thy holy boldnesse safely venture to passe these delectable ports , and enter . now cloath thy heart with reverence ; be fill'd with secret raptures ; let thy fancy build no castles here ; beware thou banish hence the sinfull objects of invited sense : make heav'ns command ( and let thy zealous motion subscribe to that ) the cause of thy devotion ; let heav'ns direction be thy form , and bend thy endfull heart to make heav'ns glory th' end : worship that 's moulded in traditious schools , is but the sensuall sacrifice of fooles . be wisely carefull what thy lips impart ; bring thy soft tongue acquainted with thy heart : be slow to speak , and be as quick to heare ; heaven loves a single tongue , a double care : make haste to pay what thy vow'd promise owes ; destruction dwels in unperformed vowes . thus mayst thou break the heart-corroding fangs of griping care , and scape the dying pangs of living death : here , here , thou maist controul earths power , and imparadise thy soule in soft and sacred rest beyond th' extent of whining grief , and murmuring discontent . i , but my soule , grosse vanity even dwels in thy devotion , whose rank offering smels so strong of earth , that very heavens deride our very altars , and abhorre the pride of our disguis'd humilitie , which brings a secret curse upon our holiest things : hence , hence , my soul , proceed those boysterous waves that plunge our frailties : this , o this enslaves our ●raven'd spirits so , that we even faile or shrink before the combat , and turn taile to every slight affliction : this unlevells thy even-way'd peace , with indigested evills : this sowers all thy sweets , sads all thy rest , nay dispossesses thee , even whilst possest of thy imperious treasure . — o then my soule , where shall thy wounds obtain that soveraign balsome ? who shall ease thy pain ? in what blest ear will thy complaints finde place ? what holy altar shall thy armes embrace ? if here be no protection for opprest and lab'ring souls , where shall poor souls have rest ? earths ioyes are vain , and they that shall commit trust in vain earth , are far more vain then it , cap : vi . the vanity of riches without use . . of children , and old age without riches . . the vanity of sight and wandring desires . . the conclusion of vanities . vers. . there is an ev'll , which my observing eye hath taken notice of beneath the skye ; it is an ev'll frequents the troubled brest of wretched man , and robs him of his rest . . to see where god hath multipli'd and giv'n what wealth and honour earth can beg of heav'n , and yet no power to use it , but descends to very strangers : o , this grief transcends ! . who multiply their loynes and years , yet have souls unsuffic'd with good , and soil the grave with blemisht and dishonor'd names , i say abortive births are better far then they : . for he can hardly own a being , whom nature casts forth from the untimely womb : darknesse infolds him in her secret shades , his nam 's forgotten , and his mem'ry fades . . the worlds surveighing lamp does not affright the pleasing slumbers of his peacefull night : there be no ears , no eyes , to heare , to see , the living soul hath not such rest as he : . yea though he live a thousand yeares twice told , what worth his eyes , can his sad eyes behold ? doe they not both arrive , not both resort to the dull portals of the selfe-same port ? . the best reward of mans laborious sweat is but a morsell of quotidian meat : this may suffice his body , but the will of his insatiate soul what hand can fill ? . what is it then the wisemans labour gains more then the painfull fool by all his pains ? what wants the poore man that by prudent labour knowes how to live , more then his wealthy neighbour ? . better enjoy a competence , and crave not more wealth , then stil desire the wealth we have not to wish , what if enjoy'd brings molestation , is but meere vanity , and souls vexation . . the worldly confluence of treasure can exempt no mortall from the lot of man , nor can his wealth instruct him to withstand the angry strokes of the almighties hand : . since the encrease of wealth procur'd by pain , preserv'd with feare , with sorrow lost again , encreaseth grief in the possessors brest , what vantage then hath man to be possest ? . who knows , what 's good for man in his dull blaze of life , his swift , his shadow flying dayes ? or who can tell , when his short houre is run , th' event of all his toyl beneath the sun ? soliloquie . vi . what meant that great creating pow'r to frame this spatious universe ? was not his name glorious enough without a witnesse ? why did that corrected twi-light of his eye un-muzle darknesse , and with morning light redeem the day from new baptized night ? what meant that sacred power to command divorce betwixt united sea and land ? why wrapt he earth ( as yet untoucht with showers ) in a greene robe embroid red all with flowers ? what meant the beames of his refulgent eyes to print their image in the crystall skyes ? what princely guests with all their num'rous traine did he expect ? was he to entertaine ? that his magnificent , his bounteous hand made such provision both by sea and land ? what royall state 's at hand ? what potentate ? on whom must all these royall armies wait ? who worthy of so great a preparation , is th' object of such royall expectation , what prince is to be borne ? what glorious birth is to be celebrated ? groaning earth brought forth a lump not much above a span , a little , naked , puling thing , call'd man . man , a poore shiftlesse transitory thing , born without sword or shield , not having wing to fly from threatning danger , not an arme to grapple with these num'rous ev'lls that swarme about his new-born frailty , warpt aside from faire obedience to rebellious pride . man , in whose frame the great three-one advis'd , and with a studied hand epitomiz'd the large , voluminous , and perfect story of all his works ; the manuall of his glory : man , in whose soule , the all-eternall drew the image of himselfe , for earth to view with fear and wonder , in whose sov'raign eye he breath'd the flames of dreadfull majesty , fill'd him with power , entrusted to his hand earths empire , and the lower worlds command ; crow'nd him with glory , made him little lower then heav'n-bred angls that excell in power . o but my soule , how is that hand asham'd of his owne work ! how is this frame unfram'd ! how is this manuall blotted ? every word how interlin'd ? how is this image blurr'd ? how are those sparks of majesty , that were so bright , now baffled with degen'rous feare ? how is that power that was bred and borne the earth commander , now become the scorne of dunghill passion , shipwrackt with the gust of every fatuous and inferiour lust ! how is the sunbright honour of his name eclipst ! how is his glory cloath'd with shame ! reflect upon thy selfe , my soul : enquire into the vastnesse of thy vaine desire : what would'st thou have , which being had ) may fill th' unfathom'd gulf of thy insatiate will ? thou level'st at ? a good : whrrein consists the good thou level'st at to what strange lists is her conceal'd omnipotence confinde ? where is this will-commanding saint enshrin'd ? is not her royall person gone to view the mines of ophir , to the rich peru ? or is she gone to oyle the wings of time with unctious pleasures in some forain clime ? or is she mounted on the slippery throne of staggering honour , there disguis'd , unknowne ? alas , my soul , if heaven should suit thy store with thy desire , then wouldst desire yet more : or if spring tides of gold shonld a degree transcend thy wish , perchance it would want thee : what if a num'rous off-spring should proclame a perpetuity to th' lasting name ; or if the even-spun twine should be extended till thou could'st number nations all descended from thine own loynes ; yet , if the sparing hand of wayward providence should chance to brand thy dayes with poverty , th' abortive birth is more indebted to the gracious earth then thou , whose shadow-grasping hand even tires upon the vanity of the vast desires : nay , if both beav'n and earth should undertake t' extract the best from all mankind to make one perfect happy man , and thou wert hee ; thy finite fortunes still would disagree with thy insatiate soul : some q●almes of earth , hereditary to thy humane birth , would print thy pamper'd soul with such a fresh and lively character of feeble flesh , that all thy joyes ( do fortune what she can ) may not exempt thee from the lot of man . cap. vii . remedies against vanity , are a good name . mortification patience . wisdome . . the difficulty of wisdome . . a good reputed name is sweeter farre then breaths of aromatick oyntments are : and that sad day when first we drew our breath is not so happy as the day of death . . better it is to be a fun'rall gust , then finde the welcomes of a frolick feast : there may'st thou view thy end , and take occasion t' enrich thy thoughts with friutful contemplation . . better to cloud thy face with grief , then show the lavish wrinkles of a laughing brow ; for by the sad demeanour of thine eyes the heart 's instructed , and becomes more wise . the wise mans sober heart is alwayes turning his wary footsteps to the house of mourning ; but fools consume , and revell out the night in dalliance , and the day in loose delight . . the vertue of a wise mans fair reproof , brings greater benefit to a mans behoof , then all those eare-bewitching sweets that can belch from the language of a foolish man . . look how the crackling thornes under the pot blaze for a season , but continue not ; ev'n so do foolish flatt'ries entertain our souls with joy ; but all that joy is vain . . when wisemen turn oppressors , they have crackt their understandings in the very act ; and the acceptance of a bribe destroyes the grounds of judgment , and it blinds her eyes . . in all attempts the onset does not lend so sweet a satisfaction , as the end : and he whose gentle spirit is endow'd with meeknesse , is far better then the proud . . let not thy hot-mouth'd , spirit entertain too sudden passion with too slack a rain ; for rash and unadvised anger rests embosom'd , and abides in foolish brests . . let not thy murm'ring tongue desire to know why former dayes were not so bad as now ; where heav'n declares a will . no wise mans eye should search a cause , or lips enquire a why . . wisdome is profitable to advance mans welfare , joyned with inheritance ; by this conjunction profit doth arise to those that toyl beneath the sweltring skies . . wisdome's a guard ; and treasure , a defence to supersede our wants , reliev'd from thence . . wisdom's th' extract of knowledge , and convayes to the possessor everlasting dayes . o let thy thoughts enquire and understand the well-weigh'd works of the almighties hand . what he hath setled in a crooked state , no industry of man can make it straight . . in thy good day take pleasure , and be wise ; in thy bad day have patience , and advice ; for heav'n gives both by turns , to let man see how alterable earthly pleasures bee . . much have i seene in this my short-liv'd day ; among the rest , the just man snatcht away in his just works , whilst wicked finde successe , and prosper in their long-liv'd wickednesse . . since then th' upright mans recompence is such , be not too wise , nor righteous over much ; why should they too much righteousnesse betray thy danger'd life , and make thy life a prey ? . nor let the flesh suggest thee , or advise thy thoughts to be too wicked , too unwise . why should thy folly captivate thy breath , and make thee prisner to untimely death ? . in all thy courses threfore it is best to lodge uprightnesse in thy constant brest . for he that feareth the almighty , shall outwear his ev'll , or finde no ev'll at all : . wisdome affords more strength , more fortifies the undejected courage of the wise , then all the twisted pow'r of those that are the guides of citties , or their men of warre ; . yet is there none beneath the crystall skies so just in action , or in word so wise ; that doth alwayes good , or hath not bin sometimes polluted with the stains of sin . . at passions language stop thy gentle eare , least if thy servant curse thee thou shouldst heare . . for often times thy heart will let thee see that others like wise have been curs'd by thee . . this wisdome by my travell i attain'd and in my thoughts conceiv'd that i had gain'd no common height , but on a strict revise i found my wisdome came far short of wise . . objects far distant , secrets too profound what eye can entertain ; what heart can sound ? . i bent my studies heart to search and pry into the bosome of philosophy ; i gave my selfe to understand the art of folly , and the madnesse of the heart : . i found the harlots wayes more bitter are then death , whose arms are ginnes , whose heart 's a snare whom heav'n doth favour shall decline her gates , but sinners shall be taken by her baites . . loe this i have observ'd , ( the preacher sayes ) by strict enquest into their sev'rall wayes : . whereof my restlesse , my laborious mind would make discov'ry , but dispairs to find ; among a thousand men perchance that one may be trac'd out , but among women , none . . loe here the fruits of all my disquisition , onely to know the devious condition of poore degen'rous man , whose first estate heav'n copied from himselfe , upright , and straight . soliloquie vii . since then my soul , the frail and false estate of fading happinesse cannot create the least contentment in thy various minde , whose fancy-guided motion cannot finde the point of rest , but like the boyling waves tost in the stormes of earth , sometimes outbraves the threatning firmament , then at a breath darts down , and dashes at the dores of death ; since waxen-winged honour is not void of danger , whether aim'd at , or injoy'd ; since heart enchaunting profit hath not fruit , but care , both in fruition , and pursuit ; since pleasure like a wanton itch doth breed in the ranck flesh , but scratcht untill it bleed ; since laughter is but madnesse , and high diet th' officious pander of our own disquiet ; since glorious buildings , and magnifique towers , fructiferous orchards , oderiferous bowers ; full clusterd vineyards , beauties , and the choice of musick both by instrument and voice , can lend thy heart no full content , nor still the various clamours of th' insatiate will ; since humane wisdome is but humane trouble , and double knowledge makes our sorrow double ; since what we have but lights our wish to more , and in the height of plenty makes us poore ; and what we have not , too too apt to crave , ev'n dispossesses us of what we have ; nay since the very act of our devotion can bring no rest , nor qualifie the motion of our unbounded thoughts , to sweeten out this span of frailty , plungd , and orb'd about with floods of bitternesse : since none of these , nor all can crown our labours , nor appease our raging hearts , o my deceivd soule , where wilt thou purchase peace ? who shall controule , who shall suppresse those passions that contest within the kingdome of thy troubled brest ? whither ? to what strange region wilt thou fly to finde content , and baulk that vanity which haunts this bubble earth , and makes thee still a slave to thy infatuated will ? call home thy selfe : inspect thy selfe a new , and take thy birth-right to a fresh review : thou art immortall ; art divine by birth , a spark of heav'n ; thou art not borne of earth ; earth is the foot stoole of thy heavenly throne ; made for thy baser parts to trample on . look not so low , my soul , there 's nothing there : fit for thy sacred view ; it is no sphere for thee to move in : no , let worms and beasts and salvage brutes trade there , and lay their gests of progresse , to surround with weary paces the base confines of those inferiour places . i , but my soul , th' alliance of my flesh claims kindred there , takes pleasure to refresh her wasted body there : earth is her mother , the worme her sister , and the beast her brother . t is true , she is thy spouse , heav'n ty'd the knot for none to loose but heav'n : i know her lot is mortall , fraile , and being born of earth , corrupt , and weares the badges of her birth . if she transgresse , it 's thou must beare the blame , and all her deeds reflect upon thy name ; o then beware , and if she needs must goe to visit earth , first , let her frailty know , how apt she is to fall , and eke how prone to blurre , and strain thy honour and her owne . a name unblemisht with the sinfull soyle of sordid earth , is as a precious oyle , which like a soveraign antidote prevents that plague of vanity which earth presents . then tell her , tell her , that her mother earth must give her buriall as she gave her birth : tell her , o tell her , every gasp of breath are minuts moving to the howre of death : and let her know , the house of mourning brings more profit then the palaces of kings : tell her , lessereall happinesse doth dwell in a full banquet , then a passing-bell . arme her with patience apt to entertaine thy wisereproofs : but if her passion raigne , correct it wisely : teach her sober eye a willing ignorance in things too high if liberall earth should chance to crowne her store , let her wise modesty receive no more then she can manage ; pilots that are wise proportion out their canvase to the skies . let not her knowledg with the eagle fly , ilulesse her wisdome have an eagles eye . wisdome digests what knowledge did devoure , things sweet in taste , are indigested sowre . in prosp'rous fortunes let her joy be such , that in hard times she may not grieve too much . let her count wisdome as her chiefest good , and the price easie , whether sweat or blood : and let the perclose of her thoughts be this , to study what man was , and what man is . so now my soule , thy will instructed flesh may visit earth , and with her sweets refresh , thy wasted spirit , secure from all those ills which threaten ruine to distempered wills : now maist thou eat and drink , and make supplies for after dayes , and close thy peacefull eyes in calme content , and scape those hidden snares that lurke in pleasures , and increase our cares . he onely takes advantage of his lot , that uses earth , as if he us'd it not . cap. viii . kings are greatly to be respected , divine providence is to be observed . it is better with the godly in adversity , then with the wicked in prosperity . the worke of god is unsearchable , . who 's equall to the wiseman ? who but he can judge of things , or what their naturs be : wisdome adornes the cheek with lovely grace ; and plants courageous boldnesse in the face . . let me advise the subjects heart to stand devoted alwayes to the kings command : for having sworn allegeance to him , both heav'n and thy conscience doe attest thy oath . . let not thy discontented haste incite abrupt departure from his awfull sight : if thou hast err'd , continue not in ill , for princes acts are guided by their will : . the potent majesty of a princes word is backt and made authentick by the sword : what vent'rous tongue dare question or demand the least account from his illustrious hand ? . whose loyall brests observe the laws of kings , shall never know the grief rebellion brings : the wisemans heart knowes times , and judgment too , not only when to speak , but what to doe . . for ther 's to every purpose among men a judgement how to doe , a season when , which if mistaken , or not understood , brings so much mis'ry upon flesh and blood . . for man is ignorant of what may fall , and who is he can tell him when it shall . . no man hath power to prolong his breath , or make him shot-free in the day of death : there 's no retreat in that sad warre , nor can mans wickednesse preserve the wicked man . . all this have i observed , and have given my heart to note each action under heaven : there was a time when th' oppressors arme opprest his brother to th' oppressors harme . . so have i seene grave judges ( but unjust ) that sat in judgement , honor'd to the dust which hid their crimes ; these seemed to obtain some happinesse : this happinesse is vain . . because a present sentence is not past upon the wicked , their dull hearts at last grow quite obdure ; resolv'd , and fully bent . to act what evll's their greedy lusts present . . put case the sinner multiply his crime , and his long dayes , ev'n rust the sithe of time : yet well i know they only shall be blest , that sear th' almighty with a filiall brest . . i , but the wicked shall not scape secure , though he live long , he shall not long endure , but like a shadow shall his dayes appeare , because he fear'd not whom he ought to feare . . there is a vanity raigns here below , i see the wise man reap what sinners sow , and sinners share when just men sow the seed ; this grief ( said i ) all other griefs exceed . . then prais'd i mirth , and held it the best choice beneath the sun , to eat , and to rejoyce : for this is all the good , this all the gains is like to chear our days , and crown our pains . . but when i set my busie heart to know wisdome , and heav'ns strange working here below : ( for day and night my studyes did deny sleep to mine eye-lids , slumbers to mine eye ) . o then i found his works beneath the sun past finding out ; my fruitlesse thoughts did run this heav'nly maze , till they at length concluded , mans wit stoops here ; here wisdom stands deluded . soliloquie viii . but stay , my soul ! what language does appear ? am i deceiv'd ? or did i seem to hear ? which tenet shal i baulk ? and which , imbrace ? hath truth like janus , got a double face ? did not that voice , that voted wisdome vain but very now , now cry it up againe ? shall what was late condemn'd as a disease , now prove a remedy ? such slips as these are brands of humane frailty , which belong to us and ours ; it well be seems our tongue to contradict and jangle : error 's known by many faces ; truth admits but one : how haps it then , that wisdome , whose encrease adds to our grief , yet crowns our dayes with peace ? be not deceiv'd , my soul ; let not one name confound two natures , and make two the same : shall names give natures ? dare thy tongue professe an equall priviledge to curse and blesse for one names sake ? no , my deluded soul , sooner may light and darknese , fair and foul , sooner may good and evill ; nay , heaven and hell may sooner startle from their parallel , and turn joynt-tenants in one perfect line , then these two wisdomes , humane and divine . that breeds a tumor in the flatuous brest ; this lays it : that brings trouble , and this rest : that kindles fires , and those fires encrease to self-contention ; this concludes a peace : that duls the thoughts , supprest with low desires ; this mounts thy soule with more heroick fires : that cannot brook the transitory frown of fortunes brow ; this makes a crosse a crown : that fils thy hopes with froth , and blurs thy youth with black-mouth'd error ; this directs to truth : that scorns advice , and like an own-selfe lover befools thee ; but this honors the reprover : that fears , and flees , or fals at every breath of discontent : this triumphs , even in death ; that breaks relations , and for private ends , dissolves allegeance , and disbands true friends ; this loves society , cals not mine , but ours , yeilds due obedience to superior pow'rs : that prickt by passion rushes into crimes ; this backt with reason councels with the times : that gives the name of power ; this the thing : that makes a tyrant ; this creates a king : that lights thy honor , fading like a blaze ; this crowns thy name with everlasting dayes : that breeds a serpent ; this brings forth a dove : that works a servil fear ; this filiall love : that deads thy spirit ; this makes thee wisely bold : that scowres thy brass ; but this refines thy gold : that fills thy feast with cares ; with fears , thy breast ; this makes thy morsell a perpetuall feast : that cools thy palate , but inflames thy fire ; this slakes thy thirst , and satiates thy desire . o then , my soul , correct that flesh and blood that blinds thee so ; and , like a gloomy cloud , thus interposes , and obscurely flyes , betwixt the sacred object , and thine eyes : clear up , my soul , and like the eye of day , chastise that peccant darknesse , and display those mists of earth , which like false glasses shew fanatick figures , and present thy view with specious objects , precious in esteem , ( alas ) but nothing lesse , then what they seem . then shall the wisdome of that scarlet whore and all her bald-pate panders , painted o're with counterfaited holinesse , appear in her true colours , so that every ear that hears her base impostures , and the fame of her lewd piety , shall abhorre the name of bloudy rome : then shall the spotted beast put off her golden trappings ; and undrest of all her glory , be turn'd out to graze in uncouth deserts , and consume her dayes with dragons , tigers , and those salvage things , now pamper'd with the bloud of saints and kings . o then the crooked paths of error , fraud , and candle-light devotion , trim'd and straw'd with sweet-lipt roses , shall appear as plain , as tide-forsaken rocks along the main . then shall true wisdome , like fair sheba's queen , begin her royall progresse , and now seen in perfect beauty , shall erect her throne in every breast , and every solomon shall court her glory , and intranc'd in pleasure , shall smell her spices , and divide her treasure . cap. ix . like things happen to good and bad . . there is a necessity of death unto men . comfort is all their portion in this iife . gods providence ruleth over all . wisdome is better then strength . vers. . all this i ponder'd , and at length i found all actions , whether just or wise are crown'd by secret providence : and no man knows , gods love or hate , by blessings or by blows . . all haps alike to all ; the same things doe befall the righteous and th' unrighteous too . th' unclean , and clean , have here the self-same pay ; and he that prays , and he that doth not pray : alike befals to good and bad , and both to him that swears , and him that fears an oath : . it is a grief that grates beneath the sun , that like events betide to every one ; which makes the desp'rate hearts of men to rave with mischief , till they drop into the grave . . for the ambition of their hopes extend but to this life , and with this life they end : better to be a living dog ( they plead ) then to be known a lyon that is dead : . for they that live know well that they shall die , and therefore take their time ; but they that lie rak'd up in deaths cold embers , they know not or good or ill ; their names are quite forgot : . they have no friends to love , no foes to hate ; they know no vertue to spit venome at ; they sell no sweat for gains , nor do they buy pleasure with pains , or trade beneath the sky : . goe then , rejoyce , and eat : let a full boul casheire thy cares , and chear thy frolick soul ; what heaven hath lent thee with a liberall hand , to serve , and chear thy frailty up , command . . indulge thy carefull flesh with new supply , and change of garments of the purest dy ; refresh thy limbs , annoy'd with sweat and toyle , with costly bathes , thy head with precious oyle . . delight thy self in thy delicious wife all the vain days of thy vain wasting life ; of all the works thy painfull hand hath done , this , this is all the price beneath the sunne . . what ere thy hand endavours , that may gain contentment , spare not either cost or pain ; for there 's no hand to work , no pow'r to have , no wisdome to contrive within the grave . . i find the swift not always win the prize , nor strength of arm the battell , nor the wise grow rich in fortunes , nor the men of skill in favour ; all as time and fortune will . . man knoweth not his time ; as fishes are snar'd in the net , birds tangled in the snare , so be the sons of men surpriz'd with snares , when mischief fals upon them unawares . . this wisdome have i seen beneath the skye , which wisely weigh'd , deserves a wise mans eye . . there was a little city poorly mann'd , 'gainst which a potent king brought up a band of martiall strength , besieg'd it , and withall built mighty bulwarks 'gainst her slender wall ; . in this half conquer'd city there was found a poor wise man , whose wisedome did confound both thē & al the works their strength could plant ; yet no reward reliev'd this poor mans want . . o then ( thought i ) poor wisdome will at length discover greater worth then golden strength ; yet is the poor mans wisdome poorly priz'd , his word 's not heard , or being heard , despis'd : . the whisp'ring wise mans tongue prevaileth more , then when the lips of foolish rulers roare : . prudent advise is more transcendent far , then strength of arm , or instruments of war : but rash attempts of a misguided hand defeat themselves , and ruine all the land . soliloquie ix . but ah , my soul , what boots it to be wise ? or what advantage ? what great profit lies in a fair iourny ? to be well supply'd with all accoutrements , a knowing guide , a metled steed , a sweet and temperate sky , short miles , and way-beguiling company ; when armed death stands ready to attend thy parting stirrop at thy iournies end ? thy wisdome cannot save thee ; ha's no power to keep thee shotfree , or to quit that hower . dull nabals howreglasse runs as slow a pace as active solomons : an equall space divides their minuts ; deaths impartiall hand wounds all alike , and death will give no sand . what then my soul ? if wisdome should entaile our happinesse on this life , or fill our saile in this wilde ocean with perpetuall breath , when should we finde a hav'n ? if partiall death should favour wisdome , and not exercise her office there , 't were misery to be wise : the prudent pilot , whose marinall skill makes the proud windes obedient to his will , and ploughs the billows with lesse fear then wrong , takes no delight to make his voyage long ; but with his wise endeavours seeks to guide his slender pinnace , and to curb the pride of the rebellious waves , and doth addresse his care to crown his voyage with successe : our life 's the voyage , and this world the ocean ; our cares are waves tost in continuall motion ; our thoughts are busie windes , that often blow too strong a gale , and tosses to and fro our crazie vessels : every soul does bear the office of a pilot , now to stear , now to advise ; and still to lay commands upon th' affection-saylors , whose rude hands are alwayes active , ready to fulfill the wise directions of the pilots will . it matters not , my soul , how long or short thy voyage be , if safe ; they gain the port with best advantage , that in peace arrive with ribs unshook ; and all their men alive . it lies not in the skilfull pilots power t' avoid tempestuous seas , but to endure ; 't is wisdome to endure , as well as doe ; who bravely suffers , is victorious too . then chear , my soul ; let not the frowns of earth disturb thy peace , or interrupt thy mirth : let not that rude , that apogean storm of flesh and blood dismay thee , or deform the beauty of thy thoughts , or cast thy minde into a base despondence : let the winde blow were it please , a well-prepared brest will give thee shelter , and afford thee rest . when worldly crosses tempt thee , understand heav'n tryes thy temper then ; if then thou stand upright in court , and of unshaken minde , the test approves thee , and thou art refin'd . then chear , my soul ; let not the rubs of earth disturb thy peace , or interrupt thy mirth ; if heav'n hath crown'd thy labours with successe , enjoy it freely ; eat and drink , and blesse the gracious giver ; let thy soul rejoyce and take a chearfull pleasure in the choice of all delights ; and what his bounty gave with a free hand , fear not thou to receive with a free heart : refresh thy fainting head with precious oyles , and change thy carefull bread to feasts of ioy ; or if a crosse should greet thy frolique soul , march bravely on , and meet adversity half way ; and with a heart too great for earth to wrong , shake hands and part . chear then my soul ; let not the rubs of earth disturb thy peace , or interrupt thy mirth : goe , sweeten up thy labours and thy life with fresh delights : rejoyce thee in the wife and partner of thy bosome ; let her brest suffice thee as the center of thy rest : deny thy heart no pleasure , that may lye within the lawfull limits of thine eye . take time while time shall serve ; to morrow may be none of ours ; come , come , be wise to day ; and teach thy labours to bestow their sorrow on those that practise to be fooles to morrow . cap. x. observations of wisdome and folly . of riot , slothfulnesse , and money . mens thoughs of kings ought to be reverenced . vers. . look how dead flies ( thoughfew in number ) soil , corrupt and putrefy the purest oil : ev'n so a little folly stains his fame whom fair repute for wisdome lends a name . . a wise mans heart is plac'd at his right hand , his plots and councels are of strong command ; but hearts of fools are weak and rash , bereft of sage advice ; their hearts are at their left . . nay , if their steps but measure out the way , their garb , their looks , their language do betray their folly , read by whomsoere they meet ; themselves proclaim their selves in ev'ry street . . if thy superior happen to incense his jealous wrath at thy suppos'd offence , doe thou thy part and yeild , for yeilding slakes the raging flame , that great transgression makes . . i see an ev'll beneath the sun that springs from error , reigning in the breasts of kings : . fools are made statesmen , & command at court , and men of parts are made the lower sort . . so have i seen proud servants mounted high on lordly steeds , and lords to lackey by . . he that shall dig a pit , that shall prepare a snare , shall be ensnar'd in his own snare . and he that tramples down a hedge shall meet a serpent to salute his trampling feet . . he that shall shake a stone-compacted wall , shall undergoe the danger of the fall : who undertakes to cleave the knotty oak , shall be a painfull partner in the stroak : . but if th' unwhetted edge be blunt , the arm must give more strength , & so receive more harm ; but if he challenge wisdome for his guide , wisdome will doe , what painfull strength deni'd . . the rash reproving mouth of fools are arm'd like unenchaunted serpents , if not charm'd . . the wise mans words are gracious , where they go , but foolish language doth themselves o'rethrow . . folly brings in the prologue with his tongue , whose epilogue is rage and open wrong . . the fool abounds in tongue , there 's none can know what his words mean , or what he means to doe . . the tedious actions of a fool doth try the patience of the weary stander by ; because his weaknesse knows not how to lay his actions posture in a civill way . . woe to the land , whose princes wisdome swayes the scepter , in the nonage of her dayes ; and whose grave rulers , that should haunt the seat of sacred justice , rise betime to eat . . blessed art thou ô land , when as thy king derives his royall blood from th' ancient spring of majesty , and rulers timely diet serves to maintain their strength , & not their riot . . by too much slothfulnesse the building fals into decay , and ruine strikes her wals , and through the sluggish posture of his hand the weather-beaten house forgets to stand : . who eats and drinks and frolicks , uncontrol'd , maintaining riot with his wanton gold . . curse not the king , nor them that bear the sword , no , not in thought , tho thought express no word ; the fowls of heav'n shall vent such hideous things , and swift report shall fly with secret wings . soliloquie x. but ah , my soul ! how closely folly cleaves to slesh & blood ! how mungrell nature weaves wisdome and folly in the self-same loome , like webbe and woof , whereby they both become one perfect webbe to cloath our imperfections with linsy-woolsy , and our mixt affections with foolish wisdome ! o how full of earth was our first ore , which at our sinfull birth was taken from the womb ; now purifi'd in sacred fires , and more then seven times tri'd in sharp afflictions furnace ; yet how base our bullion is ! not worthy of the face that makes us currant ; o how apt and prone is flesh and blood to fall , if let alone but one poor minute ! most in danger then to be surpriz'd and foyl'd with folly , when our bold presumption tempts our thoughts to prise our wisdoms over-much , and seeme too wise . how one rash action ; o how one dead flie embalm'd in thy sweet oyle does putrefie thy box of spikenard ! how it casts a shame upon the beauty of thy honour'd name ! o then , my soul , take heed to keep thy heart at thy right hand ; there , there she will impart continuall secrets , and direct thy wayes in sacred ethicks , sweetning out thy dayes with season'd knowledge , knowledge past the reach of black-mouth'd error , shall instruct and teach thy tongue wise silence ; wisedome when to break thy closed lips , and iudgement how to speak : shee 'l teach thee christian policy , and how to keep thee safe when as thy princes brow shall threaten death , even when the flame shall flye like horrid lightning from his wrathfull eye . i , but the rage of princes oftentimes darts lightning at the person , not his crimes ; and their misguided will oft times demands obedience there , where conscience countermands . take heed , my soul ; thou tread'st upon the ice , be not too vent'rous here , nor too too nice : rush not too bold ; thou mayst as soon convince an error in thy conscience , as thy prince . to lay commands upon ind●fferent things , is a sole royalty belongs to kings . if here thy conscience doubt , the book of life must cast the balance , and decide the strife : if this way , thy enforc'd obedience then must stoop ; if that , please rather god then men . if th'embers of his rage should chance to lye rak'd up , or furnace from his angry eye , quit not thy duty : 't is thy part t' asswage the jealous flames of his consuming rage . what , if through error or misguided will he leaves the way to good , and cleaves to ill ; lend him thy prayers ; lament , advise , perswade , lift not thy hand , nor let thy tongue upbraid his sacred person ; hee 's by heav'n appointed to be thy prince ; o touch not heav'ns anointed . what , if he lend the fulnesse of his pow'r to those imperious spirits that devour subjects like bread , and drink the loyall blood of men like water ; men , not once allow'd to plead for life ; but silently subscribe to those that cannot judge without a bribe ? what , if his power pleases to commit his past'rall staffe to such as are more fit to kill and eat , or recommend his flocks to such dum dogs , of whom nor wolfe nor fox will stand in awe , or shew their feares by flight , that have not tongues to bark , nor teeth to bite ? rebell not thou , nor in a hostile way accoast thy prince ; or suffer or obey . what if the common favorite of the times ( the courtly fool , grown great with count'nance climes ) up to a lordship , when the man of merit broke on the wheel of fortune must inherit nothing but scorn and want ; and a poor name betraid to pity , and to empty fame ? be thou thy self , let not thine eye be evill : to a wise heart both hils and dales are levell . how happy is that land , how blest the nation whose prince directs by power , not by passion ? whose sacred wisdome knowes how great a price true vertue beares , and how to punish vice ; whose royall majesty , and princely love can both incorporate , and joyntly move in a self glorious orbe , and from one sphear breathe such rare influence of love , and fear into the hearts of men , that all the land shall cry a solomon , and sweetly stand rapt with sweet peace , and sacred admiration : how happy is that land , how blest the nation ! cap. ii. directions for charity . death in life , and the day of judgement in the days of youth , are to be thought on . vers. . vpon the waters let thy bread be cast , and thou shalt find it when some dayes are past . . give lib'rall almes , for it 's unknown to thee how full of wants thy after days shall be . . if clouds be full , will they deny to powr their fruitfull blessings in a lib'rall show'r ? or north , or south , or wheresoere the tree shall fall , no question it shall fall to thee . . he that observes the winde shall never sow : who marks the clouds shall never reap nor mow . . like as the embryo's growth within their wombs , is strange to thee , and how the soul becomes the bodies inmate , ev'n so all the rest of heav'ns high works are strangers to thy brest . . cast thou thy morning seed upon the land , and at the evening hold not back thy hand ; for who is he can tell thee which of these shall prosper best , or bring the best encrease ? . 't is true , the light is sweet , and every one takes pleasure in the world-rejoycing sunne : . but who lives many joyfull years , if he but count how long his after shades shall be in earths dark bosome , how can he refrain to think these short-liv'd flattering pleasures vain ? . rejoyce , ô young man in thy youthfull ways ; let thy heart cheer thee in thy youthfull days , delight thine eyes , thy heart , and take thy way ; but know that heavens accompt will find a day . . then banish fals-ey'd mirth : be dispossest of those lewd fires that so inflame thy brest ; for childhood , youth , and all their joyes remain but for a season , and they all are vain . soliloquie xi . so now my soul , thy wisdome-season'd brest may eat and drink , and labour , and digest thy carefull morsels , and with holy mirth disperse the clouds of melancholy earth : now maist thou sit beneath thy clustred vine , and presse thy grapes , and drinke thy frolick wine in soft and plenteous peace , and leave tomorrow to bear the burden of her selfe-borne sorrow : now maist thou walk secure from all those threats of peevish fortune , and the sly deceits of flattering pleasure : plenty cannot drown thine eyes in mirth , nor misery cast thee down : if the blew rafters of the falling skies should leave their spangled mansion , and surprise thy feeble strength , well may their ruines smite thee ; and grinde thy clod to dust , but not affright thee . what want'st thou then , my soul , that may augment the reall happinesse of a true content ? what vertue 's wanting now , whose absence may encourage bold-fac'd vanity to betray thy even-spunne dayes to sorrow ; or occasion thy fair-contriv'd designes to tast vexation ? wouldst thou have honor ? thou enjoy'st it : treasure ? thou hast it : wouldst thou gain the greater pleasure of a true noble spouse ; whose life may show vertues rare quintessence ? thou hast that too : wouldst thou have hopefull sonnes to crown thy last with peace and honour ? such rare sonnes thou hast : thy princes favour ? or thy peoples love ? all this thou hast ; wisdome in things above ? thou hast it : knowledge in these toyes beneath ? thou hast it : skill in th' arts ? or curious breath of whispering state ? all this thou hast : where , then , shall thy new wishes ●ix , rare man of men ? i , but my soul , one good is wanting still to summe a full perfection , and to fill thy cruise with happinesse : which if possest , thou hast a diademe , crownes all the rest : hadst thou the tongues of men , and couldst thou break thy lips in oracles ; or couldst thou speak the dialects of angels when they sing their sacred canzons to their soveraign king , a tinkling cymball , or the hideous sounds of discomposed discords , or the rounds of frolick midnight madnesse would requite thy wild attention with as much delight , and breathe as sweetly in the almighties eare if heart-rejoycing charity be not there : hadst thou what strength the parnassean muse can blesse thy fancy with , or heaven infuse ; hadst thou a faith to make the mountaines fly in the vast orbe , like atomes in thine eye ; lesse then those atomes would thy faith appear , if faith-confirming charity be not there : shouldst thou , to purchase heaven , renounce thy right of all thy goods , and turne an anchorite ; or should thy courage , to deserve the name of martyr , give thy body to the flame , when that blood pleads , heaven will not lend an eare if heav'n-engaging charity be not there . since then , my soul , both faith and works lie dead if charity fail , be wise , and cast thy bread upon the waters ; as the waters runne deal thou thy dole , untill thy dole be done . man is gods husbandry ; if then the plough of carefull want hath struck the furrow'd brow , and make it fit for seed ; hold not thy hand ; he robs himself that faintly sows the land : stay not for showres ; the soile , if overflowne , will drown thy seed-corn , and return thee none : let not some weeds discourage thee to sow , the plough will root them up ; or if they grow too sturdy for the coulters point to kill , fear not thy harvest ; a hard winter will . cast not lank grain upon too lean a ground , fair crops from off all corn are rarely found . sow closely what thou sow'st , and least in sight , the eyes of doves will make thy harvest light : but stay ! thou mayst surcharge as well as sterve the soile ; but wise men know what seed will serve : thy work thus wisely done ; what , then , remains ? give heav'n the glory , and expect the gains . cap. xii . the creatour is to be remembred in due time . the preachers care to edifie . the fear of god is the chief antidote of vanity . remember thy creator in thy prime of present youth , before the black-mouth'd time of sullen age approach ; before the day thy dying pleasures find a dull decay ; . before the sun , and moon , and stars appear dark in thy microcosmall hemisphear ; . before the clouds of sorrows multitiply , and hide the chrystall of the gloomy sky ; before the keepers of thy crazy tow'r be palsie-striken , and thy men of pow'r sink as they march , and grinders cease to grind distastfull bread , and windows are grown blind . . then shall the castles two-leafd gates be barr'd when as the milstones language is not heard ; the horn-mouth belman shal affright thy slūbers , thy untun'd ear shall loath harmonious numbers : . each obvious mole-hill shall encrease thy fears , and carefull snow shall blanch thy falling hairs ; a fly shall load thy shoulders : thy desire and all thy bed-rid passions shall expire . pale death 's at hand , and mourners come to meet thy tear-bedabled fun'rals in the street . . then shall the sinews silver cord be los'd , thy brains gold bowle be broke : the undispos'd and idle liver 's fountain dri'd ; the blouds meandring cisterns unsuppli'd . . then shall the dust her dust to dust deliver , whose spirit shall return to god the giver . . whereto th' ecclesiastick thus replies , all , all is vain , and vainest vanities . . because his true repentant soul was wise , he read this wisdome-lecture , did advise and search the fountain , whence he did convay the fruitfull streams in a proverbiall way . . he sought and found such words , which had the might to entermingle profit with delight ; and what his spirit-prompted pen did write was truth it self , and most exact upright . . the wise mans words are like to goads , that doe stir up the drowzy , and spur up the slow : and like to nailes to be made fast and driv'n by hands to th' hearts of men sent down from heav'n . . make use , my son , of what this hand hath penn'd , there is no end of pamphlets to no end ; these tire the flesh , and after age is spent , they breathe some knowledg , but no true content . . mark then the ground where the main building stands , fear thou thy god , observe his just commands . within the limits of this sacred ground mans duty lies ; true happinesse is found : . no work shall passe untri'd : no hand hath done what shal not plead at heav'ns tribunall throne : all secrets good and bad attend his eye ; his eyes behold where day could never prye . deus his quoque finem . soliloquie xii . now launch , my soul , into this sea of tears ; fear storms and rocks , yet smile upon thy fears ; weigh anchor ; hoist thy weather-beaten sailes ; the tides run smooth ; the wind breaths prosp'rous gales . tridented neptune now hath struck a peace with full-mouth'd aeolus , and the wars surcease : they sound a parley , and begin to treat , and sea-green triton sounds a shrill retreat . march now , my soul , through hadadrimmons vale without a tear ; or if thou must bewaile , mourn for vain earth , and drop in alms one tear for him that findes no happinesse but there . now mayst thou trample on the asp , and tread on the young lyon , and th' old dragons head ; wisdome shall guide thee , love shall circumclose thee , that fraud shall not beguile , or force oppose thee . thy prince shall honor thee , thy peers embrace thee ; no crime shall shame thee , & no tongue disgrace thee ; the rich shall rev'rence thee , the poor shall blesse thee ; wrath shall not over-rule , nor pride oppresse thee ; thy want shall not afflict , nor wealth betray thee , this shall not puffe thee up , nor chat dismay thee : pleasure shall not ensnare , nor pains torment thee , this shall not make thee sad , nor that repent thee . blest shall thy labours be , and sweet thy rest ; blest shall thy thoughts be , and thy actions blest ; blest in thy peace , and blest in thy promotion ; blest in thy sports , and blest in thy devotion ; blest in thy losses , blest in thy encreases ; blest in thy health , and blest in thy diseases ; blest in thy knowledge , blest in thy corrections ; blest in thy soul , and blest in thy affections . o then , my soul , let thy affections flow in streams of love to him that lov'd thee so ; let not his high-priz'd benefits depart from thy remembrance , grave them in thy heart with tools of adamant , that they may last to after-times , that when thy days be past , thy well-instructed children may emblaze thy makers goodnesse to the last of days . blesse thou the lord , my soul ; let thy whole frame , and all within thee magnifie that name that blest thee so ; blesse thou the lord , my soul , report his precious favours , and enroll his numerous mercies in thy gratefull brest : remember thy creator ; o protest his praises to the world , and let thy tongue make him the subject of thy youthfull song ; give him the firstlings of thy strength , even than when fading childehood seeks to ripen man upon the downy cheeks ; when vigour trains the sparkling blood through thy meandring veins ; before thy flowing marrow shall foment thy lust full fires ; before the false content of frothy pleasures shall begin t' invite thy fond affections to a vain delight . then , then , my soul , whilst thy supplies are fresh and strong , wage war with thy rebellious flesh ; gird up thy loyns , and march , spare neither sweat nor bloud , take courage , strike , subdue , defeat : sing a triumphant song , sing io paean ; adorn thy brows with palm , and again sing io paean . take time while time shall serve ; 't is thine to day , but secret danger still attends delay . doe while thou mayst ; to day has eagle wings , and who can tell what change to morrow brings ? advantage wasts , and strength of body wears , life has no lease ; and youth , no tearm for years : when creeping age shall quench thy sprightly fires , and breathe cold winter on thy chill desires , what fire shall burn thy offerings ? o what praise can issue forth from cold decrepit dayes ? when ebbing bloods neap-tides shall strike thy lims with trembling palsies ; when dry age bedims the optick sunshine of thy bed-rid days , what boots thy cold , thy paralytick praise ? when secret ulcers shall attaint thy breath with fumes more noysome then the sinks of death , what pleasure shall thy great creator raise from thy breath tainted , and unsav'ry praise ? come then , my soul , rouze up thy dull desire , and quicken thy faint coals of sacred fire , that lie rak'd up in th' embers of thy flesh ; fetch breath from heaven , & with that breath refresh thy glim'ring sharks : brook not the least delay , embers grow cold , and sparks will soon decay . the end . in obitum viri clarissimi , atque ingeniosissimi poëtae , francisci quarles , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} i cygne felix , ocyùs avola , cantator ales , cùm neque jam vada ripis supersint , nec quietae purus aquae fluat ( ecce ! ) rivus ; fontes nec ipsi : sanguine , sanguine ( heu ! cuncta manant ; quod mare civicae non decoloravêre caedes ? ipsa , vides , rubet hippocrene . et quis poëtis jam locus aut latex ? quae lympha musis ? cùm cruor undique . hinc , hinc migrandum , ni bibemus purpureas heliconis undas . at ô camaenarum & dolor & decus ; tu si recedas , quis tua funera cantabit , ô divine vates ? quo moritur moriente phoebus . quisquámne fundet jam querulum melos ? ( falsum nec omen nominis hoc tui ; ) moestúmve panget carmen art● , melpomenes citharâ canorus ? quis sertacoelojam dabit ? aut pium emblema texet floribus ingenî ? quis symbolorum voce pictâ vnà oculos animúmque , pascet ? quis melle puro jam , calami potens , condîta promet dia poëmata ? aut funditabit , grande , sacro enthea metra calens furore ? quis sanctitatem nectáre carminis tinctam propinans , digna deo canet ? coelúmque , versu claudet omni , atque fidem fidibus sonabit ? tu nempe litem , si pote , publicam compescuisses dulcisonis modis , ni laeva nobis mens , & orbi harmoniam reducem dedisses . mollîsse magnos tu poter as duces , fer as ut orpheus flexanimis sonis ; pacémque pulsam , júsque mundo , a● eurydicen retulisse cantu . per te coîssent dissita pectora , per te coîssent diruta moenia : tu solus amphion peri●us vel lapides sociare plectro . postquàm hoc negatum ; ponere nover as emblema saltem flebile seculi , bellique : nostris sed nec ullum par hieroglyphicum ruinis . quando ergo te nec terra capit , tuis nec digna musis ; i , pete coelites , intérque coetus angelorum perpetuum modulare carmen . jacobus duport , graecae linguae professor cantab. an elegle upon the famous poet francis quarles . is quarles dead ? his active spirit flown and none to lend a tear , a sigh , a groan , for the worlds losse ? me thinks at least all eyes ( since tongues can not ) should weep large elegies . expect no muses ; for they at his death compassionate , lost their poetique breath . expect no marble tombe ; he 's above fate ; his name ( if learning live ) shall know no date : his issue shall survive posterity , this age and th' next , and so t' eternity . peruse his phansies , and his emblems wrapt ; and see s. paul into the third heav'ns rapt : or else some cherubim sent down from thence t' unfold heav'ns mysteries in heav'ns eloquence . a poet-saint he was , in him each line speakes out at large rare poet , choyce divine . his message done , he flyes unto his maker , of what he told us here , to be partaker . his prison'd soul was so harmonious here ; now loose , what musick , think you , makes she there ! she wept , then sung ; now sung , ' gaine wept in rime : her rests now know no stop , her joy no time . her phansy vision is , she now doth live with angels food , knowledge intuitive . by emblems dark to spell the deity she taught before , now sees divinity . but stay my muse : the clouds doe interpose twixt thee and her ; 't is better for thee close , then pierce , or peep too farre . phoebus is set ; th'hast pay'd thy tribute light , thy tribute heat , sigh out the rest : or wouldst thou to him go , thy love , thy life ? go be entombed too . r. stable . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- vide psal. . ver. . & . i have hated them that hold of superstitious vanities : and my trust hath been in the lord . let the lying lips be put to silence : which cruelly , disdainfully , and despitefully speak against the righteous . notes for div a e- postscript . notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. ●● vers. ●● vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. ● vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- chap. . chap. . . notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. notes for div a e- vers. vers. vers. the vvhipper vvhipt being a reply upon a scandalous pamphlet, called the whip, abusing that excellent work of cornelius burges, dr in divinity, one of the assembly of divines, entituled, the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered / inserti authoris, qui mockat, mockabitur. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; :e , no ) the vvhipper vvhipt being a reply upon a scandalous pamphlet, called the whip, abusing that excellent work of cornelius burges, dr in divinity, one of the assembly of divines, entituled, the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered / inserti authoris, qui mockat, mockabitur. quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. [s.n.], [london] imprinted : m.dc.xliv. [ ] attributed to quarles by wing and nuc pre- imprints. place of imprint suggested by wing. title within double line border. this item can also be found as the third part of wing q (the profest royalist) which appears at reel : . reproduction of original in the thomason collection, british library. eng burges, cornelius, ?- . -- fire of the sanctuarie newly uncovered. whip. a r (wing q ). civilwar no the vvhipper vvhipt· being a reply upon a scandalous pamphlet, called the whip: abusing that excellent work of cornelius burges, dr in divin quarles, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the vvhipper vvhipt . being a reply upon a scandalous pamphlet , called the whip : abusing that excellent work of cornelius burges , dr in divinity , one of the assembly of divines , entituled , the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered . incerti authoris . qui mockat , mockabitur . imprinted , m. dc . xliv . to the sacred majesty of king charles , my most deare and dread soveraigne . sir , bepleased to cast a gracious eye upon this book , and at your leasure ( if your royall imployments lend you any ) to peruse it . in your three kingdoms , you have three sorts of people : the first , confident and faithfull ; the second , diffident and fearfull ; the third , indifferent and doubtfull . the first are with you in their persons , purses , ( or desires ) and good wishes . the second are with you neither in their purses , nor good wishes , nor ( with their desires ) in their persons . the third are with you in their good wishes , but neither in their persons , nor purses , nor desires . in this booke , these three sorts are represented in three persons , and presented to the view of your sacred majesty . you shall find them as busie with their penns as the armyes are with their pistols : how they behave themselves , let the people judge : i appeale to cesar . your majesties honour , safety and prosperity , the churches truth , unity , and uniformity , your kingdomes peace , plenty and felicity , is the continued object of his devotion , who is sir , your majesties most loyall subject , the replyer . the whipper vvhipt . there came , by chance , to my un-enquiring hand , a pamphlet called the whip ; whose pharisaicall author pretended a transcendent zeale to my first eye ; but , after a leafes perusall , i found his flame so extreamly hot , that his religion seemed ( for want of due stirring ) burnt too ; and so much tasted of the brasse , that no orthodox palate could relish it , nor a well-grounded conscience digest it : the namelesse author had an vtopian spirit ; and the government he best affected , was anarchie : he was a salamander ; his very dwelling was in fire : his heart was a sink of ignorance ; his spleen , a spring of gall ; a shemei , a rabshekah : his mouth ran bitternesse and malice ; and his pen slow'd venime , and rebellion . the object of this fiery pamphlet , was the orthodox & most excellent work of doctor cornelius burges , a man of singular parts ; and , at this time ; a worthy member of the synod , or assembly of divines ; entituled , the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered , or a compleat tract of zeale , and printed by george miller and richard badger , anno . which , this pamphleters unlearned pen hath so poorely answered , so impiously maligned , so maliciously calumniated , that i have thought good to east away some inke upon him , ( not in vindication of the doctor , whose conscience , enlightned by the scriptures , needs no champion ) but to rectifie the abused vulgar ; who , by the help of such pneumaticall fantasticks , have turnd their leaden apprehensions into quick-silverd zeale , which hath swallowed up and devoured their duty to their betters , their faire demcanour to their equalls , and their charity to all relations . this unworthy pamphleter , in the progresse of his more unworthy work , against this worthy member , uses that method , which beelzebub the prince of flyes prescribes him ; who , like a fly , buzzes through his whole larder , blowing here & there ; but leaving such fruitfull corruption , that , in short time , his whole store , nay ( if possible ) the very bread of life , moulded by the hand of heaven , which hee hath set apart in his margent , would grow unsavoury . he begins at the dedication epistle , repeating the doctors words , then poysoning them with his owne calumnies ; whereunto , if your patience ( equall readers ) will admit me , by the name of a replyer ; you shall have all woven together in one loome : wherein i purpose not to load your eares with those his frivolous preambles and impertinences , which would swell this pamphlet beyond your patience ; but , suddenly to rush into the list . d. burges dedication title . to the right honourable , william , earle of pembroke , &c. calumniator . popery , and superstition at the first dash ! dedication is a meer popish ceremony , begun by the antichristian hierarchy , derived from deo and dicatio , which is a vowing to god : it was first used when steeplehouses , or meeting-places were built , which papists call churches , dedicating them to god ; or to those they honoured as much , saints , whereof some of them are now roring in hell ; under which pretence , they juggled holynesse into them , more then into barnes or stables : now this book the doctor dedicates to the earle of pembroke , whereby he secretly acknowledges him either a god , or a saint ; if a god , he blasphemes ; if a saint , he lyes ; for he was a courtier , and preferd the king before the elect ; whereas saints imitate god , and should be no respecters of persons ; in whose eyes , kings and subjects are alike . replyer . when ignorance hath shot forth her shady leaves , how quickly impiety budds ! and , then , how suddenly rebellion blossoms ! ignorance first taught thee a false etimologie of a word ; then , impiety suggests a slight estimation of a church ; and then , rebellion insinuates a disreputation of a king . now , one lash more at schoole , would have helpt all this , by curing that ignorance , and letting you know , that dedication is derived from de , ( here taken perfectivè ) and dicatio , ( which is an offering or a presentation ) which two words , joyned , carry the sense of a full or totall presentation of this book to whom he presented it . now cal. where 's the blasphemic ? or where 's the lye ? let them even both returne to the base mouth from whence they came ; and that one lash more which might have cured thy ignorance , in time , might save gregory some labour ; and thee , some paines , in an undedicated meeting-place . d. burges in the epistle dedicatory . it ( viz. this treatise ) speaks of fire ; but such , as was made to warme , and not to burne any thing , unlesse stubble . cal. i knew what temper your fire ( your zeale ) had , ( luke-warme master doctor ) apt to receive warmth or flame according to the times . rep. it is the devils custome to leave out halfe the text : let mee supply your defect , cal. to warme solid hearts ; not to burne any thing but such stubble as you , and then the sentence is perfect . d. burges . here is no ground for an utopian spirit , to mould a new common-wealth ; no warrant for sedition to touch the lords anointed , so much as with her tongue ; no occasion administred to ishmael to scoffe at isaac ; no salamanders lodge themselves here . cal. an utopian spirit is a word of your owne coyning , whereof i confesse my ingenious ignorance . but i perceive , this opinion which you pin upon pembrok's sleeve , admits rather of an old popish government , then of the moulding of a new , by an holy reformation : it makes such an idol of your king , ( whom you falsly tearme the lords anointed ) that it brands that hand with the aspersion of sedition ; and that tongue , with the guilt of impiety , that touches him ; whereas kings are but men , and wicked kings but beasts , in gods eye , and the righteous have gods power , and may touch them ; nay , and scourge them too ; but , i feare , your zeal burnes now onely to light your doctorship to a deanery : what you meane by salamanders , i know not . repl. you professe ignorance , cal. in the beginning and ending of your learned speech , and discover treason in the whole body : the first ignorance you professe , is , of an vtopian spirit , wherein i thus informe you : it is a fanaticall spirit , even your owne spirit , by which you pray nonsense by the houre , preach treason by the halfe day , and ejaculate blasphemies every minute . your last ignorance is , of the salamanders ; wherein i thus instruct you . they are the fierie spirits that dwell within your flaming bosomes , by which ye murther , under the pretence of piety ; rob by way of religion ; and fling dirt in the face of majesty by colour of zeale : no wonder , cal. those spirits are unknowne to you , when ye know not of what spirit ye are : as for the body of your speech , we leave it to the judgement of authoritie . d. burges . but here 's a flame that will lick up all angry wasps , and inflamed tongues that presumptuously and without feare speak evill of dignities , and of things they understand not , railing on all not so free as themselves to foame at the mouth , and to cast their froth on all that are neare , without difference . cal. this your flame , courtly master doctor , lights us to understand , that your saintly patrone had then some remarkable living in his gift ; or power , to make you one of the kings chaplains , in ordinary ; strengthned , with the hopes whereof , you thus magnisie dignities , that is , kingship , lordship , and bishopship : and i am verily perswaded , if amaleck or esau , ( whom god cursed ) were in being , your linsy-woolsy zeale would endeavour to vindicate them from that curse ; or if caiphas , the high priest , were placed in office here , you have a pensill to paynt his wall white enough , for paul to curse . repl. cal. i feare you are one of those angry wasps the doctor's zeallicks up , and his pen ( now above yeares old ) discoverd your nest , being a faction now in power , and prophesied of above yeares since ; whose mal●pert , sawcy , and slovenly tenets were well known to him , to be the ivie of the true orthodox and primitive religion , whose ambitious and fiery spirits , ( hating all government both in church and state , casting their foame and froth in the face of majesty and hierarchie , without respect of honour or place ) his conscience ( enlightned and instructed by the holy scriptures ) hated with a perfect hatred , and used his best meanes to suppresse and quench . d. burges , in his preface . my sharpnesse against some democraticall anti-ceremonians is not meant to weak consciences , joyned with pious , sober , and peaceable courses . cal. marke , whilst this sharp doctor would boast of a vertue called moderation , he turnes advocate to that detestable sinne of lukewarmnesse : as if he should have said , my sharpnesse against the enemies of popery , extends not to them , that are not too active and zealous of gods glory . doctor , this fire will hardly make your pot boile . rep. mark how this bitter calumniator acts his owne part to the life ; at one breath , both wresting the words , and wronging the person : and how it offends him , ( whose glory is to set weak consciences upon the rack ) to see another , fearfull of offending a weake conscience : cal. this zeale will make your pot boyle into the fire . d. burges . but i speak to such as keep a frantick coyle about ceremonies , and think they never take their levell right , but when , with every bolt they shoot , they strike a bishops cap sheire off his head , and yet are more fantasticall , ignorant , proud , self-will'd , negligent and deceitfull in their particular callings then many whom they despise and condemne to hell for carnall men , forsooth , as any observing eye may easily discerne . cal. so , master doctor ; i now call both the parliament , and the whole assembly of divines to witnesse , you are either a malignant , or a turnecoate : when you reade this clause , remember your own late votes , and tell me , what mettle your conscience is made of . tell me now , in sadnes , doctor , are they ignorant , proud , self-willd , negligent , and deceitfull in their callings , that inveigh against ceremonies , forsooth ? that endeavour to strike off a bishops cap , forsooth ? once again , i say , remember your own votes and blush : nay , if , with the satyre , you can blow hot and cold with one mouth , you are no divine for me , forsooth . repl. you triumph cal. too much before the victory , and crow too considently upon your owne dunghill : i justifie the doctor in what i know : you condemne him , in what you know not : what his votes were , or how , or when made , it matters not to me , but his opinion ( declared to all the world ) proclaims him no lesse then orthodox : i look upon him as a divine , absolutely ; not as an assembly-man , relatively : the satyres hot breath warmed his fingers , which else had been too cold : the satyres cold breath coold his breth which else had burnt his lips : the first was breath ; the last , but winde . d. burges . touching the carriage of zeale towards princes , my conscience witnesseth with me , in the sight of god , that i have spoken nothing , but what in my judgement is the truth , without sinister or base intents . cal. this clause stands like a pander to keep the doore , till you have committed your spirituall fornication within ; and to anticipate your beleeving reader , whilst you basely flatter princes ; wherein , you have engaged your conscience , and attested god concerning that your opinion , we shall hereafter understand ; which in his due place , you shall not faile to heare of . repl. how like a snarling cur you gurne before yee bite : cal. as you have acted your first part , in shewing your teeth ; so , anon , we shall expect your second part , in clapping your tayle betwixt your legs , and shamefully running away . d. burges . nor doe i touch on that , presuming to teach my betters ( but rather as men use to do , when they go for orders , or a benefice ) to give accompt . cal. doctor , it is the property of dogs to baule at beggers , or inferiours , who come empty isanded ; but to fawne upon their feeders , and wag their flattering tayles at those , from whose well furnisht trenchers they expect some scraps : no , you presume not to teach your betters ; tell me , doctor , who sent you ? whose embassadour are you ? come you in your own name ? it seemes you do : he , in whose name you should come , knowes no betters : the truth is , christ sext you ; but antichrist ( from whose surrogates you had your orders ) signed your commission : christ sent you to preach , and antichrist bad you take a benifice by the way ; which ( speaking to your betters ) you here craftily insinuate in your simile : iesuites beg not , but point yee where the box stands . repl. your sawcy impudence , cal. votes modesty a vice , and rudene●se , zeale : our blessed saviour sayes , give unto cesar those things that belong unto cesar ; and saint paul , honour to whom honour belongs , commanding all things to be done decently and in order : which is too neate a doctrine for your nasty spirits : god , who is no respecter of persons in matter of iustice , commands you not , to disrespect persons , by way of manners : diet for princes and pesants require severall dressings : when saint paul said to that heathen king agrippa , beleevest thou the prophets ? i know thou beleevest ; have not you blasphemy enough to traduce the apostle of a courtly lye ? i feare , your rabseka-spirit would have lent him courser language . and as for the benefice you say the doctor insinuates in his simile , you might have charitably translated it into two or three sequestrations , and then it had been tolerable . d. burges . and yet i would teach withall : i meane , the boystrous multitude ; who , ever prefer the rough channel before the temperate shore , and think no man preaches well in a prince his court , but he that is so fierie and rude ( plaine as they call it ) as with his thunder shakes the very house : and if he cast no squibs in a princes face , or preach not like a privy councellor , they say he hath no holy fire in him . cal. how this temporizing doctor still courts preferment ! in his last clause , he craftily insinuates for a benefice ; and in this , as grosly for a court chaplainship , wherein , he openly discovers how his silken conscience stands qualified for such imployment , being more ready to sowe pillows under princes elbowes , then denounce judgments against their sins ; declaring himself a profest enemy against the , boysterous multitude , who love the rough channell ; and who are they ? even those nathanian spirits that dare tell the king , thou art the man ; and professing himself a friend to such as love the temperate shore ; and who are they ? even such as flatter princes into the flames of hell . a fit doctor to consult and vote in the assembly . repl. it is one part of the devils office , cal. to accuse man toman , wch office , i fear , you rather execute under him , as his child , then usurp from him , as a stranger : gods servants must wear gods livery , meeknes ; they must reprove with wisdom , sobriety , & mildnes ; especially , the sacred persons of kings : god was more in the still voyce then in the thunder : squibs , taunts , and raylings are none of gods wayes ; but love , temperance , and moderation : if your house have a slaw , or an unsound pillour , will you , straight fire it ; and , not rather prop it , and , by degrees , strengthen it , for after service ? gods fire , ( that appeared in the bush ) gave light ; but , burnt not ; but your zeales have no patience , demolishing and consuming , even from the cedar that growes in lebanon to the hysop that is upon the wall : if such fire become the assembly , then take out burges , and put in peters . d. burges . if men dislike a book in this age , their censure is usually , it hath no salt in it : a discourse of this nature should have salt good store , for all sacrifices must be seasoned with salt ; so is this , but intended to season onely , not to fret any , unlesse by accident . cal. but if salt hath lost it's favour , wherewith shall it be seasoned ? so hath yours , doctor ; your sacrifice then will quickly stinck : you are a very bad phisition for the soul ; your kichen phisick ( for you have no other ) were good to keepe a healthfull soul in a good state ; but when feavors of lust , dropsies of drunkennesse , plurisies of blood , faint fits of lukewarmnesse , &c. accost the soul , your seasoned brothes will faile : sometimes the disease will require vomits , purges , phlebotomy , cautherizing , scarifying , cutting , &c. but , i feare , your end is rather to cure your own defects , then your patients distempers . repl. i fear , cal. some of the doctors salt hath fretted your chapt fingers ; which , perchance , you strive to wash out with your own vineger , which so much troubles you : you name some diseases in others , but forget your own , both acute and chronicall , the cardiaca passio , the tumour of the spleene , the petulancy of the tongue , the cold fits of uncharitablenesse : the first , second , and fourth of these are inward and habituall ; and , i feare , incureable ; but for the third , the beadel of bridewell will be your best phisitian . d. burges . thus have you my apology ( if it be one ) as a smal skreen to hold between you and the fire , if you think it be too big , or too neare , and that it would heate you too much . cal. doctor , your apology is as needlesse as your work : your fire ( whereby ( i take it ) you meane your zeale newly discovered ) is but an ignis lambens , or as rotten wood , shining in the dark ; or if it be a true fire , it is but of juniper , which rather serves to perfume a princes chamber , then to warme a christians heart ; and so dul , that it requires , rather , a paire of bellowes , then a sk●eene . repl. i hope , cal. it is not such a fire as yours , called ignis fatuus , which entices poor soules , ( wandering in the dark , ) to breake their necks ; but ( as you have excellently , ( although against your will ) tearmed it ) a fire of iuniper ; no perfume , sweeter ; no coales , hotter ; this juniper fire sends up sweet perfumes of comfort to the broken heart , and contrite spirit ; but threatens the fiercest of gods iudgements to the rebellious and impenitent soule . here , reader , be pleased to pause a while , and to understand , our calumniator hath done with the doctors preface , intending now to set upon the body of the work it self ; wherein , he undertakes not his task progressively , but selectively ; whether , he drives at one subject , collecting what he findes scattered through the whole book ; or whether his wit can onely daunce after a pipe of that nature , i cannot resolve you ; you have it as i found it : this i perceive , by his stragling method , that it was leape yeare in his braynes , as well as in his kalender ; and so , we begin againe . the fire of the sanctuary uncoverd . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin. . it had not been lawfull for elijah to put those idolaters to the sword , if he had not been able to plead speciall commission from god , as he did . cal. take heed doctor , you run not your selfe out of the assembly into ely house : what speciall commission had our parliament to do the like ? yet how many thousand more have perisht by the sword , at their command ? are not they wise , and truly religious , and holy merchants for gods glory , and blessed agents for our kingdomes reformation ? and would they do such an act , and stand guilty of such a fratricide , so horrible a slaughter , had they not a warrant for it ? come , doctor , it is wisdome to retract and change a misopinion : it is a good bargaine , to change for the better , and get . l. per . annum . to boot , and god knowes what be sides . repl. you ride , cal. upon the surer horse , as the case stands now : take heed of the kings plunderers . the parliaments authority is inscrutable , and too great a mistery for a private mans capacity ; but if the doctors opinion be firmly grounded on the word of god , my confidence of his piety is such , that neither feare of prisons , nor hope of fortunes , are able to divert , or to corrupt him : but , cal. it had been better worth your paines , to have refuted his opinion , by the strength of holy scripture , then pinned your implicite faith upon the authority of men , though never so learned or religious , being the self same error , we cry down , in popery . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . he that being under authority will rather resist then suffer , makes the cause suffer by his resistance , and so in stead of standing zealously for it , he doth in effect raise forces against it . cal. a high and desperate malignancy ! a doctrine most dangerous and damnable ! not onely contrary to the practice of all churches , that labour for a reformation , but directly opposite to an ordinance of parliament also . if this doctrine be permitted from the pen of an assembly man , without punishment or publique retractation , our cause wil carry warme credit ; and his bosome a strange conscience : if this clause be sound , we are at a weekly cost to much purpose ; if unsound , our assembly hath a sound member . repl. no question , cal. that malignant doctrine hath been the ancient and received tenet of former dayes ; neither do i know any religion so opposite to it as the church of rome , which holds it not venial , but meritorious , not onely to resist but also to depose the authority of the supreme magistrate ; but we are better taught by scripture , & not alone commanded , but also find it frequently exemplifyed unto us by holy men , to give all passive obedience to the power of our princes , whether good or bad ; without which gods true religion , would , surely , want that honorable confirmation of holy martirdome , which formerly it had ; but whether the yeare . brought new inspirations and revelations with it , or whether the thousand six hundred and forty one yeares before it , slept in the darknes of this point , deluded by false translations , the doctor ( if you repaire to him ) no question , can render you a satisfactory accompt . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . zeale may stand with suffering and fleeing , but not with resistance , which is flat rebellion ; and no good cause calls rebellion to aid . cal. here 's more water from the same ditch , but a little more stincking , through the addition of this odious word rebellion : what malignant devil haunted this doctors pen ? nay , in those ●alme dayes , when that base tearme ( rebellion ) was hardly understood , but in our prayers confessive ; nay , scarce then ; a word , more fit for those that can submit to the inordinate power of a prince , and crush religion in a common-wealth . repl. how now , cal. does your shoe pinch you there ? dare you resist who have liberty to flee ? can you resist , and not rebell ? can you do the act with a good conscience , & not heare of the action without impatience ? how willingly can a dog foule the roome , and how loath to have his nose rubbed in it ? did not i tell you , in the preface , ( where you shewed your teeth ) that you would clap your tayle between your legs anon , and run away ? he whose enlightned judgment there called his god to witnesse , hath condemned your cause , styled you by the name of rebell , and branded your actions with the style of flat rebellion : his conscience , then , had neither feare to pinch it ; nor affection , to enlarge it ; nor could his merits aime at any by-respects for his maintayning of so known a truth , so doubly fortified both by the law of god and nature : rebellion is a trade the devil is free of : it is both trade and devil too : no wonder , cal. to see you run so fast ; you know who drives you : nay , he hath driven you so far beyond your senses , that you hold him onely loyal , that rebells ; and him rebellious , onely , that submits . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin. . i think no wise man doubts , that even in the purer times of the old church in israel , corruptions grew in ceremonies as well as in the substance of gods worship , and yet pry into the scriptures never so carefully , we shall not finde any of the most zealous saints fall on fire for ceremonies , which is worth observation . cal. a true chip of the old block canterbury , who after he had familiarized the name of the altar , in the common care , ( not daring to bring in transubstantiation , with a full tide ) innocently left out those words in his service book , which onely made the difference betwixt a sacrifice , and the sacrament ; so that , but one step more , and the work had been fully done . so this our doctor ( not daring to urge ceremonies too loud , lest the godly should heare him ) sets the peaceable custome of the former saints betwixt him and the danger of all good mens censure . he made the example of the saints the wall by which his creeping popery might hold , for feare of falling ; who , ( had not this blessed parliament dropt down from heaven , to crush these superstitions in their rise ) had been , by this , as perfect a proficient as the worst ; had had his high tricks , his low tricks , and perchance , his merry tricks too , as well as his fellowes . repl. how you wonder at a sparke of fire , cal. when just now your eyes dazled at the flame i did not the doctor , in his dedication , as good as confesse himself an enemy to anticeremonians ? did not your self taxe him of rank popery ? and yet , what a busines now , you make of his creeping ceremonies ? the lyar , cal. and the malitious , sometimes , are alike forgetfull ; but , to the purpose ; if you loved the substance of religion more , you would have more lamented that sea of christian blood , that hath been shed about these ceremonies , then i find you do : we contend , so much , about the shell , that , i feare , we have lost the kirnell : but this know , cal. so long as you traduce your brother , and thus abuse your spirituall father , neither the love of god , nor the god of love abides in you . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . again , let such as be zealous sticklers for democraticall , or aristocraticall discipline , consider how ill the church can be governed by one policy , and the common-wealth by another . cal. our doctor is growne a machiavilian ; and forgets that piety is the best policy ; we , living under a monarchicall governement in the common-wealth , how he pleads for a hierarchicall governement in the church ? consequently , dissallowing democraticall or aristocraticall discipline , which our gratious parliament is now setting up ; but 't is no wonder to heare him , that hath so zealously pleaded for the robes and vanities of the whore to apologize for her governement ; and , by consequent , for the whore her self also ! repl. when ignorance and folly meet , how malice domineeres ? how this government , by bishops , erected in the apostles dayes approved by polycarpus , saint iohns disciple , and irenaeus the disciple of polycarpus , ignatius , and all those first planters of the gospell ; submitted unto by the whole primitive church ; confirmed by lucius , the first christian king in this island ; afterwards , established by so many acts of parliament , ( as yet unrepealed , ) and freely and personally exercized by so many godly and learned martyrs ; how this government sticks in ignorant cal's stomack ? whose forgetfull malice , would make the doctor an enemy to the proceedings and designes of parliament , whose writings were printed so many yeares before this parliament was dream'd of : as for his pleading for the whore , this know ; had the popish strumpet found no better friends then he , she had wanted that retrograde mercy of a third part , when the protestant matrone must be content but with a fift . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . it was long since the zealous complaint of a holy man , that men could no sooner get up their names in the world , and be able readily and confidently to muster up a few places of scripture , nothing to the purpose , but they thought themselves sufficient to encounter moses himself , setting upon him as furiously as dathan or abiram ever did : happy were this age , had it none of that temper . cal. but has that holy man no name , doctor ? or , was it your own self ? the man we know not , but his intentions are apparent ; namely , to conclude none able for the ministry , but such as have first their ordination from your popish bishops , from whose imposition of hands , they presently receive the spirit ; till then , being neither called nor qualified : brave iuggling ! when the laying on of symonaicall hands must enable a drunkard , or a whore-master , or worse , to preach the sacred word , and administer the holy sacraments , who now , by the virtue of this hocas pocas , hath a capacity to forgive sins , being ( though formerly very ignorant ) now gifted more or lesse , according to the gift he brings ; where they that are called by the secret working of gods spirit , inwardly , enlightned by knowledge , and especiall revelation , and able for interpretation ( though never gifted with tongues ) were not permitted to exercize their ministeriall function : but imprisoned , persecuted , and pilloryed . repl. true , cal. you hit the intention right ; and have so plainly discovered yours too , that every fool may reade it ; and ( being converted by you ) approve it , too : wherein , you intimate , how needlesse , ordination and learning are , to qualify a minister ; and , that any , who finds himself gifted , may execute the priestly office . tel me , cal. may any , that hath skill to make a shoe , a hat , or a suite , professe the trade , till he be made free ? your halls say , no : why ? he hath skill in the mistery , and his apprentiship is served ! what hinders him , he cannot practice ? his master must make him free , and he must performe the city ceremony . and shall the calling of a minister be undertaken by every unexamined tagrag ? shall every coblor , feltmaker , or taylour intrude into that honorable calling , and be judges of their own sufficiency ? and leave their lawfull trades for unwarrantable professions , according to their own humerous fansies ? our bodyes , cal. expect the help of the most rationall and authoriz'd phisitians ; but our soules can be content with every emprick , and accept of every theologicall mountibank : as for our bishops you tearme popish , how many of them have lately forsaken ( for their conscience sake ) their lively-hoods , and fled from the popish faction in ireland , hither , where , instead of charitable reliefe , they are thrasht and tribulated , with another flayle ? d. burges cap. . page . line . the next way we can possibly take to the best reformation is by prayers and teares . cal. i see , the doctor loves to sleep in a whole skin , and far enough off from resisting to blood : t is true , prayers and teares , are said to be the weapons of the church ; and happy it were if such weapons could prevaile : but where entreaty findes defect , compulsion must make supply ; if prayers cannot , swords may : if teares may not , blood must . repl. let them perish by the sword , that take up the sword ; and let them that thirst for blood , guzzle blood untill they burst : david , that fought gods battailes , commanded by gods own mouth ; nay a man after gods own heart ; yet his hand ( that was in blood , ) must not build the temple ; and shal we expect , by blood , a reformation of the temple ? the stroake of a poleaxe is not acceptable , where the noyse of a hammer was not warrantable . d. burges cap. . page . line . when many people are demanded their reasons of divers opinions , which they stoutly stand unto , is not their answer thus ? because the contrary is against the word : being pressed to shew wherein , they reply , we are but ignorant people ; we cannot dispute with you , but so we are taught by reverend men , if you talk with them they will be able to satisfie you to the full . cal. do , doctor , offend those little ones , and despise gods blossomes : all have not learning to maintaine their opinions , by argument , and sophistry . the battail is not alwayes to the strong , nor the race to the swift : the perswasion of a conscience is an able proofe ; and the opinion of holy men a strong refuge : better to stand couragiously ( though ignorant ) in a good cause , ( as some do ) then to maintaine error ( as you do ) with learned impiety . repl. hence it is cal. your cause is stronglyer defended by the sword , then by the pen , whose ignorant patrons , can better thrash then plead : t is confest , the perswasion of a wel-grounded conscience is a good proof to the party so perswaded ; but here it sticks , not able to convert a brother . review those world of pamphlets , of both sides published , and weigh them ; in those of the one side , you shall have the full consent and harmony of scriptures ; strict precepts , commanding ; holy examples , confirming ; and all , undenyable prest , and learnedly urged home to every conscience that is not seired ; on those , of the other side , what wresting of scriptures ? what allegorizing of plaine texts ? what shuffling ? what faultring ? what obscurity of stile ? what rhethoricall pretermissions of things materiall ? what pasquills ? what invectives ? what raylings ? what bitternesse ? enough to discover a bad cause , and to disparage a good : but , cal. your unmaintain'd opinions are pinned upon the authority of men : say , where 's the papist , now ? is not implicite beliefe one of our greatest quarrells with the church of rome , even unto this day ? did not our saviour himself condemne the old pharisees , for their traditions ? if this be not blind zeale , that scripture is apochrypha , which said , without knowledge the mind is not good . pro. . . no , cal. such zeale is the mother of all sects and heresies , being guided by the opinion , we conceive , of those men , who are subject to error , because but men : i advise such to keep their eares open ; and their mouthes , shut . d. burges cap. . page . line . i wish it were no breach of charity , to compare the stirrs of our brownists , anabaptists , and familists , and all the rabble of such schismaticall sectaries ( who may truly be tearm'd puritanes ) with this inconsiderate action of those rude ephesians , ( acts . . ) if there be any difference , it is onely in this , that these mad martin marre prelates professe in their words , that they knew god ; but in their works , they deny him . cal. all that hate popery and popish prelates , are , in our zealous doctors esteeme , brownists , anabaptists , and schimaticall sectaries , which he brands with that ( now almost forgotten ) stile of puritanes ; all , far honestci men then himself ; whom ( compareing them to those rude ephesians ) he makes ( according to the kings unworthy declarations ) the authors of all these commotions , calling that worthy man martin marre-prelate , mad , for touching the apple of his eye , the idolatrized hierarchy . a malignant of the right stamp , and coyned at the kings own royall mint ? repl. once again , good cal. ( if it will not too much prejudice the progresse of your wit ) correct the frailty of your memory ; and remember , the doctors book , which you so soundly answer , was printed in the yeare . which was a little before this unhappy commotion ; which , you say , he fathers upon the brownists and anabaptists , and schismaticall sectaries , according to his majesties declaration : truly , cal. your malice may rather brand him for a witch , then a malignant ; but your discretion may hold him rather for a prophet , then either ; that , so long since , foresaw this : indeed , in that poynt , he jumps word for word with his majesties declaration : and , if the king speake true , the doctor speakes not falsely : for what his majesty writes , now , by way of history , our doctor delivered then , by way of prophesie . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . such as make a great blaze when prosperity , credit , peace and preferment are bellowes to blow it ; but are so carried about as hay in a whirlwind with the blast of time , that they wil be ready to fire that which before they maintained , if the wind turned never so little about , & through fears or hopes , wil be of any religion and temper , that the strongest faction embraceth , resolving to go no further then a faire wind and weather , and a calme tide will carry them ; and if any storme arise , presently to make to the shore , to prevent perill of life and goods ; such zealots i say as these never had any coale from the altar , to kindle their sacrifices ; they never knew what it is to aime at the glory of god . cal. your doctrine is good , had it been as well followed ; say doctor , who was he , that a little before this parliament ( when our brethren the scots made their first approach into this kingdom , and whom a little after , the king injuriously proclaimed rebels ) in his sermon at magnes church by london-bridge , flew in their faces , vilified them with opprobrious tearms , stiled their designe , rebellion , proclaimed them robbers , ravishers , traitors , and the disturbers of the churches peace , called their doctrines schismaticall , new fangled , and seditious , brought in to refine us , ( with this addition ) god will not be beholding to the divel to sweep his church ; and not above a month after , at the beginning of thu parliament in another sermon at the same place , out of this text act. . . ( and the times of this ignorance god winked at , but now commaneth all men every where to repent ) took an occasion to eate his words , & contradict every thing he formerly delivered ? who was the cowardly cur then ? according to your own phrase pag. . line . who is the sheeps-heads now according to your own tearme ? pag. . line . who turned his fiddle to the base of the times ? pag. . line . who is guilty of parasiticall basenes ? pag. . line . who is the whiteliverd christian to be turned out among dogs and hell-hounds ? pag. . line . doctor , now you have told us what he is , the whole parish of magnes can tell you who it is . who was it that was so active for the oath ex officio , so eager for the two shillings nine pence so contentious with his parishioners ? the clergy can witnesse the first , the city can testifie the second , magnes can attest the last : yet all this was done by way of zeale . repl. cal. first your tongue is no slander , secondly your profession gives you a patent under the broad seale to lie : but to spoyle your jest , if any such man was , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ? true , saint magnes was the doctors church at that time , and if any slipt into , and abused his pulpit , and himself , no question but the doctor is as much troubled for it as you are pleased with it : but who ever you taxe ( if you play not the poet ) he may , in spite of your bitternesse , justify his seeming contradiction , and eate his words as harmelesly as a potato pie in lent : whether the seots were rebles or no , was no matter of faith , but opinion ; the object of opinion is reason , and it alters with reason ; when his majesty proclaimed them rebels , ( being a matter of fact and state , ) was it not reason for him to own it ? but being pleased , by pardon gratiously to take off that odious imputation , it had been neither reason , manners , nor safety not to approve of it . when a ship hath made a voyage with one winde into new-england , will you blame it for returning back with a quite contrary ? no wise man cal. will do it , unlesse you , or such as you were in it . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . it is then a cleare case , that a christian is not bound to reprove , or discourse of religion to known or suspected scoffers : if he testify in secret to his god , his dislike of such varlots , avoide needlesse societie , and unnecessary commerce with them , and in his soul , secretly mourne for their dishonouring god , he hath done his duty . cal. by your leave , doctor , your zeale here smells a little too much of the coward : did your dying saviour endure the base scoffes , and bitter taunts of the iewes , for your sake , and is your reputation so dainty , not to abide a little jeering for his sake ? will your zeale sell gods honour for the impatience of a scoffe ? were it your own case , i feare , your wit would finde spirit enough , either to contemne it , or retort it : but you will away , and complaine to god in a corner : mettal to the back ! doctor , he that refuses the vindication of gods honour , denies him ; and he that denies him at court , him will god deny in his chamber : can you heare your soveraigne abused and be silent ? perchance ( as the case now stands ) you can , and make one for company , too , if you feare not his prevayling power . but can you heare your bosome friend injuriously reviled , and lend him no apology , but run away ; and whisper in his eare a tedious complaint ? if this you can , you are no friend for me : this ( if your zeale belie not your conscience ) must serve gods turne , nay more , you have done your duty too . repl. have you not an inhibition , cal. to cast pearles before swine ? are you more tender of gods glory , or more wise to propagate it , then david , who accounted it his duty to keep his mouth close whilest the wicked were before him ? cal. your zeale tasts a little too rank of the mother ; a bellings-gate zeale , where the revenge is often more sinfull then the offence : perchance you 'ld spit in the offenders face : that zeale is a strange fire , that produces such moist effects : cal. your religion is too rhumatick : sure , saint peter had a good quarrell , to draw his sword , yet the action had too much rashnesse in it ( as well as blood ) to be accepted : where the party offending is not capable of reason , or the party vindicating , hath no capacity of discretion , the action is not warrantable : better to beare the hazzard of some dishonour , then to have it indiscreetly vindicated . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin. . the supreame and soveraigne prince , who hath none between him and god , representing the person of god , executing his office , and in this respect , bearing his name , to whom he onely is accountable for all his actions , by way of summons and command , this person , i say , must in all things , and at all times , be handled with all humility and due respect of that high place he holdeth ; so as all may be taught not to despise , but to honour him , the more , by the carriage of those that are , in case of necessity , to treate with him in the name and busines of his god . cal. how now , doctor ? none between him and god ; onely accomptable to god for all his actions ? sure , doctor , you are now besides your text : shall whole kingdomes , then , depend upon his extravagant pleasure ? so many millions of soules lye open to the tyranny of his arbitrary will ? is he not bound to his own lawes ? not limited by his coronation oath ? may he alter establisht religion , by the omnipotence of his own vast power , and turn gods church into a rout of infidells ; and our liberties , into a tenure of villanage ? is this your zeale for gods glory ? the man hath overwhelmed his iudgement in the deep gulph of flattery , and lost himself in his own principles : can he represent gods person , that commands what god forbids ? doth he execute gods office , that forbids , what he commands ? if this be zeale , or common religion , let me turne amalakite , or any thing that is not , this . no , no ; doctor , ( saving your private engagements , and expectations , ) kings are no such persons as our late idolatry hath made them : the trust of kingdomes is put upon them ; which , so long as they faithfully discharge , they are to be honoured and obeyed ; but , once being violated , their covenants are broken ; and they are no longer kings ; the safety of the people , is the supreme law ; and people were not made for the good of kings , but kings , for the good of people . repl. how this doctors loyalty , good cal. offends you ! if he would temporize as you do ; abuse and slander scripture for his own liberty , as you do ; fly in the face of majesty , as you do ; indeavour to introduce a new government in church and state , as you do ; blaspheme god and the king as you do , he were then a holy , a well-affected man , a saint , or any thing that 's good ; but now his conscience is directed by the scriptures , his judgement enlightned by the scriptures , his words warranted by the scriptures , especially in a case of such consequence , away with him ; he is a disaffected person , a malignant , and what not , that 's bad ? but concerning kings , know , they represent gods person , whether good or bad ; if good ; they represent him in his mercy ; if bad , in his iudgments : christ hath a rod of iron , as well as a golden-scepter ; a nebuchadnezzer , as well as a iosiah ; a nero , as well as a constantine : we must stoope to both : he that submits not to the power of a bad king , kicks against gods judgments ; but he that resists , snatches gods rod out of his hand ; and , refusing correction , falls into damnation : we must submit to the higher powers . rom. . . and who are they ? whether it be to the king , as supreme , or unto governours that are sent by him . pet. . . . from whence necessarily this followes ; that power which he warrants not , we have no warrant to obey ; and , those ordinances his power signes not , we have no commission to observe ; as for your slighting and deposing kings , the current of the scriptures runs strong against you , and all the examples of gods children ( through the whole book of god ) bend another course , they know no deposing of kings but by death ; no determination of passive obedience , but by fire : but whether our translation of the scriptures be the same with former ages ; or whether some strange light hath darted inspirations into these our later dayes , ( which the apostle denominated perillous ) i leave to the learned synod ; who , i hope , will at length consult us into a religion , which shall need no future alteration ; or that alteration no further effusion of christian blood . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god made a law to all , not to revile the gods , nor curse the ruler of the people ; which law prohibiteth not onely imprecations , and seditious raylings , ( which is a hellish impiety , though it be but in word onely , be the prince never so impious ) but even all rude , bitter , and unseemly speeches , although in secret to himself alone , much more , in publique , or in other places behinde his back . cal. what paynes the man takes to pick out texts to countenance his idolatry-royall ! true , kings are called gods : but what followes ? they shall dye like men : concerning which dying not a word ; because it is so opposite to a living , which is the onely butt he aymes at : but marke the doctrine his court-ship raises from his well chosen text , though princes be never so impious , yet to reprove them roundly ( which in his language is seditious rayling , rude , bitter and unseemely speeches ) is a hellish impiety ; and , in his king-clawing iudgment , must neither be done in publique , nor yet in private . how ready are such officers to light princes to the devill ! repl. cal. if he light kings to the devil by his poynt of doctrine , you take a speedy course to send his subjects after him , by your use of exhortation : but mark your own words , you first intimate that he makes him a god ; then , conclude , he lights him to the devil : you that can so suddenly make contraries meet , reconcile the king and his two houses : the issue then of all , is this ; you say , he makes the king a god , by flattering idolatry ; and , i say , you make his subjects , devils , by your flat rebellion : calvin , whom you confide in , tels you , that princes ( though most wicked in their government ) yet in respect of the dignity of their places , their name and credit must be spared ; but see , a greater then calvin ; elihu , the moderatour betwixt iob and his miserable comforters ( iob . . ) saith , is it fit then to say to a king , thou art wicked ? and to princes , yee are ungodly ? behold , a greater then elihu , solomon ( whom yee blasphemously lesse credit then either , for his partiality , being a king ) sayes , eccles. . . where the word of a king is , there is power , and who shall say unto him , what dost thou ? d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god hath engraven so large and fayre a character of his imperial image in their foreheads ( viz. of princes ) as must be sacred in the hearts of all , and binde not their hands onely , but tongues also to the good behaviour , and that for ever . nor is this carriage onely due to good princes , but universally to all . cal. sacred ? a little further : nay , then make him almighty too : and even , fall down and worship : make him your graven image , your dagon , and hoyst him up for a god ; but be sure the ark be away : nay , though an idolator , an infidell , sacred too : make him your bell and dragon ; but you do well to binde his subjects hands to their good behaviour , for feare some daniel be among them . repl. how now cal. is your fornace so hot ? you forget that he is gods vicegerent , you make so bold with ; remember , there be birds of the ayre , and things with wings ; had you lived in nebuchadnezzers dayes , you would have sav'd him much fuell , and his officers some labour : questionlesse , your fornace had consumed the three passively obedient children , and been too hot for the fourth to walke in . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . invectives ( though but against an equall , or infeferiour ) are ever odious , but against a prince , intolerable . cal. if invectives be so intolerable , let princes be so wise as not to give occasion , and deserve them . repl. if all should have according to their deservings : i feare , cal. the psalme of mercy , would scarce advantage thee . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . an indefinite reproofe of sin in publique is enough ; if this serve not to reforme a prince , forbeare ; more will make him worse . cal. kings are past children , to be whipt on others backs . the scripture will shew you some prophets that feared not to rouze the very persons of kings , by name ; and rattle them soundly , and before their people too : but , doctor , you have either no commission , or are afraid to execute it : you flee to tharshish , when you should go to nineveh ; you whisper softly , lest they should chance to heare yee ; and give your royal patients no phisick but cordials , for feare it work and make their queazy stomacks sick . repl. the actions of prophets , which had immediate warrants from heaven , are no presidents for later times ; neither durst those couragious prophets speak before speciall commission : did eliah stir to reprove king ahab till god had given him charge to go ? king. . , . amos prophesyed not against king amaziah , till god especially commanded him : ordinary reproofs must not be copied from extraordinary embassages ; but from their usuall sermons , which in their reproofs , were for the most part , indefinitely uttred to all , in generall ; by name , to none . but you , that have fresh influences of the spirit , may boanarge it where and when ye please , and play the bedlems in divinity ; but remember what is said to those that exceede their commissions , who hath required these things at your hands ? d. burges cap. . page . line . what shall they answer unto god , who being but private persons discontented , shall take upon them , shimei like , to revile and traduce their soveraigne behind his back , and presume to make every taverne and ale-bench a tribunall , whereat to accuse , arraigne and condemne the sacred and dreadfull person of the lords annoyted ( whom they ought not to mention without a holy reverence ) and to censure all his actions , before their companions as confidently as if he were the vassal , and they the monarch : hath not former experience told us , this is the high way to all treasons and rebellions ? cal. when princes offend their god in suffering , or partaking with idolaters , shall subjects be afraid to offend them ? shall gods name be abused and torne in pieces with their execrable oaths and blasphemies , and shall their dainty names be held so precious , as not to be spoken of ; or ( as our doctor saies ) not mentioned without a holy reverence ? shall gods most sacred and just commands be despised and slighted by them , and shall their prophane injunctions not be unperformed , without presumption ? their unlawfull commands not violated without rebellion ? weigh these things with the balance of the sanctuary , and you shall finde , that you either want true zeale ; or your zeale a right object . repl. cal. review your owne argument ; and you will ( with the help of some reasonable discretion ) find it ( tekel ) weighed in the balances , wanting in weight ; in case , thy prince should offend his god , in wounding and tearing his holy name by oathes and blasphemies ; put case , he should justle gods sacred lawes out of the land ; violate them in his countermands ; prophane his temples with idolatry , or barbarisme ; will this warrant thee to dishonour him , whom god hath commanded thee to serve ? to rebell against him , to whom god hath commanded thee to be subject ? to disobey him , whom god hath commanded thee to honour ? because he offends his god , wilt thou aggravate the offence , in offending him ? and rebell against god , in rebelling against him ? weigh these things well ; and let thy own conscience ( if not brib'd with partiality ) be thy iudge . thinkest thou this rabble of rebellious and seditious rakeshames , that style themselves by the name of mercuries , seouts , weekly intelligencers , &c. but , indeed , a pack of alebench whistlers , decayed captaines , and masterlesse journy-men , that want more haires then vices ; and , for thirty pieces of silver , betray the lords anointed ; for halfe a crowne a week , fly in the face of gods vicegerent ; and , under a pretence of reformation , sell themselves to all wickednesse ; that , like sampsons foxes joyne tayle to tayle , and carry fire-brands about to set the gallantest kingdome in the world on a light flame ; thinkest thou that these are pleasing to the god of peace ? thinkest thou , these brazen-fac'd monsters , with their meditated lyes , malicious scandals , printed ( and shamefully permitted ) in their seditious pamphlets , are pleasing to the god of truth ? thinkest thou , these undecent and preposterous actions , tending to the confusion of well-establisht lawes , and to the disturbment of a long setled government , are pleasing to the god of order ? thinkest thou , that they , and their abettors will passe unpunisht ? no ; cal. if our king faile in his duty to god ; and we , in ours to him ; god will keep us still divided in our affections so , that we shall joyne in nothing , but in drawing down iudgements upon the whole land ; which , without accomodation ( the king alwayes living in his royall posterity , and the parliament never dying ) will perpetuate us in blood , till the utter ruine both of church and state . d. burges cap. . page . line . if good people should discerne some errors , ( and those not small ) in princes , the best patterne they can propound themselves is , that of samuel ( sam. . . ) mourning and praying for saul , not for forme onely but heartily , and fervently indeed ; and the worst they can pitch upon ( unlesse they proceede to open treason ) is that of common newesmongers and seditious spirits , who cannot make a meale , spend a fire , drink a pint , or drive away one hower , without some pragmaticall discourse , and censure of princes , and their state-affayres . cal. nay good doctor ; we have had many samuels ( or as good ) that have fasted and prayed , at least these twenty moneths , that god would be pleased so turne the kings heart , and bring him back to his parliament , but god hath stopt his eares against us , and will not be moved . and , since god hath made his pleasure so openly known through the whole land , ( nay through the world too ) that his majesties heart is fully resolved and knit to popery and superstition ; shall we subjects ( whom it so much concernes ) be afraid to communicate the businesse to one another ? your conscience , doctor , is growen a great royalist ; but your tender zeale of your princes honour will hardly stop our mouthes or close our eares ; our case is so , that our discourse of him , and states-matters too , cannot be too pragmaticall ( as you call it ) we must , now , take advantage of those his faults , which our fasts , prayers , and petitions could not redresse ; and , since his cruell course of life , and soild behaviour will not be a perfect white , we must die it into a sadder colour ; and these his crimes , which our teares cannot wash sairer , ( for the comfort of ourselves and children ) our reports ( for the countenance of the cause ) must make fouler , for the exasperating of our confederates , and encouragement of our souldiers ; so , that by this christian stratageme , through , the enterchange of newes ( which you condemne ) we may facilitate our own designes . repl. cal. your christian stratageme is but the modest tearme of a devilish project , or , in plainer english , a peece of errant knavery ; wherein the father of your contrivements receives much glory ; and the god of truth , no lesse dishonour : read that statute which god made , levit. . . thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ; where , in the end of the verse , he signes it with i am the lord . the falsenes of the tale doubles the sinne ; the basenes of the end trobles it ; the person damnifyed ( being a king ) makes it , quadruble ; the persons venting it , ( being subjects ) makes it terrible ; but the place where it is commonly vented ( being pulpits ) makes it horrible ; and by the ministers of the gospel too ; and in the name of the god of truth too , almost impardonably damnable ; now cal. tell me how you like your christian stratageme ; no wonder , if your samuels were not heard : t is well for you , gods eares were closed against their prayers : had he not been deafe in mercy : and mercifull to admiration ; and admirable in patience ; they , surely , had been heard in iudgement , to the terrible example of such unparalleld presumption . how often have your solemne petitions set dayes apart , for the expedition of your martiall attempts in a pitcht field , or for the raising of a seige ? how often have your solemnities been shewed in plentifull thanks givings for the blood of those thousands , whose soules ( without infinite mercy ) you cannot but conceive , in one day , dropt into the flames of hell ! what bells ? what bonefires ? what tryumphs ? and yet , for the successe of your oft propounded , and ( sometimes ) accepted treaties of peace , what one blessed hower hath been sequestred ? what church doore hath been opened ? which makes me feare ( and not without just cause ) your fastings and prayers have been rather to contention , then to unity ; and that they have rather been attractive for iudgements , then for mercies , upon this blood-bedabbled kingdom . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin. . as for such as will not take out this lesson , let their eyes , their tongues , their teares , their sighs , their coates , their prayers be what they will be , their carriage savoureth not of zeale for god , which thus casteth dirt and myre upon the face of his vicegerent , and tendeth to the taking away the life of his life in his subjects hearts , in which all good princes desire as much to live , as to enjoy their crownes ; and if it be not lawfull thus to smite at their persons , with the tongue onely , shall that be thought zeale for god , which seekes their deposition from that crown , which once a just free and absolute title of inheritance hath set upon their heads ? cal. doctor , you are very confident of your own learning , and definitive judgment , to tye every mans zeale to your rules : and it seemes , you are more tender in flinging dirt ( as you tearme it ) in your soveraignes face , then in preserving his soule from the flames of hell : neither do i conceive it a thing so heynous , to take his subjects hearts from him , as to unite them in the superstitious bonds of popery : and as for your deposing him from the crown , ( which you falsely call his absolute inheritance ) if he break the covenants , whereby the crown is set upon his head , he dissolves his own authority , and our obedience ; and himself is become his own deposer . repl. cal. it is not the doctor , that prescribes rules to anothers zeale , but the holy scriptures , from whence he drawes his infallable principles , and conclusions ; and whereas you censure him for more prizing the cleannesse of his soveraignes face , then the wel-fare of his soul , your malice wrongs him in your hop-frog confutation ; wherein , you make a wilfull preterition of that poynt , whereof you censure his neglect , in the wrong place . and whereas , you turne deposition upon the default of princes , know , kingdoms are neither copyholds , nor leases ; subject , either to forfeiture , or reentry : kings have , from god , their power of reigning ; from man , the ceremony of coronation : to god they must give account , ( not man ) on whose pleasure their titles absolutely depend . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . in fine , david thought him ( viz. that slew saul ) worthy of no reward but death ; and of this , so worthy , that instantly he gave order for his execution , with this sharp sentence uttered , thy blood be upon thine own head , for thine own mouth hath testified against thee , saying , i have slaine the lords annoynted ; a memorable example , and an argument unanswerable against all king-killers , and deposers of absolute princes , absolutely annoynted by just title , as here with us . cal. here , revereud doctor , your simile limps : first , david was a prophet ; and , ( knowing the crown so neare his head , ) spared that life , which he knew so neare a period ; not willing to dabble his conscience in such needlesse blood : secondly , ( being confident himself was the next successor ) commanded present execution , to terrify his new subjects from the like presumption : thirdly , ( though you deny it ) our kings hold not their crownes by such an absolute title , as those of judah and jerusalem . repl. is the doctors simile lame , cal. sure , 't was your ill usage made it so : but say , was david a prophet ? had he speciall revelations ? then , doubtlesse , his wayes and actions were the best presidents for us , to follow : but was he a prophet ? then , sure , he knew it a heynous sin , to take away the life of gods vicegerent ( though an idolater ) had he speciall revelations ? then , questionlesse , he knew death a just reward for killing the lords annoynted ( though a wicked king . ) but did this prophets heart smite him , for cutting off his soveraignes skirt ? then , sure , god will not let him go unsmitten , that takes his crown from off his head , or power , from his hand : but , cal. how truth will be confest by your unwilling lips ! which intimate , the prophets conscience had been dabbled in blood , had the deed been done , and his subjects guilty of presumption , that should do the like : and , whereas you deny our kings so absolute a power , or title as the kings of former times , you should have done to better purpose , to shew , who limited it , and when ; for your own single assertion is not classicall . d. burges cap. . page . line . authority is ever one of envies eye-sores : subjection a yoake , that humane nature loathes . although inferiours cannot help it , nor durst complaine , liberty , liberty is every mans desire , though most mens ruine . cal. when authoritie is put into a right hand , subjection is no burthen to a good heart : but when tyrannie usurps the throne of monarchie , then the people may suspend obedience , and cast off the yoke of their subjection : we that are received into the liberty of the sons of god , and made heires of an everlasting kingdome , have too much priviledge to be enslav'd to men , or made vassals to perpetual bondage : if desire of holy liberty be our labour here , eternall soveraignty shall be our reward hereafter . repl. he that gives authority , knowes not where to place it : the people were pleased with goodly saul ; god was pleased to choose little david : tell me , did the burthen-threatning hand of rehoboam , the son of solomon , the king of israel and judah ; or ieroboam ( the rebellious subject of rehoboam ) who made israel to sin , deserve the scepter ? by your marks , neither ; in gods wisdome , both : the one , to crush the liberty of the too proud subject ; the other , to exercise the consciences of his chosen people : in both , to work his secret pleasure . but guild-hall hath wiser counsel ; and your conventicling wives are fitter judges for the setting up , or pulling downe of kings ; for regulating the power of the good , or limiting the prerogatives of the bad : but , 't were fitting , first , to correct s. pauls epistles , or to vote s. peters works apocrypha ; who , both , instruct us to submit to the authority of kings , good or bad ; but , indeed , the liberty of the subject had been a strong plea , had not his majesty spoiled their jest , and granted all * petitions ; and the badge of slavery had been unanswerable , had not our glorious saviour honoured , and worne it upon his seamlesse garment : the god of glory endured what we despise ; and shewed that example , we scorn to follow . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . for my part , i am so farre from taking away prayer from preaching , that i could wish not onely more preaching in some places , but more prayer also in other places ; and i meane , onely that prayer which is allowed too : in performance whereof ( if the fault be not in them who undertake it ) much more good will be done , then will be acknowledged by some , who magnifie preaching , rather then adorne it ; yea , i will adde , more then by some mens preaching , admired by so many . cal. it is very much , doctor , you durst so openly wish more preaching in those daies , when your dumb-dog-bishops silenced so many ; and most of all , themselves : nay , you are not ashamed to wish more prayer too : what a lot is this , among so many sodomites i but after all this , lot was drunk : our doctor , being afraid to be thought too righteous , put in one her be that spoiled his whole pot of porrage : i meane ( sayes he ) that prayer which onely was allowed : and what prayer was that ? even that english masse-book , which ( god be thanked ) the sacred pietie of souldiers , and the holy boldnesse of inferiour christians , hath most blessedly taken away . this is that prayer , our doctor desires onely should be used ; this is that prayer-book , our preaching doctor deifies , and prefers before some mens preaching ( and who were they , in those episcopal daies , who knowes not ? ) admired by so many . this is that prayer-book , that prelacie , which this temporizing doctor hath now extred into covenant ( in the presence of almighty god ) to suppresse . repl. it seems cal. this book of common-prayer is your maine quarrell here ; and bishops , by the bye : tell me , who composed that book ? in whose reigne was it composed ? and what authority confirmed it ? were not those blessed martyrs the composers ? they , who gave their bodies to the flame , in the defence of the true protestant religion , and in defiance of that superstition , whereof you say it is a relique ? dare you vye piety with those martyrs , that are so daynty of your passive obedience ? they composed it ; you defie it : was not this detestable book composed in that pious saints dayes ed. . of holy memory , when the protestant broome swept cleanest ? and when the cruelty of that bloody religion was but newly out of breath , and fresh in memory ? this blessed saint allowed it ; you despise it : was not this book , ye so revile , confirmed by act of parliament ( in those dayes ) the members whereof were chosen among those that were ( excepting the blessed martyrs ) the greatest sufferers under the tyranny of that barbarous religion , whereof , you say , it favours ? the authority of this great council confirmed it : you condemne it : did not the phoenix of the world , and of her sexe queen elizabeth , of everlasting memory , ( in whose dayes god so smiled upon this kingdom ) and that monument of learning and wisdom , king iames , of never dying memory in all their parliaments , establish it ? yet , you revile it : did not your self , in your oath of allegiance , sweare to maintaine the king in his established government , in church and common-wealth ? yet , in this particular , you violate it . ponder all this , cal. and , then , reviewe your own words , and if you blush not , you are brazen-fac'd . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . if they can pick out some boldfac'd mercenary emprick , that by the help of a polyanthea , or some english treatise , can make a shift , five or six times a week , with his tongue , and teeth , to throw over the pulpit a pack of stolne wares , which sometimes the judicious hearer knowes by the mark , and sends it home to the right owner againe . pag. . line . or if the man hath been drinking , feasting , or riding , that so no time is left to him to search so far as a naked commentary , postel , or some catechisme , yet adventures on the sacred businesse of preaching , carrying to the pulpit a bold face , instead of savory provision , and thinks it sufficient , that the people hear thunder , though they see no raine , and , that loudnesse will serve , for once , instead of matter ; because ( if he be earnest ) silly women , and some ninnyes more will count him a very zealous preacher , and impute his want of matter to his wisdome and desire of edifying , not to his want of study , or ability , and say , he preaches to the conscience : he stands not upon deep learning : he reproveth sin boldly , that is to say , other mens , therefore they love him : not theirs , otherwise , they would abhor him . cal. and such a deale of trumpery , that my pen tyres before it come to the ●●adious journies end of his invective speech ; wherein , i have so much charity left to excuse him ; in that , he personates some ministers , whom his malice conceives no better then fooles ; who , indeed , though they make no flourish , quoate no fathers , repeate no sentences of greek and latine , and preach not themselves ( as our learned dr. doth ) yet edifie the simpler sort of people more in two howers , then he with his neate orations and quaint stile doth in five sermons , ushered in by his popish lettany . these are those men who ( in his last clause , he covertly saith ) are admired by too many , and whose preaching lesse edifies then the superstitious common-prayer book : doctor , leave your gibeing , and presume not too much upon your learning and wit , which god hath given you , as a sharp knife to cut your own throat , and deride not those whose defects of learning are so bountifully supplyed with inspirations and revelations of the spirit . repl. take heed , good cal. you merit not the honour to be called the dunces advocate : these are the men , that carry their provaunt sermons up and down the country , and in their people-pleasing lectures , cry up liberty , and prate down government ; cry up the spirit , and beate down learning ; cry up sedition , and preach down authority . but tell me , cal. where were all these edifyers , these inspyred pneumasticks , when the daring pens of fisher , campion , harding , and other learned hereticks breathed forth their threatnings against the true protestant church ? when as the hot mouthed challenges of romes goliahs thundred in our english host , where , where were all those long-winded lecturers ? which of them took up the sling ? what one amongst them threw down his gauntlet ? who among so many , struck one blow in the just defence of the true reformed religion ? or tell me , without blushing , where are they that did it ? these , that bravely rusht into the lists , defied the enemy , grappled with him ; nay , laid him on his back ; tore the crown from the bold strumpets head , and snatcht the cup of poyson from her trembling hand , what palme , or what reward have they , i shame to tell : these , like undaunted champions endured the brunt , in dust and sweate , and stoutly undertook the cause ; whilest they , like trouts , all day betook them to their holds , and now , in the dark night of ignorance , prey upon the churches ruine : they fish in waters , which themselves have troubled . these , these are they , that lead silly women captive , and creeping into widowes houses , devoure them under a pretence of long prayer ; learnings shame , religions mountebanks , the vulgars idols , and the bane of this our ( late glorious ) now miserable kingdom . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god made a law , that every word of an accusation should be establisht by two or three witnesses : this law is revived by the apostle in the gospel , and applyed to the case of ministers . against an elder receive not an accusation , but under two or three witnesses . tim. . . by an elder , meaning a minister , as saint ambrose , epiphanius and others rightly do expound it . pag. . line . it were therefore a most uncharitable , and unchristian course upon a bare accusation of an enemy , to condemne a minister , before himself be heard , and a competent number of witnesses of worth produced against him . cal. how now doctor , doth your guilt begin to call for more witnesses ? are you tormented before your time ? the law ( you speake on ) would in these dayes , be needlesse : our ministers faults are now writ in their foreheads , and as apparent as the sun at noone , whose leud and looser conversations , are impudent confessions , and visibly manifest , enough without farther witnesses : our crime-discovering century , is both witnesses and jury , and the pious composer thereof , a most sufficient iudge : but some there be so craftily vitious , that they can keep their words and actions from the eyes and eares of men : for such , i hold a reasonable presumption , evidence enough ; others there be , whose vices want no witnesses , but , perchance , their witnessses , ( as the too partiall world expounds it ) want worth and credit . some measure worth by a visible estate ; some , by unimpeachable honesty of body , or behaviour ; others , by a religious demeanour according to establisht canstitutions ; whereas , for my part , if a poor handicrafts man , or whose infirmity denies him a through-pac'd honesty , or whose piety is a little zealously refractory to establisht discipline ; nay , be he a convicted anabaptist , or blasphemer , or what not ? ( in case it be for the cause ) that brings an accusation , or appears a witnesse against a malignant minister , i question not , but such a witnesse may be valuable . repl. the law denyes it , cal. but now the law 's asleep , all actions are arbitrarie : but the ground of that law was very just ; for , as theodoret in tim. . sayes , because ministers touch sinners to the quick , it exasperates many against them ; in respect whereof , their accusations require many witnesses . eutichianus an ancient bishop , about the yeare . after christ , ( if bishops retaine any credit more then a turk ) ep. . episc. syri● . admonishes , to weigh well the accusation of a minister , because the faithfull execution of his office gaines him many enemies . he also proceedeth to disenable all heretiques , all suspected of heresie , excommunicate persons , malefactors , theeves , sacrilegious , adulterers , that seek to witches , or conjurers , and all other infamous persons . in the . councel of laterane ( vide append. concil. lat. . par . . cap. . ) it was decreed , that upon an unproved accusation of a clerick , his owne single oath should free him . it was agreed in the . councel of carthage , that all servants , stage players , uncleane persons , wanderers , all that came uncalled , all under . yeares of age , and all that the accuser brings from home with him , shall be rejected , as witnesses , against a minister . another decree of analectus , denyes the accuser to be a witnesse , or the witnesses to be such as are revengefull , and must be cleare of all suspition . in a synod at rome , about constantines time , it was decreed , no deacon should be condemned under . able witnesses : such tender care was , alwayes , had of the accusation of a minister . but now cal. your tenets can ( in favour to your new fashiond pieties ) qualifie secret whoremasters , open blasphemers , and such as your selfe ; nay , one single accuser ( and a sorry one too ) will doe the feat . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . but what ? is every tatling basket-maker , or butcher , or mincing shee a fit judge of a ( ministers ) doctrine , and meet to reprove and confute him for it ? is that zeal , which catches at pieces of sentences , and then runnes away ; and gives out , that he preaches false doctrine , contradictions , or invectives , to shame him to his flock ? cal. doctor , if some of your coat ( i name no bodie ) were as tender of your lives , as ye are of your doctrines , you would have fairer reports : but your bent is to bring the vulgar to beleeve your words without examination ; and , then , you 'ld preach them into what religion ye list . could you but once work them to implicite faith , the kingdome of antichrill were more then halfe set up : the horse that winces , is galled somewhere , or we account it the trick of a jade , that feares riding . god hath commanded all to search the scriptures ; and will ye take pett if we examine the doctrine you raise from thence ? did our saviour storme , when the sadduces reproved his words ? how often were his doctrines traduced , as false ? how often was his authority questioned ? nay more , denyed ? yet he reviled them not . doctor , stroke downe your stomack ; the closer you follow christ , the cheerfullier your flock will follow you : but know , in things so neare concerning us , our mouthes shall be as wide as the faults , be they of potentates , generals , or princes : and if they doe not what our conscience tels us is their duties , they shall not faile to heare on t . repl. cal. i think ignorance hath given thy tongue a bribe , thou playest her advocate so well : both of their lives , and doctrines , ministers must give account to god , and his subordinate authoritie ; and not to you : cal. you forget the calling of a minister : he is your spirituall father : cham was cursed , for discovering his fathers nakednesse . put case , your minister should shew his nakednesse in some error ; either , of life , or doctrine ; it were more modest piety for you to cover it with your silence , or to recover it by your prayers , then to upbraide him with it . had you searcht the scriptures as you ought , you would as well have condemned the saucines of the sadduces , as the mildnes of our saviour , whose high authority needed no credit among men ; but our poor ministers ( whom the least breath of a mechanicks mouth , is able ( now ) to ruine , and undoe both wives and children , without compassion ) have reason to be moved with such affronts : but , cal. perchance , you vindicate your own naturall father , whilst you revenge your self upon your spirituall ; from whence , ariseth this doctrine ; you have more love to the flesh , then to the spirit : no question , cal. your fancynesse is universall , and feares not to be exercized upon the sword , as well as keyes ; your prince hath found it ; your generall hath found it ; whose slow designes cannot agree with the constitutions of your too fiery spirits , your discontents have found unbridled tongues , to propagate your liberties , although by blood ; but the synod , ( whose consultations are to settle peace in our distemperd church ) can go their own paces , without petition or complaint , from whence , ariseth this doctrine ; you love your own safeties above the glory of god . d. burges cap. . page . line . i wright this , to clip the wings of those batts , and reremice , that are ready to fly in the ministers face upon all occasions , with false accusations , fancy reproofs , and proud censures of his ministry , desiring to be teachers of law , understanding neither what they say , nor whereof they affirme . cal. doctor , you still harp upon the same string : but do these batts , these reremice trouble you ? then walke lesse in the dark ; ( you know my meaning ) but you now pick a quarrell against your forenamed reprovers , that they desire to be teachers of the law , understanding neither what they say , nor what they affirme . how your orthodoxe nose swells at that ! if ye would be oftner in your pulpits , there would be the lesse roome for them : but tell me , doctor ; if a smith or a tinker should happen to be gifted , and strike a naile of edification into the spirituall foot of an unregenerate brother , and thereby save his soule , would it trouble you , because the smith was not called ? would it grieve you , because the tinker had no ordination from a bitesheepe ? if a good deed be done , true piety will never blame the hand that did it . repl. cal. you have twice together , out of your sinck of bitternesse belched out your naucious malice upon the dr. in these dark words , ( i meane no body , and you know my meaning ) which like the flatus hypocondriacus ( fuming from your spleene , the receptacle of all base humors ) troubles and distracts your head . but , in his name i defye both them , and thee : and , as for your tub-preachers , you so much defend , i perceive by your metaphor , they edify the cleane contrary way ; concerning whom , this onely . when the great block of religion is removed , then such buggs appeare : rebellion , like an easterne-wind , brings in such vermine : when ieroboam rebelled against his lawfull soveraigne , and dispossest him of the crown of israel , he made priests of the lowest of the people , which were not of the house of levi . king. . . and this became sin unto the house of ieroboam , even to cut it off , and to destroy it from off the face of the earth . kin. . . but your tubbists have learning enough , and understanding too , sufficient for an auditory composed of such as you , whom ignorance cannot injure . d. burges cap. . page . line . if he that seemes religious , will yet be idle , false , undutifull , and stub borne , raile at ceremonies , bishops , and common-prayer , disdaine to be corrected , and maintaine his fault ; that man or woman will never have any true religion in him , till with a cudgel all these counterfits be beaten off . cal. as our doctor hath , formerly , in his severall clauses and chops of zeale set down the particular items of his ill-affected and malignant opinions ; so in this last , he hath comprehended all in a summa totalis : and , to conclude marke one thing , right worthy to be observed ; and then , farewell ; he , that hath buzz'd so long about the roome , like a flesh-fly , hath now discover'd himself to be a hornet , with a sting in his tayle : he hath , at length , turn'd the weapons of the church into a cudgell ; and changed the peace of the gospel into club-law . repl. cal. if the doctors inventory please thee not , the fault lies in thy own ignorance , that knowest not how to prize such iewels ; grains are fitter for grill , then pearles : our doctor , whom you revile , is neither fly , nor hornet , but a painfull bee ; who , though he carry a sting in his tayle for such turbulent spirits as you , yet he hath likewise honey in his bag , for such as shall deserve it : think not his zeale cruell , because , it mentions a cudgell ; a cudgell drawes no blood , as your encouraged swords have done : if iustruction wil not do , correction must ; but love , in both ; if saint paul cannot perswade subjection to higher powers , nor solomon obedience to sacred majesty , pauls rod is for the stubborne heart , and solomons scourge for the fooles back . heb. . , , . it is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy spirit , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come ; if they shall fall away , to renew them again unto repentance : seeing they crucifie to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame . to the readers . now the businesse is ended . if you look upon this skirmish with a generall eye , you wil see nothing but ( as in a battail ) smoak and confusion : but if you mark every ones particular behaviour , you wil easily distinguish betwixt a rash fierie spirit , and a truly valiant . in the doctor , you shall find a david , fighting gods defensive battailes , without sinister respects , or private passion : in cal. you shal see the son of nimshi , matching furiously , and hewing downe the priests of baal , yet neverthelesse a great worshipper of calves : in the replyer , you may behold ionathan comming a reserve to david , though perchance shooting his arrowes sometimes wide , and sometimes open : it lyes in you , readers , now , to judge , and give the palme : for the doctors part and mine ( would cal. durst make the third ) we both resigne our shares : let truth be crowned with the victory , and the god of truth , with glory . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- * trienniall parliam . starchamber . high commission . shipmoney . coat and conduct money . monopolies . forrests . tunnage and pound . regulate the clerk of the market . knighthood money . for the continuance of this parl. an elegie upon the truely lamented death of the right honorable sir julius cæsar knt. master of the rolles, and of snt katherins: and one of his majesties most honorable privy counsell. wept by fra: qua quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an elegie upon the truely lamented death of the right honorable sir julius cæsar knt. master of the rolles, and of snt katherins: and one of his majesties most honorable privy counsell. wept by fra: qua quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed [by miles flesher] for iohn marriot, london : . dedication signed: fra: quarles. in verse. printer's name from stc. signatures: a (-a ). running title reads: an elegie. reproduction of a photostat of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng caesar, julius, -- sir, - -- death and burial -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an elegie vpon the trvely lamented death of the right honorable sir julius caesar k nt . master of the rolles , and of s nt katherins : and one of his majesties most honorable privy counsell . wept . by fra : qva. — micat inter omnes , iulium sidus , velut inter ignes luna minores . london , printed for iohn marriot . . to the right honorable , and most worthy of double honor , the lady caesar , wife to the right honorable sir jvlivs caesar k nt : late m r. of the rolles : and one of his majesties most honorable privy counsell . wee are all prisoners for a debt we owe to nature , committed to the gaole of this transitory world : some pay sooner : some later : all must pay . as yesterday , our blessed saviour paid it : to day your deare husband paid it : a bitter example sweetly followed : he followed him in his life : he followed him in his death : and so close in both , that as in life , he was assuredly his by grace , so in death he is most certainly his in glory . madam , my most entire affection hath performed this last service to his deare remembrance , which i present to your noble hands , beseeching almighty god to comfort you , and hereafter to raise you to the same pitch of glory where he is . madam , your la v faithfull servant , fra : quarles . to my honorable friends , sir charles caesar knight , sir iohn caesar knight , robert caesar esquire . you noble brothers , give me leave to make you partners in my dedication with this honourable lady , as she is partner in your losse : how much i am bound to this service , i appeale to you : how much my expressions come short of his merit , i appeale to the world . his worth and my grief , require stupifaction rather then language : leves loquuntur ; ingentes stupent . he hath left you the rich inheritance of a rare example , which if you truely follow , shall follow you to that glory which hee enjoyes , whose gray hairs you have brought in peace and honor to the ground . the servant of his memory , and your vertues , fra : qva. an elegie . let such invoke the muses that have art , to broach their studied tears , & get by heart their ill-weigh'd sorrows ; that can scrue their brains to any tuneing ; from threnodian straines , to love-sick sonets ; and from thence , can call their fancies to a light-foot madrigall : let those invoke , whose mercenary ' affections are dry , and cannot give , without directions from moist melpomenè , but stick the herse with a faire texted lamentable verse , more sorry then the makers , trickt with flowers of bare invention , which the twilight showers of nature ne'r bedew'd ; let such as they invoke the muses , whilst we cut our way through these our alpine griefes , and sadly rise with the sharp vinegre of suffused eyes : our high spring-tides are full , no need to borrow a dropt ' encrease the deluge of our sorrow . o were the triviall subject of our tears a private losse , where one dull mourner beares his single load , ingenious grief might find a golden meane , and meanes to be confin'd : a privat sorrow gains a soone reliefe , and griefe not common , is a common griefe : but where a sad calamity shall presse the publique shoulders , what , ô what redresse can full complaints expect ? what member , first , shall help to binde , when every member's burst ? such are our sorrows ; such disasters now enforce our melting souls to overflow the banks of swelling passion , which appeares a troubled sea of epidemick teares . o that the hearts of men had equall scales , to weigh that losse which my sad heart bewailes ! t is not a father , or a friend , or one , whose death soft nature bids us to bemone , which we lament ; that sorrow would extend but to our selves , and with our selves would end : such losse is load enough ; but may be borne on well prepared shoulders , and outworne : but this , ô this exceeds ; where every brest , which hates not vertue , hath a interest . the church hath lost a patron ; and the state bewailes an honourable potentate ; the king , a counsellour ; the court of conscience , a just iudge ; the greater sort , a sweet familiar ; what the poore has lost , reader , the poore shall tell thee to their cost . he was the cripples staffe ; the blind mans eye , the lawyers curb , the clients chauncery . he priz'd the world , with things that had no price a paul to vertue , and a saul to vice ; a painfull planter , for the poore to gather ; the widows husband and the orphans father . 't is he , 't is he , whose honorable dust our eyes embalme , and tender to the trust of thanklesse earth , whose relamented death estates our griefe , and lends a secret breath to our faint quill . 't is he , whose righteous balance did while-ere deale iustice so , as if astraea were return'd from heav'n , or saturns conqu'ring hand had new regain'd his long usurp'd command from his deposed son : his heart was stone to pleading vice , and wax to every grone : his wisdome , bounty , love , and zeale did rise , like those foure springs , that watred paradise , and with their fruitfull tides did overflow this glorious island , on whose banks doe grow faire grifit of honor , fragrant flow'rs of peace , full crops of plenty , laden with increase . who shares not in our griefe ? what eye forbeares to be a willing partner in our teares ? what friend of goodnesse will not claime a part in our great losse ? or not entaile his heart to plenteous passion so , that babes unborne may hold our lordships with a clause to mourne : but stay ! what need , what need we presse a teare , when every eye becomes a volunteire ? thus wrapt in shades of night , in sheets of lead , see , see , our noble senator lies dead ; whom art and nature , and diviner grace , made far more honourable then his place : his earth-transcending thoughts , thought scorn to take joy in earths honor , where few years could make so flat a period : his aspiring mind was free of heav'n , disdain'd to be confin'd ; who finding earth accustom'd to deprive of honor giv'n ( not having more to give ) he bid goodnight , and sweetly fell asleep , so left the world , so left us here to weep . thus dy'd our noble caesar , whose high story of earths advancement prov'd his step to glory ; our joys goe with him , whilst sad we return to lay his ashes in his peacefull vrne . rest glorious soule , ( whose now untwisted cable has past the needles eye ) whilst we bedable our cheeks in brine , that ev'n almost repine at those eternall joyes which now are thine ; o pardon those , whose floods of nature would ev'n waft thee from thy glory , if they could , and land thee in this vale of teares , to tast that bitter potion that thy soule has past . but we have done ; our whining breath shall cease longer to vi'late thy invi'late peace . now blessed saint , enjoy the free reward of all thy works ; possesse those ioyes prepar'd for thy faire soule ; put on th' eternall wreath of glory , promis'd to thy faithfull death , repleat thy self with everlasting manna , and let thy voice exchange her late hosanna for joyfull allelujahs , now a guest call'd to the lambs perpetuall mariage feast . finis . judgement & mercy for afflicted soules, or, meditations, soliloquies, and prayers by fra. quarles. boanerges and barnabas quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) judgement & mercy for afflicted soules, or, meditations, soliloquies, and prayers by fra. quarles. boanerges and barnabas quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. : port. printed by ric. cotes for richard royston ..., london : . added engraved t.p. first ed. of this part; pt. [ ] was previously published as: judgement and mercie for afflicted souls. cambridge : r. daniel, . an unauthorized ed. of pt. [ ] first appeared in as: barnabas and boanerges. the two parts were later published together as: boanerges and barnabas. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng devotional literature. meditations. a r (wing q ). civilwar no judgement & mercy for afflicted soules. or meditations. soliloquies, and prayers. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion pictor adumbravit vultum ●uem cernimus a●t hic non valet egregias 〈◊〉 mentis opes has si seire cupis , sua consu●c carmina ●n ●●lis dotes percipies pectoris eximias what heere wee see is but a graven face onely the shaddow of that brittle case wherin were treasur'd up those gemms , which he hath left behind him to posteritie . a●● 〈◊〉 ●culp : iudgment and mercy for afflicted soules by fra : quarles . judgement & mercy for afflicted soules . or meditations . soliloquies , and prayers . by fra. qvarles . london , printed by ric. cotes , for richard royston , at the angell in ivy-lane , . to my most gratiovs soveraigne king charles . sir , i beleeve you to be such a patron of vertue , that if this treatise had the least probabilitie of cherishing vice , my countenance durst not admit a thought of this dedication to your majestie . but my owne reason ( seconded by better approbations ) assures mee , these disquisitions and prayers are like to beget grace in those where it was not , and confirme it where it was . and being so usefull , i dare not doubt your patronage of this child , which survives a father whose utmost abilities were ( till death darkned that great light in his soule ) sacrificed to your service . but , if i could question your willing protection of it , i might strengthen my petition for it , by an unquestionable commendation of the authors publisht meditations , in most of which ( even those of poetry begun in his youth ) there are such tinctures of pietie , and pictures of devout passions , as gain'd him much love , and many noble friends . one of that number ( which is not to bee numbred ) was the religious , learned , peaceable , humble bishop of armagh ; whom i beseech god to blesse , and make your majestie and him , in these bad , sad times , instruments of good to this distracted , distemper'd church and state . this is my unfained prayer : and i doubt not but all that wish well to sion will seale it with their amen . your majesties poore and most faithfull subject , richard royston . the preface . reader , it is thought fit to say this little , and but this little , of the author and his booke . he was ( for i speak to those that are strangers to his extraction and breeding ) a branch of a deserving family , and the sonne of a worthy father : his education was in the vniversities , and innes of court , but his inclination was rather to divine studies then the law . this appeares in most of his publisht books , ( which are many ) but i thinke in none more then this , which was finisht with his life . wherein the reader may behold ( according to the arguments undertaken by the author ) what passions , and in what degrees those passions have possest his soule , and whether grace have yet allayed , or expel'd them , ( those that are inconsistible with vertue ) from the str●ng hold of his affections . such this treatise is , and being such , i commend it to the reader , and this wish with it , that th●se many ( too many ) writers who mistake malice for zeale , and ( being transported ) speake evill of government , and ●eddle with things they understand not , iude , . forgetting there is such sinnes as ●edition and heresie , ( sinnes which saint paul , gal. . . ● parallels with murther and witchcraft ) would change their disputes into devout meditations , such as these be ; in which , the pious man shall see vertue adorned with beautifull language , and vice so presented , as 't is not like to infect the minde , nor corrupt the conscience . the method , the arguments , the stile , all speake mr. quarles the author of the booke , and the booke speakes his commendations so much , that i need not commend it ; but i doe thee to god . farewell . the table . meditation i. the sensuall mans solace . pag. . his sentence . his proofs . his soliloqui● . his prayer . meditation ii. the vain-glorious mans vaunt , &c. meditation iii. the oppressors plea , &c. meditation iv. the drunkards iubile , &c. meditation v. the swearers apologie , &c. meditation vi . the pr●●rastinators remora's , &c. meditation vii . the hypocrites prevarication , &c. meditation viii . the ignorant mans faultering , &c. meditation ix . the slo●hfull mans slumber , &c. meditation x. the proud mans ostentation , &c. meditation xi . the covetous mans care , &c. meditation xii . the self-lovers self-fraud , &c. meditation xiii . the worldly mans verdour , &c. meditation xiiii . the lascivious mans heaven , &c. meditation xv . the sabbath-breakers profa●ation , &c. meditation xvi . the censorious mans crimination , &c. meditation xvii . the liers fallacies , &c. meditation xviii . the revenge●ull mans rage , &c. meditation xix . the secure mans triumph , &c. meditation xx . the presumptuous mans felicities , &c. the sensuall mans solace . come , let 's bee merry , and rejoyce our soules , in frolique and in fresh delights : let 's skrue our pamperd hearts a pitch beyond the reach of dull-browd sorrow : let 's passe the slowpac'd time in melancholy charming mirth , and take the advantage of our youthfull dayes : let 's banish care to the dead sea of phlegmatick old age : let a deepe sigh be high treason , and let a solemne look be adjudg'd a crime too great for pardon . my serious studies shall be to draw mirth into a body , to analyse laughter , and to paraphrase upon the various texts of all 〈◊〉 . my recreat●ons shall be to still pleasure into a quintessence , to reduce beautie to her first principles , and to extract a perfect innocence from the milke-white doves of venus . why should i spend my pretious minutes in the sullen and dejected shades of sadnesse ? or ravell out my short liv'd dayes in solemne and heart-breaking care ? howers have eagles wings , and when their hasty flight shall put a period to our numbred dayes , the world is gone with us , and all our forgotten joyes are left to bee enjoyed by the succeeding generations , and wee are snatcht wee know not how , wee know not whither ; and wrapt in the darke bosom of eternall night . come then my soule ; be wise , make use of that which gone , is past recalling , and lost , is past redemption : eate thy bread with a merry heart , and gulp downe care in frolique cups of liberall wine . beguile the teadious nights with dalliance , and steepe thy stupid senses in unctious , in delightfull sports . t is all the portion that this transitory world can give thee : let musick , voices , masques and midnight revells , and all that melancholy wisedome censures vaine , bee thy delights . and let thy care-abjuring soule cheare up and sweeten the short dayes of thy consuming youth . follow the wayes of thy own heart , and take the freedome of thy sweet desires : leave not delight untryed , and spare no cost to heighten up thy lusts. take pleasure in the choyce of pleasures , and please thy curious eyes with all varieties , to satisfie thy soule in all things which thy heart desires . i , but my soule , when those evill dayes shall come wherein thy wasting pleasures shall present their items to thy bedrid view , when all diseases and the evils of age shall muster up their forces in thy crazy bones , where be thy comforts then ? consider o my soule , and know that day will come , and after that , another , wherein for all these things god will bring thee to judgement , eccles. . . prov. . . even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull , and the end of that mirth is heavinesse . eccles. . . i said in my heart , goe to now , i will prove thee with mirth , and therefore enjoy pleasure , and behold this also is vanitie : i said of laughter , it is madde ; and of mirth , what doth it ? st. james . ye have lived in pleasure on the earth , and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter . eccles. . . the heart of the wise man is in the house of mourning : but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth . isid. in synonymis . pleasure is an inclination to the unlawfull objects of a corrupted mind , allured with a momentary sweetnesse . hugo . sensuality is an immoderate indulgence of the flesh , a sweet payson , a strong plague , a dangerous potion which effeminates the body , and enerves the soule . cass. lib. . ep. they are most sensible of the burthen of affliction that are most taken with the pleasures of the flesh . vvhat hast thou now to say o my soule , why this judgement , seconded with divine proofes , backt with the harmony of holy men , should not proceed against thee ? dally no longer with thy owne salvation , nor flatter thy owne corruption : remember , the wages of flesh are sinne , and the wages of sinne , death : god hath threatned it , whose judgements are terrible ? god hath witnessed it , whose words are truth . consider then my soule , and let not momentary pleasures flatter thee into eternitie of torments : how many , that have trod thy steps , are now roaring in the flames of hell ! and yet thou triflest away the time of thy repentance . o my poore deluded soule , presume no longer ; repent to day , left to morrow come too late : or couldst thou ravell out thy dayes beyond methusalem , tell me , alas , what will eternitie bee the shorter for the deduction of a thousand yeers ? be wisely provident therefore o my soule , and bid vanitie the common sorceresse of the world , farewell ; life and death are yet before thee : chuse life , and the god of life will seale thy ●boyee . prostrate thy selfe before him who delights not in the death of a sinner , and present thy petitions to him who can deny thee nothing in the name of a saviour . his prayer . o god , in the beautie of whose holinesse is the true joy of those that love thee , the full happinesse of those that feare thee , and the onely rest of those that prize thee ; in respect of which the transitory pleasures of the world are lesse then nothing , in comparison of which the greatest wisdome of the world is folly , and the glory of the earth but drosse , and dung ; how dare my boldnesse thus presume to presse into thy glorious presence ? what can my prayers expect but thy just wrath and heavy indignation ? o what returne can the tainted breath of my polluted lipps deserve , but to bee bound hand and foot , and cast into the flames of hell ? but lord , the merits of my saviour are greater then the offences of a sinner , and the sweetnesse of thy mercy exceeds the sharpnesse of my misery : the horrour of thy judgments have seized upon mee , and i languish through the sense of thy displeasure ; i have forsaken thee the rest of my distressed soule , and set my affections upon the vanitie of the deceitfull world . i have taken pleasure in my foolishnesse , and have vaunted my selfe in mine iniquitie , i have flattered my soule with the hony of delights , whereby i am made sensible of the sting of my affliction ; wherefore i loath , and utterly abhorre my selfe , and from the bottome of my heart repent in dust and ashes . behold o lord , i am impure and vile , and have wallowed in the puddle of mine owne corruptions ; the sword of thy displeasure is drawne out against mee , and what shall i plead o thou preserver of mankind ? make mee a new creature o my god , and destroy the old man within mee . remove my affections from the love of transitory things , that i may runne the way of the commandements . turne away mine eyes from beholding vanitie , and make thy testimonies my whole delight give me strength to discerne the emptinesse of the creature , and inebriate my heart with the fulnesse of thy joyes . bee thou my portion o god , at whose right hand stand pleasures for evermore . bee thou my refuge and my shield , and suffer me not to sinke under the corruptions of my heart ; let not the house of mirth beguile mee , but give mee a sense of the evill to come . accept the free-will offerings of my mouth , and grant my petitions for the honour of thy name , then will i magnifie thy mercies o god , and praise thy name for ever and ever . the vain● glorious mans vaunt . vvhat tell'st thou me of conscience , or a pious life ? they are good trades for a leaden spirit that can stand bent at every frowne , and want the braines to make a higher fortune , or cou●age to atchieve that honour which might glorifie their names , and write their memories in the chronicles of fame . t is true , humilitie is a needfull gift in those that have no qualitie to exercise their pride ; and patience is a necessary grace to keepe the world in peace , and him that hath it , in a whole skinne , and often proves a vertue borne of meere nec●ssi●ie . and civill honesty is a faire pretense for him that hath not wit to act the knave , and makes a man capable of a little higher stile then fo●le . and blushing modesty is a pretty innocent qualitie , and serves to vindicate an easie nature from the imputation of an ill-breeding . these are inferiour graces , that have got a good opinion in the dull wisdome of the world , and appeare like water among the elements to moderate the body poli●ique , and keepe it from combustion , nor doe they come into the worke of honour . virtue consists in action , and the reward of action is glory . glory is the great soule of the little world , and is the crowne of all sublime attempts , and the point whereto the crooked wayes of policy are all concentrick . honour consults not with a pious life . let those that are ambitious of a religious reputation abjure all honorable titles , and let their dough-bak'd spirits take a pride in sufferance , ( the anvile of all injuries ) and bee thankfully baffled into a quiet pilgrimage . rapes , mur●hers , treasons , dispossessions , riots , are veniall things to men of honour , and oft co-incident in high pursuits . had my dull conscience stood upon such nice points , that little honour i have wonne had glorified some other arme , and left mee begging morsells at his princely gates . come , come , my soule , d factum juvat quod 〈◊〉 non licet . feare not to doe , what crownes thee being done . ride on with thy honour , and create a name to live with faire eternitie . enjoy thy purchas'd glory as the merit of thy renowned actions , and let thy memory entaile it to succeeding generations . make thy owne game , and if thy conscience check thee , correct thy saucy conscience , till shee stand as mute as metamorphos'd niobe . feare not the frownes of princes or the imperious hand of various fortune . thou art too bright for the one to obscure , and too great for the other to cry downe . but harke my soule , i heare a voyce that thunders in mine eare i will change their glory into shame . hos. . psal. . . man that is borne in honour and understandeth not , is like the beasts that perish . prov. . . it is not good to eate too much hony , so for men to search their owne glory is not glory . jer. . . thus saith the lord : let not the wise man glory in his wisedome , neither let the mightie man glory in his might , nor let the rich man glory in his ric●es : but let him that glorieth glory in this , that hee understandeth and knoweth mee that i am the lord . gal. . . let us not bee desirous of vain-glory , &c. st. august . the vaine glory of the world is a deceitfull sweetnesse , an unfruitfull labour , a perpetuall feare , a dangerous bravery , begun without providence , and finished not without repentance . st. greg. he that makes transitory honour the reward of a good worke , sets eternall glory at a low rate . vaine-glory is a froth , which blowne off discovers a great want of measure : canst thou o my soule bee guiltie of such an emptinesse , and note bee challeng'd ? canst thou appeare in the searching eye of heaven , and not expect to be cast away ? deceive not thy selfe o my soule , nor flatter thy selfe with thy owne greatnesse . search thy selfe to the bottome , and thou shalt find enough to humble thee : dost thou glory in the ●avour of a prince ? the frowne of a prince determines it . dost thou glory in thy strength ? a poore ague betraies it . dost thou glory in thy wealth ? the hand of a theefe extinguishes it . dost thou glory in thy friends ? one cloud of adversitie darkens it . dost thou glory in thy parts ? thy owne pride obscures it . behold my soule , how like a bubble thou appearest , and with a sigh breake into sorrow : the gate of heaven is strait ; canst thou hope to enter without breaking ? the bubble that would passe the floodgates must first dissolve ; my soule melt then in teares , and emptie thy selfe of all thy vanity , and thou shalt finde divine repletion ; evaporate in thy devotion , and thou shalt rec●ute thy greatnesse to eternall glory . his prayer . and can i choose o god but tremble at thy judgements ? o● can my stony heart not stand amazed at thy threatnings ? it is thy voyce o god , and thou hast spoken it : it is thy voyce o god , and i have heard it . hadst thou so dealt by mee , as thou did●● by babels proud king , and driven mee from the sonnes of men , thou hadst but done according to thy righteousnesse , and rewarded mee according to my deservings : what couldst thou see in mee lesse worthy of thy vengeance then in him , the example of thy justice ? or lord , wherein am i more uncapable of thy indignation ? there is nothing in mee to move thy mercy but in misery . thy goodnesse is thy selfe , and hath no ground but what proceedeth from it selfe , yet have i sinned against that goodnesse , and have thereby heaped up wrath against the day of wrath ; that insomuch , had not thy grace abounded with my sinne , i had long since been confounded in my sinne , and swallow-lowed up in the gulph of thy displeasure . but lord thou takest no delight to punish , and with thee is no respect of persons : thou takest no pleasure in the confusion of thy creature , but rejoycest rather in the conversion of a sinner . convert mee therfore o god , i shall bee then converted : make mee sensible of my owne corruptions , that i may see the vilenesse of my owne condition . pull downe the pride of my ambitious heart ; humble me thou o god , and i shall bee humbled : weane mee from the thirst of transitory honour , and let my whole delight bee to glory in thee : touch thou my conscience with the feare of thy name , that in all my actions i may feare to offend thee . endue mee o lord with the spirit of meeknesse , and teach mee to overcome evill with a patient heart : moderate and curb the exorbitances of my passion , and give mee temperate use of all thy creatures . replenish my heart with the graces of thy spirit , that in all my wayes i may bee acceptable in thy sight . in all conditions give mee a contented minde , and upon all occasions grant mee a gratefull heart , that honoring thee here in the church militant before men , i may bee glorified hereafter in the church triumphant before thee and angells , where filled with true glory according to the measure of grace thou shalt bee pleased to give mee here , i may with angels and archangels praise thy name for ever and ever . the oppressors plea . i seeke but what 's my owne by law : it was his owne free act and deed : the execution lies for goods or body , and goods or body i will have or else my money . what if his beggerly children pine , or his proud wife perish ? they perish at their owne charge , not mine , and what is that to mee ? i must be paid , or hee lie by it untill i have my utmost farthing , or his bones . the law is just and good , and being ruled by that , how can my faire proceedings bee unjust ? what 's thirty in the hundred to a man of trade ? are we borne to thrum caps , or pick strawes ? and sell our livelihood for a few teares , and a whining face ? i thanke god they move mee not so much as a bowling dog at midnight : i 'le give no day if heaven it selfe would bee securit●e ; i must have present money or his bones . the commodity was good enough , as wares went then , and had hee had but a thriving wit , with the necessary helpe of a good marchantable conscience he might have gained perchance as much as now hee lost ; but howsoever , gaine or not gaine , i must have my money . two teadious tearmes my dearest gold hath laine in his unprofitable hands . the ●oft of suit hath made mee bleed above a score of royals , besides my interest , travell , halfe pints , and bribes ; all which does but encrease my beggerly defendants damages , and sets him deeper on my score ; but right 's right , and i will have my money or his bones . fifteene shillings in the pound composition ? i le hang first . come , tell not mee of a good conscience , a good conscience is no parcell of my trade ; it hath made more bankrupts then all the loose wives in the universall citie . my conscience is no foole . it tells mee that my owne 's my owne , and that a well cramm'd bagge is no deceitfull friend , but will stick close to mee when all my friends forsake mee : if to gaine a good estate out of nothing , and to regaine a desperat debt which is as good as nothing , bee the fruits and signe of a bad conscience , god helpe the good . come , tell not me of griping and oppression . the world is hard , and hee that hopes to thrive must gripe as hard : what i give i give , and what i lend i lend ; if the way to heaven bee to turn begger upon earth , let them take it that like it , i know not what ye call oppression . the law is my direction ; but of the two it is more profitable to oppresse then to bee opprest . if debtors would bee honest and discharge , our hands were bound ; but when their failing offends my bagges they touch the apple of my eye , and i must right them . but hah ! what voyce is this that whispers in mine eare , the lord will spoile the soule of the oppressors , prov. . . prov. . . robbe not the poore because hee is poore , neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates , for the lord will plead their cause , and spoile the soule of those that have spoled him . ezek. . . the people of the land have used oppression , and exercised robbery , and have vexed the poors and needy ; yea , they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully . therefore i have poured out my indignation upon them , i have consumed them with the fire of my wrath . zach. . . execute true judgement and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother , and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse , nor the stranger , nor the poore , and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother . but they refused to hearken ; therefore came a great wrath from the lord of hosts . bernard , p. . wee ought so to care for our selves , as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour . bern. ibi●● he that is not mercifull to another shall not find mercy from god ; but if thou will'st bee mercifull and compassionate , thou shalt bee a ben●factor to thy owne soule . is it wisdome in thee o my soul to covet a happinesse , or rather to account it so , that is sought for with a judgement , obtained with a curse , and punished with damnation ; and to neglect that good which is assured with a promise , purchased with a blessing , and rewarded with a crowne of glory ? canst thou hold a full estate , a good pennyworth , which is bought with the deare price of thy gods displeasure ? tell mee , what continuance can that inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy brother ? or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven , that hast denied all mercy to thy neighbour ? o my hard-hearted soule consider , and relent : build not an house whose posts are subject to bee rotted with a curse : consider what the god of truth hath threatned against thy crueltie ; relent , and turne compassionate , that thou mayst bee capable of his compassion . if the desire of gold hath hardned thy heart , let the teares of true repentance mollifie it ; soften it with aarons oyntment , untill it become wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy pardon . his prayer . but will my god bee now entreated ? is not my crying sinne too loud for pardon ? am i not sunke too deepe into the jawes of hell , for thy strong arme to rescue ? hath not the hardnesse of my heart made mee uncapable of thy compassion ? o if my teares might wash away my sinne , my head should turne a living spring : lord i have heard thee speake and am affraid ; the word is past , and thy judgements have found mee out . fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon mee , and the jawes of hell have overwhelmed mee : i have oppressed thy poore , and added affliction to the afflicted , and the voyce of their misery is come before thee . they besought mee with teares , and in the anguish of their soules , but i have stopt mine eares against the cry of their complaint . but lord , thou walkest not the wayes of man , and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath , for thou art good and gratious , and ready to forgive , and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee . forgive mee o god my sinnes that are past , and deliver mee from the guilt of my oppression : take from mee o god this heart of stone , and create in my brest a heart of flesh : asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below , and satisfie my soule with the sufficiency of thy grace . inflame my affections , that i may love thee with a filiall love , and incline mee to relie upon thy fatherly providence : let mee account godlinesse my greatest gaine , and subdue in mee my lusts after filthy lucre . preserve mee o lord from the vanitie of selfe-love , and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours : endue my heart with the bowels of compassion , and then reward mee according to thy righteousnesse : direct mee o god in the wayes of my life , and let a good conscience bee my continuall comfort . give mee a willing heart to make res●itution of what i have wrongfully gotten by oppression . grant mee a lawfull use of all thy creatures , and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits . bee merci●ull to all those that groane under the burthen of their owne wants , and give them patience to expect thy deliverance : give mee a heart that may acknowledge thy favours , and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving , that living here a new life i may become a new creature , and being engraffed in thee by the power of thy grace i may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory . the drunkards iubile . vvhat complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth ! how shall their free , their joviall spirits entertaine their time , their friends ! what oyle shall bee infused into the lampe of deare societie , if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing cup ? it is the life , the radicall humor of united soules , whose love-digestive heate even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith ; without the helpe whereof new married friendship falls into divorce , and joyn'd acquaintance soone resolves into the first elements of strangenesse . what meane these strict reformers thus to spend their hou●e-glasses , and bawle against our harmelesse cups ? to call our meetings riots , and brand our civill mirth with stiles of loose intemperance ? where they can sit at a fisters feast , devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse , and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths , and cloath their surfeits in the long fustain robes of a tedious grace : is it not much better in a faire friendly round ( since youth must have a swing ) to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping cup , then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a folish cast at dice ? or at a cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention ? or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly idoll ? was not wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts , and raise the drowzie spirits of dejected soules ? is not the liberall cup the sucking-bottle of the sonnes of phaebus , to solace and refresh their palats in the nights of sad invention ? let dry-brain'd zelots spend their idle breaths , my cups shall bee my cordialls to restore my care-befeebled heart to the true temper of a well-complexioned mirth : my solid braines are potent , and can beare enough , without the least offence to my distempered senses , or interruption of my boone companions : my tongue can in the very zenith of my cups deliver the expressions of my composed thoughts with better sense , then these my grave reformers can their best advised prayers . my constitution is pot-proof , and strong enough to make a fierce encounter with the most stupendious vessell that ever failed upon the tides of bacchus . my reaso● shrinkes not ; my passion burnes not . o but my soule , i heare a threatning voyce that interrupts my language , wee be to them that are mightie to drink wine , esay . . prov. . . wine is a mocker ; strong drinke is raging , and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise . esay . . woe bee to them that rise up early in the morning to follow strong drinke , that continue till night , untill wine enflame them . prov. . . bee not amongst wine-bibbers . . cor. . . now i have written unto you , not to keepe company , if any that is called a brother bee a drunkard , with such a one , no not to eate . aug. in lib. pen . whilst the drunkard swallowes wine , wine swallowes him ; god disregards him , angels despise him , men deride him , vertue declines him , the devill destroyes him . aug. ad . sac . virg. drunkennesse is the mother of all evill , the matter of all mischiefe , the well-spring of all vices , the trouble of the senses , the tempest of the tongue , the shipwrack of chastitie , the consumption of time , a voluntary madnesse , the corruption of manners , the distemper of the body and the destruction of the soule . my soule , it is the voyce of god , digested into a judgement : there is no kicking against pricks , or arguing against a divine truth ; pleadest thou custome ? custome in sinne multiplies it : pleadest thou societie ? societie in the offence , aggravates the punishment : pleadest thou help to invention ? woe bee to that barrennesse , that wants such showers : pleadest thou strength to beare much wine ? woe to those that are mightie to drinke strong drinke : my soule , thou hast sinned against thy creator in abusing that creature he made to serve thee : thou hast sinned against the creature , in turning it to the creators dishonor : thou hast finned against thy selfe , in making thy comfort thy confusion . how many want that blessing thou hast turn'd into a curse ? how many thirst whilst thou surfeitest ? what satisfaction wilt thou give to the creator , to the creature , to thy selfe , against all whom thou hast transgrest ? to thy selfe , by a sober life : to the creature , by a right use : to thy creator , by a true repentance : the way to all which , is prayer and thanksgiving . his prayer . how truely then , o god , this heavy woe belongs to this my boasted sinne ? how many judgements are comprised● and abstracted in this woe● and all for mee , even mee o god , the miserable subject of thy eternall wrath ; even mee o lord , the marke whereat the shafts of thy displeasure levell ? lord , i was a sinner in my first conception , and in sinne hath my mother brought mee forth ; i was no sooner , but i was a slave to sinne , and all my life is nothing but the practise and the trade of high rebellion ; i have turn'd thy blessings into thy dishonour , and all thy graces into wantonnesse : yet hast thou been my god even from the very wombe , and didst sustaine mee when i hung upon my mothers breast : thou hast washed mee o lord from my pollution , but like a swine i have returned to my mire . thou hast glaunced into my breast the blessed motions of thy holy spirit , but i have quenched them with the springtides of my borne corruption . i have vomited up my filthinesse before thee , and like a dog have i returned to my vomit . bee mercifull o god unto mee , have mercy on mee o thou sonne of david ; i cannot o lord expect the childrens bread , yet suffer mee to lick the crummes that fall beneath their table , i that have so oft abused the greatest of thy blessings am not worthy of the meanest of thy favours . look , look upon me according to the goodnesse of thy mercy , and not according to the greatnesse of my offences : give mee o god a sober heart , and a lawfull moderation in the enjoyment of thy creatures . reclaime my appetite from unseasonable delights , lest i turne thy blessings into a curse ; in all my dejections , bee thou my comfort , and let my rejoycing bee onely in thee . propose to mine eyes the evilnesse of my dayes , and make mee carefull to redeeme my time : weane mee from the pleasure of vaine societie , and let my companions bee such as feare thee ; forgive all such as have been partners in my sinne , and turne their hearts to the obedience of thy lawes . open their eares to the reproofs of the wise , and make them powerfull in reformation . allay that lust which my intemperance hath inflam'd , and cleanse my affections with the grace of thy good spirit ; make mee thankfull for the strength of my body , that i may for the time to come returne it to the advantage of thy glory . the swearers apologie . will boanarges never cease ? and will these plague-denouncers never leave to thunder judgements in my trembling eare ? nothing but plagues ? nothing but judgements ? nothing but damnation ? what have i done to make my case desterate ? and what have they not done to make my soule despair ? have i set up false gods like the egyptians ? or have i bowed before them like the israelites ? have i violated the sabbath like the libertines ? or like cursed cham have i discovered my fathers nakednesse ? have i embrued my hands in blood like barabbas ? or like absolon defiled my fathers bed ? have i like iacob supplanted my elder brother ? o like ahab intruded into nabott● vineyard ? have i borne false witnesse like the wanton elders ? or like david coveted vriahs wife ? have i not given tithes of all i have ? or hath my purse beene hidebound to my hungry brother ? hath not my life been blamelesse before men ? and my demeanour unreprovable before the world ? have i not hated vice with a perfect hatred ? and countenanc'd vertue with a due respect ? what meane these strict observers of my life , to ransack every action , to carpe at every word , and with their sharpe censorious tongues to sentence every frailtie with damnation ? is there no allowance to humanitie ? no graines to flesh and blood ? are wee all angels ? has mortalitie no priviledge , to supersede it from the utmost punishment of a little necessary frailtie ? come , come , my soule , let not these judgement-thunderers fright thee : let not these qualmes of their exuberous zeale disturbe thee . thou hast not cursed like shemei , nor rail'd like rabshekah , nor lied like anani● , nor slander'd like thy ●accusers . they that censure thy gnats swallow their owne camels . what if the luxuriant stile of thy discourse doe chance to strike upon an obvious oath , art thou straight hurried into the bosome of a plague ? what if the custome of a harmelesse oath should captivate thy heedlesse tongue , can nothing under sudden judgement seize upon thee ? what if anothers diffidence should force thy earnest lips into a hasty oath , in confirmation of a suffering truth ; must thou be straightwayes branded with damnation ? was ioseph mark'd for everlasting death , for swearing by the life of egypts king ? was peter when hee so denied his master , straight damn'd for swearing , and for-swearing● o flatter not thy selfe my soule , nor turne thou advocate to so high a sinne : make not the slips of saints a precedent for thee to fall . if the rebukes of flesh may not prevaile , heare then the threatning of the spirit which saith , the plague shall not depart from the house of the swearer . exod. . . thou shalt not take the name of the lord the god in vaine , for the lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine . zach. . . and every one that sweareth shall bee cut off . matth. . . sweare not at all , neither by heaven , for it is gods throne , nor by the earth , for it is his footstoole : but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , for whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill . jer. . . because of swearing the land mourneth . aug in ser. the murtherer killeth the body of his brother , but the swearer murthers his owne soule . august . in psal. . it 's well that god hath forbidden man to sweare , left by custome of swearing ( in as much as wee are apt to mistake ) wee commit perjury : there 's none but god can safely sweare , because there 's no other but may be deceived . august . de mendacio . i say unto you , sweare not at all , lest by swearing ye come to a facilitie of swearing , from a facilitie to a custome , and from a custome ye fall into perjury . o what a judgement is here ! how terrible ! how full of execution ! the plague ? the extract of all diseases ! none so mortall ; none so comfortlesse ! it makes our house a prison , our friends strangers ; no comfort but in the expectation of the months end : i , but this judgement excludes that comfort too ; the plague shall never depart from the house of the swearer : what never ? death will give it a period : no , but it shall bee entail'd upon his house , his family : o detestable ! o destructive sinne ! that leaves a crosse upon the dores of generations , and layes whole families upon the dust ; a sinne whereto neither profit incites , nor pleasure allures , nor necessitie compells , nor inclination of nature perswades ; a meere voluntary , begun with a malignant imitation , and continued with an habituall presumption . consider o my soule , every oath hath been a nayle to wound that saviour , whose blood ( o mercy above expression ! ) must save thee : bee sensible of thy actions and his sufferings : abhorre thy selfe in dust and ashes , and magnifie his mercy that hath turn'd this judgement from thee goe wash those wounds which thou hast made , with teares , and humble thy selfe with prayer , and true repentance . his prayer . eternall and omnipotent god , before whose glorious name angels , and archangels bow , and hide their faces , to which the blessed spirits , and saints of thy triumphant church sing forth perpetuall hallelujahs , i a poore sprig of disobedient adam doe here make bold to take that holy name into my sinne-polluted lippes : i have hainously sinned o god against thee , and against it ; i have disparaged it in my thoughts , dishonoured it in my words , profaned it in my actions , and i know thou art a jealous god , and a consuming fire , as faithfull in thy promises , so fearefull in thy judgements ; i therefore flie from the dreadfull name of jehovah , which i have abused , to that gratious name of jesus , wherein thou art well pleased ; in that most sacred name , o god , i fall before thee , and for his beloved sake o lord i come unto thee . cleanse thou my heart o god , and then my tongue shall praise thee : wash thou my soule , o lord , and then my lippes shall blesse thee . worke in my heart a feare of thy displeasure , and give mee an awfull reverence of thy name . set thou a watch before my lips , that i offend not with my tongue : let no respects entice mee to bee an instrument of thy dishonour , and let thy attributes bee pretious in mine eyes , teach mee the way of thy precepts , o lord , and make me sensible of all my offences : let not my sinfull custome in sinning against thy name take from my guiltie soule the sense of my sinne : give mee a respect unto all thy commandements , but especially preserve mee from the danger of this my bosome sinne . mollifie my heart at the rebukes of thy servants , and strike into my inward parts a feare of thy judgements : let all my communication bee order'd as in thy presence , and let the words of my mouth bee governed by thy spirit . avert those judgements from mee which thy word hath threatned , and my sinne hath deserved , and strengthen my resolution for the time to come ; worke in mee a true godly sorrow , that it may bring forth in mee a newnesse of life . sanctifie my thoughts with the continuall meditation of thy co●mandements , and mortifie those passions which provoke mee to offend thee . let not the examples of others induce mee to this sinne , nor let the frailties of my flesh seek fig leaves to cover it . seale in my heart the full assurance of thy reconciliation , and looke upon mee in the bowells of compassion , that crowning my weak desires with thy all-sufficient power , i may escape this judgement which thy justice hath threatned here , and obtaine that happinesse thy mercy hath promised hereafter . the procrastinators remora's . tell mee no more of fasting , prayer , and death ; they fill my thoughts with dumps of melancholy . these are no subjects for a youthfull care ; no contemplations for an active soule : let them whom sullen age hath weaned from aery pleasures , whom wayward fortune hath condemn'd to sighes and groanes , whom sad diseases have beslaved to drugs and diets ; let them consume the remnant of their wretched dayes in dull devotion : let them afflict their aking soules with the untunable discourses of mortalitie ; let them contemplate on evill dayes , and reade sharpe lectures of their owne experience : for me , my bones are full of unctious marrow , and my blood , of sprightly youth : my faire and free estate secures me from the feares of fortunes frowne . my strength of constitution hath the power to grapple with sorrow , sicknesse , nay the very pangs of death , and overcome . 't is true , god must bee sought ; what impious tongue dare be so basely bold to contradict so knowne a truth ? and by repentance too ; what strange impietie dare deny it ? or what presumptuous lips dare disavow it ? but there 's a time for all things , yet none prefixt for this , no day designed , but , at what time soever : if my unseasonable heart should seeke him now , the worke would be too serious for so greene a seeker . my thoughts are yet unsetled , my fancy yet too too gamesome , my judgement yet unsound , my will unsanctified ; to seeke him with an unprepared heart is the high way not to finde him ; or to finde him with unsetled resolution is the next way to lose him ; and indeed it wants but little of prophanenesse , to bee unseasonably religious . what is once to bee done is long to bee deliberated . let the boyling pleasures of the rebellious flesh evaporate a little , and let mee drayn my boggy soule from those corrupted , inbred humors of collapsed nature , and when the tender blossomes of my youthfull vanitie shall begin to fade , my setled understanding will begin to knot , my solid judgement will begin to ripen , my rightly guided will be resolved , both what to seeke , and when to find , and how to prize ; till then my tender youth , in her pursuit , will bee disturb'd with every blast of honour , diverted with every flash of pleasure , misled by counsell , turned back with feare , puzzl'd with doubt , interupted by passion , withdrawne with prosperitie , and discurag'd with adversitie . take heed my soul , when thou hast lost thy self in thy journey , how wilt thou find thy god at thy journeys end ? whom thou hast lost by too long delay , thou wilt hardly find with too late ●diligence . take time while time shall serve , that day may come wherein thou shalt seek the lord , but shalt not finde him● hos. . . esay . . seeke the lord while he may bee found , call upon him while he is neare . heb. . . he found no place for repentance , though hee sought it with teares carefully . thou foole , this night will i take thy soule from thee . revel. . . i gave her a space to repent , but shee repented not ; behold therefore i will cast her . greg. lib. mor. seeke god whilst thou canst not see him , for when thou seest him thou canst not find him : seeke him by hope and thou shalt finde him by faith ; in the day of grace hee is invisible , but neare ; in the day of judgement he is visible , but farre off . ber. ser. . if wee would not seeke god in vaine , let us seeke him in truth , often , and constantly ; let us not seeke another thing in stead of him , nor any other thing with him , nor for any other thing , leave him . o my soule , thou hast sought wealth , and hast either not found it , or cares with it ; thou hast sought for pleasure , and hast found it , but no comfort in it : thou soughtest honour and hast found it , and perchance fallen with it : thou soughtest friendship , and hast found it false : societie , and hast found it vaine ; and yet thy god , the fountaine of all wealth , pleasure , honour , friendship , and societie , thou hast slighted as a toy not worth the finding : be wise , my soule , and blush at thy owne folly . set thy desires on the right obj●ct : seeke wisdome , and thou shalt find knowledge , and wealth , and honour , and length of dayes : seeke heaven , and earth shall seeke thee ; and deferre not thy inquest , lest thou lose thy opportunitie : to day thou maist find him , whom to morrow thou mayst seek with teares , and misse : yesterday is too late , to morrow is uncertaine , to day is onely thine : i , but my soule , i feare my too long delay hath made this day too late ; feare not my soule , hee that has given thee his grace to day will forget thy neglect of yesterday , seeke him therefore by true repentance , and thou shalt find him in thy prayer . his prayer . o god , that like thy pretious word art hid to none , but who are lost , and yet art found by all that seek thee with an upright heart , cast downe thy gratious eye upon a lost sheep of israel , strayed through the vanitie of his unbridled youth , and wandred in the wildernesse of his owne invention . lord i have too much delighted in mine owne wayes , and have put the evill day too farre from mee ; i have wallowed i● the pleasures of this deceitfull world , which perish in the using , and have neglected thee my god , at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore : i have drawne on iniquitie as with cart-ropes , and have committed evill with greedinesse : i have quencht the motions of thy good spirit , and have delayed to seeke thee by true and unfaigned repentance : in stead of seeking thee whom i have lost , i have withdrawne my selfe from thy presence when thou hast sought mee . it were but justice therefore in thee to stop thine eares at my petitions , or turne my prayers as sinne into my bosome ; but lord , thou art a gratious god , and full of pity , and unwearied compassion , and thy loving kindnesse is from generation to generation : lord , in not seeking thee i have utterly lost my selfe , and if-thou find mee not . i am lost for ever , and if thou find mee , thou canst not but finde me in my sinnes , and then thou find'st mee to my owne destruction . how miserable o lord is my condition ! how necessary is my confusion ! that have neglected to seeke thee , and therefore am afraid to bee found of thee . but lord if thou looke upon the all-sufficient merits of thy sonne , thy justice will bee no loser in shewing mercy upon a sinner ; in his name therefore i present my selfe before thee ; in his merits i make my humble approach unto thee ; in his name i offer up my feeble prayers ; for his merits grant mee my petitions . call not to mind the rebellions of my flesh , and remember not o god the vanities of my youth : inflame my heart with the love of thy presence , and reli●● my meditations with the pleasure of thy sweetnesse . let not the consideration of thy justice overwhelm me in despaire , nor the meditation o● thy mercy perswade mee to presume . sancti●fie my will by the wisedome of thy spirit , tha● i may desire thee as the chiefest good . quicke● my desires with a servent zeale , that i may seeke my creator in the dayes of my youth● teach mee to seeke thee according to thy wil● and then bee found according to thy promise that living in mee here by thy grace , i may here after raigne with thee in glory . the hypocrites prevarication . there is no such stuffe to make a cloake on as religion : nothing so fashionable , nothing so profitable ; it is a livery , wherein a wise man may serve two masters , god and the world , and make a gainefull service by either : i serve b●ah , and in both , my selfe , in prevaricating with both . before man none serves his god with more severe devotion , for which among the belt of men i work my own ends , & serve my self . in private i serve the world , not with so strict devotion , but with more delight , where fulfilling of her servants lusts i work my end , and serve my self : the house of prayer who more frequents then i ? in all christian duties who more forward then i ? i fast with those that fast , that i may eate with those that eate : i mourne with those that mourne : no hand more open to the cause then mine , and in their families none prayes longer and with louder zeale : thus when the opinion of a holy life hath cryed the goodnesse of my conscience up , my trade can lack no custome , my wares can want no price , my words can need no credit , my actions can lack no praise : if i am covetous , it is interpreted providence ; if miserable , it is counted temperance ; if m●lancholly , it is construed godly sorrow ; if merry , it is voted spirituall joy ; if i be rich , t is thought the blessing of a godly life ; if poor , supposed the fruit of conscionable dealing ; if i be well spoken of , it is the merit ●f holy conversation ; if ill , it is the malice of malignants ; thus i saile with every winde , and have my end in all conditions . this cloake in summer keepes mee coole , in winter warme , and hides the nasty bag of all my secret lusts : under this cloake i walke in publique fairely , with applause , and in private sinne securely without offence , and officiate wisely without discovery ; i compasse sea and land to make a proselyte , and no sooner made but he makes mee . at a fast i cry geneva , and at a feast i cry rome . if i bee poore , i counterfeit abundance to save my credit ; if rich , i dissemble povertie to save charges . i most frequent schismaticall lectures , which i find most profitable , from whence learning to divulge and maintaine new doctrines , they maintaine mee in suppers thrice a weeke ; i use the helpe of a lie , sometimes as a religious stratagem to uphold the gospell , and i colour oppression with gods judgement executed upon the wicked . charity i hold an extraordinary dutie , therefore not ordinarily to bee performed . vvhat i openly reprove abroad for my owne profit , that i secretly act at home , for my owne pleasure . but stay , i see a hand-writing in my heart lamps my soule , 't is characterd in these sa● words , w●e hee to you hypoerites , match . . job . . the triumphing of the wicked is short , and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment . job . . the congregation of the hypocrites shall bee desolate . psal. . . an hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour , but through knowledge shall the just bee delivered . luke . . beware of the leaven of the pharisees which is hypocrisie . job . . the hypocrites in heart heape up wrath , they die in their youth , and their life is amongst the uncleane . salvian . de gubern . dei . l. . the hypocrites love not those things they professe , and what they pretend in words they disclaime in practise ; their sinne is the more damnable , because ushered in with pretence of pietie , having the greater guilt because it obtaines a godly repute . hieron. ep. endeavour rather to be , then to be thought holy ; for what profits it thee to bee thought to be what thou art not ? and that man doubles his guilt , who is not so holy as the world thinkes him , and counterseits that holinesse which be bath not . how like a living sepulcher did i appeare ! without , beautified with gold and rich invention ; within , nothing but a loathed corruption : so long as this faire sepulcher was clos'd , it past for a curious monument of the builders art , but being opened by these spirituall keyes , 't is nothing but a receptacle of offensive putrefaction : in what a nasty dungeon hast thou my soule , so long remain'd unstifled ? how wert thou wedded to thy owne corruptions , that could'st endure thy unsavory filthinesse ? the world hated mee , because i seemed good ; god hated mee , because i onely seemed good : i had no friend but my selfe , and this friend was my bosome enemy : o my soule , is there water enough in jordan to cleanse thee ? hath gilead balme enough to heale thy superannuated sores ? i have finned , i am convinced , i am convicted : gods mercy is above dimensions , when sinners have not sinn'd beyond repentance : art thou my soule truly penitent for thy 〈◊〉 thou hast free interest in his mercy : fall then my soule before his mercy seate , and he will crown thy pemitence with his pardon . his prayer . o god before the brightnesse of whose all-discerning eye the secrets of my heart appeare , before whose cleare omniscience the very entralls of my soule lie open , who art a god of righteousnesse , and truth , and lovest uprightnesse in the inward parts : how can i choose but feare to thrust into thy glorious presence , or move my sinfull lips to call upon that name which i so often have dishonored , and made a cloake to hide the basenesse of my close transgressions ? lord , when i look into the progresse of my filthy life , my guilty conscience calls mee to so strict account , and reflects to mee so large an inventory of my presumptuous sinnes , that i commit a greater sinne in thinking them more infinite then thy mercy . but lord thy mercies have no date , nor is thy goodnesse circumscribed . the gates of thy compassion are alwayes open to a broken heart , and promise entertainement to a contrite spirit ; the burthen of my sinnes is grievous , and the remembrance of my hypocrisie is intolerable ; i have finned against thy majesty with a high hand , but i repent mee from the bottome of an humble heart : as thou hast therefore given mee sorrow for my sinnes , so crowne that gift in the freenesse of remission : bee fully reconcil'd to mee , through the all-sufficient merits of thy sonne my saviour , and seale in my afflicted heart the full assurance of thy gratious favour : bee thou exalted o god above the heavens , and let mee praise thee with a single heart ; cleanse thou my inward parts o god , and purifie the closet of my polluted soule : fix thou my heart o thou searcher of all secrets , and keepe my affections wholly to thee . remove from mee all by and base respects that i may serve thee with an upright spirit . take not the word of truth out of my mouth , nor give mee over to deceitfull lips ; give mee an inward reverence of thy majestie , that i might openly confesse thee in the truth of my sinceritie . bee thou the onely object , and end of all my actions , and let thy honour bee my great r●ward : let not the hopes of filthy lucre , or the praise of men incline me to thee , neither let the pleasures of the world nor the feares of any losse entice mee from thee . keepe from mee those judgements my hypocrisie hath deserved , and strengthen my resolution to abhorre my former life : give me strength o god to serve thee with a perfect heart in the newnesse of life , that i may bee delivered from the old man , and the snares of death . then shall i praise thee with my entire affections , and glorifie thy name for ever and ever● the ignorant mans faltering . you tell mee , and you tell me that i must bee a good man , and serve god , and doe his will ; and so i doe for ought i know : i am sure i am as good as god has made mee , and i can make my selfe no better , so i cannot : and as for serving god , i am sure i goe to church as well as the best in the parish , though i bee not so fine ; and i make no question , if i had better cloathes , but i should doe god as much credit as another man , though i say it : and as for doing gods will , i beshrew mee , i leave that to them that are booke-learn'd , and can doe it more wisely : i beleeve the vicar of our parish can doe it , and has done it too , as well as any within five miles of his head , and what need i trouble my selfe to doe what is so well done already ? i hope hee being so good a churchm●n , and so great a schollard , and can speake lati●e too , would not leave that to so simple man as i. it is enough for mee to know , that god is a good man ; and that the ten commandements are the best prayers in all the book , unlesse it bee the creede . and that i must love my neighbour as well as he loves mee , and for all other quilicoms , they shall never trouble my braines , an grac● a god . let mee goe a sundays and serve god , obey the king , ( god blesse him ) doe no man no wrong , say the lords prayer every morning and evening , follow my worke , give a noble to the poore at my death , and then say lord have mercy upon mee , and goe away like a lambe , i make no question but i shall deserve heaven as well as he that weares a gayer coate : but yet i am not so ingrant neither , nor have not gone so often to church , but i know christ died for mee too , as well as for any other man : i 'de bee sorry else ; and that , next to our vicar , i shall goe to heaven when i am dead as soone as another ; nay more , i know there bee two sacraments , bread and wine , and but two , ( though the papists say there bee six or seven ) and that i verily beleeve i shall be saved by those sacraments , & that i love god above all , or else 't were pitty of my life , and that when i am dead and rotten , ( as our vicar told mee ) i shall rise againe and be the same man i was . but for that , hee must excuse mee , till i have better sartifaction ; for all his learning , he cannot make me such a foole , unlesse hee shew mee a better reason for 't , then yet hee has done . but one thing hee told me , now i thinke on 't , troubles me woundly , namely that god is my master , all which i confesse ; and that i must doe his will ( whether i know how to doe it or nor ) or else it will goe ill with me ; i le read it ( he said ) out of gods bible , and i shall remember the words so long as i have a day to live , which are these , he that knoweth not his masters will and doth things worthy of stripes , shall bee beaten with few stripes , luke . . cor. . . brethren bee not children in understanding , howbeit in malice be ye children , but in understanding be men . cor. . . awake to righteousnesse and sin not , for some have not ●the knowledge of god , i speake it to your shame . ephes. . . walke not in the vanitie of your minds , having the understanding darkned , being alienated from the life of god , through the ignorance which is in you , because of the blindnesse of your hearts . levit. . . and if a soule sinne and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the lord , though hee wist it not , yet is hee guilty , and shall beare his iniquitie . thes. . . . the lord iesus shall be revealed from heaven , with his mightie angels , in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god . greg. mag. moral . it is good to know much , and to live well ; but if wee cannot attaine both , it is better to desire piety then wisedome , for knowledge makes no man happy , nor doth blessednesse consist in intellectuals . the onely brave thing is a religious life . to sin against knowledge is so much the greater offence then an ignorant trespasse , by how much the crime which is capable of no excuse , is more hainous then the fault which admits a tolerable plea . iustin , mart. resp. ad orthod. how well it had been for thee o my soule , if i had bookelarnd ; alas i cannot reade , and what i heare , i cannot understand ; i cannot profit as i should , and therefore cannot be as good as i would , for which i am right sorry : that i cannot serve as well as my betters , hath been often a great griefe to me , and that i have been so ingran● in good things , hath been a great heart-breaking to me : i can say no prayers for want of knowledge to reade , but our father and the creede : but the comfort is , god knowes my heart , but ● trust in god our father , being made by christ himselfe , will bee enough for me that know not how to make a better . i indeavour to doe all our vicar bids me , and when i receive the communion i truely forgive all the world for a fortnight after or such a matter , but then some old injury makes me forget my selfe , but i cannot helpe it , an my life should lie on t . o my ingrant soule , what shall i do to bee saved ? all that i can say is , lord have mercy upon me , and all that i can doe is but to doe my good will , and that i le doe with all my heart , and say my prayers too as well as god will give mee leave , an grace a god . his prayer . o god the father of heaven have mercy upon me miserable sinner ; i am as i must needs confes●e a sinfull man , as my forefathers were before mee : i have heard many sermons and have had many good lessons from the mouths of painefull ministers , but through the dulnesse of my understanding , and for want of learning i have not profited ●o much as else i should have done , spare mee therefore o god , spare mee whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious blood , and bee not angry for ever ; i must confesse the painefulnesse of my calling , and the heavinesse of my owne nature hath taken from mee the delight of hearing thy word , and the ignorance of learning which i was never brought upto , hath kept me from reading it , that insomuch , in stead of growing better , i feare i have growne worse and worse , and have been so far from doing thy will , that i doe not understand what thy will is , very well . but thou o mercifull god that didst reveale thy selfe to poore shepherds and fishermen that had no more learning then i , have mercy upon mee for jesus christ his sake . thou that hast promised to instruct the simple , and to leade the ignorant into thy way , be● good and mercifull to mee i beseech thee ; thou that drawest the needy out of the dust , and the poore out of the dunghill , give me the knowledge of thy will , and teach me how to serve thee : take from me the drowzinesse of my heart , open mine eyes that i may see the truth , and mine eares that i may understand thy word , and strengthen my memory that i may lay it up in my heart , and show it in my life and vocation to thy glory and my comfort , and the comfort of my friends . lord write thy will in my heart , that when i know it i may doe it willingly : o teach me what thy pleasure is that i may doe my best to performe it : give mee faith to lay hold of christ jesus who died for mee , that after i am dead i may ri●e againe and live with him : give mee a good heart that i may deale honestly with all men , and doe as i would be done to . blesse mee in my calling , and prosper the labour of my hands , that i may have enough to feed mee and cloathe me , and to give to the poore : mend all that is amisse in me , and expect from me according to the measure thou hast given me . forgive me all my sinnes , and make mee willing to please thee , that living a good life i may make a gratious death , and so at last i may come to heaven and live for ever , for jesus christ his sake , amen . the sloathfull mans slumber . o what a world of curses , the eating of the forbidden fruit hath brought upon mankinde ! and unavoydably entail'd upon the sonnes of men ! among all which no one appeares to me more terrible and full of sorrow , and bewraying greater wrath , then that insufferable , that horrible punishment of labour , and to purchase bread with so extreame a price as sweat : but o what happe , what happinesse have they , whose dying parents have procured a quie● fortune for their unmolested children , and conveigh'd descended rents to their succeeding heirs , whose easie and contented lives may sit and suck the sweetnesse of their cumberlesse estates , and with their folded hands enjoy the delicates of this toylsome world ! how blessed , how delicious are those easie morsells , that can finde the way to my soft palat , and then attend upon the wanton leasure of my silken slumbers , without the painefull practise of my bosome folded hands or sad contrivement of my studious and contracted browes ! why should i tire my tender youth , and ●orture out my groaning dayes in ●oyle and travell ? and discompose the happy peace of my harmonious thoughts with painefull grinding in the common mill of dull mortalitie ? why should i rob my craving eyelids of their delightfull rest , to cark and care , and purvey for that bread which every work-abhorring vagabo●d can finde of almes at every good mans doore ? why should i leave the warme protection of my care-beguiling doune , to play the droyling drudge for daily food , when the young empty r●vens ( that have no hands to worke , nor providence , but heaven ) can call and be supplied ? the pale fac'd lilly and the blushing rose , neither spinnes nor s●wes , yet princely solomon was never robed with so much glory . and shall i then afflict my body and beslave my heaven-borne soule to purchase , rags to cloathe my nakednesse ? is my condition worse then sheepe , ordain'd for slaughter , that crop the springing grasse , cloath'd warme in soft arrayment , purchac'd without their providence or paines ? or shall the pamper'd beast that shines with fatnesse , and growes wanton through his carefull groomes indulgence find better measure at the worlds too partiall hands then i ? come , come , let those take paines that love to leave their names enroll'd in memorable monuments of parchment ; the day has griefe enough without my helpe ; and let tomorrow●● shoulders beare to morrows burthens . but stay my soule , o stay thy rash resolves , take heed whilst thou avoyd the punishment of sinne , labour , thou meet not the reward of idle●esse , a judgement ; the idle soule shall suffer hunger , prov. . . eccles. . . by much slothfulnesse the building decayeth , and through idlenesse of the hands , the house droppeth thorough . exod. . . behold this was the iniquitie of thy s●ster sodome , pride , fulnesse of bread , and abundance of idlenesse was in her and in her daughters , neither did shee strengthen the band of the poore and needy . prov. . , , . goe to the pismire o sluggard , behold her wayes and be wise . for she having no guide , governour , nor ruler , prepareth her meat in summer , and gathereth her food in harvest . nilus in paraenes . idlenesse is the wombe or fountaine of all wickednesse : for it consumes and wastes the riches and vermes which wee have already , and disinables us to get those we have not . nilus in paraen . was bee to the idle soul● , for he shall hunger after that which his riot consumed . how presumptuously hast thou my soule , transgrest the expresse commandement of thy god! how hast thou dasht thy selfe against his judgements ! how hath thy undeserving hand usurpt thy diet and wearest on thy back the wages of the painefull soule ! art thou not condemned to rags , to famine , by him whose law commanded thee to labour ? and yet thou pamper'st up thy sides with stollen food , and yet thou deck'st thy wanton body with unearn'd ornaments ? whiles they that spend their daily strength in their commanded callings ( whose labour gives them interest in them ) want bread to feed , and rags to cloathe them . thou art no young rav●n my soule , no lilly : where abilitie to labour is , there providence meets action , and crownes it : hee that forbids to cark for to morrow , denies bread to the idlenesse of to day : consider , o my soule thy owne delinquency , and let imployment make thee capable of thy gods protection : the bird that sits is a faire mark for the fowler , while they that use the wing escape the danger ; follow thy calling , and heaven will follow thee with his blessing : what thou hast formerly omitted , present repentance may redeeme , and what judgements god hath threatned , early pe●itions may avert . his prayer most great and most glorious god , who for the sinne of our first parents hast condemned our fraile bodies to the punishment of labour , and hast commanded every one a calling and a trade of life , that hatest idlenesse as the root of evill , and threatnest povertie to the slothfull hand ; i thy poore suppliant convicted by thy judgements and conscious of my own transgression , flie from my selfe to thee , and humbly appeale from the high tribunall of thy justice , and seeke for refuge in the sanctuary of thy mercy : lord , i have led a life displeasing to thee , and have been a scandall to my profession ; i have slighted those blessings which thy goodnesse hath promised to a conscionable calling , and have swallowed downe the bread of idlenesse ; i have impaired the talent thou gavest me , and have lost the opportunity of doing much good : i have filled my heart with idle imaginations , and have layd my felse open to the lusts of the flesh : i have abused thy favours in the misexpending of my pretious time , and have taken no delight in thy sabbaths ; i have doted too much on the pleasures of this world , and like a droane have fed upon the hony of bees . if thou o god shouldst bee extreame to search my wayes with too severe an eye , thou couldst not choose but whe● thy indignation , and powre the vialls of thy wrath upon mee ; looke therefore not upon my sinnes , o lord , but through the merits of my saviour , who hath made a full satisfaction for all my sinnes : what through my weaknesse i have fail'd to doe , the fulnesse of his sufferings hath most exactly done : in him o god in whom thou art well pleased , and for his sake bee gracious to my finne ; alter my heart and make it willing to please thee , that in my life i may adorne my profession : give me a care and a conscience in my calling , and grant thy blessing to the lawfull labours of my hand ; let the fidelitie of my vocation improve my talent , that i may enter into my masters joy : rouze up the dulnesse and deadnesse of my heart , and quench those flames of lust within mee . assist mee o god in the redemption of my time , and deliver my soule from the evilnesse of my dayes ; let thy providence accompany my moderate endeavours , and let all my imployments depend upon thy providence , that when the labours of this sinfull world shall cease , i may feele and enjoy the benefit of a good conscience , and obtaine the rest of new jerusalem in the eternity of glory . the proud mans ostentation . i ' le make him feele the weight of displeasure , and teach him to repent his saucy boldnesse : how dare his basenesse once presume to breathe so neare my person , much more to take my name into his dunghill mouth ? me thinks the lustre of my sparkling eye might have had the power to astonish him into good manners , and sent him back to cast his mind into a faire petition , humbly presented with his trembling hand . but thus to presse into my presence , to presse so neare my face , and then to sp●ake , and speake to me , as if i were his equall , is more then sufferable : the way to be contemn'd is to digest contempt ; but he that would be honour'd by the vulgar sort must wisely keepe a distance : a countenance that 's reserv'd , breeds feare and observation : but aff●bility and too easie an accesse makes fooles too bold , and reputation cheape : what price i set upon my owne deserts , instructs opinion how to prize me : that which base ignorance miscalls thy pride , is but a conscious knowledge of thy meri●s : dejected soules , craven'd with their owne dis●rusts , are the worlds footballs to be kickt & spurnd , but brave and true heroick spirits that know the strength of their owne worth , shall baffold basenesse , and presumption into a reverentiall silence , and spite of envie flourish in an honorable repute . come then my soule , advance thy noble , thy sublimer thoughts , and prize thy self according to those parts , which all may wonder at , few imitate , but none can equall : let not the insolent affronts of vassals interrupt thy peace , nor seeme one s●ruple lesse then what thon art : bee thou thy selfe , respect thy selfe , receive thou honour from thy selfe ; rejoyce thy selfe in thy self , and prize thy selfe for thy selfe ; like caesar admit no equall , and like pompey , acknowledge no superior . be covetous of thine owne honour , and hold anothers glory as thy injury . renounce humilitie as an heresie in reputation , and meeknesse as the worst disease of a true-bred noble spirit ; disparage worth in all but in thy selfe , and make anothers infamy a foyl to magnifie thy glory . let such as have no reason to bee proud , be humbled of necessitie , and let them that have no parts to value , be despondent . but as for thee , thy cards are good , and having skill enough to play thy hopefull game , vie boldly , conquer and triumph . but stay my soule , the trump is yet unturn'd , boast not too soon , nor call it a faire day till night , the turning of a hand may make such alterations , in thy flat'ring fortunes , that all thy glorious expectations may chance to end in losse , and unsuspected ruine . that god which thrust that babylonian prince from his imperiall throne , to graze with beasts , hath said , the lord will destroy the house of the proud , prov. prov. . when pride commeth , then commeth shame , but with the lowly is wisdome . jer. . . heare ye , and give eare , and be not proud , for the lord hath spoken . esay . . the day of the lord of hosts shall bee upon every one that is proud and loftie , and upon every one that is lifted up , and he shall be brought low . prov. . . every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the lord . st. james . god rejecteth the proud , and giveth grace to the simple . isidor . hispal . pride m●de satan fall from the highest heaven , therefore they that pride themselves in their virtues , imitate the devill ; and fa●l more dangerously , because they aspire and climbe to the highest pitch , from whence is the greatest fall . greg. mor. pride growes stronger in the root whilst it braves it selfe with presumptuous advances , yet the higher it climes the lower it fals : for he that heightens himselfe by his owne pride , is always destroyed by the judgement of god . how wert thou muffled o my soule ! how were thine eyes blinded with the corruption of thine owne heart ! when i beheld my selfe by my owne light , i seem'd a glorious thing ; my sanne knew no eclipse , and all my imperfections were gilded over with vaine-glory : but now the day-spring from above hath shin'd upon my heart , and the diviner light hath driven away those foggy mists ; i finde my selfe another thing : my diamonds are all turn'd pebbles , and my glory is turn'd to shame . o my deceived foule , how great a darknesse was thy light ? the thing that seem'd so glorious , and sparkled in the night , by day appeares but rotten wood : and that bright gh●-worme , that in darkenesse out-shined the chrysolite , is by this new-found light no better then a crawling worme : how inseparable o my soule is pride and folly ! which like hippocrates ●winnes still live and die together ? it blinds the eye , befooles the judgement , knowes no superiours , hates equals , disdaines inferiors , the wise mans scorne , and the fooles idol ; renounce it o my soule , lest thy god renounce thee ; hee that hath threatned to resist the proud , hath promised to give grace to the humble , and what true repentance speakes , free mercy heares and crownes . his prayer . o god the fountaine of all true glory , and the griver of all free grace , whose name is onely honorable , and whose workes are onely glorious , that shewest thy wayes to bee meeke , and takest compassion upon an humble spirit , that hatest the presence of a loftie eye , and destroyest the proud in the imaginations of their hearts , vouchsafe , o lord , thy gratious eare , and heare the sighing of a contrite heart : i know o god , the qualitie of my sinne can look for nothing but the extremitie of thy wrath : i know , the crookednesse of my condition can expect nothing but the fornace of thy indignation ; i know , the insolence of my corrupted nature can hope for nothing but the execution of thy judgements ; yet lord , know withall , thou art a gracious god , of evill repenting thee , and slow to wrath ; i know thy nature and propertie is to show compa●●ion , apt to conceive , but readier to forgive : i know thou takest no pleasure in destruction of a sinner , but rather that hee should repent and live : in confidence , and full assurance whereof i am here prostrate on my bended knees , and with an humble heart : nor doe i presse into thy holy presence , tru●ing in my owne merits , le●t thou shouldest deale by me , as i have dealt by others , but being encouraged by thy gracious invitation , and heavy laden with the burthen of my sinnes , i come to thee o god , who art the refuge of a wounded soule , and the sanctuary of a broken spirit : forgive , o god , forgive me , what is past recalling , and make mee circumspect for the time to come : open mine eyes that i may see how vaine a thing i am , and how polluted from my very birth : give me an insight of my owne corruptions , that i may truely know , and loath my selfe . take from me all vaine-glory , and selfe-love , and make mee carelesse of the worlds applause : endue mee with an humble heart , and take this haughty spirit from me ; give me a true discovery of my owne merits , that i may truely feare and tremble at thy judgements . let not the worlds contempt deject me , nor the disrespects of man dismay mee . take from mee o god a scornefull eye , and curbe my tongue that speakes presumptuous things : plant in my heart a brotherly love , and cherish in me a charitable affection ; possesse my soule with patience o god , and establish my heart in the feare of thy name , that being humbled before thee in the meeknesse of my spirit , i may bee exalted by thee through the freenesse of thy grace , and crowned with thee in the kingdome of glory . the covetous mans care . beleeve mee , the times are hard and dangerous : charitie is growne cold , and friends uncomfortable ; an emptie purse is full of sorrow , and hollow bagges make a heavy heart : povertie is a civill pestilence , which frights away both friends and kindred , and leaves us to a lord have mercy upon us : it is a sicknesse very catching and infectious , and more commonly abhord then cured : the best antidote against it is angelic● , and providence , and the best cordiall is aurumpotabile . gold-taking fasting is an approved soveraigne . debts are ill humors , and turne at last to dangerous obstructions : lending is a meere consumption of the radicall humour , and if consumed , brings a patient to nothing . let others trust to courtiers promises , to friends performances , to princes favours ; give me a toy call'd gold , give me a thing call'd mony . o blessed mammon , how extreamely sweet is thy all-commanding presence to my thriving soule ! in banishment thou art my deare companion ; in captivitie , thou art my pretious ransome . in trouble and vexation thou art my daintie rest . in sicknesse , thou art my health ; in griefe , my onely joy ; in all extremitie , my onely trust : vertue must vaile to thee ; nay grace it selfe not relisht with thy sweetnesse would even displease the righteous palates of the sonnes of men , come then my soule , advise , contrive , project : goe , compasse sea , and land : leave no exploit untryed , no path untrod , no time unspent ; afford thine eyes no sleepe , thy head no re●t : neglect thy ravenous belly , uncloathe thy backe ; deceive , betray , sweare and forsweare to compasse such a friend : if thou bee base in birth , 't will make thee honorable ; if weak in power , it will make thee formidable : are thy friends few ? 't will make them numerous . is thy cause bad ? 't will make thee advocates . true , wisedome is an excellent helpe , in case it bend this way ; and learning is a gentile ornament , if not too chargeable : yet by your leave , they are but estates for ●earme of life : but everlasting gold , if well advantag'd , will not onely blesse thy dayes , but thy surviving children from generation to generation . come , come , let others fill their braines with deare bought wit , turne their pence into expencefull chari●e , and store their bosomes with unprofitable pietie ; let them lose all to save their imaginary consciences , and begger themselves at home to be thought honest abroad ; fill thou thy baggs and barnes , and lay up for many yeers and take thy rest . but o my soule , what follows , wounds my heart and strikes me on my knees . thou foole this night will i take thy so●k from thee , luk. . . st. matth. . . ye cannot serve god and mammon . job . . he● hath swallowed downe riches , and he shall vomit them up againe : god shall cast them out of his belly . prov. . . he that is greedy of gaine troubles his owne house , but he that hateth gifts shall live . pet. . . through covetousnesse they shall with feigned words make marchandize of you , whose judgement now of a long time lingreth not , and whose damnation slumbreth not . nilus in paraenes . w●e to the covetous , for his riches forsake him , and hell fire takes him . s. august . o thou covetous man , why dost thou treasure up such hidden mischiefe ? why dost thou dote on the image of the king stamped on coyne , and hate●t the image of god that shines in men ? august . the riches which thou treasurest up are lost , those thou charitably besto●est is truely thine . vvhat think'st thou now my soule ? if the judgment of holy men may not informe thee , let the judgements of thy angry god enforce thee : weigh thy owne carnall affections with the sacred oracles of heaven , and light and darknesse are not more contrary . what thou approvest , thy god condemnes ; what thou desirest , thy god forbids : now my soule , if mammon be god , follow him , if god be god , adher● to him ; thou canst not serve god and mammon , if thy conscience feele the hooke , nibble no longer . many sinnes leave thee in the way , this followes thee to thy lives end ; the roote of evill , the canker of all goodnesse : it blinds justice , poysons charity , strangles conscience , be slaves the affections , betrayes friendship , breakes all relations : it is a roote of the devills owne planting : pluck it up : thinke not that a pleasure which god hath threatned ; nor that a blessing which heaven hath cursed : devoure not that which thou or thy heyre must vomit up : bee no longer posse● with such a devill , but cast him out : and if hee bee too strong , weaken him by fasting , and exorcise him by prayer . his prayer . o god that art the fulnesse of all riches and the magazeen of all treasure , in the enjoyment of whose favour the smallest morsell is a rich inheritance and the coursest pulse is a large portion ; without whose blessing , the greatest plenty enriches not , and the highest diet nourishes not ; how have i ( an earthworm , and no man ) fixt my whole heart upon this trasitory world , and neglected thee the onely desiderable good ! i blush o lord to confesse the basenesse of my life , and am utterly asham'd of mine owne foolishnesse : i have placed my affections upon the nasty rubbish of this world , and have slighted the inestimable pearle of my salvation ; i have wallow'd in the mire of my inordinate desires , and refused to bee washt in the streames of thy compassion ; i have put my confidence into the faithfulnesse of my servant , and have doubted the providence of thee my gratious father ; i have served unrighteous mammon with greedinesse , and have preferred drosse and dung before the pearly gates of new jerusalem ; thou hast promised to bee all in all to those that feare thee , and not to faile the soule that trusts in thee ; but i refused thy gratious offer , and put my confidence in the vanity of the creature : but gratious god to whom repentance never comes unseasonable , that find ' ●t an ●are when sinnes finde a tongue , regard the con●rition of a bleeding heart , and withdraw not thy mercy from a pensive soule . give mee new thoughts o god , and with thy holy spirit new mould my desires : informe my will and sanctifie my affections , that they may relish thy sweetnesse with a full delight . create in me o god a spirituall sense , that i may take pleasure in things that are above . give mee a contented thankfulnesse for what i have , that i may neither in povertie forsake thee , nor in plentie forget thee ; arme me with a continuall patience , that i may cheerfully put my trust in thy providence . moderate my care for momentary things , that i may use the world as if i used it not . let not the losse of any earthly good too much deject mee , lest i should sinne with my lippes and charge thee foolishly . give mee a charitable hand o god , and fill my heart with brotherly compassion , that i may chearefully exchange the corruptible treasure of this world into the incorruptible riches of the world to come , and proving a faithfull steward in thy spirituall houshold , i may give up my account with joy , and bee made partaker of thy eternall joy in the kingdome of thy glory . the self-lovers self-fraud . god hath required my heart and he shall have it : god hath commanded truth in the inword parts , and hee shall bee obeyed : my soule shall praise the lord , and all that is within me , and i will serve him in the strength of my desires . and in common cases the tongues profession of his name is no lesse then necessary : but when it lies upon a life , upon the saving of a livelihood , upon the flat undoing of a reputation , the case is altered : my life is deare , my faire possessions pretious , and my reputation is the very apple of mine eye . to save so great a slake , mee thinks equivocation is but veniall , if a sinne . if the true loyaltie of mine heart stands sound to my religion and my god ; my well-informed conscience tels mee that in such extremities my frighted tongue may take the priviledge of a s●●●● or a mentall reservation , if not in the expression of a faire compliances what ? shall the reall breach of a holy sabbath , dedicated to gods highest glory bee tolerated for the welfare of an oxe ? may that breach bee set upon the score of m●rcy , and commended above sacrifice for the savegard of an asse ? and may i not dispense with a bare lippe deniall of my urg'd religion for the necessary preservation of the threatned life of a man ? for the saving of the whole livelihood and subsistence of a christian ? what ? shall i perish for the want of food , and die a mart●● to that foolish conscience which forbids mee to rub the eares of a little standing corne ? iaco● could purchase his sick fathers blessing with a downe-right lye , and may i not di●semble for a life ? the young mans great possessions taught his timerous tongue to shrinke from an decline his hearts profession , and who could blame him ? come , if thou freely give thy house , canst thou in conscience bee denied a hiding-roome for thy protection ? the syrian captaine ( hee whose heart was fixt on his now firme resolv'd , and true devotion ) reserv'd the house of rimm●n for his necessary attendance , and yet went in peace . peter ( upon the rock of whose confession , the church was grounded ) to save his liberty , with a false , nay with a perjur'd tongue ; nay more , at such a time when as the lord of life ( in whose behalfe hee drew his sword ) was question'd for his innocent life , denied his master ; and shall i bee so great an unthrist of my blood , my life , to lose it for a meere lippe-deniall of that religion which now is setled and needs no blood to seale it ? but stay ! my conscience checks me , there 's a judgement thunders . harke ; he that denies me before men , him will i deny before my father which is in heaven , match . . . tim. . , . know that in the latter dayes perillous times shall come : for men shall be lovers of their owne selves . esay . . i have sworne by my selfe , the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousn●sse , and shall not return , that unto mee every knee shall bow , and every tongue shall sweare . rom. . . with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse , and with the mouth confession is made to salvation . luke . . whosoever shall bee ashamed of me and my words , of him shall the sonne of man bee ashamed , when hee shall come in glory . august . the love of god and the world are two different things : if the love of this world dwell in thee , the love of god forsakes thee ; renounce that , and receive this , it 's fit the more nobler love should have the best place and acceptance . theoph. it is not enough onely to beleeve with the heart , for god will have us confesse with our mouth ; every one that confesses that christ is god , shall finde christ professing to the father that that man is a faithfull servant ; but those that deny christ shall receive ( th●● fearefull doome nescio vos ) i know you 〈◊〉 . my soule , in such a time as this when the civill sword is warme with slaughter , and the wasting kingdome welters in her blood , wouldst thou not give thy life to ransome her from ruine ? is not the god of heaven and earth worth many kingdomes ? is thy welfare more considerable then his glory ? dar'st thou deny him for thy owne ends , that denied thee nothing for thy good ? is a poore clod of earth wee call inheritance , prizable with his greatnesse ? or a puffe of breath wee call life , valuable with his honour , in comparison of whom the very angels are impure ? blush o my soule at thy owne guilt : hee that accounted his blood , his life not worth the keeping to ransome thee a wretch , lost by thy owne rebellion , deserves hee not the abatement of a lust , to keepe him from a new crueifying ? my soule , if religion bind thee not , if judgements terrifie thee not , if naturall affection in●line thee not , yet let common reason perswade thee to love him above a trifle , that loved thee above his life : and thou that hast so often denied him , deny thy self for ever , and he will own thee ; repent and hee 'l pardon thee , pray to him and he will heare thee . his prayer . o god , whose glory is the end of my creation , and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption , that gavest thy sonne , thy onely sonne to die for mee , who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath ; what shall i render for so great a mercy ? what thankfulnesse shall i returne for so infinite a love ? alas , the most that i can do is nothing , the best that i can present is worse then nothing , sinne : lord , if i yeeld my body for a sacrifice , i offer nothing but a lumpe of filth , and loathsome putrifaction ; or if i give my soule in contribution , i yeeld thee nothing but thy image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts ; or if i spend the strength of the whole man , and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy name ; how can the praises of my sinfull lips , that breath from such a sink , bee pleasing to thee ? but lord , since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing sonne to accept the povertie of my weake endeavours , send downe thy holy spirit into my heart , clense it from the filth of my corruptions , and make it fit to praise thee : lord open thou my mouth , and my lips shall shew forth thy praise . put a new song into my mouth , and i will praise thee and confesse thee all day long ; i will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth , but will bee showing forth thy truth , and thy salvation ; let thy prayses be ●y honour , and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted song . let neither reputation , wealth , nor life been pretious to mee in comparison with thee : let not the worlds derision daunt mee , nor examples of infirmitie deject me give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour ; o make mee worthy , able and willing to suffer for thy name . lord teach me to deny my selfe , and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions ; create in mee o god a single heart , that i may love the lord jesus in sinceritie ; remember not o lord the sinnes of my feare , and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love . wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence , and deliver mee from this fearefull judgement thou hast threatned in thy word : convince all the arguments of my unsanctified wit , whereby i have become an advocate to my sinne . grant that my life may adorne my profession , and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory . assist me o god that i may praise thy goodnesse , and declare thy wonders among the children of men : strengthen my faith that it may trust thee ; and let my works so shine , that men may praise thee ; that my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse , and my tongue confessing to salvation , i may be acknowledg'd by thee here , and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory . the worldly mans verdour . for ought i see the case is even the same with him that prayes , and him that does not pray ; with● him that sweares and him that feares an oath : i see no difference ; if any ; those that they call the wicked have the advantage . their crops are even as faire , their flocks as numerous as theirs , that weare the ground with their religious knees , and fast their bodies to a skelliton ; nay in the use of blessings ( which onely makes them so ) they farre exceed ; they tearme mee reprobate , and stile mee unregenerate : 't is true , i ●ate my labours with a jolly heart ; drinke frolick cups ; sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports , make the best advantage of my owne , pray when i thinke on 't , sweare when they urge mee , heare sermons at my leasure ; follow the lusts of my owne eyes , and take the pleasure of my own wayes ; and yet , god bee thanked , my barnes are furnisht , my sheepe stand sound , my cattle strong for labour , my pastures rich and flourishing , my body healthfull , and my bagges are full , whilst they that are so pure , and make such conscience of their wayes , that run to sermons , ●igge to lectures , pray thrice a day by the hower , hold faith and troth prophane , and drinking healths a sinne , doe often finde leane harvests , easie flocks , and emptie purses : let them bee godly that can live on ayre and faith ; and eaten up by zeale , can whine themselves into an hospitall , or blesse their lippes with charitable scrapps . if godlinesse have this reward , to have short meales for long prayers ; weake estates , for strong faiths , and good consciences upon such bad conditions , let them boast of their pennyworths , and let mee bee wicked● still , and take my chance as falls . let mee have judgement to discover a profitable farme , and wit to take it at an easie rent , and gold to stock it in a liberall manner , and skill to manage it to my best advantage , and luck to finde a good encrease , and providence to husband wisely what i gaine , i seeke no further , and i wish no more . husbandry and religion are two severall occupations , and looke two severall wayes , and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them . but stay , my soule , i feare thy reckoning failes thee ; if thou hast judgement to discover ; wit , to bargaine ; gold , to employ ; skill , to manage ; providence , to dispose ; canst thou command the clouds to droppe ? or if a wet season meet thy harvest and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes ; canst thou let downe the floodgates , and stop the watry flux ? canst thou command the sunne to shine ? canst thou forbid the mildewes , or controll the breath of the malignant east ? is not this gods sole prerogative ? and hath not that god said , when the workers of iniquitie doe flourish , it is the● that shall be destroyed for ever , psal. . . job . . wherefore doe the wicked live , become old , yea are mightie in power ? . their seed is establisht in their sight , and their off-spring before their eyes . . their houses are safe from feare , neither is the wrath of god upon them . . their bull gendereth , and faileth not , their cow calveth , and casteth not her calfe . . they send forth their little ones like a flock , and their children daunce . . they take the timbrell , and the harp and rejoyce at the sound of the organ . . they spend their dayes in wealth , and in a moment they goe downe to the grave . nil . in paraenes . woe bee to him that pursues emptie and fading pleasures : because in a short time hee fats , and pampers himselfe as a calfe to the slaughter . bernard . there 's no misery more true and reall , then false and counterfeit pleasure . hierom. it 's not onely difficult , but impossible , to have heaven here and hereafter : to live in sensuall lusts , and to attaine spirituall blisse ; to passe from one paradise to another , to be a mirrour of felicitie in both worlds , to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth , and the orbe of heaven . how sweet a feast is , till the reckoning come ! a faire day ends often in a cold night , and the road that 's pleasant ends in hell : if worldly pleasures had the promise of continuance , prosperitie were some comfort ; but in this necessary vieissitude of good and evill , the prolonging of adversitie sharpens it : it is no common thing , my soule , to enjoy two heavens : dives found it in the present , lazarus in the future : hath thy encrease met with no damage ? thy reputation , with no scandall ? thy pleasure , with no crosse ? thy prosperitie , with no adversitie ? presume not : gods checks are symptomes of his mercy : but his silence is the harbinger of a judgement . bee circumspect , and provident my soule : hast thou a faire summer ? provide for a hard winter : the worlds river ebbes alone ; it flowes not : hee that goes merrily with the streame , must hale up : flatter thy selfe therefore no longer in thy prosperous sinne , o my deluded soule , but be truly sensible of thy owne presumption : look seriously into thy approaching danger , and humble thy selfe with true contrition : if thou procure sowre hearbs , god will provide his passeover . his prayer . how weake is man o god , when thou forsakest him ! how foolish are his counsels , when hee plots without thee ! how wilde his progresse , when hee wanders from thee ! how miserable till hee returne unto thee ! how his wit failes ! how his wisedome falters ! how his wealth melts ! how his providence is befool'd ! and how his soule beslav'd ! thou strik'st off the chariot wheeles of his inventions , and hee is perplext : thou confoundest the babel of his imaginations , and he is troubled : thou crossest his designes that hee may feare thee , and thou stop'st him in his wayes that he may know thee . how mercifull art thou o god , and in thy very judgements lord how gracious ! thou mightst have struck me into the lowest pit as easily as on these bended knees , and yet been justified in my confusion : but thou hast threatned like a gentle father , as loath to punish thy ungracious childe . thou knowest the crooked thoughts of man are vaine , still turning point to their contrivers ruin ; thou saw'st me wandring in the maze of death , whilst i with violence pursued my owne destruction : but thou hast warn'd me by thy sacred word , and tooke me off that i might live to praise the● . thou art my confidence o god ; thou art the rock , the rock of my salvation . thy word shall bee my guide , for all thy paths are mercy and truth : lord when i looke upon my former worldlinesse , i utterly abhorre my conversation : strengthen mee with thy assistance , that i may leade a new life , make mee more and more sensible of my owne condition , and perfect thou the good worke thou hast begun in mee : in all my designes bee thou my counsellour , that i may prosper in my undertakings . in all my actions bee thou my guide , that i may keepe the path of thy commandements . let all my owne devises come to nought , lest i presume upon the arme of flesh ; let not my wealth encrease without thy blessing , lest i bee fatted up against the day of slaughter ; have thou a hand in all my just imployments , then prosper thou the worke of my hands , o prosper thou my handy-worke : that little i enjoy , confirme it to me , and make it mine , who have no interest in it till thou owne mee as thy child : then shall my soule rejoyce in thy favours , and magnifie thy name for all thy mercies : then shall my lips proclaime thy loving kindnesse , and sing thy praises for ever and for ever . the lascivious mans heaven . can flesh and blood bee so unnaturall to forget the lawes of nature ? can blowing youth immure it selfe within the icey walls of vestall chastitie ? can lusty diet , and mollicious rest bring forth no other fruits , but faint desires , rigid thoughts , and pblegmatick , conceits ? should wee bee stock● and stones , and ( having active soules ) turne altogether passives ? must wee turne anch●rites and spend our dayes in caves , and hermitages , and smother up our pretious houres in cloysterd folly , and recluse devotion ? can rosie cheekes , can ruby lippes , can snowy brests and sparkling eyes , prescut their beauties and perfections to the sprightly view of young mortalitie , and must wee stand like statues without sense or motion ? can strict religion impose such cruell taskes , and even impossible commands upon the raging thoughts of her unhappy votaries , as to withstand and contradict the instinct , and very principles of nature ? can faire-pretending pictie be so barbarous to condemn us to the flames of our affections , and make us martyrs to our owne desires ? is 't not enough to conquer the rebellious actions of imperious flesh , but must wee manacle her hands , darken her eyes , nay worse , restraine the freedome of her very thoughts ? can full perfection bee expected here ? or can our worke be perfect in this vale of imperfection ? this were a life for angels , but a task too hard for fraile , for transitory man . come , come , we are but men , but flesh and bl●od , and our borne frailties cannot grapple with such potent tyranny . what nature and necessitie requires us to doe , is veniall , being done . come , strive no more against so strong a streame , but take thy fill of beautie ; solace thy wanton heart with amorous contemplations , cloathe all thy words with courtly rhetorick , and soften thy lips with dialects of love ; surfeit thy selfe with pleasure , and 〈◊〉 thy passion into warme delights ; vvalke into natures universall bower , and pick what flower does most surprize thine eye ; drink of all waters , but be tied to none . spare neither cost nor paines , to compasse thy desires . enjoy varieties ; emparadise thy soule in fresh delights . the change of pleasure makes thy pleasure double . ravish thy senses with perpetuall choyce , and glut thy soule with all the delicates of love . but hold ! there is a voyce that whispers in my troubled eare , a voyce that blanks my thoughts , and stops the course of my resolves ; a voyce that chills the bosome of my soule and fills me with amazement : harke , they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of god , gal. . . exod. . . thou shalt not commit adultery . matth. . . whosoever lookes upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart . rom. . . let us walke honestly as in the day , not in rioting , nor in drunkennesse , nor in chambering , nor in wantonnesse . pet. . . abstaine from fleshly lusts , which warre against the soule . nilus in paraen . woe bee to the fornicator and adulterer , for his garment is defiled and spotted , and the heavenly bridegroome casts him out from his chast nuptialls . a world of presumptuous and hainous offences doe arise and spring from the filthy fountaine of adulterous lust , whereby the gate of heaven is shut , and poore man excluded from god . s. gregor. mor. hence the flesh lives in sensuall delights for a moment , but the immortall soule perisheth for ever . lust is a brand of originall fire , rak'd up in the embers of flesh and blood ; uncover'd by a naturall inclination , blowne by corrupt communication , quencht with fasting and humiliation : it is rak'd up in the best , uncovered in the most , and blowne in thee o my lustfull soule ; o turne thine eare from the pleadings of nature , and make a covenant with thine eyes : let not the language of delilah inchant thee , left the hands of the philis●ims surprize thee : review thy past pleasures , with the charge and paines thou hadst to compasse them , and show mee , where 's thy pennyworth ? foresee what punishments are prepa'rd to meet thee , and tell mee , what 's thy purchase ? thou hast barterd away thy god for a lust ; sold thy eternitie for a trifle ; if this bargaine may not bee recall'd by teares , dissolve thee o my soule into a spring of waters ; if not to be revers'd with price , reduce thy whole estate into a sackcloth , and an ashtub . thou whose liver hath scorch't in the flames of lust , humble thy heart in the ashes of repentance : and as with esau thou hast sold thy birthright for broth , so with iacob wrestle by prayer till thou get a blessing . his prayer . o god , before whose face the angels are impure ; before whose cleare omniscience all actions appeare , to whom the very secrets of the hearts are open ; i here acknowledge to thy glory and my shame , the filthinesse and vile impuritie of my nature ; lord , i was filthy in my very conception , and in filthiness my mothers wombe enclosed me , brought forth in filthinesse , and filthy in my very innocency , filthy in the motions of my flesh , and filthy in the apprehensions of my soule : my words all cloath'd with filthinesse , and in all my actions filthy and uncleane , in my inclination filthy , and in the whole course of my life nothing but a continued filthinesse . wash mee o god , and make mee cleane , cleanse me from the filthinesse of my corruption ; purge me o lord with hyssop and create a cleane heart within mee : correct the vagrant motions of my flesh , and quench the fiery darts of satan ; let not the law of my corrupted members rule mee ; o let concupiscence have no dominion over mee : give mee courage to fight against my lusts , and give my weakenesse strength to overcome ; make sharpe my sword against this body of sinne , but most against my delilah , my bosome sinne . deliver mee from the tyranny of temptation , or give mee power to subdue it : confine the libertie of my wanton appetite , and give mee temperance in a sober diet ; grant mee a heart to strive with thee in prayer , and hopefull patience to attend thy leisure ; keepe mee from the habit of an idle life , and close mine eares against corrupt communication ; set thou a watch before my lippes , that all my words may savour of sobrietie : preserve mee from the vanitie and pride of life , that i may walke blamelesse in my conversation ; protect mee from the fellowship of the uncleane , and from all such as are of evill report . let thy grace o god bee sufficient for mee , to protect my soule from the buffetings of satan ; make mee industrious and diligent in my calling , left the enemy get advantage over me : in all my temptations let mee have recourse to thee . bee thou my refuge when i call upon thee ; forgive o god the sinnes of my youth , o pardon the multitudes of my secret sinnes : encrease my hatred to my former life , and strengthen my resolution for the time future : heare mee o god , and let the words of my mouth bee alwayes acceptable to ●hee , o god my strength and my redeemer . the sabbath-breakers profanation . the glittering prince that sits upon his regall , and imperiall throne , and the ignoble p●sant that sleeps within his sordid house of thatch are both alike to god : an ivory temple and a church of clay are priz'd alike by him : the flesh of bulls , and the perfumes of merrh and cassia smoake his altars with an equall pleasure : and does he make such difference of dayes ? ' is hee that was so weary of the new-moones , so taken with the sunne to tie his sabbath to that onely day ? the tenth in tithes is any one in tenne , and why the seventh day not any one in seaven ? we sanctifie the day , the day not us : but are we iewes ? are we still bound to keepe a legall sabbath in the strictnesse of the letter ? have the gentiles no priviledge , by the vertue of messia●s comming , or has the evangelicall sabbath no immunities ? the service done , the day 's discharg'd , my libertie restored ; and if i meet my profits , or my pleasures then , i 'le give them entertainment . if businesse call mee to account , i dare afford a carefull care . or if my sports invite me , i 'le entertaine them with a cherefull heart : i 'le goe to mattens with as much devotion as my neighbour , i 'le make as low obeysance , and as just responds as any ; but soone as evensong 's ended , my church-devotion and my psalter shall sanctifie my pue till the next sabbath call ; were it no more for an old custome sake , then for the good i find in sabbaths , that ceremony might as well bee spared . it is a day of rest : and what 's a rest ? a relaxation from the toyle of labour : and what is labour but a painefull exercise of the fraile body ? but where the exercise admits no toyle , there relaxation makes no rest : what labour is it for the worldly man to compasse sea and land to accomplish his desires ? what labour is it for the impatient lover to measure hellespont with his widened armes to hasten his delight ? what labour for the youth to number mu●ick with their sprightly paces ? where pleasure 's reconcil'd to labour , labour is but an active rest ; why should the sabbath then , a day of rest , divorce thee from those delights that make thy rest ? afflict their soules that please , my rest shall bee what most conduces to my hearts delight . two howers will vent more prayers then i shall need , the rest remaines for pleasure . conscience , why start'st thou ? a judgement strikes mee from the mouth of heaven , and saith , whosoever doth any worke on my sabbath , his soule shall be cut off , exod. . . exod. . remember to keep holy the sabbath day , six dayes shalt thou labour , and doe all that thou hast to doe , but the seventh day , &c. exod. . . ye shall keepe my sabbath , for it is holy unto you . exod. . . verily my sabbaths thou shalt keep , for this is a signe betwixt mee and you , throughout your generations . luke . . and they returned and prepared spices , and oyntments , and rested on the sabbath day according to the commandement . gregor. wee ought upon the lords day to rest from bodily labour , and wholly to addict our selves to prayers , that what soever hath been done amisse , the weeke before , may upon the day of our lords resurrection be expiated and purged by fervent prayers . cyr. alex. sinne is the storehouse of death and misery , it kindles flames for it 's dearest friends . therefore whosoever when he should rest from sinne , busieth himselfe in the dead and fruitlesse workes of wickednesse , and renouncing all piety , lusts after such things as will bring him into eternall destruction , and everlasting flames , justly deserves to die & perish with the damned ; because when he might have enjoyed a pious rest , he laboured to run headlong to his own destruction . my soul , how hast thou profaned that day thy god hath sanctified ! how hast thou encroach'd on that which heaven hath set apart ! if thy impatience cannot act a sabbath twelve houres , what happinesse canst thou expect in a perpetuall sabbath ? is six dayes too little for thy selfe , and two houres too much for thy god ? o my soule , how dost thou prize temporalls beyond eternalls ? is it equall that god , who gave thee a body , and six dayes to provide for it , should demand one day of thee , and bee denied it ? how liberall a receiver art thou , and how miserable a requiter ! but know my soule , his sabbaths are the apple of his eye : hee that hath power to vindicate the breach of it , hath threatned judgements to the breaker of it . the god of mercy that hath mitigated the rigor of it for charity sake , will not diminish the honour of it for profanenesse sake : forget not then my soule to remember his sabbaths , and remember not to forget his judgements , lest hee forget to remember thee in mercy : what thou hast neglected , bewaile with contrition , and what thou hast repented , forsake with resolution , and what thou hast resolved strengthen with devotion . his prayer . o eternall , just , and all-discerning judge ; in thy selfe , glorious ; in thy sonne , gracious ; who tryest without a witnesse , and condemnest without a jury ; o! i confesse my very actions have betray'd me , thy word hath brought in evidence against mee , my owne conscience hath witnessed against me , and thy judgement hath past sentence against mee : and what have i now to pleade but mine owne misery , and whither should that misery flee but to the god of mercy ? and since o lord the way to mercy is to leave my selfe , i here disclaime all interest in my self , and utterly renounce my selfe : i that was created for thy glory , have dishonored thy name ; i that was made for thy service , have profaned thy sabbaths ; i have sleighted thy ordinances , & turned my back upon thy sanctuary ; i have neglected thy sacraments , abused thy word , despis'd thy ministers and despis'd their ministery ; i have come into thy courts with an unprovided heart , and have drawne neare with uncircumcised lippes ; and lord i know thou art a jealous god , and most severe against all such as violate thy ●est ; the glory of thy name is pretious to thee , and thine honour is as the apple of thine eye ; but thou o god that art the god of hosts , hast published and declared thy self the lord of mercy ; the constitution of thy sabbath was a worke of time , but lord thy mercy is from all eternitie ; i that have broke thy sabbaths , doe here present thee with a broken heart ; thy hand is not shortned that thou canst not heale , nor thy eare deafned that thou canst not heare ; stretch forth thy hand o god and heale my wounds . bow downe thine eare o lord● and heare my prayers ; alter the fabrick of my sinfull heart , and make it tender of thy glory ; make mee ambitious of thy service , and let thy sabbaths bee my whole delight ; give mee a holy reverence of thy word , that it may prove a light to my steppes and a lanthorne to my feet . endue my heart with charity and faith that i may finde a comfort in thy sacraments . blesse thou the ministers of thy sacred word , and make them holy in their lifes , sound in their doctrine and laborious in their callings . preserve the universall church in these distracted times ; give her peace , unitie , and uniformity , purge her of all schisme , error and superstition ; let the kings daughter be all glorious within , and let thine eyes take pleasure in her beautie , that being honor'd here to bee a member of her militant , i may be glorified with her triumphant . the censorious mans crimination . i know there is much of the seed of the serpent in him by his very lookes , if his words betray'd him not ; he hath eaten the egge of the cockatrice , and surely hee remaineth in the state of perdition ; he is not within the covenant , and abideth in the gall of bitternesse ; his studied prayers show him to bee a high malignant , and his iesu-worship concludes him popishly affected ; hee comes not to our private meetings , nor contributes a penny to the cause : hee cries up learning , and the booke of common-prayer , and takes no armes to hasten reformation ; hee feares god for his owne ends , for the spirit of antichrist is in him . his eyes are full of adulteries , and goes a whoring after his owne inventions : hee can heare an oath from his superiors without reproof , and the heathenish gods named without spitting in his face : wherefore my soule detesteth him , and i will have no conversation with him ; for what fellowship hath light with darknesse , or the pure in heart with the uncleane ? sometimes hee is a publican , sometimes a pharisee , and alwayes an hypocrite ; hee railes against the altar as loud as we , and yet he cringes and makes an idol of the name of iesus ; hee is quick-sighted to the infirmities of the saints , and in his heart rejoyceth at our failings ; hee honours not a preaching ministery , and too much leanes to a church-government ; hee paints devotion on his face , whilst pride is stampt within his heart : hee places sanctitie in the walls of a steeple-house , and adores the sacrament with his popish knee ; his religion is a weathercock , and turnes brest to every blast of wind . with the pure hee seemes pure , and with the wicked hee will joyne in fellowship ; a sober language is in his mouth , but the poyson of aspes is under his tongue : his workes conduce not to edification , nor are the motions of his heart sanctified ; hee adores great ones for preferment , and speakes too partially of authority : hee is a la●dicean in his faith , a nicolaitane in his workes , a pharisee in his disguise , a rank papist in his heart , and i thanke my god i am not as this man . but stay my soule , take heed whilst thou judgest another , lest god judge thee ; how com'st thou so expert in anothers heart , being so often deceived in thy owne ? a s●ul to day may prove a paul to morrow ; take heed whilst thou wouldst seeme religious thou appeare not uncharitable ; and whilst thou judgest man , thou be not judg'd of god , who saith iudge not , lest yee bee judged , matth. . . john . . iudge not according to appearance , but judge righteous judgement . rom. . . but why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother ? wee shall all stand before the judgement seate of christ . cor. . . hudge nothing before the time , untill the lord , who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknesse , and will make manifest the counsell of the heart . rom. . . let us not therefore judge one another any more , but judge this rather , that no man put a stumbling block , or an accusation to fall in his brothers way . psal. . . god is iudge himselfe . st. august . apparent and notorious iniquities ought both to bee reproved and condemned , but wee should never judge such things as we understand not , nor can certainly know whether they be done with a good or evill intent . s. august . when thou knowest not apparently , judge charitably ; because it 's better to think● well of the wicked , then by frequent censuring to suspect an innocent man guilty of an offence . s. aug. the unrighteous iudge shall bee justly condemned . has thy brother , o my soule , a beame in his eye ? and ha●t thou no m●●te in thine ? cleare thine own , and thou wilt see the better to cleanse his : i● a theese bee in his candle , blow it not out , le●t thou wrong , the flame , but if thy snuffers bee of gold , snuffe it : has hee offended thee ? forgive him : hath hee srespass'd against the congregation ? reprove him : hath hee sinned against god ? pray for him . o my soule , how uncharitable hast thou been ? how pharisaically hast thou judg'd ? being sick of the iaundies , how hast thou censur'd another yellow ? and with blotted fingers made his blurre the greater ? how has the pride of thy owne heart blinded thee toward thy selfe ? how quick-sighted to another ! thy brother has slipt , but thou hast fallen , and hast blancht thy owne impiety with the publishing his sinne : like a flie , thou stingest his fores , and feed'st on his corruptions ; jesus came eating and drinking , and was judg'd a glutton ; iohn came fasting , and was challeng'd with a devill ; judge not my soule , lest thou bee judged ; maligne not thy brother , lest god laugh at thy destruction : wouldst thou escape the punishment ! judge thy selfe : wouldst thou avoyd the sinne ? humble thy selfe . his prayer . o god that art the onely searcher of the reines , to whom the secrets of the heart of man are onely known , to whom alone the judgement of our thoughts , our words and deeds belong , and to whose sentence wee must stand or fall , i a presumptuous sinner that have thrust into thy place and boldly have presumed to execute thy office , doe here as humbly confesse the insolence of mine attempt , and with a sorrowfull heart repent me of my doings ; and though my convinced conscience can look for nothing from thy wrathfull hand but the same measure which i measured to another , yet in the confidence of that mercy which thou hast promised to all those that truely and unfeignedly beleeve , i am become an humble suitor for thy gratious pardon : lord , if thou search mee but with a favourable eye , i shall appeare much more unrighteous in thy sight , then this my uncharitably condemned brother did in mine ; o looke not therefore , lord , upon mee as i am , lest thou abhor me ; but through the merits of my blessed saviour cast a gratious eye upon mee ; let his humilitie satisfie for my presumption , and let his meritorious sufferings answer for my vile uncharitablenesse ; let not the voyce of my offence provoke thee with a stronger cry , then the language of his intercession . remove from mee o god all spirituall pride , and make me little in my owne conceite ; lord light mee to my selfe , that by thy light i may discerne how dark i am ; lighten that darkenesse by thy holy spirit , that i may search into my owne corruptions : and since o god all gifts and graces are but nothing , and nothing can bee acceptable in thy sight without charity ; quicken the dulnesse of my faint affections , that i may love my brother as i ought : soften my marble heart that it may melt at his infirmities ; make me carefull in the examination of my owne wayes , and most severe against my owne offences : pull out the beame out of mine owne eye , that i may see clearely , and reprove wisely . take from mee o lord all grudging , envy , and malice , that my seasonable reproofes may winne my brother . preserve my heart from all censorious thoughts , and keepe my tongue from striking at his name : grant that i make right use of his infirmities , and reade good lessons in his failings , that loving him in thee , and thee in him according to thy command , wee may both bee united in thee as members of thee , that thou mayst receive honour from our communion here , and wee eternal glory from thee hereafter in the world to come . the liars fallacies . nay if religion bee so strict a law to bind my tongue to the necessitie of a truth on all occasions , at all times , and in all places , the gate ●●too strait for me to enter : or if the generall ●●les of downeright truth will admit no few ex●●ptions , farewell all honest mirth , farewell all trading , farewell the whole converse betwixt man and man : if alwayes to speake punctuall truth bee the true symptomes of a blessed soule ; tom tell troth has a happy time , and fooles & children are the onely men . if truth sit regent , in what faithfull brest shall secrets finde repose ? what kingdome can be safe ? what commonwealth can be secure ? what warre can be succesfull ? what stra●●● can prosper ? if bloody times should force religion to sh●oud it selfe beneath my roofe ; upon demand , shall my false truth betr●y it ? or shall my brothers life , or shall my owne be seis'd upon through the cruell truth of my downe-right confession ? or rather not be secured by a faire officious life ? shall the righteous favorite of egypts tyrant , by vertue of a loud lie , sweeten out his joy and heighten up his soft affection with the antiperistas●s of teares , and may i not prevari●●ate with a sullen truth to save a brothers life , from a bloodthirsty hand ? shall iacob and his ●●oo indulgent mother conspire in a lie to purchase a paternall blessing in the false name , and habit of a supplanted brother , and shall i questi●●ion to preserve the granted blessing of a life , or livelihood , with a harmelesse lie ? come , come , my soule , let not thy timerous conscien●e check at such poore things as these : so long as thy officious tongue aymes at a just end , a lie is no offence : so long as thy perjurious lippes confirme not thy untruth with an audacious b●ow , thou needst not feare : the weight of the cause releeves the burthen of the crime : is thy center good ? no matter how crooked the lines of the circumference bee : policy allowes it : if thy journies end be heaven , it matters not how full of hell thy journey be ; divinitie allowes it : wi●t thou condemne the egyptian midwives for saving the infant israelites by so mercifull a lie ? when martiall execution is to bee done , wilt thou feare to kill ? when hunger drives thee to the gates of death , wilt thou bee affraid to steale ? when civill warres divide a kingdome , will mercuries decline a lie ? no , circumstances excuse , as well as make the lie ; had caesar , s●ioio , or alexander been regulated by such strict divinitie , their names had been as silent as their dust : a lie is but a faire put-off , the s●nctuary of a secret , the riddle of a lover , the stragem of a souldier , the policy of a statesman , and a salve for many desperate sores . but , hark , my soule , there 's something rounds mine eare , and calls my language to a recantation ; the lord hath spoken it , liers shall have their part in the lake which burneth with ●ire and brimstone , revel. . . exod. . thou shalt not raise a false report . levit. . . ●e shall not deale falsly , neither lie one to another . prov. . . lying lips are abomination to the lord ; but they that deale truly are his delight . prov. . . he that speaketh lies shall not escape . ephes. . . put away lying , and every one speake truth with his neighbour , for we are members one of another . revel. there shall in no wise enter into the new ierusalem any thing that worketh abomination , or that maketh a lie . st. august . whosoever thinkes , there 's any kind of lie that is not a sinne , shamefully deceives himselfe , mistaking a lying or c●usening knave for a square or honest man . gregor. eschew and avoid all falshood , though sometime certaine kind of untruths are lesse sinfull , as to tell a lie to save a mans life ; yet because the scripture saith , the lyer slayeth his owne soule , and god will destroy them that tell a lie ; therefore , religious and honest men should alwayes avoyd even the best sort of lies , neither ought another mans life be secured by our falshood or lying , lest we destroy our own soule , in labouring to secure another mans life . vvhat a child o my soule hath thy false bosome harbord ! and what reward can thy indulgence expect from such a father ? what blessing canst thou hope from heaven , that pleadest for the sonne of the devill , and crucifyest the sonne of god ? god is the father of truth ; to secure thy estate thou denyest the truth by framing of a lie : to save thy brothers life thou opposest the truth in justifying a lie : now tell me o my soul , art thou worthy the name of a christian , that denyest and opposest the nature of christ ? art thou worthy of christ that preferrest thy estate , or thy brothers life before him ? o my unrighteous soul , canst thou hold thy brother worthy of death for giving thee the lie , and thy selfe guiltlesse that makest a lie ? i , but in some cases truth destroyes thy life ; a lie preserves it : my soule , was god thy creator ? then make not the devill thy preserver : wilt thou despaire to trust him with thy life that gave it , and make him thy protector that seeks to destroy it ? reforme thee and repent thee ; o my soule ; hold not thy life on such conditions , but trust thee to the hands that made thee . his prayer . o god , that art the god of truth , whose word is truth , that hatest lying lips , and abominatest the deceitfull tongue , that banishest thy presence all such as love or make a lie , and lovest truth , and requirest uprightnesse in the inward parts , i the most wretched of the sonnes of men , and most unworthy to bee called thy sonne , make bold to cast my sinfull eyes to heaven ; lord i have sinned against heaven and against truth , and have turned thy grace into a lie ; i have renounced the wayes of righteousnesse , and have harbour'd much iniquitie within me , which hath turned thy wrath against me ; i have transgrest against the checks of my owne conscience , and have vaunted of my transgression : which way soever i turne mine eye , i see no object but ●hame and confusion : lord , when i look upon my self , i find nothing there , but fuell for thy wrath , and matter for thine indignation , and my condemnation . and when i cast mine eyes to heaven , i there behold an angry god , and a severe revenger ; but lord at thy right hand i see a saviour , and a sweet redeemer ; i see thy wounded sonne cloathd in my flesh , and bearing mine infirmities , and interceding for my numerous transgressions ; for which my soule doth magnifie thee o god , and my spirit rejoyceth in him my saviour ; lord , when thou lookest upon the vast score of my offences , turne thine eyes upon the infinite merits of his satisfaction ; o when thy justice calls to minde my sinnes , let not thy mercy forget his sufferings ; wash mee , o wash mee in his blood , and thou shalt see me cloathed in his righteousnesse : let him that is all in all to mee , be all in all for me ; make him to me sanctification justification & redemption : inspire my heart with the spirit of thy truth , and preserve me from the deceitfulnesse of double tongue : give mee an inward confidence to relie upon thy fatherly providence , that neither feare may deterre mee , nor any advantage may turne me from the wayes of thy truth : let not the specious goodnesse of the end encourage mee to the unlawfulnesse of the meanes , but let thy word bee the warrant to all my actions ; guide my footsteps that i may walke uprightly , and quicken my conscience , that it may reprove my faylings : cause me to feele the burthen of this my habituall sinne , that comming to thee by a true and serious repentance , my sinnes may obtaine a full and a gratious forgivenesse : give me a heart to make a covenant with my lips , that both my heart and and tongue being sanctified by thy spirit , may bee both united in truth by thy mercy , and magnifie thy name for ever , and for ever . the revengefull mans rage . o what a iul●p to my scorching soule is the delicious blood of my offender ! and how it cooles the burning fever of my boyling veynes ! it is the quintessenee of pleasures , the height of satisfaction , and the very marrow of all delight , to bath and paddle in the blood of such , whose bold affronts have turn'd my wounded patience into fury ? how full of sweetnesse was his death , who dying was reveng'd upon three thous●nd enemies ? how sweetly did the younger brothers blood allay the soule-consuming flames of the elder , who tooke more pleasure in his last breath then heaven did in his first sacrifice ? yet had not heaven condemned his action , nature had found an advocate for his passion : what sturdy spirit hath the power to rule his suffering thoughts , or curbe the headstrong fury of his irascible affections ? or who but fooles ( that cannot taste an injury ) can moderate their high-bred spirits , and stop their passion in her full carreire ? let heavy cynicks , they whose leaden soules are taught by stupid reason to stand bent at every wrong , that can digest an injury more easily then a complement , that can protest against the lawes of nature , and cry all naturall affection downe , let them be andirons for the injurious world to work a heate upon : let them find shoulders to receive the painefull s●ripes of peevish mortalls , and to beare the wrongs of daring insolence : let them bee drawne like calves prepar'd for slaughter , and bow their servile necks to sharpe destruction : let them submit their slavish bosomes to be trod and trampled under foot for every pleasure : my eagle spiri● flies a higher pitch , and like ambitious phaeton climbes into the fiery chariot , and drawne with fury , scorne , revenge , and honor , rambles through all the spheares , and brings with it confusion and combustion ; my reeking sword shall vindicate my reputation , and rectifie the injuries of my honorable name , and quench it self in plenteous streames of blood . come tell not mee of charitie , conscience , or transgression ; my charitie reflects upon my self , begins at home , and guided by the justice of my passion , is bound to labour for an honorable satisfaction : my conscience is blood-proofe , and i can broach a life with my illustrious weapon with as little reluctation , as kill a flea that sucks my blood without commission , and i can drinke a health in blood upon my bended knee to reputation . but hark my soule , i heare a languishing , a dying voyce cry up to heaven for vengeance ; it cries aloud , and thunders in my startling eare , i tremble and my shivering bones are fill'd w●●●h horror ; it cries against me , and heare what ●●eaven replies , all that take up the sword shall perish by the sword , matth. . . levit. . . thou shall not avenge , or beare any grudge , against the children of my people , but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe : i am the lord . deut. . . to me belongeth vengeance and recompence . ezek. . , . because that edom hath delt against the house of iudah , by taking vengeance , and bath greatly offended , and reveng'd himselfe upon them : therefore thus saith the lord god , i will also stretch out mine hand upon edom , and will cut off man and beast from it . matth. . . resist not evill , but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheeke , turne to him the other also . tertull. what 's the difference between one that doth an injury , and another that out-ragiously suffers it , except that the one is fi●st and the other second in the offence ? but both are guilty of mutuall injury in the sight of god ; who forbids every sinne and condemnes the offender . tertull. how can wee honou● god if wee revenge our selves ? gloss. every man is a murtherer , and shall bee punished as cain was if hee doe , ( as caindid ) either ass●ult his brother with violence , or pursue him with hatred . revenge is an act of the irascible affections , deliberated with malice , and executed without mercy : how often o my soule hast thou cursed thy selfe in the perfectest of prayers ? how often hast thou turn'd the spirituall b●dy of thy saviour into thy d●mnation ? can the sunne rise to thy comfort , that hath so often set in thy wrath ? so long as thy wrath is kindled against thy brother , so long is the wrath of god burning against thee ? o , wouldst thou offer a pleasing sacrifice to heaven ? goe first and be reconciled to thy brother . i , but who shall right thy honor then ? is thy honour wrong'd ? forgive , and it is vindicated . i , but this kind of heart-swelling , can brooke no powltresse but revenge . take heed , my soule , the remedy is worse then the disease : if thy intricate distemper transcend thy power , make choyce of a physitian that can purge that humor that foments thy malady : rely upon him ; submit thy will to his directions ; hee hath a tender heart , a skilfull hand , a watchfull eye , that makes thy welfare the price of all thy pain●s , expecting no reward , no fee , but prayses , and thanksgiving . his prayer . o god , that art the god of peace , and the lover of unitie and concord , that dost command all those that seeke forgivenesse , to forgive ; that hatest the f●oward heart , but shewest mercy to the mecke in spirit : with what a face can i appeare before thy mercy-seate , or with what countenance can i lift up these hands thus stained with my brothers blood ? how can my ●ippes , that daily breath revenge against my brother , presume to owne thee as my father , or expect from thee thy blessing , as thy child ? if thou forgive my trespasses o god , as i forgive my trespassers , in what a miserable estate am i , that in my very prayers condemne my selfe , and doe not onely limit thy compassion by my uncharitablenesse , but draw thy judgements on my head for my rebellion ? that heart o god which thou requirest as a holy present , is become a spring of malice ; these hands which i advance , are ready instruments of base revenge . my thoughts , that should be sanctified , are full of blood , and how to compasse evill against my brother is my continuall meditation : the course of all my life is wilfull disobedience , and my whole pleasure , lord , is to displease thee : my conscience hath accused me , and the voyce of blood hath cryed against mee : but lord , the blood of jesus cries louder then the blood of abell , and thy mercy is farre more infinite then my sinne . the blood that was shed by me cries . for vengeance , but the blood that was shed for me sues for mercy ; lord heare the language of this blood , and by the merits of this voyce be reconciled unto mee . that time which cannot be recalled , o give mee power to redeeme , and in the meane time a setled resolution to reforme . suppresse the violence of my headstrong passion , and establish a meeke spirit within mee . let the sight of my owne vilenesse take from me the sense of all disgrace , and let the crowne of my reputation be thy honour ; possesse my heart with a desire of unitie and concord , and give mee patience to endure what my impenitence hath deserved : breath into my soule the spirit of love , and direct my affections to their right object ; turne all my anger against that sinne that hath provoked thee , and give me holy revenge , that i may exercise it against my selfe . grant that i may love thee for thy selfe , my self in thee and my neighbour as my selfe ; assist me o god , that i may subdue all evill in my selfe , and suffer patiently all evill as a punishment from thee . give me a mercifull heart , o god ; make it slow to wrath , and ready to forgive ; preserve me from the act of evill , that i may be delivered from the feare of evill ; that living here in charity with men , i may receive that sentence of , come ye blessed , in the kingdom of glory . the secure mans triumph . so , now my soule thy happinesse is entaild , and thy illustrious name shall live in thy succeeding generations ; thy dwelling is establish'd in the fat of all the land : thou hast what mortall heart can wish , and wantest nothing but immortalitie : the best of all the land is thine , and thou art planted in the best of lands : a land whose constitutions make the best of government , which government is strengthned with the best of ●aws , which lawes are executed by the best of princes , whose prin●e , whose lawes , whose government , whose land makes us the happiest of all subjects , makes us the happiest of all people . a land of strength , of plenty , and a land of peace , where every soule may sit beneath his vine , unfrighted at the horrid language of the hoarse trumpet , unstartled at the warlike summons of the roaring cannon . a land whose beautie hath surpriz'd the ambitious hearts of forraigne princes , and taught them by their martiall oratory to make their vaine attempts . a land whose strength reades vanitie in the deceived hopes of conquerours , and crownes their enterprizes with a shamefull overthrow . a land whose native plentie makes her the worlds exchange , supplying others , able to subsist without supply from forraigne kingdomes ; in it selfe happy ; and abroad , honorable . a land that hath no vanitie , but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings , peace , and plentie ; that hath no mi●ery but what is propagated from that blindnesse which cannot see her owne felicitie . a land that flowes with milke and hony , and in briefe wants nothing to deserve the title of a paradise . the curbe of spaine , the pride of germany , the ●yde of belgia , the scourge of france , the emperesse of the world , and queene of nations : she is begirt with walls , whose builder was the hand of heaven , whereon there daily rides a navy● royall , whose unconquerable power proclaimes her prince invincible , and whispers sad despaire into the fainting hearts of forraig●e majesty : she is compact within her self , in unitie , not apt to civill discords or intestine broyles ; the envie of all nations ; the ambition of all princes ; the terror of all enemies , the security of all neighboring states . let timerous pulpits threaten ruine , let prophecying church-men dote , till i beleeve : how often , and how long have these loud sonnes of thunder false prophesied her desolation ? and yet she stands the glory of the world : can pride demolish the towers that defend her ? can drunkennes dry up the sea that walls her ? can flames of lust dissolve the ordnance that protect her ? bee well advis'd my soule ; there is a voy●● from heaven roares louder then those ordinance , which saith , thus saith the lord , the whole land shall be desolate , jer. . . esay . . the whole earth is at rest , and at quiet , they breake forth into singing . yea the firre trees rejoyce at thee , and the cedars of lebanon sing , &c. yet shalt thou be brought downe to hell , to the sides of the pit. jer. . . they have b●lied the lord , and said , it is not hee , neither shall evill come upon us , neither shall wee see sword , or famine . cor. . . let him that standeth take heed lest he fall . luke . . they did eate and drink , and they married wives and were given in marriage , untill the flood came and destroyed them all . gregor. mor. a man may as some build a castle upon the rowling waves , as ground a solid comfort upon the uncertaine ebbs and fluxes of transient pleasures . s. august . whilst lot was exercised in suffering reproach and vilence , he continued holy and pure , even in the filth of sodom : but in the mount being in peace and safetie , he was surprised by sensuall securitie , and defiled himselfe with his owne daughters . 〈◊〉 prosperous and happy state is often the occasion of more miserable ruine , a long peace hath made many men both carelesse and cowardly ; and that 's the most fatall blow when an ●●●xpected enemy surprises us in a deep sleep of peace and security . greg. mag. securitie is an improvident carelesnesse , casting out all feare of approaching danger ; it is like a great calme at sea , that foreruns a storme : how is this verified o my sad soule in this our bleeding nation ! vver 't thou not but now for many yeares even nuzzl'd in the bosome of habituall peace ? didst thou foresee this danger ? or could'st thou have contrived a way to bee thus miserable ? didst thou not laugh invasion to scorne ? or didst thou not lesse feare a civill warre● was not the title of the crowne unquestionable ? and was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases ? did wee want good lawes ? or did our lawes want execution ? did not our prophets give lawfull warning ? or were wee moved at the sound of judgments ? how hast thou liv'd o my uncarefull soule to see these prophesies fulfill'd , and to behold the vialls of thy angry god pour'd forth ! since mercies o my soule could not allure thee , yet let these judgements now at length enforce thee to a true repentance . quench the firebrand which thou hast kindled ; turne thy mirth to a right mourning , and thy feasts of joy to humiliation . his prayer . o god by whom kings raigne , and kingdoms flourish , that settest up where none can batter downe , and pullest downe where none can countermand , i a most humble sutor at the throne of grace acknowledge my selfe unworthy of the least of all thy mercies , nay worthy of the greatest of all thy judgements : i have sinned against thee the author of my beeing , i have sinned against my conscience , which thou hast made my accuser , i have sinned against the peace of this kingdome , whereof thou hast made me a member : if all should doe o god as i have done , sodom would appeare as righteous , and gomorra● would be a president to thy wrat● upon this sinfull nation . but lord thy mercy is inscrutable , or else my misery were unspeakable , for that mercy sake be gratious to mee in the free pardoning of all my offences . blot them out of thy remembrance for his sake in whom thou art well pleased : make my head a fountaine of teares to quench that brand my sinnes have kind●ed towards the destruction of this flourishing kingdome : blesse this kingdome o god ; establish it in pietie , honour , peace , and plenty . forgive all her crying sinnes , and remove thy judgements farre from her . blesse her governour , thy servant , our dread soveraigne : endue his soule with all religious , civill and princely vertues ; preserve his royall person in health , safetie and prosperitie , prolong his dayes in honour , peace or victory , and crowne his death with everlasting glory . blesse him in his royall consort ; unite their hearts in love and true religion . blesse him in his princely issue ; season their youth with the feare of thy name . direct thy church in doctrine and in discipline , and let her enemies bee converted , or confounded ; purge her of all superstition and heresie , and root out from her , whatsoever thy hand hath not planted : blesse the nobilitie of this land , endue their hearts with truth , loyaltie , and true policy . blesse the tribe of levi , with pietie , learning , and humilitie . blesse the magistrates of this kingdome ; give them religious and upright hearts , hating covetousnesse . blesse the gentry with sinceritie , charitie , and a good conscience . blesse the commonaltie with loyall hearts , painefull hands , and plentifull encrease . blesse the two great seminaries of this kingdome , make them fruitfull and faithfull nurseries both to the church and common-wealth . blesse all thy saints every where , especially those that have stood in the gappe betwixt this kingdome , and thy judgements , that being all members of that body , whereof thou christ art head , we may all joyne in humiliation for our sinnes , and in the propagation of thy honor here , and be made partakers of thy glory in the kingdome of glory . the presumptuous mans felicities . tell bauling babes of bugbeares , to fright them into quietnesse , or terrifie youth with old wives sables , to keep their wild affections in owe ; such toyes may work upon their timerous apprehensions , when wholesome precepts faile , and find no audience in their youthfull eares : tell not mee of hell , devills , or of damned soules to enforce me from those pleasures which they nickname sinne : what tell ye mee of law ? my soule is sensible of evangelicall precepts without the needlesse , and uncorrected thunder of the killiug letter , or the terrible periphrase of roaring boanarges , the teadiousnesse of whose language still determines in damnation ; wherein i apprehend god farre more mercifull then his ministers . t is true , i have not led my life according to the pharisaicall squire of their opinions , neither have i found judgements according to their prophecies , whereby i must conclude that god is wonderfully mercifull , or they wonderfully mistaken . how often have they thundred ●orment against my voluptuous life : and yet i feele no paine : how bitterly have they threatned shame against the vaunts of my vaine-glory ? yet find i honor . how fiercely have they preach'd destruction , against my cruelty ? and yet i live . vvhat plagues against my swearing ? yet not infected : what diseases against my drunkennesse ? and yet sound ; what danger against procrastination ? yet how often hath god been found upon the deathbed ? what damnation to hypocrites ? yet who more safe ? what stripes to the ignorant ? yet who more scotfree ? what povertie to the slothfull ? yet themselves prosper : vvhat falls to the proud ? yet stand they surest . vvhat curses to the covetous ? yet who richer ? vvhat judgements to the lascivious ? yet who more pleasure ? vvhat vengeance to the prophane , the censorious , the revengefull ? yet none live more unscourg'd : vvho deeper branded then the lyer●● yet who more favor'd ? who more threatned then the presumptuous ? yet who lesse punished ? thus are wee foold and kept in awe with the strict fancies of those pulpit-men , whose opinions have no ground but what they gaine from popularitie : thus are wee frighted from the libertie of nature by the politick chimeraes of religion ; whereby we are necessitated to the observing of those laws , whereof we find a greater necessitie of breaking . but stay , my soule , there is a voyce that darts into my troubled thoughts , which saith , because thou hast not kept my lawes , all the curses in this booke shall overtake thee , till thou be destraoed , deut. . deut. . . and the anger of the lord was kind●ed against the land , to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book . chron. . . thus saith the lord , behold i will bring will upon this place , and upon the inhabitants thereof , even all the curses that are written in the booke . deut. . . but if thou wilt not hearken unto the v●yee of the lord thy god to observe and doe all his commandements , and his statutes which i command thee this day , all these curses shall come upon thee , and overtake thee . bernard . it is certaine thou must die , and uncertaine when , how or where ; seeing death is alwayes at thy 〈◊〉 thou must ( if thou be wise ) ●lwayes be ready to die . bernard . to commit a sinne is an humane frailtie , to persist in it is a devillish obstinacy . bernard . there are some who hope in the lord , but yet in vaine , because they onely smooth and flatter themselves , that god is mercifull , but repent not of their sinne ; such confidence is vaine and foolish , and leads to destruction . presumption is a sinne , whereby wee depend upon gods mercies without any warrant from gods word : it is as great a sinne , o my soule , to hope for gods mercy , without repentance , as to distrust gods mercy upon repentance ; in the first thou wrongst his iustice ; in the last , his mercy : o my presumptuous soule ; let not thy prosperitie in sinning encourage thee to sinne ; lest , climbing without warrant into his mercy , thou fall without mercy into his judgement : be not deceived ; a long peace makes a bloody warre , and the abuse of continued mercies makes a sharpe judgement : patience , when slighted , turnes to fury , but ill-requited , starts to vengeance : thinke not , that thy unpunisht sinne is hidden from the eye of heaven , or that gods judgements will delay for ever : the stalled oxe that wallowes in his plenty , and waxes wanton with ease , is not farre from slaughter : the ephod o my desperate soule , is long a filling , but once being full , the leaden cover must goe on ; and then , it hurries on the wings of the wind : advise thee then , and whilst the lampe of thy prosperity lasts , provide thee for the evill day , which being come repentance will bee out of date , and all thy prayers will finde no eare . his prayer . gratious god , whose mercy is unsearchable and whose goodnesse is unspeakable , i the unthankfull object of thy continued favours , and therefore the miserable subject of thy continuall wrath , humbly present my self-made misery before thy sacred majestie ; lord when i look upon the horridnesse of my sin , shame strikes me dumb : but when i turne mine eie upon the infinitnesse of thy mercy , i am emboldned to poure forth my soule before thee ; as in the one , finding matter for confusion ; so in the other , arguments for compassion : lord i have sinned grievously , but my saviour hath satisfied abundantly ; i have trespassed continually , but he hath suffered once for all : thou hast numbred my transgressions by the haires of my head , but his mercies are innumerable like the starres of the skie : my sinnes in greatnesse are like the mountaines of the earth , 〈◊〉 his mercy is greater then the heavens : oh if his mercy were not greater then my sinnes , my sinnes were impardonable ; for his therefore and ●●y mercies sake cover my sinnes , and pardon my transgressions ; make my head a fountain of ●●eares , and accept my contrition o thou well-●●ring of all mercie : strengthen my resolution , ●●at for the time to come i may detest all sinne : ●●crease a holy anger in me that i may revenge my selfe upon my selfe for displeasing so gratious a father ; fill my heart with a feare of thy judgments , and sweeten my thoughts with the meditation of thy mercies : goe forwards o my god , and perfect thy own work in me , and take the glory of thy owne free goodnesse , furnish my mouth with the prayses of thy name , and replenish my tongue with continuall thanksgiving ; thou ha●● promised pardon to those that repent ; behold i repent ; lord quicken my repentance . thou mightst have made me a terrible example of thy justice , and struck ●●ee into hell in the height of my presumption ; but thou hast made me capable of thy mercies , and an object of thy 〈◊〉 , for thou art a gratious god , of long-suffering and ●low to anger , thy name is wonderfull , and thy mercies incomprehensible : thou art onely worthy to bee praised : let all the people praise thee o god : o let all the people praise thee ; let angels and archangels praise thee , let the congregations of saints praise thee , let thy works praise thee , let every thing that breath's praise thee for ever , and for ever , amen . finis . emblemes by francis quarles. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) emblemes by francis quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed by r. d. for francis eglesfeild ..., cambridge : . engraved t.p., illustrated. "hieroglyphikes of the life of the man": p. [ ]- . imperfect: hieroglyphikes of the life of the man lacking on film. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng emblems -- early works to . a r (wing q ). civilwar no emblemes by fran: quarles. quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion emblemes cambridge printed by rd . for francis . eglesfeild . and are to be sold at the signe of the marigold . in st. pauls church-yard . ●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : haec laus , hic apex sapientiae est , ea viventem appetere , quae morienti forent appetenda . to my much honoured , and no lesse truly beloved friend , edw. benlowes , esquire . my dear friend , you have put the theorboe into my hand , and i have played : you gave the musician the first encouragement ; the musick returneth to you for patronage . had it been a light ayre , no doubt but it had taken the most ; and among them the worst : but being a grave strayn , my hopes are , that it will please the best ; and among them , you. toyish ayres please triviall eares : they kisse the fancy , and betray it : they cry , hail , first ; and after , crucifie : let dorrs delight to immerd themselves in dungwhilest eagles scorn so poore a game as flies . sir , you have art and candour : let the one judge , let the other excuse your most affectionate friend , fra. quarles what heere wee see is but a graven face onely the shaddow of yt brittle case wherein were treasurd up those gems wch he hath left behind him to posterity to the reader . an embleme is but a silent parable . let not the tender eye check , to see the allusion to our blessed saviour figured in these types . in holy scripture , he is sometimes called a sower ; sometimes , a fisher ; sometimes a physician : and why not presented so as well to the eye as to the eare ? before the knowledge of letters god was known by hieroglyphicks : and , indeed , what are the heavens , the earth , ●…ay every creature , but hieroglyphicks and emblemes of his glory ? i have no more to say . i wish thee as much pleasure in the reading , as i had in the writing . farewell , reader . by fathers back'd , by holy writ led on , thou shew'st a way to heav'n by helicon : the muses font is consecrate by thee , and poesie , baptiz'd divinitie : blest soul , that here embark'st : thou sail'st apace , 't is hard to say , mov'd more by wit , or grace ; each muse so plyes her oar : but o , the sail is fill'd from heav'n with a diviner gale : when poets prove divines , why should not i approve in verse this divine poetry ? let this suffice to licence thee the presse ; i must no more ; nor could the truth say lesse . sic approbavit rich. love procan . cantabrigiensis . tot flores quarles , quot paradisus , habet . lectori bene-male-volo . qui legit ex horto hoc flores , qui carpit , ut●rque jure potest violas dicere , jure rosas . non è parnasso violam , paestive roseto carpit apollo , magìs quae sit amoena , rosam . quot versus , violas legis ; & quem verba lo●●●●um credis , verbà dedit : nam dedit ille rosas . utque ego non dicam haec violas suavissima ; t●●● ipse facis violas , livide , si violas . nam velu● è violis sibi sugit ara●ea virus : vertis ità in succos hasque , rosasque tuos . quas violas mù●as , violas puto , quasque recusa● dente tuo rosas , has , reor , esse rosas . sic rosas , facis esse rosas , dùm 〈◊〉 , rodis : sic facis has violas , livide , dum violas . brent . hall . . edvv. benlovves . the first book . the invocation . rowze thee , my soul ; and drein thee from the dregs of vulgar thoughts : skrue up the heightned pegs of thy sublime theorboe foure notes higher , and higher yet ; that so , the 〈◊〉 - mouth'd quire of swift-wing'd seraphims may come and joyn , and make thy consort more than halfe divine . invoke no muse ; let heav'n be thy apollo ; and let his sacred influences hallow thy high-bred strains ; let his full beams inspite thy ravish'd brains with more heroick 〈◊〉 : snatch thee a quill from the spread eagles wing , and , like the morning lark , mount up and sing : cast off these dangling plummets , that so clog thy lab'ring heart , which gropes in this dark fog of dungeon-earth ; let flesh and bloud 〈◊〉 to stop thy flight , till this base world appear a thin blew lanskip : let thy pineons sore so high a pitch , that men may seem no more than pismires , crawling on this mole-hill earth , thy eare untroubled with their frantick mirth ; let not the frailtie of thy flesh disturb thy new-concluded peace ; let reason 〈◊〉 thy hot-mouth'd passion ; and let heav'ns fire season the fresh conceits of thy corrected reason . disdain to warm thee at lusts smokie fires , scorn , scorn to feed on thy old bloat desires : come , come , my soul , hoyse up thy higher sails , the wind blowes fair ? shall we still creep like snails , that gild their wayes with their own native slimes ? no , we must flie like e●…gles , and our rhimes must mount ●…o heav'n and reach th' olympick ea●… ; our heav'n-blown fire must seek no other sphear . thou great theanthropos , that giv'st and ground'st thy gifts in dust ; and from out dunghill crown'st reflected honour , taking by retail , what thou hast giv'n in grosse , from lapsed , frail , and sinfull man ; that drink'st full draughts , wherein thy childrens leprous fingers , scurf'd with sin , have padled , cleanse , o cleanse my crafty soul from secret crimes , and let my thoughts controul my thoughts : o , teach me stoutly to deny my self , that i may be no longer i : enrich my fancie , clarifie my thoughts , resine my drosse ; o , wink at humane faults ; and through this slender conduit of my quill convey thy current , whose clear streams may fill the hearts of men with love , their tongues with prayse : crown me with glory : take , who list , the bayes . i. jam . . . every man is tempted , when he is drawn away by his own lust , and enticed . serpent . eve . serp. not eat ? not tast ? not touch ? not cast an eye upon the fruit of this fai●… tree ? and why ? why eat'st thou not what heav'n ordain'd for food ? or canst thou think that bad which heav'n call'd good ? why was it made , if not to be enjoy'd ? neglect of favours makes a favour void : blessings unus'd , pervert into a wast , as well as surfets ; woman , do but tast : see how the laden boughs make silent suit to be enjoy'd ; look how their bending fruit meet thee half-way ; observe but how they crouch to kisse thy hand ; coy woman , do but touch : ma●…k what a pure vermilion blush has dy'd their swelling cheeks , and how for shame they hide their palsie heads , to see themselves stand by neglected : woman , do but cast an eye . what bounteous heav'n ordain'd for use , refuse not ; come , pull and eat : y' abuse the thing ye use not . eve . wisest of beasts , our great creatour did reserve this tree , and this alone forbid ; the rest are freely ours , which doubtlesse are as pleasing to the tast ; toth' eye , as fair ; but touching this , his strict commands are such , ` t is death to tast , no lesse than death to touch . serp. pish ; death 's a fable : did not heav'n inspire , your equall elements with living fire , blown from the spring of life ? is not that breath immortall ? come ; ye are as free from death as he that made ye . can the flames expire which he has kindled ? can ye quench his fire ? did not the great creatours voice proclaim what ere he made ( from the blue spangled frame to the poore leaf that trembles ) very good ? blest he not both the feeder , and the food ? tell , tell me then , what danger can accrue from such blest food , to such half-gods as you ? curb needlesse fears , and let no fond conceit abuse your freedome ; woman , take , and eat . eve . 't is true ; we are immortall ; death is yet unborn , and , till rebellion make it debt , undue ; i know the fruit is good , untill presumtuous disobedience make it ill . the lips that open to this fruit 's a portall to let in death , and make immortall mortall . serp. you cannot die ; come , woman , tast and fear not : eve . shall eve transgresse ? i dare not , o i dare not . serp. afraid ? why draw'st thou back thy tim'rous arm ? harm onely fals on such as fear a harm . heav'n knowes and fears the virtue of this tree : 't will make ye perfect gods as well as he. stretch forth thy hand , and let thy fondnesse never fear death ; do , pull , and eat , and live for ever . eve . 't is but an apple ; and it is as good to do as to desire . fruit's made for food : i le pull , and tast , and tempt my adam too to know the secrets of this dainty . serp. doe . s. chrys. sup . matth. he forced him not : he touched him not : onely said , cast thy self down ; that we may know , whosoever obeyeth the devil casteth himselfe down : for the devil may suggest , compell he cannot . s. bern. in ser. it is the devils part to suggest ; ours , not to consent . as os●… as we resist him , so often we overcome him ; as often as we overcome him , so often we bring joy to the angels , and glory to god ; who proposeth us , that we may contend , and assisteth us , that we may conquer . epig. i. unluckie parliament ! wherein , at last , both houses are agreed , and firmly past an act of death , confirm'd by higher powers : o had it had but such successe as ours ! ii. james . . then when lust hath conceived , it bringeth forth sinne ; and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death . lament , lament ; look , look what thou hast done ! lament the worlds , lament thy own estate : look , look by doing how thou art undone ; lament thy fall ; lament thy change of state : thy faith is broken , and thy freedome gone , see , see too soon , what thou lament'st too late . o thou that wert so many men , nay all abbridg'd in one , how has thy desp'rate fall destroy'd thy unborn seed , destroy'd thy self withall . uxorious adam , whom thy maker made equall to angels that excell in pow'r , what hast thou done ? o why hast thou obey'd thy own destruction ? like a new-cropt flowre how does the glory of thy beauty fade ! how are thy fortunes blasted in an houre ! how art thou cow'd , that had'st the pow'r to quell the spite of new-fall'n angels , baffle hell , and vie with those that stood , and vanquish those that fell . see how the world ( whose chast and pregnant womb of late conceiv'd , and brought forth noth●…ng ill ) is now degenerated , and become a base adultresse , whose false births do fill the earth with monsters , monsters that do rome and rage about , and make a trade to kill : now glutt'ny paunches ; lust begins to spawn ; wrath takes revenge ; and avarice , a pawn ; pale envie pines , pride swells , and sloth begins to yawn . the aire that whisper'd , now begins to rore , and blustring boreas blowes the boyling tide ; the whit-mouth'd water now usurps the shore , and scorns the pow'r of her tridentall guide ; the fire now burns , that did but warm before , and rules her ruler with resistlesse pride : fire , water , earth and ai●…e , that first were made to be subdu'd , see how they now invade ; they rule whom once they serv'd , cōmand , where once obey'd behold ; that nakednesse , that late bewray'd thy glory , now 's become thy shame , thy wonder : ●…ehold ; those trees whose various fruits were made for food , now turn'd a shade to shrowd thee under : behold ; that voice ( which thou hast disobey'd ) that late was musick , now aff●…ights like thunder : poor man ! are not thy joynts grown sore with shaking , to view th' effect of thy bold undertaking , that in one houre didd'st marre , what heav'n six dayes was making ? s. august . lib. . de lib. arbit . it is a most just punishment , that man should lose that freedome which man could not use , yet had power to keep if he would ; and that be who had knowledge to do what was right , and did not , should be deprived of the knowledge of what was right ; and that he who would not do righteously when he had the power , should lose the power to doit , when he ●…ad the will . hugo de anima . they are justly punished that abuse lawfull things , but they are most justly punished , that use unlawfull things : thus lucifer fell from heaven : thus adam lost his paradise . epig. . see how these fruitfull kernels , being cast upon the earth , how thick they spring ! how fast ! a full-ear'd crop and thriving , rank and proud ; prepost'rous man first sow'd , and then he plough'd . iii. proverbs . . even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull , and the end of that mirth is heavinesse . alas fond child , how are thy thoughts beguil'd , to hope for hony from a nest of wasps ? thou maist as well go seek for ease in hell , or sprightly nectar from the mouths of asps . the world 's a hive , from whence thou canst derive no good , but what thy souls vexation brings : put case thou meet some peti-peti sweet , each drop is guarded with a thousand stings . why dost thou make these murm'ring troups forsake the safe protection of their waxen homes ? this hive contains no sweet that 's worth thy pains ; there 's nothing here , alas , but empty combes . for trash and toyes , and grief-ingend'ring joyes , what to●…ment seems too sharp for ●…lesh and bloud ! what bitter pills , compos'd of reall ills , man swallows down to purchase one false good ! the dainties here , are least what they appear ; though sweet in hopes , yet in fruition sowre : the fruit that 's yellow , is found not alwayes mellow : the fairest tulip 's not the sweetest flowre . fond youth , give ore , and vex thy soul no more in secking what were better farre unfound ; alas thy gains are onely present pains to gather scorpions for a future wound . what 's earth ? or in it , that longer then a minit can lend a free delight that can endure ? o who would droyl , or delve in such a soyl , where gain 's uncertain and the pain is sure ? s august . sweetnesse in temporall matters is deceitfull : il is a labour and a perpetuall fear ; it is a dangerous pleasure , whose beginning is without providence , and whose end is not without repentance . hugo . luxury is an enticing pleasure , a bastard mirth , which hath honey in her mouth , gall in her heart , and a a●…ing in her tail . epig. . what , cupid , are thy shafes already made ? and seeking honey , to set up thy trade ? true embleme of thy sweers ! thy bees do bring honey in their mouths , but in their tails , a sting . iv. psalm . . to be laid in the ballance , it is altogether lighter then vanitie . put in another weight : 't is yet too light : and yet : fond cupid , put another in ; and yet another : still there 's under weight ; put in another hundred : put agin . adde world to world ; then heap a thousand more to that ; then , to renew thy wasted store , take up more worlds on trust , to draw thy balance lower . put in the flesh , with all her loads of pleasure ; put in great mammons endlesse inventory ; put in the pond'rous acts of mighty cesar ; put in the greater weight of swedens glory ; adde s●…pio's gauntlet ; put in plato's gown : put circes charms , put in the triple crown . thy balance will not draw ; thy balance will not down lord , what a world is this , which day and night , men seek with so much toyl , with so much trouble ? which weigh'd in equall scales is found so light , so poorly over-balanc'd with a bubble ? good god! that frantick mortals should destroy their higher hopes , and place their idle joy upon such airy trash , upon so light a toy thou bold impostour , how hast thou befool'd the tribe of man with counterfeit d●…sire ! how has the breath of thy false bellows cool'd heav'ns free-born flames , and kindled bastard fire ! how hast thou vented drosse in stead of treasure , and cheated man with thy false weights and measure , proclaiming bad for good ; and gilding death with pleasure ! the world 's a craftie strumpet , most affecting and closely following those that most reject her ; but seeming carelesse , nicely disrespecting and coyly flying those that most affect her : if thou be free , she 's strange , if strange she 's free ; flee , and she follows ; follow , and she 'll flee : then she there 's none more coy , there 's none more fond then she . o what a crocodilian world is this , compos'd of treacheries , and ensnaring wiles ! she cloaths destruction in a fo●…mall kisse , and lodges death in her deceitsull smiles ; she hugs the soul she hates ; and there does prove the veriest tyrant where she vowes to love , and is a serpent most , when most she seems a dove . thrice happy he , whose nobler thoughts despise to make an object of so easie gains ; thrice happy he , who scorns so poore a prize should be the crown of his heroick pains : thrice happy he , that ne'r was born to trie her frowns or smiles ; or being born , did lie in his sad nurses arms an houre or two , and die . s. august . lib. confess . o you that dote upon this world , for what victory do ye sight ? your hopes can be crowned with no greater reward then the world can give ; and what is the world but a brittle thing full of dangers , wherein we travel from lesser to greater perils ? o let all her vain , light , and momentany glory perish with her self , and let us be conversant with more eternall things . alas , this world is miserable ; life is short , and death is sure . epig. . my soul , what 's lighter then a feather ? wind . then wind ? the fire . and what then fire ? the mind . what 's lighter then the mind ? a thought . then thought ? this bubble-world . what then this bubble ? nought . v. . cor. . . the fashion of this world passeth away . gone are those golden dayes , wherein pale conscience started not at ugly sinne : when good old satu●…nes peacefull throne was unusurped by his beardlesse son : when jealous ops ne'r fear'd th' abuse of her chast bed , or breach of nuptiall truce : when just astraea poys'd her scales in mortall hearts , whose absence earth bewails : when froth-born venus and her brat , with all that spurious brood young jove begat , in horrid shapes were yet unknowne ; those halcyon dayes , that golden age is gone . there was no client then to wait the leisure of his long-tayl'd advocate ; the talion law was in request , and chaunc'ry courts were kept in ev'ry brest ; abused statutes had no tenters , and men could deal secure without indentures : there was no peeping hole to clear the wittals eye from his incarnate fear ; there were no lustfull cinders then to broyl the carbonado'd hearts of men ; the rosie cheek did then proclaim a shame of guilt , but not a guilt of shame : there was no whining soul to start at cu●…ids twang , or curle his flaming 〈◊〉 ; the boy had then but callow wings , and fell erynnis scorpions had no stings : the better-acted world did move upon the fixed poles of truth and love . love essenc'd in the hearts of men ; then reason rul'd ; there was no passion then ; till lust and rage began to enter , love the circumference was , and love the center . untill the wanton dayes of iove the simple world was all compos'd of love ; but iove grew fleshly , false , unjust ; inferiour beautie sill'd his veins with lust ; and cucquean iuno's fury hurld fierce balls of rage into th'incestuous world : astraea fled , and love return'd from earth , earth boyl'd with lust , with rage it burn'd : and ever since the world has been kept going with the scourge of lust and spleen . s. ambros. lust is a sharp spur to vice , which alwayes putteth the affections into a false gallop . hugo . lust is an immoderate wantonnesse of the slesh , a sweet poyson , a cruel 〈◊〉 ; a pernicious potion , which weakeneth the body of man , and esseminateth the strength of an heroick mind . s. august . envy is the hatred of anothers felicitie : in respect of superiours , because they are not equall to them ; in respect of inseriours , lest be should be equall to them ; in respect of equalls , because they are equall to them : through envy proceeded the fall of the world , and the death of christ . epig. . what ? cupid , must the world be lasht so soon ? but made at morning , and be whipt at noon ? 't is like the wagge that playes with venus doves , the more 't is lasht , the more perverse it proves . vi . eccles. . . all is vanitie and vexation of spirit . how is the anxious soul of man befool'd in his desire , that thinks an hectick sever may be cool'd in stames of fire , or hopes to rake full heaps of burnisht gold from nasty mire ! a whining lover may as well request a scornfull breast to melt in gentle tears , as woo the world for rest . let wit and all her studied plots effect the best they can ; let smiling fortune prosper and perfect what wit began ; let earth advise with both , and so project a happy man ; let wit or fawning fortune vie their best ; he may be blest with all that earth can give : but earth can give no rest . whose gold is double with a carefull hand , his cares are double ; the pleasure , honour , wealth of sea and land bring but a trouble ; the world it self , and all the worlds command , is but a bubble . the strong desites of mans ins●…tiate breast may stand possest of all that earth can give ; but earth can give no rest . the world 's a seeming par'dise , but her own and mans tormenter ; appearing sixt , yet but a rolling stone without a tenter ; it is a vast circumference , where none can find a center . of more then earth can earth make none possest ; and he that least regards this restlesse world , shall in this world find rest . true rest consists not in the oft revying of worldly drosse ; earths mi●…ie purchase is not worth the buying ; her gain is losse ; her rest , but giddy toil , if not relying upon her crosse . how worldlings droil for trouble ! that fond breast that is possest of earth without a crosse , has earth without a rest . cass. in ps. the crosse is the invincible sanctuary of the humble : the dejection of the proud , the victory of christ , the destruction of the devil , the confirmation of the faithfull , the death of the unbeliever , the life of the just . damascen . the crosse of christ is the key of paradise : the weak mans staff : the converts convoy : the upright mans perfection : the soul and bodies health : the prevention of all evil , and the 〈◊〉 of all good . epig. . worldlings , whose whimpring folly holds the losses of honour , pleasure , health and wealth such crosses , look here , and tell me what your arms engrosse , when the best end of what ye hug's a crosse . vii . . peter . . be sober , be vigilant , because your adversary the devil as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure . why dest thou suffer lustfull sloth to creep , dull cyprian lad , into thy wanton browes ? is this a time to pay thine idle vowes at morpheus shrine ? is this a time to sleep thy brains in wastfull slumbers ? up and rouze thy leaden spirits : is this a time to sleep adjourn thy sanguine dreams : awake , arise , call in thy thoughts ; and let them all advise , hadst thou as many heads as thou hast wounded eyes . look , look , what horrid furies do await thy slatt'ring slumbers ! if thy drowzie head but chance to nod , thou fall'st into a bed of sulph'rous flames , whose torments want a date . fo●…d boy , be wise ; let not thy thoughts be fed with phrygian wisdome ; fools are wise too late : beware betimes , and let thy reason sever those gates which passion clos'd ; wake now , or never : for if thou nodd'st thou fall'st : and falling fall'st for ever . mark , how the ready hands of death prepare : his bow is bent , and he has notch'd his dart ; he aims , he levels at thy slumb'ring heart : the wound is posting , o be wise , beware . what ? has the voyce of danger lost the art to raise the spirit of neglected care ? well , sleep thy fill , and take thy soft reposes ; but know withall , sweet tasts have sowre closes ; and he repents in thorns , that sleeps in beds of roses . yet sluggard , wake , and gull thy soul no more , with earths false pleasure , and the worlds delight , whose fruit is fair , and pleasing to the sight , but sowre in tast , false at the putrid core : thy flaring glasse is gems at her halflight : she makes thee seeming rich , but truly poore : she boasts a kernell , and bestowes a shell ; performs an inch of her fair promis'd ell : her words protest a heav'n ; her works produce a hell . o thou the fountain of whose better part is earth'd , and gravell'd up with vain desire : that dayly wallow'st in the fleshly mire and base pollution of a lustfull heart , that feel'st no passion but in wanton fire , and own'st no torment but from cupids dart ; behold thy type : thou sitst upon this ball of earth , secure , while death that flings at all , stands arm'd to strike thee down , where flames attend thy fall . s. bern. securitie is no where ; it is neither in heaven , nor in paradise , much lesse in the world : in heaven the angels sell from the divine presence ; in paradise , adam sell from his place of pleasure ; in the world , judas sell from the school of our saviour hugo . i eat secure , i drink secure , i sleep secure , even as though i had past the day of death , avoided the day of judgement , and escaped the torments of hell-fire : i play and laugh , as though i were already triumphing in the kingdome of heaven . epig. . get up , my soul ; redeem thy slavish eyes , from drowzy bondage : o beware ; be wise : thy fo 's before thee ; thou must sight or flie : life lies most open in a closed eye . viii . luke . . woe be to you that laugh now , for ye shall mourn and weep . the world 's a popular disease , that reignes within the froward heart and frantick brains of poore distemper'd mortals , oft arising from ill digestion , through th' unequall poysing of ill-weigh'd elements , whose light directs malignant humours to maligne effects . one raves , and labours with a ●…oyling liver ; rends hair by handfuls , cursing cupids quiver : another with a bloudy-slux of oaths vowes deep revenge : one dotes ; the other loathes : one frisks and sings , and vies a slagon more to drench dry cares , and makes the welkin rore : another droops ; the sunshine makes him sad ; heav'n cannot please : one 's mop'd ; the tother 's mad : one hugs his gold ; another lets it slie : he knowing not for whom ; nor tother why . one spends his day in plots , his night in play ; another sleeps and slugs both night and day : one laughs at this thing ; tother cries for that : but neither one nor tother knowes for what . wonder of wonders ! what we ought t' evite as our disease , we hug as our delight : 't is held a symptome of approching danger , when disacquainted sense becomes a stranger , and takes no knowledge of an old disease ; but when a noysome grief begins to please the unresisting sense , it is a fear that death has parli'd , and compounded there : as when the dreadfull thund'rers awfull hand powres forth a v●…all on th'infected land , at first th' affrighted mortalls quake and fear : and ev'ry noise is thought the thunderer : but when the frequent soul-departing bell has pav'd their ears with her familiar knell , it is reputed but a nine dayes wonder , they neither fear the thund'rer nor his thunder : so when the world ( a worse disease ) began to smart for sinne , poore new-created man could seek for shelter , and his gen'rous sonne knew by his wages what his hands had done ; but bold-fac'd mortalls in our blushlesse times can sinne and smile , and make a sport of crim●… , transgresse of custome , and rebell in ease ; we false-joy'd fools can triumph in disease , and ( as the carelesse pilgrime , being bit by the tarantula , begins a sit of life concluding laughter ) wast our breath in lavish pleasure , till we laugh to death . hugo de anima . what profit is there in vain glory , momentany mirth , the worlds power , the ●…leshes pleasure , ●…ll riches , noble descent , and great desires ? where is their laughter ? where is their mir●…h ? where their insolence ? their arrogance ? from how much joy to how much sadnesse ! after how much mirth , how much misery ! from how great glory are they 〈◊〉 to how great torments ! what hath ●…allen to them , may b●…fall thee , because thou art a man : thou art of earth ; thou live●…l of earth ; thou shalt return to earth . death expecteth thee every-where ; be wise therefore , and expect death every-where . epig. . what ayls the fool to laugh ? does something please his vain conceit ? or is 't a mere disease ? fool , giggle on , and wast thy wanton breath ; thy morning laughter breeds an ev'ning death . ix . . john . . the world passeth away , and all the lusts thereof . draw near , brave sparks , whose spirits scorn to light your hallow'd tapours , but at honours flame ; you , whose heroick actions take delight to varnish over a new-painted name ; whose high-bred thoughts disdain to take their slight , but on th'icarian wings of babbling fame ; behold , how tott'ring are your high-built stories of earth , whereon you trust the ground-work of your glories and you , more brain-sick lovers , that can prise a wanton smile before eternall joyes ; that know no heav'n but in your mistresse eyes ; that feel no pleasure but what sense enjoyes : that can , like crown-distemper'd fools despise true riches , and like babies whine for toyes : think ye , the pageants of your hopes are able to stand secure ●…n earth , when earth it self 's unstable ? come dunghill worldlings , you that ●…oot like swine , and cast up golden trenches where ye come : whose onely pleasure is to undermine and view the secrets of your mothers wombe : come bring your saint , p●…uch'd in his leather ●…hrine , and summon all yo●… griping angels home . behold your world , the bank of all your store : the world 〈◊〉 so admire ; the worl●… ye so adore . a feeble world , whose hot-mouth'd pleasures tire before the race ; before the start , retrait ; a faithlesse world , whose false delights expire before the term of half their promis'd date ; a fickle world , not worth the least desire , where ev'ry chance proclaims a change of state : a feeble , faithlesse , sickle world , wherein each motion proves a vice ; and ev'ry act , a sin . the beautie , that of late was in her flowre , is now a ruine , not to raise a lust ; he that was lately drench'd in 〈◊〉 showre , is master now of neither gold nor trust ; whose honour late was mann'd with princely powre , his glory now lies buried in the dust ; o who would trust this world , or prize what 's in it , that gives and takes , and chops and changes ev'ry minit ! nor length of dayes , nor solid strength of brain can find a place wherein to rest secure ; the world is various , and the earth is vain : there 's nothing certain here , there 's nothing sure : we trudge , we travel but from pain to pain , and what 's our onely grief's 〈◊〉 onely cure : the world 's a torment ; he that would endeaver to find the way to rest , must seek the way to leave her . s. greg. in ho . behold , the world is withered in it self , yet flourisheth in our hearts ; every where death , every where grief , every where 〈◊〉 : on every side we are smitten ; on every side filled with bitternesse , and yet with the blind mind of carnall desire we love her bitternesse : it 〈◊〉 , and we follow it ; it falleth , yet we stick to it : and because we 〈◊〉 enjoy it fallen , we sall with it , and enjoy it , sallen . 〈◊〉 . . if fortune hale , or envious time but spurn , the world turns round ; and with the world we turn : when fortune sees , and lynx-ey'd time is blind , i 'll trust trust thy joyes , o world ; till then , the wind . x. john . . ye are of your father the devil , and the lusts of your father ye will do . here 's your right ground : wagge gently o'r this black ; 't is a short cast ; y' are quickly at the jack . rub , rub an inch or two ; two crowns to one on this bouls side : blow wind , 't is fairly thrown : the next boul 's worse that comes , come boul away ; mammon , you know the ground untutour'd , play ; your last was gone , a yard of strength well spar'd , had touch'd the block ; your hand is still too hard . brave pastime , 〈◊〉 , to consume that day , which without pastime slies too swift away ! see how they labour ; as if day and night were both too short to serve their loose delight : see how their curved bodies wreath , and 〈◊〉 such antick shapes as proteus never knew : one raps an oath , another deals a 〈◊〉 ; he never better boul'd ; this never worse : one rubs his itchlesse elbow , thrugs and laughs , the tother bends his beetle-browes , and chafes : sometime they whoop , sometimes their stygian cries send their black-santos to the blushing skies : thus mingling humours in a mad 〈◊〉 , they make bad premises , and worse conclusion : but where 's the palm that fortunes hand allowes to blesse the victours honourable 〈◊〉 ? come , reader , come ; i 'll light thine eye the way to view the prize , the while the gamesters play : close by the jack , behold , gill fortune stands t●… wave the game ; see , in her partiall hands the glorious garland's held in open show , to chear the lads , and crown the conq'rours brow . the world 's the jack ; the gamesters that contend , are cupid , mammon : that judicious friend , that gives the ground , is satan ; and the boules are sinfull thoughts : the prize , a crown for fools . who breathes that boules not ? what bold tongue can say without a blush , he hath not boul'd to day ? it is the trade of man ; and every sinner has plaid his rubbers : every soule 's a winner . the vulgar proverb 's crost : he hardly can be a good bouler and an honest man . good god , turn thou my brazil thoughts a new ; new sole my boules , and make their bias true : i 'll cease to game , till fairer ground be given , nor wish to winne untill the mark be heaven . s. bernard lib. de consid. o you sonnes of adam , you covetous generation , what have ye to do with earthly riches , which are neither true , nor yours . gold and silver are reall earth , red and white , which the onely errour os man makes , or rather reputes , pretious : in short , if they be yours carry them with you . s. hierome . in ep. o lust , thou infer●…all fire , whose fuell is gluttony ; whose flame is pride ; whose sparkles are wanton words ; whose smoke is infamie ; whose ashes are uncleannesse ; whose end is hell . epig. . 〈◊〉 well follow'd : cupid bravely led ; both touchers ; equall fortune makes a dead : no reed can measure where the conquest lies ; take my advise ; compound , and share the prize : xi . ephesians . . ye walked according to the course of this world , according to the prince of the aire . o whither will this mad-brain world at last be driv'n ? where will her restlesse wheels arive ? why hurries on her ill-match'd payre so fast ? o whither means her 〈◊〉 groom to drive ? what ? will her ●…ambling sits be never past ? for ever ranging ? never once 〈◊〉 ? will earths perpetuall progresse ne'r expire ? her team continuing in their fresh careire , and yet they never rest , and yet they never tire . sols hot-mouth'd steeds , whose noslrils vomit flame , and braz●…n lungs 〈◊〉 forth quotidian fire , their twelve houres task perform'd , grow 〈◊〉 and lame , and their immortall spirits faint and tire : at th'azure mountains foot their labours claim the priviledge of rest , where they retire to quench their burning 〈◊〉 , and to steep their flaming nostrils in the western deep , and fresh their tired soul●…s with strength-restoring sleep . but these prodigious hackneyes , basely got 'twixt men and devils , made for race nor flight , can drag the idle world , expecting not the bed of rest , but travel with delight ; who neither weighing way , nor weather , trot through dust and dirt , and droyl both night and day ; thus droyl these fiends incarnate , whose free pains are fed with dropsies and venerial blains . no need to use the whip ; but strength , to rule the rains . poore captive world ! how has thy lightnesse given a just occasion to thy foes illusion ? o , how art thou betray'd , thus fairly driven in seeming triumph to thy own confusion ? how is thy empty universe bereaven of all true joyes , by one false joyes delusion ? so have i seen an unblown virgin fed with sugar'd words so full , that she is led a fair attended bride to a false bankrupts bed . pull , gracious lord ; let not thine arm forsake the world , impounded in her own devises ; think of that pleasure that thou once didst take amongst the lillies and sweet beds of spices . hale strongly , thou whose hand has pow'r to slake the swift-foot fury of ten thousand vices : let not that dust-devouring dragon boast , his craft has wonne , what judahs lion lost ; remember what it 〈◊〉 recount the price it cost . isidor . lib. . de summo bono . by how much the nearer satan perceiveth the world to an end , by so much the more ●…iercely he troubleth it with persecution ; that knowing himself is to be damned , he may get company in his damnation . cyprian in ep. broad and spatious is the road to infernal li●… : there are enticements and death-bringing pleasures . there the devil flattereth , that he may deceive ; smileth , that he may endamage ; allureth , that he may destroy . epig. . nay 〈◊〉 and fair good world ; post not too fast ; thy journeys end requires not half this hast . unlesse that arme thou so disdain'st reprives thee , alas thou needs must go : the devil drives thee . xii . isaiah . . ye may suck , but not be satisfied with the breast of her consolation . what never fill'd ? be thy lips skrew'd so fast to th'earths sull breast ? for shame , for shame unseise thee : thou tak'st a surset where thou fhould'st but tast , and mak'st too much not half enough to please thee . ah fool , ●…orbear ; thou swallow'st at one breath both food & poyson down ; thou draw'st both milk & death . the ub'rous breasts , when fairly drawn , repast the thriving infant with their milkie ●…lood , but being 〈◊〉 , return at last unwholsome gulps compos'd of wind and bloud . a mod'rate use does both repast and please ; who strains beyond a mean draws in and gulps disease . but , o that mean whose good the least abuse makes bad , is too too hard to be directed : can thorns bring grapes , or crabs a pleasing juyce ? there 's nothing wholsome , where the whole 's infected . unseise thy lips : earths milk 's a rip'ned core that drops from her disease , that matters from her sore . think'st thou that paunch that 〈◊〉 out thy coat , is thriving fat ; or flesh , that seems so brawny ? thy paunch is dropsied and thy cheeks are bloat ; thy lips are white and thy complexion tawny ; thy skin 's a bladder blown with wa●…ry tumours ; thy ●…lesh a trembling bog , a quagmire full of humours . and thou whose thrivelesse hands are ever straining earths fluent breasts into an empty sive , that alwayes hast , yet alwayes art complaining , and whin'st for more then earth has pow'r to give ; whose treasure flowes and flees away as fast ; that ever hast , and hast , yet hast not what thou hast : go choose a substance , fool , that will remain within the limits of thy leaking measure ; or else go seek an urne that will retain the liquid body of thy slipp'ry treasure : alas , how poorely are thy labours crown'd ? thy liquour's neither sweet , nor yet thy vessel sound what l●…sse then fool is man , to prog and plot , and lavishout the cream of all his care , to gain poore seeming goods , which , being got , make firm possession but a thorow-fare : or if they stay , they furrow thoughts the deeper , and being kept with care , they loose their carefull keeper . s. greg. hom. . secund. parte ezech. if we give more to the flesh then we ought , we nourish an enemy ; if we give not to her necessity what we ought , we destroy a citizen : the flesh is to be satisfied so sarre as 〈◊〉 to our good ; whosoever alloweth so much to her as to make her proud , knoweth not bow to be satisfied : to be satisfied is a great art ; least by the satietie of the slesh we break ●…orth into the iniquitie of her folly . hugo de anima . the heart is a small thing , but desireth great matters : it is not sufficient for a kites dinner , ye●… the whole world is not sufficient for it . epi●… . . what makes thee fool , so fat ? fool , thee so bare ? ye suck the self-same milk , the self-same aire : no mean betwixt all paunch , and skin and bone ? the mean's a vertue , and the world has none . xiii . john . . men love darknesse rather then light , because their deeds are evil . lord , when we leave the world and come to thee , how dull , how slug are wee ! how backward ! how preposterous is the motion of our ungain devotion ! our thoughts are milstones , and our souls are lead , and our desires are dead : our vowes are fairly promis'd , faintly paid ; or broken , or not made : our better work ( if any good ) attends upon our private ends : in whose performance one poore worldly scoff foyls us , or beats us off . if thy sharp 〈◊〉 find out some secret fault , we grumble or revolt : and if thy gentle hand forbear , we stray , or idly lose the way . is the road fair ? we loyter : cloggd with mire ? we stick , or else retire : a lamb appears a lyon ; and we feare , each bush we see's a bear . when our dull souls direct their thoughts to thee , the soft-pac'd snayl is not so slow as we : but when at ea●…th we dart our wing'd desire , we burn , we burn like ●…ire . like as the am'rous needle joyes to bend to her magnetick friend : or as the greedy lovers eye-balls flye at his fair mistres eye : so , so we cling to earth ; we flie and puff , yet flie not fast enough . if pleasure becken with her balmy hand , her beck's a strong command : if honour call us with her courtly breath , an houres delay is death : if profits golden finger'd charms enveigle's , we clip more s●…ift then eagles : let auster weep , or blustring boreas rore till eyes or lungs be sore : let neptune swell untill his dropsie-sides burst into broken tides : nor threat'ning rocks , nor winds , nor waves , nor fire can curb our fierce desire ; nor fire nor rocks can stop our surious minds , nor waves , nor winds . how fast and fearelsse do our footsteps flee ! the lightfoot roe-buck's not so swift as we . s. august . sup . psal. . two severall lovers built two severall cities ; the love of god buildeth a jerusalem ; the love of the world buildeth a babylon : let every one enquire of himself what he lov●…th , and he shall resolve himself of whence he is a citizen . s. august . lib. . confess . all things are d●…iven by their own weight , and tend to their own center : my weight is my love ; by that i am driven whithersoever i am driven . ibidem . lord , he loveth thee the lesse , that loveth any thing with thee , which he loveth not for thee . epig. . lord , scourge my asse if she should make no hast , and curb my stag if he should flie too fast : if he be overswif●… , or sh●… prove idle , let love lend him a spur : fear , her , a bridle . xiv . psalm . . lighten mine eyes , o lord , lest i sleep the sleep of death . will't ne'r be morning ? will that promis'd light ne'r break , and clear these clouds of night ? sweet phospher , bring the day , whose conqu'ring ray may chase these sogs ; sweet 〈◊〉 , ●…ing the day . how long ! how long shall these benighted eyes languish in shades , like fe●…ble fli●…s expecting spring ! how long shall darknesse soyl the face of earth , and thus beguile our souls of sprightfull action ? when will day begin to dawn , whose new-born ray may gild the wether-cocks of our devotion , and give our unsoul'd souls new motion ? sweet phospher , bring the day , thy light will fray these horrid mists ; sweet phospher , bring the day . let those have night , that slily love t' immure their cloyster'd crimes , and sinne secure ; let those have night , that blush to let men kno●… the basenesse they ne'r blush to do ; let those have night , that love to take a nap and loll in ignorances lap ; let those whose eyes , like ouls , abhorre the light , let those have night that lo●…e the night : sweet phospher , bring the day ; how sad delay afflicts dull hopes ! sweet phospher , bring the day . alas ! my light invain-expecting eyes can find no objects but what rise from this poore morall blaze , a dying spark of vulcans forge , whose flames are dark and dangerous , a dull blew burning light , as melancholly as the night : here 's all the sunnes that glister in the sphere of earth : ah me ! what comfort 's here ? sweet phospher , bring the day ; haste , haste away heav'ns loytring lamp ; sweet phospher , bring the day . blow , ignorance : o thou , whose idle knee rocks earth into a lethargie , and with thy sootie fingers hast bedight the worlds fair cheeks , blow , blow thy spite ; since thou hast pufft our greater tapour , do pusse on , and out the lesser too : if ere that breath-exiled flame return , thou hast not blown , as it will burn : sweet phospher , bring the day ; light will repay the wrongs of night : sweet phospher , bring the day . s. august . in joh. ser. . god is all to thee : if thou be hungry , he is bread ; if thirsty , he is water ; if in darknesse , he is light ; if naked , he is a robe of immortalitie . aianus de conq . nat. god is a light that is never darkned ; an unwearied life , that cannot d●…e ; a fountain alwayes flowing ; a garden of life ; a seminary of wisdome , a radicall beginning of all goodnesse . epig. . my soul , if ignorance puffe out this light , shee 'll do a favour that intends a spight : 't seems dark abroad ; but take this light away , thy windowes will discover break a day . xv . revelation . . the devil is come unto you , having great wrath , because he knoweth that he hath but a short time . lord ! canst thou see and suffer ? is thy hand still bound to th'peace ? shall earths black monarch take a full possession of thy wasted land ? o , will thy slumb'ring vengeance never wake , till full-ag'd law-resisting custome shake the pillours of thy right by false command ? unlock thy clouds , great thund'rer , and come down ; behold whose temples wear thy sacred crown ; redresse , redresse our wrongs ; revenge , revenge thy own . see how the bold usurper mounts the seat of royall majesty ; how overstrawing perils with pleasure , pointing ev'ry threat with bugbear death , by torments over-awing thy frighted subjects ; or by favours drawing their tempted hearts to his unjust retreat ; lord , canst thou be so mild ? and he so bold ? or can thy flocks be thriving , when the fold is govern'd by a fox ? lord , canst thou see and hold ? that swist-wing'd advocate , that did commence our welcome suits before the king of kings , that sweet embassadour , that hu●… ries hence what ayres th' harmonio●…s soul or sighs or sings , see how she flutters with her idle wings ; her wings are clipt , and eyes put out by sense : sense conq'ring faith is now grown blind and cold , and basely crav●…nd , that in times of old did conquer heav'n it self , do what th' almightie could . behold how double fraud does s●…ourge and t●…ar astraeas wounded sides , plough'd up and rent with knotted cords , whose fury has no eare ; see how she stands a pris'ner to be sent , a slave , into eternall banishment , i know not whither , o , i know not where : her patent must be cancell'd in disgrace ; and sw●…-lip fraud , with her divided face , must act as●…s part , must take astraeas place . faiths pineons clipt ? and fair astraea gone ? q●…ck-seeing faith now blind ? and justice see ? has justice now found wings ? and has faith none ? what do we here ? who would not wish to be dissolv'd from earth , and with astraea flee from this blind dungeon to that sunne-bright thro●… ? lord , is thy scepter lost , or laid aside ? is hell broke loose , and all her fiends untied ? lord , rise and rowze , and rule and crush their furious pride . petr. rav . in math. the devil is the authour of evil , the fountain of wickednesse , the adversary of the truth , the corrupter of the world , mans perpetuall enemy ; he pl●…teth snares , diggeth ditches , spurreth bodies , he goadeth souls , he suggesteth thoughts , belcheth anger , exposeth vertues to hatred , maketh vices beloved , soweth errours , nourisheth 〈◊〉 , disturbeth peace , and scattereth asfections . macar. let us susser with those that susser , and be crucified with those that are crucified , that we may be glorisied with those that are glorisied . savanar . if there be no enemy , no sight ; is ●…o sight , ●…o victorie ; is no victory , no crown . epig. . my soul , sit thou a patient looker on ; judge not the play before the play is done : her plot has many changes : every day speaks a new scene ; the last act crowns the play . the second book . i. isaiah . . you that walk in the light of your own sire , and in the sparks that ye have kindled , ye shall lie down in sorrow . do , silly cupid , snu●…e and trimme thy false , thy feeble light , and make her self-consuming flames more bright ; me thinks she burns too dimme . is this that sprightly fire , whose more then sacred beams inspire the ravisht hearts of men , and so in●…lame desire ? see , boy , how thy unthristie blaze consumes , how fast she wains ; she spends her self , and her , whose wealth maintains her weak , her idle rayes . cannot thy lustfull blast , which gave it luster , make it last ? what heart can long be pleas'd , where pleasure spends so fast ? go , wanton , place thy pale-fac'd light where never breaking day intends to visit mortalls , or display thy sullen shades of night : thy torch will burn more clear in nights un-titan'd hemisphere ; heav'ns scornfull flames and thine can never co-appear . in vain thy busie hands addresse their labour to display thy easie blaze within the verge of day ; the greater drowns the lesse : if heav'ns bright glory shine , thy gli●…ing sparks must needs resigne ; pustout heav'ns glory then , or heav'n will work out thine . go , cupids rammish pander , go , whose dull , whose low desire can find sufficient wa●…h from natures 〈◊〉 , spend borrow'd breath , and blow , blow wind , made strong with spite ; when thou hast pu●…t the greater light , thy lesser sp●…k may shine , and 〈◊〉 the new-made nigh●… . deluded mortalls , tell me when your daring breath has blown heav'ns tapour out , and you have spent your own , what sire sh●…ll warm ye then ? ah fools , perp●…tuall night shall h●…unt your souls with stygian fright , where they shall boyl in flames , but flames sh●…ll bring no light . s. august . the sufficiency of my merit is to know that my merit is not sufficient . s. greg. mor. . by how much the lesse man seeth himself , by so much the lesse he displeaseth himself ; and by how much the more he seeth the light of grace , by so much the more be disdaineth the light of nature . s. greg. mor. the light of the understanding humilitie kindleth , and pride covereth . epig. . thou blowst heav'ns si●…e , the whil'st thou goest about , rebellious fool , in vain to blow it out : thy folly addes confusion to thy death ; heav'ns sire confounds , when fann'd with follies breath . ii. eccl●…s . . . there is no end of all his labour , neither is his eye satisfied with riches . o how our wid'ned arms can over-stretch their own dimensions ! how our hands can retch beyond their distance ! how our yielding breast can shrink , to be more full , and full possest of this inferiour orb ! how earth refin'd can cling to sordid earth ! how kind to kind ! we gape , we grasp , we gripe , adde store to store ; enough requires too much : too much craves more . we charge our souls so sore beyond their stint , that we recoyl or burst : the busie mint of our laborious thoughts is ever going , and coyning new desires ; desires , not knowing where next to pitch , but like the boundlesse ocean gain , and gain ground , and grow more strong by motion . the pale-fac'd lady of the black-ey'd night first tips her horned browes with easie light , whose curious train of spangled nymphs attire her next nights glory with encreasing ●…ire ; each ev'ning addes more luster , and adorns the growing beauty of her grasping horns : she sucks and draws her brothers golden store untill her glutted orb can suck no more . ●…v'n so the vultur of insatiate minds still wants , and wanting seeks , and seeking finds new fewel to encrease her rav'nous sire , the grave is sooner cloyd then mens desire : we crosse the seas , and midst her waves we burn , transporting lifes , perchance that ne'r return ; we 〈◊〉 , we ransack to the utmost sands of native kingdomes , and of forrein lands ; we travel sea and soyl , we pry , we proul , we progresse , and we prog from pole to pole ; we sp●…nd our mid-day sweat , our mid-night oyl , we 〈◊〉 the night in thought , the day in toyl : we make art servil , and the trade gentile , ( ●…t b●…th corrupted with ingenious guile ) to compasse earth ; and with her empty store to fill our arms , and grasp one handfull more ; thus seeking rest , our labours never ●…ase , but as our years , our hot desires encrease : thus we , poore little worlds ! ( with bloud and sweat ) in vain attempt to comprehend the great ; thus , in our gain , become we gainfull losers , and what 's enclos'd , encloses the enclosers . now reader , close thy book , and then advise : be wisely worldly , be not worldly wise ; l●… not thy nobler thoughts be alwayes raking the worlds base dunghill ; vermin's took by taking : take heed thou trust not the deceitfull lap of wanton dalilah ; the world 's a trap . hugo de anima . tell me where be those now that so lately loved and hugg'd the world ? nothing remaineth of them but dust and worms : observe what those men were ; what those men are : they were like thee ; they did eat , drink , laugh , and led merry dayes , and in a moment slipt into hell . here their flesh is food for worms ; there , their souls are fewell for fire , till they shall be rejoyned in an unhappy fellowship , and cast into eternall torments ; where they that were once companions in sinne , shall be hereafter partners in punishment . epig. . gripe , c●…pid , and gripe still untill that wind , that 's pent before , find secret vent behind : and when th'ast done , hark here , i tell thee what , before i 'll trust thy armfull , i 'll trust that . iii. job . . he is cast into a net by his own feet , and walketh upon a snare . what ? n●…s and quiver too ? what need there all these slie devices to betray poore men ? die they not fast enough , when thousands fall before thy dart ? what need these engines then ? attend they not , and answer to thy call , like nightly coveys , where thou list and when ? what needs a stratageme where strength can sway ? or what need strength compell , where none gainsay ? or what need stratageme or strength , where hearts obey ? husband thy sleights : it is but vain to wast honey on those that will be catcht with gall ; thou canst not , ah ! thou canst not bid so fast as men obey : thou art more slow to call , then they to come ; thou canst not make such hast to strike , as they being struck make hast to fall . go save thy nets for that rebellious heart that scorns thy pow'r , and has obtein'd the art t' avoid thy flying shaft , to quench thy fi'ry dart . lost mortall , how is thy destruction sure , between two bawds , and both without remorse ! the one 's a line , the tother is a lure ; this , to entice thy soul ; that , to enforce : way-laid by both , how canst thou stand secu●…e ? that draws , this wooes thee to th' eternall curse . o charming tyrant , how hast thou be●…ool'd and slav'd poore man , that would not if he could avoid thy line , thy lure ; nay could not , if he would ! alas thy sweet persidious voyce betrayes his wanton ears with thy sirenian baits ; thou wrapp'st his eyes in mists , then boldly layes thy lethall gins before their crystall gates ; thou lock'st up ev'ry sense with thy false keyes , all willing pris'ners to thy close deceits : his eare most nimble where it deaf should be , his eye most blind where most it ought to see , and when his heart 's most bound , then thinks it self most free . thou grand impostour , how hast thou obtein'd the wardship of the world ! are all men turn'd idiots and lunaticks ? are all retein'd beneath thy servile bands ? is none return'd to his forgotten self ? has none regain'd his senses ? are their senses all adjourn'd ? what none dismist thy cou●…t ? will no plump fee bribe thy false fists to make a glad decree , ●…unfool whom thou hast fool'd , and set thy pris'ners free ? s. bern. in ser. in this world is much treacherie , little truth ; here , all things are traps ; here , every thing is beset with snares ; here , souls are endanger'd , bodies are sna●…s ; here all things are vanity , and vexation of spirit . epig. . nay , cupid , pitch thy trammil where thou please , thou canst not fail to take such fish as th●…se ; thy thriving spert will ne'r be spent : no need to fear when ev'ry cork 's a world thou 'lt speed , iv. hosea . . they shall be as the chaff that is driven with a whirlwind out of the floore , and as the smoke out of the chimney . flint-hearted stoicks , you , whose marble eyes contemne a wrinckle , and whose souls despise to follow natures too a●…ected fashion , or travel in the regent-walk of passion ; whose rigid hearts dis●…ain to shrink at fears , or play at fast and loose with smiles and tears ; come , burst your spleens with laughter to behold a new found vanitie , which dayes of old ne'r knew : a vanitie , that his beset the world , and made more slaves then mahomet : that has condemn'd us to the servile yoke of slavery , and made us slaves to smoke . but stay ! why tax i thus our modern times , for new-born follies , and for new-born crimes ? are we sole guiltie , and the first age free ? no , they were smok'd and slav'd as well as we : what 's sweet-lipt honours blast , but smoke ? what 's treasure but very smoke ? and what more smoke then pleasure ? alas : they 're all but shadows , sumes and blasts ; that vanishes , this fades , the other wasts . the restlesse merchant , he that loves to steep his brains in wealth , and layes his soul to sleep in bags of bullion , sees th' immo●…tall crown , and fain would mount , but i gots keep him down : he brags to day , perchance , ●…nd begs to morrow ; he lent but now , wants credit now to borrow : blow winds , the treasure 's gone , the merchant's 〈◊〉 ; a slave to silver 's but a slave to smoke . behold the glory-vying child of fame , that from deep wounds sucks forth an honour'd name , that thinks no purchase worth the style of good , but what is sold for sweat , and seal'd with bloud ; that for a point , a blast of emptie breath , undaunted gazes in the face of death ; whose dear-bought bubble , sill'd with vain renown , breaks with a phillop , or a gen'rals frown : his stroke-got honour sta●…gers with a stroke ; a slave to honour is a sla●…e to smoke . and that fond soul which wasts his idle dayes in loose delights , and sports about the blaze of cupids candle ; he that dayly spies twin habies in his mistresse geminies , whereto his sad devotion does impart the swe●…t burnt-offering of a bleeding heart : see , how his wings are sing'd in cyprian sire , whose flames consume with youth , in age expire : the world 's a bubble ; all the pleasures in it , ●…ke morning vapou●…s , vanish in a minit : the vapours vani●…h , and the bubble 's broke ; a slave to pleasure is a slave to smoke . now , sto●…ck , cease thy laughter , and repast thy pickled cheeks with tears , and weep as sast . s. hieron. that rich man is great , who thinketh not himself great , because be is rich : the proud m●…n ( who is the poore man ) braggeth outwardly , but beggeth inwardly : he is blown up , but not full . petr. rav . vexation and anguish accompany riches and honour : the pomp of the world and the favour of the people are but smoke , and a blast suddenly vanishing : which , if they commonly please , commonly bring repentance , and for a minute of joy , they bring an age of sorrow . epig. . cupid , thy diet 's strange : it dulls , it rowzes , it cools , it heats , it binds , and then it looses : dull-sprightly-cold-hot fool , if ev'r it winds thee into a loosenesse once , take heed , it binds thee . v. proverbs . . wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? for riches make themselves wings , they slie away as an eagle . false world , thou ly'st : thou canst not lend the least delight : thy ●…avours cannot gain a friend , they are so slight : thy morning pleasures make an end to please at night : poore are the wants that thou supply'st , and yet thou vaunt'st , and yet thou vy'st with heav'n ; fond earth thou boasts ; false world thou ly'st . thy babbling tongue tels golden tales of endlesse treasure ; thy bountie offers easie sales of lasting pleasure ; thou ask'st the conscience what she ails , and swear'st to ease her ; there 's none can want where thou supply'st : there 's none can give where thou deny'st . alas , fond world thou boasts ; false world thou ly'st . what well advised eare regards what earth can say ? thy words are gold , but thy rewards are painted clay ; thy cunning can but pack the cards ; thou canst not play : thy game at weakest , still thou vy'st ; if ●…een , and then revy'd , deny'ft ; thou art not what thou seem'st : false world , thou ly'st . thy tinsil bosome seems a mint of new-coin'd treasure , a paradise , that has no stint , no change , no measure ; a painted cask , but nothing in 't , nor wealth , nor pleasure : vain earth ! that falsly thus comply'st with man : vain man ! that thus ●…ely'st on earth : vain man , thou dot'st : vain earth , thou ly'st . what mean dull souls , in this high measure to haberdash in earths base wares , whose greatest treasure is drosse and trash ? the height of whose inchaunting pleasure is but a flash ? are these the goods that thou supply'st us mortalls with ? are these the high'st ? can these bring cordiall peace ? false world , thou ly'st . pet. bles. this world is 〈◊〉 : her end is doubtfull ; her conclusion is horrible ; her judge is terrible ; and her punishment is ●…tolerable . s. august . lib. confess . the vain glory of this world is a deceitfull sweetnesse , a fruitlesse labour , a perpetuall fear , a dange●…ous honour : her beginning is without providence , and her end not without repe●…ance . epig. . world , th' a●…t a traytour ; thou hast stampt thy base and chymick metall with great caesars face ; and with thy bastard bullion thou hast barter'd for wares of price ; how justly drawn and quarter'd ! vi . job . . let not him that is deceived trust in vanitie , for vanitie shall be his recompense . believe her not : her glasse dissuses false portraitures : thou canst ●…pie no true reflection : she abuses her mis inform'd beholders eye ; her chrystall's falsly steel'd : it scatters deceitfull beams . believe her not , she flatters . this flaring mirrour represents no right proportion , hi●…w , or feature : her very looks are complements ; they make thee fairer , goodlier , greater : the skilfull glosse of her reflection but paints the context of thy course complexion . were thy dimension but a stride , nay , wert thou statur'd but a span , such as the long-bill'd troops desi'd , a very fragment of a man ; shee 'll make thee mi●…as , which ye will , the ●…ove-slain tyrant , or th' ionick hill . had 〈◊〉 , or th' ungratious starre conspir'd to make one common place of all deformities that are within the volume of thy face , she 'd 〈◊〉 thee favour should out-move the troy-bane hellen , or the queen of love . were thy consum'd estate as poore as 〈◊〉 , or afflicted jobs : she 'll change thy wants to seeming store , and turn thy 〈◊〉 to purple robes ; she 'll make thy hide - 〈◊〉 flanck appear as plump as theirs that feast it all the yeare . look off ; let not thy opticks 〈◊〉 abus'd ; thou seest not what thou should'st : thy self 's the object thou should'st see , but 't is thy shadow thou behold'st : and shadows thrive the more in stature , the nearer we approch the light of nature . where heav'ns bright beams look more direct , the shadow shrinks as they grow stronger : but when they glaunce their fair aspect , the 〈◊〉 - fac'd shade growes larger , longer ; and when their lamp begins to fall , th'increasing shadows lengthen most of all . the soul that seeks the noon of grace , shrinks in , but swells if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; as heav'n 〈◊〉 up , or veils his face , our self esteems grow 〈◊〉 or great . the least is greatest ; and who shall appear the greatest are the least of all . hugo lib. de anima . in vain he lifteth up the eye of his heart to behold his god , who is not first rightly advised to behold himself : first thou must see the visible things of thy self , before thou 〈◊〉 be prepared to know the invisible things of god , 〈◊〉 if thou canst not apprehend the things within thee , thou canst not comprehend the things above thee : the best looking-glasse wherein to see thy god , is perfectly to see thy self . epig. . be not deceiv'd , great fool : there is no losse in being small ; great bulks but swell with drosse . man is heav'ns master-peece : if it appear more great , the value 's lesse ; if lesse , more dear . vii . deuteronomy . . i have set before thee life and death , blessing and cursing , therefore choose life , that thou and thy seed may live . the world 's a floore , whose swelling heaps retein the mingled wages of the ploughmans toyl ; the world 's a heap , whose yet unwinnowed grain is lodg'd with chaff and buried in her soyl ; all things are mixt , the usefull with the vain ; the good with bad , the noble with the vile ; the world 's an ark , wherein things pure and grosse present their lossefull gain , and gainfull losse , where ev'ry dram of gold conteins a pound of drosse . this furnisht ark presents the greedy view with all that earth can give , or heav'n can add ; here , lasting joyes ; here , pleasures hourely new , and hourely fading , may be wisht and had : all points of honour , counterfeit and true , salute thy soul , and wealth both good and bad : here maist thou open wide the two-leav'd doore of all thy wishes , to receive that store which being empty most , does overflow the more . come then , my soul , approch this royall burse , and see what wares our great exchange reteins ; come , come ; here 's that shall make a firm divorce betwixt thy wants and thee , if want complains ; no need to sit in councel with thy purse , here 's nothing good shall cost more price then pains : but o my soul , take heed if thou rely upon thy faithlesle opticks , thou w●…lt buy too blind a bargain : k●…ow , fools onely trade by th'eye . the wo●…ldly wisdome of the foolish man is like a sieve , that does alone retein the grosser substance of the worthlesse bran : but thou , my soul , let thy brave thoughts disdain so course a purchase ; o be thou a fan to purge the chaff , and keep the winnow'd grain : make clean thy thoughts , and dresse thy mixt desires , thou art heav'ns tasker ; and thy god requires the purest of thy sloore , as well as of thy sires . let grace conduct thee to the paths of peace , and wisdome blesse thy souls unblemisht wayes , no matt●…r then , how short or long 's the lease , whose d●…te determins thy self-numbred dayes : no need to car●… for wealths or f●…es increase , nor 〈◊〉 his palm , nor high apollo's bayes . lord . if thy gracious bountie please to fill the 〈◊〉 of my desires , and teach me skill to di●…e and ●…use the corn , take those the chaff that will . s. august . lib. . de doct. christi . temporall things more ravish in the expectation , then in s●…uition : but things eternall more in the sruition then expectation . ibide●… . the life os man is the middle between angels and beasts : is man takes pleasure in carnall things , he is compared to beasts ; but is he delights in spirituall things , he is suited with angels . epig. . art thou a child ? thou wilt not then be fed , but like a child , and with the childrens bread : but thou art fed with chaff , or corn undrest : my soul thou savour'st too much of the beast . viii . philippians . . they mind earthly things , but our conversation is in heaven . venus . div. cupid . ven. what means this pe●…vish brat ? whish , lullaby , what a●…ls my babe ? what ails my babe to cry ? will nothing still it ? will it neither be pleas'd with the nurses breast nor mothers knee ? what ails my bird ? what moves my froward boy to make such whimp'ring faces ? peace , my joy : will nothing do ? come , come , this pettish brat , thus cry and bawl , and cannot tell for what ? come busse and friends , my lambe ; whish , lullaby , what ails my babe ? what ails my babe to cry ? peace , peace my dear ; alas , thy early years had never faults to merit half these teares ; come smile upon me : let thy mother spie thy fathers image in her babies eye : husband these guiltlesle drops against the rage of harder fortunes , and the gripes of age ; thine eye 's not ripe ●…or tea●…s : whish , lullaby ; what ails my babe , my sweet●… fac'd babe to cry ? look , look , what 's here ! a dainty golden thing : see how the dancing bells turn round and ring to please my bantling ! here 's a knack will breed a hundred kisses : here 's a knack indeed . so , now my bird is white , and looks as fair as pelops shoulder , or my milk-white pair : here 's right the fathers smile ; when mars beguil'd sick venus of her heart , just thus he smil'd . divine cupid . well may they smile alike ; thy base-b●…ed boy and his base sire had both one cause , a toy : how well thei●… subjects and thei●… smil●…s agree ? thy cupid finds a toy , and mars found thee : ●…alse queen of beauty , queen of false delights , thy knee presents an ●…mbleme , that invites man to himself , whose self-transported heart ( ov●…rwhelm'd with native sorrows , and the sma●…t of purchas'd grie●…s ) lies whining night and day , not knowing why , till heavy he●…ld delay , the dull-brow'd pander of despa●…r , layes by his leaden buskins , and presents his eye with antick tri●…les , which th' indulgent earth makes proper objects of mans childish mirth . these be the coyn that passe , the sweets that please ; there 's nothing good , there 's nothing great but these : these be the pipes that base-born minds dance after , and turn immod ' rate tears to lavish laughter ; whilst heav'nly rap●…res passe without regard ; their strings are harsh and their high strains unhea●…d : the plough-m●…ns whistle or the triviall ●…ure ●…ind more resp●…ct then great apollo's lute : we 'll look to heav'n , and trust to higher joyes ; let swine love husks , and ch●…ldren whine for toyes . s. bern. that is the true and chief joy , which is not conceived from the creature , but received from the creato●… ; which ( being once possest thereof ) none can take from thee : whereto all pleas●…e being compared is torment , all joy is grief , sweet things are bitter , all glory is ba●…enesse , and all de●…ectable things are despicable . s. bern. joy in a changeable subject must necessarily change as the subject changeth . epig. . peace , childish cupid , peace : thy singer'd eye but crios for what , in time , will make thee cry : but are thy peevish wranglings thus appeas'd ? well maist thou cry , that art so poorely pleas'd . ix . isaiah . . what will ye do in the day of your visitation ? to whom will ye ●…lie for help ? and where will ye leave your glory ? is this that jolly god , whose cyprian bowe has shot so many flaming darts , and made so many wounded beauties go sadly perplext with whimp'ring hearts ? is this that sov'raign deity that brings the slavish world in awe , and st●…ngs the blund'ring souls of swains , and stoops the hearts of kings . what circean cha●…m , what hecatean spight has thus abus'd the g●…d of love ? great jove was vanquisht by his greater might ; ( and who is stronger-arm'd then jove ? ) or has our lust●…ull god persorm'd a rape , and ( fearing argus eyes ) would scape the view of jealous earth , in this prodigious shape ? where be those rosie cheeks , that lately scorn'd the malice of injurious fates ? ah , where 's that pearl percullis , that adorn'd those dainty two-leav'd ruby gates ? where be those killing eyes , that so controul'd the world ? and locks , that did infold like knots of flaming wire , like curles of burnisht gold ? no , no , 't was neither he●…tean spite nor charm below , nor pow'r above ; 't was neither circes spell , nor stygian sprite , that thus transform'd our god of love ; 't was owl-eyed lust ( more potent farre then they ) whose eyes and actions hate the day : whom all the world observe , whom all the world obay . se how the latter trumpets dreadfull blast affrights stout mars his t●…embling son ! se , how he startles ! how he stands agast , and scrambles from his melting throne ! hark , how the direfull hand of vengeance tears , the swelt'ring clouds , whilst heav'n appears a ci●…cle fill'd with flame , and center'd with his fears . this is that day , whose oft report hath wo●…n neglected tongues of prophets bare ; the faithlesse subject of the worldlings scorn , the summe of men and angels pray'r : this , this the day whose all-discerning light ransacks the secret dens of night , and severs good from bad ; true joyes from false delight . you grov'ling worldings , you , whose wisdome trades , where light nev'r shot his golden ●…ay ; that hide your actions in cimeri●…n ●…des , how will your eyes indure this day ? hills will be deaf , and mountains will not hea●… ; there be no caves , no corners there , to shade your souls from fire , to shield your hearts from fear hugo . o the extreme loath loathsomnesse of fleshly lust , which not onely ●…sseminates the mind , but ene●…ves the body ; which not onely di●…taineth the soul , but disguiseth the 〈◊〉 it is ●…hered with fury and wantonnesse ; it is accompanied with ●…ury and wantonnesse ; and it is followed with grief and r●…ntance . epig. . what ? sweet-fac'd cupid , has thy bastard-treasure , thy boasted honours , and thy bold-fac'd pleasure perplext thee now ? i told thee long ago , to what they 'd bring thee , fool , to wit , to woe . x. nah●…m . . she is emptie , and void , and waste . she 's emptie : hark , she sounds : there 's nothing there but noyse to fill thy eare ; thy vain enquiry can at length but find a blast of murm'ring wind : it is a cask , that seems as full as fair ; but merely tunn'd with aire : fond youth , go build thy hopes on better grounds : the soul that vainly founds her joyes upon this world but feeds on emptie sounds . she 's emptie : hark , she sounds : there 's nothing in 't . the spark-ingend'ring ●…lint shall sooner melt , and hardest raunce shall first dissolve and quench thy thirst , e'r this false world shall still thy stormy breast with smooth fac'd calms of rest : thou mayst as well expect meridian light from shades of black-mouth'd night , as in this emptie world to find a full delight . she 's empty : hark , she sounds ; 't is void and vast ; what if some flatt'ring blast of flat●…ous honour should perchance be there , and whisper in thine ear●… : it is but wind , and blows but where it list , and vanish●…s like a mist : poore honour earth can give ! what gen'rous mind would be so base to bind her heav'n-bred soul a slave to serve a blast of wind ? she 's empty : hark , she sounds : 't is but a ball for fools to play withall : the painted silm but of a stronger bubble , that 's lin'd with silken trouble : it is a world , whose work and recreation is vanity and vexation ; a hagg , repair'd with vice-complexion , paint , a quest-house of complaint : it is a saint , a fiend ; worse fiend , when most a saint . she 's empty : hark , she ●…ounds : 't is vain and void . what 's here to be enjoyed , but grief and sicknesse , and large bills of sorrow , drawn now , and crost to morrow ? or what are men , but puffs of dying breath , reviv'd with living death ? fond la●… , o build thy hopes on surer grounds then what dull flesh propounds : tru●… not this hollow world , she 's empty : hark , she sounds . s. chrys. in ep. ad heb. contemne riches , and thou shalt be rich ; contemne glory , and thou shalt be glorious ; contemne injuries , and thou shalt be a conquerour ; consemne rest , and thou shalt gain rest ; contemne earth , and thou shalt find heaven . epig. lib. de vanit . mundi . the world is a vanity which affordeth neither beauty to the amorous , nor reward to the laborious , nor incouragement to the industrious . epig. . this house is to be let for life or years ; her rent is sorrow , and her in-come tears : cupid , 't'as long stood void ; her bills make known , she must be dearly let ; or let alone . xi . matthew . . narrow is the way that leadeth unto life , and few there be that find it . prepost'rous fool , thou troul'st amisse ; thou err'st ; that 's not the way , 't is this : thy hopes , instructed by thine eye , make thee appear more near then i ; my floore is not so flat , so fine , and has more obvious rubs then thine : 't is true ; my way is hard and strait , and leads me through a thorny ●…ate , whose ranckling pricks are sharp and fell ; the common way to heav'n 's by hell : 't is true ; thy path is short and fair , and free of rubs : ah , fool , beware , the safest road 's not alwayes ev'n ; the way to hell 's a seeming heav'n . think'st thou , the crown of glory 's had with idle ease , fond cyprian lad ? think'st thou , that mirth , and vain delights , high feed , and shadow-shortning nights , soft knees , full bones , and beds of down are proper prologues to a crown ? or canst thou hope to come , and view , like prosperous caesar , and subdue ? the bondslave usurer will trudge inspite of gouts , will turn a drudge , and serve his soul-condemning purse , t' increase it with the widows curse : and shall the crown of glory stand not worth the waving of a hand ? the fleshly wanton to obtain his minute-lust , will count it gain to lose his freedome , his estate , upon so dear , so sweet a rate ; shall pleasures thus be priz'd , and must heav'ns palm be cheaper then a lust ? the true-bred spark , to hoise his name upon the waxenwings of fame , will sight undaunted in a flood that 's rais'd with brackish drops and bloud : and shall the promis'd crown of life be thought a toy , not worth a strife ? an ●…asie good brings easie gains ; but things of price are bought with pains : the pleasing way is not the right : he that would conquer heav'n must fight . s. hieron. in ep. no labour is hard , no time is long , wherein the glory of eternitie is the mark we levell at . s. greg. lib. . mor. the valour of a just man is to conquer the slesh , to contradict his own will , to quench the delights of this present life , ●…o endure and love the miseries of this world for the reward of a better , to contemn the slatteries of prosperitie , and inwardly to overcome the fears of adversitie . epig. . o cupid , if thy smoother way were right , i should mistrust this crown were 〈◊〉 : the way 's not easie where the prize is great : i hope no virtues where i smell no sweat . xii . galatians . . god forbid that i should glory , save in the crosse . can nothing settle my uncertain breast , and fix my rambling love ? can my affections find out nothing best ? but still and still remove ? has earth no mercy ? will no ark of rest receive my restlesse dove ? is there no good , then which there 's nothing higher , to blesse my full desire with joyes that never change ; with joyes that nev'r expire ? i wanted wealth ; and at my dear request , earth lent a quick supply ; i wanted mirth to charm my sullen breast ; and who more brisk then i ? i wanted fame to glorifie the rest ; my fame flew eagle-high : my joy not fully ripe , but all decay'd ; wealth vanisht like a shade , my mirth began to slag , my fame began to fade . the world 's an ocean , hurried to and fro with ev'ry blast of passion : her lustfull streams , when either ebb or flow , are tides of mans vexation : they alter dayly , and they dayly grow the worse by alteration : the earth 's a cask full tunn'd , yet wanting measure ; her precious wind , is pleasure ; her yest is honours puff ; her lees are worldly treasure . my trust is in the crosse : let beauty ●…ag her loose , her wanton sail ; let count'nance gilding honour cease to brag in courtly tearms , and vail ; let ditch-bred wealth henceforth forget to wag her base though golden tail ; false beauties conquest is but reall losse , and wealth but golden drosse ; best honour 's but a blast : my trust is in the crosse . my trust is in the crosse : there lies my rest ; my fast , my sole delight : let cold-mouth'd boreas , or the hot-mouth'd east blow till they burst with spight : let earth and hell conspri●… their worst , their best , and joyn their twisted might : let showres of thunderbolts dar●… down and wound me , and troups of fiends surround me , all this may well confront ; all this shall nev'r confound me . s. august . christs crosse is the chrisc●…osse of all our happinesse : it delivers us from all blindnesse of errour , and enriches our darknesse with light ; it resto●…th the troubled soul ●…o re●…t ; it bringeth strangers to gods acquaintance ; it maketh remote forrein●…rs near neighbours ; it cu●…teth off discord ; concludeth a league of everlasting peace , and is the 〈◊〉 authour of all good . s. bern. in ser. de resur. we find glory in the crosse ; tous that are saved it is the power of god , and the fulnesse of all virtues . epig. . i follow'd rest , rest ●…led and soon forsook me ; i ran from grief , grief ran and over-took me . what shall i do ? lest i be too much tost on worldly crosses , lord , let me be crost . xiii . proverbs . ii. as a dog returneth to his vomit , so a fool returneth to his folly . o i am wounded ! and my wounds do smart beyond my patience , or great chirons art ; i yield , i yield ; the day , the palm is th●…ne ; thy bow 's more true ; thy sha●…s more fierce then mine , hold , hold , o hold thy conq'ring hand . what need to send more darts ? the first has done the deed : oft have we struggled , when our ●…quall a●…ms shot equall shafts , inflicted equall harms ; but this exceeds , and with her flaming head , twyfork'd with death , has struck my conscience dead . but must i die ? ah me ! if that were all , then , then i 'd stroke my bleeding wounds , and call this dart a cordiall , and with joy endure these harsh ingredients , where my grief 's my cure . but something whispers in my dying eare , there is an after day ; which day i fear : the slender debt to nature 's quickly paid , discharg'd perchance with greater ease then made ; but if that pale-fac'd sergeant make arrest , ten thousand actions would ( where of the least is more then all this lower world can bail ) be entred , and condemn me to the jail of stygian darknesse , bound in red hot chains , and grip'd with tortures worse then titian pains . farewell my vain , farewell my loose delights ; farewell my rambling dayes my rev'ling nights ; 't was you betrayd me first , and , when ye found my soul at vantage , gave my soul the wound : farewell my bullion gods , whose sov'reigne looks so often catch'd me with their golden hooks : go , seek another slave ; ye must all go ; i cannot serve my god and bullion too . farewell false henour ; you , whose ayry wings did mount my soul above the thrones of kings ; then slatte'd me , took pet , and in disdain , nipt my green buds ; then kickt me down again : farewell my bow ; farewell my cyprian quiver ; farewell dear world , farewell dear world for ever . o , but this most delicious world , how sweet her pleasures relish ! ah! how jump they meet the grasping so il ! and with their sprightly fire , revive , and raise , and rowze the rapt desire ! for ever ? o , to part so long ? what ? never meet more ? another year , and then for ever : too quick resolves do resolution wrong ; what part so soon , to be divorc'd so long ? things to be done are long to be debated ; heav'n is not day'd . rep●…ntance is not dated . s. august . lib. de util . agen . poen . go up my soul into the tribunall of thy conscience ; there set thy guiltie self be●…ore thy self : hide not thy self behind thy self , 〈◊〉 god bring thee forth before thy self . s. august . in soliloq . in vain is that washing , where the next sinne de●…ileth : he hath ill repented whose sinnes are repeated : that stomach is the worse for vomiting , that licketh up his vomit . anselm . god hath promised pardon to him that repenteth , but be hath not promised repentance to him that sinneth . epig. . brain-wounded cupid , had this hasly dart , as it hath prickt thy fancy , pier●…'d thy heart , 't had been thy friend : o how has it deceiv'd thee ! for had this dart but kill'd , this dart had sav'd thee . xiv . proverbs . . a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again , but the wicked shall fall into mischief . 't is but a foyl at best , and that 's the most your skill can boast : my slipp'ry footing fail'd me ; and you trip●… just as i slipt : my wanton weaknesse did her self betray with too much play : i was too bold : he never yet stood sure , that stands secure : who ever trusted to his native strength , but fell at length ? the title 's craz'd the tenure is not good , that claims by th'evidence of flesh and bloud . boast not thy skill ; the rigl●…eous man falls ost , yet falls but soft : there may be dirt to mire him , but no stones to crush his bones : what if he staggers ? nay , put case he be foyl'd on his knee ; that very knee will bend to heav'n , and woo for mercy too . the true-bred gamester ups a fresh , and then , falls to 't agen ; whereas the leaden-hearted coward lies , and yields his conquer'd life , or craven'd , dies . boast not thy conquest ; thou , that ev'ry hour fall's●… ten times lower ; nay , hast not pow'r to rise , if not , in case , to fall more base : thou wallow'st where i slip ; and thou dost tumble , where i but stumble : thou glory'st in thy slav'ries di●…ty badges , and fall'st for wages : sow●…grief and sad repentance scowrs and clears my stains with tears : thy falling keeps thy falling still in ure ; but when i slip i stand the more s●…cure . lord , what a nothing is this little span , we call a man ! what fenny trash mainteins the smoth'ring sires of his desires ! how sleight and short are ●…is resolvs at longest ! how weak at strongest ! o if a sinner held by thy fast hand can hardly stand , good god! in what a desp'rate case are they that have no stay ! mans state implyes a necessary curse ; when not himself , he 's mad ; when most himself , he 's worse . s. ambros. in serm. ad vincula . peter stood more firmly after he ●…ad lamented his fall , then before he fell . insomuch that he found more grace then he lost grace s. chrys. in ep. ad heliod . monach . it is no such hainous matter to fall afflicted ; as being down to lie dejected : it is no danger for a souldier to receive a wound in battel , but after the wound received , through despair of recovery , to refuse a remedy ; for we often see wounded champions wear the palm at last , and after flight , crowned with victory . epig. . triumph not cupid , his mischance doth show thy trade ; doth once , what thou dost alwayes do : brag not too soon : has thy prevailing hand foil'd him ? ah fool , th'ast taught him how to stand ? xv . jeremiah . . i will put my fear in their hearts , that they shall not depart from me . so , now the soul 's sublim'd : her sowre desires are recalcin'd in heav'ns well-tempred fires : the heart restor'd and purg'd from drossie nature now finds the freedome of a new-born creature : it lives another life , it breaths new breath ; it neither feels nor fears the sting of death . like as the idle vagrant ( having none ) that boldly ' dopts each house he views his own ; makes ev'ry purse his chequer ; and at pleasure , walks forth , and taxes all the world like caesar , at length by vertue of a just command , his sides are lent to a severer hand ; whereon his passe , not fully understood , is texted in a manuscript of blood : thus past from town to town , untill he come a sore repentant to his native home : ev'n so the rambling heart , that idly roves from crimes to sin , and uncontroul'd removes from lust to lust , when wanton slesh invites from old-worn pleasures to new choice delights , at length corrected by the filiall rod of his offended ( but his gracious god ) and lasht from sins to sighs ; and by degrees , from sighs to vows ; from vows to bended knees , from ●…ended knees , to a true pensive breast ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to torments , not by tongues exprest , 〈◊〉 ; ( and from his sinfull self exil'd ) 〈◊〉 a glad father , he a welcome child : o then it lives ; o then it lives involv'd in 〈◊〉 raptures ; pants to be dissolv'd : 〈◊〉 royall of spring of a second birth 〈◊〉 ope to heav'n , and shuts the doors to earth : if love-sick ●…ove commanded clouds should hap to rain such show'rs as quickned danaes lap : or dogs ( far kinder then their purple master ) should lick his sores , he laughs nor weeps the faster . if earth ( heav'ns rivall ) dart her idle ray ; to heav'n , 't is wax , and to the world , 't is clay : if earth present delights , it scorns to draw , but , like the jet unrubb'd , disdains that straw : no hope deceives it , and no doubt divides it ; no grief disturbs it ; and no errour guides it ; no fear distracts it ; and no rage inflames it ; no guilt condemns it , and no folly shames it ; no sloth besots it ; and no lust inthralls it ; no scorn afflicts it , and no passion gawls it : it is a ●…arknet of immortall life ; an a●…k of peace ; the lists of sacred strife ; a purer piece of endl●…sse transitory ; a shrine of grace , a little throne of glory : a heav'n-born of-spring of a new-born birth ; an earthly heav'n ; an ounce of heav'nly earth . s. august . de spir. . & anima . o happy heart , where pietie 〈◊〉 ; where 〈◊〉 subjects , where repentance correcteth , where obedience direct●…th , where perseverance perfecteth , where power protecteth , whe●…e devotion projecteth , where charitie connecteth . s. gr●…g . which way soever the heart turneth it self ( if carefully ) it shall commonly observe , that in those very things we lose god , in t●…ose very things we shall find god : it shall find the heat of his power in consideration of those things , in the love of whi●…h things he was most cold , and by what things it fell , 〈◊〉 , by those things it is raised , converted . epig. . my heart ! but wherefore do i call thee so ? i have renoun●…'d my int'rest long ago : when thou wert false and fleshly , i was thine ; mine wert thou never , till thou wert not mine , the third book . the entertainment . all you whose better thoughts are newly born , and ( rebaptiz'd with holy fire ) can scorn the worlds base trash , whose necks disdain to bear th' imperious yoke of satan ; whose chast eare no wanton songs of sirens can surprize with false delight ; whose more then eagle-eyes can view the glorious flames of gold , and gaze on glitt'ring beams of honour , and not daze ; whose souls can spurn at pleasure , and deny the loose suggestions of the flesh draw nigh : and you whose am'rous , whose select desires would feel the warmth of those transcendent 〈◊〉 , which ( like the rising sun ) put out the light of venus starre , and turn her day to night ; you that would love , and have your passions crown'd with greater happinesse then can be found in your own wishes ; you that would a●…ect where neither scorn , nor guile , nor disiespect shall wound your tortur'd souls ; that would enjoy , where neither want can pinch , nor fulnesse cloy , nor double doubt afflicts , ●…or baser fear unflames your courage in pursuit , draw near : shake hands with earth , and let your soul respect her joyes no further , then her joyes reflect upon her makers glory : if thou swim in wealth , see him in all ; see all in him : sink'st thou in want , and is thy small cruse spent ? see him in want ; enjoy him in con●…nt : conceiv'st him lodg'd in crosse , or lost in pain ? in pray'r and patience find him out again : make heav'n thy mistresse , let no change remove thy loyall heart ; be fond ; be sick of love : what if he stop his eare , or knit his brow ? at length he 'll be as fond , as sick as thou : dart up thy soul in grones : thy secret grone shall pierce his eare , s●…all pierce his eare alone : dart up thy soul in vowes : thy sacred vow shall find him out , where heav'n alone shall know : dart up thy soul in sighs : thy whisp'ring sigh shall rouse his ears , and fear no listner nigh : send up thy grones , thy sighs , thy closet vow ; there 's none , there 's none shall know but heav'n and thou : grones fresht with vowes , and vowes made salt with tears , unscale his eyes , and scale his conquer'd ears : shoot up the bosome shaf●… of thy desire , feather'd with faith , and double-forkt with fire . and they wil hit : fear not , where heav'n bids come : heav'ns never deaf , but when mans heart is dumb . i. isaiah . . my soul hath desired thee in the night . good god! what horrid darknesse doth surround my groping soul ! how are my senses bound in utter shades ; and muf●…ed from the light lusk in the bosome of eternall night ! the bold-sac'd lamp of heav'n can set and rise ; and with his morning glory fill the eyes of gazing mortalls ; his victorious ray can chase the shadows , and restore the day : nights bashfull empresse , though she often wain , as ost repents her darknesse , primes again ; and with her circling horns doth re-embrace her brothers wealth , and orbs her silver face . but ah , my sun deep swallow'd in his fall , is set , and cannot shine , nor rise at all : my bankrupt wain can beg nor borrow light ; alas , my darknesse is perpetuall night . falls have their risings , wainings have their primes , and desp'rate sorrows wait their better times ; ebs have their floods , and autumnes have their springs : all states have changes hurried with the swings of chance and time , still tiding to and fro : terrestriall bodies and celestiall too . how often have i vainly grop'd about , with length'ned arms , to find a passage out , that i might catch those beams mine eye desires , and bath my soul in those celestiall fires : like as the 〈◊〉 , cloyster'd in her mue , to scowr her downy robes , and to ren●… her broken flags , preparing t' overlook the tim'rous mallard at the sliding brook , je●… oft from perch to perch ; from stock to ground ; from ground to window , thus surveying round her dove-befeath'red prison , till at length , ( calling her noble birth to mind , and strength whereto her wing was born ) her ragged beak nips off her dangling jesses , strives to break her gingling fetters , and begins to bate at ev'ry glimpse , and darts at ev'ry grate : ev'n so my weary soul , that long has bin an inmate in this t●…nement of sin , lockt up by cloud-brow'd errour , which invites my cloystred thoughts to feed on black delights , now scorns her shadows , and begins to dart her wing'd desires at thee , that onely art the sun she seeks , whose rising beams can fright these duskie clouds that make s●… dark a night : shine forth , great glory , shine ; that i may see both how to loath my self , and honour thee : but if my weaknesse force thee to deny thy flames , yet lend the twilight of thine eye : if i must want those beams i wish , yet grant , that i , at least , may wish those beams i want . s. august . soliloqu . cap. . there was a great and dark cloud of vanitie before mine eyes , so that i could not see the sun of justice , and the light of truth : i being the sonne of darknesse , was involved in darknesse : i loved my darknesse , because i knew not thy light : i was blind , and loved my blindnesse , and did walk from darknesse to darknesse : but lord thou art my god , who hast led me from darknesse , and the shadow of death ; ●…ast called me into this glorious light , and behold , i see . epig. i. my soul , chear up ; what if the night be long ? heav'n finds an eare , when sinners find a tongue ? thy tears are morning show'rs : heav'n bids me say , when peters cock begins to crow , 't is day . ii. psalm . . o lord , thou knowest my foolishnesse , and my sinnes are not hid from thee . seest thou this fulsome ideot ? in what measure he seems transported with the antick pleasure of childish baubles ? canst thou but admire the empty fulnesse of his vain desire ? canst thou conceive such poore delights as these can fill th' insatiate soul of man , or please the fond aspect of his deluded eye ? reader , such very fools are thou and i : false puffs of honour ; the deceitfull streams of wealth ; the idle , vain , and empty dreams of pleasure , are our traffick , and ensnare our souls , the threefold subject of our care : we toyl for trash , we barter solid joyes for airy tr●…s ; sell our heav'n for toyes : we snatch at barly grains , whilst pearls stand by despis'd ; such very fools art thou and i . aym'st thou at honour ! does not the ideot shake it in his left hand ? fond man , step forth and take it : or would'st thou wealth ? see how the fool presents thee with a full basket ; if such wealth contents thee : wouldst thou take pleasure ? if the fool unstride his prauncing stallion , thou mayst up and 〈◊〉 : fond man , such is the pleasure , wealth , and honour the earth affords such fools as dote upon her ; such is the game whereat ●…ths ideots sly ; such ideots , ah , such fools are thou and i : had rebell-mans fool-hardinesse extended no further then himself , and there had ended , it had been just ; but , thus enrag'd to sly upon th' eternall eyes of majesty , and drag the son of glory from the breast of his indulgent father ; to a●… rest his great and sacred person ; in disgrace , to spit and spaul upon his sun bright face ; to taunt him with base terms ; and being bound , to scourge his soft , his trembling sides ; to wound his head with thorns ; his heart with humane 〈◊〉 ; his hands with nails , and his pale slank with spears : and then to paddle in the pure●… stream of his spilt blood , is more then most extreme : great builder of mankind , canst thou propound all this to thy bright eyes , and not confound thy handy-work ? o , canst thou choose but see , that mad'st the eye ? can ought behid from thee ? thou seest our persons , lord , and not our guilt ; thou seest not what thou maist , but what thou wilt : the hand that form'd us , is enforc'd to be a screen set up betwixt thy work and thee : look , look upon that hand , and thou shalt spy an open wound , a through-fare for thine eye ; or if that wound be clos'd , that passage be deny'd between thy gracious eyes and me , yet view the scarre ; that scarre will countermand thy wrath : o read my fortune in thy hand . s. chrys. hom. . joan. fools seem to abound in wealth , when they want all things ; they seem to enjoy happinesse , when indeed they are onely most miserable ; neither do they understand that they are del●…ded by their fancy , till they be delivered from their folly . s. greg. in mor. by so much the more are we inwardly foolish , by how much we strive to seem outwardly wise . epig. . rebellious fool , what has thy folly done : controul'd thy god , and crucisi'd his sonne ? how sweetly has the lord of life deceiv'd thee ? thou shedst his bloud , and that shed blood has sav'd thee . iii. psalm . . have mercy , lord , upon me , for i am weak ; o lord , heal me , for my bones are vexed . soul . jesus . soul ah , son of david , help : jes. what sinfull 〈◊〉 implores the son of david ? soul it is i : jes. who art thou ? soul oh , a deeply wounded breast that 's heavy laden , and would fain have rest . jes. i have no scraps , and dogs must not be fed like houshold children with the childrens bread . soul true , lord ; yet tolerate a hungry whelp to lick their crummes : o sonne of david , help . jes. poore soul , what ail'st thou ? soul o i burn , i fry ; i cannot rest , i know not where to fly to find some case ; i turn my blubber'd facé from man to man ; i ●…oul from place to place , t' avoid my tortures , to obtein relief , but still am dogg'd and haunted with my grief : my midnight torments call the sluggish light , and when the morning 's come , they woo the night . jes. surcease thy tears , and speak thy free desires . soul quench , quench my flames , and swage these scorching fires . jes. canst thou believe my hand can cure thy grief ? soul lord , i believe ; lord , help my unbelief . jes. hold forth thy arm , and let my fingers try thy pulse ; where chiefly doth thy torment lie ? soul from head to foot ; it reignes in ev'ry part , but playes the self-law'd tyrant in my heart . jes. canst thou dig●…st ? canst relish wholesome food ? haw stands thy tast ? soul to nothing that is good : all sinfull ●…rash , and earths unsav'ry stuff i can digest and relish well enough . jes. is not thy bloud as cold ●…s hot , by turns ? soul cold to what 's good ; to what is bad it burns . jes. how old 's thy grief ? soul i took it at the fall with eating fruit . jes. 't is epiden●…call : thy bloud 's infected , and th' infection sp●…ng from a bad liver : 't is a feaver strong and full of death unlesse , with present speed , a vein be op'ned ; thou must die , or bleed . soul o i am faint and spent : that launce that shall let forth my bloud , le ts forth my life withall : my soul wants cordials , and has greater need of bloud , then ( being spent so far ) to ble●…d : i faint already : if i bleed , i die . jes. 't is either thou-must bleed , sick soul , or i : my bloud 's a cordiall . he that sucks my veins , shall ●…se his own , and conquer greater pains then these : cheer up ; this precious bloud of mine shall cure thy grief ; my heart shall bleed for thine : believe , and view me with a faithfull eye , thy soul shall neither languish , bleed , ●…or die . s. august . lib. . confess . lord , be mercisull unto me : ah me : behold , i hide not my wounds : thou art a ph●…sician , and i am sick ; thou a●…t mercifull , and i am miserable . s. greg. in pastoral. o wisdome , with how sweet an a●…t d●…th thy wine and oyl vestore health to my healthlesse soul ! how powersully mercisull , how mercifully powerfull art tho●… powerfull for me , mercisull to me ! epig. . canst thou be sick , and such a doctour by ? thou canst not live , unlesse thy doctour die ! strange kind of grief , that finds no med'cine good to swage her pains , but the physicians bloud ! iv. psalm . . look upon my affliction and my pain , and forgive all my sinnes . both work and strokes ? both lash and labour too ? what more could edom , or proud ashur do ? stripes after stripes ? and blows succeding blows ? lord , has thy scourge no mercy , and my woes no end ? my pains no ease ? no intermission ? is this the state ? is this the sad condition of those that trust thee ? will thy good●…esse please t' allow no other favours ? none but these ? will not the thet'rick of my torments move ? are these the symptomes ? these the signes of love ? is 't not enough , enough that i ●…ulfill the toylsome task of thy laborious mill ? may not this labour expiate and pu●…ge my sinne , without th' addition of thy scourge ? look on my cloudy brow , how fast it rains sad showers of sweat , the fruits of fruitlesse pains : behold these ridges ; see what purple furrows thy plow has made ; o think upon those sorrows that once were thine ; wil●… , wilt thou not be woo'd to mercy , by the charms of sweat and blood ? canst thou forget that drowsie mount , wherein thy dull disciples slept ? was not my sinne there punish'd in thy soul ? did not this brow then sweat in thine ? were not those drops enow ? remember golgotha , where that spring-tide o'rflow'd thy sovereigne sacramentall side : there was no sinne , there was no guilt in thee , that caus'd those pains ; thou sweat'st , thou bledst for me . was there not bloud enough , when one small drop had pow'r to ransome thousand worlds , and stop the mouth of justice ? lord , i bled before in thy deep wounds ; can justice challenge more ? or dost thou vainly labour to hedge in thy losses from my sides ? my bloud is thin , and thy free bountie scorns such easie thrift ; no , no , thy bloud came not as lone but gift . but must i ever grind ? and must i earn nothing but stripes ? o wilt thou disaltern the rest thou gav'st ? hast thou perus'd the curse thou laid'st on adams fall , and made it worse ? canst thou repent of mercy ? heav'n thought good lost man should feed in sweat ; not work in bloud : why dost thou wound th' already wounded breast ? ah me ! my life is but a pain at b●…st : i am but dying dust : my dayes , a span ; what pleasure tak'st thou in the bloud of man ? spare , spare thy scourge , and be not so austere ; send fewer stroaks , or lend more strength to bear . s. bern. hom. . in cant. miserable man ! who shall deliver me 〈◊〉 the reproch of this shamefull bondage ? i am a miserable man but a ●…ree man ; ●…ce , because a man ; miserable , because a servant : in regard of my bondage , miserable ; in regard of my will , inexcusable : for my will , that was ●…ree , beslaved it self to sinne , by assenting to sinne ; for he that committeth sinne is the servant to sinne . epig. . taxe not thy god : thine own defaults did urge this twofold punishment ; the mill the scourge . thy sin 's the authour of thy self tormenting : thou grind'st for sinning ; scourg'd for not repenting . v. job . . remember , i beseech thee , that thou hast made me as the clay , and wilt thou bring me to dust again ? thus from the bosome of the new-made earth poore man was delv'd , and had his unborn birth ; the same the stuffe the self-same hand doth trim the plant that fades , the beast that dies , and him : one was their sire , one was their common mother , plants are his sisters , and the beast his brother , the elder too ; beasts draw the self-same breath , wax old alike , and die the self-same death : plants grow as he , with fairer robes arraid ; alike they slourish , and alike they ●…ade : the beast in sense exceeds him and in growth , the three-ag'd oake doth thrice exceed them both : why look'st thou then so big , thou little span of earth ? what art thou more in being man ? i , but my great creatour did inspire my chosen earth with that diviner fire of reason ; gave me judgement and a will ; that to know good ; this to chuse good from ill : he put the rains of pow'r in my free hand , and jurisdiction over sea and land : he gave me art to lengthen out my span of life , and made me all , in being man : i , but thy passion has committed treason against the sacred person of thy reason : thy judgement is co●…rupt , perverse thy will ; that knows no good , and this makes choice of ●…ll : the greater height sends down the deeper fall ; and good d●…clin'd turns bad , turns worst of all . say then , proud inch of living ●…arth , what can thy greatnesse claim the more in being man ? o but my soul transcends the pitch of nature , born up by th' image of her high creatour ; outbraves the life of reason , and beats down her waxen wings , kicks off her brazen crown . my earth 's a living temple t' entertein the king of glory , and his glorious train : how can i mend my title then ? where can ambition sind a higher style then man ? ah , but that image is defac'd and soil'd ; her temple 's raz'd , her altars all desil'd ; her vessels are polluted and distain'd with lothed lust , her ornaments prophan'd ; her oyl-forsaken lamps , and hallow'd tapours put out ; her incense breaths unsav'ry vapours : why swell'st thou then so gi●… thou little span of earth ? what art thou more in being man ? ete●…nall potter , whose blest hands did lay my course foundation from a sod of clay , thou know'st my slender vess●…l's apt to leak ; thou know'st my brittle temper 's prone to break ; are my bones brazzil , or my slesh of oake ? o , mend what thou hast made , what i have broke : look , look with gentle eyes , and in thy day of vengeance , lord , remember i am clay . s. august , s●…liloq , . shall i ask , who made me ? it was thou that madest me , without whom nothing was made : thou art my maker , and i thy work . i thank thee , my lord god , by whom i live , and by whom all things su●…sist , because thou madest me : i thank th●… , o my potter , because thy hands have made me , because thy hands have formed me . epio. . why swell'st thou , man , pust up with fame and purse ? th'art better earth , but born to dig the worse : thou cam'st from ea●…th , to earth thou must return , and art but earth cast from the womb to th' urn . vi . job . . i have sinned ; what shall i do unto thee , o thou preserver of men ? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ? lord , i have done ; and , lord , i have misdone ; 't is folly to contest , to strive with one that is too strong ; 't is folly to assail or prove an arm , that will , that must prevail . i 've done , i 've done ; these trembling hands have thrown their daring weapons down : the day 's thine own : forbear to strike where thou hast won the field ; the palm , the palm is thine : i yield , i yield . these ueach'rous hands that were so vainly bold to try a thrivelesse combat , and to hold self-wounding weapons up , are now extended for mercy from thy hand ; that knee that bended upon her guardlesse guard , doth now repent upon this naked floore ; see both are bent , and sue for pitty : o my ragged wound is deep and desp'rate , it is drench'd and drown'd in blood and briny tears : it doth begin to stink without , and putrifie within : let that victorious hand , that now appears just in my blood , prove gracious to my tears : thou great preserver of presumptuous man , what shall i do ? what satisfaction can poore dust and ashes make ? o if that bloud that yet remains unshed were half as good as bloud of oxen ; if my death might be an offering to attone my god and me ; i would disdain injurious life , and stand a suiter to be wounded from thy hand . but may thy wrongs be measur'd by the span of life ? or balanc'd with the bloud of man ? no , no , eternall sinne expects for guerdon , eternall pen●…nce , or eternall pardon : lay down thy weapons , turn thy wrath away , and pardon him that hath no price to pay ; enlarge that soul , which base presumption binds ; thy justice cannot loose what mercy finds : o thou that wilt not bruise the broken reed , rub not my sores , no●… prick the wounds that bleed . lord , if the peevish infant fights and flies , with unpar'd weapons , at his mothers eyes , her frowns ( half mixt with smiles ) may chance to shew an angry love-trick on his arm , or so ; where if the babe but make a lip and cry , her heart begins to melt , and by and by she coaks his dewy-cheeks ; her babe she blisses , and choaks her language with a thousand kisses : i am that child ; lo , here i prostrate lie , pleading for mercy ; i repent and crie for gracious pardon : let thy gentle ears heare that in words , what mothe●…s judge in tears : see not my 〈◊〉 , lord , but through my fear , and look on ev'ry trespasse through a tear : then calm thy anger , and appear more mild : remember , th' art a father , i , a child . s. bern. ser. . in cant. miserable man ! who shall deliver me from the reproch 〈◊〉 this shamefull bondage ? i am a miserable man , but a free man : free , because like to god ; miserable , because against god : o keeper of mankind , why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ? thou hast set me , because thou hast not hindred me : it is just that thy enemy should be my enemy , and that he who repugneth thee , should repugne me : i who am against thee , am against my self . epig. . but form'd , and sight ? but bo●…n , and then rebell ? how small a blast will make a bubble swell ? but dare the ●…oore affront the hand that laid it ? so apt is dust to fly in 's face that made it . vii . job . . wherefore hidest thou thy face , and holdest me for thine enemy ? why dost thou shade thy lovely face ? o why doth that eclipsing hand so long deny the sun-shine of thy soul-enliv'ning eye ? without that light what light remains in me ? thou art my life , my way , my light ; in thee i live , i move , and by thy beams i see . thou art my life ; if thou but turn away , my life 's a thousand deaths : thou art my way : without thee , lord , i travel not but stray . my light thou art ; without thy glorious sight , mine eyes are darkned with perpetuall night . my god , thou art my way , my life , my light . thou art my way ; i wander , if thou fly : thou art my light ; if hid , how blind am i●… thou art my life ; if thou withdraw , i die . mine eyes are blind and dark , i cannot see ; to whom , or whether should my darknesse flee , but to the light ? and who 's that light but thee ? my path is lost ; my wand'ring steps do stray ; i cannot safely go , nor safely stay ; whom should i seek but thee , my path , my way ? o , i am dead : to whom shall i , poore i , repair ? to whom shall my sad ashes fly but life ? and where is life but in thine eye ? and yet thou turn'st away thy face , and fly'st me ; and yet i sue for grace , and thou deny'st me ; speak , art thou angry , lord , or onely try'st me ? unskreen those heav'nly lamps , or tell me why thou shad'st thy face ; perhaps thou thinkst , no eye can view those flames , and not drop down and die . if that be all , shine forth , and draw thee nigher ; let me behold and die ; for my desire is phoenix . like to perish in that fire . death conquer'd laz'rus was redeem'd by thee ; if i am dead , lord , see deaths prisner free ; am i more spent , or stink i worse then he ? if my pufft light be out , give leave to tine my slamelesse-snuss at that bright lamp of thine ; o what 's thy light the lesse for lighting mine ? if i have lost my path , great shepherd , say , shall i still wander in a doubtfull way ? lord , shall a iamb of isr'els sheepfold st●…ay ? thou art the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; the blind mans eye ; the dead mans life ; on thee my hopes rely ; if thou remove , i erre ; i grope ; i die . disclose thy sun-beams ; close thy wings , and stay ; see , see how i am blind , and dead , and stray , o thou , that art my light , my life , my way . s. august . soliloqu . cap. . why dost thou hide thy face ? happily thou 〈◊〉 say , none can see thy face and live : ah lord , let me die , that i may see thee ; let me see thee , that i may die : i would not live , but die . that i may see christ , i desire death ; that i may live with christ , i despise life . anselm . med. cap. . o excellent hiding , which is become my persection ! my god , thou hidest thy treasure , to kindle my desire ; thou hidest thy pearl , to inflame the seeker ; thou delayest ●…o give , that thou maist teach me to importune ; seem'st not to hear , to make m●… persever . epig. . if 〈◊〉 all-quickning eyes vouchsafe to shine upon our souls , we slight ; if not , we whine our equinoctiall hearts can never lie secure beneath the tropicks of that eye . viii . je remia●… . . o that my head were waters , and mine eyes a fountain of tears , that i might weep day and night . o that mine eyes were springs , and could transform their drops to seas ! my sighs into a storm of zeal and sacred violence , wherein this lab'ring vèssel laden with he●… sinne , might suffer sudden shipwrack , and be split upon that rock , where my drencht soul may sit o'rwhelm'd with plenteous passion ; o and there drop , drop into an everlasting tear ! ah me ! that ev'ry sliding vein that wanders through this vast isle did work her wild meanders in brackish tears in stead of bloud , and swell this flesh with holy dropsies , from whose well , made warm with sighs , may fume my wasting breath whil'st i dissolve in steams , and reek to death ! these narrow sluces of my dribbling eyes are much too strait for those quick springs that rise , and hourely fill my temples to the top ; i cannot shed for ev'ry sinne a drop . great builder of mankind , why hast thou sent such swelling flouds , and made so small a vent●… o that this flesh had been compos'd of snow , in stead of earth , and bones of ice , that so feeling the fervour of my sinne , and lothing the ●…ire i feel i might be thaw'd to nothing ! o thou , that didst with hopefull joy entomb me thrice three moons in thy laborious womb , and then , with joyfull pain , broughtst forth a son , what worth thy labour , has thy labour done ! what was there ! ah! what was there in my birth that could deserve the easiest smile of mirth ? a man was born : alas , and what 's a man ? a scuttle full of dust , a measur'd span of flitting time ; a furnish'd pack , whose wares are sullen griefs , and soul-tormenting cares : a vale of tears ; a vessel tunn'd with breath , by sicknesse brocht , to be drawn out by dea●…h : a haplesse , helplesse thing , that born doth cry to feed ; that feeds to live ; that lives to die . great god and man , whose eyes spent drops so often for me , that cannot weep enough , o soften these marble brains , and strike this slintie rock ; or if the musick of thy peters cock will more prevail , fill , fill my hearkning ears with that sweet sound , that i may melt in tears : i cannot weep , untill thou broch mine eye ; or give me vent , or else i burst and die . s. ambros. in psal. . he that committeth sinnes to be wept for , cannot weep for sianes committed : and being himself most lamentable , hath no tears to lament his offences . nazianz . orat. . tears are the deluge of sinne , and the worlds sacrifice . s. hieron. in esaiam . prayer appeaseth god , but a tear compelleth him : that moveth him , but this constraineth him . epio. . earth is an island ported round with fears ; the way to heav'n is through the sea of tears●… it is a stormy passage , where is found the wrack of many a ship , but no man drown'd . ix . psalm . . the sorrows of hell compassed me about , and the snares of death prevented me . is not this type well cut ? in ev'ry part full of rich cunning ? sill'd with zeuxian art ? are not the hunters , and their stygian hounds limm'd full to th'life ? didst ever heare the sounds , the musick , and the lip-divided breaths of the strong-winded horn , recheats , and deaths done more exact ? th' infernall nimrods hollow ? the lawlesse purliews ? and the game they follow ? the hidden engines ? and the snares that lie so undiscover'd , so obscure to th' eye ? the new-drawn net ? and her entangled prey ? and him thae closes it ? beholder , say , is 't not well done ? seems not an em'lous strife betwixt the rare cut picture and the life ? these purliew-men are devils ; and the hounds , ( those quick-nos'd canibals that scour the grounds ) temptations , and the game these fiends pursue , are humane souls , which still they have in view ; whose fury if they chance to scape by slying , the skilfull hunter plants his net , close lying on th' unsuspected earth , bayted with treasure , ambitious honour , and self-wasting pleasure ; where if the soul but stoop , death stands prepar'd to draw the net , and drawn , the soul 's ensnat'd . poore soul ! how 〈◊〉 thou hurried to and fro ? where canst thou safely stay ? where safely go ? if stay , these hot-mouth'd hounds are apt to tear thee ; if go , the snares enclose , the nets ensnare thee : what good in this bad world has pow'r t' invite thee a willing guest ? wherein can earth delight thee ? her pleasures are but itch ; her wealth but 〈◊〉 ; a world of dangers , and a world of snares : the close pursuers busie hands do plant snares in thy substance ; snares attend thy want ; snares in thy credit ; snares in thy disgrace ; snares in thy high estate ; snares in thy base ; snares tuck thy bed , and snares arround thy board ; snares watch thy thoughts , and snares attach thy word ; snares in thy quiet ; snares in thy commotion ; snares in thy 〈◊〉 ; snares in thy devotion ; snares lurk in thy resolves ; snares in thy doubt ; snares lie within thy heart , and snares without ; snares are above thy head , and snares beneath ; snares in thy sicknesse ; snares are in thy death : o , if these purliews be so full of danger , great god of harts , the worlds sole sov'reigne ranger , preserve thy deere , and let my soul be blest in thy safe forrest , where i seék for rest : then let the hell-hounds rore ; i fear no ill ; rouze me they may , but have no pow'r to kill . s. ambros. lib. . in cap. . lucae . the reward of honours , the height of power , the delicacie of diet , and the beautie of a harlot are the snares of the devil . s. ambros. de bono mortis . whilest thou seekest pleasures thou runnest into snares ; for the eye of the harlot is the snare of the adulterer . savanar . in eating , he setteth before us gluttony ; i● generation , luxury ; in labour , sluggishnesse ; in conversing , envy ; in governing , covetousnesse ; in correcting , anger ; in honour , pride ; in the heart , he setteth evil thoughts ; in the mouth , evil words ; in actions , evil works : when awake , he moveth us to evil actions ; when asleep , to filthy dreams . epig. . be sad , my heart , deep dangers wait thy mirth ; thy soul 's way-laid by sea , by hell , by earth : hell has her hounds ; earth , snares ; the sea a shelf ; but most of all , my heart , beware thy self . x. psalm . . enter not into judgement with thy servant , for in thy sight shall no man living be justified . jesus . justice . sinner . jes. bring forth the prisner , justice . just . thy commands 〈◊〉 done , just judge ; see here the prisner stands . jes. what hath the prisner done ? say , what 's the cause of his commitment ? just . he has broke the laws of his too gracious god ; conspir'd the death of that great majesty that gave him breath , and heapt transgression , lord , upon transgression . jes. how know'st thou this ? just . ev'n by his own confession his sinnes are crying ; and they cry'd aloud : they cry'd to heav'n ; they cry'd to heav'n for bloud . jes. what say'st thou , sinner ? hast thou ought to plead , that sentence should not passe ? hold up thy head , and shew thy brasen , thy rebellious face . sin . ah me ! i dare not : i 'm too vile and base to tread upon the earth , much more to 〈◊〉 mine eyes to heav'n : i need no other 〈◊〉 then mine own conscience ; lord , i must confesse , i am no more then dust , and no whit lesse then my 〈◊〉 styles me . ah , if thou search too severe , with too severe a brow , what flesh can stand ? i have transgrest thy laws ; my merits plead thy vengeance , not my cause . just . lord , shall i strike the blow ? jes. hold , justice , stay : sinner , speak on ; what hast thou more to say ? sin . vile as i am , and of my self abhorr'd , i am thy handy-work , thy creature , lord , stampt with thy glorious image , and at first most like to thee , though now a poore accurst convicted catiff , and degen'rous creature , here trembling at thy bar . just . thy fault 's the greater . lord , s●…ll i strike the blow ? jes. hold , justice , stay : speak , sinner ; hast thou nothing more to say ? sin . nothing but mercy , mercy ; lord , my state is miserably poore and desperate ; i quite renounce my self , the world , and flee from lord to jesus : from thy self , to thee . just . cease thy vain hopes ; my angry god has vow'd abused mercy must have bloud for bloud : shall i yet strike the blow ? jes. stay , justice , hold ; my bowels yearn , my fainting bloud growes cold , to view the trembling wretch ; me thinks i spy my fathers image in the prisners eye . just . i cannot hold . jes. then turn thy thirsty blade into my sides : let there the wound be made : chear up , dear soul , redeem thy life with mine : my soul shall smart , my heart shall bleed for thine . si●… . o ground-lesse deeps ! o love beyond degree ! th' offended dies to set th' offender free . s. august . lord , if i have done that , for which thou maist damne me ; thou hast not lost that , whereby thou maist save me : remember not , sweet jesus , thy justice against the sinner , but thy benignity towards thy creature : remember not to proceed against a guilty soul , but remember thy mercy towards a miserable wretch : forget the insolence of the provoker , and behold the misery of the invoker ; for what is jesus but a saviour ? anselm . have respect to what thy sonne hath done for me , and forget what my sinnes have done against thee : my flesh hath provoked thee to vengeance , let the flesh of christ move thee to mercy : it is much that my rebellions have deserved ; but it is more that my redeemer hath marited . epig. . mercie of mercies ! he that was my drudge is now my advocate , is now my judge : he suffers , pleads , and sentences , alone : three i adore , and yet adore but one . xi . psalm . . let not the water-flood overflow me , neither let the deeps swallow me up . the world 's a sea ; my flesh a ship that 's mann'd with lab'ring thoughts , and steer'd by reasons hand : my heart 's the sea-mans card , whereby she sails ; my loose affections are the greater sails : the top-sail is my fancie , and the gusts that sill these wanton sheets are worldly lusts. pray'r is the cable , at whose end appears the anchor hope , nev'r slipt but in our fears : my will's th' unconstant pilot , that commands the stagg'ring keel ; my sinnes are like the sands : repentance is the bucket , and mine eye the pump , 〈◊〉 ( but in extremes ) and dry : my conscience is the plummet that doth presse the deeps , but seldome cries , a sathom lesse : smooth calm's security ; the gulf , despair ; my fraught's corruption , and this life 's my fair : my soul 's the passenger , confus'dly driven from fear to fright ; her landing-port is heaven . my seas are stormy , and my ship doth leak ; my saylers rude ; my steersman saint and weak : my canvace torn , it slaps from side to side ; my cable 's crakt , my anchor's slightly ti'd ; my pilot's craz'd , my thipwrack-sands are cloak'd ; my bucket 's broken , and my pump is choak'd ; my calm 's deceitfull ; and my gulf too near ; my wares are slubber'd , and my fare's too dear : my plummet 's light , it cannot sink nor sound ; o shall my rock-bethreatned soul be drown'd ? lord , still the seas , and shield my ship from harm ; instruct my sailours , guid my steersmans arm : touch thou my compasse , and renew my sails send stifter courage , or send milder gales ; make strong my cable ; bind my anchor faster ; direct my ●…ilot , and be thou his master ; object the sands to my more serious view , make sound my bucket , bore my pump anew : new cast my plummet , make it apt to try where the rock●… lurk , and where the quick sands lie ; guàrd thou the gulf with love , my calms with care ; cleanse thou my fraught ; acc●…pt my slender fare ; refresh the sea-sick passenger ; cut short his voyage ; land him in his wished port : thou , thou , whom winds and stormy seas obey , that through the deep gav'st grumbling isr'ell way , say to my soul , be safe ; and then mine eye shall scorn grim death , although grim death stand by ; o thou whose strength-reviving arm did cherish thy sinking peter , at the point to perish , reach forth thy hand , or bid me tread the wave , i 'll come , i 'll come : the voyce that calls will save . s. ambros. apol. post . pro david . cap. . 〈◊〉 the cons●…uence of lusts make a great tempest , which in this sea disturbeth the sea-saring soul , that reason cannot govern it . s. august . soliloqu . cap . we labour in a boysterous sea : thou standest upon the shore and 〈◊〉 our dangers : give us grace to hold a middle course ●…wixt s●…ylla and charybdis , that both dangers escaped , we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at our port secure . ep . . my soul , the seas are rough , and thou a stranger in these false coasts ; o keep aloof ; there 's danger : cast forth thy plummet ; see a rock appears ; thy ship wants sea-room ; make it with thy tears . xii . job . . o that thou wouldst hide me in the grave , that thou wouldst keep me secret untill thy wrath be past ! o whither shall i fly ? what path untrod shall i seek out to scape the flaming rod of my ostended , of my angry god ? where shall i sojourn ? what kind sea will hide my head from thunder ? where shall i abide , untill his flames be quench'd or laid aside ? what , if my feet should take their hasty flight , and seek protection in the shades of night ? alas , no shades can blind the god of light . what , if my soul should take the wings of day , and find some desart ; if the spring away , the wings of vengeance ●…ip as fast as they . what if some solid rock should entertain my frighted soul ? can solid rocks restrain the stroke of justice , and not cleave in twain ? nor sea , nor shade , nor shield , nor rock , nor cave , nor silent desarts , nor the sullen grave , where slame-ey'd fury means to smi●…e , can save . the seas will part ; graves open ; rocks will split ; the shield will cleave ; the frighted shadows slit ; where justice aims , her fiery darts must hit . no , no , if stern-brow'd vengeance means to thunder , there is no place above , beneath , nor under , so close , but will unlock , or rive in sunder . 't is vain to flee ; 't is neither here nor there can scape that hand untill that hand forbear ; ah me ! where is he not , that 's every where ? 't is vain to flee ; till gentle mercy shew her better eye , the farther off we go , the swing of justice deals the mightier blow . th' ingenious child , corrected , doth not flie his angry mothers hand , but clings more nigh , and quenches with his tears her flaming eye . shadows are faithlesse , and the rocks are false ; no trust in brasse , no trust in marble walls ; poore cots are even as safe as princes halls . great god , there is no safety here below ; thou art my fortresse , though thou seem'st my fo , 't is thou that strik'st the stroke must guard the blow . thou art my god ; by thee i fall or stand ; thy grace hath giv'n me courage to withstand all tortures , but my conscience and thy hand . i know thy justice is thy self ; i know , just god , thy very self is mercy too ; if not to thee , where ? whither should i go ? then work thy will ; if passion bid me flee , my reason shall obey ; my wings shall be stretcht out no further then from thee to thee . s. august . in psal. . whither flie i ? to what place can i safely flie ? to what mountain ? to what den ? to what strong house ? what castle shall i hold ? what walls shall hold me ? whithersoever i go , my self followeth me : for whatsoever thou fliest , o man , thou maist , but thy own conscience : wheresoever o lord , i go , i find thee if angry , a revenger ; if appeased , a redeemer : what way have i , but to flie from thee to thee : that thou maist avo●d thy god , addresse thee to thy lord . epig. . hath vengeance found thee ? can thy fears command no rocks to shield thee from her thund'ring hand ? know'st thou not where to scape ? i 'll tell thee where ; my soul make clean thy conscience ; hide thee there . xiii . job . . are not my dayes few ? cease then , and let me alone , that i may bewail my self a little . my glasse is half unspent : forbear t'air●…st my thri●…sse day too soon : my poore request is that my glasse may ●…un but out the rest . my time-devoured minutes will be done without thy h●…lp ; see , see how swift they run : cut not my thred before my thred be spun . the gain 's not great i purchase by this stay ; what losse sustain'st thou by so small delay , to whom ten thousand years are but a day ? my following eye can hardly make a shift to count my winged houres ; they fly so swift , they scarce deserve the bounteous name of gift . the secret wheels of hurrying time do give so short a warning , and so fast they drive , that i am dead before i seem to live . and what 's a life ? a weary pilgrimage , whose glory in one day doth fill the stage with childhood , manhood , and decrepit age . and what 's a life ? the ●…lourishing array of the proud summer meadow , which today wears her green plush , and is tomorrow hay . and what 's a life ? a blast sustein'd with clothing , maintein'd with food , retein'd with vile self-lothing , then weary of it self , again'd to nothing . reade on this diall , how the shades devour my short-liv'd winters day ; houre eats up ho●…re ; alas , the totall's but from eight to soure . behold these lillies ( which thy hands have made fair copies of my life , and open laid to view ) how soon they droop , how soon they fade ! shade not that diall , night will blind too soon ; my nonag'd day already points to noon ; how simple is my suit ! how small my boon ! nor do i beg this slender inch , to while the time away , or falsely to beguile my thoughts with joy ; here 's nothing worth a smile . no , no : 't is not to please my wanton ears with frant●…k mirth , i beg but ho●…es , not years : and what thou giv'st me , i will give to tea●…s . draw not that soul which would be rather led ; th●…t seed has yet not broke my serpents head ; o shall ! dy before my sinnes are dead ? behold these rags ; am i a sitting guest to tast the dainties of thy royall feast , with hands and face unwash'd , ungirt , unblest ? first , let the jordan streams ( that ●…ind supplies from the deep fountain of my heart ) arise , and cleanse my spots , and clear my leprous eyes . i have a world of sinnes to be lamented ; i have a sea of tears that must be vented : o spare till th●…n ; and then i die contented . s. august . lib de civit. dei cap. . the time wherein we live is taken from the space of our life ; and what remaineth is dayly made lesse and lesse , in so much that the time of our life is nothing but a passage to death . s. greg. lib. . cap. . in cap . jeb . as moderate afflictions bring tears , so immoderate take away tears ; in so much that sorrow becometh no sorrow , which swallowing up the mind of the afflicted , taketh away the sense of the affliction . epig. . fear'st thou to go , when such an arm invites thee ? dread'st thou thy loads of sinne ? or what affrights thee ? if thou begin to fear , thy fear begins ; fool , can he bear thee hence , and not thy sins ? xiv . dellteronomy . . o that men were wise , and that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end . flesh . spirit . ●…l . what means my sisters eye so oft to passe through the long entry of that optick glasse ? tell me ; what secret virtue doth invite thy wrinkled eye to such unknown delight ? sp. it helps the sight , makes things remote appear in perfect view ; it draws the object near . fl. what sense-delighting objects dost thou spie ? what doth that glasse present before thine eye ? sp. i see thy foe , my reconciled friend , grim death , even standing at the glasses end ; his left hand holds a branch of palm ; his right holds forth a two-edg'd sword . fl. a proper sight ! and is this all ? doth thy prospective please th' abused fancy with no shapes but these ? sp. yes , i behold the dark'ned sun bereav'n of all his light , the battlements of heav'n swelt'ring in flames ; the angel-guarded sonne of glory on his high tribunal-throne ; i see a brimstone sea of boyling fire , and fiends , with knotted whips of flaming wire , tort'ring poore souls , that gnash their teeth in vain , and gnaw their flame-tormented tongues for pain . look , sister , how the queazy-stomack'd graves vomit their dead , and how the purple waves scalld their consumelesse bodyes , strongly cursing all wombs for bearing , and all paps for nursing . fl. can thy distemper'd fancy take delight in view of tortures ? these are showes t' affright : look in this glasse triangular ; look here , here 's that will ravish eyes . sp. what seest thou there ? fl. the world in colours , colours that distain the checks of pro●…eus , or the silken train of flora's nymphs ; such various sorts of hiew , as sun-confronting ●…is never knew : here , if thou please to beautifie a town , thou maist ; or with a hand , turn't upside down ; here mayst thou scant or widen by the measure of thine own will ; make short or long at pleasure : here mayst thou tire thy fancy , and advise with shows more apt to please more curious eyes . sp. ah fool ! that dot'st on vain , on present toyes , and disrespect'st those true , those future joyes ! how strongly are thy thoughts befool'd , alas , to dote on goods that perish with thy glasse ! nay , vanish with the turning of a hand ! were they but painted colours , it might stand with painted reason , that they might devote thee ; but things that have no being to besot thee ? foresight of future torments is the way to baulk those ills which present joyes bewray ; as thou hast fool'd thy self , so now come hither , break that fond glasse , and let 's be wise together . bonavent . de contemptu seculi . o that men would be wise , understand , and ●…oresee : be wise , to know three things : the multitude of those that are to be damned : the few number of those that are to be saved ; and the vanity of transitory things : vnderstand three things ; the multitude of sinnes , the omission of good things , and the losse of time : foresee three things , the danger of death , the last judgement , and eternall punishment . epig. . what , soul , no further yet ? what nev'r commence master in faith ? still batchelour of sense ? is 't insufficiency ? or what has made thee oreslip thy lost degree ? thy lusts have staid thee . xv . psalm . . my life is spent with grief , and my years with sighing . what sullen starre rul'd my untimely birth , that would not lend my dayes one houre of mitth ! how oft have these bare knees been bent , to gain the slender alms of one poore smile , in vain ! how often , tir'd with the fastidious light , have my saint lips implor'd the shades of night ? how often have my nightly torments praid for lingring twilight , glutted with the shade ? day worse then night , night worse then day appears , in fears i spend my nights ; my dayes in tears : i moan unpitt●…'d , grone without relief , there is nor end , nor measure of my grief . the smiling flow'r salutes the day ; it growes untouch'd with care ; it neither spins nor sowes : o that my tedious life , were like this flow'r , or freed from grief , or finish'd with an houre : why was i born ? why was i born a man ? and why proportion'd by so large a span ? or why suspended by the common lot , and being born to dy , why dy i not ? ah me ! why is my sorrow-wasted breath den●…'d the easie priviledge of death ? the branded slave , that tugs the weary oare , obteins the sabbath of a welcome shore ; his ransom'd stripes are heal'd ; his native soyl sweetens the mem'ry of his forrein toyl : but ah ! my sorrows are not half so blest ; my labour finds no point , my pains no rest : i batter sighs for tears , and tears for grones , still vainly rolling sisyphean stones : thou just observer of our flying houres , that , with thy adamantine fangs , devours the brazen monuments of renowned kings , doth thy glasse stand ? or be thy moulting wings unapt to fly ? if not why dost thou spare a willing breast ; a breast that stands so fair ? a dying breast , that hath but onely breath to beg a wound , and strength to crave a death ? o that the pleased heav'ns would once dissolve these fleshly fetters , that so fast involve . my hamp'red soul ; then should my soul be blest from all these ills , and wrap her thoughts in rest : till then , my dayes are months , my months are years , my years are ages to be spent in tears : my grief 's entail'd upon my wastfull breath , which no recov'ry can cut off , but death ; breath drawn in cottages , puft out in thrones , begins , continues , and concludes in grones . innocent . de vilitate condit . humanae . o who will give mine eyes a fountain of tears , that i may bewail the miserable ingresse of mans condition ; the sinfull pregresse of mans conversation , the damnable egresse in mans dissolution ? i will consider with tears , whereof man was made , what man doth , and what man is to do : alas , he is formed of earth , conceived in sinne , born to punishment : he doth evil things , which are not lawfull ; he doth ●…ilthy things , which are not decent ; he doth vain things , which are not ●…pedient . epig. . my heart , thy life 's a debt by bond , which bears asecret date ; the use is grones and tears : plead not ; usurious nature will have all , as well the int'rest as the principall . the fourth book . i. romanes . . i see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind , and bringing me into captivitie to the law of sinne . o how my will is hurried to and fro , and how my unresolv'd resolves do vary ! i know not where to fix ; sometimes i go ' this way , then that , and then the quite contrary : i like , dislike ; lament for what i could not ; i do , undo ; yet still do what i should not ; and at the self same instant will the thing i would not . thus are my weather-beaten thoughts opprest with th' earth-bred winds of my prodigious will ; thus am i hourely tost from east to west upon the rowling streams of good and ill : thus am i driven upon these slipp'ry suds , from reall ills to false apparent goods : my life 's a troubled sea , compos'd of ebs and flouds . the curious penman , having t●…imm'd his page with the dead language of his dabbled quill , le ts fall a heedlesse drop , then in a rage cashiers the fruits of his unlucky skill ; ev'n so my pregnant soul in th' insant bud of her best thoughts , show●…s down a cole-black flood of unadvised ills , and cancels all her good . sometimes a sudden flash of sacred heat warms my chill soul , and se●…s my thoughts in frame : but soon ●…hat fire is shouldred from her seat by lustfull cupids much inferiour flame : i feel two flames , and yet no flame entire ; thus are the mungrill thoughts of mixt desire consum'd between that heav'nly and this earthly fire . sometimes my trash-disdaining thoughts out-passe the common period of terrene conceit ; o then , me thinks i scorn the thing i was , whilst i stand ravisht at my new estate : but when th' icarian wings of my desire feel but the warmth of their own native sire , o then they melt and plunge within their wonted mire . i know the nature of my wav'ring mind ; i know the frailty of my fleshly will : my passion 's eagle-ey'd ; my judgement blind ; i know what 's good , but yet make choice of ill . when th' ostrich wings of my desires shall be so dull , they cannot mount the least degree , yet grant my soul desire but of desiring thee . s. bern. med. . my heart is a vain heart , a vagabond and instable heart ; while it is led by its own judgement , and wanting divine counsel cannot subsist in it self , and whilest it divers wayes seeketh rest , findeth none , but remaineth miserable through labour , and void of peace : it agreeth not with it self ; it dissenteth from it self ; it altereth resolutions , changeth the judgement , frameth new thoughts , pulleth down the old , and buildeth them up again : it willeth and willeth not ; and never remaineth in the same state . s. august . de verb . apost. when it would , it cannot ; because when it might , it would not : therefore by an evil will man lost his good power . epig. . my soul , how are thy thoughts disturb'd , confin'd , enlarg'd betwixt thy members and thy mind ! fix here or there ; thy doubt-depending cause can nev'r expect one verdict 'twixt two laws . ii. psalm . . o that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes ? thus i , the object of the worlds disdain , with pilgrime-pace surround the weary earth : i onely relish what the world counts vain ; her mirth 's my grief ; her sullen grief , my mirth ; her light my darknesse ; and her truth my errour ; her freedom is my jail ; and her delight my terrour . fond earth ! proportion not my seeming love to my long stay ; let not thy thoughts deceive thee ; thou art my prison , and my home 's above ; my life 's a preparation but to leave thee : like one that seeks a doore , i walk about thee : with thee i cannot live ; i cannot live without thee . the world 's a lab'rinth , whose anfractuous wayes are all compos'd of rubs and crook'd meanders : no resting here ; he 's hurried back that stayes a thought ; and he that goes unguided wanders : her way is dark , her path untrod , unev'n ; so hard 's the way from earth ; so hard 's the way to heav'n . this gvring lab'rinth is betrench'd about on either hand with streams of sulph'rous fire , streams closely sliding , erring in and out , but seeming pleasant to the fond descrier ; where if his footsteps trust their own invention , he falls without redresse , and sinks beyond dimension . where shall i seek a guide ? where shall i meet some lucky hand to lead my trembling paces ? what trusty lantern will direct my feet to scape the danger of these dang'rous places ? what hopes have i to passe without a guide ? where one gets safely through , a thousand fall beside , an unrequested starre did gently slide before the wisemen to a greater light ; back-sliding isr'el found a double guide ; a pillar , and a cloud ; by day , by night : yet in my desp'rate dangers , which be farre more great then theirs , i have nor pillar , cloud , nor starre , o that the pineons of a clipping dove would cut my passage through the empty aire ; mine eyes being seeld , how would i mount above the reach of danger and forgotten care ! my backward eyes should nev'r commit that fault , whose lasting guilt should build a monument of salt . great god , that art the flowing spring of light , enrich mine eyes with thy refulgent ray : thou art my path ; direct my steps aright ; i have no other light , no other way : i 'll trust my god , and him alone pursue ; his law shall be my path ; his heav'nly light my clue . s. august . soliloqu . cap. . o lord , who art the light , the way , the truth , the life ; in whom there is no darknesse , errour , vanitie , nor death : the light , without which there is darknesse ; the way , without which there is wandering ; the truth , without which there is errour ; the life , without which there is death : say , lord , let there be light , and i shall see light , and eschew darknesse ; i shall see the way , and avoid wandering ; i shall s●…e the truth , and shun errour ; i shall see life , and escape death : illuminate , o illuminate my blind soul , which ●…itteth in darknesse , and the sh●…dow of death : and direct my feet in the way of peace . epig. . pilgrime , trudge on : what makes thy soul complain crownes thy complaint . the way to rest is pain : the road to resolution lies by doubt : the next way home 's the farthest way about . iii. psalm . . stay my steps in thy paths , that my feet do not slide . when ere the old exchange of profit rings her silver saints-bell of uncertain gains , my merchant soul can stretch both legs and wings ; how i can run , and take unwearied pains ! the charms of profit are so strong , that i who wanted legs to go find wings to fly . 〈◊〉 time-beguiling pleasure but advance her lustfull trump , and blow her bold alarms , o how my sportfull ●…oul can frisk and dance , and hug that syren in her twined arms ! the sprightly voyce of sinew-strengthning pleasure can lend my bedrid soul both legs and leasure . if blazing honour chance to fill my veins with flatt'ring warmth , and flash of courtly fire , my soul can take a pleasure in her pains ; my lofty strutting steps disdain to tire ; my antick knees can turn upon the hinges of complement , and sk●…ue a thousand cringes . ●…ut when i come to thee , my god , that art the royall myne of everlasting treasure , the reall honour of my better part , and living fountain of eternall pleasure , how nervelesse are my limbs ! how faint and flow ! i have nor wings to fly , nor legs to go . so when the streams of swift-foot rhene convay her upland riches to the belgick shore ; the idle vessel slides the wat'ry lay , without the blast , or tug , of wind , or oare ; her slipp'ry keel divides the silver fome with ease ; so facil is the way from home . but when the home-bound vessel turns her sails against the breast of the resisting stream , o then she slugs ; nor sail , nor oare prevails ; the stream is sturdy , and her tides extreme : each stroke is losse , and ev'ry tug is vain : a boat-lengths purchase is a league of pain . great all in all , that art my rest , my home ; my way is tedious , and my steps are slow : reach forth thy helpfull hand , or bid me come : i am thy child , o teach thy child to go : conjoyn thy sweet commands to my desire , and i will venture , though i fall or tire . s. august . ser. . de verb. apost. be alwayes displeased at what thou art , if thou desirest to attain to what thou art not : for where thou hast pleased thy self , there thou abidest : but if thou sayest , i have enough , thou perishest : alwayes adde , alwayes walk , alwayes proceed ; neither stand still , nor go back , nor deviate : he that standeth still , proceedeth not ; he goeth back , that continueth not ; he deviateth , that revolteth : he goeth better that creepeth in 〈◊〉 way , then he that runneth out of his way . epig. . fear not , my soul , to lose for want of cunning ; weep not ; heav'n is not alwayes got by running : thy thoughts are swist , although thy legs be slow ; true love will creep , not having strength to go . iv. psalm . . my flesh trembleth for fear of thee , and i am afraid of thy judgements . let others boast of luck , and go their wayes with their fair game ; know vengeance seldome playe●… to be too forward , but doth wisely frame her backward tables for an after-game : she gives thee leave to venture many a blot ; and , for her own advantage , hits thee not ; but when her pointed tables are made fair , that she be ready for thee , then beware ; then , if a necessary blot be set , she hits thee ; wins the game , perchance the set : if prosp'rous chances make thy casting high , be wisely temp'rate ; cast a serious eye on after dangers , and keep back thy game ; too forward seed-times make thy harvest lame : if left-hand fortune give thee left-hand chances , be wisely patient ; let no envious glances repine to view thy gamesters heap so fair ; the hindmost hound takes oft the doubling hare . the worlds great dice are false ; sometimes they go extremely high , sometimes extremely low : of all her gamesters he that playes the least lives most at ease , playes most secure and best : the way to win , is to play fair , and swear thy self a servant to the crown of fear : fear is the primmer of a gamesters skill : who fears not bad st●…nds most unarm'd to ill : the ill that 's wisely fear'd , is half withstood ; and fear of bad is the best foyl to good : true fear 's th' elixar , which in dayes of old turn'd leaden crosses into crowns of gold : the world 's the tables ; stakes , eternall life ; the gamesters , heav'n and i ; unequall strife ! my fortunes are my dice , whereby i frame my indisposed life : this life 's the game ; my sinnes are sev'rall blots ; the lookers on are angels ; and in death the game is done : lord , i 'm a bungler , and my game doth grow still more and more unshap'd ; my dice run low : the stakes are great ; my car●…lesse blots are many ; and yet thou passest by , and hitst not any : thou art too strong ; and i have none to guide me with the least jog ; the lookers on deride me : it is a conquest undeserving thee , to win a stake from such a worm as me : i have no more to lose ; if we persever , 't is lost ; and that once lost i m lost for ever . lord , wink at faults , and be no●… too severe , and i will play my game with greater fear ; o give me fear , ere fear has past her date : whose blot being hit , then fears , fears then too late . s. bern. ser. . in cant. there is nothing so e●…ectuall to obtain grace , to retain grace , and to regain grace , as alwayes to be sound before god n●…t over-wise , but to ●…ear : happy art thou if thy heart be replenished with three ●…ears ; a sear for received grace , a g●…eater fear for lost grace , a greatest ●…ear to recover grace . s. august . super psalm . present fear begetteth eternall securitie : fear god , which 〈◊〉 above all , and no need to fear man at all . epig. . lord , shall we grumble when thy flames do seourge us ? our sinnes breathe fire ; that fire returns to purge us . lord , what an alchymist art thou , whose skill transmutes to perfect good from pe●…fect ill ! v. psalm . . turn away mine eyes from regarding vanitie . how like to threds of flax that touch the flame , are my inflam'd desires ! how like to yielding wax my soul dissolves before these wanton ●…ires ! the fire , but touch'd , the flame but felt , like flax , i burn ; like wax , i melt . o how this flesh doth draw my fetter'd soul to that deceitfull ●…ire ! and how th' eternall law is baffled by the law of my desire ! how truly bad , how seeming good are all the laws of flesh and bloud ! o wretched state of men , the height of whose ambition is to borrow what must be paid agen with griping int'rest of the next dayes sorrow ! how wild his thoughts ! how apt to range ! how apt to vary ! apt to change ! how intricate and nice is mans perplexed way to mans desire ! sometimes upon the ice he slips , and sometimes falls into the ●…ire ; his progresse is extreme and bold , or very hot , or very cold . the common food he doth sustain his soul-tormenting thoughts withall , is honey in his mouth to night , and in his heart , to morrow , gall ; 't is oftentimes , within an houre , both very sweet and very sowre . if sweet corinna smile , a heav'n of joy breaks down into his heart : corinna frowns awhile ? hels torments are but copies of his smart : within a lustfull heart doth dwell a seeming heav'n , a very hell . thus worthlesse , vain , and void of comfort , are the fruits of earths imployment ; which ere they be enjoy'd distract us , and d●…stroy us in th' enjoyment ; these be the pleasures that are priz'd when heav'ns cheap pen'worth stands despis'd . lord , quench these hasty flashes , which dart as lightning from the thund'ring skies , and ev'ry minute , dashes against the wanton windows of mine eyes : lord , close the casement , whilst i stand behind the curtain of thy hand . s. august . soliloqu . cap. . o thou sun that illuminatest both heaven and earth ! wo be unto those eyes which do not behold thee : wo be unto these blind eyes which cannot behold thee : wo be unto those which turn away their eyes that they will not behold thee : wo be unto those that turn away their eyes that they may behold vanity . s. chrys. sup . matth. . what is an evil woman but the enemy of friendship , an unavoidable pain , a necessary mischief , a naturall tentation , a desiderable calamity , a domestick danger , a delectable inconvenience , and the nature of evil painted over with the colour of good epig. . 't is vain , great god , to close mine eyes from ill , when i resolve to keep the old man still : my rambling heart must cov'nant first with thee , or none can passe betwixt mine eyes and me . vi . esther . . if i have found favour in thy sight , and if it please the king , let my life be given me at my petition . thou art the great assuerus , whose command doth stretch from pole to pole ; the world 's thy land ; rebellious vashti's the corrupted will , which being call'd refuses to fulfill thy just command : esther , whose tears condole the razed city 's the regen'rate soul ; a captive maid , whom thou wilt please to grace with nuptiall honour in stout vashti's place : her kinsman , whose unbended knee did thwart proud hanans glory , is the fleshly part : the sober eunuch , that recall'd to mind the new-built gibbet ( haman had divin'd for his own ruine ) fiftie cubits high , is lustfull-thought-controlling chastity ; insulting haman is that fleshly lust whose red-hot fury , for a season , must triumph in pride , and study how to tread on mordecay , till royall esther plead . great king , my sent-for vashti will not come ; o let the oyl o' th blessed virgins womb cleanse my poore esther ; look , o look upon her with gracious eyes ; and let thy beams of honour so scoure her captive stains , that she may prove a holy object of thy heav'nly love : annoint her with the spiknard of thy graces , then try the sweetnesse of her chast embraces : make her the partner of thy nuptiall bed , and set thy royall crown upon her head : if then ambitious haman chance to spend his spleen on mordecay , that scorns to bend the wilfull stiffnesse of his stubborn knee , or basely crouch to any lord but thee ; if weeping esther should pref●…rre a grone before the high tribunal of thy throne , hold forth thy golden sceptre , and a●…ord the gentle audience of a gra●…ious lord : and let thy royall esther be possest of half thy kingdome , at her dear request : curb lustfull haman ; him that would disgrace , nay , ravish thy fair queen before thy face : and as proud haman was himself ensnar'd on that self gibbet , that himself prepar'd ; so nail my lust , both puni●…hment and guilt on that dear crosse that mine own lusts have buil●… . s. august . in ep. o holy spirit alwayes inspire me with holy works ; constrain ●…e , that i may do : counsel me , that i may love thee ; confirm ●…e , that i may hold thee ; conserve me , that i may no●… lose thee . s august . sup . joan. the spirit rusts where the flesh resteth : for as the flesh is 〈◊〉 with sweet things , the spirit is refreshed with sow●…e . ibidem . wouldest thou that thy flesh obey thy spirit ? then let thy spirit obey thy god : thou must be governed , that thou maist govern . epig. . of mercy and justice is thy kingdome built ; this plagues my sin ; and that removes my guilt : when ere i sue , assuerus like decline thy scep●…re ; lord , say , half my kingdome 's thine . vii . canticles . ii. come , my beloved , let us go forth into the fields , and let us remain in the villages . christ . soul . c●…r . come , come my dear , and let us both retire and whiff the dainties of the fragrant fields : where warbling phil'mel and the shrill-mouth'd quire chaunt forth their raptures ; where the turtle builds her lonely nest ; and where the new-born bryer breaths forth the sweetnesse that her aprill yields : come , come my lovely fair , and let us trie these rurall delicates ; where thou and i may melt in private ●…ames , and fear no stander by . soul . my hearts eternall joy , in lieu of whom the earth 's a blast , and all the world a bubble ; our citie-mansion is the fairer home , but countrey-sweets are tang'd with lesser trouble : let 's try them both , and chuse the better ; come ; a change in pleasure makes the pleasure double : one thy commands depends my go , or tarrie ; i 'll stirre with martha , or i 'll stay with mary : our hearts are firmly fixt , although our pleasures varie . chr. our countrey mansion ( situate on high ) with various objects , still renews delight ; her arched roof 's of unstain'd ivory : her wall 's of fie●…y-sparkling chrysolite ; her pavement is of hardest prophety ; her spacious windows are all glaz'd with bright and fluming carbuncles ; no need require titans faint ●…ayes , or vulcans feebler fire ; and ev'ry gate 's a pearl ; and ev'ry pearl , entire . soul . fool that i was ! how were my thoughts deceiv'd ! how falsly was my fond conceit possest ! i took it for an hermitage , but pav'd and daub'd with neighb'ring dirt , and thacht at best ; alas , i nev'r expected more , nor crav'd ; a turtle hop'd but for a turtles nest : come , come , my dear , and let no idle stay neglect th' advantage of the head-strong day ; how pleasure grates that fe●…ls the curb of dull delay ! chr. come then , my joy ; let our divided paces conduct us to our fairest territory ; o there we 'll twine our souls in sweet embraces ; soul . and in thine a●…ms i 'll tell my passion story : chr. o there i 'll crown thy hea●… with all my graces ; soul . and all those graces shall r●…flect thy glory : chr. o there i 'll feed thee with celestiall manna ; i 'll be thy hanna . soul . and i , thy elkanah . chr. i 'll found my trump of joy . so. and i 'll resound hosanna s. bern. o blessed contemplation ! the death of vices , and the life of virtues ! thee the law and prophets admire : who ever attei●…ed perfection , if not by thee ! o blessed solitude , the magazine of celestiall treasure ! by thee things earthly , and transitory , are changed into heavenly , and eternall . s. bern. in ep. happy is that house , and blessed is that congregation , where martha still complaineth of mary . epig. . mechanick soul , thou must not onely do with martha ; but , with mary , ponder too : happy 's that house where these fair sisters vary ; but most , when martha's reconcil'd to mary . viii . canticles . . draw me ; we will follow after thee by the savour of thy ointments . thus like a lump of the corrupted masse , i lie secure , long lost , before i was : and like a block , beneath whose burden lies that undiscover'd wo●…m that never dies , i have no will to rouze , i have no power to rise . can stinking lazarus compound , or strive with deaths entangling fetters , and revive ? or can the water buried axe implore a hand to raise it ; or it self restore , and from her sandy deeps approch the dry-foot shore ? so hard 's the task for sinfull flesh and bloud to lend the smallest step to what is good ; my god , i cannot move the least degree ; ah! if but onely those that active be , none should thy glory see , none should thy glory see . but if the potter please t' inform the clay ; or some strong hand remove the block away ; their lowly fortunes soon are mounted higher , that proves a vess●…l , which before was mire ; and this being hewn , may serve for better use then sire . and if that life-restoring voyce command dead laz'rus forth ; or that great prophets hand should charm the sullen waters , and begin to becken , or to dart a stick but in , dead laz'rus must revive , and th' axe must sloat again . lord , as i am , i have no pow'r at all to heare thy voyce , or echo to thy call ; the gloomy clouds of mine own guilt benight me ; thy glorious beams , nor dainty sweets invite me ; they neith●…r can direct ; nor these at all delight me . see how my sin-bemangled body lies , nor having pow'r to will , nor will to rise ! shine home upon thy creature , and inspire my livelesse will with thy regen'rate fi●…e ; the first degree to do , is onely to desire . give me the pow'r to will , the will to do ; o raise me up , and i will strive to go : draw me , o draw me with thy treble twist , that have no pow'r but merely to resist ; o lend me strength to do , and then command thy list . my soul 's a clock , whose wheels ( for want of use and winding up , being subject to th' abuse of eating ●…ust ) wants vigour to fulfill her twelve houres task , and shew her makers skill , but idly sleeps unmov'd , and standeth vainly still . great god , it is thy work : and therefore good . if thou be pleas'd to cleanse it with thy blood , and wind it up with thy soul-moving keyes , her busie wheels shall serve thee all her dayes ; her hand shall point thy pow'r , her hammer strike thy praise s. bern. serm. . in cant. let us run , let us run , but in the savour of thy ointments , not in the confidence of our merits , nor in the greatnesse of our strength : we trust to run , but in the multitude of thy mercies , for though we run and are willing it is not in him that willeth , nor in him that runneth , but in god that sheweth mercy . o let thy mercy return , and we will run : thou like a g●…ant , runnest by thy own power ; we , unlesse thy ointment breath upon us , cannot run . epig. . look not , my watch , being once repair'd to stand expecting motion from thy makers hand . h'as wound thee up , and cleans'd thy cogs with blood : if now thy wheels stand still thou art not good . ix . canticles . . o that thou wert as my brother , that sucked the breasts of my mother , i would find thee without , and i would kisse thee . come , come my blessed infant , and immure thee within the temple of my sacred arms ; secure mine arms , mine arms shall then secure thee from herods fury , or the high-priests harms ; or if thy danger'd life sustain a losse , my folded arms shall turn thy dying crosse . but ah , what savage tyrant can behold the beauty of so sweet a face as this is , and not himself be by himself controul'd , and change his fury to a thousand kisses ? one smile of thine is worth more mines of treasure then there be myriads in the dayes of cesar . o , had the tetrarch , as he knew thy birth , so known thy stock , he had not sought to paddle in thy dear bloud ; but prostrate on the earth , had vaild his crown before thy royall cradle , and laid the sceptre of his glory down , and begg'd a heav'nly for an earthly crown . illustrious babe ! how is thy handmaid grac'd with a rich armfull ! how dost thou decline thy majesty , that wert so late embrac'd in thy great fathers arms , and now in mine ! how humbly gracious art thou , to refresh me with thy spirit , and assume my flesh . but must the treason of a traitours hail abuse the sweetnesse of these ●…uby lips ? shall marble-hearted cruelty ass●…il these alabaster sides with knotted whips ? and must these smiling roses entertain the blows of scorn , and flurts of base disdain ? ah! must these dainty li●…tle sprigs that twine so fast about my neck , be pie●…c'd and torn with ragged nails ? and must these brows resigne their crown of glory for a crown of thorn ? ah , must this blessed infant tast the pain of deaths injurious pangs ? nay worse , be slain ? sweet ba●…e ! at what dear rates do wretched i commit a sinne ! lord , ev'ry sin 's a dart ; and ev'ry tr●…spasse lets a javelin slie ; and ev'ry javelin wounds thy bleeding heart : pardon , sweet babe , what i have done amisse ; and seal that granted pardon with a kisse . bonavent . soliloqu cap. . o sweet jesu , i knew not that thy kisses were so sweet , nor thy society so sweet , nor thy attraction so vertuous : for when i love thee , i am clean ; when i touch thee , i am chast ; when i receive thee , i am a virgin : o most sweet jesu , thy embraces defile not , but cleanse ; thy attraction polluteth not , but sanctifieth : o jesu , the fountain of uni●…ersall sweetnesse , pardon me , that i believed so late , that so much sweetnesse is in thy embraces . epig. . my burden 's greatest : let not a●…las boast : impartiall reader , judge which bears the most : he bears but heav'n ; my folded arms sustain heav'ns maker , whom heav'ns heav'n cannot contain . x. canticles . . in my bed by night i sought him that my soul loved ; i sought him , but i found him not . the learned cynick , having lost the way to honest men , did in the height of day , by taper-light , divide his steps about the peopled streets to find this dainty out ; but fail'd : the cynick search'd not where he ought : the thing he sought for was not where he sought . the wisemens task seem'd harder to be done , the wisemen did by staire-light seek the sonne , and found : the wisemen search'd it where they ought ; the thing they hop'd to find was where they sought . one seeks his wishes where he should ; but then perchance he seeks not as he should , nor when : another searches when he should , but there he fails ; not seeking as he should , nor where : whose soul desires the good it wants , and would obtain , must seek where , as , and when he should : how often have my wild affections led my wasted soul to this my widdow'd bed , to seek my lover , whom my soul desires ! ( i speak not , cupid , of thy wanton fires : thy fires are all but dying sparks to mine ; my flames are full of heav'n , and all divine ) how often have i sought this bed , by night , to find that greater by this lesser light ! how oft have my unwitnest grones lamented thy dearest absence ! ah how often vented the bitter tempests of despairing breath , and tost my soul upon the waves of death ! how often has my melting heart made choice of silent tears , ( tears louder then a voyce ) to plead my grief , and woo thy absent eare ! and yet thou wilt not come , thou wilt not heare : o is thy wonted love become so cold ? or do mine eyes not seek thee where they should ? why do i seek thee , if thou art not here ? or find thee not , if thou art ev'ry where ? i see my errour ; 't is not strange i could not find out my love : i sought him where i should not . thou art not found in downy beds of ease ; alas , thy musick strikes on harder keyes : nor art thou found by that false , feeble light of natures candle ; our aegyptian night is more then common darknesse ; nor can we expect a morning , but what breaks from thee . well may my empty bed bewail thy losse , when thou art lodg'd upon thy shamefull crosse : if thou refuse to share a bed with me , we 'll never part , i 'll share a crosse with thee . anselm . in protolog . cap. . lord , if thou art not present , where shall i seek thee absent ? if every where , why do i not see thee present ? thou dwellest it light inaccessible ; and where is that inaccessible light ? or 〈◊〉 shall i have accesse to light inaccessible ? i beseech thee , lord , teach me to seek thee , and shew thy self to the seeker ; because i can neither seek thee , unlesse thou teach me , not find t●…e , unlesse thou shew thy self to me : let me seek thee , in de●… thee , and desire thee in seeking thee ; let me find thee it loving thee , and love thee in finding thee . epig. . where shouldst thou seek for rest , but in thy bed ? but now thy rest is gone , thy rest is fled : 't is vain to seek him there : my soul be wise ; go ask thy sinnes ; they 'll tell thee where he lies , xi . canticles . . i will rise , and go about in the city , and will seek him that my soul loveth : i sought him , but i found him not . o how my disappointed soul 's perplext ! how restlesse thoughts swarm in my troubled breast ! how vainly pleas'd with hopes , then crossely vext with fears ! and how betwixt them both distrest ! what place is left unransack'd ? oh , where next shall i go seek the authour of my rest ? of what blest angel shall my lips enquire the undiscover'd way to that entire and everlasting solace of my hearts desire ! look how the stricken hart that wounded flies ov'r hills and dales , and seeks the lower grounds for running streams , the whilst his weeping eyes peg silent mercy from the following hounds , at length , embost , he droops , drops down , and lies beneath the burden of his bleeding wounds : ev'n so my gasping foul , dissolv'd in tears , doth search for thee , my god , whose deafned ears leave me th' unransom'd prisner to my panick fears . where have my busie eyes not pry'd ? o where , of whom hath not my thred-bare tongue demanded ? i search'd this glorious city ; he 's not here : i sought the countrey ; she stands empty handed ; i search'd the court ; he is a stranger there : i ask'd the land ; he 's shipp'd : the sea , he 's landed : i climb'd the air , my thoughts began t' aspire ; but ah , ! the wings of my too bold desire , soaring too near the sunne , were sing'd with sacred fire . i mov'd the merchants eare ; alas , but he knew neither what i said , nor what to say : i ask'd 〈◊〉 lawyer ; he demands a fee , and the●… demurrs me with a vain delay : i ask'd the schoolman ; his advice was free , but scor'd me out too intricate a way : i ask'd the watch-man ( best of all the soure ) whose gentle answer could resolve no more , but that he lately left him at the temple doore . thus having sought , and made my great inquest in ev●…y place , and search'd in ev'ry ear ; i threw me on my bed ; but ah ! my rest was poyson'd with th' extremes of grief and fear , where looking down into my troubled breast , the magazine of wounds , i found him there : let oth●…rs hunt , and shew their sportfull art ; i wi●…h to catch the ●…are before she start , as potchers use to do ; heav'ns form 's a troubled heart . s. ambros. lib. . de virg. christ is not in the market , not in the streets : for christ is peace , in the market are strife : christ is justice , in the 〈◊〉 is iniquitie : christ is a labourer , in the market 〈◊〉 : christ is charity , in the market is slander : christ is charity , in the market is fraud : let us not therefore seek 〈◊〉 , where we cannot find christ . s. hieron. ep. . ad eustoch. jesus is jealous : he will not have thy face seen : let foolish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abroad , seek thou thy love at home . epig. . what lost thy love ? will neither bed nor board receive him ? not by tears to be implor'd ? it is the ship that moves , and not the coast ; i fear , i fear , my soul , 't is thou art lost . xii . canticles . . have you seen him whom my soul loveth ? when i had past a little from them , then i sound him , i took hold on him , & left him not . what secret corner ? what unwonted way has scap'd the ransack of my rambling thought ? the fox by night , nor the dull owl by day , have never search'd those places i have sought , whilst thy lamented absence taught my breast the ready road to grief , without request ; my day had neither comfort , nor my night had rest . how hath my unregarded language vented the sad tautologies of lavish passion ? how often have i languish'd unlamented ! how oft have i complain'd without compassion ! i ask't the citie-watch , but some deny'd me ; the common street , whilst others would misguide me , some would debar me ; some , divert me ; some , deride me . mark how the widow'd turtle , having lost the faithfull partner of her loyall heart , stretches ●…er feeble wings from coast to c●…ast , haunts ev'ry path ; thinks ev'ry shade doth pa●…t her absent love , and her ; at length u●…sped , she re-betakes her to her lonely bed , and there bewails her everlasting widow-head : so when my soul had progrest ev'ry place , that love and dear affection could contrive , i threw me on my couch , resolv'd t' embrace a death for him , in whom i ceas'd to live : but there injurious hymen did present his lanskip joyes ; my pickled eyes did vent full streams of briny tears , tears never to be spent . whilst thus my sorrow-wasting soul was seeding upon the rad'cal humour of her thought , ev'n whilst mine eyes were blind , and heart was bleeding , he that was sought , unfound , was found unsought . as if the sun should dart his orbe of light into the secrets of the black-brow'd night : ev'n so appear'd my love , my sole , my souls delight . o how mine eyes now ravish'd at the sight of my bright sun shot flames of equall fire ! ah! how my soul dissolv'd with ov'r-delight , to re-enjoy the crown of chast desire ! how sov'reigne joy depos'd and dispossest rebellious grief ! and how my ravish'd breast — but who can presle those heights , that cannot be exprest ? o how these arms , these greedy arms did twine , and strongly twist about his yielding wast ! the s●…ppy branches of the thespian vine nev'r cling'd their lesse beloved elm so fast ; boast not thy flames , blind boy , nor feather'd shot ; let hymens easie snarles be quite forgot : time cann●…t quench our ●…ites , nor death dissolve our knot . orig. hom. . in divers . o most holy lord , and sweetest master , how good art thou to those that are of upright heart , and humble spirit ! o how blessed are they that seek thee with a simple heart ! how happy that trust in thee ! it is a most certain truth , that thou lovest all that love thee , and never forsakest those that trust in thee : for behold thy love simply sought thee , and undoubtedly found thee : she trusted in thee , and is not forsaken of thee , but hath obtained more by thee , then she expected from thee . beda in cap. . cant. the longer i was in finding whom i sought , the more earnestly i held him be●…ng found . epig. . what ? found him out ? let strong embraces bind him ; he 'll fly perchance where tears can never find him . new sinnes will lose what old repentance gains : wisedome not onely gets , but got retains . xiii . psalm . . it is good for me to draw near to god ; i have put my trust in the lord god . where is that good , which wisemen please to call the chiefest ? doth there any such befall within mans reach ? or is there such a good at all ? if such there be , it neither must expire , nor change ; then which there can be nothing higher : such good must be the utter point of mans desire . it is the mark , to which all h●…arts must tend ; can be desired for no other end , then for it self , on which all other goods depend . what may this excellence be ? doth it subsist a reall essence , clouded in the midst of cu●…ious art , or clear to ev'ry eye that list ? or is 't a tart idea , to procure an edge , and keep the practick soul in ure , like that dear chymick dust , or puzzling quadrature ? where shall i seek this good ? where shall i find this cath'lick pleasure , whose extremes may bind my thoughts , and fill the gulf of my insatiate mind ? lies it in treasure ? in full heaps untold ? doth gowty mammous griping hand infold this secret saint in sacred shrines of sov'reigne gold ? no , no ; she lies not there ; wealth often sowrs in keeping ; makes us hers , in seeming ours ; she slides from heav'n indeed , but not in danat's showrs . lives she in honour ? no . the royall crown builds up a creature , and then batters down : kings raise thee with a smile , and raze thee with a frown . in pleasure ? no . pleasure begins in rage ; acts the fools part on earths uncertain stage ; begins the play in youth , and epilogues in age . these , these are bastard-goods ; the best of these torment the soul with pleasing it , and please , like water gulp'd in fevers , with deceitfull ease . earths flatt'ring dainties are but sweet distresses : mole-hils perform the mountains she professes ; alas , can earth confer more good then earth possesses ? moun●… , mount my soul , and let thy thoughts cashier earths vain delights , and make their full carier at heav'ns eternall joyes ; stop , stop thy courser there . there shall thy soul possesse uncarefull treasure ; there shalt thou swim in never-sading pleasure ; and blaze in honour farre above the frowns of caesar . lord , if my ho●…e dare let her anchor fall on thee , the chiefest good , no need to call for earths inferiour trash ; thou , thou art all in all . s. august . soliloqu . cap. . i follow this thing : i pursue that ; but am filled with nothing . but when i found thee , who a●…t that immutable , individed , and onely good , in my self , what i obtained . i wanted not ; for what i obtained not , i grieved not ; with w●…at i was possest , 〈◊〉 whole desire was 〈◊〉 . s. bern. ser. . sup . beati qui habent , &c. let others p●…etend merit : let him b●…ag of the burden of the day ; let him boast of his sabbath fasts , and let him glory that 〈◊〉 is not as other men : but for me , it is good to clea●…e unto the lord , and to put my trust in my lord god . epg . . let bo●…eas blasts , and nep●…unes waves be joyn'd , thy eolus commands the waves , the wind : fear not the rocks or worlds imperious waves : thou climbst a rock ( my soul ) a rock that saves . xiv . canticles . . i sat under his shadow with great delight , and his fruit was sweet to my tast . look how the sheep , whose rambling steps do stray from the safe blessing of her shepherds eyes estsoon , becomes the unprotected prey to the wing'd squadron of beleagring slies ; where swelired with the scorching beams of day , she frisks from bush to brake , and wildly flies from her own self , ev'n of her self afraid ; she shrouds her troubled brows in ev'ry glade , and craves the mercy of the soft removing shade . ev'n so my wand'ring soul , that hath digrest from her great shepherd , is the hourely prey of all my sinnes . these vultures in my breast gripe my promethean heart both night and day : i hunt from place to place , but sind no rest ; i know not where to go , nor where to stay : the eye of vengeance burns , her flames invade my swelt'ring soul : my soul hath oft assaid , but she can find no shrowd , but she can feel no shade . i sought the shades of mitth , to wear away my slow-pac'd hours of soul-consuming grief ; i search'd the shades of sleep , to ease my day of griping sorrows with a nights reprief ; i sought the shades of death ; thought there t' allay my finall torments with a full relief : but mirth , nor sleep nor death can hide my houres in the false shades of their deceitfull bowrs ; the first distracts , the next disturbs , the last devours . where shall i 〈◊〉 ? to whom shall i apply 〈◊〉 ? are there no streams where a faint soul may wade ? thy godhead , jesus , are the flames that fry me ; hath thy all-glorious deity never a shade , where i may sit and vengeance never eye me , where i might sit refresht or 〈◊〉 ? is there no comfort ? is there no resection ? is there no cover that will give protection t' a fainting soul , the subject of thy wraths 〈◊〉 ? look up , my soul , advance the lowly stature of thy sad thoughts ; advance thy humble eye : see , here 's a shadow found : the humane nature is made the umbella to the deity . to catch the sun-beams of thy just creatour ; beneath this covert thou maist safely lie : 〈◊〉 thine eyes to climbe this fruitfull tree , as quick zacheus did , and thou shalt see a cloud of dying flesh betwixt those beams and thee . guill . in cap. . cant. who can indure the 〈◊〉 rayes of the sunne of justice ? who shall not be consumed by his beams ? therefore the sun of justice took flesh , that through the conjunction of that sun and this humane body a shadow may be made . s. august . med. cap. . lord , let my soul flee from the scorching thoughts of the world under the covert of thy wings , that being resreshed by the moderation of thy shadow , she may sing merrily , in peace will i lay me down and rest . 〈◊〉 . . ah , treach'rous soul , would not thy pleasures give that lord which made thee living leave to live ? see what thy sinnes have done : thy sinnes have made the sunne of glory now become thy shade . xv . psalm . . how shall we sing a song of the lord in a strange land ? urge me no more : this aity mirth belongs to better times : these times are not for songs . the sprightly twang of the melodious lute 〈◊〉 not with my voice ; and both unsuit my untun'd fortunes : the affected measure of strains that are constrain'd 〈◊〉 no pleasure . musick 's the child of mirth ; where griefs assail the troubled soul , both voyce and fingers fail : let such as ravil out their lavish dayes in honourable riot ; that can raise dejected hearts , and conjure up a sprite of madnesse by the magick of delight ; let those of cupids hospitall , that lie impatient patients to a smiling eye , that cannot rest , untill vain hope beguile their 〈◊〉 torments with a wanton smile ; let such redeem their peace , and salve the wrongs of froward fortune with their frolick songs : my grief , my grief 's too great for smiling eyes to cure , or counter - 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 . the ravens dismall croaks ; the midnight bowls of empty wolues , mixt with the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the nine sad knowls of a dull passing bell , with the loud language of a nightly knell , and horrid out-cries of revenged crimes , joyn'd in a medley's musick for these times : these are no times to touch the merry string of orpheus ; no , these are no times to sing . can hide-bound prisners , that have spent their souls and famish'd bodies in the noysome holes of hell-black dungeons , apt their rougher throats , grown hoarse with begging alms , to warble notes ? can the sad pilgrime , that hath lost his way in the vast desart ; there condemn'd a prey to the wild subject , or his savage king , rouze up his palsey smitten spir'ts , and sing ? can i a pilgrime , and a prisner too , ( alas ) where i am neither known , nor know ought but my torments , an unransom'd stranger in this strange climate , in a land of danger ? o , can my voyce be pleasant , or my hand , thus made a prisner to a forrein land ? how can my musick relish in your cars , that cannot speak for sobs , nor sing for tears ? ah , if my voyce could , orpheus-like , unspell my poore eurydice , my soul from hell of earths misconstru'd heav'n , o then my breast should warble airs , whose rhapsodies should feast the ears of seraphims , and entertain heav'ns highest deity with their lofty strain , a strain well drencht in the true thespian well , till then , earths semiquaver , mirth , farewell . s. august . med. cap. . o infinitely happy are those heavenly virtues which are able 〈◊〉 praise thee in holinesse and puritie , with excessive sweetnesse 〈◊〉 able exultation ! from thence they praise thee , from whence they rejoyce , because they continually see for what they rejoyce , for what they praise thee : but we prest down with this burden of flesh , far removed from thy countenance in this pilgrimage , and blown up with worldly vanities , cannot worthily praise thee : we praise thee by faith ; nor face to face : but those angelicall spirits praise thee face to face , and not by saith . epio. . did i refuse to sing ? said i these times were not for songs ? nor musick for these climes ? it was my errour : are not grones and tears harmonious raptures in th' almighties ears ? the fifth book . i. canticles . . i charge you , o daughters of jerusalem , if you find my beloved , that you tell him that i am sick of love . you holy virgins , that so oft surround the cities saphire walls , whose snowy feet measure the pearly paths of sacred ground , and trace the new jerus'lems jasper street ; ah , you whose care-forsaken hearts are crown'd with your best wishes ; that enjoy the sweet of all your hopes ; if e'r you chance to spie my absent love , o tell him that i lie deep wounded with the flames that furnac'd from his eye . i charge you , virgins , as you hope to heare the heav'nly musick of your lovers voice ; i charge you by the solemne faith ye bear to plighted vows , and to that loyall choice of your affections , or , if ought more dear you hold ; by hymen , by your marriage joyes , i charge you tell him , that a flaming dart , shot from his eye hath pierc'd my bleeding heart ; and i am sick of love , and languish in my smart . tell him , o tell him , how my panting breast is 〈◊〉 with flames , and how my soul is pin'd ; tell him , o tell him , how i he opprest with the full torments of a troubled mind ; o tell him , tell him , that he loves in jest , but i in earnest ; tell him , he 's unkind : but if a discontented frown appears upon his angry brow , accoast his ears with soft and fewer words , and act the rest in tears . o tell him , that his cruelties deprive my soul of peace , while peace in vain she seeks ; tell him those damask roses , that did strive with white , both fade , upon my sallow cheeks ; tell him , no token doth proclaim i live , but tears , and sighs , and sobs , and sudden shrieks ; thus if your piercing words should chance to bore his hearkning ear , and move a sigh , give ore to speak ; and tell him — tell him , that i could no more . if your elegious breath should hap to rouze a happy tear , close harb'ring in his eye , then urge his plighted faith , the sacred vows , which neither i can break , nor he deny ; bewail the torments of his loyall spouse , that for his sake would make a sport to die : o blessed virgins , how my passion tires beneath the burden of her fond desires ! heav'n never shot such flames , earth never felt such fires ! s. august . med. cap. . what shall i say ? what shall i do ? whither shall i go ? where shall i seek him ? or when shall i find him ? whom shall i ask ? who will tell my beloved that i am sick of love ? 〈◊〉 . in cap. . cant. i live , but not i : it is my beloved that liveth in me : i love my self , not with my own love , but with the love of my beloved that loveth me : i love not my self in my self , but my self in him , and him in me . epig. . grieve not ( my soul ) nor let thy love wax faint , weep'st thou to lose the cause of thy complaint ? he 'll come ; love ne'r was bound to times nor laws : till then thy tears complain without a cause . ii. canticles . . stay me with flowers , and comfort me with apples , for i am sick with love●… o tyrant love i how doth thy sov'reigne pow'r subject poore souls to thy imperious thrall ! they say , thy cup 's compos'd of sweet and sowre ; they say , thy diet 's honey mixt with gall ; how comes it then to passe , these lips of our still trade in bitter ; tast no sweet at all ? o tyrant love ! shall our perpetuall toil ne'r find a sabbath , to refresh awhile our drooping souls ? art thou all frowns , and ne'r a smile ? you blessed maids of honour that frequent the royall courts of our renown'd jehove , with flow'rs restore my spirits faint and spent ; o fetch me apples from loves fruitfull grove , to cool my palate , and renew my sent , for i am sick , for i am sick of love : these will revive my dry , my wasted pow'rs , and they will sweeten my unsav'ry houres ; refresh me then with fruit , and comfort me with flow'rs . o bring me apples to asswage that fire , which aetna-like inflames my flaming breast ; nor is it every apple i desire , nor that which pleases every palate best : 't is not the lasting deuzan i require , nor yet the red-cheek'd queening i request ; nor that which first bethrewd the name of wife , nor that whose beauty caus'd the golden strife ; no , no , bring me an apple from the tree of life . virgins , tuck up your silken laps , and fill ye with the fair wealth of floras magazine ; the purple violet , and the pale-fac'd lilly ; the pancy and the organ colombine ; the flowring thyme , the guilt-boul daffadilly ; the lowly pink , the lofty eglentine : the blushing rose , the queen of flowers , and best of floras beauty ; but above the rest , let jesses sovereigne flower perfume my qualming breast . haste , virgins , haste , for i lie weak and faint , beneath the 〈◊〉 of love ; why stand ye mute , as if your silence neither car'd to grant , nor yet your language to deny my suit ? no key can lock the doore of my complaint , untill i smell this flower , or tast that fruit ; go , virgins , seek this tree , and search that how'r●… o , how my soul shall blesse that happy houre , that brings to me such fruit , that brings me such a flower . gisten . in cap. . cant. expos. . o happy sicknesse , where the infirmitie is not to death , but 〈◊〉 life , that god may be glorified by it ! o happy sever , that procedeth not from a consuming , but a calcining sire ! o happy ●…emper , wherein the soul relisheth no earthly things , but onely savoureth divine nourishment ! s. bern. serm. . in cant. by flowers understand faith ; by fruit , good works : as the flower or blossome is before the fruit , so is saith before good works : so neither is the fruit without the flower , nor good works without faith . epig. . why apples , o my soul ? can they remove the pangs of grief , or ease the flames of love ? it was that fruit which gave the first offence ; that sent him hither 〈◊〉 that remov'd him hence . iii. canticles . . my beloved is mine , and i am his ; he feedeth among the lillies . ev'n like two little bank-dividing brooks , that wash the pebbles with their wanton streams , and having rang'd and search'd a thousand nooks , meet both at length in silver-breasted thames , where in a greater current they conjoyn : so i my best-beloveds am ; so he is mine . ev'n so we met ; and after long pursuit , ev'n so we joyn'd ; we both became entire ; no need for either to renew a suit , for i was flax and he was flames of sire : our firm united souls did more then twine ; so i my best-beloveds am ; so he is mine . if all those glitt'ring monarchs that command the servile quarters of this earthly ball , should tender , in exchange , their shares of land , i would not change my fortunes for them all : their wealth is but a counter to my coin ; the world 's but theirs ; but my beloved's mine . nay more ; if the fair thespian ladies all should heap together their diviner treasure : that treasure should be deem'd a price too small to buy a minutes lease of half my pleasure . 't is not the sacred wealth of all the nine can buy my heart from him , or his , from being mine . nor time , nor place , nor chance , nor death can bow my least desires unto the least remove ; he 's firmly mine by oath ; i his by vow ; he 's mine by faith ; and i am his by love ; he 's mine by water ; i am his by wine ; thus i my best-beloveds am ; thus he is mine . he is my altar ; i , his holy place ; i am his guest ; and he , my living food ; i 'm his by penitence ; he mine by grace ; i 'm his by purchase ; he is mine , by bloud ; he 's my supporting elm ; and i his vine : thus i my best-beloveds am ; thus he is mine . he gives me wealth , i give him all my vows : i give him songs ; he gives me length of dayes : with wreaths of grace he crowns my conqu'ring brows : and i his temples with a crown of praise , which he accepts as an ev'rlasting signe , that i my best-beloveds am ; that he is mine . s. august . manu . cap. . o my soul stampt with the image of thy god ; love him of whom thou art so much beloved : bend to him that boweth to thee , seek him that seeketh thee : love thy lover , by whose love thou art prevented , being the cause of thy love : be carefull with those that are carefull , want with those that want ; be clean with the clean , and holy with the holy : choose this sriend above all friends , who when all are taken away remaineth onely faithfull to thee : in the day of thy buriall , when all leave thee , he will not deceive thee , but defend thee from the roaring lions prepared for their prey . epio. . sing , hymen , to my soul : what ? lost and found ? welcom'd espous'd , enjoy'd so soon , and crown'd●… he did but climb the crosse , and then came down 〈◊〉 gates of hell ; triumph'd , and fetch'd a crown . iv. canticles . . i am my beloveds , and his desire is towards me . like to the artick needle , that doth guide the wand'ring shade by his magnetick pow'r , and leaves his silken gnomon to decide the question of the controverted houre , first franticks up and down , from side to side , and restlesse beats his crystall'd iv'ry case with vain impatience ; jets from place to place , and seeks the bosome of his frozen bride , at length he slacks his motion , and doth rest his trembling point at his bright poles beloved brest . ev'n so my soul , being hurried here and there , by ev'ry object that presents delight , fain would be settled , but she knowes not where ; she likes at morning what she loaths at night ? she bowes to honour ; then she lends an eare to that sweet swan-like voyce of dying pleasure , then tumbles in the scatter'd heaps of treasure ; now flatter'd with false hope ; now foyl'd with fear : thus finding all the worlds delights to be but empty toyes , good god , she points alone to thee . but hath the virtued steel a power to move ? or can the untouch'd needle point aright ? or can my wandring thoughts forbear to rove , unguided by the virtue of thy spirit ? o hath my leaden soul the art t' improve her wasted talent , and unrais'd , aspire in this sad moulting time of her desire ? not first belov'd have i the power to love ? i cannot stirre , but as thou please to move me , nor can my heart return thee love , untill thou love me . the still commandresse of the silent night borrows her beams from her bright brothers eye ; his fair aspect filles her sharp horns with light , if he withdraw , her flames are quench'd and die : even so the beams of thy enlightning spirit infus'd and shot into my dark desire , inflame my thoughts , and fill my soul with fire , that i am ravisht with a new delight ; but if thou shroud thy face , my glory fades , and i remain a nothing , all compos'd of shades . eternall god , o thou that onely art the sacred fountain of eternall light , and blessed loadstone of my better part , o thou my hearts desire , my souls delight , reflect upon my soul , and touch my heart , and then my heart shall prize no good above thee ; and then my soul shall know thee ; knowing , love thee ; and then my trembling thoughts shall never start from thy commands , or swerve the least degree , or once presume to move , but as they move in thee . s. august . med. cap. . if man can love man with so entire affection , that the one can scarce brook the others absence ? if a bride can be joyned to 〈◊〉 bride-groom with so great an ardency of mind , that for the extremitie of love she can enjoy no rest , not suffering his absence without great anxiety , with what affection , with what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul whom thou hast espoused by saith and compassion , to love thee her true god and glorious bridegroom ? epig. . my soul , thy love is dear : 't was thought a good and easie pen'worth of thy saviours bloud : but be not proud ; all matters rightly scann'd , 't was over-brought : 't was sold at second hand . v. canticles . . my soul melted whilst my beloved spake . lord , has the feeble voyce of flesh and bloud the pow'r to work thine ears into a floud of melted mercy ? or the strength t' unlock the gates of heav'n , and to dissolve a rock of marble clouds into a morning show'r ? or hath the breath of whining dust the pow'r to stop , or snatch a falling thunderbolt from thy fierce hand , and make thy hand revolt from resolute confusion , and in stead of vyals poure full blessings on our head ? or shall the wants of famisht ravens cry , and move thy mercy to a quick supply ? or shall the silent suits of drooping flow'rs woo thee for drops , and be refresh'd with show'rs ? alas , what marvel then , great god , what wonder if thy hell-rouzing voice , that splits in sunder the brazen portals of eternall death ; what wonder if that life-restoring breath which dragg'd me from th'infernall shades of night , should melt my ravisht soul with ore-delight ? o can my frozen gutters choose but run , that feel the warmth of such a glorious sun ? me thinks his language , like a flaming arrow , doth pierce my bones , and melts their wounded marrow ; thy flames , o cupid ( though the joyfull heart feels neither tang of grief , nor fears the smart of jealous doubts , but drunk with full desires ) are torments weigh'd with these celestiall fires ; pleasures that ravish in so high a measure , that o i languish in excesse of pleasure : what ravisht heart , that feels these melting joyes , would not despise and loath the treach'rous toyes of dunghill earth ? what soul would not be proud of wry-mouth'd scorns , the worst that flesh and bloud had rancour to devise ? who would not bear the worlds derision with a thankfull eare ? what palat would refuse full bowls of spight , to gain a minutes tast of such delight ? great spring of light , in whom there is no shade but what my interposed sinnes have made , whose marrow-melting fires admit no screen but what my own rebellions put between their precious flames , and my obdurate eare ; disperse these plague-distilling clouds , and clear my mungy soul into a glorious day ; transplant this screen , remove this barre away , then , then my fluent soul shall feel the fires of thy sweet voyce , and my dissolv'd desires shall turn a sov'reigne balsame , to make whole those wounds my sinnes inflicted on thy soul . s. august . soliloq . cap. . what fire is this that so warmeth my heart ! what light is this that so enlightneth my soul ! o fire , that alwayes burnest , and never goest out , kindle me : o light , which ever shinest , and art never darkned , illuminate me : o that i had my heat from thee , most holy fire ! how sweetly dost thou burn ! how secretly dost thou shine ! how desiderably dost thou inflame me ! bonavent stim . amoris cap. . it maketh god man , and man god ; things temporall , eternall ; mortall , immortall ; it maketh an enemy a friend ; a servant , a sonne ; 〈◊〉 things , glorious ; cold hearts siery , and hard things liquid . epig. . my soul , thy gold is true , but full of drosse ; thy saviours breath resines thee with some losse : his gentle fornace makes thee pure as true ; thou must be melted , ere th' art cast anew . vi . psalme . . whom have i in heaven but thee ? and what desire i on earth in respect of thee ? i love ( and have some cause to love ) the earth : she is my makers creature ; therefore good : she is my mother , for she gave me birth ; she is my tender nurse ; she gives me food : but what 's a creature , lord , compar'd with thee ? or what 's my mother , or my nurse to me ? i love the aire : her dainty sweets refresh my drooping soul , and to new sweets invite me ; her shrill-mouth'd quire sustain me with their flesh , and with their polyphonian notes delight me : but what 's the aire or all the sweets that she can blesse my soul withall , compar'd to thee ? i love the sea : she is my fellow-creature ; my carefull purveyer ; she provides me store : she walls me round ; she makes my diet greater ; she wafts my treasure from a forrein shore : but lord of oceans , when compar'd with thee , what is the ocean , or her wealth to me ? to heav'ns high citie i direct my journey , whose spangled suburbs entertain mine eye ; mine eye , by contemplations great atturney , transcends the crystall pavement of the skie : but what is heav'n great god , compar'd to thee ? without thy presence heav'n 's no heav'n to me . without thy presence earth gives no refection ; without thy presence sea affords no treasure ; without thy presence air 's a rank 〈◊〉 ; without thy presence heav'n it self 's no pleasure : if not possest if not enjoy'd in thee , what 's earth , or sea , or air , or heav'n to me ? the highest honours that the world can boast are subjects farre too low for my desire ; the brightest beams of glory are ( at most ) but dying sparkles of thy living fire : the proudest flames that earth can kindle , be but nightly glow-worms , if compar'd to thee . without thy presence , wealth are bags of cares ; wisdome , but folly ; joy , disquiet sadnesse ; friendship is treason , and delights are snares ; pleasures but pain , and mirth but pleasing madnesse : without thee , lord , things be not what they be nor have they being , when compar'd with thee . in having all things , and not thee , what have i ? not having thee , what have my labours got ? let me enjoy but thee , what farther crave i ? and having thee alone , what have i not ? i wish nor sea , nor land ; nor would i be possest of heav'n , heav'n unpossest of thee . bonavint . cap. . soliloq . alas , my god , now i understand ( but blush to consesse ) that the beautie of thy creatures hath deceived mine eyes , and i have not observed that thou art more amiable then all thy creatures ; to which thou hast communicated but one drop of thy inestimable beautie : for who hath adorned the heavens with starres ? who hath stored the air with sowl , the waters with fish , the earth with plants and flowers ? but what are all these but a small spark of divine beauty . s. chrys. hom. . in ep. ad rom. in having nothing i have all things , because i have christ ; having 〈◊〉 all things in him , i seek no other reward , for he is the universall reward . epig. . who would not throw his better thoughts about him , and scorn this drosse within him ; that , without him ? cast up ( my soul ) thy clearer eye ; behold . if thou be fully melted , there 's the mold . vii . 〈◊〉 . . wo is to me , that i remain in meshech , and dwell in the tents of kedar ! is natures course dissolv'd ? doth times glasse stand ? or hath some frolick heart set back the hand of fates perpetuall clock ? will't never strike ? is crazy time grown lazy , faint or sick with very age ? or hath that great pairroyall of adamantine sisters late made triall of some new trade ? shall mortall hearts grow old in sorrow ? snail my weary arms infold and underprop my panting sides for ever ? is there no charitable hand will sever my well-spun thred , that my imprison'd soul may be deliver'd from this dull dark hole of dungeon flesh ? o shall i , shall i never be ransom'd , but remain a slave for ever ? it is the lot of man but once to die , but ere that death how many deaths have i ? what humane madnesse makes the world affraid to entertein heav'ns joy , because convey'd by th' hand of death ? will nakednesse refuse rich change of robes , because the man 's not spruse that brought them ? or will povertie send back full bags of gold , because the bringer 's black ? life is a bubble , blown with whining breaths , fill'd with the torments of a thousand deaths ; which , being prickt by death ( while death deprives one life ) presents the soul a thousand lives : o frantick mortall , how hath earth bewitch'd thy bedlam soul , which hath so fondly pitch'd upon her false delights ! delights that cease before enjoyment finds a time to please : her fickle joyes breed doubtfull fears ; her fears bring hopefull griefs ; her griefs weep fearfull tears ; tears coyn deceitfull hopes ; hopes , carefull doubt , and surly passion justles passion out : to day we pamper with a full repast of lavish mirth ; at night we weep as fast : to night we swim in wealth , and lend ; to morrow , we sink in want , and find no friend to borrow . in what a climate doth my soul reside ! where pale-fac'd murder , the first-born of pride , sets up her kingdome in the very smiles , and plighted faiths of men-like crocodiles ; a land , where each embroyd'red sattin word is lin'd with fraud ; where mars his law lesse sword exiles 〈◊〉 balance ; where that hand now slayes his brother , that new-sow'd his land : o that my dayes of bondage would expire in this lewd soyl ! lord , how my soul 's on fire to be dissolv'd , that i might once obtain these long'd for joyes , long'd for so oft in vain ! if moses-like i may not live possest of this fair land ; lord , let me see 't at least . s. august . 〈◊〉 . cap. . my life is a frail life ; a corruptible life ; a life , which the more it increaseth , the more it decreaseth : the farther it goeth , the nearer it cometh to death . a deceitfull life , and like a shadow , full of the snares of death : now i rejoyce , now i languish , now i flourish , now infirm , now i live , and straight i die ; now i seem happy , alwayes miserable ; 〈◊〉 i laugh , now i weep : thus all things are subject to mutabilitie , that nothing continueth an 〈◊〉 in one state : o joy above joy , exceeding all joy , without which there is no joy , when shall i enter into thee , that i may see my god that dwelleth in thee ? epig. . art thou so weak ? o canst thou not digest an houre of travel for a night of rest ? chear up , my soul ; call home thy spirits , and bear one bad good-friday ; full-mouth'd easter's near . viii . romanes . . o wretched man that i am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? behold thy darling , which thy lustfull care pampers ; for which thy restlesse thoughts prepare such 〈◊〉 cates : for whom thy bubbling brow so often sweats , and bankrupt eyes do ow such midnight scores to nature , for whose sake base earth is sainted , the infernall lake unfeard , the crown of glory poorely rated , thy god neglected , and thy brother hated : behold thy darling , whom thy soul affects so dearly ; whom thy fond indulgence decks and puppets up in soft , in silken weeds : behold thy darling , whom thy fondnesse feeds with farre-fetcht delicates , the dear-bought gains of ill-spent time , the price of half thy pains : behold thy darling , who , when clad by thee , derides thy nakednesse ; and when most free , proclaims her lover slave ; and being fed most full , then strikes th' indulgent feeder dead . what meanst thou thus , my poore deluded soul , to love so fondly ? can the burning cole of thy affection last without the fuel of counter-love ? is thy compeer so cruel , and thou so kind , to love unlov'd again ? canst thou sow favours , and thus reap disdain ? remember , o remember , thou art born of royall bloud ; remember thou art sworn a maid of honour in the court of heaven ; remember what a costly price was given to ransome thee from slav'ry thou wert in ; and wilt thou now , my soul , turn slave again ? the son and heir to heav'ns triune jehove would fain become a 〈◊〉 for thy love , and offers for thy dow'r his fathers throne , to sit for seraphims to gaze upon ; he 'll give thee honour , pleasure , wealth , and things transcending farre the majesty of kings : and wilt thou prostrate to the odious charms of this base scullion ? shall his hollow arms hugg thy soft sides ? shall these course hands untie the sacred zone of thy virginitie ? for shame , degen'rous soul , let thy desire be quickned up with more heroick fire ; be wisely proud , let thy ambitious eye reade nobler objects ; let thy thoughts desie such am'rous basenesse ; let thy soul disdain th'ignoble profers of so base a swain ; or if thy vowes be past , and hymens bands have ceremonied your unequall hands , annull , at least avoid , thy lawlesse act with insufficiencie , or a precontract ; or if the act be good , yet maist thou plead a second freedome ; for the flesh is dead . nazianz . orat. . how i am joyned to this body , i know not ; which when it is healthfull , provoketh me to warre , and being dammaged by warre , affecteth me with grief ; which i both love as a fellow-servant , and bate as an utter enemy : it is a pleasant foe , and a perfidious friend . o strange conjunction and alienation : what i fear i embrace , and what i love i am affraid of ; before i make warre , i am reconciled , before i enjoy peace i am at variance . epig. . what need that house be dawb'd with slesh and bloud ? hang'd round with silks and gold ? repair'd with food ? cost idly spent ! that cost doth but prolong thy thraldome . fool , thou mak'st thy jail too strong . ix . philippians . . i am in a strait between two , having a desire to be dissolved , and to be with christ . what meant our carefull parents so to wear , and lavish out their ill expended houres , to purchase for us large possessions here , which ( though unpurchas'd ) are too truly ours ? what meant they , ah what meant they to indure such loads of needlesse labour , to procure and make that thing our own , which was our own too sure . what mean these liv'ries and possessive keyes ? what mean these bargains , and these needlesse sales ? what need these jealous , these suspitious wayes of law-divis'd , and law-dissolv'd entails ? no need to sweat for gold , wherewith to buy estates of high-priz'd land ; no need to tie earth to their heirs , were they but clogg'd with earth as i. o were their souls but clogg'd with earth as i , they would not purchase with so 〈◊〉 an itch ; they would not take of almes , what now they buy ; nor call him happy , whom the world counts rich : they would not take such pains , project and prog , to charge their shoulders with so great a log : who hath the greater lands , hath but the greater clog . i cannot do an act which earth disdains not ; i cannot think a thought which earth corrupts not ; i cannot speak a word which earth profanes not ; i cannot make a vow earth interrupts not : if i but offer up an early grone , or spread my wings to heav'ns long-long'd for throne , she darkens my complaints , and drags my offering down . 〈◊〉 like the hawk , ( whose keepers wary hands have made a prisner to her wethring stock ) forgetting quite the pow'r of her fast bands , makes a rank bate from her forsaken block , but her too faithfull 〈◊〉 doth soon restrain her broken flight , attempted oft in vain ; it gives her loyns a twitch , and tugs her back again . so , when my soul directs her better eye to heav'ns bright pallace ( where my treasure lies ) i spread my willing wings , but cannot fly , earth hales me down , i cannot , cannot rise : when i but strive to mount the least degree , earth gives a jerk , and foils me on my knee ; lord , how my soul is rackt betwixt the world and thee ! great god , i spread my feeble wings in vain ; in vain i offer my extended hands : i cannot mount till thou unlink my chain ; i cannot come till thou release my bands : which if thou please to break , and then supply my wings with spirit , th' eagle shall not sly a pitch that 's half so fair , nor half so swift as i. bonavent . cap. . soliloq . ah sweet jesus , pierce the marrow of my seul with the 〈◊〉 shafts of thy love , that it may truly burn and melt , and languish with the onely desire of thee ; that it may desire to be dissolved , and to be with thee : let it hunger alone for the bread of life ; let it thirst after thee , the spring and fountain of eternall light , the stream of true pleasure : let it alwaies desire thee , seek thee , and find thee , and sweetly rest in thee . epig. . what ? will thy shackles neither loose nor break ? are they too strong , or is thy arm too weak ? art will prevail where knotty strength denies ; my soul , there 's aquasortis in thine eyes . x. psalm . . bring my soul out of prison , that i may prayse thy name . my soul is like a bird , my slesh the cage , wherein she wears her weary pilgrimage of houres as few as evil , dayly fed with sacred wine , and sacramentall bread ; the keyes that lock her in , and let her out , are birth and death ; 'twixt both she hops about from perch to perch , from sense to reason ; then from higher reason down to sense again : from sense she climbs to faith ; where for a season she sits and sings ; then down again to reason : from reason back to faith , and straight from thence she rudely slutters to the perch of sense : from sense , to hope ; then hops from hope to doubt : from doubt , to dull despair ; there seeks about for desp'rate freedome , and at ev'ry grate , she wildly thrusts , and begs th'untimely date of unexpired thraldome , to release th' afflicted captive , that can find no peace . thus am i coop'd within this fleshly cage i wear my youth , and wast my weary age , spending that breath which was ordain'd to chaunt heav'ns prayses forth , in sighes and sad complaint : whilst happier birds can spread their nimble wing from shrubs to cedars , and there chirp and sing , in choice of raptures , the harmonious story of mans redemption , and his makers glory : you glorious martyrs , you illustrious troops , that once were cloyster'd in your fleshly coops , as fast as i , what rhet'rick had your tongu●…s ? what dextrous art had your elegiak songs ? what paul-like pow'r had your admir'd devotion ? what shackle-breaking faith infus'd such motion to your strong prayers , that could obtain the boon to be inlarg'd , to be uncag'd so soon ? when i , poore i , can sing my dayly tears , grown old in bondage , and can find no ears : you great partakers of eternall glory , that with your heav'n-prevailing oratory , releas'd your souls from your terrestriall cage , permit the passion of my holy rage to recommend my sorrows , dearly known to you , in dayes of old , and once your own , to your best thoughts , ( but oh't doth not befit ye to move your pray'rs ; you love and joy , not pittie : ) great lord of souls to whom should prisners slie , but thee ? thou hadst thy cage , as well as i : and , for my sake , thy pleasure was to know the sorrows that it brought , and fel●…st them too ; o set me free , and i will spend those daves , which now i wast in begging , in thy prayse . anselm . in protolog . cap. . o miserable condition of mankind , that has lost that for which he was created ! alas , what hath he lost ? and what hath he found ? he hath lost happinesse for which he was made , and found misery for which he was not made : what is gone ? and what is lest ? that thing is gone , without which he is unhappy ; that thing is left , by which he is miserable : o wretched men ! from whence are we expelled ? to what are we impelled ? whence are we thrown ? and whither are we burried ? from our home into banishment ; from the sight of god into our own 〈◊〉 ; from the pleasure of immortalitie to the bitter●…esse of death : miserable change ! from how great a good , to how great an evil ? ah me , what have i enterprised ? what ha●…e i done ? whither did i go ? whither am i come ? epig. . pauls midnight-voyce prevail'd ; his musicks thunder unhing'd the prison doores , split bolts in sunder : and sitst thou here , and hang'st the feble wing ? and whin'st to be enlarg'd ? soul , learn to sing . xi . psalm . . as the hart panteth after the water-brooks , so panteth my soul after thee , o god . how shall my tongue expresse that hallow'd fire which heav'n hath kindled in my ravisht heart ? what muse shall i invoke , that will inspire my lowly quill to act a loftie part ! what art shall i devise t' expresse desire , too intricate to be exprest by art ! let all the nine be silent ; i refuse their aid in this high task , for they abuse the flames of love too much : assist me , davids muse . not as the thirsty soyl desires soft show'rs , to quicken and refresh her embryon grain ; nor as the drooping crests of fading flow'rs request the bountie of a morning rain , do i desire my god : these , in few houres , re-wish what late their wishes did obtein , but as the swift-foot hart doth wounded flie to th' much desired streams , ev'n so do i pant after thee , my god , whom i must find or die . before a pack of deep-mouth'd lusts i fl●…e ; o they have singled out my panting heart , and wanton cupid , sitting in a tree , hath pierc'd my bosome with a flaming dart ; my soul being spent , for refuge seeks to thee , but cannot find where thou my refuge art : like as the swift-foot hart doth wounded flie to the desired st●…eams , ev'n so do i pant after thee , my god , whom i must find or die . at length by flight , i over-went the pack ; thou drew'st the wanton da●…t from out my wound ; the bloud , that follow'd , left a pu●…ple track , which brought a serpent , but in ●…hape a hound : we strove , he bit me ; but thou brak'st his back , i left him grov'ling on th'envenom'd ground ; but as the serpent-bitten hart doth slie to the long-long'd for streams , ev'n so did i pant after thee , my god , whom i must find or die . if lust should chase my soul , made swift by fright , thou art the st●…eams whereto my soul is bound : or if a jav'lin wound my sides in flight , thou art the balsame that must cure my wound : if povson chance t' infest my soul , in fight , thou art the treade that must make me sound : ev'n as the wounded hart , embost , doth slie to th' streams extremely long'd for , so do i pa●…t after thee , my god , whom i must find or die . cyp. lib. . in joh. cap. . oprecious water , which quencbeth the noysome thirst of this world , that scoureth all the stains os sinners , that watereth t●…e earth of our souls with heavenly showers , and bringeth back the thirsty heart of man to his onely god! s. august . soliloq . . o fountain of life , and vein of living waters , when shall i leave this forsaken , impassible , and dry earth , and tast the waters of thy sweetnesse , that i may behold thy virtue , and thy glory , and slake my thirst with the streams of thy mercy ; lord , i thirst : thou art the spring of life , 〈◊〉 me ; i thirst lord , i thirst aste . thee the living god! epig. . the arrow-smitten hart , deep wounded , slies to th' springs with water in his weeping eyes : heav'n is thy spring : if satans fiery dart pierce thy faint sides , do so , my wounded heart . xii . psalm . . when shall i come and appear before god ? what is my soul the better to be tin'd with holy fire ? what boots it to be coyn'd with heav'ns own stamp ? what vantage can there be to souls of heav'n-descended pedegree , more then to beasts that grovel ? are not they fed by th' almighties hand ? and ev'ry day , fill'd with his blessing too ? do they not see god in his creatures as direct as we ? do they not tast thee ? hear thee ? nay , what sense is not partaker of thine excellence ? what more do we ? alas , what serves our reason , but , like dark lanthorns , to accomplish treason with greater closenesse ? it affords no light , brings thee no nearer to our purblind sight ; no pleasure rises up the least degree , great god , but in the clearer view of thee : what priv'ledge more then sense hath reason than ? what vantage is it to be born a man ? how often hath my patience built , dear lord , vain tow'rs of hope upon thy gracious word ? how often hath thy hope reviving grace woo'd my suspitious eyes to seek thy face ! how often have i sought thee ? oh how long hath expectation taught my perfect tongue repeated pray'rs , yet pray'rs could ne'r obtain ; in vain i seek thee , and i beg in vain : if it be high presumption to behold thy face , why didst thou make mine eyes so bold to seek it ? if that object be too bright for mans aspect , why did thy lips invite mine eye t' expect it ? if it might be seen , why is this envious curtain drawn between my darkned eye and it ? o tell me , why thou dost command the thing thou dost deny ? why dost thou give me so unp●…iz'd a treasure , and then deny'st my greedy soul the pleasure to view thy gift ? alas , that gift is void , and is no gift , that may not be enjoy'd : if those refulgent beams of heav'ns great light guild not the day , what is the day , but night ? the drouzie shepherd sleeps ; flow'rs droop and fade , the birds are sullen , and the beast is sad : but if bright titan dart his golden ray , and , with his riches , glorifie the day , the jolly shepherd pipes ; flow'rs freshly spring ; the beast growes gamesome , and the birds they sing . thou art my sun , great god : o when shall i view the full beams of thy meridian eye ? draw , draw this fleshly curtain , that denies the gracious presence of thy glorious eyes ; or give me faith ; and by the eye of grace , i shall behold thee , though not face to face . s. august . in psal. . who created all things is better then all things ; who beau●…ified all things is more beautifull then all things : who made strength is stronger then all things : who made great things is greater then all things : whatsoever thou lovest he is that to thee : learn to love the workman in his work , the creatour in his creature : let not that which was made by him possesse thee , lest thou lose him by whom thy self was made . s. august . med. cap. . o thou most sweet , most gracious , most amiable , most fair , when shall i see thee ? when shall i be satisfied with thy beautie ? when wilt thou lead me from this dark dungeon , that i may consesse thy name ? ep . . how art thou shaded in this veil of night , behind thy curtain slesh ? thou seest no light , but what thy pride doth challenge as her own ; thy slesh is 〈◊〉 : soul take this curtain down . xiii . psalm . . o that i had the wings of a dove , for then i would flie away and be at rest . and am i sworn a dunghill slave for ever to earths base drudg'ry ? shall i never find a night of rest ? shall my indentures never be cancell'd ? did injurious nature bind my soul earths prentice , with no clause to leave her ? no day of freedome ? must i ever grind ? o that i had the pinions of a dove , that i might quit my bands and sore above , and poure my just complaints before the great jehove ! how happy are the doves , that have the pow'r , when ere they please , to spread their ayry wings ! or cloud-dividing eagles , that can towre above the sent of these inferiour things ! how happy is the lark , that ev'ry howre leaves earth , and then for joy mounts up and sings ! had my dull soul but wings as well as they , how i would spring from earth and clip away , as wise astrea did , and scorn this ball of clay ! o how my soul would spurn this ball of clay , and loath the dainties of earths painfull pleasure ! o how i 'de laugh to see men night and day turmoyl , to gain that trash they call their treasure ! o how i 'de smile to see what plots they lay to catch a blast , or own a smile from cesar ! had i the pineons of a mounting dove , how i would sore and sing , and hate the love of transitory toyes , and feed on joyes above ! there should i find that everlasting pleasure , which change removes not , & which chance prevents not ; there should i find that everlasting treasure , which force deprives not , fortune dis-augments not ; there should i sind that everlasting cesar , whose hand recalls not , and whose heart repents not ; had i the pineons of a clipping dove , how i would climb the skies , and hate the love of transitory toyes , and joy in things above ! no rank-mouth'd slander there shall give offence , or blast our blooming names , as here they do ; no liver-scalding lust shall there incense our boyling veins , there is no cupids bow : lord , give my soul the milk-white innocence of doves , and i shall have their pineons too : had i the pineons of a sprightly dove , how i would quit this earth , and sore above and heav'ns blest kingdome find , with heav'ns blest king jehove . s. august . in psal. . what wings should i desire but the two precepts of love , on which the law and the prophets depend ! o if i could obtain these wings i could fly from thy sace to thy face , from the face of thy justice to the face of thy mercy : let us find those wings by love which we have lost by lust . s. august . in psal. . let us cast off whatsoever hindereth , entangleth , or burdeneth our flight untill we attain that which satisfieth ; beyond which nothing is ; beneath which , all things are ; of which , all things are . epig. . tell me , my wishing soul , didst ever trie how fast the wings of red-crost faith can slie ? why begg'st thou then the pineons of a dove ? faiths wings are swifter , but the swiftest love . xiv . psalm . . how amiable are thy tabernacles o god of hosts . ancient of dayes , to whom all times are now , before whose glory seraphims do bow their blushing cheeks , and veil their blemisht faces , that uncontain'd at once , dost fill all places , how glorious , o how farre beyond the height of puzzled quils , or the obtuse conceit of flesh and bloud , or the too flat reports of mortall tongues , are thy expreslesse courts ! whose glory to paint forth with greater art , ravish my fancy , and inspire my heart ; excuse my bold attempt , and pardon me for shewing sense what faith alone should see . ten thousand millions , and tne thousand more of angel-measur'd leagues from th' eastern shore of dungeon earth this glorious palace stands , ●…efore whose pearly gates ten thousand bands of armed angels wait to entertain those purged souls for whom the lamb was slain ; whose guil●…lesse death , and voluntary yielding of whose giv'n life , gave this brave court her building ; the lukewarm bloud of this dear lamb being spilt , to rubies turn'd , whereof her posts were built ; and what dropt down in cold and gelid gore , did turn rich saphyres , and impav'd her floore : the brighter flames , that from his ey-balls ray'd , grew chrysolites , whereof her walls were made : the milder glances sparkled on the ground , and groundsild every doore with diamond ; but dying , darted upwards , and did fix a battlement of purest sardonix . her streets with burnisht gold are paved round , starres lie like pebbles scattred on the ground : pearl mixt with onyx , and the jasper stone , made gravell'd causwayes to be t●…ampled on : there shines no sun by day , no moon by night ; the pallace glory is the pallace light : there is no time to measure motion by , there time is swallow'd with eternitie : wry-mouth'd disdain , and corner-haunting lust , and twy-sac'd fraud , and beetle-brow'd distrust , soul-boyling rage , and trouble-state sedition , and giddy doubt , and goggle-ey'd suspition , and lumpish sorrow , and degen'rous fear are banisht thence , and death 's a stranger there : but simple love , and sempiternall joyes , whose sweetnesse neither gluts , nor fulnesse cloyes ; where face to face our ravish't eye shall see great e●…ohim , that glorious one in three , and three in one , and seeing him shall blesse him , and blessing , love him , and in love , possesse him : here stay my soul , and ravish in relation : thy words being spent , spend now in contemplation . s. greg. in psal. . poenitent . sweet jesus , the word of the father , the brightnesse of paternall glory , whom angels delight to view , teach me to do thy will ; that led by thy good spirit , i may come to that blessed citie , where day is eternall , where there is certain securitie , and secure eternitie , and eternall peace , and peacefull happinesse , and happy sweetnesse , and sweet pleasure ; where thou o god with the father and the holy spirit livest and reignest world without end . ibid. there is light without darknesse ; joy without grief ; desire without punishment ; love without sadnesse ; 〈◊〉 without loathing ; safetie without fear ; health without disease ; and life without death . epig. . my soul , pry not too nearly ; the complexion of sols bright face is seen but by reslexion : but wouldst thou know what 's heav'n ? i 'll tell thee what ; think what thou canst not think , and heav'n is that . xv . canticles . . make hast , my beloved , and be like the roe , or the young hart upon the mountains of spices . go , gentle tyrant , go ; thy flames do pierce my soul to deep ; thy flames are too too fi●…rce ; my marrow melts , my fainting spirits fry i' th' torrid zone of thy meridian eye : away , away , thy sweets are too perfuming ; turn , turn thy face , thy fires are too consuming : hast hence , and let thy winged steps out-go the frighted ro-buck , and his flying ro. but wilt thou leave me then ? o thou that a●…t life of my soul , soul of my dying heart , without the sweet aspect of whose fair eyes , my soul doth languish and her solace dies ; art thou so easily woo'd ? so apt to heare the frantick language of my foolish fear ? leave , leave me not , nor turn thy beauty from me ; look , look upon me , though thine eyes o'rcome me . o how they wound ! but how my wounds content me ! how sweetly these delightfull pains torment me ! how i am tortur'd in excessive measure of pleasing cruelties too cruel pleasure ! turn , turn away , remove thy scorching beams ; i languish with these bitter-sweet extremes : hast then , and let thy winged steps out-go the flying ro-buck , and his frighted ro. turn back , my dear ; o let my ravisht eye once more behold thy face before thou fly ; what , shall we part without a mutuall kisse ? o who can leave so sweet a face as this ? look full upon me ; for my soul 〈◊〉 to turn a holy 〈◊〉 in those fires : o leave me not , nor turn thy beauty from me ; look , look upon me , though thy flames ov'rcome me . if thou becloud the sun-shine of thine eye , i freez to death , and if it shine , i frie ; which like a fever , that my soul hath got , makes me to burn too cold , or freez too hot : alas , i cannot bear so sweet a smart , nor canst thou be lesse glorious th●…n thou art . hast then , and let thy winged steps out-go the frighted ro-buck , and his flying ro. but go not farre beyond the reach of breath ; too large a distance makes another death : my youth is in her spring ; autumnall vowes will make me riper for so sweet a spouse ; when after-times have burnish'd my desire , i 'll shoot thee flames for flames , and fire for fire . o leave me not , nor turn thy beautie from me ; look , look upon me , though thy flames ov'rcome me . autor scalae paradisi . tom. . aug. cap. . fear not , o bride , nor despair ; think not thy self contem●…ed , if thy bridegroom withdraw his face a while : all things cooperate for the best : both from his absence , and his presence thou gainest light : he cometh to thee , and he goeth from thee : he cometh , to make thee consolate ; he goeth , to make thee cautions , lest thy abundant consolation puss thee up : he cometh that thy languishing soul may be comforted ; he goeth , lest his familiaritie should be contemned ; and being absent , to be more desired ; and being desired , to be more earnestly sought ; and being long sought , to be more acceptably sound . epig. . my soul , sinnes monster , whom , with greater ease ten thousand fold , thy god could make then please ; what wouldst thou have ? nor pleas'd with sun , nor shade ? heav'n knowes not what to make of what he made . the farewell . rev●…lation . . be thou faithfull unto death , and i will give thee the crown of life . be faithfull , lord , what 's that ? believe : 't is easie to believe ; but what ? that he whom thy hard heart hath wounded , and whom thy scorn hath spit upon , hath paid thy sine , and hath compounded for those foul deeds thy hands have done : believe , that he whose gentle palms thy needle-pointed sinnes have naild , hath born thy slavish load ( of alms ) and made supply where thou hast faild : did ever mis'ry find so strange relief ? it is a love too strong for mans belief . believe that he , whose side thy crimes have pierc'd with their rebellions , di'd , to save thy guilty soul from dying ten thousand horrid deaths , from whence there was no scape , there was no slying , but through his dearest blouds expence : believe , this dying friend requires no other thanks for all his pain , but ev'n the truth of weak desires , and for his love , but love again : did ever mis'ry find so true a friend ? it is a love too vast to comprehend . with flouds of tears baptize and drench these dry , these unregen rate eyes , lord , whet my dull , my blunt belief , and break this fleshly rock in sunder , that from this heart , this hell of grief , may spring a heav'n of love and wonder : o , if thy mercies will remove and melt this lead from my belief , my grief will then resine my love , my love will then refresh my grief : then weep mine eyes as he hath bled ; vouchsafe to drop for every drop an epitaph . but is the crown of glory the wages of a lamentable story ? or can so great a purchase rise from a salt humour ? can mine eye run fast enought ' obtain this prize ? if so , lord , who 's so mad to die ? thy tears are trifles ; thou must do : alas , i cannot ; then endeavour : i will ; but will a tug or two suffice the turn ? thou must persever : i 'll strive till death ; and shall my feeble strife be crown'd ? i 'll crown it with a crown of life . but is there such a dearth that thou must buy what is thy due by birth ? he whom thy hands did form of dust , and gave him breath upon condition , to love his great creatour , must he now be thine by composition ? art thou a gracious god and mild , or head-strong man rebellious rather ? o , man 's a base rebellious child , and thou a very gracious father : the gift is thine ; we strive , thou crown'st our strife ; thou giv'st us faith ; and faith , a crown of life . finis . the profest royalist his quarrell with the times, maintained in three tracts ... quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the profest royalist his quarrell with the times, maintained in three tracts ... quarles, francis, - . quarles, francis, - . loyall convert. quarles, francis, - . new distemper. quarles, francis, - . whipper whipt. [ ], p., [ ], p., [ ], p. [s.n.], oxford : . dedication signed: fra. quarles. "opus posthumum" contains three treatises: the loyall convert (q ) can also be found separately at reel : ; the new distemper (q ) can also be found separately at reel :e. , no. ; the whipper whipt (q ) can also be found separately at reel :e. , no. . reproduction of originals in huntington library and thomason collection, british library. (from t.p.) the loyall convert -- the new distemper -- the whipper whipt created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng burges, cornelius, ?- . -- fire of the sanctuarie newly uncovered. whip. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the profest royalist : his qvarrell with the times : maintained in three tracts : viz. the loyall convert . the new distemper . the whipper whipt . opus posthumum . heb. . . he being dead , yet speaketh . oxford , printed in the yeere , . to the sacred majesty of king charles , my most dear and dread soveraign . sir , be pleased to cast a gracious eye upon these three tracts , and at your leasure ( if your royall imployments lend you any ) to peruse them . in your three kingdoms● you have three sorts of people : the first , confident & faithfull ; the second , diffident and fearfull ; the third , indifferent and doubtfull . the first are with you in their persons , purses , ( or desires ) and good wishes . the second are with you neither in their purses , nor good wishes , nor ( with their desires ) in their persons . the third are with you in their good wishes , but neither in their persons , nor purses , nor desires . in the last , entituled , the whipper whipt , these three sorts are represented in three persons , and presented to the view of your sacred majesty . you shall find them as busie with their pens as the armies are with their pistols : how they behave themselves , let the people judge : i appeale to cesar. your majesties honour , safety , and prosperity , the churches truth , unity , and uniformity , your kingdoms peace , plenty , and felicity , is the continued object of his devotion , who is sir , your majesties most loyall subject , fra : quarles . the loyall convert . virg. improbus haec tam culta novalia miles habebit ? barbarus has segetes ? hom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . oxford , printed by leonard lichfield , printer to the vniversity , . to the honest hearted reader . reader , i here protest before the searcher of all hearts , that i have no end , either of faction , or relation in this ensuing treatise . i am no papist , no sectary , but a true lover of reformation and peace : my pen declines all bitternesse of spirit ; all deceitfulnesse of heart ; and , i may safely , in this particular , with saint paul , say , i speak the truth in christ and lye not , my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy ghost , that i neither walk nor write in craftinesse , nor handle the holy scriptures deceitfully : therefore if thy cause be iesus christ , in the name of iesus christ , i adjure thee to lay aside all wilfull ignorance , all prejudice , all private respects and interests , and all uncharitable censures : deale faithfully with thy soule , and suffer wholesome admonitions : search the severall scriptures herein contained , and where they open a gate , climbe not thou over a stile : consult with reason , herein exercised , and where it finds a mouth , find thou an eare : and let truth prosper , though thou perish ; and let god be glorified , although in thy confusion . the loyall convert . the kingdome of england , that hath for many ages continued the happiest nation on the habitable earth , enjoying the highest blessings that heaven can give , or earth receive ; the fruition of the gospell , which setled a firme peace ; which peace occasioned a full plenty , under the gracious government of wise and famous princes , over a thriving and well-contented people , insomuch that shee became the earths paradise , and the worlds wonder , is now the nursery of all sects ; her peace is violated ; her plenty wasting ; her government distempered , her people discontented , and unnaturally imbroyld in her own blood , not knowing the way , nor affecting the meanes to peace , insomuch that she is now become the by-word of the earth , and the scorn● of nations . the cause and ground of these our nationall combustions , are these our nationall transgressions , which unnaturally sprung from the neglect of that truth we once had , and from the abuse of that peace wee now want : which , taking occasion of some differences betwixt his majestie and his two houses of parliament , hath divided our kingdome within it selfe , which had so divided it selfe from that god , who blest it with so firme a truth , so setled a peace , and so sweet an vnity . as that sinne brought this division , so this division ( sharpned with mutuall jealousies ) brought in the sword. when the lyon roares , who trembles not ? and when iudgements thunder , who is not troubled ? among the rest , i ( who brought some faggots to this combustion ) stood astonisht and amazed : to whom the mischiefe was farre more manifest then the remedy : at last , i laid my hand upon my heart , and concluded , it was the hand of god ; where being plundered in my understanding , i began to make a scrutiny , where the first breach was made , that let in all these miseries . i found the whole kingdome now contracted into a parliament , which consisted of three estates : a king , a house of peeres , and a house of commons ; by the wisdome and vnity whereof , all things conduceable to the weale-publique , were be advised upon , presented and established . i found this vnity disjoynted , and growne to variance even to blood : the king , and his adherents on the party ; and his two houses and their adherents on the other . the pretence of this division , was the true protestant religion , which both protested to maintaine ; the liberty of the subject , which both protested to preserve ; the priviledges of parliament , which both promise to protect ; yet , neverthelesse , the first never profaned ; the second never more interrupted ; the third never more violated . standing amazed at this riddle , i turned mine eyes upon his majesty ; and there , i viewed the lords annointed , sworne to maintain the established lawes of this kingdome : i turned mine eyes upon the two houses ; and , in them , i beheld the interest of my country , sworne to obey his majesty as their supreame governour . i heard a remonstrance cryed from the two houses : i read it ; i approved it ; i inclined unto it : a declaration from his majestie ; i read it ; i applauded it ; i adhered to the justnesse of it : the parliaments answer ; i turned to the parliament ; his majesties reply ; i returned to his majestie . thus tost and turned as a weather-cocke to my own weaknesse , i resolved it impossible to serve two masters . i fled to reason ; reason could not satisfie me : i fled to policie ; policy could not resolve me : at length , finding no councellour , but that which first i should have sought ; i hyed me to the booke of god , as the great oracle , and ushering my inquest with prayer and humiliation , i opened the sacred leaves , which ( not by chance ) presented to my first eye , the . of the proverbs , v. . the feare of a king is as the roaring of a lyon , and who so provoketh him to anger , sinneth against his own soule . now i began to search , and found as many places to that purpose , as would swell this sheet into a volume ; so that in a very short space , i was so furnished , with such strict precepts , backt with such strong examples , that my iudgement was enlightned , and my wavering conscience so throughly convinced , that by the grace of that power which directed me , neither feare nor any by-respects shall ever hereafter remove me , unlesse some clearer light direct me . but , above all the rest , a precept and an example out of the old testament ( strongly confirmed by a precept and an example out of the new ) setled my opinion , and established my resolution . the first precept out of the old , ieremy . v. . where it pleased god to own nebuchadnezzar his servant , ( although a knowne pagan , a profest idolater , and a fierce persecutor of all gods children ) concerning whom he saith , . they that serve not the king of babylon , and that will not put their necks under his yoake , i will punish them with the sword , famine , and the pestilence , till i have consumed them . verse . therefore hearken not to your diviners , and prophets , that say unto you , you shall not serve the king of babylon , for they prophecie a lye unto you . v. . but the nations that shall serve the king of babylon , and bring their necks under his yoake , those will i let remaine in their own land , ( saith the lord ) and they shall till it , and dwell therein . can there be a stricter precept ? or could there be a more impious prince ? and yet , this precept , and yet , this prince must be obeyed : nay , sub poena too ; upon the paine of gods high wrath ; fully exprest in famine , sword , and pestilence , not only upon the people , but upon the priests also , that shall perswade them unto disobedience . the second precept is enjoyned us out of the new testament , rom. . . let every soule be subject to the higher powers , for there is no power but of god ; the powers that be are ordained of god : whosoever therefore resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of god , and they that resist , shall receive to themselves damnation . this power ( this king ) to whom s. paul commandeth this subjection , was nero , the bloudy persecuter of all that honoured the blessed name of iesus christ. gods command should bee a sufficient argument , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is enough : but when he addes a reason too , he answers all objections : but when he threatens a punishment , ( no lesse then damnation ) upon the resistance thereof , he hath used all meanes to perswade a necessity of obedience . let every soule be subject . ) not equall , much lesse superiour . and what is taking up of armes , but an implyed supposition of at least equality ? what are the hopes of conquest , but an ambition of superiority ? what is condemning , judging , or deposing , but supremacie ? for it is against the nature of an inferiour to condemne , judge , or depose a superiour . and , lest the rebellious should confine his obedience to a good prince , the next words reply , for there is no power but of god. power in it selfe , is neither good nor evill , but as it is in subjecto , the person ; if an evill king , an evill power ; if a good king , a good power : god sends the one in mercy , and we must be subject ; the other in judgement , and we must be subject : in things lawfull , actively ; in things unlawfull , passively : if a good king , he must have our praise , and our plyance if an evill king , he must have our prayers , and our patience . he that resists the power ( whether good or evill , for all power is of god ) resists an ordinance of god , ( ordinances of men are not resisted without ruine ) and whosoever resisteth shall receive , but what ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damnation to themselves . now , compare this place with that cor. . . hee that shall eate this bread , and drink this cup of the lord unworthily , eateth and drinketh what ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damnation to himselfe . if then there be proportion betwixt the sin and the punishment , you may hereby gather the heynousnesse of disobedience ; the punishment whereof is the very same with his that is guilty of the body and blood of our lord ; to the o●e , for not discerning the lords body ; to the other , for not discerning the lords annointed . the lords annointed ? and who is he ? none but the regenerate : christ is not christ to any , to whom jesus is not iesus . gods word answers your silly objection , not i : was not saul gods annointed ? was not cyrus gods annointed , and many more whom god acknowledges so , and yet wicked kings ? cyrus is mine annointed , yet he hath not knowne me . the first example for our obedience the old testament proposes to our imitation , dan. . . nebuchadnezzar the king of babilon sets up a golden image : shadrech , meshach , and abednego were commanded to fall down and worship it . the king , a known pagan , commands a grosse idolatry ; did these men conspire ? or ( being rulers of the province of babel ) did they invite the jewes into a rebellion ? did these ( to strengthen their own faction ) blast their soveraigns name with tyrannie and paganisme ? did they endeavour by scandals , and impious aspersions , to render him odious to his people ? did they encourage their provinces to take up armes for the defence of their liberties or religion ? did they seize upon , or stop his revenues ? or annihilate his power ? did they estrange themselves from his presence ? murther his messengers ? or would they have sleighted his gracious offers ? no , being called by their prince , they came , and being commanded to give actuall obedience to his unlawfull commands , observe the modesty of their first answer , we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter , and being urged , mark their pious resolution in the second , be it knowne , o king , we will not serve thy gods , nor worship the golden image thou hast set up . the king threatens the fornace ; they yeeld their bodies to the fornace , and say , god whom we serve will deliver us out of thy hands , and not , hee will deliver thee into our hands . they expect deliverance rather in their passive obedience , then in their actuall resistance . but they were few in number , and their forces not considerable . admit that , which all histories deny . was not god as able to subdue him with so few , as to deliver them from so many ? had their weaknesse lesse reason ( for the cause of gods apparent dishonour ) to expect a miraculous assistance in those dayes of frequent miracles , then we , after so long a cessation of miracles ? gods glory will not be vindicated by unlawfull meanes , or unwarrantable proceedings . i , but we take up armes , not against the king , but against his evill counsellors . adherents ye meane , a rare distinction ! and tell me ; whose power hath his adherents ? the kings . by which appeares , ye take up armes against the kings power ; he that resisteth the power , ( it is not said the prince ) shall receive damnation . againe , where the word of a king is , there is power : god joyned the king and his power , and who dare separate them ? they that take up armes against the parliaments power ( you say ) take up armes against the parliament ; doe not they then that take up armes against the kings power , by the same reason , take up arms against the king ? now , look back upon your intricate distinction , and blush . but , if the king betray the trust reposed in him by his subjects , they may suspend their obedience , and resist him . kings are gods vicegerents , and cannot be compelled to give an accompt to any , but to god , against thee , against thee onely have i sinned : that is , to thee , to thee only must i give accompt . though i have sinned against vriah , by my act ; and against my people , by my example , yet against thee have i onely sinned . you cannot deprive , or limit them , in what you never gave them . god gave them their power , and who art thou that darest resist it ? by me kings raigne . but , his crowne was set up upon his head by his subjects , upon such and such conditions . why was the penalty , upon the faile , not expressed then ? coronation is but a humane ceremony . and was hee not proclaimed before hee was crowned ? proclaimed ? but what ? a king : and did not you at the same instant , by relative consequence , proclaim your selves subjects ? and shall subjects condition with their king , or will kings bind themselves to their subjects , upon the forfeiture of their power , after they have received their regall authority ? but , the king hath , by writ , given his power to his parliament , and therefore what they doe , they doe by vertue of his power . the king , by his writ , gives not away his power , but communicates it . by the vertue of which writ , they are called ad tractandum & consulendum de arduis regni , to treat and advise concerning the difficulties of the kingdom : here is all the power the writ gives them , and where they exceed , they usurp the kings power , being both against the law of god , and the constitutions of the kingdom . well , but in case of necessity , when religion and liberty lies at the s●ake , the constitutions of the kingdom ( for the preservation of the kingdome ) may suffer a dispensation . admit that : but what necessity may dispence with the violation of the law of god ? the deviation wherefrom , is evill , and thou shalt doe no evill that good may come thereon . but , we take no armes against the king , but onely to bring delinlinquents to condigne punishment . and , who are they ? even those that take up arms for the kings ; which , an unrepealed statute , . hen. . acquites . but , admit statutes may be broken , and you seek to punish them ; who gave you the power so to doe ? the law : and what law denies the king power to pardon delinquents ? god , that hath put power into the hand of majesty , hath likewise planted mercy in the heart of soveraignty : and , will ye take away both his birth-right and his blessing also ? take heed , you doe not slight that , which one day may prove your sanctuary . but , the king being a mixt monarch , is bound to his own lawes . there be two sorts of lawes , directive and coercive ; as to the first , he is only bound to make his accompt to god ; so , to the second , he is onely liable to the hand of god ; who shall say unto him , what doest thou ? but , kings , now a dayes , have not so absolute a power , as the kings mentioned in the scripture . who limited it ? god , or man ? man could not limit the power he never gave : if god ; shew me where ? till then , this objection is frivolous . but , when kings , and their assistants make an affensive , and a destructive warre against their parliaments , may they not then take up defensive armes ? it is no offensive war for a king to endeavour the recovery of his surrepted right ; however , are not the members of a parliament subjects , to their soveraign ? if not , what are they ? if subjects , ought they not to be subject ? gods people , the iewes , that were to be destroyed by the kings command , neither did , nor durst make a defensive war against his abused power , untill they first obtained the kings consent . but , admit it lawfull , ( though neither granted , nor warranted ) that subjects may upon such tearmes make a defensive war , does it not quite crosse the nature of a defensive war , to assaile , pursue , and dispossesse ? wh● you shot peeces of ordnance , before one was returned at edge-hill , was that defensive ? when you besieged redding , which you after slighted , was that defensive ? when ye affronted basing-house , was that defensive ? the warrantable weapons against an angry king , are , exhortation , disswasion , wise reproof ( by such are nearest to him ) petition , prayer , and flight : all other weapons will at last wound them that use them . the second example , was lest us out of the new testament , by him that is the true president of holy obedience , our blessed saviour ; whose humility , and sufferance , was set before us as a copy for all generations to practice by . the temporall kingdom of the jewes , successively usurpt by those two heathen princes , augustus and tiberius , two contemporaries , was his naturall birth-right , descended from his tipe , and ancestour king david . had not he as great an interst in that crowne , as wee have in this common-wealth ? was not hee as tender eyed towards his owne naturall people , as we , to one another ? was not the truth as deare to him ( who was the very truth ) and the way to it , as direct to him , ( that was the onely way ) as to us ? was not he the great reformer . had the sword been a necessary stickler in reformation , how hapned it that he mistook his weapon so ? instead of a trumpet hee lifted up his voice . was plots , policies , propositions , prophanations , plunderings , military preparations , his way to reformation ? were they not his own words , he that taketh up the sword , shall perish by the sword ? nor , was it want of strength , that he reformed not in a martiall way : could not hee command more then twelve legions of angels ? or had he pleased to use the arme of flesh , could not hee , that raised the dead , raise a considerable army ? sure , s. iohn the baptist would have ventured his head upon a fairer quarrell , and s. peter drawn his sword to a bloodier end ; no question , but s. paul , the twelve apostles , and disciples would have proved as tough colonels , as your associated essex priests did captaines ; and doubtlesse s. peter , who converted . in one day , would have raised a strong army in six . our blessed saviour well knew , that caesar came not thither without divine permission ; in respect whereof , he became obedient to the very shadow of a king ; and whom he actively resisted not , he passively obeyed . i , but there was a necessity of his obedience , and subjection , to make him capable of a shamefull death . no , his obedience , as well death , was voluntary ; which makes you guilty of a shamefull argument . but , he was a single person ; we , a representative body : what is unexpedient in the one , is lawfull in the other . worse and worse ! if our blessed saviour be not pepresentative , tell me , whereof art thou a member ? woe be that body politicke , which endeavours not to be conformed , according to the head mysticall . he preacht peace ; your martiall ministers ( by what authority they best know ) proclaime warre ; he , obedience ; they , sedition ; he , truth ; they , lyes ; he , order ; they , confusion ; he , blessednesse to the peace-makers ; they , courage to the persecutors ; he , blessedness to the persecuted ; they brand them with malignity that call them blessed . god was not heard in the whirlewind , but in the still voice . but , his thoughts , are not as our thoughts , neither are our wayes like his wayes . but , whence proceeds all this ? even from a viperous generation ( which hath long nested in this unhappy island ) and those encreased multitudes of simple soules , seduced by their seeming sanctity , who taking advantage of our late too great abuse of ceremonies , are turnd desperate enemies to all order , and discipline , being out of charity with the very lords prayer , because it comes within the popish liturgie . how many of these , have lately challenged the name of sanctified vessels , for conteyning the poyson of unnaturall sedition ! how many of these , have usurpt the stile of well-affected , for disaffected peace ! how many of these , have counterfeited the honour of good patriots , for largely contributing towards the ruines of their country ! how many does this army consist of ! how , for their sakes is blasphemy connived at ! sacriledge permitted ! how , for their encouragement are lyes and brasle-browd impudencies invented , nay publisht ( nay published in the very pulpits ) and tolerated ( if not commanded ) even by them , who ( perchance , were this quarrell ended ) would throw the first stone 〈◊〉 them ! how many of our learned , religious and orthodox divines ( who by their able tongues , and pens , have defended and maintained the true ancient and catholique faith , and vindicated the reformed religion from the aspersions of her potent adversaries ) are now plundered in their goods , sequestred in their livings , imprisoned in their persons , ( if not forced in their consciences ) whilest their wives , and poor children , begging their bread , are left to the mercy of these unmercifull times ; even for the encouragement of them , whose pedanticke learning durst never shew her ridiculous face before an easie schoole-man , whose livelyhoods they unworthily usurpe , not dispensing the bread of life , but the darnell of giddy-headed fancie and sedition , abhorring the way to peace , and maligning those that ensue it . i , but we desire peace , so we may have truth too . what mean ye by having truth ? the preservation of the old truth , or the institution of a new ? if ye feare the alteration of the old ( having your soveraignes oath , which you dare not beleive ) what other assurance can you have ? the blood you shed , is certaine ; the change you feare , is uncertaine : it is no wisdome to apply a desperate remedy to a suspected disease . if the enjoyment of peace depends upon a full assurance of truth , our discords may beare an everlasting date : god hath threatned to remove his candlesticke , and our wickednesse justly feares it ; and so long as we feare it , shall we abjure peace , the blessed meanes to prevent it ? he that seeks to settle truth by the sword , distracts it . or , is it a truth ye want ? if so , is it of doctrine , or of discipline ? if of doctrine , actum est de nostra religione , farewell our religion . or , is it of discipline ? discipline is but a ceremony . and did the lord of the sabboth dispence with a morall law , for the preservation of an oxes life , or an asses , and shall we , to alter some few indifferent ceremonies ( allowed by the parliaments of three pious and wise princes , and the practice of many holy martyres , who sealed the true protestant religion with their blood ) cry downe peace , and shed the blood of many thousand christians ? our seduced protestants , will have no set formes of prayer , but what proceeds immediatly from their own fancies . this is their truth . our semi-separatists , will heare our sermons , ( if they like the teacher ) but no divine service . this is their truth . our separatists , will not communicate in our churches , nor joy●e in our congregations . that is their truth . our auabaptists will not baptize , till yeares of discretion , and rebaptize . that is their truth . our antinomians will have no repentance . this is their truth . our independants , will have an universall parity ; this their truth . good god , when shall we have peace , if not , till all these truths meet ! but , christ sayes , i come not to bring peace , but the sword ; therefore , for the propagation of peace , it is lawfull to use the sword. so , he is termed a stumbling blocke , and does that warrant us to stumble ? so , he sayes , all you shall be offended because of me ; and does this patronize our offences ? the law is good and just ; because , then we had not knowne sin but by the law , is it therefore lawfull for us to sin ? god forbid . our saviour brings the sword among us , as wholesome meat brings sicknesse to a weakely sicke stomack , or physick to a body abounding with humours ; not intentionally , but occasionally . thus , by your erronious and weak mistakes , you make the prince of peace , the patron of your unnaturall warre ; and the god of truth , the president of your unexamined errors . but , almighty god , the champion of his own truth , and maintainer of his own cause , hath ( to more then common admiration ) appeared in this great enterprize . he that delivered israels handfull from the hand of pharaohs host , hath shewed himselfe in the ( almost incredible ) proceedings of this heaven-displeasing warre ; the briefe relation whereof , may move those hearts , that are not scared , or stone , to melt into a thankfull acknowledgement of his power , and remaine as monuments of his mercy , that children , ( yet unborne ) may say hereafter , god was here : viz. the two houses of parliament made first a generall seizure of all the armes , ammunition , castles , forts , magazines , and ships , ( being the whole visible strength of this unhappy kingdome ) to whom ( having now setled the militia , both by sea and land , in their own hands ) tides of proposition gold came in , upon the publicke faith ; monie ( like blood from the liver , conveyed through all the veines ) issued , to make a large supply , and where it stopt awhile , mountaines of massie plate , from the vast goblet to the slender thimble , this faith removed into their safe possession : and when the great milch cow began to ●lake ; they prest her nipples , and by hard streyning renewd the streame . as physitians evacuate the body , sometimes by vomit , sometimes by purge , sometimes by phlebetomie , sometimes by sweating , sometimes by sluxing , sometimes diuretically , yet purge but the same peccant humour ; so did they , first by proposition , then by way of contribution , now by way of loane , then by way of subsidie , ( no lesse then at one time ) hereby way assessement , there by way of twentieth part , then by way of excise , one while by way of sequestration , then by way of plunder , but still , the issue , mony : and , to work the better upon the affections of the multitude , all this for the behoofe of king , and parliament , for the pretended defence of ( god knowes what ) religion ; insomuch , that men came in like swarmes to the next tree , or rather like treacherous decoyes , with their innocent multitude , into the net , and horses without number . thus were they supplyed with all necessaries , which the arme of flesh could provide for the waging of an inconquerable warre , whereon , the money already expended , makes no lesse figures then . millions sterl . besides the revenues of the king , queen , prince , duke of yorke , and the whole estates of all such that take up armes against them , besides free quarter , and souldiers yet unpayd . his majesty , on the other side , driven away with a few attendants , not having among them so many swords and pistols , as these had cannons , wanting both mony , horses , and ammunition , onely what hee received from the piety of some beleiving subjects , ( whose eares were pamphlet-proofe against all defamations , and scandals cast upon sacred majesty ) finding slender provision in his own dominions ; and that stopt or seized , which came from forreigne parts ; no shipping , but what he purchast , with the precious and extream hazard of his few ( but valiant ) subjects ; no armes , but what he gained by the couragious venture of his own neglected life , the subject of our continuall prayers . yet hath god covered his head in the day of battaile , and blest him with such successe , that he is ( by the divine providence ) become a great master of the field , and almost able to maintain fight with his own ships at sea. the god of heaven blesse him , and prosper him , and make his dayes as the dayes of heaven , that being here the faiths defender , he may still bee defended by the object of that faith. nor is the providentiall hand of god more visible in prospering him then in punishing his enemies , whose ruines may remain , as sea-marks to us , and pyramids of gods power , whereof a touch . sir iohn hotham , then governour of hull , who first defied and dared his soveraigne to his face , what is become of him ? how stands he a marke betwixt two dangers , having nothing left him , but guilt enough to make him capable of a desperate fortune ? master hambden , that first waged law , and then warre against his own naturall prince , hath not he ( since these unhappy troubles began ) been first punished with the losse of children , nay visited to the third generation , to the weakning , ( if not ruining ) of his family , and then with the losse of his own life , in the same place where hee first took up armes against his gracious soveraign ? was it not remarkeable that the lord brooke , who often excepted against that clause in the lyturgie , ( from sudden death good lord deliver us ) was slaine so suddenly ? who was so severe an enemy against peace should perish in the same warre , he so encouraged ? who so bitterly inveyed against episcopall government , should be shot dead out of a cathedrall church ? who labouring to put out the left eye of establisht government , his left eye , and life were both put out together ? how is duke hamilton ( scarce warme in his new honour ) taken in his own snare , having entangled his lord and master in so many inconveniences ? how is holland , whose livelyhood was created by his soveraignes favour , branded with a double treachery , and like a shittlecocke fallen at the first return , and scarce able to raise himselfe by a sorry declaration ? is not bristoll fines ( who at his councell of warre condemned and executed innocent blood ) himselfe condemned ( pleading innocence ) at a councell of warre from the mouth of his owne generall , though finding ( perchance ) more mercy then he either deserved , or shewed ? but that blood that cryed to him for mercy , will cry to heaven for vengeance . and , are not many more ripe for the same iudgment , whose notorious crimes have branded them for their respective punishments ? how many of those blood-preaching ministers , have died expectorating blood ? whilst others , at this time , labouring under the same disease , can find no art to promise a recovery . all whom i leave to possible repentance and passe over . cromwell , that profest defacer of churches , ( witnesse peterborough and lincolne , &c. ) and rifeler of the monuments of the dead , whose prophane troopers ( if fame has not forgot to speake a truth ) waterd their horses at the font , and fed them at the holy table , that cromwell . sandes , whose sacrilegious troopers committed such barbarous insolencies , with his ( at least ) connivance , in the church of canterbury , and used such inhumane tortures on the tender brests of women , to force confession of their hidden goods , the golden subjects of their robbery ; what can the first expect , and what reward the other hath found , i neither prophecie nor judge . if these , and such as they , doe fight for the reformed religion , god deliver every good man both from them , and it , cursed be their wrath , for it is fierce , and their anger , for it is cruell . these , ( and of such many ) are they , that whilst they pretend a reformation , need , first , to be reformed . nor do i , in taxing this army of such impious barbarismes , excuse or rather not condemne the other ; whereof , no question , too great a number are as equally profane ; whilst all together make up one body of wickednesse , to bring a ruine on this miserable kingdome ; for whose impieties . his majesty hath so often suffered . i , but his majesties army , ( besides those looser sorts of people ) consists of numerous papists , the utter enemies of true religion . to whom the king hath sworne his protection , from those hee may require assistance . but , unto all his people , as well papists as protestants , hee hath sworne his protection , therefore from all his subjects , as well papists as protestants , he may require assistance . neither does he call in papists , as papists , to maintaine religion ( as himselfe hath alwayes manifested ) but as subjects to subdue , or at least qualifie , sedition . the ayde of the subject , is either in his person or in his purse ; both are requireable to the service of a soveraigne . put case , his majesty should use the assistance of none but protestants : tell me , would ye not be apt to cavill , that he is favourable to the papists ; neither willing to endanger their persons , nor endammage their purses ; or , at least , that they are reserved for a last blow ? or , in case , papists should largely underwrite to your propositions , send in horses , armes , or other provisions , would you not accept it ; and , for its sake , their persons too ? are you so strict in your preparations , as to catechize every souldier ? or , to examine , first , every officers religion ? or , having the proffer of a good popish , or debaucht commander , tell me , should he be denied his commission ? remember sir arthur ashton , whom his majesty entertaines by your example . these things indifferently considered , it will manifestly appeare , that the honest minded vulgar are meerly seduced , under the colour of piety , to be so impious , as by poysoning every action of their lawfull prince , to foster their implicite rebellion , but , in case , your side should prosper , and prevaile , what then ? would then our miseries be at an end ? reason tels us , no ; god keeps us from the experience : think you , that government ( whether new , or reformed ) which is set up by the sword , must not be maintained by the sword ? and how can peace and plenty bee consistent with perpetuall garrisons , which must bee maintained with a perpetuall charge ? besides the continuall excursions , and connived-at injuries , committed by souldiers , judge you . or , put the case , this necessary consequence could be avoided , think you the ambition of some new states-men , accustomed to such arbitrary , and necessitated power , on the one side , and the remaining loyalty of his majesties dis-inherited subjects , watching all opportunities to right their injured soveraigne , and themselves , on the other side , would not raise perpetuall tempests in this kingdome ? or , if such an ( almost ) unpreventable evill should not ensue , think you , such swarmes of sectaries sweat for nothing ? are their purses so apt to bleed to no end ? will not their costs , and paines expect , at least , a congratulatory connivance in the freedome of their consciences ? or , will their swords , now in the strong possession of so great a multitude , know the way into their quiet scabbards , without the expected liberty of their religions ? and , can that liberty produce any thing but an establisht disorder ? and , is not disorder the mother of anarchie ? and that , of ruine ? open then your eyes , closed with crasse , and wilfull blindnesse , and consider , and prevent that , which your continued disobedience will unavoidably repent , too late . but , the truth is , they are all papists , by your brand , that comply not , in this action with you : admit it were so ; are not papists as tolerable for his majesty , as anabaptists , brownists , separatists , atheists , antinomians , turkes ; and , indeed , all religions , and factions , nay papists too , for his subjects ? these , of his majesties side , come freely , out of their allegiance , as subjects : yours , are preached in , comming out of obstinacie , as rebels : they , at their own charges , proportionable to their abilities ; these , like iudas , selling their soveraignes blood for ill paid wages : yet , both sides pretend a quarrell for the true protestant religion . good god! what a monstrous religion is this , that seeks protection from the implacable opposition of her two champions ! his majesty protests to maintain it : the two houses protest to maintain it : o , for an oedipus to read this riddle ! his majesty addes one clause more , wherein if the other party would agree , the work would be at an end , which is , according to the establisht constitutions , by oath taken by him , at his coronation ; and there , the two houses leave him , contending for a yet , undetermined alteration . and , for my part , i dare not conceive such evill of the lords annointed , and my gracious soveraigne , as to feare him perjured . hath not his majesty , in the presence of that god , by whom hee reignes , imprecated the curse of heaven on him and his royall posterity , ( sub sigillo sacramenti too ) if he , to his utmost , maintaine not the true protestant religion , exercised in that blessed queenes dayes , and propagated by the blood of so many glorious martyrs ( at which time god blest this island in so high a measure ) if hee preserve not the just priviledges of parliament , and the liberty of the subject ? nay , more , did not his majesty so promise the severe execution of the statute against all recusants , that if he failed , he desired not the ayde of his good subjects ? what inferiour person would not think his reputation wronged , not to take up confidence upon such terrible termes ? what notorious evill hath his majesty perpetrated to quench the sparkles of a common charity ? consider , o , consider ; hee acts his part before the king of kings , whose eye is more especially upon him ; he acts his part before his fellow princes , to whom he hath declared this his imprecation . hee acts his part before his subjects , whose stricter hand weighes his pious words with too unequall ballances . were he the acknowledger of no god , yet the princes of the earth , ( if guilty of such a perjury ) would abhorre him . or , were all the princes of the earth , blind , deafe , or partiall , would not he think his crown a burthen to be worne upon his perjured brow before his owne abused people ? or , ( having renounced his subjects ayde , upon his faile ) could he expect that loyalty , which now he wants upon a meen suspition ? but , he is a prince , whom god hath crowned with graces above his fellowes ; a prince , whom , for his piety , few ages could parallell . what vices of the times have branded his repute ? his youth , high diet , strength of body , and soveraign power might have inclined , and warpt him to luxurious vanity , as well as other monarks , whose effeminaries have enerved the strength of their declining kingdomes ; how many would have held it a preferment to be attorny to his royall lust , or secretary to his bosom sinne ? yet , he remaines , a president of unblemisht chastity . he might have pleased and pampered up his wanton palate with the choise of curious wines , to lighten cares , which wait upon the regall diademe ; yet , he continues the patterne of a chast sobriety : he might have magnified his mercy , and sold his justice , to reward a service , in pardoning offences , ( committed by those of neare relation ) yet , hee abides the example of inexorable justice . these and many other eminent graces , and illustrious virtues can claime no birth from flesh and blood ; especially , in those , whose pupillages are strangers to correction ; nor , is it safe divinity , to acknowledge such high gifts , from any hand , but heaven . which , being so , my conscience , and religion tells me , that almighty god , ( who is all perfection ) will not leave a work so forward , so imperfect ; but , will , from day to day , still adde and adde to his transcendent virtues , till he appeare the glory of the world ; and , after many yeares , be crowned in the world of glory . martial . lib. . ep. . rerum prima salus , & una caesar. post-script to the reader . now thou hast heard the harmony of scriptures , without corruption , and the language of reason , without sophistry . thou hast not only heard divine precepts , but those precepts backt with holy examples , neither those out of the old testament alone , but likewise out of the new. being now , no matter left for thy exceptions , prevaricate no longer with thy own soule : and , in the feare of god , i now adjure thee , once againe , as thou wilt answer before the tribunull at the dreadfull and terrible day , that thou faithfully examine , and ponder the plaine texts which thou hast read , and yeelding due obedience to them , stop thine eares against all sinister expositions , and remember , that historicall scripture will admit no allegoricall interpretations . if any thing , in this treatise , shall deserve thy answer , doe it punctually , briefly , plainely and with meeknesse ; if , by direct scripture , thou canst ( without wresting ) refute my errour , thou shalt reforme , and save thy brother ; if not , recant thine , and hold it no dishonour , to take that shame to thy selfe , which brings glory to thy god. . s. pet. . . bee alwayes ready to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason , with meeknesse and feare . finis . the new distemper . written by the author of the loyall convert . hilar. de trin. lib. . hoc habet proprium ecclesia ; dum persecutionē patitur , floret ; dum opprimitur , proficit ; dum laeditur , vincit ; dum arguitur , intelligit ; tunc stat quum superari videtur . oxford , printed by leonard lichfield , printer to the vniversity . . the new distemper . as it is in a principality , or in a republique . the further it swerves from the first constitution , and fundamentall principles , the faster it declines , and hastens towards ruine ; so is it in the church ; the more she deviates , and slips from her first foundations , the more she growes into distempers , and the nearer she comes to desolation . it hath been the wisdome of all princes , and free states , of former times , to carry a watchfull eye upon the growing inconvenients of their kingdomes and republiques ; that , as evill manners daily breed diseases , so the continuall making , and execution of good lawes should daily be prescribed as remedies● lest , by too long neglect and sufferance , the body of the commonwealth should grow so foule with superannuated evils , and the humors waxe so prevalent , that the desperatenesse of the disease might enforce them to as desperate a remedy . it is no lesse prudence and providence in those that are appointed by the supreme power ( as under him ) chiefe governours and overseers of the church , to be very circumspect ; and , not onely faithfully to exercise their ministeriall function , by due and careful preaching of the gospel ; but likewise , diligently to discharge their office in governing , that is , in making wholsome ordinances , and duly executing them ; that the inconveniences that grow daily in the church , may be daily rectified , lest by too long forbearance they gather head , and so become either incureable ; or else , capable of remedy , with too great a losse . the naturall affection i so dearly owe to this my native country , ( to which my soule alwayes hath , doth , and will for ever , 〈◊〉 as much happinesse as heaven can please to give ) permits me not to think our church in so forlorne and desperate a case , but that it may be capable of a wholsome cure ; yet sense and reason ( flying with the naturall wings of love and duty ) bids me feare , that those unnaturall humors , pride , negligence , superstition , schisme , and ( that harbinger of destruction ) security have so long been gathering , and now setled in her , that she cannot , without long time , and much difficulty , ( or else especiall providence and divine mercy ) be restored ; for the hastning whereof , accu●sed be that unworthy member that shall not apply the utmost of his endeavour , and diligence ; and , not returne the best of those abilities , he suckt from her in health , to her advantage , in this her great and deplorable extremity of distemper . the wearyed physitian , ( after his many fruitlesse experiments upon a consuming body ) advises his drooping patient to the place of his birth , to draw that ayre , he was first bred in : the likelyest way to recover our languishing church , is to reduce her to her first constitutions , that she may draw the breath of her first principles ; from whence having made so long a journey , her returne must take the longer time . the physitian requires not his crazie patient to take his progresse thither in a rumbling coach , or a rude waggon , ( they are too full of motion for a restlesse body ) nor to ride poste , ( the swiftnesse of the passage makes too sudden an alteration of the climate ) but in an easie-going litter , the flownesse of whose pace might give him a graduall change of ayre . the safest way to reduce our languishing church to her first constitution , is to avoid all unnaturall commotions , and violence in her passage ; and carefully to decline all sudden alterations which cannot be without imminent danger , and to use the peace-ablest meanes that may be , that nothing in her journy may interrupt her , and prove too prejudiciall to her journyes end . the disease of our distempered church , ( cod be praised ) hath not as yet taken her principall parts ; her doctrine of faith is sound ; the distemper onely lyes in her discipline and government ; which hath , these many yeeres , 〈◊〉 breeding , and now , broken forth , to the great dishonour of ( her mysticall head ) christ jesus ; to the unhappy interruption of her owne peace , ( the legacie of our blessed saviour ; ) to the great disquiet of our gracious soveraigne , ( her faiths defender ) to the sharp affliction of his loyall subjects , ( her faithfull servants ) and to the utter ruine and destruction of this kingdome , ( the peacefull palace of her glory . ) . as for her discipline ; in the happy dayes of edward the sixt , when all the romish rubbish and trumpery was seavengerd out of this ( the new reformed ) church , and the wholsome doctrine of undubitable truth was joyfully received into her gates , ( being for many yeeres clo●'d with ignorance and error ) the piety and providence of her newly chosen governours , ( whose spirituall abilities , and valour , were , after , characterd in their owne blood ) thought good , in the first place , to make gods worship the subject of their holy consideration ; to which end , they met , and ( finding in the scriptures no expresse forme of evangelicall discipline in each particular , and therefore concluding , it was left as a thing indifferent . to be instituted according to the constitutions of every kingdome where religion should be astablisht ) they advised , what discipline might best conduce to the glory of god and the benefit of his people ; they , first , debated , and put to the question , whether the old lyturgie should be corrected and purged , or whether a new should be contrived . cranmer , then archbishop of canterbury , a pious , moderate , and learned father of the church , ( and not long after a glorious martyr ) finding , that the old lyturgie had some things in it derived from the primitive church , though in many things corrupted ) conceived it most fitting for the peace of the church , not to savour so much of the spirit of contradiction , as utterly to abolish it , because the papists used it ; but , rather , enclined to have the old garden weeded , the errors expunged ; thereby , to gaine some of the moderater sort of that religion to a conformity : but ridly bishop of london , a man though very pious , yet of a quicker spirit , and more violent , ( and not many yeares after suffering martyrdome too ) enclined to a contrary opinion , rather wishing a totall abolition of the old liturgie , and a new to be set up , lest the tender consciences of some should be offended . the businesse being thus controverted , it was at length voted for the purging of the old ; to which service were appointed doctor cranmer archbishop of canterbury . martyr . goodrick skip thirlby day holbeck ridley c●x king edwards almoner . taylor heynes redman bishop of ely. hereford . westminster . chichester . lincoln . rochester . martyr . after b. of london .   deane of lincoln . martyr . exceter . westminster . master robinson archdeacon of leycester . mense maio . anno regni edwardi sexti tertio . whereof three were famous martyrs ; and the rest , men of unquestionable sanctity , soundnesse , and learning ; which , being done , was authorized by act of parliament in that blessed kings reigne edw. . and with a full consent received into the church of england , confirmed by divers acts of parl. in the dayes of q● . eliz. king iames , and king charles , our now gracious soveraigne , whom almighty god long preserve . but this establisht discipline , had no sooner being , but enemies , ( of which sort the devill hath alwayes instruments to nip the plants of religion in the bud ) whose number , daily since , encreasing , grew hotter and hotter in opposition , and stronger and stronger in faction , being too long , for peace fake , conniv'd at ; and , at last , too unseasonably , and violently opposed , insomuch that the disease , in these our late dayes , grew too powerfull for the remedy ; so that the distemper of our church , in that respect , is growne so high , that i feare phlebotomy will rather produce a further languishment ( being already come to madnesse ) then a cure. nay , so far have the enemies of this establisht government and discipline , given way to their exorbitant and refractory opinion , that they will neither allow the matter , nor the forme , nor the authority and testimony of the composers . . not the matter ; ( though they cannot but acknowledge it , in the generall , to be very good , yet ) because it was unsanctified by superstitious lips . . not the forme ; because set , and composed by humane invention . . not the composers ; because bishops , and so ( though martyrs for the cause of god and his true religion ) members of antichrist . . as for their exceptions against the matter ; how ridiculous they are , let reason judge : have not superstitious tongues , and eyes , viewed and read the scriptures in their very originall and purity ? shall therefore the scriptures be disallowed ? have not superstitious persons profaned our churches with their popish doctrines , sacraments and ceremonies ? and shall our churches therefore be cryed downe , or shut against the ordinances of god ? because those poets were heathenish , was s. paul afraid to use their sayings ? was the spirit of god too blame , to endite them ? good things , abused , work evill effects upon the abusers ; but lose not their goodnesse by the abuse , . as for their exceptions against the forme , being set , and not conceived , the authority of the scriptures i hope will answer . god the father warrants it : god the son prescribes it : god the holy ghost allowes it . . god the father warrants it , in the old testament , at the time of the law , by his command to moses , numb . . . where he gives him a set forme and words to blesse the people , the lord blesse thee and keep thee , the lord make his face to shine upon thee , and be gracious unto thee . . god the sonne prescribes it in the new testament , in the time of the gospel : whe● s. iohn the baptist had taught his disciples to pray , the disciples of jesus christ ( whose house was called the house of prayer ) humbly requested the fame boone from him , who prescribed them that forme which he had formerly used in the end of his sermon , mat. . . which he intended not as a model , ( as some would have it ) but a very prayer it selfe , to be used in those very words , as they were delivered luke . . not , after this manner , but , when ye pray , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say . that he will'd the same words to be used , is evident ; for his disciples would be taught , as iohn taught his : and how were they taught ? s. iohn taught them the words onely ; he could not give them the spirit to make an extemporary descant upon them . so that being a direct set forme , it warranted set formes , which were used from the beginning of the primitive church ; from whence , this part of our discipline had her originall . . god the holy spirit allowes it : who dare question , that the holy spirit inspired s. paul in all his epistles , written to the churches ? in all which epistles he concludes with this one prayer , the grace of our lord iesus christ , &c. . as for their exceptions against the composers of this lyturgie , who were no lesse then holy martyrs , ( and by fire-light saw more revelations then these objectors did by day-light ) men of approved learning and true piety : though some have impudence and spirituall pide enough , to think their owne abilities and inspiratious to flye a higher pitch ; and ignorance enough , to acknowledge greater knowledge in themselves , yet the most humble , able , and truly sanctified minds , have alwaies had martyrdome in so high reverence , that they conclude , that god that made their blood the seed of the church , and gave them the courage and honour to dye in the maintenance of the truth , would not permit that seed to bring forth such darnel of superstition ; or them , to die guilty of those errors , they so resolutely cryed down with their dying blood . . as for her government by episcopacie ( the extirpation wherof being a great addition to her distemper ) it hath as much or more ius divinum to plead , then that , which endeavours to demolish & succeed it , presbyterie ; both are but mentioned in the scripture , at large ; but no particular rules for the executing the office of either ; which , being left wholly as arbitrary , it rests in the power of the supreme magistrate ( whom god hath constituted his vicegerent ) to choose , and establish , which may best be found consistent with the constitutions of the kingdome , and stand to most advantage with the civil government . but admit the civil government will stand with either ? when the balances stand eavenly poised , the least grain turns it . in things indifferent , the smallest circumstance casts it . this island of bitaine ( if we look back above yeares , being a long prescription ) when she first received the faith , was then governed by king lucius , whom god made a great instrument for reducing of this kingdome from paganisme ; who , sending to rome , and accommodated from thence with two christian and learned divines , by their labours , and gods assistance upon them , planted the gospel : at the beginning of which plantation arch-flamins and flamins were put downe , and in their roome archbishops and bishops were introduced ; which government successively continued , and flourisht through the reigns of many wise princes , confirmed by many acts of parliament , since the reformation ; exercised and approved by holy martyrs ; and allowed of , as most fitting , until the yeare of our lord . at which time , multitudes of the lower sort of people , throughout this kingdome , petitioned , and tumultuously troubled the parliament , so that some of the members , perchance according to their inclination , and others , for quietnesse sake , consented to the abolition and extirpation of episcopacy , the unadviz'd contents of their clamorous petitions . now if these governments hierarchicall and presbyteriall be indifferent ; these circumstances , ( first , of the time , when episcopall government began ; secondly , of the unintermissive continuance , for so many ages ; thirdly , the credit of the persons confirming and approving it ) me thinks , should cast such a kind of necessity upon it , that the other ( being an untry'd government , and having no consent or approbation from the supreme magistrate ; and , being onely cryed in by the ignorant multitude , affected to novelties and change ) should have no wise friend to plead for it . we reade in the scriptures of elders ( which are members of a presbyterie ) as it is written , titus . . for this cause i left thee in creete that thou shouldest set in order things that are wanting , and ordaine elders in every city , as i had appointed thee . also , pet. . . the elders which are among you . i exhort , who am also an elder . by which it appears , that titus had instructions to set up a presbyterie . you take the scriptures by snatches : had you read in titus the next verse following but one , you would have had saint pauls meaning with his words , viz. ver . . for a bishop must be blamelesse , as the steward of god , not selfe-willed , &c. so that , it plainly appeares , that elders mentioned in the . verse , are expounded bishops in the . or , had you compared saint peters first verse ( before mentioned ) with his fift in the same chapter , you would have found elders no positive , but a relative word ; no office , but a degree of age. ver. . likewise the younger submitting themselves to the elder ; the apostle here shewing , what the behaviour of the elder ministers should be towards god , and of the younger towards them . so that if either of them had set up a presbyterie , it was suddenly pulled downe againe ; and episcopacie ( which you so much dislike ) placed in the roome . we are so far from disliking bishops , that where there is one , we desire there were twenty ; nay that every church in england and ireland had a severall bishop ; diocesan bishops we dislike , parochiall we allow . how suddenly ( to crosse a setled and warranted establishment ) your windmill fancies can make an alteration . titus , c. . . had a cōmand from s. paul to ordain elders in every city , ( which he interprets bishops ) not in every church , or parish ; which ordinance , the church of england hath punctually observed from the primitive times to this day . but you have refractory and gaine-saying spirits , spirits of contradiction , that understand not the scriptures , but by your owne interpretations ; alwayes stirring , but never setled ; hating order , despising government , and resisting all authority . but this episcopall government had her originall from rome ; and being poysoned in the root , it cannot be wholsome in the branch . ignorance is the mother of all error . your chronologie failes you : if you carefully search antiquities , you will find your objection against it , a good argument for it . i confesse episcopacie had her originall par●ly from rome ; but , in those dayes , when we conformed according to the church of rome , the church of rome conformed according to the word of god. rome was , then , part of the primitive church , not being above . yeares after christ : the bishops of rome were then so far from being antichrists , that most of them were martyrs , and dyed for christ. but our bishops have too great revenues ; whereby , they are occasioned to riot , pomp , and glory . those princely benefactors ( whose bountifull pieties thought nothing too much for gods ambassadours , and therefore enlarged their revenues so much ) well knew their places and callings requir'd it ; whose gates were to be open to all commers ; and bread to be given to all that wanted . their places owe reliefe to the fatherlesse ; comfort to the widow ; supplies to the needy ; and succour to all that are afflicted ; and hospitality to all strangers . no , their great revenues are greater eye-sores then inconveniences , if not abused . but these great revenues might have been decimated , and the tenth part might have sufficiently maintained a preaching ministry , and the nine other parts might have been added to the kings revenues , which would have made him the richest and most glorious king in christendome , and taken away the necessity of subsidies from the subject . this is robbing peter to pay paul ; beggering the keyes to inrich the sword , and the next way to bring a curse upon the king , and all his people in generall , by a generall guilt of sacriledge . the shewbread must not be eaten but upon more necessity then ( god be thanked ) his majesty was at that time put to . the holy oyle must not be put unto a civil use ; but his majesties pious and resolute refusall ●stereof hath in one word , fully and fairely answered this objection . but bishops have too absolute a power , which gives them occasion and opportunity to be tyrannicall , and to exercise an arbitrary jurisdiction over their brethren . from the beginning , i confesse , it was not so ; neither stands it with wisdome or policy to suffer it to be so : for the government of the church must have proportion with the government of the state : government of severall natures in one nation , breeds confusion ; and that , ruine : we therefore being a mixt monarchy , necessarily require a mixture likewise in the hierarchy ; which excledes all arbitrary power . it is true , absolute monarchy , and an unlimited hierarchy are apt to fall into the distemper of tyrannie ; and democracie and a parity in government is as apt to run into the disease of tumult ; but of the two evils , tyrannie is the least , by how much it is the easier to be cured . a monster with one head is sooner overcome then a hidra with many . if our hierarchy hath slipt into this irregularity , it is great wisdome and reason for a parliament to rectifie it . but the king having the sole election of bishops , and so much favouring them , will hardly consent to the abridgement of their power and greatnesse ; so that , being his creatures , their power wil be upheld by him , to the end that upon any difference betwixt him and his people , they may be the more able to uphold him , and ready to make a strong party for him ; so that the more their power is weakned , the lesse his party will be prevalent , whereby , his prerogative may want advocates , and the liberty of the subject no enemies . his majesty , by his yeelding to the bill of taking away their votes in parliament , hath given a sufficient earnest of a further moderation of their power ; and no question , was , and will be ready to hearken to this or such like humble and reasonable petitions ( for the extirpating this jelousie ) viz. that when any bishop dyes , or is translated , he would give liberty to the whole clergie and freeholders of those diocesses to choose , nominate & present foure learned and religious divines , most unblameable in li●e and doctrine , able for government , and diligent in preaching : of which foure , his majesty to prick one , which maybe consecrated bishop of the dioces ; by which meanes , both his majesty and his people , having an interest in him , he will be equally engaged ; who , in cases of difference , may become rather a mediator then partaker : and , receiving just power from the king , may execute it as uprightly amongst his people . but they are lords , and lord it over gods inheritance : whereas , pet. . . forbids it , be not lords over gods inheritance : and christ , luk. . . sayes , the kings of the earth exercise lordship , but it shall not be so with you . our bishops were lords , as they were peeres of the land , and as peeres , they had votes in parliament ; which , being taken away , they are no more , now , then what the dignity of their calling and their owne merits make them . as for that place in s. peter , thus it is meant ; ye shall not be lords over gods inheritance , that is , tyrants ; lords and rulers being at that time none but heathens and persecutors , whose tyrannie made the very name of lord , terrible , and odious : so that , in that place , by lordship is certainly meant tyrannie . neither can this imply a parity in our church ; for without a superiority , and inferiority , there can be no government : a parity cannot be considered in order of government ; but onely , in the work of the ministry . in this , all are fellow labourers ; in the other , some command , and some obey : s. paul and timothy had an especiall command and charge over other ministers . as for that place in s. luke , which you alledge , the disciples striving who should be the greatest among them , our blessed saviours answer was to this effect , let kings exercise power and authority over their vassals , ( as indeed their tyrannie made them little better ) but it shall be otherwise with you : you are all fellow-servants to me , that am your chiefe lord and bishop of your soules ; whilst i am here , all superiority lyes extinct : christ was then the onely governour , and the root of government was in him : but at his departure , he gave some to be apostles , some to be pastors , &c. and yet all those degrees were equall in respect of the work : he himselfe said , ye call me lord , and so i am , and yet , luk. . . i am among you as he that serveth : whereby it manifestly appeares , he intended a parity of the workers in respect of the worke , not a parity in the government in respect of the workers . bishops ( whose office is to promote religion , and to advance the gospel , ( as is pretended ) and to encourage prenching as the ordinary meanes conducing thereunto ) are so far from so doing , that instead thereof , they silence godly ministers , and put downe weekly lectures , which were set up at the proper charges and the piety of the people ; and to the great establishment of true religion . here lyes a mysterie ; being the most crafty advantage the devil ever took of popular piety . admit the piety of the honest hearted people was the first motive to these weekly lectures , how was that piety abused , by those weekly lecturers ? they were chosen by the people ; their maintenance ( consisting most of gratuities ) came from the people , which ebbed or flowed according as their lunatick doctrines wrought upon the people . those lecturers ( whose whole subsistance thus proceeded from the people ) must for their owne better livelyhoods please the people : and what more pleasing to the people then the preaching of liberty ? and how should liberty be enlarged , if not peeced with prerogative ? then down goes authority , and up goes priviledge ; downe goes the booke , and up goes the spirit ; downe goes learning , and up goes revelation ; who gaining credit in the weak opinions of the vulgar , grew the seminaries of all ignorance , and the nursing fathers of all rebellion . these are those godly lecturers that bishops put downe , who never lost themselves so much , as in not setting up better and more orthodox in their roomes , which had taken away the ground of this objection . our bishops being proud , idle , covetous , and popishly affected , are therefore fit to be extirpated . admit some be so ; must , therefore , such , among them , as are humble , diligent , charitable , and enemies to popery , perish ? shall they that are bad , have more power to pull downe a setled government , then they that be good , to keep it up ? did moses , the man of god , extirpate the government of priesthood because aaron had a hand in the peoples idolatry ? or , will you undertake that the elders in a presbyteriall government shall be all faultlesse ? let the guilty receive their respective punishments , and let others take their office : but the innocent to suffer with the guilty , is a point of high injustice . but admit this government by bishops , had nothing to plead for it , neither prescription , nor continuance without intermission , nor the authority of parliaments in all ages , yet considering it is , now , a government , in being , it seemes not consonant to reason , or policy to extirpate it , or take it away , before an other government be pitcht upon . to pull downe one maine pillar , before another be made to supply the place , and to support the roome , is the next way to pull the roofe upon our heads : hath not episcopacie been long voted downe ? and is not the assembly , at this time , divided and in controversie , nay puzzled what government to set up in the roome of it ? by which means , occasion is administred to all disorder , liberty lyes open to all schismes , sects , and heresies , and sectaries grow bold to vent their giddy headed opinions without controlment , confirming themselves in their owne errors , infecting others with their new fangled and itching doctrines , the nature whereof is ( like a tetter ) to run , till it over-run the whole body . ( have not our eyes beheld all this ? ) which if these unsetled times should long continue , ( as god forbid ) would gather such head , and strengthen this our confused kingdome , that if her issue of blood were stopt in one place , it would break forth in another ; and , like hercules his monster , if one head were struck off , another would arise , to the utter confusion of the true protestant religion , which already begins to be the least part of this tottering kingdoms profession , and rather conniv'd at , then exerciz'd by some . are not complaints preferd against brownists and separatists , unheard ? nay , are not men afraid to complain against them for feare of punishment ? have not protest anabaptists challenged our ministers to dispute with them in their owne open churches ? have not their disputations been permitted , nay , unadvisedly undertaken by some of our ministers , ( who themselves are thought little better ) wherein they have made many proselites , and left many of the vulgar ( who judge the victory to the most words ) indifferent ? have they not after their disputations retired into their innes , and private lodgings , accompanyed with many of their auditors , and all joyned together in their extemporary prayers for a blessing upon their late exercise ? how often hath bow-river ( which they lately have baptiz'd new iordan ) been witnesse to their prophanations ? how many daily make their private meetings , and assemble in the city of london to exercise their ministery ? how many have been convicted of blasphemy , and yet unpunisht ? how many times have their witnesses been taken against some of our most learned and religious ministers ? for which , some , are plundered , some sequestred , and some imprisoned : how many of our ministers whose severity proceeded formerly against fornicators , adulterers , drunkards , swearers , and such like , are now undone upon their revengefull witnesses and testimony , appearing now ( for the better colouring of their malice ) well affected to the cause ? all which in time will so encourage all sects , factions , hypocrites , and make heresie so bold , & strong in this kingdome , that the true protestant religion will be ( under the detestable name of popery ) even turned out of doores for company , or at least so little favoured , that it will be forced to shrowd it selfe in corners , as those sectaries did , before these troubles were . i , but when things are setled , and iustice done upon the popish faction , these sectaries with their sects will vanish like the mist before the mid day sun , and a true reformed religion will be establisht to us and our posterity . you seeme by this objection but a young state physitian , and a meere novice in the curing of a disease of this nature . in some cases , where the undisturbed humors keep their bounds , distempers are quickly evaporated , and being scatterd through the whole body , every part breathes out some , and nature ( being able to truckle with the disease ) by her owne power , relieves her selfe ; and , in a short time , rectifies the body : but upon a continuall confluence , and gathering head of lawlesse humors , she is so weakned ; that she hath no power to resist , and lesse heart to struggle with her enemy , but is forced to yeeld : but the time you prefixe for the subduing of these numerous sects , is , first , when all things are setled , secondly , when the land is cleared of papists . . for the first , it is all one as if you had said , when the body is in good health , you will easily find a cure . a rare physitian ! in the meane while , you will connive at this continued confluence of humors , which makes it at length incureable . . as for the second : take heed while ye goe about to cure a fever , you run not the body politick into a dropsie , with too much phlebotomie . but you will first cleare the kingdome of papists : and who be they ? in your accompt , all such as stand for episcopall government , ( a government coetaneous with this our almost out-dated religion ) all such as approve of the book of common prayer , ( a forme establisht by many acts of protestant parliaments ) all such as are passively obedient , and loyall to his majestie , ( a duty commanded by gods own mouth ) of the clergie , all such as will not preach for blood , ( although ministers of the gospel of peace . ) all such as will not take the covenant , to suppresse bishops , ( although they have formerly sworn canonicall obedience to their ordinary ) all such as wil not encourage subjects to resist the power of their naturall prince , ( although having taken the oath of allegeance , and the late protestation . ) and to conclude , all that have not contributed willingly , bountifully , and continually to this warre ; and in a word , that have any considerable estates to pick a hole in : if all sects and sectaries be not supprest till then , we are like to have a comfortable reformation . but in case , you onely meane such papists as owne , and acknowledge the doctrine of the church of rome ; tell me , what course would you take with the● ? either you must banish them , or disinherit them , or take away their lives . . if banish them ; it must be done , either with the kings consent , or against it ; if against it , you resist the power , and he that resisteth shall receive damnation , rom. . if with it , you make the king guilty of perjury , who hath sworne to protect all his subjects in his coronation oath . . if disinherit them ; it must be done , either according to the known lawes of the kingdome , or against them ; according to the lawes , ye cannot ; for there is no law for it . if against them , you transgresse what you pretend to maintaine in all your declarations . . if take away their lives , it must be done , either for a cause , or without a cause ; if for a cause , shew it , that the world may be satisfied : if without a cause , you are guilty of murther . which course soever ye take , you have not christ for your example , who quietly suffered the two caesars , being idolaters , not onely to possesse that kingdome , but to usurp it , because god permitted them , and permissively placed them there : when the disciples askt our blessed saviour , didst not thou sow good wheat ? whence commeth it that there be tares ? his answer was , the evil one hath done it . his pleasure being demanded , whether they should weed them up ? his reply was , no , let them alone untill the harvest and then he would separate them . a good deed may be ill done , when either against command , or without warrant . though god hath permitted the evill one to plant papists among us , yet he hath not authorized us to root them up , nor yet to take the lives of any , untill their actions come within the danger and compasse of the establisht lawes of the land. we have presidents for the rooting out of idolaters in the scriptures ; which warrant us to doe the like . you finde it no where , but in the time of the law ; at which time , god immediately commanded it ; which kind of warrants are now ceased . again , in the time of the law , some were accompted strangers , and strangers had not the priviledges that brethren have . vsury was lawfull to be taken of strangers , not of brethren : now , in the times of the gospel , christ hath made us all brethren , and called us by his own name , christians : and what was lawfull , then , to be done to strangers , is unwarrantable , now , to be done to christians . we are brethren . then protestantisme and popery may be consistent in one kingdom , and gods name may be harmelesly prophaned with idolaetry and superstition , in the same place , where it is truly and sincerely worshipt . your inference is not good . it is one thing for a prince to protect his subjects ; and an other to be partaker with them , or to allow of their superstitions . kings cannot enforce consciences , though pitcht upon a false religion : all that magistrates can do against them ( unlesse for seducing , which a particular statute made treason ) is to punish their purses , for not observing his statutes respectively , or for exercising their religion contrary to his lawes , but well it were if such a necessity of connivance had no such subject to work upon . how happy had it been for this unlucky kingdom , if his majesties most prudent and pious offer , two yeare since , propounded to us , had been accepted in this particular , that all the children of his subjects of that religion , should be taken from them , and educated in the religion of the church of england ? by which means , the whole kingdom , in a short space of time , would have been peaceably reduced to an vnity in doctrine ; and , if the same course were taken with othe srectaryes , an vniformity in discipline also . but our kingdom must not expect an universall and through reformation in all particulars , till catechismes be more strictly used , and the entercourse of embassadours ( which cannot simply be avoyded ) and legers be restrained ; and strict statutes made and executed against sectaries . but to returne to our first matter . admit episcopacy were a government , accidentally inconvenient , and that a more fitting government , were discovered , prepared and made ready to be set up , it would be but a new untryed government , and not experimentally known what proportion it would beare without temporall constitutions . a horse may be well metled , and conditioned , and every way commendable for the saddle ; yet not draw well in a coach or chariot : a great part of our common-law is built upon the cases of bishops , insomuch that if that government be changed , there must be a necessary alteration of many lawes of the land ; and what inconvenience may arise from such an alteration , i leave to the judgment of lawyers , being not unworthy of some consideration . but let these things be accompted not inconveniencyes , and that the hierarchicall government is fit to be demolished , either for the abuse of it , by some few exorbitant prelates , or for the mischiefes that follow , in respect of it self , in that it administers such occasion of offence , yet the too sudden execution of a busines of so great a consequence , and concernment , gives a livelier testimony of passion then discretion , ( if polititions may have credit ) and savours of extremity , ( which is opposite to all virtue , ) and too much rashnesse , the distemper of all serious and honorable undertakings : too sudden an alteration in matters of small moment , passes not without some inconvenience ; but , in things of such a nature , as a government , nay a church government too ( the nursery of the whole kingdoms happinesse or misery ) it cannot be without imminent danger ; but the sudden alteration of a fundamentall government of the church , ( which necessarily carryes the state with it ) threatens , nay brings no lesse then unavoidable ruine to both . a rashnesse , too much ( we feare ) relishing of private ends to demolish that government in twelve moneths , which hath been setting up and maintained by as wise generations as ours , above fourteene hundred yeeres . how happy had it been for this ( at that time prosperous , but now miserable ) kingdome , had we taken the advantage of ( that greatest blessing , that ever gracious prince conferred upon unthankfull subjects ) the trienniall parliament , wherein , we might every years have inspected this new recoverd kingdome , and kept it alwayes in a perfect crisis , the approaching terror whereof , would not have afforded popular evils so long a time , or liberty to root themselves or gather head against the peace and welfare of our happy government ; through the benefit whereof we might have taken an advantageous leisure and mature deliberation to ripen every bill , and , by degrees , to rectifie every nonag'd grievance ; and indeed , what happines was there , which we had not then an offerd opportunity to bring upon this ( now ) unhappy land ? the government of the state , as in many things , it was reduced into an excellent temper ; so , questionlesse , ( had not this unnaturall difference interposed ) it had in all things ( by the continued goodnesse and favour of his sacred majesty ) been perfected , to the comfort of us , and the happinesse of succeeding generations . the government of the church likewise might , by the vertue of the granted trienniall , been narrowly and exactly searcht into ; the governours strictly observed ; the bad turned out , and changed for better ; they that deserved punishment , punisht according to their misdemeanours ; others , lesse offending through some neglect , reproved and checkt ; and , upon no amendment , the next trienniall , proceeded against accordingly . the fig-tree was not presently cut downe , root and branch , but suffered till another yeare ; and punishments before an admonition are too rashly and severely inflicted . thus by this graduall and trienniall course , mercy and justice would have incorporated ; the government of the church had been establisht ; the peace of this kingdome had been secured ; the bad governours had been rectified , or removed ; the good , encouraged and honoured ; and peace and truth had kist each other . but the multitudes of these our nationall sins were too great , to permit so great a blessing on this nation , as the benefit of this trienniall prrliament . god suffered abraham to see the holy land , but for the transgressions of the people , not to possesse it : god shewed us a glimpse of that mercy ( which our sins made us unworthy to enjoy ) and snacht it from us . in which respect , we are now left to our owne wayes , and governed by our owne inventions ; and ( what is wors● ) we are neither penitent for our nationall sins , nor our owne ; nor ( what is worst of all ) sensible of gods iudgements , nor our owne miseries . how often have our moderne ministers in their unmeditated prayers , before the open congregation , given god joyfull thanks for these blessed times ! whereas ( if their hearts had not been hasty to utter any things before god ) they might have rather petitioned for a removall of these his terrible judgements : how often have they prayed for the continuance of these happy dayes ● whereas , had not their mouthes been rash , they might better have deprecated those miseries . how often have they in their sermons . blasphemously challenged god ( upon the forfeiture of his justice ) to crowne their cause with victory ! how often , instead of wholsome doctrine , have they delivered such reports as their consciences knew fables , and were before next sabboth lyes upon record ? how often have they preached downe subjection to princes , and encouraged the sword to grow warme in the blood of christians ? how often have they articled against orthodoxe , able , and learned divines ; and crowded themselves into their livings , who upon my certaine knowledge ( some of them ) can neither make true latine , nor write good english ; and then , lay their preferment upon the wisdome of the parliament ? how many children above a yeare old ( because their fathers are suspected to be loyall to their prince ) continue unbaptiz'd ? many parishes can witnesse . how long time is it since the last sacrament of the lords supper was administred , let the people tell , if their memories be so good ; and then , the elements deliverd in their owne new devised words . these are now the faithfull ministers of the gospel of peace : these the ministers of this blessed reformation : these the men that must pull downe antichrist out of his seat , and set up christ iesus in his throne : nay , rather , these are they that for filthy lucre carry men about with divers and strange doctrines : these are the men that in former times separated themselves , sensuall , having not the spirit . these are they that despise dominion , and speak evill of dignities : these are such as have gone the way of cain , and run greedily after the error of balaam for reward ; and have perished in the gaine-saying of core : the feare spyes in your feasts of charity , feeding themselves without feare ; clouds , that are without water carried about with the winde ; rageing waves of the sea , fo●eing out their own shame , to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever . is not this a blessed priesthood ? are not these rare materialls for a hopefull presbytery ? 〈◊〉 ●overnours for the house of god ? are not the two great nurseryes of this kingdom like to flourish ; when the chiefe plants are pulled up by the roots , and onely the●e crabstoc●s suffered to prosper , and beare their own naturall fruit ? our fathers have eaten the grapes , and their childrens teeth will be set on edge . they that have been the pillars of our religion are hewn down , and our falling church is shored up with these inconsiderable spars . they that grappled with , and foyld the stoutest champions of the church of rome , are imprisoned ; wanting both bread and liberty ; and such as neither did , nor could , nor durst appeare in such a quarrel , are crownd with their reward : they whose learning and orthodox piety made england the glory of nations , and the envy of forraigne kingdoms , are now disgraced and ruined ; and th●se , that learning made not capable of a degree , advanced and honoured to the great dishonour of this kingdom . nor can i heare forget , how much this staggering church of england owes to her pious and religious nursing father , and her faiths royall defender , our gracious soveraigne ; whose wisdom , moderation and tender piety ( amongst other of his princely vertues ) hath so manifesty showed it self ; in not following the example of those , whom my heart bleeds to call his enemyes ; and blazing the new ministry of this kingdom , as they have done the old ? had his provoked passion publisht a century to the eye of all the world , of those morall vices , hideous blasphemies , infirmities and faylings of the clergy of the one party , as they did on the other , how would the church of rome , and all the enemies of the gospel of jesus christ , have hissed and derided our religion ? that , by the generall confession both of prince , and people , had such monsters to adorne it ? how would forraigne christians have been frighted at the very name of the church of england ? how would the stile of protestant have become the obloquy , and by word of all religions : it was not for want of matter : report would have 〈◊〉 enough , besides that , which , perchance , would have made the truer history . nor was it scarcity of pen-men , to paint their actions to the life : oxford had & yet hath pens , sharp enough , & ink that wanted no gall : nor can i conceive how such nimble , active , and such salik fancyes here could have forborne it , had not the wisdom & providence of his sacred majesty laid upon them his restraining power : by which it evidently appeares to those that are not obstinately & maliciously blinded with the darknesse of resolved rebellion , that his majesties solemne vowes , and serious protestations , for the maintaining the honour of the true protestant religion , agree with his most pious intentions , and published resolutions : had his secret affections been warpt , or the least degree wavering from the church of england , or any whit inclining to the romish superstition ; had the imaginations of his heart intended secretly an introduction of the popish religion , how could his new design been better animated , then by an inward dislike of the protestant religion , & how could that dislike have been better fomented and encouraged , then by the advantage , the just advantage taken of the generall corruption of her ministry ? but the wisdom and tendernesse of his piety stands silent , in this behalfe ; and , in his singular prudence , hath not so much as taken notice , or in any of his declarations once reproved the uncharitable impiety of that scandalous pamphlet , for fear of further blazing it , but rather suffering it to perish in its own filthines , & choosing rather to groane under the burthen of his faithfull and abused clergie , then by revenging and painting forth the crimes of the other party ( far more guilty ) to afflict religion under the burthen of both . thus is the health of our languishing church impaired ; thus is the body of our craz'd government distemperd ; thus is the peace of our saviours spouse disquieted ; thus is the welfare of our english sion determined ; her dove-like piety is turned to serpentine policy ; her unity , to division ; her uniformity , to disorder ; her sanctity to prophanenesse ; her needle-work robes to a particoloured coate ; her honour into disgrace , her glory into disdaine , and her prosperity into destruction . she weepeth in the night , and her teares are in her cheekes . among all her lovers there is none to comfort her ; and all her friends have dealt treacherously with her ; her adversaries are the chiefe ; and her enemies prosper ; for the lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions : her children are gone into captivity before the enemy , and her gates are sunk into the ground : her kings and princes are among the gentiles ; her law is no more , and her prophets find no vision from the lord : the elders of the daughter of sion sit upon the ground , and keep silence , and have girded themselves with sackcloth ; the horne of her enemies is lifted up ; they spared not the persons of her priests , they favoured not her elders , they have laid wait for the breath of our nostrils , the annointed of the lord , and servants beare rule over us . our inheritance is turned to strangers , and our houses to alyants : we drink our water for money , and our woods are sold to us : we have sinned and have rebelled , therefore thou hast not spared : for this our hearts , our hearts faint , for these things our eyes are dimme ; for these things i weep , mine eye , mine eye runneth downe with water . where , o where are you , all you that are the wisdom and governours of this unhappy island ? where , o where are you , the great counsell and grave senators of this falling kingdome ? where , o where are you , the great colledge of politicall physitians of this languishing common-wealth ? are ye all fallen asleep , while we perish ? & is there none to awake you ? open your eyes , unlock your eares , and mollify your hearts : behold , behold the miseries of your land , and if compassion be not banisht from the earth , pitty , o pitty the approaching ruines of this your groanning , this your native kingdom . heare o harken to the sad complaints of your afflicted petitioners ; and , if your hearts be not of adamant , relent , and let them not in vain petition for their lives : let the breath of this distempered kingdome , contracted into one extreame sigh , move you to the speedy endeavours of a timely cure. inquire into her constitution . examine her distempers , and reduce her to her first principles : try no experiments upon a body so declined , and let not the acutenesse of her disease swade you to a desperate remedy . look , o look back into the blessed dayes of queene elizabeth : observe what blessings we then had , both by sea and land ; what plenty ; what successe ; what victories ; what honour abroad ; what unity at home ; and indeed what had we not that could make a kingdome happy ? reduce us , o reduce us to that happy government ; and let not the eagernesse of a reformation be a meanes to want men to be reformed , or matter for a reformation : remember , o remember that great reformer christ jesus ; he was against all blood-shed , but his own ; for that blood sake follow his example : or , if the way must needs be made by blood , let it light rather a little , upon many generations , then all upon one ; the ruine whereof will deny us another generation : let not the children of your mother sterve in the land of bread , and let not the foundations of your naturall kingdom be longer dabled in unnaturall blood . turne , o turn your eyes upon her breaches , and let not strangers lord it in her gates . for the mercies of that god which hath been mercifull to you , be mercifull to millions of christians , whose lives depend upon your care ; be mercifull to millions of children , that know not their right hands from their left ; be mercifull to generations unborne ; to whom , when deep records shall bring the chronicles of your actions , ages to come may magnifie your merits : for his sake that is the prince of peace , as you desire to meet peace upon your death beds , let this sea of blood already spilt be thought sufficient : for the whole body of englands sake , who have trusted their power into your hands , that have cast all their welfares upon your wisdomes ; for their sakes that venture their lives and fortunes upon your providence ; for your owne sakes ; for your tender wives & deare childrens sakes ; for the god of mercies sake , as you love mercy ; for christ jesus , the god of peace his sake , as you prize the peace of a good conscience , harken to , and ensue peace , while there is a possibility of peace . darken not that religion with the black storms of contention , you professe to glorifie : lessen not the glory of that church , by partiality , which you have promised to beautifie : draggle not that gospel in the sinks of blood , which you have protested to magnifie : the sinnes of nineveh were not too great for gods compassion , and shall the offences of poore england be too great for yours ? nineveh cryed mightily to heaven , and they were spared ; and shall the miseries of three kingdomes be hollowed in your eares , and not heard ? well , if ruine , by a forreigne power come , ( which the god of heaven and earth forbid ) think not with your selves that you shall scape the fury more then all the rest : but if you altogether stop your eares , at such a time as this , then shall enlargement and deliverance arise to england from another place , but you and your houses shall be destroyed ; and who knowes whether you are sent to this employment , for such a time as this ? o thou that art the great preserver of mankind , to thee , to thee we turne the voice of our complaint : thou , thou art gracious , and plentifull in compassion , but in man there is no help , nor mercy in the sons of men . thou art my portion o god , and i will trust in thee , although thou kill me . i will not trust in my bow , it is not my shield that can save me , but it is thou alone , o god , that canst deliver us . deliver us o god from the evil men , preserve us from the cruell men , which imagine evill in their hearts , and make warre continually . have mercy , o lord , have mercy upon us , for we have suffered too much contempt : . heare the mourning of the prisoners , and deliver the children from death . they have consulted together in heart , and have made a league against thee . we are a reproach to our neighbours , even a scorne and derision to them that are round about us . o god , how long shall the adversary reproach thee ? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever ? remember the children of edom o lord in the day of ierusalem , which said , rase it , rase it , to the foundations thereof . let thy priests be clothed with righteousnesse , and let thy saints rejoyce . lord , how long wilt then hide thy selfe ? for ever ? shall thy wrath burne like fire ? wilt thou be angry with us for ever ? wilt thou prolong thy wrath from generation to generation ? behold , o god , our shield ; and look upon the face of thine anointed . let thine hand be upon the man of thy right hand , whom thou hast made so strong for thyself . give thy iudgements to the king , and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne ; that peace may be in his dayes , and let his enemies lick the dust : clothe his enemies with shame , but upon his head let his crowne flourish . how long shall the wicked , o lord , how long shall the wicked triumph ? they prate and speak fiercely , and the workers of iniquity vaunt themselves . they smite downe thy people , o lord , and trouble thine inheritance . they slay the widow and the stranger , and murther the fatherlesse . o house of aaron trust in the lord , for he is our help and our shield ; he will blesse the house of israel , and he will blesse the house of aaron . praise ye the lord ye house of israel , praise ye the lord ye house of aaron , praise ye the lord ye house of levi : ye that feare the lord , praise the lord. psal. . , , , . pray for the peace of ierusalem : they shall prosper that love thee . peace be within thy walls , and prosperity within thy palaces . for my brethren and companions sakes , i will now say , peace be within thee . because of the house of the lord our god , i will seek thy good . hier. sup . epist. ad rom. quisquis corpus suum affligit , & concordiam deserit , laudat deum quidem in tympano , sed non laudat in choro . the end. the vvhipper vvhipt . being a reply upon a scandalous pamphlet , called the whip : abusing that excellent work of cornelius burges , d r in divinity , one of the assembly of divines , entituled , the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered . incerti authoris . qui mockat , mockabitur . imprinted , m. dc . xliv . the whipper vvhipt there came , by chance , to my un-enquiring hand , a pamphlet called the whip ; whose pharisaicall author pretended a transcendent zeale to my first eye ; but , after a leafes perusall , i found his flame so extreamly hot , that his religion seemed ( for want of due stirring ) burnt too ; and so much tasted of the brasse , that no orthodox palate could relish it , nor a well-grounded conscience digest it : the namelesse author had an vtop●an spirit ; and the government he best affected , was anarchie : he was a salamander ; his very dwelling was in fire : his heart was a sink of ignorance ; is spleen , a spring of gall ; a shemei , a rabshekah : his mouth ran bitternesse and malice ; and his pen flow'd venime , and rebellion . the object of this fiery pamphlet , was the orthodox & most excellent work of doctor cornelius burges , a man of singular parts ; and , at this time , a worthy member of the synod ; or assembly of divines ; entituled , the fire of the sanctuary newly discovered , or a compleat tract of zeale , and printed by george miller and richard badger , anno . which , this pamphleters unlearned pen hath to poorely answered , so impiously maligned , so maliciously calumniated , that i have thought good to cast away some inke upon him , ( not in vindication of the doctor , whose conscience , enlightned by the scriptures , needs no champion ) but to rectifie the abused vulgar ; who , by the help of such pneumaticall fantasticks , have turnd their leaden apprehensions into quick-silverd zeale , which hath swallowed up and devoured their duty to their betters , their faire demeanour to their equalls , and their charity to all relations . this unwo thy pamphleter , in the progresse of his more unworthy work , against this worthy member , uses that method , which b●elzeb●b the prince of flyes prescribes him ; who , like a fly , buzzes through his whole larder , blowing here & there ; but lea●ing such fruitfull corruption , that , in short time , his whole store , nay ( if possible ) the very bread of life , moulded by the hand of heaven , which hee hath set apart in his margent , would grow unsavoury . he begins at the dedication epistle , repeating the doctors words , then poysoning them with his owne calumnies ; whereunto , if ●ur patience ( equall readers ) will admit me , by the name of a replyer ; you shall have all woven together in one loome : wherein i purpose not to load your eares with those his frivolous preambles and impertinences , which would swell this pamphlet beyond your patience ; but , suddenly to rush into the list. d. burges dedication title . to the right honourable , william , earle of pembroke , &c. calumniator . popery and superstition at the first dash ! dedication is a meer p●pish ceremony , begun by the antichristian hierarchy , derived from deo and dicatio , which is a vowing to god : it was first used when steeplehouses , or meeting-places were built , which papists call churches , dedicating them to god ; or to those they honoured as much , saints , whereof some of them are now roring in hell ; under which pretence , they juggled holyness into them , more then into barnes or stables : now this book the doctor dedicates to the earle of pembroke , whereby he secretly acknowledges him either a god , or a saint ; if a god , he blasphemes ; if a saint , he lyes ; for he was a courtier , and preferd the king before the elect ; whereas saints imitate god , and should be no respecters of persons ; in whose eyes , kings and subjects are alike . replyer . when ignorance hath shot forth her shady leaves , how quickly impiety budds ! and , then , how suddenly rebellion blossoms ! ignorance first taught thee a false e●imologie of a word ; then , impiety suggests a slight estimation of a church ; and then , rebellion insinuates a disreputation of a king. now , one lash more at schoole , would have helpt all this , by curing that ignorance , and letting you know , that dedication is derived from de , ( here taken perfective ) and dicatio , ( which is an offering or a presentation ) which two words , joyned , carry the sense of a full or totall presentation of this book to whom he presented it . now cal. where 's the blasphemie ? or where 's the lye ? ●●t them even both returne to the base mouth from whence they came ; and that one lash more which might have cured thy ignorance , in time , might save gregory some labour ; and thee , some paines , in an undedicated meeting-place . d. burges in the epistle dedicatory . it ( viz. this treatise ) speaks of fire ; but such , as was made to warme , and not to burne any thing , unlesse stubble . cal. i knew what temper your fire ( your zeale ) had , ( luke-warme master doctor ) apt to receive warmth or flame according to the times . rep. it is the devils custome to leave out halfe the text : let mee supply your defect , cal. to warme solid hearts ; not to burne any thing but such stubble as you , and then the sentence is perfect . d. burges . here is no ground for an utopian spirit , to mould a new common-wealth ; no warrant for sedition to touch the lords anointed , so much as with her tongue ; no occasion administred to ishmael to scoffe at isaac ; no salamanders lodge themselves here . cal. an utopian spirit is a word of your owne coyning , whereof i confesse my ingenious ignorance . but i perceive , this opinion which you pin upon pembrok's sleeve , admits rather of an old popish government , then of the moulding of a new , by an holy reformation : it makes such an idol of your king , ( whom you falsly tear me the lords anointed ) that it brands that hand with the aspersion of sedition ; and that tongue , with the guilt of impiety , that touches him ; whereas kings are but men , and wicked kings but beasts , in gods eye , and the righteous have gods power , and may touch them ; nay , and scourge them too ; but , i feare , your zeal burnes now onely to light your doctorship to a deanery : what you meane by salamanders , i know not . repl. you professe ignorance , cal. in the beginning and ending of your learned speech , and discover treason in the whole body : the first ignorance you p●ofess● , is , of an vtopian spirit , wherein i thus informe you : it is a fanaticall spirit , even your owne spirit , by which you pray nonsense by the houre , preach treason by the halfe day , and ejaculate blasphemies every minute . your last ignorance is , of the salamanders ; wherein i thus instruct you . they are the fierie spirits that dwell within your flaming bosomes , by which ye murther , under the pretence of piety ; rob by way of religion ; and fling dirt in the face of majesty by colour of zeale : no wonder , cal. those spirits are unknowne to you , when ye know not of what spirit ye are : as for the body of your speech , we leave it to the judgement of authoritis . d. burges . but here 's a flame that will lick up all angry wasps , and inflamed tongues that presumptuously and without feare speak evill of dignities , and of things they understand not , railing on all not so free as themselves to foame at the mouth , and to cast their froth on all that are neare , without difference . cal. this your flame , courtly master doctor , lights us to understand , that your saintly patrone had then some remarkable living in his gift ; or power , to make you one of the kings chaplains , in ordinary ; strengthned , with the hopes whereof , you thus magnifie dignities , that is , kingship , lordship , and bishopship : and i am verily perswaded , if amal●ck or esau , ( whom god cursed ) were in being , your li●sy - woolsy zeale would endeavour to vindicate them from that curse ; or if caiphas , the high priest , were placed in office here , you have a pensill to paynt his wall white enough , for paul to curse . repl. cal. i feare you are one of those angry wasps the doctor 's zeal licks up , and his pen ( now above yeares old ) discoverd your nest , being a faction now in power , and prophesied of above yeares since ; whose malepert , sawcy , and slovenly tenets were well known to him , to be the ivie of the true orthodox and primitive religion , whose ambitious and fiery spirits , ( hating all government both in church and state , casting their foame and froth in the face of majesty and hierarchie , without respect of honour or place ) his conscience ( enlightned and instructed by the holy scriptures ) hated with a perfect hatred , and used his best meanes to suppresse and quench . d. burges , in his preface . my sharpnesse against some democraticall anti-ceremonians is not meant to weak consciences , joyned with pious , sober , and peaceable courses . cal. marke , whilst this sharp doctor would boast of a vertue called moderation , he turnes advocate to that detestable sinne of lukewarmnesse : as if he should have said , my sharpnesse against the enemies of popery , extends not to them , that are not too active and zealous of gods glory . doctor , this fire will hardly make your pot boile . rep. mark how this bitter calumniator acts his owne part to the life ; at one breath , both wresting the words , and wronging the person : and how it offends him , ( whose glory is to set weak consciences upon the rack ) to see another , fearfull of offending a weake conscience : cal. this zeale will make your pot boyle into the fire . d. burges . but i speak to such as keep a frantick coyle about ceremonies , and think they never take their levell right , but when , with every bolt they shoot , they strike a bishops cap sheire off his head , and yet are more fantasticall , ignorant , proud , self-will'd , negligent and deceitfull in their particular callings then many whom they despise and condemne to hell for carnall men , forsooth , as any observing eye may easily discerne . cal. so , master doctor ; i now call both the parliament , and the whole assembly of divines to witnesse , you are either a malignant , or a turnecoate : when you reade this clause , remember your own late votes , and tell me , what mettle your conscience is made of . tell me now , in sadnes , doctor , are they ignorant , proud , self-willd , negligent , and deceitfull in their callings , that inveigh against ceremonies , forsooth ? that endeavour to strike off a bishops cap forsooth ? once again , i say , remember your own votes and blush : nay , if , with the satyre , you can blow hot and cold with one mouth , you are no divine for me , forsooth . repl. you triumph cal. too much before the victory , and crow too confidently upon your owne dunghill : i justifie the doctor in what i know : you condemne him , in what you know not : what his votes were , or how , or when made , it matters not to me , but his opinion ( declared to all the world ) proclaims him no lesse then orthodox : i look upon him as a divine , absolutely ; not as an assembly-man , relatively : the satyres hot breath warmed his fingers , which else had been too cold : the satyres cold breath coold his breth which else had burnt his lips : the first was breath ; the last , but winde . d. burges . touching the carriage of zeale towards princes , my conscience witnesseth with me , in the sight of god , that i have spoken nothing , but what in my judgement is the truth , without sinister or base intents . cal. this clause stands like a pander to keep the doore , till you have committed your spirituall fornication within ; and to anticipate your beleeving reader , whilst you basely flatter princes ; wherein , you have engaged your conscience , and attested god concerning that your opinion , we shall hereafter understand ; which in his due place , you shall not faile to heare of . repl. how like a snarling cur you gurne before yee bite : cal. as you have acted your first part , in shewing your teeth ; so , anon , we shall expect your second part , in clapping your tayle betwixt your legs , and shamefully running away . d. burges . nor doe i touch on that , presuming to teach my betters ( but rather as men use to do , when they go for orders , or a benefice ) to give accompt . cal. doctor , it is the property of dogs to baule at beggers , or inferiours , who come empty handed ; but to fawne upon their feeders , and wag their flattering tayles at those , from whose well furnisht trenchers they expect some scraps : no , you presume not to teach your betters ; tell me , doctor , who sent you ? whose embassadour are you ? come you in your own name ? it seemes you do : he , in whose name you should come , knowes no betters : the truth is , christ sent you ; but antichrist ( from whose surrogates you had your orders ) signed your commission : christ sent you to preach , and antichrist bad you take a benifice by the way ; which ( speaking to your betters ) you here craftily insinuate in your simile : lesuites beg not , but point yee where the box stands . repl. your sawcy impudence , cal. votes modesty a vice , and rudenesse , zeale : our blessed saviour sayes , give unto cesar those things that belong unto cesar ; and saint paul , honour to whom honour belongs , commanding all things to be done decently and in order : which is too neate a doctrine for your nasty spirits : god , who is no respecter of persons inmatter of iustice , commands you not , to disrespect persons , by way of manners : diet for princes and pesants require severall dressings : when saint paul said to that heathen king agrippa , beleevest thou the prophets ? i know thou beleevest ; have not you blasphemy enough to traduce the apostle of a courtly lye ? i feare , your rabseka-spirit would have lent him courser language . and as for the benefice you say the doctor insinuates in his simile , you might have charitably translated it into two or three sequestrations , and then it had been tolerable . d. burges . and yet i would teach withall : i meane , the boystrous multitude ; who , ever prefer the rough channel before the temperate shore , and think no man preaches well in a prince his court , but he that is so fierie and rude ( plaine as they call it ) as with his thunder shakes the very house : and if he cast no squibs in a princes face , or preach not like a privy councellor , they say he hath no holy fire in him . cal. how this temporizing doctor still courts preferment ! in his last clause , he craftily insinuates for a benefice ; and in this , as grosly for a court chaplainship , wherein , he openly discovers how his silken conscience stands qualified for such imployment , being more ready to sowe pillows under princes elbowes , then denounce judgments against their sins ; declaring himself a profest enemy against the , boysterous multitude , who love the rough channell ; and who are they ? even those nathanian spirits that dare tell the king , thou art the man ; and professing himself a friend to such as love the temperate shore ; and who are they ? even such as flatter princes into the flames of hell . a fit doctor to consult and vote in the assembly . repl. it is one part of the devils office , cal. to accuse man to man , w● office , i fear , you rather execute under him , as his child , then usurp from him , as a stranger : gods servants must wear gods livery , meeknes ; they must reprove with wisdom , sobriety , & mildnes ; especially , the sacred persons of kings : god was more in the still voyce then in the thunder : squibs , taunts , and raylings are none of gods wayes ; but love , temperance , and moderation : if your house have a flaw , or an unsound pillour , will you , straight fire it ; and , not rather prop it , and , by degrees , strengthen it , for after service ? gods fire , ( that appeared in the bush ) gave light ; but , burnt not ; but your zeales have no patience , demolishing and consuming , even from the cedar that growes in lebanon to the hysop that is upon the wall : if such fire become the assembly , then take out burges , and put in peters . d. burges . if men dislike a book in this age , their censure is usually , it hath no salt in it : a discourse of this nature should have salt good store , for all sacrifices must be seasoned with salt ; so is this , but intended to season onely , not to fret any , unlesse by accident . cal. but if salt hath lost it's savour , wherewith shall it be seasoned ? so hath yours , doctor ; your sacrifice then will quickly stinck : you are a very bad phisition for the soul ; your kichen phisick ( for you have no other ) were good to keepe a healthfull soul in a good state ; but when feavors of lust , dropsies of drunkennesse , plurisies of blood , faint fits of lukewarmnesse , &c. accost the soul , your seasoned brothes will faile : sometimes the disease will require vomits , purges , phlebotomy , cautherizing , scarifying , cutting , &c. but , i feare , your end is rather to cure your own defects , then your patients distempers . repl. i fear , cal. some of the doctors salt hath fretted your chapt fingers ; which , perchance , you strive to wash out with your own vineger , which so much troubles you : you name some diseases in others , but forget your own , both acute and chronicall , the cardiaca passio , the tumour of the spleene , the petulancy of the tongue , the cold fits of uncharitablenesse : the first , second , and fourth of these are inward and habituall ; and , i feare , incureable ; but for the third , the beadel of bridewell will be your best phisitian . d. burges . thus have you my apology ( if it be one ) as a smal skreen to hold between you and the fire , if you think it be too big , or too neare , and that it would heate you too much . cal. doctor , your apology is as needlesse as your work : your fire ( whereby ( i take it ) you meane your zeale newly discovered ) is but an ignis lambens , or as rotten wood , shining in the dark ; or if it be a true fire , it is but of juniper , which rather serves to perfume a princes chamber , then to warme a christians heart ; and so dul , that it requires , rather , a paire of bellowes , then a skreene . repl. i hope , cal. it is not such a fire as yours , called ignis fatuus , which entices poor soules , ( wandering in the dark , ) to breake their necks ; but ( as you have excellently , ( although against your will ) tearmed it ) a fire of iuniper ; no perfume , sweeter ; no coales , hotter ; this juniper fire sends up sweet perfumes of comfort to the broken heart , and contrite spirit ; but threatens the fiercest of gods iudgements to the rebellious and impenitent soule . here , reader , be pleased to pause a while , and to understand , our calumniator hath done with the doctors preface , intending now to set upon the body of the work it self ; wherein , he undertakes not his task progressively , but selectively ; whether , he drives at one subject , collecting what he findes scattered through the whole book ; or whether his with can onely daunce after a pipe of that nature , i cannot resolve you ; you have it as i found it : this i perceive , by his stragling method , that it was leape yeare in his braynes , as well as in his kalender ; and so , we begin againe . the fire of the sanctuary uncoverd . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin . . it had not been lawfull for elijah to put those idolaters to the sword , if he had not been able to plead speciall commission from god , as he did . cal. take heed doctor , you run not your selfe out of the assembly into ely house : what speciall commission had our parliament to do the like ? yet how many thousand more have perisht by the sword , at their command ? are not they wise , and truly religious , and holy merchants for gods glory , and blessed agents for our kingdomes reformation ? and would they do such an act , and stand guilty of such a fratricide , so horrible a slaughter , had they not a warrant for it ? come , doctor , it is wisdome to retract and change a mis-opinion : it is a good bargaine , to change for the better , and get . l. per. annum . to boot , and god knowes what besides . repl. you ride , cal. upon the surer horse , as the case stands now : take heed of the kings plunderers . the parliaments authority is inscrutable , and too great a mistery for a private mans capacity ; but if the doctors opinion be firmly grounded on the word of god , my confidence of his piety is such , that neither feare of prisons , nor hope of fortunes , are able to divert , or to corrupt him : but , cal. it had been better worth your paines , to have refuted his opinion , by the strength of holy scripture , then pinned your implicite faith upon the authority of men , though never so learned or religious , being the self same error , we cry down , in popery . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . he that being under authority will rather resist then suffer , makes the cause suffer by his resistance , and so in stead of standing zealously for it , he doth in effect raise forces against it . cal. a high and desperate malignancy ! a doctrine most dangerous and damnable ! not onely contrary to the practice of all churches , that labour for a reformation , but directly opposite to an ordinance of parliament also . if this doctrine be permitted from the pen of an assembly man , without punishment or publique retractation , our cause wil carry warme credit ; and his bosome a strange conscience : if this clause be sound , we are at a weekly cost to much purpose ; if unsound , our assembly hath a sound member . repl. no question , cal. that malignant doctrine hath been the ancient and received tenet of former dayes ; neither do i know any religion so opposite to it as the church of rome , which holds it not venial , but meritorious , not onely to resist but also to depose the authority of the supreme magistrate ; but we are better taught by scripture , & not alone commanded , but also find it frequently exemplifyed unto us by holy men , to give all passive obedience to the power of our princes , whether good or bad ; without which gods true religion , would , surely , want that honorable confirmation of holy martirdome , which formerly it had ; but whether the yeare . brought new inspirations and revelations with it , or whether the thousand six hundred and forty one yeares before it , slept in the darknes of this point , deluded by false translations , the doctor ( if you repaire to him ) no question , can render you a satisfactory accompt . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . zeale may stand with suffering and fleeing , but not with resistance , which is flat rebellion ; and no good cause calls rebellion to aid . cal. here 's more water from the same ditch , but a little more stincking , through the addition of this odious word rebellion : what malignant devil haunted this doctors pen ? nay , in those calme dayes , when that base tearme ( rebellion ) was hardly understood , but in our prayers confessive ; nay , scarce then ; a word , more fit for those that can submit to the inordinate power of a prince , and crush religion in a common-wealth . repl. how now , cal. does your shoe pinch you there ? dare you resist who have liberty to flee ? can you resist , and not rebell ? can you do the act with a good conscience , & not heare of the action without impatience ? how willingly can a dog foule the roome , and how loath to have his nose rubbed in it ? did not i tell you , in the preface , ( where you shewed your teeth ) that you would clap your tayle between your legs anon , and run away ? he whose enlightned judgment there called his god to witnesse , hath condemned your cause , styled you by the name of rebell , and branded your actions with the style of flat rebellion : his conscience , then , had neither feare to pinch it ; nor affection , to enlarge i● ; nor could his merits aime at any by-respects for his maintayning of so known a truth , so doubly fortified both by the law of god and nature : rebellion is a trade the devil is free of : it is both trade and devil too : no wonder , cal. to see you run so fast ; you know who drives you : nay , he hath driven you so far beyond your senses , that you hold him onely loyal , that rebells ; and him rebellious , onely , that submits . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin . . i think no wise man doubts , that even in the purer times of the old church in israel , corruptions grew in ceremonies as well as in the substance of gods worship , and yet pry into the scriptures never so carefully , we shall not finde any of the most zealous saints fall on fire for ceremonies , which is worth observation . cal. a true chip of the old block canterbury , who after he had familiarized the name of the altar , in the common eare , ( not daring to bring in transubstantiation , with a full tide ) innocently left out those words in his service book , which onely made the difference betwixt a sacrifice , and the sacrament ; so that , but one step more , and the work had been fully done . so this our doctor ( not daring to urge ceremonies too loud , left the godly should heare him ) sets the peaceable custome of the former saints betwixt him and the danger of all good mens censure . he made the example of the saints the wall by which his creeping popery might hold , for feare of falling ; who , ( had not this blessed parliament dropt down from heaven , to crush these superstitions in their rise ) had been , by this , as perfect a proficient as the worst ; had had his high tricks , his low tricks , and perchance , his merry tricks too , as well as his fellowes . repl. how you wonder at a sparke of fire , cal. when just now your eyes dazled at the flame ! did not the doctor , in his dedication , as good as confesse himself an enemy to anticeremonians ? did not your self taxe him of rank popery ? and yet , what a busines now , you make of his creeping ceremonies ? the lyar , cal. and the malitious , sometimes , are alike forgetfull ; but , to the purpose ; if you loved the substance of religion more , you would have more lamented that sea of christian blood , that hath been shed about these ceremenies , then i find you do : we contend , so much , about the shell , that , i feare , we have lost the kirnell : but this know , cal. so long as you traduce your brother , and thus abuse your spirituall father , neither the love of god , nor the god of love abides in you . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . again , let such as be zealous sticklers for democraticall , or aristocraticall discipline , consider how ill the church can be governed by one policy , and the common-wealth by another . cal. our doctor is growne a machiavilian ; and forgets that piety is the best policy ; we , living under a monarchicall governement in the common-wealth , how he pleads for a hierarchicall governement in the church ? consequently , dissallowing democraticall or aristocraticall discipline , which our gratious parliament is now setting up ; but 't is no wonder to heare him , that hath so zealously pleaded for the robes and vanities of the whore to apologize for her governement ; and● by consequent , for the whore her self also ! repl. when ignorance and folly meet , how malice domineeres ? how this government , by bishops , erected in the apostles dayes approved by polycarpus , saint iohns disciple , and irenaeus the disciple of polycarpus , ignatius , and all those first planters of the gospell ; submitted unto by the whole primitive church ; confirmed by lucius , the first christian king in this island ; afterwards , established by so many acts of parliament , ( as yet unrepealed , ) and freely and personally exercized by so many godly and learned martyrs ; how this government sticks in ignorant cal's stomack ? whose forgetfull malice , would make the doctor an enemy to the proceedings and designes of parliament , whose writings were printed so many yeares before this parliament was dream'd of : as for his pleading for the whore , this know ; had the popish strumpet found no better friends then he , she had wanted that retrograde mercy of a third part , when the protestant matrone must be content but with a fift . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . it was long since the zealous complaint of a holy man , that men could no sooner get up their names in the world , and be able readily and confidently to muster up a few places of scripture , nothing to the purpose , but they thought themselves sufficient to encounter moses himself , setting upon him as furiously as dathan or abiram ever did : happy were this age , had it none of that temper . cal. but has that holy man no name , doctor ? or , was it your own self ? the man we know not , but his intentions are apparent ; namely , to conclude none able for the ministry , but such as have first their ordination from your popish bishops , from whose imposition of hands , they presently receive the spirit ; till then , being neither called nor qualified : brave iuggling ! when the laying on of symonaicall hands must enable a drunkard , or a whore-master , or worse , to preach the sacred word , and administer the holy sacraments , who now , by the virtue of this hocas pocas , hath a capacity to forgive sins , being ( though formerly very ignorant ) now gifted more or lesse , according to the gift he brings ; where they that are called by the secret working of gods spirit , inwardly , enlightned by knowledge , and especiall revelation , and able for interpretation ( though never gifted with tongues ) were not permitted to exercize their ministeriall function : but imprisoned , persecuted , and pilloryed . repl. true , cal. you hit the intention right ; and have so plainly discovered yours too , that every fool may reade it ; and ( being converted by you ) approve it , too : wherein , you intimate , how needlesse , ordination and learning are , to qualify a minister ; and , that any , who finds himself gifted , may execute the priestly office . tel me , cal. may any , that hath skill to make a shoe , a hat , or a suite , professe the trade , till he be made free ? your halls say , no : why ? he hath skill in the mistery , and his apprentiship is served ! what hinders him , he cannot practice ? his master must make him free , and he must performe the city ceremony . and shall the calling of a minister be undertaken by every unexamined tagrag ? shall every cobler , feltmaker , or taylour intrude into that honorable calling , and be judges of their own sufficiency ? and leave their lawfull trades for unwarrantable professions , according to their own humerous fansies ? our bodyes , cal. expect the help of the most rationall and authoriz'd phisitians ; but our soules can be content with every emprick , and accept of every theologicall mountibank : as for our bishops you tearme popish , how many of them have lately forsaken ( for their conscience sake ) their lively-hoods , and fled from the popish faction in ireland , hither , where , instead of charitable reliefe , they are thrasht and tribulated , with another flayle ? d. burges cap. . page . line . the next way we can possibly take to the best reformation is by prayers and teares . cal. i see , the doctor loves to sleep in a whole skin , and far enough off from resisting to blood : t is true , prayers and teares , are said to be the weapons of the church ; and happy it were if such weapons could prevaile : but where entreaty findes defect , compulsion must make supply ; if prayers cannot , swords may : if teares may not , blood must . repl. let them perish by the sword , that take up the sword ; and let them that thirst for blood , guzzle blood untill they burst : david , that fought gods battailes , commanded by gods own mouth ; nay a man after gods own heart ; yet his hand ( that was in blood , ) must not build the temple ; and shal we expect , by blood , a reformation of the temple ? the stroake of a poleaxe is not acceptable , where the noyse of a hammer was not warrantable . d. burges cap. . page . line . when many people are demanded their reasons of divers opinions , which they stoutly stand unto , is not their answer thus ? because the contrary is against the word : being pressed to shew wherein , they reply , we are but ignorant people ; we cannot dispute with you , but so we are taught by reverend men , if you talk with them they will be able to satisfie you to the full . cal. do , doctor , offend those little ones , and despise gods blossomes : all have not learning to maintaine their opinions , by argument , and sophistry . the battail is not alwayes to the strong , nor the race to the swift : the perswasion of a conscience is an able proofe ; and the opinion of holy men a strong refuge : better to stand couragiously ( though ignorant ) in a good cause , ( as some do ) then to maintaine error ( as you do ) with learned impiety . repl. hence it is cal. your cause is stronglyer defended by the sword , then by the pen , whose ignorant patrons , can better thrash then plead : t is confest , the perswasion of a wel-grounded conscience is a good proof to the party so perswaded ; but here it sticks , not able to convert a brother . review those world of pamphlets , of both sides published , and weigh them ; in those of the one side , you shall have the full consent and harmony of scriptures ; strict precepts , commanding ; holy examples , confirming ; and all , undenyably prest , and learnedly urged home to every conscience that is not feired ; on those , of the other side , what wresting of scriptures ? what allegorizing of plaine texts ? what shuffling ? what faultring ? what obscurity of stile ? what rhethoricall pretermissions of things materiall ? what pasquills ? what invectives ? what raylings ? what bitternesse ? enough to discover a bad cause , and to disparage a good : but , cal. your unmaintain'd opinions are pinned upon the authority of men : say , where 's the papist , now ? is not implicite beliefe one of our greatest quarrells with the church of rome , even unto this day ? did not our saviour himself condemne the old pharisees , for their traditions ? if this be not blind zeale , that scripture is apochrypha , which said , without knowledge the mind is not good . pro. . . no , cal. such zeale is the mother of all sects and heresies , being guided by the opinion , we conceive , of those men , who are subject to error , because but men : i advise such to keep their eares open ; and their mouthes , shut . d. burges cap. . page . line . i wish it were no breach of charity , to compare the stirrs of our brownists , anabaptists , and familists , and all the rabble of such schismaticall sectaries ( who may truly be tearm'd puritanes ) with this inconsiderate action of those rude ephesians , ( acts . . ) if there be any difference , it is onely in this , that these mad martinmarre prelates professe in their words , that they knew god ; but in their works , they deny him . cal. all that hate popery and popish prelates , are , in our zealous doctors esteeme , brownists , anabaptists , and schimaticall sectaries , which he brands with that ( now almost forgotten ) stile of puritanes ; all , far honester men then himself ; whom ( compareing them to those rude ephesians ) he makes ( according to the kings unworthy declarations ) the authors of all these commotions , calling that worthy man martin marre-prelate , mad , for touching the apple of his eye , the idolatrized hierarchy . a malignant of the right stamp , and coyned at the kings own royall mint ! repl. once again , good cal. ( if it will not too much prejudice the progresse of your wit ) correct the frailty of your memory ; and remember , the doctors book , which you so soundly answer , was printed in the yeare . which was a little before this unhappy commotion ; which , you say , he fathers upon the brownists and anabaptists , and schismaticall sectaries , according to his majesties declaration : truly , cal. your malice may rather brand him for a witch , then a malignant ; but your discretion may hold him rather for a prophet , then either ; that , so long since , foresaw this : indeed , in that poynt , he jumps word for word with his majesties declaration : and , if the king speake true , the doctor speakes not falsely : for what his majesty writes , now , by way of history , our doctor delivered then , by way of prophesie . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . such as make a great blaze when prosperity , credit , peace and preferment are bellowes to blow it ; but are so carried about as hay in a whirlwind with the blast of time , that they wil be ready to fire that which before they maintained , if the wind turned never so little about , & through fears or hopes , wil be of any religion and temper , that the strongest faction embraceth , resolving to go no further then a faire wind and weather , and a calme tide will carry them ; and if any storme arise , presently to make to the shore , to prevent perill of life and goods ; such zealots i say as these never had any coale from the altar , to kindle their sacrifices ; they never knew what it is to aime at the glory of god. cal. your doctrine is good , had it been as well followed ; say doctor , who was he , that a little before this parliament ( when our brethren the scots made their first approach into this kingdom , and whom a little after , the king injuriously proclaimed rebels ) in his sermon at magnes church by london-bridge , flew in their faces , vilified them with opprobrious tearms , stiled their designe , rebellion , proclaimed them robbers , ravishers , traitors , and the disturbers of the churches peace , called their doctrines schismaticall , new fangled , and seditious , brought in to refine us , ( with this addition ) god will not be beholding to the divel to sweep his church ; and not above a month after , at the beginning of this parliament in another sermon at the same place , out of this text act. . . ( and the times of this ignorance god winked at , but now commaneth all menevery where to repent ) took an occasion to eate his words , & contradict every thing he formerly delivered ? who was the cowardly ●ur then ? according to your own phrase pag. . line . who is the sheeps-heads now according to your own tearme ? pag. . line . who turned his fiddle to the base of the times ? pag. . line . who is guilty of parasiticall basenes ? pag. . line . who is the whiteliverd christian to be turned out among dogs and hell-hounds ? pag. . line . doctor , now you have told us what he is , the whole parish of magnes can tell you who it is . who was it that was so active for the oath ex officio , so eager for the two shillings nine pence so contentious with his parishioners ? the clergy can witnesse the first , the city can testifie the second , magnes can attest the last : yet all this was done by way of zeale . repl. cal. first your tongue is no slander , secondly your profession gives you a patent under the broad seale to lie : but to spoyle your jest , if any such man was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true , saint magnes was the doctors church at that time , and if any slipt into , and abused his pulpit , and himself , no question but the doctor is as much troubled for it as you are pleased with it : but who ever you taxe ( if you play not the poet ) he may , in spite of your bitternesse , justify his seeming contradiction , and eate his words as harmelesly as a potato pie in lent : whether the scots were rebels or no , was no matter of faith , but opinion ; the object of opinion is reason , and it alters with reason ; when his majesty proclaimed them rebels , ( being a matter of fact and state , ) was it not reason for him to own it ? but being pleased , by pardon gratiously to take off that odious imputation , it had been neither reason , manners , nor safety not to approve of it . when a ship hath made a voyage with one winde into new-england , will you blame it for returning back with a quite contrary ? no wise man cal. will do it , unlesse you , or such as you were in it . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . it is then a cleare case , that a christian is not bound to reprove , or discourse of religion to known or suspected scoffers : if he testify in secret to his god , his dislike of such varlots , avoide needlesse societie , and unnecessary commerce with them , and in his soul , secretly mourne for their dishonouring god , he hath done his duty . cal. by your leave , doctor , your zeale here smells a little too much of the coward : did your dying saviour endure the base scoffes , and bitter taunts of the iewes , for your sake , and is your reputation so dainty , not to abide a little jeering for his sake ? will your zeale sell gods honour for the impatience of a scoffe ? were it your own case , i feare , your wit would finde spirit enough , either to contemne it , or retort it : but you will away , and complaine to god in a corner : mettal to the back ! doctor , he that refuses the vindication of gods honour , denies him ; and he that denies him at court , him will god deny in his chamber : can you heare your soveraigne abused and be silent ? perchance ( as the case now stands ) you can , and make one for company , too , if you feare not his prevayling power . but can you heare your bosome friend injuriously reviled , and lend him no apology , but run away ; and whisper in his eare a tedious complaint ? if this you can , you are no friend for me : this ( if your zeale belie not your conscience ) must serve gods turne , nay more , you have done your duty too . repl. have you not an inhibition , cal. to cast pearles before swine ? are you more tender of gods glory , or more wise to propagate it , then david , who accounted it his duty to keep his mouth close whilest the wicked were before him ? cal. your zeale tasts a little too rank of the mother ; a bellings-gate zeale , where the revenge is often more sinfull then the offence : perchance you 'ld spit in the offenders face . : that zeale is a strange fire , that produces such moist effects : cal. your religion is too rhumatick : sure , saint peter had a good quarrell , to draw his sword , yet the action had too much rashnesse in it ( as well as blood ) to be accepted : where the party offending is not capable of reason , or the party vindicating , hath no capacity of discretion , the action is not warrantable : better to beare the hazzard of some dishonour , then to have it indiscreetly vindicated . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin . . the supreame and soveraigne prince , who hath none between him and god , representing the person of god , executing his office , and in this respect , bearing his name , to whom he onely is accountable for all his actions , by way of summons and command , this person , i say , must in all things , and at all times , be handled with all humility and due respect of that high place he holdeth ; so as all may be taught not to despise , but to honour him , the more , by the carriage of those that are , in case of necessity , to treate with him in the name and busines of his god. cal. how now , doctor ? none between him and god ; onely accomptable to god for all his actions ? sure , doctor , you are now besides your text : shall whole kingdomes , then , depend upon his extravagant pleasure ? so many millions of soules lye open to the tyranny of his arbitrary will ? is he not bound to his own lawes ? not limited by his coronation oath ? may he alter establisht religion , by the omnipotence of his own vast power , and turn gods church into a rout of infidells ; and our liberties , into a tenure of villanage ? is this your zeale for gods glory ? the man hath overwhelmed his iudgement in the deep gulph of flattery , and lost himself in his own principles : can he represent gods person , that commands what god forbids ? doth he execute gods office , that forbids , what he commands ? if this be zeale , or common religion , let me turne amalakite , or any thing that is not , this . no , no ; doctor , ( saving your private engagements , and expectations , ) kings are no such persons as our late idolatry hath made them : the trust of kingdomes is put upon them ; which , so long as they faithfully discharge , they are to be honoured and obeyed ; but , once being violated , their covenants are broken ; and they are no longer kings ; the safety of the people , is the supreme law ; and people were not made for the good of kings , but kings , for the good of people . repl. how this doctors loyalty , good cal. offends you ! if he would temporize as you do ; abuse and slander scripture for his own liberty , as you do ; fly in the face of majesty , as you do ; indeavour to introduce a new government in church and state , as you do ; blaspheme god and the king as you do , he were then a holy , a well-affected man , a saint , or any thing that 's good ; but now his conscience is directed by the scriptures , his judgement enlightned by the scriptures , his words warranted by the scriptures , especially in a case of such consequence , away with him ; he is a disaffected person , a malignant , and what not , that 's bad ? but concerning kings , know , they represent gods person , whether good or bad ; if good ; they represent him in his mercy ; if bad , in his iudgments : christ hath a rod of iron , as well as a golden scepter ; a nebuchadnezzer , as well as a iosiah ; a nero , as well as a constantine : we must stoope to both : he that submits not to the power of a bad king , kicks against gods judgments ; but he that resists , snatches gods rod out of his hand ; and , refusing correction , falls into damnation : we must submit to the higher powers . rom. . . and who are they ? whether it be to the king , ● supreme , or unto governours that are sent by him . pet. . . . from whence necessarily this followes ; that power which he warrants not , we have no warrant to obey ; and , those ordinances his power signes not , we have no commission to observe ; as for your slighting and deposing kings , the current of the scriptures runs strong against you , and all the examples of gods children ( through the whole book of god ) bend another course , they know no deposing of kings but by death ; no determination of passive obedience , but by fire : but whether our translation of the scriptures be the same with former ages ; or whether some strange light hath darted inspirations into these our later dayes , ( which the apostle denominated perillous ) i leave to the learned synod ; who , i hope , will at length consult us into a religion , which shall need no future alteration ; or that alteration no further effusion of christian blood . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god made a law to all , not to revile the gods , nor curse the ruler of the people ; which law prohibiteth not onely imprecations , and seditious raylings , ( which is a hellish impiety , though it be but in word onely , be the prince never so impious ) but even all rude , bitter , and unseemly speeches , although in secret to himself alone , much more , in publique , or in other places behinde his back . cal. what paynes the man takes to pick out texts to countenance his idolatry-royall ! true , kings are called gods : but what followes ? they shall dye like men : concerning which dying not a word ; because it is so opposite to a living , which is the onely butt he aymes at : but marke the doctrine his court-ship raises from his well chosen text , though princes be never so impious , yet to reprove them roundly ( which in his language is seditious rayling , rude , bitter and unseemely speeches ) is a hellish impiety ; and , in his king-clawing iudgment , must neither be done in publique , nor yet in private . how ready are such officers to light princes to the devill ! repl. cal. if he light kings to the devil by his poynt of doctrine , you take a speedy course to send his subjects after him , by your use of exhortation : but mark your own words , you first intimate that he makes him a god ; then , conclude , he lights him to the devil : you that can so suddenly make contraries meet , reconcile the king and his two houses : the issue then of all , is this ; you say , he makes the king a god , by flattering idolatry ; and , i say , you make his subjects , devils , by your flat rebellion : calvin , whom you confide in , tels you , that princes ( though most wicked in their government ) yet in respect of the dignity of their places , their name and credit must be spared ; but see , a greater then calvin ; elihu , the moderatour betwixt iob and his miserable comforters ( iob . . ) saith , is it fit then to say to a king , thou art wicked ? and to princes , yee are ungodly ? behold , a greater then elihu , solomon ( whom yee blasphemously lesse credit then either , for his partiality , being a king ) sayes , eccles. . . where the word of a king is , there is power , and who shall say unto him , what dost thou ? d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god hath engraven so large and fayre a character of his imperial image in their foreheads ( viz. of princes ) as must be sacred in the hearts of all , and binde not their hands onely , but tongues also to the good behaviour , and that for ever . nor is this carriage onely due to good princes , but universally to all . cal. sacred ? a little further : nay , then make him almighty too : and even , fall down and worship : make him your graven image , your dagon , and hoyst him up for a god ; but be sure the ark ●e away : nay , though an idolator , an infidell , sacred too : make him your bell and dragon ; but you do well to binde his subjects hands to their good behaviour , for feare some daniel be among them . repl. how now cal. is your fornace so hot ? you forget that he is gods vicegerent , you make so bold with ; remember , there be birds of the ayre , and things with wings ; had you lived in nebuchadnezzers dayes , you would have sav'd him much fuell , and his officers some labour : questionlesse , your fornace had consumed the three passively obedient children , and been too hot for the fourth to walke in . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . invectives ( though but against an equall , or infeferiour ) are ever odious , but against a prince , intolerable . cal. if invectives be so intolerable , let princes be so wise as not to give occasion , and deserve them . repl. if all should have according to their deservings : i feare , cal. the psalme of mercy , would scarce advantage thee . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . an indefinite reproofe of sin in publique is enough ; if this serve not to reforme a prince , forbeare ; more will make him worse . cal. kings are past children , to be whipt on others backs . the scripture will shew you some prophets that feared not to rouze the very persons of kings , by name ; and rattle them soundly , and before their people too : but , doctor , you have either no commission , or are afraid to execute it : you flee to tharshish , when you should go to nineveh ; you whisper softly , lest they should chance to heare yee ; and give your royal patients no phisick but cordials , for feare it work and make their queazy stomacks sick . repl. the actions of prophets , which had immediate warrants from heaven , are no presidents for later times ; neither durst those couragious prophets speak before speciall commission : did eliah stir to reprove king ahab till god had given him charge to go ? king. . , . amos prophesyed not against king amaziah , till god especially commanded him : ordinary reproofs must not be copied from extraordinary embassages ; but from their usuall sermons , which in their reproofs , were for the most part , indefinitely uttred to all , in generall ; by name , to none . but you , that have fresh influences of the spirit , may boanarge it where and when ye please , and play the bedlems in divinity ; but remember what is said to those that exceede their commissions , who hath required these things at your hands ? d. burges cap. . page . line . what shall they answer unto god , who being but private persons discontented , shall take upon them , shimei-like , to revile and traduce their soveraigne behind his back , and presume to make every taverne and ale-bench a tribunall , whereat to accuse , arraigne and condemne the sacred and dreadfull person of the lords annoyted ( whom they ought not to mention without a holy reverence ) and to censure all his actions , before their companions as confidently as if he were the vassal , and they the monarch : hath not former experience told us , this is the high way to all treasons and rebellions ? cal. when princes offend their god in suffering , or partaking with idolaters , shall subjects be afraid to offend them ? shall gods name be abused and torne in pieces with their execrable oaths and blasphemies , and shall their dainty names be held so precious , as not to be spoken of ; or ( as our doctor saies ) not mentioned without a holy reverence ? shall gods most sacred and just commands be despised and slighted by them , and shall their prophane injunctions not be unperformed , without presumption ? their unlawfull commands not violated without rebellion ? weigh these things with the balance of the sanctuary , and you shall finde , that you either want true zeale ; or your zeale a right object . repl. cal. review your owne argument ; and you will ( with the help of some reasonable discretion ) find it ( tekel ) weighed in the balances , wanting in weight ; in case , thy prince should offend his god , in wounding and tearing his holy name by oathes and blasphemies ; put case , he should justle gods sacred lawes out of the land ; violate them in his countermands ; prophane his temples with idolatry , or barbarisme ; will this warrant thee to dishonour him , whom god hath commanded thee to serve ? to rebell against him , to whom god hath commanded thee to be subject ? to disobey him , whom god hath commanded thee to honour ? because he offends his god , wilt thou aggravate the offence , in offending him ? and rebell against god , in rebelling against him ? weigh these things well ; and let thy own conscience ( if not brib'd with partiality ) be thy iudge . thinkest thou this rabble of rebellious and seditious rakeshames , that style themselves by the name of mercuries , scouts , weekly intelligencers , &c. but , indeed , a pack of alebench whistlers , decayed captaines , and masterlesse journy-men , that want more haires then vices ; and , for thirty pieces of silver , betray the lords anointed ; for halfe a crowne a week , fly in the face of gods vicegerent ; and , under a pretence of reformation , fell themselves to all wickednesse ; that , like sampsons foxes joyne tayle to tayle , and carry fire-brands about to set the gallantest kingdome in the world on a light flame ; thinkest thou that these are pleasing to the god of peace ? thinkest thou , these brazen-fac'd monsters , with their meditated lyes , malicious scandals , printed ( and shamefully permitted ) in their seditious pamphlets , are pleasing to the god of truth ? thinkest thou , these undecent and preposterous actions , tending to the confusion of well-establisht lawes , and to the disturbment of a long setled government , are pleasing to the god of order ? thinkest thou , that they , and their abettors will passe unpunisht ? no ; cal. if our king faile in his duty to god ; and we , in ours to him ; god will keep us still divided in our affections so , that we shall joyne in nothing , but in drawing down iudgements upon the whole land ; which , without accomodation ( the king alwayes living in his royall posterity , and the parliament never dying ) will perpetuate us in blood , till the utter ruine both of church and state. d. burges cap. . page . line . if good people should discerne some errors , ( and those not small ) in princes , the best patterne they can propound themselves is , that of samuel ( sam. . . ) mourning and praying for saul , not for forme onely but heartily , and fervently indeed ; and the worst they can pitch upon ( unlesse they proceede to open treason ) is that of common newesmongers and seditious spirits , who cannot make a meale , spend a fire , drink a pint , or drive away one hower , without some pragmaticall discourse , and censure of princes , and their state-affayres . cal. nay good doctor ; we have had many samuels ( or as good ) that have fasted and prayed , at least these twenty moneths , that god would be pleased to turne the kings heart , and bring him back to his parliament , but god hath stopt his eares against us , and will not be moved . and , since god hath made his pleasure so openly known through the whole land , ( nay through the world too ) that his majesties heart is fully resolved and knit to popery and superstition ; shall we subjects ( whom it so much concernes ) be afraid to communicate the businesse to one another ? your conscience , doctor , is growen a great royalist ; but your tender zeale of your princes honour will hardly stop our mouthes or close our eares ; our case is so , that our discourse of him , and states-matters too , cannot be too pragmaticall ( as you call it ) we must , now , take advantage of those his faults , which our fasts , prayers , and petitions could not redresse ; and , since his cruell course of life , and solid behaviour will not be a perfect white , we must die it into a sadder colour ; and these his crimes , which our teares cannot wash fairer , ( for the comfort of ourselves and children ) our reports ( for the countenance of the cause ) must make fouler , for the exasperating of our confederates , and encouragement of our souldiers ; so , that by this christian stratageme , through , the enterchange of newes ( which you condemne ) we may facilitate our own designes . repl. cal. your christian stratageme is but the modest tearme of a devilish project , or , in plainer english , a peece of errant knavery ; wherein the father of your contrivements receives much glory ; and the god of truth , no lesse dishonour : read that statute which god made , levit. . . thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ; where , in the end of the verse , he signes it with i am the lord. the falsenes of the tale doubles the sinne ; the basenes of the end trebles it ; the person damnifyed ( being a king ) makes it , quadruble ; the persons venting it , ( being subjects ) makes it terrible ; but the place where it is commonly vented ( being pulpits ) makes it horrible ; and by the ministers of the gospel too ; and in the name of the god of truth too , almost impardonably damnable ; now cal. tell me how you like your christian stratageme ; no wonder , if your samuels were not heard : t is well for you , god eares were closed against their prayers : had he not been deafe in mercy : and mercifull to admiration ; and admirable in patience ; they , surely , had been heard in iudgement , to the terrible example of such unparalleld presumption . how often have your solemne petitions set dayes apart , for the expedition of your martiall attempts in a pitcht field , or for the raising of a seige ? how often have your solemnities been shewed in plentifull thanksgivings for the blood of those thousands , whose soules ( without infinite mercy ) you cannot but conceive , in one day , dropt into the flames of hell ! what bells ? what bonefires ? what tryumphs ? and yet , for the successe of your oft propounded , and ( sometimes ) accepted treaties of peace , what one blessed hower hath been sequestred ? what church doore hath been opened ? which makes me feare ( and not without just cause ) your fastings and prayers have been rather to contention , then to unity ; and that they have rather been attractive for iudgements , then for mercies , upon this blood-bedabbled kingdom . d. burges cap. . pag. . lin . . as for such as will not take out this lesson , let their eyes , their tongues , their teares , their sighs , their coates , their prayers be what they will be , their carriage savoureth not of zeale for god , which thus casteth dirt and myre upon the face of his vicegerent , and tendeth to the taking away the life of his life in his subjects hearts , in which all good princes desire as much to live , as to enjoy their crownes ; and if it be not lawfull thus to smite at their persons , with the tongue onely , shall that be thought zeale for god , which seekes their deposition from that crown , which once a just free and absolute title of inheritance hath set upon their heads ? cal. doctor , you are very confident of your own learning , and definitive judgment , to tye every mans zeale to your rules : and it seemes , you are more tender in flinging dirt ( as you tearme it ) in your soveraignes face , then in preserving his soule from the flames of hell : neither do i conceive it a thing so he ynous , to take his subjects hearts from him , as to unite them in the superstitious bonds of popery : and as for your deposing him from the crown , ( which you falsely call his absolute inheritance ) if he break the covenants , whereby the crown is set upon his head , he dissolves his own authority , and our obedience ; and himself is become his own deposer . repl. cal. it is not the doctor , that prescribes rules to anothers zeale , but the holy scriptures , from whence he drawes his infallable principles , and conclusions ; and whereas you censure him for more prizing the cleannesse of his soveraignes face , then the wel-fare of his soul , your malice wrongs him in your hop-frog confutation ; wherein , you make a wilfull preterition of that poynt , whereof you censure his neglect , in the wrong place . and whereas , you turne deposition upon the default of princes , know , kingdoms are neither copyholds , nor leases ; subject , either to forfeiture , or reentry : kings have , from god , their power of reigning ; from man , the ceremony of coronation : to god they must give account , ( not man ) on whose pleasure their titles absolutely depend . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . in fine , david thought him ( viz. that slew saul ) worthy of no reward but death ; and of this , so worthy , that instantly he gave order for his execution , with this sharp sentence uttered , thy blood be upon thine own head , for thine own mouth hath testified against thee , saying , i have slaine the lords annoynted ; a memorable example , and an argument unanswerable against all king-killers , and deposers of absolute princes , absolutely annoynted by just title , as here with us . cal. here , revereud doctor , your simile limps : first , david was a prophet ; and , ( knowing the crown so neare his head , ) spared that life , which he knew so neare a period ; not willing to dabble his conscience in such needlesse blood : secondly , ( being confident himself was the next successor ) commanded present execution , to terrify his new subjects from the like presumption : thirdly , ( though you deny it ) our kings bold not their crownes by such an absolute title , as those of judah and jerusalem . repl. is the doctors simile lame , cal. sure , 't was your ill usage made it so : but say , was david a prophet ? had he speciall revelations ? then , doubtlesse , his wayes and actions were the best presidents for us , to follow : but was he a prophet ? then , sure , he knew it a heynous sin , to take away the life of gods vicegerent ( though an idolater ) had he speciall revelations ? then , questionlesse , he knew death a just reward for killing the lords annoynted ( though a wicked king. ) but did this prophets heart smite him , for cutting off his soveraignes skirt ? then , sure , god will not let him go unsmitten , that takes his crown from off his head , or power , from his hand : but , cal. how truth will be confest by your unwilling lips ! which intimate , the prophets conscience had been dabbled in blood , had the deed been done , and his subjects guilty of presumption , that should do the like : and , whereas you deny our kings so absolute a power , or title as the kings of former times , you should have done to better purpose , to shew , who limited it , and when ; for your own single assertion is not classicall . d. burges cap. . page . line . authority is ever one of envies eye-sores : subjection a yoake , that humane nature loathes . although inferiours cannot help it , nor durst complaine , liberty , liberty is every mans desire , though most mens ruine . cal. when authoritie is put into a right hand , subjection is no burthen to a good heart : but when tyrannie usurps the throne of monarchie , then the people may suspend obedience , and cast off the yoke of their subjection : we that are received into the liberty of the sons of god , and made heires of an everlasting kingdome , have too much priviledge to be enslav'd to men , or made vassals to perpetual bondage : if desire of holy liberty be our labour here , eternall soveraignty shall be our reward hereafter . repl. he that gives authority , knowes not where to place it : the people were pleased with goodly saul ; god was pleased to choose little david : tell me , did the burthen-threatning hand of rehoboam , the son of solomon , the king of israel and judah ; or ieroboam ( the rebellious subject of rehoboam ) who made israel to sin , deserve the scepter ? by your marks , neither ; in gods wisdome , both : the one , to crush the liberty of the too proud subject ; the other , to exercise the consciences of his chosen people : in both , to work his secret pleasure . but guild-hall hath wiser counsel ; and your conventicling wives are fitter judges for the setting up , or pulling downe of kings ; for regulating the power of the good , or limiting the prerogatives of the bad : but , 't were fitting , first , to correct s. pauls epistles , or to vote s. peters works apocrypha ; who , both , instruct us to submit to the authority of kings , good or bad ; but , indeed , the liberty of the subject had been a strong plea , had not his majesty spoiled their jest , and granted all * petitions ; and the badge of slavery had been unanswerable , had not our glorious saviour honoured , and worne it upon his seamlesse garment : the god of glory endured what we despise ; and shewed that example , we scorn to follow . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . for my part , i am so farre from taking away prayer from preaching , that i could wish not onely more preaching in some places , but more prayer also in other places ; and i meane , onely that prayer which is allowed too : in performance whereof ( if the fault be not in them who undertake it ) much more good will be done , then will be acknowledged by some , who magnifie preaching , rather then adorne it ; yea , i will adde , more then by some mens preaching , admired by so many . cal. it is very much , doctor , you durst so openly wish more preaching in those daies , when your dumb-dog-bishops silenced so many ; and most of all , themselves : nay , you are not ashamed to wish more prayer too : what a lot is this , among so many sodomites ! but after all this , lot was drunk : our doctor , being afraid to be thought too righteous , put in one her be that spoiled his whole pot of porrage : i meane ( sayes he ) that prayer which onely was allowed : and what prayer was that ? even that english masse-book , which ( god be thanked ) the sacred pietie of souldiers , and the holy boldnesse of inferiour christians , hath most blessedly taken away . this is that prayer , our doctor desires onely should be used ; this is that prayer-book , our preaching doctor deifies , and prefers before some mens preaching ( and who were they , in those episcopal daies , who knowes not ? ) admired by so many . this is that prayer-book , that prelacie , which this temporizing doctor hath now entred into covenant ( in the presence of almighty god ) to suppresse . repl. it seems cal. this book of common-prayer is your maine quarrell here ; and bishops , by the bye : tell me , who composed that book ? in whose reigne was it composed ? and what authority confirmed it ? were not those blessed martyrs the composers ? they , who gave their bodies to the flame , in the defence of the true protestant religion , and in defiance of that superstition , whereof you say it is a relique ? dare you vye piety with those martyrs , that are so daynty of your passive obedience ? they composed it ; you defie it : was not this detestable book composed in that pious saints dayes ed. . of holy memory , when the protestant broome swept cleanest ? and when the cruelty of that bloody religion was but newly out of breath , and fresh in memory ? this blessed saint allowed it ; you despise it : was not this book , ye so revile , confirmed by act of parliament ( in those dayes ) the members whereof were chosen among those that were ( excepting the blessed martyrs ) the greatest sufferers under the tyranny of that barbarous religion , whereof , you say , it favours ? the authority of this great councel confirmed it : you condemne it : did not the phoenix of the world , and of her sexe queen elizabeth , of everlasting memory , ( in whose dayes god so smiled upon this kingdom ) and that monument of learning and wisdom , king iames , of never dying memory in all their parliaments , establish it ? yet , you revile it : did not your self , in your oath of allegiance , sweare to maintaine the king in his established government , in church and common-wealth ? yet , in this particular , you violate it . ponder all this , cal. and , then , reviewe your own words , and if you blush not , you are brazen-fac'd . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . if they can pick out some boldfac'd mercenary emprick , that by the help of a polyanthea , or some english treatise , can make a shift , five or six times a week , with his tongue , and teeth , to throw over the pulpit a pack of stolne wares , which sometimes the judicious hearer knowes by the mark , and sends it home to the right owner againe . pag. . line . or if the man hath been drinking , feasting , or riding , that so no time is left to him to search so far as a naked commentary , postel , or some catechisme , yet adventures on the sacred businesse of preaching , carrying to the pulpit a bold face , instead of savory provision , and thinks it sufficient , that the people hear thunder , though they see no raine , and , that loudnesse will serve , for once , instead of matter ; because ( if he be earnest ) silly women , and some ninnyes more will count him a very zealous preacher , and impute his want of matter to his wisdome and desire of edifying , not to his want of study , or ability , and say , he preaches to the conscience : he stands not upon deep learning : he reproveth sin boldly , that is to say , other mens , therefore they love him : not theirs , otherwise , they would abhor him . cal. and such a ●cale of trumpery , that my pen tyres before it come to the teadious journies end of his invective speech ; wherein , i have so much charity left to excuse him ; in that , he personates some ministers , whom his malice conceives no better them fooles ; who , indeed , though they make no flourish , quoate no fathers , repeate no sentences of greek and latine , and preach not themselves ( as our learned d. doth ) yet edifie the simpler sort of people more in two howers , then he with his neate orations and quaint stile doth in five sermons , ushered in by his popish l●ttany . these are those men who ( in his last clause , be covertly saith ) are admired by too many , and whose preaching lesse edifies then the superstitious common-prayer book : doctor , leave your gibeing , and presume not too much upon your learning and wit , which god hath given you , as a sharp knife to cut your own throat , and deride nor those whose d●fects of learning are so bountifully supplyed with inspiration● and revelations of the spirit . repl. take h●●d , good cal. you merit not the honour to be called the dunces advocate : these are the men , that carry their provaunt sermons up and down the country , and in their people-pleasing lectures , cry up liberty , a●d pra●e down government ; cry up the spirit , and beare down learning ; cry up sedition , and preach down authority . but tell in , cal. where were all these edifyers , these inspyred pneumasticks , when the daring pens of fisher , campion , harding , and other learned hereticks breathed forth their threatnings against the true protestant church ? when as the hot mouthed challenges of romes goliahs thundred in our english host , where , where were all those long-winded lecturers ? which of them took up the sling ? what one amongst them threw down his gauntlet ? who among so many , struck one blow in the just defence of the true reformed religion ? or tell me , without blushing , where are they that did it ? these , that bravely rusht into the lists , defied the enemy , grappled with him ; nay , laid him on his back ; tore the crown from the bold strumpets head , and snatcht the cup of poyson from her trembling hand , what palme , or what reward have they , i shame to tell : these , like undaunted champions endured the brunt , in dust and sweate , and stoutly undertook the cause ; whilest they , like trouts , all day betook them to their holds , and now , in the dark night of ignorance , prey upon the churches ruine : they fish in waters , which themselves have troubled . these , these are they , that lead silly women captive , and creeping into widowes houses , devoure them under a pretence of long , prayer ; learnings shame , religions mountebanks , the vulgars idols , and the bane of this our ( late glorious ) now miserable kingdom . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . god made a law , that every word of an accusation should be establisht by two or three witnesses : this law is revived by the apostle in the gospel , and applyed to the case of ministers . against an elder receive not an accusation , but under two or three witnesses . tim. . . by an elder , meaning a minister , as saint ambrose , epiphanius and others rightly do expound it . pag. . line . it were therefore a most uncharitable , and unchristian course upon a bare accusation of an enemy , to condemne a minister , before himself be heard , and a competent number of witnesses of worth produced against him . cal. how now doctor , doth your guilt begin to call for more witnesses ? are you tormented before your time ? the law ( you speake on ) would in these dayes , be nedlesse : our ministers faults are now writ in their foreheads , and as apparent as the sun at noone , whose leud looser conversations , are impudent confessions , and visibly manifest , enough without farther witnesses : our crime-discovering century , is both witnesses and ●ury , and the pious composer thereof , a most sufficient iudge : but some there be so craftily vitious , that they can keep their words and actions from the eyes and cares of men : for such , i hold a reasonable presumption , evidence enough ; others there be , whose vices want no witnesses , but , perchance , their witnessses , ( as the too partiall world expounds it ) want worth and credit . some measure worth by a visible estate ; some , by unimpeachable honesty of body , or behaviour ; others , by a religious demeanour according to establisht canstitutions ; whereas , for my part , if a poor handicrafts man , or whose infirmity denies him a through-pac'd honesty , or whose piety is a little zealously refractory to establisht discipline ; nay , be he a convicted anabaptist , or blasphemer , or what not ? ( in case it be for the cause ) that brings an accusation , or appears a witnesse against a malignant minister , i question not , but such a witnesse may be valuable . repl. the law denyes it , cal. but now the law 's asleep , all actions are arbitrarie : but the ground of that law was very just ; for , as theodores in tim. . sayes , because ministers touch sinners to the quick , it exasperates many against them ; in respect whereof , their accusations require many witnesses . eutichianus an ancient bishop , about the yeare . after christ , ( if bishops retaine any credit more then a turk ) ep. . episc. syrill . admonishes , to weigh well the accusation of a minister , because the faithfull execution of his office gaines him many enemies . he also proceedeth to disenable all heretiques , all suspected of heresie , excommunicate persons , malefactors , theeves , sacrilegious , adulterers , that seek to witches , or conjurers , and all other infamous persons . in the . councel of laterane ( vide append. concil . lat. . par . . cap. . ) it was decreed , that upon an unproved accusation of a clerick , his owne single oath should free him . it was agreed in the . councel of carthage , that all servants , stage players , uncleane persons , wanderers , all that came uncalled , all under . yeares of age , and all that the accuser brings from home with him , shall be rejected , as witnesses , against a minister . another decree of analectus , denyes the accuser to be a witnesse , or the witnesses to be such as are revengefull , and must be cleare of all suspition . in a synod at rome , about constantines time , it was decreed , no deacon should be condemned under . able witnesses : such tender care was , alwayes , had of the accusation of a minister . but now cal. your tenets can ( in favour to your new fashiond pieties ) qualifie secret whoremasters , open blasphemers , and such as your selfe ; nay , one single accuser ( and a sorry one too ) will doe the feat . d. burges cap. . pag. . line . but what ? is every tatling basket-maker , or butcher , or mincing shee a fit judge of a ( ministers ) doctrine , and meet to reprove and confute him for it ? is that zeal , which catches at pieces of sentences , and then runnes away ; and gives out , that he preaches false doctrine , contradictions , or invectives , to shame him to his flock ? cal. doctor , if some of your coat ( i name no bodie ) were as tender of your lives , as ye are of your doctrines , you would have fairer reports : but your bent is to bring the vulgar to beleeve your words without examination ; and , then , you 'ld preach them into what religion ye list . could you but once work them to implicite faith , the kingdome of antichrist were more then halfe set up : the horse that winces , is galled somewhere , or we account it the trick of a jade , that feares riding . god hath commanded all to search the scriptures ; and will ye take pett if we examine the doctrine you raise from thence ? did our saviour storme , when the sadduces reproved his words ? how often were his doctrines traduced , as false ? how often was his authority questioned ? nay more , denyed ? yet he reviled them not . doctor , stroke downe your stomack ; the closer you follow christ , the cheerfullier your flock will follow you : but know , in things so neare concerning us , our mouthes shall be as wide as the faults , be they of potentates , generals , or princes : and if they doe not what our conscience tels us is their duties , they shall not faile to heare on t . repl. cal. i think ignorance hath given thy tongue a bribe , thou playest her advocate so well : both of their lives , and doctrines , ministers must give account to god , and his subordinate authoritie ; and not to you : cal. you forget the calling of a minister : he is your spirituall father : cham was cursed , for discovering his fathers nakednesse . put case , your minister should shew his nakednesse in some error ; either , of life , or doctrine ; it were more modest piety for you to cover it with your silence , or to recover it by your prayers , then to upbraide him with it . had you searcht the scriptures as you ought , you would as well have condemned the saucines of the sadduces , as the mildnes of our saviour , whose high authority needed no credit among men ; but our poor ministers ( whom the least breath of a mechanicks mouth , is able ( now ) to ruine , and undoe both wives and children , without compassion ) have reason to be moved with such affronts : but , cal. perchance , you vindicate your own naturall father , whilst you revenge your self upon your spirituall ; from whence , ariseth this doctrine ; you have more love to the f●●sh , then to the spirit : no question , cal. your saucynesse is universall , and feares not to be exercized upon the sword , as well as keyes ; your prince hath found it ; your generall hath found it ; whose slow designes cannot agree with the constitutions of your too fiery spirits , your discontents have found unbridled tongues , to propagate your liberties , although by blood ; but the synod , ( whose consultations are to settle peace in our distemperd church ) can go their own paces , without petition or complaint , from whence , ariseta this doctrine ; you love your own safeties above the glory of god. d. burges cap. . page . line . i wright this , to clip the wings of those batts , and reremice , that are ready to fly in the ministers face upon all occasions , with false accusations , saucy reproofs , and proud censures of his ministry , desiring to be teachers of law , understanding neither what they say , nor whereof they affirme . cal. doctor , you still harp upon the same string : but do these batts , these retemice trouble you ? then walke lesse in the dark ; ( you know my meaning ) but you now pick a quarrell against your forenamed reprovers , that they desire to be teachers of the law , understanding neither what they say , nor what they affirme . how your orthodoxe nose swells at that ! if ye would be oftner in your pulpits , there would be the lesse roome for them : but tell me , doctor ; if a smith or a tinker should happen to be gifted , and strike a naile of edification into the spirituall foot of an unregenerate brother , and thereby save his soule , would it trouble you , because the smith was not called ? would it grieve you , because the tinker had no ordination from a bitesheepe ? if a good deed be done , true piety will never blame the hand that did it . repl. cal. you have twice together , out of your sinck of bitternesse belched out your naucious malice upon the dr. in these dark words , ( i meane no body , and you know my meaning ) which like the status hypocondriacus ( fuming from your spleene , the receptacle of all base humors ) troubles and distracts your head . but , in his name i defye both them , and thee : and , as for your tub-preachers , you so much defend , i perceive by your metaphor , they edify the cleane contrary way ; concerning whom , this onely . when the great block of religion is removed , then such buggs appeare : rebellion , like an easterne-wind , brings in such vermin● : when ieroboam rebelled against his lawfull soveraigne , and dispossest him of the crown of israel , he made priests of the lowest of the people , which were not of the house of levi. king. . . and this became sin unto the house of ieroboam , even to cut it off , and to destroy it from off the face of the earth . kin. . . but your tubbists have learning enough , and understanding too , sufficient for an auditory composed of such as you , whom ignorance cannot injure . d. burges cap. . page . line . if he that seemes religious , will yet be idle , false , undutifull , and stubborne , raile at ceremonies , bishops , and common-prayer , disdaine to be corrected , and maintaine his fault ; that man or woman will never have any true religion in him , till with a cudgel all these counterfits be beaten off . cal. as our doctor hath , formerly , in his severall clauses and chops of zeale set down the particular items of his ill-affected and malignant opinions ; so in this last , he hath comprehended all in a summa to : alis : and , to conclude marke one thing , right worthy to be observed ; and then , farewell ; he , that hath buzz'd so long about the roome , like a flesh-fly , hath now discover'd himself to be a hornet , with a sting in his tayle : he ●●ath , at length , turn'd the weapons of the church into a cudgell ; and changed the peace of the gospel into club-law . repl. cal. if the doctors inventory please thee not , the fault lies in thy own ignorance , that knowest not how to prize such iewels ; grains are fitter for grill , then pearles : our doctor , whom you revile , is neither fly , nor hornet , but a painfull bee ; who , though he carry a sting in his tayle for such turbulent spirits as you , yet he hath likewise honey in his bag , for such as shall deserve it : think not his zeale cruell , because , it mentions a cudgell ; a cudgell drawes no blood , as your encouraged swords have done : if iustruction wil not do , correction must ; but love , in both ; if saint paul cannot perswade subjection to higher powers , nor solomon obedience to sacred majesty , pauls rod is for the stubborne heart , and solomons scourge for the fooles back . heb. . , , . it is impossible for those who were once enlightned , and have tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy spirit , and have tasted the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come ; if they shall fall away , to renew them again unto repentance : seeing they crucifie to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame . to the readers . now the businesse is ended . if you look upon this skirmish with a generall eye , you wil see nothing but ( as in a battail ) smoak and confusion : but if you mark every ones particular behaviour , you wil easily distinguish betwixt a rash fierie spirit , and a truly valiant . in the doctor , you shall find a david , fighting gods defensive battailes , without sinister respects , or private passion : in cal. you shal see the son of nimshi , marching furiously , and hewing downe the priests of baal , yet neverthelesse a great worshipper of calves : in the replyer , you may behold ionathan comming a reserve to david , though perchance shooting his arrowes sometimes wide , and sometimes open : it lyes in you , readers , now , to judge , and give the palme : for the doctors part and mine ( would cal. durst make the third ) we both resigne our shares : let truth be crowned with the victory , and the god of truth , with glory . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the . against disloyaltie . . publique distempers . . private calumnies . notes for div a -e pre. . pre. . ob. ans. sam. . . ex. . ex. . dan. . . dan. . . dan. . . ob ans. ob. ans. eccles. . ob. ans. psal. . . pro. . ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. eccl. . . ob. ans. ob. ans. hester . ex. . pet. . matth. . . ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ● cor. . ● . matth. . . rom. . . ob. ans. notes for div a -e ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. see a book intituled , the summe of a conference at terling in essex , ian. ● . . ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. eccles. . eccles. . jud. ● . . lam. . . ver . ● . . ● . ver . lam. . . lam. . . lam. ●● hest. . lam. . job . . psal. . ps. . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . notes for div a -e * trienniall parliam . starchamber . high commission . shipmoney . coat and conduct money . monepolies . forrests . tunnage and pound● regulate the clerk of the market . knighthood money● for the continuance of this parl. a feast for vvormes set forth in a poeme of the history of ionah. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a feast for vvormes set forth in a poeme of the history of ionah. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. imprinted by felix kyngston, for richard moore, and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstans church-yard, in fleetstreet, at london : . in verse. with a title-page woodcut. signatures: a-n⁴ o² . the first leaf is blank. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a feast for wormes . set forth in a poeme of the history of ionah . by fra. qvarles . ad hoc . ab hoc . per hoc . this naked pourtraiture before thine eye , is wretched , helplesse man , man borne to die : on either side , an angell doth protect him as well from evill , as to good direct him : th' one poynts to death , the t'other to a crovvne ; who this attaines , must tread the other downe : all which denotes the briefe of mans estate , that hee 's to goe from hence , by this , to that . at london . imprinted by felix kyngston , for richard moore , and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstans church-yard , in fleetstreet . . to the right honovrable , robert , lord sydney , baron of penshurst , viscount lisle , earle of leicester , knight of the most noble order of the garter . sir : two things more especiall haue made me industrious to doe your lordship seruice : the one is , the loue you did beare to my ( long since ) deceased father ; whom ( dead ) your lordship did please to honour with your noble remembrance . the other is , your vndeserued fauours , and honourable countenance towards me in your passage thorow germany , where you haue left in the hearts of men , a pyramis of your worth. as for the first , i am heire to that seruice , which my father , ( alwayes obseruant to your honour ) was ready to performe . as for the second , my selfe , in more particular stand obliged . in respect of both , heere i dedicate my selfe , and these few leaues to your truly-noble selfe , hoping your lordship will vaile my boldnesse in your good acceptance , and crowne my labours with your approbation : sir , your lordships truly obseruant , fra. qvarles . to the reader . reader , j fairely salute thee : i list not to tyre thy patient eares with vnnecessary language ( the abuse of complement . ) my mouth 's no dictionary : it onely serues as a needfull commentary , vpon the obscure text of my meaning . j haue heere sent thee the first fruits of an obortiue birth . jt is a dainty subiect , not fabulous , but truth it selfe . vvonder not at the title , ( a feast for wormes : ) for it is a song of mercy : vvhat greater feast than mercy ? and what are men but wormes ? moreouer , j haue gleaned some few meditations , obuious to the history ; let me aduise thee to keepe the taste of the history , whilest thou readest the meditations , and that will make thee rellish both , the better . vnderstanding reader , fauour me : gently expound , what it is too late to correct . he le va de golpe , dios sea con ella . farewell . the proposition of the whole worke. 't is not the record of great hectors glory , whose matchlesse valour makes the world a story ; nor yet the swelling of that romans name , that onely came , and look'd , and ouercame ; nor one , nor all of those braue worthies nine , ( whose might was great , and acts almost diuine , that liu'd like gods , but di ' de like men , and gone ) shall giue my pen a taske to treat vpon : i sing the praises of the king of kings , out of whose mouth , a two-edg'd smiter springs , whose words are mystery , whose works are wonder , whose eyes are lightning , and whose voyce is thunder , who like a curtaine spreads the heauens out , spangl'd with starres , in glory round about : 't is hee that cleft the furious waues in twaine , making a high-way passage through the maine : 't is he that turn'd the waters into blood , and smote the rocky stone , and caus'd a flood : 't is hee , that 's iustly armed in his ire , behind with plagues , before with flaming fire : more bright then mid-day phoebus , are his eyes , and whosoeuer sees his visage , dyes . i sing the praises of great iudah's lion , the fragrant flowre of iesse , the lambe of sion , whose head is whiter then the driuen snow , whose visage doth like flames of fire glow : his loynes begirt with golden belt , his eyne like titan , riding in his southerne shine , his feet like burning brasse , and as the noyse of surgie neptunes roaring , is his voyce . this is that paschall lambe , whose dearest blood is soueraigne drinke , whose flesh is sauing food : his precious blood , the worthies of the earth did drinke , which ( though but borne of mortall birth ) returnd them deities : for who drinkes this , shall be receiu'd into eternall blisse : himselfe the gift , which he himselfe did giue , his stripes heale vs , and by his death we liue : hee acting god and man in double nature , did reconcile mankind , and mans creator . i , heer 's a taske indeed ; if mortals could not make a verse , yet rocks and mountaines would : the hils shall daunce , the sunne shall stop his course , hearing the subiect of this high discourse : the horse , and gryphin shall together sleepe , the woolfe shall fawne vpon the silly sheepe , the crafty serpent , and the fearfull hart shall ioyne in consort , and each beare a part , and leape for ioy , when my vrania sings , she sings the praises of the king of kings . the introdvction . ¶ that * ancient kingdome , that old assur swai'd , shew'd two great cities . ah! but both decai'd , both mighty great , but of vnequall growth ; both great in people , and in building , both ; but ah! what hold is there of earthly good ? now grasse growes there , where these braue cities stood . the name of one , great babylon was hight , through which the rich euphrates takes her flight from high armaenia to the ruddy seas , and stores the land with rich commodities . ¶ the other ninus , niniueh the great , so huge a fabrick , and well chosen seat , dan phoebus fiery steeds ( with maines becurld , that circundates in twice twelue houres the world ) ne'r saw the like : by great king * ninus hand , 't was raisd and builded , in th' assyrians land , which he subdude : 't was plac'd twixt riuers twaine , licus , and swift tygris that runnes amaine : begirt she was with walls of wondrous might , creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height . vpon their bredth , ( if ought we may relie on the report of sage antiquity ) three chariots fairly might themselues display , and ranke together in a battell-ray : the circuit that her mighty bulke imbraces , containes the mete of sixty-thousand paces : within her well-fenc't - walles you might discouer fiue hundred stately towers , thrice told ouer ; whereof the highest draweth vp the eye , as well the low'st , an hundred cubits hie ; all rich in those things , which to state belong , for beauty , braue , and for munition , strong : duly , and daily this great worke was tended with ten thousand workmen ; begun , and ended in eight yeeres space ; how beautifull ! how faire thy buildings ! and how foule thy vices are ! ¶ thou land of assur , double then thy pride , and let thy wells of ioy be neuer dri'de , thou hast a palace , that 's renown'd so much , the like was neuer , is , nor will be such . ¶ thou land of assur , trebble then thy woe , and let thy teares ( doe as thy cups ) o'rflow ; for this thy palace of so great renowne , shall be destroy'd , and sackt , and batterd downe . but cheere vp , niniueh , thine inbred might , hath meanes enough to quell thy foemans spite : thy bulwarkes are like mountaines , and thy wall disdaines to stoope to thundring ordnance call : thy watchfull towers mounted round about , keepe thee in safety , and thy foe-man out : i , but thy bulwarks aide , cannot withstand the direfull stroke of high almighties hand ; thy wafer-walles at dread iehouah's blast shall quake , and quiuer , and shall downe be cast : thy watchfull towers shall asleepe be found , and nod their drowsie heads downe to the ground : thy bulwarks are not vengeance-proofe ; thy wall , when iustice brandisheth her sword , must fall : thy lofty towers shall be dumbe , and yeeld to high reuenge ; reuenge must win the field ; vengeance cries loud from heauen , she cannot stay her fury , but ( impatient of delay ) hath brim'd her vials full of deadly bane : thy palace shall be burnt , thy people slaine : thy heart is hard as flint , and swolne with pride , thy murth'rous hands with guiltlesse blood are dy'de ; thy silly babes doe starue for want of food , whose tender mothers thou hast drench't in blood : women with child , lie in the streets about , whose braines thy sauage hands haue dashed out : distressed widowes weepe , ( but weepe in vaine ) for their deare husbands , whom thy hands haue slaine : by one mans force , another man 's deuour'd , thy wiues are rauisht , and thy maids deflowr'd , where iustice should , there tor● and bribes are plac't : thy ' altars defild , and holy things defac't : thy lips haue tasted of proud babels cup , what thou hast left , thy children haue drunke vp : thy bloody sinnes , thine abels guiltlesse blood cries vp to heauen for vengeance , cries aloud : thy sinnes are ripe , and ready for the sickle . heere rouze thy selfe , my pen , and breathe a little . the argvment of the history . god a sent ionah the prophet , to the nineuites , to denounce his iudgements against them for their sinnes : b but ionah tooke shipping , intending to fly to tarshish : c god raised a storme , which indangered the ship : d whereupon the mariners ( perplext ) e did cast lots , to see for whose sake the tempest was : the lot fell vpon ionah , f they all consented , and cast ionah into the sea : g but god prouided a whale , which receiued ionah , and swallowed him , in whose belly he continued three dayes , and three nights : where ( h he praying to god ) i god at length spake to the whale , and the whale did cast him vpon dry land safe and sound : k so god commanded ionah the second time , to goe and denounce his iudgements against the niniuites . l so ionah went to niniueh m and prophecied , that ( vpon the expiring of forty dayes ) niniueh should be destroyed : n whereupon the niniuites beleeued ; o and the king caused a fast to bee proclaimed , p so that god likewise repented of the euill that he had intended to haue done them ; q vpon which , ionah was discontended , r desired to die , s went out of the city , & lay without the gate , to see what would become of niniueh after the forty dayes : t there he made him a booth of reeds and houghes , to guard him from the extremity of the heat of the sunne , and wind : but the heat of the sunne , and the feruency of the wind strait wither'd it : u whereupon god raised vp a gourd , which gaue him much content . * but the next morning , god sent a worme which did eate it to the ground : x so ionah grew againe into passion , for the losse of the gourd , wisht to die , y and iustified his anger : z whereupon god deputes with ionah , framing his argument , à minore ad maius , viz. that if thou ( ionah ) hadst so much compassion , and grieued so much for the losse of a trifling gourd , * should not i ( that am the god of mercy ) take compassion vpon so great a city ? to the most high : his hvmble servant implores his favovrable assistance . o all-sufficient god , great lord of light , without whose gracious ayde , & cōstant sprite , no labours prosper ( howsoe're begun ) but flie like mists before the morning sun : o raise my thoughts , and cleare my apprehension , infuse thy spirit into my weake inuention : reflect thy beames vpon my feeble eyes , shew me the mirrour of thy mysteries ; my art-lesse hand , my humble heart inspire , inflame my frozen tongue with holy fire : rauish my stupid senses with thy glory ; sweeten my lips with sacred oratory : and ( thou o first and last ) assist my quill , that first and last , i may performe thy will : my sole intent's to blazon forth thy praise ; my ruder pen expects no crowne of bayes . suffice it then , thine altar i haue kist : crowne me with glory ' , and take the bayes that list . a feast for wormes . the argvment . the word of god to ionah came , commanded ionah to proclaime , the vengeance of his maiesty , against the sinnes of nineuy . sect. the dreadfull word of god , his high decree , that aye remaines , and cannot frustrate bee , came down to ionah , from the heuens aboue , came downe to * ionah , heauens anoynted doue , ionah , the flowre of old amittais youth , ionah , the prophet , sonne , and heire to * truth , the blessed type of him , that di ' de for vs , that word came to him , and bespake him thus , " arise , trusse vp thy ioynes , make all things meet , " and put thy sandalls on thy hasty feet , " gird vp thy reynes , and take thy staffe in hand , " make no delay , but goe , where i command ; " me pleases not to send thee ( ionah ) downe , " to sweet gath-hepher , thy deare natiue towne , " whos 's tender paps , with plenty ouerflow , " nor yet vnto thy brethren shalt thou goe , " amongst the hebrewes , where thy spredden fame " fore-runnes the welcome of thine honor'd name . " no , i 'le not send thee thither : vp , arise , " and goe to nineueh , where no allyes , " nor consanguinity preserues thy blood , " to nineueh , where strangers are withstood : " to nineueh , a city farre remou'd " from thine acquaintance , where tha' rt not belou'd : " i send thee to mount sinay ; not mount sion , " not to a gentle lambe , but to a lion : " ne yet to lydia , but to bloody * passur , " not to the land of canan , but of assur , " whose language will be riddles to thine eares , " and thine againe will be as strange to theirs ; " i say , to nineueh , the worlds great hall , " the monarchs seat , high court imperiall : " but terrible mount sinay will affright thee , " and pashurs heauy hand is bent to smite thee : " the lions rore , the people's strong and stout , " the bulwarkes stand afront to keepe thee out . " great ashur minaces with whip in hand , " to entertaine thee ( welcome ) to his land . " what then ? arise , be gone ; stay not to thinke : " bad is the cloth , that will in wetting shrinke . " what then , if cruell pashur heape on strokes ? " or sinay blast thee with her sulph'rous smokes ? " or ashur whip thee ? or the lions rent thee ? " p'sh ; on with courage ; İ , the lord haue sent thee : " away , away , lay by thy foolish pity , " and goe to niniueth that mighty city : " cry lowd against it , let thy dreadfull voice " make all the city eccho with the noyse : " not like a doue , but like a dragon goe , " pronounce my iudgement , and denounce my woe : " make not thine head a fountaine full of teares , " to weepe in secret for her sinnes : thine eares " shall heare such things , wil make thine eyes run ouer , " thine eyes shall smart with what they shall discouer : " spend not in priuate , those thy zealous drops , " but hew , and hacke ; spare neither trunke , nor lops : " make heauen , & earth rebound , whē thou discharges , " plead not like paul , but roare like boanarges : " let not the beauty of the buildings bleare thee , " nor let the terrours of the rampiers feare thee : " let no man bribe thy fist , ( i well aduise thee ) " nor foule meanes force thee , nor let faire entice thee : " ramme vp thine eares : thy heart of stone shall bee ; " be deafe to them , as they are deafe to thee : " goe cry against it . if they aske thee , why ? " say , god of heauen commanded thee to cry : " in stead of prayers , and duties they should doe me , " behold , their wickednesse is mounted to me : " the fatnesse of their fornication fryes " on coales of raging lust , and vpward flies , " and makes me sicke : i heare the mournfull grones " and heauy sighs of such , whose aking bones " th' oppressor grindes : alas , their grones implore me , " their pray'rs , and their oppressions come before me : " behold , my children they haue slaine , and kill'd , " and bath'd their hands within the blood they spill'd : " the steame of guiltlesse blood makes suit vnto me , " the voice of many bloods is mounted to me ; " the vile prophaner of my sacred names , " he teares my titles , and mine honour maimes , " makes reth'rick of an oath , sweares , and forsweares , " recks not my mercy , nor my iudgement feares : " they eat , they drink , they sleepe , they tyre the day " in wanton dalliance , and delightfull play . " heauens winged herald ionas , vp , and goe " to mighty niniueh , denounce my woe ; " aduance thy voice , and when thou hast aduanc't it , " spare shrub , nor cedar , but cry out against it : " i come my selfe with plagues , goe thou afore me , " for all their wickednesse is come before me . apolog. authoris . it was my morning muse ; and for her sake i thus apply my selfe to vndertake this serious taske , ( a taske for doctors muse to spend vpon ) then let me pleade excuse : for as good physicke will not bate his force , and ( being well appli'd ) prooue ne're the worse , though giuē by hands , that could nor reade , nor write , that skill not how , nor need not know t'apply't : so this ( perchance ) may make another keene , though i , and it be blunt ( as whetstones beene . ) applicatio . to thee ( malfido ) now i turne my quill , that god is still that god , and will be still . the painfull pastors take vp iona's roome : and thou the niniuite , to whom they come . meditatio prima . how great 's the loue of god vnto his creature ? or is his wisedome , or his mercy greater ? i know not whether : o th' exceeding loue of highest god! that from his throne aboue , will send the brightnesse of his grace to those that grope in darknesse , and his grace oppose : he helpes , prouides , inspires , and freely giues , as pleas'd to see vs rauell out our liues . he giues vs from the heape , he measures not , nor deales ( like manna ) each his stinted lot , but daily sends the doctors of his spouse , ( with such like oyle as from the widowes cruse issued forth ) in fulnesse , without wasting , where plenty may be had , yet plenty lasting . i , there is care in heauen , and heauenly sprights , that guides the world , & guards poore mortall wights . there is ; else were the miserable state of man , more wretched and vnfortunate than sauage beasts : but o th' abounding loue of highest god! whose angels from aboue dismount the towre of blisse , fly to and fro , assisting wretched man , their deadly foe . what thing is man , that gods regard is such ? or why should he loue retchlesse man so much ? why ? what are men ? but quicken'd lumps of earth ? a feast for wormes , a bubble full of mirth , a looking-glasse for griefe , a flash , a minnit , a painted toombe , with putrifaction in it : a mappe of death ; a burthen of a song : a winters dust ; a worme of fiue foot long : begot in sinne ; in darknesse nourisht : borne in sorrow , naked , shiftlesse , and forlorne : his first voice ( heard ) is crying for reliefe . alas ! he comes into a world of griefe : his age is sinfull , and his youth is vaine , his life 's a punishment , his death 's a paine : his life 's an howre of ioy , a world of sorrow , his death 's a winters night , that findes no morrow : mans life's an houreglasse , which being run , concludes that houre of ioy , and so is dun . ¶ ionah must goe : nor is this charge alone to ionah giuen , but giuen to euery one . you magistrates , arise , and take delight . in dealing iustice , and maintaining right : there lies your nineueh . merchants , arise , away , and to your ships , and merchandise . artificers , arise , and ply your shops , and worke your trade , and eate your meat with drops . paul , to thy tents , and peter , to thy net , and all must goe that way which god hath set . ¶ grant , liefest lord , for our deare borrow sake , thy loue , in sending to vs , neuer slake : encrease succession in thy prophets liew , for loe , thy haruest's great , and workmen few . the argvment . but ionah toward tharsis went , a tempest doth his course preuent : the mariners are sore opprest , while ionah sleepes , and takes his rest . sect. bvt ionah thus bethought : the city's great , and mighty ashur stands with deadly threat , their hearts are hardned , that they cannot heare : will greene wood burne , when so vnapt's the seire ? strange is the charge : shall i goe to a place vnknowne and forraine ? aye me ! hard 's the case , that righteous isr'el must be thus neglected , when miscreants and gentiles are respected : how might i hope my words shall there succeed , which thriue not with the flocke i daily feed ? moreo're i weet , the lord is wondrous kind , and slow to wrath , and apt to change his mind vpon the least repentance : then shall i be deem'd as false , and shame my prophesie . o heauie burthen of a doubtfull mind ! where shall i goe , or which way shall i wind ? my heart like ianus , looketh to and fro : my credit bids me , stay ; my god bids , goe : if goe ; my labour 's lost , my shame 's at hand : if stay ; lord ! i transgresse my lords command : if goe ; from bad estate , to worse , i fall : if stay ; i slide from bad , to worst of all . my god bids goe , my credit bids me stay ; my guilty feare bids fly another way . so ionah straight arose , himselfe bedight with fit acoutrements , for hasty flight : in stead of staffe , he tooke a shipmans weed ; in stead of going , loe , he flies with speed . like as a hawke ( that ouermatcht with might , doing sad penance for th' vnequall fight , ( answ'ring the faulkners second shout ) does flee from fist ; turnes tayle to fowle , and takes a tree : so ionah baulks the place where he was sent ( to nineueh ) and downe to * iaffa went ; he sought , enquired , and at last he found a welcome ship , that was to tharsis bound , where he may fly the presence of the lord : he makes no stay , but straightway goes aboord , his hasty purse for bargaine finds no leisure , ( where sin delights , ther 's no account of treasure : ) nor did he know , nor aske , how much his fare : he gaue : they tooke ; all parties pleased are : ( how thriftlesse of our cost , and paines , are we , o blessed god of heauen , to fly from thee ! ) now haue the pilots drunke their parting cup , and some ( with sailors tune ) are hoysting vp , others the while , the faithfull anchor wey , the ship , ( as loth to leaue her quiet key , ) creepes easly off , and ( with directed course ) she glides along the shore with gentle force ; and now the whistling wind begins to dally with aura's fanne : now stronger gusts doe fally forth , rudely playing on the hollow saile , and from the mountaines blowes a lusty gale : she mounts the billowes with a lofty grace , and now she cuts the deepe , and scuds apace from land ; from whence ( vnwilling ) she was driuen , nothing 's perceiued now but sea , and heauen ; betwixt them both , the blustring winds doe play : the waues know not which master to obey : for now the east wind mutin's with the west , and now the west wind counterbuffes the east , and now the hollow boreas roares amaine , and vexed notus thwarts the north againe : thus crossely crost , they threaten in reuenge , to force the world from off his stedfast henge . the guide's perplext , and knowes not what to doe , his art 's amaz'd , in such a maze of woe : the welkin stormes , and rages more and more , the raine powr ▪ s downe , the heauens begin to roare , as they would split the massie earth in sunder , from them that liue aboue , to those liue vnder : the restlesse waues , and rolling billowes beate , as they would shoulder neptune from his feate ; the billowes seeme to mount the clouds , ( or higher ) the dusky clouds did flash with often fier : now doth the ship as high as heauen swell , and now ( o'rwhelm'd with waues ) as low as hell ; the barke no lesse doth yeeld to neptunes sway , than lofty tow'rs , when thundring ordnance play . the hardy mariners begin to quaile : they vere their maine sheet , and they strike their saile : their haire , bolts vp , pale death vsurps their cheekes , their mouthes are ful of cryes , their tongues of shreeks : they sound with endlesse line , and sound againe : they pumpe , and still they pumpe , but all in vaine : they row , and breake their oares : at last th' assay each mariner vnto his god to pray . they prai'd , but winds did snatch their words away , and lets their pray'rs not goe to whom they pray : but still they pray , but still the wind , and wether do turne both pray'rs , & sayles they know not whither : their gods were deafe , their danger waxed greater , they cast their wares out , and yet ne're the better : but all this while was ionah drown'd in sleep , and in the lower decke was buried deepe . meditatio secunda . bvt stay : this was a strange and vncouth word : did ionah fly the presence of the lord ? what mister word is that ? he that repleats the mighty vniuerse , whose lofty seat's th' imperiall heauen , whose footstoole is the face of massy earth ? can he from any place be spar'd ? or yet by any meanes excluded , that is in all things ? ( and yet not included , ) could ionah find a resting any where so void , or secret , that god was not there ? i stand amaz'd and frighted at this word : did ionah fly the presence of the lord ? mount vp to heauen aboue , and there he is , swaying the scepter of his kingly blisse : bestride the earth beneath ( with weary pace ) and there he beares the oliue branch of grace : diue downe into th' extreme abysse of hell , and there in iustice doth th' almighty dwell . what vncouth cloyster could there then affoord a screene 'twixt faithlesse ionah , and his lord ? ¶ ionah was charg'd , to take a charge in hand ; but ionah turn'd his backe on gods command ; shooke off his yoke , and wilfully neglected , and what was strictly charg'd , he quite reiected : and so he fled the power of his word ; and so he fled the presence of his lord. ¶ good god! how poore a thing is wretched man ? so fraile , that let him striue the best he can , with euery little blast hee 's ouerdon . if mighty cedars of great libanon , cannot the danger of the axe withstand , lord ! how shall we , that are but bushes , stand ? how fond , corrupt , and sencelesse is mankind ? how faining deafe is he ? how wilfull blind ? he stops his eares , and sinnes : he shuts his eyes , and ( blindfold ) in the lap of danger flies : he sinnes , despaires ; and then , to stint his griefe , he chuses death , to baulke the god of life . ¶ poore wretched sinner , trauell where thou wilt , thy trauell shall be burthen'd with thy guilt : climbe tops of hils , that prospects may delight thee , there wil thy sins ( like wolues & beares ) affright thee : fly to the valleys , that those frights may shun thee , and there like mountaines they will fall vpon thee : or to the raging seas ( with ionah ) goe ; there will thy sinnes like stormy neptune flow . poore shiftlesse man ! what shall become of thee ? wher'ere thou fly'st , thy gryping sinne will fly . ¶ but all this while the ship , where ionah sleepes , is vexed sore , and batter'd on the deeps , and well-nigh split vpon the threatning rocke , with many a boystrous brush , and churly knocke : god send the comfortlesse , an happy howre , and shield all good men from such stormy stowre . the argvment . the pilot thumps on ionah's brest , and rowzeth ionah from his rest : they al cast lots , ( being sore affrighted : ) the sacred lot on ionah lighted . sect. . the haplesse pylot finding no successe , ( but that the storme grew rather more than lesse , for all their toylesome paynes , and needlesse pray'rs , dispairing both of life , and goods ) repaires to ionahs drowzie cabbin ; mainly calls ; calls ionah , ionah ; and yet lowder yawles ; yet ionah sleepes ; and giues a shrug , or two , and snores , ( as greedy sleepers vse to doe . ) the wofull pylot iogs him , ( but in vaine . ) ( perchance he dreames an idle word , or twaine ; ) at length he tugs and puls his heauie course , and thunders on his brest , with all his force . but ( after many yawns ) he did awake him , and ( being both affrighted ) thus bespake him : " arise , o sleeper , o , arise , and see , " ther 's not a twiny thrid , 'twixt death , and thee : " this darksome place ( thou measur'st ) is thy graue , " and suddaine death rides proud on yonder waue ; " arise , o sleeper , o , arise and pray , " perchance thy god will heare , and not say , nay : " perchance thy god's more powerfull then our's : " arise , arise , and pray with all thy pow'rs , " if so be , god will haue compassion on vs , " and turne away this mischiefe he hath done vs , the sturdy saylers ( weary of their paine , ) finding their bootlesse labour lost , and vaine , forbare their toylesome taske , and wrought no more , but wisht for death , for which they look'd before ; they call a parley , and consult together , they count their sinnes , ( accusing one another ) that for his sinne , or his , this euill was wrought : in fine , they all prooue guilty of the fault ; but yet the question was not ended so : one sayes , 't was thine offence , but he sayes , no , but t' was for thy sake , that accuses mee ; rusht forth a third ( the worser of the three ) and swore it was anothers , which ( he hearing ) deny'd it flat , and say'd , 't was thine for swearing : in came a fift , accusing all ; ( replying but little else ) they all chid him for lying ; one sayd it was , another say'd 't was not : so all agreed , to stint the strife by lot : then all was whist , and all to prayer went ; ( for such a buis'nes , a fit complement ) the lot was cast ; 't pleas'd god , by lots to tell . the lot was cast ; the lot on ionah fell . meditatio tertia . o sacred subiect of a meditation ! thy works ( o lord ) are full of admiration , thy iudgements all are iust , seuere , and sure , they quite cut off , or else by launcing cure the festring sore of a rebellious heart , lest foule infection taynt th' immortall part . how deepe a lethargie doth this disease bring to the slumbring soule through carelesse ease ! which once being wak't , ( as from a golden dreame ) lookes vp , and sees her griefes the more extreme . how seeming sweet's the quiet sleepe of sin ? which when a wretched man 's once nuzz'ld in , how soundly sleepes he , without feare , or wit ? no sooner , are his armes together knit in drowzie knot , athwart vpon his brest , but there he snorts , and snores in endlesse rest ; his eyes are closed fast , and deafe his eares , and ( like endymion ) sleepes himselfe in yeares ; his sence-bound heart , ne answeres to the voyce of gentle warning , no , nor does the noyse of strong reproofe awake his sleeping eare , nor lowder threatnings thunder makes him heare ; so deafe's the sinners eare , so numb'd his sence , that sinne 's no corrosiue , nor no offence ; for custome breeds delight , deludes the heart , beguiles the sence , and takes away the smart . ¶ but stay ; did one of gods elected number , ( whose eyes should neuer sleepe , nor eye-lids slumber ) so much forget himselfe ? did ionah sleepe , that should be watchfull , and the tower keepe ? did ionah ( the selected mouth of god ) in stead of roring iudgements , does he nod ? did ionah sleepe so sound ? could he sleepe then , when ( with the suddaine sight of death ) the men ( so many men ) with yelling shreekes , and cries , made very heau'n report ? and shooke the skies so vncouth , that the ship it mought haue riu'n ? hard must he winke , that shuts his eyes from heau'n . o righteous isr'el , where , o , where art thou ? where is thy lampe ? thy zealous shepheard now ? alas ! the rau'nous wolues will worr ' thy sheepe ; thy shepheard's carelesse , and is fall'n asleepe ; grim dogs will rowze thy flock , and rule the rost ; thy sheepe are scatter'd , and thy shepheard's lost ; ah weladay ! whose words beseeme the altar , their works discent , and first begin to faulter ; and they , that should be watch-lights in the temple , are snuffes , and want the oyle of good example ; the chosen watch-men , that the tow'r should keepe , are waxen heauy-ey'd , and fall'n asleepe . ¶ lord , if thy watch-mē wink too much , awake them ; although they slumber , doe not quite forsake them ; the flesh is weake , say not ( if dulnesse seaze their heauy eyes ) sleepe henceforth : take your ease : and we poore weakelings , when we sleepe in sin , knock at our drowzie hearts ; and neuer lin , till thou awake our sinne-congealed eyes ; lest ( drown'd in sleepe ) we sinke , and neuer rise . the argvment . they question ionah , whence he came , his country , and his peoples name , he makes reply : they mone their woe , and aske his counsell what to doe . sect. . as when a thiefe's appr'ended on suspect , and charg'd for some supposed malifact , a rude concurse of people , strait accrewes , whose itching eares euen smart , to know the newes , the guilty pris'ner ( to himselfe betray'd ) he stands deiected , trembling and afrayd : so ionah stood the saylers all among , inclosed round amid the ruder throng . as in a summers euening you shall heare in hiue of bees ( if you lay close your eare ) confused buzzing , and seditious noyse , such was the murmur of the saylers voyce . " what was thy sinfull fact , that causes this " ( sayes one ) wherein hast thou so done amisse ? " tell vs , what is thine art ( another sayes ) " that thou professest ? speake man , whence awayes , " from what confines cam'st thou ? ( a third replies ) " what is thy country ? and of what allies ? " what , art thou borne a iew ? or gentile ? whether ? " ( ere he could lend an answere vnto either ) a fourth demands : where hath thy breeding been ▪ all what they askt , they all askt o're againe . in fine , their eares ( impatient of delay ) becalm'd their tongues , to heare what he could say . so ionah ( humbly rearing vp his eyes ) breaking his long kept silence , thus replies : " i am an hebrew , sonne of * abraham , " from whom my land did first deriue her name , " within the land of iury was i borne , " my name is ionah , retchlesse , and forlorne : " i am a prophet : ah ! but woe is me , " for from before the face of god i flee , " from whence ( through disobedience ) i am driuen ; " i feare iehouah , mighty god of heauen : " i feare the lord of heauen , whose glorious hand " did make this stormy sea , and massy land . so said , their eares with double rauishment , still hung vpon his melting lips , attent , whose dreadful words , their hearts so neere impierc't , that from themselues , themselues were quite deuers't . like as in a hot summers euentide , ( when lustfull phoebus re ▪ salutes his bride , and philomela 'gins her caroling : ) a heard of deere are browzing in a spring , with hungry appetite , misweening nought , nor in so deepe a silence fearing ought : a sudden cracke , or some vnthought ▪ of sound , or bounce of fowlers peece , or yelpe of hound , disturbes their quiet peace with strange amaze , where ( sencelesse halfe ) through feare , they stand at gaze : so stand the sea-men , ( as with ghosts affrighted , ) entraunc'd with what , this man of god recited . their ( whilome sturdy ) limmes wox faint , and lither , their hearts did earne , their knees did smite together : congealed blood vsurpt their trembling hearts , which coldly crawld about in all their parts : who ( trembling out some broken language , ) thus : " why hast thou brought this mischiefe vpon vs ? " what humour led thee to a place vnknowne , " to seeke a forrein land , and leaue thine owne ? " what faith hadst thou , by leauing thine abode , " to thinke to fly the presence of thy god ? " why hast thou not obey'd ( but thus transgrest ) " the voice of god , whom thou acknowledgest ? " art thou a prophet , and dost thou amisse ? " what is the cause ? and why hast thou done this ? " what shall we doe ? the tempest lends no eare " to fruitlesse chat , nor doe the billowes heare , " or marke our language : waues are not attent , " our goods they float , and all our paines are spent : " our bark's not weather-proofe , for aye to last ; " ( no fort so strong , but daily siege will wast . ) " the lot accuses thee , thy words condemne thee , " the waues ( thy deaths-mē ) striue to ouerwhelme thee : " what shal we do ? thou prophet , speak , we pray thee : " thou fear'st the lord ; alas ! we may not slay thee : " or shall we saue thee ? no , for thou dost fly " the face of god , and so deseru'st to dye : " thou prophet , speake , what shal we doe to thee , " that angry seas may calme , and quiet be ? meditatio quarta . giue leaue a little to adiourne your story , run backe a step , or twaine , and looke afore ye : can he be said to feare the lord , that flies him ? can word confesse him , when as deed denies him ? my sacred muse hath rounded in mine eare , and read the myst'ry of a twofold feare : the first , a seruile feare , for iudgements sake ; and thus the damned diuels feare and quake . thus adam fear'd , and fled behind a tree : and thus did bloody kain feare and flee . vnlike to this , there is a second kind of feare , extracted from a zealous mind , full fraught with loue , and with a conscience cleare from base respects : it is a filiall feare ; a feare whose ground would iust remaine , and leuell , were neither heauen , nor hell , nor god , nor diuell . such was the feare that princely dauid had ; and thus our wretched ionah fear'd , and fled : he fled asham'd , because his sinnes were such ; he fled asham'd , because his feare was much . he fear'd iehouah , other fear'd he none , him he acknowledg'd ; him he fear'd alone : vnlike to those men , that ( befoold with errour ) frame many gods , and multiply their terrour . th' egyptians , god apis did implore , god assas the chaldaeans did adore : babel to the deuouring dragon seekes , th' arabians astaroth ; iuno the greekes ; the name of belus , the assyrians hallow , the troians , vesta ; corinth , wise apollo ; th' arginians sacrifice vnto the sunne ; to light-foot mercury bowes macedon ; to god volunus , louers bend their knee : to pauor , those that faint , and fearfull bee : who pray for health , and strength , to murcia those ; and to victoria , they that feare to lose : to muta , they that feare a womans tongue : to great lucina , women great with young : to esculapius , they that liue opprest : and they to quies , that desire rest . o blinded ignorance of antique times , how blent with errour , and how stuft with crimes your temples were ! and how adulterate ! how clog'd with needlesse gods ! how obstinate ! how void of order , and how inconfuse ! how full of dangerous and foule abuse ! how sandy , were thy grounds , and how vnstable ! how many deities ! yet how vnable ! implore these gods , that list to howle and barke , they bow to dagon , dagon to the arke : but he to whom the seale of mercy 's giuen , adores iehouah , mighty god of heauen : vpon the mention of whose sacred name , meeke lambs grow fierce , and the fierce lyons tame : bright sol shall stop , and heauen shall turne his course : mountaines shall dance , and neptune slake his force : the seas shall part , the fire want his flame , vpon the mention of iehouah's name : a name , that makes the roofe of heauen to shake , the frame of earth to quiuer , hell to quake : a name , to which all angels blow their trumps ; a name , puts frolicke man into his dumps : ( though ne're so blythe ) a name of high renowne , it mounts the meeke , and beates the lofty downe ; a name , deuides the marrow in the bone ; a name , which out of hard , and flinty stone , extracteth hearts of flesh , and makes relent those hearts that neuer knew what mercy ment . o lord ! how great 's thy name in all the land ? how mighty are the wonders of thy hand ? how is thy glory plac't aboue the heau'n ? to tender mouthes of sucklings thou hast giu'n coerciue pow'r , and boldnes to reprooue , when elder men doe what them no'te behooue . o lord ! how great 's the power of thy hand ? o god! how great 's thy name in all the land ? the argvment . the prophet doth his fault discouer , perswades the men to cast him ouer : they rowe , and toyle , but doe no good , they pray to be excus'd from blood . sect. . so ionah fram'd the speech to their demand ; " not that i seeke to trauerse the command , " of my deare lord , and out of minde peruerse , " t' auoyd the niniuites , doe i amerce " my selfe ; nor that i euer heard you threat , " ( vnlesse i went to niniueh , ( the great ) " and doe the message sent her from the lord ) " that you would kill , or cast me ouer boord , " doe i doe this ; 't is my deserued fine : " you all are guiltlesse , and the fault is mine : " 't is i , 't is i alone , 't is i am he : " the tempest comes from heau'n , the cause from me ; " you shall not lose a haire for this my sin , " nor perish for the fault that mine hath bin ; " lo , i the man am here : lo , i am he " the roote of all ; end your reuenge on me ; " i fled from god of heau'n ; o , let me then " ( because i fled from god ) so flie from men ; " o , take me , ( for i am resolu'd to die ) " as you did cast your wares , so cast in me ; " i am the man , for whom these billowes dance , " my death shall purchase your deliuerance ; " feare not to cease your feares ; but throw me in ; " alas ! my soule is burthen'd with my sin , " and god is iust , and bent to his decree , " which certaine is , and cannot altred bee ; " i am proclaim'd a traytor to the king " of heau'n , and earth : the windes with speedy wing " acquaint the seas : the seas mount vp on hie , " and cannot rest , vntill the traytor die ; " oh , cast me in , and let my life be ended ; " let death make iustice mends , which life offended ; " oh , let the swelling waters me embalme : " so shall the waues be still , and sea be calme . so said , the mariners grew inly sad , ( though rude , and barbarous ) and much ydrad , as moou'd to see a stranger ( for their good ) lay downe his life , which offer they withstood , till they had sought with all their pow'r and skill , to saue the man , and not the ship to spill : they digg'd , and deepely delu'd the surrow'd seas , with brawny armes they plough'd the watry leas , hoping ( in vaine ) by toyle to win the shore , and wrought more hard , thē erst they wrought before . alas ! their strength now failes , and weares away , ( for bodies wanting rest , doe soone decay ) the seas are angry , and the waues arise , appeas'd with nothing , but a sacrifice : gods vengeance stormeth like the raging seas , which nought but ionah ( dying ) can appease . " bootlesse it is , to thinke by any deed " to alter that , which god of heau'n decreed : " ionah must die , 't is folly to say , no ; " ionah must die , or else we all die too ; " ionah must die , that from his lord did flie ; " the lot determines , ionah then must die ; " his guilty word confirmes the sacred lot , " ionah must die then , if we perish not . " if iustice then it be , that he must die , " and we sad actors of his tragedie ; " ( we begge not ( lord ) a warrant to offend ) " o , pardon bloud-shed , that we must intend . " though not our hands , yet shall our hearts be cleare : " then let not stainelesse consciences beare " the pond'rous burthen of a murthers guilt , " or voyce of harmelesse bloud , that must be spilt ; " for lo , ( deare lord ) it is thine owne decree , " and we sad ministers of iustice bee . meditatio quinta . bvt stay awhile , this thing would first be knowne : can ionah giue himselfe , and not his owne ? that part to god , and to his country this pertaines , so that a slender third is his ; why then should ionah doe so great a wrong , to deale himselfe away , that did belong the least vnto himselfe ? or how could he teach this , ( thov shalt not kill ) if ionah be his life 's owne butcher ? what , was this a deed that with the calling he profest , agreed ? the purblind age ( whose workes ( almost diuine ) did meerely with the oyle of nature shine , that knew no written law , ne yet no god , to whip their conscience with a steely rod , ) how much did they abhorre so foule a fact ? when ( led by natures glimpse ) they made an act , that what man e're is so vnnaturall to kill himselfe , should want a buriall ; can such doe so , when ionah does amisse ? what , ionas , isr'els teacher ! and doe this ? the law of charity doth all forbid , in this thing to doe that , which ionah did ; moreo're , in charity , 't is thy behest , of dying men to thinke , and speake the best ; the mighty samson did as much as this ; and who dare say , that samson did amisse , if heau'nly spirit whisper'd in his eare expresse command to do ' t ? then likewise heare , who knowes of ionah , whether , yea , or no , a secret spirit will'd him to doe so ? ¶ sure is the knot that true religion tyes , and loue that 's rightly grounded , neuer dyes ; it seemes a paradox , beyond beliefe , that men in trouble should prolong reliefe ; that pagans , ( to withstand a strangers fate ) should be neglectiue of their owne estate , trusting their liues vpon a twyny thread , and ( dauntlesse ) daunce about in dangers dread . where is this loue become in later age ? alas ! 't is gone in endlesse pilgrimage from hence , and neuer to returne ( i doubt ) till reuolution wheele those times about ; chill brests haue staru'd her here , and she is driu'n away ; and with astraea fled to heau'n : charity , that naked babe is gone , her hony's spent , and all her store is done , her winglesse bees can finde out ne'r a bloome , and crooked * ate doth vsurpe her roome ; nepenthe's dry , and loue can get no drinke , and curs'd ardenne flowes aboue the brinke : braue mariners , the world your names shall hallow , admiring that in you , that none dare follow ; your friendship 's rare , and your conuersion strange : from paganisme to zeale ? a suddaine change ! those men doe now the god of heau'n implore , that bow'd to puppets , but an houre before . their zeale is feruent ( though but new begun ) before their egge-shels were done off , they run , as when bright phoebus , in a summer tide , ( new risen from the pillow of his bride ) enueloped with misty fogges , at length breaks forth , displayes the mist , with southern strēgth ; euen so these mariners ( of peerelesse mirrour ) their faith b'ing vayl'd within the mist of errour , at length their zeale chac'd ignorance away , they left their paganisme , and 'gan to pray . ¶ lord , how vnlimmited are thy confines , that still pursu'st man in his good designes ! thy mercy 's like the dew of hermon hill , or like the oyntment , dropping downward still from aarons head , to beard ; from beard , to foot : so doe thy mercies drench vs round about : thy loue is boundlesse ; thou art apt , and free , to turne to man , when man returnes to thee . the argvment . they cast the prophet ouer boord : the storme alay'd : they feare the lord ; a mighty fish him straight deuoures , where he remayned many howres . sect. . even as a member , whose corrupted sore infests , and rankl's , eating more and more , threatning the bodies losse ( if not preuented ) the surgion ( after all faire meanes attempted ) cuts off , and with aduised skill doth choose , to lose a part , then all the body lose ; euen so the mariners perceiuing all their labour spent , and the effect but small , and of necessity that all must dye , if ionah leaue not their society , they tooke vp ionas , and with one accord , and common ayde , threw ionas ouer boord ; whereat grim neptune wip't his fomy mouth , held his tridented mace vpon the south ; the windes were whist , the billowes daunc't no more , the storme allay'd , the heau'ns left off to rore , the waues ( obedient to their beheast ) gaue ready passage , and their rage surceast : the skie grew cleare , and now the glorious light begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight : thus all on suddaine was the sea tranquill , the heau'ns were quiet , and the waues were still . as when a friendly creditour ( to get a long forborne , and much-concerning debt ) still plyes his willing debter with entreates , importunes dayly , dayly thumps , and beates the batter'd portalls of his tyred eares , bedeafing hm with what he knowes , and heares ; the weary debter , to auoyd the sight he loathes , shifts here , and there , and eu'ry night seekes out protection of another bed , yet ne'rethelesse ( pursu'd and followed ) his eares are still layd at with lowder volley of harder dialect ; he melancholly , sits downe , and sighes , and after long fore-slowing , ( t' auoyd his presence ) payes him what is owing ; the thankfull creditour is now appeas'd , takes leaue , and goes away content , and pleas'd . euen so these angry waues , with restlesse rage , accosted ionas in his pilgrimage , and thundred iudgement in his fearfull eare , presenting hubbubs to his guilty feare : the waues rose discontent , the surges beat , and euery moments death , the billowes threat ; the wether-beaten ship did euery minnit await destruction , while he was in it : but when his ( long expected ) corps they threw into the deepe , ( a debt through trespasse due ) the sea grew kind , and all her frownes abated , her face was smooth to all that nauigated . 't was sinfull ionah made her storme and rage , 't was sinfull ionah did her storme asswage . with that the mariners astonish't were , and feard iehouah with a mighty feare , offring vp sacrifice with one accord , and vowing solemne vowes vnto the lord. but god ( whose breath can make the heauens shake , and in an instant , all that force can slake , whose pow'rfull word can make the earths foundatiō tremble , and with his word can make cessation , whose wrath doth mount the waues , & tosse the seas , and make them calme , and whist when e're he please : this god , ( whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele , and pulls ( like iacob ) iustice by the heele ) prepar'd a fish , prepar'd a mighty whale , whose belly should be prison-house , and baile for retchlesse ionah . as a garner dore opens his double leafe , to take the store , wherewith the haruest quits the ploughmans hope , euen so the great leuiathan set ope his beame-like iawes , ( as glad of such a boone ) and at a morsell , swallow'd ionah downe . till rosy-cheek't - aurora's purple dye thrice dappl'd had the ruddy morning skye , and thrice had spred the curtaines of the morne , to let in titan , when the day was borne , ionah was tenant to this liuing graue , embowel'd deepe in this stupendious caue . meditatio sexta . lo , death is now , as alwayes it hath bin , the iust procured stipend of our sinne : sinne is a golden causie , and a road that 's leuell , pleasant , that is euen , and broad , but leads at length to death , and endlesse griefe , to torments and to paines , without reliefe . iustice feares none , but maketh all afraid , and then falls hardest , when 't is most delaid . but thou reply'st , thy sinnes are daily great , yet thou sitt'st , vncontrold vpon thy seat : thy wheat doth flourish , and thy barnes doe thriue , thy sheepe encrease , thy sonnes are all aliue , and thou art buxom , and hast nothing scant , finding no want of any thing , but want , whil'st others , whō the squint-e'yd world counts holy , sit sadly drooping in a melancholy , with brow deiected , and downe-hanging head , or take of almes , or poorly beg their bread : but young man , know , there is a day of doome , the feast is good , vntill the reck'ning come . the time runnes fastest , where is least regard ; the stone that 's long in falling , falleth hard ; there is a day , a dying day ( thou foole ) when all thy laughter shall be turn'd to doole , thy roabes to tort'ring plagues , and fell tormenting , thy whoops of ioy , to howles of sad lamenting : thy tongue shall yell , and yawle , and neuer stop , and wish a world , to giue for one poore drop , to flatter thine intolerable paine ; the wealth of pluto could not then obtaine a minutes freedome from that hellish rout , whose fire burnes , and neuer goeth out ; nor house , nor land , nor measur'd heapes of wealth , can render to a dying man his health : our life on earth is like a thrid of flax , that all may touch , and being toucht , it cracks . ¶ as when an archer shooteth for his sport , sometimes his shaft is gone , sometime 't is short , sometimes o' th' left hand wide , sometimes o' th' right , at last ( through often triall ) hits the white ; so death sometimes with her vncertaine rouer , hits our superiours ( and so shootes ouer ) sometimes for change , she strikes the meaner sort , strikes our inferiours ( and then comes short ) sometimes vpon the left hand wide she goes , and so ( still wounding some ) she strikes our foes ; and sometimes wide vpon the right hand wends , there with impartiall shafts , she strikes our friends ; at length , ( through often triall ) hits the white , and so strikes vs into eternall night . ¶ death is a kalender compos'd by fate , concerning all men , neuer out of date : her dayes dominicall are writ in blood ; she shewes more bad dayes , then she sheweth good ; she tells when dayes , and months , and termes expire , and shewes thee strange aspects of fearefull fire . ¶ death is a pursiuant , with eagles wings , that knocks at poore mens dores , and gates of kings . worldling , beware ; for , lo , death sculks behind thee , and as she leaues thee , so will iudgement finde thee . the argvment . within the bowels of the fish , ionah laments in great anguish ; god heard his pray'r , at whose command , the fish disgorg'd him on the land. sect. . then ionah turn'd his face to heau'n , and pray'd vvithin the bowels of the vvhale , and sayd , " i cry'd out of my balefull misery " vnto the lord , and he hath heard my cry , " from out the paunch of hell i made a noyse , " and thou hast answer'd me , and heard my voyce : " into the deepes and bottome thou hast throwne me , " thy surges , and thy vvaues haue past vpon me . " then lord ( said i ) from out thy glorious sight " i am reiected , and forsaken quite , " nath'lesse while these my wretched eyes remaine , " vnto thy temple will i looke againe . " the boyst'rous waters compasse me about , " my body threats , to let her pris'ner out , " the boundlesse depth enclos'd me , ( almost dead ) " the weedes were wrapt about my fainting head , " i liu'd on earth reiected at thine hand , " and a perpetuall pris'ner in the land ; " yet thou wilt cause my life t' ascend at length , " from out this pit , o lord , my god , my strength ; " when as my soule was ouer-whelm'd , and faint , " i had recourse to thee , did thee acquaint " with the condition of my wofull case , " my cry came to thee , in thine holy place . " whoso to vanities themselues betake , " renounce thy mercies , and thy loue forsake . " to thee i 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes , " with voyce of thanks , and euer-sounding praise , " i 'le pay my vowes ; for all the world records " with one consent , saluation is the lords . so god ( whose word 's a deed , whose breath's a law , whose iust command implies a dreadfull awe , whose word prepar'd a whale vpon the deepe , to tend , and waite for iona's fall , and keepe his out-cast body safe , and soule secure ) this very god , ( whose mercy must endure when heau'n , and earth , and sea , and all things faile ) disclos'd his purpose , and bespake the whale , to redeliuer ionah to his hand ; whereat the whale disgorg'd him on the land. meditatio septimu . i well record , a holy father sayes , " he teaches to denie , that faintly prayes : the suit surceases , when desire failes , but whoso prayes with feruencie , preuailes ; for pray'rs the key that opens heauen gate , and findes admittance , whether earl ' or late , it forces audience , it vnlocks the eare of heau'nly god , ( though deafe ) it makes him heare . vpon a time * babel ( the worlds faire queene , made drunke with choller , and enrag'd with spleene ) through fell disdaine , derraigned warre ' gainst them that tender homage to ierusalem : * a mayden fight it was , yet they were strong as men of warre ; the battaile lasted long , much bloud was shed , and spilt on either side , that all the ground with purple gore was dyde : in fine , a souldier of ierusalem , * charissa hight , ( the almner of the realme ) chill'd with a feuer , and vnapt to fight , into iustitia's castle tooke her flight , whereat great babels queene commanded all , to lay their siege against the castle wall ; but poore * tymissa ( not with warre acquainted ) fearing charissa's death , fell downe , and fainted ; dauntlesse * prudentia rear'd her from the ground , vvhere she lay ( pale , and sencelesse ) in swound , she rubb'd her temples ( lost in swouny shade ) and gaue her water , that * fidissa made , and said , cheare vp , ( deare sister ) though our foe hath ta'ne vs captiues , and inthrall'd vs so , we haue a king puissant , and of might , will see vs take no wrong , and doe vs right , if we possesse him with our sad complaint , cheare vp , wee 'l send to him , and him acquaint . timissa ( new awak'd from swound ) replies , our castle is begirt with enemies , and clouds of armed men besiege our walls , then suer death , or worse then death befalls to her , ( who ere she be ) that stirres a foote , or dares attempt , this place to fally out : alas ! what hope haue we to finde reliefe , and want the meanes that may diuulge our griefe ? within that place , a iolly matron won'd , with firie lookes , and drawen-sword in hond , her eyes , with age , were waxen wond'rous dim , with hoary locks , and visage sterne , and grim ; her name * iustitia hight ; to her they make their moane , who ( well aduis'd ) them thus bespake : " faire maydens , well i wot ; y' are ill bedight , and rue the suffrance of your wofull plight , but pitty 's fond alone , and rankles griefe , and fruitlesse falls , vnlesse it yeeld reliefe : cheare vp , i haue a messenger in store , whose speed is much , but faithfull trust is more , whose nimble wings shall cleaue the flitting skies , and scorne the terrour of your enemies , * oratio hight , well knowne vnto your king , your message she shall doe , and tydings bring , prouided that * fidissa trauaile with her , and so ( * on christs name ) let them goe together . with that , fidissa hauing ta'ne her errant , and good oratio , with iustitia's warrant , in silence of the midnight , tooke their flight , arriuing at the court that very night ; but they were both as any fier hot , for they did flie as swift , as cannon shot , but they ( left suddaine cold should doe them harme ) together clung , and kept each other warme : but lo , the kingly gates were sparr'd , and lockt , they call'd , but none made answere , then they knockt , together ioyning both their force in one , they knockt amaine ; yet answere there was none ; but they that neuer learn'd to take deniall , with importunity made further triall : the king heard well , although he list not speake , till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake . in fine , the brazen gates flew open wide ; oratio moou'd her suit : the king replide , oratio was a faire , and welcome ghest ; so heard her suit ; so graunted her request . fraile man , obserue , in thee the practice lies , let sacred meditation moralize . let pray'r be feruent , and thy faith intire , and god will graunt thee more then thy desire . the argvment . the second time was ionah sent to niniuy : so ionah went : against her crying sinnes he cri'd , and her destruction propheci'd . sect. . once more the voyce of heau'ns-high-cōmander ( like horrid claps of heau'ns-diuiding-thunder , or like the fall of waters breach ( the noyse b'ing heard farre distant off ) such was the voyce ) came downe from heau'n , to ionah new-borne-man , to re-baptized ionah , and thus began ; am i a god ? or art thou ought but dust ? more then a man ? or are my lawes vniust ? am i a god , and shall i not command ? art thou a man , and dar'st my lawes withstand ? shall i ( the motion of whose breath shall make both earth , and sea , and hell , and heauen quake ) by thee ( fond man ) shall i be thus neglected , and thy presumption scape vncorrected ? thy faith hath sau'd thee ( ionah : ) sinne no more , lest worse things happen after , then before ; arise ; let all th' assembled pow'rs agree to doe the message i impose on thee ; trifle no more , and , to auoyd my sight , thinke not to baulke me with a second flight . arise , and goe to niniuy ( the great ) where broods of gentiles haue ta'ne vp their seat , the great-queene-regent-mother of the land , that multiplies in people like the sand ; away , with wings of time , ( i 'le not essoine thee ) denounce these fiery iudgements , i enioyne thee . like as a yongling that to schoole is set , ( scarce weaned from his dandling mothers tet , where he was cockerd with a stroking hand ) with stubborne heart , denyes the iust command his tutor will's : but being once corrected , his home-bred stomack 's curb'd , or quite eiected , his crooked nature 's chang'd , and mollified , and humbly seeks , what stoutly he deny'd ; so iona's stout , peruerse , and stubborne hart , was hardned once , but when it felt the smart of gods auenging wrath , it strait dissolu'd , and what it once auoyded , now resolu'd t' effect with speed , and with a carefull hand fully replenish'd with his lords command , to niniueh he flyeth like a roe , each step the other striues to ouergoe ; and as an arrow to the mark does fly , so ( bent to flight ) flyes he to niniuy . ( now niniuy a mighty citty was , and all the citties of the world did passe , a citty which o're all the rest aspires , like midnight ▪ phoebé 'mong the lesser fyers , a citty which ( although to men was giuen ) better beseem'd the mighty king of heauen , a citty great to god , whose ample wall , who vndertakes to mete with paces , shall bring phoebus thrice a-bed , e're it be dun , ( although with dawning lucifer begun . ) when ionas had approacht the city gate , he made no stay to rest , ne yet to baite , nor yet with oyle , his fainting head he ' noynts , nor stayes to bathe his weather-beaten ioynts , nor smooth'd his countenance , nor slick't his skinne , ne craued he the hostage of an inne , to ease his aking bones ( with trauell sore ) but went as speedy , as he fled before , the cities greatnes made him not refuse , to be the trump of that vnwelcome newes his tongue was great with ; but ( like thunders noyse ) his mouth flew ope , and out there rusht a voyce . when dewy-cheek't aurora shall display her golden locks , and summon vp the day twice twentie times , and rest her drowzy head twice twentie more , in aged tithons bed , then niniueh this place of high renowne , shall be destroy'd , and sackt , and batterd downe . he sate not down to take deliberation , what manner people were they , or what nation , or gent , or saluage , nor did he enquier what place were most conuenient for a cryer , nor like a sweet-lipt orator did steare , or tune his language to the peoples eare , but bold , and rough ( yet full of maiesty ) lift vp his trumpet , and began to cry , when forty times dan phoebus shall fulfill his iournall course vpon th' olympian hill , then niniueh ( the worlds great wonder ) shall startle the worlds foundation with her fall . the dreadfull prophet stands not to admire the cities pomp , or peoples quaint attire , nor yet ( with fond affection ) doth pitty th' approching downfall of so braue a city : but freely lifts his dismall voyce on high , not caring who excepts against the cry , when fortie dayes shall be expir'd , and run , and that poore inch of time drawne out and dun , then niniueh ( the worlds imperiall throne ) shall not be left a stone , vpon a stone . meditatio octaua . bvt stay ; is god like one of vs ? can hee , when he hath said it , alter his decree ? can he that is the god of truth , dispence with what he vow'd ? or offer violence vpon his sacred iustice ? can his minde reuolt at all ? or vary like the winde ? how comes it then to passe ? how mought it bee , that hauing limited his iust decree vpon the expiring date of fortie dayes , he then performes it not ? but still delayes his plagues denounc't , and iudgement still forbeares , and stead of fortie dayes giues many yeares ? yet fortie dayes , and niniueh shall perish ? yet fortie yeeres , and niniueh doth flourish : a change in man's infirme ; in god 't is strange ; in god , to change his will , and will a change , are diuers things : when god repents from ill , he wills a change ; he changes not his will ; the subiect 's chang'd , which secret he kept close , but not the mind , that so did it dispose ; denounced iudgement god doth oft preuent , but neither changes counsell , nor intent : moreo're he seldome threatens a perdition , but with expresse , or an impli'd condition : so that , if niniuey do turne from ill , god turns his hand , he doth not turne his will. ¶ the stint of niniuey was forty dayes , to cry for grace , and turne from euill wayes ; to some the time is large ; to others small , to some 't is many yeeres ; and not at all to others ; some an hower haue , and some haue scarce a minute of their time to come : thy span of life ( malfido ) is thy space , to call for mercy , and to cry for grace . ¶ lord ! what is man , but like a worme that crawl's , open to danger , euery foot that falls ? death creeps ( vnheard ) and steales abroad ( vnseene ) her darts are sudden , and her arrowes keene , vncertaine when , but certaine she will strike , respecting king , and begger both alike ; the stroke is deadly , come it earl ' , or late , and once being struck , repenting's out of date ; death is a minute , full of sudden sorrow : " then liue to day , as thou maist dye to morrow . the argvment . the niniuites beleeue the word ; their hearts returne vnto the lord ; in him they put their only trust : they mourne in sackcloth , and in dust . sect. . so said ; the niniuites beleeu'd the word , beleeued ionas , and beleeu'd the lord ; they made no pause , nor iested at the newes , nor slighted it , because it was a iew 's denouncement : no , nor did their gazing eyes ( as taken captiues with such nouelties ) admire the strangers garb , so quaint to theirs , no idle chat possest their itching eares , the whil'st he spake : nor were their tongues on fier , to raile vpon , or interrupt the cryer , nor did they question whether true the message , or false the prophet were , that brought th' embassage : but they gaue faith to what he said ; relented , and ( changing their mis-wandred wayes ) repented ; before the searching ayre could coole his word , their hearts returned , and beleeu'd the lord ; and they , whose dainty palats cloy'd whileare with cates , and vyands were , and luscious cheare , doe now enioyne their lips , not once to tast the offall bread , ( for they proclaim'd a fast ) and they , whose wanton bodies once did lye wrapt vp in robes , and silkes , of princely dye , lo now , in stead of robes , in rags they mourne , and all their silkes doe into sackcloth turne . they reade themselues sad lectures on the ground , learning to want , as well as to abound ; the prince was not exempted , nor the peere , nor yet the richest , nor the poorest there ; the old man was not freed , ( whose hoary age had eu'n almost outworne his pilgrimage ; ) nor yet the young , whose glasse ( but new begun ) by course of nature had an age to run : for when that fatall word came to the king , ( conuay'd with speed vpon the nimble wing of flitting fame ) he strait dismounts his throne , forsakes his chaire of state he sate vpon , disrob'd his body , and his head discrown'd , in dust and ashes grou'ling on the ground , and when he rear'd his trembling corpes againe , ( his haire all filthy with the dust he lay in ) he clad in pensiue sackcloth , did depose himselfe from state imperiall , and chose to liue a vassall , or a baser thing , then to vsurpe the scepter of a king : his golden cup of honour and authority , made him not drunke , and so forget mortality , ( respectlesse of his pompe ) he quite forgate he was a king , so mindlesse of his state , that he forgate to rule , or be obey'd ; nor did he weild the sword , nor scepter sway'd . meditatio nona . ¶ is fasting then the thing that god requires ? can fasting expiate , or slake those fires that sinne hath blowne to such a mighty flame ? can sackcloth clothe a fault ? or hide a shame ? can ashes clense thy blot ? or purge thy ' offence ? or doe thy hands make god a recompence , by strowing dust vpon thy bryny face ? are these the tricks to purchase heau'nly grace ? no , though thou pine thy selfe with willing want ; or face looke thinne , or carkas ne ▪ r so gaunt , although thou worser weeds then sackcloth weare , or naked goe , or sleep in shirts of haire , or though thou chuse an ash-tub for thy bed , or make a daily dunghill on thy head , thy labour is not poysd with equall gaines , for thou hast nought but labour for thy paines : such idle madnesse god reiects , and loaths , that sinkes no deeper , than the skinne , or cloaths ; 't is not thine eyes which ( taught to weep by art ) looke red with teares , ( not guilty of thy hart ) 't is not the holding of thy hands so hye , nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye ; 't is not your mimmick mouthes , nor antick faces , nor scripture phrases , nor affected graces , nor prodigall vp-banding of thine eyes , whose gashfull balls doe seeme to pelt the skyes ; 't is no : the strict reforming of your haire so close , that all the neighbour skull is bare ; 't is not the drooping of thy head so low , nor yet the lowring of thy sullen brow , nor howling , wherewithall you fill the ayre , nor repetitions of your tedious pray'r : no , no , 't is none of this , that god regards ; such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards ; such puppit-playes , to heau'n are strange , and quaint , their seruice is vnsweet , and foully taint , their words fall fruitlesse from their idle braine ; but true repentance runnes in other straine ; where sad contrition harbours , there thy hart is first acquainted with an inly smart , and restlesse grones within thy mournfull brest , where sorrow finds her selfe a welcome ghest ; it throbs , it sighes , it mournes in decent wise , dissolu's , and fills the cisternes of thine eyes ; it frights thy pensiue soule , with strange aspects of crying sinnes committed ; it detects thy wounded conscience ; it cryes amaine , for mercy , mercy , cryes , and cryes againe ; it vowes , it sadly grieues , and sore laments , it yernes for grace , reformes , returnes , repents ; i ; this is incense , whose accepted sauour mounts vp the heauenly throne , and findeth fauour : i ; this is it , whose valour neuer failes , with god it stoutly wrestles , and preuailes : i ; this is it , that pierces heauen aboue , neuer returning home ( like noah's doue ) but brings an oliffe leafe , or some encrease , that works saluation , and eternall peace . the argvment . the prince and people fasts , and prayes ; god heard , accepted , lik'd their wayes : vpon their timely true repentance , god reuerst , and chang'd his sentence . sect. . then suddenly , with holy zeale inflam'd , he caus'd a generall act , to be proclam'd , by good aduice , and counsell of his peeres ; let neither man , nor child , of youth , or yeeres , from greatest in the city , to the least , nor heard , nor pining flock , nor hungry beast , nor any thing that draweth ayre , or breath , on forfeiture of life , or present death , presume to taste of nourishment , or food , or moue their hungry lips , to chew the cud ; from out their eyes let springs of water burst , with teares ( or nothing ) let them slake their thurst : moreo're , let euery man ( what e're he be ) of high preferment , or of low degree , d' off all they weare ( excepting but the same ) that nature craues , and that which couers shame ) their nakednesse with sackcloth let them hide , and mue the vest'ments of their silken pride ; and let the braue cariering horse of warre , ( whose rich caparisons , and trappings are of sumptuous beautie , and of glorious show ) let him disrobe , and put ▪ on sackcloth too ; the oxe ( ordain'd for yoke ) the asse ( for load ) the horse ( as well for race , as for the road ) the burthen-bearing cammell ( strong and great ) the fruitfull kine , and eu'ry kind of neate , let all put sackcloth on , and spare no voyce , but crie amaine to heau'n , with mightie noyse ; let all men turne the byas of their wayes , and change their fiercer hands , to force of praise : for who can tell , if god ( whose angrie face hath long bin wayning from vs ) will embrace this slender pittance of our best endeuour ? who knowes , if god will his intent perseuer ? or who can tell , if he ( whose tender loue , and mercy ' extends his iudgements farre aboue ) will change his high decree , and turne his sentence vpon a timely , and vnfain'd repentance ? and who can tell , if god will change the lot , that we , and ours may liue , and perish not ? so god perceiu'd their works , and saw their wayes , approu'd the faith , that in their works did blaze , approu'd their works , approu'd their works the rather , because their faith , and works went both together ; he saw their faith , because their faith abounded , he saw their works , because on faith they grounded , h' approu'd their faith , because their faith was true , h' approu'd their works , because on faith they grew ; he saw their faith , and works , and so relented , h● approu'd their faith , and works , and so repented ; repented of the plagues , they apprehended ; repented of the euill , that he intended : so god the vengeance of his hand with-drew , he tooke no forfeiture , although 't were due ; the euill , that once he meant , he now forgot , cancell'd the forfeit bond , and did it not . meditatio decima . ¶ lo , into what an ebbe of low estate the soule , that seekes to be regenerate , must first decline ; before the ball rebound , it must be throwne with force against the ground ; the seed cannot encrease in fruitfull eares , nor can she reare the goodly stalke she beares , vnlesse bestrow'd vpon a mould of earth , and made more glorious , by a second birth : so fares with man ; before he can bring forth the braue exploits of truly noble worth , or hope the granting of his sinnes remission , he must be humbl'd first in sad contrition ; the plant ( through want of skill , or by neglect ) if it be planted from the sunnes reflect , or lack the dew of seasonable showres , decayes , and beareth neither fruit , or flowres ; so wretched man , if his repentance hath no quickning sunne-shine of a liuely faith , or not bedew'd with show'rs of timely teares , or works of mercy ( wherein faith appeares ) his pray'rs , and deeds , and all his forged grones , are like the howles of dogs , and works of drones : the skilfull surgeon , first ( by letting blood ) weakens his patient , ere he does him good ; before the soule can a true comfort finde , the body must be prostrate , and the minde truly repentiue , and contrite within , and loath the fawning of a bosome sin. but lord ! can man deserue ? or can his best doe iustice equall right , which he transgrest ? when dust and ashes mortally offends , can dust and ashes make eternall mends ? is heau'n vniust ? must not the recompence be full equiualent to the offence ? what mends by mortall man can then be giu'n to the offended maiestie of heau'n ? o mercie ! mercie ! on thee my soule relyes , on thee we build our faith , we bend our eyes ; thou fill'st my empty straine , thou fil'st my tongue ; thou art the subiect of my swan-like song ; like pinion'd pris'ners at the dying tree , our lingring hopes attend , and wayte on thee ; ( arraign'd at iustice barre ) preuent our doome ; to thee with ioyfull hearts we cheerely come ; thou art our clergie ; thou that dearest booke , wherein our fainting eyes desire to looke ; in thee , we trust to reade ( what will release vs ) in bloudy caracters , that name of iesvs . ¶ what shall we then returne to god of heau'n ? where nothing is ( lord ) nothing can be giu'n ; our soules , our bodies , strength , and all our pow'rs , ( alas ! ) were all too little , were they ours : or shall we burne ( vntill our life expires ) an endlesse sacrifice in holy fires ? ¶ my sacrifice shall be my heart entire , my christ the altar , and my zeale the fire . the argvment . the prophet discontented prayes to god , that he would end his dayes ; god blames his wrath so vnreprest , reproues his vnaduis'd request . sect. . bvt this displeasing was in iona's eyes , his heart grew hot , his blood began to rise , his eyes did sparkle , and his teeth struck fire , his veines did boyle , his heart was full of yre ; at last brake foorth into a strange request , these words he pray'd , and mumbl'd out the rest : was not , o was not this my thought ( o lord ) before i fled ? nay , was not this my word , the very word , that these my lips had shaped , when this mis-hap mought well haue bin escaped ? was there , o was there not a iust suspect , my preaching would procuer this effect ? for loe ; i knew of old , they tender loue ; i knew the pow'r , thou gau'st my tongue , would moue their adamantine hearts ; i knew 't would thaw their frozen spirits , and breed relenting awe ; i knew moreo're , vpon their true repentance , that thou determin'dst to reuerse thy sentence ; for lo , i knew , thou wert a gracious god , of long forbearance , slow to vse the rod ▪ i knew the power of thy mercies bent , the strength of all thy other works out-went ; i knew thy tender kindnes ; and how loth thou wert to punish , and how slow to wrath ; turning thy iudgements , and thy plagues preuenting , thy mind reuersing , and of eu'll repenting : therefore ( o therefore ) through this perswasion , i fled to tarsish , there to make euasion ; to saue thy credit ( lord ) to saue mine owne : for when this blast of zeale is ouer-blowne , and sackloth left , and they left off to mourne , when they ( like dogs ) shall to their vomit turne , they 'l vilipend thy sacred word , and scoffe it , saying , was that a god , or this a prophet ? they 'l scorne thy iudgements , & thy threats despise , and call thy prophets , messengers of lyes . now therefore ( lord ) bow downe attentiue eare , ( for lo , my burthen's more then i can beare ) make speed ( o lord ) and banish all delayes , t' extinguish ( now ) the tapour of my dayes : let not the minutes of my time extend , but let my wretched howers find an end ; let not my fainting sprite thus long aby in her fraile mansion of mortality : the thrid's but weake , my life depends vpon , o cut that thrid , and let my life be done ; my brest stands faire , o strike , and strike againe , for nought , but dying , can asswage my paine : for liefer 'tis to dye , then liue in shame , for better 't is to leaue , and yeeld the game , then toyle for what at length must needs be lost ; o kill me , for my heart is sore imbost ; this latter boone vnto thy seruant giue , for better 't is for me , to dye then liue . so wretched ionah ; but iehoua thus ; what boot's it so to storme out-ragious ? does it become my seruants heart to swell ? can anger helpe thee , ionah ? doest thou well ? meditatio vndecima . ¶ how poore a thing is man ! how vain 's his mind ! how strange , & base ! and wau'ring like the wind ! how vncouth are his wayes ! how full of danger ! how to himselfe , is he himselfe a stranger ! his heart 's corrupt , and all his thoughts are vaine , his actions sinfull , and his words prophane , his will 's deprau'd , his senses all beguil'd , his reason 's darke , his members all defil'd , his hastie feet are swift , and prone to ill , his guilty hands are euer bent to kill , his tongue 's a spunge of venome , ( or of worse ) her practice is to sweare , her skill to curse ; his eyes , are fierballs of lustfull fire , and outward spyes , to inward foule desire , his body is a well erected station , but full of filth , and foule corrupted passion , fond loue ; and raging lust , and foolish feares , excessiue ioy , and griefe o'rwhelm'd with teares immoderate ; and couetous desier , and sinfull anger , red , and hot as fier ; these daily clog the soule , that 's fast in prison , from whose encrease , this lucklesse brood is risen , respectlesse pride , and lustfull idlenes , foule ribbauld talke , and lothsome drunkennes , fruitlesse despayre , and needlesse curiositie , odious ingratitude , double hypocrisie , base flattery , and haughty-ey'd ambition , heart-gnawing hatred , and squint-ey'd suspition , self-eating enuie , enuious detraction , hopelesse distrust , and too-too sad deiection , reuengefull malice , hellish blasphemie , idolatry , and light inconstancie ; daring presumption , wry-mouth'd derision , fearefull apostacie , vaine superstition . ¶ what heedfull watch ? and what contin'all ward ? how great respect ? and howerly regard , stands man in hand to haue , when such a brood of furious hell-hounds seeke to suck his blood ? day , night , and hower , they rebell , and wrastle , and neuer cease , till they subdue the castle . ¶ how sleight a thing is man ? how fraile and brittle ? how seeming great is he ? how truly little ? within the bosome of his holiest works , some hidden embers of old adam lurks ; which oftentimes in men of righteous wayes , burst out in flame , and for a season blaze . ¶ lord teach our hearts , & giue our soules directions , subdue our passions , curb our stout affections , nip thou the bud , before the bloome begins ; lord , keep all good men from presumptuous sins . the argvment . a booth for shelter ionah made ; god sent a gourd for better shade ; but by the next approching light , god sent a worme consum'd it quite . sect. . so ionah ( sore opprest , and heauy-hearted ) from out the cities circuit straight departed , departed to the easterne borders of it , where sick with anguish sate this sullen prophet ; he built a booth , and in the booth he sate , ( vntill some few daies had expir'd their date with ouer-tedious pace ) where he might see , what would betide to threatned niniuie ; a trunk that wanteth sap , is soone decay'd ; the slender booth of boughs and branches made , soone yeelded to the fire of phoebus ray , so dri'd to dust , consuming quite away : whereat , the great iehoua spake the word , and ouer iona's head there sprang a gourd , whose roots were fixt within the quickning earth , which gaue it nourishment , as well as birth ; god raised vp a gourd , a gourd should last , let wind , or scortching sunne , or blow , or blast ; as coales of fier rak'd in embers , lye obscure , and vndiscerned by the eye ; but being stird , regaine a glimm'ring light , reuiue , and glow , burning a-fresh and bright ; so ionah 'gan to cheare through this reliefe , and ioyfull was , deuoyded all his griefe : he ioy'd to see , that god had not forgot his drooping seruant , nor forsooke him not ; he ioy'd , in hope the gourds strange wonder will perswade the people , he 's a prophet still ; the fresh aspect did much content his sight , the herball sauour gaue his sense delight ; so ionah much delighted in his gourd , enioy'd the pleasures , that it did affoord : but lord ! what earthly thing can long remaine ? how momentary are they ! and how vaine ! how vaine is earth , that man 's delighted in it ! her pleasures rise ; and vanish in a minnit : how fleeting are the ioyes , we find below ! whose tides ( vncertaine ) alwayes ebbe , and flow ; for lo ! this gourd ( that was so faire , and sound ) is quite consum'd , and eaten to the ground ; no sooner titan had vp-heau'd his head , from off the pillow of his saffron bed , but god prepar'd a silly , silly worme , ( perchance brought thither , by an easterne storme ) the worme that must obey , and well knew how , consum'd it quite , ne left it root , nor bow ; consum'd it straight , within a minut's space , left nought , but ( sleeping ) ionas in the place . meditatio duodecima . ¶ the pleasures of the world , ( which soone abate ) are liuely emblems of our owne estate , which ( like a banquet at a fun'rall show ) but sweeten griefe , and serue to flatter woe . ¶ pleasure is fleeting still , and makes no stay , it lends a smile , or twaine , and steales away . ¶ man's life is fickle , full of winged haste , it mocks the sense with ioy , and soone does waste . ¶ pleasure does crowne thy youth , and lulls thy wants , but ( sullen age approching ) straight auaunts . ¶ man's life is ioy , and dolor seekes to banish , it doth lament , and mourne in age , and vanish . ¶ the time of pleasure 's like the life of man ; both ioyfull , both contained in a span ; both highly priz'd , and both on sudden lost , when most we trust them , they deceiue vs most ; what fit of madnes makes vs loue them thus ? we leaue our liues , and pleasure leaueth vs : why what are pleasures ? but a golden dreame , which ( waking ) makes our wants the more extreame ? and what is life ? a bubble full of care , which ( prickt by death ) straight empties into ayre : the flowers ( clad in far more rich array , then earst was salomon ) doe soone decay ; what thing more sweet , or fairer then a flowre ? nath'les , it blooms , and fades within an howre ; what thing more pleasing then a morning sun ? and yet this pleasure euery day is dun : but thou art heire to croesus , and thy treasure being great , and endlesse , endlesse is thy pleasure ; but thou ( thou croesus heire ) consider must , thy wealth , and thou , came from , and goes to dust ; another's noble , and his name is great , and takes his place vpon a loftie seat ; true 't is , but yet his many wants are such , that better 't were he were not knowne so much . another binds his soule in hymens knot , his spouse is chaste , and faire withouten spot , but yet his comfort is bedasht , and done , his grounds are stock't , and now he want's a sonne . ¶ how fickle , and vnconstant's mans estate ! man faine would haue , but then he knowes not what ; and hauing , rightly knowes not how to prize it , but like the foolish dunghill-cock imploy's it : but who desires to liue a life content , wherein his cruze of ioy shall ne'r be spent , let him consider what may be desir'd , the date whereof is not to be expir'd : for that 's not worth the crauing , to obtaine a happinesse , that must be lost againe ; nor that , which most doe couet most , is best ; best are the goods , mixt with contented rest ; gasp not for * honour , wish no blazing glory , for these will perish in an ages story ; nor yet for pow'r , for that may be conferr'd on fooles , as well , as thee , that hast deseru'd . thirst not for lands , nor mony ; wish for none , for * wealth is neither lasting , nor our owne ; riches are faire inticements , to deceiue vs ; they flatter , while we liue , and dying , leaue vs. the argvment . ionah desires to dye , the lord rebukes him , he maintaines his word , his anger he doth iustifie , god pleads the cause for niniuie . sect. . when ruddy phoebus had ( with morning light ) subdu'd the east , and put the stars to flight , the lord prepar'd a feruent easterne wind , whose drought together with the sunne combin'd , each adding fier to the others heat , ( with strong vnited force ) amaine did beat , and sore reflect vpon the helplesse head of fainting ionah ( that was well-nye dead ) who turning oft , and tossing to and fro , ( as they that are in torments vse to doe ) and ( restlesse ) finding no successe of ease , but rather , that his tortures still encrease ; his secret passion to his soule betrai'd , wishing with all his heart to dye , and said ; o kill me ( lord ) or lo , my heart will riue ; for better 't is for me to dye then liue : so said , the lord did interrupt his passion , saying , how now ? is this a seemly fashion ? doth it become my seruants heart to swell ? can anger helpe thee ? ionah , do'st thou well ? is this a fit speech ? or a well-plac'd word ? what , art thou angry ( ionah ) for a gourd ? what , if th' arabians with their ruder traine had kill'd thine oxen , and thy cattell slaine ? what , if consuming fier ( falne from heauen ) had all thy seruants of their liues bereauen , and burnt thy sheep ? what , if by strong oppression the chaldees had vsurpt vniust possession vpon thy cammels ? or had boreas blowne his full-mouth'd blast , and cast thy houses downe , and slaine thy sonnes , amid their iollities ? or hadst thou lost thy vineyard full of trees ? or bin bereaued of thine only sheep , that in thy tender bosome vs'd to sleep ? how would thine hastie spirit then bin sturr'd , if thou art angry , ionah , for a gourd ? so ionah frames his answere thus , and saith , lord , i doe well to vex vnto the death ; i blush not to acknowledge , and professe deserued rage , i 'm angry , i confesse ; 't would make a spirit that is thorow frozen , to blaze like flaming pitch , and frie like rozen : why dost thou aske that thing , that thou canst tell ? thou know'st i 'm angry , and it beseemes me well . so said , the lord to ionah thus bespake ; dost thou bemoane , and such compassion take vpon a gourd , whose seed thou didst not sow , nor mou'd thy skilfull hands to make it grow , whose beautie small , and profit was but slight , which sprang , and also perisht in a night ? hadst thou ( o dust and ashes ) such a care , and in-bred pittie , a trifling plant to spare ? hadst thou , ( o hard and incompassionate , to wish the razing of so braue a state ) hadst thou ( i say ) compassion , to bewaile the extirpation of a gourd so fraile ? and shall not i ( that am the lord of lords ) whose fountaine's neuer dry , but still affords sweet streames of mercie , with a fresh supply , to those that thirst for grace ? what shall not i , ( that am the god of mercie , and haue sworne to pardon sinners , when soe're they turne ? ( i say ) shall i disclaime my wonted pitie , and bring to ruine such a goodly citie , whose hearts ( so truly penitent ) implore me , who day and night powre foorth their soules before me ? shall i destroy the mightie niniuie , whose people are like sands about the sea ? 'mong which are sixe-score thousand soules ( at least ) that hang vpon their tender mothers brest ? whose prettie smiles did neuer yet descry the deare affection of their mothers eye ? shall i subuert , and bring to desolation a citie , ( nay , more aptly tearm'd a nation ) whose walls are wide , and wondrous full of might ? whose hearts are sorrowfull , and soules contrite ? whose infants are in number , so amounting ? and beasts , and cattell , endlesse , without counting ? what , ionah , shall a gourd so moue thy pitie ? and shall not i spare such a goodly citie ? meditatio vltima . ¶ my heart is full , and knowes not how to vent ; my tongue proues traytor to my poore intent ; my mind 's in labour , and find's no redresse ; my heart conceiues , my tongue cannot expresse ; my organs suffer , through a maine defect ; alas ! i want a proper dialect , to blazon forth the tythe of what i muse ; the more i meditate , the more accrewes ; but lo , my faultring tongue must say no more , vnlesse she step where she hath trod before . what ? shall i then be silent ? no , i 'le speake , ( till tongue be tyred , and my lungs be weake ) of dearest mercie , in as sweet a straine , as it shall please my muse to lend a vaine ; and when my voyce shall stop within her sourse , and speech shall faulter in this high discourse , my tyred tongue ( vnsham'd ) shall thus extend , only to name , deare mercie , and so end . ¶ oh high imperiall king , heauens architect ! is man a thing , befitting thy respect ? lord , thou art wisdome , and thy wayes are holy , but man's polluted , full of filth , and folly , yet is he ( lord ) the fabrick of thy hand , and in his soule he beares thy glorious brand , how-e're defaced with the rust of sin , which hath abus'd thy stamp , and eaten in ; 't is not the frailtie of mans corrupted nature , makes thee asham'd , t' acknowledge man , thy creature ; but like a tender father , here on earth , ( whose child by nature , or abortiue birth , doth want that sweet and fauourable rellish , wherewith , her creatures , nature doth imbellish ) respects him ne'rthelesse ; so stands the case , 'twixt god , and sinfull man : though sinne deface the glorious portraiture that man did beare , whereby he loath'd , and vgly doth appeare , yet god ( within whose tender bowels are deep gulfs of mercie , sweet beyond compare ) regards , and loues , ( with reu'rence be it said ) nay seems to dote on man ; when he hath strayd , lord , thou hast brought him to his fold againe ; when he was lost , thou didst not then disdaine to think vpon a vagabond , and giue thine only sonne to dye , that he might liue . how poore a mite art thou content withall , that man may scape his downe-approching fall ? though base we are , yet didst not thou abhorre vs , but ( as our story notes ) art pleading for vs , to saue vs harmlesse from our foemans iawes ; art thou turn'd oratour , to plead our cause ? ¶ how are thy mercies full of admiration ! how soueraigne ! how sweet's their application ! fatning the soule with sweetnes , and repayring the rotten ruines of a soule despayring . ¶ loe here ( malfido ) is the feast prepar'd ; fall too with courage , and let nought be spar'd ; taste freely of it , here 's no misers feast ; eate what thou canst , and pocket vp the rest : these precious vyands are restoritie , eate then ; and if the sweetnes make thee drie , drink large carouses out of mercies cup , the best lies in the bottome , drinke all vp : these cates are sweet ambrosia to thy soule , and that , which fils the brimme of mercies boule , is dainty nectar ; eate , and drinke thy fill ; spare not the one , ne yet the other spill ; prouide in time : thy banquet 's now begun , lay vp in store , against the feast be done : for lo , the time of banquetting is short , and once being done , the world cannot restor't ; it is a feast of mercy , and of grace ; it is a feast for all , or hye , or base ; a feast for him that begs vpon the way , as well for him that does the scepter sway ; a feast for him that howerly bemoanes his dearest sinnes , with sighs , and teares , and groanes ; a feast for him , whose gentle heart reformes ; a feast for men ; and so a feast for wormes ¶ deare liefest lord , that feast'st the world with grace , extend thy bountious hand , thy glorious face : bid ioyfull welcome to thy hungry ghest , that we may praise the master of the feast ; and in thy mercie grant this boone to mee , that i may dye to sinne , and liue to thee . finis . s. ambrose . misericordia est plenitudo omnium virtutum . the generall vse of this history . ¶ when as the ancient world did all imbarke within the compasse of good noahs arke , into the new-washt world a doue was sent , who in her mouth return'd an oliffe plant , which in a silent language this related : how that the waters were at length abated : those swelling waters , is the wrath of god , and like the doue , are prophets sent abroad : the oliffe leafe's a ioyfull type of peace , whereby we note gods vengeance doth decrease ; they salue the wounded heart , and make it whole , they bring glad tydings to the drooping soule , proclaiming grace to them that thirst for grace , mercie to those that mercie will embrace . ¶ malfido , thou , in whose distrustfull brest despayre hath brought in sticks to build her nest , where she may safely lodge her lucklesse brood , to feed vpon thy heart , and suck thy blood , beware betimes , lest custome and permission prescribe a right , and so she claime possession . ¶ despairing man , whose burthen makes thee stoop vnder the terror of thy sinnes , and droop through dull despayre , whose too-too sullen griefe makes heauen vnable to apply reliefe , whose eares are dull'd with noyse of whips & chaines , and yells of damned soules , through tort'red paines , come here , and rouze thy selfe ; vnseele those eyes , which sad despaire clos'd vp ; arise , arise , and goe to niniuey , the worlds great palace , earths mighty wonder , and behold , the ballace , and burthen of her bulk , is nought but sin , which ( wilfull ) she commits , and wallowes in ; behold her images , her fornications , her crying sinnes , her vile abominations ; behold the guiltlesse bloud that she did spill , like spring tides in the streets , and reeking still : behold her scortching lusts , and taint desier , like sulph'rous aetna blaze , and blaze vp hier ; she rapes , and rends , and theeues , and there is none can iustly call the thing he hath ; his owne ; that sacred name of god , that name of wonder , in stead of worshipping , she teares in sunder ; she 's not enthrall'd to this sinne , or another , but like a leper's all infected ouer ; not only sinfull , but in sinnes subiection , she 's not infected , but a meere infection . no sooner had the prophet ( heau'ns great spy ) begun an onset to his greater cry , but she repented , sigh'd , and wept , and tore her curious haire , and garments that she wore , she sate in ashes , and put sackcloth on , all drencht in briny griefe , all woe ▪ begon ; she calls a fast , proclaimes a prohibition to man , and beast ; ( sad tokens of contrition ) no sooner prayd , but heard ; no sooner groan'd , but pitied ; no sooner grieu'd , but moan'd ; timely repentance speedy grace procur'd , the sore that 's ta'ne in time , is quickly cur'd : no sooner did her trickling teares , or'-flow her blubber'd cheekes , ( slie messengers of woe ) but straitwaies heau'n wip't her suffused eyes , and gently strok'd her cheeks , and bid her rise ; no faults were seene , as if no fault had bin , deare mercy made a quittance for her sin . ¶ malfido , rouze thy leaden spirit , bestirre thee , hold vp thy drowsie head , here 's comfort for thee ; what if thy zeale be frozen hard ? what then ? thy sauiours blood will thaw that frost agen : thy prayr's that should be feruent , hot as fier , proceed but coldly from a dull desier ; what then ? grieue inly , but doe not dismay , who hear's thy pray'rs , will giue thee strength to pray : though left awhile , thou art not quite giu'n o're , where sinne abounds , there grace aboundeth more : ¶ 'las , this is all the good that i can doe thee , to ease thy griefe , i here commend vnto thee a little booke , but a great mystery , a great delight , a little history ; a little branch slipt from a sauing tree , but bearing fruit as great , as great mought bee ; a small abridgment 't is of gods great loue ; a message sent from heauen by a doue : it is a heauenly lecture , that relates to princes , pastors , people , all estates their seu'rall duties . ¶ peruse it well , and binde it to thy brest , there rests the cause of thy defectiue rest : but reade it often , or else reade it not : once read , is not obseru'd , or soone forgot , nor is 't enough to reade , but vnderstand , or else thy tongue , for want of wit , 's prophan'd , nor is 't enough to purchase knowledge by it ; salue heales no sore , vnlesse the party apply it : apply it then ; 't is hard , and mickle paines , doe what thou canst , and pray for what remaines . the particular application . ¶ then thou , that art opprest with sad despayre , here shalt thou see the strong effect of prayre : then pray with faith , and ( feruent ) without ceasing ( like iacob ) wrestle , till thou get a blessing . ¶ here shalt thou see the type of christ , thy sauiour ; then let thy suits be through his name , and fauour . ¶ here shalt thou finde repentance and true griefe of sinners like thy selfe , and their beliefe ; then suit thy griefe to theirs , and let thy soule cry mightily , vntill her wounds be whole . ¶ here shalt thou see the meeknes of thy god , who on repentance turnes , and burnes the rod ; repents , of what he meant , and seemeth sorrie ; here mayst thou then behold him pleading for ye : then thus shall be thy meed , if thou repent , in stead of plagues and direfull punishment , thou shalt finde mercy , loue , and heauens applause , and god of heauen ( himselfe ) will plead thy cause . ¶ here hast thou then compil'd within this treasure , first , the almighties high , and iust displeasure against foule sinne , or such as sinfull bee , or prince , or poore , or high , or low degree . ¶ here is descri'd the beaten road to faith : ¶ here mayst thou see the force that preaching hath : ¶ here is describ'd in ( briefe but ) full expression , the nature of a conuert , and his passion : his sober diet , which is thin , and spare , his clothing , which is sackcloth ; and his prayre not faintly sent to heauen , nor sparingly , but piercing , feruent , and mightie cry : ¶ here maist thou see , how pray'r , and true repentance doe striue with god , preuaile , and turne his sentence , from strokes to stroking , and from plagues infernall , to boundlesse mercies , and to life eternall . ¶ till zepher lend my bark a second gale , i flip mine anchor , and i strike my saile . finis . o dulcis saluator mundi vltima verba quae tu dixisti in cruce , sint vltima mea verba in luce ; & quando amplius affare non possum , exaudi tu cordis mei desiderium . a hymne to god. who giues me then an adamantine quill ? a marble tablet ? and a dauids skill ? to blazon foorth the praise of my dear lord in deep grau'n letters , aye vpon record to last , for times eternall processe , suer , so long , as sunne , and moone , and stars enduer : had i as many mouthes , as sands there are , had i a nimble tongue for euery starre , and euery word i speake , a caractere , and euery minutes time ten ages were , to chaunt foorth all thy praise it nought auaile , for tongues , and words , and time , and all would faile : much lesse can i poore weakling tune my tongue , to take a taske befits an angels song ; sing what thou canst , when thou canst sing no more , weep then as fast that thou canst sing no more , be blurre thy booke with teares , and goe thy wayes , for euery blurre will proue a booke of praise . thine eye that viewes the mouing spheares aboue , let it giue praise to him that makes them moue : thou riches hast ; thy hands that hold , and haue them , let them giue praise to him , that freely gaue them : thine armes defend thee , then for recompence , let them praise him , that gaue thee such defence : thy tongue was giuen to praise thy lord , the giuer , then let thy tongue praise highest god for euer : faith comes by hearing , and thy faith will saue thee ; then let thine eares praise him , that hearing gaue thee : thy heart is begg'd by him that first did make it , my sonne , giue me thy heart ; lord , freely take it : eyes , hands , and armes , tongues , eares , and hearts of men , sing praise , and let the people say , amen . ¶ : tune you your instruments , and let them vary , praise him vpon them in his sanctuary , praise him within the highest firmament , which shewes his power and his gouernment , praise him , for all his mighty acts are knowne , praise him according to his high renowne , praise him with trump victorious , shrill , and sharp , with psaltry lowd , and many-stringed harp , with sounding tymbrell , and delightfull flute , with ( musicks full interpreter ) the lute , praise him vpon the mayden virginalls , vpon the clerick organs , and cymballs , vpon the sweet maiestick vyalls touch , double your ioyes , and let your praise be such ; let all , in whom is life and breath , giue praise to mighty god of hosts , in endlesse dayes ; let euery soule , to whom a voyce is giuen , sing holy , holy , holy , lord of heauen ; for loe , a lambe is found , that vndertooke to breake the seuen-fold-seale , and ope the booke : ¶ o let my life add number to my dayes , to shew thy glory , and to sing thy praise ; let euery minute in thy praise be spent , let euery head be bare , and knee be bent to thee ( deare lambe ; ) who ere thy praises hide , o let his lips be clos'd , and tongue for euer ty'de . halelujah : gloria deo in excelsis . eleuen pious meditations . ¶ within the holy writ i well discouer three speciall attributes of god ; his power , his iustice , and his mercy , all vncreated , eternall all , and all vnseparated from gods pure essence , yet from thence proceeding all very god , all perfect , all exceeding ; and from that selfe-same text three names i gather of great iehoua ; lord , and god , and father ; the first denotes him mounted on his throne , in power , maiesty , dominion ; the next descries him on his kingly bench , rewarding euill with dreadfull punishments ; the third describes him on his mercy-seate , full great in grace , and in his mercy great ; ¶ all three i worship , and before all three my heart shall humbly prostrate , with my knee ; but in my priuate choice , i fancie rather , then call him lord , or god , to call him father . ¶ in hell no life , in heauen no death there is , in earth both life , and death , both bale , and blis , in heauen 's all life , no end , nor new supplying ; in hell 's all death , and yet there is no dying ; earth ( like a partiall ambidexter ) doth prepare for death , or life , prepares for both ; who liues to sinne , in hell his portion 's giuen , who dyes to sinne , shall after liue in heauen . ¶ though earth my nurse be , heauen , be thou my father ; ten thousand deaths let me enduer rather within my nurses armes , then one to thee ; earths honor , with thy frownes , is death to mee : i liue-on earth , as on a stage of sorrow ; lord , if thou pleasest , end the play to morrow : i liue on earth , as in a dreame of pleasure , awake me when thou wilt , i wait thy leisure : i liue on earth , but as of life bereauen , my life 's with thee , for ( lord ) thou art in heauen . ¶ nothing that e'r was made , was made for nothing : beasts for thy food , their skins were for thy clothing , flow'rs for thy smell , and herbs for cuer good , trees for thy shade , their fruit for pleasing food : the showers fall vpon the fruitfull ground , whose kindly dew makes tender grasse abound , the grasse is made for beasts to feed vpon , and beasts are food for man : but man alone is made to serue his lord in all his waies , and be the trumpet of his makers praise . ¶ let heau'n be then to me obdure as brasse , the earth as yron , vnapt for graine , or grasse , then let my flocks consume , and neuer steed me , let pinching famine want , wherewith to feed me , when i forget to honour thee , ( my lord ) thy glorious attributes , thy works , thy word . o let the trump of thine eternall fame , sound euer , euer hallow'd be thy name . ¶ god made the world , and all that therein is , yet , what a little part of it is his ? quarter the earth , and see , how small a roome is stiled with the name of christendome ; the rest ( through blinded ignorance ) rebels , o're-run with pagans , turks , and infidels : nor yet is all this little quarter his , for ( though all know him ) halfe know him amisse , professing christ for lucre , ( as they list ) and serue the triple crowne of antichrist ; yet is this little handfull much made lesser , ther 's many libertines , for one professor : nor doe professors all professe aright , 'mong whom there often lurks an hypocrite . ¶ o where , and what 's thy kingdome ? ( blessed god ) where is thy scepter ? wher 's thine yron rod ? reduce thy reck'nings to their totall summe , o let thy power , and thy kingdome come . ¶ man in himselfe 's a little world , alone , his soul 's the court , or high imperiall throne , wherein as empresse , sits the vnderstanding gently directing , yet with awe commanding : her handmaid's will : affections , maids of honor , all following close , and duly wayting on her : but sin , that alwaies enui'd mans condition , within this kingdome raised vp diuision ; withdrawne mans will , and brib'd his false affection , that this , no order hath , nor that , election ; the will proues traitor to the vnderstanding ; reason hath lost her power , and left commanding , she 's quite depos'd , and put to foule disgrace , and tyrant will , vsurps her empty place . ¶ vouchsafe ( lord ) in this little world of mine to raigne , that i may raigne with thee in thine : and since my will is quite of good bereauen , thy will be done in earth , as 't is in heauen . ¶ who liue to sin , they all are theeues to heauen , and earth ; they steale frō god , & take vngiuen ; good men they rob , and such as liue vpright , and ( being bastards ) share the free-mans right ; they 're all as owners , in the owners stead , and ( like to dogs ) deuoure the childrens bread ; they haue , and lack , and want what they possesse , they 're most vnhappy , in their most happinesse : they are not goods , but riches , that thou hast , and not be'ng goods , to eu'ls they turne at last . ¶ ( lord ) what i haue , let me enioy in thee , and thee in it , or else take it from mee ; my store , or want , make thou , or fade , or flourish , so shall my comforts neither change , nor perish ; that little i enioy , ( lord ) make it mine , in making me ( that am a sinner ) thine ; 't is thou , or none , that shall supply my need , o lord ; giue vs this day our daily bread . ¶ the quick-conceited schoole-men well approue a difference 'twixt charitie , and loue ; loue is a vertue , whereby we explaine our selues to god , and god to vs againe : but charity 's imparted to our brother , whereby we traffick , one man with another : the first extends to god ; the last belongs to man , in giuing right , and bearing wrongs ; in number , they are twaine , in vertue , one ; for one not truly being , t' others none . ¶ in louing god , if i neglect my neighbour , my loue hath lost his proofe , and i my labour : my zeale , my faith , my hope that neuer failes me , ( if charitie be wanting ) nought auailes me . ¶ ( lord ) in my soule , a spirit of loue create me , and i will loue my brother , if he hate me : in nought but loue , le ts me enuy my betters ; and then , forgiue my debts , as i may detters . ¶ i finde a true resemblance in the growth of sin , and man ; alike in breeding , both ; the soul 's the mother , and the diuell syer , who lusting long in mutuall hot desier , enioy their wils , and ioyne in copulation ; the seed that fils her wombe , is foule tentation ; the sinnes conception , is the soules consent ; and then it quickens , when it giues content ; the birth of sin is finisht in the action ; and custome brings it to its full perfection . ¶ o let my fruitlesse soule be barren rather . then bring foorth such a child , for such a father : or if my soule breed sin , ( not being wary ) o let it either dye , or else miscarry ; she is thy spouse ( o lord ) doe thou aduise her , keepe thou her chaste , let not the fiend entice her : trie thou my heart , thy trials bring saluation , but let me not be led into temptation . ¶ fortune ( that blind supposed goddesse ) is still rated at , if ought succeed amisse ; 't is she ( the vaine abuse of prouidence ) that beares the blame , when others make th' offence ; when this mans barne finds not her wonted store , fortune's condemn'd , because she sent no more ; if this man dye , or that man liue too long , fortune's accus'd , and she hath done the wrong ; ah foolish dolts , and ( like your goddesse ) blind ! you make the fault , and call your saint vnkind ; for when the cause of eu'll begins in man , th' effect ensues from whence the cause began ; then know the reason of thy discontent , the eu'll of sinne , makes eu'll of punishment . ¶ ( lord ) hold me vp , or spurre me , when i fall ; so shall my eu'll be iust , or not at all : defend me from the world , the flesh , the deuill , and so thou shalt deliuer me from euill . ¶ the priestly skirts of a'rons holy coate i kisse ; and to my morning muse deuote : had neuer king , in any age , or nation , such glorious robes , set foorth in such a fashion , with gold , and gemmes , and silks of princely dye , and stones , befitting more then maiestie : the persian sophies , and rich shaeba's queene had ne'r the like , nor e'r the like had seene ; vpon the skirts ( in order as they fell ) first , a pomegranat was , and then a bell ; by each pomegranat did a bell appeare ; many pomegranats , many bels there were ; pomegranats nourish , bels doe make a sound ; as blessings fall , thanksgiuings must abound . ¶ if thou wilt clothe my heart with a'rons tyer , my tongue shall praise , as well as heart desier : my tongue , and pen , shall dwell vpon thy story , ( o lord ) for thine is kingdome , power , glory . ¶ the ancient sophists , that were so precise , ( and often-times ( perchance ) too curious nice ) auerre , that nature hath bestow'd on man three perfect soules : when this i truly scan , me thinks , their learning swath'd in errour , lyes ; they were not wise enough , and yet too wise , too curious wise , because they mention more then one ; not wise enough , because not foure ; nature , not grace , is mistres of their schooles ; grace counts them wisest , that are veriest fooles : three soules in man ? grace doth a fourth allow , the soule of faith : but this is greeke to you : 't is faith that makes man truly wise ; 't is faith makes him possesse that thing he neuer hath . ¶ this glorious soule of faith bestow on mee , ( o lord ) or else take thou the other three : faith makes men lesse then children , more then men , it makes the soule crie , abba , and amen . finis . pentelogia : or the qvintessence of meditation . mors tua , mors christi , fraus mundi , gloria coeli , et dolor inferni , sunt meditanda tibi . thy death , the death of christ , the worlds tentation , heauens ioy , hells torment , be thy meditation . at london , imprinted by felix kyngston , for richard moore , and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstans church-yard . . mors tua . ¶ me thinks , i see the nimble-aged syre passe by amaine , with feete vnapt to tyre , vpon his head an hower-glasse he weares , and in his wrinkled hand , a sithe he beares , ( both instruments , to take the liues from men , th' one shewes with what , the other sheweth when . ) me thinkes , i heare the dolefull passing-bell , setting an onset to his lowder knell ; ( this moody musick of impartiall death who daunces after , daunces out of breath . ) me thinkes , i see my dearest friends lament , with sighs , and teares , and wofull dryriment , my tender wife , and children , standing by , dewing the death-bed , whereupon i lye . me thinkes , i heare a voyce ( in secret ) say , thy glasse is runne , and thou must dye to day . mors christi . ¶ and am i here , and my redeemer gone ? can he be dead , and is not my life done ? was he tormented in excesse of measure ? and doe i liue yet ? and yet liue in pleasure ? alas ! could sinners finde out ne'r a one , more fit then thee , for them to spit vpon ? did thy cheekes entertaine a traytors lips ? was thy deare body scourg'd , and torne with whips , so that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after ? and did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water ? wert thou ( lord ) hang'd vpon the cursed tree ? o world of griefe ! and was all this for mee ? ¶ burst foorth , my teares , into a world of sorrow , and let my nights of griefe ne'r finde a morrow ; since thou art dead ( lord ) grant thy seruant roome , within his heart , to build thy heart a tombe . fraus mundi . ¶ what is the world ? a great exchange of ware , wherein all sorts , and sexes cheapning are , the flesh , the diuell sit , and cry , what lack ye ? when most they fawne , they most intend to rack ye ; the wares , are cups of ioy , and beds of pleasure , there 's goodly choice , downe weight , and flowing measure ; a soul 's the price , but they giue time to pay , vpon the death-bed , on the dying day . ¶ hard is the bargaine , and vniust the measure , when as the price so much out-lasts the pleasure : the ioyes that are on earth are counterfeits ; if ought be true , 't is this , th' are true deceits ; they flatter , fawne , and ( like the crocadile ) kill where they laugh , and murther where they smile : they daily dip within thy dish , and cry , who hath betray'd thee ? mastre , is it i ? gloria coeli . ¶ when i behold , and well aduise vpon the wisemans speech , there 's nought beneath the sun , but vanitie , my soule rebells within , and loaths the dunghill-prison she is in : but when i looke to new ierusalem , wherein 's reseru'd my crowne , my diadem , o what a heauen of blisse , my soule enioyes , on sudden rapt into that heauen of ioyes ! where rauisht ( in the depth of meditation ) she well discernes , with eye of contemplation , the glory of god , in his imperiall seat , full strong in might , in maiestie compleat , where troups of powers , vertues , cherubins , angels , archangels , saints , and seraphins , are chaunting praises to their heauenly king , where halelujah they for euer sing . dolor inferni . ¶ let poets please to torture tantalus , let gryping vultures gnaw prometheus , and let ixion turne his endlesse wheele , let nemesis torment with whips of steele ; they far come short , t' expresse the paines of those that rage in hell , enwrapt in endlesse woes ; where time no end , nor plagues finde no exemption ; where cryes admit no helpe , nor place redemption ; where fier lacks no flame , the flame no heate , to make their torments sharp , and plagues compleat ; where wretched soules to tortures bound shall bee , seruing a world of yeeres , and not be free ; where nothing's heard , but yells , and sudden cryes ; where fier neuer slakes , nor worme e'r dyes : but where this hell is plac'd ( my muse ) ) stop there , lord , shew me what it is , but neuer where . mors tua . ¶ can he be faire , that withers at a blast ? or he be strong , that ayery breath can cast ? can he be wise , that knowes not how to liue ? or he be rich , that nothing hath to giue ? can he be yong , that 's feeble , weake , and wan ? so faire , so strong , so wise , so rich , so yong is man : so faire is man , that death ( a parting blast ) crops his faire flow'r , and makes him earth at last ; so strong is man , that with a gasping breath he totters , and bequeaths his strength to death ; so wise is man , that if with death he striue , his wisdome cannot teach him how to liue ; so rich is man , that ( all his debts b'ing pay'd ) his wealth 's the winding-sheet wherein hee 's lay'd : so yong is man , that ( broke with care and sorrow ) hee 's old enough to day , to dye to morrow : why bragg'st thou then , thou worme of fiue foot-long ? th' art neither faire , nor strong , nor wise , nor rich , nor yong. mors christi . i thurst ; and who shall quench this eager thurst ? i grieue ; and with my griefe my heart will burst ; i grieue , because i thurst without reliefe ; i thurst , because my soule is burnt with griefe ; i thurst ; and ( dri'd with griefe ) my heart will dye ; i grieue , and thurst the more , for sorrow's drie : the more i grieue , the more my thurst appeares : would god! i had not grieu'd out all my teares ; i thurst ; and yet my griefes haue made a floud ; but teares are salt ; i grieue , and thurst for bloud ; i grieue for bloud ; for bloud must send reliefe ; i thurst for bloud , for bloud must ease my griefe ; i thurst for sacred bloud of a deare lambe ; i grieue to thinke from whence that deare blood came ; 't was shed for mee , o let me drinke my fill , although my griefe remaine entier still : o soueraigne pow'r of that vermilion spring , whose vertue , neither heart conceiues , nor tongue can sing . fraus mundi . i loue the world ( as clients loue the lawes ) to manage the vprightnes of my cause ; the world loues me , as sheepheards doe their flocks , to rob , and spoyle them of their fleecy locks ; i loue the world , and vse it as mine inne , to bait , and rest my tyred carkasse in : the world loues me , for what ? to make her game ; for filthy sinne , she sels me timely shame ; foorth from her eyes doe springs of venome burst , but like a basiliske i 'le see her first ; and this my firme intended course shall be , to poyson her , or she will poyson me : we liue at iarres , as froward gamesters doe , still guarding , not regarding others foe ; i loue the world , to serue my turne , and leaue her , 't is no deceit to coozen a deceiuer ; shee 'l not misse me , i , lesse the world shall misse , to lose a world of griefe , t' enioy a world of blisse . gloria coeli . earth stands immou'd , and fixt , her cituation admits no locall change , no alteration , heaven alway moues , renuing still his place , and euer sees vs with another face ; earth standeth fixt , yet there i liue opprests ; heaven alway moues , yet there is all my rest : enlarge thy selfe , my sovle , with meditation , mount there , and there bespeake thy habitation ; where ioyes are full , and pure , not mixt with mourning , all endlesse , and from which is no returning : no theft , no cruell murther harbours there , no hoary-headed - care , no sudden feare , no pinching want , no ( griping fast ) oppression , nor death , the stipend of our soule transgression : but dearest friendship , loue , and lasting pleasure aye there abides , withouten stin● , or measure ; fulnesse of riches , comfort sempeternall , excesse without a surfeiting ; and life eternall . dolor inferni . the trump shall blow , the dead ( awak'd ) shall rise , and to the clouds shall turne their wondring eyes ; the heauen shall ope , the bridegroome foorth shall come , to iudge the world , and giue the world her doome : ioy to the ivst , to others endlesse smart ; to those the voyce bids come , to these , depart ; depart from life , yet ( dying ) liue for euer ; for euer dying be , and yet dye neuer ; depart like dogs , with divels take your lot ; depart like divels , for i know you not ; like dogs , like divels goe , goe howle , and barke ; depart in darknes , for your deeds were darke ; let roring be your mvsick , and your food be flesh of vipers , and your drinke , their blood ; let fiends afflict thee , with reproch , and shame , depart , depart into eternall flame : if hell the guerdon then of sinners bee , ( lord ) giue me hel on earth ( lord ) giue me heaven with thee . — vv — vv — i am define tibia versus . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * assyria diodor , siculus , lib. . rerum antiqu . . . pliny , lib. . cap. . strabo , lib. . princip . * assur . genes . cap. . . st. august lib. . de ciuit . dei. diod. sic. cap. . rerum antiqu . the cituation of the city . the height of the walls . the breadth . ptolimaeus , lib. . geograph . cap. . the circuit of the city . the number of ber towers . diod. siculus cap. . rerum antiquarum . her beauty and strength . the number of ber workmen . radulf . volateranus . nab. . . the sinnes of niniueh . notes for div a -e a chap. . . . b . . c . . d . . e . . f . ● . g . . h chap. . . i . . k chap. . . . l . . m . . n . . o . . p . . q chap. . ● . r . . s . ● . t . ● . u . . * . . x . . y . . z . . * . . notes for div a -e historia ionae incipit . chap. . vers . . * jonah interp . is a doue . * amittai interp ▪ is truth . vers . . gods charge to ionah . ier. . . explicit hist . hist . chap. . vers . . prima occasio fugae . . occasio . . occasio . simile . * ciuitas palest the tempest vers . . explicit hist . obiect . deus regnat in coelis per gloriā . in terris per gratiam . apud inferos per institiam . resolue . hist. chap. . vers . . the pylot awakes ionah . the pylots speech to jonab . verse . exp. hist . consuetudo peccandi tollit seasum peccati . math. . . histor . cap. . v. . simile . the mariners speech to ionas . ionahs speech to the mariners . * hebraei quasi abrahaei , s. aug lib. . super gen. vers ▪ . simile . the mariners speech . interrogatio . admiratio . neprehensio . expl. hist . obiect . resolutio . chap. . ve . . iona's last will. vers . . vers . . the mariners prayer . expl. hist . obiect . homicida in se , insepultus abijciatur . seneca . resolu . non ideo sine scelere facit alter , &c. s. aug. lib. . de ciuitat , dei. cap. . iudg. . . spiritus latenter hoc iusserat . s. aug. cum deus iubet se iubere sine vllis ambagibus intimat , quis inobedientiam in crimen vocat ? s. aug. caritas est infans sine pannis , dans mel api sine pennis . * dea litis . simile . hist . chap . ve . . simile . simile . vers . . vers . . explicit hist . simile . hist , chap. . ver . . verse . the prayer of ionas out of the whales belly . vers . . vers . . vers . vers . vers . . vers . . vers . . vers . . explicit hist . quitimidè ora● ▪ docet negare . luke . . * the common-wealth . * the church . * charity . * feare * wisedome * faith. * iustice . * prayer * math. . . * john . . oratio feruens , velox . oratio & fides comites indiuidui . hist . chap. . ver . . vers . . gods second charge to ionah . simile . vers . . vers . . iona's prophecy to the niniuites . explicit hist . obiect . resolut . aliud mutare voluntatem ; aliud velle mutationem . aquin. . quaest . art . . mutat sententiam , sed non mutat consiliū , lib. . mor. c. tempus vitae , tempus poenitentiae . hist . chap. . ver . . vers . . 〈◊〉 hist . matth. hist . chap. . . the proclamation of the niniuites . vers . . vers . . vers . . explicit hist . hist . chap. . . vers . . ionas speech to god. vers . . vers . . explicit hist . virgil ▪ aeneid . . hinc metuunt , cupiunt , dotent , gaudentque , nec auras respiciunt , clausae tenebris , & carcere caeco . hist . chap. . ver . . vers . . simile . vers . ● . explicit hist . voluptas . vita . voluptas vita . voluptas , quale vita , quale . boctius philos . consol . * folia vanitatis . * lil●a terrae . hist . chap. . ● . vers . . gods speech to ionah . iob. ● . king. . . . sam. . . ionahs answer . vers . . gods reply . vers . . explicit hist ▪ notes for div a -e fac quod potes , & quod non pates , pete . ionah , chap. . & chap . . application . chap. . . application . chap. . . application . chap. . . chap. . application . chap. . . chap. . . chap. . . chap. . . chap. . . notes for div a -e psal . . notes for div a -e sapere est insipere . notes for div a -e eccles . . notes for div a -e ex infernis nulla redemp . sions sonets. sung by solomon the king, and periphras'd by fra. quarles bible. o.t. lamentations. english. quarles. paraphrases. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : , : ) sions sonets. sung by solomon the king, and periphras'd by fra. quarles bible. o.t. lamentations. english. quarles. paraphrases. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed by w. stansby for thomas dewe, and are to bee sold at his shoppe in saint dunstanes church-yard, london : . signatures: a-f⁴. the first leaf is blank. identified as stc on umi microfilm reel . reproductions of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. appears at reel and at reel (same copy filmed twice). created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion sions sonets . sung by solomon the king , and periphras'd by fra. qvarles . london printed by w. stansby for thomas dewe , and are to bee sold at his shoppe in saint dunstanes church-yard . . to the trvly noble and no lesse good then great lord , iames , marqves hamleton . sir , had these lines beene loose , and lasciuious , i had either pickt out a lesse honorable patron , or stood to the courtesie of euery wanton reader ; but being ( as they are ) of a diuine subiect , therefore subiect to the ill-digested humours of light heads , by your fauour ( thrice noble lord ) you are bound to protect it , being the knowne patron to goodnesse . there are too few such : this makes glorious vice so bold , and bashfull vertue so inglorious . you are a bright starre in our orbe ; on which , all good eyes are fixt , and by the speciall influence of which , these presented lines , had their conception , their birth , their being ; and now crept forth , repay themselues to you , hope to receiue honour from you , and sue for protection vnder you. so i commit them to the honour of so great a fortune . sir , the true honourer of your admired worth , francis qvarles . to the readers . readers , now you haue them . may the end of my paines be the beginning of your pleasures . excuse me for soaring so high , else giue me leaue to excuse my selfe ; indeed i flue with eagles feathers ; otherwise i had not flowne , or falne . it is the song of songs , i here present you with : the author , king solomon , the wisest of kings ; the matter mysticall , the diuinest of subiects : the speakers , christ , the bridegroome ; the chvrch , the bride ; the end , to invite you all to the weddïng . farewell . an epithalme to the bridegroome . hosanna to the highest . ioy betide the heauenly bridegroome , and his holy bride : let heauen aboue be fill'd with songs , let earth triumph below ; for euer silent be those tongues , that can be silent now . you rocks , and stones , i charge you all to breake your flintie silence , if men cease to speake . you , that professe that sacred art , or now , or neuer show it , pleade not , your muse is out of heart , here 's that creates a poet. be rauish'd earth , to see this contract driuen , 'twixt sinfull man , and reconciled heauen . dismount you quire of angels ; come , with men , your joyes diuide ; heauen neuer show'd so sweet a groome , nor earth , so faire a bride . sions sonets . bride . sonet i. . o that the bountie of those lips diuine , would seale their fauours , on these lips of mine , that by those welcome * kisses , i might see the mutuall loue , betwixt my loue and mee , for truer blisse , no worldly ioy allowes , then sacred kisses , from so sweet a spouse , with which , no earthly pleasures may compare , riche wines are not so delicate as thay're . . nor myrrhe , nor cassia , nor the choice perfumes of vnctious narde , or aromatick fumes or hot arabia , doe enrich the aire with more delitious sweetnesse , then the faire reports , that crowne the merits of thy name , with heauenly laurels of eternall fame , which makes the * virgins fixe their eyes vpon thee , and all that view thee , are enamour'd on thee . . o , let the beautie of thy sunne-like face inflame my soule , and let thy glorie chace disloyall thoughts ; let not the world allure my chaste desires , from a spouse , so pure ; but when as time shall place me on thy c throne , my feares will cease , and interrupt by none , i shall transcend the stile of transitorie , and full of glorie , still be fill'd with glorie . . bvt you , my curious ( and too nice ) allyes , that view my fortunes , with two narrow eyes , you say my face is d blacke , and foule ; 't is true ; i 'm beauteous , to my loue , though black to you , my censure stands not vpon your esteeme , he sees me as i e am ; you , as i seeme ; you see the cloudes , but he discernes the skie ; know , 't is my f maske that lookes so blacke , not i. . vvhat if afflictions doe dis-imbellish my naturall glorie , and denie the rellish of my adjourned beautie , yet disdaine not her , by whose necessarie losse , you gaine not ; i was enforc'd to swelter in g the sunne , and h keepe a strangers vine , left mine alone ; i left mine owne , and kept a strangers vine ; the fault was i mine , but was k not onely mine . . o thou , whose loue i prize aboue my life , more worthy farre t' enjoy a fairer wife , tell mee , to what coole shade , dost thou resort ? where graze thy sheepe , where doe thy lambs disport free from the scortching of this l sowltrie weather ? o tell thy loue , and let thy loue come thither : say ( gentle shephard ) fits it thee , to cherish thy priuate flocks , and let thy true loue m perish ? bridegroome . sonet . ii. illustrious bride , more radiant and more n bright , then th' eye of noone , thrice fairer then the light ; thou dearest off-spring of my dying blood , and treasure of my soule , why hast thou stood parching so long in those ambitious beames ? come , come and coole thee in these siluer o streames ; vnshade thy face , cast backe those golden locks , and i will make thee p mistris of my flocks . . o thou , the center of my choise desires , in whom i rest , in whom my soule respires ; thou art the flowre of beautie , and i prize thee aboue the world , how e're the world disprize thee : the blinde imagins all things black , by kinde ; thou art as beautifull , as they are blinde : and as the fairest troopes of pharoes steeds exceed the rest , so thou , the rest exceeds . . thy q cheeke ( the garden where fresh beautie plants her choysest flowers ) no adorning wants ; there wants no relish of r diuiner grace , to summe compleatnesse , in so sweet a face ; thy neck , without a blemish , without blot , then pearle's more orient , cleare from staine or spot ; thy gemmes and iewels , full of curious art , imply the sacred treasures of thy heart . . the sunne-bright glorie of thy resounding fame , addes glorie , to the glorie of my name ; the more 's thy honour ( loue ) the more thou striu'st to honour me ; thou gaynest , what thou giu'st : my father ( whom our contract hath made thine ) will giue thee large endowments of f diuine , and euerlasting treasure ; thus by mee thou shalt be rich , that am thus rich , in thee . bride . sonet iii. oh , how my soule is rauisht with the joyes , that spring like fountains frō my true loues voice ! how cordiall are his lips ! how sweet his tongue ! each word , he breathes , is a melodious song ; hee absent ( ah ) how is my glorie dimme ! i haue no beautie , not deriu'd from him ; what e're i haue , from him alone , i haue , and hee takes pleasure in those gifts , hee gaue . . as fragrant myrrhe , within the bosome hid , sents more delitious , then ( before ) it did , and yet receiues no sweetnesse , from that brest , that prooues the sweeter , for so sweet a guest ; euen so , the fauour of my dearest spouse , thus priz'd , and placed in my heart , endowes my ardent soule , with sweetnesse , and inspires with heauenly rauishment , my rapt desires . . vvho euer smelt the breath of morning flowres , new sweerned with the dash of twilight showres , or pounded amber , or the flowring thyme , or purple violets , in their proudest prime , or swelling clusters , from the cypresse tree ? so sweet's my loue ; i , farre more sweet is hee : so faire , so sweet , that heauens bright eye is dim , and flowers haue no sent , compar'd with him. bridegroome . sonet iiii. o thou , the joyes of my suff●●ed heart , the more thou think'st me faire , the more thou art ; looke in the crystall mirrours of mine eyes , and view thy beautie ; there thy beautie lyes : see there , th'vnmated glorie of thy face , well mixt with spirit , and diuinest grace ; the eyes of doues , are nor so faire , as thine : o , how those eyes , instanie these eyes of mine t bride . sonet v. most radiant , and refulgent lampe of light , whose midday beautie , yet ne're found a night , 't is thou , 't is onely thou art faire ; from thee reflect those * rayes , that haue englightned mee , and as bright cynthia's borrow'd beames doe shine from titan's glorie , so doe i , from thine ; so daily flourishes our fresh delight , in daily * giuing , and receiuing light . . nor does thy glorie shine to me alone ; what place , wherein thy glorie hath not shone ? but ô , how fragrant with rich odour , smells that * sacred house , where thou my true loue dwells ? nor is it strange ; how can those places bee but fill'd with sweetnesse , if possest with thee ! my heart 's a heauen , for thou art in that heart , thy presence makes a heauen , where e're thou art . bridegroome . sonet vi. thou soueraigne lady ' of my select desires , i , i am hee , whom thy chaste soule admires ; the rose , for smell ; the lilly , to the eye , is not so sweet , is not so faire as i ; my vailed beautie 's not the glorious prize a of common sight ; b within , my beautie lies ; yet ne'rethelesse , my glorie were but small , if i should want , to honour thee withall . . nor doe i boast my excellence alone , but thine ( deare spouse ) as whom , the world hath none so true to faith , so pure in loue , as whome liues not a bride so fits , so chaste a groome ; and as the fairest lilly doth exceede the fruitlesse bramble , or the foulest weede , so farre ( my loue ) dost thou exceede the rest , in perfect beautie , of a loyall brest . bride . sonet vii . looke how the fruitfull tree ( whose laden boughs , with swelling pride , crowne autumnes smiling brows surpasses idle shrubs ; euen so , in worth , my loue transcends the worthies of the earth : he was my shore , in shipwrack ; and my shelter in stormes ; my shade , when i began to swelter ; if hungrie , he was foode ; and if opprest with wrongs , my aduocate ; with toile , my rest . . i thirsted ; and , full charged to the brinke , he gaue me * boules of nectar , for my drinke , and in his sides , he broacht me ( for a signe of dearest loue ) a sacramentall wine ; he freely gaue ; i freely dranke my fill ; the more i dranke , the more remayned still : did neuer souldier , to his colours proue more chaste , then i , to so entire a loue. . o how his beautie sets my soule on fire ! my spirits languish , with extreame desire ; desires , exceeding limits , are too lauish , and wanting meanes to be effected , rauish ; then let thy * breath , like flaggons of strong wine , releeue and comfort this poore heart of mine ; for i am sicke , till time ( that doth delay our mariage ) bring our joyfull mariage day . . till then , ô let my dearest lord , by whome , these pleasing paines of my sweet sorrowes come , performe his vowes , and with his due resort , blesse me , to make the sullen time seeme short : in his sweet presence , may i still be blest , debarr'd from whom , my soule can finde no rest ; o let all times be prosp'rous , and all places be witnesse to our vndefil'd embraces . . all you , whose seeming fauours haue profest the true affection of a loyall brest , i charge you all , by the true loue you beare to friendship , or what else yee count most deare , * disturbe yee not my loue ; o doe not reiue him of his joyes , that is so apt to grieue ; dare not to breake his quiet slumbers , lest you rowze a raging lion from his rest . . harke , harke , i heare that thrice-celestiall voyce , wherein my spirits , rapt with joyes , rejoyce ; a voice , that tells me , my beloued's nigh ; i know the musicke , by the majestie : behold he comes ; 't is not my * blemisht face , can slake the swiftnesse of his winged pace ; behold he comes ; his trumpet doth proclaime , he comes with speede ; a truer loue ne're came . . behold the fleetnesse of his nimble feet ; the roe-bucke , and the hart were ne're so fleet : the word i spake , flue not so speedie from me , as hee , the treasure of my soule comes to me ; hee stands behind my wall , as if in doubt of welcome ; ah , this * wall debarres him out : o , how injurious is this wall of sin , that barres my louer out , and bolts me in ! the bride in the person of the bridegroome . sonet viii . harke , harke , me thinks i heare my true loue say , breake down that enuious barre , and come away ; arise ( my dearest spouse ) and dispossesse the soule of doubtfull feares , nor ouer-presse thy tender spirits , with the dull despaire of thy demerits ; ( loue ) thou art as faire , as earth will suffer ; time will make thee clearer ; come forth ( my loue ) then whom , my life 's not dearer . . come forth ( my ioy ; ) what bold affront of feare can fright thy soule , and i , thy champion , here ? 't is i that calls , 't is i , thy bridegroome , calls thee , betide it me , what euer euill befalls thee : the winter of thy sharpe affliction 's gone ; why fear'st thou cold , and art so neere the sunne ? i am thy sunne , if thou be cold , draw nearer ; come forth ( my loue ) then whom , my life 's not dearer . . come forth ( my deare ) the spring of joyes inuite thee , the * flowres contend for beautie , to delight thee , their sweet ambition's onely , which might bee most sweet , most faire , because most like to thee : the * birds ( sweet heralds of so sweet a spring ) warble high notes , and hymenaeans sing ; all sing , with joy , t' injoy so sweet a hearer ; come forth ( my loue ) then whom , my life 's not dearer . . the prosp'rous * vine , which this deare hād did plāt , tenders due seruice to so sweet a saint : her hidden clusters swell with sacred pride , to * kisse the lips of so , so faire a bride ; masqu'd in their leafes , they lurke , fearing to bee discryde by any , till first seene by thee ; the clowds are past ; the heauens cannot be clearer ; come forth ( dear loue ) then whom , my life 's not dearer . . my doue , whom daily * dangers teach new shifts , that , like a doue , do'st haunt the secret clifts of solitarie rocks ; how e're thou bee reseru'd from others , bee not strange to mee , call me to rescue , and this brawnie arme shall quell thy foe , and fence thy soule , from harme ; speake ( loue ; ) thy voice is sweet ; what if thy face be drencht with teares ? each teare's a seuerall grace . . all you , that wish prosperitie , and peace , to crowne our contract , with a long encrease of future joyes , ô shield my simple loue , from those that seeke her ruine , and remoue the base opposers of her best designes ; destroy those foxes , that destroy her vines ; her vines are fruitfull , but her tender grapes are spoil'd by foxes , clad in humane shapes : the bride in her owne person . sonet ix . what greater joy can blesse my soule , then this , that my beloued's mine , and i am his ! our soules are knit ; the world cannot vntwine the joyfull vnion of his heart , and mine ; in him , i liue ; in him , my soule 's possest with heauenly solace , and eternall rest : heauen onely knowes the blisse , my soule enjoyes ; fond earth 's to dull , to apprehend such joyes . . thou sweet perfection of my full delights , till that bright * day , deuoted to the rites of our solemniz'd nuptials , shall come , come liue with me , and make this heart , thy home : disdaine me not : although my face appeare deform'd and clowdie , yet my heart is * cleare ; make haste : let not the swift-foot roe-buck flee the following hounds so fast , as thou , to mee . . i thought my loue had taken vp his rest , within the secret * cabin of my brest ; i thought the closed curtaines did immure his gentle slumbers , but was too secure ; for ( driuen with loue ) to the false bed i * stept , to view his slumbring beautie , as he slept , but he was gone ; yet plainly there was seene the curious dint , where he had lately beene . . impatient of his absence , thus bereauen of him , then whom , i had no other heauen , i rau'd a while ; not able to digest so great a losse , to lose so faire a guest : i left no path vntrac'd ; no * place vnsought ; no secret cell vnsearcht ; no way vnthought ; i ask'd the shade , but shadowes could not hide him ; i ask'd the world , but all the world denyde him . . my jealous loue , distemp'red with distraction , made fierce with feare , vnapt for satisfaction , applyes fresh fuell , to my flaming fires , with eagles wings supplyes my quick desires ; vp to the walls i rambled , where i spyde the * citie watch , to whom , with teares , i cryde ; ah gentle watchmen , you aloft descry what 's darke to vs ; did not my loue passe by ? . at length , when dull despaire had gain'd the ground of tyred hopes , my faith fell in a swound ; but hee , whose sympathizing heart did finde the tyrant passion , of my troubled minde , forthwith appear'd ; what angels tongue can let the world conceiue our pleasures , when we met ? and till the joyes of our espoused hearts be made * compleat , the world ne're more shall part 's . bridegroome . sonet x. now rests my loue : till now , her tender brest wanting her joy , could finde no peace , nor rest : i charge you all , by the true loue , you beare to friendship , or what else you count most deare , disturbe her not , but let her sleepe her fill ; i charge you all , vpon your lifes , be still : o , may that lab'ring soule , that liues opprest for me ; in me , receiue eternall rest . . vvhat curious face is this ? what mortall birth can show a beautie , thus * vnstayn'd with earth ! what glorious angell wanders thus alone , from earths foule dungeon , to my fathers throne ! it is my loue ; my loue that hath denyde the world , for me ; it is my fairest bride : how fragrant is her breath ! how heauenly faire her angell face ! each glorifying the aire . bride . sonet xi . o , how i 'm * rauisht with eternall blisse ! who e're thought heauen a joy , cōpar'd to this ? how doe the pleasures of his glorious face , adde glorie to the glorie of this place ! see , how kings courts surmount poore shephards cells , so this , the pride of solomon , excells ; rich wreathes of glorie crowne his royall head , and troopes of angels waite vpon his bed. . the court of princely solomon was guarded with able men at armes ; their faith rewarded with fading honours , subject to the fate of fortune , and the jealous frownes of state ; but here th' harmonious quire of heauen attend , whose prize is glorie , glorie without end , vnmixt without doubtings , or degenerous feare ; a greater prince , then solomon , is here . . the bridall bed of princely solomon , ( whose beautie ' amaz'd the greedie lookers on , which all the world admired to behold ) was but of cedar ; and her sted of gold ; her pillars siluer ; and her canopie of silkes , but richly stayn'd with puple die ; her curtaines wrought in workes , workes rarely led by th' needles art ; such was the bridall bed . . svch was the bridall bed , which time , or age durst neuer warrant from th' opprobrious rage of enuious fate ; earths measure 's but a minit ; earth fades ; all fades vpon it ; all , within it ; o , but the glorie ' of this diuiner place , no age can injure , nor yet time deface ; to bright an obiect , for weake eyes to bide , or tongues t' expresse : who euer saw 't , but dyde ? . vvho e're beheld the royall crowne , set on the nuptiall browes of princely solomon ? his glorious pompe , whose honour did display the noysed triumphs of his marriage day ? a greater prince , then solomon , is here , the beautie of whose nuptials , shall appeare more glorious farre , transcending his , as farre as heauens bright lamp out-shines th' obscurest starre . bridegroome sonet xii . how orient is thy a beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! thy vailed b eyes out-shine heauens greater light , vnconquer'd by the shadie clowd of night ; the curious * tresses dangle , all vnbound with vnaffected order , to the ground : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . thy iuorie d teeth in whitenesse doe out-goe the downe of swans , or winters driuen snowe , whose euen proportions liuely represent th' harmonious musicke of vnite consent , whose perfect whitnesse , time could neuer blot , nor age ( the canker of destruction ) not : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . the rubie portalls of thy ballane'd e words , send forth a welcome relish , which affords a heauen of blisse , and makes the earth rejoyce , to heare the accent of thy heauenly voyce ; the maiden blushes of thy f cheekes , proclaime a shame of guilt , but not a guilt of shame : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . thy * necke ( vnbeautifyde with borrow'd grace ) is whiter then the lillies of thy face , if whiter may ; for beautie , and for powre , 't is like the glorie of dauids princely towre : what vassall spirit could despaire , or faint , finding protection from so sure a saint ? how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . the deare-bought fruit of that forbidden tree , was not so daintie , as thy apples bee , these curious apples of thy snowy * brests , wherein a paradise of pleasure rests ; they breathe such life into the rauisht c eye , that the inflam'd beholder , cannot d die : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . my dearest spouse , i 'll e hye me to my home , and till that long-expected f day shall come , the light whereof , shall chace the night , that showdes thy vailed beautie , in these enuious g clowdes ; till then , i goe , and in my throne , prouide a glorious welcome , for my fairest bride ; chapplets of conqu'ring palme , and laurell boughs shall crowne thy temples , and adorne thy browes . . vvould beautie fayne be flatter'd with a grace shee neuer had ? may shee behold thy face : enuie would burst , had shee no other taske , then to behold this face , without a maske ; no spot , no veniall blemish could shee finde , to feede the famin of her ranc'rous minde ; thou art the flowre of beauties crowne , and thay're much worse then foule , that thinke thee lesse then fayre . . feare not ( my loue ) for when those sacred bands of wedlock shall conjoyne our promis'd hands , i 'll come , and quit thee from this redious * place , where thou art forc'd to sojourne for a space ; no forrein angle of the vtmost lands , nor seas abysse shall hide thee from my hands ; no night shall shade thee from my curious eye , i 'll rowze the graues , although grim death stand by . . illustrious beames shot from thy flaming * eye , made fierce with zeale , and soueraigne majestie haue scorcht my soule , and like a fierie dart transfixt the center of my wounded heart ; the virgin sweetnesse of thy heauenly grace hath made mine eyes glad pris'ners to thy face ; the beautie of thine eye-balls hath bereft me of my heart : o sweet , ô sacred theft ! . o thou , the deare inflamer of mine eyes , life of my soule , and hearts eternall prize , how delectable is thy loue ! how pure ! how apt to rauish , able to allure a frozen soule , and with thy secret fire , t' affect dull spirits with extreame desire ! how doe thy ioyes ( though in their greatest dearth ) transcend the proudest pleasures of the earth ! . thy lips ( my dearest spouse ) are the full treasures of sacred * poesie , whose heauenly measures rauish with joy the willing heart , that heares , but strike a deafnesse in rebellious eares : thy wordes , like milke and honie , doe requite the season'd soule , with profit and delight : heauens higher palace , and those lower places of dungeon-earth are sweetned with thy graces . . my loue is like a garden , full of flowres , whose sunny bankes , and choice of shadie bowres giue change of pleasures , pleasures wall'd about with armed angels , to keepe ruine out ; and from m her brests n ( enclosed from the ill of looser eyes ) pure o crystall drops distill , the fruitfull sweetnesse of whose gentle showres inrich her flowres with beautie ' , and banks with flowres . . my loue is like a paradise , a beset with rarest grifts , whose fruits ( but tender yet ) the world nere tasted , dainties farre more rare then edens tempting apple , and more faire : myrhe , alloes , incese , and the cypresse tree can boast no sweetnesse , but is breath'd from thee ; dainties , for taste ; and flowers , for the smell spring all from thee , whose sweets , all sweets excell . bride . sonet . xiii . o thou ( my deare ) whose sweets , all sweets excell , frō whom my fruits receiue their tast , their smel , how can my thriuing p plants refuse to grow , thus quickned with so sweet a q sun as thou ? how can my flowers , which thy ewers nourish with showers of liuing waters , choose but flourish ? o thou , the spring , from whence these waters burst , did euer any taste thy streames , and thurst ? . am i a garden ? may my flowers be so highly honour'd to bee smelt by thee , inspire them with thy sacred breath , and then receiue from them , thy borrowed breath agen ; frequent thy garden , whose rare fruit inuites thy welcome presence , to his choise delights ; taste where thou list , and take thy full repaste , here 's that will please thy smell , thine eye , thy taste . bridegroome . sonet xiiii . thou sacred center of my soule , in whome i rest , behold thy wisht-for loue is come ; refresht with thy delights , i haue repasted vpon thy r pleasures , my full soule hath tasted thy ſ rip'ned dainties , and hath freely beene pleas'd with those fruits , that are ( as yet ) but t greene : all you that loue the honour of my bride , come taste her vyands , and bee diefide . bride . sonet xv. it was a u night , a night as darke , as foule as that blacke errour , that entraunc'd my soule , when as my best beloued came and knoct at my * dull gates , too too securely lockt ; vnbolt ( said hee ) these churlish doores ( my doue , ) let not false x slumbers bribe thee from thy loue ; heare him , that for thy gentle sake came hither , long iniur'd by this y nights vngentle wether . . i heard the voice , but the perfidious pleasure of my sweet slumbers , could not finde the leasure to ope my drowsie doores ; my spirit could speake words faire enough ; but ah , my flesh was weake , and fond excuses taught me to betray my sacred vowes to a secure delay : perfidious slumbers , how haue you the might to blind true pleasures , with a false delight ! . when as my loue , with oft repeated knocks could not auaile , shaking his dewie locks , highly displeas'd , he could no longer bide my sleight neglect , but went away denyde ; no sooner gone , but my dull soule discern'd her drowzie error ; my grieu'd spirit * yearn'd to finde him out ; these seiled eyes that slept so soundly fast , awak'd , much faster wept . . thus rays'd , and rowz'd from my deceitfull rest , i op'd my doores , where my departed guest had beene ; i thrust the churlish portalls from me that so denyde my dearest bridegroome to me ; but when i smelt of my returned hand , my soule was rapt , my powers all did stand amazed as the * sweetnesse they did finde , which my neglected loue had left behinde . . i op'd my doore , my myrrhe-distilling doore , but ah , my guest was gone , had giuen me o're : what curious pen , what artist can define a matelesse sorrow ; such , ah , such was mine ; doubts and despaire had of my life depriu'd mee had not strong hopes of his returne reuiu'd mee , i sought , but he refused to appeare , i call'd but he would nor be heard , nor heare . . thus , with the tyrannie of griefe distraught , i rang'd around , no place i left vnsought , no eare vnask'd ; the * watchmen of the citie a wounded my soule , without remorse or pitie to virgin teares ; they taught my feet to stay , whose steps were apt enough to lose their way , with taunts and scornes they check me , and derided , and call'd me whoore , because i walkt , vnguided . . you hallowed virgins , you , whose tender hearts ere felt th' impression of * loues secret darts , i charge you all , by the deare faith you owe to virgin purenesse , and your vestall vow , commend me to my loue , if ere you meet him , o tell him , that his loue-sicke spouse doth greet him , o let him know , i languish with desire t' enjoy that heart , that sets this heart on fire . virgins . sonet xvi . o thou the fairest flowre of mortall birth , if such a beautie may be borne of earth , angell or virgin , which ? or both in one , angell by beautie , virgin by the mone , say , who is hee that may deserue these teares , these precious drops ? who is 't can stop his eares at these faire lips ? speake lady , speake at large , who is 't ? for whom giu'st thou so strict a charge ? bride . sonet xvii . my loue is the perfection of delight , roses , and doues are not so red , so white , vnpattern'd beautie summon'd euery grace to the composure of so sweet a face ; his body is heauen , for in his brest , the perfect essence of a god doth rest ; the brighter eye of heauen did neuer shine vpon an other glorie , so diuine . . his * head is farre more glorious , to behold , then fruitfull ophyres oft refined gold , 't is the rich magazen of secret treasure , whence graces spring in vnconfined measure ; his curl'd and dangling * tresses doe proclaime a nazarite , on whom ne're rasor came , whose rauen-black colour giues a curious rellish to that , which beautie did so much imbellish . . like to the eyes of doues are his faire * eyes , wherein sterne iustice , mixt with mercy , lyes ; his eyes are simple , yet majesticall , in motion nimble , and yet chaste withall , flaming like fire , and yet burne they not , vnblemisht , vndistayned with a spot , blazing with pretious beames , and to behold , like two rich diamonds in a frame of gold . . his * cheeks are like two fruitfull beds , o're-growne with aromatick flowers newly blowne , whose odours , beautie , please the smell , the sight , and doubling pleasures , double the delight : his * lips are like a crystall spring , from whence flow sweetned streames of sacred eloquence , whose drops into the eare distill'd , doe giue life to q the dead , true joyes to r them that liue . . his f hands are deckt with rings of t gold ; the rings , with costly iewels , fitting none but kings . which ( of themselues though glorious , yet ) receiue more glorie from those fingers , then they gaue ; his u breast's like iuorie , circled round about with x veines , like saphyres , winding in and out , whose beautie is ( though darkned from the eye ) full of diuine , and secret majestie . his * legs like purest marble , strong and white , of curious shape , ( though quick ) vnapt for flight : his feet ( as gold that 's oft refined ) are like his vpright proceedings , pure and faire ; his * portis princely , and his stature tall , and , like the cedar , stout , yet sweet withall : o , who would not repose his life , his blisse , vpon a base so faire , so firme as this ! . his mouth-but stay ; what need my lips be lauish , in choice of wordes , when one alone will rauish ? but shall , in briefe , my ruder tongue discouer the speaking image of my absent louer ? then let the curious hand of art refine the race of vertues morall , and diuine , from whence , by heauen let there extracted bee a perfect quintessence ; euen such is hee . virgins . sonet xviii . thrice fairer then the fairest , whose sad teares , and smiling words , haue charm'd our eies , our eares ; say , whither is this prize of beautie gone , more faire then kinde , to let thee weepe alone ? thy tempting lips haue whet our dull desire , and till wee see him , wee are all on fire ; wee 'le finde him out ; if thou wilt be our guide : the next way to the bridegroome , is the * bride . bride . sonet . xix . if error leade not my dull thoughts amisse , my genius tells me , where my true loue is ; hee 's busie lab'ring on his flowrie * banks , a inspiring sweetnesse , and b receiuing thanks , wat'ring those plants , whose tender rootes are c drie , and pruning such , whose crests aspire d too high , transplanting , grafting , reaping fruits from some , and couering others , that are * newly come . . vvhat if the frailtie of my feebler part , lockt vp the portalls of my drowsie heart ? he knowes the weaknesse of the flesh incumbers th' vnwilling spirit , with sense-bereauing slumbers ; my hopes assure me , in despight of this , that my beloued's mine , and i am his ; my hopes are firme , ( which time shall ne're remoue ) that hee is mine , by faith ; i , his , by loue . bridegroome . sonet xx. thy timely griefe , ( my teares-baptized loue ) compels mine eares to heare , thy teares , to moue ; thy blubber'd beautie , to mine eye appeares more bright then 't was : such is the * strength of teares : beautie , and terror , meeting in thine eye , haue made thy face the throne of majestie , whose awfull beames , the proudest heart will moue to loue for feare , vntill it feare for loue . . represse those flames , that furnace from thine eye , they rauish with too bright a tyrannie ; thy fires are too too fierce : o turne them from me , they pierce my soule , and with their rayes o'recome me , thy curious * tresses dangle , all vnbound with vnaffected order , to the ground : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . thy iuorie * teeth in whitenesse doe out-goe the downe of swans , or winters driuen snowe ; whose euen proportions liuely represent th' harmonious musicke of vnite consent ; whose perfect whitenesse , time could neuer blot , nor age ( the enuious worme of ruine ) rot : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . thy * temples , are the temples of chaste loue , where beautie sacrifis'd her milke-white doue , vpon whose azure pathes , are alwayes found the heauen-borne graces dancing in a round : thy maiden * blushes gently doe proclaime a shame of guilt , but not a guilt of shame : how orient is thy beautie ! how diuine ! how darke's the glorie of the earth , to thine ! . you , you braue spirits , whose emperiall hand enforces , what your lookes cannot command , bring forth your pamper'd queenes , the lustfull prize , and curious wrecks of your imperious eyes ; surround the circle of the earth , and leuie the fairest virgins in loues fairest beuie , then take from each to make one perfect grace , yet would my loue out shine that borrow'd face . . i thou art shee , corriuall'd with no other , thou glorious daughter of thy glorious mother the new ierusalem , whose virgin-birth shall diefie , the c virgins of the earth : the virgins of the earth haue seene thy beautie , and stood amaz'd , and in a prostrate dutie haue sued to kisse thy hand , making thine eyes their lampes to light them , till the bridegroome rise . . harke , how the virgins hallow'd with thy fire and wonder smitten with thy beames , admire . who , who is this ( say they ) whose cheekes resemble aurora's blush , whose eye heauens lights dissemble ? whose face is brighter then the silent lampe that lights the earth , to breathe her nightlie dampe ; vpon whose brow sits dreadfull majestie , the frowne whereof commands a victorie . . faire bride , why was thy troubled soule dejected , when i was absent ? was my faith suspected which i so firmelie plighted ? couldst thou thinke my loue could shake , or such a vow could shrinke ? i did but walke among my tender plants , to smell their odours , and supplie their wants , to see my stockes , so latelie grifted , sprout , or if my vines began to burgen out . . though gone was i , f my heart was in thy brest , although to thee ( perchance ) an vnkowne guest , 't was that , that gaue such wings to thy desire , t' enioy thy loue , and set thy soule on fire ; but my returne was quicke , and with a minde more nimble ( yet more constant ) then the winde , i came ; and as the winged shaft doth flie with vndescerned speed ; euen so did i. . returne , ( o then returne ) thou childe of peace to thy first ioyes , o let thy teares surcease ; returne thee to thy loue ; let not the g night with flatt'ring h slumbers , tempt thy true delight ; returne thee to my bosome , let my brest . bee still thy tent ; take there eternall rest ; returne , ô thou , in whose enchaunted eye , are darts enough , to make an armie flie . . faire daughter of the highest king , how sweet are th' vnaffected graces of thy i feet ! from euery step , true maiestie doth spring , fitting the daughter of so high a king : thy waste is circled with a h virgin zone , imbellisht round with many a precious i stone , wherein the curious workeman did fulfill the vtmost glorie of his diuiner skill . . thy m nauell , where thy holie embrion doth receiue sweet nourishment , and heauenly growth , is like a christall spring , whose fresh supplie of liuing waters , sunne , nor drought can drie : thy n fruitfull wombe is like a winnow'd heape of purest graine , which heauens blest hand did reape , with lillies fenc'd : true embleme of rare treasure ; whose graine denotes increase ; whose lillies , pleasure . . thy daintie o brests , are like faire twins , both swelling in equall maiestie ; in hue excelling the new-falne snow vpon th' vntrodden mountaines , from whence there flowes , as frō exub'rous fountaines , riuers of heauenly nectar , to allay the holy thirst of soules : thrice happie they , and more then thrice , whose blest affections bring their thirstie palats to so sweet a spring . . thy p necke doth represent an yuorie tower , in perfect purenesse , and munited power , thine q eyes ( like pooles at a frequented gate for euerie commer , to draw water at ) are common treasures , and like christall glasses , showes each his liuely visage , as he passes : thy r nose , the curious organ of thy sent , wants nothing more , for vse , for ornament . . thy tyres of gold ( inricht with glorious gemmes , ſ rare diamonds , and princely diadems , ) adorne thy browes , and with their natiue worth aduance thy glorie , and set thy beautie forth ; so perfect are thy grace , so diuine , and full of heauen , are those faire lookes of thine . that i 'm inflamed with the double fire of thy full beautie , and my fierce desire . . o sacred simetrie ! o rare connexion of many perfects , to make one perfection ! o heauenly musicke , where all parts doe meete in one sweet straine , to make one perfect sweete ! o glorious members , whose each seuerall feature diuine , compose so , so diuine a creature ! faire soule , as all thy parts vnited , bee entire , so summ'd are all my ioyes in thee . . thy curious fabricke , and erected stature is like the generous palme , whose loftie nature in spight of enuious violence , will aspire , when most supprest , the more it mounts the higher : thy louely brests , ( whose beautie reinuites my oft remembrance to her oft delights ) are like the swelling clusters of the vine , so full of sweetnesse are those brests of thine . . art thou my palme ? my busie hand shall nourish thy fruitfull roots , and make thy branches flourish : art thou my vine ? my skilfull arme shall dresse , thy t dying plants ; my liuing springs shall blesse thy u infant buddes ; my blasting breath shall quell * presumptuous weedes , and make thy clusters swell : and all that loue thee , shall attayne the fauour to taste thy sweetnesse , and to smell thy sauour . . those oracles that from thy lippes proceed , with sweet euangels , shall delight and feed th' attentiue eare , and like the trumpets voyce amaze faint hearts , but make braue spirits rejoyce : thy breath , whose dialect is most diuine , incends quicke flames , where ember'd sparkes but shine ; it strikes the pleaders reth'ricke with derision , and makes the dullest soule a rethoritian . bride . sonet xxi . my faith , not merites hath assur'd thee , mine , thy loue , not my desert hath made me , thine : vnworthie i , whose drowsie soule rejected thy precious fauours , and ( secure ) neglected thy glorious presence , how am i become a bride befitting so diuine a groome ! it is no merite , no desert of mine , thy loue , thy loue alone , hath made me thine . . since then the bountie of thy deare election hath styl'd me thine , ô let the sweet reflection of thy illustrious beames , my soule inspire , and with thy spirit , inflame my hot desire ; vnite our soules ; o let thy spirit rest and make perpetuall home within my brest ; instruct me so , that i may gaine the skill , to suite my seruice to thy sacred will. . come , come ( my soules preseruer ) thou that art th' vnited joyes of my vnited heart , come , let vs visit , with the morning light our prosp'rous x vines ; with mutuall delight let 's view those grapes , whose clusters being y prest , shall make rich wines , to serue our marriage feast , that by the thriuing plants it may appeare , our joyes-perfecting marriage draweth neere . behold my z new disclosed flowres present before thy gates , their tributarie sent , reserue themselues for garlands , that they may adorne the bridegroome , on his mariage day : my a garden 's full of b trees , and euery tree laden with c fruit , which i deuote to thee , eternall joyes betide that happie guest , that tastes the dainties of the bridgroomes feast . . o would to god mind eyes , ( these fainting eyes whose eager appetite could ne're deuise a dearer object ) might but once behold my loue ( as i am ) clad in fleshly mold , that each may corporally conuerse with other , as friend to friend ; as sister to her brother , o how mine eyes could welcome such a sight ; how would my soule dissolue , with ore-delight ! . then should this hand conduct my fairest spouse to taste a banquet at my mothers * house ; our fruitfull garden should present thine eyes with sweet delights , her trees should sacrifice their earely fruits to thee ; our tender vine should cheare thy palate with her vnprest wine ; thy hand should teach my liuing plants to thriue ; and such , as are a dying , to reuiue . . then should my soule enioy within this brest , a holy sabbath of eternall rest ; then should my cause that suffers through despight of errour , and rude ignorance , haue right ; then should these * streames , whose tides so often rise , bee ebb'd away , from my suffused eyes ; then should my spirits , fill'd with heauenly mirth , tryumph o're hell , and find a heauen on earth . . all you , that wish the bountifull encrease of dearest pleasures , and diuinest peace , i charge you all ( if ought my charge may moue your tender hearts ) * not to disturbe my loue ; vexe not his gentle spirit , nor bereiue him of his joyes , that is so apt to greiue ; dare not to breake his quiet slumbers , lest you rouze a raging lyon from his rest . . who euer lou'd , that euer lou'd as i that for his sake renounce my selfe , denie the worlds best ioyes , and haue the world forgone ? who euer lou'd so deare , as i haue done ? i sought my loue , and found him * lowly laide beneath the tree of loue , in whose sweet shade hee rested ; there his eye sent forth the fire , that first enflam'd my amorous desire . . my dearest spouse , o seale me on thy heart so sure , that enuious earth may neuer part our joyned soules ; let not the world remoue my chaste desires , from so choise a loue ; for , o , my loue 's not sleight , her flames are serious , was neuer death so powerfull , so imperious ; my jealous zeale is a consuming fire , that burnes my soule , through feare and fierce desire . . fires may be quencht , and flames , though ne'r so great , with many drops shall faint , and lose their heat ; but these quicke fires of loue , the more supprest , the more they flame , in my inflamed brest ; how darke is honour ! how obscure and dimme is earths bright glorie , but compar'd with him ! how foule is beautie ! what a toyle is pleasure ! how base is wealth ! how base a thing is treasure ? . i haue a h sister , which by thy diuine and bounteous grace , our marriage shall make thine ; shee is mine owne , myne onely sister , whome my mother bare , the youngest of her wombe : shee 's yet a i childe , her beautie may improue , her brests and small , and yet too greene for loue ; when time and yeares shall adde perfection to her , say ( dearest loue ) what honour wilt thou doe her ? bridegroome . sonet xxii . if shee be faire , and with her beautie , proue as chaste , as loyall to her virgin-loue , as thou hast bin , then in that high degree i 'le honour her , as i haue honour'd thee : be shee as constant to her vestall vow , and true to her deuoted faith , as thou , i 'le crowne her head , and fill her hand with power , and giue a kingdome to her for a dower . bride . sonet xxiii . when time shall ripen these her greene desires , and holy loue , shall breath her heauenly fires into her virgin brest , her heart shall bee as true to loue , as i am true to thee : o , when thy boundlesse bountie shall conjoyne her equall-glorious maiestie , with mine , my joyes are perfect ; then , in sacred bands wedlocke shall couple our espoused hands . bridegroome . sonet . xxiiii . i am thy gard'ner , thou my fruitfull . vine , whose rip'ned clusters swell with richest wine ; the vines of solomon were not so faire , his grapes were not so precious , as thine are ; his vines are subiect , to the vulgar will of hired hands , and mercinarie skill ; corrupted carles are merrie with his vines , and at a price , returne their batter'd wines . . bvt mine 's a vineyard , which no ruder hand shall touch , subjected to my sole command ; my selfe , with this laborious arme , will dresse it , my presence with a busie eye shall blesse it ; o princely solomon , thy thriuing vine is not so faire , so bountifull as mine ; thy greedie sharers claime an earned hire , but mine 's reseru'd , and to my selfe entire . . o thou , that dwellest k where th' eternall fame of my renowne so glorifies my name , illustrious bride , in whose coelestiall tongue , are sacred spells t'enchaunt , the ruder throng ; o let thy lippes , like a perpetuall storie diuulge my graces , and declare my glorie ; direct those hearts , that errour leades astray , dissolue the l waxe , but make obdure the m clay . bride . sonet . xxv . most glorious loue , and honourable lord , my heart 's the vowed seruant of thy word , but i am weake , and as a tender vine shall fall , vnpropt by that deare hand of thine : assist me therefore , that i may fulfill what thou command'st , and then command thy will ; o leaue thy sacred spirit in my brest , as earnest of an euerlasting rest . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e cap. . * sensible graces . * pure in heart . c the kingdom of heauen . d through apparant infirmities . e glorious in him . f weaknesse of the flesh . g afflictions . h forced to idolatrous superstitions . i by reason of my weaknesse . k being seduced by false prophets . l persecutions . m by idolatrie . n through my merits and thy sanctification . o the doctrine of the true prophets . p teacher of my congregations . q thy most visable parts . r sanctification f the riebes of his holy spirit . t the holy prophets . * the holy spirit . * in giuing grace and receiuing glorie . * the congregation of saints cap. ii. a not in outward glorie . b in inward graces . * the holy scriptures . * thy sweet promises . * vexe not his spirit with your sinnes . * the imperfections of my present state . * the weaknes of my flesh . * the elect. * angels . * the congregation of the faithfull . * to offer vp the frist fruits of obedience . * persecutions . * the day of iudgement . * by sanctification . cap. iii. * in my soule . * by strict examination . * amongst the wisest worldlings . * the ministers of the word . * at the resurrection . * through sanctification by my merits . * by heauenly contemplation . a through the gifts of my spirit . cap. iiii. b the modestie and puritie of thy iudgement . * ornaments of necessarie ceremonies . d sincere ministers . e doctrine of thy holy prephets . f modest graces of the spirit . * magistrates . * the old and new testaments . c the sanctified and zealous reader . d the second death . e i will withdraw my bodily presence . f the day of iudgement . g infirmities of the flesh . * this vale of miserie . * thime eye of faith. * diuine harmonie . m the two testaments . n riddles to prophane readers . o celestiall comforts . p the faithfull q the sonne of righteousnesse . cap. v. r obedience . ſ strong workes of faith. t the new born fruites of the spirit . u too much securitie . * my heart . x the pleasures of the flesh . y thy hardhearted vnkindnesse * repented . * the sweetnes of his graces . * false teachers . a with their false doctrines . * diuine loue . * his deitie . * his humanitie . * his iudgment and care of his church . * the discouery of him in his word . * his promises . q those that die to sinne . r that liue to righteousnesse . f his actions . t with purenes . u his secret counsells . x inwardly glorious . * his wayes constant , firme , and pure . * his whole carriage . * the church is the way to christ cap. vi. * congregation of the faithfull . a giuing graces . b receiuing glorie . c despairing soules . d not yet thorowly humbled . * strengthning the weake in spirit . * the force of repentance . * sincere ministers . * thy visible parts . * modestie , and zeale . c the pure in heart . f my spirit . g securitie . h worldly pleasures . cap. vii . i thy wages . h the girdle of truth . i the precious guifts of the ●pirit . m wherby there is a receit of spirituall conceptions . n increase of the faithfull . o the old and new testament p magistrates . q teachers . r glorious in all parts . ſ the ceremonies of the church . t despairing soules . u young conuerts . * opposers of the truth . x congregation of the faithfull y by afliction . z yong conuerts a assemblies . b faithfull . c faith and good workes . cap. viii . * the vniuersal church . * teares and sorrowes . * not to vexe and grieue his holy spirit . * in humilitie . h the church of the gentiles then vncalled . i vncall'd to the truth . k in the great congregation . l the penitent . m the presumptious . boanarges and barnabas, or, judgment and mercy for afflicted soules containing of [brace] meditations, soliloquies, and prayers / by francis quarles. boanerges and barnabas quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) boanarges and barnabas, or, judgment and mercy for afflicted soules containing of [brace] meditations, soliloquies, and prayers / by francis quarles. boanerges and barnabas quarles, francis, - . [ ], [i.e. ] p. printed by rich. cotes for richard royston, and richard lownes, and are to bee sold at the vnicorn ..., london : . added engraved t.p. errors in paging: p. misnumbered , p. - omitted in numbering, p. - misnumbered - . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng devotional literature. meditations. a r (wing q ). civilwar no boanarges and barnabas: or judgement and mercy for afflicted soules. consisting of meditations. soliloquies. and prayers. by francis quarles quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion i will sing of iudgment and mercy ps : : . boanerges & barnabas or iudgment & mercy for afflicted soules printed for r : lowndes at the vnicorne on ludgat hill ouer against bell sauage boanarges and barnabas : or judgement and mercy for afflicted soules . consisting of meditations . soliloquies . and prayers . by francis quarles . london , printed by rich. cotes for richard royston , and richard lownes , and are to bee sold at the vnicorn on ludgate-hill over against . bel savage , . to my most gracious soveraign king charles . sir , i beleeve you to bee such patron of vertue , that if this treatise had the least probability of cherishing vice , my conscience durst not admit a thought of this dedication to your majesty . but my own reason ( seconded by better approbations ) assures mee these disquisitions and prayers are like to beget grace in those where it was not , and confirm it where it was . and being so usefull , i dare not doubt your patronage of this child , which survives a father whose utmost abilities were ( till death darkened that great light in his soule ) sacrificed to your service . but , if i could question your willing protection of it , i might strengthen my petition for it , by an unquestionable commendation of the authors publisht meditations , in most of which ( even those of poetry begun in his youth ) there are such tinctures of piety , and pictures of devout passions , as gain'd him much love , and many noble friends . one of that number ( which is not to bee numbred ) was the religious , learned , peaceable , humble bishop of armagh ; whom i beseech god to blesse , and make your majesty and him , in these bad , sad times , instruments of good to this distracted , distemper'd church and state . this is my unfained prayer ; and i doubt not but all that wish well to sion , will seale it with their amen . your majesties poor and most faithfull subject , richard royston . the preface . reader , it is thought fit to say this little , and but this little , of the author and his book . he was , ( for i speake to those that are strangers to his extraction & breeding ) a branch of a deserving family , and the son of a worthy father : his education was in the universities , and innes of court , but his inclination was rather to divine studyes then the law . this appears in most of his publisht books , ( which are many ) but i thinke in none more then this , which was finisht with his life . wherein the reader may behold ( according to the arguments undertaken by the author ) what passions , and in what degrees those passions have possest his soul , and whether , grace have yet allayed , or expel'd them , ( those that are inconsistible with vertue ) from the strong hold of his affections . such this treatise is , & being such , i commend it to the reader , and this wish with it , that those many ( too many ) writers who mistake malice for zeal , and ( being transported ) speak evill of government , and meddle with things they understand not , iud , . forgetting there is such sinnes as sedition and heresie , ( sins which saint paul , gal. . . parallels with murther and witchcraft ) would change their disputes into devout meditations , such as these be ; in which the pious man shall see vertue adorned with beautifull language , and vice so presented as 't is not like to infect the minde , nor corrupt the conscience . the method , the arguments , the stile , all speak m. quarles the author of the book , and the book speaks his commendations so much , that i need not commend it ▪ but i do thee to god . farewell the table . meditation i. the sensuall mans solace . pag. . his sentence . his proofs . his soliloquie . his prayer . meditation ii. the vain-glorious mans vaunt , &c. meditation iii. the oppressors plea , &c. meditation iv. the drunkards jubile , &c. meditation v. the swearers apologie , &c. meditation vi . the procrastinat●rs remora's , &c. meditation vii . the hypocrites prevarication , &c. meditation viii . the ignorant mans faultering , &c. meditation ix . the slothfull mans slumber , &c. meditation x. the proud mans ostentation , &c. meditation xi . the covetous mans care , &c. meditation xii . the self-lovers self-fraud , &c. meditation xiii . the worldly mans verdour , &c. meditation xiiii . the lascivious mans heaven , &c. meditation xv . the sabbath-breakers profanation , &c. meditation xvi . the censorious mans crimination , &c. meditation xvii . the liers fallacies , &c. meditation xviii . the revengeful mans rage , &c. meditation xix . the secure mans triumph , &c. meditation xx . the presumptuous mans felicities , &c. the sensuall mans solace . come , let 's be merry , and rejoyce our souls in frolick and in fresh delights : let 's skrue our pamper'd hearts a pitch beyond the reach of dulbrowd sorrow : let 's passe the slow-pac'd time in melancholy-charming mirth , and take the advantage of our youthfull dayes : let 's banish care to the dead sea of phlegmatick old age : let a deep sigh be high treason , and let a solemne looke bee adjudg'd a crime too great for pardon . my serious studies shall bee to draw mirth into a body , to analyse laughter , and to paraphrase upon the various texts of all delights . my recreations shall bee to still pleasure into a quintessence , to reduce beautie to her first principles , and to extract a perfect innocence from the milk-white doves of venus . why should i spend my precious minutes in the sullen and dejected shades of sadnesse ? or ravell out my short liv'd dayes in solemn and heart-breaking care ? houres have eagles wings , and when their hasty flight shall put a period to our numbred dayes , the world is gone with us , and all our forgotten joyes are left to be enjoyed by the succeeding generations , and we are snatcht we know not how , we know not whither ; and wrapt in the dark bosome of eternall night . come then my soule ; be wise , make use of that which gone , is past recalling , and lost , is past redemption : eate thy bread with a merry heart , and gulp down care in frolique cups of liberall wine . beguile the tedious nights with dalliance , and steepe thy stupid senses in unctious , in delightfull sports . 't is , all the portion that this transitory world can give thee : let musick , voices , masques and midnight revels , and all that melancholy wisdome censures vaine , bee thy delights . and let thy care-abjuring soul cleare up and sweeten the short dayes of thy consuming youth . follow the ways of thy owne heart , and take the freedome of thy sweet desires : leave not delight untryed , and spare no cost to heighten up thy lusts . take pleasure in the choice of pleasures , and please thy curious eyes with all varieties , to satisfie thy soule in all things which thy heart desires . i , but my soule , when those evill dayes shall come wherein thy wasting pleasures shall present their items to thy bedrid view , when all diseases and the evils of age shall muster up their forces in thy crazie bones , where be thy comforts then ? his sentence . consider o my soule , and know that the day will come , and after that another , wherein for all these things god will bring thee to judgment , eccles. . . prov. . ● . even in laughter the heart is sorrowfull , and the end of that mirth is heavinesse . eccles. . . i said in my heart , goe to now , i will prove thee with mirth , and therefore enjoy pleasure , and behold this also is vanity ; i said of laughter , it is mad ; and of mirth , what doth it ? st. james . ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter . eccles. . . the heart of the wise man is in the house of mourning ; but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth . his proofes . isid. in synonymis . pleasure is an inclination to the unlawful objects of a corrupted mind , allured with a momentary sweetnes . hugo . sensuality is an immoderate indulgence of the flesh , a sweet poyson , a strong plague , a dangerous potion which effeminates the body , and enerves the soule . cass. lib. . ep. they are more sensible of the burthen of affliction , that are most taken with the pleasures of the flesh . his soliloquy . vvhat hast thou now to say o my soule , why this judgment , seconded with divine proofes , backt with the harmony of holy men , should not proceed against thee ? dally no longer with thy owne salvation , nor flatter thy owne corruption : remember , the wages of flesh are sin , and the wages of sinne , death : god hath threatned it , whose judgements are terrible ; god hath witnessed it , whose words are truth . consider then my soul , and let not momentarie pleasures flatter thee into eternity of torments : how many , that have trod thy steps , are now roaring in the flames of hell ! and yet thou triflest away the time of thy repentance . o my poor deluded soul , presume no longer , repent to day , lest to morow come too late : or couldst thou ravell out thy dayes beyond methusalem , tell me alas , what will eternity be the shorter for the deduction of a thousand yeers ? be wisely provident therefore o my soul , and bid vanity , the common sorceresse of the world farewell ; life and death are yet before thee : chuse life , and the god of life will seal thy choice . prostrate thy self before him who delights not in the death of a sinner , and present thy petitions to him who can deny thee nothing in the name of a saviour . his prayer . o god , in the beauty of whose holinesse is the true joy of those that love thee , the full happinesse of those that fear thee , and the onely rest of those that prize thee ; in respect of which , the transitory pleasures of the world are lesse then nothing , in comparison of which the greatest wisdom of the world is folly , and the glory of the earth but drosse and dung ; how dare my boldnesse thus presume to presse into thy glorious presence ? what can my prayers expect but thy just wrath and heavie indignation ? o what return can the tainted breath of my polluted lips deserve , but to bee bound hand and foot , and cast into the flames of hell ? but lord the merits of my saviour are greater then the offences of a sinner , and the sweetnesse of thy mercy exceeds the sharpnesse of my misery : the horrour of thy judgments have seized upon me , and i languish through the sense of thy displeasure ; i have forsaken thee the rest of my distressed soule , and set my affections upon the vanity of the deceitfull world . i have taken pleasure in my foolishnesse , and have vaunted my self in mine iniquity , i have flattered my soule with the hony of delights , whereby i am made sensible of the stink of my affliction ; wherefore i loath , and utterly abhor my self , and from the bottom of my heart repent in dust & ashes . behold o lord , i am impure and vile , and have wallowed in the puddle of mine own corruptions ; the sword of thy displeasure is drawn out against me , and what shal i plead o thou preserver of mankind ? make me a new creature o my god , and destroy the old man within me . remove my affections from the love of transitory things , that i may run the way of thy commandements . turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity , and make thy testimonies my whole delight . give mee strength to discern the emptiness of the creature , and inebriate my heart with the fulness of thy joyes . bee thou my portion o god , at whose right hand stand pleasures for ever more . be thou my refuge and my shield , and suffer mee not to sinke under the corruptions of my heart ; let not the house of mirth beguile me , but give me a sense of the evil to come . accept the free-will offerings of my mouth , and grant my petitions for the honour of thy name , then will i magnifie thy mercies o god , and praise thy name for ever and ever . the vain-glorious mans vaunt . vvhat tell'st thou me of conscience , or a pious life ? they are good trades for a leaden spirit that can stand bent at every frown , and want the braines to make a higher fortune , or courage to atchieve that honour which might glorifie their names , and write their memories in the chronicles of fame . 't is true , humility is a needfull gift in those that have no quality to exercise their pride ; and patience is a necessary grace to keep the world in peace , and him that hath it , in a whole skin , and often proves a vertue born of meer necessity . and civil honesty is a fair pretence for him that hath not wit to act the knave , and makes a man capable of a little higher stile then foole . and blushing modesty is a pretty innocent quality , and serves to vindicate an easie nature from the imputation of an il-breeding . these are inferiour graces that have got a good opinion in the dull wisdome of the world , and appeare like water among the elements to moderate the body politique , and keep it from combustion , nor doe they come into the work of honour . virtue consists in action , and the reward of action is glory . glory is the great soule of the little world , and is the crowne of all sublime attempts , and the point whereto the crooked wayes of policy are all concentrick . honour consults not with a pious life . let those that are ambitious of a religious reputation , abjure all honorable titles , and let their dough-bak'd spirits take a pride in suf-ferance , ( the anvile of all injuries ) and bee thankfully baffled into a quiet pilgrimage . rapes , murthers , treasons , dispossessions , riots , are veniall things to men of honour , and oft co-incident in high pursuits . had my dull conscience stood upon such nice points ; that little honour i have wonne had glorified some other arme , and left me begging morsells at his princely gates . come , come , my soule , id factum juvat quod fieri non licet . fear not to doe , what crownes thee being done . ride on with thy honour , and create a name to live with faire eternity . enjoy thy purchas'd glory as the merit of thy renowned actions , and let thy memory entaile it to succeeding generations . make thy owne game , and if thy conscience correct thee , check thy saucy conscience , till shee stand as mute as metamorphos'd niobe . feare not the frownes of princes , or the imperious hands of various fortune . thou art too bright for the one to obscure , and too great for the other to cry downe . his verdict . but harke my soule , i heare a voice that thunders in mine eare i will change their glory into shame , hos. . . psal. . . man that is born in honour , and understandeth not , is like the beasts that perish . prov. . . it is not good for to eate too much boney , so for men to search their own glory , is not glory . jer. . . thus saith the lord : let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might , nor let the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth mee that i am the lord . gal. . . let us not bee desirous of vain-glory , &c. his proofes . st. august . the vain glory of the world is a deceitfull sweetness , an unfruitfull labour , a perpetuall fear , a dangerous bravery , begun without providence , and finished not without repentance s. greg. he that makes transitory honour the reward of a good worke , sets eternall glory at low rate . his soliloquie . vain-glory is a froth , which blowne off , discovers a great want of measure : canst thou o my soul , be guilty of such an emptinesse , and not bee challeng'd ? canst thou appeare in the searching eye of heaven , and not expect to be cast away ? deceive not thy self o my soul , nor flatter thy self with thy own greatnesse . search thy self to the bottome , and thou shalt find enough to humble thee : dost thou glory in the favour of a prince ? the frown of a prince determines it . dost thou glory in thy strength ? a poor ague betrayes it . dost thou glory in thy wealth ? the hand of a thiefe extinguishes it . dost thou glory in thy friends ? one cloud of adversity darkens it . dost thou glory in thy parts ? thy own pride obscures it . behold my soul , how like a bubble thou appearest , and with a sigh break into sorrow ; the gate of heaven is strait ; canst thou hope to enter without breaking ? the bubble that would passe the floodgates must first dissolve : my soule melt then in tears , and empty thy self of all thy vanity , and thou shalt find divine repletion ; evaporate in thy devotion , and thou shalt recruit thy greatnesse to eternall glory . his prayer . and can i choose o god but tremble at thy judgements , or can my stony heart not stand amazed at thy threatnings ? it is thy voice o god , and thou hast spoken it : it is thy voice o god , and i have heard 〈◊〉 hadst thou so dealt by me , as thou didst by babels proud king , and driven me from the sons of men , thou hadst but done according to thy righteousnesse , and rewarded mee according to my deservings : what couldst thou see in mee lesse worthy of thy vengeance then in him , the example of thy justice ? or lord , wherein am i more uncapable of thy indignation ? there is nothing in me to move thy mercy but in misery . thy goodness is thy selfe , and hath no ground but what proceedeth from it self , yet have i sinned against that goodnesse , and have thereby heaped up wrath against the day of wrath ; that insomuch , had not thy grace abounded with my sin , i had long since bin confounded in my sin , and swallowed up in the gulph of thy displeasure . but lord , thou takest no delight to punish , & with thee is no respect of persons : thou takest no pleasure in the confusion of thy creature , but rejoycest rather in the conversion of a sinner . convert mee therefore o god , i shall be then converted : make me sensible of my own corruptions , that i may see the vilenesse of my own condition . pull downe the pride of my ambitious heart ; humble mee thou o god , and i shall bee humbled : weane mee from the thirst of transitory honour , and let my whole delight bee to glory in thee : touch thou my conscience with the feare of thy name , that in all my actions i may fear to offend thee : endue me o lord with the spirit of meeknesse , and teach me to overcome evill with a patient heart : moderate and curb the exorbitances of my passion , and give me temperate use of all thy creatures . replenish my heart with the graces of thy spirit , that in al my ways i may be acceptable in thy sight . in all conditions give me a contented minde , and upon all occasions grant me a gratefull heart , that honouring thee here in the church militant before men , i may be glorified hereafter in the church triumphant before thee & angels , where filled with true glory according to the measure of grace thou shalt be pleased to give me here , i may with angels and archangels praise thy name for ever and ever . the oppressors plea . i seeke but what 's my owne by law : it was his owne free act and deed : the execution lies ● for goods or body , and goods or body i will have , or else my money . what if his beggerly children pine , or his proud wife perish ? they perish at their own charge , not mine , and what is that to mee ? i must be paid , or he lie by it untill i have my utmost farthing , or his bones . the law is just and good , and being ruled by that , how can my faire proceedings bee unjust ? what 's thirty in the hundred to a man of trade ? are we born to thrum caps , or pick straws ? and sell our livelihood for a few teares , and a whining face ? i thanke god they move mee not so much as a howling dog at midnight : i 'le give no day , if heaven it selfe would bee security ; i must have present money , or his bones . the commodities were good enough , as wares went then , and had he had but a thriving wit , with the necessary help of a good merchantable conscience , hee might have gained perchance as much as now hee lost ; but howsoever , gaine , or not gaine , i must have my mony . two tedious termes my dearest gold hath laine in his unprofitable hands . the cost of suit , hath made me bleed above a score of royals , besides my interest , travel , half pints , and bribes ; all which does but encrease my beggerly defendants damages , and sets him deeper on my score ; but right 's right , and i will have my money , or his bones . fifteen shillings in the pound composition ? i le hang first . come , tell not mee of a good conscience , a good conscience is no parcell of my trade ; it hath made more bankrupts , then all the loose wives in the universall city . my conscience is no foole . it tells mee that my owne 's my owne , and that a well-cramm'd bagge is no deceitfull friend , but will stick close to mee , when all my friends forsake mee : if to gaine a good estate out of nothing , and to regaine a desperate debt , which is as good as nothing , be the fruits and sign of a bad conence , god help the good . come , tell not mee of griping and oppression . the world is hard , and he that hopes to thrive , must gripe as hard : what i give , i give ; and what i lend , i lend : if the way to heaven bee to turne begger upon earth , let them take it that like it , i know not what ye call oppression . the law is my direction ; but of the two , it is more profitable to oppresse , then to bee opprest . if debtors would bee honest and discharge , our hands were bound ; but when their failing offends my bags , they touch the apple of my eye , and i must right them . his punishment . but hah ! what voice is this that whispers in mine eare , the lord will spoil the soul of the oppressors , prov. . . pro. . . rob not the poor , because he is poore , neither oppresse the afflicted in the gates , for the lord wil plead their cause , and spoile the soule of those that have spoyled him . ezek. . . the people of the land have used oppression , and exercised robbery , and have vexed the poor and needy ; yea , they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully . therefore i have poured out my indignation upon them , i have consumed them with the fire of my wrath . zach. . . execute true judgement , and shew mercy & camp●ssion on every man to his brother , and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse , nor the stranger , nor the poore , and let none of you imagine evill in your hearts against his brother . but they refused to hearken ; therefore came a great wrath from the lord of hosts . his proofes . bernard , p. . we ought so to care for our selves , as not to neglect the due regard of our neighbour . bern. ibid. he that is not mercifull to another , shall not find mercy from god ; but if thou wil'st bee mercifull and compassionate , thou shalt bee a benefactor to thy owne soule . his soliloquy . is it wisdom in thee o my soul to covet a happinesse , or rather to account it so , that is sought for with a judgement , obtained with a curse , and punished with damnation ; and to neglect that good which is assured with a promise , purchased with a blessing , and rewarded with a crowne of glory ? canst thou hold a full estate , a good pennyworth , which is bought with the deare price of thy gods displeasure ? tell mee , what continuance can that inheritance promise that is raised upon the ruines of thy brother ? or what mercy canst thou expect from heaven , that hast denyed all mercy to thy neighbour o my hard-hearted soul consider , and relent : build not an house whose posts are subject to be rotted with a curse : consider what the god of truth hath threatned against thy cruelty ; relent , and turn compassionate , that thou mayst be capable of his compassion on . if the desire of gold hath hardened thy heart , let the tears of true repentance mollifie it ; soften it with aarons oyntment , untill it become wax to take the impression of that seale which must confirme thy pardon . his prayer . but will my god bee now entreated ? is not my crying sin too loud for pardon ? am i not sunk too deep into the jaws of hell , for thy strong arme to rescue ? hath not the hardnesse of my heart made me uncapable of thy compassion ? o if my teares might wash away my sin , my head should turne a living spring : lord i have heard thee speake and am affraid ; the word is past , and thy judgements have found me out . fearfulnesse and trembling are come upon mee , and the jaws of hell have overwhelmed mee : i have oppressed thy poore , and added affliction to the afflicted , and the voyce of their misery is come before thee . they besought mee with teares , and in the anguish of their souls , but i have stopt mine ears against the cry of their complaint . but lord , thou walkest not the ways of man , and remembrest mercy in the middest of thy wrath , for thou art good and gracious , and ready to forgive , and plenteous in compassion to all that shall call upon thee . forgive mee o god my sins that are past , and deliver me from the guilt of my oppression : take from mee o god this heart of stone , and create in my breast a heart of flesh : asswage the vehemency of my desires to the things below , and satisfie my soul with the sufficiency of thy grace . inflame my affections , that i may love thee with a filiall love , and incline me to relie upon thy fatherly providence : let me account godlinesse my greatest gaine , and subdue in me my lusts after filthy lucre . preserve me o lord from the vanity of self-love , and plant in my affections the true love of my neighbours : endue my heart with the bowells of compassion , and then reward me according to thy righteousnesse : direct mee o god in the wayes of my life , and let a good conscience be my continuall comfort . give me a willing heart to make restitution of what i have wrongfully gotten by oppression . grant me a lawfull use of all thy creatures , and a thankfull heart for all thy benefits . be mercifull to all those that groan under the burden of their owne wants , and give them patience to expect thy deliverance : give me a heart that may acknowledge thy favours , and fill my tongue with praise and thanksgiving , that living here a new life , i may become a new creature , and being ingraffed in thee by the power of thy grace , i may bring forth fruit to thy honour and glory . the drunkards jubile . vvhat complement will the severer world allow to the vacant houres of frolique-hearted youth ! how shall their free , their joviall spirits entertain their time , their friends ! what oyle shall bee infused into the lampe of deare society , if they deny the priviledge of a civill rejoycing cup ? it is the life , the radicall humour of united soules , whose love-digested heat even ripens and ferments the greene materialls of a plighted faith ; without the help whereof new married friendship fals into divorce , and joyn'd acquaintance soon resolves into the first elements of strangenesse . what mean these strict reformers thus to spend their hou●e-glasses , and bawle against our harmless cups ? to call our meetings riots , and brand our civil mirth with stiles of loose intemperance ? where they can sit at a sisters feast , devoure and gurmundize beyond excesse , and wipe the guilt from off their marrowed mouths , and cloath their surfeits in the long fustian robes of a tedious grace : is it not much better in a faire friendly round ( since youth must have a swing ) to steep our soule-afflicting sorrows in a chirping cup , then hazard our estates upon the abuse of providence in a foolish cast at dice ? or at a cockpit leave our doubtfull fortunes to the mercy of unmercifull contention ? or spend our wanton dayes in sacrificing costly presents to a fleshly idoll ? was not wine given to exhilarate the drooping hearts , and raise the drowzie spirits of dejected souls ? is not the liberall cup the sucking-bottle of the sons of phebus , to solace and refresh their palats in the nights of sad invention ? let dry-brain'd zelots spend their idle breaths , my cups shall be my cordialls to restore my care-befeebled heart to the true temper of a well-complexioned mirth : my solid braines are potent , and can beare enough , without the least offence to my distempered senses , or interruption of my boon companions : my tongue can in the very zenith of my cups deliver the expressions of my composed thoughts with better sense , then these my grave reformers , can their best advised prayers , my constitution is potproofe , and strong enough to make a fierce encounter with the most stupendious vessell that ever sailed upon the tides of bacchus . my reason shrinks not ; my passion burns not . his judgement . o but my soule , i heare a threatning voyce that interrupts my language , woe bee to them that are mighty to drinke wine , esa. . . prov. . . wine is a mocker , strong drink is raging , and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise . esay . . woe be to them that rise up early in the morning to follow strong drink that continue till night , untill wine enflame them . prov. . . be not amongst wine-bibbers . cor. . . now i have written unto you , not to keep company , if any that is called a brother be a drunkard , with such a one , no not to eate . his proofs . aug. in lib. pen . whilst the drunkard swallows wine , wine swallowes him ; god disregards him , angels despise him , men deride him , vertue declines him , the devill destroyes him . aug. ad sac . virg. drunkennesse is the mother of all evill , the matter of all mischiefe , the wel-spring of all vices , the trouble of the senses , the tempest of the tongue , the shipwracke of chastity , the consumption of time , a voluntary madnesse , the corruption of manners , the distemper of the body , and the destruction of the soul , his soliloquy . my soule , it is the voice of god digested into a judgment : there is no kicking against pricks , or arguing against a divine truth : pleadest thou custome ? custome in finne multiplies it : pleadest thou society ? society in the offence , aggravates the punishment : pleadest thou help to invention ? woe be to that barennesse that wants such shouers : pleadest thou strength to beare much wine woe to those that are mighty to drinke strong drinke : my soule , thou hast sinned against thy creator in abusing that creature hee made to serve thee : thou hast sinned against the creature , in turning it to the creators dishonour : thou hast sinned against thy self , in making thy comfort thy confusion . how many want that blessing thou hast turn'd into a curse ? how many thirst , whilst thou surfeitest ? what satisfaction wilt thou give to the creator , to the creature , to thy selfe ; against all whom thou hast transgrest ? to thy selfe , by a sober life ; to the creature , by a right use ; to thy creator , by a true repentance ; the way to all which , is prayer and thanksgiving . his prayer . how truly then , o god , this heavie woe belongs to this my boasted sin ? how many judgments are comprised and abstracted in this woe , and all for mee , even me o god , the miserable subject of thy eternall wrath ; even mee o lord , the marke whereat the shafts of thy displeasure levell ? lord , i was a sinner in my first conception , and in sinne hath my mother brought me forth ; i was no sooner , but i was a slave to sin , and all my life is nothing but the practise and the trade of high rebellion : i have turn'd thy blessings into thy dishonor , and all thy graces into wantonnesse : yet hast thou been my god even from the very wombe , and didst sustaine mee when i hung upon my mothers breast : thou hast washed mee o lord from my pollution , but like a swine i have returned to my mire . thou hast glaunced into my breast the blessed motions of thy holy spirit , but i have quenched them with the springtides of my born corruption . i have vomited up my filthinesse before thee , and like a dog have i returned to my vomit . be mercifull o god unto me , have mercy on me o thou son of david ; i cannot o lord expect the childrens bread , yet suffer mee to lick the crums that fall beneath their table ; i that have so oft abused the greatest of thy blessings am not worthy of the meanest of thy favors . look , look upon me according to the goodnesse of thy mercy , and not according to the greatnesse of my offences . give me o god a sober heart , and a lawfull moderation in the enjoyment of thy creatures . reclaim my appetite from unseasonable delights , lest i turn thy blessings into a curse : in all my dejections be thou my comfort , and let my rejoycing be onely in thee . propose to mine eyes the evilnesse of my days , and make mee carefull to redeem my time : wean me from the pleasure of vain society , and let my companions bee such as feare thee ; forgive all such as have been partners in my sinne , and turn their hearts to the obedience of thy laws . open their eares to the reproofs of the wise , and make them powerfull in reformation . allay that lust which my intemperance hath inflam'd , and cleanse my affections with the grace of thy good spirit ; make me thankfull for the strength of my body , that i may for the time to come return it to the advantage of thy glory . the swearers apologie . vvill boanarges never cease ? and will these plague-denouncers never leave to thunder judgements in my trembling eare ? nothing but plagues ? nothing but judgements ? nothing but damnation ? what have i done to make my case desperate ? and what have they not done to make my soul despaire ? have i set up false gods like the egyptians ? or have i bowed before them like the israelites ? have i violated the sabbath like the libertines ? or like cursed cham , have i discovered my fathers nakednesse ? have i imbrued my hands in blood like barabbas ? or like absolon defiled my fathers bed ? have i like jacob supplanted my elder brother ? or like ahab intruded into nabals vineyard ? have i born false witnesse like the wanton elders ? or like david coveted vriahs wife ? have i not given tithes of all i have ? or hath my purse been hidebound to my hungry brother ? hath not my life beene blamelesse before men ? and my demeanor unreprovable before the world ? have i not hated vice with a perfect hatred ? and countenanc'd vertue with a due respect ? what meane these strict observers of my life , to ransack every action , to carp at every word , and with their sharp censorious tongues to sentence every frailty with damnation ? is there no allowance to humanity ? no grains to flesh and blood ? are we all angels ? has mortality no priviledge to supersede it from the utmost punishment of a little necessary frailty ? come , come , my soul , let not these judgement-thunderers fright thee : let not these qualmes of their exuberous zeal disturbe thee : thou hast not cursed like shimei , nor rail'd like rabshekah , nor lied like ananias , nor slander'd like thy accusers . they that censure thy gnats swallow their own camels . what if the luxuriant stile of thy discourse doe chance to strike upon an obvious oath , art thou straight hurried into the bosome of a plague ? what if the custome of a harmlesse oath should captivate thy heedlesse tongue , can nothing under sudden judgment seiz upon the ? what if anothers diffidence should force thy earnest lips into a hasty oath , in confirmation of a suffering truth , must thou be straight ways branded with damnation ? was ioseph mark'd for everlasting death , for swearing by the life of egypts king ? was peter when he so denyed his master , straight damn'd for swearing , and forswearing ? o flatter not thy self my soul , nor turn thou advocate to so high a sin : make not the slops of saints a precedent for thee to fall . his arraignment . if the rebukes of flesh may not prevail , heare then the threatening of the spirit which saith , the plague shalt not depart from the house of the swearer . exod. . . thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , for the lord will not hold him guiltlesse , that taketh his name in vain . zach. . . and every one that sweareth shal be 〈◊〉 off . swear not at all , neither by heaven , for it is gods throne , nor by the earth , for it is his foot stoole : but let your communication be yea , yea , nay nay , for whatsoever is more then these , commeth of evill , mat. . . jer. . . because of swearing the land mourneth . his proofes . aug. in ser. the murtherer killeth the body of his brother , but the swearer murthers his own soule . aug. in psal. . it 's well that god hath forbidden man to sweare , lest by custome of swearing ( in as much as wee are apt to mistake ) we commit perjury : there 's none but god can safely sweare , because there 's no other but may be deceived . august , de mendacio . i say unto you , sweare not at all , lest by swearing ye come to a facility of swearing ; from a facility to a custome , and from a custome ye fell into perjury . his soliloquie . owhat a judgement is here ▪ how terrible ! how full of execution ! the plague ? the extract of all diseases ? none so mortall , none so comfortlesse ! it makes our house a prison , our friends strangers ; no comfort but in the expectation of the moneths end : i , but this judgement excludes that comfort too , the plague shal ne'r depart from the house of the swearer ; what never ? death will give it a period : no , but it shall bee intail'd upon his house , his family : o detestable ! o destructive sin ! that leaves a crosse upon the dores of generations , and layes whole families upon the dust : a fin whereto , neither profit incites , nor pleasure allures , nor necessity compels , nor inclination of nature perswades ; a meer voluntary , begun with a malignant imitation , and continued with an habituall presumption . consider o my soul , every oath hath been a naile to wound that saviour , whose blood ( o mercy above expression ! ) must save thee : be sensible of thy actions , and his sufferings : abhor thy self in dust and ashes , and magnifie his mercy that hath turn'd this judgment from thee . goe wash those wounds which thou hast made , with teares , and humble thy self with prayer & true repentance . his prayer . eternall and omnipotent god , before whose glorious name angels , and archangels bow and hide their faces , to which the blessed spirits and saints of thy triumphant church sing forth perpetuall hallelujah's , i a poor sprig of disobedient adam doe here make bold to take that holy name into my sin-polluted lips : i have hainously sinned o god against thee , and against it ; i have disparaged it in my thoughts , dishonoured it in my words , profaned it in my actions , and i know thou art a jealous god , and a consuming fire , as faithfull in thy promises , so fearfull in thy judgements , i therefore fly from the dreadfufll name of jehovah , which i have abused , to that gracious name of jesus , wherein thou art well pleased ; in that most sacred name o god , i fall before thee , and for his beloved sake o lord i come unto thee . cleanse thou my heart o god , and then my tongue shall praise thee : wash thou my soule , o lord , and then my lips shall blesse thee . work in my heart a feare of thy displeasure , and give me an awfull reverence of thy name . set thou a watch before my lips , that i offend not with my tongue ; let no respects intice me to be an instrument of thy dishonour ; and let thy attributes be precious in mine eyes , teach me the way of thy precepts , o lord , and make me sensible of all my offences : let not my sinful custome in finning against thy name take from my guilty soule the sense of my sin : give mee a respect unto all thy commandements , but especially preserve me from the danger of this my bosome sin . mollifie my heart at the rebukes of thy servants , and strike into my inward parts a feare of thy judgements : let all my communication bee order'd as in thy presence , and let the words of my mouth bee governed by thy spirit . avert those judgments from me which thy word hath threatned , and my sin hath deserved , and strengthen my resolution for the time to come ; work in me a true godly sorow , that it may bring forth in me a newnesse of life . sanctifie my thoughts with the continual meditation of thy commandements , and mortifie those passions which provoke mee to offend thee . let not the examples of others induce me to this sin , nor let the frailties of my flesh seek figleaves to cover it . seal in my heart the full assurance of thy reconciliation , and look upon me in the bowells of compassion , that crowning my weak desires with thy all-sufficient power , i may escape this judgement which thy justice hath threatned here , and obtaine that happinesse thy mercy hath promised hereafter . the procrastinators remora's . tell me no more of fasting , prayer , and death ; they fill my thoughts with dumps of melancholy . these are no subjects for a youthful ear , no contemplation for an active soul : let them whom sullen age hath weaned from aery pleasures , whom wayward fortun● hath condemn'd to sighs and groanes , whom sad diseases have beslaved to drugs and diets ; let them consume the remnant of their wretched dayes in dull devotion : let them afflict their aking soules with the untunable discourses of mortality ; let them contemplate on evill dayes , and read sharp lectures of their own experience : for me , my bones are full of unctious marrow , and my blood of sprightly youth : my faire and free estate secures me from the feares of fortunes frowne . my strength of constitution hath the power to grapple with sorrow , sicknesse , nay , the very pangs of death , and overcome . 't is true , god must bee sought ; what impious tongue dare be so basely bold to contradict so known a truth ? and by repentance too : what strange impiety dare deny it ? or what presumptuous lips dare disavow it ? but there 's a time for all things , yet none p●efixt for this , no day designed , but , at what time soever : if my unseasonable heart should seek him now , the work would bee too serious for so green a seeker . my thoughts are yet unsetled , my fancy yet too too gamesome , my judgment yet unsound , my will unsanctified ; to seeke him with an unprepared heart is the high way not to find him , or to find him with unsetled resolution is the next way to lose him ; and indeed it wants but little of profanenesse , to bee unseasonably religious . what is once to bee done , is long to bee deliberated . let the boyling pleasures of the rebellious flesh evaporate a little , and let me draine my boggy soul from those corrupted , inbred humors of collapsed nature , and when the tender blossomes of my youthfull vanity shall begin to fade , my setled understanding will begin to knot , my solid judgement will begin to ripen , my rightly guided will be resolved , both what to seek , and when to find , and how to prize : till then , my tender youth , in her pursuit , will bee disturb'd with every blast of honour , diverted with every f●ash of pleasure , misled by counsell , turned back with feare , puzled with doubt , interrupted by passion , withdrawne with prosperity , and discourag'd with adversity . his repulse . take heed my soule , when thou hast lost thy self in thy journey , how wilt thou finde thy god at thy journeys end ? whom thou hast lost by too long delay , thou wilt hardly find with too late a diligence . take time while time shall serve , that day may come wherein thou shalt seek the lord , but shalt not finde him , hos. . . esay . . seek the lord while he may be found , call upon him while ne is neare . heb. . . hee found no place for repentance , though he sought it with tears carefully . thou fool , this night will i take thy soule from thee . revel. . . i gave her a space to repent , but shee repented not ; behold therefore i will cast her . his proofs . greg. lib. mor. seek god whilst thou canst not see him , for when thou seest him , thou canst not find him ; seek him by hope , and thou shalt finde him by faith : in the day of grace hee is invisible , but neare ; in the day of judgement he is visible , but far off . ber. ser. . if we would not se●k god in vaine , l●t us seek him in truth , often , and constantly , let us not seeke another in stead of him , nor any other thing with him , nor for any other thing , leave him . his soliloquie . o my soul , thou hast sought wealth , and hast either not found it , or cares with it ; thou hast sought for pleasure , and hast found it , but no comfort in it : thou soughtest honour and hast found it , and perchance fallen with it ; thou soughtest friendship , and hast found it false ; society , and hast found it vaine ; and yet thy god , the fountaine of all wealth , pleasure , honour , friendship and society , thou hast slighted as a toy not worth the finding : be wise my soule , and blush at thy own folly . set thy desires on the right obj●ct : seek wisdom , and thou shalt find knowledge , and wealth , and honour , and length of days : seek heaven , and earth shall seek thee ; and deferre not thy inquest , lest thou lose thy opportunity : to day thou maist find him , whom to morrow thou mayst seek with teares and misse : yesterday is too late , to morrow is uncertain , to day is onely thine : i , but my soule , i feare my too long delay hath made this day too late ; fear not my soul , he that has given thee his grace to day , will forget thy neglect of yesterday , seek him therefore by true repentance , and thou shalt finde him in thy prayer . his prayer . o god , that like thy precious word art hid to none , but who are lost , and yet art found by all that seek thee with an upright heart , cast downe thy gracious eye upon a lost sheep of israel , strayed through the vanity of his unbridled youth , and wandred in the wildernesse of his own invention . lord , i have too much delighted in mine own ways , and have put the evil day too far from me ; i have wallowed in the pleasures of this deceitfull world , which perish in the using , & have neglected thee my god , at whose right hand are pleasures for ●vermore : i have drawn on iniquity , as with cart-ropes , and have committed evill with greedinesse : i have quencht the motions of thy good spirit ; and have delayed to seek thee by true and unfained repentance : in stead of seeking thee whom i have lost , i have withdrawne my self from thy presence when thou hast sought me . it were but justice therefore in thee to stop thine eares at my petitions , or turn my prayers as sin into my bosome : but lord , thou art a gracious god , and full of pity and unwearyed compassion , and thy loving kindnes is from generation to generation : lord , in not seeking thee , i have utterly lost my self , and if thou find me not , i am lost for ever , and if thou find me , thou canst not but find me in my sins , and then thou find'st me to my owne destruction . how miserable o lord is my condition ! how necessary is my confusion ! that have neglected to seek thee , and therefore am afraid to bee found of thee . but lord , if thou look upon the all-sufficient merits of thy son , thy justice will bee no loser in shewing mercy upon a sinner ; in his name therefore i present my self before thee ; in his merits i make my humble approach unto thee ; in his name i offer up my feeble prayers ; for his merits grant me my petitions . call not to minde the rebellions of my flesh , and remember not o god the vanities of my youth ; inflame my heart with the love of thy presence , and relish my meditations with the pleasure of thy sweetnesse . let not the consideration of thy justice overwhelm me in despaire , nor the meditation of thy mercy perswade mee to presume . sanctifie my will by the wifdome of thy spirit , that i may desire thee as the chiefest good . quicken my desires with a fervent zeale , that i may seeke my creator in the dayes of my youth ; ●each mee to seeke thee according to thy will , and then bee found according to thy promise , that living in mee here by thy grace , i may hereafter raign with thee in glory . the hypocrites prevarication . there is no such stuffe to make a cloake on as religion ; nothing so fashionable , nothing so profitable ; it is a livery , wherein a wise man may serve two masters , god and the world , and make a gainefull service by either : i serve both , and in both my selfe , in prevaricating with both . before man none serves his god with more severe devotion , for which , among the best of men i work my own ends , and serve my self . in private i serve the world , not with so strict devotion , but with more delight , where fulfilling of her servants lusts i work my end , and serve my self ; the house of prayer who more frequents then i ? in all christian duties who more forward then i ? i fast with those that fast , that i may eat with those that eat : i mourne with those that mourne : no hand more open to the cause then mine ; and in their families none prayes longer and with louder zeale : thus when the opinion of a holy life hath cryed the goodnesse of my conscience up , my trade can lack no custome , my wares can want no price , my words can need no credit , my actions can lack no praise . if i am covetous , it is interpreted providence ; if miserable , it is counted temperance ; if melancholy , it is construed godly sorrow ; if merry , it is voted spirituall joy ; if i bee rich , 't is thought the blessing of a godly life ; if poor , supposed the fruit of conscionable dealing ; if i be well spoken of , it is the merit of holy conversation ; if ill , it is the malice of malignants ; thus i sail with every winde , and have my end in all conditions . this cloake in summer keepes mee cool , in winter warm , and hides the nasty bag of all my secret lusts : under this cloake i walk in publik fairly , with applause , and in private sin-securely , without offence , and officiate wisely without discovery ; i compasse sea and land to make a proselyte , and no sooner made , but hee makes me . at a fast i cry geneva , and at a feast i cry rome . if i be poor , i counterfeit abundance to save my credit ; if rich , i dissemble poverty to save charges . i most frequent schismaticall lectures , which i find most profitable , from whence learning to divulge and maintaine new doctrines , they maintaine mee in suppers thrice a weeke ; i use the help of a lie , sometimes as a religious stratagem to uphold the gospel , and i colour oppression with gods judgement executed upon the wicked . charity i hold an extraordinary duty , therefore not ordinarily to be performed . what i openly reprove abroad for my own profit , that i secretly act at home , for my owne pleasure . his woe . but stay , i see a handwriting in my heart damps my soul , 't is charactered in these sad words , woe be to you hypocrites , mat. . . the triumphing of the wicked is short , and the joy of the bypocrite is but for a moment , job . . job . . the congregation of the hypocrites shall be desolate . psal. . . an hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor , but through knowledge shall the just be delivered . luke . . beware of the leaven of the pharisc●s , which is hypocrisie . job . . the hypocrites in heart heape up wrath , they die in their youth , and their life is amongst the unclean . his proofes . salvian . de gubern . dei . l. . the hypocrites love not those thing ▪ they professe , and what they pretend in words , they disclaime in practise ; their sin is the more damnable , because ushered in with pretence of piety , having the greater guilt , because it obtaines a goodly repute . hieron. ep. endeavour rather to be , then to be● thought holy ; for what profits i● thee to be thought to be what th●● art not ? and that man doubles hi● guilt , who is not so holy as the world thinks him , and counterfeit● that holinesse which he hath not . his soliloquie . how like a living sepulcher did i appeare ! without , beautified with gold and rich inventions ; within , nothing but a loathed corruption ; so long as this fair sepulcher was clos'd , it past for a curious monument of the builders art , but being opened by these spirituall keyes , 't is nothing but a recepta●le of offensive putrefaction : in what a nasty dungeon hast thou my soule , so long remain'd unstifled ? how wer 't thou wedded to thy owne corruptions , that couldst endure thy unsavoury filthinesse ? the world hated me , because i seemed good ; god hated mee , because i onely seemed good : i had no friend but my self , and this friend was my bosome enemy : o my soul , is there water enough in iordan to clense thee ? hath gilead balme enough to heale thy superannuated sores ? i have sinned , i am convinced , i am convicted ; gods mercy is above dimensions , when sinners have not sinned beyond repentance : art thou my soule truly penitent for thy sin ? thou hast free interest in his mercy ; fall then my soule before his mercy seat , and he will crown thy penitence with his pardon . his prayer . o god! before the brightnes of whose all-discerning eye , the secrets of my hearts appeare , before whose cleare omniscience the very entralls of my soul lie open , who art a god of righteousnesse and truth , and lovest uprightnesse in the inward parts : how can i chuse but feare to thrust into thy glorious presence , or move my sinfull lips to call upon that name which i so often have dishonoured , and made a cloake to hide the basenesse of my close transgressions ? lord , when i look into the progresse of my filthy life , my guilty conscience calls mee to so strict account , and reflects to mee so large an inventory of my presumptuous sins , that i commit a greater sinne in thinking them more infinite then thy mercy . but lord , thy mercies have no date , nor is thy goodnesse circumscribed . the gates of thy compassion are alwayes open to a broken heart , and promise entertainment to a contrite spirit ; the burthen of my sinnes is grievous , and the remembrance of my hypocrisie is intolerable : i have sinned against thy majesty with a high hand , but i repent mee from the bottome of an humble heart : as thou hast therefore given mee sorrow for my sinnes , so crowne that gift in the freenesse of remission : bee fully reconcil'd to me , through the all-sufficient merits of thy sonne my saviour , and seal in my afflicted heart the full assurance of thy gratious favour : be thou exalted o god above the heavens , and let mee praise thee with a single heart ; cleanse thou my inward parts o god , and purifie the closet of my polluted soul ; fix thou my heart o thou searcher of all secrets , and keep my affections wholly to thee . remove from mee all by and base respects , that i may serve thee with an upright spirit : take not the word of trueth out of my mouth , nor give me over to deceitfull lips : give mee an inward reverence of thy majesty , that i might openly confesse thee in the truth of my sincerity . be thou the only object , and end of all my actions , and let thy honour be my great reward : let not the hopes of filthy lucre , or the praise of men incline mee to thee , neither let the pleasures of the world , nor the feares of any losse entice me from thee . keep from mee those judgements my hypocrisie hath deserved , and strengthen my resolution to abhorre my former life : give mee strength o god to serve thee with a perfect heart in the newnesse of life , that i may bee dellvered from the old man , and the snares of death : then shall i praise thee with my entire affections , & glorifie thy name for ever and e●r . the ignorant mans faltering . you tell mee , and you tell me that i must be a good man , and serve god , and doe his will ; and so i doe for ought i know : i am sure i am as good as god has made mee , and i can make my self no better , so i cannot : and as for serving god , i am sure i go to church as well as the best in the parish , though i bee not so fine ; and i make no question , if i had better cloathes , but i should doe god as much credit as another man , though i say it : and as for doing gods will , i befhrew mee , i leave that to them that are booke-learn'd , and can doe it more wisely : i beleeve the vicar of our parish can doe it , and has done it too , as well as any within five miles of his head , and what need i trouble my selfe to doe what is so well done already ? i hope hee being so good a churchman , and so great a schollard , and can speake latine too , would not leave that to so simple a man as i. it is enough for mee to know , that god is a good man ; and that the ten commandements are the best prayers in all the book , unlesse it be the creede . and that i must love my neighbour as well as he loves mee , and for all other quilicoms , they shall never trouble my braines , an grace a god . let mee goe a sundayes and serve god , obey the king , ( god blesse him ) doe no man no wrong , say the lords prayer every morning and evening ; follow my worke , give a noble to the poore at my death , and then say lord have mercy upon mee , & go away like a lambe , i make no question but i shall deserve heaven as well as hee that weares a gayer coate : but yet i am not so ingrant neither , nor have not gone so often to church , but i know christ died for mee too , as well as for any other man : i 'de bee sorry else ; and that , next to our vicar , i shall goe to heaven when a i am dead as soone as another ; nay more , i know there bee two sacraments , bread and wine , and but two , ( though the papists say there be six or seven ) and that i verily beleeve i shall be saved by those sacraments , and that i love god above all , or else 't were pity of my life , and that when i am dead and rotten ( as our vicar told mee ) i shall rise again and be the same man i was . but for that , hee must excuse mee , till i have better sartifaction ; for all his learning , hee cannot make me such a fool , unlesse he shew me a better reason for 't , then yet he has done . his award . but one thing hee told mee , now i think on 't , troubles me woundly , namely , that god is my master , all which i confesse ; and that i must do his will ( whether i know how to doe it or no ) or else it will goe ill with me : i le read it ( he said ) out of gods bible , and i shall remember the words so long as i have a day to live , which are these , hee that knoweth not his masters will , and doth things worthy of stripes , shall be beaten with few stripes , luke . . cor. . . brethren be not children in understanding , howbeit in malice be ye children , but in understanding be men . his proofs . cor. . . awake to righteousnesse and sin not , for some have not the knowledge of god , i speak it to your shame . ephes . . walk not in the vanity of your minds having the understanding darkened , being alienated from the life of god , through the ignorance which is in you , because of the blindnesse of your hearts . levit. . . and if a soule sin and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the lord , though be wis● it not , yet is hee guilty , and shall beare his iniquity . thes. . , . the lord jesus shall bee revealed from heaven , with his mighty angels , in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god . greg. mag. moral . it is good to know much , and to live well ; but if we cannot attain both , it is better to desire piety then wisdome , for knowledge makes no man happy , nor doth blessednesse consist in intellectuals . the onely brave thing is a religious life . just . mart. resp. ad orthod. to sin against knowledge , is so much the greater offence then an ignorant trespasse , by how much the crime which is capable of no excuse ▪ is more hainous then the fault which admits a tolerable plea . his soliloquie . how wel it had been for thee o my soule , if i had bookelarnd ; alas i cannot read , and what i heare , i cannot understand ; i cannot profit as i should ; and therefore cannot be as good as i would , for which i am right sorry : that i cannot serve as wel as my betters , hath bin often a great griefe to mee , and that i have beene so ignorant in good things , hath been a great heart-breaking unto mee : i can say no prayers for want of knowledge to read , but our father , and the creed : but the comfort is , god knows my heart , but i trust in god [ our father ] being made by christ himselfe , will be enough for mee that know not how to make a better . i endeavour to doe all our vicar bids me ; and when i receive the communion , i truly forgive all the world for a fortnight after , or such a matter , but then some old injury makes mee forget my selfe , but i cannot help it , an my life should lie on t . o my ingrant soule , what shall i doe to bee saved ? all that i can say , is , lord have mercy upon me ; and all that i can doe , is , but to doe my good will , and that i le doe with all my heart , and say my prayers too as well as god will give me leave , an grace a god . his prayer . o god the father of heaven have mercy upon me miserable sinner ; i am , as i must needs confesse , a sinfull man , as my forefathers were before mee : i have heard many sermons , and have had many good lessons from the mouths of painfull ministers , but through the dulnesse of my understanding , and for want of learning i have not profited so much as else i should have done : spare me therefore o god , spare me whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious blood , and bee not angry for ever : i must confesse the painfulnesse of my calling , and the heavinesse of my own nature hath taken from mee the delight of hearing thy word , and the ignorance of learning which i was never brought up to , hath kept me from reading it , that insomuch , in stead of growing better i feare i have grown worse and worse ; and have bin so far from doing thy will , that i doe not understand what thy will is very well . but thou o mercifull god that didst reveale thy self to poore shepherds and fishermen that had no more learning then i , have mercy upon me for jesus christ his sake . thou that hast promised to instruct the simple , and to lead the ignorant into thy way , be good and mercifull to mee i beseech thee ; thou that drawest the needy out of the dust , and the poore out of the dunghill , give me the knowledge of thy will , and teach me how to serve thee : take from me the drowzinesse of my heart , open mine eyes that i may see the truth , and mine eares that i may understand thy word , and strengthen my memory that i may lay it up in my heart , and shew it in my life and vocation , to thy glory and my comfort , and the comfort of my friends . lord write thy wil in my heart , that when i know it , i may doe it willingly : o teach mee what thy pleasure is , that i may doe my best to performe it . give mee faith to lay hold of christ , who died for me , that after i am dead , i may arise againe , and live with him . give me a good heart that i may deale honestly with all men , and do as i would be done to . blesse me in my calling , and prosper the labour of my hands , that i may have enough to feed me and cloath me , and to give to the poore . mend all that is amisse in mee , and expect from me according to the measure thou hast given mee . forgive mee all my sins , and make mee willing to please thee , that living a good life , i may make a gratious death , and so at last i may come to heaven and live for ever , for jesus christ his sake , amen . the slothfull mans slumber . o what a world of curses , the eating of the forbidden fruit hath brought upon mankind ! and unavoidably entail'd upon the sons of men ! among all which no one appeares to mee more terrible and full of sorrow , and bewraying greater wrath , then that insufferable , that horrible punishment of labour , and to purchase bread with so extreame a price as sweat : but o what hap , what happinesse have they , whose dying parents have procured a quiet fortune for their unmolested children , and conveigh'd descended rents to their succeeding heirs , whose easie and contented lives may sit and suck the sweetnesse of their cumberless estates , and with their folded hands enjoy the delicates of this toilsome world ! how blessed , how delicious are those easie morsells , that can finde the way to my soft palat , and then attend upon the wanton leasure of my silken slumbers , without the painfull practise of my bosome-folded hands , or sad contrivement of my studious and contracted brows ! why should i tire my tender youth , and torture out my groaning dayes in toyle and travell ? and discompose the happy peace of my harmonious thoughts with painfull grinding in the common mill of dull mortality ? why should i rob my craving eyelids of their delightfull rest , to cark and care and purvey for that bread which every work-abhorring vagabond can finde of almes at every good mans doore ? why should i leave the warm protection of my care-beguiling doune , to play the droyling drudge for daily food , when the young empty ravens ( that have no hands to worke , nor providence , but heaven ) can call and be supplyed ? the pale fac'd lilly , and the blushing rose , neither spinnes nor sows , yet princely solomon was never robed with so much glory . and shall i then afflict my body , and beslave my heaven-born soule to purchase rags to cloath my nakednesse ? is my condition worse then sheep , ordain'd for slaughter , that crop the springing grasse , cloath'd warme in soft arrayment , purchas'd without their providence or pains ? or shall the pamper'd beast that shines with fatnesse , and grows wanton through his carefull groomes indulgence , find better measure at the worlds too partiall hands then i ? come , come , let those take pains that love to leave their names inrol'd in memorablemonuments of parchment ; the day has grief enough without my helpe ; and let to morrowes shoulders beare to morrows burthens . but stay my soule , o stay thy rash resolves , take heed whilst thou avoid the punishment of sin , labour , thou meet not the reward of idlenesse , a judgement ; the idle foule shall suffer hunger , prov. . . eccles. . . by much slothfulnes the building decayeth , and through idlenesse of the hands the house droppeth thorough . exod. . . behold , this was the iniquity of thy sister sodome , pride , fulnesse of bread , and abundance of idleness was in her , and in her daughters , neither did shee strengthen the hand of the poore and needy . prov. . , , . go to the pismire o sluggard , behold her wayes , and be wise . for she having no guide , governour , nor ruler , prepareth her meat in summer , and gathereth her food in harvest . his proofes . nilus in paraenes . idlenesse is the wombe or fountain of all wickednesse ; for it consumes and wasts the riches and vertues which we have already , and disinables us to get those we have not . nilus in paraen . woe be to the idle soule , for he shall hunger after that which his riot consumed . his soliloquy . how presumptuously hast thou my soul , transgrest the expresse commandement of thy god! how hast thou dasht thy self against his judgements ! how hath thy undeserving hand usurpt thy diet , and wearest on thy back the wages of the painefull soule ! art thou not condemned to rags , to famine , by him whose law commanded thee to labour ? and yet thou pamper'st up thy sides with stollen food , and yet thou deck'st thy wanton body with unearn'd ornaments ; whiles they that spend their daily strength in their commanded callings ( whose labour gives them interest in them ) want bread to feed , and rags to cloath them . thou art no young raven my soule , no lilly : where ability to labour is , there providence meets action , and crowns it : he that forbids to cark for to morrow , denies bread to the idlenesse of to day : consider , o my soule thy owne delinquency , and let imployment make thee capable of thy gods protection : the bird that sits , is a faire mark for the fowler , while they that use the wing escape the danger ; follow thy calling , and heaven will follow thee with his blessing : what thou hast formerly omitted , present repentance may redeeme , and what judgements god hath threatned , early petitions may avert . his prayer . most great and most glorious god , who for the sin of our first parents hast condemned our fraile bodies to the punishment of labour , and hast commanded every one a calling and a trade of life , that hatest idlenesse as the root of evill , and threatnest poverty to the slothfull hand ; i thy poore suppliant convicted by thy judgments and conscious of my own transgression , fly from my self to thee , and humbly appeale from the high tribunall of thy justice , and seek for refuge in the sanctuary of thy mercy : lord , i have led a life displeasing to thee , and have been a scandall to my profession ; i have slighted those blessings which thy goodnesse hath promised to a conscionable calling , and have swallowed downe the bread of idlenesse ; i have impaired the talent thou gavest me , and have lost the opportunity of doing much good● i have filled my heart with idle imaginations , and have laid my selfe open to the lusts of the flesh● i have abused thy favours in the misexpending of my precious time , and have taken no delight in thy sabbaths ; i have doted too much on the pleasures of this world , and like a droane have fed upon the hony of bees . if thou o god shouldst be extreme to search my wayes with too severe an eye , thou couldst not choose but whet thy indignation , and powre the vialls of thy wrath upon me : look therefore not upon my sins , o lord , but through the merits of my saviour , who hath made a full satisfaction for all my sins : what through my weaknesse i have fail'd to doe , the fulnesse of his sufferings hath most exactly done ; in him o god in whom thou art well pleased , and for his sake bee gracious to my sin ; alter my heart and make it willing to please thee , that in my life i may adorne my profession : give me a care and a conscience in my calling , and grant thy blessing to the lawfull labours of my hand ; let the fidelity of my vocation improve my talent , that i may enter into my masters joy ; rouze up the dulnesse and deadnesse of my heart , and quench those flames of lust within mee . assist mee o god in the redemption of my time , and deliver my soule from the evilnesse of my dayes ; let thy providence accompany my moderate endeavours , and let all my employments depend upon thy providence , that when the labours of this sinfull world shall cease , i may feel and enjoy the benefit of a good conscience , and obtain the rest of new jerusalem in the eternity of glory . the proud mans ostentation . i 'le make him feel the weight of displeasure , and teach him to repent his saucy boldnesse : how dare his basenesse once presume to breath so near my person , much more to take my name into his dunghill mouth ? me thinks the lustre of my sparkling eye might have had the power to astonish him into good manners , and sent him backe to cast his minde into a fair petition , humbly presented with his trembling hand . but thus to presse into my presence , to presse so neer my face , and then to speake , and speake to me , as if i were his equall , is more then sufferable : the way to be contemn'd is to digest contempt , but he that would be honour'd by the vulgar must wisely keep a distance : a countenance that 's reserv'd breeds fear and observation : but affability and too easie an accesse makes fooles too bold , and reputation cheap : what price i set upon my owne deserts , instructs opinion how to prize me : that which base ignorance miscalls thy pride , is but a conscious knowledge of thy merits : dejected soules craven'd with their own distrusts , are the worlds footballs to be kickt and spurnd ; but brave and true heroick spirits , that know the strength of their owne worth , shall baffold basenesse , and presumption into a reverentiall silen●e , and spi●e of envie flourish in an honourable repute come then my soule advance thy noble , thy ub●imer thoughts , and prize thy ●elf according to tho●e parts , which all may wonder at , ●ew imitate , but none can equall : let not the insolent affronts of vassals interrupt thy peace , nor seem one scruple lesse then what thou art : be thou thy selfe , respect thy selfe , receive thou honour from thy selfe , rejoyce thy self in thy self , and prize thy selfe for thy selfe ; like cesar admit no equall and like pompey acknowledge no superiour . be covetous of thine owne honour , and hold anothers glory as thy injury . renounce humilitie as an heresie in reputation , and meeknesse as the worst disease of a true-bred noble spirit ; disparage worth in all but in thy selfe , and make anothers infamy a foyl to magnifie thy glory . let such as have no reason to be proud , be humbled of necessity , and let them that have no parts to value , be despondent . but as for thee , thy cards are good , and having skill enough to play thy hopefull game , vie boldly , conquer and triumph . his desolation . but stay my soule , the trump is yet unturn'd , boast not too soon , nor call it a faire day till night , the turning of a hand may make such alterations , in thy flattering fortunes , that all thy glorious expectations may chance to end in losse , and unsuspected ruine . that god which thrust that babylonian prince from his imperiall throne , to graze with beasts , hath said , the lord will destroy the house of the proud , prov. . . prov. . when pride cometh , then cometh shame , but with the lowly is wisedome . ier. . . heare ye , and give eare , and be not proud , for the lord hath spoken . esay . . the day of the lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud , and lofty , and upon every one that is lifted up , and he shall be brought low . prov. . . every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the lord . st. james . god rejecteth the proud , and giveth grace to the simple . his proofs . isidor . hispal . pride made satan fall from the highest heaven , therefore they that pride themselvs in their virtues , imitate the devill ; and fall more dangerously , because they aspire and climbe to the highest pitch , from whence is the greatest fall . greg. mor. pride grows stronger in the root whilst it braves it selfe with presumptuous advances , yet the higher it climbes the lower it fals : for he that heightens himselfe by his owne pride , is alwaies destroyed by the judgement of god . his soliloquy . how wert thou muffled o my soule ! how were thine eies blinded with the corruption of thine owne heart ! when i beheld my selfe by my own light , i seem'd a glorious thing ; my sunne knew no eclipse . and all my imperfections were gilded over with vain-glory : but now the day-spring from above hath shind upon my heart , and the diviner light hath driven away those foggy mists ; i finde my selfe another thing : my diamonds are all turn'd pebbles , and my glory is turnd to shame . o my deceived soule , how great a darknesse was thy light ? the thing that seemd so glorious , and sparkled in the night , by day appeares but rotten wood : and that bright glow-worme , that in darknesse out shined the chrysolue , is by this new-found light no better then a crawling worm : how inseparable o my soule is pride and f●lly which like hippocrates twins still live and die together ? it blinds the eye , befools the judgement , knows no superiours , hates equals , disdaines inferiours , the wisemans scorne , and the fooles idoll ; renounce it o my soule , lest thy god renounce thee ; he that hath threatned to resist the proud , hath promised to give grace to the humble and what true repentance speaks , free mercy heares and crownes . his prayer . o god the fountain of all true glory , and the giver of all free grace , whose name is onely honourable , and whose workes are onely glorious , that shewest thy wayes to be meek , and takest compassion upon an humble spirit , that hatest the presence of a lofty eye , and destroyest the proud in the imaginations of their hearts , vouchsate , o lord , thy gracious eare and hear the sighing of a contrite heart : i know o god the quality of my sin can look for nothing but the extremity of thy wrath : i know , the crookednesse of my condition can expect nothing but the fornace of thy indignation ; i know , the insolence of my corrupted nature can hope for nothing but the execution of thy judgements : yet lord , i know withall , thou art a gracious god , of evill repenting thee , and slow to wrath ; i know thy nature and property is to shew compassion ; apt to conceive but readier to forgive : i know thou takest no pleasure in destruction of a sinner , but rather that hee should repent and live : in confidence and full assurance whereof i am here prostrate on my bended knees , and with an humbleheart : nor doe i presse into thy holy presence , trusting in my own merits , lest thou shouldest deale by me as i have dealt by others , but being encouraged by thy gracious invitation , and heavy laden with the burthen of my sinnes , i come to thee o god , who art the refuge of a wounded soule , and the sanctuary of a broken spirit : forgive , o god , forgive me , what is past recalling , and make me circumspect for the time to come : open mine eyes that i may see how vaine a thing i am , and how polluted from my very birth : give me an insight of my owne corruptions , that i may truly know , and loath my selfe . take from me all vaine-glory , and self love , and make me carelesse of the worlds applause : endue me with an humble heart , and take this haughty spirit from me ; give me a true di●covery of my owne merits , that i may truely fear and tremb●e at thy judgements . let not the worlds contempt deject me , nor the disrespects of man dismay me . take from mee o god a scornfull eye and curb my tongue that speaks presumptuous things : plant in my heart a brotherly love , and cherish in me a charitable affection ; possesse my my soule with patience o god . and establish my heart in the feare of thy name , that being humbled before thee in the meeknesse of my spirit , i may be exalted by thee through the freenesse of thy grace , and crowned with thee in the kingdome of glory . the covetous mans care . beleive me , the times a●e hard and dangerous : charity is grown cold , and friends uncomfortable ; an empty purse is full of sorrow , and hollow bags make a heavy heart : poverty is a civill pestilence , which frights away both friends and kindred , and leaves us to a lord have mercy upon us : it is a sicknes very catching and infectious , and more commonly abhord then cured : the best antidote against it is angelico , and providence , and the best cordiall is aurum potabile . gold-taking fasting is an approved soveraigne . debts are all humours , and turne at last to dangerous obstructions ; lending is a meer consumption of the radicall humour , and if consumed , brings a patient to nothing . let others trust to courtiers promises , to friends performances , to princes favours ; give me a toy call'd gold give me a thing call'd mony . o blessed mammon , how extreamly sweet is thy all-commanding presence to my thriving soule ! in banishment thou art my deare companion ; in captivity , thou art my precious ransome . in trouble and vexation thou art my dainty rest . in sicknes , thou art my health ; in griefe , my only joy ; in all extremity , my only trust : vertue must vaile to thee ; nay grace it self not relisht with thy sweetnes would even displeas the righteous palates of the sons of men . come then my soul , advise , contrive , project : go , compasse sea , and land : leave no exploit untryed , no path untrod , no time unspent ; afford thine eyes no sleep , thy head no rest : neglect thy ravenous belly , uncloath thy backe ; deceive , betray , sweare and forsweare to compasse such a friend , if thou be base in birth , 't will make thee honorable ; if weak in power , it will make thee formidable : are thy friends few ? it will make them numerous . is thy cause bad ? it wi●l make thee advocates . true wisedom is an excellent help , in case it bend this way ; and learning is a gentile ornament if not too chargeable : yet by your leave they are but estates for term of life : but everlasting gold , if well advantag'd will not onely blesse thy da●es , but thy surviving children from generation to g●neration . come come et others fill their br●ines with deare bought wit , turn their pence in●o expence●ull charity , and store their bosomes with unprofitable p●ety , let them lose all to save their ●maginary consciences , and begger them●elves at home to be thought honest abroad ; fill thou thy ●agg●s and barnes , and ay up for many ye●rs and take thy rest . his proofs . but o my soule , what follows , wounds my heart and strikes me on my knees . thou foole , this night will i take thy soul from thee , luk. , . matth. . . ye cannot serve god and mammon . job . . he hath swallowed down riches , and he shall vomit them up again : god shall cast them out of his belly . prov. . . he that is greedy of gaine troubles his own house , but he that hateth gifts shall live . pet. . . through covetousnesse they shall with feigned wo●ds make merchandize of you , whose judgement now of a long time ling●eth not , and whose damnation slumbreth not . nilus in paraenes . woe to the covetous , for his riches forsake him , and hell fire takes him . augustine o thou covetous man , why dost thou treasure up such hidden mischiefe ? why dost thou dote on the image of the king stamped on coine , and hatest the image of god that shines in men ? augustine . the riches which thou treasurest up are lost , those thou charitably bestowest , are truly thine . his soliloquy . vvhat thinkst thou now my soule ? if the judgement of holy men may not inform thee , let the judgements of thy angry god en●orce thee : weigh thy owne carnall effections with the sacred oracles of heaven , and light and darknesse are not more contrary . what thou approvest , thy god condemnes ; what thou desirest , thy god forbids : now my soul , if mammon be god , follow him ; if god be god , adhere to him ; thou canst not serve god and mammon . if thy conscience feele the hook , nibble no longer . many sinnes leave thee in the way , this followes thee to thy lives end ; the root of evill , the canker of all goodnesse : it blinds justice , poysons charity , strangles conscience , beslave● the affections , betrayes friendship , breaks all relations : it is a root of the devils owne planting ; pluck it up : think not that a pleasure which god hath threatned ; nor that a blessing which heaven hath cursed : devoure not that which thou or thy heire must vomit up : be no longer possest with such a devill , but cast him out : and if he be too strong , weaken him by fasting , and exorcize him by prayer . his prayer . o god that art the fulnesse of all riches , and the magazeen of all treasure in the enjoyment of whose favour the smalest morsell is a rich inheritance , and the coursest poulse is a large portion ; without whose blessing the greatest plenty enriches not , and the highest diet nourishes not : how have i ( an earthworm and no man ) fixt my whole heart upon this transitory world , and neglected thee the only desirable good ! i blush o lord , to confesse the basenesse of my life , and am utterly asham'd of my own foolishnesse : i have placed my affections upon the nasty rubbish of this world , and have slighted the inestimable pearl of my salvation ; i have wallowed in the mire of my inordinate desires , and refused to bee washt in the streams of thy compassion ; i have put my confidence in the faithfulnesse of my servant , and have doubted the providence of thee my gratious father ; i have served unrighteous mammon with greedinesse , and have preferred drosse and dung before the pearly gates of new jerusalem . thou hast promised to be all in all to those that fear thee , and not to fail the soul that trusts in thee ; but i refused thy gratious offer , and put my confidence in the vanity of the creature : but gratious god ▪ to whom true repentance never comes unseasonable , that findest an eare when sinners finde a tongue regard the contrition of a bleeding heart , and withdraw not thy mercy from a pensive soule . give mee new thoughts o god , and with thy holy spirit new mould my desires : inform my will and sanctify my affections , that they may rellish thy sweetnesse with a full delight : create in me o god a spirituall sense , that i may take pleasure in things that are above : give mee a contented thankfulnesse for what i have , that i may neither in poverty forsake thee , nor in plenty forget thee ; arm me with a continuall patience , that i may chearfully put my trust in thy providence : moderate my care for momentary things , that i may use the world as if i used it not : let not the losse of any earthly good too much deject me , lest i should sinne with my lips , and charge thee foolishly : give me a charitable hand o god , and fill my heart with brotherly compassion , that i may chearfully exchange the corruptible treasure of this world into the incorruptible riches of the world to come , and proving a faithfull steward in thy spirituall houshold , i may give up my account with joy , and be made partaker of thy eternall joy in the kingdome of thy glory . the self-lovers self-fraud . god hath required my heart , and he shall have it : god hath commanded truth in the inward parts , and he shall be obeyed : my soule shall prayse the lord , and all that is within me , and i will serve him in the strength of my desires . and in common cases the tongues profession of his name is no lesse then necessary : but when it lies upon a life , upon the saving of a livelyhood , upon the flat undoing of a reputation , the case is altered : my life is deare , my faire possessions pretious , and my reputation is the very apple of mine eye . to save so great a stake , me thinks equivocation is but veniall , if a sinne . ●f the true loyalty of mine heart stands sound to my religion and my god ; my well-informed conscience tels me that in such extremities my frighted tongue may take the priviledge of a salvo or a mentall reservation , if not in the expression of a faire compliance . what ? shall the reall breach of a holy sabbath , dedicated to gods highest glory , be tolerated for the welfare of an oxe ? may that breach be set upon the score of mercy , and commended above sacrifice for the savegard of an asse ? and may i not dispence with a bare lippe deniall of my urg'd religion for the necessary preservation of the threatned life of a man ? for the saving of the whole livelyhood and subsistence of a christian ? what ? shall i perish for the want of ●ood , and die a martyr to that foolish conscience which forbids me to rub the eares of a little standing corne ? iacob could purchase his sick fathers blessing with a down-right lie , and may i not dissemble for a life ? the young mans great possessions taught his timerous tongue to shrink from and decline his hearts profession , and who could blame him ? come , if thou freely give thy house , canst thou in conscience be denied a hiding room for thy protection ? the syrian captain ( he whose heart was fixt on his now firme resolv'd , and true devotion ) reserved the house of rimmon for his necessary attendance , and yet went in peace . peter ( upon the rock of whose confession , the church was grounded ) to save his liberty , with a false , nay with a perjur'd tongue ; nay more , at such a time when as the lord of life ( in whose behalf he drew his sword ) was questioned for his innocent life , denied his master ; and shall i be so great an unthrift of my blood , my life , to lose it for a meere lippe-deniall of that religion which now is setled and needs no blood to seale it ? his retribution . but stay ! my conscience checks me , there 's a judgement thunders ; hark ; he that denies me before men , him will i deny before my father which is in heaven , matth. . . tim. . , . know that in the latter dayes perillous times shall come : for men shall be lovers of their owne selves . isai. . . i have sworn by my selfe , the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse , and shall not returne , that unto me every knee shall bow , and every tongue shall sweare . rom. . . with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse , and with the mouth confession is made to salvation . luke . . whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words , of him shall the son of man be ashamed , when he shall come in glory . his proofs . augustine . the love of god and the world are two different things ▪ if the love of this world dwell in thee , the love of god forsakes thee ; renounce that , and receive this , it 's fit the more noble love should have the best place and acceptance . theoph. it is n●t enough onely to beleeve with the heart , for god will have us confess with our mouth ; every one that confesses christ is god , shall finde christ professing to the father that that man is a faithfull servant ; but those that deny christ shall receive ( that fearful doom nescio vos ) i know you not . his soliloquy . my soule , in such a time as this when the civill sword is warme with slaughter , and the wasting kingdom welters in her blood , wouldst thou not give thy life to ransome her from ruine ? is not the god of heaven and earth worth many kingdomes ? is thy welfare more considerable then his glory ? dar'st thou deny him for thy owne owne ends , that denied thee nothing for thy good ? is a poore clod of earth we call inheritance , prizable with his greatnesse ? or a puffe of breath we call life , valuable with his honour , in comparison of whom the very angels are impure ? blush o my soule at thy owne guilt : he that accounted his blood , his life not worth the keeping to ransome thee a wretch , lost by thy own rebellion , deserves he not the abatement of a lust , to keep him from a new crucifying ? my soule , if religion binde thee not , if judgements terrifie thee not , if naturall affection incline thee not , yet let common reason perswade thee to love him above a trifle , that loved thee above his life : and thou that hast so often denied him , denie thy selfe for ever , and he will own thee ; repent and hee 'l pardon thee , pray to him and he will heare thee his prayer . o god , whose glory is the end of my creation , and whose free mercy is the cause of my redemption , that gavest thy sonne , thy onely sonne to die for me , who else had perished in the common deluge of thy wrath ; what shall i render for so great a mercy ? what thankfulnesse shall i returne ●or so infinite a love ? alas the most that i can do is nothing , the best that i can present is worse then nothing , sinne : lord , if i yeeld my body for a sacrifice , i offer nothing but a lumpe of filth , and loathsome putrefaction ; or if i give my soul in contribution , i yeeld thee nothing but thy image quite defaced and polluted with my lusts ; or if i spend the strength of the whole man , and with both heart and tongue confesse and magnifie thy name ; how can the praises of my sinfull lips , that breath from such a sink , be pleasing to thee ? but lord , since thou art pleased in thy well-pleasing son to accept the poverty of my weak endeavours , send downe thy holy spirit into my heart , clense it from the filth of my corruptions , and make it fit to praise thee : lord open thou my mouth , and my lips shall shew forth thy praise put a new song into my mouth , and i will praise thee and confesse thee all day long ; i will not hide thy goodnesse in my mouth , but will be showing forth thy truth , and thy salvation ; let thy praises be my honour , and let thy goodnesse be the subject of my undaunted song . let neither reputation , wealth nor life be pretious to me in comparison with thee : let not the worlds derision daunt mee nor examples of infirmity deject me : give mee courage and wisedome to stand for thy honour ; o make mee worthy , able and willing to suffer for thy name . lord teach me to deny my selfe , and to resist the motions of my owne corruptions ; create in mee o god a single heart , that i may love the lord jesus in sincerity ; remember not o lord the sinnes of my feare , and pardon the hypocrisie of my self-love . wash me from the staines and guilt of this my hainous offence , and deliver me from this fearfull judgement thou hast threatned in thy word : convince all the arguments of my unsanctified wit , whereby i have become an advocate to my sinne . grant that my life may ador●e my profession , and make my tongue an instrument of thy glory . assist me o god that i may praise thy goodnesse , and declare thy wonders among the children of men : strengthen my faith that it may trust thee ; and let my works so shine that men may praise thee ; that my heart beleeving unto righteousnesse , and my tongue confessing to salvation , i may be acknowledg'd by thee here , and glorified by thee in the kingdome of glory . the worldly mans verdour . for ought j see the case is even the same with him that prayes , and him that does not pray ; with him that sweares and him that feares an o●th : i see no difference ; if any , those that they call the wicked have the advantage . their crops are even as faire , their flocks as numerous as theirs that weare the ground with their religious knees , and fast their bodies to a skelliton ; nay in the use of blessings ( which only makes them so ) they farre exceed ; they terme me reprobate , and stile me unregenerate : 't is true , i eate my labours with a jolly heart ; drinke frolick cups ; sweeten my paines with time-beguiling sports , make the best advantage of my owne , pray when i thinke on 't , sweare when they urge me , hear sermons at my leasure ; follow the lusts of my owne eyes , and take the pleasure of my own wayes ; and yet , god be thanked , my barnes are furnisht , my sheep stand sound , my cattle strong for labour , my pastures rich and flourishing my body healthfull , and my bags are full : whilst they that are so pure , and make such conscience of their wayes , that run to sermons , figge to lectures , pray thrice a day by the houre , hold faith and tr●th prophane , and drinking healths a sinne , do often finde leane harvests , easie flocks , and emptie purses : let them be godly that can live on aire and faith ; and eaten up by zeale , can whine themselves into an hospi●all , or blesse their lips with charitable scrapps . if godlinesse have this reward , to have short meals for long prayers , weake estates for strong faiths , and good consciences upon such bad conditions , let them boast of their pennyworths , and let me be wicked still , and take my chance as falls . let me have judgement to discover a profitable farme , and wit to take it at an easie rent , and gold to stock it in a liberall manner , and skill to manage it to my best advantage , and luck to finde a good encrease , and providence to husband wisely what i gaine , i seek no further , and i wish no more . husbandry and religion are two severall occupations , and look two severall wayes , and he is the onely wise man can reconcile them . his withering . but stay , my soule , i fear thy reckoning failes thee ; if thou hast judgement to discover ; wit , to bargaine ; gold , to employ ; skill , to manage ; providence to dispose ; canst thou command the clouds to drop ? or if a wet season meet thy harvest , and with open sluces overwhelme thy hopes ; canst thou let downe the floodgates , and stop the watry flux ? canst thou command the sunne to shine ? canst thou forbid the mildewes , or controll the breath of the malignant east ? is not this gods sole prerogative ? and hath not that god said , when the workers of iniquity doe flourish , it is that they shall bee destroyed for ever , psal. . . job . . . wherefore do the wicked live , become old , ye are mighty in power ? . their seed is establisht in their sight , and their off-spring before their eyes . . their houses are safe from fear , neither is the wrath of god upon them . . their bull gendereth , and faileth not , their cow calveth , and casteth not her calfe . . they send forth their little ones like a flock , and their children daunce . . they take the timbrell , and the harp , and rejoyce at the sound of the organ . . they spend their dayes in wealth , and in a moment they go downe to the grave . his proofs . nil . in paraenes . wee be to him that pursues empty and fading pleasures : because in a short time he fats , and pampers himself as a calf to the slaughter . bernard . there is no misery more true and reall , then false and counterfeit pleasure . hierom. it 's not onely difficult , but impossible to have heaven here and hereafter : to live in sensuall lusts , and to attain spirituall blisse ; to passe from one paradise to another , to be a mirrour of felicity in both worlds , to shine with glorious rayes both in this globe of earth , and the orbe of heaven . his soliloquy . how sweet a feast is , till the reckoning come ! a fair day ends often in a cold night , and the road that 's pleasant , ends in hell : if worldly pleasures had the promise of continuance , prosperity were some comfort ; but in this necessary vicissitude of good and evill , the prolonging of adversity sharpens it : it is no common thing , my soule , to enjoy two heavens : dives found it in the present , lazarus in the future : hath thy encrease met with no damage ? thy reputation with no scandall ? thy pleasure , with no crosse ? thy prosperity , with no adversity ? presume not : gods checks are symptomes of his mercy : but his silence is the harbinger of a judgement . be circumspect , and provident my soule : hast thou a faire summer ? provide for a hard winter : the worlds river ebbes alone ; it flowes not : hee that goes merrily with the stream must hale up : flatter thy selfe therefore no longer in thy prosperous sin , o my deluded soule ! but be truly sensible of thy own presumption : look seriously into thy approaching danger , and humble thy self with true contrition : if thou procure sowre herbs , god will provide his passeover . his prayer . how weake is man o god , when thou forsakest him ! how foolish are his counsels , when he plots without thee ! how wild his progresse , when he wanders from thee ! how miserable till he returne unto thee ! how his wit failes ! how his wisedome falters ! how his wealth melts ! how his providence is befool'd ! and how his soule beslav'd ! thou strik'st off the chariot wheeles of his inventions , and he is perplext : thou confoundest the babel of his imaginations , and he is troubled : thou crossest his designes that he may feare thee , and thou stopst him in his wayes that he may know thee . how mercifull art thou o god , and in thy very judgements lord how gracious ! thou mightst have struck me into the lowest pit as easily as on these bended knees , and yet been justified in my confusion : but thou hast threatned like a gentle father , as loth to punish thy ungracious childe . thou knowest the crooked thoughts of man are vaine , still turning point to their contrivers ruine ; thou saw'st me wandring in the maze of death , whilst i with violence pursued my owne destruction : but thou hast warn'd me by thy sacred word , and took me off that i might live to praise thee . thou art my confidence o god ; thou art the rock , the rocke of my salvation . thy word shall be my guide , for all thy paths are mercy and truth : lord when i look upon my former worldlinesse , i utterly abhorre my conversation : strengthen mee with thy assistance , that i may lead a new life ; make me more and more sensible of my own condition , and perfect thou the good worke thou hast begun in me : in all my designes be thou my counsellour , that i may prosper in my undertakings . in all my actions be thou my guide , that i may keep the path of thy cōmandements , let all my own devises come to nought , lest i presume upon the arme of flesh ; let not my wealth encrease without thy blessing , lest i be fatted up against the day of slaughter : have thou a hand in all my just imployments , then prosper thou the worke of my hands , o prosper thou my handy-worke : that little i enjoy , confirme it to me , and make it mine , who have no interest in it till thou owne me as thy child : then shall my soule rejoyce in thy favours , and magnifie thy name for all thy mercies : then shall my lips proclaim thy loving kindnesse , and sing thy praises for ever and ever . the lascivious mans heaven . can flesh and blood bee so unnaturall to forget the lawes of nature ? can blowing youth immure it selfe within the icey walls of vestall chastity ? can lusty diet , and mollicious rest bring forth no other fruits , but faint desires , rigid thoughts , and phlegmatick , conceits ? should we be stocks and stones and ( having active souls ) turne altogether passives ? must we turne ancherites and spend our dayes in caves , and hermitages , and smother up our pretious hours in cloysterd folly , and recluse devotion ? can rosy cheeks , can ruby lips , can snowy brests and sparkling eyes , present their beauties and perfections to the sprightly view of young mortality , and must we stand like statues without sense or motion ? can strict religion impose such cruell tasks and even impossible commands upon the raging thoughts of her unhappy votaries , as to withstand and contradict the instinct , and very principles of nature ? can faire-pretending piety be so barbarous to condemn us to the flames of our affections , and make us martyrs to our own desires ? is 't not enough to conquer the rebellious actions of imperious flesh , but wee must manacle her hands , darken her eyes ; nay worse , restrain the freedom of her very thoughts ? can full perfection be expected here ? or can our work bee perfect in this vale of imperfection ? this were a life for angels , but a task too hard for frail , for transitory man . come , come , wee are but men , but flesh and blood , and our born frailties cannot grapple with such potent tyranny . what nature and necessity requires us to doe , is veniall , being done . come , strive no more against so strong a stream , but take thy fill of beauty ; solace thy wanton heart with amorous contemplations , cloathe all thy words with courtly rhetorick , and soften thy lips with dialects of love ; surfet thy selfe with pleasure , and melt thy passion into warm delights ; walk into natures universall bower , and pick what flower does most surprize thine eye ; drink of all waters , but bee tied to none . spare neither cost nor paines , to compasse thy desires : enjoy varieties ; emparadise thy soule in fresh delights . the change of pleasure makes thy pleasure double : ravish thy senses with perpetuall choyce , and glut thy soule with all the delicates of love . but hold ! there is a voyce that whispers in my troubled eare , a voyce that blanks my thoughts , and stops the course of my resolves ; a voyce that chils the bosom of my soul , and fils me with amazement : hark , they which doe such things , shall not inherit the kingdom of god , gal. . . exodus thou shalt not commit adultery . matthew . . whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her , hath committed adultery with her already in his heart rom. . let us walk honestly as in the day , not in rioting , nor in drunkennesse , nor in chambering , nor in wantonnesse peter . . abstain from fleshly lusts , which warre against the soule his proofes . nilus in paraen . woe be to the fornicator and adulterer , for his garment is defiled and spotted , and the heavenly bridegroom casts him out from his chast nuptials . a world of presumptuous and haynous offences do arise and spring from the filthy fountain of adulterous lust , whereby the gate of heaven is shut , and poore man excluded from god . s gregor. mor. hence the flesh lives in sensuall delights for a moment , but the immortall soule perisheth for ever his soliloquy , lust is a brand of originall fire , raked up in the embers of flesh and blood ; uncoverd by a naturall inclination , blown by corrupt communication , quencht with fasting and humiliation : it is raked up in the best , uncovered in the most , and blown in thee , o my lustfull soule ; o turn thy eare from the pleadings of nature , and make a covenant with thine eyes : let not the language of d●lilah inchant thee , lest the hands of the philistims surprize thee : review thy past pleasures , with the charge and paines thou hadst to compasse them , and shew me , where 's thy pennyworth ? foresee what punishments are prepar'd to meet thee , and tell mee , what 's thy purchase ? thou hast batterd away thy god for a lust ; sold thy eternity for a trifle ; if this bargain may not bee r●cald by teares , dissolve thee o my soule into a spring of waters : if not to bee reverst with price , reduce thy whole estate into a sack cloth , and an ash tub . thou whose ●iver hath scorcht in the flames of lust , humble thy heart in the ashes of repentance : and as with esau thou hast sold thy birthright for broth , so with jacob wrestle by prayer till thou get a blessing . his prayer . o god , before whose face the angels are impure ; before whose clear omniscience all actions appear , to whom the very secrets of the hearts are open ; i here acknowledge to thy glory and my shame , the filthinesse and vile impurity of my nature : lord i was filthy in my very conception , and in filthines my mothers wombe enclosed me , brought forth in filthinesse , and filthy in my very innocency , filthy in the motions of my flesh , and filthy in the apprehensions of my soul : my words all cloath'd with filthinesse , and in all my actions filthy and unclean , in my inclination filthy , and in the whole course of my life nothing but a continued filthinesse . wash me o god , and make me clean , cleanse me from the filthinesse of my corruption ; purge me o lord with hyssop , and create a clean heart within me : correct the vagrant motions of my flesh , and quench the fiery darts of satan ; let not the law of my corrupted members rule mee ; o let concupiscence have no dominion over me : give me courage to fight against my lusts , and give my weaknesse strength to overc●me ; make sharpe my sword against this body of sinne , but most against my dalilah , my bosome sin . deliver me from the tyranny of temptation , or give me power to subdue it : confine the liberty of my wanton appetite , and give me temperance in a sober diet ; grant me a heart to strive with thee in prayer , and hopefull patience to attend thy leisure ; keep me from the habit of an idle life , and close mine eares against corrupt communication ; set thou a watch before my lips , that all my words may savour of sobriety : preserve me from the vanity and pride of life , that i may walke blamelesse in my conversation ; protect me from the fellowship of the unclean , an● from all such as are of evill report . let thy grace o god be sufficient for me , to protect my s●ule from the buffetings of sata● ; make me industrious and diligent in my calling , lest the enemy get advantage over mee : in all my temptations let mee have recourse to thee . be thou my refuge when i call upon thee ; forgive o god the sinnes of my youth , o pardon the multitudes of my secret sinnes : encrease my hatred to my former life , and strengthen my resolution for the time future ; hear me o god , and let the words of my mouth be alwaies acceptable to thee , o god my strength and my redeemer . the sabbath-breakers prophanation . the glittering prince that sits upon his regall , and imperiall throne , and the ignoble peasant that sleeps within his sordid house of thatch are both alike to god : an ivory temple and a church of clay are priz'd alike by him : the flesh of buls , and the perfumes of my he and ●assia smoak his altars with an equall pleasure : and does he make such difference of dayes ? is he that was so weary of the new-moones , so taken with the sun to tie his sabbath to that only day ? the tenth in tithes is any one in ten , and why the seventh day not any one in seven ? we sanctifie the day , the day not us : but are we jewes ? are we still bound to keepe a legall sabbath in the strictnesse of the letter ? have the gentiles no priviledge by vertue of messiahs comming , or has the evangelicall sabbath no immunities ? the service done the day 's discharged , my libertie restored ; and if i meet my profits , or my pleasurer then ▪ i 'le give them entertainment . if businesse call me to account , i dare afford a carefull eare . or if my sports invite me , i 'le entertaine them with a cheerfull heart : i 'le goe to mattens with as much devotion as my neighbour , i 'le make as low obeysance , and as just responds as any ; but as soon as evensong 's ended , my church-devotion and my psalter shall sanetifie my pue till the next sabbath call ; were it no more for an old custome sake , then for the good i finde in sabbaths , that ceremony might as well be spared . it is a day of rest : and what 's a rest ? a relaxation from the toile of labour : and what is labour but a painfull exercise of the fraile body ? but where the exercise admits no toile , there relaxation makes no rest : what labour is it for the worldly man to compasse sea and land to accomplish his desires ? what labour is it for the impatient lover to measure hellespont with his widened armes to hasten his del●ght ? what labour for the youth to number musick with their sprightly paces ? where pleasure 's reconcil'd to labour , labour is but an active rest ; why should the sabbath then , a day of rest , divorce thee from those delights that make thy rest ? afflict their soules that please , my rest shall be what most conduces to my hearts delight . two houres will vent more prayers then i shal need , the rest remaines for pleasure . his extirpation . conscience , why start'st thou ? a judgement strikes me from the mouth of heaven , and saith , whosoever doth any worke on my sabbath , his soule shall be cut off , exod. . . exod. . remember to keep holy the sabbath day ; six dayes shalt thou labour , and doe all that thou hast to do , but the seventh day , &c. exod. . . ye shall keep my sabbath , for it is holy unto you . exod. . . verily my sabbaths thou shalt keep , for this is a sign betwixt me and you , throughout your generations . luke . . and they returned and prepared spices , and oyntments , and rested on the sabbath day according to the commandement . his proofs . gregor. wee ought upon the lords day to rest from bodily labour , and wholly to addict our selves to prayers , that whatsoever hath been done amisse the weeke before , may upon the day of our lords resurrection be expiated and purged by fervent prayers . cyr. alex. sin is the storehouse of death and misery , it kindles flames for it 's dearest friends . therefore whosoever when he should rest from sin , busieth himselfe in the dead and fruitlesse workes of wickednesse , and renouncing all piety , lusts after such things as will bring him into eternall destruction , and everlasting flames , justly deserves to die and perish with the damned , because when he might have enjoyed a pious rest , he laboured to run headlong to his own destruction . his soliloquy . my soul , how hast thou prophaned that day thy god hath sanctified ! how hast thou encroach'd on that which heaven hath set apart ! if thy impatience cannot act a sabbath twelve hours , what happinesse canst thou expect in a perpetuall sabbath ? is sixe dayes too little for thy selfe , and two hours too much for thy god ? o my soule , how dost thou prize temporalls beyond eternalls ? is it equall that god who gave thee a body , and sixe dayes to provide for it , should demand one day of of thee , and be denied it ? how liberall a receiver art thou , and how miserable a requiter ! but know my soule , his sabbaths are the apple of his eye : he that hath power to vindicate the breach of it , hath threatned judgements to the breaker of it . the god of mercy that hath mitigated the rigour of it for charity sake , will not diminish the honour of it for prophanesse sake : sorget not then my soule to remember his sabbaths , and remember not to forget his judgements , lest he forget to remember thee in mercy : what thou hast neglected , bewaile with con●●ition , ●nd what thou hast repen●ed , forsake with resolution , and what thou hast resolved strengthen with devotion , his prayer . o eternall , just , and all discerning judge ; in thy selfe , glorious ; in thy son , gracious ; who ●●yest without a witnesse , and condemnest without a jury ; o! i confesse my very actions have betrayed me , thy word hath brought in evidence against me , my own conscience hath witnessed against me , and thy judgement hath past sentence against me : and what have i now to plead but mine owne misery , and whether should that misery flee but to the god of mercy ? and since o lord the way to mercy is to leave my selfe , i here disclaim all interest in my selfe , and utterly renounce my selfe : i that was created for thy glory , have dishonoured thy name ; i that was made for thy service , have prophaned thy sabbaths ; i have sleighted thy ordinances , and turned my back upon thy sanctuary ; i have neglected thy sacraments , abused thy word , despis'd thy ministers and despis'd their ministery ; i have come into thy courts with an unprovided heart , and have drawn near with uncircumcised lips ; and lord i know thou art a jealous god , and most severe against all such as violate thy rest ; the glory of thy name is pretious to thee , and thine honour is as the apple of thine eye ; but thou o god that art the god of hosts , hast published and declared thy selfe the lord of mercy ; the constitution of thy sabbath was a work of time , but lord thy mercy is from all eternity ; i that have broke thy sabbaths , do here present thee with a broken heart ; thy hand is not shortned that thou canst not heale , no● thy ear deafned that thou canst not hear ; st●etch forth thy hand o god and heal my wounds . bow down thine eare o lord , and heare my prayers ; alter the fabrick of my sinfull heart , and make it tender of thy glory ; make me ambitious of thy service , and let thy sabbaths be my whole delight ; give me a holy reverence of thy word , that it may prove a light to my steps and a lanthorn to my feet . endue my heart with charity and faith that i may finde a comfort in thy sacraments . blesse thou the ministers of thy sacred word , and make them holy in their lives , sound in their doctrine & laborious in their callings . preserve the universall church in these distracted times ; give her peace , unity , & uniformity , purge her of all schisme , error and superstition ; let the kings daughter be all glorious within , and let thine eyes take pleasure in her beauty , that being honor'd here to be a member of her militant , i may bee glorified with her triumphant . the censorious mans crimination . i know there is much of the seed of the serpent in him by his very lookes , if his words betray'd him not ; he hath eaten the egge of the cock●trice , and surely he remaineth in the state of perdition ; he is not within the covenant , and abideth in the gall of bitternesse ; his studied prayers show him to be a high malignant , and his jesu worship concludes him popishly affected ; he comes not to our private meetings , nor contributes a penny to the cause ▪ he cries up learning , and the book of common-prayer , and takes no armes to hasten reformation ; he feares god for his owne ends , for the spirit of antichrist is in him . his eyes are full of adulteries , and goes a whoring after his owne inventions : he can hear an oath from his superiours without reproof , and the heathenish gods named without spitting in his face : wherefore my soule detesteth him , and i will have no conversation with him ; for what fellowship hath light with darknesse , or the pure in heart with the unclean ? sometimes he is a publican , somtimes a pharisee , and alwayes an hypocrite ; he railes against the altar as loud as we , and yet he cringes and makes an idol of the name of jesus ; he is quick-sighted to the infirmities of the saints , and in his heart rejoyceth at our failings ▪ he honours not a preaching ministery , and too much leans to a church-government ; hee paints devotton on his face , whilst pride is stampt within his heart : he places sanctity in the walls of a steeple-house , and adores the sacrament with his popish knee ; his religion is a weathercock , and turns brest to every blast of wind . with the pure he seems pure , and with the wicked he will joyne in fellowship ; a sober language is in his mouth but the poyson of aspes is under his tongue : his workes conduce not to edification , nor are the motions of his heart sanctified ; he adores great ones for preferment , and speaks too partially of authority : he is a laodicean in his faith , a nicolaitane in his workes , a pharisee in his disguise , a rank papist in his heart , and i thanke my god i am not as this man . his commination . but stay my soule , take heed whilst thou judgest another , lest god judge thee ; how com'st thou so expert in anothers heart , being so often deceived in thy own ? a saul to day , may prove a paul to morrow ; take heed whilst thou wouldst seem religious thou appear not uncharitable ; and whilst thou judgest man , thou be not judg'd of god , who saith , iudge not , lest ye be judged , mat. . . iohn . . iudge not according to appearance , but judge righteous judgement . rom. . . but why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother ? we shall all stand before the judgement seat of christ . cor . . iudge nothing before the time , untill the lord come who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknesse , and wil make manifest the counsell of the heart . rom. . . let us not therefore judge one another any more , but judge this rather , that no man put a stumbling , blocke or an accusation to fall in his brothers way : psal. . . god is judge himselfe . his proofs . st. augustine . apparant and notorious iniquities ought both to be reproved and condemned , but we should never judge such things as we understand not , nor can certainly know whether they be done with a good or evill intent . st. augustine . when thou knowest not apparantly , judge charitably ; because it 's better to thinke well of the wicked then by frequent censuring to suspect an innocent man guilty of an offence . st. augustine . the vnrighteous iudge shall bee justly condemned . his soliloquy . has thy brother , o my soul , a beam in his eye ? and hast thou no moat in thine ? clear thy owne , and thou wilt see the better to cleanse his : if a theife bee in his candle , blow it no● out , lest thou wrong the flame , but if thy snuffers be of gold , snuffe it : has he offended thee ? forgive him : hath he trespass●d against the congregation ? reprove him : hath he sinned against god ? pray for him . o my soule , how uncharitable hast thou been ? how pharisaically hast thou judg'd ? being sick of the iaundies , how hast thou censur'd another yellow ? and with blotted fingers made his blurre the greater ? how has the pride of thine owne heart blinded thee toward thy selfe ? how quick sighted to another ! thy brother has slipt , but thou hast fallen , and hast blancht thy owne impiety with the publishing his sin : like a flie , thou stingest his sores and feed'st on his corruptions ; iesus came eating and drinking , and was judg'd a glutton ; iohn came fasting , and was challeng●d with a devill ; iudge not my soule , lest thou be judged ; maligne not thy brother , lest god laugh at thy destruction : wouldst thou escape the punishment ? judge thy selfe : wouldst thou avoid the sin ? humble thy selfe . his prayer . o god that art the onely searcher of the reines , to whom the secre●s of the heart of man are only known , to whom alone the judgement of our thoughts , our words & deeds belong , and to whose sentence we must stand or fall , i a presumptuous sinner that have thrust into thy place and boldly have presumed to execute thy office , do here as humbly confesse the insolence of mine attempt , and with a sorrowfull heart repent me of my doings ; and though my convinced conscience can look for nothing from thy wrathfull hand but the same measure which i measured to another , yet in the confidence of that mercy which thou hast promised to all those that truly and unfainedly beleeve , i am become an humble sutor for thy gratious pardon : lord , if thou search me but with a favourable eye , i shall appeare much more unrighteous in thy sight , then this my uncharitably condemned brother did in mine ▪ o looke not therefore , lord , upon me as i am , lest thou abhor me ; but through the merits of my blessed saviour , cast a gratious eye upon me ; let his humilitie satisfie for my presumption , and let his meritorious sufferings answer for my vile uncharitablenesse ; let not the voice of my offence provoke thee with a stronger cry , then the language of his intercession . remove from me o god all spirituall pride , and make me little in my own conceit ; lord light me to my selfe , that by thy light i may discerne how dark i am ; lighten that darknesse by thy holy spirit , that i may search into my own corruptions : and since o god all gifts and graces are but nothing , and nothing can be acceptable in thy sight without charity ; quicken the dulnesse of my faint affections , that i may love my brother as i ought ; soften my marble heart that it may melt at his infirmities ; make me carefull in the examination of my owne wayes , and most severe against my owne offences : pull out the beam out of mine owne eye , that i may see clearly , and reprove wisely ▪ take from me o lord , all grudging , envy , and malice , that my seasonable reproofs may win my brother . preserve my heart from all censorious thoughts , and keep my tongue from striking at his name : grant that i make right use of his infirmities , and read good lessons in his failings , that loving him in thee , and thee in him according to thy command , wee may both bee united in thee as members of thee , that thou mayest receive honour from our communion here , and we eternall glory from thee hereafter in the world to come . the liars fallacies . nay if religion be so strict a law to binde my tongue to the necessity of a truth on all occasions , at all times , and in all places , the gate is too strait for me to enter : or if the generall rules of down-right truth will admit no ●ew exceptions , farewell all honest mirth farewell all trading , farewell the whole converse betwixt man and man : if alwayes to speak punctuall truth bee the true symptomes of a blessed soule ; tom tell troth has a happy time , and fooles and children are the only men . if truth sit regent , in what faithfull breast shall secrets finde repose ? what kingdome can be safe ? what common wealth can be secure ? what warre can be successefull ? what stratagem can prosper ? if bloody times should force religion , to shroud it selfe beneath my roo●e ; upon demand , shall my false truth betray it . or shall my brothers life , or shall my owne be seis'd upon through the cruell truth of my down-right confession ? or rather not be secured by a faire officious lie ? shall the righteous favorite of egypts tyrant , by vertue of a loud lie , sweeten out his joy and heigthen up his soft affection with the antiperistasis of teares , and may i not prevaricate with a sullen truth to save a brothers life , from a bloodthirsty hand ? shall iacob and his too indulgent mother , conspire in a lie to purchase a paternall blessing in the false name , and habit of a supplanted brother , and shall i question to preserve the granted blessing of a life , or livelihood , with a harmelesse lie ? come , come , my soul , let not thy timerous conscience check at such poor things as these : so long as thy officious tongue aymes at a just end ▪ a lie is no offence : so long as thy perjurious lips confirme not thy untruth with an aud●ci●us brow , thou n●edst not feare : the weight of the cause releeves the burthen of the crime : is thy center good ? no matter how crooked the lines of the circumference be : policie allowes it : if thy journies end be heaven , it matters not how full of hell thy journey be , divinity allowes it : wilt thou condemn the egyptian midwives for saving the infant israelites by so merciful a lie ? when martial execution is to be done ▪ wilt thou fear to kill ? when hunger drives thee to the gates of death , wilt thou be afraid to steale ? when civill warres divide a kingdome , will mercuries decline a lie ? no , circumstances excuse , as well as make the lie ; had caesar , scipio , or alexander been regulated by such strict divinity , their names had been as silent as their dust ; a lie is but a faire put off , the sanctuary of a secret , the riddle of a lover , the stratagem of a souldier , the policy of a statesman , and a salve for many desperate sores . his flames . but hark , my soule , there 's something rounds mine eare , and calls my language to a rec●ntation ; the lord hath spoken it , liers shall have their part in the lake which bur●eth with fire and brimstone , revel. . . exod. . thou shalt not raise a false report . levit. . . ye shall not deal falsely , neither lie one to another . prov. . . lying lips are abomination to the lord , but they that deal truely are his delight . prov. . . he that speaketh lies shall not escape . ephes. . . put away lying , and every one speak truth with his neighbour , for we are members one of another . revel. . . there shall in no wise enter into the new ierusalem any thing that worketh abomination , or that maketh a lie . his proofes . s. augustine . whosoever thinkes there is any kind of lie that is not a sin , shamefully deceives himself , mistaking a lying or cousening knave for a square or honest man . gregor. eschew and avoid all falshood , though sometimes certain kind of untruths are lesse sinfull , as to tell a lie to save a mans life : yet because the scripture saith , the lyer slayeth his own soul , and god will destroy them that tell a lie ; therefore , religious and honest men should alwayes avoid even the best sort of lies , neither ought another mans life be secured by our falsehood or lying , lest we destroy our owne soule ▪ in labouring to secure another mans life . his soliloquy . what a child o my soule , hath thy false bosome harb●rd ▪ and what reward can thy indulgence expect from such a father ? what blessing canst thou hope for from heaven , that pleadest for the son of the devill , and crucifyest the son of god ? god is the father of truth ; to secure thy estate thou deniest the truth , by framing o● a lie : to save thy brothers life , thou opposest the truth in justifying a lie . now tell me o my soul , art thou worthy the name of a christian , that denyest and opposest the nature of christ ? art thou worthy of christ that preferrest thy estate , or thy brothers life before him ? o my unrighteous soule , canst thou hold thy brother worthy of death for giving thee the lie , and thy selfe guiltlesse that makest a lie ? 〈◊〉 , but in some cases truth destroyes thy life ; a lie preserves it : my soule , was god thy creator ? then make not the devill thy preserver : wilt thou despair to trust him with thy life that gave it , and make him thy protector that seeks to destroy it ? reforme thee and repent thee , o my soul ; hold not thy life on such conditions , but trust thee to the hands that made thee . his prayer . o god , that art the god of truth , whose word is truth , that hatest lying lips , and abominatest the deceitfull tongue , that banishest thy presence all such as love or make a ly , and lovest truth , and requirest uprightnesse in the inward parts , i the most wretched of the sonnes of men , and most unworthy to be called thy son , make bold to cast my sinfull● eies to heaven ; lord i have sinned against heaven and against truth , and have turned thy grace into a lie ; i have renounced the wayes of righteousnesse , and harbour'd much iniquity within me which hath turned thy wrath , against me ; i have transgrest against the checks of my own conscience , and have vaunted of my transgression : which way soever i turne mine eye , i see no object but shame and confusion : lord , when i look upon my selfe , i finde nothing there but fuell for thy wrath and matter for thine indignation , and my condemnation . and when i cast mine eyes to heaven , i there behold an angry god , and a severe revenger ; but lord at thy right hand i see a saviour , and a sweet redeemer ; i see thy wounded son cloathd in my flesh , and bearing mine infirmities , and interceding for my numerous transgressions ; for which my soule doth magnifie thee o god , and my spirit rejoyceth in him my saviour ; lord , when thou lookest upon the vast score of my offences , turne thine eyes upon the infinite merits of his satisfaction ; o when thy justice calls to mind my sinnes , let not thy mercy forget his sufferings ; wash mee , o wash me in his blood , and thou shalt see me cloathed in his righteousnesse : let him that is all in all to me , be all in all for me ; make him to me sanctification , justification and redemption : inspire my heart with the spirit of thy truth , and preserve me from the deceitfulnesse of a double tongue : give me an inward confidence to relie upon thy fatherly providence , that neither fear may deterre me , nor any advantage may turne me from the wayes of thy truth : let not the specious goodnesse of the end encourage me to the unlawfulnesse of the meanes , but let thy word be the warrant to all my actions ; guide my footsteps that i may walke uprightly , and quicken my conscience , that it may reprove my failings : cause me to feel the burthen of this my habituall sin , that comming to thee by a true and serious repentance , my sins may obtaine a full and a gratious forgivenesse : give me a heart to make a covenant with my lips , that both my heart and tongue being sanctified by thy spirit , may be both united in truth by thy mercy , and magnifie thy name for ever , and for ever . the revengefull mans rage . o what a julip to my scorching soul is the delicious blood of my offend●r ! and how it cooles the burning f●ver of my boyling veynes ! it is the quintessence of pleasures , the height of satisfaction , and the very marrow of all delight , to bathe and paddle in the blood of such , whose bold affronts have turn'd my wounded pat●ence into fury ? how full of sweetnesse was his death , who dying was reveng'd upon three thousand enemies ? how sweetly did the younger brothers blood allay the soul-consuming flame of the elder , who took more pleasure in his last breath , then heaven d●d in his first sacrifice ? yet had not heaven to demned his action , nature h●d found an advocate for his passion : what sturdy spirit hath the power to rule his suffer●ng thoughts , or curbe the headstrong ●u●y of his irascible affections ? or who but fooles ( that cannot taste anjnjury ) can moderate their high-bred spirits ; and stop their passion in her full carrier ? let heavy cynicks , they whose leaden soules are taught by stupid reason to stand bent at every wrong , that can digest an injury more easily then a complement , that can protest against the lawes of nature , and cry all naturall affection downe , let them be andirons for the in●urious world to worke a heat upon : let them finde shoulders to receive the paineful stripes of peevish mortal●s , and to bear the wrongs of daring insolence : let them be drawne like calves p●epar'd for slaughter , and bow t●e●r servile necks to sharp destruction : let them submit their slavish bosomes to be trod and tr●mpled under ●oot for every pleasure : my eagle spirit flies a higher pitch , and like ambitious phaeton climbes into the fiery chariot , and drawne with fury , scorne , revenge , and honor ; rambles through all the spheares , and brings with it confusion and combustion ; my reeking sword shall vindicate my reputation , and rectifie the injuries of my honorable name , and quench it selfe in plenteous streames of blood come tell not mee of charity , conscience , ●r transgression ; my charity reflects upon my self , begins at home , and guides by the justice of my passion , is bound to labour for an honourable satisfaction : my conscience is blood-proofe , and i can broach a life with my illustrious weapon with as little ●eluctation , as kill a flea that ●ucks my blood without commission , and i can drinke a health in blood upon my bended knee , to reputation . his retaliation . but hark my soule i heare a languishing , a dying voyce cry up to heaven for vengeance ; it cries aloud , and thunders in my startling eare , i tremble and my shive●ing bones are filled with ho●ror ; ●t cries again ●m● , and heare what heaven replies , all that take up the sword shall perish by the sword , m●t●h . . levit. . . thou shalt not avenge , or bear any grudge against the children of my people , but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe : i am the lord . deut. . . to me belongeth vengeance and recompence . ezek. . , . because that edom hath delt against the house of iudah , by taking vengeance , and hath greatly offended , and revenged himselfe upon them : therefore thus saith the lord god , i will also stretch out mine hand upon edom , and will cut off man and beast from it . matth . . resist not evill , but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek , turn to him the other also . his proofs . tertull. what 's the difference between one that doth an injury ▪ and another that outragiously suffers it , except that the one it first and the other second in the o●ence ? but both are guilty of mutuall inju●y in the sight of god ; who forbids every sinne , and condemnes the offender . tertull. how can we honour god if we revenge our selves ? gloss. every man is a murtherer , and shall be punished as cain was if he doe ( as cain did ) either assault his brother with violence , or pursue him with hatred . his soliloquy . revenge is an act of the iras●●ble affections , deliberated with malice , and executed without mercy : how often o my soule hast thou cursed thy selfe in the perfectest of prayers ? how often hast thou turn'd the spirituall body of thy saviour into thy damnation ? can the sun rise to thy comfort , that hath so often set in thy wrath ? so long as thy wrath is kindled against thy brother , so long is the wrath of god burning against thee ? o , wouldst thou offer a pleasing sacr● fice to heaven ? goe first and be reconciled to thy brother . i , but who shall right thy honour then ? is thy honour wrong'd ? forgive , and it is vindicated , i , but this kinde of heart-swelling , c●n brook no powltesse but revenge . take heed , my soule , the remedy is worse then the disease : if thy intricate distemper transcend thy power , make choyce of a physitian that can purge that humour that foments thy malady : rely upon him ; submit thy will to his directions ; he hath a tender heart , a skilfull hand , a watchfull eye , that makes thy welfare the price of all thy paines , expecting no reward , no fee , but prayses , and thanksgiving . his prayer . o god , that art the god of peace , and the lover of unity and concord , that dost command all those that seek forgivenesse , to forgive ; that hatest the froward heart , but shewest mercy to the meek in spirit : with what a face can i appeare before thy mercy-seat , or with what countenance can i lift up these hands thus stained with my brothers blood ? how can my lips , that daily breathe revenge against my brother , presume to own thee as my father , or expect from thee thy blessing , as thy childe ? if thou forgive my trespasses o god as i forgive my trespassers , in what a miserable estate am i , that in my very prayers condemn my selfe , and doe not only limit thy compassion by my uncharitablenesse , but draw thy judgements on my head for my rebellion ? that heart o god which thou requirest as a holy present , is become a spring of malice ; these hands which i advance , are ready instruments of base revenge . my thoughts , that should be sanctified , are full of blood , and how to compasse evill against my brother is my continuall meditation : the course of all my life is wilfull disobedience , and my whole pleasure , lord , is to displease thee : my conscience hath accused me , and the voyce of blood hath cryed against me : but lord , the blood of jesus cryes louder then the blood of abell , and thy mercy is farre more infinite then my sinne . the blood that was shed by me cryes for vengeance , but the blood that was shed for me sues for mercy ; lord heare the language o● this blood , and by the merits of this voyce be reconciled unto me . that time which cannot be recalled , o give me power to redeem , and in the meane time a setled resolution to reform . suppresse the violence of my head-strong passion , and establish a meek spirit within me . let the sight of my own vilenesse take from me the sense of all disgrace , and let the crown of my reputation be thy honour ; possesse my heart with a desire of unity and concord , and give me patience to endure what my impenitence hath deserved ● breath into my soule the spirit of love , and direct my affe●●ions to their right object ; turn all my anger against that sinne that hath provoked thee , and give me holy revenge , that i may exercise it against my selfe . grant that i may love thee for thy selfe , my selfe in thee , and my neighbour as my selfe ; assist me o god , that i may subdue all evill in my selfe , and suffer patiently all evill as a punishment from thee . give me a mercifull heart , o god ; make it ●low to wrath , and ready to forgive ; preserve me from the act of evill , that i may be delivered from the feare of evill ; that living here in charity with men , i may receive that sentence of , come ye blessed , in the kingdom of glory . the secure mans triumph . so , now my soule thy happinesse is entaild and thy illustrious n●me shall live in thy succeeding generations ; thy dwelling is establish'd in the fat of all the land : thou hast what mortall heart can wish , and wantest nothing but immortalitie : the best of all the land is thine , and thou art planted in the best of lands : a land whose constitutions make the best of government , which government is strengthened with the best of laws , which lawes are executed by the best of princes , whose prince , whose lawes , whose government , whose land makes us the happiest of all subjects , makes us the happiest of all people . a land of strength , of plenty , and a land of peace , where every soule may sit beneath his vine , unfrighted at the horrid language of the hoarse trumpet , unstartled at the warlike summons of the roaring cannon . a land whose beauty hath surpriz'd the ambitious hearts of forrain princes , and taught them by their martiall oratory to make their vaine attempts . a land whose strength reades vanity in the deceived hopes of conquerours , and crowns their enterprizes with a shamefull overthrow . a land whose native plenty makes her the worlds exchange , supplying others able to subsist without supply from forraigne kingdomes ; in it selfe happy ; and abroad honorable . a land that hath no vanity , but what by accident proceeds and issues from the sweetest of all blessings , peace and plenty ; that hath no misery but what is propagated from that blindness which cannot see her own felicitie . a land that flowes with milk and honey , and in briefe , wants nothing to deserve the title of a paradise , the curbe of spaine , the pride of germany , the ayde of belgia , the scourge of france , the empresse of the world , and queene of nations : she is begirt with walls , whose builder was the hand of heaven , whereon there daily rides a navy royall , whose unconquerable power proclaimes her prince invincible , and whispers sad despaire into the fainting hearts of forraigne majesty : she is compact within her selfe , in unity , not apt to civill discords or intestine broyles ; the envie of all nations , the ambition of all princes ; the terror of all enemies , the security of all neighbouring states . let timerous pulpits threaten ruine , let prophecying church-men dote till i beleeve : how often and how long have these loud sonnes of thunder false prophesied her desolation ? and yet she stands the glory of the world : can pride demolish the towers that defend her ? can drunkennesse dry up the sea that walls her ? can flames of lust dissolve the ordnance that protect her ? his overthrow . bee well advised my soule ; there is a voyee from heaven roare louder then those ordnance , which saith , thus saith the lord , the whole land shall be desolate , jer. . . esay . . the whole earth it at rest , and at quiet , they break forth into singing . yea the firee trees rejoyee at thee , and the cedars of lebanon sing , &c. yet shalt thou be brought down to hell , to the sides of the pit. ier. . . they have belied the lord , and said , it is not he , neither shall evill come upon us , neither shall we see sword , or famine . cor. . . let him that standeth take heed lest he fall . luke . . they did eat and drink , and they married wives and were given in marriage , untill the flood came and destroyed them all . his proofs . greg. mor. a man may as soon build a castle upon the rouling waves , as ground a solid comfort upon the unceriaine ebbs and fluxes of transient pleasures . st. augustine . whilst lot was exercised in s●ffering reproach and violence , he continued holy and pure , even in the filth of sodom : but in the mount being in peace and safety , he was surprised by sensuall security , and defiled himselfe with his owne daughters . our prosperous and happy state is often the occasion of more miserabl ruine , a long peace hath made many men both carelesse and cowardly ; and that 's the most fatall blow when an unexpected enemy surprises us in a deep sleep of peace and security , greg. mag. his soliloquy . security is an improvident carelesnesse , casting out all fear of approaching danger ; it is like a great calme at sea , that sore-runs a storme : how is this verified o my sad soule in this our bleeding nation ! wer 't thou not but now for many yeares even nuzzl●d in the bosome of habituall peace ? didst thou foresee this danger ? or couldst thou have contrived a way to be thus miserable ? didst thou not laugh invasion to scorne ? or didst thou not lesse feare a civill war ? was not the title of the crown unquestionable ? and was not our mixt government unapt to fall into diseases ? did we want good lawes ? or did our lawes want execution ? did not our prophets give lawfull warning ? or were we moved at the sound of judgements ? how hast thou liv'd o my uncarefull soule to see these prophesies fulfill'd , and to behold the vials of thy angry god pour'd forth ! since mercies o my soule could not allure thee , yet let these judgements now at length enforce thee to a true repentance . quench the firebrand which thou hast kindled ; turne thy mirth to a right mourning ▪ and thy feasts of joy to humiliation . his prayer . o god by whom kings reign , and kingdoms flourish , that settest up where none can batter down , and pullest down where none can countermand , i a most humble sutor at the throne of grace , acknowledge my selfe unworthy of the least of all thy mercies , nay worthy of the greatest of all thy judgements : i have sinned against thee the author of my being , i have sinned against my conscience , which thou hast made my accuser , i have sinned against the peace of this kingdom , wherof thou hast made mee a member : if all should doe , o god , as i have done , sodom would appeare as righteous , and gomorrah would be a president to thy wrath upon this sinfull nation . but lord thy mercy is inscrutable , or else my misery were unspeakable , for that mercy sake bee gratious to me in the free pardoning of all my offences . blot them out of thy remembrance for his sake in whom thou art well pleased : make my head a fountaine of teares to quench that brand my sinnes have kindled towards the destruction of this flourishing kingdome ; blesse this kingdom o god , establish it in piety , honour , peace , and plenty . forgive all her crying sinnes , and remove thy judgements farre from her . blesse her governour , thy servant , our dread soveraign , endue his soule with all religious , civill , and princely vertues ; preserve his royall person in health , safety , and prosperity ; prolong his days in honour , peace , or victory , and crown his death with everlasting glory . blesse him in his royall consort , unite their hearts in love and true religion . blesse him in his princely issue ; season their youth with the feare of thy name . direct thy church in doctrine and in discipline , and let her enemies bee converted , or confounded ; purge her of all superstition and heresie , and root out from her , whatsoever thy hand hath not planted . blesse the nobility of this land , endue their hearts with truth , loyalty , and true policy . blesse the tribe of levi , with piety , learning , and humility . blesse the magistrates of this kingdome , give them religious & upright hearts , hating covetousnesse . blesse the gentry with sincetity , charity , and a good conscience . blesse the commonalty with loyall hearts , painfull hands , and plentifull encrease . blesse the two great seminaries of this kingdom , make them fruitfull and faithfull nurseries both to the church and common-wealth . blesse all thy saints every where , especially those that have stood in the gap betwixt this kingdom and thy judgements , that being all members of that body wherof thou christ art head , we may all joyn in humiliation for our sinnes , and in the propagation of thy honour here , and bee made partakers of thy glory in the kingdom of glory . the presumptuous mans felicities . tell bauling babes of bugbeares , to fright them into quietnesse , or terrify youth with old wives fables , to keep their wilde affections in awe ; such toyes may work upon their timerous apprehensions , when wholsom precepts fayl , and finde no audience in their youthfull cares : tell not me of hell , devils , or of damned soules to enforce mee from those pleasures which they nick-name sinne : what tell ye me of law ? my soule is sensible of evangelicall precepts , without the needlesse and uncorrected thunder of the killing letter , or the terrible paraphrase of roaring boanarges , the tediousnesse of whose language still determines in damnation ; wherein i apprehend god farre more mercifull then his ministers . t is true , i have not led my life according to the pharisaicall square of their opinions , neither have i found judgements according to their prophecies , whereby i must conclude that god is wonderfully mercifull , or they wonderfully mistaken . how often have they thundred torment against my voluptuous life , and yet i feele no pain : how bitterly have they threatned shame against the vaunts of my vain-glory ? yet finde i honour : how fiercely have they preacht destruction against my cruelty ? and yet i live : what plagues against my swearing ? yet not infected : what diseases against my drunkennesse ? and yet sound ; what danger against procrastination ? yet how often hath god been found upon the death-bed ? what damnation to hypocrites ? yet who more safe ? what stripes to the ignorant ? yet who more scotfree ? what poverty to the slothfull ? yet themselvs prosper : what fals to the proud ? yet they stand surest : what curses to the covetous ? yet who richer ? what judgements to the lascivious ? yet who more pleasure ? what vengeance to the prophane , the censorious , the revengefull ? yet none live more unscourg'd : who deeper branded then the lyar ? yet who more favourd ? who more threatend then the presumptuous ? yet who lesse punisht ? thus are wee foold and kept in awe with the strict fancies of those pulpit-men , whose opinions have no ground but what they gaine from popularity : thus are wee frighted from the liberty of nature by the politick chimeraes of religion ; whereby wee are necessitated to the observing of those lawes whereof wee finde a greater necessity of breaking . his anathemaes . but stay my soule , there is a voyce that darts into my troubled thoughts , which saith , because thou hast not kept my lawes , all the curses in this book shall overtake thee , till thou be destroyed , deut. deut. . and the anger of the lord was kindled against the land , to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book . chron. . thus saith the lord , behold i will bring evill upon this place , and upon the inhabitants thereof , even all the curses that are written in the book deut. . but if thou wilt not hearken unto the voyce of the lord thy god to observe and doe all his commandements , and his statues which i command thee this day , all these curses shall come upon thee , and overtake thee . his proofs . bernard . it is certain thou must die , and uncertaine when , how or where ; seeing death is alwayes at thy heeles ; thou must ( if thou bee wise ) alwayes be ready to die . bernard . to commit a sin is an humane frailty , to persist in it is a divelish obstinacy . bernard . there are some who hope in the lord , but yet in vaine , because they onely smooth and flatter themselves , that god is mercifull , but repent not of their sin ; such confidence is vain and foolish , and leads to destruction . his soliloquy . presumption is a sin wherby we depend upon gods mercies without any warrant from gods word : it is as great a sin , o my soule , to hope for gods mercy , without repentance , as to distrust gods mercy upon repentance : in the first thou wrongst his justice ; in the last , his mercy : o my presumptuous soule , let not thy prosperity in sinning encourage thee to sinne ; lest , climbing without warrant into his mercy , thou fall without mercy into his judgement : be not deceived ; a long peace makes a bloody warre , and the abuse of continued mercies makes a sharpe judgement : patience , when slighted , turnes to fury , but ill-requited , starts to vengeance : thinke not , that thy uupunisht sin is hidden from the eye of heaven , or that gods judgements will delay for ever : the stalled oxe that wallowes in his plenty , and waxes wanton with ease , is not farre from slaughter : the ephod o mydesperate soule , is long a filling , but once being full , the leaden cover must goe on ; and then , it hurries on the wings of the wind : advise thee then , and whilst the lampe of thy prosperity lasts , provide thee for the evill day , which being come repentance will bee out of date , and all thy prayers will finde no eare . his prayer . gratious god , whose mercy is unsearchable , and whose goodnesse is unspeakable , i the unthankfull object of thy continued favours , and therefore the miserable subject of thy continuall wrath , humbly present myself-made misery before thy sacred majestie ; lord when i look upon the horridnesse of my sin , shame strikes me dumbe : but when i turne mine eie upon the infinitenesse of thy mercy , i am emboldned to pour forth my soule before thee ; as in the one , finding matter for confusion ; so in the other arguments for compassion : lord i have sinned grievously , but my saviour hath satisfied abundantly ; i have trepassed continually , but he hath suffered once for all : thou hast numbred my transgressions by the haires of my head , but his mercies are innumerable like the starres of the skie : my sinnes in greatnesse are like the mountaines of the earth , but his mercy is greater then the heavens : oh if his mercy were not greater then my sins , my sins were impardonable ; for his therefore and thy mercies sake cover my sins , and pardon my transgressions : make my head a fountain of teares , and accept my contrition o thou well-spring of all mercy : strengthen my resolution , that for the time to come i may detest all sin : encrease a holy anger in me that i may revenge my selfe upon my selfe , for displeasing so gracious a father ; fill my heart with a feare of thy judgements , and sweeten my thoughts with the meditation of thy mercies : go forwards o my god , and perfect thy own work in mee , and take the glory of thy own free goodnesse ; furnish my mouth with the prayses of thy name , and replenish my tongue with continuall thanksgiving ; thou hast promised pardon to those that repent ; behold i repent , lord quicken my repentance . thou mightst have made me a terrible example of thy justice , and struck me into hell in the heigth of my presumption ; but thou hast made me capable of thy mercies , and an object of thy commiseration ; for thou art a gracious god , of long-suffering and slow to anger , thy name is wonderfull , and thy mercies incomprehensible : thou art onely worthy to be praised : let all the people praise thee o god : o let all the people praise thee : let angels and archangels praise thee , let the congregations of saints praise thee , let thy works prayse thee , let every thing that breathes prayse thee for ever , and for ever , amen . finis . wisdom's better than money: or, the whole art of knowledge and the art to know men. in four hundred sentencious essays, political and moral. written by a late person of quality; and left as a legacy to his son. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) wisdom's better than money: or, the whole art of knowledge and the art to know men. in four hundred sentencious essays, political and moral. written by a late person of quality; and left as a legacy to his son. quarles, francis, - . [ ], , [ ], - , [ ], - , [ ], - , [ ] p. printed for w. chandeler, in the pourcy; and tho. scott, in cranbone-street, leicester-fields, london : . a late person of quality = francis quarles. includes index. caption title on p. reads: institutions and maxims political and moral, &c. caption titles on pp. , and read: institutions and maxims moral and divine, &c. with a final advertisement leaf. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their 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markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion wisdom's better than money : or , the whole art of knowledge , and the art to know men. in four hundred sentencious essays , political and moral . written by a late person of quality ; and left as a legacy to his son. london : printed for w. chandeler , in the pourcy ; and tho. scott , in cranbone-street , leicester-fields . . the index . cent . i. alteration max. . auxiliar ambitious men ambitious natures assault advice conquest climatical advantages calumny composition conspiracy correspondency custom conquest civil commotion courage castles clergy covetousness counsellors , commanders , clemency and severity , commission church government confidence . demeanour deliberation disposition discovery design debt discontents delay deserts experiments exactions exuls encouragement fortresses , foolish confidence foreign king foreign humours foreign inclinations hearts of subjects hierarchy hunting invasion just war idleness liberality league love and fear mixt government money manufacture neutrality nobility , necessity new gentry opinion order and turn . piety and policy peace , pillars of state prevention pleasures popular sects power quo warranto rebel rewards and punishments reformation religion , resolution repute strength of parts successor strength to keep scandal state-change secrecy scruples situation sudden resolution times timely war true temper treachery variance virtue war in league war offensive and defensive weighty service cent . ii. action , , affections , , afflictions , anger , , acquaintance , advancement advantage avarice apparel brother charity , care company custom confession censure child , ceremonies daughter death , evil , enemy faith , fancy friendship friend haste god , gift grace giver honour , , , happiness heaven ignorance , love , loss luxury money , moderation mysteries mother news oppression promise pleasing pride possession passion , , prosperity , popularity prayer puritan pride riches reason , religion recreation redemption sinful custom souls progress sin , swearer servant time trembling theology thy self treasure vndertaking vow valour work wrong , cent . iii. argument max. alms actions apparel argument adversity , banishment beauty brother censure , child children conversation copy-book charity conscience consideration discourse , drunkenness danger doubt and opinion eucharist esteem exercise familiars fasting festival gift god , harlot heir honour hope hope and fear idiot journey intention justice innocence and wisdom knowledge , laughter lyer law and physick love , library mysteries mercy money multituc mirth merit magistrate , obloquy pains poor , priest patience palat providence and experience repentance resolution reproof rest riches reproof saviour sin silence , servant sabbath soldier treasure tongue traffick theft table theology truth virtue , vanity undertaking wife wedlock well-doing words , wages wisdom , cent . iv. action max. affection banquet contentedness content , church confession cross commendations calling circumspection common-place-book complaint child demeanour , drunkenness death , discourse devotion envy example exercise estimation fear , folly forgiveness frugality friend god giver glory gift give and forgive gaming humiliation heaven humility humane writings heir infamy impropriations ignorance idleness jest knowledge , , loss , letters language last sin magistracy man marriage magnanimity misery mysteries name obedience , obsceneness opinion painting praise prayer practice place philosophy praise and censure reputation repentance , recreations rules reversion sin security safety superstition scoffs scripture , style truth theft tapor temperance tuition to day times virgin vain-glory vse of creatures wicked want institutions and maxims political and moral , &c. cent . i. maxim . let not civil discords in a foreign kingdom encourage thee to make invasion : they that are factious among themselves , are jealous of one another , and more strongly prepared to encounter with a common enemy . those whom civil commotions set at variance , foreign hostility reconciles : men rather affect the possession of an inconvenient good , than the possibility of an uncertain better . max. . if thou hast made a conquest with thy sword , think not to maintain it with thy sceptre , neither conceive , that new favours can cancel old injuries : no conquerour sits secure upon his new got throne , so long as they subsist in power that were despoiled of their possessession by this conqueror . max. . let no price , nor promise of honour , bribe thee to take part with the enemy of thy natural prince ; assure thy self whoever wins , thou art lost : if thy prince prevail , thou art proclaimed a rebel , and branded for death ; if the enemy prosper , thou shalt be reckoned but as a meritorious traytor , and not secure of thy self . he that loves the treason , hates the traitor . max. . if thy strength of parts hath raised thee to eminent place in the commonwealth , take heed thou sit sure ; if not , thy fall will be the greater . as worth is fit matter for glory , so glory is a fair mark for envy . by how much the more thy advancement was thought the reward of desert , by so much thy fall will administer matter for disdain . it is the ill fortune of a strong brain , if not to be dignified as meritorious , to be deprest as dangerous . max. . it is the duty of a statesman , especially in a free state , to hold the commonwealth to her first frame of government , from which the more it swerves the more it declines ; which being declined , is not commonly reduced without that extremity , the danger whereof rather ruines than rectifies , fundamental alterations being inevitable perils . max. . there be three sorts of governments , monarchical , aristocratical , democratical ; and they are apt to fall three several ways into ruine ; the first by tyranny , the second by ambition , the last by tumults : a commonwealth grounded upon any one of these is not of long continuance , but wisely mingled , each guard the other , and make the government exact . max. . let not the proceedings of a captain , though never so commendable , be confined : as the times alter , so must they ; if these vary , and not they , ruine is at hand . he least fails in his design , that meets time in its own way ; and he that observes not the alteration of the times , shall never be a conqueror . he is a wise commander , and only he , that can discover the change of times , and changes his proceedings according to the times . max. . if thou desire to make war with a prince with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league , assail some of his allies rather than himself ; if he resent it , and come or send in , then thou hast a fair gale to thy desires : if not , his infidelity in not assisting his allie will be discovered . hereby thou shalt gain thy self advantage , and facilitate thy designs . max. . before thou undertakest a war , let thine eye number thy forces , and let thy judgment weigh them . if thou hast a rich enemy , no matter how poor thy soldiers be , if couragious and faithful . trust not too much the power of thy treasure , for it will deceive thee ; being more apt to expose thee for a prey , than to defend thee . gold is not able to find good soldiers ; but good soldiers are able to find out gold. max. . if the territories of thy equal enemy are situated far south from thee , the advantage is thine , whether he make offensive or defensive war : if north , the advantage is his ; cold is less tolerable than heat ; this is a friend to nature , that an enemy . max. . it is not only uncivil , but dangerous , for soldiers by reproachful words to throw disgrace upon their enemy : base terms are bellows to a slacking fury , and goads to quicken up revenge in a fleeing foe . he that objects cowardice against a failing enemy , adds spirit to him , to disprove the aspersion at his own cost . it is therefore the part of a wise soldier to refrain it , or of a wise commander to punish it . max. . it is better for weak kingdoms , rather to compound an injury ( tho' to some loss ) than seek for satisfaction by the sword ; lest while they weaken themselves by mutual blows , a third decide the controversy to both their ruines . when the frog and the mouse could not take up the quarrel , the kite was umpire . max. . let that commonwealth which desires to flourish be very strict both in her punishments and rewards , according to the merits of subjects , and offence of the delinquents . let the service of the deserver be rewarded , lest thou discourage worth ; and let the crime of the offender be punished , lest thou encourage vice. the neglect of the one weakens a commonwealth ; the omission of both ruines , it . max. . it is wisdom for him that sits at the helm of a settled state , to demean himself toward his subjects at all times , so that upon any evil . accident they may be ready to serve his occasion . he that is only gracious at the approach of a danger , will be in danger when he expects deliverance . max. . in all designs which require not sudden execution , take mature deliberation , and weigh the convenients with the inconvenients , and then resolve ; after which neither delay the execution , nor betray thy intention . he that discovers himself , till he hath made himself master of his desires , lays himself open to his own ruine , and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue . max. . liberality in a prince is no virtue , when maintained at the subject's unwilling cost . it is less reproach , by miserableness , to deserve the popular love : than by liberality , to deserve private thanks . max. . it is the excellent property of a good and wise prince , to use war as he doth physick , carefully , unwillingly , and seasonably ; either to prevent approaching dangers , or to correct a present mischief ; or to recover a former loss . he that declines physick till he be accosted with the danger , or weakned with the disease , is bold too long , and wise too late : that peace is too precise that limits the justness of a war , to a sword drawn , or a blow given . max. . let a prince that would beware of conspiracies , be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary favours have advanced , than of those whom his pleasure hath discontented . these want means to execute their pleasures ; but they have means at pleasure to execute their desires . ambition to rule is more vehement than malice to revenge . max. . before thou undertake a war , cast an imperial eye upon the cause . if it be just , prepare thy army , and let them all know they fight for god and thee : it adds fire to the spirit of a soldier to be assured that he shall either prosper in a fair war , or perish in a just cause . max. . if thou desire to know the power of a state , observe in what correspondence it lives with her neighbouring state : if she make alliance with the contribution of money , it is an evident sign of weakness : if with her valour , and repute of her forces , it manifests a native strength ; it is an unfallible sign of power to sell friendship , and of weakness to buy it . that is bought with gold will hardly be maintained with steel . max. . in the calms of peace , it is most requisite for a prince to prepare against the storms of war ; both theorically , in reading heroick histories , and practically , in maintaining martial discipline . above all things , let him avoid idleness , as the bane of honour ; which in peace indisposes the body , and in war effeminates the soul. he that would be in war victorious , must be in peace laborious . max. . if thy two neighbouring princes fall out , shew thy self either a true friend , or a fair enemy . it is indiscretion to adhere to him whom thou hast least cause to fear , if he vanquish . neutrality is dangerous , whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conqueror . max. . it is a great argument of a prince's wisdom , not only to chuse but also to prefer wise counsellors , and such are they , that seek less their own advantages , than his ; whom wise princes ought to reward , lest they become their own carvers , and so of good servants , turn bad masters . max. . it much conduces to the dishonour of a king , and the ill-fare of his kingdom , to multiply nobility in an over proportion to the common people : cheap honour darkens majesty , and a numerous nobility brings a state to necessity . max. . it is very dangerous to try experiments in a state , unless extreme necessity be urgent , or popular utility be palpable . it is better for a state to connive a while , at any inconveencies , than too suddenly to rush upon a reformation . max. . if a valiant prince be succeeded by a weak successor he may for a while maintain a happy state , by the remaining virtue of his glorious predecessor ; but if his life be long , or dying , he be succeeded by one less valiant than the first , the kingdom is in danger to fall to ruine : that prince is a true father to his country that leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave son. when alexander succeeded philip , the world was too little for the conqueror . max. . it is very dangerous for a prince or republick to make continual practice of cruel exaction : for where the subject stands in sense or expectation of evil , he is apt to provide for his safety , or for the danger he fears : and growing bold in conspiracy , makes faction , which faction is the mother of ruine . max. . be careful to consider the good or ill disposition of the people towards thee upon ordinary occasions ; if it be good , labour to continue it ; if evil , provide against it . as there is nothing more terrible than a dissolute multitude without a head ; so there is nothing more easily reduc'd , ( if thou canst endure the first shock of their fury ) which if a little appeased , every one begins to doubt himself and think of home , and secure themselves either by flight or agreement . max. . that prince who stands in fear more of his own people , than strangers , ought to build fortresses in his land. but he that is more afraid of strangers , than his own people , shall build them more secure in the affections of his subjects . max. . carry a watchful eye upon dangers before they come to ripeness ; and when they are ripe , let loose a speedy hand . he that expects them too long , or meets them too soon , gives advantage to the evil ; commit their beginnings to argus his hundred eyes , and their end to briareus's hundred hands , and thou art safe . max. . of all the difficulties of a state , the temper of true government most felicifies and perpetuates it . too sudden alteration distempers it . had nero tuned his kingdom as he did his harp , his harmony had been more honourable and his reign more prosperous . max. . if a prince , fearing to be assailed by a foreign enemy , hath a well armed people , well addrest for war : let him stay at home and expect him there ; but if his subjects be unarmed , or his kingdom unacquainted with the stroke of war , let him meet the enemy in his quarters . the farther he keeps the war from his own home the less danger . the seat of war is always miserable . max. . it is a necessary wisdom for a prince to grow in strength as he encreases in dominions . it is no less virtue to keep than to get ; conquests not having power answerable to their greatness , invite new conquerors to the ruine of the old. max. . it is great prudence in a statesman to discover an inconvenience in the birth , which so discovered , is easie to be supprest . but if it ripen into a custom , the sudden remedy thereof is often worse than the disease ; in such a case it is better to temporise a little , than to struggle too much . he that opposes a full aged inconvenience too suddenly , strengthens it . max. . if thou hast conquered a land , whose language differs not from thine , change not their laws and taxes , and the two kingdoms will in a short time incorporate and make one body . but if the laws and language differ , it is difficult to maintain thy conquest , which that thou mayst the easier do , observe three things ; first , to live there in person , ( or rather send colonies . ) secondly , to assist the weak inhabitants and weaken the mighty . thirdly , to admit no powerful foreigner to reside there . remember lewis xiii . of france , how suddenly he took milan , and how soon he lost it . max. . it is a gracious wisdom in a prince , in civil comotions rather to use juleps than phlebotomy , and rather to break the distemper by a wise delay , than to correct it with too rash an onset : it is more honourable by a slow preparation to declare himself a gracious father , than by a hasty war to appear a furious enemy . max. . it is wisdom for a prince in fair weather , to provide for tempests : he that so much relies upon his people's faith , to neglect his own preparation , discovers more confidence than wisdom . he that ventures to fall from above , with hopes to be catch'd below , may be dead e'er he come to ground . max. . he that would reform an ancient state in a free city , buys convenience with a great danger . to work this reformation with the less mischief , let such a one keep the shadows of their ancient customs , tho' in substance they be new . let him take heed when he alters the nature of things , they bear at least their antient names . the common people that are naturally impatient of innovations will be satisfied with that which seems to be as well as that which is . max. . upon any difference between foreign states , it is neither safe nor honourable for a prince , either to buy his peace , or to take it up at interest . he that hath not a sword to command it , shall either want it , or want honour with it . max. . it is very requisite for a prince not only to weigh his designs in the flower , but likewise in the fruit. he is an unthrift of his honour , that enterprises a design , the failing wherein may bring him more disgrace , than the success can gain him honour . max. . it is much conducible to the happiness of a prince , and the security of his state , to gain the hearts of his subjects . they that love for fear , will seldom fear for love ; it is a wise government which gains such a tye upon the subject , that he either cannot hurt , or will not . but the government is best and most sure , when the subject joys in his obedience . max. . let every soldier arm his mind with hopes and put on courage , whatsoever disaster falls , let not his heart sink . the passage of providence lies through many crooked ways ; a despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil. his actions may weave the webs of fortune , but not break them . max. . it is the part of a wise magistrate to vindicate a man of power or state-employment , from the malicious scandals of the giddy-headed multitude , and to punish it with great severity . scandal breeds hatred , hatred begets division , division makes faction and faction brings ruine . max. . the strongest castles a prince can build , to secure him from domestick commotions , or foreign invasions , is in the hearts of his subjects ; and means to gain that strength is , in all his actions to appear for the publick good. studious to contrive and resolute to perform . max. . a kingdom is a great building whose two main supporters are the government of the state , and the government of the church . it is the part of a wise master , to keep those pillars in their first posture irremoveable . if either fail , it is wisdom rather to repair it than to remove it . he that pulls down the old , to set , up a new ; may draw the roof upon his head and ruine the foundation . max. . it is a necessary wisdom in a prince to encourage in his kingdoms manufacture , merchandise , arts , and arms ; in manufacture , lies the vital spirits of the body-politique ; in merchandise the spirits natural ; in arts and arms , the animal . if either of these languish the body droops ; as these flourish the body flourishes . max. . true religion is a settler in a state , rather than a stickler ; while she confirms an established government , she moves in her own sphere ; but when she endeavours to alter the old , or to erect a new , she works out of her own vineyard : when she keeps the keys , she sends showers of milk : but when she draws the sword , she fails in seas of blood. labour therefore to settle religion in the church ; and religion shall settle peace in thy land. max. . if thou entertain any foreign soldiers into thine army , let them bear thy colours , and receive thy pay , lest they interest their own prince . auxiliary soldiers are most dangerous : a foreign prince needs no greater invitation to seize upon thy city , then when he is required to defend it . max. . be cautious in undertaking a design , upon the report of those that are banish'd their country , lest thou come off with shame , or loss , or both . their end expects advantages from thy actions ; whose miseries lay hold of all opportunities , and seek to be redrest by thy ruines . max. . if thou endeavourest to make a republick in a nation where the gentry abound , thou shalt hardly prosper in that design ; and if thou would'st erect a principality in a land where there is much equality of people , thou shalt not easily effect it . the way to bring the first to pass , is to weaken the gentry . the means to effect the last , is to advance and strengthen ambitious and turbulent spirits ; so that being placed in the midst of them , their forces may maintain thy power , and thy favour may preserve their ambition . otherwise there shall be neither property nor continuance . max. . it is more excellent for a prince to have a provident eye for the preventing future mischiefs , than to have a potent arm for the suppressing present evils . mischiefs in a state are like hectick feavers in a body , in the beginning hard to be known , but easie to be cured : but let it alone a while , it becomes more easie to be known , but more hard to be cured . max. . if a kingdom be apt to rebellion , it is wisdom to preserve the nobility and commons at variance ; where one of them is discontented , the danger is not great . the commons are flow of motion , if not quicken'd with the nobility : the nobility is weak of power , if not strengthen'd by the commons . then is danger when the commonalty troubles the water , and the nobility steps in . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to have an eye , that the clergy be elected , and come in , either by collation from him or particular patrons , and not by the people ; and that their power hold dependance upon home and not foreign authority : it is dangerous in a kingdom where the crosiers receive not their power from the regal sword. max. . it is a perillous weakness in a state , to be slow of resolution in the time of war : to be irresolute in determination is both the sign and the ruine of a weak state. such affairs attend not time . let the wise statesman therefore abhor dolay , and resolve rather to do , than advise what to say . slow deliberations are symptoms either of a faint courage , or weak forces , or false hearts . max. . if a conqueror hath subdued a country or a city abounding with pleasures , let him be very circumspect to keep himself and his soldiers temperate . pleasures bring effeminacy , and effeminacy foreruns ruine : such conquests , without blood or sweat , sufficiently do revenge themselves upon their intemperate conquerors . max. . it is an infallible sign of approaching ruine in a republick , when religion is neglected , and her establisht ceremonies interrupted . let therefore that prince that would be potent be pious ; and that he may punish loosness the better , let him be religious . the joy of jerusalem depends upon the peace of sion . max. . let that prince that desires full sovereignty temper the greatness of too potent a nobility : a great and potent nobility quickens the people , but presses their fortunes : it adds majesty to a monarch , but diminishes his power . max. . it is dangerous for a prince to use ambitious natures , but upon necessity , either for his wars , or to be skreens to his dangers , or instruments for the demolishing insolent greatness ; and that they may be the less dangerous , let him choose them rather out of mean births than noble , and out of harsh natures rather than plausible , and always be sure to ballance them with those that are as proud as they . max. . let princes be very circumspect in the choice of their councellours , choosing neither by the greatness of the beard , nor by the smoothness of the face . let him be wise , but not crafty ; active , without private ends ; couragious , without malice ; religious , without faction ; secret , without fraud : one better read in his prince's business than his nature ; and a riddle only to be read above . max. . in a mixt monarchy , if the hierarchy grow too absolute , it is wisdom in a prince , rather to depress it than suppress it ; all alterations in a fundamental government being apparent dangers ; but too sudden alteration threatens inevitable ruine . when aaron made a molten calf , moses alter'd not the government , but reproved the governour . max. . before thou build a fortress , consider to what end : if for resistance against the enemy , it is useless ; a valiant army is a living fortress : if for suppressing the subject , it is hurtful ; it breeds jealousies , and jealousies beget hatred . if thou hast a strong army to maintain it , it adds nothing to thy strength : if thy army be weak , it conduces much to thy danger . the surest fortress is the hands of thy soldiers ; and the safest cittadel is the hearts of thy subjects . max. . it is a princely alchymy , out of a necessary war , to extract an honourable peace ; and more beseeming the majesty of a prince , to thirst after peace , than conquest . blessedness is promised to the peace-maker , not the conqueror . it is an happy state , whose prince hath a peaceful hand , and a martial heart ; able both to use peace , and to manage war. max. . it is a dishonourable thing for a prince to run in debt for state-service ; but to pay it in the pardon of a criminal offence , is most dangerous . to cancel the faults of subjects , with their deserts , is not only the symptom of a disorder'd commonwealth , but also of her ruine . max. . let not a commander be too forward to undertake a war , without the person of his prince . it is a thankless employment , where mischief attends upon the best success : and where ( if a conqueror ) he shall be in danger , either through his own ambition , or his prince's suspicion . max. . it is a great oversight in a prince , for any respect , either actively or passively , to make a foreign kingdom strong . he that gives means to another to become powerful , weakens himself , and enables him to take the advantage of his own weakness . max. . when the humours of the people are stirr'd by discontents or popular grief , it is wisdom in a prince to give them moderate liberty to evaporate . he that turns the humour back too hastily , makes the wound bleed inwardly , and fills the body with malignity . max. . if , having levied an army , thou findest thy self too weak , either thro' the want of men or money , the longer thou delayest to fight , the greater thy inconvenience grows . if once thy army falls asunder , thou certainly losest by thy delay . where , hazarding thy fortunes betimes , thou hast the advantage of thy men , and mayst by fortune win the day , it is less dishonour to be overcome by force than by flight . max. . it is the part of a wise commander , in wars either offensive or defensive , to work a necessity of fighting into the breasts of his soldiers . necessity of action takes away the fear of the act , and makes bold resolution the favourite of fortune . max. . clemency , and mildness is most proper for a principality , but reservedness and severity , for a republick ; but moderation in both . excess in the one breeds contempt ; in the other hatred : when to sharpen the first , and when to sweeten the last , let time and occasion direct thy judgment . max. . it is very requisite for a prince that desires the continuance of peace , in time of peace to encourage and respect his commanders . when brave spirits find neglect to be the effect of quiet , they devise all means to remove the cause ; and by suggesting inducements to new wars , disturb and unsettle the old peace , buying private honour with publick danger , max. . be not covetous of priority in advising thy prince to a doubtful attempt , which concerns his state. if it prosper , the glory must be his ; if it fail , the dishonour will be thine . when the spirit of a prince is stopped in the discharge , it will recoile & wound the first adviser . max. . if , being the commander of an army , thou espiest a gross and manifest error in thine enemy , look well to thy self ; for treachery is not far off . he whom desire of victory binds too much , is apt to stumble at his own ruine . max. . it is the height of a provident commander , not only to keep his own designs indiscoverable to his enemy , but likewise to be studious to discover his : he that can best do the one , and nearest guess at the other , is the next step to a conqueror ; but he that fails in both , must either ascribe his overthrow to his own folly , or his victory to the hand of fortune . max. . if thou be ambitious of honour , and yet fearful of the canker of honour , envy ; so behave thy self , that opinion may be satisfied in this , that thou seekest merit , and not fame ; and that thou attributest thy preferment rather to providence than thy own virtue . honour is a due debt to the deserver ; and who ever envied the payment of a debt ? a just advancement is a providential act ; and who ever envied the act of providence ? max. . it behoves a prince to be very circumspect before he makes a league , which being made , and then broke , is the forfeiture of his honour . he that obtains a kingdom with the rupture of his faith , hath gained the glory of a conquest , but lost the honour of a conqueror . max. . let states that aim at greatness , beware lest new gentry multiply too fast , or grow too glorious : where there is too great a disproportion betwixt the gentry and the common subject , the one grows insolent , the other slavish . when the body of the gentry grows too glorious for a corslet , the heads of the vulgar wax too heavy for the helmet . max. . upon the beleaguering of a city , let the commander endeavour to take from the defendants all scruples which may invite them to a necessity of defence . whom the fear of slavery necessitates to fight , the boldness of their resolution will disadvantage the assailants , and difficilitate their design . sense of necessity justifies the war , and they are hopeful in their arms , who have no other hope , but in their arms. max. . it is good for states and princes ( if they use ambitious men for their advantage ) so to order things , that they be still progressive rather than retrograde . when ambitious men find an open passage , they are rather busie than dangerous ; if well watch'd in their proceedings , they will catch themselves in their own snare , and prepare a way for their own destruction . max. . of all recreations , hunting is most proper for a commander ; by the frequency whereof he may be instructed in that necessary knowledge of situation with pleasure , which by earnest experience would be dearly purchased . the chase is a fair resemblance of a hopeful war , proposing to the pursuer a flying enemy . max. . expect the arms of thy enemy on plain and easie ground , and still avoid mountainous & rocky places and strait passages to the utmost of thy power . it is not safe to pitch any where , where the forces cannot be brought together . he never deserved the name of a good gamester , that hazards his whole rest upon less than the strength of his whole game . max. . it matters not much whether in government thou tread the steps of severe hanibal , or gentle scipio , so thy actions are honourable , and thy life virtuous : both in the one and the other there is both defect and danger , if not corrected and supported by the fair repute of some extraordinary endowments , no matter whether black or white , so the steed be good . max. . it is the safest way , in martial expedition , to commit the main charge to one . companions in command beget confusion in the camp. when two able commanders are joyned in equal commission , each is apt to think his own way best , and by mutual thwarting each other , both give opportunity to the enemy . max. . it is a high point of providence in a prince to observe popular sects in their first rise , and to nip them in the bud ; but being once full aged , it is wisdom not to oppose them with too strong a hand , lest in suppressing one , there arise two . a soft current is soon stopt ; but a strong stream resisted breaks into many , or overwhelms all . max. . it makes very much to thy advantage , to observe strictly the national virtues and vices and humours of foreign kingdoms , whereby the times past shall read useful lectures to the time present . he that would see what shall be , let him consider what hath been . max. . if like manlius thou command stout and great things , be like manlius stout to execute great commands . it is a great blemish in sovereignty when the will roars , and the power whispers . if thou canst not execute as freely as thou commandst , command no more than what thou mayst as freely execute . max. . if one prince desire to obtain any thing of another , let him ( if occasion will bear it ) give him no time to advise ; let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution , and the danger either of denial or delay . he that gives times to resolve , gives leisure to deny , and warning to prepare . max. . let not thine army at the first encounter be too prodigal in her assaults , but husband her strength at a dead life . when the enemy hath abated the fury of his first heat , let him then feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last blow . so shall the honour he hath gained by his valour , encrease the glory of thy victory . fore-games when they prove are speediest , but after-games , if wisely plaid are surest . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to keep the church always in proportion to the state. if the government of the one be monarchical , and the other democratical , they will agree like metal joyned with clay . but for a while durable is that state where aaron commands the people , and where moses commands aaron ; but most happy in the continuance where god commands both . max. . let not the covetousness of a captain purloyn to his own own use , or any way bereave his soldiers of any profit due unto their service , either in their means or spoils : such injuries ( being quickned by their daily necessities ) are never forgot : what soldiers earn with the hazard of their lives ( if not enjoyed ) prophesies an overthrow in the next battle . max. . if a prince expect virtuous subjects , let his subjects have a virtuous prince , and so shall he the better punish the vices of his degenerate subjects ; so shall they trulier prize virtue , and follow it being exemplified in their prince . max. . it is the property of a wise commander , to cast an eye rather uponactions than upon persons ; and rather to reward the merits of men , than to read the letters of ladies . he that for favour or reward prefers a worthless soldier , betrays a kingdom to advance a traytor . max. . where order and fury are well acquainted , the war prospers , and soldiers end no less men than they begun : order is quickned by fury , and fury is regulated by order : but where order is wanting , fury runs her own way , and being unthrift of its own strength , failing in the first assault , cravens ; and such beginning more than men , end less than women . max. . it is the quality of a wise commander , to make his soldiers confident of his wisdom , and their own strength ; if any danger be , to conceal it ; if manifest , to lessen it . let him possess his army with the justness of the war , and a certainty of victory . a good cause makes a stout heart and a strong arm. they that fear an overthrow are half conquered . max. . it is requisite in a general to mingle love with the severity of his discipline . they that cannot be induced to fear for love , will never be inforced to love for fear ; love opens the heart , fear shuts it ; that encourages , this compels , and victory meets encouragement , but flees compulsion . max. . it is the part of a well-advised state , never to entrust a weighty service , unto whom a noted injury or dishonour hath been done ; he can never be zealous in performance of service , the height of whose expectation can rather recover a lost name than gain a fresh honour . max. . three ways there be to begin a repute , and gain dignities in a common wealth . the first , by the virtue of glorious parents , which till thou degenerate too much may raise thee upon the wings of opinion . the second , is by associating with those whose actions are known eminent . the third , by acting some exploit , either publick or private , which in thy hand hath proved honourable . the two first may miss , boing founded upon opinion : the last soldom fails , being grounded upon evidence . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a commander , dignify thy place by thy commands , and that thou mayst be the more perfect in commanding others , practise upon thy self . remember that thou art a servant to the publick-weal , and therefore forget all private respects either of kin or friends . remember thou art a champion for a kingdom : forget therefore all private affections either of love or hate . he that would do his country right , must not be too sensible of a personal wrong . max. . it is the part of a wise commander to read books , not so much as men ; nor men so much as nations : he that can discern the inclinations , conditions , and passions , of a kingdom , gains his prince a great advantage both in peace and war. max. . and you most high and mighty princes of this lower world , who at this intricate and various game of war , vye kingdoms and win crowns ; and by the death of your reverend subjects gain the lives of your bold hearted enemies : know there is a quo quarranto , whereto you are to give account of your eye-glorious actions , according to the righteous rules of sacred justice . how warrantable it is to read imperial crowns from off the sovereign heads of their too weak possessors , or to snatch scepters from out the hand of heaven : anointed majesty , and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge dominions with kingdoms ravish'd from their natural princes , judge you . o let your brave designs , and well weighed actions be as just as they are glorious , and consider , that all your wars , whose ends are not to defend your own possessions , or to recover your dispossessions , are but princely injuries , which none but heaven can right . but where necessity strikes up her hard alarms , or wrong'd religion beats her zealous marches , go on and prosper , and let both swords and stratagems proclaim a victory , whose nois'd renown may fill the world with your eternal glory . max. . piety and policy are like martha and mary , sisters : martha fails if mary helps not , and mary suffers if martha be idle . happy is that kingdom where martha complains of mary , but most happy where mary complys with martha : where piety and policy go hand in hand , there war shall be just , and peace honourable . the end of the first century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . ii. maxim . a promise is a child of the understanding and the will : the understanding begets it , the will brings it forth . he that performs it , delivers the mother ; he that breaks it murthers the child . if he be begotten in the absence of the understanding , it is a bastard ; but the child must be kept . if thou mistrust thy understanding , promise not ; if thou hast promis'd , break it not : it is better to maintain a bastard than to murther a child . max. . charity is a naked child , giving honey to a bee without wings ; naked , because excuseless and simple ; a child , because tender and growing ; giving honey , because honey is pleasant and comfortable : to a bee , because a bee is laborious and deserving , without wings , because helpless and wanting . if thou deniest to such , thou killest a bee ; if thou givest to other than such , thou preservest a drone . max. . before thy undertaking of any design , weigh the glory of thy action with the danger of the attempt : if the glory outweigh the danger , it is cowardise to neglect it : if the danger exceed the glory , it is rashness to attempt it : if the ballances stand pois'd , let thy own genius cast them . max. . wouldst thou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake ? let thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing : if it be lawful , thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by prayer : if unlawful , thou shalt find thy prayer discouraged by thy heart . that action is not warrantable , which either blushes to beg a blessing , or having succeeded , dares not present thanksgiving . max. . if evil men speak good , or good men evil of thy conversation , examine all thy actions , and suspect thy self . but if evil men speak evil of thee , hold it as thy honour , and by way of thankfulness love them , but upon condition , that they continue to hate thee . max. . if thou hope to please all , thy hopes are vain ; if thou fear to displease some , thy fears are idle . the way to please thy self is not to displease the best ; and the way to displease the best , is to please the most . if thou canst fashion thy self to please all , thou shalt displease him that is all in all . max. . if thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbour , in vain thou professest thy love to god ; for by thy love to god , the love to thy neighbour is begotten , and by the love to thy neighbour , thy love to god is nourish'd . max. . thy ignorance in unreveal'd mysteries , is the mother of a saving faith ; and thy understanding in reveal'd truths is the mother of a sacred knowledge : understand not therefore that thou mayst believe , but believe that thou mayst understand : understanding is the wages of a lively faith , and faith is the reward of an humbler ignorance . max. . pride is the ape of charity , in shew , not much unlike ; but somewhat fuller of action . in seeking the one , take heed thou light not on the other ; they are two parallels ; never but asunder . charity feeds the poor , so does pride : charity builds an hospital , so does pride : in this they differ ; charity gives her glory to god , pride takes her glory from man. max. . hast thou lost thy money , and dost thou mourn ? another lost it before thou hadst it ; be not troubled ; perchance if thou hadst not lost it now , it had lost thee for ever : think therefore what thou hast rather escaped than lost : perhaps thou hadst not been so much thine own , had not thy money been so little thine . max. . flatter not thy self in thy faith to god , it thou wantst charity for thy neighbour ; and think not that thou hast charity for thy neighbour , if thou wantst faith to god ; where they are not both together , they are both wanting ; they are both dead if once divided . max. . be not too slow in breaking of a sinful custom : a quick couragious resolution is , better than a gradual deliberation : in such a combate , he is the bravest soldier that lays about him without fear or wit. wit pleads , fear disheartens ; he that would kill hydra , had better strike off one neck than five heads : fell the tree , and the branches are soon cut off . max. . be careful rather of what thou dost , than of what thou hast : for what thou hast is none of thine , and will leave thee at thy death , or thou the pleasure of it , in thy sickness : but what thou dost , is thine ; and will follow thee to thy grave , and plead for thee , or against thee , at thy resurrection . max. . if thou enjoyest not the god of love thou canst not obtain the love of god , neither until then canst thou enjoy a desire to love god , nor relish the love of god : thy love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to thee : till he please to love thee , thy love can never please him . max. . let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye , nor let thy will be govern'd by thy fancy : thine eye may be deceived in her object , and thy fancy may be deluded in her subject . let thine understanding moderate between thine eye and thy fancy ; and let thy judgment arbitrate between thy fancy and thy will ; so shall fancy apprehend what is true , so shall thy will elect what is good . max. . endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible as thy concupiscible affections : to endure injuries with a brave mind is one half of the conquest ; and to abstain from pleasing evils with a couragious spirit , is the other . the sum of all humanity , and height of moral perfection , is bear , and forbear . max. . if thou desire not to be too poor , desire not to be too rich : he is rich , not that posseffeth much , but he that covets no more ; and he is poor , not that enjoyslittle , but that wants too much . the contented mind wants nothing which it hath not ; the covetous mind wants not only what it hath not , but likewise what it hath . max. . the outward senses are the common cinque-ports , where every subject lands towards the understanding . the ear hears a confused noise , and presents it to the common sense ; the common sense distinguishes the several sounds , and conveys them to the fancy ; the fancy wildly discants on it : the understanding ( whose object is truth ) apprehending it to be musick , commends it to the judgment ; the judgment severally and jointly examines it , and recommends it to the will ; the will ( whose object is good ) approves it , or dislikes it , and the memory records it : and so in the other senses , according to their subjects , observe this progress , and thou shalt easily find where the defect of every action lyes . max. . the way to subject all things to thy self , is to subject thy self to reason ; thou shalt govern many , if reason govern thee : would'st thou be crowned the monarch of a little world ? command thy self . max. . tho' thou givest all thou hast for charity 's sake , and yet retainest a secret desire of keeping it for thy own sake , thou rather leavest it than forsakest it . he that hath relinquish'd all things , and not himself , hath forsaken nothing : he that sets not his heart on what he possesses , forsaketh all things , tho' he keep his possessions . max. . search into thy self before thou accept the ceremony of honour : if thou art a palace , honour , ( like the sun-beams ) will make thee more glorious ; if thou art a dunghil , the sun may shine upon thee , but not to sweeten thee ; thy prince may give thee honour , but not make thee honourable . max. . every man is a king in his own kingdom : if reason command , and passion obey , his government bespeaks a good king ; if thine inordinate affection rules , it shews a proud rebel ; which if thou destroy not , will depose thee . there is no mean between the death of a rebel and the life of a prince . max. . a vow , a promise , and a resolution , have all one object , only differ in respect of the persons to whom they are made ; the first is between god and man ; the second between man and man ; the third between man and his own soul ; they all bind , if the object be lawful , to necessity of performance ; if unlawful , to the necessity of sin : they all take thee prisoner ; if the object be lawful , thy performance hath redeemed thee ; if unlawful , blood and fears must ransom thee . max. . if thou hast any business of consequence in agitation , let thy care be reasonable and seasonable : continual standing bent weakens the bow ; too hasty drawing breaks it : put off thy cares with thy clothes ; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labour , and so shall thy labour sweeten thy rest. max. . when thy inordinate affections do flame towards transitory happiness , quench them thus ; think with thy self , if my prince should give me what honour he hath to bestow , or bestow on me what wealth he hath to give , it could not stay with me , because it is transitory ; nor i with it , because i am mortal : then revise thy affections , and weigh them with their objects , and thou wilt either confess thy folly , or make a wiser choice . max. . with three sorts of men enter no serious friendship ; the ingrateful man , the multiloquious man , the coward ; the first cannot prize thy favours ; the second cannot keep thy counsel ; and the third dare not vindicate thy honour . max. . if thou desire the time should not pass too fast , use not too much pastime ; thy life in jollity blazes like a taper in the wind : the blast of honour wastes it ; the heat of pleasure melts it : if thou labour in a painful calling , thou shalt be less sensible of the flux of time , and sweetlier satisfied at the time of death . max. . god is the alpha and omega in the great world ; endeavour to make him so in the little world ; make him thy evening epilogue , and thy morning prologue ; practise to make him thy last thought at night when thou sleepest , and thy first thought in the morning when thou awakest ; so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night , and thy understanding rectified in the day ; so shall thy rest be peaceable , thy labours prosperous , thy life pious , and thy death glorious . max. . be very circumspect in the choice of thy company . in the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure ; in the society of thy superiours thou shalt find more profit . to be the best in the company is the way to grow worse ; the best means to grow better , is to be the worst there . max. . think of god ( especially in thy devotion ) in the abstract , rather than in the concrete : if thou conceive him good , thy finite thoughts are ready to terminate that good in a conceiv'd subject ; if thou think him great , thy bounded conceit is apt to cast him into a comprehensible figure : conceive him therefore a diffused goodness without quality , and represent him an incomprehensible greatness without quantity max. . if thou and true religion be not as yet met , or met unknown , by these marks thou shalt discover it : first , it is a religion that takes no pleasure in the expence of blood. secondly , it is a religion whose tenents cross not the book of truth . thirdly , it is a religion that takes most from the creature , and gives most to the creator . if such an one thou meet with , assure thy self it is the right , and therefore profess it in thy life , and protect it to thy death . max. . let another's passion be a lecture to thy reason , and let the shipwrack of his understanding be a sea-mark to thy passion : so shalt thou gain strength out of his weakness , safety out of his danger , and raise thy self a building out of his ruines . max. . in the height of thy prosperity expect adversity , but fear it most ; if it come not , thou art the more sweetly possess'd of the happiness thou hast , and the more strongly confirm'd ; if it come , thou art the more gently dispossest of the happiness thou had'st , and the more firmly prepared . max. . to tremble at the fight of thy sin , makes thy faith the less apt to tremble : the devils believe and tremble , because they tremble at what they believe : their belief brings trembling ; thy trembling brings belief . max. . authology is the way to theology : until thou see'st thy self empty , thou wilt not desire to be fill'd . he can never truly relish the sweetness of god's mercy , that never tasted the bitterness of his own misery . max. . is any outward affliction sallen upon thee by a temporary loss ? advise with thy self , whether it be recoverable or not ; if it be , use all lawful means ( the violence and unseasonableness whereof may not disadvantage thee in the pursuit ) to recover it : if not recoverable , endure with patience what thou can'st not recover with pains . he that carnally afflicts his soul for the loss of a transitory good , casts away the kernel because he hath lost the shell . max. . natural anger glances into the breasts of wise men , but rests in the bosom of fools : in them it is infirmity ; in these a sin ; there is a natural anger , and there is a spiritual anger ; the common object of that is the person ; of this , his vice. he that is always angry with his sin , shall seldom sin in his anger . max. . if any hard affliction hath surprized thee , cast one eye upon the hand that sent it , and the other upon the sins that brought it . if thou thankfully receive the message , he that sent it will discharge the messenger . max. . all passions are good and bad , according to their objects : where the object is absolutely good , there the greatest passion is too little ; where absolutely evil , there the least passion is too much ; where indifferent , there a little is enough . max. . when thou dost evil , that good may come thereby , the evil is surely thine ; if good should happen to ensue upon the evil which thou hast done , the good proceeds from god : if therefore thou do evil , thereby to occasionate a good , thou lay'st a bad foundation for a good building , and servest the devil , that god may serve thee . where the end of evil is good in the intention , there the end of that good is evil in the extension . max. . be as far from desiring the popular love , as fearful to deserve the popularhate : ruine dwells in both ; the one will hug thee to death , the other will crush thee to destruction . to escape the first , be not ambitious ; to avoid the second , be not seditious . max. . when thou seest misery in thy brother's face , let him see mercy in thine eye ; the more the oyle of mercy is poured on him by thy pity , the more the oyle in thy cruise shall be encreased by thy piety . max. . read not books alone , but men , and amongst them chiefly thy self : if thou find any thing questionable there , use the commentary of a severe friend , rather than the gloss of a sweet lipt flatterer . there is more profit in a distastful truth than deceitful sweetness . max. . if the opinion of thy worth invite any to the desire of thy acquaintance , yeild a respect suitable to his quality : too great a reservation will expose thee to the sentence of pride ; too easie access will condemn thee to the censure of folly. things too hardly endeavoured discourage the seeker ; too easily obtained , disparage the thing sought for : too easily got , is lowly prised , and quickly lost . max. . when conveniency of time hath ripened your acquaintance , be cautious what thou say'st , and courteous in what thou dost : observe his inclination ; if thou find him weight , make him thine own , and lodge him in a faithful bosom : be not easily exceptious , nor rudely familiar ; the one will breed contention , the other contempt . max. . when passion is grounded upon fancy , it is commonly but of short continuance : where the foundation is unstable , there the building is not lasting . he that will be angry for any cause , will be angry for no cause ; and when the understanding perceives the cause vain , then the judgment proclaims the effect void . max. . if thou desire to purchase honour with thy wealth , consider first how that wealth became thine ; if thy labour got it , let thy wisdom keep it ; if oppression found it , let repentance restore it ; if thy parent left it , let thy virtues deserve it ; so shall thy honour be safer , better , and cheaper . max. . sin is a basilisk whose eyes are full of venom ; if the eye of thy soul see her first , it reflects her own poison and kills her : if she see thy soul , unseen , or seen too late , with her poison , she kills thee : since therefore thou canst not escape thy sin , let not thy sin escape thy observation . max. . if thou expect to rise by the means of him , whom thy father's greatness rais'd from his service to court-preferment , thou wilt be deceived , for the more in esteem thou art , the more fensible is he of what he was , whose servitude will be chronicled , by thy advancement and glory obscured by thy greatness : however , he will conceive it a dead service , which may be interpreted by thee , as a merited reward , rather than a meritorious benefit . max. . trust not to the promise of a common swearer , for he that dare sin against his god , for neither profit nor pleasure , will trespass against thee for his own advantage . he that dare break the precepts of his father , will easily be perswaded to violate the promise unto his brother . max. . let the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the least part of what thou believest , lest the greatest part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true ; where lies are easily admitted , the father of lies will not easily be excluded . max. . deliberate long-before thou consecrate a friend , and when thy impartial judgment concludes him worthy of thy bosom , receive him joyfully and entertain him wisely , impart thy fecrets boldly , and mingle thy thoughts with his ; he is thy very self and use him so , if thou firmly thinks him faithful thou makes him so . max. . as there is no worldly gain , without some loss , so there is no worldly loss without some gain ; if thou hast lost thy wealth , thou hast lost some trouble with it ; if thou art degraded from thy honour , thou art likewise freed from the stroke of envy ; if sickness hath blur'd thy beauty , it hath delivered thee from pride , set the allowance against the loss and thou shalt find no loss great , he loseth little or nothing that reserves himself . max. . if thou desire to take the best advantage of thy self , especially in matters where the fancy is most employed , keep temperate diet , use moderate exercise , observe seasonable and set hours for rest ; let the end of thy first sleep raise thee from thy repose : then hath thy body the best temper , then hath thy soul the least incumbrance , then no noise shall disturb thy ear , no object shall divert thine eye ; then if thy sprightly fancy transport thee not beyond the common pitch , and shew thee not the magazine of high invention , return thee to thy wanton bed , and there conclude thy self more fit to wear thy mistresses favour than apollo's bays . max. . if thou art rich , strive to command thy money , lest she command thee : if thou know how to use her , she is thy servant , if not , thou art her slave . max. . bring thy daughter a husband of her own religion , and of no hereditary disease ; let his wisdom out-weigh his wealth ; let his parantage excel his person , and let his age exceed hers ; let thy prayers recommend the rest to providence : if he prove good , thou hast found a son , if not thou hast lost a daughter . max. . so use prosperity that adversity may not abuse thee ; if in the one security admits no fear , in the other despair will afford no hopes : he that in prosperity can foretel a danger , can in adversity foresee deliverance . max. . if thy faith hath no doubts , thou hast just cause to doubt thy faith ; and if thy doubts have no hope , thou hast just reason to fear despair ; when therefore thy doubts shall exercise thy faith , keep thy hopes firm to qualify thy doubts , so shall thy faith be secured from doubts , so shall thy doubts be preserved from despair . max. . if thou desire to be truly valiant , fear to do any injury . he that fears not to do evil is always afraid to suffer evil ; he that never fears is desperate , and he that fears always is a coward ; he is the true valiant man that dares nothing but what he may , and fears nothing but what he ought . max. . anger may repast with thee for an hour , but not repose for a night ; the continuance of anger is hatred , the continuance of hatred turns malice , that anger is not warrantable that hath seen two suns . max. . if thou stand guilty of oppression , or wrongfully possest of another's right , see thou make restitution before thou givest an alms ; if otherwise , what art thou but a thief and makest god thy receiver . max. . when thou prayest for spiritual grace , let thy prayer be absolute ; when for temporal blessings add a clause of god's pleasure ; in both with faith and humiliation , so that thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest , or more or better ; never prayer rightly made was made unheard , or heard ungranted . max. . he that gives , all tho' but little , gives much , because god looks not to the quantity of the gift , but to the quality of the givers : he that desires to give more than he can hath equalled his gift to his desire , and hath given more than he hath . max. . be not too greedy in desiring riches , nor too eager in seeking them , nor too covetous in keeping them , nor too passionate in losing them ; the first will possess thy soul of discontent , the second will dispossess thy body of rest , the third will possess thy wealth of thee , the last will dispossess thee of thy self : he that is too violent in the concupiscible , will be as violent in the irascible . max. . be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom , as it was gotten so leave it by degrees ; danger attends upon too sudden alterations : he that pulls down a bad building by the great , may be ruin'd by the fall ; but he that takes it down brick by brick , may live to build a better . max. . if thou desire that inestimable grace of saving faith , detest that insatiable vice of damnable covetousness ; it is impossible one heart ( though never so double ) should lodge both : faith possesseth thee of what thou hast not , covetousness disposesseth thee of what thou hast , thou canst not serve god , unless mammon serve thee . max. . beware of him that is slow to anger , anger when it is long in coming is the stronger when it comes , and the longer kept : abused patience turns to fury : when fancy is the ground of passion , that understanding which composeth the fancy qualifies the passion , but when judgment is the ground , the memory is the recorder . max. . he that professeth himself thy open enemy , arms thee against the evil he means thee , but he that dissembles himself thy friend , strikes beyond caution and wounds beyond cure . from the first thou mayst deliver thy self , from the last good lord deliver thee . max. . if thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought reconcile thee to him in thought , if thou hast offended him in words , let thy reconciliation be in words , if thou hast trespassed against him in deeds be reconciled to him : that reconciliation is most kindly which is most in kind . max. . not to give to the poor is to take from him ; not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the utmost of thy power to kill him : that therefore thou mayst avoid both sacrilege and murther , be charitable . max. . so often as thou remember'st thy sins without grief , so often thou repeatest those sins for not grieving : he that will not mourn for the evil that he hath done , gives earnest for the evil he means to do ; nothing can asswage that fire which sin hath made , but only that water which repentance hath drawn . max. . look well before thou leap into the chair of honour , the higher thou climest the lower thou fallest ; if virtue prefer thee , virtue will preserve thee ; if gold or favour advance thee , thy honour is pinn'd upon the wheel of fortune , when the wheel shall turn , thy honour falls , and thou remainest an everlasting monument of thy own ambitious folly . max. . we are born with our temptations ; nature sometimes presseth us to evil , sometime provokes us unto good ; if therefore thou givest her more than her due , thou nourishest an enemy : if less than is sufficient , thou destroyest a friend ; moderation will prevent both . max. . if thou scorn not to serve luxury in thy youth , chastity will scorn thy service in thy age ; and that the will of thy green years thought no vice in the acting , the necessity of thy grey hairs makes no virtue in the forbearing ; where there is no conflict there can be no conquest , where there is no conquest there is no crown . max. . thou didst nothing toward thy own creation , for thou wert created for thy creator's glory ; thou must do something toward thy own redemption , for thou wert redeemed for thy own good ; he that made thee without thee , will not save thee without thee . max. . when thy tongue and heart agree not in confession , that confession is not agreeable to god's pleasure ; he that confesseth with tongue and wants confession in his heart , is either a vain man or an hypocrite ; he that hath confession in his heart and wants it in his tongue , is either a proud man or a timorous . max. . gold is caesar's treasure , man is god's , thy gold hath caesar's image , and thou hast god's ; give therefore unto caesar those things which are caesar's , and unto god which are god's . max. . in the commission of evil , fear no man so much as thy own self ; another is but one witness against thee , thou art a thousand ; another thou mayst avoid , but thy self thou canst not ; wickedness is its own punishment . max. . in thy apparel avoid singularity , profuseness , and gaudiness ; be not too early in the fashion , nor too late , decency is the half way between affectation and neglect ; the body is the shell of the soul , apparel is the husk of that shell , the husk often tells you what the kernel is . max. . let thy recreation be manly , moderate , seasonable , lawful ; if thy life be sedentary , more tending to the exercise of thy body , if active , more to the refreshing of thy mind , the use of recreation is to strengthen thy labour and sweeten thy rest. max. . be not censorious , for thou knowest not whom thou judgest ; it is a more dextrous error to speak well of an evil man , than ill of a good man , and safer for thy judgment to be misled by simple charity , than uncharitable wisdom : he may tax others with privilege that hath not in himself what others may tax . max. . take heed of that honour which thy wealth hath purchased thee ; for it is neither lasting nor thine own ; what money creates money preserves ; if thy wealth decays thy honour dies : it is but a slippery happiness which fortune can give and frowns can take , and not worth the owning which a night's fire can melt , or a rough sea can drown . max. . if thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of , thou art in a fair way to happiness ; if thou hast attained it , thou art at thy way's end : he is not happy who hath all that he desires , but that desires nothing but what is good ; if thou canst not do what thou need not repent , yet endeavour to repent what thy necessity hath done . max. . spend an hundred years in earth's best pleasures , and after that an hundred more , to which being spent add a thousand , and to that ten thousand , the last shall as surely end as the first are ended , and all shall be swallowed with eternity : he that is born to day is not sure to live a day ; he that hath lived the longest is but as he that was born yesterday ; the happiness of the one is , that he hath lived ; the happiness of the other is , that he may live , and the lot of both is , that they must die : it 's no happiness to live long , nor unhappiness to die soon : happy is he that hath lived long enough to die well . max. . be careful to whom thou givest , and how ; he that gives him that deserves not , loseth his gift , and betrays the giver ; he that confers his gift upon a worthy receiver , makes many debtors , and by giving receives ; he that gives for his own ends , makes his gift a bribe , and the receiver a prisoner ; he that gives often teacheth requitance to the receiver , and discovers a crafty confidence in the giver . max. . hath any wrong'd thee ? bravely reveng'd , slight it , and the work is begun ; forgive it , and it is finisht : he is below himself that is not above an injury . max. . let not thy passion miscall thy child , lest thou prophesy his misfortunes ; let not thy tongue curse him , lest it return from whence it came : curses sent in the room of blessings are sent back with a double vengeance . max. . in all the ceremonies of the church which remain indifferent , do according to the constitution of that church where thou art . the god of order and unity , who created both the soul and the body , expects unity in the one , and order in both . max. . let thy religious fast be a voluntary abstinence , not so much from flesh as fleshly thoughts : god is pleased with that fast which gives to another what thou deniest to thy self , and when the afflicting of thy own body is the repairing of thy brother 's ; he fasts truly that abstains sadly , grieves really , gives cheerfully , and forgives charitably . max. . in the hearing of mysteries , keep thy tongue quiet ; five words cost zacharias weeks silence : in such heights , convert thy questions into wonders , and let this suffice thee ; the reason of the deed is the power of the doer . max. . deride not him whom the looser world calls punitan , lest thou offend a little one ; if he be an hypocrite , god , that knows him , will reward him ; if zealous , that god that loves him will revenge him ; if he be good , he is good to god's glory ; if evil , let him be evil at his own charges . he that judges shall be judged . max. . so long as thou art ignorant , be not ashamed to learn ; he that is so fondly modest ; not to acknowledge his own defects of knowledge , shall in time be so foully impudent , to justifie his own ignorance . ignorance is the greatest of all infirmities , and justified , the chiefest of all follies . max. . if thou be a servant , deal justly by thy master as thou desirest thy servant should deal by thee ; where thou art commanded , be obedient , where not commanded , be provident ; let diligence be thy credit ; let faithfulness be thy crown ; let thy master's credit be thy care , and let his welfare be thy content : let thine eye be single , and thine heart humble ; be sober , that thou may'st be circumspect : he that in sobriety is not his own man , being drunk , whose is he ? be neither contentious nor lascivious ; the one shews a turbulent hcart , the other an idle brain , a good servant is a great master . max. . let the foundation of thy affection be virtue , then make the building as rich and as glorious as thou canst ; if the foundation be beauty or wealth , and the building virtue , the foundation is too week for the building , and it will fall . happy is he , the palace of whose affection is founded upon virtue , wall'd with riches ; glaz'd with beauty , and roofed with honour . max. . if thy mother be a widow , give her double honour , who now acts the part of a double parent ; remember her nine months burthen , and her ten months travel ; forget not her indulgence when thou didst hang upon her tender breast ; call to mind her prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the world , and her cares for thee when thou wert come into it ; remember her secret groans , her affectionate tears , her broken slumbers , her daily fears , her nightly frights : relieve her wants , cover her imperfections , comfort her age , and the widow's husband will be the orphan's father . max. . as thou desirest the love of god and man , beware of pride ; it is a tumour in thy mind , that breaks , and poisons all thy actions ; it is a worm in thy treasure , that eats andruines thy estate ; it loves no man , is beloved of no man ; it disparageth virtue in another by detraction ; it disrewards goodness in it self by vain glory ; the friend of the flatterer , the mother of envy , the nurse of fury , the band of luxury , the sin of devils , and the devil in mankind : it hates superiours , it scorns inferiours , it owns no equals ; in short , till thou hate it , god hates thee . max. . so behave thy self amongst thy children , that they may love and honour thy presence ; be not too fond , lest they fear thee not ; be not too bitter , lest they fear thee too much : too much familiarity will embolden them , too little countenance discourage them . so carry thy self , that they may rather fear thy displeasure than thy correction ; when thou reprovest them , do it in season ; when thou correctest them , do it not in passion . as a wise child makes a happy father , so a wise father makes a happy child . max. . when thy hand hath done a good act , ask thy heart if it be well done ; the matter of a good action is the deed done , the form of a good action is the manner of the doing ; in the first , another hath the comfort , and thou the glory ; in the other , thou hast the comfort , and god the glory . that deed is ill done , wherein god is no sharer . max. . should'st thou purchase heaven , advise not with thy own ability : the price of heaven is what thou hast ; examine not what thou hast , but what thou art ; give thy self , and thou hast bought it : if thy own vileness be thy fears , offer thy self , and thou art pretious . max. . the birds of the air dye to sustain thee ; the beasts of the field dye to nourish thee ; the fishes of the sea dye to feed thee ; our stomacks are their common sepulchres . good god! with how many deaths are our lives patch'd up ? how ful of death is the miserable life of momentary man. the end of the second century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iii. maxim . if thou take pains in what is good , the pains vanish , the good remains ; if thou take pleasure in what is evil , the evil remains , and the pleasure vanisheth : what art thou the worse for pains , or the better for pleasure , when both are past . max. . if thy fancy and judgment have agreed in the choice of a wife , be not too fond , lest she surfeit , nor too peevish , lest she languish : love so that thou may'st be feared ; rule so that thou may'st be honoured ; be not too diffident , lest thou teach her to deceive thee ; nor too suspicious , lest thou teach her to abuse thee . if thou see a fault , let thy love hide it ; if she continue it , let thy wisdom reprove it : reprove her not openly , lest she grow bold ; rebuke her not tauntingly , lest she grow spiteful ; proclaim not her beauty , lest she grow proud ; boast not her wisdom , lest thou be thought foolish ; shew her not thy imperfections , lest she disdain thee ; pry not into her dairy , lest she despise thee ; prophane not her ears with loose communication , lest thou defile the sanctuary of her modesty . an understanding husband makes a discreet wife ; and she a happy husband . max. . wrinkle not thy face with too much laughter , lest thou become ridiculous ; neither wanton thy heart with too much mirth , lest thou become vain . the suburbs of folly is vain mirth ; and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools . max. . let thy tongue take counsel of one eye , rather than of two ears ; let the news thou reportest be rather stale than false , lest thou be branded with the name of a lyar : 't is an intollerable dishonour to be that , which only to be called so , is thought worthy of a stab . max. . let thy discourse be such as thy judgment may maintain , and thy company may deserve ; in neglecting this , thou losest thy words ; in not observing the other , thou losest thy self . give wash to swine , and wort to men ; so shalt thou husband thy gift to the advantage of thy self , and shape thy discourse to the advancement of the hearer . max. . dost thou roar under the torments of a tyrant ? weigh them with the sufferance of thy saviour , and they are no plague . dost thou rage under the bondage of a raving conscience ? compare it to thy saviour's passion , and it is no pain ? have the tortures of hell taken hold of thy despairing soul ? compare it to thy saviour's torments , and it is no punishment . what sense unequally compares , let faith interchangeably apply , and thy pleasure have no comparison ; thy sins are the authors of his sufferings , and his hell is the price of thy heaven . max. . art thou banish'd from thy own country ? thank thy own folly : hadst thou chosen a right home , thou hadst been no exile ; hadst thou commanded thine own kingdom , all kingdoms had been thine own . the fool is banished in his own country ; the wise man is in his own country , though banished : the fool wanders , the wise man travels . max. . in seeking virtue , if thou find poverty , be not ashamed , the fault is none of thine ; thy honour or dishonour is purchased by thy own actions : tho' virtue give a ragged livery , she gives a golden cognizance ; if her service make thee poor , blush not ; thy poverty may disadvantage thee , but not dishonour thee . max. . gaze not on beauty too much , lest it blast thee , nor too long , lest it blind thee , nor too near , lest it burn thee ; if thou like it , it deceives thee ; if thou love it , it disturbs thee ; if thou lust after it , it destroys thee : if virtue accompany it , it is the heart's paradice ; if vice associate it , it is the soul's purgatory : it is the wise man's bonfire , and the fools furnace . max. . if thou would'st have a good servant , let thy servant find a wise master ; let his food , rest , and wages be seasonable ; let his labour , recreations , and attendance , depend upon thy pleasure ; be not angry with him too long , lest he think thee malicious , nor too soon , lest he conceive thee rash , not too often , lest he count the humorous ; be not too fierce , lest he love thee not , nor too remiss , lest he fear thee not , nor too familiar , lest he prize thee not . in brief , whil'st thou givest him the liberty of a servant , beware thou losest not the majesty of a master . max. . if thou desire to be chast in wedlock , keep thy self chast before thou wed'est ; he that hath known pleasure unlawfully , will hardly be restrained from unlawful pleasure : one woman was created for one man. he that strays beyond the limits of liberty , is brought into the verge of slavery : where one is enough , two is too many , and three is too few . max. . if thou would'st be justified , acknowledge thy injustice : he that confesseth his sin , begins his journey toward salvation ; he that is sorry for 't , mends his pace ; he that forsakes it , is at his journey 's end . max. . before thou reprehend another , take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend : he that cleanseth a blott with blotted fingers makes a greater blur. max. . beware of drunkenness , lest all good men beware of thee : where drunkenness reigns , there reason is an exul , virtue a stranger , god an enemy ; blasphemy is wit , oaths are rhetorick , and secrets are proclamations . noah discovered that in one hour , drunk , which sober , he kept secret six hundred years . max. . what thou givest to the poor , thou securest from the thief ; but what thou witholdest from his necessity , a thief possesses . god's exchequer is the poorman's box ; when thou strikest a tally , he becomes thy debror . max. . take no pleasure in the folly of an ideor , nor in the fancy of a lunatrick , nor in the frenzy of a drunkard ; make them the object of thy pity , not of thy pastime , when thou beholdest them , behold how thou art beholden to him that suffer'd thee not to be like them ; there is no difference between thee and them , but god's favour . max. . if being in an eminent place thou hast incurr'd the obloquy of the multitude , the more thou endeavourest to stop the stream , the more it overflows : wisely rather divert the course of the vulgar humour , by divulging and spreading some ridiculous novelty , which may present new matter to their various fancy , and stave their tongues from off thy worried name ; the first subject of the common voice is the last news . max. . if thou desire to see thy child . virtuous , let him not see his father's vices : thou canst not rebuke that in them that they behold practis'd in thee . till reason be ripe , examples direct more than precepts : such as thy behaviour is before thy childrens faces , such commonly is theirs behind their parents backs . max. . use law and physick only for necessity ; they that use them otherwise , abuse themselves into weak bodies and light purses . they are good remedies , bad businesses , and worse recreations . max. . be not over curious in prying into mysteries , lest by seeking things which are needless , thou omit things which are necessary ; it is more safe to doubt of uncertain matters than to dispute of undiscovered mysteries . max. . if what thou hast received from god thou sharest to the poor , thou hast gained a blessing by the hand : if what thou hast taken from the poor thou givest to god , thou hast purchased a curse into the bargain : he that puts to pious uses what he hath got by impious usury , robs the spittle to raise an hospital , and the cry of the one , will our plead the prayers of the other . max. . let the end of thy argument be rather to discover a doubtful truth , than a commanding wit ; in the one thou shalt gain substance , in the other froth : that flint strikes the steel in vain that propagates no sparkles . covet to be truth 's champion , at least to hold her colours : he that pleads against the truth takes pains to be overthrown , or if a conqueror , gains but a vain-glory by the conquest . max. . take no pleasure in the death of a creature ; if it be harmless or useless destroy it not , if useful or harmful destroy it mercifully : he that mercifully made his creatures for thy sake , expects thy mercy upon them for his sake , mercy turns her back to the unmerciful . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a priest , the same voice calls thee to the honour of a judge : if thy life and doctrine be good , thou shalt judge others ; if thy doctrine be good and thy life bad , only thy self : if both be good , thou teachest thy people to escape condemnation : if this be good , and that bad , thou teachest god to condemn thee . max. . if thou be not a prometheus to advise , before thou dost be an epimetheus to examine what thou hast done , when the want of advice hath brought forth an improvident act , the examination may produce a profitable repentance . max. . if thou desire the happiness of thy soul , the health of thy body , the prosperity of thy estate , the preservation of thy credit , converse not with a harlot ; her eyes run thy reputation in debt , her lips demand the payment , her breast arrest thee , her arms imprison thee , from whence believe it thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either ended the days of thy credit , or paid the utmost farthing of thy estate . max. . carry a watchful eye upon those familiars that are either silent at thy faults , or sooth thee in thy frailties , or excuse thee in thy follies , for such are either cowards , or flatterers , or fools : if thou entertain them in prosperity , the coward will leave thee in thy dangers ; the flatterer will quit thee in thy adversity ; but the fool will never forsake thee . max. . if thou hast an estate and a son to inherit it , keep him not too short , lest he think thou livest too long ; what thou givest let him receive from thy hand as gifts , not from thy tenants as rent ; keep the reins of thy estate in thy own hand , lest thou forsaking the sovereignty of a father , he forget the reverence of a child : let his liberty be grounded upon thy permission , and keep him within the compass of thy instructions : let him feel thou hast the curb , though occasion urge thee not to check : give him the choice of his own wife if he be wise , counsel his affection rather than cross it ; if thou be'st wise let his marriage-bed be made in secret , or depend upon thy grave . if he be given to lavish company endeavour to stave him off with lawful recreations : be cheerful with him that he may love thy presence , and wink at small faults that thou mayst gain him ; be not always chiding lest thou harden him , neither knit thy brow too often lest thou dishearten him : remember the discretion of a father oft times prevents the destruction of a child . max. . if thou hide thy treasure upon earth , how canst thou expect to find it in heaven ? canst thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stock ? that thou gavest to god's glory and thy soul's health is laid up in heaven , and is only thine : that alone which thou exchangeth or hidest upon earth is lost . max. . regard not in thy pilgrimage how difficult thy passage is , but whither it tends ; nor delicate thy journey is , but where it ends , if it be easie , suspect it ; if hard , endure it ; he that cannot excuse a bad way , accuseth his own sloth ; and he that sticks in a bad passage , can never attain a good journey 's end . max. . money is both the generation and corruption of purchased honour ; honour is both the child and slave to potent money : the credit which honour hath lost , money hath found ; when honour grew mercenary , money grew honourable ; the way to be truly noble is to contemn both . max. . give not thy tongue too great a liberty , lest it take thee prisoner ; a word unspoken is like the sword in thy scabbard , thine ; if vented , thy sword is in another's hand : if thou desire to be held wise , be so wise as to hold thy tongue . max. . if thou be a subject to any great vanity , nourish it not : if it will be entertained , encourage it not ; if it grow strong , more strongly strive against it ; if too strong , pray against it ; if it weaken not , joyn fasting to the prayer ; if it shall continue , add perseverance to them both ; if it decline not , add patience to all , and thou hast conquered it . max. . hath any wounded thee with injury , meet them with patience ; hasty words rankle the wounds , soft language dresses it ; forgiveness cures it , and oblivion takes away the scar ; it is more noble by silence to avoid an injury , than by argument to overcome it . max. . be not instable in thy resolutions , nor various in thy actions , nor inconstant in thy affections ; so deliberate , that thou mayst resolve ; so resolve , that thou mayst perform ; so perform , that thou mayst persevere : mutability is the badge of infirmity . max. . let not thy good intention flatter thee to an evil action ; what is essential evil , no circumstance can make good : it matters not with what mind thou didst that which is unlawful being done ; if the act be good the intention crowns it , if bad it deposeth thy intention ; no evil action can be well done . max. . love not thy children too unequally , or if thou dost , shew it not , lest thou make the one proud , the other envious , and both fools ; if nature hath made a difference , it is the part of a tender parent to help the weakest : that tryal is not fair where affection is the judge . max. . in giving of thy alms , enquire not so much into the person as his necessity ; god looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires , as into the manner of him that relieves ; if the man deserves not , thou hast given it to humanity . max. . if thou desire the eucharist should be thy supper , let thy life be thy chaplain ; if thy own worthiness invites thee , presume not to come ; if the sorrowful sense of thy own sins forbid , presume not to forbear ; if thy faith be strong , it will confirm it , if weak , it will strengthen it : he only that wants faith is the forbidden guest . max. . wouldst thou traffick with the best advantage , and crown thy virtues with the best return , make the poor thy chapman , and thy purse thy factor ; so shall thou give trifles , which thou couldst not keep , to receive treasure which thou canst not lose : there is no such merchant as the charitable man. max. . follow not the multitude in the evil of sin , lest thou share with the multitude in the evil of punishment , the number of the offenders , diminisheth not the quality of the offence ; as the multitude of suiters draws more favour to the suit , so the multitude of sinners draws more punishment on the sin , the number of the faggots multiply the fury of the fire . max. . if thou be angry with him that reproves thy sin , thou secretly confessest his reproof to be just : if thou acknowledge his reproof to be just , thou secretly confessest thy anger to be unjust ; he that is angry with the just reprover , kindles the fire of the just revenger . max. . do well whilst thou mayst , least thou do evil when thou wouldst not : he that takes not advantage of a good power , shall lose the benefit of a good will. max. . let not mirth be thy profession , lest thou become a make-sport : he that hath but gained the title of a jester , let him assure himself the fool is not far off . max. . in every relative action change conditions with thy brother ; then ask thy conscience what thou wouldst be done to ; being truly resolved exchange again , and do thou the like to him , and thy charity shall never err : it is injustice to do , what without impatience thou canst not suffer . max. . love thy neighbour for god's sake , and god for his own sake , who created all things for thy sake , and redeemed thee for his mercy sake : if thy love have any other object , it is false love ; if thy object have any other end , it is self-love . max. . let thy conversation with men be sober and sincere ; let thy devotion to god be dutiful and decent ; let the one be hearty and not haughty ; let the other be humble and not homely ; so live with man as if god saw thee , so pray to god as if men heard thee . max. . god's pleasure is the wind our actions ought to sail by , man's will is the stream that tides them up and down ; if the wind blow not , thou mayst take the advantage of the tide ; if it blow , no matter which way the stream runs ; if with thee , thy voyage will be the shorter ; if against thee , the sea will be the rougher . it is easier to strive against the stream , than to fail against the wind. max. . if thou desire much rest , desire not too much ; there is no less trouble in the preservation , than in the acquisition of abundance ; diogenes found more rest in his tub , than alexander on his throne . max. . wouldst thou multiply thy riches , diminish them wisely ; or wouldst thou make thy estate entire , divide it charitably ; seeds that are scattered encrease , but hoarded up they perish . max. . how cam'st thou by thy honour ? by money ; how cam'st thou by thy money ? by extortion ; compare the pennyworth with the price , and tell me truly , how truly honourable thou art : it is an ill purchase that is cumbred with a curse , and that honour will be ruinous that is built on ruines . max. . if thy brother hath privately offended thee , reprove him privately ; and having lost himself in an injury thou shalt find him in thy forgiveness ; he that rebukes a private fault openly , betrays it , rather than reproves it . max. . what thou desirest inspect throughly before thou prosecute ; cast one eye upon the inconveniencies , as well as the other upon the conveniencies ; weigh the fulness of the barn with the charge of the plough ; weigh honour with her burthen ; and pleasure with her dangers ; so shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desirest , or moderate thy desires in undertaking . max. . if thow owest thy whole self to thy god for thy creation , what hast thou left to pay for thy redemption , that was not so cheap as the creation ? in thy creation he gave thee thy self , and by thy self to him ; in thy redemption he gave himself to thee , and through him restored thee to thy self : thou art given and restored , now what owest thou to thy god ? if thou hast paid all thy debts , give him the surplusage ; and thou hast merited . max. . in thy discourse , take heed what thou speakest , to whom thou speakest , how thou speakest , and when thou speakest : what thou speakest , speak truly ; when thou speakest , speak wisely : a fool 's heart is in his tongue , but a wise man's tongue is in his heart . max. . before thou act a theft , consider what thou art about to do ; if thou take it , thou losest thy self ; if thou keep it , thou disenablest thy redemption ; till thou restorest it , thou canst not be restored ; when it is restored` it must cost the more sorrow and pain , than ever it brought thee profit or pleasure . it is a great folly to please thy palate with that which thou knowest must either be vomited or thy death . max. . silence is the highest wisdom of a fool , and speech is the greatest trial of a wise man ; if thou would'st be known a wise man , let thy words shew thee so ; if thou doubt thy words , let thy silence feign thee so : it is not a greater point of wisdom to discover knowledge than to hide ignorance . max. . the clergy is a copy-book ; their life is the paper , whereof some is purer , some courser ; their doctrine is the copies , some written in a plain hand , others in a flourishing hand , some in a text hand , some in a roman hand , others in a court hand , others in a bastard roman . if the choice be in thy power , choose a book that hath the finest paper ; let it not be too straight nor too loosely bound , but easie to lye open to every eye : follow not every copy , lest thou be good at none ; among them all choose one that shall be most legible and useful , and fullest of just writing : but if the paper chance to have a blot , remember that blot is no part of the copy . max. . virtue is nothing but an act of loving that which is to be beloved , and that act is prudence ; from whence not to be removed by constraint , is fortitude , not to be allured by enticements is temperance , not to be diverted by pride is justice ; the declining of this act is vice. max. . rebuke thy servant's fault in private ; publick reproof hardens his shame ; if he be past a youth , strike him not ; he is not fit for thy service that after wise reproofs will either deserve thy stro aks or digest them . max. . take heed rather what thou receivest , than what thou givest ; what thou givest leaves thee , what thou takest sticks by thee ; he that presents a gift , buys the receiver ; he that takes a gift , sells his liberty max. . things temporal are sweeter in expectation , things eternal are sweeter in the fruition ; the first shames thy hopes , the second crowns it : it is a vain journey whose end affords less pleasure than the way . max. . know thy self , that thou may'st fear god ; know god , that thou may'st love him ; in this thou art initiated to wisdom , in that perfected : the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom ; the love of god is the fulfilling of the law. max. . if thou hast providence to foresee a danger , let thy providence rather prevent it than fear it ; the fear of future evils brings often times a present mischief ; whil'st thou seekest to prevent it , practise to bear it : he is a wise man can prevent an evil ; he is a patient man that can endure it ; but he is a valiant man can conquer it . max. . if thou hast the place of a magistrate , deserve it by thy justice , and dignifie it with thy mercy : take heed of early gifts ; an open hand makes a blind eye . be not more apt to punish vice , than to encourage virtue ; be not too severe , lest thou be hated , nor too remiss , lest thou be slighted : so cute justice , that thou may'st be loved ; so execute mercy , that thou may'st be feared . max. . let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy revenue ; let thy provision be solid , and not far fetch'd , fuller of substance than art : be wisely frugal in thy preparation , and freely cheerful in thy entertainment : if thy guest be right , it is enough , if not , it is too much . : too much is a vanity ; enough is a feast . max. . let thy apparel be decent , and suited to the quality of thy place and purse : too much punctuality , and too much morosity , are the two poles of pride . be neither too early in the fashion , nor too long out of it , nor too precisely in it ; what custom hath civilized is become decent , till then ridiculous . where thy eye is the jury , thy apparel is the evidence . max. . if thy words be too luxuriant , confine them , lest they confine thee : he that thinks he never can speak enough , may easily speak too much ; a full tongue and an empty brain are seldom parted . max. . in holding of an argument , be neither cholerick nor too opinionate ; the one distempers thy understanding , the other abuseth thy judgment . above all things decline paradoxes and mysteries : thou shalt receive no honour either in maintaining rank falshoods , or medling with secret truths . as he that pleads against the truth makes wit the mother of his error , so he that argues beyond warrant makes wisdom the midwife of his folly. max. . detain not the wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it , lest god withold thy wages from thee : if he complain to thee , hear him , lest he complain to heaven , where he will be heard ; if he hunger for thy sake , thou shalt not prosper for his sake : the poor man's peny is a plague in the rich man's purse . max. . be not too cautious in discerning the fit objects of thy charity ; lest a soul perish through thy discretion : what thou givest to mistaken want , shall return a blessing to thy deceived heart ; better in relieving idleness to commit an accidental evil , than in neglecting misery to omit an essential good ; better two drones be preserv'd than one bee perish . max. . theology is the empress of the world , mysteries are her privy council , religion is her clergy , the arts are her nobility , philosophy her secretary , the graces her maids of honour , the moral virtues the ladies of her bedchamber , peace her chamberlain , true joy and endless pleasures are her courtiers , plenty her treasurer , poverty her exchequer , the temple is her court. if thou desire access to this great majesty , the way is by her courtiers ; if thou hast not power there , the common way to the sovereign is by the secretary . max. . it is an evil knowledge to know the good thou should'st embrace , unless thou likewise embrace the good thou knowest : the breath of divine knowledge is the b llows of divine love ; and the flame of divine love is the perfection of divine knowledge . max. . if thou desire rest unto thy soul , be just ; he that doth no injury fears not to suffer injury : the unjust mind is always in labour ; it either practiseth the evil it hath projected , or projects to avoid the evil it hath deserved . max. . accustom thy self to what is most usual : he that delights in rarities must often feed displeased , and sometimes lye at the mercy of a dear market ; common food nourisheth best , delicates please most ; the sound stomack prefers neither ; what art thou the worse for the last year's plain diet , or what now the better for the last great feast ? max. . whoever thou art , thou hast done more evil in one day than thou canst expiate in six , and canst thou think the evil of six days can require less than one ? god hath made us rich in days by allowing six , and himself poor by reserving but one ; and shall we spare our own flock , and sheer his lamb ? he that hath done nothing but what he can justifie in the six days , may play the seventh . max. . hope and fear , like hypocrates's twins , should live and dye together ; if hope departs from fear , it travels by security , and lodgeth in presumption ; if fear depart from hope , it travels to infidelity , and inns in despair ; the one shuts up heaven , the other opens hell ; the one makes thee insensible of god's frowns , the other incapable of god's favour ; and both teach god to be unmerciful , and thee to be most miserable . max. . close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another ; if thou recieve not his words , they fly back , and wound the reporter ; if thou receive them , they fly forward , and wound the receiver . max. . if thou would'st preserve a sound body , use fasting and walking ; if a healthful soul , fasting and praying ; walking exerciseth the body , praying exerciseth the soul ; fasting cleanseth both . max. . wouldest thou not be thought a fool in another's conceit ? be not wise in thine own ; he that trusts in his own wisdom , proclaims his own folly : he is truly wise , and shall appear so , that hath folly enough to be thought not worldly wise , or wisdom enough to see his own folly. max. . desirest thou knowledge ? know the end of thy desire : is it only to know ? then it is curiosity ; is it because thou mayst be known ? then 't is vanity ; if because thou mayst edifie , then 't is charity ; if because thou mayst be edified , it is wisdom . that knowledge turns to mere excrement , that hath not some heat of wisdom to digest it . max. . wisdom without innocency is knavery ; innocency without wisdom is foolery ; be therefore wise as serpents , and innocent as doves : the subtilty of the serpent instructs the innocency of the dove ; the innocency of the dove corrects the subtilty of the serpent . what god hath joyned together , let no man separate . max. . the more thou imitatest the virtues of a saint departed , the better thou celebratest the saint's day : god is not pleased with surfeiting for his sake , who with his fasting so often pleased his god. max. . chuse not thy serviceable soldier out of soft apparel , lest he prove effeminate ; nor out of a full purse , lest he grow amorous : they are more fit for action that are fiery to gain a fortune abroad , than they that have fortunes to lose at home . expectation breeds spirit , fruition brings fear . max. . god hath given to mankind a common library , his creatures ; and to every man a proper book , himself ; being an abridgement of all the others . if thou read with understanding , it will make thee a great master of philosophy , and a true servant to the divine author ; if thou but barely read , it will make thee thy own wise man , and the author's fool. max. . doubt is a weak child , lawfully begotten between an obstructed judgment and a fair understanding . opinion is a bold bastard , gotten between a strong fancy and a weak judgment . it is less dishonourable to be ingeniously doubtful , than rashly opinionate . max. . as thou art a moral man , esteem thy self not as thou art , but as thou art esteemed . as thou art a christian , esteem thy self as thou art , not as thou art esteemed : thy price in both rises and falls as the market goes ; the market of a moral man is wild opinion ; the market of a christian is a good conscience . max. . providence is an exercise of reason , experience an act of sense ; by how much reason excels sense , by so much providence exceeds experience : providence prevents that danger which ezperience repents ; providence is the rational daughter of wisdom , experience the empirical mistress of fools . max. . hath fortune dealt thee ill cards , let wisdom make thee a good gamester ; in a fair gale every fool may sail , but wise behaviour in a storm commends the wisdom of a pilate ; to bear adversity with an equal mind , is both the sign and glory of a brave spirit . max. . if any speak ill of thee , 〈◊〉 home to thy own conscience , and examine thy heart ; if thou be guilty , 't is a just correction ; if not guilty , 't is a fair instruction : make use of both , so shalt thou distill honey out of gall , and out of an open enemy , create a secret friend . max. . as the exercise of the body natural is moderate recreation , so the exercise of the body politick , is military-discipline ; by that , the one is made more able ; by this , the other is made more active : where both are wanting there wants no danger ; to the one , through a humorous supply ; to the other , by a negligent security . max. . god is above thee , beasts are beneath thee ; acknowledge him that is above thee , and thou shalt be acknowledged by them that are under thee ; whilst daniel acknowledge god to be above him , the lyons acknowledge god to be above them . max. . take heed , whilst thou shewest wisdom in not speaking , thou betrayest not thy own folly in too long silence ; if thou art a fool , thy silence is wisdom ; if a wise man , too long silence is folly : as too many words from a fool 's mouth , gives a wise man no leave to speak , so too long silence in a wise man gives a fool the opportunity of speaking , and makes thee guilty of his folly. max. . consider what thou wert , what thou art , what thou shalt be , what is within thee , what is above thee , what beneath thee , what is against thee , what was before thee , what shall be after thee ; and this will bring to thy self humility , to thy neighbour charity , to the world contempt , to thy god obedience . he that knows not himself positively , cannot know himself relatively . max. . think not thy love to god , merits god's love to thee ; his acceptance of thy duty crowns his own gifts in thee . man's love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to man. max. . be always less willing to speak than to hear ; what thou hearest thou receivest , what thou speakest thou givest . it is more glorious to give , more profitable to receive . max. . seest thou good days , prepare for evil times ; no summer but hath its winter : he never reapt comfort in adversity , that sow'd it not in prosperity . max. . if being a magistrate thou connivest at vice , thou nourishest it ; if thou sparest it , thou committest it ; what is not by thee punished in others , is made punishable in thee ; he that favours present evils , entails them upon his posterity : he that excuseth the guilty condemns the innocent . max. . truth haunts no corners , seeks no by-ways ; if thou profess it , do it openly ; if thou feek it , do it fairly : he deserves not to profess truth that professeth it fearfully : he deserves not to find the truth that seeks it fraudulently . max. . if thou desire to be wiser yet , think not thy self yet wise enough ; and if thou desire to improve knowledge in thy self , despise not the instructions of another : he that instructs him that thinks himself wise enough , hath a fool to his scholar ; he that thinks himself wise enough to instruct himself , hath a fool to his master . the end of the third century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iv. maxim . demean thy self more warily in thy study than in the street ; if thy publick actions have an hundred witnesses , thy private have a thousand ; the multitude look but upon thy actions , thy conscience looks into them ; the multitude may chance to excuse thee , if not acquit thee ; thy conscience will accuse thee , if not condemn thee . max. . of all vices , take heed of drunkenness ; other vices are but fruits of disorder'd affections , this disorders , nay banisheth reason ; other vices but impair the soul , this demolisheth her two chief faculties , the understanding and the will ; other vices makes their own way , this makes way for all vices : he that is a drunkard is qualify'd for all vice. max. . if thy sin trouble thee , let that trouble comfort thee ; as pleasure in the remembrance of sin exasperates justice , so sorrow in the repentance of sin mollifies mercy : it is less danger to commit the sin we delight in , than to delight in the sin we have committed ; and more joy is promised to repentance , than to innocency . max. . the way to god is by thy self , the way to thy self is by thy own corruptions ; he that baulks this way , errs ; he that travels by the creatures , wanders : the motion of the heavens shall give thy soul no rest ; the virtue of herbs shall not encrease thine ; the height of all philosophy both natural and moral , is to know thy self , and the end of this knowledge is to know god. max. . infamy is where it is received ; if thou art a mud-wall ; it will stick ; if marble , it will rebound ; if thou storm at it , 't is thine ; if thou contemn it , 't is his . max. . if thou desire magistracy , learn to forget thy self : if thou undertake it , bid thy self farewel . he that looks upon a common cause with private eyes , looks through false glasses . in the exercise of thy politique office thou must forget both ethicks and oeconomicks : he that puts on a publick gown , must put off a private person . max. . let the words of a virgin , though in a good cause , and to as good purpose , be neither violent , many , nor first , nor last ; it is less shame for a virgin to be lost in a blushing silence , than to be found in a bold eloquence . max. . art thou in plenty , give what thou wilt ; art thou in poverty , give what thou canst : as what is received , is received according to the manner of the receiver , so what is given is priz'd according to the measure of the giver : he is a good work-man that makes as good work , as his matter will permit . max. . god is the author of truth , the devil the father of lies ; if the telling of a truth shall endanger thy life , the author of truth will protect thee from the danger , or reward thee for thy damage ; if the telling a lie may secure thy life , the father of lies will beguile thee of thy gains , or traduce the security : better by losing of a life to save it , than by saving of a life to lose it . however , better thou perish than the truth . max. . consider not so much what thou hast , as what others want ; what thou hast take heed thou lose not ; what thou hast not , take heed thou covet not : if thou hast many above thee , turn thy eye upon those that are under thee . if thou hast not inferiors , have patience a while , and thou shalt have no superiors ; the grave requires no marshal . max. . if thou seest any thing in thy self which may make thee proud , look a little and thou shall find enough to humble thee ; if thou be wise , view the peacock's feathers with his feet , and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections : he that would rightly prize the man , must read his whole story . max. . let not the sweetness of contemplation be so esteemed , that action be despised . rachel was more fair ; leah more fruitful ; as contemplation is more delightful , so is it more dangerous : lot was upright in the city and wicked in the mountain . max. . if thou hast but little , make it not less by murmuring ; if thou hast enough , make it not too much by unthankfulness ; he that is not thankfully contented with the least favour he hath received , hath made himself incapable of the least favour he can receive . max. . what thou hast taken unlawfully ; restore speedily ; for the sin in taking it is repeated every minute thou keep'st it ; if thou canst , restore it in kind ; if not , in value ; if it may be , restore store it to the party ; if not , to god ; the poor is god's receiver . max. . let the fear of a danger , be as a spur to prevent it ; he that fears otherwise gives advantage to the danger ; it is less folly not to endeavour the prevention of the evil thou fearest ; than to fear the evil which thy endeavour cannot prevent . max. . if thou hast any excellence which is thine own , thy tongue may glory in it without shame ; but if thou hast received it , thy glory is but usurpation , and thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame ; where vain-glory commands , there folly counsels ; where pride rides , there shame lacquys . max. . god hath ordained his creatures not only for necessity but for delight ; since he hath carv'd thee with a bountiful hand , fear not to receive it with a liberal heart ; he that gave thee water to allay thy thirst , gave thee wine to exhilerate thy heart : restore him for the one , the necessity of thanks ; return him for the other , the cheerfulness of praise . max. . if the wicked flourish and thou suffer , be not discourag'd ; they are fatted for destruction , thou art dieted for health ; they have no other heaven but the thoughts of a long earth ; thou hast nothing on earth but the hopes of a quick heaven : if there were no journey 's end , the travel of a christian were most comfortless . max. . imp not thy wing with the church's feathers , lest thou fly to thy own ruine ; impropriations are bold metaphors , which continued are deadly allegories ; one foot of land in capite encumbers the whole estate ; the eagle snatch'd a coal from the altar , but it fir'd her nest. max. . let that table which god hath pleased to give thee , please thee ; he that made the vessel knows her burthen , and how to ballast her ; he that made all things very good , cannot but do all things very well ; if thou be content with a little , thou hast enough ; if thou complainest , thou hast too much . max. . wouldst thou discover the true worth of a man , behold him naked , distreasure him of his ill got wealth ; degrade him of his dear bought honour ; disrobe him of his purple habit ; discard his pamper'd body , then look upon his soul , and thou shalt find how great he is : natural sweetness is never scented but in the absence of artificial . max. . if thou art subject to any secret folly , blab it not , lest thou appear impudent ; nor boast of it , lest thou seem insolent ; every man's vanity ought to be his greatest shame ; and every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret . max. . if thou be ignorant , endeavour to get knowledge , lest thou be beaten with stripes : if thou hast attained knowledge , put it in practice , lest thou be beaten with many stripes ; better not to know what we should practice , than not to practice what we know ; and less danger dwells in unaffected ignorance , than unactive knowledge . max. . take heed thou harbour not that vice called envy , lest another's happiness be thy torment , and god's blessing becomes thy curse : virtue corrupted with vain-glory turns pride ; poison'd with malice becomes envy : joyn therefore humility with thy virtue , and pride shall have no footing , and envy shall have no entrance . max. . if thy endeavour cannot prevent a vice , let thy repentance lament it ; the more thou remember'st it without hearts-grief , the deeper it is rooted in thy heart : take heed it please thee not , especially in cold blood , thy pleasure in it makes it fruitless , and her fruit is thy destruction . max. . the two knowledges of god and of thy self , are the high-way to thy salvation ; that breeds in thee a filial love , this a filial fear . the ignorance of thy self is the beginning of all sin ; and the ignorance of god is the perfection of all evil. max. . rather do nothing to the purpose than be idle , that the devil may find thee doing . the bird that sits is easily shot , when flyers 'scape the fowler ; idleness is the dead sea that swallows all virtues , and the self made sepulchre of a living man : the idle man is the devil's hireling , whose livery is rags , whose dyet and wages are famine and diseases . max. . be not so mad , as to alter that countenance which thy creator made thee ; remember 't was the work of his hands ; if it be bad how darst thou mend it ; if it be good , why dost thou mend it ? art thou asham'd of his work , and proud of thy own ? he made thy face to be known by ; why desirest thou to be known by another ? it is a shame to adulterate modesty , but more to adulterate nature ; lay by thy art , and blush not to appear what he blushes not to make thee . it is better to be his picture than thine own . max. . let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience ; examine not why it is commanded , but observe it because it is commanded ; true obedience neither procrastinates nor questions . max. . if thou would'st buy an inheritance in heaven , advise not with thy purse , lest in the mean while thou lose thy purchase . the widow bought as much for two mites as zacheus did for half his estate . the price of that purchase is what thou hast , and is not lost for what thou hast not , if thou desire to have it . max. . with the same height of desire thou hast sinned , with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent ; thou that hast sinned to day , defer not thy repentance till to morrow . he that hath promised thee pardon to thy repentance , hath not promised life till thou repent . max. . take heed how thou receivest praise from men ; from good men , neither avoid it , nor glory in it ; from evil men , neither desire it nor expect it : to be praised of them that are evil , or for that which is evil , is equal dishonour ; he is happy in his worth who is praised by the good , and imitated by the bad . max. . proportion thy charity to the strength of thy estate , lest god proportion thy estate to the weakness of thy charity : let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gifts , lest in seeking applause thou losest thy reward . nothing is more pleasing to god than an open hand and a close mouth . max. . dost thou want things necessary ? grumble not ; perchance 't was a necessary thing thou should'st want ; endeavour lawfully to supply it : if god bless not thy endeavours , bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee ; thou art god's patient , prescribe not thy physitian . max. . if another's death , or thy own , depend upon thy confession , if thou canst , say nothing ; if thou must , say the truth : it is better thou lose thy life than god his honour ; it is as easie for him to give thee life being condemned , as repentance , having sinned : it is more wisdom to yeild thy body , than hazard thy soul. max. . cloath not thy language , either with obscurity of affectation ; in the one thou discoverest too much darkness , in the other too much lightness : he that speaks from the understanding to the understanding , is the best interpreter . max. . if thou expect death as a friend , prepare to entertain it ; if thou expect death as an enemy , prepare to overcome it : death hath no advantage , but when it comes a stranger . max. . fear nothing but what thy industry may prevent : be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat . it is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided , than to be secure when there is a possibility to be deprived . max. . let not the necessity of god's decree discourage thee to pray , or dishearten thy prayers ; do thou thy dury , and god will do his pleasure : if thy prayers make not him sound that is sick , they will return , and confirm thy health that art sound : if the end of thy prayers be to obtain thy request , thou confinest him that is infinite ; if thou hast done well because thou wert commanded , thou hast thy reward , in that thou hast obeyed god's pleasure in the end of our prayers . max. . marry not too young ; and when thou art too old , marry not , lest thou be fond in the one , and dote in the other , and repent for both : let thy liking ripen before thou love ; let thy love advise before thou chuse ; and let thy choice be first , before thou marry : remember that the whole happiness of thy life depends upon this one act ; remember that nothing but death can dissolve this knot : he that weds in haste , repents oftentimes by leisure ; and he that repents him of his own act , either is or was a fool by confession . max. . if god hath sent thee a cross , take it up and follow him ; use it wisely , lest it be unprofitable ; bear it patiently , lest it be intollerable ; behold in it god's anger against sin , and his love towards thee in punishing and chastising the other . if it be light , slight it not ; if heavy , murmur not : not to be sensible of a judgment , is the symptom of a hardned heart ; and to be displeased at his pleasure is a sign of a rebellious will. max. . if thou desire to be magnanimous , undertake nothing rashly , and fear nothing thou undertakest : fear nothing but infamy ; dare any thing but injury . the measure of magnanimity , is neither to be rash , nor timorous . max. . practise in health to bear sickness , and endeavour in the strength of thy life to entertain death . he that hath a will to dye , not having power to live , shews necessity , not virtue : it is the glory of a brave mind to embrace pangs in the very arms of pleasure . what name of virtue merits he that goes when he is driven ? max. . be not too punctual in taking place : if he be thy superiour , 't is his due ; if thy inferiour , 't is his dishonour ; it is thou must honour thy place , not thy place thee . it is a poor reward of worth , that consists in a righthand , or a brick wall. max. . pray often , because thou sinnest always ; repent quickly , lest thou dye suddenly : he that repents it , because he wants power to act it , repents not of a sin till he forsakes it : he that wants power to actuate his sin , hath not forsaken his sin , but his sin him . max. . make philosophy thy journey , theology thy journey 's end : philosophy is a pleasant way , but dangerous to him that either tires or retires : in this journey it 's safe neither to loyter , nor to rest , till thou hast attained thy journey's-end : he that sits down a philosopher , rises up an atheist . max. . fear not to sin , for god's sake , but thy own ; thy sin o'erthrows not his glory , but good : he gains his glory not only from the salvation of the repentant ; but also from the confusion of the rebellious . there be vessels for honour , and vessels for dishonour ; but both for his honour . god is not griev'd for the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence , but for the horror thou shalt find for thy impenitence . max. . insult not over misery , nor deride infirmity , nor despise deformity . the first shews thy inhumanity ; the second , thy folly ; the third , thy pride ; he that made him miserable , made thee happy to lament him : he that made him weak , made thee strong to support him ; he that made him deformed , gave thee favour to be humbled ; he that is not sensible of another's unhappiness , is a living stone ; but he that makes misery the object of his triumph , is an incarnate devil . max. . make thy recreations servants to thy business ; lest thou become slave to thy recreations ; when thou go'st up into the mountain , leave this servant in the valley ; when thou goest to the city , leave him in the suburbs ; and remember , the servant is not greater than his master . max. . praise no man too liberally before his face ; nor censure him too lavishly behind his back . the one savours of flattery ; the other , of malice , and both are reprehensible : the true way to advance another's virtue , is to follow it ; and the best means to cry down another's vice , is to decline it . max. . if thy prince command a lawful act , give him all active obedience : if he command an unlawful act , give passive obedience . what thy well-grounded conscience will suffer , do cheerfully , without repining ; where thou may'st not do lawfully , suffer couragiously without rebellion : thy life and livelihood is thy prince's , thy conscience is thy own . max. . if thou givest to receive the like , it is exchange : if to receive more , 't is covetousness : if to receive thanks , it is vanity : if to be seen , 't is vain-glory : if to corrupt , 't is bribery : if for example , 't is formality : if for compassion , 't is charity : if because thou art commanded , 't is obedience : the affection in doing the work , gives a name to the work done . max. . fear death , but be not afraid of death . to fear it whets thy expectation ; to be afraid of it dulls thy preparation : if thou canst endure it , it is but a flight pain ; if not , 't is but a short pain : to fear death , is the way to live long ; to be afraid of death , is to be long a dying . max. . if thou desire the love of god and man , be humble ; for the proud heart , as it loves none but it self , so it is beloved of none , but by it self : the voice of humility is god's rhetorick . humility enforces , where neither virtue , nor strength , nor reason , can prevail . max. . look upon thy burning taper , and there see the emblem of thy life : the flame is thy soul ; the wax thy body , and is commonly a span long ; the wax , ( if never so well temper'd ) can but last his length ; and who can lengthen it ? if ill temper'd , it shall waste the the faster , yet last his length ; an open window shall hasten either ; an extinguisher shall put out both : husband them the best thou canst , thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date : leave them to the injury of the wind , or to the mercy of a wastful hand , thou hastnest them , but still they burn their length : but puff them out , and thou hast shortned them , and stop'd their passage , which else had brought them to their appointed end. bodies according to their constitutions , stronger or weaker , acoording to the equality or inequality of their elements , have their dates , and may be preserved from shortning , but not lengthned . neglect may waste them , ill diet may hasten them to their journey 's end , yet they have lived their length ; a violent hand may interrupt them ; a sudden death may stop them , and they are shortned . it lies in the power of man , either permissively to hasten , or actively to shorten ; but not to lengthen or extend the limits of his natural life . he only ( if any ) hath the art to lengthen out his taper that puts it to the best advantage . max. . demean thy self in the presence of thy prince , with reverence and chearfulness . that , without this , is too much sadness ; this , without that , is too much boldness : let thy wisdom endeavour to gain his opinion , and labour to make thy loyalty his confidence : let him not find thee false in words , unjust in thy actions , unseasonable in thy suits , nor careless in his service : cross not his passion ; question not his pleasures ; press not into his secrets ; pry not in his prerogative : displease him not , lest he be angry ; appear not displeased , lest he be jealous . the anger of a king is implacable : the jealousie of a prince is incurable . max. . give thy heart to thy creator , and reverence thy superiors : give diligence to thy calling , and ear to good counsel : give alms to the poor , and the glory to god : forgive him that ignorantly offends thee , and him that wittingly offended thee , seeks thee . forgive him that hath forcibly abused thoe ; and him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee : forgive all thine enemies ; but least of all thy self : give , and it shall be given to thee ; forgive , and it shall be forgiven thee ; the sum of all christianity is give and forgive . max. . be not too great a niggard in the commendations of him that professes thy own quality : if he deserves thy praise , thou hast discovered thy judgment ; if not , thy modesty : honour either returns , or reflects to the giver . max. . if thou desire to raise thy fortunes , encourage thy delights to the casts of fortune ; be wise betimes , lest thou repent too late ; what thou gettest , thou gainest by abused providence ; what thou losest , thou losest by abused patience ; what thou winnest is prodigally spent ; what thou losest is prodigally lost : it is an evil trade that prodigally drives ; and a bad voyage where the pilot is blind . max. . be very wary for whom thou becomest security , and for no more than thou art able to discharge , if thou lovest thy liberty . the borrower is a slave to the lender ; the security is a slave to both : whilst the borrower and lender are both eased , the security bears both their burthens . he is a wise security that recovers himself . max. . look upon thy affliction as thou dost upon thy physick ; both imply a disease , and both are applied for a cure ; that of the body , this of the soul : if they work , they promise health ; if not , they threaten death : he is not happy that is not afflicted , but he that finds happiness by his affliction . max. . if the knowledge of good , whet thy desire to good , it is a happy knowledge : if by thy ignorance of evil , thou art surpriz'd with evil , it is an unhappy ignorance . happy is he that hath so much knowledge of good , as to desire it ; and but so much knowledge of evil , as to fear it . max. . when the flesh presents thee with delights , then present thy self with dangers : where the world possesses thee with vain hopes , there possess thy self with true fear . when the devil brings thee oil , bring thou vinegar . the way to be safe , is never to be secure . max. . if thy brother hath offended thee forgive him freely , and be reconciled : to do evil for evil is humane corruption ; to do good for good , is civil retribution : to do good for evil is christian perfection ; the act of forgiveness is god's precept ; the manner of forgiveness is god's president . max. . reverence the writings of holy men ; but lodge not thy faith upon them , because but men : they are good pools , but no fountains . build on paul himself , no longer than he builds on christ : if peter renounce his master , renounce peter . the word of man may convince reason ; but the word of god alone can compel conscience . max. . in civil things follow the most ; in matters of religion , the fewest ; in all things , follow the best ; so shall thy ways be pleasing to god , so shall thy behaviour be plausible with men. max. . if any loss or misery hath befallen to thy brother ; dissemble it to thy self ; and what counsel thou givest him , register carefully ; and when the case is thine , follow it : so shall thine own reason convince thy passion , or thy passion confess her own unreasonableness . max. . when thou goest about to change thy moral liberty , into a christian servitude , prepare thy self to be the world's laughing stock ; if thou overcome her scoffs , thou shalt have double honour ; if overcome , double shame . he is unworthy of a good master that is ashamed of a bad livery . max. . let not the falling of a salt , or the crossing of a hare , or the crying of a cricket , trouble thee : they portend no evil , but what thou fearest . he is ill acquainted with himself , that knows not his own fortunes better than they : if evil follow it , it is the punishment of thy superstition , not the fulfilling of their portent : all things are lucky to thee , if thou wilt ; nothing but is ominous to the superstitious . max. . so behave thy self in thy course of life , as at a banquet . take what is offered with modest thankfulness ; and expect what is not as yet offered with hopeful patience . let not thy rude appetite press thee , nor a slight carefulness indispose thee , nor a sullen discontent deject thee . who desires more than enough , hath too much ; and he that is satisfied with a little , hath no less than enough . max. . is thy child dead ? he is restored , not lost . is thy treasure stoln ? it is not lost , it is restored : he is an ill debtor , that counts repayment loss ; but it was an ill chance that took thy child , and a wicked hand that stole thy treasure : what is that to thee : it matters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them ; what goods are ours by loan , are not lost when willingly restored , but when unworthily received . max. . censure no man ; detract from no man ; praise no man before his face ; traduce no man behind his back : boast not thy self abroad , nor flatter thy self at home : if any thing cross thee , accuse thy self ; if any extol thee , humble thy self : honour those that instruct thee , and be thankful to those that reprehend thee . let all thy desires be subjected to reason , and let thy reason be corrected by religion . weigh thy self by thy own ballances , and trust not the voice of wild opinion : observe thy self as thy greatest enemy ; so shalt thou become thy greatest friend . max. . endeavour to make thy discourse such as may administer profit to thy self , or standers by , lest thou incur the danger of an idle word : above all subjects , avoid all those that are scurrilous and obscene , tales that are impertinent and improbable , and dreams . max. . if god hath blest thee with a son , bless thou that son with a lawful calling ; chuse such employment as may stand with his fancy and thy judgment : if his country claims his ability towards the building of her honour ; if he cannot bring a cedar , let him bring a shrub : he that brings nothing , usurps his life , and robs his country of a servant . max. . at thy first entrance into thy estate , keep a low sail ; thou must rise with honour ; thou canst not decline without shame . he that begins as his father ended , shall end as his father begun . max. . if any obscene tale should chance to slip into thine ears , among the varieties of discourse ( if opportunity admit ) reprove it ; if otherwise , let thy silence or change of countenance interpret thy dislike : the smiling ear is bawd to the lascivious tongue . max. . be more circumspect over the works of thy brain , than the actions of thy body ; these have infirmity to plead for them , but they must stand upon their own bottoms ; these are but the objects of few , they of all ; these will have equals to defend them , they have inferiours to envy them , superiours to deride them , all to censure them : it is no less danger for these to be proclaimed at paul's-cross , than for them to be protested in paul's church-yard . max. . use common-place-books , or collections , as indexes to light thee to the authors , lest thou be abused : he that takes learning upon trust , makes him a fair cupboard with another's plate ; he is an ill advised purchaser , whose title depends more on witnesses than evidences . max. . if thou desire to make the best advantage of the muses , either by reading to benefit thy self , or by writing others , keep a peaceful soul within a temperate body : a full belly makes a dull brain , and a turbulent spirit a distracted judgment ' . the muses starve in a cook 's shop and a lawyer 's study . max. . when thou communicatest thy self by letters , heighten or depress thy stile according to the quality of the person and business ; that which thy tongue would present to any if present , let thy pen represent to him absent . the tongue is the mind's interpreter ; and the pen is the tongue 's secretary . max. . keep thy soul in exercise , lest her faculties rust for want , of motion ; to eat , sleep , or sport too long , stops the natural course of her natural actions . to dwell too long in the employments of the body , is both the cause and sign of a dull spirit . max. . be very circumspect to whose tuition thou committest thy child ; every good scholar is not a good master . he must be a man of invincible patience and singular observation : he must study children , that will teach them well , and reason must rule him that would rule wisely ; he must not take advantage of an ignorant father , nor give too much ear to an indulgent grandmother : the common good must outweigh his private gains , and his credit must out-bid gratuities : he must be diligent and sober , not too familiar , nor too reserv'd , neither amorous , nor phantastick ; just , without fierceness ; merciful , without fondness : if such an one thou meet with , thou hast found a treasure , which if thou know'st how to value , is invaluable . max. . let not thy laughter handsel thy own jest , lest whil'st thou laugh at it , others laugh at thee ; neither tell it often to the same hearers , lest thou be thought forgetful or barren . there is no sweetness in a cabbage twice sodd , or a tale twice told . max. . if opinion hath lighted the lamp of thy name , endeavour to encourage it with thine own oyle , lest it go out , and stink . the chronical disease of popularity is shame : if thou be once up , beware ; from fame to infamy is a beaten road. max. . cleanse thy morning soul with private and due devotion : till then admit no business ; the first born of thy thoughts are god's , and not thine but by sacrilege . think thy self not ready , till thou hast praised him , and he will be always ready to bless thee . max. . in all thy actions , think god sees thee ; and in all his actions labour to see him ; that will make thee fear him , this will move thee to love him . the fear of god is the beginning of knowledge , and the knowledge of god is the perfection of love. max. . let not the expectation of a reversion entice thy heart to the wish of a possessor's death , lest a judgment meet thee in thy expectation , or a curse overtake thee in thy fruition ; every wish makes the a murtherer ; and moves god to be an accessary : god often lengthens the life of the possessor , with the days of the expector . max. . prize not thy self by what thou hast , but by what thou art : he that values a jewel by her golden frame , or a book by its silver clasps ; or a man by his vast estate , errs : if thou art not worth more than the world can make thee , thy redeemer had a bad peny-worth , or thou an uncurious redeemer . max. . let not thy father , nor the fathers , nor the church , thy mother's belief , be the ground of thine : the scripture lies open to the humble . heart , but lock'd against the proud inquisitor : he that believes with an implicite faith , is a meer empyrick in religion . max. . of all sins , take greatest heed of that which thou hast last , and most repented of : he that was the last thrust out of doors , is the next readiest to croud in again ; and he that thou hast forest battled , is likest to call more help for a revenge . it is requisite for him that hath cast one devil out , to keep strong hold , lest seven return . max. . in the meditation of divine mysteries , keep thy heart humble , and thy thoughts holy ; let philosophy not be ashamed to be confuted , nor logick blush to be confounded ; what thou canst not prove , approve ; what thou canst not comprehend , believe ; and what thou can'st believe , admire ; so shall thy ignorance be satisfy'd in thy faith , and thy doubts be swallow'd up with wonders : the best way to see day-light is to put out the candle . max. . if opinion hath cryed thy name up , let thy modesty cry thy heart down , lest thou deceive it , or it thee ; there is no less danger in a great name than in a bad ; and no less honour in deserving of praise , than in the enduring it . max. . use the holy scriptures with all reverence ; let not thy wanton fancy carry it out in jests , nor thy sinful wit make it an advocate to thy sin ; it is a subject for thy faith , not fancy : where wit and blasphemy is one trade , the understanding's bankrupt . max. . dost thou complain that god hath forsaken thee ; it is thou that hast forsaken him ; 't is thou that art mutable ; in him there is no shadow of change ; in his light is life : if thy will drive thee to a dungeon , thou makest thy own darkness ; and in that darkness dwells thy death ; from whence if he redeem thee , he is merciful ; if not , he is just ; in both , he receives glory . max. . make use of time if thou lovest eternity ; know yesterday cannot be recalled ; to morrow cannot be assured ; to day is only thine ; which if thou procrastinate , thou losest ; which loss is lost for ever ; one to day is worth two to morrow . max. . if thou be strong enough to encounter with the times , keep thy station ; if not , shift a foot to gain advantage of the times : he that acts a beggar to prevent a thief , is ne'er the poorer ; it is a great part of wisdom sometimes to seem a pool . max. . if thou intend thy writings for the publick view , lard them not too much with the choice lines of another author , lest thou lose thy own gravy ; which thou hast read and digested , being delivered in thy own stile , becomes thine ; it is more decent to wear a plain suit of one intire cloth , than a gaudy garment , chequer'd with other rich fragments . max. . if god hath bless'd thee with inheritance , and children to inherit , trust not the staff of thy family to the hands of one . make not many beggars in the building of one great heir , lest , if he miscarry through a prodigal will , the rest sink thro' a hard necessity : god's allowance is a double portion : when high bloud and generous breeding , break their fast in plenty , and dine in poverty , they often sup in infamy : if thou deny them falcon's wings to prey on fowl , give them kite's stomachs to seize on garbage . max. . be very vigilant over thy child in the april of his understanding , lest the frost of may nip his blossom ; whilst he is a tender twig , streighten him ; whilst he is a new vessel , season him ; such as thou makest him , such commonly thou shalt find him ; let his first lesson be obedience , and the second shall be what thou wilt ; give him education in good letters , to the utmost of thy ability and his capacity ; season his youth with the love of his creator , and make the fear of his god , the beginning of his knowledge ; if he have an active spirit , rather rectifie than curb it ; but reckon idleness amongst his chiefest faults ; a bove all things keep him from vain lascivious and amorous pamphlets , as the primer of all vice. as his judgment ripens , observe his inclination , and tender him a calling that shall not cross it : forced marriages and callings seldom prosper ; shew him both the mow and the plough , and prepare him as well for the danger of the skirmish , as possess him with the honour of the prize . if he chuse the profession of a scholar , advise him to study the most profitable arts : poetry and mathematicks take up too great a latitude of the soul , and moderately used , are good recreations , but bad callings ; being nothing but their own reward . if he chuse the profession of a soldier , let him know withal , honour must be his greatest wages , and his enemies his surest pay-master : prepare him against the danger of war , and advise him of the greater mischief of a garison : let him avoid debauchedness and duels , to the utmost of his power , and remember he is not his own man ; and ( being his countries servant ) hath no estate in his own life : if he chuse a trade , teach him to forget his father's and his mother's wing ; advise him to be conscionable , careful , and constant ; this done , thou hast done thy part , leave the rest to providence , and thou hast done well . max. . convey thy love to thy friends , as an arrow to the mark , to stick there ; not as a ball against the wall , to rebound back to thee ; that friendship will not continue to the end that is begun for an end. meditation is the life of the soul , action is the life of meditation , honour is the reward of action ; so meditate that thou may'st do ; so do that thou may'st purchase honour : for which purchase , give god the glory . finis . some books printed for sam. briscoe , at corner of charles street , covent-garden . . the history of polybius the megalapolitan ; containing a geneneral account of the transactions of the world , and principally of the roman people , during the first and second punick wars , &c. translated from the original greek , by sir h. sheres : vol. vo . . the satyrs of titus petronius arbiter , a roman knight ; with their fragments recover'd at belgrade : made engglish by mr. burnaby of the middle-temple . . the young lawyer 's recreation ; being a collection of the most unusual and pleasant customs and passages in the law , as well for the use as diversion of the reader . . letters of love and gallantry , together with the pleasant adventures of a young lady , and nuns memoirs ; with several other letters that passed between ladies and gentlemen both iu town and country . in two vol. . the religious stoick , or a brief discourse on these several subjests , viz. atheism , superstition , world's creation , eternity , providence , theology , strictness of churches , of the scriptures , of moral and judicial law , of man and his creation , of the immortality of the soul , of faith and reason , of the fall of angels , and what their sin was , of man's fall , of the stile of genesis , a refutation of the millinaries , &c. with a friendly address to the fanaticks of all sects and sorts . by sir george mackenzey . institutions, essays, and maxims, political, moral, and divine divided into four centuries / by the right honoura[ble] l. marqu. of h[alifax] enchiridion. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) institutions, essays, and maxims, political, moral, and divine divided into four centuries / by the right honoura[ble] l. marqu. of h[alifax] enchiridion. quarles, francis, - . halifax, george savile, marquis of, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for, and are to be so[ld by] josias shaw ..., london : . a reprint of francis quarles' enchiridion with slight differences in arrangement of material -- nuc pre- imprints. includes index. advertisement: p. 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divided into four centuries , by the right honoura 〈…〉 l. marqu . of 〈…〉 london , printed for , and are to be sol 〈…〉 josias shaw bookseller at 〈…〉 coffee-house on cork-hill , . the index . cent . i. alteration max. auxiliar ambitious men ambitious natures assault advice conquest climatical advantages calumny composition conspiracy correspondency custom conquest civil commotion courage castles clergy covetousness counsellors , commanders , clemency and severity , commission church government confidence . demeanour deliberation disposition discovery design debt discontents delay deserts experiments exactions exuls encouragement fortresses , foolish confidence foreign king foreign humours foreign inclinations hearts of subjects hierarchy hunting invasion just war idleness liberality league love and fear mixt government money manufacture neutrality nobility , necessity new gentry opinion order and turn . piety and policy peace , pillars of state prevention pleasures popular sects power quo warranto rebel rewards and punishments reformation religion , resolution repute strength of parts successor strength to keep scandal state-change secrecy scruples situation sudden resolution times timely war true temper treachery variance virtue war in league war offensive and defensive weighty service cent . ii. action , , affections , , afflictions , anger , , acquaintance , advancement advantage avarice apparel brother charity , care company custom confession censure child , ceremonies daughter death , evil , enemy faith , fancy friendship friend haste god , gift grace giver honour , , , happiness heaven ignorance , love , loss luxury money , moderation mysteries mother news oppression promise pleasing pride possession passion , , prosperity , popularity prayer puritan pride riches reason , religion recreation redemption sinful custom souls progress sin , swearer servant time trembling theology thy self treasure vndertaking vow valour work wrong , cent . iii. argument max. alms actions apparel argument adversity , banishment beauty brother censure , child children conversation copy-book charity conscience consideration discourse , drunkenness danger doubt and opinion eucharist esteem exercise familiars fasting festival gift god , harlot heir honour hope hope and fear idiot journey intention justice innocence and wisdom knowledge , laughter lyer law and physick love , library mysteries mercy money multitude mirth merit magistrate , obloquy pains poor , priest patience palat providence and experience repentance resolution reproof rest riches reproof saviour sin silence , servant sabbath soldier treasure tongue traffick theft table theology truth virtue , vanity vndertaking wife wedlock well-doing words , wages wisdom , cent . iv. action max. affection banquet contentedness content , church confession cross commendations calling circumspection common-place-book complaint child demeanour , drunkenness death , discourse devotion envy example exercise estimation fear , folly forgiveness frugality friend god giver glory gift give and forgive gaming humiliation heaven humility humane writings heir infamy impropriations ignorance idleness jest knowledge , , loss , letters language last sin magistracy man marriage magnanimity misery mysteries name obedience , obsceneness opinion painting praise prayer practice place philosophy praise and censure reputation repentance , recreations rules reversion sin security safety superstition scoffs scripture , style truth theft tapor temperance tuition to day times virgin vain-glory vse of creatures wicked want institutions and maxims political and moral , &c. cent . i. maxim . let not civil discords in a foreign kingdom encourage thee to make invasion : they that are factious among themselves , are jealous of one another , and more strongly prepared to encounter with a common enemy . those whom civil commotions set at variance , foreign hostility reconciles : men rather affect the possession of an inconvenient good , than the possibility of an uncertain better . max. . if thou hast made a conquest with thy sword , think not to maintain it with thy sceptre , neither conceive , that new favours can cancel old injuries : no conquerour sits secure upon his new got throne , so long as they subsist in power that were despoiled of their possessession by this conqueror . max. . let no price , nor promise of honour , bribe thee to take part with the enemy of thy natural prince ; assure thy self whoever wins , thou art lost : if thy prince prevail , thou art proclaimed a rebel , and branded for death ; if the enemy prosper , thou shalt be reckoned but as a meritorious traytor , and not secure of thy self . he that loves the treason , hates the traitor . max. . if thy strength of parts hath raised thee to eminent place in the commonwealth , take heed thou sit sure ; if not , thy fall will be the greater . as worth is fit matter for glory , so glory is a fair mark for envy . by how much the more thy advancement was thought the reward of desert , by so much thy fall will administer matter for disdain . it is the ill fortune of a strong brain , if not to be dignified as meritorious , to be deprest as dangerous . max. . it is the duty of a statesman , especially in a free state , to hold the commonwealth to her first frame of government , from which the more it swerves the more it declines ; which being declined , is not commonly reduced without that extremity , the danger whereof rather ruines than rectifies , fundamental alterations being inevitable perils . max. . there be three sorts of governments , monarchical , aristocratical , democratical ; and they are apt to fall three several ways into ruine ; the first by tyranny , the second by ambition , the last by tumults : a commonwealth grounded upon any one of these is not of long continuance , but wisely mingled , each guard the other , and make the government exact . max. . let not the proceedings of a captain , though never so commendable , be confined : as the times alter , so must they ; if these vary , and not they , ruine is at hand . he least fails in his design , that meets time in its own way ; and he that observes not the alteration of the times , shall never be a conqueror . he is a wise commander , and only he , that can discover the change of times , and changes his proceedings according to the times . max. . if thou desire to make war with a prince with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league , assail some of his allies rather than himself ; if he resent it , and come or send in , then thou hast a fair gale to thy desires : if not , his infidelity in not assisting his allie will be discovered . hereby thou shalt gain thy self advantage , and facilitate thy designs . max. . before thou undertakest a war , let thine eye number thy forces , and let thy judgment weigh them . if thou hast a rich enemy , no matter how poor thy soldiers be , if couragious and faithful . trust not too much the power of thy treasure , for it will deceive thee ; being more apt to expose thee for a prey , than to defend thee . gold is not able to find good soldiers ; but good soldiers are able to find out gold. max. . if the territories of thy equal enemy are situated far south from thee , the advantage is thine , whether he make offensive or defensive war : if north , the advantage is his ; cold is less tolerable than heat ; this is a friend to nature , that an enemy . max. . it is not only uncivil , but dangerous , for soldiers by reproachful words to throw disgrace upon their enemy : base terms are bellows to a slacking fury , and goads to quicken up revenge in a fleeing foe . he that objects cowardice against a failing enemy , adds spirit to him , to disprove the aspersion at his own cost . it is therefore the part of a wise soldier to refrain it , or of a wise commander to punish it . max. . it is better for weak kingdoms , rather to compound an injury ( tho' to some loss ) than seek for satisfaction by the sword ; lest while they weaken themselves by mutual blows , a third decide the controversy to both their ruines . when the frog and the mouse could not take up the quarrel , the kite was umpire . max. . let that commonwealth which desires to flourish be very strict both in her punishments and rewards , according to the merits of subjects , and offence of the delinquents . let the service of the deserver be rewarded , lest thou discourage worth ; and let the crime of the offender be punished , lest thou encourage vice. the neglect of the one weakens a commonwealth ; the omission of both ruines it . max. . it is wisdom for him that sits at the helm of a settled state , to demean himself toward his subjects at all times , so that upon any evil accident they may be ready to serve his occasion . he that is only gracious at the approach of a danger , will be in danger when he expects deliverance . max. . in all designs which require not sudden execution , take mature deliberation , and weigh the convenients with the inconvenients , and then resolve ; after which neither delay the execution , nor betray thy intention . he that discovers himself , till he hath made himself master of his desires , lays himself open to his own ruine , and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue . max. . liberality in a prince is no virtue , when maintained at the subject's unwilling cost . it is less reproach , by miserableness , to deserve the popular love : than by liberality , to deserve private thanks . max. . it is the excellent property of a good and wise prince , to use war as he doth physick , carefully , unwillingly , and seasonably ; either to prevent approaching dangers , or to correct a present mischief ; or to recover a former loss . he that declines physick till he be accosted with the danger , or weakned with the disease , is bold too long , and wise too late : that peace is too precise that limits the justness of a war , to a sword drawn , or a blow given . max. . let a prince that would beware of conspiracies , be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary favours have advanced , than of those whom his pleasure hath discontented . these want means to execute their pleasures ; but they have means at pleasure to execute their desires . ambition to rule is more vehement than malice to revenge . max. . before thou undertake a war , cast an imperial eye upon the cause . if it be just , prepare thy army , and let them all know they fight for god and thee : it adds fire to the spirit of a soldier to be assured that he shall either prosper in a fair war , or perish in a just cause . max. . if thou desire to know the power of a state , observe in what correspondence it lives with her neighbouring state : if she make alliance with the contribution of money , it is an evident sign of weakness : if with her valour , and repute of her forces , it manifests a native strength ; it is an unfallible sign of power to sell friendship , and of weakness to buy it . that is bought with gold will hardly be maintained with steel . max. . in the calms of peace , it is most requisite for a prince to prepare against the storms of war ; both theorically , in reading heroick histories , and practically , in maintaining martial discipline . above all things , let him avoid idleness , as the bane of honour ; which in peace indisposes the body , and in war effeminates the soul. he that would be in war victorious , must be in peace laborious . max. . if thy two neighbouring princes fall out , shew thy self either a true friend , or a fair enemy . it is indiscretion to adhere to him whom thou hast least cause to fear , if he vanquish . neutrality is dangerous , whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conqueror . max. . it is a great argument of a prince's wisdom , not only to chufe but also to prefer wise counsellors , and such are they , that seek less their own advantages , than his ; whom wise princes ought to reward , lest they become their own carvers , and so of good servants , ru●n bad masters . max. . it much conduces to the dishonour of a king , and the ill-fare of his kingdom , to multiply nobility in an over proportion to the common people : cheap honour darkens majesty , and a numerous nobility brings a state to necessity . max. . it is very dangerous to try experiments in a state , unless extreme necessity be urgent , or popular utility be palpable . it is better for a state to connive a while , at any inconveencies , than too suddenly to rush upon a reformation . max. . if a valiant prince be succeeded by a weak successor he may for a while maintain a happy state , by the remaining virtue of his glorious predecessor ; but if his life be long , or dying , he be succeeded by one less valiant than the first , the kingdom is in danger to fall to ruine : that prince is a true father to his country that leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave son. when alexander succeeded philip , the world was too little for the conqueror . max. . it is very dangerous for a prince or republick to make continual practice of cruel exaction : for where the subject stands in sense or expectation of evil , he is apt to provide for his safety , or for the danger he fears : and growing bold in conspiracy , makes faction , which faction is the mother of ruine . max. . be careful to consider the good or ill disposition of the people towards thee upon ordinary occasions ; if it be good , labour to continue it ; if evil , provide against it . as there is nothing more terrible than a dissolute multitude without a head ; so there is nothing more easily reduc'd , ( if thou canst endure the first shock of their fury ) which if a little appeased , every one begins to doubt himself and think of home , and secure themselves either by flight or agreement . max. . that prince who stands in fear more of his own people , than strangers , ought to build fortresses in his land. but he that is more afraid of strangers , than his own people , shall build them more secure in the affections of his subjects . max. . carry a watchful eye upon dangers before they come to ripeness ; and when they are ripe , let loose a speedy hand . he that expects them too long or meets them too soon , gives advantage to the evil ; commit their beginnings to argus his hundred eyes , and their end to briareus's hundred hands , and thou art safe . max. . of all the difficulties of a state , the temper of true government most felicifies and perpetuates it . too sudden alteration distempers it . had nero tuned his kingdom as he did his harp , his harmony had been more honourable and his reign more prosperous . max. . if a prince , fearing to be assailed by a foreign enemy , hath a well armed people , well addrest for war : let him stay at home and expect him there ; but if his subjects be unarmed , or his kingdom unacquainted with the stroke of war , let him meet the enemy in his quarters . the farther he keeps the war from his own home the less danger . the seat of war is always miserable . max. . it is a necessary wisdom for a prince to grow in strength as he encreases in dominions . it is no less virtue to keep than to get ; conquests not having power answerable to their greatness , invite new conquerors to the ruine of the old. max. . it is great prudence in a statesman to discover an inconvenience in the birth , which so discovered , is easie to be supprest . but if it ripen into a custom , the sudden remedy thereof is often worse than the disease ; in such a case it is better to temporise a little , than to struggle too much . he that opposes a full aged inconvenience too suddenly , strengthens it . max. . if thou hast conquered a land , whose language differs not from thine , change not their laws and taxes , and the two kingdoms will in a short time incorporate and make one body . but if the laws and language differ , it is difficult to maintain thy conquest , which that thou mayst the easier do , observe three things ; first , to live there in person , ( or rather send colonies . ) secondly , to assist the weak inhabitants and weaken the mighty . thirdly , to admit no powerful foreigner to reside there . remember lewis xiii . of france , how suddenly he took milan , and how soon he lost it . max. . it is a gracious wisdom in a prince , in civil comotions rather to use juleps than phlebotomy , and rather to break the distemper by a wise delay , than to correct it with too rash an onset : it is more honourable by a slow preparation to declare himself a gracious father , than by a hasty war to appear a furious enemy . max. . it is wisdom for a prince in fair weather , to provide for tempests : he that so much relies upon his people's faith , to neglect his own preparation , discovers more confidence than wisdom . he that ventures to fall from above , with hopes to be catch'd below , may be dead e'er he come to ground . max. . he that would reform an ancient state in a free city , buys convenience with a great danger . to work this reformation with the less mischief , let such a one keep the shadows of their ancient customs , tho' in substance they be new . let him take heed when he alters the nature of things , they bear at least their antient names . the common people that are naturally impatient of innovations will be satisfied with that which seems to be as well as that which is . max. . upon any difference between foreign states , it is neither safe nor honourable for a prince , either to buy his peace , or to take it up at interest . he that hath not a sword to command it , shall either want it , or want honour with it . max. . it is very requisite for a prince not only to weigh his designs in the flower , but likewise in the fruit. he is an unthrift of his honour , that enterprises a design , the failing wherein may bring him more disgrace , than the success can gain him honour . max. . it is much conducible to the happiness of a prince , and the security of his state , to gain the hearts of his subjects . they that love for fear , will seldom fear for love ; it is a wise government which gains such a tye upon the subject , that he either cannot hurt , or will not . but the government is best and most sure , when the subject joys in his obedience . max. . let every soldier arm his mind with hopes and put on courage , whatsoever disaster falls , let not his heart sink . the passage of providence lies through many crooked ways ; a despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil. his actions may weave the webs of fortune , but not break them . max. . it is the part of a wise magistrate to vindicate a man of power or state-employment , from the malicious scandals of the giddy-headed multitude , and to punish it with great severity . scandal breeds hatred , hatred begets division , division makes faction and faction brings ruine . max. . the strongest castles a prince can build , to secure him from domestick commotions , or foreign invasions , is in the hearts of his subjects ; and means to gain that strength is , in all his actions to appear for the publick good. studious to contrive and resolute to perform . max. . a kingdom is a great building whose two main supporters are the government of the state , and the government of the church . it is the part of a wise master , to keep those pillars in their first posture irremoveable . if either fail , it is wisdom rather to repair it than to remove it . he that pulls down the old , to set up a new , may draw the roof upon his head and ruine the foundation . max. . it is a necessary wisdom in a prince to encourage in his kingdoms manufacture , merchandise , arts , and arms ; in manufacture , lies the vital spirits of the body-politique ; in merchandise the spirits natural ; in arts and arms , the animal . if either of these languish the body droops ; as these flourish the body flourishes . max. . true religion is a settler in a state , rather than a stickler ; while she confirms an established government , she moves in her own sphere ; but when she endeavours to alter the old , or to erect a new , she works out of her own vineyard : when she keeps the keys , she sends showers of milk : but when she draws the sword , she sails in seas of blood. labour therefore to settle religion in the church ; and religion shall settle peace in thy land. max. . if thou entertain any foreign soldiers into thine army , let them bear thy colours , and receive thy pay , lest they interest their own prince . auxiliary soldiers are most dangerous : a foreign prince needs no greater invitation to seize upon thy city , then when he is required to defend it . max. . be cautious in undertaking a design , upon the report of those that are banish'd their country , lest thou come off with shame , or loss , or both . their end expects advantages from thy actions ; whose miseries lay hold of all opportunities , and seek to be redrest by thy ruines . max. . if thou endeavourest to make a republick in a nation where the gentry abound , thou shalt hardly prosper in that design ; and if thou would'st erect a principality in a land where there is much equality of people , thou shalt not easily effect it . the way to bring the first to pass , is to weaken the gentry . the means to effect the last , is to advance and strengthen ambitious and turbulent spirits ; so that being placed in the midst of them , their forces may maintain thy power , and thy favour may preserve their ambition . otherwise there shall be neither property nor continuance . max. . it is more excellent for a prince to have a provident eye for the preventing future mischiefs , than to have a potent arm for the suppressing present evils . mischiefs in a state are like hectick feavers in a body , in the beginning hard to be known , but easie to be cured . but let it alone a while , it becomes more easie to be known , but more hard to be cured . max. . if a kingdom be apt to rebellion , it is wisdom to preserve the nobility and commons at variance ; where one of them is discontented , the danger is not great . the commons are flow of motion , if not quicken'd with the nobility : the nobility is weak of power , if not strengthen'd by the commons . then is danger when the commonalty troubles the water , and the nobility steps in . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to have an eye , that the clergy be elected , and come in , either by collation from him or particular patrons , and not by the people ; and that their power hold dependance upon home and not foreign authority : it is dangerous in a kingdom where the crosiers receive not their power from the regal sword. max. . it is a perillous weakness in a state , to be slow of resolution in the time of war : to be irresolute in determination is both the sign and the ruine of a weak state. such affairs attend not time . let the wise statesman therefore abhor delay , and resolve rather to do , than advise what to say . slow deliberations are symptoms either of a faint courage , or weak forces , or false hearts . max. . if a conqueror hath subdued a country or a city abounding with pleasures , let him be very circumspect to keep himself and his soldiers temperate . pleasures bring effeminacy and effeminacy foreruns ruine : such conquests , without blood or sweat , sufficiently do revenge themselves upon their intemperate conquerors . max. . it is an infallible sign of approaching ruine in a republick , when religion is neglected , and her establisht ceremonies interrupted . let therefore that prince that would be potent be pious ; and that he may punish loosness the better , let him be religious . the joy of jerusalem depends upon the peace of sion . max. . let that prince that desires full sovereignty temper the greatness of too potent a nobility : a great and potent nobility quickens the people , but presses their fortunes : it adds majesty to a monarch , but diminishes his power . max. . it is dangerous for a prince to use ambitious natures , but upon necessity , either for his wars , or to be skreens to his dangers , or instruments for the demolishing insolent greatness ; and that they may be the less dangerous , let him choose them rather out of mean births than noble , and out of harsh natures rather than plausible , and always be sure to ballance them with those that are as proud as they . max. . let princes be very circumspect in the choice of their councellours , choosing neither by the greatness of the beard , nor by the smoothness of the face . let him be wise , but not crafty ; active , without private ends ; couragious , without malice ; religious , without faction ; secret , without fraud . one better read in his prince's business than his nature ; and a riddle only to be read above . max. . in a mixt monarchy , if the hierarchy grow too absolute , it is wisdom in a prince , rather to depress it than suppress it ; all alterations in a fundamental government being apparent dangers ; but too sudden alteration threatens inevitable ruine . when aaron made a molten calf , moses alter'd not the government , but reproved the governour . max. . before thou build a fortress , consider to what end : if for resistance against the enemy , it is useless ; a valiant army is a living fortress : if for suppressing the subject , it is hurtful ; it breeds jealousies , and jealousies beget hatred . if thou hast a strong army to maintain it , it adds nothing to thy strength : if thy army be weak , it conduces much to thy danger . the surest fortress is the hands of thy soldiers ; and the safest cittadel is the hearts of thy subjects . max. . it is a princely alchymy , out of a necessary war , to extract an honourable peace ; and more beseeming the majesty of a prince , to thirst after peace , than conquest . blessedness is promised to the peace-maker , not the conqueror . it is an happy state , whose prince hath a peaceful hand , and a martial heart ; able both to use peace , and to manage war. max. . it is a dishonourable thing for a prince to run in debt for state-service ; but to pay it in the pardon of a criminal offence , is most dangerous . to cancel the eaults of subjects , with their deserts , is not only the symptom of a disorder'd commonwealth , but also of her ruine . max. . let not a commander be too forward to undertake a war , without the person of his prince . it is a thankless employment , where mischief attends upon the best success : and where ( if a conqueror ) he shall be in danger , either through his own ambition , or his prince's suspicion . max. . it is a great oversight in a prince , for any respect , either actively or passively , to make a foreign kingdom strong . he that gives means to another to become powerful , weakens himself , and enables him to take the advantage of his own weakness . max. . when the humours of the people are stirr'd by discontents or popular grief , it is wisdom in a prince to give them moderate liberty to evaporate . he that turns the humour back too hastily , makes the wound bleed inwardly , and fills the body with malignity . max. . if , having levied an army , thou findest thy self too weak , either thro' the want of men or money , th● longer thou delayest to fight , the greater thy inconvenience grows . if once thy army falls asunder , thou certainly losest by thy delay . where , hazarding thy fortunes betimes , thou hast the advantage of thy men , and mayst by fortune win the day , it is less dishonour to be overcome by force than by flight . max. . it is the part of a wise commander , in wars either offensive or defensive , to work a necessity of fighting into the breasts of his soldiers . necessity of action takes away the fear of the act , and makes bold resolution the favourite of fortune . max. . clemency and mildness is most proper for a principality , but reservedness and severity , for a republick ; but moderation in both . excess in the one breeds contempt ; in the other hatred : when to sharpen the first , and when to sweeten the last , let time and occasion direct thy judgment . max. . it is very requisite for a prince that desires the continuance of peace , in time of peace to encourage and respect his commanders . when brave spirits find neglect to be the effect of quiet , they devise all means to remove the cause ; and by suggesting inducements to new wars , disturb and unsettle the old peace , buying private honour with publick danger , max. . be not covetous of priority in advising thy prince to a doubtful attempt , which concerns his state. if it prosper , the glory must be his ; if it fail , the dishonour will be thine . when the spirit of a prince is stopped in the discharge , it will recoile & wound the first adviser . max. . if , being the commander of an army , thou espiest a gross and manifest error in thine enemy , look well to thy self ; for treachery is not far off . he whom desire of victory binds too much , is apt to stumble at his own ruine . max. . it is the height of a provident commander , not only to keep his own designs indiscoverable to his enemy , but likewise to be studious to discover his : he that can best do the one , and nearest guess at the other , is the next step to a conqueror ; but he that fails in both , must either ascribe his overthrow to his own folly , or his victory to the hand of fortune . max. . if thou be ambitious of honour , and yet fearful of the canker of honour , envy ; so behave thy self , that opinion may be satisfied in this , that thou seekest merit , and not fame ; and that thou attributest thy preserment rather to providence than thy own virtue . honour is a due debt to the deserver ; and who ever envied the payment of a debt ? a just advancement is a providential act ; and who ever envied the act of providence ? max. . it behoves a prince to be very circumspect before he makes a league , which being made , and then broke , is the forfeiture of his honour . he that obtains a kingdom with the rupture of his faith , hath gained the glory of a conquest , but lost the honour of a conqueror . max. . let states that aim at greatness , beware lest new gentry multiply too fast , or grow too glorious : where there is too great a disproportion betwixt the gentry and the common subject , the one grows insolent , the other slavish . when the body of the gentry grows too glorious for a corslet , the heads of the vulgar wax too heavy for the helmet . max. . upon the beleaguering of a city , let the commander endeavour to take from the defendants all scruples which may invite them to a necessity of defence . whom the fear of slavery necessitates to fight , the boldness of their resolution will disadvantage the assailants , and difficilitate their design . sense of necessity justifies the war , and they are hopeful in their arms , who have no other hope , but in their arms. max. . it is good for states and princes ( if they use ambitious men for their advantage ) so to order things , that they be still progressive rather than retrograde . when ambitious men find an open passage , they are rather busie than dangerous ; if well watch'd in their proceedings , they will catch themselves in their own snare , and prepare a way for their own destruction . max. . of all recreations , hunting is most proper for a commander ; by the frequency whereof he may be instructed in that necessary knowledge of situation with pleasure , which by earnest experience would be dearly purchased . the chase is a fair resemblance of a hopeful war , proposing to the pursuer a flying enemy . max. . expect the arms of thy enemy on plain and easie ground , and still avoid mountainous & rocky places and strait passages to the utmost of thy power . it is not safe to pitch any where , where the forces cannot be brought together . he never deserved the name of a good gamester , that hazards his whole rest upon less than the strength of his whole game . max. . it matters not much whether in government thou tread the steps of severe hanibal , or gentle scipio , so thy actions are honourable , and thy life virtuous : both in the one and the other there is both defect and danger , if not corrected and supported by the fair repute of some extraordinary endowments . no matter whether black or white , so the steed be good . max. . it is the safest way , in martial expedition , to commit the main charge to one . companions in command beget confusion in the camp. when two able commanders are joyned in equal commission , each is apt to think his own way best , and by mutual thwarting each other , both give opportunity to the enemy . max. . it is a high point of providence in a prince to observe popular sects in their first rise , and to nip them in the bud ; but being once full aged , it is wisdom not to oppose them with too strong a hand , lest in suppressing one , there arise two . a soft current is soon stopt ; but a strong stream resisted breaks into many , or overwhelms all . max. . it makes very much to thy advantage , to observe strictly the national virtues and vices and humours of foreign kingdoms , whereby the times past shall read useful lectures to the time present . he that would see what shall be , let him consider what hath been . max. . if like manlius thou command stout and great things , be like manlius stout to execute great commands . it is a great blemish in sovereignty when the will roars , and the power whispers . if thou canst not execute as freely as thou commandst , command no more than what thou mayst as freely execute . max. . if one prince desire to obtain any thing of another , let him ( if occasion will bear it ) give him no time to advise ; let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution , and the danger either of denial or delay . he that gives times to resolve , gives leisure to deny , and warning to prepare . max. . let not thine army at the first encounter be too prodigal in her assaults , but husband her strength at a dead lift . when the enemy hath abated the fury of his first heat , let him then feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last blow . so shall the honour he hath gained by his valour , encrease the glory of thy victory . fore-games when they prove are speediest , but after-games , if wisely plaid are surest . max. . it is very requisite for a prince to keep the church always in proportion to the state. if the government of the one be monarchical , and the other democratical , they will agree like metal joyned with clay . but for a while durable is that state where aaron commands the people , and where moses commands aaron ; but most happy in the continuance where god commands both . max. . let not the covetousness of a captain purloyn to his own own use , or any way bereave his soldiers of any profit due unto their service , either in their means or spoils : such injuries ( being quickned by their daily necessities ) are never forgot : what soldiers earn with the hazard of their lives ( if not enjoyed ) prophesies an overthrow in the next battle . max. . if a prince expect virtuous subjects , let his subjects have a virtuous prince , and so shall he the better punish the vices of his degenerate subjects ; so shall they trulier prize virtue , and follow it being exemplified in their prince . max. . it is the property of a wise commander , to cast an eye rather upon actions than upon persons ; and rather to reward the merits of men , than to read the letters of ladies . he that for favour or reward prefers a worthless soldier , betrays a kingdom to advance a traytor . max. . where order and fury are well acquainted , the war prospers , and soldiers end no less men than they begun : order is quickned by fury , and fury is regulated by order : but where order is wanting , fury runs her own way , and being unthrift of its own strength , failing in the first assault , cravens ; and such beginning more than men , end less than women . max. . it is the quality of a wise commander , to make his soldiers confident of his wisdom , and their own strength ; if any danger be , to conceal it ; if manifest , to lessen it . let him possess his army with the justness of the war , and a certainty of victory . a good cause makes a stout heart and a strong arm. they that fear an overthrow are half conquered . max. . it is requisite in a general to mingle love with the severity of his discipline . they that cannot be induced to fear for love , will never be inforced to love for fear ; love opens the heart , fear shuts it ; that encourages , this compels , and victory meets encouragement , but flees compulsion . max. . it is the part of a well-advised state , never to entrust a weighty service , unto whom a noted injury or dishonour hath been done ; he can never be zealous in performance of service , the height of whose expectation can rather recover a lost name than gain a fresh honour . max. . three ways there be to begin a repute , and gain dignities in a common wealth . the first , by the virtue of glorious parents , which till thou degenerate too much may raise thee upon the wings of opinion . the second , is by associating with those whose actions are known eminent . the third , by acting some exploit , either publick or private , which in thy hand hath proved honourable . the two first may miss , being founded upon opinion : the last seldom fails , being grounded upon evidence . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a commander , dignify thy place by thy commands , and that thou mayst be the more perfect in commanding others , practise upon thy self . remember that thou art a servant to the publick-weal , and therefore forget all private respects either of kin or friends . remember thou art a champion for a kingdom : forget therefore all private affections either of love or hate . he that would do his country right , must not be too sensible of a personal wrong . max. . it is the part of a wise commander to read books , not so much as men ; nor men so much as nations : he that can discern the inclinations , conditions , and passions , of a kingdom , gains his prince a great advantage both in peace and war. max. . and you most high and mighty princes of this lower world , who at this intricate and various game of war , vye kingdoms and win crowns ; and by the death of your reverend subjects gain the lives of your bold hearted enemies : know there is a quo quarranto , whereto you are to give account of your eye-glorious actions , according to the righteous rules of sacred justice . how warrantable it is to read imperial crowns from off the sovereign heads of their too weak possessors , or to snatch scepters from out the hand of heaven : anointed majesty , and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge dominions with kingdoms ravish'd from their natural princes , judge you . o let your brave designs , and well weighed actions be as just as they are glorious , and consider , that all your wars , whose ends are not to defend your own possessions , or to recover your dispossessions , are but princely injuries , which none but heaven can right . but where necessity strikes up her hard alarms , or wrong'd religion beats her zealous marches , go on and prosper , and let both swords and stratagems proclaim a victory , whose nois'd renown may fill the world with your eternal glory . max. . piety and policy are like martha and mary , sisters : martha fails if mary helps not , and mary suffers if martha be idle , happy is that kingdom where martha complains of mary , but most happy where mary complys with martha : where piety and policy go hand in hand , there war shall be just , and peace honourable . the end of the first century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . ii. maxim . a promise is a child of the understanding and the will : the understanding begets it , the will brings it forth . he that performs it , delivers the mother ; he that breaks it murthers the child . if he be begotten in the absence of the understanding , it is a bastard ; but the child must be kept . if thou mistrust thy understanding , promise not ; if thou hast promis'd , break it not : it is better to maintain a bastard than to murther a child . max. . charity is a naked child , giving honey to a bee without wings ; naked , because excuseless and simple ; a child , because tender and growing ; giving honey , because honey is pleasant and comfortable : to a bee , because a bee is laborious and deserving , without wings , because helpless and wanting . if thou deniest to such , thou killest a bee ; if thou givest to other than such , thou preservest a drone . max. . before thy undertaking of any design , weigh the glory of thy action with the danger of the attempt : if the glory out-weigh the danger , it is cowardise to neglect it : if the danger exceed the glory , it is rashness to attempt it : if the ballances stand pois'd , let thy own genius cast them . max. . wouldst thou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake ? let thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing : if it be lawful , thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by prayer : if unlawful , thou shalt find thy prayer discouraged by thy heart . that action is not warrantable , which either blushes to beg a blessing , or having succeeded , dares not present thanksgiving . max. . if evil men speak good , or good men evil of thy conversation , examine all thy actions , and suspect thy self . but if evil men speak evil of thee , hold it as thy honour , and by way of thankfulness love them , but upon condition , that they continue to hate thee . max. . if thou hope to please all , thy hopes are vain ; if thou fear to displease some , thy fears are idle . the way to please thy self is not to displease the best ; and the way to displease the best , is to please the most . if thou canst fashion thy self to please all , thou shalt displease him that is all in all . max. . if thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbour , in vain thou professest thy love to god ; for by thy love to god , the love to thy neighbour is begotten , and by the love to thy neighbour , thy love to god is nourish'd . max. . thy ignorance in unreveal'd mysteries , is the mother of a saving faith ; and thy understanding in reveal'd truths is the mother of a sacred knowledge : understand not therefore that thou mayst believe , but believe that thou mayst understand : understanding is the wages of a lively faith , and faith is the reward of an humbler ignorance . max. . pride is the ape of charity , in shew , not much unlike ; but somewhat fuller of action . in seeking the one , take heed thou light not on the other ; they are two parallels ; never but asunder . charity feeds the poor , so does pride : charity builds an hospital , so does pride : in this they differ ; charity gives her glory to god , pride takes her glory from man. max. . hast thou lost thy money , and dost thou mourn ? another lost it before thou hadst it ; be not troubled ; perchance if thou hadst not lost it now , it had lost thee for ever : think therefore what thou hast rather escaped than lost : perhaps thou hadst not been so much thine own , had not thy money been so little thine . max. . flatter not thy self in thy faith to god , if thou wantst charity for thy neighbour ; and think not that thou hast charity for thy neighbour , if thou wantst faith to god ; where they are not both together , they are both wanting ; they are both dead if once divided . max. . be not too slow in breaking of a sinful custom : a quick couragious resolution is better than a gradual deliberation : in such a combate , he is the bravest soldier that lays about him without fear or wit. wit pleads , fear disheartens ; he that would kill hydra , had better strike off one neck than five heads : fell the tree , and the branches are soon cut off . max. . be careful rather of what thou dost , than of what thou hast : for what thou hast is none of thine , and will leave thee at thy death , or thou the pleasure of it , in thy sickness : but what thou dost , is thine ; and , will follow thee to thy grave , and plead for thee , or against thee , at thy resurrection . max. . if thou enjoyest not the god of love thou canst not obtain the love of god , neither until then canst thou enjoy a desire to love god , nor relish the love of god : thy love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to thee : till he please to love thee , thy love can never please him . max. . let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye , nor let thy will be govern'd by thy fancy : thine eye may be deceived in her object , and thy fancy may be deluded in her subject . let thine understanding moderate between thine eye and thy fancy ; and let thy judgment arbitrate between thy fancy and thy will ; so shall fancy apprehend what is true , so shall thy will elect what is good . max. . endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible as thy concupiscible affections : to endure injuries with a brave mind is one half of the conquest ; and to abstain from pleasing evils with a couragious spirit , is the other . the sum of all humanity , and height of moral perfection , is bear , and forbear . max. . if thou desire not to be too poor , desire not to be too rich : he is rich , not that possesseth much , but he that covers no more ; and he is poor , not that enjoys little , but that wants too much . the contented mind wants nothing which it hath not ; the covetous mind wants not only what it hath not , but likewise what it hath . max. . the outward senses are the common cinque-ports , where every subject lands towards the understanding . the ear hears a confused noise , and presents it to the common sense ; the common sense distinguishes the several sounds , and conveys them to the fancy ; the fancy wildly discants on it : the understanding ( whose object is truth ) apprehending it to be musick , commends it to the judgment ; the judgment severally and jointly examines it , and recommends it to the will ; the will ( whose object is good ) approves it , or dislikes it , and the memory records it : and so in the other senses , according to their subjects , observe this progress , and thou shalt easily find where the defect of every action lyes . max. . the way to subject all things to thy self , is to subject thy self to reason ; thou shalt govern many , if reason govern thee : would'st thou be crowned the monarch of a little world ? command thy self . max. . tho' thou givest all thou hast for charity 's sake , and yet retainest a secret desire of keeping it for thy own sake , thou rather leavest it than forsakest it . he that hath relinquish'd all things , and not himself , hath forsaken nothing : he that sets not his heart on what he possesses , forsaketh all things , tho' he keep his possessions . max. . search into thy self before thou accept the ceremony of honour : if thou art a palace , honour , ( like the sun-beams ) will make thee more glorious ; if thou art a dunghil , the sun may shine upon thee , but not to sweeten thee ; thy prince may give thee honour , but not make thee honourable . max. . every man is a king in his own kingdom : if reason command , and passion obey , his government bespeaks a good king ; if thine inordinate affection rules , it shews a proud rebel ; which if thou destroy not , will depose thee . there is no mean between the death of a rebel and the life of a prince . max. . a vow , a promise , and a resolution , have all one object , only differ in respect of the persons to whom they are made ; the first is between god and man ; the second between man and man ; the third between man and his own soul ; they all bind , if the object be lawful , to necessity of performance ; if unlawful , to the necessity of sin : they all take thee prisoner ; if the object be lawful , thy performance hath redeemed thee ; if unlawful , blood and fears must ransom thee . max. . if thou hast any business of consequence in agitation , let thy care be reasonable and seasonable : continual standing bent weakens the bow ; too hasty drawing breaks it : put off thy cares with thy clothes ; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labour , and so shall thy labour sweeten thy rest . max. . when thy inordinate affections do flame towards transitory happiness , quench them thus ; think with thy self , if my prince should give me what honour he hath to bestow , or bestow on me what wealth he hath to give , it could not stay with me , because it is transitory ; nor i with it , because i am mortal : then revise thy affections , and weigh them with their objects , and thou wilt either confess thy folly , or make a wiser choice . max. . with three sorts of men enter no serious friendship ; the ingrateful man , the multiloquious man , the coward ; the first cannot prize thy favours ; the second cannot keep thy counsel ; and the third dare not vindicate thy honour . max. . if thou desire the time should not pass too fast , use not too much pastime ; thy life in jollity blazes like a taper in the wind : the blast of honour wastes it ; the heat of pleasure melts it : if thou labour in a painful calling , thou shalt be less sensible of the flux of time , and sweetlier satisfied at the time of death . max. . god is the alpha and omega in the great world ; endeavour to make him so in the little world ; make him thy evening epilogue , and thy morning prologue ; practise to make him thy last thought at night when thou sleepest , and thy first thought in the morning when thou awakest ; so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night , and thy understanding rectified in the day ; so shall thy rest be peaceable , thy labours prosperous , thy life pious , and thy death glorious . max. . be very circumspect in the choice of thy company . in the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure ; in the society of thy superiours thou shalt find more profit . to be the best in the company is the way to grow worse ; the best means to grow better , is to be the worst there . max. . think of god ( especially in thy devotion ) in the abstract , rather than in the concrete : if thou conceive him good , thy finite thoughts are ready to terminate that good in a conceiv'd subject ; if thou think him great , thy bounded conceit is apt to cast him into a comprehensible figure : conceive him therefore a diffused goodness without quality , and represent him an incomprehensible greatness without quantity max. . if thou and true religion be not as yet met , or met unknown , by these marks thou shalt discover it : first , it is a religion that takes no pleasure in the expence of blood. secondly , it is a religion whose tenents cross not the book of truth . thirdly , it is a religion that takes most from the creature , and gives most to the creator . if such an one thou meet with , assure thy self it is the right , and therefore profess it in thy life , and protect it to thy death . max. . let another's passion be a lecture to thy reason , and let the shipwrack of his understanding be a sea-mark to thy passion : so shalt thou gain strength out of his weakness , safety out of his danger , and raise thy self a building out of his ruines . max. . in the height of thy prosperity expect adversity , but fear it most ; if it come not , thou art the more sweetly possess'd of the happiness thou hast , and the more strongly confirm'd ; if it come , thou art the more gently dispossest of the happiness thou had'st , and the more firmly prepared . max. . to tremble at the sight of thy sin , makes thy faith the less apt to tremble : the devils believe and tremble , because they tremble at what they believe : their belief brings trembling ; thy trembling brings belief . max. . authology is the way to theology : until thou see'st thy self empty , thou wilt not desire to be fill'd . he can never truly relish the sweetness of god's mercy , that never tasted the bitterness of his own misery . max. . is any outward affliction fallen upon thee by a temporary loss ? advise with thy self , whether it be recoverable or not ; if it be , use all lawful means ( the violence and unseasonableness whereof may not disadvantage thee in the pursuit ) to recover it : if not recoverable , endure with patience what thou can'st not recover with pains . he that carnally afflicts his soul for the loss of a transitory good , casts away the kernel because he hath lost the shell . max. . natural anger glances into the breasts of wise men , but rests in the bosom of fools : in them it is infirmity ; in these a sin ; there is a natural anger , and there is a spiritual anger ; the common object of that is the person ; of this , his vice. he that is always angry with his sin , shall seldom sin in his anger . max. . if any hard affliction hath surprized thee , cast one eye upon the hand that sent it , and the other upon the sins that brought it . if thou thankfully receive the message , he that sent it will discharge the messenger . max. . all passions are good and bad , according to their objects : where the object is absolutely good , there the greatest passion is too little ; where absolutely evil , there the least passion is too much ; where indifferent , there a little is enough . max. . when thou dost evil , that good may come thereby , the evil is surely thine ; if good should happen to ensue upon the evil which thou hast done , the good proceeds from god : if therefore thou do evil , thereby to occasionate a good , thou lay'st a bad foundation for a good building , and servest the devil , that god may serve thee . where the end of evil is good in the intention , there the end of that good is evil in the extension . max. . be as far from desiring the popular love , as fearful to deserve the popular hate : ruine dwells in both ; the one will hug thee to death , the other will crush thee to destruction . to escape the first , be not ambitious ; to avoid the second , be not seditious . max. . when thou seest misery in thy brother's face , let him see mercy in thine eye ; the more the oyle of mercy is poured on him by thy pity , the more the oyle in thy cruise shall be encreased by thy piety . max. . read not books alone , but men , and amongst them chiefly thy self : if thou find any thing questionable there , use the commentary of a severe friend , rather than the gloss of a sweet lipt flatterer . there is more profit in a distastful truth than deceitful sweetness . max. . if the opinion of thy worth invite any to the desire of thy acquaintance , yeild a respect suitable to his quality : too great a reservation will expose thee to the sentence of pride ; too easie access will condemn thee to the censure of folly. things too hardly endeavoured discourage the seeker ; too easily obtained , disparage the thing sought for : too easily got , is lowly prised , and quickly lost . max. . when conveniency of time hath ripened your acquaintance , be cautious what thou say'st , and courteous in what thou dost : observe his inclination ; if thou find him weight , make him thine own , and lodge him in a faithful bosom : be not easily exceptious , nor rudely familiar ; the one will breed contention , the other contempt . max. . when passion is grounded upon fancy , it is commonly but of short continuance : where the foundation is unstable , there the building is not lasting . he that will be angry for any cause , will be angry for no cause ; and when the understanding perceives the cause vain , then the judgment proclaims the effect void . max. . if thou desire to purchase honour with thy wealth , consider first how that wealth became thine ; if thy labour got it , let thy wisdom keep it ; if oppression found it , let repentance restore it ; if thy parent left it , let thy virtues deserve it ; so shall thy honour be safer , better , and cheaper . max. . sin is a basilisk whose eyes are full of venom ; if the eye of thy soul see her first , it reflects her own poison and kills her : if she see thy soul , unseen , or seen too late , with her poison , she kills thee : since therefore thou canst not escape thy sin , let not thy sin escape thy observation . max. . if thou expect to rise by the means of him , whom thy father's greatness rais'd from his service to court-preferment , thou wilt be deceived , for the more in esteem thou art , the more sensible is he of what he was , whose servitude will be chronicled , by thy advancement and glory obscured by thy greatness : however , he will conceive it a dead service , which may be interpreted by thee , as a merited reward , rather than a meritorious benefit . max. . trust not to the promise of a common swearer , for he that dare sin against his god , for neither profit nor pleasure , will trespass against thee for his own advantage . he that dare break the precepts of his father , will easily be perswaded to violate the promise unto his brother . max. . let the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the least part of what thou believest , lest the greatest part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true ; where lies are easily admitted , the father of lies will not easily be excluded . max. . deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend , and when thy impartial judgment concludes him worthy of thy bosom , receive him joyfully and entertain him wisely , impart thy secrets boldly , and mingle thy thoughts with his ; he is thy very self and use him so , if thou firmly thinks him faithful thou makes him so . max. . as there is no worldly gain , without some loss , so there is no worldly loss without some gain ; if thou hast lost thy wealth , thou hast lost some trouble with it ; if thou art degraded from thy honour , thou art likewise freed from the stroke of envy ; if sickness hath blur'd thy beauty , it hath delivered thee from pride , set the allowance against the loss and thou shalt find no loss great , he loseth little or nothing that reserves himself . max. . if thou desire to take the best advantage of thy self , especially in matters where the fancy is most employed , keep temperate diet , use moderate exercise , observe seasonable and set hours for rest ; let the end of thy first sleep raise thee from thy repose : then hath thy body the best temper , then hath thy soul the least incumbrance , then no noise shall disturb thy ear , no object shall divert thine eye ; then if thy sprightly fancy transport thee not beyond the common pitch , and shew thee not the magazine of high invention , return thee to thy wanton bed , and there conclude thy self more fit to wear thy mistresses favour than apollo's bays . max. . if thou art rich , strive to command thy money , lest she command thee : if thou know how to use her , she is thy servant , if not , thou art her slave . max. . bring thy daughter a husband of her own religion , and of no hereditary disease ; let his wisdom out-weigh his wealth ; let his parantage excel his person , and let his age exceed hers ; let thy prayers recommend the rest to providence : if he prove good , thou hast found a son , if not thou hast lost a daughter . max. . so use prosperity that adversity may not abuse thee ; if in the one security admits no fear , in the other despair will afford no hopes : he that in prosperity can foretel a danger , can in adversity foresee deliverance . max. . if thy faith hath no doubts , thou hast just cause to doubt thy faith ; and if thy doubts have no hope , thou hast just reason to fear despair ; when therefore thy doubts shall exercise thy faith , keep thy hopes firm to qualify thy doubts , so shall thy faith be secured from doubts , so shall thy doubts be preserved from despair . max. . if thou desire to be truly valiant , fear to do any injury . he that fears not to do evil is always afraid to suffer evil ; he that never fears is desperate , and he that fears always is a coward ; he is the true valiant man that dares nothing but what he may , and fears nothing but what he ought . max. . anger may repast with thee for an hour , but not repose for a night ; the continuance of anger is hatred , the continuance of hatred turns malice , that anger is not warrantable that hath seen two suns . max. . if thou stand guilty of oppression , or wrongfully possest of another's right , see thou make restitution before thou givest an alms ; if otherwise , what art thou but a thief and makest god thy receiver . max. . when thou prayest for spiritual grace , let thy prayer be absolute ; when for temporal blessings add a clause of god's pleasure ; in both with faith and humiliation , so that thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest , or more or better ; never prayer rightly made was made unheard , or heard ungranted . max. . he that gives , all tho' but little , gives much , because god looks not to the quantity of the gift , but to the quality of the givers : he that desires to give more than he can hath equalled his gift to his desire , and hath given more than he hath . max. . be not too greedy in desiring riches , nor too eager in seeking them , nor too covetous in keeping them , nor too passionate in losing them ; the first will possess thy soul of discontent , the second will dispossess thy body of rest , the third will possess thy wealth of thee , the last will dispossess thee of thy self : he that is too violent in the concupiscible , will be as violent in the irascible . max. . be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom , as it was gotten so leave it by degrees ; danger attends upon too sudden alterations : he that pulls down a bad building by the great , may be ruin'd by the fall ; but he that takes it down brick by brick , may live to build a better . max. . if thou desire that inestimable grace of saving faith , detest that insatiable vice of damnable covetousness ; it is impossible one heart ( though never so double ) should lodge both : faith possesseth thee of what thou hast not , covetousness disposesseth thee of what thou hast , thou canst not serve god , unless mammon serve thee . max. . beware of him that is slow to anger , anger when it is long in coming is the stronger when it comes , and the longer kept : abused patience turns to fury : when fancy is the ground of passion , that understanding which composeth the fancy qualifies the passion , but when judgment is the ground , the memory is the recorder . max. . he that professeth himself thy open enemy , arms thee against the evil he means thee , but he that dissembles himself thy friend , strikes beyond caution and wounds beyond cure . from the first thou mayst deliver thy self , from the last good lord deliver thee . max. . if thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought reconcile thee to him in thought , if thou hast offended him in words , let thy reconciliation be in words , if thou hast trespassed against him in deeds be reconciled to him : that reconciliation is most kindly which is most in kind . max. . not to give to the poor is to take from him ; not to feed the hungry if thou hast it is the utmost of thy power to kill him : that therefore thou mayst avoid both sacrilege and murther , be charitable . max. . so often as thou remember'st thy sins without grief , so often thou repeatest those sins for not grieving : he that will not mourn for the evil that he hath done , gives earnest for the evil he means to do ; nothing can asswage that fire which sin hath made , but only that water which repentance hath drawn . max. . look well before thou leap into the chair of honour , the higher thou climest the lower thou fallest ; if virtue prefer thee , virtue will preserve thee ; if gold or favour advance thee , thy honour is pinn'd upon the wheel of fortune , when the wheel shall turn , thy honour falls , and thou remainest an everlasting monument of thy own ambitious folly . max. . we are born with our temptations ; nature sometimes presseth us to evil , sometime provokes us unto good ; if therefore thou givest her more than her due , thou nourishest an enemy : if less than is sufficient , thou destroyest a friend ; moderation will prevent both . max. . if thou scorn not to serve luxury in thy youth , chastity will scorn thy service in thy age ; and that the will of thy green years thought no vice in the acting , the necessity of thy grey hairs makes no virtue in the forbearing ; where there is no conflict there can be no conquest , where there is no conquest there is no crown . max. . thou didst nothing toward thy own creation , for thou wert created for thy creator's glory ; thou must do something toward thy own redemption , for thou wert redeemed for thy own good ; he that made thee without thee , will not save thee without thee . max. . when thy tongue and heart agree not in confession , that confession is not agreeable to god's pleasure ; he that confesseth with tongue and wants confession in his heart , is either a vain man or an hypocrite ; he that hath confession in his heart and wants it in his tongue , is either a proud man or a timorous . max. . gold is caesar's treasure , man is god's , thy gold hath caesar's image , and thou hast god's ; give therefore unto caesar those things which are caesar's , and unto god which are god's . max. . in the commission of evil , fear no man so much as thy own self ; another is but one witness against thee , thou art a thousand ; another thou mayst avoid , but thy self thou canst not ; wickedness is its own punishment . max. . in thy apparel avoid singularity , profuseness , and gaudiness ; be not too early in the fashion , nor too late , decency is the half way between affectation and neglect ; the body is the shell of the soul , apparel is the husk of that shell , the husk often tells you what the kernel is . max. . let thy recreation be manly , moderate , seasonable , lawful ; if thy life be sedentary , more tending to the exercise of thy body , if active , more to the refreshing of thy mind , the use of recreation is to strengthen thy labour and sweeten thy rest . max. . be not censorious , for thou knowest not whom thou judgest ; it is a more dextrous error to speak well of an evil man , than ill of a good man , and safer for thy judgment to be misled by simple charity , than uncharitable wisdom : he may tax others with privilege that hath not in himself what others may tax . max. . take heed of that honour which thy wealth hath purchased thee ; for it is neither lasting nor thine own ; what money creates money preserves ; if thy wealth decays thy honour dies : it is but a slippery happiness which fortune can give and frowns can take , and not worth the owning which a night's fire can melt , or a rough sea can drown . max. . if thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of , thou art in a fair way to happiness ; if thou hast attained it , thou art at thy way's end : he is not happy who hath all that he desires , but that desires nothing but what is good ; if thou canst not do what thou need not repent , yet endeavour to repent what thy necessity hath done . max. . spend an hundred years in earth's best pleasures , and after that an hundred more , to which being spent add a thousand , and to that ten thousand , the last shall as surely end as the first are ended , and all shall be swallowed with eternity : he that is born to day is not sure to live a day ; he that hath lived the longest is but as he that was born yesterday ; the happiness of the one is , that he hath lived ; the happiness of the other is , that he may live , and the lot of both is , that they must die : it 's no happiness to live long , nor unhappiness to die soon : happy is he that hath lived long enough to die well . max. . be careful to whom thou givest , and how ; he that gives him that deserves not , loseth his gift , and betrays the giver ; he that confers his gift upon a worthy receiver , makes many debtors , and by giving receives ; he that gives for his own ends , makes his gift a bride , and the receiver a prisoner ; he that gives often teacheth requitance to the receiver , and discovers a crafty confidence in the giver . max. . hath any wrong'd thee ? bravely reveng'd , slight it , and the work is begun ; forgive it , and it is finisht : he is below himself that is not above an injury . max. . let not thy passion miscall thy child , lest thou prophesy his misfortunes ; let not thy tongue curse him , lest it return from whence it came : curses sent in the room of blessings are sent back with a double vengeance . max. . in all the ceremonies of the church which remain indifferent , do according to the constitution of that church where thou art . the god of order and unity , who created both the soul and the body , expects unity in the one , and order in both . max. . let thy religious fast be a voluntary abstinence , not so much from flesh as fleshly thoughts : god is pleased with that fast which gives to another what thou deniest to thy self , and when the afflicting of thy own body is the repairing of thy brother 's ; he fasts truly that abstains sadly , grieves really , gives cheerfully , and forgives charitably . max. . in the hearing of mysteries , keep thy tongue quiet ; five words cost zacharias weeks silence : in such heights , convert thy questions into wonders , and let this suffice thee ; the reason of the deed is the power of the doer . max. . deride not him whom the looser world calls puritan , lest thou offend a little one ; if he be an hypocrite , god , that knows him , will reward him ; if zealous , that god that loves him will revenge him ; if he be good , he is good to god's glory ; if evil , let him be evil at his own charges . he that judges shall be judged . max. . so long as thou art ignorant , be not ashamed to learn ; he that is so fondly modest , not to acknowledge his own defects of knowledge , shall in time be so foully impudent , to justifie his own ignorance . ignorance is the greatest of all infirmities , and justified , the chiefest of all follies . max. . if thou be a servant , deal justly by thy master as thou desirest thy servant should deal by thee ; where thou art commanded , be obedient , where not commanded , be provident ; let . diligence be thy credit ; let faithfulness be thy crown ; let thy master's credit be thy care , and let his welfare be thy content : let thine eye be single , and thine heart humble ; be sober , that thou may'st be circumspect : he that in sobriety is not his own man , being drunk , whose is he ? be neither contentious nor lascivious ; the one shews a turbulent hcart , the other an idle brain , a good servant is a great master . max. . let the foundation of thy affection be virtue , then make the building as rich and as glorious as thou canst ; if the foundation be beauty or wealth , and the building virtue , the foundation is too week for the building , and it will fall . happy is he , the palace of whose affection is founded upon virtue , wall'd with riches , glaz'd with beauty , and roofed with honour . max. . if thy mother be a widow , give her double honour , who now acts the part of a double parent ; remember her nine months burthen , and her ten months travel ; forget not her indulgence when thou didst hang upon her tender breast ; call to mind her prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the world , and her cares for thee when thou wert come into it ; remember her secret groans , her affectionate tears , her broken slumbers , her daily fears , her nightly frights : relieve her wants , cover her imperfections , comfort her age , and the widow's husband will be the orphan's father . max. . as thou desirest the love of god and man , beware of pride ; it is a tumour in thy mind , that breaks , and poisons all thy actions ; it is a worm in thy treasure , that eats and ruines thy estate ; it loves no man , is beloved of no man ; it disparageth virtue in another by detraction ; it disrewards goodness in it self by vain glory ; the friend of the flatterer , the mother of envy , the nurse of fury , the band of luxury , the sin of devils , and the devil in mankind : it hates superiours , it scorns inferiours , it owns no equals ; in short , till thou hate it , god hates thee . max. . so behave thy self amongst thy children , that they may love and honour thy presence ; be not too fond , lest they fear thee not ; be not too bitter , lest they fear thee too much : too much familiarity will embolden them , too little countenance discourage them . so carry thy self , that they may rather fear thy displeasure than thy correction ; when thou reprovest them , do it in season ; when thou correctest them , do it not in passion . as a wise child makes a happy father , so a wise father makes a happy child . max. . when thy hand hath done a good act , ask thy heart if it be well done ; the matter of a good action is the deed done , the form of a good action is the manner of the doing ; in the first , another hath the comfort , and thou the glory ; in the other , thou hast the comfort , and god the glory . that deed is ill done , wherein god is no sharer . max. . should'st thou purchase heaven , advise not with thy own ability : the price of heaven is what thou hast ; examine not what thou hast , but what thou art ; give thy self , and thou hast bought it : if thy own vileness be thy fears , offer thy self , and thou art pretious . max. . the birds of the air dye to sustain thee ; the beasts of the field dye to nourish thee ; the fishes of the sea dye to feed thee ; our stomacks are th●… common sepulchres . 〈…〉 god! with how many deaths are our lives patch'd up ? how ful of death is the miserable life of momentary man. the end of the second century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iii. maxim . if thou take pains in what is good , the pains vanish , the good remains ; if thou take pleasure in what is evil , the evil remains , and the pleasure vanisheth : what art thou the worse for pains , or the better for pleasure , when both are past . max. . if thy fancy and judgment have agreed in the choice of a wife , be not too fond , lest she surfeit , nor too peevish , lest she languish : love so that thou may'st be feared ; rule so that thou may'st be honoured ; be not too diffident , lest thou teach her to deceive thee ; nor too suspicious , lest thou teach her to abuse thee . if thou see a fault , let thy love hide it ; if she continue it , let thy wisdom reprove it : reprove her not openly , lest she grow bold ; rebuke her not tauntingly , lest she grow spiteful ; proclaim not her beauty , lest she grow proud ; boast not her wisdom , lest thou be thought foolish ; shew her not thy imperfections , lest she disdain thee ; pry not into her dairy , lest she despise thee ; prophane not her ears with loose communication , lest thou defile the sanctuary of her modesty . an understanding husband makes a discreet wife ; and she a happy husband . max. . wrinkle not thy face with too much laughter , lest thou become ridiculous ; neither wanton thy heart with too much mirth , lest thou become vain . the suburbs of folly is vain mirth ; and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools . max. . let thy tongue take counsel of one eye , rather than of two ears ; let the news thou reportest be rather stale than false , lest thou be branded with the name of a lyar : 't is an intollerable dishonour to be that , which only to be called so , is thought worthy of a stab . max. . let thy discourse be such as thy judgment may maintain , and thy company may deserve ; in neglecting this , thou losest thy words ; in not observing the other , thou losest thy self . give wash to swine , and wort to men ; so shalt thou husband thy gift to the advantage of thy self , and shape thy discourse to the advancement of the hearer . max. . dost thou roar under the torments of a tyrant ? weigh them with the sufferance of thy saviour , and they are no plague . dost thou rage under the bondage of a raving conscience ? compare it to thy saviour's passion , and it is no pain ? have the tortures of hell taken hold of thy despairing soul ? compare it to thy saviour's torments , and it is no punishment . what sense unequally compares , let faith interchangeably apply , and thy pleasure have no comparison ; thy sins are the authors of his sufferings , and his hell is the price of thy heaven . max. . art thou banish'd from thy own country ? thank thy own folly : hadst thou chosen a right home , thou hadst been no exile ; hadst thou commanded thine own kingdom , all kingdoms had been thine own . the fool is banished in his own country ; the wise man is in his own country , though banished : the fool wanders , the wise man travels . max. . in seeking virtue , if thou find poverty , be not ashamed , the fault is none of thine ; thy honour or dishonour is purchased by thy own actions : tho' virtue give a ragged livery , she gives a golden cognizance ; if her service make thee poor , blush not ; thy poverty may disadvantage thee , but not dishonour thee . max. . gaze not on beauty too much , lest it blast thee , nor too long , lest it blind thee , nor too near , lest it burn thee ; if thou like it , it deceives thee ; if thou love it , it disturbs thee ; if thou lust after it , it destroys thee : if virtue accompany it , it is the heart's paradice ; if vice associate it , it is the soul's purgatory : it is the wise man's bonfire , and the fools furnace . max. . if thou would'st have a good servant , let thy servant find a wise master ; let his food , rest , and wages be seasonable ; let his labour , recreations , and attendance , depend upon thy pleasure ; be not angry with him too long , lest he think thee malicious , nor too soon , lest he conceive thee rash , nor too often , lest he count the humorous ; be not too fierce , lest he love thee not , nor too remiss , lest he fear thee not , nor too familiar , lest he prize thee not . in brief , whil'st thou givest him the liberty of a servant , beware thou losest not the majesty of a master . max. . if thou desire to be chast in wedlock , keep thy self chast before thou wed'est ; he that hath known pleasure unlawfully , will hardly be restrained from unlawful pleasure : one woman was created for one man. he that strays beyond the limits of liberty , is brought into the verge of slavery : where one is enough , two is too many , and three is too few . max. . if thou would'st be justified ; acknowledge thy injustjce : he that confesseth his sin , begins his journey toward salvation ; he that is sorry sor't , mends his pace ; he that forsakes it , is at his journey 's end . max. . before thou reprehend another , take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend : he that cleanseth a blott with blotted fingers makes a greater blur. max. . beware of drunkenness , lest all good men beware of thee : where drunkenness reigns , there reason is an exul , virtue a stranger , god an enemy ; blasphemy is wit , oaths are rhetorick , and secrets are proclamations . noah discovered that in one hour , drunk , which sober , he kept secret six hundred years . max. . what thou givest to the poor , thou securest from the thief ; but what thou witholdest from his necessity , a thief possesses . god's exchequer is the poor man's box ; when thou strikest a tally , he becomes thy debtor . max. . take no pleasure in the folly of an ideot , nor in the fancy of a lunatick , nor in the frenzy of a drunkard ; make them the object of thy pity , not of thy pastime , when thou beholdest them , behold how thou art beholden to him that suffer'd thee not to be like them ; there is no difference between thee and them , but god's favour . max. . if being in an eminent place thou hast incurr'd the obloquy of the multitude , the more thou endeavourest to stop the stream , the more it overflows : wisely rather divert the course of the vulgar humour , by divulging and spreading some ridiculous novelty , which may present new matter to their various fancy , and stave their tongues from off thy worried name ; the first subject of the common voice is the last news . max. . if thou desire to see thy child virtuous , let him not see his father's vices : thou canst not rebuke that in them that they behold practis'd in thee . till reason be ripe , examples direct more than precepts : such as thy behaviour is before thy childrens faces , such commonly is theirs behind their parents backs . max. . use law and physick only for necessity ; they that use them otherwise , abuse themselves into weak bodies and light purses . they are good remedies , bad businesses , and worse recreations . max. . be not over curious in prying into mysteries , lest by seeking things which are needless , thou omit things which are necessary ; it is more safe to doubt of uncertain matters than to dispute of undiscovered mysteries . max. . if what thou hast received from god thou sharest to the poor , thou hast gained a blessing by the hand : if what thou hast taken from the poor thou givest to god , thou hast purchased a curse into the bargain : he that puts to pious uses what he hath got by impious usury , robs the spittle to raise an hospital , and the cry of the one , will out-plead the prayers of the other . max. . let the end of thy argument be rather to discover a doubtful truth , than a commanding wit ; in the one thou shalt gain substance , in the other froth : that flint strikes the steel in vain that propagates no sparkles . covet to be truth 's champion , at least to hold her colours : he that pleads against the truth takes pains to be overthrown , or if a conqueror , gains but a vain-glory by the conquest . max. . take no pleasure in the death of a creature ; if it be harmless or useless destroy it not , if useful or harmful destroy it mercifully : he that mercifully made his creatures for thy sake , expects thy mercy upon them for his sake , mercy turns her back to the unmerciful . max. . if thou art called to the dignity of a priest , the same voice calls thee to the honour of a judge : if thy life and doctrine be good , thou shalt judge others ; if thy doctrine be good and thy life bad , only thy self : if both be good , thou teachest thy people to escape condemnation : if this be good , and that bad , thou teachest god to condemn thee . max. . if thou be not a prometheus to advise , before thou dost be an epimetheus to examine what thou hast done , when the want of advice hath brought forth an improvident act , the examination may produce a profitable repentance . max. . if thou desire the happiness of thy soul , the health of thy body , the prosperity of thy estate , the preservation of thy credit , converse not with a harlot ; her eyes run thy reputation in debt , her lips demand the payment , her breast arrest thee , her arms imprison thee , from whence believe it thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either ended the days of thy credit , or paid the utmost farthing of thy estate . max. . carry a watchful eye upon those familiars that are either silent at thy faults , or sooth thee in thy frailties , or excuse thee in thy follies , for such are either cowards , or flatterers , or fools : if thou entertain them in prosperity , the coward will leave thee in thy dangers ; the flatterer will quit thee in thy adversity ; but the fool will never forsake thee . max. . if thou hast an estate and a son to inherit it , keep him not too short , lest he think thou livest too long ; what thou givest let him receive from thy hand as gifts , not from thy tenants as rent ; keep the reins of thy estate in thy own hand , lest thou forsaking the sovereignty of a father , he forget the reverence of a child ; let his liberty be grounded upon thy permission , and keep him within the compass of thy instructions : let him feel thou hast the curb , though occasion urge thee not to check : give him the choice of his own wife if he be wise , counsel his affection rather than cross it ; if thou be'st wise let his marriage-bed be made in secret , or depend upon thy grave . if he be given to lavish company endeavour to stave him off with lawful recreations : be cheerful with him that he may love thy presence , and wink at small faults that thou mayst gain him ; be not always chiding lest thou harden him , neither knit thy brow too often lest thou dishearten him : remember the discretion of a father oft times prevents the destruction of a child . max. . if thou hide thy treasure upon earth , how canst thou expect to find it in heaven ? canst thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stock ? that thou gavest to god's glory and thy soul's health is laid up in heaven , and is only thine : that alone which thou exchangeth or hidest upon earth is lost . max. . regard not in thy pilgrimage how difficult thy passage is , but whither it tends ; nor delicate thy journey is , but where it ends ; if it be easie , suspect it ; if hard , endure it ; he that cannot excuse a bad way , accuseth his own sloth ; and he that sticks in a bad passage , can never attain a good journey 's end . max. . money is both the generation and corruption of purchased honour ; honour is both the child and slave to potent money : the credit which honour hath lost , money hath found ; when honour grew mercenary , money grew honourable ; the way to be truly noble is to contemn both . max. . give not thy tongue too great a liberty , lest it take thee prisoner ; a word unspoken is like the sword in thy scabbard , thine ; if vented , thy sword is in another's hand : if thou desire to be held wise , be so wise as to hold thy tongue . max. . if thou be a subject to any great vanity , nourish it not : if it will be entertained , encourage it not ; if it grow strong , more strongly strive against it ; if too strong , pray against it ; if it weaken not , joyn fasting to the prayer ; if it shall continue , add perseverance to them both ; if it decline not , add patience to all , and thou hast conquered it . max. . hath any wounded thee with injury , meet them with patience ; hasty words rankle the wounds , soft language dresses it ; forgiveness cures it , and oblivion takes away the scar ; it is more noble by silence to avoid an injury ; than by argument to overcome it . max. . be not instable in thy resolutions , nor various in thy actions , nor inconstant in thy affections ; so deliberate , that thou mayst resolve ; so resolve , that thou mayst perform ; so perform , that thou mayst persevere : mutability is the badge of infirmity . max. . let not thy good intention flatter thee to an evil action ; what is essential evil , no circumstance can make good : it matters not with what mind thou didst that which is unlawful being done ; if the act be good the intention crowns it , if bad it deposeth thy intention ; no evil action can be well done . max. . love not thy children too unequally , or if thou dost , shew it not , lest thou make the one proud , the other envious and both fools ; if nature hath made a difference , it is the part of a tender parent to help the weakest : that tryal is not fair where affection is the judge . max. . in giving of thy alms , enquire not so much into the person as his necessity ; god looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires , as into the manner of him that relieves ; if the man deserves not , thou hast given it to humanity . max. . if thou desire the eucharist should be thy supper , let thy life be thy chaplain ; if thy own worthiness invites thee , presume not to come ; if the sorrowful sense of thy own sins forbid , presume not to forbear ; if thy faith be strong , it will confirm it , if weak , it will strengthen it : he only that wants faith is the forbidden guest . max. . wouldst thou traffick with the best advantage , and crown thy virtues with the best return , make the poor thy chapman , and thy purse thy factor ; so shall thou give trifles , which thou couldst not keep , to receive treasure which thou canst not lose : there is no such merchant as the charitable man. max. . follow not the multitude in the evil of sin , lest thou share with the multitude in the evil of punishment ; the number of the offenders , diminisheth not the quality of the offence ; as the multitude of suiters draws more favour to the suit , so the multitude of sinners draws more punishment on the sin , the number of the faggots multiply the sury of the fire . max. . if thou be angry with him that reproves thy sin , thou secretly confessest his reproof to be just : if thou acknowledge his reproof to be just , thou secretly confessest thy anger to be unjust ; he that is angry with the just reprover , kindles the fire of the just revenger . max. . do well whilst thou mayst ; least thou do evil when thou wouldst not : he that takes not advantage of a good power , shall lose the benefit of a good will. max. . let not mirth be thy profession , lest thou become a make-sport : he that hath but gained the title of a jester , let him assure himself the fool is not far off . max. . in every relative action change conditions with thy brother ; then ask thy conscience what thou wouldst be done to ; being truly resolved exchange again , and do thou the like to him , and thy charity shall never err : it is injustice to do , what without impatience thou canst not suffer . max. . love thy neighbour for god's sake , and god for his own sake , who created all things for thy sake , and redeemed thee for his mercy sake : if thy love have any other object , it is false love ; if thy object have any other end , it is self love. max. . let thy conversation with men be sober and sincere ; let thy devotion to god be dutiful and decent ; let the one be hearty and not haughty ; let the other be humble and not homely ; so live with man as if god saw thee , so pray to god as if men heard thee . max. . god's pleasure is the wind our actions ought to sail by , man's will is the stream that titles them up and down ; if the wind blow not , thou mayst take the advantage of the tide ; if it blow , no matter which way the stream runs ; if with thee , thy voyage will be the shorter ; if against thee , the sea will be the rougher . it is eaffer to strive against the stream , than to sail against the wind. max. . if thou desire much rest , desire not too much ; there is no less trouble in the preservation , than in the acquisition of abundance ; diogenes found more rest in his tub , than alexander on his throne . max. . wouldst thou multiply thy riches , diminish them wisely ; or wouldst thou make thy estate entire , divide it charitably ; seeds that are scattered encrease , but hoarded up they perish . max. . how cam'st thou by thy honour ? by money ; how cam'st thou by thy money ? by extortion ; compare the pennyworth with the price , and tell me truly , how truly honourable thou art : it is an ill purchase that is cumbred with a curse , and that honour will be ruinous that is built on ruines . max. . if thy brother hath privately offended thee , reprove him privately ; and having lost himself in an injury thou shalt find him in thy forgiveness ; he that rebukes a private fault openly , betrays it , rather than reproves it . max. . what thou desirest inspect throughly before thou prosecute ; cast one eye upon the inconveniencies , as well as the other upon the conveniencies ; weigh the fulness of the barn with the charge of the plough ; weigh honour with her burthen , and pleasure with her dangers ; so shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desirest , or moderate thy desires in undertaking . max. . if thou owest thy whole self to thy god for thy creation , what hast thou left to pay for thy redemption , that was not so cheap as the creation ? in thy creation he gave thee thy self , and by thy self to him ; in thy redemption he gave himself to thee , and through him restored thee to thy self : thou art given and restored , now what owest thou to thy god ? if thou hast paid all thy debts , give him the surplusage , and thou hast merited . max. . in thy discourse , take heed what thou speakest , to whom thou speakest , how thou speakest , and when thou speakest : what thou speakest , speak truly ; when thou speakest , speak wisely : a fool 's heart is in his tongue , but a wise man's tongue is in his heart . max. . before thou act a theft , consider what thou art about to do ; if thou take it , thou losest thy self ; if thou keep it , thou disenablest thy redemption ; till thou restorest it , thou canst not be restored ; when it is restored` it must cost the more sorrow and pain , than ever it brought thee profit or pleasure . it is a great folly to please thy palate with that which thou knowest must either be vomited or thy death . max. . silence is the highest wisdom of a fool , and speech is the greatest trial of a wise man ; if thou would'st be known a wise man , let thy words shew thee so ; if thou doubt thy words , let thy silence feign thee so : it is not a greater point of wisdom to discover knowledge than to hide ignorance . max. . the clergy is a copy-book ; their life is the paper , whereof some is purer , some courser ; their doctrine is the copies , some written in a plain hand , others in a flourishing hand , some in a text hand , some in a roman hand , others in a court hand , others in a bastard roman . if the choice be in thy power , choose a book that hath the finest paper ; let it not be too straight nor too loosely bound , but easie to lye open to every eye : follow not every copy , lest thou be good at none ; among them all choose one that shall be most legible and useful , and fullest of just writing : but if the paper chance to have a blot , remember that blot is no part of the copy . max. . virtue is nothing but an act of loving that which is to be beloved , and that act is prudence ; from whence not to be removed by constraint , is fortitude , not to be allured by enticements is temperance , not to be diverted by pride is justice ; the declining of this act is vice. max. . rebuke thy servant's fault in private ; publick reproof hardens his shame ; if he be past a youth , strike him not ; he is not fit for thy service that after wise reproofs will either deserve thy stroaks or digest them . max. . take heed rather what thou receivest , than what thou givest ; what thou givest leaves thee , what thou takest sticks by thee ; he that presents a gift , buys the receiver ; he that takes a gift , sells his liberty max. . things temporal are sweeter in expectation , things eternal are sweeter in the fruition ; the first shames thy hopes , the second crowns it : it is a vain journey whose end affords less pleasure than the way . max. . know thy self , that thou may'st fear god ; know god , that thou may'st love him ; in this thou art initiated to wisdom , in that perfected : the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom ; the love of god is the fulfilling of the law. max. . if thou hast providence to foresee a danger , let thy providence rather prevent it than fear it ; the fear of future evils brings often times a present mischief ; whil'st thou seekest to prevent it , practise to bear it : he is a wise man can prevent an evil ; he is a patient man that can endure it ; but he is a valiant man can conquer it . max. . if thou hast the place of a magistrate , deserve it by thy justice , and dignifie it with thy mercy : take heed of early gifts ; an open hand makes a blind eye . be not more apt to punish vice , than to encourage virtue ; be not too severe , lest thou be hated , nor too remiss , lest thou be slighted : so cute justice , that thou may'st be loved ; so execute mercy , that thou may'st be feared . max. . let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy revenue ; let thy provision be solid , and not far fetch'd , fuller of substance than art : be wisely frugal in thy preparation , and freely cheerful in thy entertainment : if thy guest be right , it is enough , if not , it is too much . : too much is a vanity ; enough is a feast . max. . let thy apparel be decent , and suited to the quality of thy place and purse : too much punctuality , and too much morosity , are the two poles of pride . be neither too early in the fashion , nor too long out of it , nor too precisely in it ; what custom hath civilized is become decent , till then ridiculous . where thy eye is the jury , thy apparel is the evidence . max. . if thy words be too luxuriant , confine them , lest they confine thee : he that thinks he never can speak enough , may easily speak too much ; a full tongue and an empty brain are seldom parted . max. . in holding of an argument , be neither cholerick nor too opinionate ; the one distempers thy understanding , the other abuseth thy judgment . above all things decline paradoxes and mysteries : thou shalt receive no honour either in maintaining rank falshoods , or medling with secret truths . as he that pleads against the truth makes wit the mother of his error , so he that argues beyond warrant makes wisdom the midwife of his folly. max. . detain not the wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it , lest god withold thy wages from thee : if he complain to thee , hear him , lest he complain to heaven , where he will be heard ; if he hunger for thy sake , thou shalt not prosper for his sake : the poor man's peny is a plague in the rich man's purse . max. . be not too cautious in discerning the fit objects of thy charity ; lest a soul perish through thy discretion : what thou givest to mistaken want , shall return a blessing to thy deceived heart ; better in relieving idleness to commit an accidental evil , than in neglecting misery to omit an essential good ▪ better two drones be preserv'd than one bee perish . max. . theology is the empress of the world , mysteries are her privy council , religion is her clergy , the arts are her nobility , philosophy her secretary , the graces her maids of honour , the moral virtues the ladies of her bedchamber , peace her chamberlain , true joy and endless pleasures are her courtiers , plenty her treasurer , poverty her exchequer , the temple is her court. if thou desire access to this great majesty , the way is by her courtiers ; if thou hast not power there , the common way to the sovereign is by the secretary . max. . it is an evil knowledge to know the good thou should'st embrace , unless thou likewise embrace the good thou knowest : the breath of divine knowledge is the bellows of divine love ; and the flame of divine love is the perfection of divine knowledge . max. . if thou desire rest unto thy soul , be just ; he that doth no injury fears not to suffer injury : the unjust mind is always in labour ; it either practiseth the evil it hath projected , or projects to avoid the evil it hath deserved . max. . accustom thy self to what is most usual : he that delights in rarities must often feed displeased , and sometimes lye at the mercy of a dear market ; common food nourisheth best , delicates please most ; the sound stomack prefers neither ; what art thou the worse for the last year's plain diet , or what now the better for the last great feast ? max. . whoever thou art , thou hast done more evil in one day than thou canst expiate in six , and canst thou think the evil of six days can require less than one ? god hath made us rich in days by allowing six , and himself poor by reserving but one ; and shall we spare our own flock , and sheer his lamb ? he that hath done nothing but what he can justifie in the six days , may play the seventh . max. . hope and fear , like hypocrates's twins , should live and dye together ; if hope departs from fear , it travels by security , and lodgeth in presumption ; if fear depart from hope , it travels to infidelity , and inns in despair ; the one shuts up heaven , the other opens hell ; the one makes thee insensible of god's frowns , the other incapable of god's favour ; and both teach god to be unmerciful , and thee to be most miserable . max. . close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another ; if thou ▪ recieve not his words , they fly back , and wound the reporter ; if thou receive them , they fly forward , and wound the receiver . max. . if thou would'st preserve a sound body , use fasting and walking ; if a healthful soul , fasting and praying ; walking exerciseth the body , praying exerciseth the soul ; fasting cleanseth both . max. . wouldest thou not be thought a fool in another's conceit ? be not wise in thine own ; he that trusts in his own wisdom , proclaims his own folly : he is truly wise , and shall appear so , that hath folly enough to be thought not worldly wise , or wisdom enough to see his own folly. max. . desirest thou knowledge ? know the end of thy desire : is it only to know ? then it is curiosity ; is it because thou mayst be known ? then 't is vanity ; if because thou mayst edifie , then 't is charity ; if because thou mayst be edified , it is wisdom . that knowledge turns to mere excrement , that hath not some heat of wisdom to digest it . max. . wisdom without innocency is knavery ; innocency without wisdom is foolery ; be therefore wise as serpents , and innocent as doves : the subtilty of the serpent instructs the innocency of the dove ; the innocency of the dove corrects the subtilty of the serpent . what god hath joyned together , let no man separate . max. . the more thou imitatest the virtues of a saint departed , the better thou celebratest the saint's day : god is not pleased with surfeiting for his sake , who with his fasting so often pleased his god. max. . 〈◊〉 not thy serviceable soldier out of soft apparel , lest he prove effeminate ; nor out of a full purse , lest he grow timorous they are more fit for action that are fiery to gain a fortune abroad , than they that have fortunes to lose at home . expectation breeds spirit , fruition brings fear . max. . god hath given to mankind a common library , his creatures ; and to every man a proper book , himself ; being an abridgement of all the others . if thou read with understanding , it will make thee a great master of philosophy , and a true servant to the divine author ; if thou but barely read , it will make thee thy own wise man , and the author's fool. max. . doubt is a weak child , lawfully begotten between an obstructed judgment and a fair understanding . opinion is a bold bastard , gotten between a strong fancy and a weak judgment . it is less dishonourable to be ingeniously doubtful , than rashly opinionate . max. . as thou art a moral man , esteem thy self not as thou art , but as thou art esteemed . as thou art a christian , esteem thy self as thou art , not as thou art esteemed : thy price in both rises and falls as the market goes ; the market of a moral man is wild opinion ; the market of a christian is a good conscience . max. . providence is an exercise of reason , experience an act of sense ; by how much reason excels sense , by so much providence exceeds experience : providence prevents that danger which ezperience repents ; providence is the rational daughter of wisdom , experience the empirical mistress of fools . max. . hath fortune dealt thee ill cards , let wisdom make thee a good gamester ; in a fair gale every fool may sail , but wise behaviour in a storm commends the wisdom of a pilate ; to bear adversity with an equal mind , is both the sign and glory of a brave spirit . max. . if any speak ill of thee , flee home to thy own conscience , and examine thy heart ; if thou be guilty , 't is a just correction ; if not guilty , 't is a fair instruction : make use of both , so shalt thou distill honey out of gall , and out of an open enemy , create a secret friend . max. . as the exercise of the body natural is moderate recreation , so the exercise of the body politick , is military-discipline ; by that , the one is made more able ; by this , the other is made more active : where both are wanting there wants no danger ; to the one , through a humorous supply ; to the other , by a negligent security . max. . god is above thee , beasts are beneath thee ; acknowledge him that is above thee , and thou shalt be acknowledged by them that are under thee ; whilst daniel acknowledge god to be above him , the lyons acknowledge god to be above them . max. . take heed , whilst thou shewest wisdom in not speaking , thou betrayest not thy own folly in too long silence ; if thou art a fool , thy silence is wisdom ; if a wise man , too long silence is folly : as too many words from a fool 's mouth , gives a wise man no leave to speak , so too long silence in a wise man gives a fool the opportunity of speaking , and makes thee guilty of his folly. max. . consider what thou wert , what thou art , what thou shalt be , what is within thee , what is above thee , what beneath thee , what is against thee , what was before thee , what shall be after thee ; and this will bring to thy self humility , to thy neighbour charity , to the world contempt , to thy god obedience . he that knows not himself positively , cannot know himself relatively . max. . think not thy love to god , merits god's love to thee ; his acceptance of thy duty crowns his own gifts in thee . man's love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of god's love to man. max. . be always less willing to speak than to hear ; what thou hearest thou receivest , what thou speakest thou givest . it is more glorious to give , more profitable to receive . max. . seest thou good days , prepare for evil times ; no summer but hath its winter : he never reapt comfort in adversity , that sow'd it not in prosperity . max. . if being a magistrate thou connivest at vice , thou nourishest it ; if thou sparest it , thou committest it ; what is not by thee punished in others , is made punishable in thee ; he that favours present evils , entails them upon his posterity : he that excuseth the guilty condemns the innocent . max. . truth haunts no corners , seeks no by-ways ; if thou profess it , do it openly ; if thou seek it , do it fairly : he deserves not to profess truth that professeth it fearfully : he deserves not to find the truth that seeks it fraudulently . max. . if thou desire to be wiser yet , think not thy self yet wise enough ; and if thou desire to improve knowledge in thy self , despise not the instructions of another : he that instructs him that thinks himself wise enough , hath a fool to his scholar ; he that thinks himself wise enough to instruct himself , hath a fool to his master . the end of the third century . institutions and maxims moral and divine , &c. cent . iv. maxim . demean thy self more warily in thy study than in the street ; if thy publick actions have an hundred witnesses , thy private have a thousand ; the multitude look but upon thy actions , thy conscience looks into them ; the multitude may chance to excuse thee , if not acquit thee ; thy conscience will accuse thee , if not condemn thee . max. . of all vices , take heed of drunkenness ; other vices are but fruits of disorder'd affections , this disorders , nay banisheth reason ; other vices but impair the soul , this demolisheth her two chief faculties , the understanding and the will ; other vices makes their own way , this makes way for all vices : he that is a drunkard is qualify'd for all vice. max. . if thy sin trouble thee , let that trouble comfort thee ; as pleasure in the remembrance of sin exasperates justice , so sorrow in the repentance of sin mollifies mercy : it is less danger to commit the sin we delight in , than to delight in the sin we have committed ; and more joy is promised to repentance , than to innocency . max. . the way to god is by thy self , the way to thy self is by thy own corruptions ; he that baulks this way , errs ; he that travels by the creatures , wanders : the motion of the heavens shall give thy soul no rest ; the virtue of herbs shall not encrease thine ; the height of all philosophy both natural and moral , is to know thy self , and the end of this knowledge is to know god. max. . infamy is where it is received ; if thou art a mud-wall , it will stick ; if marble , it will rebound ; if thou storm at it , 't is thine ; if thou contemn it , 't is his . max. . if thou desire magistracy , learn to forget thy self : if thou undertake it , bid thy self farewel . he that looks upon a common cause with private eyes , looks through false glasses . in the exercise of thy politique office thou must forget both ethicks and oeconomicks : he that puts on a publick gown , must put off a private person . max. . let the words of a virgin , though in a good cause , and to as good purpose , be neither violent , many , nor first , nor last ; it is less shame for a virgin to be lost in a blushing silence , than to be found in a bold eloquence . max. . art thou in plenty , give what thou wilt ; art thou in poverty , give what thou canst : as what is received , is received according to the manner of the receiver , so what is given is priz'd according to the measure of the giver : he is a good work-man that makes as good work , as his matter will permit . max. . god is the author of truth , the devil the father of lies ; if the telling of a truth shall endanger thy life , the author of truth will protect thee from the danger , or reward thee for thy damage ; if the telling a lie may secure thy life , the father of lies will beguile thee of thy gains , or traduce the security : better by losing of a life to save it , than by saving of a life to lose it . however , better thou perish than the truth . max. . consider not so much what thou hast , as what others want ; what thou hast take heed thou lose not ; what thou hast not , take heed thou covet not : if thou hast many above thee , turn thy eye upon those that are under thee . if thou hast not inferiors , have patience a while , and thou shalt have no superiors ; the grave requires no marshal . max. . if thou seest any thing in thy self which may make thee proud , look a little and thou shall find enough to humble thee ; if thou be wise , view the peacock's feathers with his feet , and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections : he that would rightly prize the man , must read his whole story . max. . let not the sweetness of contemplation be so esteemed , that action be despised . rachel was more fair ; leah more fruitful ; as contemplation is more delightful , so is it more dangerous : lot was upright in the city and wicked in the mountain . max. . if thou hast but little , make it not less by murmuring ; if thou hast enough , make it not too much by unthankfulness ; he that is not thankfully contented with the least favour he hath received , hath made himself incapable of the least favour he can receive . max. . what thou hast taken unlawfully , restore speedily ; for the sin in taking it is repeated every minute thou keep'st it ; if thou canst , restore it in kind ; if not , in value ; if it may be , restore it to the party ; if not , to god ; the poor is god's receiver . max. . let the fear of a danger , be as a spur to prevent it ; he that fears otherwise gives advantage to the danger ; it is less folly not to endeavour the prevention of the evil thou fearest , than to fear the evil which thy endeavour cannot prevent . max. . if thou hast any excellence which is thine own , thy tongue may glory in it without shame ; but if thou hast received it , thy glory is but usurpation , and thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame ; where vain-glory commands , there folly counsels ; where pride rides , there shame lacquys . max. . god hath ordained his creatures not only for necessity but for delight ; since he hath carv'd thee with a bountiful hand , fear not to receive it with a liberal heart ; he that gave thee water to allay thy thirst , gave thee wine to exhilerate thy heart : restore him for the one , the necessity of thanks ; return him for the other , the cheerfulness of praise . max. . if the wicked flourish and thou suffer , be not discourag'd ; they are fatted for destruction , thou art dieted for health ; they have no other heaven but the thoughts of a long earth ; thou hast nothing on earth but the hopes of a quick heaven : if there were no journey 's end , the travel of a christian were most comfortless . max. . imp not thy wing with the church's feathers , lest thou fly to thy own ruine ; impropriations are bold metaphors , which continued are deadly allegories ; one foot of land in capite encumbers the whole estate ; the eagle snatch'd a coal from the altar , but it fir'd her nest . max. . let that table which god hath pleased to give thee , please thee ; he that made the vessel knows her burthen , and how to ballast her ; he that made all things very good , cannot but do all things very well ; if thou be content with a little , thou hast enough ; if thou complainest , thou hast too much . max. . wouldst thou discover the true worth of a man , behold him naked , distreasure him of his ill got wealth ; degrade him of his dear bought honour ; disrobe him of his purple habit ; discard his pamper'd body ; then look upon his soul , and thou shalt find how great he is : natural sweetness is never scented but in the absence of artificial . max. . if thou art subject to any secret folly , blab it not , lest thou appear impudent ; nor boast of it , lest thou seem insolent ; every man's vanity ought to be his greatest shame ; and every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret . max. . if thou be ignorant , endeavour to get knowledge , lest thou be beaten with stripes : if thou hast attained knowledge , put it in practice , lest thou be beaten with many stripes ; better not to know what we should practice , than not to practice what we know ; and less danger dwells in unaffected ignorance , than unactive knowledge . max. . take heed thou harbour not that vice called envy , lest another's happiness be thy torment , and god's blessing becomes thy curse : virtue corrupted with vain-glory turns pride ; poison'd with malice becomes envy : joyn therefore humility with thy virtue , and pride shall have no footing , and envy shall have no entrance . max. . if thy endeavour cannot prevent a vice , let thy repentance lament it ; the more thou remember'st it without hearts-grief , the deeper it is rooted in thy heart : take heed it please thee not , especially in cold blood , thy pleasure in it makes it fruitless , and her fruit is thy destruction . max. . the two knowledges of god and of thy self , are the high-way to thy salvation ; that breeds in thee a filial love , this a filial fear . the ignorance of thy self is the beginning of all sin ; and the ignorance of god is the perfection of all evil. max. . rather do nothing to the purpose than be idle , that the devil may find thee doing . the bird that sits is easily shot , when flyers ' scape the fowler ; idleness is the dead sea that swallows all virtues , and the self made sepulchre of a living man : the idle man is the devil's hireling , whose livery is rags , whose dyet and wages are famine and diseases . max. . be not so mad , as to alter that countenance which thy creator made thee ; remember 't was the work of his hands ; if it be bad how darst thou mend it ; if it be good , why dost thou mend it ? art thou asham'd of his work , and proud of thy own ? he made thy face to be known by ; why desirest thou to be known by another ? it is a shame to adulterate modesty , but more to adulterate nature ; lay by thy art , and blush not to appear what he blushes not to make thee . it is better to be his picture than thine own . max. . let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience ; examine not why it is commanded , but observe it because it is commanded ; true obedience neither procrastinates nor questions . max. . if thou would'st buy an inheritance in heaven , advise not with thy purse , lest in the mean while thou lose thy purchase . the widow bought as much for two mites as zacheus did for half his estate . the price of that purchase is what thou hast , and is not lost for what thou hast not , if thou desire to have it . max. . with the same height of desire thou hast sinned , with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent ; thou that hast sinned to day , defer not thy repentance till to morrow . he that hath promised thee pardon to thy repentance , hath not promised life till thou repent . max. . take heed how thou receivest praise from men ; from good men , neither avoid it , nor glory in it ; from evil men , neither desire it nor expect it : to be praised of them that are evil , or for that which is evil , is equal dishonour ; he is happy in his worth who is praised by the good , and imitated by the bad . max. . proportion thy charity to the strength of thy estate , lest god proportion thy estate to the weakness of thy charity : let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gifts , lest in seeking applause thou losest thy reward . nothing is more pleasing to god than an open hand and a close mouth . max. . dost thou want things necessary : grumble not ; perchance 't was a necessary thing thou should'st want ; endeavour lawfully to supply it : if god bless not thy endeavours , bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee ; thou art god's patient , prescribe not thy physitian . max. . if another's death , or thy own , depend upon thy confession , if thou canst , say nothing ; if thou must , say the truth : it is better thou lose thy life than god his honour ; it is as easie for him to give thee life being condemned , as repentance , having sinned : it is more wisdom to yeild thy body , than hazard thy soul. max. . cloath not thy language , either with obscurity or affectation ; in the one thou discoverest too much darkness , in the other too much lightness : he that speaks from the understanding to the understanding is the best interpreter . max. . if thou expect death as a friend , prepare to entertain it ; if thou expect death as an enemy , prepare to overcome it : death hath no advantage , but when it comes a stranger . max. . fear nothing but what thy industry may prevent : be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat . it is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided , than to be secure when there is a possibility to be deprived . max. . let not the necessity of god's decree discourage thee to pray , or dishearten thy prayers ; do thou thy dury , and god will do his pleasure : if thy prayers make not him sound that is sick , they will return , and confirm thy health that art sound : if the end of thy prayers be to obtain thy request , thou confinest him that is infinite ; if thou hast done well because thou wert commanded , thou hast thy reward , in that thou hast obeyed god's pleasure in the end of our prayers . max. . marry not too young ; and when thou art too old , marry not , lest thou be fond in the one , and dote in the other , and repent for both : let thy liking ripen before thou love ; let thy love advise before thou chuse ; and let thy choice be first , before thou marry : remember that the whole happiness of thy life depends upon this one act ; remember that nothing but death can dissolve this knot : he that weds in haste , repents oftentimes by leisure ; and he that repents him of his own act , either is or was a fool by confession . max. . if god hath sent thee a cross , take it up and follow him ; use it wisely , lest it be unprofitable ; bear it patiently , lest it be intollerable ; behold in it god's anger against sin , and his love towards thee in punishing and chastising the other . if it be light , slight it not ; if heavy , murmur not : not to be sensible of a judgment , is the symptom of a hardned heart ; and to be displeased at his pleasure is a sign of a rebellious will. max. . if thou desire to be magnanimous , undertake nothing rashly , and fear nothing thou undertakest : fear nothing but infamy ; dare any thing but injury . the measure of magnanimity , is neither to be rash , nor timorous . max. . practise in health to bear sickness , and endeavour in the strength of thy life to entertain death . he that hath a will to dye , not having power to live , shews necessity , not virtue : it is the glory of a brave mind to embrace pangs in the very arms of pleasure . what name of virtue merits he that goes when he is driven ? max. . be not too punctual in taking place : if he be thy superiour , 't is his due ; if thy inferiour , 't is his dishonour ; it is thou must honour thy place , not thy place thee . it is a poor reward of worth , that consists in a righthand , or a brick wall. max. . pray often , because thou sinnest always ; repent quickly , lest thou dye suddenly : he that repents it , because he wants power to act it , repents not of a sin till he forsakes it : he that wants power to actuate his sin hath not forsaken his sin , but his sin him . max. . make philosophy thy journey , theology thy journey 's end : philosophy is a pleasant way , but dangerous to him that either tires or retires : in this journey it 's safe neither to loyter , nor to rest , till thou hast attained thy journey's-end : he that sits down a philosopher , rises up an atheist . max. . fear not to sin , for god's sake , but thy own ; thy sin o'erthrows not his glory , but good : he gains his glory not only from the salvation of the repentant ; but also from the confusion of the rebellious . there be vessels for honour , and vessels for dishonour ; but both for his honour . god is not griev'd for the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence , but for the horror thou shalt find for thy impenitence . max. . insult not over misery , nor deride infirmity , nor despise deformity . the first shews thy inhumanity ; the second , thy folly ; the third , thy pride ; he that made him miserable , made thee happy to lament him : he that made him weak , made thee strong to support him ; he that made him deformed , gave thee favour to be humbled ; he that is not sensible of another's unhappiness , is a living stone ; but he that makes misery the object of his triumph , is an incarnate devil . max. . make thy recreations servants to thy business ; lest thou become slave to thy recreations ; when thou go'st up into the mountain , leave this servant in the valley ; when thou goest to the city , leave him in the suburbs ; and remember , the servant is not greater than his master . max. . praise no man too liberally before his face ; nor censure him too lavishly behind his back . the one savours of flattery ; the other , of malice , and both are reprehensible : the true way to advance another's virtue , is to follow it ; and the best means to cry down another's vice , is to decline it . max. . if thy prince command a lawful act , give him all active obedience : if he command an unlawful act , give passive obedience . what thy well-grounded conscience will suffer , do cheerfully , without repining ; where thou may'st not do lawfully , suffer couragiously without rebellion : thy life and livelihood is thy prince's , thy conscience is thy own . max. . if thou givest to receive the like , it is exchange : if to receive more , 't is covetousness : if to receive thanks , it is vanity : if to be seen , 't is vain-glory : if to corrupt , 't is bribery : if for example , 't is formality : if for compassion , 't is charity : if because thou art commanded , 't is obedience : the affection in doing the work , gives a name to the work done . max. . fear death , but be not afraid of death . to fear it what 's thy expectation ; to be afraid of it dulls thy preparation : if thou canst endure it , it is but a slight pain ; if not , 't is but a short pain : to fear death , is the way to live long ; to be afraid of death , is to be long a dying . max. . if thou desire the love of god and man , be humble ; for the proud heart , as it loves none but it self , so it is beloved of none , but by it self : the voice of humility is god's rhetorick . humility enforces , where neither virtue , nor strength , nor reason , can prevail . max. . look upon thy burning taper , and there see the emblem of thy life : the flame is thy soul ; the wax thy body , and is commonly a span long ; the wax , ( if never so well temper'd ) can but last his length ; and who can lengthen it ? if ill temper'd , it shall waste the the faster , yet last his length ; an open window shall hasten either ; an extinguisher shall put out both : husband them the best thou canst , thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date : leave them to the injury of the wind , or to the mercy of a wastful hand , thou hastnest them , but still they burn their length : but puff them out , and thou hast shortned them , and stop'd their passage , which else had brought them to their appointed end. bodies according to their constitutions , stronger or weaker , according to the equality or inequality of their elements , have their dates , and may be preserved from shortning , but not lengthned . neglect may waste them , ill diet may hasten them to their journey 's end , yet they have lived their length ; a violent hand may interrupt them ; a sudden death may stop them , and they are shortned . it lies in the power of man , either permissively to hasten , or actively to shorten ; but not to lengthen or extend the limits of his natural life . he only ( if any ) hath the art to lengthen out his taper that puts it to the best advantage . max. . demean thy self in the presence of thy prince , with reverence and chearfulness . that , without this , is too much sadness ; this , without that , is too much boldness : let thy wisdom endeavonr to gain his opinion , and labour to make thy loyalty his confidence : let him not find thee false in words , unjust in thy actions , unseasonable in thy suits , nor careless in his service : cross not his passion ; question not his pleasures ; press not into his secrets ; pry not in his prerogative : displease him not , lest he be angry ; appear not displeased , lest he be jealous . the anger of a king is implacable : the jealousie of a prince is incurable . max. . give thy heart to thy creator , and reverence thy superiors : give diligence to thy calling , and ear to good counsel : give alms to the poor , and the glory to god : forgive him that ignorantly offends thee , and him that wittingly offended thee , seeks thee . forgive him that hath forcibly abused thee ; and him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee : forgive all thine enemies ; but least of all thy self : give , and it shall be given to thee ; forgive , and it shall be forgiven thee ; the sum of all christianity is give and forgive . max. . be not too great a niggard in the commendations of him that professes thy own quality : if he deserves thy praise , thou hast discovered thy judgment ; if not , thy modesty : honour either returns , or reflects to the giver . max. . if thou desire to raise thy fortunes , encourage thy delights to the casts of fortune ; be wise betimes , lest thou repent too late ; what thou gettest , thou gainest by abused providence ; what thou losest , thou losest by abused patience ; what thou winnest is prodigally spent ; what thou losest is prodigally lost : it is an evil trade that prodigally drives ; and a bad voyage where the pilot is blind . max. . be very wary for whom thou becomest security , and for no more than thou art able to discharge , if thou lovest thy liberty . the borrower is a slave to the lender ; the security is a slave to both : whilst the borrower and lender are both eased , the security bears both their burthens . he is a wise security that recovers himself . max. . look upon thy affliction as thou dost upon thy physick ; both imply a disease , and both are applied for a cure ; that of the body , this of the soul : if they work , they promise health ; if not , they threaten death : he is not happy that is not afflicted , but he that finds happiness by his affliction . max. . if the knowledge of good , whet thy desire to good , it is a happy knowledge : if by thy ignorance of evil , thou art surpriz'd with evil , it is an unhappy ignorance . happy is he that hath so much knowledge of good , as to desire it ; and but so much knowledge of evil , as to fear it . max. . when the flesh presents thee with delights , then present thy self with dangers : where the world possesses thee with vain hopes , there possess thy self with true fear . when the devil brings thee oil , bring thou vinegar . the way to be safe , is never to be secure . max. . if thy brother hath offended thee , forgive him freely , and be reconciled : to do evil for evil is humane corruption ; to do good for good , is civil retribution : to do good for evil is christian perfection ; the act of forgiveness is god's precept ; the manner of forgiveness is god's president . max. . reverence the writings of holy men ; but lodge not thy faith upon them , because but men : they are good pools , but no fountains . build on paul himself , no longer than he builds on christ : if peter renounce his master , renounce peter . the word of man may convince reason ; but the word of god alone can compel conscience . max. . in civil things follow the most ; in matters of religion , the fewest ; in all things ; follow the best ; so shall thy ways be pleasing to god , so shall thy behaviour be plausible with men. max. . if any loss or misery hath befallen to thy brother ; dissemble it to thy self ; and what counsel thou givest him , register carefully ; and when the case is thine , follow it : so shall thine own reason convince thy passion , or thy passion confess her own unreasonableness . max. . when thou goest about to change thy moral liberty , into a christian servitude , prepare thy self to be the world's laughing stock ; if thou overcome her scoffs , thou shalt have double honour ; if overcome , double shame . he is unworthy of a good master that is ashamed of a bad livery . max. . let not the falling of a salt , or the crossing of a hare , or the crying of a cricket , trouble thee : they portend no evil , but what thou fearest . he is ill acquainted with himself , that knows not his own fortunes better than they : if evil follow it , it is the punishment of thy superstition , not the fulfilling of their portent : all things are lucky to thee , if thou wilt ; nothing but is ominous to the superstitious . max. . so behave thy self in thy course of life , as at a banquet . take what is offered with modest thankfulness ; and expect what is not as yet offered with hopeful patience . let not thy rude appetite press thee , nor a slight carefulness indispose thee , nor a sullen discontent deject thee . who desires more than enough , hath too much ; and he that is satisfied with a little , hath no less than enough . max. . is thy child dead ? he is restored , not lost . is thy treasure stoln ? it is not lost , it is restored : he is an ill debtor , that counts repayment loss ; but it was an ill chance that took thy child , and a wicked hand that stole thy treasure : what is that to thee : it matters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them ; what goods are ours by loan , are not lost when willingly restored , but when unworthily received . max. . censure no man ; detract from no man ; praise no man before his face ; traduce no man behind his back : boast not thy self abroad , nor flatter thy self at home : if any thing cross thee , accuse thy self ; if any extol thee , humble thy self : honour those that instruct thee , and be thankful to those that reprehend thee . let all thy desires be subjected to reason , and let thy reason be corrected by religion . weigh thy self by thy own ballances , and trust not the voice of wild opinion : observe thy self as thy greatest enemy ; so shalt thou become thy greatest friend . max. . endeavour to make thy discourse such as may administer profit to thy self , or standers by , lest thou incur the danger of an idle word : above all subjects , avoid all those that are scurrilous and obscene , tales that are impertinent and improbable , and dreams . max. . if god hath blest thee with a son , bless thou that son with a lawful calling ; chuse such employment as may stand with his fancy and thy judgment : if his country claims his ability towards the building of her honour ; if he cannot bring a cedar , let him bring a shrub : he that brings nothing , usurps his life , and robs his country of a servant . max. . at thy first entrance into thy estate , keep a low sail ; thou must rise with honour ; thou canst not decline without shame . he that begins as his father ended , shall end as his father begun . max. . if any obscene tale should chance to slip into thine ears , among the varieties of discourse ( if opportunity admit ) reprove it ; if otherwise , let thy silence or change of countenance interpret thy dislike : the smiling ear is bawd to the lascivious tongue . max. . be more circumspect over the works of thy brain , than the actions of thy body ; these have infirmity to plead for them , but they must stand upon their own bottoms ; these are but the objects of few , they of all ; these will have equals to defend them , they have inferiours to envy them , superiours to deride them , all to censure them : it is no less danger for these to be proclaimed at paul's-cross , than for them to be protested in paul's church-yard . max. . use common-place-books , or collections , as indexes to light thee to the authors , lest thou be abused : he that takes learning upon trust , makes him a fair cupboard with another's plate ; he is an ill advised purchaser , whose title depends more on witnesses than evidences . max. . if thou desire to make the best advantage of the muses , either by reading to benefit thy self , or by writing others , keep a peaceful soul within a temperate body : a full belly makes a dull brain , and a turbulent spirit a distracted judgment . the muses starve in a cook 's shop and a lawyer 's study . max. . when thou communicatest thy self by letters , heighten or depress thy stile according to the quality of the person and business ; that which thy tongue would present to any if present , let thy pen represent to him absent . the tongue is the mind's interpreter ; and the pen is the tongue 's secretary : max. . keep thy soul in exercise , lest her faculties rust for want of motion ; to eat , sleep , or sport too long , stops the natural course of her natural actions . to dwell too long in the employments of the body , is both the cause and sign of a dull spirit . max. . be very circumspect to whose tuition thou committest thy child ; every good scholar is not a good master . he must be a man of invincible patience and singular observation : he must study children , that will teach them well , and reason must rule him that would rule wisely ; he must not take advantage of an ignorant father , nor give too much ear to an indulgent grandmother : the common good must outweigh his private gains , and his credit must out-bid gratuities : he must be diligent and sober , not too familiar , nor too reserv'd , neither amorous , nor phantastick ; just , without fierceness ; merciful , without fondness : if such an one thou meet with , thou hast found a treasure , which if thou know'st how to value , is invaluable . max. . let not thy laughter handsel thy own jest , lest whil'st thou laugh at it , others laugh at thee ; neither tell it often to the same hearers , lest thou be thought forgetful or barren . there is no sweetness in a cabbage twice sodd , or a tale twice told . max. . if opinion hath lighted the lamp of thy name , endeavour to encourage it with thine own oyle , lest it go out , and stink . the chronical disease of popularity is shame : if thou be once up , beware ; from fame to infamy is a beaten road. max. . cleanse thy morning soul with private and due devotion : till then admit no business ; the first born of thy thoughts are god's , and not thine but by sacrilege . think thy self not ready , till thou hast praised him , and he will be always ready to bless thee . max. . in all thy actions , think god sees thee ; and in all his actions labour to see him ; that will make thee fear him , this will move thee to love him . the fear of god is the beginning of knowledge , and the knowledge of god is the perfection of love. max. . let not the expectation of a reversion entice thy heart to the wish of a possessor's death , lest a judgment meet thee in thy expectation , or a curse overtake thee in thy fruition ; every wish makes the a murtherer ; and moves god to be an accessary : god often lengthens the life of the possessor , with the days of the expector . max. . prize not thy self by what thou hast , but by what thou art : he that values a jewel by her golden frame , or a book by its silver clasps ; or a man by his vast estate , errs : if thou art not worth more than the world can make thee , thy redeemer had a bad peny-worth , or thou an uncurious redeemer . max. . let not thy father , nor the fathers , nor the church , thy mother's belief , be the ground of thine : the scripture lies open to the humble heart , but lock'd against the proud inquisitor : he that believes with an implicite faith , is a meer empyrick in religion . max. . of all sins , take greatest heed of that which thou hast last , and most repented of : he that was the last thrust out of doors , is the next readiest to croud in again ; and he that thou hast sorest battled , is likest to call more help for a revenge . it is requisite for him that hath cast one devil out , to keep strong hold , lest seven return . max. . in the meditation of divine mysteries , keep thy heart humble , and thy thoughts holy ; let philosophy not be ashamed to be confuted , nor logick blush to be confounded ; what thou canst not prove , approve ; what thou canst not comprehend , believe ; and what thou can'st believe , admire ; so shall thy ignorance be satisfy'd in thy faith , and thy doubts be swallow'd up with wonders : the best way to see day-light is to put out the candle . max. . if opinion hath cryed thy name up , let thy modesty cry thy heart down , lest thou deceive it , or it thee ; there is no less danger in a great name than in a bad ; and no less honour in deserving of praise , than in the enduring it . max. . use the holy scriptures with all reverence ; let not thy wanton fancy carry it out in jests , nor thy sinful wit make it an advocate to thy sin ; it is a subject for thy faith , not fancy : where wit and blasphemy is one trade , the understanding's bankrupt . max. . dost thou complain that god hath forsaken thee ; it is thou that hast forsaken him ; 't is thou that art mutable ; in him there is no shadow of change ; in his light is life : if thy will drive thee to a dungeon , thou makest thy own darkness ; and in that darkness dwells thy death ; from whence if he redeem thee , he is merciful ; if not , he is just ; in both , he receives glory . max. . make use of time if thou lovest eternity ; know yesterday cannot be recalled ; to morrow cannot be assured ; to day is only thine ; which if thou procrastinate , thou losest ; which loss is lost for ever ; one to day is worth two to morrow . max. . if thou be strong enough to encounter with the times , keep thy station ; if not , shift a foot to gain advantage of the times : he that acts a beggar to prevent a thief , is ne'er the poorer ; it is a great part of wisdom sometimes to seem a fool. max. . if thou intend thy writings for the publick view , lard them not too much with the choice lines of another author , lest thou lose thy owngravy ; which thou hast read and digested , being delivered in thy own stile , becomes thine ; it is more decent to wear a plain suit of one intire cloth , than a gaudy garment , chequer'd with other rich fragments . max. . if god hath bless'd thee with inheritance , and children to inherit , trust not the staff of thy family to the hands of one . make not many beggars in the building of one great heir , lest , if he miscarry through a prodigal will , the rest sink thro' a hard necessity : god's allowance is a double portion : when high bloud and generous breeding , break their fast in plenty , and dine in poverty , they often fup in infamy : if thou deny them falcon's wings to prey on . fowl , give them kite's stomachs to seize on garbage . max. . be very vigilant over thy child in the april of his understanding , lest the frost of may nip his blossom ; whilst he is a tender twig , streighten him ; whilst he is a new vessel , season him ; such as thou makest him , such commonly thou shalt find him ; let his first lesson be obedience , and the second shall be what thou wilt ; give him education in good letters , to the utmost of thy ability and his capacity ; season his youth with the love of his creator , and make the fear of his god , the beginning of his knowledge ; if he have an active spirit , rather rectifie than curb it ; but reckon idleness amongst his chiefest faults ; above all things keep him from vain lascivious and amorous pamphlets , as the primer of all vice. as his judgment ripens , observe his inclination , and tender him a calling that shall not cross it : forced marriages and callings seldom prosper ; shew him both the mow and the plough , and prepare him as well for the danger of the skirmish , as possess him with the honour of the prize . if he chuse the profession of a scholar , advise him to study the most profitable arts : poetry and mathematicks take up too great a latitude of the soul , and moderately used , are good recreations , but bad callings ; being nothing but their own reward . if he chuse the profession of a soldier , let him know withal , honour must be his greatest wages , and his enemies his surest pay-master : prepare him against the danger of war , and advise him of the greater mischief of a garison : let him avoid debauchedness and duels , to the utmost of his power , and remember he is not his own man ; and ( being his countries servant ) hath no estate in his own life : if he chuse a trade , teach him to forget his father's and his mother's wing ; advise him to be conscionable , careful , and constant ; this done , thou hast done thy part , leave the rest to providence , and thou hast done well . max. . convey thy love to thy friends , as an arrow to the mark , to stick there ; not as a ball against the wall , to rebound back to thee ; that friendship will not continue to the end that is begun for an end. meditation is the life of the soul , action is the life of meditation , honour is the reward of action ; so meditate that thou may'st do ; so do that thou may'st purchase honour : for which purchase , give god the glory . finis . some books printed for sam. briscoe , at corner of charles street , covent-garden . . the history of polybius the megalapolitan ; containing a geneneral account of the transactions of the world , and principally of the roman people , during the first and s●cond punick wars , &c. translated from the original greek , by sir h. sheres : vol. vo . . the satyrs of titus petronius arbiter , a roman knight ; with their fragments recover'd at belgrade : made engglish by mr. burnaby of the middle-temple . . the young lawyer 's recreation ; being a collection of the most unusual and pleasant customs and passages in the law , as well for the use as diversion of the reader . . letters of love and gallantry , together with the pleasant adventures of a young lady , and nuns memoirs ; with several other letters that passed between ladies and gentlemen both in town and country . in two vol. . the religious stoick , or a brief discourse on these several subjests , viz. atheism , superstition , world's creation , eternity , providence , theology , strictness of churches , of the scriptures , of moral and judicial law , of man and his creation , of the immortality of the soul , of faith and reason , of the fall of angels , and what their sin was , of man's fall , of the stile of genesis , a refutation of the millinaries , &c. with a friendly address to the fanaticks of all sects and sorts . by sir george mackenzey . midnights meditations of death: with pious and profitable observations, and consolations : perused by francis quarles a little before his death. / published by e.b. a buckler against the fear of death. buckler, edward, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) midnights meditations of death: with pious and profitable observations, and consolations : perused by francis quarles a little before his death. / published by e.b. a buckler against the fear of death. buckler, edward, - . benlowes, edward, ?- , attributed name. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. : ill. (metal cut) printed by john macock [and roger daniel], and are to be sold at his house, in white bear court, on adling hill, london : . in verse. a reissue of "a buckler against the fear of death" by edward buckler (sometimes attributed to edward benlowes), printed by roger daniel, , with quire [a] cancelled by new title page, new illustration, and new introductory poem. signatures: [a]⁴(-[a] ) b-i. annotation on thomason copy: "feb: "; the in the date has been crossed out and replaced with a . reproduction of the original in the british library. eng death -- poetry -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no midnights meditations of death:: with pious and profitable observations, and consolations : perused by francis quarles a little before his buckler, edward b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion midnights meditations of death : with pious and profitable observations , and consolations : perused by francis quarles a little before his death . published by e. b. london , printed by john macock , and are to be sold at his house , in white bear court , on adling hill . . profitable and pious thoughts of death . part . of deaths certainty . in heav'ns high parliament an act is pass'd , subscrib'd by that eternall three in one , that each created wight must one day tast of deaths grim terrours : they exempted none that sprang from adam . all that red-earth-strain must to their earth again . an ancient register of burialls lies in genesis , to let us understand that whosoever is begotten dies , and every sort is under deaths command . his empire 's large : rich , poore , old , young , and all must go when he doth call . mans life 's a book : and some of them are bound handsome and richly ; some but meanly clad : and for their matter , some of them are found learned and pious : others are too bad for vilest fires : both have their end . there 's a conclusion penn'd as well as title-page ; that 's infancy . the matter ; that 's the whole course of our lives . one 's satans servant walking wickedly ; another 's pious , and in goodnesse thrives ; one 's beggerly , another 's rich and brave : both drop into the grave . one man ( a book in folio ) lives till age hath made him crooked and put out his eyes : his beard doth penance . and death in a rage mows down another whilst the infant cries in 's midwives lap : ( that 's an epitome ) both wear deaths liverie . god made not death : whence are we mortall then ? sure sinne 's the parent of this pale-fac'd foe ; nought else did hatch it : and the first of men he was deaths grandfather : and all the wo that in this or the next life we are in is caused by our sinne . meditation . if i must dye , i 'll catch at every thing that may but mind me of my latest breath . deaths-heads , graves , knells , blacks , tombs , all these shall bring into my soul such usefull thoughts of death , that this sable king of fears , though in chiefest of my health he behind me come by stealth , shall not catch me unawares . when-e're i visit any dying friend , each sigh and scrich , and every death-bed-grone shall reade me such a lecture of mine end , that i 'll suppose his case will be mine own . as this poore man here doth lie rack'd all o're with deadly pain , never like to rise again , time will come when so must i. thus ghastly shall i look , thus every part of me shall suffer , thus my lips shall shrivel , my teeth shall grin , and thus my drooping heart shall smoke out sighs and grones ; and all the evil which i see this man lye under , what sinne earns and death doth pay , i shall feel another day . sinne from torment who can sunder ? thus will my mournfull friends about me come : my livelesse carcase shall be stretched out . i must be packing to my longest home : thus will the mourners walk the streets about . thus for me the bells will toll : thus must i bid all adieu , world , and wife , and children too : thus must i breathe out my soul . at others fun'ralls when i see a grave , that grave shall mind me of mortalitie . i 'll think that such a lodging i must have : thus in the pit my bones must scattered lie ; here one bone and there another , here my ribs , and there my scull , and my mouth of earth be full . i must call the worms my mother . when i do look abroad , methinks i see a fun'rall sermon penn'd in every thing . each creature speaks me mortall : yonder tree , which , not a quarter since , the glorious spring had most proudly cloth'd in green , and was tall , and young , and strong , now the ax hath laid along : nothing but his stump is seen . and yonder fruitfull valleys yesternight did laugh and sing , they stood so thick with corn : in was the sickle , and 't was cut down quite , and not a sheaf will stand to morrow morn . yonder beauteous imps of may , pretty eye-delighting flowers , whose face heav'n doth wash with showers to put on their best aray : i saw the fair'st , the lily , and carnation , and coy adonis particoloured sonne , subject to such a sudden alteration that in a day their fading beauty 's gone . this tree , this corn , and this flower , or what things else vainest are , to my self i do compare , who may die within this houre . meditation . i 'll ne'r be proud of beauty if i must be blemish'd when i die : and if the grave will mix my beauty with the vilest dust , what profits pride ? reader , i 'll pardon crave here to set you down a story of as rare and fair a she as the sunne did ever see , whom death robb'd of all her glory . i once saw phoebus in his mid-day shine triumphing like the sovereigne of the skies , untill two brighter rayes , both more divine , outblazed his : and they were this nymphs eyes . forthwith sol curtain'd his light , looking very red for shame to be vanquish'd by this dame , and did slink out of her sight . i once saw silver cynthia , nights fair queen , in her full orb dimming each lesser flame , till this nymphs beauty-vying front was seen outshining hers : then she look'd wan for shame . the man in her , knew he how but to quit that giddy place , she had so divine a face , would have dwelt upon her brow . once was this woman pleas'd to walk the fields then proudly fragrant with dame flora's store : the damask rose unto her beauty yields , and was contented to be fair no more . sure i cannot say how truly , yet mongst many 't was a fame , that the rose did blush for shame , and the violet look'd most bluly . once did this woman to the temple go , where doth fair venus marble-statue lie cut to the life , that one can hardly know but that it lives indeed : when she came nigh , he who then the temple kept after would be often telling she was so super-excelling that for mad the marble wept . melodious musick 's warbled by the spheres ; swans sing their epitaphs in curious layes , once with a singing swan a part she bears : as soon 's those corall doores dismiss'd her voice , the poore swan held his peace and di'd : and the spheres ( as men do say ) dumbly move unto this day . this was by a rivers side . what think you now of such a glorious woman ? this phoenix sure was she , if any might , that might be proud : and yet the tongue of no man can well expresse , nor any pen can write what grim death hath done unto her ; now she 's of another feature , hardly can you know the creature : stay a while , and we will view her . th' almighty king that dwells above in heaven directs to 's high shrieve death a certain writ , wherein a strait imperiall charge was given , at 's utmost peril forthwith on sight of it to arrest that piece of beauty and to wrap her up in clay 'gainst the last great judgement-day . death address'd him to his duty ; and with great care gives warrant by and by unto his baillifs , fever , pox , and gout , phrensie , strangury , colick , squinancy , consumption , dropsie , and an ugly rout beside these , for to assail her : deaths command was , that they must tie her fast in chains of dust : he gave charge that none should bail her . you would not think with what a furious pace these catchpoles flie to pull this creature down : but pox was nimblest ; she got to her face and plow'd it up . this hag goes in a gown rugged and of colour tawny , button'd o're from top to toe ; ( skin-deep beauties deadly foe ) uglier hag was never any . fain would the rest have fastned on her too , but that this hag had frighted out her soul . now looks her carcase of another hue , grim , ugly , lothsome , ghastly , and as foul as did ever eye look on . what 's become of that complexion which held all hearts in subjection ? in a moment all is gone . if we might be so bold to dig the grave some few years hence where this good woman lies , sure we should find this beauty but a slave to pallid putrefaction , and a prize for those silly vermine worms : as they crawl in stinking swarms she doth hug them in her arms , and doth give them suck by turns . here 's a deformed lump indeed : and this must be the fortune of the fairest face . none then are proud but fools : they love amisse whose hearts are chain'd to any thing but grace . from the beauty of the skin in the loveliest outward part , lord , vouchsafe to turn my heart to love that which is within . meditation . if death will come , sure there will come an end of all this worlds deep-biting misery . nothing adverse that 's here on earth doth tend beyond the grave : that 's a delivery from the pow'r of men and devils , and what-ever other wo may befall us here below death's a shelter from all evils . here i am poore : my daily drops of sweat will not maintein my full-stock'd family : a dozen hungry children crie for meat , and i have none ; nor will words satisfie . could i give their belly ears , 't were a comfort , or could fill hungry stomacks with good will , or make daily bread of tears . here the oppressour with his griping claws sits on my skirts : my racking land-lord rears both rent and fine ; with potent looks he aws me from mine own . scarce any man but bears in his bosome ahabs heart . horse-leach-like that 's ever craving other mens , and sick of having , right or wrong , will catch a part . here in these clay-built houses sicknesse reigns : i have more maladies then i can name : each member of my body hath its pains . moreover , weeping , groning , sadnesse , shame , slanders , melancholy , fear , discontents , disgraces , losses , and a thousand other crosses must be born if i live here . but these are finite all . when i am dead my poverty is ended and my care : i heare my famish'd children crie for bread no longer . then i drink , i lodge , i fare just as well as caesar doth : there ends cold and nakednesse , all my former wretchednesse . death is meat , and drink , and cloth . there 's no face-grinding : there the mighty cease from troubling ; there the weary be at rest : the servant 's freed ; the pris'ner is at ease : all 's still and quiet ; no man is oppress'd : for incroachers there are none . not a poore man 's wronged , nor is his vineyard longed for : every man may keep his own . sicknesse there 's none : when-ever death shall take my body hence and lodge it in the clay , i shall not feel a tooth or finger ake , nor any other misery that may in the least degree displease me . for all sores the grave hath plasters , and it cureth all disasters : of all burdens death will ease me . malicious tongues fired below in hell there will not hurt me ; nor the poisonous breath of whispering detractours : i shall dwell securely in the dust . one stroke of death sets me out of gun-shot quite ; not the deepest-piercing tongue can there do me any wrong : bark they may , but cannot bite . lord , i am thine : and if it be thy will , while i do live a stranger here below , brim-high with bitternesse my cup to fill , and make me drink 't ; yet , lord , withall bestow but thy grace , and thou shalt see me patient : and my comfort 's this , that a short affliction 't is : in a moment death may free me . meditation . if i must die , it must be my endeavour so to provide that every thought of death may be a thought of comfort : that when-ever that aged sire shall take away my breath , i may willingly lay down this old house that 's made of clay , gladly welcoming the day that brings an eternall crown . but of all things a holy life 's the way must lead me to a comfortable end ; to crucifie my lusts , and to obey gods sacred will in all things : this doth tend unto comfort , joy and ease . mark the man that is upright , and sets god alwayes in 's sight , that mans end is ever peace . what makes me fear a serpent ? 't is his sting ; the mischief 's there : when that is taken out , i can look on him as a harmlesse thing , and in my bosome carry him about . what makes death look rufully ? not deaths self : it is his sting that doth fear and horrour bring , and makes men so loth to die . the sting of death is sinne : but there 's a jesus hath pluck'd it out . the guilt 's done quite away ; the stain is wash'd . he sent his spirit to ease us in some good measure of that kingly sway which o're us sinne held before . blessed work of grace ! now i strongest lusts can mortifie : in my soul sinne reigns no more . now in me holinesse is wrought : which is a pious disposition of the heart , inclining me to hate what 's done amisse in me and others , never to depart from god to left hand or right , nor one of his laws to break ; but to think and do and speak what 's well-pleasing in his sight . each act from faith and love ariseth , and the end i aim at is my makers praise ; his word 's my rule : my warrant 's his command . thus am i fitted : death , cut off my dayes , if thou wilt , within this houre , i will thank thee for thy pain : for to me to die is gain . i 'll not fear a jote thy power . what canst thou do that justly may affright me ? though with thee in the dark i dwell a space , yet canst thou not eternally benight me : thou art my passage to a glorious place , where shall not be any night . my rais'd ashes shall enjoy there an everlasting day , and an uneclipsed light . i fear not death because of putrefaction , nor ( if i might ) would willingly decline it : my body gains by 't ; 't is the graves best action : god , as a founder , melts it to refine it . death cannot annihilate , and in despite of the grave , yet i shall a body have , fairer and in better state . gods second work excells his first by ods : our second birth , life , adam , to repair our bodies , is a second work of gods , to make them better then at first they were , glorious , immortall , sound , nimble , beautifull , and so splendid that from top to toe not a blemish may be found . what begger weeps when 's rags are thrown away to put on better clothes ? who is 't will grieve to pull a rotten house down , that it may be fairer built ? why should we not receive death with both hands when he comes to pull off those rags that hide us , to unhouse us , and provide us richer clothes and better homes ? the griping pangs of death do not affright my heart at all : i have deserved mo . and if upon no other terms i might enjoy my god , i to my god would go through hells self , although a throng of an hundred thousand juries of the black'st infernall furies claw'd me as i went along . nor can those inward terrours make me quake which death-beds often on the soul do bring . i have no death-bed-reck'nings for to make ; 't was made while i was well , and every thing was dispatch'd before , that i nothing in the world now , save home-desiring longings , have then to do but just to die . nor doth it trouble me that death will take me from those delights that are enjoy'd below . alas , i know that none of them can make me one jote the happier man , nor can bestow any comfort . carnall gladnesse , mirth , delight and jollity , this worlds best felicitie , all is vanity and madnesse ; mere empty husks . had i as many treasures in my possession as the muddiest wretch did ever covet , and as many pleasures as from the creature fleshly men can fetch ; had i this : or if i were supreme monarch , onely lord of what earth and sea afford : yet i would not settle here . to be dissolv'd is better : death doth bring a fairer fortune then it takes away . it sets us in a world where every thing is a happinesse , a full and solid joy , not to be conceiv'd before we come thither : but the blisse which exceedeth all is this , that there we shall sinne no more . lord , grant a copious portion of thy spirit . the more i have of that the lesse i fear what death can do ; for sure i shall inherit all joy in heaven if i am holy here : nought suits with heaven but sanctitie . let , my god , thy spirit and grace fit me for that holy place and that holy companie . meditation . if death will come , what do men mean to sinne with so much greedinesse ? me thinks i see what a sad case the godlesse world is in , how fast asleep in her securitie . fearlessely in sinne men live , as if death would never come , or there were no day of doom when they must a reck'ning give . observe a little yonder black-mouth'd swearer , how 's tongue with oathes and curses pelts the skies : 't would grieve the heart of any pious hearer but to bear witnesse of his blasphemies . he darts wounds at god on high , puts on cursing as his clothes , and doth wrap his tongue in oathes to abuse eternity . in lawlesse lust the fornicatour fries , and longs to slake it 'twixt forbidden sheets : ne'r sets the sunne but his adulterous eyes observes the twilight , and his harlot meets . that which follows , when the night draws its curtain o'r the air to conceal this goatish pair , modesty forbids to write . and i could shew you ( were it worth the viewing ) in that room three or foure drunkards reeling : in this , as many more that sweat with spewing ; some that have drunk away their sense and feeling ; men of all sorts in their wine and their ale sit domineering , cursing , railing , roring , swearing , under every baser signe . 't is said ( so vile is this big-belly'd sinne ) that in a day and lesse some foure or five of lustie drunken throats will swallow in more then hath kept two families alive a whole forthnight ( yet made they merrie with 't . ) had i my wishes , such gulls should not drink like fishes ; but their throats should chāge their trade the covetous man with his usurious clutches doth catch and hold fast all the wealth he may : he leans on 't as a creeple on his crutches . the miser studies nothing night and day but his gain : he 's like a swine looking downward , like a mole blind , and of an earthen soul , minding nothing that 's divine . these , and beside these other sorts of sinners , in every parish you may dayly see as greedy at their sinnes as at their dinners , and wallowing in all impiety . sure these miscreants do never entertein a thought of dying ; nor yet are afraid of frying in hell flames for altogether . thou god of spirits , be pleas'd to aw my heart with death and judgement : that , when i would sinne , i may remember that i must depart , and whatsoe're condition i am in when i sink under deaths hand , ( there 's no penance in the grave , nor then can i mercy have ) so must i in judgement stand . meditation . lord , what a thief is death ! it tobs us quite of all the world ; great men , of all their honours ; luxurious men , of all their fond delight ; rich men , of all their money , farms and mannours . naked did the world find us , and the world will leave us so : we shall carrie when we go nothing , but leave all behind us . let death do 's worst , ambitious men do climb by any sinne though it be ne're so foul : gold-thirsty misers swallow any crime that brings gain with it , though it kill the soul . here for gain is over-reaching , cosening , cheating , lying , stealing , knavish and sinister dealing ; all arts of the devils teaching . whilst i am well advis'd i 'll never strive t' increase my wealth , if 't will increase my sinne : i will be rather poore then seek to thrive by means unlawfull : all 's not worth a pinne . when mine eye-lids death doth close , what i sinned for must be shak'd hands with eternally , but the sinne that with me goes . i 'll not wast love upon these lower things , nor on the choicest of them doting sit : for when sad death a habeas corpus brings , to take the world from me and me from it , 'gainst which i have no protection ; to spend love in what i may no where but on earth enjoy , were to loose all my affection . the longest lease of temporalls god doth make is but for life . i 'll patiently behave my self , though from me god be pleas'd to take in middle age that which his bounty gave : neither discontent nor passion shall make me repine or grumble ; 't is a way to make me humble , and takes from me a temptation . thou mad'st my heart , lord : keep it for thy self , lest love of dust eternally undo me : vouchsafe that this vain worthlesse empty pelf may never win me , though it daily woo me . if 't were lovely , yet 't is gone when i dy . lord , make me see that there is enough in thee to place all my love upon . meditation . i am a stranger and a pilgrime here : the world 's mine inne , 't is not my dwelling-place ; ( in this condition all my fathers were ) the life i live below is but a race . here i sojourn some few yeares : this world is a countrey strange ; death my pilgrimage will change for a home above the spheares . in elder time the goddesse quiet had her temple ; but 't was plac'd without the gates of ethnick rome ; to shew that good and bad have here their vexing and disturbing fates , and do bear their crosse about whilst within the walls they stay of this world , and shall enjoy no rest till death let them out . here i am look'd upon with divers eyes , sometimes of envy , sometimes of disdain : here i endure a thousand miseries : some vex my person , some my credit stain ; my estate 's impair'd by some : but yet this doth comfort me , that hereafter i shall be better us'd when i come home . in all estates my patience shall sustein me : i am resolved never to repine though ne'r so coursely this world entertein me : such is a strangers lot ; such must be mine . were i of the world , to dwell here as in my proper home , without thoughts of life to come , then the world would use me well . i am not of their minds in whom appears no care for any world but this below : who lay up goods in store for many years , as if they were at home ; but will bestow neither care nor industry upon heaven , as if there they were strangers but had here a lease of eternitie . the banish'd naso weeps in sable strain the woes of banishment : nor could i tell , if death and it were offer'd , of the twain which to make choice of . o! to take farewell of our native soil , to part with our friends and children dear , and a wife that is so near , must needs kill the stoutest heart . what is 't then to be absent from that house , eternall in the heav'ns , not made with hands ! from angels , saints , god , christ himself , whose spouse our soul is ! from a haven where nothing iands that defileth ; where 's no danger , no fear , no pain , no distresse : all 's eternall happinesse ! what is 't to be here a stranger ! i have been oft abroad , yet ne'r could find half that contentment which i found at home ; methought that nothing suited with my mind into what place soever i did come : though i nothing needed there , neither clothes , nor drink , nor meat , nor fit recreations , yet methought home exceeded farre . thither did my affections alwayes bend ; and i have wish'd , before i came half-way , a thousand times , my journey at an end , and have been angry with a minutes stay : sunne-set i did ever fear ; and a hill or dirty mile , that delay'd me but a while , seem'd to set me back a yeare . i built not tabernacles in mine inne , nor ever cry'd out , 't is good being here . no company would i be ever in that drown'd but half an hour in wine or bier . i have wish'd my horse would runne with a farre more winged speed then those skittish jades that did draw the chariot of the sunne . from carnall self-love , lord , my heart unfetter , and then shall i desire my heavenly home more then this here , because that home is better , and pray with fervency , thy kingdome come . lord , had thy poore servant done what thou hast set him about , i would never be without holy longings to be gone . meditation . there was a state , as i have heard it spoken , ( the tale doth almost all belief surpasse ) that had a custome never to be broken , ( but a bad custome i am sure it was ) mongst themselves their king to choose : the elected man must be king as long 's they would , and he when they pleas'd his crown must loose . this state elected and deposed when and whom they would : but the deposed prince they suffered not to live mongst other men , but drove him to a countrey farre from thence into wofull banishment , where he chang'd his royalty for want and all misery ; scarce a kingly punishment . one king there was that whilst his crown was on , knowing his subjects fickle disposition , beat his crown-worthy head to think upon some course of providence , to make provision at the place of 's banishment : full-stuff'd bags of money , and what things else might purchase land , he into that kingdome sent . it came to passe after some certain years , his yoke seem'd heavy , and his people frown'd : king-sick they were ; their purpose soon appears : a new king 's chosen and the old 's uncrow'nd . and for exile , this foul beast , giddy , variable , rude , the unconstant multitude , dealt with him as with the rest . but that his wiser providence was such , when 's banish'd predecessours lived poore , what he had sent before was full as much as did exclude want or desire of more . there he lacks not any thing ; he doth purchase towns and fields , and what else the countrey yields : in estate he 's still a king . so shall we fare hereafter in the next as we provide in this life . sure i see a providence in all : who is not vex'd , and plung'd , and lean with too much industry ? men of all sorts runne and ride , sweat and toil , and cark and care , get and keep , and pinch and spare ; and all 's done for to provide . for to provide ? what ? goods , and lands , and money , honours , preferments , pleasures , wealth and friends : ( as bees in summer-time provide their hony ) to sublunaries their provision tends , and no farther ; 't is for dust that they labour and thick clay , for these goods that will away , and for treasures that will rust . for to provide ? for what ? their present life , that 's naturall ; their bodies have their care : their spirituall state 's neglected : there 's no strife for grace and goodnesse . souls immortall are , living everlastingly in eternall wo or blisse , as here our provision is , yet are not a jote set by . men do provide amisse : full well i know it , i shall be banish'd from this sinne-smote place : all here is fading , and i must forgo it . what shall i lay up for hereafter ? grace , an unspotted conscience , faith in christ , sobriety , holinesse , and honesty : these will help when i go hence . strengthen those graces , lord , which thou hast given , and i shall quickly change both care and love ; my care for earth into a care for heaven , take off my heart from hence , and fix 't above , and will lay up all provision for that life which is to come whilst a stranger , that at home i may find a blest condition . part ii. of deaths impartiality : from whose stroke neither riches , can protect us . honours , pleasures , friends , youth , nor any thing sect. i. riches cannot protect us from the stroke of death . of richest men in holy writ i read , whose basket & whose store the lord had blest , and in the land exceedingly increas'd their wealthy substance ; yet they all are dead . riches do not immortalize our nature : the richest dyes as well 's the poorest creature . 'bove all , the wealth of solomon did passe ; ne'r was man master of a greater store : he went beyond all kings that went before . silver as stones , and purest gold as brasse , adorn'd jerusalem : a glorious thing ! yet death strikes into dust this wealthy king . meditation . if 'gainst death's stroke my riches cannot arm me , nor comfort me a jote when i am dying : i 'll take a care these witches do not harm me whilst i do live . i know they will be trying to do me any mischief ; as before and now they mischief all the whole world o're . some riches hurt with that old sinne of pride : rich men extremely swell ; most commonly this sinne and wealth both in one house abide : poore men are loo'kd on with a scornfull eye . strangely is his heart puft up with pride 's bellows that hath a fatter fortune then his fellows . his words are big , looks lofty , mind is high ; he with his purse will needs drive all before him : he ever looks for the precedency ; and vext he is if men do not adore him : he bears the sway : another man must be , if not so rich , not half so good as he . some men wealth doth infect with churlishnesse : they answer roughly : they are crabbed misers . ( course bread yields hardest crust ) this is a dresse wherewith wealth decks our accidentall risers . since nabals death a thousand rich men be in every point as very hogs as he . some wealth makes prodigalls : there 's no excesse but they runne into . back and belly strive which shall spend most : belly , with drunkennesse and gormandizing : back , for to contrive new stuffs and fashions . this excessive crue have wayes to spend that dives never knew . observe these caterpillers : one man puts into his throat a cellar full of drink : another makes a shambles of his guts . the back is not behind ; you would not think , how for themselves , and for their curious dames , one suit of clothes a good fat manour lames . some wealth makes idle : like so many drones they suck what others sweat for , and do hate all good imployments . many wealthy ones have neither callings in the church nor state ; and during life do nothing day by day but sit to eat and drink , and rise to play . these mischiefs are in wealth and many more : it throws men into many a foolish lust . but if gods bounty multiply my store , i 'll drain these vices from 't : for when i must grone on my death-bed , these sinnes will displease me and fright my soul , but riches cannot ease me . lord , either keep me poore , or make me rich in grace as well as goods : my wealth undresse ( if i have any ) of those vices which are wont to clothe it ; so shall i possesse riches without those sinnes that riches bring , ' that when death comes they sharpen not his sting . meditation . though god doth blesse me all my time along with best of blessings , make my courses thrive , fill full my garners , make my oxen strong to labour ; and although his bountie give as much to me as to a thousand more ; though i am rich and all my neighbours poore ; though fortune fanne me with a courteous wing ; though gold be at my beck ; though i have sail'd with prosp'rous gales ; though not an adverse thing did e're betide me , though i never fail'd of good successe in any undertaking : yet am i still one of the common making ; a piece of dust and clay : and i may go into my grave as soon 's a poorer man . our mold 's alike ; god at first made us so : he makes the rich mans life but like a span ; and so the beggers is ; just both alike : and both fall when impartiall death doth strike . when they are fallen both alike they lie ; both breathlesse , noisome , livelesse , senselesse , cold : both like the grasse are withered , dead and drie ; and both of them are ghastly to behold . the ods is this , the poore man mongst the croud of buried mortalls hath the coursest shroud . why sinne the foolish sonnes of men for gain ? why doth the land-lord rack ? the us'rer bite ? why doth the judge with bribes his conscience stain ? why doth the bauling lawyer take delight in spinning causes to a needlesse length , untill his clients purse hath lost its strength ? why are gods ministers become men-pleasers ? and why are patrones simoniacall ? why are our advocates such nippy teasers of honest causes ? why the devil and all do misers scrape ? and why do tradesmen rear their price , yet sell time dearer then their ware ? sure these bad courses cannot choose but hurt us ; they make deaths looks more ghastly , and his sting more piercing : but our wealth cannot support us 'gainst smallest pains and fears that death will bring . riches do promise much but do deceive us : when we have need of succour then they leave us . anoint me , lord , with eye-salve , to discern what poore contents the world affords at best . instruct me , lord , and i shall quickly learn that without thee there 's no condition blest . bad wayes of gaining into hell will drive me : but all my wealth will not from death reprive me . meditation . some therefore sinne because they do abound in store of wealth : this is the onely ground of many sinnes . gods laws they do transgresse ; they wrong their equals , and the poore oppresse ; they tread religion and civilitie both under foot ; all kind of tyrannie they exercise on all within their reach . nothing can keep them in ; they make a breach through all those fenses which at the beginning god set to keep rebellious man from sinning : they will be revellers , whoremongers , swearers , drunkards , oppressours , liers , and forbearers of no impiety : this is the reason , great men they are , and rich . 't is petty treason , though in a modest way , for to reprove those sinfull courses which our betters love . if we dare do it , though we have a calling to do it boldly , we are tax'd for bawling and saucie fellows ; and another day sure we shall smart for 't . lord , i 'll never say , i 'll sinne because i 'm rich ; unlesse that i could say , i 'm rich , and therefore will not die . meditation . if from deaths stroke my riches cannot shield me , nor on my death-bed any comfort give ; then i will take a care that they shall yield me some joy and comfort whilst i am alive , and never shall a jote my sinnes increase , nor hinder me from going hence in peace . i 'll get them well : my calling shall be lawfull ; my brows or brains shall sweat for what i have : and i will use my calling with an awfull regard of god and conscience ; nor will crave what i have not a right to . they do eat scarce their own bread whose faces never sweat unlesse they sweat with eating . nor can i find any warrant for those wayes of gain which many men do get their livings by : to keep a needlesse alehouse to maintein an idle familie : to be a pander , a fortune-teller , or an apes commander : a purblind crowder , or a rogue that canteth ; a cuckold by consent for ready pay : a sturdy begger that not one limb wanteth : or one that borrows money on the way : a us'rer , who whether 't shine or rain , if the sunne stand not still , is sure of gain . for these i find no warrant : nor for dealing deceitfully in selling or in buying . to take more then what 's sold is worth , is stealing ; or to give lesse : the art of multiplying our lands , or gold , or silver , by subtracting from other mens , or by unjust exacting what is not ours . better ( in my opinion ) it were to feed on barley-bread and pottage made of salt , water , and an onion : to wear a thred-bare coat , and in a cottage smoke-bound and rusty pennylesse to dwell , then to get wealth unlesse i get it well . and when 't is justly gotten , every thought that i 'll bestow upon it shall be such as it deserves : if heav'ns full hand hath brought plenty into my bosome , if as much i have as i could wish , my care shall be to think of 't all as of a vanity . a vanity that , for ought i do know , may take its flight and in an houre leave me . as god had many wayes for to bestow his bounty on me , he hath to bereave me as many more : as moveables i 'll deem it from me , or with me ; and i will esteem it a strong temptation unto many a sinne , that never will perform what it doth promise : that wealths fair books when we are deepest in the greater reck'ning god exacteth from us . i 'll not afford my wealth a better thought : and i do think i think on 't as i ought . and as i ought i 'll use 't : not to be fewel for any lust , nor to maintein my riot ; not to be prodigall , vainglorious , cruel ; nor yet to make my potent purse disquiet my poorer brother : but from thence i 'll raise my neighbours profit and my makers praise . where there is need , i 'll ready be to give , glad to distribute : naked ones i 'll cover : hungry , and thirsty souls i will relieve : widows distress'd in me shall find another husband : to orphanes i will be in stead of parents to provide their daily bread . i 'll never empty send the poore away : the church shall ever find my purse unty'd : the king shall have his due without delay : the common-wealth shall never be deny'd . thus shall my wealth be common unto many , if ever god be pleas'd to send me any . riches so justly gotten , and imploy'd so piously , although they cannot make a man immortall , that he should avoid the grave and rottennesse ; yet do not shake the soul with terrours and such desperate fears , as what 's ill gotten doth , when death appears , make me a faithfull steward , holy father , of what thou hast intrusted me withall . where i straw'd not grant i may never gather ; nor sinne in spending : then send death to call me to account , lord , when thou wilt , and i shall entertein the message joyfully . sect. . honours cannot protect us from the stroke of death . of honours all that can be said doth meet in kings and princes ; glory , majesty , command , and titles : yet their sacred feet trudge to the grave-ward . power , royaltie , a kingdome , crown , and sceptre cannot be protections against mortalitie . princes are gods on earth ; yet sure they must , as well as meaner men , be sick and die : their royall bodies shall be chang'd to dust : no crown below is worn eternally . of all those kings which in gods book we reade one died , and another reign'd in 's stead . if good and loyall subjects had their wish , a gracious prince should never see the grave ; nor should his royall corps be made a dish for worms : but pious wishes will not save a king from dust . as other mens , his breath is in his nostrils : crowns must bow to death . sure , were it not a kind of petty treason to wish his majesty so long without a crown of glory , i should think it reason to pray his lamp of life might ne'r go out . though not in 's self , yet , lord , grant he may be immortall in a blessed progenie . meditation . mongst us an humble great one is a wonder rarer by ods then is a winters thunder . great men and good each other seldome kisse : pride to preferment 's married . o! there is not a thought within their brain of a grave , nor yet of seeing death ; nor do they dream of being changed into dust again . consider , sir , though you have been a taster of princes favours , mounted all degrees of honour ; have been called , lord , and master ; though your approch hath bow'd as many knees as once mighty hamans : yet is it not eternity that you hold your greatnesse by . death and you must one day meet . as i remember , i have read a story , that one in embassy sent from the king of persia to rome , was shew'd the glory of that proud citie : every famous thing that was by the romanes thought to expresse the great and mighty prowesse of their glorious city , thither was the persian brought . there he beheld such glorious structures , rais'd to dare the skies , that outwent all examples ; where art and cost workman and founder prais'd : baths , theatres , tombs , monuments , and temples , statues that would wonder-strike any mortall man that should once behold them ; neither could all the world shew the like . after this view romes mighty emperour , longing for praises , in the persian tongue demanded of this strange embassadour what he now thought of rome . i should do wrong to your sacred majesty , thus th' ambassadour reply'd , and this glorious place beside , if i should not magnifie both you and it . but one thing i dislike in rome it self : i see that death doth reigne as well here as in persia , and doth strike the greatest down , and when he please doth chain people , senatours and kings in cold fetters made of dust : even noble romanes must feel what putrefaction brings . your emperours themselves have had their turns in fun'rall piles . these tombs can testify the caesars mortall . in these sacred urns what lies but royall dust ? mortality happens here : and i know no man but hath power to hold his breath as long , and is free from death as much as the noblest romane . look we a little on this land of ours : here 's plenty , peace and every other blessing . into her bosome god in plenteous showres rains kindnesses that are beyond expressing . sure we of this kingdome may justly our creatour praise for a share in happier dayes then rome did at best enjoy . ours is a land of barly and of wheat : our stones are iron , and our hills yield brafse . a land wherein th' inhabitants do eat bread without scarcenesse ; here our blessings passe all enumeration : what god severally bestows upon others joyntly flows from his bounty to this nation . yet here men die too : not the russet clowns , and peasants onely that do hold the plow , and shepherds that sit piping on the downs , and milk-maids that do court'sie to a cow ; but those noble men that have titles , lordships , farms and mannours , and a great book full of honours : these go down into the grave . see you not yonder super-stately palace ? three generations since that house was builded . a great man did it for his lordships solace in summer-time ; but dying up he yielded to his heir this stately pile : this heir left it to his brother ; he dy'd too : and then another swagger'd there a little while . and he that had it last is now remov'd a story lower down into the dust . those swelling titles which were so belov'd ; that great estate in which the man did trust ; troups of gallants that did give their attendance ; all that treasure waiting on his lordships pleasure could not keep the man alive . mark yonder marble-tomb : beneath it hath this man a lodging . all those lines you see on this side are a praising epitaph , and on the other side his titles be . of this fabrick if we might one piece from another sunder , and behold what lyeth under , 't would be scarce so fair a sight . great ones , remember that there is a place which poore men call a death-bed , and a time of parting hence ; you walk a nimble pace to earth-ward every houre . here though you climb up to honour's highest round , drink a cup full to the brim of the world , in pleasures swim , death will lay you under ground . meditation . vvhose heart so adamantine but would weep sad crimson drops to think upon some risers ▪ lord , what a wicked shuffling they do keep to lift themselves ! some have been sacrificers of their fathers , brothers , friends , kinsfolk , children , and have stood wetshod every step in bloud , to attein their lofty ends . of martyrs what a lamentable heap did herod make for fear to loose his crown ! a mother would have sold a cradle cheap to buy a coffin or a mourning gown . this fell tyrants rage appears running down each parents face : his wrath left in every place childlesse mothers drown'd in tears . and absolom , that miracle of beauty , so eagerly did long to be a king , that he could soon unlearn his filiall duty , and by a strange rebellion fain would bring the thrice-venerable head of his aged father down to the grave without a crown , and he triumph in his stead . abimelech , so strong was his ambition , a bloudie bargain made with certain men of belial , and to hinder competition did sacrifice at once threescore and ten of his brothers on a stone : with so foul and deep a guilt so much harmlesse bloud is spilt , that himself may reigne alone . of that inhumane hell bred tragedie by athaliah on the royall seed , the motive was desire of majestie , and that her own arms might the better speed . our third richard goes for one of those butchers who think good to cement their crowns with bloud , and by murders reach a throne . the great turks absolute prerogative , which in securitie his crown mainteins , is not to suffer one of them to live that hath a drop of royall bloud in 's veins : when he 's crown'd there 's nothing lacking that may to the safetie tend of this monarch , but to send the ghosts of his kinsmen packing . if i at leisure were to write a storie of such black deeds as these at large , i could tell you of numbers who to purchase glorie , honours and high rooms in the world , have sold ( and this policie they call ) a good conscience , dearer farre then a thousand kingdomes are , and to boot their god and all . and yet when all is done , there dwells a god above , a god that 's greater then the greatest are , who can and will send death for to remove the greatest hence , and bring them to the barre : where must stand both small and great , to have sentence e'r they go of eternall blisse or wo at gods dreadfull judgement-seat . when you are seated highest let your carriage be full of pietie : you do an act worthy your greatnesse if you make a marriage 'twixt it and goodnesse , if you do contract honours unto holynesse . ever give the lord his due honour who hath honoured you : then will death affright the lesse . affright the lesse ? 't will not affright at all . the errand 's welcome when a charge is giv'n to that grim pursuivant that he must call your honours hence unto a court in heav'n . to be great is not the thing that can dying-comforts yield : goodnesse onely is the field whence all soul-refreshings spring . meditation . jf ever it should please god and the king ( which i do not desire ) to give me honours ; yet never should my best preferments bring vices to boot : they should not change my manners . many a man hath been good unpreferr'd , and not a slave to his lusts ; yet honours have put him in another mood . of saul we heare no evil whilst he stood endow'd with nothing but a private fortune : and afterward we heare as little good of saul a king : his honours did importune his bad nature to produce such fruits as were too unfit for a king , and to commit sinnes that were beyond excuse . as long as man is limited within the bounds of humble , base and mean estate , he seems to make some conscience of a sinne , and one that would be good at any rate : but no wickednesse he spares when ( by chance ) the man is mounted and mongst great ones is accounted ; then the man himself declares . then his depraved nature with loose rains runnes uncontrolledly into the mire of all impietie ; no sinne remains unacted by him : doth he but desire to be wicked , vain or idle , any lust to satisfie , that lust he will gratifie : his affections wear no bridle . i 'll never be deboist although my seat of glory in the world be ne'r so high : i will not therefore sinne because i 'm great ; for if i greater were , yet i must die , and must at gods bench appear , where my sentence shall be given to receive a hell or heaven , as my doings have been here . sect. . pleasures cannot protect us from the stroke of death . under the sunne there was not any joy which solomon that wise and famous king had not a tast of : whatsoever may gladnesse , content , delight and solace bring , that he from the creature gathers ; not one pleasure doth he keep his heart from : yet he 's asleep in the dust among his fathers . his senses had those objects which delight , content , and please and ravish most his touch ; his tast , his hearing , smelling , and his sight , his mind and humour too , all had as much of delicious satisfaction as from all beneath the skie ever could be fetched by any possible extraction . three hundred concubines he had to please his touch : by turns each of them was his guest at night . seven hundred wives beside all these ; the worst of them a princesse at the least . such a female armie meets , to make his delight run o'r . sure they are enough to store twice five hundred pair of sheets . to please his tast this great kings daily chear exceeded for varietie and plentie : he had his roe-buck and his fallow-deer , his fatted fowl , and everie other daintie . he had palate-pleasing wine : gormandizers , whose best wishes terminate in toothsome dishes , no where else would sup or dine . and everie day both men and women-singers imprisoned his eare with charming voices : the viol touch'd with artificiall fingers , an organs breathing most melodious noises : sackbut , psalterie , recorder , the shrill cornet , and the sharp trumpet , dulcimer and harp ; these all sounded in their order . and in his gardens he had lovely ranks of flowres for odour all sweets else excelling , whose beauteous lustre stellifi'd the banks ; all these were to delight his sense of smelling , and perfumes of sweetest savour , which all other nations bring as a present from their king who did woo his princely favour . for objects which were wont to please the eye , he wanted none . did he desire a sight of what might most affect ? variety of lovely'st objects spangled with delight everiewhere themselves present : scarce did anywhere appear other objects then did wear outsides clothed with content . behold his thousand wives ! if he would know the height of beautie , it is seen in those . a battel in a field of sanguine snow betwixt the spotlesse lilie and the rose : part they would on no condition , nor would either of them yield ; yet at length are reconcil'd , and there made a composition . his gorgeous clothes , his silver and his gold , his jewels , his incomparable treasure were all of them delightsome to behold , and gave the eye a glorious glut of pleasure . his friends , his magnificent buildings , fish-ponds , gardens , bowers interlac'd with gallant flowers gave both eye and mind content . yet he 's dead . delights cannot protect us from deaths assaults ; pleasures eternize not our nature : yea , when sicknesse shall deject us they will not ease nor comfort us a jote . what doth most exactly please us here appears not where a grave is ; and what most of all doth ravish on a death-bed will not ease us . meditation . methinks the trade of brainlesse epicures is not so good as it doth seem to be . the sweetest cup of luxury procures no man below an immortalitie . yea , when sicknesses do lay him upon his bed , and strain everie part with deadly pain , all his pleasures flie away . let 's put the case there was a belly-god , whose studie 't was to give his throat content ; to sacrifice to 's panch both rost and sod was his religion . every element its imployment had : the waters , fruitfull earth and nimble air , ransack'd with a costly care , for fish , flesh and fowl , were caters : the other cook'd it . this luxurious race did breath his stomach twice a day at least ; and each dish floted in provoking sawce , which still afresh his appetite increas'd . from dives that 's now in hell , for a table full of rare , toothsome and delicious fare , this man bears away the bell . well ; this fat hog of epicurus stie falls sick of surfeting , or else the gout or dropsie gripes him most tormentingly , that you would think his soul were going out . pains do hinder him from sleeping , he lies restlesse , and is so full of tossings to and fro that his house is fill'd with weeping . his servants , seeing him so out of quiet , sadly bespoke him thus , sir , here 's a phesant , a dish of partridge , larks , or quails , ( a diet your worship loves ) a cup of rich and pleasant wine that comforts where it goes , muscadine , canarie , sherrie , that hath often made you merrie : this may ease you of your throes . the man repli'd , if i had wine by ods better then nectar , which the poets feigne was drunk in goblets by the heathen gods , it would not ease me of my smallest pain . should god rain me from the skies manna , glorious angels food , 't would not do me any good : 'gainst it would my stomachrise there was another that plac'd no delight in any thing but wealth ; his chiefest good was purest gold : whether 't were wrong or right he would be gaining : for he never stood upon conscience at all . and to cry down avarice , as he thought , was a device merely puritanicall . to lie , to cheat , to swear , and , which is worse , to forswear , to dissemble in his dealing , went ever down with him as things of course : nor would he slack a jote at down-right stealing . blind he was not ; yet he saw not that statute-usury was at all forbidden by any part of morall law . 't was fish whatever came within his net : sweet smell'd the dunghill that affoorded gain . on such a thriving pinne his heart was set , no thoughts but golden lodged in his brain . scraping thus early and late , and increasing by these bad wayes and means , at length he had heaped up a vast estate . they say a turkish musulman , that dies a faithfull servant unto mahomet , shall presently enjoy a paradise of brave delights indeed : the place is set all about with glorious matters ; there are rivers , pleasant benches straw'd with flowres , & gallant wenches that have eyes as broad as platters , and many other joyes as good as these . but all are bables to that strong content wherewith the man we told you of doth please himself in his estate : more merriment in the images of kings doth he find then six or seven martyr'd turks do in their heaven . hearken how the miser sings ; i 'll eat , drink , and play , and i 'll freely enjoy my pleasures before i am old ; i 'll be sorie no more , for my soul hath in store abundance of silver and gold . in this day and night will i place my delight ; it shall fatten my heart with laughter . no man shall excell me ; for who is 't can tell me what pleasures there will be hereafter ? his irreligious song was hardly ended , when at his gate was heard one softly knocking : it was that tyrant death , who came attended with troups of griping throes ; all these came flocking round about this golden fool . as the issue did assure us , god had sent these ghastly furies for to take away his soul . alas , sir , said his servants what may be the cause you send us out such wofull grones ? how fell you into such an agonie ? what ails your throat , your head , your heart , your bones or your stomach , or your brains , that you howl so ? here before you is that which must needs restore you , and ease your extremest pains . here 's gold and silver and as stately stuff as england , scotland , france , or ireland yields : of jewels and of plate you have enough : of any man you have the fruitfull'st fields . fattest oxen throng your stall ; tenants tumble in your rent : those to whom you mony lent bring both use and principall . this cannot chuse but comfort . but the man , that lay upon his easelesse death-bed sprawling , made this replie , if any of you can by marks infallible make sure my calling to my soul , and my election ; if from any text divine you could prove that christ is mine , this would be a good refection . or if you could assure my parting ghost of seeing god to all eternitie , of being one amongst that heavenly host whose blisse it is to praise him endlessely ; this were comfort that accordeth with his case that is distrest as now i am , but the rest on a death-bed none affoordeth . there was another man whose occupation was to passe time away : he made a trade of that which men do call a recreation : he was indeed a very merry blade . taverns , bowling-alleys , playes , dauncing , fishing , fowling , racing , hawking , hunting , coursing , tracing , took up all his healthfull dayes . but on a time a sudden sicknesse came , and seised him in each extremer part , ( this grudging did begin to spoil his game ) but at the length it fast'ned on his heart ; there it plung'd him wofully , and forthwith the man is led home and laid upon his bed : think him now at point to die . a little after came into the room a gallant troup of necessarie stuff , his coachman , falconer , huntsman , page , and groom , his mistresse with her hands both in a muff , sorie all to see him so . but see how these fools invent to give a sick man content , and to ease him ere they go . one breaks a jest , another tells a tale ; one strikes the lute , another sings a dittie ; ( but neither of them pray to god at all ) another tells what news is in the citie : everie man is in his vein , and all jointly do contrive pleasant passages to drive out of doore their masters pain . they ask'd him if he pleas'd to take the air , or call for 's coach and ride to see a play . and whether he would hunt the buck or hare , or to a tavern go to drive away or to drown times tediousnesse , or else to a tennis-court whither gallants do resort , or else play a game at chesse . the man reply'd , ye know i must be gone the way of all , i cannot tell how soon ; and i have other things to think upon : already it is with me afternoon ; erelong my declining sunne needs must set . oh! my life hangs on a thred : these mortall pangs crack it . out my glasse is runne . time was i doted on these idle toyes : now can they not a dram of comfort yield . too late i see they are not death-bed joyes , no refuge from soul-vexing storms , no shield when a mortall blow is given . prate no more : let not a man open 's mouth unlesse he can tell me how to get to heaven . there was another that for nothing car'd ( it was a woman ) but for vain excesse in bravery of clothes ; no cost was spar'd , nor art , nor care , that served to expresse to the full a female pride : but at length it came to passe that this spruce and gallant lasse fell extremely sick and di'd . but i must tell you , that , whilst like a lion pains tore her bones in pieces , ere she sent her last breath out , ( imagine her of sion a matchlesse daughter ) to her chamber went , weeping ripe , her good handmaiden , purposing as much as may be to chear up her dying ladie : for with comforts was she laden . thus she began , and spake it with a grace , be comforted , good madame , never let a little sicknesse spoil so good a face ; your ladyship cannot so soon forget your contents . if ever any gentlewoman liv'd that might find materialls of delight , you ; good madame , have as many . here for your feeet are tinkling ornaments ; here are your bonnets , and your net-work-cauls , fine linen tōo that every eye contents , your head-bands , tablets , eare-rings , chains , and falls , your nose-jewels , and your rings , your hoods , crisping-pinnes , & wimples , glasses that bewray your pimples , vails , and other pretty things : here are your dainty mantles , and your sutes of changeable apparel , and your tires round like the moon , your bracelets , ( finger-fruits ) of busie houres ) mufflers , and golden wires ; and so many more that no man can repeat nor yet remember from october to september : this would comfort any woman . suppose her , if you will , an english lady ; and think you heare her waiting-gentlewoman bespeak her thus , madame , here is a gawdy and glorious shew , ( these fashions are not common . ) here 's your beaver and your feather , here are silver-ribband knots , trunks full of rich riding-coats , gallant shelters 'gainst the weather . here are your holland and your cambrick-smocks , your gowns of velvet , satten , taffatie , irons to curvifie your flaxen locks , and spangled roses that outshine the skie : for your head here 's precious geere , bonelace-cros-cloths , squares & shadows , dressings , which your worship made us work upon above a yeare . rich chains of pearl to tie your hair together , and others to adorn your snowie breast ; silk stockings , starre-like shoes of spanish leather : and that which farre excelleth all the rest and begets most admiration , of your clothes is not their matter , though the world affords not better , but it is their frenchest fashion . madame , believe 't , the fairest of the graces subscribes to you . whenever you appear adorned with your gold and silver-laces , your presence makes the greedi'st eye good chear . this consideration in time past was wont to please you : now then , madame , let it ease you and afford you consolation . the dying woman , when this speech was done , after a grone or two made this replie , doth such a curtain-lecture suit with one that everie houre doth look when she should die ? 't is not congruous . wer'st thou able my poore naked soul to dresse with a saviours righteousnesse , this indeed were comfortable : but all the rest is not . oh! how i grieve to think upon my former vanitie : alas , i feel these toyes cannot relieve , nor ease , nor comfort . thus let luxurie pitch on what it will , its joyes are but painted , nor can bring us ease when pangs of death do wring us , much lesse can they make our dayes eternall here . thy servant , lord , beseecheth the presence of thy spirit that discovers how vain that carnall joy is which bewitcheth with pleasant poison all her sottish lovers . let-not earth-delights forestall me : help thy servant to provide pleasures that will then abide when thou sendest death to call me . meditation . farewell those pleasures which the creatures breed : these carnall comforts shall be none of mine ; they slink away in time of greatest need : i 'll get me comforts that are more divine , such as god provideth for us by his spirit and in his word : they are such as will afford joy unspeakable and glorious . unsanctified palates cannot find a relish in gods service : 't is their follie that nothing in it suiteth with their mind , that they account religion melancholie . and the cause of their misprision is because they cannot see things divine ; for yet they be in their naturall condition . but sanctified souls have better eyes . each person in the sacred trinitie sends comfort down , and such as farre outvies the best delight that is below the skie . father , sonne , and holy ghost , be it spoke with reverence , seem to strive which shall dispense blessings that do comfort most . the father , as his title often writes himself a god of peace and consolation , he sends me comforts by those sacred lights which bring me errands from his habitation : and so firm and full and free is each promise in his book , that on whichsoe'r i look blessed comforts i do see : so firm , that first the hugest hills and mountains shall dance out of their places , starres shall fall , streams shall run backward to their mother-fountains , the earth shall tumble , ere he will recall one of 's promises : for why , ( and this gives strong consolation in the middest of temptation ) he 's a god , and cannot lie . so full , that there 's not any thing left out that i could wish . what i would have him be god is . would i be compassed about with mercie ? find relief in miserie ? would i by his spirit be led ? and have all my sinnes forgiven ? and hereafter go to heaven ? all this god hath promised . so free , that to deserve that promis'd glory i nothing have but what his mercie gave me : 't is gratis rather then compensatorie whatever god doth to convert or save me . and if any good i do , 't is done by supplies divine ; so gods work and none of mine : grace begins and ends it too . what if by nature i was made a sheep , and by corruption i am gone astray , whether i think , or speak , or do , or sleep , or wake , do ever wander from the way i was set in , and am toss'd so by lust that my soul wanders into many by-meanders , like a sillie sheep that 's lost ? yet god 's my shepherd : when his mercy spi'd me wandring it brought me home ; and ever since it doth watch over , feed , defend , and guide me , and ever will do so till i go hence : and hereafter in the even , when my latest sand is runne , and my pasture here is done , it will fold my soul in heaven . the sonne doth comfort . 't was his errand down to preach glad tidings to the meek , and turn their wo to ease ; to earn a glorious crown for sinners , and to comfort those that mourn ; broken-hearted ones to bind , and to set at libertie pris'ners in captivitie , and give eye-sight to the blind . there 's comfort in his wounds : his sacred stripes do heal our leprous souls of all their sores : 't is nothing but his pretious bloud that wipes our guilt away and cancelleth our scores . six times did he shed his bloud , ( and sure out estate did need it that so many times he did it ) and each drop was for our good . those circumcision-drops of 's infancie , those drops that 's anguish in the garden vented , those drops when he was scourged jewishly , those drops when 's head with sharpest thorns was tented , those drops when his limbs were nailed to the crosse , those when the fierce souldiers spear his side did pierce ; each drop for our good prevailed . there 's comfort in his crosse : that vile old man that hangs about us to our dying day is crucified with him that it can not exercise half of its wonted sway : lessened is its kingly power . surely sinne , it struggles so , hath receiv'd a mortall blow , and is dying everie houre . there 's comfort in his death : for us he dy'd , for us he felt his fathers heavie wrath , and his impartiall justice satisfi'd , and us his alsufficient passion hath pluck'd from satan vi & armis , and his meritorious pain freed us from sinnes guilt and stain , and whatever else might harm us . there 's comfort in his resurrection too . he rose again that we might be accounted righteous and just , ( this no man else could do ) and that our sinnes , whose number farre surmounted all the starres that shine in heaven , all our hairs , and all the sand that lies scattered on the strand , for his sake might be forgiven . and god the holy ghost doth comfort bring : by speciall office it is his imployment to settle in the soul a lively spring , from whence doth issue such a sweet enjoyment of divine , heart-pleasing blisse , as the world will not believe , nor can any heart conceive but the heart wherein it is . it is this blessed spirit that doth seal assurance to my conscience of a share in what god , in and through his sonne , doth deal to needy sinners that converted are . it assures me of gods love in the free and full remission of my sinnes , and exhibition of those joyes that are above . let now the world , that 's wont to tell a storie of strange delights , shew me but such a pleasure , as to be sure of god , and christ , and glory , and then i 'll hug it as my choicest treasure . thus each person of the three is imploy'd ( if i do live holy as i ought ) to give joy and comfort unto me . grant a man once to be in christ , and he on sublunarie pleasures soon will trample ; and yet for pleasures , who shews best , will vie with all the world : give him but one example , what gets pleasure , and what feeds it ; whatsoe'r mongst earthly things to the mind most pleasure brings ; he can shew what farre exceeds it . can learning please ? he is a man of parts . me thinks sure at his very fingers end he hath exactly all the liberall arts ; at least he hath such arts as will commend any man a great deal more , and will sooner bring to heaven , then will any of those seven on which learned men do pore . his logick is so scientificall , his syllogismes are in so blest a mood , a thousand arguments his heart lets fall that rightly from good premises conclude him a child of god on high , and a member of his sonne , and an heir , when 's race is runne , of a blest eternitie . his rhetorick excells . he can perswade more then those well-penn'd sweet orations which demosthenes or tullie ever made . doth he that prayer-hearing god beseech ? presently his eare he gains . for fine words it is no matter : let him like a swallow chatter or a crane , yet he obtains . and for arithmetick ; his numeration is of his dayes : this makes the man applie his heart to wisdome , that in any station he may perform his dutie prudently . and those sinnes , to make them hatefull , which his conscience most do cumber everie day the man doth number ; and gods blessings , to be gratefull . and for addition ; 't is his diligence vertue to adde to faith ; to vertue , knowledge ; love , godlinesse , peace , kindnesse , patience , one to another : that his soul 's a colledge filled with divinest graces : and not one grace idle lies , but all do their exercise in their severall turns and places . when he subtracteth , 't is not from the poore , as most men do , not from the king nor church ; but from sinnes monstrous bodie . more and more he weakens the old man that lies at lurch in each of his faculties , and his master-sinne , the strongest lust that hath been harboured longest in his soul he mortifies . he multiplies not , as in many places men do , his riches ; but he multiplies and doth augment his saving gifts and graces , if not in habit yet in exercise . he divides his goods , he feedeth hungrie bellies , and relieveth such as are distress'd , and giveth unto everie one that needeth . when he reduceth , 't is his conversation in ev'rie point from what it was by nature : he moulds his life into another fashion , and shews himself to be a new-made creature . and for such a mans progression ; he 's not fixed in his place like a statue , but in grace grows to credit his profession . he ever worketh by the rule of three that do above in heaven bear record . the golden rule , whereby his actions be squar'd and directed , is their written word . though sometimes he work by fractions , gives god broken services , 'cause he 's flesh in part ; yet is he sincere in all his actions . and for a pious mans astronomie ; what if he cannot tell the sev'rall motions those orbs have which do roll about the skie ? starres names , site , bignesse , and such other notions ? what if he know not how soon the sunne will eclipsed be ? nor hath wit enough to see the new world that 's in the moon ? yet he doth know the milkie way that leads unto the palace of the highest king : whose presence the whole host of heaven dreads , who made the starres , the spheres , and everie thing ; steers the course that each orb runnes , binds starres influence , looseth the bands of orion , and his hands guide arcturus with his sonnes . for geometrie ; what if he cannot tell how many miles the vast earth is about ? yet doth his pious art by farre excell in finding many greater matters out : matters that exceed the strength of best wits , the full extension of christ 's love in each dimension , height , and depth , & breadth , & length . for grammar ; he can wickednesse decline . his supernaturall philosophie is wisdome to salvation . most divine his musick is : that god that dwells on high is pleas'd with no other tone . there is nothing he can heare makes such musick in his eare as a sanctified grone . for physick ; his most admirable knowledge hath found out a catholicon . ( this ranks his skill deservedly above the colledge , above french or italian mountebanks . ) there 's no sicknesse , he is sure , be it ne'r so strong or foul , that affecteth any soul , but the bloud of christ can cure . the greatest clerk is but a learned fool , if 's learning be not mixt with godlinesse , the greatest scholar's he that goes to school to learn of christ the wayes of holinesse . thus if learning be a treasure that doth please , or skill in arts , or to be a man of parts ; he that 's holy finds this pleasure . doth toothsome and delicious chear delight ? the godly have it once a week at least . our bounty-handed saviour doth invite his servants to a rich and sumptuous feast , where his own self is our server ; such a feast of fattest things as if all the guests were kings : where faith may be her own carver . do riches please ? a godly mans estate surpasseth that of croesus : he hath more then out of christ is had at any rate . god hath endow'd him with a blessed store better then a heap of gold , which nor thief , nor moth , nor rust , can steal , eat , or turn to dust : his are bags that ne'r wax old . gods rich and precious promises are his , which by a precious faith he makes his own : gods richest mercy ; there 's no wealth like this : christs precious bloud , whereof a drop alone was of higher valuation then all men and angels be , or what e'r the sunne did see ever since the first creation . doth rich apparel please ? christs righteousnesse clothes all his members to conceal their shame . ne'r was kings daughter in so pure a dresse , unlesse she were adorned with the same . 't is a robe that god doth please : angels that on god do wait , and ne'r lost their first estate , are not cloth'd like one of these . for all delights , the cheating world hath none so good by half mongst all her painted store as those the soul finds in religion : with purest joy the pious heart runnes o'r . let the world diversifie her delights a thousand wayes , yet they come short of those joyes that are found in pietie . when i must die , my joy that 's naturall forsaketh me ; that which is secular takes leave assoon as ever death doth call ; joyes that were criminall converted are into most tormenting fears : onely that which is divine on a death-bed will be mine . and what if when death appears it cannot shield me from that fatall blow ? ( i would not it should do me so much wrong : for if i were immortall here below i were not happie ) yet 't will go along with me when i do depart . carnall joyes , lord , from me banish , let divine delights replenish ev'rie corner of my heart . sect. . friends cannot protect us from the stroke of death . if i were great , rich , prosperous , secure , successefull in the world , i should be sure that more time-servers would my friendship woo , then i could reckon in a yeare or two . as greedie eagles to a carcase hasten , and with sharp tallons on their prey do fasten ; so would they flock about me . or if i could learn the art of popularity , i might be rich in friends , yet all my store would not know how to keep death out of doore . meditation . of proteus 't is fained that he could transform himself to any kind of shape : into a dove , or lamb , and when he would , into a tiger , lion , bear , or ape , or a mountain , rock , or spring , or earth , water , fire , air , into any forms tha● are stampt in any kind of thing . and aristippus could exactly flatter : he had the art of winning gainfull friends , and , that his fortune might be made the fatter , had all behaviours at his fingers ends . he could grone when 's friend was sickly , and could weep when he was sad : any humour , good or bad , did become him very quickly . did i believe that metempsychosis pythagoras did dream of , i should swear that proteus ghost to this day neither is in hell nor yet in heaven , but doth wear now a body , and the base ghost of aristippus dwells in a thousand bodies : else how could thousands have the face to personate so many humours ? act so many parts at once , and balk no sinne ? yea , perpetrate with ease the basest fact that hell e'r punished , to wind them in-to great friendships , though they misse heavens favour , all the while dreaming that a great mans smile is on earth the onely blisse ? and yet when that last enemie shall come and grind their aching bones with griping throes , to bring their bodies to their longest home , there 's not a man mongst all their friends that knows how to take away their pain . in comes ghastly death among the midst of that friendly throng , and turns them to dust again . meditation . there 's none among the sacred troup of saints yet militant below but doth desire gods favour most , and most of all laments when it is lost , and alway sets a higher estimate upon the rayes that are darted from above by the god of peace and love , then on all he here enjoyes . ne'r doth the chased hart in hottest weather , when horse and hound pursue him o'r the plains , and hunt him sweating twentie miles together , that all his bloud is boil'd within his veins , when he 's to the hardest driven , pant so much for water-brooks , as a soul deserted looks for a kind aspect from heav'n . once did elias zealous prayers climb to heav'n , and made the windows there so fast ( this came to passe in wicked ahabs time ) that one and twentie months twice told were past e'r there fell a showre of rain or a drop of morning dew : in the meadows nothing grew , nor was any kind of grain fed by the parched mold . how do ye think that thirstie , drie , and barren land did yawn and gape to heav'n-ward for a draught of drink ? just so , whene'r gods favour is withdrawn from a soul , it doth distresse her . ne'r earth thirsted more for rain , then doth she for god again to relieve her and refresh her . have you not seen a mothers wofull tears embalm the carcase of her onely sonne ? how to all comfort she stops both her eares , wrings both her hands , and makes a bitter moan ? fain in sorrow would she swim , or be drown'd , it is so deep : she hath heart enough to weep heaven full up to the brim . but this is nothing to that matchlesse anguish that breaks in pieces ev'rie pious heart , and makes the soul with darkest sadnesse languish , if from 't a sense of gods good will depart . o how strangely david 's troubled when god hid away his face ! ( though but for a little space ) see how his complaints are doubled . how long ? for ever , lord , wilt thou forget me ? how long wilt thou thy gratious visage hide ? how long be angrie ? wilt thou never let me enjoy thy face again ? shall i abide thus for evermore bereft of all comfort , joy , and peace ? shall my soul ne'r dwell at ease ? hast thou , lord , no mercy left ? o once again be pleas'd to turn , and give my soul a relish of thy wonted grace : there 's nothing can my sadded heart relieve , if thou dost hide thy comfortable face . thou in tears thy servant drown'st , thou dost fill my cheeks with furrows and my soul with ghastly sorrows , whensoever , lord , thou frown'st . the world doth value at a precious rate things here below . some highly prize their sport ; some , jewels ; some , a plentifull estate ; and some , preferments in a princes court : but for life ; we so esteem it above whatsoe'r is best , that with losse of all the rest we are ready to redeem it . but none of these gods children do regard so much as gods love by a thousand parts : feel they but this , to entertein 't is spar'd the best and highest room in all their hearts . they affect no wordly pelf in comparison of this kindnesse ; yea , to them it is better farre then life it self . have they no reason for this eager thirst after gods love and friendship ? sure they see gods favour and his kindnesse is the first and chiefest good : all other friendships be most deceitfull , trustlesse , vain . when the pangs of death do seise us mortall favours cannot ease us : god can rid us of our pain . but grant he do not , yet these pains shall send our souls to him that loves us , to enjoy a painlesse life that ne'r shall see an end . he whom god loves can on a death-bed say , i know my redeemer liveth ; for me there 's laid up a crown : when this clay-built house is down god a better mansion giveth . i 'll never woo the smile of man , whose breath is in his nostrils , by sinister wayes ; 't will not advantage at the houre of death : all my supportment on these carnall stayes at the length will but deceive me . 't is to have a friend above , 't is gods favour and his love , or else nothing , must relieve me . lord , make thy graces in my soul appear ; my heart from ev'rie lothsome blemish cleanse , that i may clearly see thine image there ; for that 's an undeceived evidence of thy favour : which when i once am certain to obtein , i 'll not faint for any pain , nor will care how soon i die . sect. . youth cannot protect us from the stroke of death . a young man may die , but an old man must ; this may die quickly , that cannot live long : often are graves fill'd full with youthfull dust . though youth be jocund , lustie , merrie , strong , yet is it subject unto death-bed-pains ; 't is mortall bloud that runnes along their veins . in all appearance old mens halting feet are mov'd to the grave-ward with the greatest speed , ( like that disciples which did outrunne peter ) but sometimes younger men step in indeed : and peradventure twentie years or more sooner then those that looked in before . graves gape for ev'rie sort : the butcher 's seen often to kill the youngest of the flock . some long to pluck those apples that are green : death crops the branches and forbears the stock . children are wrapp'd up in their winding-sheets , and aged parents mourn about the streets . jobs children di'd before himself : for after the death of ten he liv'd to get ten other . we sigh out , ah my sonne ! or , ah my daughter ! as oft as , ah my father , or my mother ! the first that ever di'd resign'd his breath nine hundred yeares before his fathers death . yea , many times , deaths gripings are so crucl , before the groning mothers child-birth-pain is past , the infant 's buri'd ; like a jewel but shewn and presently shut up again , perhaps within a minute after birth is forthwith sent to cradle in the earth . perhaps he is not born at all , yet dies , and dies a verie thriftie death : to save fun'rall expenses he in 's mother lies entombed , both lodg'd in a single grave : and with him lies in one poore narrow room his swadling-clouts , nurse , mother , cradle , tomb . meditation . some sinnes there be ( as holy writ doth teach ) that interrupt the current of our dayes : he that 's found gultie of them cannot reach that length of life which he that 's free enjoyes . sinne ( you know ) and death are twins , or death is sinnes progeny . many of us if we die in our youth may thank our sinnes . one sinne is disobedience to that pair which did beget us . if i shall despise my parents lawfull precepts , if my care be not to do what 's pleasing in their eyes , if i willingly neglect any thing which i do know is a duty that i ow , i may death betimes expect . another sinne is unprepar'd receiving that blessed supper which doth feed and heal , and in and to a soul that is believing a full release of sinnes doth freely seal : where that body and that bloud is presented on the table , which are infinitely able to do hungri'st sinners good . if i come hither an unworthie guest ; or if before my heart i do not prove ; or if i come as to a common feast ; or come without thanks , knowledge , faith , and love : if i carrie any crime thither with me unlamented , or go ere i have repented , death may take me hence betime . another is bloud-thirstinesse : when we to do a mischief are so strongly bent that we sleep not unlesse our projects be contrived to insnare the innocent : when we are so like the devil , everie way satanicall , that tongue , brains , heart , hands , and all are imploy'd in what is evil . these sinnes and others like them do procure untimely deaths . lord , purifie my heart from everie sinne ; but chiefly , lord , secure my soul from these , that i may not depart hence too soon . lord , my desire is not to live long ; but i onely pray that i may die in thy favour not thine ire . meditation . there is a sinne that seldome doth escape a rich mans heir , ( yet 't is a foul transgression ) for parents death with open mouth to gape , that their estates may come to his possession . he gapes that his friends may sleep : parentalia are rites verie welcome : he delights at a fathers grave to weep . poore hare-brain'd fool ! perhaps thou may'st go first : this night thy younger soul may be requir'd ; thy death may frustrate that ungodly thirst : whose then is that estate thou hast desir'd ? if these gallants were not blind , sure they could not choose but see that a thousand children be dead , their parents left behind . of any kind of sinne ( to speak the truth ) that satan can beget upon the soul , most commonly man 's guilti'st in his youth : our youthfull nature is beyond controll . some examples are afforded , in whose historie appears loosenesse in our yonger years : these the scriptures have recorded . the verie first that e'r suck'd mothers teat , because his works were naught , his brothers good , did boil his choler to so strong a heat that he must slake it in his brothers bloud . how much rancour did he show so much harmlesse bloud to spill , and a quarter-part to kill of all mankind at a blow ? unnaturall , accursed , gracelesse cham never did grieve , nor sigh , nor blush , but he laugh'd at and mock'd his drunken fathers shame . ( a sober fathers curse his portion be . ) prophane esau did make sale of 's birthright for 's bellie-full ; as mongst us there 's many a gull that sells heaven for pots of ale . and absalom was most deform'd within ; his head-piece had more hair then wit by ods : his beautie went no deeper then his skinne ; he fear'd not mans law nor regarded gods . in him david had a sonne beastly and ambitious too : he did wrong his bed , and do what he could to steal his throne . incestuous amnon dotes upon his sister , and in his own bloud cools his lawlesse fires . that brother should have sinn'd that had but kiss'd her , if mov'd unto it by unchast desires : but he makes a rape upon her , and so furious is his lust that it cannot hold but must rob a virgin of her honour . and i could tell you of a number more most sinfull , vitious , vile , exorbitant , whose courses are upon the scriptures score , as if their youth had sealed them a grant to be neither wise nor holy , but to runne into excesse of all kind of wickednesse , and do homage unto follie . the sage gymnosophists , who first did give the wilder indians good and wholesome laws : the magi , by whom persia learn'd to live in order : the chaldei , whose wise laws the assyrians justly rul'd and did guide in everie thing : numa , romes devoutest king , who the elder romanes school'd : that famous solon , whom th' athenians ow for all their statutes : and lycurgus , he whose wisdome taught the spartanes how to know what to omit and do : and more there be that have publish'd wholesome laws to curb all indeed ; but yet chiefly 't was to put a bit in mens wild and youthfull jaws . it is a signe that colt is wild that needs so strong a bridle . ground that doth require so much manuring sure is full of weeds . it is because she wallows in the mire that we need to wash a sow . men in youth must needs be bad , to curb whom those laws were made which we told you of but now . 't was a commanded custome that the jews should once in ev'rie two and fiftie weeks visit their temple ; no man might refuse to worship there . each fourth year the greeks their olympian sacrifice orderly performed : and th' egyptians us'd to stand lifting up devoutest eyes unto their idole ev'ry seventh yeare within th' appointed temple . and 't is said once in ten years the romanes did appear to sacrifice : then was apollo paid his great hecatomb , and then unto delphos many went with their gifts , for thither sent presents ev'rie sort of men . and of the samnites authours do relate , that th' ancient'st of them did most solemnly once in five years their lustra celebrate : but 't is delivered by antiquitie that the youth of all these nations strictly all commanded were to these places to repair oftner to make their oblations . what doth this intimate , but that the crimes of youth are great and frequent , and their vices exorbitant , that they so many times have need to purge them by such sacrifices ? by experience we do find what bad courses men do follow in their youth , and how they wallow in base lusts of ev'rie kind . and if you ask these brainlesse hot-spurres why they dedicate themselves to such lewd courses ; they yet are young , these gallants still replie , and youth must have its swing : but no remorse is wrought at all in any heart for this lewdnesse ; there remains not a thought within their brains , that the youngest may depart . lord , take possession of my heart betimes : my youth is fittest for thy service ; take it unto thy self : make white those crimson crimes that fain would soil it : let me never make it a pretense ( as many do ) to be lewd , but think that i in the height of youth may die , may die and be damned too . meditation . parents methinks betime should strive to make their children good , that heaven may receive them . if god should send an early death to take them from the earth , it cannot choose but grieve them , and fill full with bitter woe any parents heart to see that their children wicked be , and death come and find them so . those fruitfull couples whom the lord hath blest with children , should take greatest care to breed them religiously : in this more love 's express'd , then in their care to cloth them or to feed them , or what else they can bestow for their life or livelyhood , and to do their children good in the things that are below . you must instruct your children in their way : that 's double , civil and religious too : they must be taught gods precepts to obey , and to their neighbours give what is their due . if you do not strive to set them , by that rule which god hath given , in the way that leads to heaven , you did wrong them to beget them . there 's such a powre and force in education , that justly we may call 't a second nature : nature finds matter , nurture gives the fashion , and turns a man into another creature . if a youth in 's manners halt , on his parents we do lay all the blame , and use to say , that his breeding is in fault . the heathen , who did see but by that light which purblind nature lent them , ever caught at all occasions they conceived might be helps to have their youth in goodnesse taught . in their bodies would they find ( for no where but in the book of the creatures did they look ) lessons to instruct the mind . it is observ'd that socrates let passe no wayes nor means at all that might conduce to their amendment : often to a glasse he brought them , and that shadow had its use . by his means their faces bred them : for however their complexion did appear , by that reflexion from 't a lecture would he reade them . that fair ones must take heed they did not soil that comely outside with deformititie within : to have an inside foul would spoil the choicest beautie : that their symmetry , just proportion of parts , and their comlinesse of face was not worth a jote , if grace did not beautifie their hearts . and that deformed ones should have a care , that vertuous endowments , of the soul might recompense those blemishes that were by nature plac'd to make the bodie foul : that the mind and nothing else makes us either foul or fair . out-side beauties nothing are to a mind where vertue dwells . of any age their youth is fitt'st to take the print of vice or vertue : 't is a clean unwritten table , where a man may make what characters he will . if e'r you mean to make straight a crooked tree , you must do 't while 't is a twig : when your children are grown big they will not reformed be . sometimes ( if need require ) you shall do well to use the rod : if duly you correct them , 't may be a means to whip their souls from hell : from many sinnes may prudent stripes protect them . no such physick as the rod : there 's health in a loving scourge , it will childrens manners purge , and will make them fit for god . but whensoe'r you fasten any blows , let sinnes against the holy name of god be first corrected : for a child that knows to give his due to heav'n , on him the rod will prevail with little labour to correct him how to live civilly , and how to give what he ows unto his neighbour . and yet you must be moderate in strokes : you may not make a trade of chastisements . a parent that corrects too much provokes his child to wrath ; so pious documents will be cast away in vain . too much mercie is not fit , neither too much rigour ; yet mercie 's better of the twain . that high and great jehovah , whom we find adorn'd with mercie , goodnesse , justice , wrath , is evermore to mercie most inclin'd : of all the rest that most employment hath . he that suffered near mount sion , ( and whatever he did hallow by his practice we should follow ) was a lamb as well 's a lion . and e'r you strike observe their dispositions : those foure complexions in mans grosser part are but a few ; the finer part 's conditions are many more . some at a look will start ; others will but make a mock at the lash it self , and never will expresse the least endevour to amend with many a knock . the nat'ralists can tell you of a stone extremely hard , which bloud or milk will soften : but with the strongest hammer there is none can do it , though he beat it ne'r so often . the sea yields a certain weed , which , if gently grip'd , will flie ; roughly , will yield presently : rigour such stout natures need . some childrens dispositions are like nettles : the gentl'er you do handle them they sting the more ; fair means in them no vertue settles : some are like thorns ; the harder you do wring the more deeply will they pierce . mark their natures , and you shall by due chastisements recall both the gentle and the fierce . but it must be 'bove all your chiefest care to shine before your children by the light of good example : for examples are of most prevailing natures . what the sight can be master of appears to be more convincing farre then all other truths that are onely objects of the ears . a high perfection did the heathen deem it to imitate their jove : were it but in his close adulteries , they did esteem it a commendable passage not a sinne . in a wrong way , or a right , samplers lead , i know not how : if king alexander bow not a courtier stands upright . if cyrus nose be bad , or if a scarre chance to disfigure his imperiall face ; if plato 's learned shoulders be too square ; one 's subjects , th' others scholars , are so base as to draw 't into a fashion : and if aristotle stammer , all his boyes will lisp and hammer out their words in imitation . if cruel dionysius tyrannize , each man grows fierce : and if antiochus be lustfull , he is not accounted wise that will not be effeminate : and thus ptolemeus philadelph loving letters , by example egypt underfoot did trample ignorance as did himself . with scholars ( like himself ) augustus fill'd the romane empire : and tiberius he stor'd it with such as were exactly skill'd in fair dissimulation , and could be leaders in the hatefull train of those monsters who by heart had learn'd perfectly the art to dissemble , lie , and feigne . good constantine's example fill'd the land with christians like himself , and julian's did beget a troup of atheists : such command examples have . in holy writ we reade that examples either way , for god or against him , for great jehovah's worship or baalim's , did the people sway . if israel's or judah 's king were good , the people presently destroy'd their groves : scarce in the land a graven image stood : high places owls did rest in : each man loves ( at the least in shew ) that jealous god that in the desert fed them , and from egypt 's bondage led them ; for him onely are they zealous . if israel's or judah 's king were bad , so were the people : altars straight were rear'd to senselesse idoles ; not a house but had their graven images ; and no man fear'd unto baal to bend his knee . men live by similitude more then law ; and most conclude upon what their princes be . if nebuchadnezzar the mightie king be pleas'd to fall down to a golden image , thither with speed do their devotions bring people of ev'rie kingdome , tongue , and linage . three excepted , all adore him : there 's not one enough precise to refuse ; it doth suffice that the king did so before him . thou art a king if thou a parent art , each family 's a pettie kingdome , and the parents monarch : 't were a kingly part to make thy little subjects understand how in vertue to excell by thy practice ; that 's a skill 'bove all other : children will no way else be taught so well . look how the primum mobile doth move , accordingly do move the other spheres : as in a jack the wheel that is above with its first mover just proportion bears . in a familie 't is so : look what way the parents take , that the rest their rule will make , chiefly there the children go . not any godly precept so exact is , which you shall teach your children to obey ; but that , if you shall thwart it by your practice , thus will your junior houshold-members say , at least they will whisper thus , if vertue be good , then why do not you live vertuously ? if not , why d' ye presse 't on us ? if by these wayes you strive to educate , whom god hath blest with fruitfull progenies , your children well , their early death or late shall not a jote augment your miseries . a childs death is not a rod to afflict a parents heart . he that dies well doth depart hence that he may live with god . lord , if thou make my wife a fruitfull vine , make it withall my chiefest care to dresse the branches well ; the glorie shall be thine , and if they die my grief shall be the lesse . a childs death 's a precious savour in thy nostrils that was here taught to live , lord , in thy fear ; for he dieth in thy favour . meditation . if youth it self may drop into the grave , when children die methinks they should bequeath surviving parents comforts . sure they have no cause ( were not affection strong ) to grieve overmuch , as many do : for death is impartiall , by his stroke all ages fall , both the old'st and youngest too . think duly on 't . why should your eyes runne o'r for what you have no way to remedie ? if you should heav'n eternally implore , it would not send them back . but you 'll replie , 'cause there 's no way to be found that may help us to recover them again , our eyes runne over , and our tears do so abound . nor ever will your highest floud of sorrow transport them back into the world again : your selves may follow them before to morrow . those deep-fetch'd sighs are smok'd out all in vain , so are all those drops you mourn shed in vain ; hap'ly you may soon go after them , but they are too happie to return . is it your love that doth produce such grones ? how easily alas is love mistaken ! methinks you cannot love and grieve at once ; to love were to rejoyce that they have shaken hands with miserie to dwell in a world of blisse above ; grief at this is farre from love , it seems not to wish them well . or is 't because that they are dead you weep ? i do not think that when they were begotten , you dream'd them death-free , or had hopes to keep them here for ever ; that they would be rotten in their graves you could not choose but consider : for a span to be quickly ended , can never go for any news . nor with good reason can you lay the blame on death at all , but on your selves that did beget them mortall : for the very same matter wherewith they were begot and fed , fits them for an alteration by the hand of death . if you grudge that death hath ta'n his due , you may blame their generation . or do you grieve because they di'd so soon ? if wayes be foul , and journeys perillous , who taketh up his lodging e'r 't be noon is best at ease . 't is like god loveth those whom he takes betime away : sad experience lets us know that the happi'st here below have a miserable stay . or is your onely child deceas'd , that passion doth domineer so ? here i could allow methinks your tears a free immoderation , but that ( on better ground then jephtha's vow ) i remember what was done by that parent , who is penn'd down for great jehovah's friend , in case of his onely sonne . ev'n when 't was dead a miracle did fill his sarahs womb , but it was fill'd but once . isaac was all : yet abraham must kill this all himself . god did it for the nonce that he might his graces prove , yet the man made no denyall , but did by so strange a triall manifest his faith and love . this case must needs strike nearer to the heart then yours ; yet he doth presently submit . love ( i confesse ) is very loth to part with what it loves , but grace doth put a bit into natures mouth that she may not grumble nor repine at what 's a decree divine , but subscribe it chearfully . just like the autumn-sap of fruitfull trees so love descends ; and it is ardent when dispersed , but by infinite degrees more ardent when it is contracted : men that have but an onely sonne , if death take him hence , their losse is a great one ; but this crosse must be born . thy will be done , is what your selves do pray for every day : and when this will of god 's declared , you greatly offend if you do murmure . may not god , and sinne , and nature claim their due ? very ill you do behave you if you give not heav'n leave thankfully for to bereave you again of what it gave you . lord , if thou please to stock my table round about with children , yet i will be glad : nor shall my sorrow overmuch abound , though i do see them in their grave-clothes clad ; for the sooner are they blest : and within the shortest space whom thou help'st to winne a race , they the sooner are at rest . meditation . vve do not die by chance nor yet by fortune , but how and when the lord will have us die : he numbers all our dayes ; we cannot shorten nor lengthen them a minute : destiny neither spinnes nor cuts the thread . god a certain period sets : no man shorter falls , or gets further , then the bounds decreed . if god vouchsafe to number out the hairs that do adorn and cloth our sinfull heads ; who doubteth that his providence forbears to count our dayes ? if not a sparrow treads on the earth 's face thus or thus , but his providence awaketh for to note it , sure he taketh greater care by farre of us . if any godlesse wits so curious be to talk of hezekiah's fifteen years , his sentence god did change , not his decree , the answer is : yet esay 's tongue appears to speak not a jote the lesse truth ; 't was with a supposition : god doth threaten with condition either tacit or expresse . when pestilence , that lothsome , dreadfull hag , bepatch'd with botches , wanders up and down , and into ev'ry houshold drops the plague , scarce any turk in an infected town but will wife and friend afford daily visits and imbraces : they flie no contagious places , nor fear either bed or bord . their reason is , gods providence doth write their fortunes on their foreheads ; neither can their day of life be longer , nor their night of death come sooner then god wills it : man must yield 's ghost when god will haveit . for health and life , if god will save it , 't is not plague can kill : if not , 't is not they can save it . such block-heads have not brains enough to think that as the time , so god withall decrees the means of life ; as physick , meat and drink , clothes , recreations , and what else he sees needfull . they themselves destroy , and are to their safety strangers , that runne into mortall dangers , and not shun them when they may . howe'r imploy'd , lord , grant i may have leisure religiously to meditate that thou my dayes dost number , and my life dost measure , and make me think , lord , that this very now , that this twinkling of an eye is the period thou hast set : lord , grant i may ne'r forget that this moment i may die . part iii. of deaths suddennesse . though sometimes death doth stay till it be late at night , untill our most decrepit years , and when he comes , doth ( like a king ) in state send harbingers before ; yet death appears sometimes unlook'd for early in the morning , and takes us up before he gives us warning . when at full tide our youthfull bloud doth flow in every vein , and when our pulses dance a healthfull measure , when our stomachs know no qualms at all , as we would say by chance snatch'd are our bodies to their longest homes , and death is past before a sicknesse comes . how many sleepie mortals go to bed with healthful bodies , and do rise no more ! how many hungry mortals have been fed contentedly at dinner ? yet before against a second meal they whet their knives death steals away their stomachs and their lives . how many in the morning walk abroad for to be breath'd on by the keener air ? perhaps to clarifie their grosser bloud , or else to make their rougher cheeks look fair . but e'r they tread a furlong in the frost , death nips them : so their former labour 's lost . nature is parsimonious : man may live with little : but alas with how much lesse a man may die ! there 's nothing but may give a mortall blow : small matters may undresse our souls of clay . a thousand wayes we have to send our crazie bodies to the grave . the elements confeder how they may procure our death : the air we suck to live it self hath poi'sned thousands in a day , and made such havock that the slain did strive for elbow-room in church-yards : houses were good cheap , and onely shrowds and coffins dear . if we could come to speak with pharaoh's ghost , 't would tell how many met with sudden graves beneath the water ; that a mighty host was slain and buried by the surly waves , except a few which surfeted with store the crop-sick sea did vomit on the shore . sometimes our mother earth , as if she were so hunger-bitten that she needs must eat her children , gapes as for some toothsome cheer , and multitudes one swallow down doth let ; which either in her womb she doth bestow , or else doth send them to the world below . that usefull creature fire , whose light and heat doth comfort , and , when earth doth penance , warm us , whose cookerie provides us wholesome meat ; yet mortally this element doth harm us . one morning sent from heav'n such dreadfull flashes as did intomb five cities in their ashes . we may remember some that have been kill'd by falls of buildings ; some , by drunken swords . by beasts both wild and tame our bloud is spill'd . there 's not a creature but a death affords . 'bove fourtie childrens limbs god's anger tears in pieces with the teeth of savage bears . but there 's some likely hood that sudden death by means like these may easily befall us : but many times we mortalls lose our breath by wayes lesse probable . the lord doth call us upon a sudden hence by petty things : sometimes the meanest means death's errand brings . our staff of life may kill : a little crumb of bread may choke us going down awry . a small hair in their drink hath caused some to breath their last . by any thing we die . sometimes a sudden grief or sudden joy have might enough to take our souls away . meditation . how weak 's the thread of life , that any thing how weak so e'r can break it by and by ! how short 's the thread of life , that death can bring both ends of it together suddenly ! well may the scriptures write the life of man as weak as water and as short 's a span . how soon is water spilt upon the ground ! once spilt , what hand can gather 't up again ? fome that doth rise to day is seldome found floting to morrow . when the wanton rain gets bubbles to make sport with on the water , a minute breaks them into their first matter . such is our life . how soon doth death uncase our souls ? and when they once are fled away , who can return them ? as upon the face of thirstie ground when water 's shed to day , the morrow sees it not : so when we die none can revive us ; as we fall , we lie . our life 's a vapour . vapours do arise sometimes indeed with such a seeming power , as if they would eclipse the glorious skies , and muffle up the world , but in an houre or two at most these vapours are blown o'r , and leave the air as clear as 't was before . we look big here a little while and bristle , and shoulder in the smiling world , as though there were no dancing but as we would whistle , so strangely domineer we here below . but as a vapour in a sun-shine day we vanish on a fudden quite away . our life is like the smoke of new-made fire : as we in age and stature upward tend , our dissolutio is so much the nigher . smoke builds but castles in the air : ascend indeed it doth aloft , but yet it must at high'st dissolve , we vanish into dust . what is a shadow ? nothing . grant it were a thing that had a name and being too , yet let a cloud 'twixt us and heav'n appear , it s turn'd into its former nothing . do our shadows vanish ? surely so do we : at noon a man , at night a corps we see . our life 's a cloud , and from varietie of vapours are created diverse sorts : the stronger last a time , the weaker flie with lesfe ado ; yet half a day transports both strong'st and weakest hence , and in their flight their nimble speed outrunnes the quickest sight . some men are healthfull , merrie , lustie , strong ; some crazy , weak , sad , sickly , drooping : both post hence with winged speed : we may not wrong life's footmanship ; for sure with greater sloth clouds through the air the strongest wind doth send , then frail mans life doth gallop to its end . with greater sloth ? a man that now is here , perhaps an houre , yea half a minute hence , that man may in another world appear . our life moves faster then those things which sense acquaint us with , faster then ships by farre , or birds , or bullets that do plow the air . all flesh is grasse : how suddenly that fades ! grasse in the morning standeth proudly green , e'r night the husbandmen prepare their blades to cut it down , and not a leaf is seen but e'r the morrow 's wither'd into hay , that in its summer-suit was cloth'd to day . we grow and flourish in the world a space , our dayes with ease , mirth , health , strength , heav'n doth crown : but 't is not long we run this happy race , death cometh with his sithe and mows us down , when we are apt to say , for ought we know as yet we have an age of dayes to grow . our life 's a flower that groweth in the field . a garden-flower is but a fading thing , though it hath hedges , banks , and walls to shield it self from cropping : long 't is e'r the spring doth bring it forth ; three quarters of a yeare are gone before its beauty doth appear . and when it shineth in its fairest pride , one hand or other will be sure to pluck it . but let 's suppose all snatching fingers ty'd , and grant withall that never bee doth suck it to blemish it a jote , yet will the breath of winter blow the fairest flower to death . 't is long before we get us very farre into the world : for after generation there is a time when lifelesse lumps we are , and have not bodies of a humane fashion : such as we have both life and motion want , and when we live we live but like a plant . a while we do but grow : then like a beast we have our senses : next indeed we live the life of him that lives to be a feast for despicable worms . the womb doth give no passage to us yet ; we are ( like corn sown lately ) fit to be but are not born . when born , 't is long before we can procure our legs or understandings to assist us : and then 't is long before we grow mature : and all this while if sudden death hath mist us , yet in the hoary winter of our age our part is ended and we quit the stage . lord , what is man ? lord , rather what am i ? i cannot tell my self unlesse thou teach me : from thee came know thy self down through the skie to mortalls here . thy servant doth beseech thee to make me know , though it be to my shame , how vanishing , how weak , and frail i am . meditation . vvhat would i do if i were sure to die within this houre ? sure heartily repent , my sinfull couch should never more be drie but drown'd in tears , sad grones my heart should rent , and my sorrow still increase with repenting till i die , that once reconciled i might be found of god in peace . then presently i 'll set about it , for my time 's uncertain , and for ought i know god may not leave my soul a minute more to animate my body here below . deep-fetch'd sighs and godly sorrow shall possesse my heart to day : 't is a foolish sinne to say that i will ●epent to morrow . what if i die before ? just as the tree doth fall it lies . when i am in the grave i cannot grieve for sinne , nor can i be converted unto god , nor pardon crave . had i breath and grace to crave it , yet god's time of mercie 's gone : 't is giv'n in this life alone , in the next i cannot have it . what would i leave undone if ghastly death stood at my elbow ? sure i would not wallow in those pollutions that reigne here beneath ; no lewd and wicked courses would i follow . i should tremble at a thought of uncleannesse , if i were sure that dreadfull time were near when i must to earth be brought . why should i sinne at all ? for in the act of my next sinne a sudden death may catch me . ( a town secure is much the sooner sack'd . ) what know i but god setteth death to watch me , that when any lust hath press'd me for his service , that i may down to hell without delay , death may presently arrest me ? if we did well , still should we fear to meet death in those places where we use to sinne , and as we enter think we heare the feet of death behind us coming softly in ? we should fear when sinnes delight us , when we swallow any crime , lest that very point of time justice should send death to smite us . i know whatever is on this side hell , is mercie all : that we were not sent thither when we sinn'd last , is mercie . what befell zimri and cozbi as they lay together ? phinehas zealous spear did thrust both to death , and bored holes to let out those guilty souls , which were melted into lust . help me , o lord ; to do and leave undone what thou command'st , for sudden death prepare me , that at what time soe'r my glasse is run thy holy angels may to heav'n bear me . give thy servant grace , that i may so fear the face of sinne as a serpents , lest that in th' unrepented act i die . meditation . doth death come suddenly ? so much the better : if i am readie and do daily die , so much the sooner 't will my soul unfetter t' enjoy the best degree of libertie . and if death will send me where i shall evermore remain , i will never care how vain , or how frail my life is here . my life is like the wind : but when this puff is pass'd i shall eternally enjoy a place in heav'n , where all is calm enough , where never blast is felt that brings annoy , where is everlasting ease , not a storm nor tempest there , nor a jote of trouble , where all is quietnesse and peace . my life is like a vapour : but assoon as this thin mist , this vapour , is dispersed , my day shall be an undeclining noon , whose glorious brightnesse cannot be rehearsed , which will shew me ( for so clear and so shining is that place ) god immortall face to face , whom i saw but darkly here . my life is water spilt and cast away upon the ground : but after it is shod , in stead thereof i shall a stream injoy , as crystall clear , which from the throne of god and the lamb of god proceedeth . water 't is of life , and lasteth ever , which a soul that tasteth once no more refreshing needeth . my life is like a shadow that doth vanish : but whensoe'r this shadow 's vanish'd quite , substantiall glories will my soul replenish , and solid joyes will crown it with delight . the worlds are but fading joyes ; shadows we all purchase here : never untill death appear have we true and reall joyes . my life 's a flower : but when it withers here it is transplanted into paradise , where all things planted flourish all the year , where boreas never breaths a cake of ice . with sweet air the place is blest ; there is an eternall spring : thither , lord , thy servant bring . here my homely muse doth rest , nor another flight will make till she see how this will take . finis . enchiridion containing institutions, divine contemplative. practicall. moral ethicall. oeconomicall. politicall. written by fra: quarles. enchiridion quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) enchiridion containing institutions, divine contemplative. practicall. moral ethicall. oeconomicall. politicall. written by fra: quarles. enchiridion quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed for r.f., london : . an edition of: quarles, francis. enchyridion. the words "contemplative. practicall." and "ethicall. .. politicall." are bracketed together on title page. signatures: a⁶ b-k¹² . reproduction of the original in the british library. eng maxims -- early works to . conduct of life -- early works to . a r (wing q ). civilwar no enchiridion. containing institutions, divine contemplative. practicall. moral ethicall. oeconomicall. politicall. written by fra: quarles. quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion enchiridion : containing institvtions , divine contemplative . practicall . moral ethicall . oeconomicall . politicall . written by fra : quarles . london , printed for r. f. . to the glorious object of our expe●●● charles prince of wales vvhen subjects bring presents to their princes , 't is not because their princes want them ; but that subjects want better waies to expresse the bounty of their unknowne affections ; i know your highnesse wants not the best meanes that all the world affords , to ground and perfect you in all those princely qualities , which befit the hopefull sonne of such a royall father ; yet the boldnesse of my zeale is such , that nothing can call back mine arme , or stay the progresse of my quill , whose emulous desire comes short of none in the expressions of most loyall and un●●ign'd affection . to which end , i have presum'd to consecrate these few lines to your illustrious name , as rudiments to ripen ( and they will ripen ) with your growing youth , if they but feel the sunshine of your gracious eye . my service in this subject were much too early for your princely view , did not your apprehension as much transcend the greenesse of your years ; the forwardnesse of whose spring thrusts forth these hasty leaves , your highnesse is the expectation of the present age , and the point of future hopes : and cursed be he that both with pen and prayers shall not be studious to advantage such a high priz'd blessing : live long our prince : and when your royall father shall convert his ●regall diademe into a crown of glory , inherit his vertues with his throne and prove another phoenix to succeeding generations : so pray'd for , and prophesied , by your highnesse most loyall and most humble servant , fra. quarles . to the reader . all rules are not calculated for the meridian of every state . if all bodies had the same constitution ; or all constitutions the same alteration ; and all alterations the same times , the emperick were the best physitian . if all states had the same temper● and distempers , and both the same conservatives , and the same cures , examples were the best directions , and rules digested from those examples , were even almost infallible . the subject of policy is civill government ; the subject of that government is men ; the variablenesse of those men disabsolutes all rules , and limits all examples . expect not therefore , in these , or any of the like nature , such impregnable generals , that no exceptions can shake . the very discipline of the church● establisht , and confirm'd by the infallible choice , is not ty●d to all times , or to all places . what we here present you with , as they are no rocks to build perpetuity upon , so● they are not rocks to split beleefe upon : it is lesse danger to rely upon them , then to neglect them : nor let any thinke ( in these pamphleting dayes , and audacious times of unlicens'd pasque●ls ) i secretly reflect upon particulars , or looke through a maske upon the passages of these distempered times ; farre be it off from my intention , or your imaginations ; my true ambition is to present these few politicall observations to the tender youth of my thrice-hopefull prince , which like an introduction may lead him to the civill happinesse of more refined dayes , and ripen him in the glorious vertues of his renowned father , when heaven and the succeeding age shall style him with the name of charles the second . a table of the heads of the first century . cent. . chap. alteration● auxiliar . ambitious men ambitiousnatures assault advice conquest climatical advantage calumny composition conspiracy . correspondency custome conquest civill commotion courage castles clergy covetousnesse counsellours commanders clemency and severity commission church govern . confidence clemency and severity commander counsellors demeanour deliberation disposition discovery designe debt discontents delay deserts experiments exaction exuls encouragement fortresse foilish confiden . fortress forreign king. forreign humours forreigne inclination hearts of sub. hierarchy hunting invasion iust warre idlenesse liberality league love & fear mixt governm . mony manufacture neutrality nobility necessity new gentry nobility opinion order and fury piety & policy peace pillars of state prevention pleasures peace popular sects power quo waranto rebell rewards and punishments reformation religion resolution religion repute strength of parts successor strength to keep scandall state-change secrecy scruples situation sudden resolution times timely warre true temper treachery variance vertue warre in league warre offensive & defensive weighty service a table of the heads contained in the second century . cent . chap. action action affections affections affliction affliction anger acquaintance acquaintance advancement advantage anger avarice anger apparell affection action brother charity care company custome charity confession censure child ceremonies child daughter death death evill enemy evill faith fancy friendship friend faith fast god god gift grace giver honour honour honour honour happinesse heaven ignorance ignorance love love losse luxury money money moderation mysteries mother newes oppression promise pleasing pride possession passion prosperity passions popularity passion prosperity prayer puritane pride riches reason reason religion recreation redemption sinfull custome soules progresse sinne swearer sinne servant time trembling theology thy selfe treasure vndertaking vow valour work wrong wrong a table of the heads contained in the third century . cent. . chap. arguument a●mes actions apparell argument adversity adversity banishment beauty brother censure child children conversation ●●●y-book ●●arity censure conscience consideration discourse ●●●●kennesse ●●●●rse danger doubt and opinion eucharist esteem exercise familiars fasting festivall gift god god harlot heir honour hope hope and feare idiot iourney intention iustice innocence and wisdom knowledge knowledge laughter lier ● law and physick love library love mysteries mercy money multitude mirth merit magistrate magistrate obloquie paines poore poore priest patience pal●t providence and experience repentance reso●●tion reproofe rest riches reproofe saviour sinne silence servant sabbath souldier silence treasure tongue traffiique theft table theology truth vertue vanity vndertaking vertue wife wedlock weldoing words wages wisdome wisdome a table of the heads contained in the th . cent. cent. . chap. action affection banquet co●tentednesse conten● . ● church confession crosse commendations calling circumspection common place-books complaint child de●●●●● drunkennesse death death de●eanour discourse ●●●●●tion envy example exercise estimation ●●●re ●●lly feare forgivenesse frugality friend god ● giver ● glory ● gift give and 〈◊〉 gaming humiliation heaven humility humane writings h●ire infamy impropriations ● ig●orance idlenesse ●●●t ●●●wledge ●●●wledge ●●●●ledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●●t●rs ●●●guage last ●●●ne ● magistracy man marriage magnanimity misery mysteries name obedience obedience obsceannesse opinion painting praise ● prayer practice place philosophy praise and censure reputation repentance repentance recreations rules reversion sinne security safety superstition scoffes scripture scripture style truth theft tap●r temperance tuition to day times virgin vaine-glory vse of creatur● wicked w●●●● enchiridion . cent. . chap. i. piety and policy , are like martha , and mary , sisters : martha failes , if mary help not : and mary suffers , if martha be idle : happy is that kingdome where martha complaines of mary ; but most happy where mary complies with martha : where piety and policy , goe hand in hand , there warre shall be just ; and peace , honourable● chap. ii. let not civil discords in a forreign kingdome , encourage thee to make invasion . they that are factious among themselves , are jealous of one another , and more strongly prepar'd to encounter with a common enemy : those whom civill commotions set at variance , forreigne hostility reconciles . men rather affect the possession of an inconvenient good , then the possibility of an uncertaine better . chap. iii. if thou hast made a conquest with thy sword , thinke not to maintaine it with thy scepter : neither conceive , that new favours can cancell old injuries : no conquerer sits secure upon his new got throne , so long as they subsist in power , that were dispoil'd of their possessions by his conquest . chap. iv. let no price nor promise of honour bribe thee to take part with the enemy of thy naturall prince : assure thy selfe who ever wins , thou art lost : if thy prince prevaile , thou art proclaimed a rebell , and branded for death : if the enemy prosper , thou shalt be reckned but as a meritorious traytor , and not secure of thy selfe : he that loves the treason hates the traytor . chap. v. if thy strength of parts hath rais'd thee to eminent place in the common-wealth , take heed thou sit sure : if not , thy fall will be the greater : as worth is fit matter for glory ; so glory is a fair marke for envy . by how much the more thy advancement was thought the reward of desert ; by so much thy fall will administer matter for disdaine : it is the ill fortune of a strong braine , if not to be dignifi'd as meritorious , to be deprest as dangerous . chap. vi . it is the duty of a statesman , especially in a free state , to hold the common-wealth to her first frame of government , from which the more it swerves , the more it declines : which being declin'd is not commonly reduced without that extremity , the danger whereof , rather ruines then rectifies . fundamentall alterations bring inevitable perils . chap. vii . there be three sorts of government ; monarchicall , aristocraticall , democraticall ; and they are apt to fall three severall wayes into ruine : the first , by tyranny ; the second , by ambition ; the last , by tumults a common-wealth grounded upon any one of these , is not of long continuance ; but wisely mingled , each guard the other , and make that government exact . chap. viii . let not the proceedings of a captaine , though never so commendable , be confin'd to all times : as these alter , so must they : if these vary , and not they , ruine is at hand : he least failes in his designe , that meets time in its owne way : and he that observes not the alterations of the times , shall seldome be victorious but by chance : but he that cannot alter his course according to the alterations of the times shall never be a conquerour : he is a wise commander , and onely he , that can discover the change of times , and changes his proceedings according to the times . chap. ix . if thou desire to make warre with a prince , with whom thou hast formerly ratified a league ; assaile some ally of his , rather then himselfe : if he resent it , and come , or send in ayd , thou hast a faire gale to thy desires : if not , his infidelity in not assisting his ally , will be discovered : hereby thou shalt gaine thy ●elfe advantage , and facilitate thy designes . chap. x. before thou undertake a war , let thine eye number thy forces , and let thy judgment weigh them : if thou hast a rich enemy , no matter how poore thy souldiers be , if couragious and faithfull : trust not too much the power of thy treasure , for it will deceive thee , being more apt to expose thee for a prey then to defend thee : gold is not able to finde good souldies ; but good souldiers are able to finde out gold . chap. xi . if the territories of thy equall enemy are situated far south from thee , the advantage is thine , whether he make offensive , or defensive war ; if north , the advantage is his : cold is lesse tolerable then heat : this is a friend to nature ; that , an enemy . caap. xii it is not onely uncivill , but dangerous for souldiers , by reproachful● words , to throw disgrace upon the enemy . base tearmes are bellowes to a slaking fury , and goads to quicken up revenge in a fleeing foe : he that objects cowardize against a fayling enemy , adds spirit to him , to disprove the aspersion , at his owne cost : it is therefore the part of a wise souldier to refraine it ; or of a wise commander , to punish it . chap. xiii . it is better for two weake kingdomes rather to compound an injury ( though to some losse ) then seeke for satisfaction by the sword ; lest while they two weaken themselves by mutual blowes , a third decide the controversie to both their ruines . when the frog and the mouse could not take up the quarrell , the kite was umpire . chap. xiv let that common-wealth which desires to flourish , be very strict , both in her punishments , and rewards , according to the merits of the subject , and offence of the delinquent : let the service of the deserver be rewarded , lest thou discourage worth ; and let the crime of the offender be punish't , lest thou encourage vice : the neglect of the one weakens a common-wealth ; the omission of both ruines it . chap. xv . it is wisedome for him that sits at the helme of a setled state , to demeane himselfe toward his subjects at all times , so , that● upon any evill accident , they may be ready to serve his occasion : he that is onely gracious at the approach of a danger , will be in danger , when he expects deliverance . chap. xvi . in all designes , which require not sudden execution , take mature deliberation , and weigh the convenients , with the inconvenients , and then resolve ; after which , neither delay the execution , nor bewray thy intention . he that discovers himself , till he hath made himselfe master of his desires , layes himselfe open to his owne ruine , and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue . chap. xvii . liberality in a prince is no virtue , when maintained at the subjects unwilling cost . it is lesse reproach , by miserablenesse , to preserve the popular love , then by liberality to deserve the private thankes . chap. xviii . it is the excellent property of a good and wise prince , to use war as he doth physicke , carefully , unwillingly , and seasonably , ● either to prevent approaching dangers , or to correct a present mischiefe , or to recover a former losse . he that declines physicke till he be accosted with the danger , or weakned with the disease , is bold too long , and wise too la●e . that peace is too precise , that limits the justnesse of a war to a sword drawne , or a blow given . chap. xix . let a prince that would beware of conspiracies , be rather jealous of such whom his extraordinary favours have advanced , then of those whom his pleasure hath discontented : these want meanes to execute their pleasures ; but they have meanes at pleasure to execute their desires : ambition to rule is more vehement , then malice to revenge . chap. xx . before thou undertake a war , cast an impartiall eye upon the cause : if it be just , prepare thy army ; and let them all know , they fight for god and thee : it adds fire to the spirit of a souldier , to be assured , that he shall either prosper in a faire war , or perish in a just cause . chap. xxi . if thou desire to know the power of a state , observe in what correspondence it lives with her neighbouring state : if she make allyance with the contribution of money , it is an evident signe of weaknesse : if with her valour , or repute of forces , it manifests a native strength : it is an infallible signe of power , to sell friendship ; and of weakenesse to buy it : that which is bought with gold , will hardly be maintained with steele . caap. xxii . in the calmes of peace it is most requisite for a prince , to prepare against the stormes of warre , both theorically , in reading heroick histories ; and practically , in maintaining martiall discipline : above all things , let him avoid idlenesse , as the bane of honour ; which in peace , indisposes the body ; and in warre , effeminates the soul : hee that would be in war victorious , must be in peace laborious . chap. xxiii . if thy two neighbouring princes fall out , shew thy selfe , either a true friend , or a faire enemy ; it is indiscretion , to adhere to him whom thou hast least cause to feare , if he vanquish : neutrality is dangerous , whereby thou becomest a necessary prey to the conquerour . chap. xxiv it is a great argument of a princes wisedome , not onely to chuse , but also to prefer wise councellors : and such are they , that seek lesse their own advantages , then his ; whom wise princes ought to reward , lest they become their owne carvers ; and so , of good servants , turne bad masters . chap. xxv . it much conduces to the dishonour of a king , and the ilfare of his kingdome , to multiply nobility , in an overproportion to the common people : cheape honour darkens majesty ; and a numerous nobility brings a state to necessity . chap. xxvi . it is very dangerous , to try experiments in a state , unlesse extreame necessity be urgent , or popular utility be palpable : it is better for a state to connive a while , at an inconvenience , then too suddenly to rush upon a reformation . chap. xxvii . if a valiant prince be succeeded by a weak successour , he may for a while , maintaine a happy state , by the remaining vertue of his glorious predecessour : but if his life be long ; or dying he be succeeded by one lesse valiant then the first , the kingdome is in danger to fall to ruine . that prince is a true father to his country , that leaves it the rich inheritance of a brave sonne . when alexander succeeded philip , the world was too little for the conquerour . chap. xxviii . it is very dangerous for a prince , or republike , to make continuall practice of cruell exaction : for , where the subject stands in sense , or expectation of evill , he is apt to provide for his safety , either from the evill he feeles , or from the danger he feares ; and growing bold in conspiracy , makes faction ; which faction is the mother of ruine . chap. xxix . be carefull to consider the good , or ill disposition of the people towards thee upon ordinary occasions : if it be good , labour to continue it ; if evill , provide against it : as there is nothing more terrible then a dissolute multitude without a head ; so there is nothing more easie to be reduc'd ; ( if thou canst endure the first shock of their fury ; ) which if a litle appeas'd , every one begins to doubt himselfe , and think of home , and secure themselves , either by flight , or agreement . chap. xxx . that prince who stands in feare more of his own people , then strangers , ought to build fortresses in his land : but he that is more afraid of strangers then his own people , shall build them more secure in the affections of his subjects . chap. xxxi . carry a watchfull eye upon dangers before they come to ripenesse , and when they are ripe , let loose a speedy hand : he that expects them too long● or meets them too soon , gives advantage to the evill : commit their beginnings to argus his hundred eyes , and their ends to briareus his hundred hands , and thou art safe . chap. xxxii . of all the difficulties in a state , the temper of a true government most felicifies and perpetuates it : too sudden alterations distemper it . had nero turned his kingdome as he did his harp , his harmony had been more honourable , and his reign more prosperous . chap. xxxiii . if a prince , fearing to be assail'd by a forreigne enemy , hath a well-arm'd people , well addrest for war , let him stay at home , and expect him , there : but if his subjects be unarm'd , or his kingdome unacquainted with the stroke of war , let him meet the enemy in his quarters . the farther he keeps the warre from his own home , the lesse danger . the seat of war is alwayes miserable . chap. xxxiv . it is a necessary wisdome for a prince to grow in strength , as he encreases in dominions : it is no lesse vertue to keep , then to get : conquests not having power answerable to their greatnesse , invite new conquerors to the ruine of the old . chap. xxxv . it is great prudence in a statesman , to discover an inconvenience in the birth ; which , so discovered , is easie to be supprest : but if it ripen into a custome , the sudden remedy thereof is often worse then the disease : in such a case , it is better to temporize a little , then to struggle too much . he that opposes a full-ag'd inconvenience too suddenly , strengthens it . chap. xxxvi . if thou hast conquer'd a land , whose language differs not from thine , change not their lawes and taxes , and the two kingdomes will in a short time incorporate , and make one body : but if the lawes and language differ , it is difficult to maintain thy conquest ; which that thou maist the easier doe , observe three things : first , to live there in person , ( or rather send colonies : ) secondly , to assist the weak inhabitants , and weaken the mighty : thirdly , to admit no powerfull foreigner to reside there : remember lewis the thirteenth of france ; how suddenly he took milan , and how soon he lost it . chap. xxxvii . it is a gracious wisdom in a prince , in civill commotions , rather to use iuleps , then phlebotomy ; and better to breath the distemper by a wise delay , then to correct it with too rash an onset : it is more honourable , by a slow preparation to declare himselfe a gracious father , then by a hasty warre to appeare a furious enemy . chap. xxxviii . it is wisdome for a prince in faire weather to provide for tempests : he that so much relies upon his peoples faith , to neglect● his own preparation , discovers more confidence then wisdome : he that ventures to fall from above , with hopes to be catcht below , may be dead ere hee come to ground . chap. xxxix . he that would reform an ancient state in a free city● buyes convenience with a great danger : to work this reformation with the lesse mischiefe , let such a one keep the shadowes of their ancient customes , though in substance they be new : let him take heed when hee alters the natures of things , they bear at least the ancient names . the common people , that are naturally impatient of innovations , will be satisfied with that which seems to be as well as that which is . chap. xl . vpon any difference between forreigne states , it is neither safe nor honourable for a prince , either to buy his peace , or to take it up at interest : he that hath not a sword to command it , shall either want it , or want honour with it . chap. xli . it is very requisite for a prince , not onely to weigh his designes in the flower , but likewise in the fruit : he is an unthrift of his honour that enterprizes a designe , the failing wherein may bring him more disgrace , then the successe can gain him honour . chap. xlii . it is much conducible to the happinesse of a prince , and the security of his state , to gain the hearts of his subjects : they that love for feare , will seldome feare for love : it is a wise government which gaines such a tye upon the subject , that he either cannot hurt , or will not : but that government is best and most sure , when the subject joyes in his obedience . chap. xliii . let every souldier arme his mind with hopes , and put on courage : whatsoever disaster falls , let not his heart sinke . the passage of providence lyes through many crooked wayes ; a despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil : his actions may weave the webs of fortune , but not break them . chap. xliv . it is the part of a wise magistrate to vindicate a man of power or state-imployment from the malicious scandals of the giddy-headed multitude , and to punish it with great severity : scandall breeds hatred ; hatred begets division ; division makes faction , and faction brings ruine . chap. xlv . the strongest castles a prince can build , to secure him from domesticke commotions , or forraigne invasions , is in the hearts of his subjects ; and the meanes to gaine that strength is , in all his actions to appeare for the publike good , studious to contrive , and resolute to performe . chap. xlvi . a kingdome is a great building , whose two maine supporters are the government of the state , and the government of the church : it is the part of a wise master to keepe those pillars in their first posture , irremoveable : if either faile , it is wisedome rather to repaire it , then remove it : he that puls downe the old , to set up a new , may draw the roofe upon his head , and ruine the foundation . chap. xlvii . it is necessary wisdome in a prince to encourage in his kingdome , manufacture , merchandize , arts , and armes in manufacture lye the vitall spirits of the body politique : in merchandize , the spirits naturall ; in arts and armes , the animall : if either of these languish , the body droopes : as these flourish , the body flourishes . chap. xlviii . true religion is a setler in a state , rather then a stickler ; while shee confirmes an establisht government , she moves in her own spheer : but when she endeavours to alter the old , or to erect a new , she workes out of her owne vineyard : when she keepes the keyes , she sends showers of milke : but when she drawes the sword , she sayles in seas of bloud : labour therefore to settle religion in the church ; and religion shall settle peace in thy land . chap. xlix . if thou entertaine any forraig●e souldiers into thine army let them beare thy colours , and be at thy pay , lest they interest their owne prince : auxiliary souldiers are the most dangerous : a forraigne prince needs no greater invitation to seize upon thy city , then when he is required to defend it . chap. l. be cautious in undertaking a designe , upon the report of those that are banished their countrey , lest thou come off with shame or losse , or both . their end expects advantages from thy actions , whose miseries lay hold of all opportunities , and seeke to be redrest by thy ruine . chap. li. if thou endeavourest to make a republique in a nation where the gentry abounds , thou shalt hardly prosper in that designe : and if thou wouldest erect a principality in a land , where there is much equality of people , thou shalt not easily effect it . the way to bring the first to passe , is to weaken the gentry : the meanes to effect the last , is to advance and strengthen ambitious , and turbulent spirits ; so that being placed in the midst of them , their forces may maintaine thy power ; and thy favour may preserve their ambition : otherwise there shall be neither proportion nor continuance . chap. lii . it is more excellent for a prince to have a provident eye for the preventing future mischiefes , then to have a potent arme for the suppressing present evils : mischiefes in a state are like hectique feavers in a body : in the beginning hard to be knowne , but easie to be cured ; but , let it alone a while , it becomes more easie to be knowne , but more hard to be cured . chap. liii . if a kingdome be apt to rebellion , it is wisedome to preserve the nobility and commons at variance : where one of them is discontented , the danger is not great : the commons are slow of motion , if not quickned with the nobility ; the nobility is weake of power , if not strengthened by the commons : then is danger , when the commonalty troubles the water , and the nobility steps in . chap. liv. it is very requisite for a prince to have an eye that the clergy be elected , and come in , either by collation from him , or particular patrons , and not by the people ; and that their power hold dependance upon home , and not forreign authority : it is dangerous in a kingdome , where the crosiars receive not their power from the regall sword . chap. lv . it is a perillous weaknesse in a state , to be slow of resolution in the time of warre : to be irresolute in determination is both the signe , and the ruine of a weake state : such affaires attend not time : let the wise statesman therefore abhor delay , and resolve rather what to doe , then advise what to say : slow deliberations are symptomes , either of a faint courage , or weake forces , or false hearts . chap. lvi . if a conquerour hath subdued a country , or a city abounding with pleasures , let him be very circumspect to keepe himselfe and his souldiers temperate . pleasures bring effeminacy ; and effimenacy fore-runs ruine : such conquests , without blood or sweat , sufficiently do revenge themselves upon their intemperate conquerours . chap. lvii . it is an infallible signe of approaching ruine in a republike , when religion is neglected , and her establisht ceremonies interrupted : let therefore that prince that would be potent , be pious ; and that he may punish loosenesse the better , let him be religious : the joy of ierusalem depends upon the peace of sion . chap. lviii . let that prince that desires full soveraignty , temper the greatnesse of too potent a nobility : a great and potent nobility quickens the people , but presses their fortunes : it adds majesty to a monarch , but diminishes his power . chap. lix . it is dangerous for a prince to use ambitious natures , but upon necessity , either for his warres , or to be skreens to his dangers , or to be instruments for the demolishing insolent greatnesse : and that they may be the lesse dangerous , let him chuse them rather out of meane births then noble ; and out of harsh natures , rather then plausible . and alwayes be sure to ballance them with those that are as proud as they . chap. lx . let princes be very circumspect in the choyce of their councellours , chusing neither by the greatnesse of the beard , nor by the smoothnesse of the face : let him be wise , but not crafty : active , without private ends : couragious , without malice : religious , without faction : secret without fraud ; one better read in his princes businesse , then his nature : and a riddle onely to be read above . chap. lxi . in a mixt monarchy , if the hierarchy grow too absolute , it is wisdome in a prince , rather to depresse it then suppresse it : all alterations in a fundamentall government bring apparent dangers ; but too sudden alteration threatens inevitable ruine : when aaron made a moulten calfe , moses altered not the government , but reproved the governour . chap. lxii . before thou build a fortresse , consider to what end : if for resistance against the enemy , it is uselesse ; a valiant army is a living fortresse : if for suppressing the subject , it is hurtfull : it breeds jealousies , and jealousies beget hatred : if thou hast a strong army to maintain it , it adds nothing to thy strength : if thy army be weake it conduces much to thy danger : the surest fortres●e is the hands of thy souldiers , and the safest citadell is the hearts of thy subjects . chap. lxiii . it is a princely alchymie , out of a necessary warre to extract an honourable peace , and more beseeming the majesty of a prince to thirst after peace , then conquest : blessednesse is promis'd to the peace-maker ; not to the conquerour : it is a happy state , whose prince hath a peacefull hand , and a martiall heart , able both to use peace , and to manage warre . chap. lxiv . it is a dishonourable thing for a prince to ●unne in debt for stateservice ; but to pay it in the pardon of a criminall offence , is most dangerous . to cancell the faults of subjects , with their deserts , is not onely the symptome of a disordered common-wealth , but also of her ruine . chap. lxv . let not a commander be too forward to undertake a warre , without the person of his prince : it is a thanklesse imploiment , where mischiefe attends upon the best successe ; and where ( if a conquerour ) he shall be in danger , either through his owne ambition , or his princes suspition . chap. lxvi it is a great oversight in a prince , for any respects , either actively , or passively to make a forreigne kingdome strong : he that gives meanes to another to become powerfull , weakens himselfe , and enables him to take the advantage of his own weaknesse . chap. lxvii . vvhen the humours of the people are stirr'd by discontents , or popular griefe , it is wisdome in a prince to give them moderate liberty to evaporate : he that turnes the humour backe too hastily makes the wound bleed inwardly , and fil● the body with malignity . chap. lxviii . if having levyed an army , thou findest thy selfe too weake , either through the want of men or mony ; the longer thou delayst to fight , the greater thy inconvenience growes : if once thy army falls as●nder , thou certainly loosest by thy delay : where hazarding thy fortunes betimes , thou hast the advantage of thy men , and mayst by fortune wi●●e the day : it is lesse dishonour to bee overcome by force then by flight . chap. lxix . it is the part of a wise commander in warres , either offensive or defensive , to work a necessity of fighting into the brests of his souldiers : necessity of action takes away the feare of the act , and makes bold resolution the favourite of fortune . chap. lxx . clemency and mildnesse is most proper for a principality , but reservednesse and severity for a republique ; but moderation in both : excesse in the one breeds contempt : in the other , hatred ; when to sharpen the first , and when to sweeten the the last , let time and occasion direct thy judgement . chap. lxxi . it is very requisite for a prince that desires the continuance of peace , in time of peace to encourage , and respect his commanders : when brave spirits finde neglect to be the effect of quiet times , they devise all means to remove the cause , and by suggesting inducements to new warres , disturb and unsettle the old peace , buying private honour with publique danger . chap. lxxii . be not covetous for priority in advising thy prince to a doubtfull attempt , which concernes his state : if it prosper , the glory must be his ; if it faile , the dishonour will be thine : when the spirit of a prince is stopped in the discharge , it will recoyle and wound the first adviser . chap. lxxiii . if being the commander of an army , thou espiest a grosse and manifest error in thine enemy , look well to thy selfe , for treachery is not farre off : hee whom desire of victory binds too much , is apt to stumble at his owne ruine . chap. lxxiv . it is the height of a provident commander not only to keep his own designes indiscoverable to his enemy ; but likewise to be studious to discover his : he that can best doe the one , and nearest guesse at the other , is the next step to a conqueror . but he that failes in both , must either ascribe his overthrow to his owne folly , or his victory to the hand of fortune . chap. lxxv . if thou be ambitious of honour , and yet fearfull of the canker of honour , envy ; so behave thy self , that opinion may be satisfied in this , that thou seekest merit , and not ●●me ; and that thou attribute●t thy preferment rather to providence , then thy own vertue : honour is a due debt to the deserver ; and who ever envied the payment of a debt ? a just advancement is a providentiall act , and who ever envied the act of providence ? chap. lxxvi . it behoves a prince to bee very circumspect before hee make a league ; which , being made , and then broke , is the forfeiture of his honour : he that obtaines a kingdome with the rupture of his faith , hath gain'd the glory of a conquest , but lost the honour of a conquerour . chap. lxxvii . let states that aym at greatnesse , beware lest new gentry multiply too fast , or grow too glorious ; where there is too great a disproportion betwixt the gentry and the common subject , the one growes insolent ; the other slavish : when the body of the gentry growes too glorious for a corslet , there the heads of the vulgar waxe too heavy for the helmet . chap. lxxvii . vpon the beleaguering of a city , let the commander endeavour to take from the defendants , all scruples which may invite them to a necessity of defence : whom the feare of slavery necessitates to fight , the boldnesse of their resolution will disadvantage the assaylants , and difficilitate their design : sense of necessity justifies the warre ; and they are hopefull in their armes , who have no other hope but in their armes . chap. lxxix . it is good for states & princes ( if they use ambitious men for their advantage ) so to order things , that they be still progressive , rather then retrograde : when ambitious men finde an open passage , they are rather busie then dangerous ; and if well watcht in their proceedings , they will catch themselves in their own snare , and prepare a way for their own destruction . chap. lxxx . of all recreations , hunting is most proper to a commander ; by the frequency whereof he may be instructed in that necessary knowledge of situation , with pleasure ; which , by earnest experience , would be dearly purchas'd . the chase is a faire resemblance of a hopefull warre , proposing to the pursuer a flying enemy . chap. lxxxi . expect the army of thy enemy on plain and easie ground , and still avoyd mountainous and rocky places , and straight passages , to the utmost of thy power : it is not safe to pitch anywhere , where thy forces cannot be brought together : he never deserv'd the name of good gamster , that hazards his whole rest , upon lesse then the strength of his whole game . chap. lxxxii . it matters not much whether in government , thou tread the steps of severe hannibal , or gentle scipio , so thy actions be honourable , and thy life vertuous : both in the one , and the other , there is both defect and danger , if not corrected , and supported by the faire repute of some extraordinary endowments : no matter , whether black or white , so the steed be good . chap. lxxxiii it is the safest way in a martiall expedition , to commit the maine charge to one : companions in command beget confusion in the campe : when two able commanders are joyned in equall commission , each is apt to think his own way best , and by mutuall thwarting each other , both give opportunity to the enemy . chap. lxxxiv . it is a high point of providence in a prince to observe popular sects in their first rise , and with ● severe hand , to nippe them in the budde : but being once full ag'd , it is wisdome not to oppose them with too strong a hand ; lest in suppressing one , there arise two : a soft current is soon stopped ; but a strong streame resisted , breaks into many , or overwhelmes all . chap. lxxxv . it makes very much to thy advantage to observe strictly the nationall vertues , and vices , and humours of forrein kingdomes , whereby the times past shall read usefull lectures to the times present : he that would see what shall be , let him consider what hath been . chap. lxxxvi . if , like manlius , thou command stout and great things , bee like manlius stout to execute great commands : it is a great blemish in soveraignty when the will roares , and the power whispers : if thou canst not execute as freely as thou commandst , command no more then what thou maist as freely execute . chap. lxxxvii . if one prince desire to obtaine any thing of another , let him ( if occasion will beare it ) give him no time to advise : let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution , and the danger either of deniall , or delay ; hee that gives time to resolve , gives leasure to deny , and warning to prepare . chap. lxxxviii . let not thine army at the first encounter be too prodigall in her assaults but husband her strength for a dead lift : when the enemy hath abated the fury of his first heat ; let him then feel thou hast reserved thy forces for the last blow ; so shall the honour he hath gained by his valour encrease the glory of thy victory : fore-games when they prove are speediest , but after-games , if wisely play'd , are surest . chap. lxxxix . it is very requisite for a prince to keep the church alwayes in proportion to the state . if the government of the one be monarchicall , and the other democraticall , they will agree , like metall joyned with clay , but for a while . durable is that state , where aaron commands the people , and where moses commands aaron : but most happy in the continuance , where god commands both . chap. xc . let not the covetousnesse of a captaine purloyne to his owne use , or any way bereave his souldiers of any profit due unto their service , either in their meanes or spoyles : such injuries ( being quickn'd by their dayly necessities ) are never forgot : what souldiers earne with the hazard of their lives , ( if not enjoy'd ) prophesies an overthrow in the next battell . chap. xci . if a prince expect vertuous subjects , let his subjects have a vertuous prince ; so shall he the better punish the vices of his degenerate subjects ; so shall they trulier prize vertue , and follow it , being exemplified in their prince . chap. xcii . it is the property of a wise commander , to cast an eye rather upon actions , then upon persons ; and rather to reward the merits of men then to read the letters of ladies : he that for favour , or reward , preferres a worthlesse souldier , betrayes a kingdome , to advance a traytor . chap. xciii . vvhere order and fury are well acquainted , the warre prospers , and souldiers end no lesse men then they begunne : order is quickened by fury , and fury is regulated by order : but where order is wanting fury runs her own way , and being an unthrift of its owne strength , failing in the first assault , cravens ; and such beginning more then men , end lesse then women . chap. xciv . it is the quality of a wise commander , to make his souldiers confident of his wisdome , and their own strength : if any danger be , to conceale it ; if manifest , to lessen it : let him possesse his army with the justnesse of the warre , and with a certainty of the victory . a good cause makes a stout heart , and a strong arme . they that feare an overthrow , are halfe conquered . chap. xcv . it is requisite in a generall to mingle love with the severity of his discipline : they that cannot be induced to feare for love , will never be inforced to love for feare : love opens the heart , feare shuts it : that encourages , this compelles : and victory meets encouragement , but flees compulsion . chap. xcvi . it is the part of a well advised state never to entrust a weighty service , unto whom a noted injury or dishonour hath been done ; hee can never bee zealous in performance of service , the height of whose expectation can rather recover a lost name , then gaine a fresh honour . chap. xcvii . three wayes there be to begin a repute , and gain dignities in a common-wealth : the first by the vertue of glorious parents , which , till thou degenerate too much , may raise thee upon the wings of opinion : the second is by associating with those , whose actions are known eminent : the third , by acting some exploit , either publique or private , which in thy hand hath proved honourable . the two first may misse , being founded on opinion : the last seldome failes , being grounded upon evidence . chap. xcviii . if thou art cal'd to the dignity of a commander , dignify thy place by thy commands : and that thou maist be the more perfect in commanding others , practice upon thy selfe : remember , thou art a servant to the publike weale , and therefore forget all private respects , either of kin or friend : remember thou art a champion for a kingdome ; forget therefore all private affections either of love or hate : he that would do his country right , must not be too sensible of a personall wrong . chap. cxix . it is the part of a wise commander to read books , not so much as men ; nor men so much as nations : he that can discerne the inclinations , conditions , and passions of a kingdome , gaines his prince a great advantage both in peace and warre . chap. c. and you most high and mighty princes of this lower world , who at this intricate and various game of warre , vye kingdomes , and winne crownes ; and by the death of your renowned subjects , gaine the lives of your bold-hearted enemies ; know there is a quo warranto , whereto you are to give account of your eye-glorious actions , according to the righteous rules of sacred justice : how warrantable it is to rend imperiall crownes from off the soveraign heads of their too weak possessours ; or to snatch scepters from out the conquer'd hand of heaven-anointed majesty , and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge your large dominions , with kingdomes ●avisht from their naturall princes , judge you . o let your brave designs , and well-weighed actions , be as just as ye are glorious ; and consider , that all your warres , whose ends are not to defend your own possessions , or to recover your dispossessions ●a●e but princely injuries , which none but heaven can right . but where necessity strikes up her hard alarmes , or wrong'd religion , beats her zealous marches , go on , and prosper , and let both swords and stratagems proclaim a victory , whose noys'd renown may fill the world with your eternall glory . the end of the first century . enchiridion . the second book . to the faire branch of growing honour , and true vertue , mrs elizabeth vsher , onely daughter and heir apparent to the most reverend father in god , james , arch-bishop of armagh , lord primate of all ireland , his grace . sweet lady , i present your faire hands with this my enchiridion , to begin a new decade of our blest accompt : if it adde nothing to your well-instructed knowledge , it may bring somewhat to your well-dispos'd remembrance : if either , i have my end ; and you , my endeavour : the service which i owe , and the affection which i bear your most incomparable parents , challenges the utmost of my ability ; wherein , if i could light you but the least step towards the happinesse you ayme at , how happy should i be ? goe forward in the way which you have chosen : wherein , if my hand cannot lead you , my heart shall follow you ; and where the weaknesse of my power shewes defect , there the vigour of my will shall make supply . w●oam covetous of your happinesse in both kingdomes and worlds . fra. quarles . enchiridion . cent. . chap. i. a promise is a child of the understanding and the will : the understanding begets it , the will brings it forth : he that performes it , delivers the mother : he that breakes it , murthers the child . if he be begotten in the absence of the understanding , it is a bastard ; but the child must be kept . if thou mistrust thy understanding , promise not ; if thou hast promised , break it not : it is better to maintain a bastard then to murther a child . chap. ii. charity is a naked child , giving hony to a bee without wings : naked , because excuselesse and simple ; a child , because tender and growing : giving hony , because hony is pleasant and comfortable : to a bee , because a bee is laborious and deserving ; without wings , because helplesse , and wanting . if thou deniest to such , thou killest a bee ; if thou giv'st to other then such , thou preserv'st a drone . chap. iii. before thy undertaking of any designe , weigh the glory of thy action with the danger of the attempt : if the glory outweigh the danger , it is cowardize to neglect it : if the danger exceed the glory , it is rashnesse to attempt it : if the balances stand poiz'd , let thy owne genius cast them . chap. iv. vvouldest thou know the lawfulnesse of the action which thou desirest to undertak ? let thy devotion recommend it to divine blessing : if it be lawfull , thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by thy prayer : if unlawfull , thou shalt finde thy prayer discourag'd by thy heart . that action is not warrantable , which either blushes to begge a blessing , or having succeeded , dares not present thanksgiving . chap. v. if evill men speake good , or good men evill of thy conversation , examen all thy actions , and suspect thy selfe . but if evill men speake evill of thee , hold it as thy honour , and by way of thankefulnesse , love them , but upon condition , that they continue to hate thee . chap. vi . if thou hope to please all , thy hopes are vaine ; if thou feare to displease some , thy feares are idle . the way to please thy selfe is not to displease the best ; and the way to displease the best , is to please the most : if thou canst fashion thy selfe to please all , thou shalt displease him that is all in all . chap. vii . if thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbour , in vain thou professest thy love to god : for by thy love to god , the love to thy neighbour is begotten , and by the love to thy neighbour , thy love to god is nourisht . chap. viii . thy ignorance in unrevealed mysteries , is the mother of a saving faith ; and thy understanding in revealed truths , is the mother of a sacred knowledge : understand not therefore that thou maist believe , but beleeve that thou maist understand : understanding is the wages of a lively faith , and faith is the reward of an humble ignorance . chap. ix . pride is the ape of charity ; in show , not much unlike ; but somewhat fuller of action . in seeking the one , take heed thou light not upon the other : they are two parallels ; never but a ●under : charity feeds the poore , so does pride : charity builds an hospitall , so does pride : in this they differ : charity gives her glory to god ; pride takes her glory from man . chap. x. hast thou lost thy money , and dost thou mourne ? another lost it before thou-hadst it ; be not troubled : perchance if thou hadst not lost it now , it had lost thee for ever : thinke therefore what thou rather hast escaped then lost : perhaps thou hadst not been so much thy own , had not thy money beene so little thine . chap. xi . flatter not thy selfe in thy faith to god , if thou wantst charity for thy neighbour ; and thinke not thou hast charity for thy neighbour , if thou wantest faith to god ; where they are not both together , they are both wanting ; they are both dead , if once divided . chap. xii . be not too ●low in the breaking of a sinfull custome : a quick couragious resolution is better then a graduall deliberation : in such a combate , he is the bravest souldier that layes about him without feare or wit . wit pleades ; feare disheartens ; he that would kill hydra , had better strike off one necke then five heads : fell the tree , and the branches are soone cut off . chap. xiii . be carefull rather of what thou dost , then of what thou hast : for what thou hast is none of thine , and will leave thee at thy death , or thou the pleasure of it , in thy sickenesse . but what thou dost , is thine , and will follow thee to thy grave , and plead for thee or against thee at thy resurrection . chap. xiv if thou enjoyest not the god of love , thou canst not obtaine the love of god , neither untill then canst thou enjoy a desire to love god , nor relish the love of god : thy love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of gods love to thee : till he please to love thee , thy love can never please him . chap. xv . let not thy fancy be guided by thine eye ; nor let thy will be governed by thy fancy : thine eye may be deceived in her object , and thy fancy may be deluded in her subject : let thy understanding moderate betweene thine eye , and thy fancy ; and let thy judgement arbitrate between thy fancy and thy will ; so shall thy fancy apprehend what is true : so shall thy will elect what is good . chap. xvi . endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible , as thy concupiscible affections : to endure injuries with a brave minde , is one halfe of the conquest ; and to abstaine from pleasing evils with a couragious spirit is the other : the summe of all humanity , and height of morall perfection , is bear , and forbear . chap. xvii . if thou desire not to be too poore , desire not to be too rich : he is rich , not that possesses much , but he that covets no more : and he is poore , not that enjoyes little , but he that wants too much : the contented minde , wants nothing which it hath not : the covetous mind wants not onely what it hath not , but likewise what it hath . chap. xviii . the outward senses are the common cinque-ports where every subject lands towards the understanding . the eare heares a confused noyse , and presents it to the common sense . the common sense distinguishes the severall sounds , and conveys it to the fancy : the fancy wildly discants on it : the understāding ( whose object is truth ) apprehending it to be musicke , commends it to the judgement . the judgement severally and joyntly examines it , and recommends it to the will : the will ( whose object is good ) approves it , or dislikes it ; and the memory records it , and so in the other senses according to their subjects observe this progresse , and thou shalt easily find where the defect of every action lyes . chap. xix . the way to subject all things to thy selfe , is to subject thy selfe to reason : thou shalt govern many , if reason governe thee : wouldst thou be crowned the monarch of a little world ? command thy selfe . chap. xx . though thou givest all thou hast for charity sake , and yet retainest a secret desire of keeping it for thy owne sake , thou rather leavest it then forsakest it : he that hath relinquisht all things , and not himselfe , hath forsaken nothiug ; he that sets not his heart on what he possesses , forsaketh all things , though he keepe his possessions . caap. xxi . search into thy selfe before thou accept the ceremony of honour : if thou art a palace , honour ( like the sun-beames ) will make thee more glorious : if thou art a dunghill , the sun may shine upon thee , but not sweeten thee . thy prince may give thee honour , but not make the honourable . chap. xxii . every man is a king in his owne kingdome . ●f reason command , and passion obey , his government speakes a good king : if thine inordinate affection rules , it shews a proud rebell ; which ; if thou destroy not , will depose thee : there is no meane betweene the death of a rebell , and the life of a prince . chap. xxiii . a vow , a promise , and a resolution , have all one object , onely differ in respect of the persons to whom they are made ; the first is betweene god and man . the second , betweene man and man ; the third , between man and his owne soule ; they all bind , if the object be lawfull , to necessity of performance : if unlawfull , to the necessity of sinne : they all take thee prisoner : if the object be lawfull , thy performance hath redeem'd thee ; if unlawfull , blood and teares must ransome thee . chap. xxiv . if thou hast any businesse of consequence in agitation , let thy care be reasonable , and seasonable : continuall standing bent weakens the bow : too hasty drawing breaks it . put off thy cares with thy cloathes : so shall thy rest strengthen thy labour ; and so shall thy labour sweeten thy rest. chap. xxv . vvhen thy inordinate affections do flame towards transitory happinesse , quench them thus : thinke with thy selfe ; if my prince should give me what honour he hath to bestow , or bestow on me what wealth he hath to give , it could not stay with me , because it is transitory ; nor i with it , because i am mortall : then revise thy affections ; and weigh them with their object , and thou wilt either confesse thy folly , or make a wiser choice . chap. xxvi . vvith three sorts of men enter no serious friendship : the ●ngratefull man ; the multiloquious man ; the coward : the first cannot prize thy favours ; the second cannot keep thy counsell ; the third dare not vindicate thy honour . chap. xxvii . if thou desire the time should not passe too fast , use not too much pastime : thy life in jollity blazes like a tapour in the wind : the blast of honour wasts it , the heat of pleasure melts it ; if thou labour in a painfull calling , thou shalt be lesse sensible of the flux of time , and sweetlier satisfied at the time of death . chap. xxviii . ggd is alpha and omega , in the great world ; endeavour to make him so in the little world ; make him thy evening epilogue , and thy morning prologue ; practice to make him thy last thought at night when thou sleepest ; and thy first thought in the morning when thou awakest : so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night , and thy understanding rectified in the day ; so shall thy rest be peacefull , thy labours prosperous , thy life pious , and thy death glorious . chap. xxix . be very circumspect in the choise of thy company . in the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure ; in the society of thy superiours thou shalt find more profit : to be the best in the company , is the way to grow worse : the best meanes to grow better , is to be the worst there . chap. xxx . thinke of god ( especially in thy devotion ) in the abstract , rather then the concrete : if thou conceive him good , thy finite thoughts are ready to terminate that good in a conceiv'd subject ; if thou thinke him great , thy bounded conceipt is apt to cast him into a comprehensible figure : conceive him therefore , a diffused goodnesse without quality , and represent him an incomprehensible greatnesse without quantity . chap. xxxi . if thou and true religion be not as yet met ; or met , unknowne ; by these markes thou shalt discover it . first , it is a religion that takes no pleasure in the expence of blood . secondly , it is a religion whose tenents crosse not the booke of truth . thirdly , it is a religion , that takes most from the creature , and gives most to the creatour : if such a one thou meet with , assure thy selfe it is the right , and therefore professe it in life , and protect it to thy death . chap. xxxii . let anothers passion be a lecture to thy reason , and let the ship-wracke of his understanding be a seamarke to thy passion : so shalt thou gaine strength out of his weaknesse ; safety out of his danger ; and raise thy selfe a building out of his ruines . chap. xxxiii . in the height of thy prosperity expect adversity , but feare it not ; if it come not , thou art the more sweetly possest of the happinesse thou hast , and the more strongly confirmed ; if it come , thou art the more gently dispossest of the happinesse thou hadst , and the more firmely prepared . chap. xxxiv . to tremble at the sight of thy sinne , makes thy faith the lesse apt to tremble : the devils beleeve , and tremble , because they tremble at what they beleeve ; their beliefe brings trembling : thy trembling brings beliefe . chap. xxxv . authology is the way to theology : untill thou seest thy selfe empty , thou wilt not desire to be fil'd : he can never truly relish the sweetnesse of gods mercy , that never tasted the bit●ernesse of his owne misery . chap. xxxvi . is any outward affliction fallen upon thee , by a temporary losse ? advise with thy selfe , whether it be recoverable , or not : if it be , use all such lawfull and speedy meanes ( the violence and unseasonablenesse whereof may not disadvantage thee in the pursuit ) to recover it ; if not recoverable , endure with patience what thou canst not recure with paines : he that carnally afflicts his soul for the losse of a transitory good , casts away the kirnell , because he hath lost the shell . chap. xxxvii . naturall anger glances into the breasts of wisemen , but rests in the bosome of fooles : in them , it is infirmity ; in these , a sinne : there is a naturall anger ; and there is a spirituall anger ; the common object of that , is the person ; of this , his vice : he that is alwayes angry with his sinne , shall seldome sinne in his anger . chap. xxxviii if any hard affliction hath surprized thee , cast one eye upon the hand that sent it ; and the other , upon the sin that brought it ; if thou thankefully receive the message , he that sent it will discharge the messenger . chap. xxxix . all passions are good or bad , according to their objects : where the object is absolutely good , there the greatest passion is too little : where absolutly evill , there the least passion is too much : where indifferent , there a little is enough . chap. xl . when thou dost evil that good may come thereby , the evill is surely thine : if good should happen to ensue upon the evill which thou hast done ; the good proceeds from god ; if therefore thou doe evill , thereby to occasionate a good , thou la●●t a bad foundation for a good building ; and ●ervest the devill that god may serve thee : where the end of evill is good in the intention , there the end of that good is evill in the extention . chap. xli . be as farre from desiring the popular love , as fearefull to deserve the popular hate : ruine dwels in both : the one will hug thee to death ; the other will crush thee to destruction : to escape the first , be not ambitious ; to avoid the second , be not seditious . chap. xlii . vvhen thou seest misery in thy brothers face , let him see mercy in thine eye ; the more the oyle of mercy is powr'd on him by thy pity , the more the oyle in thy cruse shall be encreased by thy piety . chap. xliii . reade not bookes alone , but men , and amongst them chiefly thy selfe : if thou find any thing questionable there , use the commentary of a severe friend , rather then the glosse of a sweet-lipt flatterer : there is more profit in a distastfull truth , then deceitfull sweetnesse . chap. xliv . if the opinion of thy worth invite any to the desire of thy acquaintance , yeeld him a respect sutable to his quality : too great a reservation will expose thee to the sentence of pride ; too easie accesse will condemne thee to the censure of folly : things , too hardly endeavour'd , discourage the seeker : too easily obtain'd disparage the thing sought for : too easily got , is lowly priz'd , and quickly lost , chap. xlv . vvhen conveniency of time hath ripen'd your acquaintance , be cautious what thou say'st , and courteous in what thou dost : observe his inclination : if thou find him weight , make him thine owne , and lodge him in a faithfull bosome : be not rashly exceptio●s , nor rudely familiar : the one will breed contention ; the other contempt . chap. xlvi . vvhen passion is grounded upon fancie , it is commonly but of short continuance : where the foundation is unstable , there the building is not lasting ; he that will be angry for any cause , will be angry for no cause ; and when the understanding perceives the cause vain , then the judgement proclaimes the the effect voyd . chap. xlvii . if thou desire to purchase honour with thy wealth ; consider first how that wealth became thine : if thy labour got it , let thy wisdome keep it : if oppression found it , let repentance restore it : if thy parent : left it , let thy vertues deserve it : let thy vertues deserve it : so shall thy honour be safer , better , and cheaper . chap. xlviii . sinne is a basitiske whose eyes are full of venome , if the eye of thy soule see her first , it reflects her own poyson and kills her : if she see thy soule , unseen , or seen too late , with her poyson , she kills thee : since therefore thou canst not escape thy sinne , let not thy sinne escape thy observation . chap. xlix . if thou expect'st to rise by the means of him whom thy fathers greatnesse rais'd from his service to court preferment , thou wilt be deceiv'd : for the more in esteem thou art , the more sensible is he of what he was , whose former servitude will be chronicled by thy advancement , and glory obscured by thy greatnes : however he will conceive it a dead service , which may be interpreted by thee , as a merited reward , rather then a meritorious benefit . chap. l. trust not to the promise of a common swearer , for he that dare sin against his god , for neither profit nor pleasure , will trespasse against thee for his own advantage . he that dare break the precepts of his father , will easily be perswaded to violate the promise unto his brother . chap. li. let the greatest part of the newes thou hearest be the least part of what thou beleevest , lest the greatest part of what thou beleevest be the least part of what is true . where lies are easily admitted , the father of lies will not easily be excluded . chap. lii . deliberate long , before thou consecrate a friend ; and when thy impartiall judgement concludes him worthy of thy bosome , receive him joyfully , and entertaine him wisely : impart thy secrets boldly , and mingle thy thoughts with his : he is thy very selfe ; and use him so : if thou firmly think him faithfull , thou mak'st him so . chap. liii . as there is no worldly gain , without some losse , so there is no worldly losse without some gaine . if thou hast lost thy wealth , thou hast lost some trouble with it : if thou art degraded from thy honour thou art likewise freed from the stroke of envie ; if sicknesse hath blurr'd thy beauty , it hath deliver'd thee from pride , set the allowance against the losse , and thou shalt find no losse great ; he loses little or nothing , that reserves himselfe . chap. liv. if thou desire to take the best advantage of thy selfe ( especially in matters where the fancy is most imploy'd ) keep temperate diet , use moderate exercise , observe seasonable , and set houres for rest ; let the end of thy first sleep raise thee from thy repose : then hath thy body the best temper ; then hath thy soule the least incumberance : then no noyse shall disturbe thy eare ; no object shall divert thine eye : then , if thy sprightly fancie transport thee not beyond the common pitch , and shew thee not the magazin of high invention , return thee to thy wanton bed , and there conclude thy selfe more fit to wear thy mistresses favour , then apolloes bayes . chap. lv . if thou art rich strive to command thy mony , lest she command thee : if thou know how to use her , she is thy servant : if not , thou art her slave . chap. lvi . bring thy daughter a husband of her own religion , and of no hereditary disease ; let his wisdome outweigh his wealth : let his parentage excell his person , and let his yeares exceed hers : let thy prayers recommend the rest to providence : if he prove , thou hast found a sonne : if not , thou hast lost a daughter . chap. lvii . so use prosperity , that adversity may not abuse thee : if in the one , security admits no feares ; in the other , despaire will afford no hopes : he that in prosperity can foretell a danger , can in adversity foresee deliverance . chap. lviii . if thy faith have no doubts , thou hast just cause to doubt thy faith ; and if thy doubts have no hope , thou hast just reason to feare despair ; when therefore thy doubts shal exercise thy faith , keep thy hopes firme to qualifie thy doubts ; so shall thy faith be secured from doubts : so shall thy doubts be preserved from despaire . chap. lix . if thou desire to be truly valiant , feare to doe any injury : he that feares not to doe evill , is alwayes afraid to suffer evill : he that never feares is desperate : and he that fears alwayes , is a goward : he is the true valiant man , that dares nothing but what he may , and feares nothing but what he ought . chap. lx . anger may repast with thee for an houre , but not repose for a night : the continuance of anger is hatred , the continuance of hatred turns malice . that anger is not warrantable , which hath seen two sunnes . chap. lxi if thou stand guilty of oppression , or wrongfully possest of anothers right ; see , thou make restitution before thou givest an almes : if otherwise , what art thou but a thief , and makest god thy receiver ? chap. lxii . vvhen thou pray'st for spirituall graces let thy prayer be absolute ; when , for temporall blessings , adde a clause of gods pleasure : in both , with faith , and humiliation : so shalt thou undoubtedly receive what thou desirest , or more , or better ; never prayer rightly made , was made unheard , or heard , ungranted . chap. lxiii . hee that gives all , though but little , gives much ; because god looks not to the quantity of the gift , but to the quality of the givers : he that desires to give more then he can , hath equall'd his gift to his desire , and hath given more then he hath . chap. lxiv . bee not too greedy in desiring riches , nor too eager in seeking them : nor too covetous in keeping them ; nor too passionate in losing them : the first will possesse thy soul of discontent ; the second will dispossesse thy body of rest ; the third will possesse thy wealth of thee ; the last will dispossesse thee of thy selfe : he that is too violent in the concupiscible ; will be as violent in the irascible . chap. lxv . bee not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custome : as it was gotten , so leave it by degrees . danger attends upon too sudden alterations : he that pulls down a bad building by the great , may be ruin'd by the fall : but he that takes it down brick by brick , may live to build a better . chap. lxvi . if thou desire that inestimable grace of saving faith , detest that insatiable vice of damnable covetousnesse : it is impossible , one heart ( though never so double ) should lodge both : faith possesses thee of what thou hast not ; covetousnesse dispossesses thee of what thou hast : thou canst not serve god , unlesse mammon serve thee . chap. lxvii . beware of him that is slow to anger : anger when it is long in comming , is the stronger when it comes , and the longer kept . abused patience turns to fury : when fancy is the ground of passion , that understanding which composes the fancy qualifies the passion ; but when judgement is the ground the memory is the recorder . chap. lxviii . hee that professes himselfe thy open enemy , armes thee against the evill he meanes thee , but he that dissembles himself thy secret friend , strikes beyond caution , and wounds above cure : from the first , thou maist deliver thy selfe : from the last , good lord deliver thee . chap. lxix . if thou hast wrong'd thy brother in thought , reconcile thee to him in thought ; if thou hast offended him in words , let thy reconciliation be in words : if thou hast trespassed against him in deeds , by deeds be reconciled to him : that reconciliation is most kindly which is most in kind . chap. lxx . not to give to the poor is to take from him : not to feed the hungry , if thou hast it , is the utmost of thy power to kill him : that therefore thou maist avoid both sacriledg and murther , be charitable . chap. lxxi . so often as thou remembrest thy sinnes without griefe , so often thou repeatest those sinnes for not grieving : he that will not mourne for the evill which he hath do●e , gives earnest for the evill he meanes to doe ; nothing can asswage that fire which sinne hath made , but only that water which repentance hath drawne . chap. lxxii . look well before thou leap into the chaire of honour : the higher thou climbest the lower thou fallest : if vertue preferre thee , vertue will preserve thee : if gold or favour advance thee , thy honour is pinn'd upon the wheele of fortune : when the wheele shall turne , thy honour falls , and thou remain'st an everlasting monument of thy own ambitious folly . chap. lxxiii . vvee are born with our temptations : nature sometimes presses us to evill , sometimes provokes us unto good ; if therefore thou givest her more then her due , thou nourishest an enemy ; if lesse then is sufficient , thou destroyest a friend : moderation will prevent both . chap. lxxiv . if thou scorne not to serve luxury in thy youth , chastity will scorne thy service in thy age ; and that the will of thy green yeares thought no vice in the acting , the necessity of thy gray haires makes no vertue , in the forbearing : where there is no conflict , there can be no conquest ; where there is no conquest , there is no crowne . chap. lxxv . thou didst nothing towards thy own creation , for thou wert created for thy creators glory ; thou must do something towards thy own redemption , for thou wert redeemed for thy own good : he that made thee without thee , will not save thee without thee . chap. lxxvi . when thy tongue and heart agree not in confession , that confession is not agreeable to gods pleasure : he that confesses with his tongue , and wants confession in his heart , is either a vaine man , or an hypocrite : he that hath confession in his heart , and wants it in his tongue , is either a proud man , or a timerous . chap. lxxvii . gold is caesars treasure , man is gods : thy gold hath caesars image , and thou hast gods ; give therefore those things unto caesar which are caesars ; and unto god , which are gods . chap. lxxviii . in the commission of evill , feare no man so much as thy own selfe : another is but one witnesse against thee : thou art a thousand : another thou maist avoid , but thy selfe thou 〈◊〉 not ; wickednesse is its owne punishment . chap. lxxix . in thy apparell avoyd singularity , pro●usenesse and gaudinesse ; be not too early in the fashion ; nor too late : decency is the halfe way between affectation and neglect : the body is the shell of the soule ; apparell is the huske of that shell ; the huske often tels you what the kirnell is . chap. lxxx . let thy recreation be manly , moderate , seasonable , lawfull ; if thy life be sedentary , more tending to the exercise of thy body ; if active , more to the refreshing of thy mind : the use of recreation is to strengthen thy labour , and sweeten thy rest. chap. lxxxi . bee not censorious , for thou know'st not whom thou judgest ; it is a more dextrous errour to speak well of an evill man , then ill of a good man . and safer for thy judgement to be missed by simple charity , then uncharitable wisdome : he may taxe others with priviledge , that hath not in himselfe , what others may taxe . chap. lxxxii . take heed of that honour which thy wealth hath purchased thee , for it is neither lasting , nor thine own . what money creates , money preserves : if thy wealth decayes , thy honour dyes ; it is but a slippery happinesse which ●ortunes can give and frowns can take ; and not worth the owning which a nights fire can melt , or a rough sea can drown . chap. lxxxiii . if thou canst desire any thing not to be repented of , thou art in a fair way to happinesse ; if thou hast attain'd it , thou art at thy wayes end ; he is not happy who hath all that he desires , but that desires nothing but what is good ; if thou canst not doe what thou need not repent , yet endeavour to repent what thy necessity hath done . chap. lxxxiv . spend a hundred yeares in earths best pleasures ; and after that , a hundred more ; to which being spent , adde a thousand ; and to that , tenne thousand more ; the last shall as surely end , as the first are ended , and all shall be swallowed with eternity : he that is born to day , is not sure to live a day ; he that hath lived the longest , is but as he that was born yesterday : the happinesse of the one is , that he hath liv'd ; the happinesse of the other is , that he may live ; and the lot of both is , that they must dye : it is no happinesse to live long , nor unhappinesse to dye soon : happy is hee that hath liv'd long enough , to dye well . chap. lxxxv . be carefull to whom thou givest , and how : he that gives him that deserves not , loses his gift , and betrayes the giver . he that conferres his gift upon a worthy receiver , makes many debtors , and by giving , receives . he that gives for his owne ends , makes his gift a bribe , and the receiver a prisoner : he that gives often , ●eaches requittance to the receiver , and discovers a crafty confidence in the giver . chap. lxxxvi . hath any wronged thee ? be bravely reveng'd : sleight it , and the work 's begun ; forgive it , and 't is finisht : he is below himselfe that is not above an injury . chap. lxxxvii . let not thy passion miscall thy childe , lest thou prophesie his fortunes : let not thy tongue curse him , lest thy curse returne from whence it came : curses sent in the roome of blessings are driven back with a double vengeance . chap. lxxxviii . in all the ceremonies of the church which remaine indifferent , doe according to the constitution of that church where thou art : the god of order and unity , who created both the soul and the body , expects vnity in the one , and order in both . chap. lxxxix . let thy religious fast be a voluntary abstinence , no● so much from flesh , as fleshly thoughts : god is pleased with that fast which gives to another , what thou deniest to thy selfe ; and when the afflicting of thy own body , is the repairing of thy brothers . he fasts truly that abstains sadly , grieves really , gives cheerfully , and forgives charitably . chap. xc . in the hearing of mysteries keep thy tongue quiet : five words cost zacharias forty weeks silence : in such heights , convert thy questions into wonders ; and let this suffice thee , the reason of the deed , is the power of the doer . chap. xci . deride not him whom the looser world cals puritane , lest thou offend a little one : if he be an hypocrite , god , that knowes him , will reward him ; if zealous , that god that loves him , will revenge him : if he be good , he is good to gods glory : if evill , let him be evill at his own charges : he that judges , shall bee judged . chap. xcii . so long as thou art ignorant , be not asham'd to learn : he that is so fondly modest , not to acknowledge his own defects of knowledge , shall in time , be so fouly impudent to justifie his own ignorance : ignorance is the greatest of all infirmities ; and , justified , the chiefest of all follies . chap. xciii . if thou be a servant , deal just by thy master , as thou desirest thy servant should deale with thee : where thou art commanded , be obedient ; where , not commanded , be provident : let diligence be thy credit ; let faithfulnesse be thy crowne : let thy masters credit be thy care , and let his welfare be thy content : let thine eye be single , and thy heart , humble : be sober , that thou maist be circumspect : he that in sobriety is not his owne man , being drunk , whose is he ? be neither contentious , nor lascivious : the one shewes a turbulent heart ; the other an idle brain . a good servant is a great master . chap. cxiv . let the foundation of thy affection be vertue , then make the building as rich , and as glorious as thou canst : if the foundation bee beauty , or wealth , and the building vertue , the foundation is too weak for the building ; and it will fall : happy is he , the pallace of whose affection is founded upon vertue , wal'd with riches , glaz'd with beauty , and roof'd with honour . chap. xcv . if thy mother be a widow , give her double honour , who now acts the part of a double parent . remember her nine mone●hs burthen , and her tenth moneths travell : forget not her indulgence , when thou didst hang upon her tender breast . call to minde her prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the world ; and her cares for thee when thou wert come into the world . remember her secret groans , her affectionate teares , her broken slumbers , her dayly feares , her nightly frights . relieve her wants ; cover her imperfections ; comfort her age : and the widowes husband , will be the orphans father . chap. xcvi . as thou desirest the love of god & man , beware of pride : it is a tumor in thy minde that breakes and poysons all thy actions ; it is a worm in thy treasure which eates and ruines thy estate : it loves no man ; is beloved of no man ; it disparages vertue in another by detraction ; it disrewards goodnesse in it selfe , by vain glory : the friend of the flatterer , the mother of envy , the nurse of fury , the baud of luxury , the sinne of devils , and the devill in mankinde : it hates superiours , it scornes inferiours , it owns no equals : in short , till thou hate it , god hates thee . ●hap . xcvii . so behave thy selfe among thy children , that they may love and honour thy presence : be not too fond , lest they fear thee not : be not too bitter , lest they feare thee too much ; too much familiarity will embolden them ; too little countenance will discourage them : so carry thy selfe , that they may rather feare thy displeasure , then thy correction ; when thou reprov'st them , do● it in season ; when thou correct'st them , do it not in passion : as a wise child makes a happy father , so a wise father makes a happy child . chap. xcviii , vvhen thy hand hath done a good act , aske thy heart if it be well done : the matter of a good action is the deed done ; the forme of a good action is the manner of the doing : in the first , another hath the comfort , and thou the glory ; in the other , thou hast the comfort , and god the glory : that deed is ill done wherein god is no sharer . chap. xcix . vvould'st thou purchase heaven ? advise not with thy owne ability . the pr●ze of heaeen is what thou hast ; examine not what thou hast , but what thou art : give thy selfe , and thou hast bought it : if thy own vilenesse be thy feares , offer thy selfe and thou art precious . chap : c. the birds of the aire dye to sustaine thee ; the beasts of the field dy to nourish thee ; the fishes of the sea dye to feed thee . our stomacks are their common sepulcher . good god! with how many deaths are our poor lives patcht up ! how full of death is the miserable life of momentary man ! the 〈◊〉 of the second century . the third century . chap. i. if thou take paines in what is good , the paines vanish , the good remains : if thou take pleasure in what is evil , the evill remaines , and the pleas●●e vanishes : what art thou the worse for paines , or the better for pleasure , when both are past ? chap. ii. if thy fancy , and judgement have agreed in the choice of a fit wife , be not too fond , lest she surfeit , nor too peevish , lest she languish : love so , that thou mayst be fear'd ; rule so , that thou mayst be honour'd : be not too diffident , lest thou teach her to deceive thee , nor too suspicious , lest thou teach her to abuse thee : if thou see a fault , let thy love hide it ; if she continue it , let thy wisdome reprove it : reprove her not openly , lest she grow bold : rebuke her not tauntingly , lest she grow spitefull : proclaim not her beauty , lest she grow proud : hoast not her wisedome , lest thou be thought foolish ; shew her not thy imperfections , lest she disdaine thee : pry not into her dairy , lest she desprise thee : prophane not her eares with loose communication , lest thou defile the sanctuary of her modesty ? an understanding husband , makes a discreet wife ; and she , a happy husband . chap. iii. wrinckle not thy face with too much laughter , lest thou become ridiculous ; neither wanton thy heart with too much mirth , lest thou become vaine : the suburbs of folly is vaine mirth , and profusenesse of laughter , is the city of fooles . chap. iv. let thy tongue take counsell of one eye , rather then of two ears ; let the newes thou reportest be rather stale then false , lest thou be branded with the name of lyer . it is an intolerable dishonour to be that which onely to be call'd so , is thought worthy of a stabbe . chap. v. let thy discourse be such , as thy judgement may maintaine , and thy company may deserve . in neglecting this , thou losest thy words ; in not observing the other , thou losest thy selfe . give wash to swine , and wort to men ; so shalt thou husband thy gifts to the advantage of thy selfe , and shape thy discourse to the advancement of thy hearer . chap. vi . dost thou roar under the torments of a tyrant ? weigh them with the sufferance of thy s●viour , and they are no plague . dost thou rage under the bondage of a raving conscience ? compare it to thy saviours passion , and it is no paine have the tortures of hell taken hold of thy dispairing soule ? compare it to thy saviours torments , and it is no punishment : what sense unequally compares , let faith enterchangeably apply ; and thy pleasures have no comparison . thy sinnes are the authors of his sufferings ; and his hell is the price of thy heaven . chap. vii . art thou banisht from thy owne country ? thanke thy owne folly : hadst thou chosen a right home , thou hadst been no exul : hadst thou commanded thy owne kingdome , all kingdomes had been thy owne : the foole is banisht in his owne country ; the wiseman is in his owne country , though banisht : the foole wanders the wiseman travels . chap. viii . in seeking vertue , if thou find poverty , be not ashamed : the fault is none of thine . thy honour , or dishonour is purchased by thy owne actions . though vertue give a ragged livery , she gives a golden cognizance : if her service make thee poore , blush not . thy poverty may disadvantage thee , but not dishonour thee . chap. ix . gaze not on beauty too much , lest it blast thee : nor too long , lest it blind thee ; nor too near , lest it burne thee : if thou like it , it deceives thee ; if thou love it , it disturbs thee ; if thou lust after it , it destroies thee : if vertue accompany it , it is the hearts paradise ; if vice associate it , it is the soules purgatory : it is the wisemans bonefire , and the fooles furnace . chap. x. if thou wouldst have a good servant , let thy servant find a wise master : let his food , rest , and wages be seasonable : let his labour , recreations , and attendance depend upon thy pleasure : be not angry with him too long , lest he thinke thee malicious ; nor too soone , lest he ●onceive thee rash ; nor too often , lest he count thee humorous . be not too fierce lest he love thee not ; nor too remisse , lest he feare thee not ; nor too familiar , lest he prize thee not . in briefe , whil'st thou giv'st him the liberty of a servant , beware thou losest not the majesty of a master . chap. xi . if thou desire to be chast in wedlocke , keepe thy selfe chast before thou wedd'st : he that hath knowne pleasure unlawf●lly , will hardly be restrained from unlawfull pleasure . one woman was created for one man . he that straies beyond the limits of liberty , is brought into the verge of slavery . where one is enough , two is too many , and three is too few . chap. xii . if thou would'st be justified acknowledge thy injustice : he that confesses his sinne , begins his journy towards salvation : he that is sorry for it , mends his pace : he that forsakes it , is at his journies end . chap. xiii . before thou reprehend another , take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend . he that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers , makes a greater blur . chap. xiv . beware of drunkennesse , ●lest all good men beware of thee ; where drunkennesse reigns , there reason is an exul ; vertue , a stranger ; god an enemy ; blasphemy is wit , oathes are rhetoricke , and secrets are proclamations . noah discover'd that in one houre , drunke , which sober , he kept secret six hundred years . chap. xv . what thou givest to the poore , thou securest from the thiefe , but what thou withhold'dst from his necessity , a thiefe possesses . gods exchequer is the poore mans box : when thou strik'st a tally , he becomes thy debtor . chap. xvi . take no pleasure in the folly of an idiot , no● in the fancy of a lunaticke , nor in the frenzie of a drunkard . make them the object of thy pity , not of thy pastime ; when thou behold'st them , behold how thou art beholding to him that suffered thee not to be like them . there is no difference between thee and them but gods favour . chap. xvii . if being in eminent place , thou hast incur●'d the obloquy of the multitude , the more thou endeavourest to stop the streame , the more it over●owes● wisely rather divert the co●●e of the vulgar humour , by divulging and spreading some ridiculous novelty , which may present new matter to their various fancy , and stave their tongues from off thy worried name . the first subject of the common voice , is the last news . chap. xviii . if thou desire to see thy child vertuous , let him not see his fathers vices : thou canst not rebuke that in them , that they behold practis'd in thee ; till reason be ripe , examples direct more then precepts : such as thy behaviour is before thy childrens faces , such commonly is theirs behind their parents backs . chap. xix . vse law and physicke onely for necessity ; they that use them otherwise , abuse themselves into weake bodies , and light purses : they are good remedies , bad businesses , and worse recreations . chap. xx . be not over curious in prying into mysteries ; lest , by seeking things which are needlesse , thou omittest things which are necessary : it is more safe to doubt of uncertaine matters , then to dispute of undiscover'd mysteries . chap. xxi . if what thou hast received from god thou sharest to the poore , thou hast gained a blessing by the hand ; if what thou hast taken from the poore , thou givest to god , thou hast purchased a curse into the bargaine . he that puts to pious uses , what he hath got by impious usury , robs the spittle to raise an hospitall ; and the cry of the one , will out-plead the prayers of the other . chap. xxii . let the end of thy argument be rather to discover a doubtfull truth , then a commanding wit ; in the one , thou shalt gaine substance ; in the other , froth : that flint strikes the steele in vaine , that propagates no sparkles ; covet to be truths champion , at least to hold her colours : he that pleads against the truth , takes paines to be overthrown ; or , if a conquerour , gaines but vain-glory by the conquest . chap. xxiii . take no pleasure in the death of a creature ; if it be harmelesse or uselesse , destroy it not : if usefull , or harmefull destroy it mercifully : he that mercifully made his creatures for thy sake , expects thy mercy upon them for his sake . mercy turns her backe to the unmercifull . chap. xxiv . if thou are call'd to the dignity of a priest , the same voice cals thee to the honour of a judge ; if thy life and doctrine be good , thou shalt judge others : if thy doctrine be good , and thy life ba●● , onely thy selfe : if both be good , thou reachest thy people to escape condemnation : if this be good , and that bad , thou reachest god to condemne thee : chap. xxv . if thou be not a prometheus to advise before thou dost ; be an ep●metheus to examine when thou hast done : when the want of advise hath brought forth an improvident act , the act of examination may produce a profitable repentance . chap. xxvi . if thou desire the happinesse of thy soule , the health of thy body , the prosperity of thy estate , the preservation of thy credit , converse not with a harlot : her eyes runne thy reputation in debt ; her lips demand the payment : her breasts arrests thee ; her armes imprison thee ; from whence , beleeve it● thou shalt hardly get forth till thou hast either ended the dayes of thy credit , or pay'd the utmost farthing of thy estate . chap. xxvii . carry a watchfull eye upon those familiars that are either silent at thy faults , or sooth thee in thy frailties , or excuse thee in thy follies ; for such are either cowards , or flatterers , or fooles : if thou entertain them in prosperity , the coward will leave thee in thy dangers , the flatterer will quit thee in thy adversity : but the foole will never forsake thee . chap. xxviii . if thou hast an estate , and a sonne to inherit it , keep him not too short , lest he thinke thou livest too long ; what thou allowest him , let him receive from thy hand , as gift ; not from thy tenants , as rent : keep the reines of thy estate in thy owne hand , lest thou forsaking the soveraignty of a father , he forget the reverence of a child : let his liberty be grounded on thy permission , and keep him within the compasse of thy instruction : let him feele , thou hast the curbe , though occasion urge thee not to checke . give him the choise of his owne wife , if he be wise . counsell his affection rather then crosse it , if thou beest wise ; lest his marriage-bed be made in secret , or depend upon thy grave . if he be given to lavish company , endeavour to stave him off with lawfull recreations : be cheerfull with him , that he may love thy presence ; and wink at small faults , that thou maist gain him : be not always chiding , lest thou harden him ; neither knit thy brow too often , lest thou dishearten him : remember , the discretion of a father oft times prevents the destruction of a childe . chap. xxix . if thou hide thy treasure upon the earth , how canst thou expect to finde it in heaven ? canst thou hope to be a sharer where thou hast reposed no stocke ? what thou givest to gods glory , and thy soules health , is laid up in heaven , and is onely thine ; that alone , which thou exchangest , or hidest upon earth is lost . chap. xxx . regard not in thy pilgrimage how difficult the passage is , but whither it tends ; nor how delicate the journey is , but where it ends : if it be easie , suspect it ; if hard , endure it : he that cannot excuse a bad way , accuseth his owne sloth ; and he that stickes in a bad passage . can never attaine a good journies end . chap. xxxi . money is both the generation and corruption of purchas'd honour : honour is both the child and slave of potent money : the credit which honour hath lost , money hath found : when honour grew mercenary , money grew honourable . the way to be truly noble , is to contemn both . chap. xxxii . give not thy tongue too great a liberty , lest it take thee prisoner : a word unspoken is like the sword in thy scabberd , thine ; if vented , thy sword is in anothers hand : if thou desire to be held wise , be so wise as to hold thy tongue . chap. xxxiii . if thou be subject to any great vanity , nourish it not : if it will be entertained , encourage it not : if it grow strong , more strongly strive against it ; if too strong , pray against it ; if it weaken not , joyne fasting to the prayer ; if it shall continue , adde perseverance to both ; if it decline not , adde patience to all , and thou hast conquered it . chap. xxxiv . hath any wounded thee with injuries ? meet them with patience ; hastie words ranckle the wound , soft language dresses it , forgivenesse cures it , and oblivion takes away the scarre . it is more noble , by silence to avoid an injury , then by argument to overcome it . chap. xxxv . be not instable in thy resolutions , nor various in thy actions , nor inconstant in thy affections : so deliberate , that thou maist resolve ; so resolve , that thou maist performe ; so performe , that thou maist persevere : mutability is the badge of infirmity . chap. xxxvi . let not thy good intention flatter thee to an evill action ; what is essentially evill , no circumstance can make good ; it matters not with what mind thou didst that , which is unlawfull , being done : if the act be good , the intention crowns it ; if bad , it deposes thy intention : no evill action can be well done . chap. xxxvii . love not thy children too unequally ; or , if thou dost , shew it not , lest thou make the one proud , the other envious , and both fooles : if nature hath made a difference , it is the part of a tender parent to help the weakest . that triall is not fair , where affection is the judge . chap. xxxviii . in giving of thy almes , enquire not so much into the person , as his necessity : god looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires , as into the manner of him that releives : if the man deserve not , thou hast gien it to humanity . chap. xxxix . if thou desirest the eucharist should be thy supper , let thy life be thy chaplain ; if thy own worthinesse invites thee , presume not to come ; if the sorrowfull sense of thy own sinnes forbid thee , presume not to forbeare : if thy faith be strong , it will confirme it ; if weak , it will strengthen it : he onely that wants faith is the forbidden guest . chap. xl . vvouldst thou traffick with the best advantage , and crown thy vertues with the best return ? make the poor thy chapman , and thy purse thy factor : so shalt thou give trifles which thou could'st not keep , to receive treasure which thou canst not lose : there 's no such merchant as the charitable man . chap. lxi . follow not the multitude in the evill of sin , lest thou share with the multitude in the evill of punishment : the number of the offenders diminisheth not the quality of the offēce : as the multitude of suiters drawes more favour to the suite ; so the multitude of sinners drawes more punishment on the sin : the number of the faggots multiplies the fury of the fire . chap. lxii . if thou be angry with him that reproves thy sinne , thou secretly confessest his reproof to be just : if thou acknowledge his reproof to be just , thou secretly confessest thy anger to be unjust . he that is angry with the just reprover , kindles the fire of the just revenger● chap. xliii . doe well while thou maist , lest thou do evill when thou wouldst not : he that takes not advantage of a good power , shall lose the benefit of a good will . chap. xliv . let not mirth be thy profession , lest thou become a make-sport . he that hath but gain'd the title of a jester , let him assure himselfe , the fool 's not farre off . chap. xlv . in every relative action , change conditions with thy brother ; then aske thy conscience what thou wouldest be done to ; being truly resolved exchange again , and doe thou the like to him , and thy charity shall never erre : it is injustice to do , what without impatience thou canst not suffer . chap. xlvi . love thy neighbour for gods sake , and god for his owne sake , who created all things for thy sake , and redeemed thee for his mercy sake : if thy love have any other object , it is false love : if thy object have any other end , it is self-love . chap. xlvii . let thy conversation with men , be sober and sincere : let thy devotion to god be dutifull and decent : let the one be hearty , and not haughty ; let the other be humble , and not homely : so live with men , as if god saw thee ; so pray to god , as if men heard thee . chap. xlviii . gods pleasure is the wind our actions ought to say 〈◊〉 : mans will is the streame that tydes them up and down ; if the wind blow not , thou maist take the advantage of the tide ; if it blow , no matter which way the streame runs , if with thee , thy voyage will be the shorter ; if against thee , the sea ●ill bee the rougher : it is safer to strive against the stream , then to sayle against the wind. chap. xlix . if thou desire much rest. desire not too much : there is no lesse trouble in the preservation , then in the acquisition of abundance ; diogenes found more rest in his tub then alexander on his throne . chap. l. wouldst thou multiply thy riches ? diminish them wisely : or wouldst thou make thy estate entire ? divide it charitably : seeds that are scattered , encrease ; but hoarded up they perish . chap. li. how cam'st thou by thy honou● ? by mony : how cam'st thou by thy mony ? by extortion : compare thy penny worth with the price , and tell me truly , how truly 〈◊〉 u●able thou art ? it is an ill purchase that 's encumbred with a curse , and that honour will be ruinous that is built on ruines . chap. li. if thy brother hath privately offended thee , reprove him privately , and having lost himselfe in an injury , thou shalt find him in thy forgivenesse : he that rebukes a private fault openly , betrayes it , rather then reproves it . chap. liii . what thou desirest , inspect througly before thou prosecute : cast one eye upon the inconveniences , as well as the other upon the conveniences . weigh the fulnesse of the barne with the charge of the plough : weigh honour with her burthen , and pleasure with her dangers ; so shalt thou undertake wisely what thou desirest ; or moderate thy desires in undertaking . chap. liv. if thou owest thy whole selfe to thy god for thy creation , what hast thou left to pay for thy redemption , that was not so cheap as thy creation ? in thy creation , he gave thee thy selfe , and by thy selfe to him : in thy redemption hee gave himselfe to thee , and through him restor'd thee to thy selfe : thou art given and restor'd : now what owest thou unto thy god ? if thou hast paid all thy debts , give him the surplusage , and thou hast merited . chap. lv . in thy discourse take heed what thou speakest , to whom thou speakest , how thou speakest , and when thou speakest : what thou speakest , speak truly ; when thou speakest , speak wisely . a fools heart is in his tongue ; but a wise mans tongue is in his heart . chap. lvi . before thou act a theft , consider what thou art about to doe : if thou take it , thou losest thy selfe ; if thou keep it , thou disenablest thy redemption ; till thou restor●st it , thou canst not be restored ; when it is restor'd , it must cost thee more paine , and sorrow , then ever it brought thee pleasure or profit . it is a great folly to please the p●late with that which thou knowest , must either be vomited , or thy death . chap. lvii . silence is the highest wisdome of a fool , and speech is the greatest criall of a wise man ; if thou would'st ●e known a wise man , let thy words shew thee so ; if thou doubt thy words , let thy silence seign thee so . it is not a greater point of wisdome to discover knowledge , then to hide ignorance . chap. lviii . the clergy is a copy book their life is the paper , whereof some is purer , some courser : their doctrine is the copies , some written in a plain hand , others in a flourishing hand , some in a text hand , some in a roman hand , others in a court hand , others in a bastard roman : if the choise be in thy power , chuse a book that hath the finest paper , let it not bee too straight nor too loosely bound , but easie to lye open to every eye : follow not every copy , lest thou be good at none : among them all chuse one that shall be most legible and vse●ill , and fullest of instructions . but if the paper chance to have a blot , remember , the blot is no part of the copy . chap. lix . vertue is nothing but an act of loving th●t which is to be beloved , and that act is prudence● from whence not to be removed by co●● straint is ● ortitude ; not to be allu●●d by enticements is temperance ; not to be diverted by pride is justice . the declining of this act is vice . chap. lx . rebuke thy servants fault in private : publique reproof hardens his shame : if he be past a youth , strike him not : he is not fit for thy service , that after wise reproofes will either deserve thy strokes , or digest them . chap. lxi . take heed rather what thou receivest , then what thou givest ; what thou givest leaves thee , what thou takest , sticks by thee : he that presents a gift buyes the receiver , he that takes a gift sels his liberty . chap. lxii . things temporall , are sweeter in the expectation : things eeternall are sweeter in the fruition : the first shames thy hope , the second crownes it : it is a vain journey , whose end affords lesse pleasure then the way . chap. lxiii . know thy selfe that thou maist fear god : know god , that thou maist love him ; in this , thou art initiated to wisdome ; in that , perfected : the feare of god is the beginning of wisdome : the love of god is the fulfilling of the law . chap. lxiv . if thou hast providence to foresee a danger , let thy prudence rather prevent it , then feare it . the feare of future evils , brings oftentimes a present mischiefe : whilst thou seek'st to prevent it , practice to beare it . he is a wise man can avoyd an evill ; he is a patient man that can endure it ; but he is a valiant man can conquer it . chap. lxv . if thou hast the place of a magistrate , deserve it by thy justice , and dignifie it with thy mercy : take heed of early gifts : an open hand makes a blind eye : be not more apt to punish vice , then to encourage vertue . be not too severe , lest thou be hated , nor too remisse , lest thou be sleighted : so execute justice , that thou mayst be loved : so execute mercy , that thou mayest be feared . chap. lxvi . let not thy table exceed the fourth part of thy revenue : let thy provision be solid , and not farre fetcht , fuller of substance then art : be wisely frugall in thy preparation , and freely cheerfull in thy entertainment : if thy guests be right , it is enough ; if not , it is too much : too much is a vanity ; enough is a feast . chap. lxvii . let thy apparell be decent , and suited to the quality of thy place and purse : too much punctualitie , and too much morositie , are the two poles of pride : be neither too early in the fashion , nor too long out of it , nor too precisely in it : what custome hath civiliz'd , is become decent , till then , ridiculous : where the eye is the jury , thy apparell is the evidence . chap. lxviii . if thy words be too luxuriant , confine them , lest they confine thee : he that thinks he never can speake enough , may easily speake too much● a full tongue , and an empty braine , are seldome parted . chap. lxix . in holding of an argument , be neither cholericke , nor too opinionate ; the one distempers thy understanding ; the other abuses thy judgement : above all things decline paradoxes and mysteries : thou shalt receive no honour , either in maintaining ranke falshoods , or medling with secret truths ; as he that pleads against the truth , makes wit the mother of his errour : so he that argues beyond warrant , makes wisedome the midwife of his folly . chap. lxx . detaine not the wages from the poor man that hath earn'd it , lest god withhold thy wages from thee : if he complaine to thee , heare him , lest he complaine to heaven , where he will be heard : if he hunger for thy sake , thou shalt not prosper for his sake . the poore mans penny is a plague in the rich mans purse . chap. lxxi . be not too cautious in discerning the fit objects of thy charity , lest a soule perish through thy discretion : what thou givest to mistaken want , shall returne a blessing to thy deceived heart : better in relieving idlenesse to commit an accidentall evill , then in neglecting misery to omit an essentiall good : better two drones be preserv'd , then one bee perish . chap. lxii . theology is the empresse of the world ; mysteries are her privy councell ; religion is her clergy ; the arts her nobility ; philosophy her secretary ; the graces her maids of honour ; the morall vertues , the ladies of her bedchamber ; peace is her chamberlaine ; true joy , and endlesse pleasures are her courtiers ; plenty her treasurer ; poverty her exchequer ; the temple is her court : if thou desire accesse to this great majesty , the way is by her courtiers ; if thou hast no power there , the common way to the soveraigne is the secretary . chap. lxxiii . it is an evill knowledge to know the good thou shouldst embrace , unlesse thou likewise embrace the good thou knowest : the breath of divine knowledge , is the bellowes of divine love , and the flame of divine love , is the perfection of divine knowledge . chap. lxxiv . if thou desire rest unto thy soule , be just : he that doth no injury , fears not to suffer injury : the unjust mind is alwayes in labour : it either practises the evill it hath projected , or projects to avoid the evill it hath deserved . chap. lxxv . accustome thy palat to what is most usuall : he that delights in rarities , must often feed displeased , and sometimes lie at the mercy of a deare market : common food nourishes best , delicates please most : the sound stomacke preferres neither . what a●t thou the worse for the last yeares plaine diet , or what now the better for thy last great feast ? chap. lxxvi . vvho ever thou art , thou hast done more evill in one day , then thou canst expiate in six ; and canst thou thinke the evill of six dayes , can require lesse then one ? god hath made us rich in dayes , by allowing six , and himselfe poore by reserving but one ; and shall we spare our owne flocke , and sheare his lambe ? he that hath done nothing but what he can justifie in the six dayes , may play the seventh . chap. lxxvii . hope and feare , like hippocrates twins , should live and dye together : if hope depart from feare , it travels by security , and lodges in presumption ; if feare depart from hope , it travels to infidelitie , and innes in despaire , the one shuts up heaven , the other opens hell ; the one makes thee insensible of gods frownes , the other , incapable of gods favours ; and both teach god to be unmercifull , and thee to be most miserable . chap. lxxviii close thine eare against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another : if thou receive not his words , they flye back , and wound the reporter : if thou receive them , they flee forward , and wound the receiver . chap. lxxix . if thou wouldst preserve a sound body , use fasting and walking ; if a healthfull soule , fasting and praying ; walking exercises the body , praying exercises the soule , fasting cleanses both . chap. lxxx . vvouldst thou not be thought a foole in anothers conceit ? be not wise in thine owne : he that trusts to his owne wisedome , proclaimes his owne folly : he is truly wise , and shall appeare so , that hath folly enough to be thought not worldly wise , or wisedome enough to see his owne folly . chap. lxxxi . desir'st thou knowledge ? know the end of thy desire : is it only to know ? then it is curiosity : is it because thou mayst be knowne ? then 't is vanity : if because thou mayst edefie , it is charity : if because thou mayst be edefied , it is wisedome . that knowledge turnes to meere excrement , that hath not some heate of wisedome to digest it . chap. lxxxii . vvisedome without innocency is knavery ; innocency without wisedome is foolery : be therefore as wise as serpents , and innocent as doves : the subtilty of the serpent , instructs the innocency of the dove : the innocency of the dove , corrects the subtilty of the serpent : what god hath joyn'd together , let no man seperate . chap. lxxxiii . the more thou imitatest the vertues of a saint departed , the better thou celebrat'st that saints day . god is not pleased with surfetting for his sake , who with his fasting so often pleas'd his god . chap. lxxxiv . chuse not thy serv'ceable souldier out of soft apparell , lest he prove effeminate , nor out of a full purse , lest he grow timorous : they are more fit for action , that are fiery to gaine a fortune abroad , then they that have fortunes to lose at home . expectation breeds spirit ; fruition brings feare . chap. lxxxv . god hath given to mankinde a common library , his creatures ; and to every man a proper booke , himselfe , being an abridgement of all the others : if thou reade with understanding , it will make thee a great master of philosophy , and a true servant to the divine authou● : if thou but barely reade , it will make thee thy owne wise man , and the authours foole . chap. lxxxvi . doubt is a weake childe lawfully begotten between an obstructed judgement , and a faire understanding . opinion is a bold bastard gotten betweene a strong fancie , and a weak judgement ; it is lesse dishonourable to be ingenuously doubtfull , then rashly opinionate . chap. lxxxvii . as thou art a morall man , esteem thy selfe not as thou art , but as thou art esteem'd . as thou art a christian , esteeme thy selfe as thou art , not as thou art esteem'd : thy price in both rises and fals as the market goes . the market of a morall man is wild opinion . the market of a christian is a good conscience . chap. lxxxviii . providence is an exercise of reason ; experience an act of sense : by how much reason excels sense , by so much providence exceeds experience . providence prevents that danger , which experience repents : providence is the rationall daughter of wisedome : experience the empiricall mistresse of fooles . chap. lxxxix . hath fortune dealt the ill cards ? let wisedome make thee a good gamester : in a faire gale , every foole may sayle ; but wise behaviour in a storme commends the wisdome of a pilot : to bear adversity with an equall minde , is both the sign and glory of a bave spirit . chap. xc . if any speake ill of thee , flee home to thy owne conscience , and examine thy heart : if thou be guilty , 't is a just correction : if not guilty , 't is a faire instruction : make use of both , so shalt thou distill hony out of gall , and out of an open enemy , create a secret friend . chap. xci . as the exercise of the body naturall is moderate recreation , so the exercise of the body politicke , is military discipline : by that the one is made more able , by this , the other is made more active : where both are wanting , there wants no danger to the one , through a humorous superfluity , to the other , by a negligent security . chap. xcii . god is above thee , beasts are beneath thee : acknowledge him that is above thee , and thou shalt be acknowledg'd by them that are under thee : whil'st daniel acknowledg'd god to be above him ; the lions acknowledg'd daniel●o be above them . chap. xciii . take heed whil'st thou she west wisedome in not speaking , thou betrayest not thy folly in too long silence : if thou art a foole , thy silence is wisedome ; if a wise man , too long silence is folly ; as too many words from a fooles mouth , gives a wise man no leave to speake ; so too long silence in a wise man , gives a foole the opportunity of speaking , and makes thee guilty of his folly . chap. xciv . consider what thou wert , what thou art , what thou shalt be : what 's within thee , what 's above thee , what 's beneath thee , what 's against thee : what was before thee , what shall be after thee ; and this will bring to thy selfe humility , to thy neighbour charity , to the world contempt , to thy god obedience : hee that knowes not himselfe positively , can not knowe himselfe relatively . chap. xcv . thinke not thy love to god merits gods love to thee : his acceptance of thy duty crowns his owne gifts in thee : mans love to god is nothing but a faint reflection of gods love to man . chap. xcvi . be alwayes lesse willing to speake then to heare ; what thou hearest thou receivest ; what thou speakest thou givest . it is more glorious to give , more profitable to receive . chap. xcvii . seest thou good dayes ? prepare for evill times : no summer but hath his winter : he never reap'd comfort in adversity , that sow'd it not in prosperity . chap. xcviii . if being a magistrate , thou connivest at vice , thou nourishest it ; if thou sparest it ; thou committest it : what is not , by thee , punisht in others , is made punishable in thee . he that favours present evils , en●tayles them upon his posterity : hee that excuses the guilty , condemnes the innocent . chap xcix . truth haunts no corners , seeks no by-wayes : if thou professe it , do it openly : if thou seeke it , do it fairely : he deserves not to professe truth , that professes it fearefully : he deserves not to finde the truth that seekes it fraudulently . chap. c. if thou desire to be wiser yet , think not thy selfe yet wise enough : and if thou desire to improve knoweledge in thy selfe despise not the instructions of another : he that instructs him that thinkes himselfe wise enough , hath a foole to his schollar : he that thinkes himselfe wise enough to instruct himselfe , hath a foole to his master . the end of the third century . the fourth century . chap. i. demeane thy selfe more war●y in thy study , then in the street . if thy publique actions have a hundred witnesses , thy p●i●●t have a thousand . the mul●●●●de lookes but upon thy actions● 〈◊〉 conscience lookes into them 〈◊〉 multitude may chance to excuse thee , i● not acquit thee , thy conscience will accuse thee , if not condemn thee . chap. ii. of all vices take heed of drunkennesse ; other vices are but fruits of disordered affections : this disorders , nay , banishes reason : other vices but impaire the soule , this demolishes her two chiefe faculties ; the understanding , and the will : other vices make their owne way ; this makes way for all vices : hee that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice . chap. iii. if thy sinne trouble thee , let that trouble comfort thee ; as pleasure in the remembrance of sinne exasperates justice , so sorrow in the repentance of sinne mollifies mercy : it is lesse danger to commit the 〈◊〉 we delight in , then to delight in the sinne we have committed , and more joy is promis'd to repentance , then to innocency . chap. iv. the way to god is by thy selfe ; the way to thy selfe is by thy owne corruptions : he that baulkes this way , erres ; he that travels by the creatures , wanders . the motion of the heavens shall give thy soule no rest : the vertue of herbs shall not encrease thine . the height of all philosophy , both naturall and morall , is to know thy selfe , and the end of this knoweledge is to know god . chap. v. infamy is where it is receiv'd : if thou art a mudde-wall , it wil stick ; if marble , it will rebound : if thou storme at it , 't is thine : if thou contemne it , 't is his . chap. vi . if thou desire magistracy , learne to forget thy selfe ; if thou undertake it , bid thy selfe farewell ; he that lookes upon a common cause with private eyes , lookes through false glasses . in the exercise of thy politique office , thou must forget both ethickes and oeconomickes . he that puts on a publique gowne , must put off a private person . chap. vii . let the words of a virgin , though in a good cause , and to as good purpose , be neither violent , many , nor first , nor last : it is lesse shame for a virgin to be lost in a blushing silence , then to be found in a bold eloquence . chap. viii . art thou in plenty ? give what thou wilt : art thou in poverty ? give what thou canst : as what is receiv'd , is receiv'd according to the manner of the receiver ; so what is given , is priz'd according to the measure of the giver : he is a good workeman that makes as good worke as his matter will permit . chap. ix . ggd is the author of truth , the devill the father of lies : if the telling of a truth shall endanger thy life , the authour of truth will protect thee from the danger , or reward thee for thy dammage . if the tell 〈◊〉 lye may secure thy life , the father of lyes will beguile thee of thy gaines , or traduce the security . better by losing of a life to save it , then by saving of a life to lose it . however , better thou perish then the truth . chap. x. consider not so much what thou hast , as what others want : what thou hast , take heed thou lose not . what thou hast not , take heed thou covet not : if thou hast many above thee , turne thy eye upon those that are under thee : if thou hast no inferiours , have patience a while , and thou shalt have no superiours . the grave requires no marshall . chap xi . if thou ●eest any thing in thy self , which may make thee proud , look a little further , and thou shalt find enough to humble thee ; if thou be wise , view the peacocks feathers with his feet , and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections . he thar would rightly prize the man , must read his whole story . chap. xii . let not the sweetnesse of contemplation be so esteem'd , that action be despis'd , rachel was more faire , lea more fruitfull : as contemplation is more delightfull , so is it more dangerous : lot was upright in the city and wicked in the mountaine . chap. xiii . if thou hast but little , make it not lesse by murmuring : if thou hast enough , make it not too much by unthankefulnesse : he that is not thankfully contented with the least favour he hath receiv'd , hath made himselfe incapable of the least favour he can receive . chap. xiv . vvhat thou hast taken unlawfully , restore speedily , for the sinne in taking it , is repeated every minute thou keep'st it : if thou canst , restore it in kinde : if not , in value ; if it may be , restore it to the party ; if not , to god : the poore is gods receiver . chap. xv . let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it : hee that feares otherwise , gives advantage to the danger : it is lesse folly not to endeavour the prevention of the evill thou fearest , then to feare the evill which thy endeavor cannot prevent . chap. xvi . if thou hast any excellence which is thine owne , thy tongue may glory in it without shame ; but if thou hast receiv'd it , thy glory is but usurpation ; and thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame : where vain-glory commands , there folly counsels ; where pride rides , there shame lacquies . chap. xvii . ggd hath ordained his creatures , not onely for necessity , but delight ; si●ce he hath carv'd thee with a bountifull hand , feare not to receive it with a liberall heart : he that gave thee water to allay thy thirst , gave thee wine to exhilarate thy heart . restore him for the one , a necessity of thankes , returne him for the other , the chearfulnesse of praise . chap. xviii . if the wicked flourish and thou suffer , discourage not : they are fatted for destruction ; thou art dieted for health ; they have no other heaven but the hopes of a long earth ; thou hast nothing on earth but the hopes of a quicke heaven : if there were no journies end , the travell of a christian were most comfortlesse . chap. xix . impe not thy wings with the churches feathers , lest thou flie to thy owne ruine : impropriations are bold metaphors ; which continued , are deadly allegories : one foot of land in capite , encumbers the whole estate : the eagle snatcht a coale from the altar , but it fired her nest. chap. xx . let that table which god hath pleas'd to give thee , please thee : he that made the vessell knows her b●rthen , and how to ballast her ; he that made all things very good , cannot but doe all things very well ; if thou be content with a little , thou hast enough : if thou complainest thou hast too much . chap. xxi . vvouldst thou discover the true worth of a man ? behold him naked : distreasure him of his ill-got wealth , degrade him of his deare bought honour● disrobe him of his purple habit● discard his pamper'd body ; then looke upon his soule , and thou shalt finde how great he is , naturall sweetnesse is never sented but in the absence of artificiall . chap. xxii . if thou art subject to any secret folly blab it not , lest thou appeare impudent ; nor boast of it , lest thou seem insolent . every mans vanity ought to be his greatest shame : and every mans folly ought to be his greatest secret . chap. xxiii . if thou be ignorant , endeavour to get knowledge , lest thou be beaten with stripes : if thou hast attain'd knowledge , put it in practice , lest thou be beaten with many stripes . better not to know what we should practice , then not to practice what we know ; and lesse danger dwels in unaffected ignorance , then unactive knowledge . chap. xxiv . take heed thou harbor not that vice call'd envy , lest anothers happinesse be thy torment , and gods blessing become thy curse : vertue corruted with vain-glory , turnes pride : pride poyson'd with malice , becomes envy : joyne therefore humility with thy vertue , and pride shall have no footing , and envy shall finde no entrance . chap. xxv . if thy endeavour cannot prevent a vice , let thy repentance lament it : the more thou remembrest it without hearts griefe ; the deeper it is rooted in thy heart : take heed it please thee not , especially in cold blood . thy pleasure in it makes it fruitfull , and her fruit is thy destruction . chap. xxvi . the two knowledges , of god , and thy selfe , are the high way to thy salvation ; that breeds in thee a filiall love ; this a filiall feare . the ignorance of thy selfe is the beginning of all sinne , and the ignorance of god is the perfection of all evill . chap. xxvii . rather do nothing to the purpose , then be idle , that the devill may finde thee doing : the bird that sits is easily shot , when fliers scape the fowler : idlenesse is the dead sea that swallowes all vertues , and the selfe-made sepulcher of a living man : the idle man is the devils hir●ling ; whose livery is rags● whose diet and wages are famine , and diseases . chap. xxviii . be not so madde as to alter that countenance which thy creatour made thee : remember it was the worke of his hands ; if it be bad , how dar'st thou mend it ? if it be good , why dost thou mend it ? art thou asham'd of his worke , and proud of thy owne ? he made thy face to be knowne by , why desirest thou to be knowne by another : it is a shame to adulterate modesty , but more to adulterate nature . lay by thy art , and blush not to appeare , what he blushes not to make thee . it is better to be his picture then thy owne . chap. xxix . let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience : examine not why it is commanded , but observe it , because it is commanded . true obedience neither procrastinates , nor questions . chap. xxx . if thou would buy an inheritance in heaven , advise not with thy purse , les● in the meane while thou lo●e thy purchase : the widow bought as much for two mites , as zaccheus did for halfe his estate : the prize of that purchase is what thou hast , and is not lost for what thou hast not , if thou desire to have it . chap. xxxi . vvith the same height of desire thou hast sinn'd , with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent : thou that hast sinn'd to day , deferre not thy repentance till to morrow : he that hath promised pardon to thy repentance , hath not promised life till thou repent . chap. xxxii . take heed how thou receivest praise from men : from good men neither avoid it , nor glory in it . from evill men , neither desire it , nor expect it : to be praised of them that are evill , or for that which is evill , is equall dishonour : he is happy in his worth , who is praised by the good , and imitated by the bad . chap. xxxiii . proportion thy charity to the strength of thy estate , lest god proportion thy estate to the weakenes●e of thy charity : let the lips of the poore be the trumpet of thy gift , lest in seeking applause , thou lose thy reward . nothing is more pleasing to god then an open hand , and a close mouth . chap. xxxiv . dost thou want things necessary ? grumble not : perchance it was a necessary thing thou should'st want : endeavour lawfully to supply it ; if god blesse not thy endeavour , blesse him that knoweth what is fittest for thee . thou art gods patient : prescribe not thy physitian . chap. xxxv . if anothers death , or thy own depend upon thy confession , if thou canst , say nothing : if thou must , say the truth : it is better , thou loose thy life , then god , his honour : it is as easie for him to give thee life , being condemn'd ; as repentance , having sinn'd : it is more wisdome to yeeld thy body , then hazard thy soule . chap. xxxvi . cloath not thy language , either with obscurity , or affectation : in the one thou discover'st too much darknes , in the other , too much lightnes : he that speaks from the understanding , to the understanding , is the best interpreter . chap. xxxvii . if thou expect death as a friend , prepare to entertaine it : if thou expect death as an enemy , prepare to overcome it : death has no advantage , but when it comes a stranger . chap. xxxviii . feare nothing , but what thy industry may prevent : be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat : it is no lesse folly to feare what is impossible to be avoided , then to be secure when there is a possibility to be depriv'd . chap. xxxix . let not the necessity of gods decree discourage thee to pray , or dishearten thy prayers ; doe thou thy duty , and god will doe his pleasure : if thy prayers make not him sound that is sicke , they will returne , and confirme thy health that art sound : if the end of thy prayer be to obtain thy request , thou confinest him that is infinite : if thou hast done well , because thou wert commanded , thou hast thy reward in that thou hast obeyed . gods pleasure is the end of our prayers . chap. xl . marry not too young , and when thou art too old , marry not , lest thou be fond in the one , or thou dote in the other , and repent for both : let thy liking ripen before thou love : let thy love advise before thou choose ; and let thy choice be fixt before thou marry : remember that the whole happinesse or unhappinesse of thy life depends upon this one act. remember nothing but death can dissolve this knot . he that weds in haste , repents ofttimes by leisure : and he that repents him of his owne act , either is , or was a foole by confession . chap. xli . if god hath sent thee a crosse , take it up and follow him : use it wisely , lest it be unprofitable ; beare it patiently , lest it be intolerable : behold in it gods anger against sinne , and his love towards thee ; in punishing the one , and chastening the other : if it be light , sleight it not ; if heavy murmure not : not to be sensible of a judgement is the symptome of a hardned heart ; and to be displeas'd at his pleasure , is a signe of a rebellious will . chap. xlii . if thou desire to be magnanimous , undertake nothing rashly , and feare nothing thou undertak'st : feare nothing but infamy : dare any thing but injury ; the measure of magnanimity , is neither to be rash , nor timorous . chap. xliii . practise in health , to beare sicknesse , and endeavour in the strength of thy life to entertaine death : he that hath a will to die , not having power to live , shewes necessity not vertue : it is the glory of a brave mind to embrace pangs in the very a●mes of pleasure : what name of vertue merits he , that goes when he is driven ? chap. xliv . be not too punctuall in taking place : if he be thy superiour , 't is his due ; if thy inferiour , 't is his dishonour : it is thou must honour thy place ; thy place , not thee . it is a poor reward of worth that consists in a right hand , or a brick-wall . chap. xlv . pray often , because thou sinn'st alwayes : repent quickly , lest thou die suddenly . he that repents it , because he wants power to act it , repents not of a sin , till he forsakes not : he that wants power to actuate his sin , hath not forsaken his sin , but his sin him . chap. xlvi . make philosophy thy journey , theology thy journeyes end : philosophy is a pleasant way , but dangerous to him that either tires or retires : in this journey it 's safe , neither to loyter , nor to rest , till thou hast attained thy journeyes end : he that sits downe a philosopher , rises up an atheist . chap. xlvii . feare not to sinne , for gods sake , but thy owne ; thy sinne overthrowes not his glory , but thy good : he gaines his glory not only from the salvation of the repentant , but also from the confusion of the rebellious : there be vessels for honour , and vessels for dishonour , but both for his honour . god is not grieved for the glory he shall lose for thy improvidence , but for the horror thou shalt finde for thy impenitence . chap. xlviii . insult not over misery , nor deride infirmity , nor despise deformity . the first , shews thy inhumanity : the second , thy folly ; the third , thy pride : he that made him miserable , made thee happy to lament him : he that made him weake , made thee strong to support him : he that made him deform'd , gave thee favour to be humbled : he that is not sensible of anothers unhappinesse , is a living stone ; but he that makes misery the object of his triumph is an incarnate devill . chap. xlix . make thy recreations , servants to thy businesses , lest thou become slave to thy recreations : when thou goest up into the mountaine , leave this servant in the valley : when thou goest to the city , leave him in the suburbs . and remember , the servant must not be greater then his master . chap. l. praise no man too liberally before his face , nor censure him too lavishly behind his backe , the one favours of flattery ; the other , of malice ; and both are reprehensible : the true way to advance anothers vertue , is to follow it ; and the best meanes to cry downe anothers vice , is to decline it . chap. li. if thy prince command a lawfull act , give him all active obedience : if he command an unlawfull act , give him passive obedience . what thy well-grounded conscience will suffer , doe chearfully without repining ; where thou maist not do lawfully , suffer couragiously without rebellion : thy life and livelihood is thy princes , thy conscience is thy owne . chap. lii . if thou givest , to receive the like , it is exchange : if to receive more , it is covetousnesse : if to receive thanks , it is vanity : if to be seen , it is vain-glory ; if to corrupt , it is bribery ; if for example , it is formality ; if for compassion , it is charity ; if because thou art commanded , it is obedience . the affection in doing the work , gives a name to the work done . chap. liii . fear death , but be not afraid of death . to feare it , whets thy expectation : to be afraid of it , duls thy preparation : if thou canst endure it , it is but a sleight pain ; if not , it is but a short pain : to fear death is the way to live long ; to be afraid of death , is to be long a dying . chap. liv. if thou desire the love of god and man , be humble ; for the proud heart , as it loves none but it selfe , so it is beloved of none , but by it self : the voice of humility is gods musick , and the silence of humility is gods rhetorick . humility enforces , where neither vertue nor strength can prevaile , nor reason . chap. lv . look upon thy burning taper , and there see the embleme of thy life : the flame is thy soule ; the wax , thy body , and is commonly a span long ; the wax , ( if never so well tempered ) can but last his length ; and who can lentghen it ? if il tempered , it shall wast the faster , yet last his length ; an open window shall hasten either ; an extinguisher shall put out both : husband them the best thou canst , thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date : leave them to the injury of the winde , or to the mercy of a wastfull hand , thou hastnest them , but still they burn their length : but puffe them out , and thou hast shortned them , and stopt their passage , which else had brought them to their appointed end . bodies according to their constitutions , stronger or weaker , according to the eequality or inequality of their elements , have their dates , and may be preserv'd from shortning , but not lengthened . neglect may wast them , ill diet may hasten them unto their journies end , yet they have liv'd their length ; a violent hand may interrupt them ; a sudden death may stop them , and they are shortned . it lies in the power of man , either permissively to hasten , or actively to shorten , but not to lengthen or extend the limits of his naturall life . he onely , ( if any ) hath the art to lengthen out his taper that puts it to the best advantage . chap. lvi . demean thy selfe in the presence of thy prince , with reverence and chearfulnesse . that , without this , is too much sadnes ; this without that is too much boldnesse : let thy wisdome endeavour to gain his opinion , and labour to make thy loyalty his confidence : let him not find thee false in words , unjust in thy actions , unseasonable in thy suits , nor carelesse in his service : crosse not his passion , question not his pleasures , presse not into his secrets ; pry not into his prerogative : displease him not , lest he be angry ; appeare not displeas'd , lest he be jealous : the anger of a king is implacable : the jealousy of a prince is incurable . chap. lvii . give thy heart to thy creator , and reverence to thy superiors : give diligence to thy calling , and eare to good counsell : give almes to the poor , and the glory to god : forgive him that ignorantly offends thee , and him that having wittingly offended thee , seeks thee . forgive him that hath forcibly abused thee & him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee : forgive all thine enemies , but least of all , thy selfe : give , and it shall be given thee ; forgive , and it shall be forgiven thee ; the sum of all christianity is , give , and forgive . chap. lviii . bee not too great a niggard in the commendations of him that professes thy own quality : if he deserve thy praise , thou hast discovered thy judgement ; if not , thy modesty : honour either returns , or reflects to the giver . chap. lix . if thy desire to raise thy fortunes , encourage thy delights to the casts of fortune , be wise betimes , lest thou repent too late ; what thou gettest , thou gainest by abused providence ; what thou losest , thou losest by abused patience ; what thou winnest is prodigally spent ; what thou losest is prodigally lost : it is an evill trade that prodigality drives : and a bad voyage where the pilot is blind . chap. lx . bee very wary for whom thou becomest security , and for no more then thou art able to discharge , if thou lovest thy liberty . the borrower is a slave to the lender : the security is a slave to both : whilst the borrower and lender are both eased , the security beares both their burthens : he is a wise security that secures himselfe . chap. lxi . look upon thy affliction as thou doest upon thy physick : both imply a disease , and both are applyed for a cure ; that , of the body ; this of the soule : if they work , they promise health health : if not , they threaten death : he is not happy that is not afflicted , but he that findes happinesse by his affliction . chap. lxii . if the knowledge of good whet thy desire to good , it is a happy knowledge : if by thy ignorance of evill , thou art surpriz'd with evill , it is an unhappy ignorance . happy is he that hath so much knowledge of good , as to desire it , and but so much knowledge of evill , as to feare it . chap. lxiii . when the flesh presents thee with delights , then present thy selfe with dangers : where the world possesses thee with vain hopes , there possesse thy selfe with true feare : when the divell brings thee oyle , bring thou vinegar . the way to be safe , is never to be secure . chap. lxiv . if thy brother hath offended thee , forgive him freely , and be reconciled : to doe evill for evill , is humane corruption : to doe good for good is civill retribution : to do good for evill is christian perfection : the act of forgivnesse is gods precept : the manner of forgivenesse is gods president . chap. lxv . reverence the writings of holy men , but lodge not thy faith upon them , because but men : they are good pooles , but no ●ountaines . build on paul himselfe no longer then he builds on christ : if peter renounce his master , renounce peter . the word of man may convince reason ; but the word of god alone can compell conscience . chap. lxvi . in civill things follow the most ; in matters of religion , the fewest ; in all things follow the best : so shall thy wayes bee pleasing to god ; so shall thy behaviour be plausible with men . chap. lxvii . if any losse or misery hath befalne to thy brother , dissemble it to thy self : and what counsell thou givest him , register carefully ; and when the case is thine , follow it : so shall thy owne reason convince thy passion , or thy passion confesse her own unreasonablnes . chap. lxviii . when thou goest about to change thy morall liberty into a christian servitude , prepare thy selfe to be the worlds laughing-stock : if thou overcome her scoffs , thou shalt have double honor : if overcome , double shame : he is unworthy of a good master , that is asham'd of a bad livery . chap. lxix . let not the falling of a salt , or the crossing of a hare , or the crying of a cricket trouble thee . they portend no evill , but what thou fearest : he is ill acquainted with himselfe ; that knowes not his own fortunes more then they . if evill follow it , it is the punishment of thy superstition ; not the fulfilling of their portent : all things are lucky to thee , if thou wilt , nothing but is ominous to the superstitious . chap. lxx . so behave thy self in thy course of life , as at a banquet . take what is offer'd with modest thankfulnesse : and expect what is not as yet offer'd with hopefull patience : let not thy rude appetite presse thee , nor a sleight carefulnesse indispose thee , nor a sullen discontent deject thee , who desires more then enough , hath too much : and he that is satisfied with a little hath no lesse then enough : be●●●st cui deus obtulit parcâ , quod sat is est , manu . chap. lxxi . is thy child dead ? he is restor'd , not lost : is thy treasure stolne ? it is not lost , it is restored : he is an ill debtor , that counts repayment losse . but it was an evill chance that took thy child , and a wicked hand that stole thy treasure : what is that to thee ? it matters not by whom he requires the things from whom he lent them : what goods are ours by loan , are not lost when willingly restored , but when unworthily receiv'd . chap. lxxii . censure no man , detract from no man : praise no man before his face ; traduce no man behinde his back . boast not thy selfe abroad , nor flatter thy selfe at home : if any thing crosse thee , accuse thy self : if any one extoll thee , humble thy selfe . honour those that instruct thee , and be thankfull to those that reprehend thee . let all thy desires be subjected to reason , and let thy reason be corrected by religion . weigh thy selfe by thy own ballances , and trust not the voice of wild opinion : observe thy selfe as thy greatest enemy , so shalt thou become thy greatest friend . chap. lxxiii . endeavour to make thy discourse such , as may adminster profit to thy selfe , or standers by , thou incurre the danger of an idle word : above all subjects , avoid those which are seurrilous , and obscene ; tales that are impertinent , and improbable , and dreams . chap. lxxiv . if god hath blest thee with a son , blesse thou that son with a lawfull calling : chuse such employment , as may stand with his fancie , and thy judgement : his country claymes his ability toward the building of her honour . if he cannot bring a cedar , let him bring a shrub . hee that brings nothing usurps his life , and robs his country of a servant . chap. lxxv . at the first entrance into thy estate , keep a low saile : thou maist rise with honour ; thou canst not decline without shame : he that begins as his father ended , shall end as his father begun . chap. lxxvi . if any obscene tale should chance to slip into thine ears , among the varieties of discourse ( if opportunity admit ) reprove it : if otherwise , let thy silence , or change of countenance interpret thy dislike : the smiling ear is baud to the lascivious tongue . chap. lxxvii . bee more circumspect over the works of thy braine , then the actions of thy body : these have infirmity to plead for them : but they must stand upon their own bottomes : these are but the objects of few ; they , of all : these will have equals to defend them : they have inferiours to envie them ; superiors , to deride them ; al to censure them : it is no lesse danger for these to be proclaim'd at pauls crosse , then for them to be protested in pauls church-yard . chap. lxxviii . vse common place-books , or collections , as indexes to lig● thee to the authours , lest thou be bus'd : he that takes learning up on trust , makes him a faire cup-board with anothers plate . he is an ill advised purchaser , whose title depends more on witnesses then evidences . chap. lxxix . if thou desire to make the best advantage of the muses , either by reading to benefit thy selfe , or by writing , others , keep a peacefull soul in a temperate body : a full belly makes a dull brain ; and a turbulent spirit , a distracted judgement : the muses starve in a cooks shop , and a lawyers study . chap. lxxx . vvhen thou communicates thy selfe by letters , heighten or depresse thy stile according to the quality of the party and businesse ; that which thy tongue would present to any , if present , let thy pen represent to● him , abse●t : the tongue is the mindes interpreter , and the pen is the tongues secretary . chap. lxxxi . keep thy soule in exercise , lest her faculties rust for want of motion : to eat , sleepe , or sport too long stops the naturall course of her naturall actions : to dwell too long in the employments of the body , is both the cause , and signe of a dull spirit . chap. lxxxii . be very circumspect to whose tuition thou committ'st thy childe : every good schollar is not a good master . he must be a man of invincible patience , and singular observation : he must study children that will teach them well , and reason must rule him that would rule wisely : he must not take advantage of an ignorant father , nor give too much ●ar to an indulgent grandmother : the cōmon good must outweigh his private gaines , and his credit must out-bid gratuities : he must be deligent , and sober , not too familiar , nor too reserv'd , neither amorous nor phantasticke : just , without fiercenesse , mercifull , without fondnesse : if such a one thou meet with , thou hast found a treasure , which , if thou know'st how to value , is invaluable . chap. lxxxiii . let not thy laughter handsell thy owne jest , lest whilst thou laugh at it , others laugh at thee : neither tell it often to the same hearers , lest thou be thought forgetfull , or barren . there is no sweetnesse in a cabage twice sod , or a tale twice told . chap. lxxxiv . if opinion hath lighted the lampe of thy name , endeavour to encourage it with thy owne oyle , lest it go out and stinke : the chronicall disease of popularity is shame : if thou be once up , beware : from fame to infamy is a beaten roade . chap. lxxxv . clense thy morning soule with private and due devotions ; till then admit no businesse : the first-borne of thy thoughts are gods , and not thine , but by sacriledge : thinke thy selfe not ready till thou hast prais'd him , and he will be alwayes ready to blesse thee . chap. lxxxvi . in all thy actions thinke god sees thee ; and in all his actions labour to see him ; that will make thee fear him ; this will move thee to love him ; the feare of god is the beginning of knowledge , and the knowledge of god is the perfection of love . chap. lxxxvii . let not the expectation of a reversion entice thy heart to the wish of the possessours death , lest a judgement meet thee in thy expectation , or a curse overtake thee in thy fruition : every wish makes thee a murtherer , and moves god to be an accessary ; god often lengthens the life of the possessour with the dayes of the expectour . chap. lxxxviii . prize not thy selfe by what thou hast , but by what thou art ; hee that values a jewell by her golden frame : or a book by her silver claspa , or a man by his vast estate , erres : if thou art not worth more then the world can make thee , thy redeemer had a bad penny worth , or thou an un●●rious redeemer . chap. lxxxix . let not thy fathers , nor the fathers , nor the church thy mothers beleef , be the ground of thine : the scripture lies open to the humble he●●●● but lockt against the proud inquis●●●● he that beleeves with an implicate faith is a meer empericke in religion . chap. xc . of all sinnes , take greatest heed of that which thou hast last , and most repented of : he that was last thrust out of doores , is the next readiest to croud in againe : and he that thou hast forest baffled , is likeliest to call more helpe for a revenge : it is requisite for him that hath cast one devill out , to keep strong hold lest seven return . chap. xci . in the meditation of divine mysteries , keep thy heart humble ; and thy thoughts holy ; let philosophy not be asham'd to be confuted , nor logick blush to be confounded ; what thou canst not prove , approve ; what thou canst not comprehend , beleeve ; and what thou canst beleeve , admire ; so shall thy ignorance be satisfied in thy faith , and thy doubts swallowed up with wonders : the best way to see day-light , is to put out thy candle . chap. xcii . if opinion hath cried thy name up let thy modesty cry thy heart down , lest thou ceceiveit ; or it thee : there is no lesse danger in a great name then a bad ; and no lesse honor in deserving of praise , then in the enduring it . chap. xciii . vse the holy scriptures with all reverence ; let not thy wanton fancy carve it out in jests , nor thy sinfull wit make it an advocate to thy sin : it is a subject for thy faith , not fancy ; where wit and blasphemy is one trade , the understanding 's banckrupt . chap. xciv . dost thou complaine that god hath forsakē thee ? it is thou that hast forsaken him : 't is thou that art mutable : in him there is no shadow of change , in his light is life ; if thy will drive thee into a dungeon , thou mak'st thy own darknesse , and in that darknesse dwels thy death ; from whence , if he redeem thee , he is mercifull ; if not , he is just ; in both , he receives glory . chap. xcv . make use of time , if thou lov'st eternity : know , yesterday cannot be recall'd , to morrow cannot be assured : to day is onely thine ; which if thou procrastinate , thou losest , which lost , is lost for ever : one to day , is worth two to morrows . chap. xcvi . if thou be strong enough to encounter with the times , keep thy station ; if not , shift a foot to gain advantage of the times . he that acts a begger to prevent a thiefe , is ne're the poorer ; it is a great part of wisedome , sometimes to seem a fool . chap. xcvii . if thou intend thy writings for the publique view , lard them not too much with the choice lines of another authour , lest thou lose thy own gravy : what thou hast read and digested being delivered in thy owne stile becomes thine : it is more decent to weare a plaine suit of one entire cloth , then a ga●dy garment checquer'd with divers richer fragments . chap. xcviii . if god hath blest thee with inheritance , and children to inherit , trust not the staffe of thy family to the hands of one . make not many beggers in the building up of one great heir , lest if he miscarry through a prodigall will , the rest sink through a hard necessity . gods allowance is a double portion : when high blood , and generous breeding breake their fast in plenty , and dine in poverty , they often sup in infamy : if thou deny them faulcons wings to prey on fowl , give them kites stomachs to seize on garbage . chap xcix . be very vigilant over thy childe in the april of his understanding , lest the frosts of may nippe his blossomes . while he is a tender twig , strengthen him ; whilst he is a new vessell , season him ; such as thou makest him , such commonly thou shalt finde him . let his first lesson be obedience , and the second shall be what thou wilt . give him education in good letters , to the utmost of thy ability , and his capacity . season his youth with the love of his creatour , and make the feare of his god the beginning of his knowledge : if he have an active spirit , rather rectifie then curbe it ; but reckon idlenesse among his chiefest faults . above all things , keep him from vain , lascivious and amorous pamphlets , as the primmers of all vice . as his judgement ripens , observe his inclination , and tender him a calling , that shall not crosse it : forced marriages and callings seldome prosper ; shew him both the mow , and the plough ; and prepare him as well for the danger of the skirmish , as possesse him with the honour of the prize . if he chuse the profession of a schollar , advise him to study the most profitable arts : poetry , and the mathematicks , take up too great a latitude of the soule , and moderately used , are good recreations , but bad callings , being nothing but their owne rewrd : if he chuse the profession of a souldier , let him know , withall , honour must be his greatest wages , and his enemies his surest paymaster . prepare him against the danger of a warre , and advise him of the greater mischiefes of a garrison ; let him avoid debauchnesse , and duels to the utmost of his power , and remember he is not his owne man , and ( being his countries servant ) hath no estate in his owne life . if he chuse a trade , teach him to forget his fathers house , and his mothers wing : advise him to be conscionable , carefull , and constant : this done , thou hast done thy part , leave the rest to providence , and thou hast done it well . chap. c. convey thy love to thy friend , as an arrow to the marke , to stick ●here , not as a ball against the wall , to rebound back to thee : that friendship will not continue to the end that is begun for an end . meditation is the life of the soul ; action is the soule of meditation , honour is the reward of action : so meditate , that thou maist do ; so'do , that thou maist purchase honour : for which purchase , give god the glory . finis . hieroglyphikes of the life of man. fra: quarles quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) hieroglyphikes of the life of man. fra: quarles quarles, francis, - . marshall, william, fl. - , engraver. [ ], , [ ] p. : ill. (metal cuts) printed by m. flesher, for iohn marriot, london : . in verse. the title page is engraved except for the imprint. the first leaf and the last leaf are blank. the second leaf bears "the minde of the frontispeece" and license statement. thirteen of the fifteen engravings are signed "will. marshall. sculpsit"; title page and remaining two engravings are unsigned. variant: illustrations of hierogliphs vii and x (c v and c v) interchanged; error corrected by cancel slips. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng emblem books -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the minde of the frontispeece . this bubble's man : hope , feare , false ioy and trouble , are those foure winds which daily toss this bubble . hieroglyphica haec de vitâ hominis perlegi , & digna censeo quae typis mandentur . ian. . . tho : wykes r. p. episc. lond. capell . domest . hieroglyphikes of the life of man. london , printed by m. flesher , for iohn marriot . . to the right honorable both in blood and virtue ; and most accomplisht ladie , mary , covntess of dorset ; lady governess to the most illustrious , charles , prince of great britain , and iames , duke of yorke . excellent lady , i present these tapours to burne under the safe protection of your honorable name : where , i presume , they stand secure from the damps of ignorance , and blasts of censure : it is a small part of that abundant service , which my thankfull heart owes your incomparable goodness . be pleased to honour it with your noble acceptance , which shall bee nothing but what your owne esteeme shall make it madam your la pps . most humble servant fra : quarles . to the reader . if you are satisfied with my emblems , i here set before you a second service . it is an aegyptian dish , drest on the english fashion : they , at their ●easts , used to present a deaths-head at their ●econd course ; this will serve for both : you need not feare a surfet : here is but ●●ttle ; and that , light of digestion : if it but ●lease your palate , i question not your sto●ack : fall too ; and much good may 't doe ●ou . covivio addit minerval . e. b. rem , regem , regimen , regionem , relligionem , exornat , celebrat , laudat , honorat , amat . benevolus . sine lumine inane . behold i was shapen in iniquity , and in sin did my mother conceive me . psal. . . man is mans abc : there is none that can reade god aright , unless he first spell man : man is the stayres , whereby his knowledge climes to his creator ; though it oftentimes ●tumbles for want of light , and sometimes tripps ●or want of carefull heed ; and sometimes slips through unadvised hast ; and when at length ●is weary steps have reach'd the top , his strength oft fayles to stand ; his giddy braines turne round , and phaëton like , falls headlong to the ground : these stayres are often darke , and full of danger to him whom want of practice makes a stranger to this blind way : the lamp of nature lends but a false light ; and lights to her owne ends : these be the wayes to heav'n ; these paths require a light that springs from that diviner fire whose humane soule-enlightning sunbeames dart through the bright crannies of th' immortall part . and here , thou great originall of light , whose error-chaceing beames do unbenight the very soule of darkness , and untwist the clouds of ignorance ; do thou assist my feeble quill ; reflect thy sacred rayes vpon these lines , that they may light the wayes that lead to thee ; so guide my heart , my hand , that i may doe , what others understand : let my heart practice what my hand shall write ; till then , i am a tapour wanting light . this golden precept , know thy selfe , came downe from heav'ns high court ; it was an art unknowne to flesh and blood . the men of nature tooke great iournies in it ; their dim eyes did looke but through a mist ; like pilgrims they did spend their idle steps , but knew no iournies end : the way to know thy selfe , is first to cast thy fraile beginning , progresse , and thy last : this is the summe of man : but now returne and view this tapour standing in this vrne : behold her substance , sordid , and impure , vseless and vaine , and ( wanting light ) obscure : t is but a span at longest , nor can last beyond that span ; ordain'd , and made to wast : ev'n such was man ( before his soule gave light to his vile substance ) a meere child of night ; ere he had life , estated in his vrne , and markt for death ; by nature , borne to burne : thus liveless , lightless , worthless first began that glorious , that presumptuous thing , call'd man. st. august . consider ô man what thou wert before thy birth , and what thou 〈◊〉 from thy birth to thy death , and what thou shall be after death : ●ou wert made of an impure substance , cloathed and nourished in thy ●●thers blood . epig . . ●●rbeare fond tapour : what thou seek'st , is fire : ●hy owne distruction's lodg'd in thy desire : ●hy wants are farre more safe than their supply : ●e that begins to live , begins to die . nescius vnde . will : marshall . sculpsit . and god said , let there bee light ; and there was light . gen. . . ●his flame-expecting tapour hath , at length , received fyre ; and , now , begins to burne : 〈◊〉 hath no vigour yet , it hath no strength ; apt to be puft and quencht at ev'ry turne : it was a gracious hand that thus endow'd this snuffe with flame : but marke , this hand doth shroud ●●●elfe from mortall eyes , and folds it in a cloud . . ●●is man begins to live ; an unknowne flame quickens his finisht organs ; now , possest ●●th motion ; and which motion doth proclaime an active soule , though in a feeble brest : but how , and when infus'd , ask not my pen ; here flyes a cloud before the eyes of men : ●●●n not tell thee , how ; nor canst thou tell mee , when . . as it a parcell of celestiall fire , ●nfus'd , by heav'n , into this fleshly mould ? 〈◊〉 was it ( thinke you ) made a soule entire ? then ; was it new created ? or of old ? or is 't a propagated spark , rak'd out from natures embers ? while we goe about . reason , to resolve , the more we raise a doubt . . ●t be part of that celestiall flame , ●t must be ev'n as pure , as free from spot 〈◊〉 that eternall fountaine whence it came : ●f pure , and spotless ; then , whence came the blot ? it selfe , being pure , could not it selfe defile ; nor hath unactive matter pow'r to soile ●●r pure and active forme , as iarrs corrupt their oyle . . or , if it were created , tell me , when ? if in the first sixe dayes , where kept till now ? or , if the soule were new created , then heav'n did not all , at first , he had to doe : six dayes expired , all creation ceast , all kinds , even from the greatest to the least were finisht , and compleat , before the day of rest. . but why should man , the lord of creatures , want that priviledge which plants and beasts obtaine ? beasts bring forth beasts , the plant a perfect plant ; and every like brings forth her like againe : shall fowles , and fishes , beasts and plants convey life to their issue ? and man lesse than they ? shall these get living soules ? and man , dead lumps of clay . must humane soules be generated then ? my water ebbs ; behold , a rock is nigh : if natures worke produce the soules of men , mans soule is mortall : all that 's borne must die . what shall we then conclude ? what sun-shine wil● disperse this gloomy cloud ? till then , be still , my vainely striving thoughts ; lie down , my puzzl'd quil● isodor . why doest thou wonder , ô man , at the height of the starres ? or 〈◊〉 depth of the sea ? enter into thine owne ●oule , and wonder there . the soule by creating is infused ; by infusion , created . epig . . ●hat art thou now the better by this flame ? ●hou knowst not how , nor when , nor whence it came : ●oore kind of happiness , that can returne ●o more accompt but this , to say , i burne ! quo me cunque rapit . will : marshall . sculpsit . the wind passeth over it and it is gone . psal. . . no sooner is this lighted tapour set vpon the transitory stage of eye-bedarkning night , but it is straight subjected to the threat of envious windes , whose wastfull rage disturbs her peacefull light , and makes her substance wast , and makes her flame lesse bright . . no sooner are we borne , no sooner come to take possession of this vast , this soule-afflicting earth ; but danger meets us at the very wombe , and sorrow with her full mouthd blast , salutes our painefull birth , to put out all our ioyes , and puffe out all our mirth . . nor infant innocence , nor childish teares , nor youthfull wit , nor manly power , nor politick old age , nor virgins pleading , nor the widows prayers , nor lowely cell , nor lofty tower , nor prince , nor peere , nor page can scape this common blast , or curb her stormy rage . . our life is but a pilgrimage of blasts ; and ev'ry blast brings forth a feare ; and ev'ry feare , a death ; the more it lengthens , ah , the more it wasts : were , were we to continue here the dayes of long lif'd seth , our sorrowes would renew , as we renew our breath : . tost too and fro , our frighted thoughts are driv'n with ev'ry puffe , with every tide of self-consuming care ; our peacefull flame , that would point up to heav'n , is still disturb'd , and turnd aside ; and ev'ry blast of ayre commits such wast in man , as man can not repaire . . w' are all borne detters , and we firmely stand oblig'd for our first parents det , besides our interest ; alas we have no harmeless counterband , and we are , ev'ry hou'r , beset with threatnings of arrest , and till we pay the det , we can expect no rest. . what may this sorrow-shaken life present to the false relish of our tast , that 's worth the name of sweet ? her minits pleasure's choakt with discontent , her glory foyld with ev'ry blast ; how many dangers meet poore man , betwixt the biggin and the winding sheet ! st. august . in this world , not to bee grieved , not to bee afflicted , not to bee in danger , is impossible . ibid. behold ; the world is full of troubles ; yet , beloved ; what if it were a pleasing world ? how wouldst thou delight in her calmes , that canst so well endure her stormes ? epig . . art thou consum'd with soule-afflicting crosses ? disturb'd with griefe ? annoy'd with worldly losses hold up thy head ; the tapour lifted high will brook the wind , when lower tapors dye . curando labascit . the whole need not the physitian . mat. . . alwaies pruning ? alwaies cropping ? is her brightnesse still obscur'd ? ever dressing ? ever topping ? alwaies cureing ? never cur'd ? too much snuffing makes a waste ; when the spirits spend too fast , they will shrinke at ev'ry blast . . you that alwaies are bestowing costly paines in lifes repairing , are but alwaies overthrowing natures worke , by overcaring : nature meeting with her foe , in a work she hath to doe , takes a pride to overthrow . nature knowes her owne perfection , and her pride disdaines a tutor , cannot stoope to arts correction , and she scornes a coadjutor ; saucy art should not appeare till she whisper in her eare : hagar flees , if sara beare . nature worketh for the b●tter , if not hindred , that she cannot ; art stands by as her a bettor , ending nothing she began not ; if distemper chance to seize , ( nature foyl'd with the disease ) art may helpe her if she please . . but to make a trade of trying drugs , and dosies , always pruning . is to dye , for feare of dying ; hee 's untun'd , that 's alwaies tuneing . he that often loves to lack deare bought drugs , has found a knack to foyle the man , and feede the quack . . o the sad , the fraile condition of the pride of natures glory ! how infirme his composition ! and , at best , how transitory ! when his ryot doth impayre natures weakness , then his care adds more ruine , by repaire . . hold thy hand , healths deare maintainer , life perchance may burne the stronger : having substance to sustaine her , she , untoucht , may last the longer : when the artist goes about to redress her flame , i doubt , oftentimes he snuffes it out . nicocles physitians of all men are most happy ; what good successe soever they have , the world proclaimes , and what faults they commit , the earth covers . epig . . my purse be'ng heavy , if my light appeare but dimme , quack comes to make all cleare ; quack , leave thy trade ; thy dealings are not right , thou tak'st our weighty gold , to give us light . te auxiliante resurgo . will : marshall . sculpsit . and hee will give his angels charge over thee . psal. . o how mine eyes could please themselves , and spend perpetuall ages in this precious sight ! how i could woo eternity , to lend my wasting day an antidote for night ! and how my flesh could with my flesh contend , that views this object with no more delight ! my work is great , my tapour spends too fast : 't is all i have , and soone would out , or wast , did not this blessed screene protect it from this blast . o , i have lost the iewell of my soule , and i must finde it out or i must dye : alas ! my sin-made darkness doth controule the bright endeavours of my carefull eye : i must goe search , and ransack ev'ry hole ; nor have i other light to seek it by : o if this light be spent my work not done , my labour 's worse than lost ; my iewel 's gone , and i am quite forlorne , and i am quite undone . . you blessed angels , you that doe enjoy the full fruition of eternall glory , will you be pleas'd to fancy such a toy as man , and quit your glorious territory , and stoop to earth , vouchsafing to imploy your cares to guard the dust that lies before yee ? disdaine you not these lumps of dying clay , that , for your paines , doe oftentimes repay neglect , if not disdaine , and send you griev'd away ? this tapour of our lifes , that once was plac'd in the faire suburbs of eternity , is now , alas , confin'd to ev'ry blast , and turn'd a may-pole for the sporting fly ; and will you , sacred spirits , please to cast your care on us , and lend a gracious eye ? how had this slender inch of tapour beene blasted , and blaz'd , had not this heav'nly screene curb'd the proud blast , and timely stept betweene ! . o goodness , farre transcending the report of lavish tongues ! too vast to comprehend ! amazed quill , how farre dost thou come short t' express expressions , that so farre transcend ! you blessed courtiers of th' eternall court , whose full-mouth'd hallelujahs have no end , receive that world of praises that belongs to your great sov'raigne ; fill your holy tongues with our hosannas , mixt with your seraphick songs . st. bern. if thou desirest the helpe of angels , flee the comforts of the world , ●nd resist the temptations of the devill . he will give his angels charge over thee ? o what reverence , what ●●ve , what confidence deserves so sweet a saying ? for their presence , ●everence ; for their good will , love ; for their tuition , confidence . epig . . my flame , art thou disturb'd , diseas'd , and driv'n to death with stormes of griefe ? poynt thou to heav'n : one angel , there , shall ease thee more , alone , then thrice as many thousands of thy owne . tempus erit . will : marshall . sculpsit . to every thing there is an appointed time . eccles . . . time. death . time. behold the frailty of this slender snuffe ; alas it hath not long to last : without the helpe of either thiefe , or puffe , her weakness knowes the way to wast : nature hath made her substance apt enough to spend it selfe , and spend too fast : it needs the help of none , that is so prone to lauish out , untoucht ; and languish all alone . death . . time , hold thy peace , and shake thy slow pac'd sand ; thy idle minits make no way : thy glass exceeds her how'r , or else does stand , i can not hold ; i can not stay ; surcease thy pleading , and enlarge my hand i surfet with too long delay : this brisk , this boldfac'd light does burne too bright ; darkness adornes my throne ; my day is darkest night . time. . great prince of darknesse , hold thy needless hand ; thy captiv's fast , and can not flee : what arme can rescue ? who can countermand , what pow'r can set thy pris'ner free ? or if they could , what close , what forrein land can hide that head , that flees from thee ? but if her harmeless light offend thy sight , what needst thou snatch at noone , what will be thine at night ? death . . i have outstaid my patience ; my quick trade growes dull and makes too slow returne : this long-liv'd det is due , and should bin paid when first her flame began to burne : but i have staid too long , i have delayd to store my vast , my craving vrne . my patent gives me pow'r , each day , each how'r , to strike the peasants thatch , and shake the princely tow'r . time. . thou count'st too fast : thy patent gives no pow'● till time shall please to say , amen . death . canst thou appoint my shaft ? time. or thou my how'r death . t is i bid , doe : time. t is i bid , when. alas , thou canst not make the poorest flow'r to hang the drooping head , till then : thy shafts can neither kill , nor strike , untill my power give them wings , and pleasure arme thy will. st. august . thou knowest not what time he will come : wait alwaies , that be●ause thou knowest not the time of his comming , thou maiest be pre●ared against the time he comes . and for this , perchance , thou knowst not the time , because thou maiest , be prepared against all times . epig . . expect , but feare not death : death cannot kill , ●ill time. ( that first must seale her patent ) will : wouldst thou live long ? keepe time in high esteeme ; whom , gone , if thou canst not recall , redeeme . nec sine , nec tecum . will marshall sculpsit his light shall be dark , and his candle shall be put out . iob . . vvhat ayles our tapour ? is her luster fled , or foyl'd ? what dire disaster bred this change ? that thus she vailes her golden head ? . it was but very now , she shin'd as faire as venus starre : her glory might compare with cynthia , burnisht with her brothers haire . . there was no cave-begotten damp that mought abuse her beames ; no wind , that went about to breake her peace ; no puffe , to put her out . . ●●ft up thy wondring thoughts , and thou shalt spye 〈◊〉 cause , will cleare thy doubts , but cloud thine eye : subjects must vaile , when as their sov'raign's by . . ●anst thou behold bright phoebus , and thy sight ●o whit impayr'd ? the object is too bright ; ●he weaker yeelds unto the stronger light. . ●reat god , i am thy tapour ; thou , my sunne ; ●rom thee , the spring of light , my light begun , ●et if thy light but shine , my light is done . . 〈◊〉 thou withdraw thy light , my light will shine , 〈◊〉 thine appeare , how poore a light is mine ! ●y light is darkness , if compar'd to thine . ●hy sun-beames are too strong for my weake eye ; 〈◊〉 thou but shine , how nothing , lord , am i ! ●h , who can see thy visage , and not die ! . if intervening earth should make a night , my wanton flame would then shine forth too bright ; my earth would ev'n presume t' eclipse thy light. and if thy light be shadow'd , and mine fade , if thine be dark , and my dark light decayd , i should be cloathed with a double shade . . what shall i doe ? o what shall i desire ? what help can my distracted thoughts require , that thus am wasting twixt a double fire ? . in what a streight , in what a streight am i ? twixt two extreames how my rackt fortunes lie ? see i thy face , or see it not , i die . . o let the steame of my redeemers blood , that breaths fro' my sick soule , be made a cloud , t'interpose these lights , and be my shroud . . lord , what am i ? or what 's the light i have ? may it but light my ashes to their grave , and so from thence , to thee ? 't is all i crave . . o make my light , that all the world may see thy glory by 't : if not , it seemes to me honour enough , to be put out by thee . o light inaccessible , in respect of which my light is utter darkness ; so reflect upon my weaknes , that at all the world may behold thy strength : o majesty incomprehensible , in respect of which my glory is meere shame , so shine upon my misery that all the world may behold thy glory . epig . . wilt thou complaine , because thou art bereiv'n of all thy light ? wilt thou vie lights with heav'n ? can thy bright eye not brooke the daily light ? take heed : i feare , thou art a child of night . nec virtus obscurapetit . will : marshall . sculpsit . let your light so shine , that men seeing your good workes may glorifie your father which is in heaven . mat. . . vvas it for this , the breath of heav'n was blowne into the nostrils of this heav'nly creature ? was it for this , that sacred three in one conspir'd to make this quintessence of nature ? did heav'nly providence intend so rare a fabrick for so poore an end ? . was man , the highest master-peece of nature , the curious abstract of the whole creation , whose soule was copied from his great creator , made to give light , and set for observation , ordain'd for this ? to spend his light in a darke-lanthorne ? cloystred up in night ? . tell me , recluse monastick , can it be a disadvantage to thy beames to shine ? a thousand tapours may gaine light from thee : is thy lightless , or worse for lighting mine ? if , wanting light , i stumble , shall thy darkness not be guilty of my fall ? . why dost thou lurk so close ? is it for feare some busie eye should pry into thy flame , and spie a thiefe , or else some blemish there ? or being spy'd , shrink'st thou thy head for shame ? come , come , fond tapour shine but cleare , thou needst not shrink for shame , nor shroud for feare . . remember , o remember , thou wert set , for men to see the great creator by ; thy flame is not thy owne : it is a det thou ow'st thy maker ; and wilt thou deny to pay the int'rest of thy light ? and skulk in corners , and play least in sight ? . art thou affraid to trust thy easie flame to the injurious wast of fortunes puffe ? ah , coward , rouze ; and quit thy selfe , for shame ; who dies in service , hath liv'd long enough : who shines , and makes no eye partaker , vsurps himselfe , and closely robbs his maker . . take not thy selfe a pris'ner , that art free : why dost thou turne thy palace to a iaile ? thou art an eagle ; and befits it thee to live immured , like a cloysterd snaile ? let toies seeke corners : things of cost gaine worth by view : hid iewels are but lost . . my god , my light is dark enough at lightest , encrease her flame , and give her strength to shine : t is fraile at best : t is dimme enough at brightest , but 't is her glory to be foyld by thine . let others lurke ; my light shall be propos'd to all men ; and by them , to thee . st. bern. if thou be one of the foolish virgins , the congregation is necessary for thee ; if thou be one of the wise virgins , thou art necessary for the congregation . hugo . monasticks make cloysters to inclose the outward man , o would to god they would doe the like to restraine the inward man. epig . . affraid of eyes ? what still play least in sight ? t is much to be presum'd all is not right : too close endeavours , bring forth dark events : come forth , monastick ; here 's no parliaments . vt luna infantia torpet will : marshall . sculpsit . he cometh forth like a flower and is cut downe . iob . . . behold how short a span was long enough , of old , to measure out the life of man ! in those wel temper'd days his time was then survey'd , cast up , and found but threescore years and ten . . alas and what is that ? they come & slide and pass before my pen can tell thee , what . the posts of time are swift , which having run their sev'n short stages 'ore , their short liv'd task is don . . our daies begun , wee lend to sleepe , to antick plaies and toyes , untill the first stage end : . waining moons , twise . times told , we give to unrecover'd loss : wee rather breathe , then live . . wee spend a ten years breath , before wee apprehend what is to live , or feare a death : our childish dreams are fil'd with painted joys , w ch please our sense a while ; & waking , prove but toies . . how vaine , how wretched is poore man , that doth remain a slave to such a state as this ! his daies are short , at longest ; few , at most ; they are but bad , at best ; yet lavisht out , or lost . . they bee the secret springs , that make our minits flee on wheels more swift thē eagles wings : our life 's a clocke , and ev'ry gaspe of breath breathes forth a warning grief , til time shal strike a death . how soone our new-born light attaines to full-ag'd noone ! and this , how soon to gray-hayr'd night ! wee spring , we bud , we blossome , and we blast e're we can count our daies ; our daies they flee so fast . . they end when scarce begun ; and ere wee apprehend that we begin to live , our life is don : man , count thy daies ; and if they flee too fast for thy dull thoughts to count , count ev'rie day thy last . our infancy is consumtd in eating and sleeping ; in all which time what differ we from beasts , but by a possibility of reason , and a necessity of sinne ? o misery of mankind , in whom no sooner the image of god appeares in the act of his reason , but the devill blurres it in the corruption of his will ! epig . . to the decrepit man. thus was the first seav'nth part of thy few daies consum'd in sleep , in food , in toyish plaies : knowst thou what teares thine eies imparted then ? review thy losse , and weep them o're agen . proles tua , maia , iuventus . will : marshall . sculpsit . his bones are full of the sinnes of his youth . iob . . . the swift-foot post of time hath now begun his second stage ; the dawning of our age is lost and spent without a sun : the light of reason did not yet appeare within th' horizon of this hemispheare . . the infant will had yet none other guide , but twilight sense ; and what is gayn'd from thence but doubtfull steps , that tread aside ? reason now draws her curtains ; her clos'd eyes begin to open , and she calls to rise . . youths now disclosing bud peeps out , and showes her aprill head ; and from her grass greene bed , her virgin primerose early blowes ; whil'st waking philomel prepares to sing her warbling sonets to the wanton spring . . his stage is pleasant , and the way seemes short , all strow'd with flowers ; the daies appeare but howers , being spent in time-beguiling sport . here griefes do neither press , nor doubts perplex ; here 's neither feare , to curb ; nor care , to vex . his downie cheek growes proud , and now disdaines the tutors hand ; he glories to command the proud neckt steed with prouder reynes : the strong breath'd horne must now salute his eare , with the glad downefall of the falling deare . . his quicknos'd armie , with their deepmouth'd sounds , must now prepare to chase the tim'rous hare about his , yet unmorgag'd , grounds ; the ev'll he hates , is counsell , and delay , and feares no mischief , but a rainie day . . the thought he takes , is how to take no thought for bale , nor blisse ; and late repentance is the last deare pen ' worth that he bought : he is a daintie morning , and he may , if lust ' orecast him not , b' as faire a day . . proud blossom , use thy time ; times headstrong horse will post away ; trust not the foll'wing day , for ev'r●e day brings forth a worse : take time at best : beleeve 't , thy daies will fall from good , to bad ; from bad , to worst of all . st. amb. humility is a rore thing in a young man , therefore to be admired : when youth is vigorous , when strength is firme , when blood is hot , when cares are strangers , when mirth is free , then pride swells , and humility is dispised . epig . . to the old man. thy yeares are newly gray ; his , newly greene ; his youth may live to see what thine hath seene : hee is thy parallel : his present stage and thine , are the two tropicks of mans age. iam ruit in venerem . will : marshall . sculpsit . rejoyce o young man , and let thy heart cheare thee , but know , &c. eccles . . . how flux ! how alterable is the date of transitory things ! how hurry'd on the clipping wings of time , and driv'n upon the wheeles of fate ! how one condition brings the leading prologue to an other state ! no transitory thing can last : change waits on time ; and time is wing'd with hast ; time present's but the ruins of time past . . behold how change hath incht away thy span , and how thy light does burne nearer and nearer to thy vrne : for this deare wast what satisfaction can injurious time returne thy shortned daies , but this ; the stile of man ? and what 's a man ? a cask of care , new tunn'd , and working ; hee 's a middle staire twixt birth and death ; a blast of ful ag'd ayre . . his brest is tinder , apt to entertaine the sparks of cupids fire , whose new-blowne flames must now enquire ● wanton iuilippe out , which may restraine the rage of his desire , whose painfull pleasure is but pleasing paine . his life 's a sicknes , that doth rise ●rom a hot liver , whilst his passion lies ●xpecting cordials from his mistress eyes . . his stage is strowd with thornes , and deckt with flowers ; his yeare sometimes appeares a minit ; and his minits , yeares ; his doubtfull weather's sun-shine , mixt with showers ; his traffique , hopes and feares : his life 's a medly , made of sweets and sowers ; his paines reward is smiles , and pouts ; his diet is faire language mixt with ●louts ; he is a nothing all compos'd of doubts . . doe ; wast thy inch , proud span of living earth ; consume thy golden daies in slavish freedome ; let thy waies take best advantage of thy frolick mirth ; thy stock of time decaies ; and lavish plenty still foreruns a dearth : the bird that 's flowne may turne at last ; and painefull labour may repaire a wast ; but paines nor price can call thy minits past . sen. expect great joy when thou shalt lay downe the mind of a child , and deserve the stile of a wise man ; for at those yeares childhood is past , but oftentimes child shness remaines , and what is worse , thou hast the authority of a man , but the vices of a childe . epig . . to the declining man , why standst thou discontented ? is not he as equall distant from the toppe as thee ? what then may cause thy discontented frowne ? hee 's mounting up the hill ; thou plodding downe ? vt sol ardore virilj . will : marshall . sculpsit . as thy daies , so shall thy strength be , deut. . . the post of swift foot time hath now , at length , begun the kalends of our middle stage : the number'd steps that we have gone , do show the number of those steps wee are to goe : the buds and blossoms of our age are blowne , decay'd , and gone , and all our prime is lost ; and what we boast too much , we have least cause to boast . ah mee ! there is no rest , our time is alwaies fleeing : what rein can curb our headstrōg hours ! they post away : they passe wee know not how : our now is gone , before wee can say , now : time past and futur's none of ours ; that , hath as yet no being ; and this hath ceast to bee : what is , is onely ours : how short a time have wee ! and now apolloes eare expects harmonious straines , new minted frō the thracian lyre ; for now the virtue of the twiforkt hill inspires the ravisht fancy , and doth fill the veines with pegasean fire : and now , those sterill braines that cannot show , nor beare some fruits , shall never weare apollos sacred bow. excesse and surfet uses to wait upon these daies : full feed , and flowing cup , of wine conjure the fancy , forcing up a spright , by the base magick of deboysd delight ; ah pittie twise borne bacchus vine should starve apollo's bayes , and drown those muses that blesse and calm the peaceful soule , whē storms of cares oppres . strong light , boast not those beames that can but onely rise , and blaze a while , and then away : there is no solstice in thy day ; thy midnight glory lies betwixt th' extrems of night , a glory foyld with shame , and foold with false delight . hast thou climbd up to the full age of thy few daies ? look backwards , and thou shalt see the frailty of thy youth ; the foll of thy childhood , and the waste of thy infancy : looke forwards ; thou shalt see , the cares of the world , the troubles of thy mind , the diseases of thy body . epig . . to the midle ag'd . thou that art prauncing on the lustie noone of thy full age , boast not thy selfe too soone : convert that breath to wayle thy fickle state ; take heed ; thou l't brag too soone , or boast too late . et martem spirat et arma . will : marshall . sculpsit . hee must encrease , but i must decrease . ioh. . . time voyds the table : dinner 's done ; and now our daies declining sun hath hurried his diurnall loade to th' borders of the westerne roade ; fierce phlegon , with his fellow steeds , now puffes and pants , and blowes and bleeds , and froths , and fumes , remembring still their lashes up th' olympick hill ; which , having conquerd , now disdaine the whip , and champs the frothy reyn , and , with a full career , they bend their paces to their iournies end : our blazing tapour now hath lost her better halfe : nature hath crost her forenoone book , and cleard that score , but scarce gives trust for so much more : and now the gen'rous sappe forsakes her seir-grown twig : a breath ev'n shakes the down-ripe fruit ; fruit soon divorc'd from her deare branch , untouchd , unforc'd . now sanguine venus doth begin to draw her wanton colours in ; and flees neglected in disgrace , whil'st mars supplies her lukewarm place : blood turnes to choler : what this age loses in strength it finds in rage : that rich ennamell , which of old , damaskt the downy cheeke , and told a harmeless guilt , unaskt , is now worne off from the audacious brow ; luxurious dalliance , midnight revells , loose ryot , and those veniall evils which inconsiderate youth of late could pleade , now wants an advocate , and what appeard in former times whispring as faults , now roare as crimes : and now all yee , whose lippes were wont to drench their currall in the font of forkt parnassus ; you that be the sons of phocbus , and can flee on wings of fancy , to display the flagge of high invention , stay : repose your quills ; your veines grow sower , tempt not your salt beyond her power : if your pall'd fancies but decline , censure will strike at every line and wound your names ; the popular eare weighs what you are , not what you were . thus hackney like , we tire our age , spurgall'd with change , from stage to stage . seest thou the daily light of the greater world ? when attaind to the hig●est p●tch of meridian glory , it staieth not , but by the same degrees , it ascended , it descends . and is the light of the lesser world more premanent ? continuance is the child of eternity , not of time. epig . . to the young man. young man , rejoyce ; and let thy rising daies cheare thy glad heart ; thinkst thou these uphill waies leade to deaths dungeon ? no : but know withall , arising is but prologue to a fall. invidiosa senectus . will : marshall . sculpsit . yet a little while is the light with you . ioh. . . . the day growes old ; the low pitcht lamp hath made no lesse than treble shade : and the descending damp does now prepare t'uncurle bright titans haire ; whose westerne wardrobe , now begins t' unfold her purples , fring'd with gold , to cloathe his evening glory ; when th' alarmes of rest shall call to rest in restless thetis armes . . nature now calls to supper , to refresh the spirits of all flesh ; the toyling ploughman drives his thirsty teames , to tast the slipp'ry streames : the droyling swineheard knocks away , and feasts his hungry-whining guests : the boxbill ouzle , and the dappled thrush like hungry rivals meet , at their beloved bush . . and now the cold autumnall dewes are seene to copwebbe every greene ; and by the low-shorne rowins doth appeare the fast-declining yeare . the sapless branches d'off their summer suits and waine their winter fruits : and stormy blasts have forc'd the quaking trees to wrap their trembling limbs in suits of mossie freeze . . our wasted tapour , now hath brought her light to the next dore to night ; her sprightless flame , grown great with snuffe , does tu●● sad as her neighb'ring vrne : her slender inch , that yet unspent remaines , lights but to further paines , and in a silent language bids her guest prepare his wearie limbs to take eternall rest. . now carkfull age hath pitcht her painefull plough vpon the furrow'd brow ; and snowie blasts of discontented care hath blancht the falling haire : suspitious envie mixt with jealous spight disturb's his wearie night : he threatens youth with age : and , now , alas , he ownes not what he is , but vaunts the man he was . . gray haires , peruse thy daies ; and let thy past reade lectures to thy last : those hastie wings that hurri'd them away will give these daies no day : the constant wheeles of nature scorne to tyre vntill her worke expire : that blast that nipt thy youth , will ruine thee ; that hand that shooke the branch will quicklie strike the tree . st. chrys . gray hayres are honourable , when the behaviour suits with gray hayres : but when an ancient man hath childish manners , he becomes more rediculous than a childe . sen. thou art in vaine attained to old yeares , that repeatest thy youthfulnesse . epig . . to the youth . seest thou this good old man ? he represents thy future ; thou , his preterperfect tense ; thou go'st to labour , he prepares to rest : thou break'st thy fast ; he suppes : now which is best ? plumbeus in terram . will marshall sculpsit the dayes of our yeares are threescore yeares and ten . psal. . . . so have i seene th' illustrious prince of light rising in glorie from his crocean bed , and trampling downe the horrid shades of night , advancing more and more his conq'ring head , pause first ; decline ; at length , begin to shroud his fainting browes within a cole black cloud . . so have i seene a well built castle stand vpon the tiptoes of a lofty hill , whose active pow'r commands both sea and land , and curbs the pride of the beleag'rers will ; at length her ag'd foundation failes her trust ; and layes her tottring ruines in the dust. . so have i seene the blazing tapour shoot her golden head into the feeble ayre ; whose shadow-gilding ray , spred round about , makes the foule face of black-brow'd darknesse faire , till at the length her wasting glory fades , and leaves the night to her invet'rate shades . . ev'n so this little world of living clay , the pride of nature , glorified by art , whom earth adores , and all her hosts obay , ally'd to heav'n by his diviner part , triumphs a while , then droops , and then decaies , and worne by age , death cancells all his daies . . that glorious sun , that whilom shone so bright , is now ev'n ravisht from our darkned eyes ; that sturdy castle , man'd with so much might , lyes now a monument of her owne disguize : that blazing tapour , that disdain'd the puffe of troubled ayre , scarce ownes the name of snuffe . . poore bedrid man ! where is that glory now , thy youth so vaunted ? where that maiesty which sat enthron'd upon thy manly brow ? where , where that braving arme ? that daring eye ? those buxom tunes ? those bacchanalian tones ? those swelling veynes ? those marrow-flowing bones ? . thy drooping glory 's blurrd , and prostrate lyes grov'ling in dust ; and frightfull horror , now , sharpens the glaunces of thy gashfull eyes , whilst feare perplexes thy distracted brow : thy panting brest vents all her breath by groanes , and death enervs thy marrow-wasted bones . . thus man , that 's borne of woman can remaine but a short time ; his dayes are full of sorrow ; his life 's a penance , and his death 's a paine , springs like a flow'r to day , and fades to morrow ? his breath 's a bubble , and his daies a span. t is glorious misery to be borne a man. cypr. when eyes are dimme , eares deafe , visage pale , teeth decaied , skin withered ; breath tainted , pipes furred , knees trembling , hands fumbling ; feet fayling , the sudden downefall of thy fleshly house is neare at hand . st. august . all vices wax old by age : covetousness alone , growes young . epig . . to the infant . what he doth spend in groanes , thou spendst in teares : iudgment and strength 's alike in both your yeares ; hee 's helpless ; so art thou ; what difference than ? hee 's an old infant ; thou , a young old man. the end . diuine poems containing the history of [brace] ionah, ester, iob, sampson : sions [brace] sonets, elegies / written and newly augmented by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) diuine poems containing the history of [brace] ionah, ester, iob, sampson : sions [brace] sonets, elegies / written and newly augmented by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ], , [ ], - p. printed by m.f. for i. marriot, and are to be sold at his shop in st. dunstans church-yard in fleet-streete, london : [ ] added engraved t.p. each section has special t.p.; "feast for wormes" has imprint, all other sections are dated . imprint dates for both t.p. ( ) and added engraved t.p. ( ) suggested by stc ( nd ed.). signatures: a- i⁸ k⁶. numerous errors in paging. imperfect: imprints cropped. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. a feast for wormes -- pentelogia -- hadassa (the historie of ester) -- iob militant -- the historie of samson -- sions sonets -- sions elegies -- an alphabet of elegies vpon the much and truly lamented death of ... dr. ailmer. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - aptara rekeyed and resubmitted - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion divine poemes reuised , and corrected with additions by the author fra : quarles . printed for iohn marriott in st dunstons church yard 〈…〉 divine poems : containing the history of ionah . ester . iob . sampson . sions sonets . elegies . written and newly augmented , by fra : qvarles . london , printed by m. f. for i. marriot , and are to be sold at his shop in st. dunstans church-yard in fleet-streete . to the sacred maiestie of king charles . sir , when your landed subject dyes , and leaves none of his blood to inherite , the lawes of this your kingdome finds the king heyre : in this volume are contained severall poems lately dedicated to divers of your nobility , whom they have out-lived ; so that the muses ( who seldome or never give honour for lifes ) have found them all for the king , which ( have here gathered together , and prostrated before the feet of your sacred majesty . indeed one of them i formerly dedicated and presented to your selfe . so that now they are become doubly yours , both by escheate , and as survivour . and if you please to owne me as your servant , your majestie hath another title good , by which i most desire they should bee knowne yours : i will not sin against the common good so much as to expect your majesties serious eye upon them : if when your crowne shall be most favourable to your princely browes , you please to afford a gracious hearing , they will with the helpe of some benevolous reader , and your royall acceptance ( i hope ) relish in your sacred eares , and receive honour from your accustomed goodnes , farre above their merits , or the expectation of your true-hearted and loyall liegeman , fra : qvarles . to the reader . i list not to tyre thy patient eares with unnecessary language , ( the abuse of complement● ) my mouth 's no dictionary : it only serves as the needfull interpreter of my heart . i have here sent thee the first fruits of an abortive birth . it is a daintie subject , not fabulous , but truth it selfe . wonder not at the title ( a feast for vvormes : ) for it is a song of mercy : what greater feast than mercy ? and what are men but wormes ? moreover , i have gleaned some few meditatations , obvious to the history ; let mee advise thee to keepe the taste of the one , whilest thou readest the other , and that will make thee relish both , the better . vnderstanding reader , favour mee : gently expound , what it is too late to correct . he leva le golpe , dios sea con ella . farewell . the proposition of this first worke. ●tis not the record of great hectors glory , whose matchlesse valour makes the world a story ; nor yet the swelling of that romans name , that onely came , and look'd , and overcame ; nor one , nor all , of those brave worthies nine , ( whose might was great , and acts almost divine , that live'd like gods , but dy'd like men , and gone ) shall give my pen a taske to treat upon : i sing the praises of the king of kings . out of whose mouth a two-edg'd smiter springs , whose words are mystery , whose works are wonder , whose eyes are lightning , and whose voice is thunder ; who like a curtaine spreads the heavens out , spangled with starres , in glory round about : 't is he , that cleft the furious waves in twaine , making a high-way passage through the maine , 't is he , that turn'd the waters into blood , and smote the rocky stone , and caus'd a flood ; 't is he , that 's justly armed in his ire , behinde with plagues , before with flaming fire , more bright than mid-day phoebus , are his eyes , and whosoever sees his visage , dyes . i sing the praises of great iudahs lyon , the fragrant flowre of iesse , the lambe of sion , whose head is whiter than the driven snow , whose visage doth like flames of fier glow : his loynes begirt with golden belt , his eyne like titan , ridinst in his southerne shine , his feet like burning brasse , and as the noise of surgie neptunes roaring in hi● voice , this is that paschall lambe whose dearest blood is soveraig●e drinke , whose flesh is saving food : his precious blood , the worthies of the earth did drinke , which ( though but borne of mortall birth ) return'd them deities : for who drinkes this , shall be receiv'd into eternall blisse ; himselfe 's the gift , which he himselfe did give , his stripes heale us , and by his death we live ; he acting god and man , in double nature , did reconcile mankinde , and mans creator . i , heere 's a taske indeed ; if mortalls could not make a verse , yet rockes and mountaines would : the hills shall dance , the sunne shall stop his course , hearing the subiect of this high discourse : the horse , and gryphin , shall together sleepe , the wolfe shall fawne upon the silly sheepe , the crafty serpent , and the fearfull hart , shall joyne in consort , and each beare a part , and leape for ioy ; when my vrania sings , she sings the praises of the king of kings . the introduction . ¶ that ancient kingdome , that old assur swayd , shew'd two great cities : ah! but both decayd , both mighty great , but of unequall growth ; both great in people , and in building , both ; but ah ! what hold is there of earthly good ? now grasse growes there , where these brave cities stood . the name of one , great babylon was hight , through which the rich euphrates takes her flight from high armenia to the ruddy seas , and stores the land with rich commodities . ¶ the other ninus , nineveh the great , so huge a fabricke , and well-chosen seat don phoebus fiery steeds ( with maines becurl'd , that circundates in twice twelve houres the world ) ne're saw the like : by great king ninus hand , 't was rais'd and builded , in th' assy●ians land. on one hand , lycus washt her fruitfull sides , on t'other , tygris with her hasty ●ides . begirt she was with walles of wondrous might , creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height . vpon their bredth ( if ought we may rely on the report of sage antiquity , ) three chariots fairely might themselves display , and ranke together in a ba●tell ray : the circuit that her mighty bulke imbraces containes the mete of sixty thousand 〈◊〉 : within her well-fenc'd walls you might discover five hundred stately towers , thrice told over ; whereof the highest draweth up the eye , as well the low'st , an hundred cubits hie ; all rich in those things , which to state belong , for beauty brave , and for munition strong : duly , and daily this great worke was tended with ten thousand workmen ; begun and ended in eight yeares space : how beautifull ! how faire thy buildings ! and how foule thy vices are ! ¶ thou land of assur , double then thy pride , and let thy wells of ioy be never dry'd , thou hast a palace , that 's renown'd so much , the like was never , is , nor will be such . ¶ thou land of assur , treble then thy w●● , and let thy teares ( doe as thy cups ) o'reflow ; for this thy palace of so great renowne , shall be destroy'd , and sackt , and batter'd downe . but cheere up , niniveh , thine inbred might hath meanes enough to quell thy foemans spite : thy bulwarkes are like mountaines , and thy wall disdaines to stoope to thundring ordnance call : thy watchfull towers mounted round about , keepe thee in safety , and thy foe-men , out : i , but thy bulwarkes aid cannot withstand the direfull stroake of the almighties hand ; thy wafer-walls at dread iehovahs blast shall quake , and quiver , and shall downe 〈◊〉 . thy watchfull towers shall asleepe be found , and nod their drowsie heads downe to the ground : thy bulwarks are not vengeance-proofe ; thy wall , when iustice brandisheth her sword , must fall : thy lofty towers shall be dumbe , and yeeld to high revenge ▪ revenge must win the field ; vengeance cryes loud from heaven , she cannot stay her fury , but ( impatient of delay ) hath brimm'd her 〈◊〉 full of deadly b●ne : thy pal●ce shall be burnt , thy people slaine ; thy heart is hard as flint , and swolne with pride , thy murth'rous hands with guitlesse blood are dy'd ; thy silly babes doe starve for want of food : whose tender mothers thou hast drencht in blood : women with childe , lye in the streets about , whose braines thy savage hands have dashed out : distressed widowes weepe , ( but weepe in vaine ) for their deare husbands , whom thy hands have slaine : by one mans force , another man 's devour'd , thy wives are ravisht , and thy maids deflowr'd ; where iustice should , there tort & bribes are plac't : thy ' altars defil'd , and holy things defac't : thy lips have tasted of proud babels cup , what thou hast left , thy children have drunke up : thy bloody sinnes , thine abels guiltlesse blood , cryes up to heaven for vengeance , cryes aloud ; thy sinnes are seire , and ready for the fire , heere rouze , ( my muse ) and for a space , respire . to the most high , his hvmble servant implores his favovrable assistance . o all sufficient god , great lord of light , without whose gracious ayd , & constant sprite , no labours prosper , ( howsoe're begun ) but flye like mists before the morning sun : o raise my thoughts , and cleare my apprehension , infuse thy spirit into my weake invention : reflect thy beames upon my feeble eyes , shew me the mirrour of thy mysteries ; my art-lesse hand , my humble heart inspire , inflame my frozen tongue with holy fire : ravish my stupid senses with thy glory ; sweeten my lips with sacred oratory : and ( thou o first and last ) assist my quill , that first and last , i may performe thy will : my sole intent's to blazon forth thy praise ; my ruder pen expects no crowne of bayes . suffice it then , thine altar i have kist : crowne me with glory ; take the bayes that list . a feast for vvormes . by fra : quarles . london , printed for iohn marriot . . a feast for wormes . the argvment . the word of god to ionah●●me ●●me , commanded ionah to pro●lame the ●engeance of his m●jestie , against the sinnes of 〈◊〉 . sect. . th' eternall word of god , whose high decree admits no change , and cannot frustrate be , came downe to ionah , from the heavens above , came downe to * ionah , heavens anointed dove ; ionah , the flowre of old 〈◊〉 youth , ionah , the prophet , sonne , and heire to truth , the blessed type of him , that ransom'd us , that word came to him , and bespake him thus : " arise ; trusse up thy loynes , make all thing● meet , " and put thy sandals on thy hasty feet , " gird up thy reynes , and take thy staffe in hand , " make no delay , but goe , where i command ; " me pleases not to send thee ( ionah ) downe , " to sweet gath-hepher , thy deare native towne , " whos 's tender paps , with plenty overflow ; " nor yet unto thy brethren shalt thou goe , " amongst the hebrewes , where thy spr●dden fame " fore-runnes the welcome of thine honor'd name ▪ " no , i 'le not send thee thither : vp , arise , " and goe to niniveh , where no allies , " nor consanguinity prese●ves thy blood ; " to ni●iveh , where strangers are withstood : " to niniveh , a city farre remov'd " from thine acquaintance , where th' art not belov'd " i send thee to mount sinay , not mount sion , " not to a gentle lambe , but to a lion : " nor yet to lydia , but to bloody pashur , " not to the land of canaan , but of ashur , " whose language will be riddles to thine eares , " and thine againe will be as strange to th●irs ▪ " isay , to niniveh , the worlds great hall , " the monarchs seat , high court imperiall . " but terrible mount sinay●ill ●ill affright thee , " and pashurs heavy hand is bent to smite thee ▪ " the lions rore , the people'● strong and stout , " the bulwarkes stand a front to keepe thee out . " great ashur minaces with whip in hand , " to entertaine thee ( welcome ) to his land . " what then ? arise , be gone ; stay not to thinke : " bad is the cloth , that will in wetting shrinke . " what then , if cruell pashur heape on stroakes ? " or sinay blast thee with her sulph'rous smokes ? " or ashur whip thee ? or the lions rent thee ? " p●sh , on with courage ; i , the lord have sent thee ▪ " away , away , lay by thy foolish pity , " a●d goe to niniveh , that mighty city : " cry loud against it , let thy dreadfull voice " make all the city eccho with the noise : " not like a dove , but like a dragon goe , " pronounce my judgement , and denounce my woe : " make not thy bed a fountaine ●all of teares , " ●o weepe in secret for her sinnes . thine eares " s●all heare such things , will make thine eyes run over , " ●hine eyes shall smart with what they shall discover : " spend not in private , those thy zealous drops , " but hew , and backe ; spare neither trunke nor l●ps : " make heaven , and earth rebound , when thou discharges ▪ " plead not ( like paul ) but roare ( like boanarges : ) " nor let the beauty of the buildings bleare thee , " let not the terrors of the rampiers feare thee ; " let no man bribe thy fist , ( i well advise thee ) " nor foule meanes force thee , nor let faire entice thee : " ramme up thine eares : thy heart of stone shall be ; " be deafe to them , as they are deafe to me : " goe , cry against it . if they aske thee why ? " say , heavens great lord commanded thee to cry : " my altars cease to smoke ; their holy fires " are quencht , and where praiers should , their sin aspires ▪ " the fatnesse of their fornication fryes " on coales of ragi●g l●st , and upward flies , " and makes me seek : i heare the mournefull gro●es " and heavy sighes of such , whose aking bones " th' oppressor grindes : alas , their griefes implore me , " their pray'rs , prefer'd with teares , plead lowd before 〈◊〉 ▪ " behold , my sonnes , they have opprest , and kill'd , " and bath'd their hands within the blood they spill'd : " the steame of guiltlesse blood makes suit unto me , " the vo●●e of many bloods is mounted to me ; " the vile prophaner of my sacred names , " he teares my titles , and my honour maim●s , " makes rhet'rick of an oath , sweares and forsweares , " recks not my mercy , nor my iudgement feares : " they eat● , they drinke , they sleepe , they tire the ●igh● " 〈…〉 ●alliance , and uncleane delight . " heavens winged herald iona● , up and goe " to mighty niniveh , denounce my woe . " advance thy voice , and when thou hast advan●●● it , " spare shrub , nor cedar , but cry out against it : " hold out thy trumpet , and with louder breath ▪ " proclame my sudden comming , and their death . the authors apology . it was my morning muse ; a muse whose spirit transcend● ( i feare ) the fortunes of her merit ; too bold a muse , whose fethers ( yet in blood ) she never bath'd in the pyrenean flood ; a muse unbreath'd , unlikely to attaine an easie honour , by so stout a traine ; expect no lofty hagard , that shall flye a lessning pitch , to the deceived eye ; if in her downy soreage , she but ruffe so strong a dove , may it be thought enough ; beare with her ; time and fortune may require your patient sufferance , with a fairer flight . the generall application . to thee ( mal●id● ) now i turne my quill ; that god is still that god , and will be still . the painfull pastors take up ionah's roome : and thou the ninivite , to whom they co●e . medit. . how great 's the love of god unto his creature ? or is his wisedome , or his mercy greater ? i know not whether : o th'exceeding love of highest god! that from his throne above will send the brightnesse of his grace to those that grope in darknesse , and his grace oppose : he helpes , provides , inspires , and freely gives , as pleas'd to see us ravell out our lives ; he gives us from the heape , he measures not , nor deales ( like manna ) each his stinted lot , but daily sends the doctors of his spouse , ( with such like oyle as from the widowes cruse did issue forth ) in fulnesse , without wasting , where plenty still was had , yet plenty lasting . i , there is ●are in heaven , and heavenly sprights , that guides the world , and guards poore mortall wights , there is ; else were the miserable state of man , more wretched and unfortunate than salvage beasts : but o th'abounding love of highest god! whose angels from above dismount the towre of blisse , flye to and fro , assisting wretched man , their deadly foe . what thing is man , that gods regard is such ? or why should heaven love rechlesse man so much ? why ? what are men ? but quickned lumps of earth ? a feast for wormes ; a bubble full of mirth ; a looking glasse for griefe ; a flash ; a minute ; a painted toombe , with putrifaction in it ; a mappe of death ; a burthen of a song ; a winters dust ; a worme of five foot long : begot in sinne ; in darknesse nourisht ; born● in sorrow ; naked ; shiftlesse , and forlorne : his first voice ( heard ) is crying for reliefe ; alas ! he comes into a world of griefe : his age is sinfull ; and his youth is vaine ; his life 's a punishment ; his death 's a paine ; his life 's a houre of ioy ; a world of sorrow ; his death 's a winters night , that findes no morrow : mans life 's an hower-glasse , which being run , concludes that houre of joy , and so is done . ionah must goe ; nor is this charge confinde to ionah , but to all the world enjoyn'd ; you magistrates , arise , and take delight in dealing iustice , and maintaining right ; there lyes your niniveh : merchants arise , and mingle conscience with your merchandise : lawyers arise , make not your righteous lawes , a tricke for gaine ; let iustice rule the cause : tradesmen arise , and plye your thriving shops , with truer hands , and eate your meate with drops : paul to thy tents , and peter to thy net , and all must goe that course , which god hath set . ¶ great god awake us , in these drowsie times , lest vengeance finde us , sleeping in our crymes , encrease succession in thy prophets liew , for loe , thy harvest 's great , and workmen few . the argvment . but ionah toward tharsis went , a tempest doth his course prevent : the mariners are sore opprest , while ionah sleepes and takes his rest . sect. . bvt ionah thus bethought : the city's great , and mighty ashur stands with deadly threat ; their hearts are hardued , that they cannot heare : will greene wood burne , when so unapt's the seire ? strange is the charge : shall i goe to a place vnknowne and forraigne ? aye me ! hard 's the case , that righteous isr●el , must be thus neglected , when miscreants and gentiles are respected : how might i hope my words shall there succeed , which thrive not with the flockes i daily feed ? i know my god is gentle , and en●linde , to tender mercy , apt to change his minde vpon the least repentance : then shall i be deem'd as false , and shame my prophecie . o heavy burthen , of a doubtfull mind ! where shall i goe , or which way shall i wind ? my heart like ianus , looketh to and fro ; my credit bids me , stay ; my god bids , goe : if goe ; my labour 's lost , my shame 's at hand : if stay , lord ! i transgresse my lords command : if goe ; from bad estate , to worse , i fall . if stay , i slide from bad , to worst of all . my god bids goe , my credit bids me stay : my guilty feare bids fly another way . so ionah straight arose , himselfe bedight with fit acoutrements , for hasty flight : in stead of staffe , he tooke a shipmans weed ; in stead of going , lo● , he flyes with speed . like as a hawke ( that overmatcht with might ) doing sad penance for th'unequall fight , ( answ●ring the falkners second shout ) does flee from fist ; turnes tayle to foule , and takes a tree : so ionah baulks the place where he was sent ( to nineveh ) and downe to iaffa went : he sought , enquired , and at last , he found a welcome ship , that was to tharsis bound , where he may flye the presence of the lord : he makes no stay , but straightway goes aboord , his hasty purse for bargaine findes no leisure , ( where sinn delights , there 's no account of treasure ) nor did he know , nor aske , how much his fare : he gave : they tooke : all parties pleased are : ( how thriftlesse of our cost , and paines , are we , great god of heaven and earth , to fly from thee ! ) now have the sailors drunke their parting cup , they goe aboord ; the s●●les are hoisting up ; the anchor 's wayd ; the keele begins t' obey her gentle rudder ; leaves her quiet key , divides the streames , and without winde or oare , she easly glides along the moving shore : her swelling canvace gives her nimbler motion , sh'outstrips the tide , and hies her to the ocean : forth to the deepe she launches , and outbraves the prouder billowes , rides upon the waves ; she plies that course , her compas hath enjoindher , and soone hath left the lessned land behind her ; by this , the breath of heaven began to cease ; calme were the seas ; the waves were all at peace ; the flagging mainsaile flapt against her yard , the uselesse compasse , and the idle card were both neglected : vpon every side the gamesome porpisce tumbled on the tide . like as a mastis●e , when restrain'd a while , is made more furious , and more apt for spoile , or when the breath of man , being bard the course , at length breakes forth , with a farre greater force , even so the mi●der breath of heaven , at last , le ts flye more fierce , and blowes a stronger blast ; all on a sudden darkned was the sky with gloomy clouds ; heavens more refulgent eye was all obscur'd : the aire grew damp and cold , and strong mouth'd b●reas could no longer hold : eolus le ts loose his uncontrouled breath , whose language threatens nothing under death : the rudder failes ; the ship's at random driven ; the eye no object ownes , but sea and heaven : the welkin stormes , and rages more and more , the raine powres down ; the heavens begin to rore as they would split the massie globe in sunder , from those that live above , to those live under ; the pilot's frighted ; knowes not what to doe , his art 's amaz'd , in such a maze of woe ; faces grow sad : prayers and complaints are rise ; each one 's become an orator for life : the windes above , the waters underneath , ioyne in rebellion , and conspire death . the seamens courage now begins to quaile ▪ some ply the plump , whilst others strike the ●aile , their hands are busie , while their hearts despaire , their feares and dangers move their lips to praier : they praid , but winds did snatch their words away , and lets their pray'rs not go to whom they pray : but still they pray , but still the wind and weather do turn both ship & prai'rs they know not whether : their gods were deafe , their danger waxed greater ; they cast their wares out , and yet ne're the better : but all this while was ionah drown'd in sleepe , and in the lower decke was buried deepe . medita . . bvt stay : this was a strange and uncouth word : did ionah flye the presence of the lord ? what mister word is that ? he that repleats the mighty vniverse , whose lofty seat's th' imperiall heaven , whose footstoole is the face of massie earth ? can he from any place be barr'd ? or yet by any meanes , excluded , that is in all things ? ( and yet not included ) could ionah finde a resting any where so void , or secret , that god was not there ? i stand amaz'd , and frighted at this word : did ionah flye the presence of the lord ? mount up to heaven , and there thou shalt discover the exc'lent glory of his kingly power : bestride the earth beneath ( with weary pace ) and there he beares the olive branch of grace : dive downe into th' extreme abisse of hell , and there in iustice doth th' almighty dwell . what secret cloister could there then afford a screene'twixt faithlesse ionah , and his lord ? ¶ ●onah was charg'd , to take a charge in hand ; but ionah turn'd his backe on gods command ; shooke off his yoke , and wilfully neglected , and what was strictly charg'd , he quite rejected : and so he fled the power of his word ; and so he fled the presence of his lord. ¶ good god! how poore a thing is wretched man ? so fraile , that let him strive the best he can , with every little blast hee 's overdon : if mighty cedars of great leban●n , cannot the danger of the axe withstand , lord ! how shall we , that are but bushes , stand : how fond , corrupt , how senselesse is mankinde ? how faining deafe is he ? how wilfull blinde ? he stops his eares , and sinnes : he shuts his eyes , and ( blindfold ) in the lap of danger flyes : he sinnes , despaires ; and then to stint his griefe , he chuses death , to baulke the god of life . ¶ poore wretched sinner , travell where thou wilt , thy travell shall be burthen'd with thy guilt : climb tops of hils , that prospects may delight thee , there wil thy sins ( like wolves & bears ) afright thee , fly to the vallies , that those frights may shun thee , and there , like mountains , they will fall upon thee : or to the raging seas , ( with ionah ) goe ; there will thy sinnes like stormy neptune flow . poore shiftlesse man ! what shall become of thee ? wher'ere thou fly'st , thy griping sinne will flee . ¶ but all this while , the ship where ionah sleepes , is tost and torne , and batter'd on the deeps , and well-nigh split upon the threatning rocke , with many a boistrous brush , and churly knocke : god helpe all desp'rate voyagers , and keepe all such as feele thy wonders on the deepe . the argvment . the pilot thumps on ionah's brest , and rowzeth ionah from his rest : they all cast lotts , ( being sore afrighted ) the sacred lott on ionah lighted . sect. . the amazed pilot finding no successe , ( but that the storme grew rather more than lesse , for all their toilsome paines , and needlesse praiers ▪ despairing both of life , and goods ) repaires to ionahs drowsie cabbin ; mainly cals ; cals ionah , ionah ; and yet lowder yawles ; yet ionah sleepes ; and gives a shrug , or two , and snores , ( as greedy sleepers use to doe . ) the wofull pylot jogs him , ( but in vaine . ) ( perchance he dreames an idle word , or twaine ▪ ) at length he tugs and puls his heavy coarse , and thunders on his brest , with all his force : but ( after many yawnes ) he did awake him , and ( being both affrighted ) thus bespake him : " arise , o sleeper ; o arise and 〈◊〉 , " there 's not a twiny thred'twixt death , and thee : " this darkesome place ( thou measur'st ) is thy grave , " and sudden death rides proud on yo●der wave ; " arise , o sleeper , o arise , and pray ; " perhaps thy god will heare , and not say , nay : " repaire the losse of these our ill spent houres , " perchance thy god's more powerfull than ours ; " heavens hand may cease , and have compassion on us , " and turne away this mischiefe it hath done us . the sturdy saylors ( weary of their paine ) finding their bootlesse labour lost , and vaine , forbare their toilesome task and wrought no more , expecting death , for which they lookt before ; they call a parley , and consult together , they count their sinnes , ( accusing one another ) that for his sinne , or his , this ill was wrought : in fine , they all proove guilty of the fault : but yet the question was not ended so : one sayes , 't was thine offence ; but he sayes , no , but 't was for thy sake , that accuses me ; r●sht forth a third ( the worser of the three ) and swore it was anothers , which ( he hearing ) deny'd it 〈◊〉 , and said , 't was thine for swearing : in came a fift , accusing all ; ( replying but little else ) they all chid him for lying ; one said it was , another said 't was not : so all agreed , to stint the strife by lott : then all was whist ▪ and all to prayer went ; ( for such a bus'nesse a fit complement ) the lott was cast ; t'pleas'd god by lots to tell , the lott was cast ; the lott on ionah fell , medita . . o sacred subj●ct of a meditation ! thy workes ( o lord ) are full of admiration , thy judgements all are just , severe , and sure , they quite cut off or else by lancing , cure the festring sore of a rebellious heart , lest-foule infection taint th' immortall part . how deepe a lethargy doth this disease bring to the slumbring soule , through carelesse ease ▪ which once being wak't , ( as from a golden dreame ) lookes up , and sees her grief●s the more extreme . how seeming sweet's the quiet sleepe of sin ? which when a wretched man 's once nuzzled in , how soundly sleepes he , without feare , or wit ? no sooner doe his armes infolded knit a drowzy knot upon his carelesse brest , but there he snorts , and snores in endlesse rest ; his eyes are closed fast , and deafe his eares , and ( like endymion ) sleepes himselfe in yeares ; his sense-bound heart relents not at the voice of gentle warning , neither does the noise of strong reproofe awake his sleeping eare , nor louder threatnings thunder makes him heare ; so deafe's the sinners eare , so numb'd his sense , that sinne 's no corrosive , breeds no offence ; for custome brings delight , deludes the heart , beguiles the sense , and takes away the smart . ¶ but stay ; did one of gods elected number , ( whose eies should never sleep , nor eie lids ●lūber ) so much forget himselfe ? did ionah fleepe , that should be watchfull , and the tower keepe ? did ionah ( the selected mouth of god ) in stead of roaring judgements , does he nod ? did ionah sleepe so sound ? could he sleepe then , when ( with the sudden sight of death ) the men ( so many men ) with yelling shrikes , and cryes , made very heaven report ? were ionah's eyes still clos'd , and he , not of his life bereaven ? hard must he wink that shuts his eies from heavē . o righteous isr'el , where , o , where art thou ? where is thy lampe ? thy zealous shepheard now ? alas ! the rav'nous wolves will worr ' thy sheepe ; thy shepheard's carelesse , and is falne asleepe ; thy wandring flockes are frighted from their fold , their shepherd's gone , and foxes are too bold : they , they whose smooth-fac'd words become the altar , their works dissent , & first begin to faulter ; and they that should be watchlights in the temple are snuffes , and want the oyle of good example ; the chosen watch-men that the tow'r should keep ate waxen heavy-ey'd , and falne asleepe . ¶ lord if thy watchmen wink too much , awake thē ▪ although they slumber , do not quite forsake them ; the flesh is weake , say not ( if dulnesse seize their heavy eyes ) sleep henceforth : take your ●ase : and we poore weaklings , when we sleepe in sin , knocke at our drowzy hearts , and never lin , till thou awake our sin-congealed eyes ; lest ( drown'd in sleepe ) we sinke and never rise . the argvment . they question ionah whence he came , his country , and his peoples name . he makes reply : they mone their woe , and aske his counsell what to doe . sect . as when a thiefe's appr'hended on suspect , and charg'd for some supposed malefact , a rude concourse of people , straight accrewes , whose itching eares even smart to know the newes . the guilty pris'ner ( to himselfe betraid ) he stands dejected , trembling and afraid : so ionah stood the sailers all among , inclosed round amid the ruder throng . as in a summers evening you shall heare in hives of bees ( if you lay close your eare ) confused buzzing , and seditious noise , such was the murmure of the saylers voice . " what was thy sinfull act , that causes this , " ( sayes one ) wherein hast thou so done amisse ? " tell us , what is thine art ( another sayes ) " that thou professest ? speake man , whences awayes , " from what confines ca●●'st thou ? ( a third replyes ) " what is thy country ? and of what allies ? " what , art thou borne a iew ? or gentile ? whether ? " ( 〈◊〉 he could lend an answer unto either ) " a fourth d●●ands ; where hath thy breeding beene ? all what they askt , they all askt o're agen : in fine , their eares ( impatient of delay ) becalm'd their tongues to hear what he could say . so 〈◊〉 ( humbly rearing up his eyes ) breaking his long-kept silence , thus replyes : " i am an hebrew , sonne of abraham , " from whom my land did first derive her name , " within the land of iury was i borne , " my name is ionah , ●etchelesse and forlorne ▪ " i am a prophet : ah ! but woe is me , " for from before the face of god i flee ; " from whence ( through disobedience ) i am driven : " i seare iehovah , the great god of heaven : " i feare the lord of hosts , whose glorious hand " did make this stormy sea , and massie land. so said , their eares with double ravishment , still hung upon his melting lips , attent , whose dreadful words their harts so neer impierc●t , that from themselves , themselves were quite divers● ▪ as in a sowltry summers evening tide , ( when lustfull phoebus re-salutes his bride , and philomela 'gins her caroling ) a herd of deere are browzing in a spring , with eger appetite , misdeeming nought , nor in so deepe a silence fearing ought : a sudden cracke , or some unthought-of sound , or bounce of fowlers peece , or yelpe of hound , disturbs their quiet peace w th strange amaze where ( senslesse halfe ) through feare , they stand a● gaze so stand the sea-men , ( as with ghosts affrighted , ) entraunc'd with what this man of god recited : their tyred limbes doe now waxe faint , and lither , their harts did yern , their knees did smite together . congealed blood usurpt their trembling hearts , and left a faintnesse in their feeble parts : who ( trembling out distracting language , ) thus : " why hast thou brought this mischiefe upon us ? " what humour led thee to a place unknowne , " to seeke forraigne land , and leave thine owne ? " what faith hadst thou , by leaving thine abode , " to thinke to flye the presence of thy god ? " why hast thou not obey'd ( but thus transgrest ) " the voyce of god , whom thou acknowledgest ? " art thou a prophet , and dost thou amisse ? " what is the cause ? and why hast thou done this ? " what shall we do ? the tempest lends no eare " to fruitlesse that , nor dot the b●llowes heare , " or marke our language : waves are not a●tent : " our goods they fl●at , our needlesse paines are spent , " our barke's not weather proofe : no fort 's so stout , " to keepe continuall siege and battry out . " the lot accuses thee , thy words condemne thee , " the ●●ves ( thy deaths men ) strive to overwhelme thee : " what she we doe ? thou prophet , speake , we pray thee : " thou fear'dst the lord ; alas ! we may not stay thee : " or shall we save thee ? no , for thou dost flye " the face of god , and so deserv's● to dye : " thou prophet , speake , what shall be done to thee , " that angry sea ▪ may calme , and quiet be ? medita . . give leave a little to adjoyne your text , and ease my soule , my soule with doubts perplex● . can he be said to feare the lord , that flyes him ? can word confesse him , when as deed denies him ? my sacred muse hath rounded in mine eare , and read the mystery of a twofold feare : the first , a servile feare , for judgements sake ; and thus hells fire-brands doe feare and quake : thus adam fear'd , and fled behinde a tree : and thus did bloody cain feare and flee . vnlike to this there is a second kinde of feare , extracted from a zealous minde , full fraught with love , and with a conscience clear from base respects : it is a filiall feare ; a feare whose ground would just remaine , & level , were neither heaven , nor hel , nor god , nor devil ▪ such was the feare that princely david had ; and thus our wretched ionah fear'd , and fled : he fled asham'd , because his sinnes were such ; he fled asham'd , because his feare was much . he fear'd iehovah , other fear'd he none : him he acknowledg'd ; him hee fear'd alone : vnlike to those who ( being blinde with errour ) frame many gods , and multiply their terrour . th' egyptians , god apis did implore . god assas the chaldeans did adore : babel to the devouring dragon seekes ; th' arabians , astaroth ; iuno , the greekes ; the name of belus , the assyrians hallow , the troian● , vesta ; corinth , wise apollo ; th' arginians sacrifice unto the sunne ; to light-foot mercury bowes macedon ; to god volunus , lovers bend their knee : to pavor , they that faint and fearefull bee : who pray for health , and strength , to murcia those ▪ and to victoria , those that feare to lose : to muta , they that feare a womans tongue : to great lucin● , women great with young : to esculapius , they that live opprest : and such to quies , that de●ier rest . o blinded ignorance of antique times , how blent with errour , and how stuft with crimes your temples were ! and how adulterate ! how clogg'd with needlesse gods ! how obstinate ! how void of reason , order , how confuse ! how full of dangerous and foule abuse ! how sandy were the grounds , and how unstable ! how many deities ! yet how unable ! implore these gods , that list to howle and barke , they bow to dagon , dagon to the arke : but hee to whom the seale of mercy 's given , adores iehovah , the great god of heaven : vpon the mention of whose sacred name , meeke lambs grow fierce , & the fierce lions tame : bright sol shall stop , & heaven shal turn his course : mountains shall dance , and neptune slake his force : the seas shall part , the fire want his flame , vpon the mention of i●hovah's name : a name that makes the roofe of heaven to shake , the frame of earth to quiver , hell to quake : a name , to which all angels blow their trumps : a name , puts frolicke man into his dumps , ( though ne're so blythe ) a name of high renown : it mounts the meeke , and beats the loftie downe ; a name , divides the marrow in the bone ; a name , which out of hard , and flinti● stone extracteth hearts of flesh , and makes relent ▪ those hearts that never knew what mercy ment , o lord ! how great 's thy name in all the land : how mighty are the wonders of thy hand ? how is thy glory plac't above the heaven ? to tender mouthes of sucklings thou hast given coercive pow'r , and boldnesse to reproove , when elder men doe what them not behoove . o lord , ! how great 's the power of thine hand ? o god! how great 's thy name in all the land ! the argvment . the prophet doth his fault discover , perswade● the men to cast him over : they row , and toyle , but doe no good , they pray to be excus'd from blood . sect. . so ionah fram'd this speech to their demand , " not that i seeke to traverse the command " of my deare lord , and out of minde perverse , " t' avoid the ninivites , doe i amer●e " my selfe : nor that i ever heard you threat , " ( vnlesse i went to niniveh ( the great ) " and doe the message sent her from the lord ) " that you would kill , or cast me over-boord , " doe , i , doe thi● ; 't is my deserved fine : " you all are guiltlesse , and the fault is mine : " t is i , ' t●● i alone , 't is i am he : " the tempest comes from heaven , the cause from me ; " you shall not lose a haire ●or this my s●● , " nor perish for the fault that mine hath bin ; " lo , i the man am here : l● , i am he , " the root of all ▪ end your reven●e on me ; " i fled th' eternall god ; o , let me then " ( because i fled my god ) so flie from men : " redeeme your lives with mine ; ah , why should i , " not guiltlesse , live ; and you not guilty , die ? " i am the man , for whom these billowes dance , " my death shall purchase your deliverance ; " feare not to cease your feares ; but throw me in ; " alas ! my soule is burthen'd with my sin , " and god is just , and bent to his decree , " which certaine is , and cannot alter'd be ; " i am proclaim'd a traitor to the king " of heaven an earth : the windes with speedy wing " acquaint the seas : the seas mount up on high , " and cannot rest , untill the traytor die ; " oh , cast me in , and let my life be ended ; " let death make iustice mends , which life offended ; " oh , let the swellin● waters me enbalme ; " so shall the waves be still , and sea be calme . so said , th' amazed mariners grew sad , new love abstracted , what old feare did adde ; love called pity : feare call'd vengeance in ; love view'd the sinner ▪ feare beheld the sin ; love cry'd out , hold ; for better sav'd than spil'd ; but feare cry'd , kill ; o better kill , than kill'd : thus plung'd with passions they distracted were betwixt the hopes , and doubts of love and feare ; some cry'd out , save : if this foule deed we doe , vengeance that haunted him , will haunt us too : others cry'd , no ; may rather death befall to one ( that hath deserv'd to dye ) then all : save him ( sayes one ) oh save the man that thus his dearest blood hath profer'd to save us ; no , ( sayes another ) vengeance must have blood , and vengeance strikes most hard , when most withstood . in fine ( say all : ) then let the prophet die , and we shall live ; for prophets cannot lye . loth to be guilty of their owne , yet loth to haste poore ionahs death , with hope , that both th' approching evils might be at once prevented , with prayers and paines reutter'd , reattented , they try'd new wayes , despairing of the old , love quickens courage , makes the spirits bold ; they strove , in vaine , by toile to win the shore , and wrought more hard than er●e they did before : but now , both hands and hearts begin to quaile , ( for bodies wanting rest , must faint and faile ; ) the seas are angry , and the waves arise , appeas'd with nothing but a sacrifice ; gods vengeance stormeth like the raging seas , which nought but ionah ( dying ) can appease : fond is that labour , which attempts to free , what heaven hath bound by a divine decree : ionah must die , heaven hath decreed it so , ionah must die , or else they all die too ; ionah must die , that from his lord did flie ; the lott determines , ionah then must die ; his guilty word confirmes the sacred lott ▪ ionah must die then , if they perish not . " if iustice then appoint ( since he must die , " said they ) us actors of ●is tragedy , " ( we beg not ( lord ) a warrant to offend ) " o pardon blood-shed , that we must intend ; " though not our hands , yet shall our hearts be cleare ; " then let not stainlesse consciences beare " the pond'rous burden of a murders guilt , " or pay the price of blood that must be spilt ; " for 〈◊〉 , ( deare lord ) it is thine owne decree , " and we sad ministers of iustice be . meditat. . bvt stay a while ; this thing would first be known : can ionah give himselfe , and not his owne ? that part to god , and to his countrey this pertaines , so that a slender third is his ; why then should ionah doe a double wrong , to deale himselfe away , that did belong the least unto himselfe ? or how could hee teach this , ( thou shalt not kill ) if ionah be his life 's owne butcher ? what , was this a deed that with the calling he profest , agreed ? the purblinde age ( whose workes ( almost divine ) did meerely with the oyle of nature shine , that knew no written law , nor grace , nor god , to whip their conscience with a steely rod , ) how much did they abhorre so foule a fact ? when ( led by natures glimpse ) , they made an act , selfe-murderers should be deny'd to have the charitable honour of a grave : can such doe so , when ionah does amisse ? what , ionas , isr'els teacher ! and doe this ? the law of charity doth all forbid , in this thing to doe that which ionah did ; moreo're , in charity , 't is thy behest , of dying men to thinke , and speake the best ; the mighty samson did as much as this ; and who dare say , that samson did amisse , if heavens high spirit whisper'd in his eare expresse command to doe 't ? no wavering feare drew backe the righteous abram's armed hand from isaacks death , secur'd by heavens command . ¶ sure is the knot that true religion tyes , and love that 's rightly grounded , never dyes ; it seemes a paradoxe beyond beliefe , that men in trouble should prolong reliefe ; that pagans ( to withstand a strangers fate ) should be neglective of his owne estate . where is this love become in later age ? alas ! 't is gone in endlesse pilgrimage from hence , and never to returne ( i doubt ) 'till revolution wheele those times about : chill brests have starv'd her here , and she is driven away ; and with astraea fled to heaven . poore charity , that naked babe is gone , her honey's spent , and all her store is done ; her winglesse bees can finde out ne're a bloome , and crooked a●● doth usurpe her roome : nepenthe's dry , and love can get no drinke , and curs'd ar●en●e flowes above the brinke . brave mariners , the world your names shal hallow , admiring that in you , that none dare follow ; your friendship 's rare , and your conversion strāge , from paganisme to zeale ? a sudden change ! those men doe now the god of heaven implore , that bow'd to puppets , but an houre before ; their zeale is fervent , ( though but new begun ) before their egge-shels were done off , they runne : and when bright phoebus in a summer tide , ( new ris●n from the bosome of his bride ) enveloped with misty fogges , at length breakes forth , displaies the mist , with southerne strength ; even so these mariners ( of peerlesse mirrour ) their faith b'ing veil'd within the mist of errour , at length their zeale chac'd ignorance away , they left their puppets , and began to pray . ¶ lord how unlimited are thy confines , that still pursu'st man in his good designes ! thy mercy 's like the dew of hermon hill , or like the oyntment , dropping downward still from aarons head , to beard ; from beard to foote : so doe thy mercies drench us round about : thy love is boundlesse ; thou art apt and free , to turne to man , when man returnes to thee . the argvment . they cast the prophet over boord : the storme alay'd : they feare the lord ; a mighty fish him quick devoures , where he remained many houres . sect. . even as a member , whose corrupted sore infests , and rankles , eating more and more , threatning the bodies losse ( if not prevented ) the wise chirurgion ( all faire meanes attented ) cuts off , and with advised skil doth choose , to lose a part , then all the body lose ; even so the feeble sailors ( that addresse their idle armes , where heaven denyes successe ) forbeare their thrivelesse labours , and devise to roote that evill , from whence their harms arise : treason is in their thoughts , and in their eares danger revives the old , and addes new feares ; their hearts grow fierce , and every soule applies t' abandon mercy from his tender eyes : they cease t' attempt what heaven so long withstood , and bent to kill , their thoughts are all on blood : they whisper oft , each word is deaths alarme ; they hoyst him up ; each lends a busie arme , and with united powers they entombe his out-cast body in thetis angry wombe : whereat grim neptune wip't his fomy mouth , held his tridented mace upon the south ; the windes were whist , the billows danc't no more , the storme allay'd , the heavens left off to rore , the waves ( obedient to their pilgrimage ) gave ready passage , and surceast their rage , the skie grew cleare , and now the welcome light begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight : thus all on sudden was the sea tranquill , the heav'ns were quiet , and the waves were still ▪ as when a friendly creditor ( to get a long forborne , and much-concerning debt ) still plies his willing debter with entreats , importunes daily , daily thumps , and beates the batter'd portals of his tyred eares , bedeafing him with what he knowes , and heares ; the weary debter , to avoid the sight he loathes , shifts here , and there , and ev'ry night seekes out protection of another bed , yet ne'rethelesse ( pursu'd and followed ) his eares are still laid at with lowder volley of harder dialect ; he melancholy , sits downe , and sighs , and after long foreslowing , ( t' avoid his presence ) payes him what is owing ▪ the thankfull creditor is now appeas'd , takes leave , and goes away content , and pleas'd . even so these angry waves , with restlesse rage , accosted ionas in his pilgrimage , and thundred iudgement in his fearefull eare , presenting hubbubs to his guilty feare : the waves rose discontent , the surges beat , and every moments death , the billowes threat , the weather-beaten ship did every minuit await destruction , while hee was in it : but when his ( long expected ) corps they threw into the deepe , ( a debt , through trespasse , due ) the seagrew kinde , and all her frownes abated , her face was smooth to all that navigated . 't was sinfull ionah made her storme and rage , 't was sinfull ionah did her storme asswage . with that the mariners astonisht were , and fear'd iehovah with a mighty feare , offring up sacrifice with one accord , and vowing solemne vowes unto the lord. but he whose word can make the earth's foundatiō tremble , and with his word can make cessation , whose wrath doth moūt the waves , & toss the seas , and make thē calme & smooth , whē e're he please : this god , ( whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele , and puls ( like iacob ) iustice by the heele ) prepar'd a fish , prepar'd a mighty whale , whose belly was both prison-house , and baile , for retchlesse ionah . as the two leaf'd doore opens , to welcome home the fruitfull store , wherewith the harvest quits the plowmans hope , even so the great leviathan set ope his beame-like iawes , ( prepar'd for such a boone ) and at a morsell , swallow'd ionah downe , 'till dewy-check't aurora's purple dye thrice dappell'd had the ruddy morning skie , and thrice had spred the curtaines of the morne , to let in titan , when the day was borne , ionah was tenant to this living grave , embowel'd deepe in this stupendious cave . meditat. . lo , death is now , as alwaies it hath bin , the just procured stipend of our sinne : sinne is a golden causie , and a road garnisht with joyes , whose pathes are even & broad but leads at length to death , and endlesse griefe , to torments , and to paines , without reliefe . iustice feares none , but maketh all afraid , and then fals hardest , when t is most delaid , but thou reply'st , thy sinnes are daily great , yet thou sittst uncontrold upon thy seat ; thy wheat doth flourish , and thy barnes do thrive , thy sheepe encrease , thy sonnes are all alive , and thou art buxom ▪ and hast nothing scant , finding no want of any thing , but want , whil'st others , whom the ●quint-ey'd world counts holy , sit sadly drooping in a melancholy , with brow dejected , and downe-hanging head , or take of almes , or poorely begge their bread : but young man , know there is a day of doome , the feast is good , untill the reck'ning come . the time runnes fastest , where is least regard , the stone that 's long in falling , falleth hard ; there is a dying day , ( thou prosp'rous foole ) when all thy laughter shall be turn'd to doole , thy roabes to tort'ring plagues , & fel tormenting , thy whoops of ioy , to howles of sad lamenting : thy tongue shall yell , and yawle , and never stop , and wish a world , to give for one poore drop , to flatter thine intolerable paine ; the wealth of pluto could not then obtaine a minutes freedome from that hellish rout , whose fire burnes , and never goeth out : nor house , nor land , not measur'd heaps of wealth , can render to a dying man , his health : our life on earth is like a thred of flax , that all may touch , and being roucht , it craks . ¶ as when an archer shooteth for his sport , sometimes his shaft is gone , sometimes , 't is short , somtimes o' th left hād , wide , sometimes o' th right at last , ( through often tryall ) hits the white ; so death sometimes with her uncertaine rover , hits our superiours ( and so shoots over ) sometimes for change , shee strikes the meaner sort , strikes our inferiours ( and then comes short ) sometimes upon the left hand wide shee goes , and so ( still wounding some ) shee strikes our foes ; and sometimes wide upon the right hand bends , there with imperiall shafts , she strikes our friends ; at length ( through often triall ) hits the white , and so strikes us into eternall night . ¶ death is a kalender compos'd by fate , concerning all men , never out of date : her dayes dominicall , are writ in blood ; she shewes more bad daies , than she sheweth good : she tels when dayes , & monthes , & termes expire , meas'ring the lives of mortals by her squire . ¶ death is a pursivant , with eagles wings , that knocks at poore mens door , & gates of kings . worldling , beware betime ; death sculks behind thee and as she leaves thee , so will iudgement find thee . the argvment . within the bowels of the fish , ionah laments in great anguish ; god heard his pray'r , at whose command , the fish disgorg'd him on the land. sect . then ionah turn'd his face to heav'n , and pray'd within the bowels of the whale , and said , " i cry'd out of my balefull misery " vnto my god , and he hath heard my cry ; " from out the paunch of hell i made a noyse , " and thou hast answer'd me , and heard my voyce : " into the deeps and bottome thou hast throwne me , " thy surges , and thy waves have past upon me . " then lord ( aid i ) from thy refulgent sight " i am expell'd , i am forsaken quite , " nay'thelesse while these my wretched eyes remaine , " vnto thy temple will i looke againe . " the boystrous waters compast me about , " my body threats to let her pris'ner out , " the boundlesse depth enclosed me , ( almost dead ) " the weeds are wrapt about my fainting head , " i liv'd on earth rejected at thine hand , " and a perpetuall pris'ner in the land ; " yet thou wilt cause my life t' ascend at length , " from out this pit , o lord , my god , my strength . " when as my soule was over-whelm'd and faint , " i had recourse to thee , did thee acquaint " with the condition of my woefull case , " my cry came to thee , in thine holy place , " who so to vanities themselves betake , " renounce thy mercies , and thy love for sake : " to thee i 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes , " with voyce of thankes , and ever-sounding praise : " i 'le pay my vowes ; for all the world records " with one consent , salvation is the lords . but he ( whose word 's a deed , whose breath 's a law ; whose just command implies a dreadfull awe , whose word prepar'd a whale upon the deepe , to tend , and wait for ionah's fall , and keepe his out-cast body safe , and soule secure ) this very god ( whose mercy must endure , when heaven , & earth , when sea , & all things faile ) disclos'd his purpose , and bespake the whale , to redeliver ionah to his hand ; whereat the whale disgorg'd him on the land . medita . . i well record , a holy father sayes , " he teaches to deny , that faintly prayes : the suit surceases , when desire failes , but whoso prayes with fervency , prevailes ; for prayr's the key that opes th' eternall gate , and findes admittance , whether earl ' or late ; it forces audience , it unlockes the eare of heavens great god ( though deafe ) it makes him heare . vpon a time babel ( the worlds faire queene made drunk with choller , and enrag'd with spleen ) through fell disdaine , derraigned war 'gainst them that tender homage to ierusalem : a maiden-fight it was , yet they were strong as men of warre ; the battaile lasted long , much blood was shed , an spilt on either side , that all the ground with purple gore was dyde : in fine , a souldier of ierusalem : ch●●●ssa hight , ( the almner of the realme ) chill'd with an ague , and unapt to fight , into iustitia's castle too her flight , whereat great babets queene commanded all , to lay their siege against the castle wall ; but poore tymissa ( not with warr acquainted ) fearing charissa's death , fell downe , and fainted ; dauntlesse prudentia rear'd her from the ground , where she lay ( pale and senselesse ) in a swound , she rub'd her temples , and at length awaking she gave her water , of fidissa's making , and said , cheare up , ( deare sister ) though our foe hath tane us captives , thus besieg'd with woe , we have a king puissant , and of might , will see us take no wrong , and doe us right , if we possesse him with our sad complaint , cheare up , wee 'l send to him , and him acquaint . tymissa ( new awak'd from swound ) replies , our castle is begirt with enemies , and troops of armed men besiege our walls , then suer death , or worse than death befalls to her , ( who ere she be ) that stirs a foote , or rashly dares attempt to venture out , alas ! what hope have wee to finde reliefe , and want the meanes that may divulge our griefe ? within that place a jolly matron dwell'd , whose lookes were fixt and sad ; her left hand held a paire of equall ballances ; her right a two-edg'd sword , her eyes were quicke & bright , not apt to squint , but nimble to discerne ; her visage lovely was , yet bold and sterne ; ●●r name iustitia ; to her they make their moane , who , well advis'd , them thus bespake : faire maidens , more beloved then the light , ●rue the suffrance of your wofull plight , ●ut pitty's fond alone , recures no griefe , ●ut fruitlesse fals , unlesse it yeeld reliefe . cheare up , i have a messenger in store , whose speed is much , but faithfull trust is more , whose nimble wings shall cleave the flitting skies , and scorne the terrour of your enemies , ●ratio hight , well knowne unto your king , your message she shall doe , and tydings bring , provided that fidissa travaile with her , and so ( on christs name ) let them goe together . with that fidissa having ta'ne her errant , and good oratio with iustitia's warrant , in silence of the midnight tooke her flight , arriving at the court that very night ; but they were both as flames of fier hot , for they did fly as swift , as cannon shot , but they ( left sudden cold should do them harme ) together clung , and kept each other warme : but now , the kingly gates were sparr'd , and lockt , they call'd , but none made answer thē they knockt together j●yning both their force in one , they knockt againe ; yet answer there was none ; but they that never learn'd to take deniall , with importunity made further triall ; the king heard well , although he list not speake , till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake : in fine , the brazen gates flew open wide ; oratio moov'd her suit ; the king replide , ●ratio was a faire , and welcome guest ; so heard her suit , so granted her request . fraile man , observe ; in thee the practice lies , let sacred meditation moralize : let pray'r bee servent , and thy faith intire , and heaven , at last , will grant thee thy desire . the argvment . the second time was ionah sent to niniveh : now ionah went : against her crying 〈…〉 cry'd , and her destruction prop●●●y'd . sect. . once more the voyce of heavens high-cōmander , ( like horrid claps of heav'ns-dividing thunder or like the fall of waters breach ( the noise b●ing heard farre distant off ) such was the voyce ) came downe from heav'n to ionah , new-borne-mā , to re-baptized ionah , and thus began ; am i a god ? or art thou ought but dust ? more than a man ? or are my lawes unjust ? am i a god , and shall i not command ? art thou a man , and d●r'st my lawes withstand ? shall i ( the motion of whose breath shall make both earth , and sea , and hell , and heaven quake ) by thee ( fond man ) shall i be thus neglected ; and thy presumption scape uncorrected ? thy faith hath sav'd thee ( ionah : ) sin no more ; lest worse things happen after , than before ; arise ; let all th' assembled pow'rs agree to doe th'embassage i impose on thee ; trifle no more ; and , to avoid my sight , thinke not to baulke me with a second flight . arise , and goe to niniveh ( the great ) where broods of gentiles have ta'ne up their seat , the great queene regent mother of the l●nd , that multiplies in people like the sand ; away , with wings of time , ( i 'le not essoyne thee ) denounce these fiery iudgements , i enjoyne thee . like as a youngling that to schoole is sent , ( scarce weaned from his mothers blandishment where he was cockerd with a stroking hand ) with stubborne heart denyes the just command his tutor wils : but being once corrected , his home-bred stomack 's curb'd , or quite ejected : his crooked nature 's chang'd , and mollifi'd , and humbly seekes , what stoutly he deny'd ; so ionah's stout , perverse , and stubborne heart , was hardned once , but when it felt the smart of heav'ns avenging wrath , it straight dissolv'd , and what it once avoyded , now resolv'd , t' effect with speed , and with a carefull hand fully replenish'd with his lords command , to niniv●h he flyeth like a roe , each step the other strives to overgoe ; and as an arrow to the marke does flie , so ( bent to flight ) flies he to niniveh . ¶ now niniveh a might citie was , which all the cities of the world did passe , a citie which o're all the rest aspires like midnight phoebe 'mongst the lesser fires ; a citie , which ( although to men was given ) better beseem'd the majestie of heaven : a city great to god , whose ample wall , who undertakes to mete with paces , shall bring phoebus thrice to bed , ere it be done , ( although with dawning hesperus begun . when ionas hath approacht the city gate , he made no stay to rest , nor yet to bait , no supple oyle his fainting head anoints , stayes not to bathe his weather-beaten joynts , nor smooth'd his countenance , nor slick ' his skin , nor craved he the hostage of an inne , to ease his aking bones ( with travell sore ) but went as speedy , as he fled before ; the cities greatnesse made him not refuse , to be the trump of that unwelcome newes his tongue was great with ; but ( like thūders noise ) his mouth flew ope , and out there rusht a voyce . when dewy-cheek't aurora shall display her golden locks , and summon up the day twice twenty times , and rest her drowzy head twice twenty nights , in aged tithons bed , then niniveh this place of high renowne , shall be destroy'd , and sackt , and batterd downe . he sate not downe to take deliberation , what maner people were they , or what nation , or gent ' , or salvage ; nor did he enquier what place were most convenient for a cryer , nor like a sweet-lipt orator did steare , or tune his language to the peoples eare , but bold , and rough , yet full of majesty , lift up his trumpet , and began to cry , when forty times don phoebus shall fulfill his iournall course upon th' olympian hill , then niniveh ( the worlds great wonder ) shall startle the worlds foundation with her fall . the dismall prophet stands not to admire , the cities pompe , or peoples quaint attire , nor yet ( with fond affection ) doth pity th' approaching downfall of so brave a city , but dauntlesse he his dreadfull voice extends , respectlesse , whom this bolder cry offends , when forty daies shall be expir'd , and run , and that poore inch of time drawne out and done , then niniveh ( the worlds imperiall throne ) sall not be left a stone , upon a stone . meditat. . bvt stay ; is god like one of us ? can he when he hath said it , alter his decree ? can he that is the god of truth , dispence with what he vow'd ? or offer violence vpon his sacred iustice ? can his minde revolt at all ? or vary like the winde ? how comes this alteration then that he thus limiting the' effect of his decree vpon the expiring date of forty daies , he then performes it not ? but still delaies his plagues denounc't , & iudgement stil forbeares , and stead of forty dayes gives many yeares ? yet forty dayes , and niniveh shall perish ? yet forty yeares , and niniveh doth flourish : a change in man's infirme , in god 't is strange ; in god , to change his will , and will a change , are divers things : when he repents from ill , he wils a change ; he changes not his will ; the subject's chang'd , which secret was to us , but not the mind , that did dispose it thus ; denounced iudgement god doth oft prevent , but neither changes counsell , not intent : the voyce of he●●en doth seldome threat perdition but with expresse , or an imply'd condition , so that , if niniveh returne from ill , god turnes his hand , he doth not turne his will. ¶ the stint of niniveh was forty dayes , to change the by as of her crooked wayes : to some the time is large , to others , small ; to some 't is many yeares ; and not at all to others ; some an houre have , and some have scarce a minute of their time to come : thy span of life ( malfid● ) is thy space , to call for mercy , and to cry for grace . ¶ lord ! what is man , but like a worme that crawles open to danger every foote that fals ? death creepes ( unheard ) and steals abroad ( unseen ) her darts are sudden , and her arrowes keene , vncertaine when , but certaine she will strike , respecting king and begger both alike ; the stroke is deadly , come it soone , or late , which once being strucke , repenting's out of date ; death is a minute , full of sudden sorrow : " then live to day , as thou maist die to morrow . the argvment . the ninivites beleeve the word , their hearts returne unto the lord ; in him they put their onely trust : they mourne is sackcloth , and in dust . sect. . so said ; the ninivites beleev'd the word , beleeved ionas , and beleev'd the lord ; they made no pause , nor jested a● the newes , nor slighted it , because it was a iew 's denouncement : no , nor did their gazing eyes ( as taken captive with such novelties ) admire the strangers garb , so quaint to theirs , no idle chat possest their itching eares , the whil'st he spake : nor were their tongues on fier to raile upon , or interrupt the cryer , nor did they question whether true the message , or false the prophet were , that broght th'embassage but they gave faith to what he said ; relented , and ( changing their mis-wandred wayes ) repented ; before the searching ayre could coole his word , their hearts returned , and beleev'd the lord ; and they , whose dainty lips were cloy'd while ere with cates , and viands , and with wanton cheare , doe now enjoyne their palats not to tast the offall bread , ( for they proclaim'd a fast ) and they , whose looset bodies once did lye wrapt up in robes , and silkes of princely dye , loe now , in stead of robes , in rags they mourne , and all their silkes doe into sack-cloth turne , they read themselves sad lectures on the ground , learning to want , as well as to abound ; the prince was not exempted , nor the peere , nor yet the richest , nor the poorest there ; the old man was not freed , ( whose hoary age had ev'n almost outworne his pilgrimage ; ) nor yet the yong , whose glasse ( but new begun ) by course of nature had an age to runne : for when that fatall word came to the king , ( convay'd with speed upon the nimble wing of flitting fame ) he straight dismounts his throne , forsakes his chaire of state he sate upon , disrob'd his body , and his head discrown'd , in dust and ashes grov'ling on the ground , and when he rear'd his trembling corps againe , ( his haire all filthy with the dust he laie in ) he clad in pensive sackcloth , did depose himselfe from state imperiall , and chose to live a vassall , or a baser thing , then to usurpe the scepter of a king : ( respectlesse of his pompe ) he quite forgate he was a monarch mindlesse of his state , he neither sought to rule , or be obay'd , nor with the sword , nor with the scepter sway'd . meditat. . ¶ is fasting then the thing that god requires ? can fasting expiate , or slake those fires that sinne hath blowne to such a mighty flame ? can sackcloth cloth a fault ? or hide a shame ? can ashes , clense thy blot ? or purge thy ' offence ? or doe thy hands make heaven a recompence , by strowing dust upon thy bryny face ? are these the trickes to purchase heavenly grace ? no , though thou pine thy selfe with willing want ; or face looke thinne , or carkas ne're so gaunt , although thou worser weeds then sackcloth weare : or naked goe , or sleepe in shirts of haire , or though thou chuse an ash-tub for thy bed , or make a daily dunghill on thy head , thy labour is not poys'd with equall gaines , for thou hast nought but labour for thy paines : such holy madnesse god rejects , and loathes , that sinkes no deeper , than the skin , or cloathes : 't is not thine eyes which ( taught to weepe by art ) looke red with teares , ( not guilty of thy hart ) 't is not the holding of thy hands so hye , nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye ; 't is not your mimick mouths , your antick faces , your scripture phrases , or affected graces , nor prodigall up-banding of thine eyes , whose ga●●●full bals doe seeme to pelt the skyes ; 't is not the strict reforming of your haire so close , that all the neighbour skull is bare ; 't is not the drooping of thy head so low , nor yet the lowring of thy sullen brow , nor wolvish howling that disturbs the aire , nor repetitions or your tedious prayer ; no , no , 't is none of this , that god regards ; such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards , such puppet-plaies , to heaven a●e strange , & quaint , their service is unsweet , and foully taint , their words fall fruitlesse from their idle braine ; but true repentance runnes in other straine ; where sad contrition harbours , there the heart is truly'acquainted with the secret smart of past offences , hates the bosome sin the most , which most the soule tooke pleasure in ; no crime unsifted , no sinne unpresented can lurke unseene ; and seene , none unlamented ; the troubled soule 's amaz'd with dire aspects of lesser sinnes committed , and detects the wounded conscience ; it cryes amaine for mercy , mercy , cryes , and cryes againe ; it sadly grieves , and soberly laments , it yernes for grace , reformes , returnes , repents ; i , this is incense , whose accepted savour mounts up the heavenly throne , & findeth favour : i , this is it , whose valour never failes , with god it stoutly wrestles , and prevailes : i ; this is it , that pearces heaven above , never returning home ( like noab's dove ) but brings an olive leafe , or some encrease , that workes salvation , and eternall peace . the argvment . the prince and people fasts , and prayes ; god heard , accepted , lik'd their wayes : vpon their timely true repentance , god rever'st , and chang'd his sentence . sect. . then suddenly , with holy zeale inflam'd , he caus'd a generall act to be proclaim'd , by sage advice , and counsell of his peeres ; " let neither man , or child , of youth , or yeares , " from greatest in the citie , to the least , " nor herd , nor pining flocke , nor hungry beast , " nor any thing that draweth ayre , or breath , " on forfeiture of life , or present death , " presume to taste of nourishment , or food , " or move their hungry lips to chew the cud ; " from out their eyes let springs of water burst , " with teares ( or nothing ) let thē slake their thirst : " moreo're , let every man ( what e're he be ) " of higher quality , or low degree , " d'off all they weare ( excepting but the same " that nature craves , & that which covers shame ) " their nakednesse with sackcloth let them hide , " and mue the vest'ments of their silken pride ; " and let the brave cariering horse of warre , " ( whose rich caparisons , and trappings are " the glorious wardrobe of a victors show ) " let him disrobe , and put on sackcloth too ; " the oxe ( ordain'd for yoke ) the asse ( for load ) " the horse ( as well for race , as for the roade ) " the burthren-bearing camell ( strong and great ) " the fruitfull kine , and every kinde of neate , " let all put sackcloth on , and spare no voyce , " but cry aloud to heaven , with mighty noise ; " let all men turne the bias of their wayes , " and change their fiercer hands to force of praise : " for who can tell , if god ( whose angry face " hath long bin waining from us ) will embrace " this slender pittance of our best indeavour ? " who knowes , if god will his intent persever ? " or who can tell , if he ( whose tender love " transcends his sharper iustice ) will remove " and change his high decree , & turn his sentence " vpon a timely , and unfain'd repentance ? " and who can tell , if heaven will change the lot , that we , and ours may live , and perish not ? so god perceiv'd their workes , & saw their waies , approv'd the faith , that in their workes did blaze , approv'd their works , approv'd their workes the rather because their faith & works wēt both together : he saw their faith , because their faith abounded ; he saw their works , because on faith they grounded he saw their faith , their workes , and so relented , h'approv'd their works , their faith , & so repented ; repented of the plagues they apprehended ; repented of the evill , that he intended : so god the vengeance of his hand withdrew , he tooke no forfeiture , although 't were due ; the evill , that once hee meant , he now forgot , cancell'd the forfeit bond , and did it not . medita . . ¶ see , into what an ebbe of low estate the soule that seekes to be regenerate , must first descend , before the ball rebound , it must be throwne with force against the ground ; the seed increases not in fruitfull eares , nor can she reare the goodly stalke she beares , vnlesse bestrow'd upon a mould of earth , and made more glorious by a second birth : so man , before his wisedome can bring forth the brave exploits of truly noble worth , or hope the granting of his sinnes remission , he must be humbl'd ●●rst in sad contrition . the plant ( through want of skill , or by neglect ) if it be planted from the sunnes reflect , or lacke the dew of seasonable showres , decayes , and beareth neither fruit , nor flowres : so wretched man , if his repentance hath no quickning sun-shine of a liuely faith , or not bedew'd with showres of timely teares , or workes of mercy ( wherein faith appeares ) his prayers and deeds , and all his forced groanes , are like the howles of dogs , and works of drones . the wise chirurgeon , first ( by letting blood ) weakens his patient , ere he does him good ; before the soule can a true comfort finde , the body must be prostrate , and the minde truly repentive , and contrite within . and loathe the fawning of a bosome sin . but lord ! can man deserve ? or can his best doe iustice equall right , which he transgrest ? when dust and ashes mortally offends , can dust and ashes make eternall mends ? is heaven unjust ? must not the recompence be full equivalent to the offence ? what mends by mortall man can then be given to the offended majesty of heaven ? o mercy ! mercy ! on thee my soule relyes , on thee we build our faith , we bend our eyes ; thou fill'st my empty strain , thou fill'st my tongue ; thou art the subject of my swan-like song ; like pinion'd pris'ners at the dying tree , our lingring hopes attend and wait on thee ; ( arrain'd at iustice barre ) prevent our doome ; to thee with joyfull hearts wee cheerly come ; thou art our clergy ; thou that dearest booke , wherein our fainting eyes desire to looke ; in thee , we trust to read ( what will release us ) in bloody characters , that name of iesvs . ¶ what shall we then returne the god of heaven ? where nothing is ( lord ) nothing can be given ; our soules , our bodies , strength , and all our pow'rs , ( alas ! ) were all too little , were they ours : or shall wee burne ( untill our life expires ) an endlesse sacrifice in holy fires ? ¶ my sacrifice shall bee my heart intire , my christ the altar , and my zeale the fire . the argvment . the prophet discontented praye ▪ to god , that he would end his dayes ; god blames his wrath so unreprest , reproves his unadvis'd request . sect . bvt this displeasing was in ionah's eyes , his heart grew hot , his blood began to rise , his eyes did sparkle , and his teeth strucke fire , his veines did boyle , his heart was full ire : at last brake forth into a strange request , these words he pray'd , and mumbl'd out the rest ; was not , o was not this my though ! ( o lord ) before i fled ? nay was not this my word , the very word , my jealous language vented , when this mis-hap might well have beene prevented ? was there , o was there not a just suspect , my preaching would procure this effect ? for lord , i knew of old , thy tender love ; i knew the pow'r , thou gav'st my tongue , would move their adamantine hearts ; i knew 't would thaw their frozen spirits and breed relenting awe ; i knew ( great god ) upon their true repentance , that thou determin'dst to reverse thy sentence ; for well i knew , thou were a gracious god , of long forbearance , slow to use the rod ; i knew , the power of thy mercies bent the strength of all thy other workes outwent ; i knew the tender kindnesse , and how loath thou wert to punish , and how slow to wrath ; turning by iudgements , and thy plagues preventing , thy minde rever sing , and of ev'll repenting : therefore ( o therefore ) upon this perswasion , i fled to tarshish , there to make evasion , to save thy credit ( lord ) to save mine owne : for when this blast of zeale is over-blowne , and sackcloth left , and they surcease to mourne , when they ( like dogs ) shall to their vomit turne , they 'll vilipend thy sacred word , and scoffe it , saying , was that a god , or this a prophet ? they 'll scorne thy judgements , and thy threats despise , and call thy prophets , messengers of lyes . now therefore ( lord ) bow downe attentive eare , ( for ah my burthen's more than fl●sh can beare ) make speed ( o lord ) and banish all delayes , t' extinguish now the taper of my dayes : let not the minutes of my time extend , but let my wretched houres finde an end ; let not my fainting spirits longer stay in this fraile mansion of distempered clay : the threds but weake , my life depends upon , o , cut that thred , and let my life be done ; my brest stands faire , strike then , and strike againe , for nought but dying can asswage my paine : o may i rather dye , than live in shame ; better it is to leave , and yeeld the game , than toyle for what , at length , must needs be lost ; o , kill me , for my heart is sore imbost : this latter boone unto thy servant give ; for better 't is for me , to dye than live . so wretched ionah : but iehovah thus ; what boot's it so to storme outragious : becomes it thus my servants heart to swell : can anger helpe thee , ionah ? dost thou well ? medita . . how poore a thing is mā ! how vain 's his mind ! how strāge , how base ! & wav'ring like the wind how uncouth are his wayes ! how full of danger ! how to himselfe , is hee himselfe a stranger ! his heart 's corrupt , and all his thoughts are vaine , his actions sinfull , and his words prophane , his will 's deprav'd , his senses are beguil'd , his reason 's darke , his members all defil'd , his hasty feet are swift and prone to ill , his guilty hands are ever bent to kill , his tongue 's a spunge of venome , ( or of worse ) her practice is to sweare his skill to curse ; his eyes are fire-bals of lustfull fire , and outward helps to inward foule desire , his body is a well-erected station , but full of folly and corrupted passion : fond love ; and raging lust ; and foolish feares ; griefes overwhelmed with immoderate teares ; excessive joy ; prodigious desire , vnholy anger , red and hot as fire ; these daily clog the soule , that 's fast in prison , from whose encrease this lucklesse b●ood is risen , respectlesse pride , and lustfull idlenesse , base ribbauld talke , and loathsome drunkennesse , faithlesse despaire , and vaine curiosity ; both false , yet double-tongu'd hypocrisie ; soft flattery , and haughty-ey'd ambition ; heart-gnawing hatred , and squint-ey'd suspition , selfe-eating en●y , envious detraction , hopelesse distrust , and too-too sad dejection ; revengefull malice , hellish blasphemy , idolatry , and light inconstancy ; daring presumption , wry-mouth'd derisson , damned apostasie , fond superstition , ¶ what heedfull watch ? ah what continuall ward ? how great respect , and howerly regard , stands man in hand to have ; when such a brood of furious hel-hounds seeke to suck his blood ? day , night , and hower , they rebell and wrastle , and never cease , till they subdue the castle . ¶ how slight a thing is man ? how fraile and brittle ? how seeming great is he ? how truly little ? within the bosome of his holiest works , some hidden embers of old ada● lurkes , which oftentimes in men of purest wayes , burst out in flame , and for a season blaze ¶ lord , teach our hearts , and give our soules directions , subdue our passions , curb our stout affections , nip thou the bud , before the bloome begins : lord , shield thy servants from presumptuous sins . the argvment . a booth for shelter iona● made ; god sent a gourd for better shade ; but by the next approching light , god sent a worme consum'd it quite . sect. . so ionah ( sore opprest , and heavie-hearted ) from out the cities circuit straight departed , departed to the easterne borders of it , where sicke with anguish sate this sullen prophet ; he built a booth , and in the booth he sate , ( vntill some few dayes had expir'd their date with over-tedious pace ) where he might see , what would betide to threatned nineveh . a trunke that wanteth sap , is soone decay'd ; the slender booth of boughes and branches made , soone yeelding to the sun's consuming ray , crumbled to dust , and early dry'd away : whereat , the great iehovah spake the word , and over ionah's head there sprang a gourd , whose roots were fixt within the quickning earth , which gave it nourishment , as well as birth ; god raised up a gourd , a gourd should last , let winde , or scorching sun , or blow or blast : as coales of fier rak'd in embers lye obscure , and undiscerned by the eye ; but being stirr'd , regaine a glimm'ring light , revive , and glow , burning afresh and bright ; so ionah 'gan to cheere through this reliefe , and joyfull was , devoyded all his griefe ; he joy'd to see that god had not forgot his drooping servant , and forsooke him not ; he joy'd , in hope the gourds strange wonder will perswade the people , hee 's a prophet still ; the fresh aspect did much refresh his sight ; the herball savour gave his sense delight ; thus ionah much delighted in his gourd , enjoy'd the pleasures that it did affoord , but , lord ! what earthly thing can long remaine ! how momentany are they ! and how vaine ! how vaine is earth , that man 's delighted in it ! her pleasures rise , and vanish in a minit : how fleeting are the joyes , we finde below , whose tides ( uncertaine ) oftner ebbe than flow ! for see ! this gourd ( that was so faire , and sound ) is quite consum'd , and eaten to the ground ; no sooner titan had up-heav'd his head , from off the pillow of his saffron bed , but heav'n prepar'd a silly , silly worme , ( perchance brought thither by an eastern storme ) the worme that must obey , and well knew how , consum'd the gourd , nor left it root , nor bough ; consum'd it straight within a minutes space , left nought , but ( sleeping ) ionas in the place . medit. . ¶ the pleasures of the world , ( which soon abate ) are lively emblemes of our owne estate , which ( like a banquet at a fun'rall show ) but sweeten griefe , and serve to flatter woe . ¶ pleasure is fleeting still , and makes no stay , it lends a smile or twaine , and steales away : ¶ man's life is fickle , full of winged haste , it mockes the sense with joy and soone does waste : ¶ pleasure does crown thy youth , & iuls thy wants ; but ( sullen age approaching ) straight avaunts : ¶ man's life is joy , and sorrow seekes to banish , it doth lament and mourne in age , and vanish . ¶ the time of pleasure 's like the life of man ; both joyfull , both contained in a span ; both highly priz'd , and both on sudden lost , when most we trust them , they deceive us most ; what fit of madnesse makes us love them thus ▪ we leave our lives , and pleasure leaveth us : why , what is pleasure ? but a golden dreame , which ( waking ) makes our wāts the more extreme ? and what is life ? a bubble full of care , which ( prickt by death ) straight empties into ayre : the flowers ( clad in farre more rich aray , than e're was salomon ) doe soone decay ; what thing more sweet , or fairer then a flowre ? and yet it bloomes , and fades within an houre ; what greater pleasure then a rising sun ? yet is this pleasure every evening done : but thou art heyre to croesus , and thy treasure being great , and endlesse , endlesse is thy pleasure ; but thou ( thou croesus heyre ) consider must , thy wealth , and thou , came from , and goes to dust ; another's noble , and his name is great , and takes his place vpon a lofty seat ; true 't is , but yet his many wants are such , that better 't were he were not knowne so much . another binds his soule in hymens knot , his spouse is chast , unblemisht with a spot , but yet his comfort is bedasht , and done , his grounds are stockt , and now he wants a sonne ¶ how fickle and unconstant's mans estate ! man fain would have , but then he knows not what ; and having , rightly knowes not how to prize it , but like that foolish dunghill-cock imployes it ; but who desires to live a life content , wherein his cruze of joy shall ne're be spent , with fierce pursuit , let him that good desire , whose date no change , no fortune can expire . for that 's not worth the craving , to obtaine a happinesse , that must be lost againe ; nor that , which most doe covet most , is best ; best are the goods , mixt with contented rest ; gasp not for honour , wish no blazing glory , for these will perish in an ages story ; nor yet for power ; power may be carv'd to fooles , as well as thee , that hast deserv'd . thirst not for lands nor money ; wish for none , for wealth is neither lasting , nor our owne : riches are faire inticements to deceive us ; they flatter , while we live , and dying , leave us . the argvment . ionas desires to die , the lord rebukes him , be maintaines his word , his anger hee doth justifie , god pleads the cause for ninevie : sect. . when ruddy phoebus had with morning light subdu'd the east , & put the stars to flight , heav'ns hand prepar'd a servent easterne winde , whose drought together with the sun combin'd , the one as bellowes blowing t'others fire , with strong united force , did both con●pire to make assault upon the fainting head of helplesse ionah , that was well nye dead , who turning oft , and tossing to and fro , ( as they that are in torments use to doe ) and ( restlesse ) finding no successe of ease , but rather that his tortures still encrease ; his secret passion to his soule betraid , craving no sweeter boone then death , and said , o kill me ( lord ) or loe , my heart will rive ; for better 't is for me to dye than live . so said , the lord did interrupt his passion , and said , how now , is this a seemely fashion ? doth it become my servants heart to swell ? can anger helpe thee ? ionah , dost thou well ? is this a ●it speech ? or a well-plac'd word ? what , art thou angry ( ionah ) for a gourd ? what , if th' arabians with their ruder traine , had kild thine oxen , and thy cattell sl●ine ? what if consuming fier ( falne from heaven ) had all thy servants of their lives bereaven , and burnt thy sheepe ? what , if by strong oppression the chaldees had usurp'd unjust possession vpon thy camels ? or had boreas blowne his full-mouth'd blast , and cast thy houses downe , and sl●ine thy sonnes amid their jollities ? or hadst thou lost thy vineyard full of trees ? hadst thou beene ravisht of thine onely sheepe , that in thy tender bosome us'd to sleepe ? how would thine ●asty spirit then bin stirr'd , if thou art angry , ionah , for a gourd ? to which , thus ionah vents his idle breath , lord , i doe well to vexe unto the death ; i blush not to acknowledge , and professe deserved rage , i 'm angry , i ●onfesse ; ' i would make a spirit that is thorow frozen , to blaze like flaming pitch , and fry like rozen : why dost thou aske that thing that thou canst ●ell ? thou know'st i 'm angry ' , and it beseemes me well . so said ; the lord to ionah thus respake ; doest thou bemoane , and such compassion take vpon a gourd , whose seed thou didst not sow , nor mov'd thy busie hands to make it grow , whose beauty , small ; and value was but slight , which sprang , as also perisht in a night ? hadst thou ( o dust and ashes ) such a care , such in-bred pitty , 'a trifling plant to spare ? hadst thou , ( o hard and incompassionate , to wish the razing of so brave a state ) hadst thou ( i say ) compassion to bewaile the extirpation of a gourd so fraile ? and shall not i ( that am the lord of lords ) whose fountain's never dry , but still affords sweet streames of mercy , with a fresh supply , to those that thirst for grace : what shall not i , ( that am the god of mercy , and have sworne to pardon sinners , whensoe're they turne ? ( i say ) shall i disclaime my wonted pitty , and bring to ruine such a goodly city , whose hearts ( so truely penitent ) implore me , who day and night powre forth their soules before me ? shall i destroy the mighty ninevie , whose people are like sands about the sea ? 'mong which are sixe score thousand babes ( at least ) that bang upon their tender mothers brest , whose pretty smiles could never yet descry the deare affection of their mothers eye ? shall i subvert , and bring to desolation a city , ( nay , more aptly term'd a nation ) whose walls boast lesse their beauty than their might ? whose hearts are sorrowfull , and soules contrite ? whose infants are in number , so amounting ? and beasts , and cottell endlesse , without counting ? what , ionah , shall a gourd so move thy pity ? and shall not i spare such a goodly citie ? meditatio ultima . my heart is full , my vent is too too straight ; my tongue 's too trusty to my poore conceit ▪ my mind's in labour , and finds no redresse ; my heart conceives , my lips cannot expresse ; my organs suffer , through a maine defect ; alas ! i want a proper dialect , to blazon forth the tythe of what i muse ; the more i meditate , the more accrewes ; but io , my faultring tongue must say no more , vnlesse she step where she hath trod before . what ? sha●● i then be silent ? no , i le speake ( till tongue be tyred , and my lungs be weake ) of dearest mercy , in as sweet a straine , as it shall please my ●use to lend a vaine ; and when my voice shall stop within her source , and speech shall faulter in this high discourse , my tyred tongue ( unsham'd ) shall thus extend , onely to name , deare mercy , and so end . ¶ oh high imperiall king , heavens architect ! is man a thing befitti●g thy ●espect ? lord , thou art wisedome , and thy wayes are holy , but man 's polluted , full of filch , and folly ; yet is he ( lord ) the tabricke of thy hand , and in his soule he beares thy glorious brand , howe're defaced with the rust of sin , which hath abus'd thy stamp , and eaten in ; 't is not the frailty ' of mans corrupted nature , makes thee asham'd t' acknowledge man thy creature ; but like a tender father , here on earth , ( whose childe by nature , or abortive birth , doth want that sweet and favourable relish , wherewith , her creatures , nature doth imbelish ) respects him nerethelesse ; even so thy grace ( great god ) extends to man ; though sin deface the glorious pourtraiture that man doth beare , whereby he loath'd and ugly doth appeare , yet thou , ( within whose tender bowels are deepe gulfes of mercy , sweet beyond compare ) regard'st , and ●ov'st ( with rev'rence ●e it said ) nay seem'st to dote on ma● ; when he hath straid , lord , thou hast bro●ght him to his fold againe ; when he was lost , thou didst not then disdaine to thinke upon a vagabond , and give thy dearest sonne to dye , that he might live . how poore a mite art thou content withall , that ●an may ●cape his downe●approching fall ? though base we are , yet thou dost not abhorre us , but ( as our story speaks ) art pleading for us , to save us harmelesse from our foe-mans jawes ; art thou turn'd orator to plead our cause ? ¶ how are thy mercies full of admiration ! how soveraigne ! how sweet's their application ! fatning the soule with sweetnesse , and repayring the rotten ruines of a soule despairing . ¶ lo here ( malfido ) is a feast prepar'd ; fall to with courage , and let nought be spar'd ; tast freely of it , here 's no misers feast ; eate what thou canst , and pocket up the rest : these precious viands are restoritie , eate then ; and if the sweetnesse make thee drie , drinke large carouses out of mercies cup , the best lies in the bottome , drinke all up : these cates are sweet ambrosia to thy soule , and that which fills the brim of mercies bowle , is dainty nectar ; eate and drinke thy fill ; spare not the one , nor yet the other spill ; provide in time : thy banquet is begun , lay up in store against the feast be done : for loe , the time of banquetting is short , and once being done , the world cannot restor't ; it is a feast of mercy , and of grace ; it is a feast for all , or high , or base : a feast for him that begs upon the way , as well for him that does the scepter sway ; a feast for him that howerly bemoanes his dearest sins , with sighs , and teares and groane● ; a feast for him , whose gentle heart reformes ; a feast for men ; and so a feast for wormes ▪ ¶ deare liefest lord , that feast'st the world with grac● , extend thy bounteous hand , thy glorious face : bid ioyfull welcome to thy hungry guest , that we may praise the master of the feast ; and in thy mercy grant this boone to mee , that i may dye to sinne , and live to thee . s. ambrose . misericordia est plenitudo omnium virtutum . finis . the generall vse of this history . ¶ when as the ancient world did all imbark within the compass of good noahs arke , forth to the new-washt earth a dove was sent , who in her mouth return'd an olive plant , which in a silent language this related : how that the waters were at length abated , those swelling waters , is the wrath of god , and like the dove , are prophets sent abroad ; the olive-leafe's a joyfull type of peace , a faithfull signe gods vengeance doth decrease ; they salve the wounded heart , and make it whole , they bring glad tydings to the drooping soule , proclaiming grace to them that thirst for grace , mercy to those that mercy will embrace . ¶ malfido , thou , in whose distrustfull brest despaire hath brought in sticks to build her nest , where she may safely lodge her lucklesse brood , to feed upon thy heart , and sucke thy blood , beware betimes , lest custome and permission prescribe a title , and so claime possession . ¶ despairing man , whose burthen makes thee stoop vnder the terror of thy sinnes , and droop through dull despaire , whose too too sullen griefe makes heav'n unable to apply reliefe ; whose eares are dull'd with noyse of whips and chaines ; and yels of damned soules , through tort'red pains , come here , and rouze thy selfe , un●eele those eyes , which sad despaire clos'd up ; arise , arise , and goe to nineveh , the worlds great palace , earths mighty wonder , and behold the ballace , and burthen of her bulke , is nought but sin , which ( wilfull ) she commits , and wallowes in ; behold her images , her fornications , her crying sinnes , her vile abominations ; behold the guiltlesse blood that she did spill , like spring-tides in the streets , and reeking still : behold her scorching lusts , and taint desier like sulph'rous aetna , blaze , and blaze up higher ; she rapes , and rends , and theeves , & there is none can justly call the thing he hath , his owne ; that sacred name of god , that name of wonder , in stead of worshipping , she teares in sunder ; she 's not enthrall'd to this sin , or another , but like a leper's all infected over ; not onely sinfull , but in sinnes subjection , shee 's not infected , but a meere infection . no sooner had the prophet ( heav'ns great spy ) begun an onset to his lowder cry , but she repented , sigh'd , and wept , and tore her curious hayre , and garments that she wore , she sate in ashes , and with sack-cloth clad her , all drencht in brine , that griefe cannot be sadder ; she calls a fast , proclames a prohibition to man and beast ; ( sad tokens of contrition ) no sooner pray'd , but heard ; no sooner groan'd , but pittied ; no sooner griev'd but moan'd ; timely repentance speedy grace procur'd , the sore that 's salvd in time , is eas'ly cur'd : no sooner had her trickling teares ore-flowne her blubber'd cheeks , but heav'n was apt to mone her pensive heart , wip'd her suffused eyes , and gently strok'd her cheekes , and bid her rise ; no faults were seene as if no fault had bin , deare mercy made a quittance for her sin . ¶ malfido , rouze thy leaden spirit , bestirre thee ; hold up thy drouzy head , here 's comfort for thee what if thy zeale be frozen hard ? what then ? thy saviours blood will thaw that frost agen : thy pray'rs that should be servent , hot as fier , proceed but coldly from a dull desier ; what then ? grieve inly , but do not dismay , who heares thy pray'rs , will give thee strength to pray : though left a while , thou art not quite giv'n ore , where sinne abounds , there grace aboun●eth more : this , this is all the good that i can doe thee , to ease thy griefe , i here commend unto thee a little booke , but a great mystery , a great delight , a little history ; a little branch slipt from a saving tree , but bearing fruit as great , as great mought be ; a small abridgement of thy lords great love ; a message sent from heaven by a dove : it is a heavenly lecture , that relates to princes , pastors , people , all estates their sev'rall duties . ¶ peruse it well , and binde it to thy brest , the rests the cause of thy defect of rest : but read it often , or else read it not : once read , is not observ'd , and soone forgot , nor is 't enough to read , but understand , or else thy tongue , for want of wit 's prophan'd , nor is 't enough to purchase knowledge by it ; salve heales no sore , unlesse the party ' apply it ; apply it then ; which if thy flesh restraines , strive what thou canst , & pray for what remaines . the particular application . ¶ then thou , that art opprest with sad despaire , here shalt thou see the strong effect of pray'r : then pray with faith ▪ & ( servent ) without ceasing ( like iacob ) wrestle , till thou get a blessing . ¶ here shalt thou see the type of christ thy saviour ; then let thy suits be through his name and favour , ¶ here shalt thou finde repentance and true griefe of sinners like thy selfe , and their beliefe ; then suit thy griefe to theirs , and let thy soule cry mightily , untill her wounds be whole . ¶ here shalt thou see the meeknesse of thy god , who on repentance turnes , and burnes the rod ; repents of what he purpos'd , and is sorry ; here may ye heare him stoutly pleading for ye : then thus shall be thy meed , if thou repent , in stead of plagues and direfull punishment , thou shalt find mercy , love , and heav'ns applause , and god of heav'n ( himselfe ) will plead thy cause . ¶ here hast thou thē compil'd within this treasure , first , the almighties high and just displeasure against foule sinne , or such as sinfull be , or prince , or poore , or high or low degree . ¶ here is descri'd the beaten road to faith : ¶ here maist thou see the force that preaching hath ¶ here is describ'd in ( briefe but ) full expression , the nature of a convert , and his passion : his sober dyet , which is thin and spare ; his clothing , which is sack-cloth ; and his prayre not faintly sent to heaven , nor spatingly , but piercing , ●ervent , and a mighty cry : ¶ here maist thou see how pray'r , & true repētance do strive with god , prevaile , and turn his sentence from strokes to stroking , & from plagues infernall ▪ to boundlesse mercies , and to life eternall . ¶ till zephyr lend my barke a second gale , i slip mine anchor , and i strike my saile . finis . o dulcis salvator mundi ! ultima verba quae tu dixisti in cruce , sint ultima mea verba in luce ; & quando amplius effari non possum , exaudi tu cordis mei desiderium . a hymne to god. who gives me then an adamantine quill ? a marble tablet ? and a davids skill ? to blazon forth the praise of my deare lord in deepe-grav'n characters , upon record to last , for times etc●nall processe , suer , so long , as sunne , and moone , and starres endure : had i as many mouthes , as sands there are , had i a nimble tongue for every starre , and every word i speake , a character , and every minutes time ten ages were , to chaunt forth all thy prayse it no'te availe , for tongues , & words , and time and all would faile : much lesse can i , poore weakling , tune my tongue , to take a taske befits an angels song ; sing what thou canst ▪ when thou canst sing no more weepe then as fast , that thou canst sing no more , beblurre thy booke with teares , and go thy wayes , for every blurre will prove a booke of prayse . thine eye that viewes the moving spheares above let it give praise to him that makes them move : thou riches hast ; thy hands that hold , & have them , let them give praise to him , that freely gave them : thine armes defend thee ; then for recompence , let them praise him , that gave thee such defence : thy tongue was given to praise thy lord , the giver ; then , let thy tongue praise highest god for ever : faith comes by hearing , & thy faith will save thee ; thē let thine cars prais him that hearing gave thee : thy bea rt is beg'd by him whose hands did make it , my sonne , give me thy heart ; lord , free●y take it : eyes , ●ands , and armes , tongues , eares and hearts of men sing praise , and let the people say , amen . ¶ tune you your instruments , and let them vary , praise him upon them in his sanctuary , praise him within the highest firmament , which shewes his power , and his government ; praise him for all his mighty acts are knowne , and suit thy praises to his high renowne , praise him with trump victorious , shrill , & sharpe , with psaltry lowd , and many-stringed harpe , with sounding timbrell , and the warbling flute , with ( musicks full interpreter ) the lute ; praise him upon the maiden virginalls , vpon the clerick organs , and cymballs , vpon the sweet majestick vyalls touch , double your joyes , and let your prayse be such ; let all , in whom is life and breath , give praise to heav'ns eternall god , in endlesse dayes ; let every soule , to whom a voyce is given , sing holy , holy , holy , lord of heaven ; for loe , a lambe is found , that undertooke to break the seven-fold-seale , & ope the book● , ¶ o let my life adde number to my dayes , to shew thy glory , and to sing thy praise ; let every minute in thy praise be spent , let every head be bare , and knee be bent to thee ( deare lambe , ) ▪ who ere thy praises hide , clos'd be his lippes , and tongue for ever ty'de . hallelujah . gloria deo in excelsis . eleven piovs meditations . . ¶ within the holy legend i discover three speciall attributes of god ; his power , his iustice , and his mercy , all uncreated , eternall all , and all unseparated from gods pure essence , and from thence proceeding ; all very god , all perfect , all exceeding : and from that selfe-same text three names i gather of great lehova ; lord , and god , and father ; the first denotes him mounted on his throne , in power , majesty , dominion ; the second shewes him on his kingly bench , rewarding evill with equall punishments ; the third describes him on his mercy-seat , full great in grace ; and in his mercy , great ; ¶ all three i worship , and before all three my heart shall humbly prostrate , with my knee ; but in my private choice , i fancy rather , then call him lord , or god , to call him father . . ¶ in hell no life , in heaven no death there is , in earth both life and death , both bale and blis ▪ in heaven 's all life , no end , nor new supplying ; in hell 's all death , and yet there is no dying ; earth ( like a partiall ambidexter ) doth prepare for death , or life , prepares for both ; who lives to sinne , in hell his portion 's given , who dyes to sinne , shall after live in heaven . ¶ though earth my nurse be , heaven , bee thou my father , ten thousand deaths let me endure rather within my nurses armes , then one to thee ; earths honour with thy frownes is death to mee : i live on earth , as on a stage of sorrow ; lord , if thou pleasest , end the play to morrow : i live on earth , as in a dreame of pleasure , awake me when thou wilt , i wait thy leisure : i live on earth , but as of life bereaven , my life 's with thee , for ( lord ) thou art in heaven . . nothing that e'r was made was made for nothing beasts for thy food , their skins were for thy clothing , flowers for thy smell , and ●earbs for cure good trees for thy shade , their fruit for pleasing food : the showers fall upon the fruitfull ground , whose kindly dew makes tender grasse abound , the grasse springs forth for beasts to feed upon , and beasts are food for man : but man alone is made to serve his lord in all his wayes , and be the trumpet of his makers praise : ¶ let heav'n be then to me obdure as brasse , the earth as iron , unapt for graine or grasse , then let my flocks consume , and never steed mee , let pinching famine want wherewith to feed mee , when i forget to honour thee , ( my lord ) thy glorious attributes , thy workes , thy word . o let the trump of thine eternall fame , teach us to answer , hallow'd be thy name . . ¶ god built the world , and all that therein is he framed , yet how poore a part is his ? quarter the earth , and see , how small a rome is stiled with the name of christe● dome ; the rest ( through blinded ignorance ) rebels , o're-runne with pagans , turkes , and infidels : nor yet is all this little quarter his , for ( though all know him ) halfe know him amisse , professing chr●●● for lucre , ( as they l●st ) and serve the triple crowne of an●●●hrist ; yet is this little handfull much made lesser , there 's many l●●ertines , for one pr●fessour : nor doe professours all professe aright , ' mong ' whom there often lurks an hypocrite . ¶ o where , and what 's thy kingdome ( blessed god ) where is thy scepter ? where 's thine iron rod ? reduce thy reck'nings to their totall summe , o let thy power , and thy kingdome come . . ¶ man in himselfe 's a little world , alone , his soul 's the court , or high imperiall throne wherein as empresse sits the vnderstan●ing gently directing , yet with awe commanding : her handmaid's will : affections , maids of honour , all following close , and duely waiting on her : but sin , that alwayes envi'd mans condition , within this kingdome raised up division ; withdrawne the will , and brib'd the false affection , that this , no order hath ; nor that election ; the will proves traitor to the vnderstanding ; reason hath lost her power , and left commanding , she 's quite depos'd , and put to foule disgrace , and tyrant passion now usurps her place . ¶ vouchsafe ( lord ) in this little world of mine to raigne , that i may raigne with thee in thine : and since my will is quite of good bereaven , thy will be done in earth , as 't is in heaven . ¶ who live to sin , are all but theeves to hear̄ and earth ; they steale frō god , & take ungivē , good men they rob , & such as live upright , and ( being bastards ) share the freemans right : they 're all as owners , in the owners stead , and ( like to dogs ) devoure the childrens bread ; they have , and lacke , and want that they possesse , vnhappy most , in their most happinesse : they are not goods , but riches , that they wast , and not be●ng goods , to ev'ls they turne at last . ¶ ( lord ) what i have , let me enjoy in thee , and thee in it , or else take it from mee ; my store or want , make thou , or fade , or flourish , so shall my comforts neither change , nor perish ; that little i enjoy , ( lord ) make it mine , in making mee ( that am a sinner ) thine ; 't is thou or none , that shall supply my need , great god , give us this day our daily bread . . ¶ the quick conceited schoole-men doe approve a difference 'twixt charity and love : love is a vertue , whereby we explaine our selves to god , and god to us againe : but charitie 's imparted to our brother , whereby we trafficke , one man with another : the first extends to god ; the last belongs to man , in giving right , and bearing wrongs ; in number , they are twaine , in vertue one ; for one not truely being , t' other's none . ¶ in loving god , if i neglect my neighbour , my love hath lost his proofe , and i my labour : my zeale , my faith , my hope , that never failes me , ( if charity be wanting ) nought a vailes me . ¶ ( lord ) in my soule , a spirit of love create me , and i will love my brother , if he hate me : in nought but love , let me envy my betters ; and then , forgive my debts , as i my detters . . ¶ i finde a true resemblance in the growth of sin , and man ; a like in breeding , both ; the soul 's the mother , and the devill , syer ; who lusting long in mutuall desier enjoy their wils , and joyne in copulation ; the seed that fils her wombe , is foule tentation ; the sinnes conception , is the soules co●sent ; and then it quickens , when it breeds content ; the birth of sin is finisht in the action , and custome brings it to its full perfection . ¶ o let my fruitlesse soule be barren rather , then bring forth such a child for such a father : or if my soule breed sinne ( not being wary ) let not her wombe bring forth , or else miscarry ; she is thy spouse ( o lord ) doe thou advise her , keepe thou her chast , let not the fiend entice her : try thou my heart , thy trials bring salvation . but let me not be led into temptation . . ¶ fortune ( that blinde supposed goddesse ) is still rated at , if ought suceed amisse ; 't is shee ( the vaine abuse of providence ) that beares the blame , whē others make th' offence ; when this mans barne finds not her wonted store , fortun 's cond●mn'd , because she sent no more ; if this man dye , or that man live too long , fortun 's accus'd , and she hath done the wrong ; ah foolish dolls and ( like ●our goddesse ) blinde ! you make the fault , and call your saint unkinde ; for when the cause of ev'll begins in man , th' effect ensues from whence the cause began ; then know the reason of thy discontent , thy ev'll of sinne , makes the ev'll of punishment . ¶ ( lord ) hold me up , or spurre mee when i fall ; so shall my ev'll bee just , or not at all : defend me from the world , the flesh , the devill , and so thou shalt deliver me from evill . . ¶ the priestly skirts of a'rons holy coate i kisse ; and to my morning muse devote : had never king , in any age , or nation , such glorious robes , set forth in such a fashion , with gold , and gemmes , and silks of princely dye , and stones befitting more than majesty : the persian sophies , and rich shaeba's queene had n'er the like , nor e'r the like had seene ; vpon the skirts ( in order as they fell ) first , a pomegranat was , and then a bell ; by each pomegranat did a bell appeare ; many pomegranats , many bels there were ; pomegranats nourish , bels doe make a sound ; as blessings fall , thanksgiving must rebound . ¶ if thou wilt cloth my heart with a'rons tyer , my tongue shall praise , as well as heart desier . my tongue , and pen , shall dwell upon thy story , ( great god ) for thine is kingdome , power , glory . . ¶ the ancient sophists , that were so precise , ( and oftentimes ( perchance ) too curious nice ) averre , that nature hath bestow'd on man , three perfect soules : when this i truly scan , me thinks , their learning swath'd in errour , lyes ; they were not wise enough , and yet too wise ; too curious wise , because they mention more then one ; not wise enough , because not foure ; nature , not grace , is mistris of their schooles ; grace counts them wisest , that are veriest fooles : three soules in man ? grace doth a fourth allow , the soule of faith : but this is greeke to you : 't is faith that makes man truly wise ; 't is faith makes him possesse that thing he never hath . ¶ this glorious soule of faith bestow on me , ( o lord ) or else take thou the other three : faith makes men lesse then children , more then men , it makes the soule cry abba , and amen . the end. pentelogia . morstua , mors christi , fraus mundi , gloria coeli , et d●lor inferni , sunt meditanda tibi . thy death , the death of christ , the worlds tētation ; heavens joy , hels torment , be thy meditation . london , printed for iohn marriot . . mors tua . . ¶ me thinkes , i see the nimble-aged sire passe swiftly by , with feet unapt to tire ; vpon his head an hower-glasse he weares , and in his wrinkled hand a sythe he beares , ( both instruments , to take the lives from men ) th' one shewes with what , the other sheweth when . me thinkes i heare the dolefull passing-bell , setting an onset on his louder knell ; ( this moody musick of impartiall death who dances after , dances out of breath . ) me thinkes i see my dearest friends lament , with sighs , and teares , and wofull dryriment , my tender wife , and children standing by , dewing the death-bed , whereupon i lie : me thinkes , i heare a voyce ( in secret ) say , thy glasse is runne , and thou must die to day . mors christi . . ¶ and am i here , and my redeemer gone ? can he be dead , and is not my life done ? was he tormented in excesse of measure , and doe i live yet ? and yet live in pleasure ? alas ! could sinners finde out ne're a one , more fit than thee , for them to spit upon ? did thy cheekes entertaine a traylors lips ? was thy deare body scourg'd , and torne with whips ? so that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after ? and did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water ? wert thou ( lord ) hang'd upon the cursed tree ? o world of griefe ! and was all this for me ? ¶ burst forth , my teares , into a world of sorrow , and let my nights of griefe finde ne're a morrow ; since thou art dead ( lord ) grant thy servant roome , within his heart , to build thy heart a tombe . fraus mundi . . ¶ what is the world ? a great exchange of war● , wherein all sorts , & sexes cheapning art , the flesh , the devill sit , and cry , what lacke ye ? when most they fawn , they most intend to rack ye the wares , are cups of ioy , and beds of pleasure , ther 's goodly choice , down weight , & flowing me●sure , a soul 's the price , but they give time to pay , vpon the death-bed , on the dying day . ¶ hard is the bargaine , and unjust the measure , when as the price so much out-lasts the pleasure : the joyes that are on earth , are counterfaits ; if ought be true , 't is this , th' are true deceits : they flatter , fawne , and ( like the crocodile ) kill where they laugh , and murther where they smile ▪ they daily dip within thy dish , and cry , who hath betraid thee ? master , is it i ? gloria coeli . . ¶ vvhen i behold , and well advise upon the wisemans speech , there 's nought beneath the sun , but vanity , my soule rebels within , and lothes the dunghill prison she is in : but when i looke to new ierusalem , wherein 's reserv'd my crown , my diadem , o what a heaven of blisse my soule enjoyes , on sudden rapt into that heaven of ioyes ! where ravisht ( in the depth of meditation ) she well discernes , with eye of contemplation , the glory ' of god , in his imperiall seat , full strong in might , in majesty compleat , where troops of powers , vertues , cherubims , angels , archangels , saints , and seraphims , are chaunting prayses to their heavenly king , where hallelujah they for ever sing . dolor inferni . . ¶ let poets please to torture tanialus , let griping vultures gnaw prometheus , and let poore ixion turne his endlesse wheele , let nemesis torment with whips of steele ; they far come short , t' expresse the paines of those that rage in hell , enwrapt in endlesse woes ; where time no end , and plagu●s finde no exemption ; where cryes admit no helpe , nor place redemption ; where fier lacks no flame , the flame no beat , to make their torments sharpe , and plagues complea● ▪ where wretched soules to tortures bound shall be● , serving a world of yeares , and not be fre● ; where nothing's heard but yells , and sudden cryes ; where ●ier never flakes , nor worme e're dyes : but where this hell is plac'd ( my muse ) stop there ; lord , shew me what it is , but never where . mors tua . . ¶ can he be faire , that withers at a blast ? or he be strong , that ayery breath can cast ▪ can he be wise , that knowes not how to live ? or hee be rich , that nothing hath to give ? can he be young , that 's feeble , weake , and wan ? so faire , strong , wise , so rich , so young is m●n : so faire is man , that death ( a parting blast ) blasts his faire flow'r , and makes him earth at last ; so strong is man , that with a gasping breath hee totters , and bequeathes his strength to deat● , so wise is man , that if with death he strive , his wisedome cannot teach him how to live ; so rich is man , that ( all his debts b'ing paid ) his wealth 's the winding-sheet wherein he 's laid : so yong is man , that ( broke with care and sorrow ) he 's old enough to day , to dye to morrow : why brag'st thou thē , thou worm of five-foot long ▪ th' art neither faire , nor strong , nor wise , nor rich nor 〈◊〉 ▪ mors christi . . i thurst ; and who shall quench this eager thurst ? i grieve ; and with my griefe my heart will burst ; i grieve , because i thurst without reliefe ; i thurst , because my soule is burnt with griefe ; i thurst ; and ( dry'd with griefe ) my heart will dye ; i grieve , and thurst the more , for sorrow's dry : the more i grieve , the more my thurst appeares : would god i had not griev'd out all my teares ; i thurst ; and yet my griefes have made a floud ; but teares are salt ; i grieve , and thurst for blood ; i grieve for blood , must send reliefe ; i thurst for blood , for blood for blood must ease my griefe ; i thurst for sacred blood of a deare lambe ; i grieve to thinke from whence that deare blood came ; 't was shed for me , o let me drinke my fill , although my griefe remaine entier still : o soveraigne pow'r of that vermilian spring , whose vertue , neither heart cōceives , nor tongue can sing . fraus mundi . . i love the world ( as clients love the lawes ) to manage the uprightnesse of my cause ; the world loves me , as shepheards doe their flockes , to rob , and spoile them of their fleecy lockes ; i love the world , and use it as mine inne , to bait , and rest my tyred sarkeise in : the world loves me : for what ? to make her 〈◊〉 ▪ for filthy sinne , she sels me timely shame ; she 's like the basiliske , by whose sharpe eyes the living object , first discover'd , dyes ; forth from her eyes empoysoned beames do dur●● dyes like a basiliske , discerned first ; we live at jarres as froward gamesters doe , still guarding , nor regarding others foe ; i love the world , to serve my turne , and leave her , 't is no deceit to co●zen a deceiver ; she 'll not misse me ; i , lesse the world shall misse , to lose a world of griefe , t' enjoy a world of bl●sse . gloria coeli . . earth stands immov'd , and fixt ; her situation admits no locall change , no alteration , heaven alway moves , renewing still his place , and ever sees us with another face ; earth standeth fixt , yet there i live opprest ; heaven alway mooves , yet there is all my rest : enlarge thy selfe , my soule , with meditation , mount there , and there bespeake thy habitatio● ; where joies are full , & pure , not mixt with mourni●● all endlesse , and from which is no returning ; no theft , no cruell murther harbours there , no hoary-headed - care , no sudden feare , no pinching want , no ( griping-fast ) oppression , nor death the stipend of our first transgression : but dearest friendship , love , and lasting pl●●sure , still there abides , without or stint , or measure ; fulnesse of riches , comf●●●t sempeternall , excesse without a surfetting ; and life eternall . dolor inferni . . the trump shall blow , the dead ( awak'd ) shal rise , and to the clouds shall turn their wondring eies ; the heav'ns shal ope , the bridegroom forth shal come , to judge the world , and give the world her doome : ioy to the iust , to others endlesse smart ; to those the voyce bids come ; to these , depart ; depart from life , yet ( dying ) live for ever ; for ever dying be , and yet dye never ; depart like dogs , with devils take your lot ; depart like devils , for i know you not ; like dogs , like devils goe , goe howle and barke ; depart in darknesse , for your deeds were darke ; let r●aring be your musicke , and your food be flesh of vipers , and your drinke , their blood ; let fiends afflict you , with reproach and shame , depart , depart into eternall flame : if hell the guerdon then of sinners be , ( lord give me hell on earth , ( lord ) give mee heav'n with thee . — vv — vv — iam de●ine tibia versus . finis . hadassa . horat. ode . ●onamur tenues , grandia ; nec pudor , ●mbellisque lyrae musapotens vetat . by fra. quarles . london , printed for iohn marriot . . a preface to the reader . a sober veine best suits theologie : if therefore thou expect'st such elegancy as takes the times , affect some subject as will beare it . had i laboured with over-abundāce of fictions , or flourishes , perhaps they had exposed mee , censurable , and disprized this sacred subject : therefore i rest more sparing in that kinde . two things i would treate of : first , the matter , secondly , the manner of this history . as for the matter , ( so farre as i have dealt ) it is canonicall , and indited by the holy spirit of god , not lyable to errour , and needs no blanching . in it , theologie sits as queene , attended by her handmaid philosophy ; both concurring to make the understanding reader a good divine , and a wise moralist . as for the divinitie ; it discovers the almighty in his two great attributes ; in his mercy , delivering his church ; in his iustice , confounding her enemies . as for the morality ; it offers to us the whole practick part of philosophy , dealt 〈◊〉 into ethicks , politicks , and oeconomick● . . the ethical part ( the object wherof is th● manners of a private man ) ranges thro●●● the whole booke , and empties it selfe 〈◊〉 the catalogue of morall vertues , either th●● that governe the body ; as fortitude , ch●● . . and temperance , chap. . . or tho●● which direct the soule , either in outwa●● things , as liberalitie , chap . . magnif●cence , chap. . . magnanimity , chap. . ● ▪ and modesty , chap. . . or in conversatio● as iustice , chap. . . mansuetude , chap ▪ &c. . the politicall part ( the object whereof ▪ publike societie ) instructs , first , in the behaviour of a prince to his subject ; in punish●● his vice , chap . . in rewarding of vertu● chap. . . . secondly , in the behaviour 〈◊〉 the subject to his prince ; in observing 〈◊〉 lawes , and discovering his enemies , ch●● . . thirdly , the behaviour of a subiect , 〈◊〉 a subject ; in mutuality of love , chap. . . 〈◊〉 propagation of peace , chap. . . . the oeconomical part ( the object wh●●● of is private society ) teacheth , first , the 〈◊〉 riage of the wife , to her husband : in 〈◊〉 , chap. . . of the husband to his wife , is ruling , chap. . . secondly , of a father to his childe , in advising , chap. . , . of a childe to his father , in observing , chap. . . thirdly , of a master to his servant , in commanding , chap. . . of a servant to his master , in effecting his command , chap. . . furthermore , in this history , the two principall faculties of the soule are ( nor in vaine ) imployed . first , the intellect , whose proper object is truth . secondly , the will , whose proper object is good , whether philosophicall , which the great master of philosophy calls wisedome : or theologicall , which wee point at now , hoping to enjoy hereafter . who the pen-m●n of this sacred history was , or why the name of god ( as in few other parts of the bible ) is unmentioned in this , it is immateriall and doubtfull . for the first , it is enough for anuncurious questioner to know , it was indited by the spirit of god : for the second , let it suffice , that that spirit will'd not here to reveale his name . as for the manner of this history ( consisting in the periphrase , the adjournment of the story , and interposition of meditations ) i i hope it hath not injured the matter : for in this i was not the least carefull , to use the light of the best expositors , not daring to goe un-led , for feare of stumbling . some say , divinity in verse is incongruous and unpleasing : such i referre to the psalmes of david , or the song of his sonne salomon , to bee corrected . but in these lewd times , the salt , and soule of a verse , is obscene scurrility , without which it seemes dull , and livelesse : and though the sacred history needs not ( as humane doe ) poetry , to perpetuate the remembrance ( being by gods owne mouth blest with eternity ) yet verse ( working so neare upon the soule , and spirit ) will oft times draw those to have a history in familiarity , who ( perchance ) before , scarce knew there was such a booke . reader , bee more than my hasty pen stiles thee : reade mee with advice , and thereafter judge me , and in that judgement censure me . if i jangle , thinke my intent thereby , is to to●● better ringers in ▪ farewell . the introdvction . when zedechia ( he whose haplesse hand once held the scepter of great iudahs land went up the palace of proud babylon , ( the prince serajah him attending on , ) a dreadfull prophet , ( from whose blasting breath came sudden death , and nothing else but death ) into serajah's peacefull hand betooke , the sad contents of a more dismall booke : breake ope the leaves , those leaves so full of dread , read ( sonne of thunder ) said the prophet , reade ; say thus , say freely thus , the lord hath spoke it , 't is done , the world 's unable to revoke it ; woe , woe , and heavy woes ten thousand more betide great babylon , that painted whore ; thy buildings , and thy ●ensive towers shall flame on a sudden , and to cinders fall , none shall be left to waile thy griefe with howles : thy streets shall peopl'd be with bats and owles : none shall remaine to call thy places voyd , none to possesse , nor ought to be enjoy'd ; nought shall be left for thee to terme thine owne , but helplesse ruines of a haplesse towne : said then the prophet , when thy language hath empty'd thy cheekes of this thy borrow'd breath , close then the booke , and binde a stone unto it , that done , into the swift euphrates throw it , and let this following speech explane withall the hieroglyphick● of proud babels fall . thus , thus shall babel , thus shall babels glory , of her destruction leave a tragick story : thus , thus shall babell fall , and none relieve her , thus , thus shall babel sinke , thus sinke for ever . and falne she is . thus after-times made good that sacred prophesie , confirm'd in blood . great royall dreamer , where is now that thing thou so much vaunted'st of ? where , o soveraig●● king , is that great babel , that was rais'd so high , to shew the highnesse of thy majesty ? where is thy royall off-spring to succeed thy throne , and to preserve thy princely seed till this time ? sleeping , how could'st thou fore●●● that thing , which waking thou thoghtst ne'r would be● and thou belshazzar , ( full of youthfull fire , vnlucky grand-child to a lucklesse syre ) on thee the sacred oracles attended , for with thy life , great babels kingdome ended : what made thy spirit tremble , and thy hayre bolt up ? what made thee ( fainting ) gaspe for ayre ▪ a simple word upon a painted wall ? what 's that to thee ? if ought , what harme at all ? could words affright thee ? o preposterous wit , to feare the writing , not the hand that writ ! the hand that writ , it selfe ( unseene ) did shroud within the gloomy bosome of a cloud ; the hand that writ , was bent , ( nor bent in vaine ) to part the kingdome , and the king in twaine , the hand that writ , did write the sentence downe ▪ and now stands armed to depose the crowne ; the hand that writ , did threaten to translate thy kingdome ( babel ) to the persian state ; th' effect whereof did brooke no long delayes , for when belshazzar had spun out his dayes , ( soone cut by that avengers fatall knife , ) proud babels empire ended with his life . as when that rare arabian bird doth rest her bedrid carkase in her spicy nest , the quick-devouring fire of heaven consumes the willing sacrifice in sweet perfumes , from whose sad cinders ( balm'd in fun'rall spices ) a second phoenix ( like the first ) arises ; so from the ruines of great babels seat ; the medes and persians monarchy grew great : for when belshazzar , last of babels kings , yeelded to death , ( the summe of mortall things ) like earth-amazing thunder from above , and lightnng from the house of angry iove , or like to billowes in th' euboean seas , whose swelling , nought but shipwrack can appease , so bravely came the fierce darius on , marching with cyrus into babylon , two armies royall stoutly following , the one was medes , the other persia's king : as when the harvester with bubling brow . ( reaping the intrest of his painfull plough , ) with crooked sickle now a shock doth sheare , a handfull here , and then a handfull there , not leaving , till he nought but stubble leave ; here lies a new falne ranke , and there a sheave ; even so the persian host it selfe bestur'd , so fell great babel by the persian sword , which warm with slaughter , & with blood imbru'd , ne'r sheath'd till wounded babel fell subdu'd . but see ! these brave ioynt-tenants that surviv'd to see a little world of men unliv'd , must now be parted : great darius dyes , and cyrus shares alone the new-got prize ; he fights for heaven , heavens foemen he subdues : he builds the temple , he restores the iewes , by him was zedechias force disjoynted , vnknowne to god he was , yet gods anointed ; but marke the malice of a wayward fate ; he whom successe crown'd alwayes fortunate , he that was strong t' atchieve , bold to attempt , wise to foresee , and wary to prevent , valiant in warre , successefull to obtaine , must now be slaine , and by a woman slaine . accursed be thy sacrilegious hand ; that of her patron rob'd the holy land ; curs'd be thy dying life , thy living death , and curs'd be all things that proud ●omyris hath , o worst that death can doe , to take a life , which ( lost ) leaves kingdomes to a tyrants knife : for now , alas ! degenerate cambyses ( whose hand was fill'd with blood , whose hart with vices sits crowned king , to vexe the persian state , with heavy burdens , and with sore regrate . o cyrus , more unhappy in thy sonne , then in that stroke wherewith thy life was done ! cambyses now fits king , now tyrant ( rather : ) ( vnlucky sonne of a renowned father ) blood cries for blood : himselfe revenged 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 leave their lives , 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 brave syers worth , ere after-times could spend his rivers forth . tyrant cambyses being dead and gone , on the reversion of his empty throne , mounts up a magus with dissembled right , forging the name of him , whose greedy night too early did perpetuate her owne , and silent death had snatcht away unknowne . but when the tydings of his royall cheat times loyall trumpe had fam'd , th' usurped 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 were slaine ; and so renowned was that happy slaughter , that it solemniz'd was for ever after ; so that what pen shall write the persian story , shall treat that triumph , & write that daies glory ▪ for to this time the persians ( as they say ) observe 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 calmes 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 cry'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 sayes , let 's rule our selves ; let 's all be kings : no , sayes another , that confusion brings ; thus moderne danger bred a carefull trouble , double their care is , as their feare is double ; and doubtfull to resolve of what conclusion , to barre confusion , thus they bred confusion ; at last ( and well advis'd ) they put their choyce vpon the verdict of a iuries voyce ; seven is a perfect number , then by seven , be persia's royall crowne , and scepter given ; now persia , doe thy plagues or joyes commence ; god give thy iurie sacred evidence : fearefull to chuse , and faithlesse in their choyce , ( since weale or woe depended on their voyce , ) a few from many they extracted forth , whos 's even 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 ( advis'd ) bespake ; since purblinde mortalls , of themselves , can make no difference 'twixt good , and evill ▪ nor know a good from what is onely good in show , but , with unconstant frailty , doth vary from what is good , to what is cleane contrary ; and since it lyes not in the braine of man , to make his drooping state more happy , than his unprospitious stars allot , much lesse to lend another , o● a state successe , in vaine you , therefore shall expect this thing , that we should give you fortune , with a king : since you have made us meanes to propagate the joyfull welfare of our headlesse state , ( bound by the tender service that we beare ou● native soyle , farre than our lives more deare , ) we sifted have , and boulted from the rest , whose worst admits no badnesse , and whose best cannot be bettered : when chaunticleere , ( the belman of the morne ) shall summon twilight , with his bugle horne , let these brave hero's , drest in warlike wise , and richly ●ounted on their pa●feries , 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 given ●he doubtfull monarchy , the choyce of kings lies not in mortals b●east , 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 devotion , some clap their joyfull hands , some shout , some sing , and all at one cry'd out , a king , a king. when phoebus harbinger had chac'd the night , and tedious phosphe brought the breaking light , compleat in armes , and glorious in their traine , came these brave heroes , prancing o're the plaine , with mighty streamers came these blazing starres , po●tending warres , ( and nothing else but warrs ; ) into the royall palace now they come : there sounds the martiall trump , here beats the drum , there stands a steed , and champes his frothy steele this stroaks the groūd , that scorns it with his heel ; one snorts , another puffs out angry wind ; this mounts , before ; and that curvets , behind ; by this , the fomy steeds of phaeton 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 save the king , they joyntly say ; god blesse thy prosprous actions with a due successe ; the people clap their sweaty palmes , and shout , the bonfires smoake , the bels ring round about , the minstrels play , the parrats learne to sing , ( perchance as well as they ) god save the king , assuerus now 's invested in the throne , , and persia's rul'd by him , and him alone ; prove happy persia : great assuerus prove as equall happy in thy peoples love . enough ; and let this broken breviate suffice to shadow forth the downfall state of mighty babel , and the conquest made by the fierce medes , & persians conqu'ring blade ▪ whose just succession we have traced downe , till great assuerus weare the persian crowne ; him have we sought , and having found him , rest ; to morrow goe we to his royall feast . finis . to the highest : his humble servant implores his gracious ayde . thou great directer of the hearts of men , from whence i propagate what e're is mine , still my disquiet thoughts , direct my pen no more mine owne , if thou adopt it thine : o be thy spirit ●ll in all to me , that will implore no ayde , no muse but thee : ●e thou the load-starre to my wandring minde , ●ew rigg'd , and bound vpon a new adventure : ●fill my canvas with a prosp'rous winde ; ●nlock my soule , and let thy spirit enter : so blesse my talent with a fruitfull lone , that it , at least , may render two for one . vnworthy i , to take so high a taske ; vnworthy i , to crave so great a boone , alas ! unseason'd is my slender caske , my winters day hath scarcely seene her 〈◊〉 but if the childrens bread must be deny'd , yet let me licke the crummes that fall be●●●● the historie of ester . the argvment . the king assuerus makes two feasts , invites his great and meaner guests : he makes a statute to represse the lothsome sin of drunkennesse . sect. . when great assuerus ( under whose command the worlds most part did in subjectiō stand , whose kingdome was to east and west confin'd , and stretcht from ethiopia unto ind ' , ) whē this brave monarch had with two yeers pow'r confirmd himselfe the persian emperour ; the peoples patience nilling to sustaine the hard oppression of a third yeares raigne , softly began to grumble , sore to vexe , feeling such tribute on their servile necks ; which when the king ( as he did quickly ) heares , ( for kings have tender , and the nimblest eares ) partly to blow the coales of old affection , which now are dying through a forc'd subiection ▪ partly to make his princely might appeare , to make them feare for love , or love for feare , he made a feast : he made a royall feast , fit for himselfe , had he himselfe beene guest ; to which he calls the princes of his land , who ( paying tribute ) by his power stand ; to which he calls his servants of estate , his captains , and his rulers of the state , that he may shew the glory of his store , the like unseene by any prince before ; that he may boast his kingdomes beauty forth , his servant princes , and their princely worth ; that he may shew the type of sov'raignty fulfill'd in th' honour of his majesty : he made a feast , whose date should not expire , vntill seven moones had lost and gain'd their 〈◊〉 when as this royall tedious feast was ended , ( for good more common 't is , 't is more cōmende● for meaner sort he made a second feast ; his guests were from the greatest to the least in susa's place ; seven dayes they did resort to feast i' th' palace garden of the court ; where in the midst , the house of bacchus stands to entertaine when bounty claps her hands ; the tap'stry hangings , were of divers hue , pure white , and youthfull greene , and joyful 〈◊〉 the maine supporting pillars of the place were 〈◊〉 ●arble of the purest race ; the 〈◊〉 were rich right princely to behold , of b●aten silver , and of burnish't gold. the ●●vement was dis●olour'd porphyry , and during marble , colour'd diversly ; in lavish cups of oft-refined gold , came wine unwisht , drink what the people 〈◊〉 the golden vessel , did in number pasle , great choyce of cups , great choyce of wine the 〈◊〉 and since abuse attends vpon excesse , leading sweet mirth to loathsome drunkenne●● a temp'rate law was made , that no man might inforce an undisposed appetite : so that a sober mind may use his pleasure , and measure drinking , though not drinke by measure . medit. . no man is borne unto himselfe alone ; who lives unto himselfe , he lives to none : the world 's a body ' , each man a member is , to adde some measure to the publike blisse ; where much is giv'n , there much shall be requir'd , where little , lesse ; for riches are but hyr'd ; wisedome is sold for sweat ; pleasures for paine ; who lives unto himselfe , he lives in vaine ; to be a monarch is a glorious thing ; who lives not full of care , he lives no king ; the boundlesse glory of a king is such , to sweeten care , because his care is much ; the sun ( whose radiant beames reflect so bright ) comforts and warmes , as well as it gives light , by whose example phoebe ( though more dim ) does counterfeit his beames , and shines from him : so mighty kings are not ordain'd alone to pearch in glory on the princely throne , but to direct in peace , command in warre those subjects , for whose sakes they onely are ; so loyall subjects must adapt them to such vertuous actions as their princes doe : so shall his people , even as well as he , princes ( though in a lesser volume ) be . ¶ so often as i fixe my serious eye vpon assuerus feast , me thinkes , i spye the temple dance , me thinkes my ravisht eare , ( rapt with the secret musicke that i heare ) attends the warble of an angels tongue , resounding forth this sense-bereaving song ; vashti shall fall , and ester rise , sion shall thrive , when haman dyes . blest are the meetings , and the banquets blest , where angels caroll musicke to the feast ; ¶ how doe our wretched times degenerate from former ages ! how intemperate hath lavish custome made our bedrid age , acting obscoene scenes on her drunken stage ! our times are guided by a lewder lot , as if that world another world begot : their friendly feasts were fill'd with sweet sobrie● ours , with uncleane delights , and base ebriety ; theirs , the unvalued prise of love intended ; ours seeke the cause whereby our love is ended ; how in so blind an age could those men see ! and in a seeing age , how blinde are we ! the argvment . the king sends for the queene ; the queene denies to come ; his hasty spleene inflames , unto the persian lawes he leaves the censure of his cause . sect. . to adde more honour to this royall feast , that glory may with glory be increast , vashti the queene ( the fairest queene on earth ) she made a feast , and put on jolly mirth , to bid sweet welcome with her princely cheere to all her guests ; her guests all , women were . by this , the royall bounty of the king hath well-nigh spent the seven dayes banquetting . sixe ioviall dayes have run their howers out , and now the seventh revolves the weeke about , vpon which day , ( the queenes unlucky day ) the king , with jollity intic'd away , and gently having slipt the stricter reynes of temperance , ( that over-mirth restraines ) rose up , commanded that without delay , ( howe're the persian custome doe gain-say that men and married wives shold feast together ) that faire queene vashti be conducted thither , for him to shew the sweetnes of her face , and peerelesse beauty mixt with princely grace ; to wound their wanton hearts , and to surprize the princes with th' artill'ry of her eyes . but fairest vashti ▪ ( in whose scornfull eyes more haughty pride , then heav'nly beauty lies ) with bold deniall of a flinty brest , answer'd the longing of the kings request ; and ( fill'd with scorne ) return'd this message home queene vashti cannot , vashti will not come , whereat , as boreas with his blustering , ( when sturdy aries ushers in the spring ) here fells an aged oke , there cleanes a tree , now holds his full-mouth'd blast ▪ now lets it flee , so stormes the king ; now pale , now fiery red , his colour comes and goes , his angry head he sternly shakes , spits his inraged spleene , now on the messenger , now on the queene : one while he deeply weighs the foule contempt , and then his passion bids his wrath attempt a quicke revenge ; now creepe into his thought such things as aggravate the peevish fault ; the place the persons present , and the time increase his wrath , increase his ladies crime . but soone as passion had restor'd the reyne to righteous reason's goverment againe ; the king ( unfit to judge his proper cause ) referr'd the triall to the persian lawes : he call'd his learned counsell , and display'd the nature of his grievance thus , and said ▪ by vertue of a husband , and a king , ( to make compleat our royall banq●etting ) we gave command , we gave a strict command , that by the office of our eunuchs band , queene vashti should in state attended be into the presence of our majestie , but in contempt she slacks our dread bebest neglects performance of our deare request , and ( through disdaine ) disloyally deny'd , like a false subject , and a faithlesse bride : say then ( my lords ) for you ( being truely wise ) have braines to judge , and judgements to advise ; say , boldly ( say ) what doe the lawes assigne ? what punishment ? or what deserved fine ? assuerus bids , the mighty king commands ; vashti denyes , the scornefull queene withstands . medit. . evil manners breed good lawes : & that 's the 〈◊〉 that e're was made of bad : the persian fea● ( finding the mischiefe that was growne so rife ) admitted not with men a married wife . how carefull were they in preserving that , which we so watchfull are to violate ! o chastity the flower of th● soule , how is thy perfect fairenesse turn'd to foule ! how are thy blossomes blasted all to dust , by sudden lightning of untamed lust ! how hast thou thus defil'd thy iv'ry feet ! thy sweetnesse that was once , how far 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 didst weare ? has wanton cupid snatcht it ? hath his dart sent courtly tokens to thy simple heart ? where dost thou bide ? the country halfe disclaimes thee ; the city wonders when a body names thee . or have the rurall woods engrost thee there , and thus fore-stall'd our empty markets here ? sure th' art not , or kept where no man showes thee ; or chang'd so much , scarce man or woman knowes thee . ¶ our grandame eve , before it was forbid , desired not the fruit , she after did : had not the custome of those times ordain'd that women from mens feasts should be restrain'd , perhaps ( assuerus ) vashti might have dyed vnsent for , and thy selfe beene undenyed : such are the the fruits of mirth's and wine's abuse , customes must crack , & love must breake his truce , conjugall bands must loose , and sullen hate ensues the feast , where wine 's immoderate . ¶ more difficult it is , and greater skill to beare a mischiefe , ' than prevent an ill : passion is naturall , but to bridle passion , is more divine , and vertues operation : to doe amisse , is natures act ; to erre , is but a wretched mortalls character ; but to prevent the danger of the ill , is more then man , surpassing humane skill : who playes a happy game with crafty slight , confirmes himselfe but fortunes favorite ; but he that husbands well an ill-dealt game , deserves 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 counsell ple●d the case ; the queene degr●ded from her place ? decrees are sent throughout the land , that wives obey , and men command . sect. . the righteous counsel ( having heard the cause ) adviz'd a while , with respite of a pause , till memucan ( the first that silence brake ) vnseal'd his serious lips , and thus bespake : the great assuerus sov'raigne lord and king , ( to grace the period of his banquetting ) hath sent for vashti ; vashti would not come , and now it rests in us to give the doome . but left that too much rashnesse violate the sacred iustice of our happy state , we first propound the height of her offence , next , the succeeding inconvenience , which through the circumstances does augment , and so discend to th'equall punishment ; th' offence propounded , now we must relate such circumstances that might aggravate , and first the place , ( the palace of the king , ) and next the time , ( the time of banquetting ) lastly , the persons , ( princes of the land ) which witnesse the contempt of the command ; the place , the persons present , and the time , make ●oule the fault , make foule the ladies crime ; nor was her fault unto the king alone , but to the princes , and to every one , for when this speech divulg'd about shall be , vashti the queene withstood the kings decree , woemen ( that soone can an advantage take of things , which for their private ends doe make ) shall scorne their coward husbands , and despise their deare requests within their scornfull eyes , and say , if we deny your h●sts , then blame not , assuerus sent for vashti , but she came not ; by vashties patterne others will be taught ; thus her example 's fouler then her fault : now therefore if it like our gracious king , ( since he refers tous the censuring ) let him proclaime ( which untransgressed be ) his royall edict , and his just decree , that vashti come no more before his face , but leave the titles of her princel●● place : let firme divorce unloose the nuptiall knot , and let the name of queene be quite forgot , let her estate and princely dignity , her royall crowne , and seat assigned be to one whose sacred vertue shall attaine as high perfection , as her bold disdaine ; so when this royall edict shall be fam'd , and through the severall provinces proclaim'd , disdainfull ●ives will learne , by vashties fall , to answer gently to their husbands call . thus ended memucan ; the king was pleas'd ; ( his blustring passion now at length appeas'd ) and soone apply'd himselfe to undertake , to put in practice what his counsell spake : so , into every province of the land , he sent his speedy letters , with command , that husbands rule their wives , & beare the sway , and by subjection teach their wives t' obey . meditat. . vvhen god with sacred breath did first inspire the new-made earth with quick , & holy fire , he ( well advising , what a goodly creature he builded had , so like himselfe in feature ) forth-with concluded by his preservation t'eternize that great worke of mans creation ; into a sleepe he cast this living clay , lockt up his sense with drouzy morpheus key , opened his fruitfull flanke , and from his side , he drew the substance of his helpfull bride , flesh of his flesh , and bone made of his bone he framed woman , making two of one ; thus broke in two , he did anew ordaine that these same two should be made one againe : till singling death this sacred knot undoe , and part this new-made one , once more in two . ¶ since of a rib first framed was a wife , let ribs be hi'roglyphicks of their life : ribs coast the heart , and guard it round about , and like a trusty watch keepe danger out ; so tender wives should loyally impart their watchfull care to fence their spouses heart : all members else from out their places rove , but ribs are firmely fixt , and seldome move : women ( like ribs ) must keepe their wonted home , and not ( like dinah that was ravisht ) rome : if ribs be over-bent , or handled rough , they breake ; if let alone , they bend enough : women must ( unconstrain'd ) be plyant 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 never they know to command , that knew not first t' obey : where 's then that high command ? that ample fam● your sexe , to glorifie for their honour'd name , your noble sexe in former dayes atchiev'd ? whose sounding praise no after-times out-liv'd . what brave exploits , what well deserving glory ; the subject of an everlasting story , their hands atchiev'd ? they thrust their scepters then as well in kingdomes , as in hearts of men ; and sweet obedience was the lowly staire , 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 never's out of season , so long as either husband lasts , or reason : ill thrives the haplesse family , that showes a cocke that 's silent , and a hen that crowes . i know not which live more unnaturall lives , obeying husbands , or commanding wives . the argvment . assuerus pleas'd ; his servants motion propounded , gaine his approbation . esters descent , her iewish race : her beauties , and her perfect grace . sect. . when time ( that endeth all things ) did asswage the burning fever of assuerus rage , and quiet satisfaction had assign'd delightfull lu'lips to his troubled minde , he call'd his old remembrance to account of vashti , and her crimes that did amount to th'summe of her divorcement : in his thought he weigh'd the censure of her heedlesse fault : his fawning servants willing to prevent him , lest too much thought should make his love repent him , said thus : ( if it shall please our gracious lord to crowne with audience his servants word ) let strict inquest , and carefull inquisition in all the realme be made , and quicke provision throughout the medes and persians all along for comely virgins , beautifull and young , which ( curiously selected ) let them bring into the royall palace of the king ; and let the eunuchs of the king take c●re for princely robes , and vesture , and prepare sweet odors , choyce 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 princely sight ; to her be given the conquest of her face , and be enthron'd in scornfull vashties place . the project pleas'd the king , who straight requires that strict performance second their desires : 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 benjamin , ( whose necke was subject to the slavish yoke , when ieconiah was surpriz'd and tooke , and caried captive 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 the had none , her vncles love assum'd her for his owne ? bright beames of beauty streamed from her eye , and in her cheeke sate maiden modesty ; which peerelesse beauty lent so kind a rellish to modest vertue , that they did imbellish each others ex'lence , with a full assent , in her to boast their perfect complement . medita . . the strongest arteries that knit and tye the members of a mixed monarchy , are learned counsels , timely consultations , rip'ned advice , and sage deliberations ; and if those kingdomes be but ill be-blest , whose rule 's committed to a young mans brest : then such estates are more unhappy farre , whose choicest counsellors but children are : how many kingdomes blest with high renowne , ( in all things happy else ) have plac'd their crowne vpon the temples of a childish head , vntill with ruine , king , or state be sped ! what massacres ( begun by factious jarres , and ended by the spoile of civill warres ) have made brave monarchies unfortunate , and raz'd the glory ' of many ' a mighty state ? how many hopefull princes ( ill advis'd by young , & smooth-fac'd counsell ) have despis'd the sacred oracles of riper yeares , till deare repentance wash the land with teares ? witnesse thou lucklesse , and succeeding son of ( wisdomes favourite ) great salomon ; how did thy rash , and beardlesse counsell bring thy fortunes subject to a stranger king ? and laying burthens on thy peoples necke , the weight hung sadly on thy bended backe . thou second richard , ( once our britaine king , whose syr's , and grandsyr's fame the world did ring how was thy gentle nature led aside , by greene advisements , which thy state did guide , vntill the title of thy crowne did cracke , and fortunes ( as thy fathers name ) were blacke ? ¶ now glorious britaine , clap thy hands , and blesse thy sacred fortunes ; for thy happinesse ( as doth thy iland ) does it selfe divide , and sequester from all the world beside ; blest are thy open gates with joyfull peace , blest are thy fruitfull barnes with sweet increase , blest in thy counsell , whose industrious skill , is but to make thy fortunes happy still ; in all things blest , that to a state pertaine ; thrice happy in my dreaded soveraigne , my sacred sov'raigne , in whose onely brest , a wise assembl ' of privy counsels rest , who conquers with his princely heart as farre by peace , as alexander did by warre , and with his olive branch more hearts did boord , than daring cesar did , with cesars sword : long maist thou hold within thy royall hand , the peacefull scepter of our happy land : ¶ great iudah's lyon , and the flow'r of iesse . preserve thy lyons , and thy flowers blesse . the argvment . faire virgin , brought to hege's hand , the custome of the persian land ; esters neglect of rich attire , to whet the wanton kings desire . sect. . and when the lustfull kings decree was read in ev'ry eare , and shire proclam'd , & spread , forthwith unto the eunuch hege's hand the bevy came , the pride of beauties band , armed with joy , and warring with their eyes , to gaine the conquest of a princely prize ; but none in peerlesse beauty shin'd so bright , as lovely ester did in hege's sight : in loyall service he observed her ; he sent for costly oyles , and fragrant myrrh , to ●it her for the presence of the king : 〈◊〉 tyres , and change of vesture did he bring ▪ seven comely maids he gave to tend upon her , to shew his service , and increase her honour : but she was watchfull of her lips , and wise , disclosing not her kinred , or alyes : for trusty mardoche●s tender care gave hopefull ester items to beware to blaze her kin , or make her people knowne , lest for their sake , her hopes be overthrowne . before the gates he to and fro did passe , wherein inclos'd the courtly ester was , to understand how ester did behave her , and how she kept her in the eunuchs favour , now when as time had fitted ev'ry thing , by course , these virgins came before the king. such was the custome of the persian soyle , sixe months the virgins bath'd in myr●h & oyle , sixe months perfum'd in change of odours sweet , that perfect lust , and great excesse may meet ; what costly robes , rare iewels , rich attire , or curious fare , these virgins did desire , 't was given , and freely granted , when they bring their bodies to be prostrate to the king : each virgin keepes her turne , and all the night they lewdly lavish in the kings delight , and soone as ●orning shall restore the day , they in their bosomes beare blacke night away , and ( in their guilty breasts , as are their sinnes close prisoners ) in the house of concubines remaine , untill the satiate king shall please to lend their pamper'd bodyes a r●lease . now when the turne of ester was at hand , to satisfie the wanton kings command , shee ●ought not ( as the rest ) with brave attire , to lend a needlesse spurre t' unchast desire , nor yet endeavours with a whorish grace , t'adulterate the beautie of her face : nothing she sought to make her glory braver , but simply tooke what gentle hege gave her : her sober ●●sage daily wan her honour : each wandring eye inflam'd , that look'd upon her . meditat. . when god had with his al-producing blast , blown up the bubble of the world , & plac't in order that , which he had made in measure , as well for necessary use , as pleasure : then out of earthy mould he fram'd a creature farre more divine , and of more glorious feature than earst he made , indu'd with understanding , with strength , victorious , & with awe commanding , with reason , wit , repleate with majesty , with heavenly knowledge , and capacity , true embleme of his maker : him he made the sov'raigne lord of all ; him all obay'd ; yeelding their lives ( as tribute ) to their king ; both fish , and bird , and beast , and every thing : his body 's rear'd upright , and in his eye , stand radient beames of awfull sov'raignty ; all creatures else po●e downward to the ground , man looks to heaven , and all his thoughts rebound vpon the earth ( where tydes of pleasures mecro ) he treads , and daily tramples with his feete ; which reade sweet lectures to his wandring eyes , and teach his lustfull heart to moralize : naked he liv'd , nak'd to the world he came ; for he had then nor fault to hide , nor shame : his state was levell , and he had free will to stand or fall , unforc't to good or ill ; man had ( such state he was created in ) within his pow'r , a power not to sinne : but man was tempted , yeelded , sinn'd , and fell , abus'd his free will , lost it , then befell a worse succeeding state ; who was created complete , is now become poore , blinde , and naked ; he 's drawne with head-strong bias unto ill , bereft of active pow'r to will , or nill ; a blessed saint's become a balefull devill , his free-will's onely stinted now to evill : pleasure 's his lord , and in his ladies eyes his christall temple of devotion lyes : pleasures the white , whereat he takes his levell , which ( too much wronged with the name of evill ) with best of blessings takes her lofty seat , greatest of goods , and seeming best of great : what 's good , ( like iron ) rusts for want of use , and what is bad is worsed with abuse ; pleasure , whose apt , and right ordained end is but to sweeten labour , and attend the frailty ' of man is now preferr'd so hie , to be his lord , and beare the sov'raignty , ruling his slavish thoughts , ignoble actions , and gaines the conquest of his best affections , sparing no cost to bolster up delight , but force vaine pleasures to unwonted height : ¶ who addes excesse unto a lustfull heart , commits a costly sin , with greater art. the argvment ▪ ester's belov'd , wedded , crown'd ; a treason mordecai betrai'd ; the trailors are pursu'd , and ●ound , and for that treason well appaid . sect. . now , now the time is come , faire ester must expose her beauty to the letchers lust ; now , now must ester stake her honour downe , and hazzard chastity to gaine a crowne ; gone , gone she is , attended to the court , and spends the evening in the princes sport : as when a lady , ( walking flora's bowre ) picks here a pincke , and there a gilly-flowre , now plucks a vi'let from her purple bed , and then a primerose , ( the yeares maiden-head ) there , nips the bryar ; here , the lovers pauncy , shifting her dainty pleasures , with her fancy , this , on her arme ; and that , she li●ts to weare vpon the borders of her curious haire , at length , a rose-bud ( passing all the rest ) she plucks , and bosomes in her lilly brest : so when assuerus ( tickled with delight ) perceiv'd the beauties of those virgins bright , he lik't them all , but when with strict revye , he viewed 〈◊〉 face , his wounded eye sparkl'd , whilst cupid with his youthfull dart , transfixt the center of his feeble heart ; ester is now his joy , and in her eyes , the sweetest flower of his garland lyes : who now but ester ? ester crownes his blisse , and hee 's become her prisoner , that was his : ester obtaines the prize , her high desert like di'mond's richly mounted in his heart ; iô , now iô hymen sings ; for shee that crownes his joy , must likewise crowned bee : the crowne is set on princely esters head , ester sits queene , in scornefull voshties stead . to consecrate this day to more delights , in due solemnizing the nuptiall rites , in esters name , assuerus made a feast , invited all his princes , and releast , the hard taxation , that his heavy hand laid on the subjects of his groning land ; no rights were wanting to augment his joyes , great gifts confirm'd the bounty of his choyce : yet had not esters lavish tongue descri'd her iewish kin , or where she was aly'd ; for still the words of mordecai did rest within the cabbin of her royall breast , who was as pliant ( being now a queene ) to sage advice , as ere before sh 'ad beene . it came to passe , as mardochaeus sate within the portall of the princes gate , he over-heard two servants of the king , closely combin'd in hollow whispering : ( like whistling notus that foretels a raine ) to breathe out treason 'gainst their soveraigne : 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 ) betraid the traitors , that would her betray , and to the king unbosom'd all her heart , and who her newes-man was , and his desert . now all on hurly-burly was the court , all tongues were fill'd with wonder and report : the watch was set , pursuit was made about , to guard the king , and finde the traitors out , who found , and guilty found , by speedy tryall , ( where witnesse speaks , what boots a bare deniall ) were both hang'd up upon the shamefull tree : ( to beare such fruit let trees ne're barren be : ) and what successe this happy day afforded , was in the persian chronicles recorded . meditat. . the hollow concave of a humane brest is gods exchequer , and therein the best , and summe of all his chiefest wealth consists , which he shuts up , and opens when he lists : no power is of man : to love or hate , lyes not in mortals brest , or pow'r of fate : mā wants the strength to sway his strong affections what power is , is from divine directions ; which oft ( unseene through dulnesse of the minde ) we nick name , chance , because our selves are blind and that 's the cause , mans first beholding eye oft loves , or hates , and knowes no reason why . ¶ 't was not the brightnesse of rebecca's face , or servants skill that wan the virgins grace : 't was not the wish , or wealth of abraham , or isacks fortune , or renowned name , his comely personage , or his high desert , obtain'd the conquest of rebecca's heart : old abra'm wisht , in secret god directed ; 't was abra'm us'd the meanes ; 't was god effected : best marriages are made in heaven ; in heaven , the hearts are joyn'd ; in earth the hands are given , first god ordaines , then man confirmes the love , proclaming that on earth was done above . ¶ 't was not the sharpnesse of thy wandring eye , ( great king assuerus ) to picke majesty from out the sadnesse of a captives face ; 't was not alone thy chusing , nor her grace ; who mounts the meeke , and beates the lofty down , gave thee the heart to chuse , gave her the crown : who blest thy fortunes with a second wife , he blest thy fortunes with a second life ; that brest that entertain'd so sweet a bride , stood faire to treason , ( by her meanes descride ; ) with double fortunes , wer 't thou doubly blest , to finde so faire , and scape so foule a guest . ¶ thou aged father of our yeares and houres , ( for thou as well discoverst , as devoures ) search still the entrails of thy just records , wherein are entred the diurnall words and deeds of mortall men ; bring ( thou ) to light all trech'rous projects , mann'd by craft , or might ; with towr's of brasse , their faithful heart's imbosse that beare the christian colours of the crosse. ¶ and thou preserver of all mortall things , within whose hands are plac'd the hearts of kings ; by whom all kingdomes stand , and princes raigne preserve thy charles , and my dear soveraigne ; let traitors plots , like wandring atomes , fly , and on their heads pay ten-fold usury ; his bosome tuter , and his safety tender : o be thou his , as hee 's thy faiths defender : that thou in him , and hee in thee may rest , and we of both may live and die possest . the argvment . the line of haman , and his race ; his fortunes in the princes grace : his rage to mordecai exprest , not bowing to him , as the rest . sect . vpon a time , to persias royall court , a forraigne stranger used to resort , he was the issue of a royall breed , the off-cast off-spring of the cursed seed of amelck , from him descended right , that sold his birth-right for his appetite ; 〈◊〉 his name ; his fortunes did improve , increast by favour of the princes love : full great he grew , preferd to high command , and plac'd before the princes of the land : and since that honour , and due reverence belong where princes give preeminence ; the king commands the servants of his state , to suit respect to hamans high estate , and doe him honour , fitting his degree , with vailed bonnet ; and low bended knee : they all observ'd ; but aged mordecai ( whose stubborne joynts neglected to obey the seed which heaven with infamy had branded ) stoutly refused what the king commanded ; which when the servants of the king had seene , their fell disdaine mixtwith an envious spleene , inflam'd ; they question'd how he durst withstand the just performance of the kings command : daily they checkt him for his high disdaine , and hee their checks did daily entertaine with silent slight behaviour , which did prove as full of care , as their rebukes of love . ¶ since then their hearts ( not able to abide a longer sufferance of his peevish pride ) ( whose scorching fires , passion did augment , ) must either breake , or finde a speedy v●nt : to haman they th' unwelcome newes related , and what they said , their malice aggravated . envie did ope her snake-devouring iawes , foam'd frothy blood , and bent her unked pawes her hollow eyes did cast out sudden flame , and pale as ashes look't this angry dame , and thus bespake ! art thou that man of might , that impe of glory ? times great favorite ? hath thy deserved 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 wo●dring eyes with admiration , and every loyall heart with adoration ? art thou that mighty he ? how haps it then that wretched mordecai , the worst of men , a captive slave , a superstitious iew , slights thee , and robs thee of thy righfull due ? nor was his fault disguis'd with ign●●●ce , ( the unfee'd advocate of sinne ) or chance , but backt with arrogance and fo●le despite : rise up , and doe thy suffring honour right . vp ( like his deepe revenge ) 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 heav'd from off his henge , and fury rounded in his eare , revenge , and ( like a rash adviser ) thus began : there 's nothing ( haman ) is more deare to man , a●d cooles his ●oyling veines with sweeter pleasure , than quicke revenge ; for to revenge by leisure , is but like feeding , when the stomacke 's past , pleasing nor eager appetite , nor taste : ●et when delay returnes revenge the greater , like poynant sa●ce , it makes the meate the sweeter : it fi●s not th' honour of thy personage , nor stands it with thy greatnesse , to ingage thy noble thoughts , to make revenge so poore , to ●e reveng'd on one alone : thy sore needs many plaisters : make thy honour good , not with a drop , but with a world of blood : borrow the sy●●e of time , and let thy passion mowe downe thy iewish foe , with all his nation . medita . . fights god for cursed amalek ? that hand that once did curse , doth now the curse withstand : is god unjust ? is iustice fled from heaven ; or are the righteous ballances uneven ? is this that iust iehova's sacred word , firmely inroll'd within the lawes record , i le fight with amalek , destroy his nation , and from remembrance blurre his generation ? what , shall his curse to amalek be void ? and with those plagues shall isr'el be destroyd : ah , sooner shall the sprightfull flames of fire descend and moysten ; and dull earth , aspire , and with her drinesse quench faire titans heate , then shall thy words , and just decrees retreat : the day , ( as wery of his burden ) tyres ; the yeare ( full laden with her months ) expires : the heav'ns ( growne great with age ) must soon decay , the pondrous earth in time shall passe away ; but yet thy sacred words shall alway flourish , though daies , & years , & heavē , & earth do perish : how perkes proud haman then ? what prosp'rous fate exalts his pagan head ? how fortunate hath favour crown'd his times ? hath god decreed no other curse upon that cursed seed ? the mortall eye of man can but perceive things present ; when his heart cannot conceive , hee 's either by his outward senses guided , or , like a quere , leaves it undecided : the fleshly eye that lends a feeble sight , failes in extent , and hath no further might than to attaine the object : and there ends his office ; and of what it apprehends , acquaints the understanding , which conceives , and descants on that thing the sight perceives , or good , or bad ; unable to project the just occasion , or the true effect : man sees like man , and can but comprehend , things as they present are , not as they end ; god sees a kings heart in a shepheards brest , and in a mighty king , he sees a beast : 't is not the spring tyde of an high estate creates a man ( though seeming ) fortunate : the blaze of honour , fortunes sweet excesse , doe undeserve the name of happinesse : the frownes of indisposed fortune makes man poore , but not unhappy . he that takes her checks with patience , leaves the name of poor , and lets in fortune at a backer doore . ¶ 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. . now when the year had turn'd his course about and fully worne his weary howers out , and left his circling travell to his heire , that now sets onset to th' ensuing yeare , proud haman ( pain'd with travell in the birth , till after-time could bring his mischiefe forth ) casts lots , from month to month , from day to day , to picke the choycest time , when fortune may , be most propitious to his damned plot ; till on the last month fell th' unwilling lot : so haman guided by his idoll fate , ( cloaking with publike good his private hate ) in plaintiffe tearmes , where reason forg'd a rellish vnto the king , his speech did thus imbellish : vp●● the limits of this happy nation , there flotes a skum●e , an off-cast generation , disperst , despis'd , and noysome to the land , and refractory to the lawes , to thy command . not stooping to thy power , but despising all government , but of their owne devising , which stirs the glowing embers of division , the hatefull mother of a states perdition , the which ( not soone redrest by reformation ) will ruine-breed to thee , and to thy nation , begetting rebels , and seditio●s broyles , and fill thy peacefull land , with bloody spoyles : now therefore , if it please my gracious lord , to right this grievance with his princely sword , that death , and equall iustice may o'rewhelme the secret ruiners of thy sacred realme , vnto the royall treasure of the king , ten thousand silver talents w●ll i bring . then gave the king , from off his heedlesse hand his ring to haman , with that ring command , and said : thy proffer'd wealth possesse , yet ●e thy just petition ne'rthelesse entirely granted . l●e , before thy face thy vassals lye , with all their rebell race ; thine be the people , and the power thine , t' allot these rebels their deserved fine . forthwith the scribes were summon'd to appeare ▪ decrees were written , sent to every shire ; to all lieutenants , captaines of the band , and all the provinces 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 : assvervs rex . let ev'ry province in the persian land , ( vpon the day prefixt ) prepare his hand , to make the channels flow with rebels blood , and from the earth to roote the iewish brood : and let the s●finesse of no partiall heart , through melting pitie , love , or false desert , spare either young or old , or man , or woman , but like their faults , so let their plagues be common . dicreed , and signed by our princely grace , and given at sushan , from our royall place . so haman fill'd with joy ( his fortunes blest with faire successe of his so foule request ) laid care aside to sleepe , and with the king , consum'd the time in jolly banquetting : meane while the iewes , ( the poore afflicted iewes perplext , and startl'd with the new-bred newes ) with drooping heads , and selfe-imbracing armes , wept forth the dirge of their ensuing harmes . medita . . of all diseases in a publike weale , no one more dangerous , and hard to heale , ( except a tyrant king ) then when great might is trusted to the hands , that take delight to bathe , and paddle in the blood of those , who● jealousies , and not just cause oppose : 〈…〉 as haughty power is conjoynd vnto 〈◊〉 will of a distemper'd mind , what ●●re it can , it will , and what it will , it in it 〈◊〉 , hath power to fulfill : what! 〈◊〉 then can linger , unattemted ? what base attempts can happen , unprevented ? statutes must breake , good lawes must go to wrac● and ( like a bow that 's overbent ) must cracke : iustice ( the life of law ) becomes so furious , that ( over-doing right ) it proves injurious : mercy ( the steare of iustice ) flyes the city , and falsly must be term'd a foolish pity , meane while the gracious princes tender brest ( gently possest with nothing but the best of the disguis'd dissembler ) is abus'd and made the cloke , wherewith his fault 's excus'd : the radient beames that warme , & shine so bright , comfort this lower world with heat and light , but drawne , and recollected in a glasse , they burne , and their appointed limits passe : even so the power from the princes hand , directs the subject with a sweet command , but to perverse fantasticks if confer'd , whom wealth , or blinded fortune hath prefer'd , it spurres on wrong , and makes the right retire , and sets the grumbling common-wealth on fire : their foule intent , the common good pretends , and with that good they maske their private ends , their glorie 's dimme , and cannot b'understood , vnlesse it shine in pride , or swimme in blood : their will 's a law , their mischiefe policy , their frownes are death , their power tyranny : ill thrives the state that harbours such a man , that can , what e're he wills ; wills what he can . may my ungarnisht quill presume so much , to glorifie it selfe , and give a touch vpon the iland of my soveraigne lord ? what language shall i use , what new-foun●●ord , t' abridge the mighty volume of of his worth , and keepe me blamelesse , from th' untimely birth of ( false reputed ) flattery ? he lends no cursed haman pow'r , to worke his ends vpon our ruine , but transferres his grace on just desert , which in the ugly face of foule detraction , ( untouch't ) can dare , and smile , till black-mouth'd envy blush , and tare her snaky fleece . thus , thus in happy peace he rules , to make our happinesse increase , directs with love , commands with princely awe , and in his brest he beares a living law : defend us thou , and heavens thee defend , and let proud haman have proud hamans end . the argvment . the iewes and mordecai lament , and waile the height of their distresses : but mordecai the queene possesses , with cruell hamans foule intent . sect ▪ . now when as 〈◊〉 ( the daughter of the earth newly dis-burthen'd of her plumed birth ) from off her turrets did her wings display , and pearcht in the sad cares of mordecai , he rent his garments , wearing in their stead distressed sack-cloth : on his fainting head he strowed dust , and from his showring eyes ran floods of sorrow , and with bitter cryes his griefe saluted heaven ; his groanes did borrow no art to draw the true pourtraict of sorrow : nor yet within his troubled brest alone , ( too small a stage for griefe to trample on ) did tyrant sorrow act her lively sceane , but did inlarge ( such griefe admits no meane ) the lawlesse limits of her theater i th' hearts of all the iewish nation , where ( with no dissembled action ) she exprest the lively passion of a pensive brest . forthwith he posteth to the palace gate , t' acquaint queene ester with his sad estate , but found no entrance : for the persian court gave welcome to delights , and youthly sport , to jolly mirth , and such delightfull things : soft rayment best befits the courts of kings : there lyes no welcome for a whining face , a mourning habit suits no princely place : which when the maids , and eunuchs of the queen ( vnable of themselves to helpe ) had seene , their royall mistresse straight they did acquaint with the dumb-shew of her sad cousins plaint ; whereat ( till now a stranger to the cause ) perplext , and forced by the tender lawes of deare affection , her gentle heart did sympathize with his conceived smart : she sent him change of rayment to put on , to vaile his griefe ; but he received none : then ( sore dismai'd , impatient to forbeare the knowledge of the thing she fear'd to heare ) she sent her servant to him , to importune , what sudden chance , or what disast'rous fortune had caus'd this strange and ill-apparell'd griefe , that she ( if in her lyes ) may send reliefe : to whom his sorrowes made this sad relation , and this , the tenor of his declaration : hamans ( that cursed hamans ) haughty pride ( because my 〈◊〉 deservedly denyde to make 〈◊〉 idoll of his greatnesse ) hath incenst the fury of his jealous wrath , and profer'd lavish bribes to buy the blood of me , and all the faithfull iewish brood : in , here the copy , granted by the king , sul'd in his name , confirmed with his ring , 〈◊〉 of the which , into his hands , 〈◊〉 haman hath ingrost our lives , our lands : 〈◊〉 tell the queene , it resteth in her powers to helpe ; the case is ●ers as well as ours : 〈◊〉 tell my cousin queene , it is her charge , to use the meanes , whereby she may inlarge h●● aged kinsmans life , and all her nation ; preferring to the king her supplication . meditat. . who hopes t' attain the sweet elysian layes , to reap the harvest of his wel-spent daies , must passe the joylesse streames of acaron , the scorching waves of burning phlegeton , and sable billowes of the stygian lake : thus sweet with sowre , each mortall must partake . what joyfull harvester did ere obtaine the sweet fruition of his hopefull gaine , vntill his hardy labours first had past the summers heat , and stormy winters blast ? a sable night returnes a shining morrow ; and dayes of joy ensue sad nights of sorrow : the way to blisse lyes not on beds of downe , and he that had no crosse , deserves no crowne : there 's but one heav'n , one place of perfect ease , in man it lies , to take it where he please , above , or here below ; and few men doe injoy the one ; and tast the other too ; sweating , and constant labour wins the goale of rest ; afflictions clarifie the soule , and like hard masters , give more hard direction● , tut'ring the nonage of uncurb'd affections : wisedome ( the antidote of sad despayre ) makes sharpe afflictions seeme not as they are , through patient sufferance , and doth apprehend , not as they seeming are , but as they end : to beare affliction with a bended brow , or stubborne heart , is but to disallow the speedy meanes to health ; salve heales no sore , if mis-apply'd , but makes the griefe the more : who sends affliction , sends an end ; and he best knows what 's best for him , what 's best for me : 't is not for me to carve me where i like ; him pleases when he list to stroke or strike : i le neither wish , nor yet avoid tentation , but still expect it , and make preparation : if he thinke best , my faith shall not be tryde , ( lord ) keep me spotless from presumptuous pride : if otherwise ; with tryall , give me care , by thankfull patience , to prevent despaire ; fit me to beare what e're thou shalt assigne ; i kisse the rod , because the rod is thine . how-ere , let me not boast , nor yet repine , with tryall , or without ( lord ) make me thin● . the argvment . her ayd implor'd , the queene refuses to helpe them , and her selfe excuses : but ( urg'd by mordecai ) consents to die , or crosse their foes intents . sect. . now when the servant had returrn'd the words of wretched mordecai , like pointed swords they neere impierc't queene esters tender heart , that well could pity , but no helpe impart ; ●allac'd with griefe , and with the burthen foyld , ( like ordnance over-charg'd ) she thus recoyl'd : g●● , hatach , tell my wretched kinsman thus , the case concernes not you alone , but us : 〈◊〉 the subject of proud hamans hate , as well as you ; our life is pointed at as well as yours , or as the meanest iew , n●● can i helpe my selfe , nor them , nor you : you know the custome of the persian state , no king may breake , no subject violate : how may i then presume to make accesse ●●fore th' offended king ? or rudely presse ( v●call'd ) into his presence ? how can i expect my suit , and have deser●'d to dye ? may my desiers hope to find successe , when to ●ffect them , i the law transgresse ? th●se thirty dayes uncall'd for have i bin 〈◊〉 my lord ; how dare i now goe in ? g●● , hatach , a●d returne this heavy newes 〈…〉 the truth of my vnforc'd excuse . whereof when mordecai was full possest , his troubled soule he boldly thus exprest : goe , tell the fearfull queene ; too great 's her feare , too small her zeale ; her life she rates too deare : how poore's th' adventure , to ingage thy blood , to save thy peoples life , and churches good ? to what advantage canst thou more expose thy life than this ? th' ast but a life to lose ; thinke not , thy greatnesse can excuse our death , or save thy life , thy life is but a breath as well as ours , ( great queene ) thou hop'st in raine , in saving of a life , a life to gaine : who knowes if god on purpose did intend thy high preferment for this happy end ? if at this needfull time thou spare to speake , our speedy helpe shall ( like the morning ) breake from heaven , together with thy woes ; and he that succours us , shall heape his plagues on thee . which when queen ester had right well perus'd ▪ and on each wounding word had sadly mus'd , startled with zeale , not daring to deny , she rouz'd her faith , and sent this meeke reply : since heaven it is endowes each enterprize with good successe , and onely in us lies to plant , and water ; let us first obtaine heavens high assistance , lest the worke be vaine : let all the iewes in susa summon'd ●e , and keepe a solemne three dayes fast , and we , with all our servants , and our maiden traine , shall fast as long , and from our thoughts abstaine : then to the king ( uncall'd ) will i repaire , ( howe'r my boldnesse shall his lawes contraire , ) and brauely welcome death before mine eye , and scorne her power : if i dye , i dye . meditat. . as in the winged common-wealth of bees , ( whose carefull summer-providence foresees th' approching fruitlesse winter , which denies the crowne of labour ) some with laden thighs take charge to beare their waxy burthens home ; others receive the welcome load ; and some dispose the waxe ; others , the plot contrive ; some build the curious comb , some guard the hive like armed centinels ; others distreine the purer honey from the waxe ; some traine , and discipline the young , while others drive the sluggish drones from their deserved hive : thus in this common-wealth ( untaught by art ) each winged burger acts his busie part ; so man ( whose first creation did intend , and chiefly pointed at no other end , then ( as a faithfull steward ) to receive the fine and quit-rent of the lives we live ) must suit his deare indeavour to his might ; each one must lift , to make the burthen light , proving the power , that his gifts afford , to raise the best advantage for his lord , whose substitute he is , and for whose sake we live and breath ; each his account must make , or more , or lesse ; and he whose power lacks the meanes to gather honey , must bring waxe : five talents double five ; two render foure ; wher 's little , little 's crav'd , where much , there 's more : kings by their royall priviledge may do , what unbefits a mind to search into , but by the force of their prerogatives , they cannot free the custome of their lives : the silly widow ( from whose wrinkled browes faint drops distill , through labour that she owes her needy life , must make her audite too , as well as kings , and mighty monarks doe : the world 's a stage , each mortall acts thereon , as well the king that glitters on the throne , as needy beggers : heav'n spectator is , and markes who acteth well , and who amisse . ¶ what part befits me best , i cannot tell : it matters not how meane , so acted well . the argvment . vnto the king queene ester goes , he unexpected favour showes , demands her suit , she doth request the king and haman to a feast . sect. . when as queen esters solemne . daies fast had feasted heaven with a sweet repast , her lowly bended body she unbow'd , and ( like faire titan breaking from a cloud ) she rose , and with her royall robe she clad her livelesse limmes , and with a face as sad as griefe could paint , ( wanting no art to borrow a needlesse helpe to counterfeit a sorrow , ) softly she did direct her feeble pace vnto the inner court , where for a space , she boldly stood before the royall throne , like one that would , but durst not make her mone : which when her princely husband did behold , his heart relented , ( fortune helpes the bold ) and to expresse a welcome unexpected , forth to the queene his scepter he directed ; whom ( now imboldned to approch secur'd ) in gracious termes , he gently thus conjur'd : what is 't queene ester would ? what sad request hangs on her lips , dwells in her doubtfull brest ? say , say , ( my lifes preserver ) what 's the thing , that lyes in the performance of a king , shall be deny'd ? faire queen● , what e're is mint vnto the moity of my kingdome 's thine ▪ so ester thus : if in thy princely eyes thy loyall servant hath obtain'd the prize of undeserved favor , let the king and haman grace my this dayes-banquetting , to crowne the dainties of his handmaids feast , humbly devoted to so great a guest . the motion pleas'd , and fairly well succeeded : ( to willing minds , no twice intreaty needed ) they came ; but in queene esters troubled face , ( robd of the sweetnesse of her wonted grace ) the king read discontent ; her face divin'd the greatnesse of some further suit behind . say , say , ( thou bount●ous harvest of my joyes ) ( said then the king ) what dumpish griefe annoyes thy troubled soule ? speake , lady , what 's the thing thy heart desires ? by th' onour of a king , my kingdomes halfe , requested , i 'le divide to faire queene ester , to my fairest bride . l● then the tenour of my deare request , ( repli'd the queene , ) unto a second feast , thy humble suitor doth presume to bid the king , and haman , as before she did : now therefore if it please my gracious lord , to daig●e his royall presence , and afford the peerlesse treasure of hi● prince●y grace , to dry the sorrowes of his handmaids face , then to my kingly , and thrice-welcome guest his servant shall unbosome her request . medita . . he that invites his maker to a feast , ( advising well the greatnesse of his guest ) must purge his dining chamber from infections , and sweepe the cobwebs of his lewd affections , and then provide such cates , as most delight his palate , and best please his appetite : and such are holy workes and pious deeds , these are the dainties whereon heaven feeds : faith plaies the cook , seasons , directs , and guides ; so man findes meate , so god the cooke provides : his drinke are teares , sprung from a midnight cry , heaven sips out nectar from a sinners eye ; the dining chamber is the soule opprest ; god keepes his revells in a sinners brest : the musicke that attends the feast , are grones , deep-founding sighes , and loud lamenting mone● : heav'n heares no sweeter musick , than complaints ; the fasts of sinners , are the feasts of saints , to which heav'n dains to stoop , & heav'ns hie king descends , whilst all the quire of angels sing , and with such sense-bereaving sonets fill the hearts of wretched men , that my rude quill ( dazeld with too much light ) it selfe addressing to blaze them forth , obscures thē in th' expressing : thrice happy man , and thrice-thrice happy feast , grac'd with the presence of so great a guest ; to him are freely giv'n the privy keyes of heav'n and earth , to open when he please , and locke when e're he li●t ; in him it lyes to ope the showring flood-gates of the skies , or shut them at his pleasure ; in his hand the host of heaven is put ; if he command , the sunne ( not daring to withstand ) obeyes , out-runnes his equall howres , flies back , or stayes , to him there 's nought uneasie to atchieve ; hee le rouze the graves , and make the dead alive . ¶ lord , i 'me unfit t' invite thee to my home , my ca●es are all too coorse , too meane my roome ▪ yet come and welcome : by thy pow'r divine , thy grace may turne my water into wine . the argvment . good mordecai's unreverence great hamans haughty pride offends : h'acquaints his wife with the offence ; the counsell of his wife and friends . sect. . that day went haman forth ; for his swolne brest was fill'd with joyes , and heart was full possest of all the height ambition could require , to satisfie her prodigall desire . but when he passed through the palace gate , ( his eye-sore ) aged mardocheus sate , with head unbar'd , and stubborne knee unben● , vnapt to fawne , with slavish blandishment : which when great haman saw , his boyling brest ( so great disdaine unable to digest ) ran o're ; his blood grew hot , and new desires incenst , and kindled his avenging fires : surcharg'd with griefe ▪ and sick with male-content through his distemper'd passion , home he went ; where ( to asswage the swelling of his sorrow with words , the poorest helps distress can borrow ) his wife , and friends he summon'd to partake his cause of discontent , and thus be spake : see , see , how fortune with a lib'rall hand , hath with the best , and sweetest of the land , crown'd my desiers , and hath timely blowne my budded hopes , whose ripenesse hath out-growne the limits , and the height of expectation , scarce to be had , but in a contemplation : see , see , how fortune ( to inlarge his breath , and make me living in despight of death ) hath multiply'd my loynes , that after-fame may in my flocke preserve my blood , my name . to make my honour with my fortunes even , ●ehold , my gracious lord the king hath given and trusted to my hand the sword of pow'r ; or life , or death lies where i laugh or lowre : who stands more gracious in my princes eye ? how frownes the king , if haman be not by ? ester the queene hath made the king her guest , and ( wisely weighing how to grace the feast with most advantage ) hath ( in policy ) invited me : and no man else but i ( onely a fit companion for a king ) may taste the secrets of the banquetting . ● yet what availes my wealth , my place , my might ▪ how can i relish them ? with what delight ? what pleasure it in dainties , if the taste be in it selfe distemper'd ? better fast : in many sweets , one sowre offends the pallate , one loa●●some weed annoyes the choycest sallat : what are my riches , what my honourd place ? what are my children ? or my princes grace , so long as cursed mordecai survives ? whose very breath in●ects , whose life deprives my life of blisse , and visage sternely strikes worse venome to mine eyes then basiliskes . when haman then had launc'd his ripned griefe ▪ in bloody termes , they thus apply'd reliefe : erect a gibbet , fifty cubits hie , then urge the king ( what will the king deny when haman sues ? ) that slavish mordecai be hang'd thereon ; his blood will soone allay the heat of thine ; his cursed death shall fame the highn●sse of thy power , and his shame ; so when thy suit shall find a faire event , goe banquet with the king , and live content . the councell pleas'd : the gibber fairly stands ▪ soone done , as said : revenge finds nimble hands . meditat. : some ev'ls i must approve , al goods , i dare not ▪ some are , & seem not good ; some seem & are not : in choosing goods my heart will make the choyce , my flattring eye shall have no casting voyce ; no outward sense may choose an inward blisse , for seeming happinesse least happy is : the eye ( the chiefest cinque-port of the heart ) keepes open doores , and playes the traytors part , le ts painted pleasures in , to bribe th' affections , which masks foule faces under false complexions ; it hath no pow'r to judge , nor can it see things as they are , but as they seeme to be . there 's but one happinesse , one perfect blisse ; but how obtain'd , or where , or what it is , the world of nature ne're could apprehend , grounding their labours on no other end than bare opinion , diversly affecting some one thing , some another , still projecting prodigious fancies , till their learned schooles lent so much knowledge as to make them fooles : one builds his blisse upon the blaze of glory : can perfect happinesse be transitory ? in strength , another summes felicity : what horse is not more happy farre than he ? some pile their happinesse on heapes of wealth : which ( sicke ) they 'd loath , if gold could purchase health : some , in the use of beautie place their end ; some , in th' enjoyment of a courtly friend : like wasted lampes , such happinesses smother ; age puffeth out the one ; and wants , the other . the happinesse , whose worth deserves the name of chiefe , with such a fier doth inflame the brests of mortalls , that heav'n thinkes it fit that men should rather thinke than taste of it ; all earthly joyes some ●ther aime intend , this , for it selfe's desir'd , no other end : those , ( if enjoy'd ) are crost with discontent , if not in the pursuit , in the event : this ( truly good ) admits no contrarietie , without defect , or yet a loath'd ●aciety . ¶ the least is more than my desert can claime , ( thankfull for both ) at this alone i aime . the argvment . the king askes haman , what respects befits the ●an that he affects ; and with that ●onour doth appay the good deserts of mordecai . sect. . now when as morpheus ( s●rjeant of the night ) had laid his mace upon the dawning light , and with his iustlesse limbes had closly spred , the sable curtaines of his drouzy bed , the king slept not , but ( indispos'd to rest ) disguised thoughts within his troubled brest kept midnight revells . wherefore ( to recollect his randome thought ) he gave command the chronicles be brought , and read before him ; where , with good attention , he mark'd how mordecai ( with faire prevention ) of a foule treason 'gainst his blood intended ) his life , and state had loyally defended ; whereat the king ( impatient to repay such faithfull service with the least delay ) gently demands what thankfull recompence , what worship or deserved reverence , equivalent to such great service , hath iustly repaid this loyall liege-mans faith ? they answer'd , none : now haman ( fully bent to give the vessell of his poison , vent ) stood ready charg'd with full revenge , prepar'd to beg his life , whom highly to reward the king intends : say ( haman ) quoth the king , what worship , or what honourable thing best fits the person , whom the king shall place within the bounty of his highest grace ? so haman thus be thought , whom more than i deserves the sun-shine of my princes eye ? whom seekes the king to honour more than me ? from hamans mouth , shall haman honour'd be ? speake freely then , and let thy tongue proclame an honour suting to thy worth , thy name : so haman thus : this honour , this respect be done to him the king shall most affect , in robes imperiall be his body drest , and bravely mounted on that very beast the king bestrides ; then be the crowne of state plac'd on his lofty browes ; let princes waite vpon his stirrop , and in triumph leade this impe of honour , in assuerus flead ; and to expresse the glory of his name . like heralds , let the princes thus proclame ; " this peerlesse honour , and these princely rites " be done to him in whom the king delights . said then the king , ( o sudden change of fate ) within the portall of our palace gate there sits a iew whose name is mordecai , be●he the man ; let no per●erse delay protract ; but what thy lavish tongue hath said , doe thou to him : so haman sore dismaid ; his tongue ( ty'd to his roofe ) made no reply , but ( neither daring answer , not deny ) perforce obey'd , and so his page became , whose life he sought to have bereav'd with shame : the rites solemniz'd , mordecai return'd vnto the gate ; haman went home and mourn'd , ( his visage muffled in a mournfull vale ) and told his wife this melancholy tale ; whereat amaz'd , and startled at the newes , despairing , thus she spake : if from the iewes this mordecai derive his happy line , his be the palme of victory , not thine ; the highest heavens have still conspir'd to blesse that faithfull seed , and with a faire successe have crown'd their just designes : if mordecai descend from thence , thy hopes shall soone decay , and melt like waxe before the mid-day sun. so said , her broken speech not fully done , haman was hasted to queene esters feast ; to mirth and joy , an indisposed guest . medita . . there 's nothing under heaven more glorifies the name of king , or in a subjects eyes winnes more observance , or true loyalty , than sacred iustice , shared equally : no greater glory can belong to might , than to defend the feeble in their right ; to helpe the helplesse and their wrongs redresse ; to curbe the haughty-hearted , and suppresse the proud ; requiting ev'ry speciall deed with punishment , or honourable meed : herein kings aptly may deserve the name of gods , enshrined in an earthly frame ; nor can they any way approach more nye the full perfection of a deity , than by true iustice , imitating heaven in nothing more , than in the poizing eaven their righteous ballance : iustice is not blinde , as poets feigne ; but , with a sight refin'd , her lyncian eyes are clear'd , and shine as bright as doe their errours , that denie her sight ; the soule of iustice resteth in her eye , her contemplation's chiefly to descry true worth , from painted showes ; and loyalty , from false , and deepe dissembled trechery ; a noble statesman , from a para●ite ; and good , from what is meerely good in sight : such hidden things her piercing eye can see : if iustice then be blinde , how blinde are we ! ¶ right fondly have the poets pleas'd to say , from earth the faire astraea's fled away , and in the shining baudrike takes her seat , to make the number of the signes compleat : for why ? astraea doth repose and rest within the zodiake of my sov'raignes brest , and from the cradle of his infancy hath train'd his royall heart with industry , in depth of righteous lore , and sacred thewes of iustice schoole ; that this my haggard muse cannot containe the freenesse of her spright , but make a mounty at so faire a flight , ( perchance ) though ( like a bastard eagle daz'd with too great light ) she winke , and fall amaz'd : ¶ heav'n make my heart more thankfull , in confessing so high a blisse , than skilfull , in expressing . the argvment . the quene brings hamans accusation ; the king 's displeas'd , and growes in possion : proud hamans trechery descry'd ; the shamefull end of shamelesse pride . sect. . forthwith to satisfie the queenes request , the king and haman came unto her feast , whereat the king ( what then can hap amisse ? ) became her suitor , that was humbly his , and fairely thus intreating , this bespake : what is 't queene ester would ? and for her sake , what is 't the king would not ? preferre thy suit , faire queene : those that despaire , let them be mute ; cleare up those clouded beames ( my fairest bride ) my kingdomes halfe ( requested ) i 'le divide . whereat the queene , halfe hoping , halfe afraid , disclos'd her trembling lips , and thus she said : if in the bounty of thy princely grace , thy sad petitioner may finde a place to shrow ●her most unutterable griefe , which ( if not there ) may hope for no reliefe ; if in the treasure of thy gracious eyes , ( where mercy and relenting , pity lies ) thy hand-●aid hath found favour , let my lord grant me my life ( my life so much abbord , to doe him service ) and my peoples life , which now lye open to a tyrants knife : our lives are sold , 't is i , t is guiltlesse i , thy loyall spouse , thy queene and ●ers must dye : the spotlesse blood of me , thy faithfull bride , must swage the swelling of a tyrants pride : had we beene sold for drudges , to attend the busie spindle ; or for slaves , to spend our weary howers , to deserve our bread , so as the gaine stood but my lord in stead , i had beene silent , and ne're spent my breath : but neither he that seekes it , nor my death , can to himselfe the least advantage bring , ( except revenge ) nor to my lord the king. like to a lyon rouzed from his rest , rag'd then the king , and thus his rage exprest● who is the man that dares attempt this thing ? where is the traitor ? what ? am i a king ? may not our subjects serve , but must our queene be made the subject of a vis●aines spleene ? is not queene ester bosom'd in our heart ? what traitor then dares be so bold , to part our heart and us ? who dares attempt this thing ? can ester then be slaine , and not the king ? reply'd the queene , the man that hath done this , that cursed haman , wicked haman is . like as a felon shakes before the bench , whose troubled silence proves the evidence , so haman trembled when queene ester spake , nor answer , nor excuse his guilt could make : the king , no longer able to digest so foule a trechery , forsooke the feast , walk'd in the garden , where consuming rage boil'd in his heart , with fire ( unapt t' asswage , ) so haman pleading guilty to the fault , besought his life of her , whose life he sought . when as the king had walk'd a little space , ( so rage and choller often shift their place ) in he return'd , where haman fallen flat was on the bed whereon queene ester sate ; whereat the king new cause of rage debares , ( apt to suppose the worst , of whom he hates ) new passion addes new fuell to his fire , and faines a cause , to make it blaze the higher : is 't not enough for him to seeke her death , ( said hee ) but with a letchers tainted breath , will be inforce my queene before my face ? and make his brothell in our royall place ? so said , they veiled hamans face , as he vnfit were to be seene , or yet to see : then said an eunuch sadly standing by in hamans garden , fifty cubits high , there stands a gibbet , built but yesterday , made for thy loyall servant mordecai , whose faithfull lips thy life from danger freed , and merit leads him to a fairer meed . said then the king , it seemeth just and good , to shed his blood , that thirsted after blood ; who plants the tree , deserves the fruit ; 't is fit that he that bought the purchase , hansell it : hang haman there ; it is his proper good ; so let the horseleach burst himselfe with blood : they straight obeyd : lo here the end of pride : now rests the king appeas'd , and satisfi'd . meditat. . cheere up , and caroll forth your silver ditie , ( heavens winged quiristers ) and fil your city earth : ( the new ierusalem ) with jolly mirth : the church hath peace in heaven , hath peace on spread forth your golden pinions , and cleave the fl●tting skies ; dismount , and quite bereave our stupid senses with your heavenly mirth , for loe , there 's peace in heav'n , there 's peace on earth : let hallelujah fill your warbling tongues , and let the ayre , compos'd of saintly songs , breathe such celestiall sonnets in our eares ; that whosoe're this heav'nly musicke heares , may stand amaz'd , & ( ravisht at the mirth ) chāt forth , there 's peace in heav'n , there 's peace on earth ; let mountaines clap their joyfull , joyfull hands , and let the lesser hils trace o're the lands in equall measure ; and resounding woods bow downe your heads , and kisse your neighb'ring floods : let peace and love exalt your key of mirth ; for now there 's peace in heav'n , there 's peace on earth : you holy temples of the highest king● triumph with joy ; your sacred anthemes sing ; chant forth your hymns , & heav'nly roundelaies , and touch your organs on their louder keyes : for haman's dead , that dāted al your myrth , and now there 's peace in heav'n , there 's peace on earth : proud haman's dead , whose life disturb'd thy rest , who sought to cut , and seare thy lilly brest ; the rav'nous fox , that did annoyance bring vnto the vineyard , ●s taken in a spring . ¶ seem'd not thy spouse unkind , to hear thee weep and not redresse thee ? seem'd he not asleepe ? no , ( sion ) no , he heard thy bitter pray'r , but let thee weepe , for weeping makes thee faire . the morning sun reflects , and shines most bright , when pilgrims grope in darknesse all the night : the church must conquer , e're she gets he prize , but there 's no conquest , where 's no enemies : the day is thine ; in triumph make thy mirth , for now there 's peace in heav'n , there 's peace on earth : what man 's so dull , or in his brains undone , to say , ( because he sees not ) there 's no sun ? weake is the faith , upon a sudden griefe , that sayes , ( because not now ) there 's no reliefe : god's bound to helpe , but loves to see men sue : though datelesse , yet the bond 's not present due , ¶ like to the sorrowes of our child-bed wives , is the sad pilgrimage of humane lives : but when by throes god sends a joyfull birth , then find we peace in heav'n , & peace on earth● the argvment . vpon the queene and mordecai dead hamans wealth and dignity the king bestowes : to their discretion referres the iewes decreed oppression . sect. . that very day , the king did freely adde more bounty to his gift : what haman had borrow'd of smiling fortune , he repaid to esters hand , and to her use convaid : and mordecai found favour with the king ; vpon his hand he put his royall ring , whose princely pow'r proud haman did abuse , in late betraying of the guiltlesse iewes ; for now had ester to the king descry'd her iewish kin , how neere she was ally'd to mardocheus , whom ( her father dead ) his love did foster in her fathers ' stead . once more the queene prefers an earnest suit , her humble body lowly prostitute before his royall feet , her cheekes o'reflowne with marish teares , and thus her plain'full mone , commix't with bitter singults , she exprest : if in he cabin of thy prin●ely brest thy loyall servant ( undeserv'd ) hath found a pl●ce wherein her wishes might be crown'd with faire successe ; if in thy gracious ●ight i pleasing , or my cause seeme just , and right , be speedy letters written , to reverse those bloody writs which haman did disperse throughout thy provinces , whose sad content was the subversion of my innocent and faithfull people ; helpe , ( my gracious lord ) the time 's prefixt , wherein th' impartiall sword must make this massacre , the day 's at hand , vnlesse thy speedy grace send countermand : how can i brooke within my tender brest , to breake the bonds of natures high behest , and see my peopl● ( for whose sake i breath ) like stalled oxen , bought and sould for death ? how can i see such mischiefe ? how can i survive , to see my kin , and people dye ? said then the king ; lo cursed haman hath the execution of our highest wrath , the equall hire of his malicious pride ; his welth to thee i gave ; ( my fairest bride ) his honour ( better plac'd ) i have bestow'd on him , to whom my borrow'd life hath ow●d her five yeares breath , the trusty mordecai , our loyall kinsman : let his hand pourtray our pleasure , as best liketh him , and th●e ; let him set downe , and be it our d●cree , let him confirme it with our royall ring , and we shall signe it with the name of king : for none may alter , or reverse the same that 's seal'd and written in our princely name . medita . . to breathe , 's a necessary gift of nature , whereby we may discerne a living creature from plants , or stones : 't is but a meere degree from vegetation ; and this , hath shee like equally shar'd out to brutish beasts with man , who lesse observes her due behests ( sometimes ) than they ; and oft , by accident , doe lesse improve the gift in the event : but man , whose organs are more fairely drest , to entertaine a farre more noble guest , hath , through the excellence of his creation , a soule divine ; divine by inspiration ; divine through likenesse to that pow'r divine , that made and plac'd her in her fleshly shrine ; from hence we challenge lifes prerogative ; beasts onely breath ; 't is man alone doth live ; one end of mans creation , was societie , mutuall communion , and friendly piety : the man that lives unto himselfe alone , subsists and breaths , but lives not ; never one deserv'd the moity of himselfe , for hee that 's borne , may challenge but one part of three ; triparted thus ; his country clames the best ; the next his parents ; and himselfe the least . he husbands best his life , that freely gives it for the publike good ; he rightly lives , that nobly dyes : 't is greatest mastery , not to be fond to live , nor feare to dye on just occasion ; he that ( in case ) despises life , earnes it best ; but he that over-prizes his dearest blood , when honour bids him die , steales but a life , and lives by robbery . ¶ o sweet redeemer of the world , whose death deserv'd a world of lives ! had thy deare breath beone deare to thee ; oh had'st thou but deny'd thy precious blood , the world for e'r had dy'd : o spoile my life , when i desire to save it , by keeping it from thee , that freely gave it . the argvment . letters are sent by mordecai , that all the iewes , upon the day appointed for their death , withstand the fury of their ●oe-mens hand . sect. . forthwith the scribes were summon'd to appear ; to ev'ry province , and to ev'ry shire letters they wrote ( as mordecai directed ) to all the iewes , ( the iewes so much dejected ) to all liev-tenants , captains of the band , to all the states , and princes of the land , according to the phrase , and divers fashion of dialect , and speech of ev'ry nation ; all which was stiled in the name of king , sign'd with his hand , seal'd with his royall ring ; loe here the tenour of the kings commission ; whereas of late , ( at hamans urg'd petition , ) decrees were sent , and spred throughout the land , to spoile the iewes , and with impartiall hand , ( vpon a day prefixt ) to kill and slay ; we likewise grant upon that very day , full power to the iewes , to make defence , and quit their lives , and for a recompence , to take the spoiles of those they shall suppresse , shewing like mercy to the mercilesse . by posts , as swift as time , was this decree commanded forth ; as fast as day they flee , spurr'd on , and hast'ned with the kings command which straight was noys'd , & publisht through the land. as warning to the iewes , to make provision to entertaine so great an opposition . so mordecai ( disburthned of his griefe , which now found hopefull token● of reliefe ) departs the presence of the king , addrest in royall robes , and on his lofty crest he bore a crowne of gold , his body spred with lawne , and purple deepely coloured : fill'd were the iewes with triumphs , & with noise , ( the common heralds to proclaime true joyes : ) like as a prisner muffled at the tree , whose life 's remov'd from death scarce one degree his last pray'r said , and hearts confession made , ( his eyes possessing deaths eternall shade ) at last unlook'd for comes a slow reprieve , and makes him ( even as dead ) once more alive : amaz'd , he rends deaths muffler from his eyes , and ( over-joy'd ) knowes not he lives , or dyes ; so joy'd the iewes , whose lives , this new decree had quit from death and danger , and set free their gasping soules , and ( like a blazing light ) disperst the darknesse of the approaching night ; so joy'd the iewes : and with their solemne feasts they cha●'d dull sorrow from their pen●ive brests● meane while the people ( startled at the newes ) some griev'd , some envi'd , some ( for feare ) turn'd iewes . meditat. . among the noble greekes , it was no shame to lose a sword ; it but deserv'd the name of warres disastrous fortune ; but to yeeld the right and safe possession of the shield , was foule reproach , and manlesse cowardize , farre worse than death to him that scorn'd to prize his life before his honour ; honour 's wonne most in a just defence ; defence is gone , the shield once lost , the wounded theban cry'd , how fares my shield ? which safe , he smil'd & dy'd : true honour bides at home , and takes delight in keeping , not in gaining of a right ; scornes usurpation , nor seekes she blood , and thirsts to make her name not great , as good : god gives a right to man ; to man , defence to guard it giv'n ; but when a false pretence shall ground her title on a greater might , what doth he else but warre with heav'n , and fight with providence ? god se●s the princely crowne on heads of kings , who then may take it downe ? no juster quarrell , or more noble fight , than to maintaine , where god hath giv'n a right ; there 's no despaire of conquest in that warre , where god's the leader ; policy 's no barre to his designes ; no power can withstand his high exploits ; within whose mighty hand are all the corners of the earth ; the hills his fensive bulwarks are , which when he wills , his lesser breath can bandy up and downe , and crush the world , and with a winke , can drowne the spacious vniverse in suds of clay ; where heav'n is leader , heav'n must win the day : god reapes his honour hence ; that combat's safe , where hee 's a combatant , and ventures halfe : right 's not impair'd with weaknesse , but prevailes in spight of strength , whē strength & power failes : fraile is the trust repos'd on troops of horse ; truth in a handfull , findes a greater force . ¶ lord maile my heart with faith , and be my shield , and if a world confront me i 'le not yeeld . the argvment . the bloody massacre : the i●wes prevaile : their ●atall sword subdues a world of men , and in that ●ray , hamans ten cursed sonnes they slay , sect. . now when as time had rip'ned the decree , ( whose winter fruit unshaken from the tree full ready was to fall ) and brought that day , wherein pretended mischiefe was to play her tragicke sceane upon the iewish stage , and spit the venome of her bloody rage vpon the face of that dispersed nation , and in a minute breathe their desolation ; vpon that day ( as patients in the fight ) their scatter'd force the iewes did reunite , and to a head their straggling strength reduc'd , and with their fatall hand ( their hand disus'd to bathe in blood ) they made so long recoyle , that with a purple streame , the thirsty soyle o'rflowd : & on the pavement ( drown'd with blood ) where never was before , they rais'd a flood : there lies a headlesse body , there a limme newly dis-joynted from the trunke of him that there lies groaning ; here , a gasping head cropt frō his neighbors shoulders ; there , halfe dead full heapes of bodies , whereof some curse fate , others blaspheme the name of heav'n , and rate their undisposed starres ; with bitter cries , one pities his poore widow-wife , and dies ; another bannes the night his sonnes were borne , that he must dye , and they must live forlorne ; here ( all besmeard in blood congeald ) there lyes a throng of carcases , whose livelesse eyes are clos'd with dust , & death : there , lies the syre whose death the greedy heire did long desire ; and here the sonne , whose hopes were all the pleasure his aged father had , and his lifes treasure : thus fell their foes , some dying , and some dead , and onely they that scap'd the slaughter , fled ; but with such strange amazement were affrighted , ( as if themselves in their owne deaths delighted ) that each his force against his friend addrest , and sheath'd his sword within his neighbours brest ; for all the rulers ( being sore afraid of mardocheus name ) with strength , and ayde supply'd the iewes : for mardecheus name grew great with honour , and his honour'd fame was blaz'd through ev'ry province of the land , and spred as farre , as did the kings command : in favour he increast ; and ev'ry how'r did adde a greater greatnesse to his pow'r : thus did the iewes triumph in victory , and on that day themselves were doom'd to dye , they slew th' appointed actors of their death , and on their heads they wore that noble wreath , that crownes a victor with a victors prize ; so fled their foes , so dyde their enemies : and on that day at susan were imbru'd in blood , five hundred men whom they● subdu'd ; the cursed fruit of the accursed tree that impious decad , hama●s progeny , vpon that fatall day , they overthrew , but tooke no spoile , nor substance , where they slew . medit. . i lately mus'd ; and musing stood amaz'd , my heart was bound , my sight was overdaz'd to view a miracle : could pharo fall before the face of isr'el ? could her small and ill-appointed handfull then prevaile , when pharo's men of warre , and charr'ots faile ? these stood like gyants ; those like pigmy brats : these soar'd like eagles ; those like swarms of gnats : on foote these marcht ; those rod on troops of horse these never better arm'd ; they , never worse ; strong backt with vengeāce & revenge were they ; these , with despaire , themselves , thēselves betray ; they close pursu'd ; these ( fearefull ) fled the field ; how could they chuse , but win ? or these , but yeeld ? sure 't is , nor man , nor horse , nor sword availes , when isr'el conquers , and great pharo failes : poore isr'el had no man of warre , but one ; and pharo having all the rest , had none ; heav'n fought for isr'el , weakned pharo's heart , who had no counter-god to take his part : what meant that cloudy pillar , that by day did usher isr'el in an unknowne way ? what meant that fi'ry pillar , that by night appear'd to isr'el , and gave isr'el light ? 't was not the secret power of moses rod , that charm'd the seas in twaine ; 't was moses god that fought for isr'el , and made pharo fall ; well thrives the fray where god's the generall : 't is neither strength , nor undermining sleight prevailes , where heav'ns ingaged in the fight . ¶ me list not ramble into antique dayes , to manne his theame , lest while vlysses strayes , his heart forget his home penelope : our prosp'rous brittaine makes sufficient plea to prove her blisse , and heav'ns protecting power , which had she mist , her glory in an hower had falne to cinders , and had past away like smoke before the winde ; which happy day , let none but base-bred rebels ever faile to consecrate ; and let this age entaile vpon succeeding times eternity , heav'ns highest love , in that dayes memory . the argvment . the sonnes of haman ( that were slaine ) are all hang'd up : the iewes obtaine freedome to fight the morrow after ; they put three hundred more to slaughter . sect. . when as the fame of that dayes bloody newes came to the king , he said ; behold , the iewes have wonne the day , and in their just defence , h●●e made their wrong , a rightfull recompence ; five hundred men in susan they have staine , and that remainder of proud hamans straine , their hands have rooted out ; queene ester , say , what further suit ( wher●in assuerus may expresse the bounty of his royall hand ) res●s in thy bosome : what is thy demand ? said then the queene : if in thy princely sight my boone be pleasing , or thou take delight to gra●t thy servants suit , let that commission ( which gave the iewes this happy dayes permission to save their lives ) to morrow stand in force , for their behal●es that onely make recourse to god , and thee , and let that cursed brood ( the sonnes of haman , that in guilty blood lye all ingoar'd , unfit to taint a grave ) behang'd on gibbets , and ( like co-●eires ) have like equall shares of that deserved shame , their wretched father purchas'd in his name : 〈◊〉 the king was pleas'd , and the decree was giv'n from susan , where betwixt the earth and heaven , ( most undeserving to be own'd by either ) these cursed ten ( like twins ) were borne together : when titan ( ready for his journall chase ) had rouz'd his dewy locks , and rosie face inricht with morning beauty , up arose the iewes in susan , and their bloody blowes so roughly dealt , that in that dismall day a lease of hundreds fell , but on the prey no hand was laid : so , sweet and jolly rest the iewes enjoy'd , and with a solemne feast , ( like joyfull victors dispossest of sorrow ) they consecrated the ensuing morrow ; and in the provinces throughout the land , before their mighty and victorious hand , fell more than seventy thousand , but the prey they seiz'd not ; and in mem'ry of that day , they solemnized their victorious guests , with gifts , and triumphs , and with holy feasts . medit. . the doctrine of the schoole of grace dissents from natures ( more uncertaine ) rudiments , and are as much contrayr , and opposite as yea , and nay , or blacke , and purest white : for nature teaches , first to understand , and then beleeve ; but grace doth first command man to beleeve , and then to comprehend ; faith is of things unknowne , and must intend , and soare above conceit ; what we conceive , we stand possest of , and already have : but faith beholds such things , as yet we have not , which eye sees not , eare heares not , heart conceives not . hereon , as on her ground-worke , our salvation erects her pillars ; from this firme foundation , our soules mount up the new ierusalem , to take possession of her diad eme ; god loves no sophistry ; who argues least in graces schoole , concludes , and argues best ; a womans logicke passes there ; for 't is good proofe to say , 't is so , because it is ; had abraham adviz'd with flesh and blood , bad had his faith beene , though his reasons good ▪ if god bid doe , for man to urge a why ? is , but in better language , a deny : the fleshly ballances of our conceits have neither equall poysure , nor just weights . to weigh , without impeachment , gods designe ; there 's no propor●ion betwixt things divine , and mortall : lively faith may not depend , either upon th' occasion , or the end . ¶ the glorious suns reflected beames suffice to lend a luster to the feeblest eyes , but if the eye too covetous of the light , boldly out-face the sun , ( whose beames so bright and undispers'd , are too-too much refin'd for view ) is it not justly strucken blind ? i dare not taske stout samson for his death ; nor wandring ionah , that bequeath'd his breath to raging seas , when god commanded so ; nor thee ( great queene ) whose lips did overflow with streames of blood ; nor thee ( o cruell kind ) to quench the f●er of a womans mind , ●ith flowing rivers of thy subjects blood ; ●rom bad beginnings , god creates a good , 〈◊〉 happy end : what i cannot conceive , ●●●d , let my soule admier , and beleeve . the argvment . the feast of purim consecrated : th' occasion why 't was celebrated ; letters were writ by mordecai , to keepe the mem'ry of that day . sect. . so mardocheus throughout all the land dispers'd his letters , with a strickt command to celebrate these two dayes memory with feasts , and gifts , and yeerely jollity , that after ages may record that day , and keepe it from the rust of time , ● that they which shall succeed , may ground their holy mirth vpon the joyes , those happy dayes brought forth , which chang'd their sadnes , and black nights of sorrow , into the brightnesse of a gladsome morrow ; whereto the iews ( to whom these letters came ) gave due observance , and did soone proclame their sacred festivalls , in memory of that dayes joy , and joyfull victory : and since the lots , ● ( that haman did abuse , to know the dismall day , which to the iewes might fall most fatall , and , to his intent , least unpropitious ) ● were in th' event crost with a higher fate , than blinded chance , to worke his ruine , their deliverance : they therefore in remembrance of the lot ( whose hop'd-for sad event succeeded not ) the solemne feasts of purim did invest , and by the name of purim call'd their feast ; which to observe with sacred complement , and ceremoniall rites , their soules indent , and firmly ' inroll the happy memory i th' hearts of their succeeding progeny , that time ( the enemy of mortall things ) may not with hov'ring of his nimble wings , beat downe the deare memoriall of that time , but keepe it flowring in perpetuall prime . now , lest this shining day in times progresse perchance be clouded with forgetfulnesse , or lest the gauled persians should debate the bloody slaughter , and re-ulcerate in after-dayes , their former misery , and blurre the glory of this dayes memory , the queene and morde●ai sent letters out into the land , dispersed round about to re-confirme , and fully ratifie this feast of purim , to eternity ; that it to after-ages may appeare , when sinners bend their hearts , heav'n bowes his eare . medit. . and are the lawes of god defective then ? or was the paper scant , or dull the pen that wrote those sacred lines ? could imperfection lurk closly there , where heav'n hath giv'n direction how comes it then new feasts are celebrated , vnmention'd in the law , and uncreated by him that made the law compleat , and just , not to be chang'd as brain-sicke mortalls lust ? is ●ot heavens deepest curse with death to boot , denounc'd to him that takes from , or ads too 't ? true 't is ; the law of god's the rule and squire , whereby to limit mans uncurb'd desire , and with a gentle hand doth justly paize the ballances of his unbevell'd wayes , true 't is accurs'd , and thrice accurs'd be he that shall detract , or change such lawes , as be directive for his worship , or concerne his holy service● these we strictly learne within our constant brest to keepe inshrin'd , these in all seasons , and for all times binde : but lawes ( although divine ) that doe respect thy publike rest , and properly direct , as statutes politike , doe make relation to times and persons , places , and occasion : the brazen serpent , which , by gods command , was builded up , was by the prophets hand beat downe againe , as impious , and impure , when it became an idoll , not a cure. ¶ a morall law needs no more warranty , then lawfull givers , and conveniency , ( not crossing the divine : ) it lies in kings , to act , and to inhibit all such things as in his princely wisedome shall seeme best , and most vantagious to the publike rest , and what before was an indifferent thing , his law makes good or bad : a lawfull king is gods liev-tenant ; in his sacred eare god whispers oft , and keepes his presence there● ¶ to breake a lawfull princes just command , is brokage of a sinne , at second hand . the argvment . assuerus acts upon record : the just mans vertue , and reward . sect. . and assuerus stretcht his heavy hand , laying a tribute both on sea , and land ; what else he did , what trophies of his fame , he left for time to glorifie his name , with what renowne and grace , he did appay the faithfull heart of loyall mordecai ; are they not kept in endlesse memory , recorded in the persian history ? for mordecai possest the second seat in all the kingdome , and his name is great ; of god and man his-vertues were approv'd , of god and man , much honour'd and belov'd ; seeking his peoples good , and sweet prosperity , and speaking joyfull peace to his posterity . meditat. . thus thrives the man , thus prosper his endevors that builds on faith , & in that faith persevers : ¶ it is no losse , to lose ; no gaine , to get , if he that loses all , shall win the set : god helpes the weakest , takes the losers chayre , and setting on the king , doth soone repayre his losse with vengeance ; hee 's not alway best that takes the highest place , nor he the least that sits beneath : for outward fortunes can expresse ( how great , but ) not how good 's the man ; whom god will raise , he humbles first a while ; and where he raises , oft he meanes to spoyle . ¶ it matters not ( lord ) what my fortunes be , may they but lead or whip me home to thee . here the canonicall history of queene ester ends . iob militant : horat. car . lib. . ode . — dijs , piet as mea , et musa , cordi est . — by fra. quarles . london , printed by miles flesher . . the proposition of the worke . wouldst thou discover in a curious map , that iland , which fond worldlings call mishap , surrounded with a sea of briny tears , the rockie dangers , and the boggie feares , the stormes of trouble , the afflicted nation , the heavy soyle , the lowly scituation ? on wretched iob then sp●nd thy weeping eye , and see the colour painted curiously . wouldst thou behold a tragick sceane of sorrow , whose wofull plot the author did not borrow from sad invention ? the sable stage , the lively actors with their equipage ? the musicke made of sighs , the songs of cries , the sad spectators with their watry eyes ? behold all this , comprized here in one ; expect the plaudit , when the play is done . or wouldst thou see a well built pinace tost vpon the swelling ocean , split ( almost ) now on a churlish rocke ; now , fiercely striving with labouring winds ; now , desperately driving vpon the boyling sands , her storme-rent flags , her main-mast broke , her canvas torne to rags , her treasure lost , her men with lightning slaine , and left a wrecke to the relentlesse maine ? this , this and more , unto your moistned eyes , our patient iob shall lively moralize . wouldst thou behold unparalleld distresse , which minds cannot out-think , nor tongs express full to the life , the anvill , whereupon mischiefe doth worke her master-piece , for none to imitate ; the dire anatomy of ( curiously-dissected ) misery ; the face of sorrow , in her sternest lookes , the rufull arg'ment of all tragicke bookes ? in briefe , would tender eyes , endure to see ( summ'd up ) the greatest sorrowes , that can be ? behold they then , poore iob afflicted here , and each beholder spend ( at least ) his teare . to the great tetragrammaton , lord paramovnt of heaven and earth : his humble servant dedicates himselfe , and implores the enfranchising of his muse. great god th'indebted praises of thy glory , if man shold smother , or his muse wax faint to number forth ; the stones wold make complaint , and write a never-ending story , and , not without iust reason , say , mens hearts are more obdure than they . dismount from heaven ( o thou diviner power ) handsell my slender pipe , breath ( thou ) upon it , that it may run an everlasting sonnet , which envious time may not devoure : oh , let it sing to after-dayes ( when i am dust ) thy louder praise . direct the footsteps of my sober muse to tread thy glorious path : for be it knowne , she only seeks thy glory , not her owne , n●rrouzed for a second use ; if otherwise , o! may she never sing more , but be strucke dumbe for ever . iob militant : the argvment . iobs lineage , and integrity , his issue , wealth , prosperity , his childrens holy feast : his wise forecast , and zealous sacrifi●e . sect. . not far from casius , in who●e bounteous womb , great pompeys dust lies crowned with his tomb , westward , betwixt arabia and iudaea , is situate a country , called idumaea , there dwelt a man ( brought from his lineage , that for his belly , swopt his heritage , ) his name was iob , a man of upright will , iust , fearing heaven , eschewing what was ill , on whom his god had heapd in highest measure , the bounteous riches of his boundlesse treasure , as well of fortune , as of grace , and spirit , goods for his children , children to inherit ; as did his name , his wealth did dayly wexe , his seed did germinate in either sexe a hopefull issue , whose descent might keepe his righteous race on foot ; seven thousand sheepe did pay their summer-tribute , and did adde their winter blessings to his fold : he had three thousand camels , able for their load , five hundred asses , furnisht for the road , as many yoake of oxen , to maintaine his houshold , for he had a mighty traine ; nor was there any in the east , the which in vertue was so rare , in wealth so rich . vpon a time , his children ( to improve the sweet affection of their mutuall love ) made solemne feasts ; each feasted in his turne , ( for there 's a time to mirth , as well as mourne ) and who , by course , was master of the feast , vnto his home invited all the rest . even as a hen ( whose tender brood forsake the downy closet of her wings , and take each its affected way ) markes how they feed , this , on that crum ; and that , on t' other seed ; moves , as they move ; and stayes , when as they stay , and seemes delighted in their infant-play : yet ( fearing danger ) with a busie eye , lookes here and there , if ought she can espy , which unawares might snatch a booty from her , eyes all that passe , and watches every commer . even so th' affection of this tender syre , ( b'ing made more fervent , with the selfe-same ●●re of dearest love , which flamed in their brests , preserved ( as by fuell ) in those feasts ) was ravisht in the height of joyes , to see his happy childrens ten-fold unity : as was his joy , such was his holy feare , lest he , that plants his engines every where , baited with golden sinnes , and re-insnares the soule of man , turning his wheat to tares , should season error with the taste of truth , and tempt the frailty of their tender youth . no sooner therefore had the dappled skie opened the twilight of her waking eye , and in her breaking light , had promis'd day , but up he rose , his holy hands did iay vpon the sacred altar ( one by one ) an early sacrifice for every sonne : for who can tell , ( said he ? ) my sonnes ( perchance ) h●ve slipt some sinne ; which neither ignorance pleaded , nor want of heed , nor youth can cure . sin steales , unseene , when men sleep most secure : meditat. . want is the badge of poverty : then he that wanteth most , is the most poore , say we . the wretch , that hunger drives from door to door , aiming at present almes , desires no more . the toiling swaine , that hath with pleasing trouble cockt a small fortune , would that fortune double , which dearly bought with slav'ry , then ( alas ) hee would be deem'd a man , that 's well to passe : which got , his mind 's now tickled with an itch , but to deserve that glorious stile of rich. that done , h'enjoyes the crowne of all his labour , could he but once out-nose his right-hand-neighbour● lives he at quiet now ? now , he begins to wish that vs'ry were the least of sinnes : but great , or small , he tries , and sweet's the trouble and for its sake , he wishes all things double , thus wishing still , his wishes never cease , but as his wealth , his wishes still encrease . wishes proceed from want : the richest then , most wishing , want most , and are poorest men : if he be poore , that wanteth much , how poore is he , that hath too much , and yet wants more ? thrice happy he , to whom the bounty of heaven , sufficient , with a sparing hand , hath given : 't is grace , not gold , makes great ; sever but which , the rich man is but poore , the poore man rich . the fairest crop , of either grasse , or graine , is not for use , undew'd with timely raine . the wealth of croesus , were it to be given , were not thank-worthy , if unblest by heaven . even as faire phaebe , in diameter , ( earth interpos'd betwixt the sunne and her ) suffers eclips , and is disrobed quite ( during the time ) of all her borrowed light ; so riches , which fond mortals so embrace , if not enlightned with the beames of grace , b'ing interposed with too grosse a care , they lye obscured ; and no riches are . my stint of wealth lyes not in my expressing , with iacobs store ( lord ) give me iacobs blessing ; or if , at night , thou grant me lazars boone , let dives dogs licks all my sores at noone . lord , pare my wealth , by my capacity , lest i , with it , or it suit not with mee . this humbly doe i sue for , at thy hand , enough , and not too much , for my command . lord , what thou lend'st , shall serve but in the place of reckoning counters , to summe up thy grace . the argvment . satan appeares , and then professes himselfe mans enemy , confesses gods love to iob , malignes his faith , gaines power over all he hath . sect. . vpon a time , when heavēs sweet quire of saints ( whose everlasting hallelujah chaunts the highest praise of their celestiall king ) before their lord did the presentment bring of th' execution of his sacred will , commited to their function to fulfill : satan came too ( that satan , which betraid the soule of man , to deaths eternall shade , satan came too ) and in the midst he stands , like to a vulture 'mongst a herd of swans . said , then , th' eternall ; from what quarter now hath businesse brough thee ? ( satan ) whence com'st thou ? the lord of heaven ( said th' infernall ) since thou hast intitled me the worlds great prince , i h●ve beene practising mine old profession , and come from compassing my large possession , tempting thy sonnes , and ( like a roaring lion ) seeking my prey , disturbe the peace of sion ; i come from s●wing tares among thy wheat ; to him , that shall dissemble peters seat , i have beene plotting , how to prompt the death of christian princes , and the bribed breath of cheapned iustice , hath my fire inflam'd with spirit of boldnesse , for a while , unsham'd . i come from planting strife , and sterne debate , 'twixt private man and man , 'twixt state and state , subverting truth with all the power i can , accusing man to god , and god to man : i daily s●w fresh schismes among thy saints ; i buffet them , and laugh at their complaints ; the earth is my dominion , hell 's my home , i round the world , and so from thence i come . said then th' eternall : true , thou hast not fail'd of what thou say'st ; thy spirit hath prevail'd to vexe my little flocke ; thou hast beene bold to make them stray , a little , from their fold . b●t say ; in all thy hard adventures , hath thine eye observed iob my servants faith ? hath open force , or secret fraud beset his bulwarkes , so impregnable , as yet ? and hast thou ( without envy ) yet beheld , how that the world his second cannot yeeld ? hast thou not found , that he 's of upright will , iust , fearing god , ●schewing what is ill ? true lord , ( reply'd the fiend ) thy champion ●●th a strong and fervent ( yet a crafty ) faith , a forced love needs no such great applause , he loves but ill , that loves not for a cause . hast thou not heap'd his garners with excesse ? inricht his pastures ? doth not he possesse all that he hath , or can demand from thee ? his coffers fill'd , his land stock'd plenteou●●y ? hath not thy love surrounded him about , ●and ●edg'd him in , to fence my practice out ? but small 's the triall of a faith , in this , ●f thou supp●rt him , t is thy strength , not his● can then my power , that stands by thy permission , encounter , where thou mak'st an opposition ? stretch forth thy hand , and smite 〈◊〉 what he hath , and prove thou then the temper of his faith ; cease cock'ring his fond humour , veile thy grace , no doubt , but he 'll blaspheme thee to thy f●●c . l●e , ( said th' eternall ) to thy cursed hand , i ●ere commit his mighty stocke , his land , his hopefull issue , and wealth , though nere so much ; himselfe , alone , thou shalt forbeare to touch . medita . . sa●an beg'd once , and found his pray'rs reward : we often beg , yet oft returne , unheard . if granting be th' effect of love , then we conclude our selves , to be lesse lov'd than hee : true , satan beg'd , and beg'd his shame , no lesse ; 't was granted ; shall we envie his successe ? we beg , and our request 's ( perchance ) not granted ; god knew , perhaps , it were worse had than wanted . can god and belial both joyne in one will ; the one to aske , the other to fulfill ? sooner shall stygian darknesse blend with light , the frost with fier , sooner day with night . true , god and satan will'd the selfe-same will , but god intended good ; and satan , ill : that will produc'd a severall conclusion ; he aim'd at mans , and god at his confusion ▪ he that drew light from out the depth of shade , and made of nothing , whatsoe're he made , ●an out of seeming evill , bring good events ; god worketh good , though by ill instruments . as in a clocke , one motion doth convay and carry divers wheeles a severall way : yet altogether , by the great wheeles force , direct the hand unto his proper course : even so , that sacred will , although it use meanes seeming contrary , yet all conduce to one effect , and in a free consent , they bring to passe heavens high decreed intent . takes god delight in humane weaknesse , then ? what glory reapes he from afflicted men ? the spirit gone , can flesh and blood indure ? god burnes his gold , to make his gold more pure , even as a nurse , whose childe 's imperfect pace can hardly leade his foote from place to place , leaves her fond kissing , sets him downe , to goe , nor does uphold him , for a step or two : but when she findes that he begins to fall , she holds him up , and kisses him withall : so god from man sometimes withdrawes his hand a while , to teach his infant faith to stand ; but when he sees his feeble strength begin , to faile , he gently takes him up againe . lord , i 'm a childe ; so guide my paces , than , that i may learne to walke an upright man : so shield my faith , that i may never doubt thee , for i shall fall , if e're i walke without thee . the argvment . the frighted m●ssengers tell iob his foure-fold losse : he rends his ro●e , submits him to his makers trust , whom he concludeth to be just . sect. . vpon that very day , when all the rest were frollicke at their elder brothers fea●t , a breathlesse man , prickt on with winged feare , with staring eyes distracted here and there , ( like kindled exhalations in the aire at midnight glowing ) his stiffe-bolting haire , ( not much unlike the pennes of porcupines ) crossing his armes , and making wofull signes , purboyl'd in sweat , shaking his fearfull head , that often lookt behinde him , as he fled , he ran to iob , still ne'rethelesse afraid , his broken blast breath'd forth these words , & said : alas , ( deare lord ) the whiles thy servants ply'd thy painfull plough , and whilest , on every side thy asses fed about us , as we wrought , there sallyed forth on us ( suspecting nought nor ought intending , but our cheerfull paine ) a rout of rude sabaeans , with their traine armed with death , and deafe to all our cries , which , with strong hand , did in an houre suprize all that thou hadst , and whilest we strove , in vaine ) to guard them , their impartiall hands have slaine thy faithfull servants , with their thir●ty sword ; i onely scap't , to bring this wofull word . no sooner had he clos'd his lips , but see ! another comes , as much agast as he : a ●lash of fire ( said he ) new falne from heaven , hath all thy servants of their lives bereaven , and burnt thy she●pe ; i , i alone am he that 's left unslaine , to bring the newes to thee . this tale not fully told , a third ensues , whose lips in labour with more heavy newes , brake thus ; the forces of a triple band , brought from the fi●rce caldaeans , with strong hād hath seiz'd thy camels , murther'd with the sword thy servants all , but me , that brings thee word . before the aire had cool'd his hasty breath , rusht in a fourth , with visage pale as death : the while ( said he ) thy children all were sharing mirth , at a feast of thy first sonnes preparing , arose a winde , whose errand had more hast , than happy speed , which with a full-mouth blast hath smote the house , which hath thy children reft of all their lives , and thou art childlesse left ; thy children all are slaine , all slaine together , i onely scap't to bring the tidings hither . so said , behold the man , whose wealth did flow like to a spring-tide , one bare houre agoe , with the unpattern'd height of fortunes blest , above the greatest dweller in the east ; he that was syre of many sonnes but now , lord of much people , and while-e're could show such herds of cattell , he , whose fleecy stocke of sheepe could boast seven thousand , in a flocke , see how he lies , of all his wealth dispoil'd , he now hath neither servant , sheepe , nor childe . like a poore man , arose the patient iob , ( stun'd with the newes ) and rent his purple robe , shaved the haire from off his wofull head , and prostrate on the floore he worshipped : naked , ah ! poore and naked did i come f●rth from the closet of my mothers wombe ; and shall returne ( alas ) the very same to th' earth as poore , and naked as i came : god gives , and takes , and why should he not have a priviledge , to take those things he gave ? we men mistake our tenure oft , for he lends us at will , what we miscall as free ; he reassumes his owne , takes but the same he lent a while . thrice blessed be his name . in all this passage , iob , in heart , nor tongue , thought god unjust , or charg'd his hand with wrong . medita . . the proudest pitch of that victorious spirit was but to win the world , whereby t'inherit● the ayrie purchase of a transitory and glozing title of an ages glory ; would'st thou by conquest win more fame thā he ? subdue thy selfe ; thy selfe's a world to thee : earth's but a ball , that heaven hath quilted o're with wealth and honour , banded on the floore of fickle fortunes false and slippery court , sent for a toy , to make us children sport , mans satiate spirits , with fresh delights supplying , to still the fondlings of the world , from crying , and he , whose merit mounts to such a ioy , gaines but the honour of a mighty toy . but would'st thou conquer , have thy conquest crown'd by hands of seraphins , trimph'd with the sound of heavens loud trumpet , warbled by the shrill celestiall quire , recorded with a quill , pluckt from the pinion of an angels wing , confirm'd with joy , by heavens eternall king ? conquer thy selfe , thy rebell thoughts repell , and chase those false affections that rebell . hath heaven dispoil'd what his full hand had givē thee ? nipt thy succeeding blossomes ? or bereaven thee of thy deare latest hope , thy bosome friend ? doth sad despaire deny these griefes an end ? despair's a whispring rebell , that within thee , bribes all thy field , and sets thy selfe agin thee : make keene thy faith , and with thy force let flee , if thou not conquer him , hee 'll conquer thee : advance thy shield of patience to thy head , and whē griefe strikes , t will strike the striker dead● the patient man , in sorrow spies reliefe , and by the taile , he couples ioy with griefe . in adverse fortunes be thou strong and stout , and bravely win thy selfe , heaven holds not out his bow , for ever bent . the disposition of noblest spirits , doth , by opposition exasperate the more : a gloomy night whets on the morning , to returne more bright ; a blade well tri●d , deserves a treble price , and vertu 's purest , most oppos'd by vice : brave mindes , opprest , should ( in despight of fa●● ) looke greatest , ( like the sunne ) in lowest state . but ah ! shal god thus strive with flesh and blood ▪ receives he glory from , or reapes he good in mortals ruine , that he leaves man so to be or'ewhelm'd by his unequall foe ? may not a potter , that from out the ground , hath fram'd a vessell , search if it be sound ? or if by for bushing , he take more paine to make it fairer , shall the pot complaine ? mortall , thou art but clay : then shall not he , that fram'd thee for his service , season thee ? man , close thy lips ; be thou no undertaker of gods designes , dispute not with thy maker . lord , 't is against thy nature to doe ill ; then give me power to beare , and worke thy will ; thou know'st what 's best , make thou thine owne conclusion be glorifi'd , although in my confusion . the argvment . satan the second time appeares , before th' eternall , boldly dares maligne iob● tryed faith afresh , and gaines th'afflicting of his flesh. sect. . once more , when heavēs harmonious queristers appear'd before his throne , ( whose ministers they are , of his concealed will ) to render their strict account of iustice , and to tender th'accepted sacrifice of highest praise , ( warbled in sonnets ▪ and celestiall layes ) satan came too , bold , as a hungry fox , or ravinous wolfe amid the tender flockes , satan , ( said then th' eternall ) from whence now hath thy imployments driven thee ? whence com'st thou ? satan replies : great god of heavē & earth , i come from tempting , and from making mirth : to heare thy dearest children whine , and roare : in briefe , i come , from whence i came before . said then th' eternall , hast thou not beheld my servants faith , how , like a seven-fold shield , it hath defended his integrity against thy fiery darts ? hath not thine eye , ( thine envious eye ) perceiv'd how pu●ely just he stands , and perfect , worthy of the trust i lent into his hand , persisting still iust , fearing god , eschewing what is ill ? 't was not the losse of his so faire a flock , nor sudden rape of such a mighty stock ; 't was neither losse of servants , nor his sonnes vntimely slaughter , ( acted all at once ) could make him quaile , or warpe so true a faith , or staine so pure a love ; say ( satan ) hath thy hand ( so deepely counterfeiting mine ) made him mistrust his god , or once repine ? can there in all the earth , say , can there be a man so perfect , and so iust , as he ? replyes the tempter , lord , an outward losse hopes for repaire , it 's but a common crosse : i know thy servant's wise , a wise forecast , grieves for things present , not for things are past ; perchance the tumour of his sullen heart , brookes losse of all , since he hath lost a part ; my selfe have servants , who can make true boast , they gave away as much , as he hath lost : others ( which learning made so wisely mad ) refuse such fortunes , as he never had ; a faith 's not try'd by this uncertaine tuch , others , that never kn●w thee , did as much : lend mee thy power then , that i might once but sacrifice his flesh , afflict his bones , and pierce his hide , but for a moments space , thy darling then would curse thee to thy face ▪ to which , th' eternall thus : his body 's thine , to plague thy fill , withall i doe confine thy power to her ●ists : afflict and teare his flesh at pleasure : but his life forbeare . meditat. . both goods , and body too ; lord , who can stand ? expect not iobs uprightnesse , at my hand , without iobs aid ; the temper of my passion , ( vntam'd by thee ) can brooke no iobs temptation , for i am weake , and fraile , and what i can most boast of , proves me but a sinfull man ; things that i should avoid , i doe ; and what i am injoyn'd to doe , that doe i not . my flesh is weake , too strong in this , alone , it rules my spirit , that should be rul'd by none but thee ; my spirit 's faint , and hath beene never free from the fits of fins quotidian fever . my pow'rs are all corrupt , corrupt my will , marble to good , and waxe to what is ill ; eclipsed is my reason , and my wit ; by interposing earth 'twixt heaven , and it : my mem'ri's like a scarce of lawne ( alas ) it keepes things grosse , and lets the purer passe . what have i then to boast , what title can i challenge more than this , a sinfull man ? yet doe i sometimes feele a warme desire , raise my low thoughs , and dull affections higher where , like a soule entranc't , my spirit flies , makes leagues with angels , and brings deities halfe way to heaven , shakes hands with seraphims and boldly mingles wings with cherubims , frem whence , i looke askauns adowne the earth , pity my selfe , and loath my place of birth : but while i thus my lower state deplore , i wake , and prove the wretch i was before . even as the needle , that directs the howre , ( toucht with the loadstone ) by the secret power of hidden nature , points upon the pole ; even so the wav'ring powers of my soule , toucht by the vertue of thy spirit , flee from what is earth , and point alone to thee . when i have faith , to hold thee by the hand , i walke securely , and me thinkes i stand more firme than atlas ; but when i forsake the safe protection of thine arme , i quake like wind-shakt reeds , and have no strength at all , but ( as a vine , the prop cut downe ) i fall . yet wretched i , when as thy iustice lends thy glorious presence from me ) straight am friends with flesh and blood , forget thy grace , flye frō it , and , like a dog , returne unto my vomit ; the fawning world to pleasure then invites my wandring eyes ; the flesh presents delights vnto my yeelding heart , which thinke those pleasures ▪ are onely bus'nes now , and rarest treasures , content can glory in , whilst i , secure , stoope to the painted plumes of satans lure : thus i captiv'd , and drunke with pleasures wine , like to a mad-man , thinke no state like mine , what have i then to boast , what title can i challenge more than this , a sinfull man ? ● feele my griefe so enough , nor can i be ●edrest by any , but ( great god ) by thee . ●oo great thou art to come within my roofe , ●ay but the word , be ●●●le , and 't is enough ; ●ill then , my tongue shall never 〈◊〉 , mine eyes ●●e're cloze , my lowly bended knees ne're rise ▪ ●ill then my soule shall ne're want early sobs , my cheekes no teares , my pensive brest no throbs , my hart shall lack no zeale , nor tongue expressing , ●le strive like iacob till i get my blessing : say then , be clea●e , i 'le never stop till then , heaven ne'r shall rest , till heaven shal say , amen the argvment . iob , smote with vlcers , groveling lyes , plung'd in a gulfe of miseries , his wife to blasphemy doth tempt him , his three friends visit , and lament him . sect. . like as a truant-scholler ( whose delay is worse than whipping , having leave to play ) ●●kes haste to bee inlarged from the iayle ●his neglected schoole , turnes speedy tayle ●●on his tedious booke ( so ill befriended ) ●●fore his masters iie be full ended : so thanklesse satan , full of winged haste , thinking all time , not spent in mischiefe , waste , departs with speed , lesse patient to forbeare the patient iob , then patient iob to beare . forth from the furnace of his nostrell , flies a sulpherous vapour , ( which by the envious eyes , of this foule fiend inflam'd ) possest the faire and sweet complexion of th' abused ayre , with pestilence , and ( having power so farre ) tooke the advantage of his worset starre , smote him with vlcers ( such as once befell th'egyptian wizzards ) vlcers hot and fell , which like a searching tetter uncorrected , left no part of his body unaffected , from head to foote , no empty place was found that could b'afflicted with another wound : so noysome was the nature of his griefe , that ( left by friends , and wife , that should be chiefe assister ) he ( poore he ) alone remain'd , groveling in ashes , being ( himselfe ) constrain'd , with pot-sheards to scrape off those rip'ned cores , ( which dogs disdain'd to licke ) from out his sores , which when his wife beheld , adust , and keene , her passion waxt , made strong with scorn & spleen ▪ like as the winds , imprison'd in the earth , and barr'd the passage to their naturall birth , grow fierce ; and nilling to be longer pent , break in an earthquake , shake the world , and vent ▪ so brake shee forth , so forth her fury brake , till now , pent in with shame , and thus she spake . fond saint , thine innocence findes timely speed , a foolish saint receives a saintly meed ; is this the just mans recompence ? or hath heaven no requitall for thy painfull faith , 〈◊〉 then this ? what , haue thy zealous qualmes , ●●●●ious fastings , and thy hopefull almes , thy private groanes , and often bended knees , no other end , no other thankes , but these ? 〈◊〉 man submit thee to a kinder fate , 〈◊〉 to be righteous at so deare a rate : 't is heaven , not fortune that thy weale debarres ; c●●se heaven then , and not thy wayward flarres : 't is god that plagues thee , god not knowing why ; c●●se then that god , revenge thy wrongs and dye . 〈◊〉 then reply'd : god loves where ●e chas●iz'd , thou speakest like a foole , and ill adviz'd ; ●●●gh we to licke the sweet , and shall we lowre , if ●e be pleas'd to send a little sowre ? 〈◊〉 i so weake , one blast or two , should chill me ; i 'le trust my maker , though my maker kill me . when these sad tidings fill'd those itching eares of earths black babling daughter ( she that heares and vents alike , both truth and forgeries , and utters , often , cheaper then she buyes ) she spred the pinions of her nimble wings , advanc'● her trumpet , and away she springs , and fils the whispering ayre which soone possest the spacious borders of th'enquiring east , vpon the summon of such solemne newes , whose truth , malignant fame could not abuse , his wofull friends came to him , to the end , to comfort , and bewaile their wretched friend . but when they came farre off they did not know , whether it were the selfe same friend or no , ( brim-fill'd with briny woe ) they wept and tore ( ●●express their grief ) the garments that they wore seven dayes and nights they sate upon the ground , but spake not , for his sorrowes did abound . medit. . say , is not satan justly stiled than , a tempter , and an enemy to man ? what could he more ? his wish would not extend to death , lest his assaults , with death should end : then what he did , what could he further doe ? his hand hath seiz'd both goods and body too . the hopefull issue of a holy straine , in such a dearth of holinesse , is slaine . what hath the lazar left him , but his griefe , and ( what might best been spar'd ) his foolish wife ? cold mischief bin more hard ( though more in kind ) to nip the flowers , and leave the weeds behind woman was made a helper by creation , a helper , not alone for propagation , or fond delight , but sweet society , which man ( alone ) should want , and to supply comforts to him for whom her sex was made , that each may ioy in eithers needfull ayde : but fairest angels , had the foulest fall ; and best things ( once abus'd ) prove worst of all , else had not satan beene so foule a fiend , else had not woman prov'd so false a friend . ev'n as the treachrous fowler , to entice his silly winged prey , doth first devise to make a bird his stale , at whose false call , others may chance into the selfe-same thrall : even so , that crafty snarer of mankind , finding mans righteous palate not enclin'd to taste the sweetnesse of his gilded baites , makes a collaterall su●e , and slily waites vpon the weakenesse of some bosome friend , from whose enticement , he expects his end . ah righteous iob , what crosse was left unknowne ? what griefe may be describ'd , but was thine owne ▪ is this a just mans case ? what doth befall to one man , may as well betide to all . the worst i 'le looke for , that i can project , if better come , 't is more then i expect ; if otherwise , i 'm arm'd with preparation ; no sorrow's sudden to an expectation . lord , to thy wisedome i submit my will , i will be thankfull , send me good or ill ; if good , my present state will passe the sweeter ; if ill , my crowne of glory shall be greater . the argvment . orewhelm'd with griefe , iob breaketh forth into impatience : bans his birth , professes , that his heart did doubt and feare , what since hath fallen out . sect. . worn bare with griefe , the patient iob betrai'd his seven-daies silence , curst his day , & said : o that my day of birth had never bin , n●● yet the night , which i was brought forth in ! be it not numbred for a day , let light not make a difference 'twixt it and night ; let gloomy shades ( then death more sable ) passe vpon it , to declare how fatall 't was : let clouds ore-cast it , and as hatefull make it , as lifes to him , whom tortures bid , forsake it : from her next day , let that blacke night be cut , nor in the reckning of the months , be put : let desolation fill it , all night long , in it , be never heard a bridall song : let all sad mourners that doe curse the light , when light 's drawne in begin to curse this night ? her evening twilight , let foule darknesse staine ; and may her midnight expect light in vaine ; nor let her infan● day ( but newly borne ) suffer't to see the eye-lids of the morne , because my mothers wombe it would not cl●ze , which gave me passage to endure these woes : why dyed i not in my conception , rather ? or why was not my birth , and death together ? why did the midwife take me on her knees ? why did i sucke , to feele such griefes as these ? then had this body never beene opprest , i had injoy'd th' eternall sleepe of rest ; with kings , and mighty monarchs , that lie crown'd with stately monuments , poore i had found a place of rest , had borne as great a sway , had beene as happy , and as rich as they : why was not i as an abortive birth , the ●e're had knowne the horrors of the earth ? the silent grave is quiet from the feare of tyrants : tyrants are appeased there : the grinded prisner heares not ( there ) the noyse , nor harder threatnings of th'oppressors voyce : ●oth rich and poore are equal'd in the grave , servants no lords , and lords no servants have : what needs there light to him that 's comfortlesse ? or life to such as languish in distresse , 〈◊〉 long for death , which , if it come by leysure , they ransack for it , as a hidden treasure ? what needs there life to him , that cannot have a b●●ne , more gracious , then a quiet grave ? or else to him , whom god hath wall'd about , that would , but cannot finde a passage out ? when i but taste , my sighes returne my food , the flowing of my teares have rais'd a flood ; when my estate was prosperous , i did feare , le●t , by some heedlesse slip , or want of care , i might be brought to misery , and ( alas ! ) what i did then so feare is come to passe : but though secure , my soule did never slumber , yet doe my woes exceed both waight , and number . meditat. . so poore a thing is man. no flesh and blood deserves the stile of absolutely good : the righteous man sins oft ; whose power 's such , to sin the least , sins ( at the least ) too much : the man , whose faith disdain'd his isaacks life , dissembled once , a sister , for a wife : the righteous lot , being drunk , did make ( at once ) his daughters both halfe sisters to their sonnes : the royall favorite of heaven , stood not guiltlesse of adultery and blood , and he , whose hands did build the temple , doth bow downe his lustfull knees to ashtaroth the sinfull woman was accus'd , but none was found , that could begin to fling a stone : from mudled springs , can christall water come ? in some things , all men sin ; in all things , some . even as the soyle , ( which aprils gentle showers have fild with sweetnesse , and inricht with flowers ) reares up her suckling plants , still shooting forth the tender blossomes of her timely birth , but , if deny'd the beames of cheerly may , they hang their withered heads , and fade away : so man , assisted by th' almighties hand , his faith doth flourish , and securely stand , but left a while , forsooke ( as in a shade ) it ●●nguishes , and nipt with sin doth fade : no gold is pure from drosse , though oft refin'd ; the strongest cedar's shaken with the wind ; the fairest rose hath no prerogative , against the fretting canker-worme , the hive no honey yeeld● unblended with the wax , the finest linnen hath both soyle and bracks : the best of men have sins ; none lives secure , in nature nothing's perfect , nothing pure . lord , since i needs must sin , yet grant that i forge no advantage by infirmity : since that my vesture cannot want a staine , assist me , lest the tincture be in graine . to thee ( my great redeemer ) doe i flye , it is thy death alone , can change my dye ; teares , mingled with the blood , can scower so , that scarlet sinnes shall turne as white as snow . the argvment . rash eliphaz reproves , and rates , and falsly censures iob ; relates his vision ; shewes him the event of wicked men : bids him repent . sect. . then eliphas , his pounded tongue repliev'd , and said , shold i contēd , thou wold'st be grievd ; yet what man can refraine , but he must breake his angry silence , having heard thee speake ? o sudden change ! many hast thou directed , and strengthned those , whose minds have bin dejected ; thy sacred thewes , and sweet instructions , did helpe those were falling , rais'd up such as slid : but now it is thy case , thy soule is vext , and canst not help thy selfe , thy selfe perplext ; thou lov'st thy god but basely for thy profit , fear'st him in further expectation of it ; iudge then : did record ever round thine eare , that god forsooke the heart that was sincere ? but often have we seene , that such as plow lewdnesse , and mischiefe , reape the same they sow : so have proud tyrants from their thrones bin cast , with all their off-spring , by th' almighties blast ; and they whose hands have bin imbrew'd in blood , have with their issue dyed , for want of food : a vision lately appear'd before my sight , in depth of darknesse , and the dead of night , vnwonted feare usurpt me round about , my trembling bones were sore , from head to foot : forthwith , a spirit glanc'd before mine eyes , my browes did sweat , my moistned haire did rise , the face i knew not , but a while it staid , and in the depth of silence , thus it said , is man more just , more pure then his creator ? amongst his angels , ( more upright by nature then man ) he hath found weaknesse ; how much more shall he expect in him , that 's walled ore with mortall flesh and blood , founded , and floor'd with dust , and with the wormes to be devour'd ? they rise securely with the morning sunne , and ( unregarded ) dye ere day be done ; their glory passes with them as a breath , they die ( like fooles ) before they think of death . rage then , and see who will approve thy rage , what saint will give thy railing patronage ? anger destroyes the foole , and he that hath a wrathfull heart , is slaine with his owne wrath ; yet have i seene , that fooles have oft beene able to boast with babel , but have falne with babel : their sons despairing , roare without reliefe in open ruine , on the rocks of griefe : their harvest ( though but small ) the hungry eate , and robbers seize their wealth , thogh ne'r so great ; but wretched man , were thy condition mine , i 'de not despaire as thou dost , nor repine , but offer up the broken sacrifice of a sad soule , before his angry eyes , whose workes are miracles of admiration , he mounts the meeke , amidst their desolation ▪ confounds the worldly wise , that ( blindfold ) they grope all in darknesse , at the noone of day : but guards the humble from reproach of wrong , and stops the current of the crafty tongue . thrice happy is the man his hands correct : beware lest fury force thee to reject th' almighties tryall ; he that made thy wound in iustice , can in mercy make it sound : feare not though multiply'd afflictions shall besiege thee ; he , at length , will rid them all ; in famine he shall feed , in warre defend thee , shield thee from slander , & in griefes attend thee , the beasts shall strike with thee eternall peace , the stones shall not disturbe thy fields encrease ; thy house shall thrive , replenisht with content , which , thou shalt rule , in prosp'rous government , the number of thy of-spring shall abound , like summers grasse upon a fruitfull ground , like timely corne well ripened in her eares , thou shalt depart thy life , strucke full of yeeres : all this , experience te●ls : then ( iob ) advise , thou hast taught many , now thy selfe be wise . meditat. . the perfect modell of true friendship 's this : a rare affection of the soule , which is begun with ripened judgement , doth persever with simple wisedome , & concludes with never . 't is pure in substance , as refined gold , that buyeth all things , but is never sold : it is a coyne , and most men walke without it ; true love 's the stamp , i●hovah's writ about it ; it rusts unus'd , but using makes it brighter , 'gainst heav'n high treason 't is , to make it lighter . 't is a gold chain , links soule and soule together in perfect vnity , tyes god to either . affliction is the touch , whereby we prove , whether 't be gold , or gilt with fained love. the wisest moralist , that ever div'd into the depth of natures bowels , striv'd with th' augur of experience , to bore mens hearts so farre , till he had found the ore of friendship , but , despairing of his end , my friends ( said he ) there is no perfect friend . friendship 's like musicke , two strings tun'd alike , will both stirre , though but onely one you strike . it is the quintessence of all perfection extracted into one : a sweet connexion of all the vertues morall and divine , abstracted into one . it is a mine , whose nature is not rich , unlesse in making the state of others wealthy by partaking : it bloomes and blossomes both in sun and shade , doth ( like the bay in winter ) never fade : it loveth all , and yet suspecteth none , is provident , yet seeketh not her owne : 't is rare it selfe , yet maketh all things common , and is judicious , yet it judgeth no man. the noble theban , being asked which of three ( propounded ) he suppos'd most rich in vertues sacred treasure , thus reply'd : till they be dead , that doubt cannot be tryde . it is no wisem●ns part to weigh a friend , without the glosse and goodnesse of his end : for life , without the death considered , can afford but halfe a story of the man. 't is not my friends affliction , that shall make me either wonder , censure , or forsake : iudgement belongs to fooles ; enough that i find he 's afflicted , not enquier , why : it is the hand of heaven , that selfe-same sorrow grieves him to day , may make me grone to morrow heaven be my comfort ; in my highest griefe , i will not trust to mans , but thy reliefe . the argvment . iob counts his sorrowes , and from thence excuses his impatience ; describes the shortnesse of mans time , and makes confession of his crime . sect. . bvt wretched iob sigh't forth these words , & said , ah me ! that my impatience were weigh'd with all my sorrowes , by an equall hand , they would be found more pondrous then the sand that lies upon the new-forsaken shore : my griefes want utterance , & haue stopt their dore : and wōder not heav'ns shafts have struck me dead ▪ and god hath heapt all mischiefes on my head : will asses bray , when they have grasse to eate ? or lowes the oxe , when as hee wants no meat ? can palates finde a relish in distast ? or can the whites of egges well please the tast ? my vexed soule is dayly fed with such corruptions , as my hands disdaine to touch . alas ! that heav'n would heare my hearts request ▪ and strike me dead , that i may find some rest : what hopes have i , to see my end of griefe , and to what end should i prolong my life ? why should not i wish death ? my strength ( alas ) is it like marble , or my flesh like brasse ? what power have i to mitigate my paine ? if e're i had , that power now is vaine ; my friends are like the rivers , that are dry in heat of summer , when necessity requireth water ; they amazed stand to see my griefe , but lend no helping hand . friends ; beg i succour from you ? craved i your goods , to ransome my captivity ? shew me my faults , and wherein i did wrong my patience , and i will hold my tongue ; the force of reasonable words may moove , but what can rage or lunacie reproove ? rebuke you ( then ) my words to have it thought my speech is franticke , with my griefe distraught ? you take a pleasure in your friends distresse , that is more wretched than the fatherlesse : behold these sores : be judg'd by your owne eyes , if these be counterfeited miseries ; ballance my words , and you shall finde me free from these foule crimes wherewith ye branded me and that my speech was not distain'd with sin , onely the language sorrow treated in . is not mans day prefixt , which , when expir'd , sleepes ●e not quiet as a servant hir'd ? a servants labour doth , at length , surcease , his day of travell findes a night of peace ; but ( wretched ) i with woes am still oprest , my mid-day torments see no even of rest ; my nights ( ordain'd for sleep ) are fill'd with griefe , i looke ( in vaine ) for the next dayes reliefe : with dust and wormes my flesh is hid , my sorrowes have plow'd my skin , and filth lyes in her furrows : my dayes of ioy are in a moment gone , and ( hopelesse of returning ) spent and done : remember ( lord ) my life is but a puffe , i but a man , that 's misery enough ; and when pale death hath once seald up my sight , i ne're shall see the pleasures of the light , the eye of man shall not discover me , no , nor thine ( lord ) for i shall cease to be ; when mortalls dye , they passe ( like clouds before the sun ) and backe returne they never more ; t' his earthly house he ne're shall come agin , and then shall be , as if he ne're had bin : therfore my tongue shal speak while it hath breath prompted with griefe , and with the pangs of death : am i not weake and faint ? what needst thou stretch thy direfull hand upon so poore a wretch ? when as i thinke that night shall stop the streames of my distress , thou frightst me then with dreams ; so that my soule doth rather choose to dye , than be involved in such misery ; my life 's a burthen , and will end : o grieve no longer him , that would no longer live . ah! what is man , tha● thou should'st raise him so high at the first , then sinke him downe so low ? what 's man ? thy glory 's great enough without him : why dost thou ( thus ) disturb thy mind about him ? lord , i have sinn'd ( great helper of mankind ) i am but dust and ashes , i have sinn'd : against the● ( as a marke ) why hast thou fixt me ? how have i trespast , that thou thus afflict'st mo ? why , rather , didst thou not remoue my sin , and salve the sorrowes that i raved in ? for thou hast heapt such vengeance on my head ; that when thou seekst me thou wilt find me dead . meditat. . th'egyptians , amidst their sollemne feasts , vsed to welcome , and present their guests with the sad sight of mans anatomy , serv'd in with this loud motto , all must dye . fooles often goe about , when as they may take better vantage of a neerer way . looke well into your bosomes ; doe not flatter your knowne infirmities : behold , what matter your flesh was made of : man , cast back thine eye vpon the weaknesse of thine infancye ; see how thy lips hang on thy mothers brest , bawling for helpe , more helplesse then a beast , liv'st thou to childhood ? then , behold , what toies doe mocke the sense , how shallow are thy joyes . com'st thou to downy yeares ? see , how deceits gull thee with golden fruit , and with false baits slily beguile the prime of thy affection . art thou attain'd at length to full perfection of ripened yeares ? ambition hath now sent thee on her frothy errand , discontent payes thee thy wages . doe thy grizly haires begin to cast account of many cares vpon thy head ? the sacred lust of gold now fits thy spirit , for fleshly lust , too cold , makes thee a slave to thine owne base desire , which melts and hardens , at the selfe-same fire . art thou de●repit ? then thy very breath i● grievous to thee , and each griefe 's a death : looke where thou list , thy life is but a span , thou art but dust , and , to conclude , a man. thy life 's a warfare , thou a souldier art , satan's thy foe-man , and a faithfull heart thy two-edg'd weapon , patience thy shield , heaven is thy chiefetain , and the world thy field . to be afraid to dye , or wish for death , are words and passions of despairing breath : who doth the first , the day doth faintly yeeld , and who the second , basely flies the field . man 's not a lawfull stearsman of his dayes , his bootlesse wish , nor hastens , nor delayes : we are gods hired workmen , he discharges some , late at night , and ( when he list ) inlarges others at noone , and in the morning some : none may relieve himselfe , till he bid , come : if we receive for one halfe day , as much as they that toyle till evening , shall we grutch ? our life 's a road , in death our iourney ends , we goe on gods embassage , some he sends gall'd with the ●●otting of hard misery , and others , pacing on prosperity : some lagge , whilest others gallop on , before ; all goe an end , some faster , and some slower . lead me that pase ( great god ) that thou think'st best , and i will follow with a dauntlesse brest : which ( ne'rethelesse ) if i refuse to doe , i shall be wicked , and yet follow to . assist me in my combat with the flesh , relieve my fainting powers , and refresh my feeble spirit : i will not wish to be cast from the world ; lord , cast the world from me . the argvment . bildad , mans either state expresses , gods mercy and iustice iob confesses ; he pleads his cause , and begs reliefe , foild with the burthen of his griefe . sect. . so bildads silence ( great with tongue ) did breake , and , like a heartlesse comforter did speake : how long wilt thou persist to breathe thy minde in words that vanish as a storme of winde ; will god forsake the innoc●nt , or will his iustice smite thee , undeserving ill ? though righteous death thy sinfull sons hath rent from thy sad bosome , yet if thou repent , and wash thy wayes with undissembled teares , tuning thy troubles to th' almighties eares , the mercy of his eyes shall shine upon thee : and shoure the sweetnesse of his blessings on thee : and though a while thou plunge in misery , at length hee l crowne thee with prosperity : run backe , and ●earne of sage antiquity , what our late births , to present times , deny , see how , and what ( in the worlds downy age ) befell our fathers in their pilgrimage ; if rushes have no mire , and grasse no raine , they cease to flourish , droop their heads , ● waine : so fades the man ▪ whose heart is not upright , so perisheth the double hypocrite ; his hopes are like the spiders web , to day that 's flourishing , to morrow swept away : but he that 's just is like the flowting tree , rooted by chrystall springs , that cannot be scorcht by the noone of day , nor stird from thence , where , firmely fixt , it hath a residence ; heaven●never failes the soule that is upright , nor offers arme to the base hypo●rite : the one , he blesses with eternall joyes , the other , his avenging hand destroyes . i yeeld it for a truth , ( sad iob reply'd ) compar'd with god , can man be justifi'd ? if man should give account what he hath done , not of a thousand can he answer one : his hand 's all-power , and his heart all pure , against this god , what man can stand secure ? he shakes the moun●aines , and the sun he barres from circling his due course , shuts up the starres , he spreades the heavens , and rideth on the flood , his workes may be admir'd , not understood : no eye can see , no heart can apprehend him : lists he to spoile ? what 's he can reprehen● h●m ? his will 's his law. the smoothest pleader hath no power in his lips , to slake his wrath , much lesse can i pleade faire immunity , which could my guiltlesse tongue attaine , yet i would kisse the footstep of his iudgement-seat : should he receive my cry , my griefe 's so great , it would perswade me , that he heard it not , for he hath torne me with the five-fold knot of his sharpe scourge , his plagues successive are , that i can finde no ground , but of despaire . if my ●●old lips should dare to justifie my selfe , my lips would give my lips the lye . god owes his mercy , nor to good , nor bad ; the wicked oft he spares , and oft does adde griefe to the just mans griefe , woes after woes ; we must not judge man , as his market goes . but might my prayers obtaine this boone , that god would cease those sorrowes , and remove that rod , which moves my patience ; i would take upon me , t'implead before him , your rash judgement on me , because my tender conscience doth perswade mee , i 'me not so bad , as your bad words have made me . my life is tedious , my distresse shall breake into her proper voyce , my griefes shall speake ; ( iust ●udge of earth ) condemne me not , before thou please to make me understand wherefore agrees it with thy iustice , thus to be kinde to the wicked , and so harsh to me ? seest thou with fleshly eyes ? or doe they glance by favour ? are they clos'd with ignorance ? liv'st thou the life of man ? dost thou desire a space of time to search , or to enquire my sinne ? no , in the twinkling of an eye thou seest my heart , seest my immunity from those foule crimes , wherewith my friends at pleasure taxe me , yet thou afflict'st me , in this measure : thy hands have form'd , and fram'd me , what i am , wh●n thou hast made , wilt thou destroy the same ? remember , i am built of clay , and must returne againe ( without thy helpe ) to dust. thou didst create , preserve me , hast indu'd my life with gracious blessings oft renew'd thy precious favours on me : how wert thou , once , so benigne , and so cruell now ? thou hunt'st me like a prey , my plagues encrease , succeed each other , and they never cease . why was i borne ? or why did not my tombe receive me ( weeping ) from my mothers wombe ▪ i have not long to live ; lord grant that i may see some comfort , that am soone to dye . meditat. . he that 's the truest master of his owne , is never ●esse alone , than when alone ; his watchfull eyes are plac't within his heart ; his skill , is how to know himselfe ▪ his art , how to command the pride of his affections , with sacred reason : how to give directions vnto his wandring will ; his conscience checks hi● more looser thoughts ; his 〈◊〉 sins , she vexes with frights , and feares within her owne precincts , she rambles with her whips of wire , ne're 〈◊〉 at smallest faults , like as a tender mother ( how e're she loves her darling ) will not 〈◊〉 his childish fault ▪ but shee ( her selfe ) will rather correct , than trust him to his angry fat●●er : even so , the tender conscience of the wise , che●ks her beloved soule , and doth chastise , and iudge the crime it selfe , lest it should stand as lyable to a severer hand . fond soule beware , who e're thou art , that spies anothers fault , that thou thine owne chastise , lest , like a foolish man , thou judge another , in those selfe-crimes , which in your brest you smother● who undertakes to dreine his brothers eye of noisome humours , first , must clarifie his owne , lest when his brothers blemish is remov'd , he spie a fouler blame in his . it is beyond th' extent of mans commission , to judge of man : the secret disposition of sacred providence is lockt , and seal'd from mans conceit , and not to be reveal'd , vntill that lambe breake ope the seale and come , with life and death , to give the world her doome . the ground-worke of our faith must not relie on bare events ; peace and prosperity are goodly favours , but no proper marke , wherewith god brands his sheepe : no outward barke secures the body to be sound within . the rich man liv'd in scarlet● dyed in sinne. behold th' afflicted man ; affliction moves compassion ; but no confusion proves . a gloomy day brings oft a glorious even : the poore man dy'd with sores , and lives in heavē . to good and bad , both fortunes heaven doth share that both , an after-change , may hope , and feare . i 'le hope the best , ( lord ) leave the rest to thee , lest while i judge another , thou judge me ; it 's one mans worke to have a serious sight of his owne sinnes , and judge himselfe aright . the argvment . zophar blames iob ; iob equall makes his wisdome unto theirs : he takes in hand to pleade with god ; and then describes the fraile estate of men . sect. . then zophar from deepe silence , did awake his words , with louder language , and bespake : shall pratlers bee unanswe'rd , or shall such be counted just , that speake , for babbling much ? shal thy words stop our mouths , he that hath blamd and scoft at others , shall he die unsham'd ? our cares have heard thee , when thou hast excus'd thy selfe of evill , and thy god accus'd : but if thy god should pleade with thee at large , thou 'dst reape the sorrows of a double charge . can●t thou , by deepe inquiry , understand the hidden iustice of th' almighties hand ? heavens large dimensions cannot cōprehend him ; what e're hee doe , what 's he can reprehend him ? what refuge hast thou then , but to present a heart , inricht with the sad compliment of a true convert , on thy bended knee , before thy god , t' attone thy god and thee ? then doubt not , but hee 'll reare thee from thy sorrow , disperse thy clouds , and like a shining morrow , make cleare the sun-beames of prosperity , and rest thy soule in sweet security . but he , whose heart obdur'd in sinne , persists , his hopes shall vanish , as the morning mists . but iob , even as a ball against the ground banded with violence , did thus rebound : you are the onely wisemen , in your brests the hidden magazen of true wisdome rests , yet ( though astund with sorrowes ) doe i know a little , and ( perchance ) as much as you ; i 'm scorned of my friends , whose prosprous state surmises me ( that have expir'd the date of earths faire fortunes ) to be cast away from heavens regard , think none belov'd , but they ; i am despised , like a torch , that 's spent , whiles that the wicked blazes in his tent : what have your wisdoms taught me , more thā that which birds & beasts ( could they but fpeak ) would chat ? digests the stomack , e're the pallat tastes ? o weigh my words , before you judge my case . but you referre me to our fathers dayes , to be instructed in their wiser layes ▪ true , length of dayes brings wisdome ; but , i say , i have a wiser teacheth me , than they : for i am taught , and tutor'd by that hand , whose unresisted power doth command the limits of the earth , whose vvisdome schooles and traines the simple , makes the learned fooles : his hand doth raise the poore , deposes kings ; on him , both order , and the change of things depend ; he searches , and brings forth the light from out the shadowes , and the depth of night . all this , mine owne experience hath found true , and in all this , i know as much as you . but you averre , if i should plead with god , that he would double his severer rod. your tongue belies his iustice , you apply amisse , your med'cine , to my malady ; in silence , you would seeme more wise , lesse weake ; you having spoke , now lend me leave to speake . will you doe wrong , to doe gods iustice right ? are you his counsell ? need you helpe to fight his quarrels ? or expect you his applause , thus ( brib'd with selfe-conceit ) to plead his cause ? iudgement 's your fee , when as you take in hand heavens cause , to plead it , and not heav'n cōmand . if that the foulnesse of your censures could not fright you , yet , me thinks , his greatness should , whose iustice you make patron of your lies ; your slender maximes , and false forgeries are substanc't like thedust that flyes besides me ; peace then , and i will speake , what e're betides me : my soule is on the rack , my tears have drown'd me , yet will i trust my god , though god confound me ; he , he 's my towre of strength ; no hypocrite stands , unconfounded , in his glorious sight : ballance my words ; i know my case would quit me from your censures , should i argue it . who takes the plaintifes pleading ? come , for i must plead my right , or else perforce must die . with thee ( great lord of heaven ) i dare dispute , if thou wilt grant me this my double suit ; first , that thou slake these sorrows that surroūd me ; then , that thy burning face doe not confound me ; which granted , then take thou thy choyce , let me propound the question , or , else answer thee . why dost thou thus pursue me , like thy foe ? for what great sinne dost thou afflict me so ? break'st thou a withred leafe , thy iustice doth summe up the reckonings of my sinfull youth : thou keep'st me pris'ner , bound in fetters fast , and , like a thred-bare garment doe i wast . man borne of woman , hath but a short while to live , his dayes are fleet , and full of toyle ; hee 's like a flower shooting forth and dying , his life is as a shadow , swiftly flying . ah! b'ing so poore a thing ; what needst thou minde him ? the number of his dayes thou hast confin'd him ; then adde not plagues unto his griefe , o give him peace , that hath so small a time to live : tree's that are fell'd , may sprout again , man never ; his dayes are numbred , and he dyes for ever ; he 's like a mist , exhaled by the sunne , his dayes once done , they are for ever done . o that thy hand would hide me close , and cover me in the grave , till all thy wrath were over ! my desperate sorrows hope for no reliefe , yet will i waite my change. my day of griefe will be exchang'd for an eternall day of joy : but now , thou dost not spare to lay full heapes of vengeance on my broken soule , and writ●st my sinnes upon an ample scrowle ; as ●ountaines ( being shaken ) fall , and rocks ( though firm ) are worn , & rent with many knocks : so strongest men are batterd with thy strength , loose ground , returning to the ground at length : so mortals die , and ( being dead ) ne're minde the fairest fortunes that they leave behinde . while man is man ( untill that death bereave him of his last breath ) his griefes shal never leave him . meditat. . doth hist'ry then , and sage chronologi● , ( the index , pointing to antiquity , ) so firmly grounded on deepe iudgement , guarded , and kept by so much miracle , rewarded with so great glory , serve , but as slight fables , to edge the dulnesse of mens wanton tables , and claw their itching eares ? or doe they , rather like a conci●e abridgement , serve to gather mans high adventures , and his transitory atchievements to expresse his makers glory ? acts , that have blown the lowdest trumpe of fame are all , but humours , purchas 't in his name . is he , that ( yesterday ) went forth , to bring his fathers asses home , ( to day ) crown'd king ? did hee , that now on his brave palace stood , boasting his babels beauty , chew the cud an hower after ? have not babes beene crown'd , and mighty monarchs beaten to the ground ? man undertakes , heaven breathes successe upon it ; what good , what evill is done , but heavē hath done it ? the man to whom th● world was not asham'd to yeeld her colours , he that was proclam'd a god in humane shape , whose dreadfull voyce did strike men dead like thunder , at the noyse ; was rent away , from his imperiall throne , before his flowre of youth was fully blowne , his race was rooted out , his issue slaine , and left his empire to another straine . who that did e're behold the ancient rome , would rashly , given her glory such a doome , or thought her subject to such alterations , that was the mistresse , and the queen of nations ? egypt , that in her wals , had once engrost more wisdome , than the world besides , hath lost her senses now : her wisest men of state , are turn'd , like puppets , to be pointed at : if romes great power , and egypts wisdome can not ayde themselves how poore a thing is man ? god plaies with kingdomes , as with tennis-balls , fells some that rise , and raises some that fals : nor policy can prevent , nor secret fate , where heaven hath pleas'd to blow upon a state. if states be not secure , nor kingdomes , than how helpelesse ( ah! ) how poore a thing is man ! man 's like a flower , the while he hath to last , hee 's nipt with frost , and shooke with every blast , hee 's borne in sorrow , and brought up in teares , he lives a while in sinne , and dyes in feares . lord , i 'le not boast , what e're thou give unto me , lest e're my brag be done , thou take it from me . no man may boast but of his owne , i can then boast of nothing , for i am a man. the argvment . rash eliphaz doth aggravate the sinnes of iob , malign's his fl●te , whom iob reproving , justifies himselfe , bewailes his miseries . sect. . doth vaine repining ( eliphaz replies ) or words , like wind , beseeme the man that 's wise ? ahsure , thy faithlesse heart rejects the feare of heaven , dost not acquaint thy lips with pray'r : thy words accuse thy heart of impudence , thy tongue ( not i ) brings in the evidence : art thou the first of men ? doe mysteries vnfold to thee ? art thou the onely wise ? wherein hath wisdome beene more good to you then us ? what know you , that we never knew ? reverence , not censure , fits a young mans eyes , we are your ancients , and should be as wise ; it't not enough , your arrogance derides our counsels , but must scorne thy god besides ? angels ( if god in quier ) strictly must not pleade perfection : then can man be just ? it is a truth receiv'd , these aged eyes have seen 't , and is confirmed by the wise , that still the wicked man is void of rest , is alwayes fearefull ; falls when he feares least , in trouble he despaires , and is dejected , he begs his bread , his death comes unexpected , in his adversity , his griefes shall gaule him , and , like a raging tyrant , shall in th●all him , he shall advance against his god , in vaine , for heaven shall crush & beate him downe againe , what i● his garners thrive , and goods increase ? they shall not prosper , nor he live in peace , eternall horrour shall beg●●t him round , and vengeance shall both him and his confound , amidst his joyes , despaire shall stop his breath , his sons shall perish , with untimely death ; the double soule shall die , and in the hollow of all false hearts , fal●e hearts thēselves shall swallow . then answered iob , all this , before i knew , they want no griefe , that finde such friends as you ? ah , cease your words , the fruits of ill spent houres ! if heaven should please to make my fortunes yours , i would not scoffe you , nor with taunts torment ye , my lips should comfort , and these eyes lament ye : what shall i doe , speake not , my griefes oppresse my soule , or speake ( alas ) they 'r ne're thelesse ; lord i am wasted , and my pangs have spent me , my skin is wrink●ed , for thy hand hath rent me , mine enemies have smit me in disdaine , laught at my torments , jested at my paine : i swell'd in wealth , but ( now ) alas , am poore and ( feld with woe ) lye groveling on the floore , in dust and sackcloth i lament my sorrowes , thy hand hath trencht my cheekes with water furrowes , nor can i comprehend the cause , that this my smart should be so grievous as it is : oh earth ! if then an hypocrite i be , cover my cryes , as i doe cover thee , and witnesse heaven , that these my vowes be tru● ( ah friends ! ) i spend my teares to heav'n , not you . my time 's but short , ( alas ! ) would then that i might try my cause with god before i dye . since then i languish , and not farre from dead , ●et me a while with my accusers plead ( before the iudge of heaven and earth ) my right : have they not wrong'd , and vext me day & night ? who first , layes downe his gage , to meet me ? say , i doubt not ( heaven being iudge ) to win the day : you 'll say perchance , wee 'll recompell your word , e're simple truth should unawares afford your discontent ; no , no , forbeare , for i hate lesse your censures , then your flattery ; i am become a by-word , and a tabor , to set the tongues , and eares of men , in labour , mine eyes are dimme , my body 's but a shade , good men that see my case , will be afraid , but not confounded ; they will hold their way , and in a bad , they 'll hope a better day ; recant your errours , for i cannot see one man that 's truly wise among you three ; my dayes are gone , my thoughts are mis-possest , the silent night , that heaven ordain'd for rest , my day of travell is , but i shall have e're long ▪ long peace , within my welcome grave ; my neerest kinred are the wormes , the earth my mother , for she gave me first my birth ; where are my hopes then ? where that future joy , which you fals-prophecy'd i should enjoy ? both hopes , and i alike , shall travell thither , where , clos'd in dust , we shall remaine together . meditat. . the morall poets , ( nor unaptly ) faine , that by lame vulcans help , the pregnant brain of soveraigne ●ove , brought forth , and at that birth , was borne minerva , lady of the earth . o strange divinity ! but sung by rote ; sweete is the tune , but in a wider note . the morall sayes , all wisedome that is given to hood-wink't mortals , first proceeds from heavē truth 's errour , wisedom's but wise insolence , and light 's but darknesse , not deriv'd from thence ; wisedom's a straine , transcends morality , no vertu 's absent , wisedome being by . vertue , by constant practice , is acquir'd , this ( this by sweat unpurchas't ) is inspir'd : the master-piece of knowledge , is to know but what is good , from what is good in show , and there it rests : wisedome proceeds , and chuses the seeming evill , th' apparent good refuses ; knowledge descries alone ; wisedome applies , that makes some fooles ; this , maketh none but wise : the curious hand of knowledge doth but picke ●are simples , wisdome pounds them , for the sicke ; in my afflictions knowledge apprehends , who is the author , what the cause , and ends , it findes that patience is my sad reliefe , and that the hand that caus'd , can cure my griefe : to rest contented here , is but to bring cloudes without raine , and heat without a spring : what hope arises hence ? the devils doe the very same : they know , and tremble too ; but sacred wisdome doth apply that good , which simple knowledge barely understood : wisedome concludes , and in conclusion , proves , that wheresoever god corrects , he loves : wisedome digests , what knowledge did but tast , that deales in futures ; this , in things are past : wisdome's the card of knowledge , which , without that guide , at random's wreck't on every doubt : knowledge , when wisdome is too weak to guide her is like a head-strong horse , that throwes the rider : which made that great philosopher avow , he knew so much , that he did nothing know . lord , give me wisedome to direct my wayes , i beg nor riches , nor yet length of dayes : o grant thy servant wisedome , and with it , i shall receive such knowledge as will fit to serve my turne : i wish not phoebus waine , without his skill to drive it , lest i gaine too deare an honour : lord , i will not stay , to picke more manna , then will serve to day . the argvment . bildad , the whil'st he makes a show to strike the wicked , gives the blow to iob : iobs misery , and faith ; zophar makes good what bildad saith . sect. . said bildad then , when will yee bring to end the speeches whereabout ye so contend ? waigh eithers words , lest ignorant confusion debarre them of their purposed conclusion : we came to comfort , fits it then that wee be thought as beasts , or fooles accounted bee ? but thou , iob , ( like a madman ) would'st thou force god , to desist his order , and set course of iustice ? shall the wicked , for thy sake ( that would'st not taste of evill ) in good partake ? no , no , his lampe shall blaze , and dye , his strength shall faile , and shall confound it selfe , at length he shall be hampred with close hidden snares , and dog'd , where e're he starts , with troops of fears ; hunger shall bite , destruction shall attend him , his skin shall rot , the worst of deaths shal end him : his feare , shall bee a thousand linkt together , his branch above , his roote beneath shall wither , his name shall sleepe in dust , in dust decay , odious to all , by all men chas't away , no son shall keepe alive his house , his name , and none shall thrive , that can alliance clame , the after-age shall stand amaz'd , to heare his fall , and they that see 't , shall shake for feare : thus stands the state of h●m that doth amisse , and ( iob ) what other is thy case , then this ? but iob reply'd , how long , ( as with sharp swords ) will ye torment me , with your pointed words ? how often have your biting tongues defam'd my simple innocence , and yet unsham●d ? had i deserv'd these plagues , yet let my g●iefe expresse it selfe , though it find no reliefe ; but if you needs must weare your tongues upon me know , 't is the hand of god hath overthrowne me ; i roare , unheard ; his hand will not release me ; the more i grieve , the more my griefs oppress me , he hath despoyl'd my joyes , and goes about ( my branches being lopt ) to story the root ; his plagues , like souldiers trench within my bones my friends , my kinred flye me all at once , my neighbors , my ●amiliars have forgone me , my houshold stares , with strangers eyes , upon me : i call my servant , but his lips are dumbe , i humbly begg his helpe , but hee 'l not come : my own wife loaths my breath though i did make ●y solemne suit , for our dead childrens sake : the poor , whose wants i have supply'd , despise me , and he that liv'd within my brest , denyes me : my bones are hide-bound , there cannot be found one piece of skin , ( vnlesse my gums ) that 's sound . alas ! complaints are barren shadowes , to expresse , or cure the substance of my woe . have pity , ( oh my friends ) have pitty on me , 't is your gods hand and mine , that lyes upon me , vexe me no more . o let your anger be ( if i have wrong'd you ) calm'd with what yee see ; o! that my speeches were ingraven , then , in marble tablets , with an yron pen : for sure i am , that my redeemer lives , and though pale death consume my flesh , and gives my carkas to the wormes yet am i sure , clad with this self-same flesh ( but made more pure ) i shall behold his glory ; these sad eyes shall see his face , how-e're my body lyes mouldred in dust ; these fleshly eyes , that doe behold these sores , shall see my maker too . vnequall hearers of unequall griefe , y' are all ingag'd to the selfe●same beliefe ; know there 's a iudge , whose voyce will be as free , to judge your words , as you have judged me . said zoph●r then , i purpos'd to refraine from speaking , but thou mov'st me backe againe : for having heard thy haughty spirit breake such hasty termes , my spirit bids me speake : hath not the change of ages , and of climes , taught us , as we shall our succeeding times , how vain 's the triumph , and how short the blaze , wherein the wicked sweeten out their dayes ? though for a while his palmes of glory flourish , yet , in conclusion they grow sere , and perish : his life is like a dreame , that passes o're , the eye that saw him , ne're shall see him more ▪ the sonne shall flattter , whom the syre opprest , and ( poore ) he shall returne , what he did wrest ; he shall be bayted with the sinnes , that have so smil'd upon his child-hood , to his grave ; his plenty ( purchas 't by oppression ) shall be honey , tasted ▪ but digested , gall ; it shall not blesse him with prolonged stay , but evilly come , it soone shall passe away ; the man , whose griping hath the poore opprest , shall neither thrive in state , nor yet find rest in soule , nought of his fulnesse shall remaine , his greedy heire shall long expect in vaine ; soak't with extorted plenty , others shall squeeze him , and leave him dispossest of all ; and when his joyes doe in their height a bound , vengeance shall strike him groaning , to the ground if swords forbeare to wound him , arrowes shall , returning forth , anoynted with his gall ; no shade shall hide him , and an unblowne fyer shall burne both him and his . heav'n , like a cryer shal blaze his shame , and earth shall stand his foe , his wandring children shall no dwelling know ; behold the mans estate , whom god denyes , behold thine owne , pourtraicted to thine eyes . meditat. . can mercy come from bloody c●in ? or hath his angry brow a smile ? or can his wrath be quencht with ought , but righteous abels blood ? can guilty pris'ners hope for any good from the severer iudge , whose dismall breath dooms them to die , breaths nothing else but death ah righteous iudge ! wherein hath man to trust ? man hath offended , and thy lawes are just ; thou frownest like a iudge , but i had rather , that thou would'st smile upon me like a father , what if thy esau be austere and rough ? thou hast a iacob that is smooth enough : thy iacobs tender kid brings forth a blessing , while esaus tedious ven'zon is a dressing . thy face hath smiles , as well as frownes , by turnes ; thy fier giveth light as well as burnes ? what if the serpent stung old adam dead : young adam lives , to breake that serpents head ? iustice hath struck me with a bleeding wound , but mercy poures in oyle , to make it sound . the milk-white lamb confounds the roaring lion , blasted by sinah , i am heal'd by sion : the law finds guilty , and death iudgement gives , but sure i am , that my redeemer lives . how wretched was mans case , in those dark dayes when law was only read ? which law dismayes and , taking vantage , through the breach of it , the letter kills , and can no way admit release by pardon ; for by law we dye . why then hop'd man , without a reason why ? although there was no sun , their morning eyes saw by the twilight , that the sun would rise . the law was like a mistie looking-glasse , wherein the shadow of a saviour was , treats in a darker straine by types and signes , and what should passe in after-dayes , divines . the gospell sayes , that he is come and dead , and thus the riddle of the law is read . gospell is law , the myst'ry being seal'd ; and law is gospell , being once reveal'd . experience tells us when as birth denyes to man ( through natures oversight ) his eyes , nature ( whose curious workes are never vaine ) supplyes them , in the power of his braine : so they , whose eyes were barr'd that glorious sight of the messiah's day , receiv'd more light , ( inspired by the breath of heaven ) then they , that heard the tydings of that happy day . the man , that with a sharpe contracted eye , lookes in a cleere perspective-glasse , doth spi● objects remote , which to the sense appeare ( through help of the perspective ) seeming neere . so they that liv'd within the lawes dominion , did heare farre off , a bruit and buzz'd opinion , a saviour one day should be borne ; but he that had a perspective of faith , might see that long-expected day of joy as cleere , as if the triumph had beene then kept there . lord , so direct me in thy perfect way , that i may looke , and smile upon that day : o! bathe me in his blood , spunge every staine , that i may boldly sue my counter-paine : o! make me glorious in the doome he gives , for sure i am , that my redeemer lives . the argvment . earths happinesse is not heavens brand : a rash recounting of iob's crimes : iob trusts him to th' almighties hand : god ties his iudgements , not to times . sect. . then iob replyde : o , let your patience prove , you came ( not to afflict me but ) in love. o! beare with me , and heare me speake at leysure , my speech once ended , mock , & scoffe your pleasure myst'ries i treat , not toyes ; if then i range a thought beyond my selfe , it is not strange ; behold my case , and stand amaz'd , forbeare me ! be still , and in your deeper silence heare me . search you the hearts of men ( my friends ) or can you judge the inward , by the outward man ? how haps the wicked then , so sound in health , so ripe in yeeres , so prosperous in wealth ? they multiply , their house is fill'd with peace , they passe unplagu'd , their fruitfull flocks increase their children thrive in joyfull melody , prosperous they live , and peacefully they dye ; renounce us ( god ) say they ( if god there be , ) what need we knowledge of thy word or thee ? what is th' almighty , that we should adore him ? what hoots our prayer , or us to fall before him ? 't is not by chance , their vaine prosperity crownes them with store , or heav'n ; not knowing why : but you affirme , that in conclusion they shall fall ; but not so sudden , as you say : but can ye limit forth the space , confine how long , or when their lamps shal cease to shine ? will any of you undertake to teach your maker , things so farre above your reach ? the bad man lives in plenty , dyes in peace : the good , as doe his houres , his griefes increase ; yet both the good and bad alike shall haue , though lives much differing , yet one cōmon grave i know your mining thoughts ; you will demand , where is the wickeds power ? and where stand their lof●y buildings ? are they to be seene ? enquire of wandring pilgrims that have beene experienc'd in the roade ; and they ' lrelate the princely greatnesse of their tow●'s and state : live any more secure then they ? or who dare once reprove them , for the deeds thy doe ? he lives in power , and in peace he dyes , attended in his pompeous obsequies . how vaine are then the comforts of your breath , that censure goodnesse , or by life or death ? said eliph●z ; what then remaines ? thy tongue hath quit thy selfe , accus'd thy god of wrong . gaines he by mans uprightnesse ? can man adde to his perfection , what he never had ? fears he the strength of man ? doth he torment him lest that his untam'd power should prevent him ? what need i wast this breath ? recall thy senses , and take the inventory of thy ' offences : thou tookst the poore mans pawne , nor hast thou fed thy needy brother , with thy prosp'rous bread ; thy hands perverted iustice , and have spoyl'd the hopelesse widow , with her helplesse child . hence spring thy sorrowes ( iob ) 't is iustice , then thou shouldst-bee plagu'd , that thus plagu'd other men ; is heaven just ? can heavens just creator let passe ( unpunisht ) sinnes of so high nature ? hath not experience taught , that for a while , the wicked may exalt their crests , and smile , blowne up with insolence : but in conclusion they fall , and good men laugh at their confusion ? iob , adde not sinne to sinne , cease to beguile thy selfe , thinking to quench thy fire with oyle ; returne thee to thy god , confesse thy crimes ; returne , and he will crowne thy after times with former blessings , and thy riches shall be as the sand : for god is all in all ; his face shall welcome thee , and smile upon thee , and cease that mischief his just hād hath done thee ▪ he shall be pleased with thy holy fires , and grant the issue of thy best desires . iob answer'd then : although my soule be faint , and griefes weigh down the scale of my complaint , yet would i plead my cause ( which you defam'd ) before my maker , and would plead , unsham'd ; could i but find him , i would take upon me , to quite the censures you have passed on me , his iustice hath no limits , is extended beyond conceit , by man vnapprehended , let heaven be vmpire , and make arbitration , betwixt my guiltlesse heart , and your taxa●ion , my embrion thoughts and words are all inroll'd , pure will he find them , as refined gold ; his steps i followed , and uprightly stood ; his lawes have been my guide , his words my food ; hath he but once decreed ? ( alas ! ) there 's none can barre : for what he wills , must needs be done ; his will 's a law : if he have doom'd that i shall still be plagu'd , 't is bootlesse to reply . hence comes it , that my sore afflicted spright trembles , and stands confounded at his sight ; his hand hath strucke my spirits in a maze , for i can neither end my griefes nor dayes . why should not times in all things be forbid , when to the just , their time of sorrow 's hid ? some move their land marks , rob their neighbour flocks ; others in gage ▪ receive the widowes oxe , some grind the poore , while others seeke the prey ; they reape their harvest , beare their graine away ; men presse their oyle , & they distraine their store , and rend the gleanings from the hungry poore . the city roares , the blood which they have spent , cryes ( unreveng'd ) for equall punishment ; early they murther , and rob late at night , they trade in darknesse , for they hate the light ▪ they sin ( unpunisht ) thriving , uncontrold , and what by force they got , by force they hold . o friends ! repeale your words , your speeches bring no lawfull issue , prove not any thing : your deeper wisedomes argue in ( effect ) that god doth , or not know , or else neglect : conclude with me , or prove my words untrue , i must be found the lyar , or else you . meditat. . the wisest men that nature ere could boast , for secret knowledge of her power , were lo●t , confounded , and in deepe amazement stood , in the discovery of the chiefest good : keenly they hunted , beat in every bracke , forwards they went , on either hand , and backe return'd they counter ; but their deep-mouth'd art , ( thogh often challeng'd sent , yet ) ne're could start in all th' enclosures of philosophy , that game , from squat , they terme , felicity : they jangle ; and their maximes disagree , as many men , so many mindes there be . one digs to pluto's throne , thinks there to finde her grace ▪ rak't up in gold : anothers mind mounts to the courts of kings , with plumes of honor , and feather'd hopes , hopes there to seize upon her ; a third , unlocks the painted gate of pleasure , and ransacks there , to finde this peerlesse treasure . a fourth , more sage , more wisely melancholy , perswades himselfe , her deity 's too holy for common hands to touch , he rather chuses , to make a long dayes journey to the muses : to athens ( gown'd ) he goes , and from that schoole returnes unsped , a more instructed foole . where lyes she then ? or lyes she any where ? honours are bought and sold , she rests not there , much lesse in pleasures hath she her abiding , for they are shar'd to beasts , and ever sliding ; nor yet in vertue , vertue 's often poore , and ( crusht with fortune ) begs from doore to door , nor is she sainted in the shrine of wealth ; that , makes men slaves , is unsecur'd from stealth ; conclude we then , felicity confists not in exteriour fortunes , but her lists are boundlesse , and her large extension out-runnes the pace of humane apprehension ; fortunes are seldome measur'd by desert , the fairer face hath oft the fouler heart ; sacred felicity doth ne're extend beyond it selfe : in it all wishes end : the swelling of an outward fortune can create a prosp'rous , not a happy man ; a peacefull conscience is the true content , and wealth is but her golden ornament . i care not so my kernell relish well , how slender be the substance of my shell ; my heart b●ing vertuous , let my face be wan , i am to god , i onely seeme to man. the argvment . bildad showes mans impurity ; iob se●teth forth th' almighties power , pleads still his owne integrity : gods wisedome no man can discover . sect. . said bildad then , with whom dost thou contest , but with thy maker , that lives ever blest ? his pow'r is infinite , mans light is dimme ; and knowledge darknesse not deriv'd from him ? say then , who can be just before him ? no man can challenge purity , that 's borne of woman . the greater torch of heaven in his sight , shall be asham'd , and lose his purer light ; much lesse can man , that is but living dust , and but a ●airer worme , be pure and just . whereat iob thus : doth heav'ns high judgement stand to be supported by thy weaker hand ? wants he thy helpe ? to whom dost thou extend these these thy lavish lips , and to what end ? no , hee 's almighty , and his power doth give each thing his being , and by him they live : to him is nothing darke , his soveraigne hands whirle round the restless orbs , his pow'r cōmands the even●pois'd earth ; the water-pots of heaven he empties at his pleasure , and hath given appointed lists , to keepe the waters under ; the trembling skies he strikes amaz'd , with thūder : these , these the trophies of his power be , where is there e're a such a god as he ? my friends , these eares have heard your censures on me , and heavēs sharp hād doth waigh so hard upon me ▪ so languishing in griefe , that no defence seemes to remaine , to shield my innocence : yet while my soule a gaspe of breath affords i 'le not distrust my maker , nor your words deserve , which heaven fo●fend , that ever i prove true , but i 'le plead guiltlesse till i dye , while i have breath , my pangs shal ne're perswade me to wander , and revolt from him that made me . e're such thoughts spring from this confused bre●t , let death and tortures doe their worst , their best . what gaines the hypocrite , although the whole worlds wealth he purchase , with the prize on 's soule ? will heaven heare the voice of his disease ? can he repent , and turne , when e're he please ? true , god doth sometime plague with open shame the wicked , often blurres he forth his name from out the earth , his children shall be slaine , and who survive shall beg their bread in vaine ; what if his gold be heapt , the good man shall possesse it , as true master of it all ; like moths , their houses shall they build , in doubt and danger , every houre to be cast out ; besieg'd wi●h want , their lips make fruitlesse mone yet ( wanting succour ) be reliev'd by none ; the worme of conscience shall torment his brest , and he shall rore , when others be at rest , gods hand shall scourge him , that he cannot flie , and men shall laugh , and hisse , to heare him cry . the purest metal 's hid within the mould , without is gravell , but within is gold ; man digs , and in his toile he takes a pleasure , he seekes , and findes within the turfe , the treasure ; he never rests unsped , but ( underneath ) he mines , and progs , though in the fangs of death : no secret , ( how obscure soever ) can earths bosome smother , that 's unfuond by man ; but the divine , and high decrees of heaven , what minde can search into ? no power 's given to mortall man , whereby he may attaine the rare discovery of so high a straine : dive to the depth of darknesse , and the deepes renounce this wisdome : the wide ocean keepes her not inclos'd ; 't is not the purest gold can purchase it , or heapes of silver , told ; the pearles , and peerlesse treasures of the east , refined gold , and gemmes , are all , the least of nothings , if compar'd with it , as which , earths masse of treasure , ( summ'd ) is not so rich ; where rests the wisedome then ? if men enquire below , they finde her not ; or if they ( higher ) soare with the prince of fowles , they stil despaire , the more they seeke , the further off they are . ah friends ! how more than men ? how eagle-eyd are you , to see , what to the world beside was da●ke ? to you alone ( in trust ) was given to search into the high decrees of heaven : you read his oracles , you understand to riddle forth mans fortunes by his hand ; your wisedomes have a priviledge to know his secret smiling from his angry brow : let shame prevent your lips , recant , and give to the almighty his prerogative , to him , the searching of mens hearts belong , mans judgement sinks no deeper than the tongue ▪ he overlookes the world , and in one space of time , his eye is fixt on every place : he waighes the waters , ballances the ayre , what e're hath being , did his hands prepare ; he wills that mortalls be not over-wise , nor judge his secrets with censorious eyes . medit. . t is vertue to flye vice : there 's none more stou● than he that ventures to picke vertue out betwixt a brace of vices : dangers stand , threatning his ruine upon either hand ; his card must guide him , lest his pinnace run vpon charybdis , while it scylla shun : in moderation all vertue lyes ; t is greater folly to be over-wise , than rudely ignorant : the golden meane , is but to know enough ; safer to leane to ignorance , than curiosity , for lightning blasts the mountaines that are high● the first of men , from hence deserv'd his fall , he sought for secrets , and found death , withall : secrets are unfit objects for our eyes , they blinde us in beholding ▪ he that tryes to handle water , the more hard he straines and gripes his hand , the lesse his hand retaines : the mind that 's troubled with that pleasing itch of knowing secrets , having flowne a pitch beyond it selfe , the higher it ascends , and strives to know , the lesse it apprehends : that secret wiseman , is an open foole , which takes a counsell-chamber , for a schoole . the eye of man desires no farther light , than to descry the object of his sight : and rests contented with the suns reflection , but ( lab'ring to behold his bright complexion ) if it presume t' out-face his glorious light , the beames bereave him , justly , of his sight : even so the mind should rest in what 's reveal'd , but over-curious , if in things conceald she wades too farre , beyond her depth , unbounded , her knowledge will be lost , and she confounded . farre safer 'tis , of things unsure , to doubt , than undertake to riddle secrets out . it was demanded once , what god did doe before the world he framed ? whereunto answer was made , he built a hell for such , as are too curious , and would know too much . who flyes with icarus his feathers , shall have icarus his fortunes and his fall . anoble prince , ( whose bounteous hand was bent , to recompence his servants faith , and vent the earnest of his favors , ) did not profer , but wild him boldly to prevent his offer : thankfull , he thus replyed , then grant vnto me , 〈…〉 , with-●old thy princely secrets from me . that holy man , in whose familiar eare heavn oft had thundred , might not come too near : the temple must have curtaines ; mortall hearts must rest content to see his hinder-parts . i care not ( lord ) how farre thy face be off , if i but kisse thy hand , i have enough . the argvment . iob wisheth his past happinesse , shewes his state present , doth confesse that god's the auth●r of his griefe , relates the purenesse of his life . sect. . oh ! that i were as happy as i was , when heavens bright favours shone upon my face , and p●sperd my affaires , inricht my joyes , when all my sonnes could answer to my voyce ; then did my store , and thriving flocks encrease , offended iustice sought my hands , for peace ; old men did honour , and the young did feare mee , princes kept silence ( when i spake ) to heare me ; i heard the poore , reliev'd the widowes cry , orphans i succour'd , was the blind mans eye , the cripples foote , my helplesse brothers drudge , the poore mans father , and th'oppressors i●dge ; i then supposed , that my dayes long lease would passe in plenty , and expire in peace ; my rootes were fixed , and my branches sprung , my glory blaz'd , my power grew daily strong ; i speaking , men stood mute , my speeches mov'd all hearts to joy , by all men were approv'd : my kindly words were welcome , as a latter raine , and were oracles in a doubtfull matter . o sudden change ! i 'm turn'd a laughing - 〈◊〉 to boyes , and those that su'd to tend my flock , and such , whose hūgry wāts have taught their hāds to scrape the earth , and digge the barren lands for hidden rootes , wherewith they might appeas● their tyran ' stomacks , these , ( even very these ) flout at my sorrowes , and disdaining me , point with theire fingers , and cry , this is he : my honour 's foyl'd , my troubled spirit lies wide open to the worst of injuries ; where ere i turne , my sorrow , new , appeares , i 'me vext abroad with flouts , at home with feares ▪ my soule is faint , and nights that should give ●ase to tyred spirits , make my griefes encrease ▪ i loath my carkeise , for my ripened sores have chang'd my garments colour with their cores● ▪ but what is worst of worsts , ( lord ) often i have cry'd to thee , a stranger to my cry , though perfect clemency thy nature bee , though kinde to all , thou art unkinde to me . i nere waxt pale , to see another thrive , nor e're did let my ' afflicted brother strive with teares , alone : but i ( poore i ) tormented , expect for succour , and am unlamented : i mourne in silence , languish all alone , as in a desart , am re●iev'd by none : my sores have dy'd my skin with filth , still turning my joyes to griefe , and all my mirth to mourning . my heart hath past indentures with mine eye , not t● behold a maid , for what should i expect from heaven but a deserv'd reward , earn'd by so foule a sinne ? for death 's prepar'd , and flames of wrath are blowne for such : doth h● no● know my actions , that so well knowes mee ? if i have lent my hand to slye deceit , or if my steps have not beene purely strait , what i have sowne , then let a stranger eate , and root my plants untimely from their seate . if i with lust have e'●e distain'd my life , or beene defiled with anothers wife , in equall iustice let my wife be knowne of all , and let me reape as i have sowne : for lust , that burneth in a sinfull brest , till it hath burnt him too , shall never rest . if e're my haste did treat my servant ill , without desert , making my power my will , then how should i before gods iudgement stand , since we were both created by one hand ? if e're my power wrong'd the poore mans cause , or to the widow , lengthned out the lawes : if e're ( alone ) my lips did taste my bread , or shut my churlish doores , the poore unfed , or bent my hand to doe the orphane wrong , or saw him naked , unapparell'd long ; in heapes of gold , if e're i tooke delight , or gave heavens worship to the heavenly light , or e're was flattred by my secret will ; or joyed in my adversaries ill ; let god accurse mee from his glorious seat , and make my plagues ( if possible ) more great , oh! that some equall hearer now were by , to judge my righteous cause : full sure am i , i shall be quitted by th' almighties hand . what , therefore , if censorious tongues withstand the judgement of my sober conscience ? compose they ballads on me , yet from thence my simple innocence shall gaine renowne , and on my head , i 'le weare them , as my crowne : to the almighties care will i reveale my secret wayes ; to him , alone , appeale : if ( to conclude ) the earth could finde a tongue , t●impeach my guiltlesse hands of doing wrong : if hidden wages ( earn'd with sweat ) doe lye rak't in her furrowes , let her wombe deny to blesse my harvest , let her better seeds be turn'd to thistles , and the rest , to weeds . medita . . the man whose soule is undistain'd with ill , pure from the check of a distempred will , stands onely free from the distracts of care , and flies a pitch above the reach of feare : his bosome dares the threatning bow-mans arme , his wisedome sees , his courage feares no harme ; his brest lyes open to the re●king sword ; the darts of swarthy maurus can affoord lesse dread , than danger ▪ to his well prepar'd and setled minde , which ( standing on her guard ) bids mischiefe doe the worst she can , or will , for he that does no ill , deserves no ill . would any strive with samson for renowne , whose brawny arme can strike most pillers downe ▪ or try a fall with angels , and prevaile ? or with a hymne unhinge the strongest iayle ? would any from a pr●●ner prove a prince ? or with slow speech best orators convince ? preserve he then , unstained in his brest , a milke●white conscience ; let his soule be blest with simple innocence : this seven fold shield no dart shall pierce , no sword shall make it yeeld ▪ the si●ewy bow , and deadly headed launce , shall breake in shivers and the splinters glaunce aside , returning backe , from whence they came , and wound their hearts with an eternall shame . the just and constant minde , that perseveres vnblemisht with false pleasures , never feares the bended threatnings of a tyrants brow , death neither can disturbe , nor change his vow ; well guarded with himselfe , he walkes along , when , most alone , he stands a thousand strong . lives he in weale , and full prosperity ? his wisedome tells him , that he lives to dye . is he afflicted ? sharpe afflictions give him hopes of chang , and that hee dyes , to live . is he revil'd and scorn'd ? he sits , and smiles , knowing him happy , whom the world reviles . if rich , he gives the poore , and if he live in poore estate , he findes rich friends to give : he lives and angel in a mortall forme ; and having past the brunt of many a storme , at last ariveth at the haven of rest , where that just iudge , that rambles in his brest , ioyning with angels , with an angels voyce , chaunts forth sweet requie●s of eternall joyes . the argvment . elihu iob reproves , reproves his friends alike ; he pleades the case with iob in gods behalfe , and moves him to recant , and call for grace . sect. . thus iob his ill ▪ defended cause adjournes , and silence lends free liberty of turnes , to his unjust accusers , whose bad cause hath left them grounded in too large a pause , whereat elihu ( a young stander-by , ) whose modest eares , upon their long reply did wait , his angry silence did awake , and ( craving pardon for his youth ) bespake . young standers-by doe oftentimes see more than elder gamesters : y' are to blame all foure : t'ones cause is bad , but with good proofs befriended , the others just and good , but ill defended : though reason makes the man , heaven makes him wise , wisdome in greatest clerks not alway lyes : then let your silence give me leave to spend my judgement , whilst your heedfull eares attend . i have not heard , alone , but still expected to heare what more your spleenes might have objected against your wofull friend , but i have found your reasons built upon a sandy ground . flourish no flags of conquest : vnderstand , that he 's afflicted by th' almighties hand : he hath not fail'd to crosse your accusations ; yet i ( though not with your ●oule exprobations ) will crosse him too . i 'me full , and i must speake , or like unvented vessels , i must breake ; and with my tongue , my heart will be reliev'd , that swells , with what my patience hath conceiv'd : be none offended , for my lips shall tread that ground ( without respect ) as truth shall lead ; god hates a flattering language : then how can i vnliable to danger , flatter any ? now , iob , to thee i speake , o , let my errant be welcome to thine ●ares , for truth 's my warrant ▪ they are no slender trifles that i treat , but things digested with the sacred heat of an inspired knowledge ; 't is no rash discharge of wrath , nor wits conceited flash ; i 'le speake , and heare thee speake as free , for i will take no vantage of thy misery . thy tongue did challenge to maintaine thy cas● with god , if he would veile his glorious face : be i the man ( though clad with clay and dust , and mortall like thy selfe ) that takes the trust to represent his person : thou dost terme thy selfe most just , and boldly dost affirme , that heaven afflicts thy soul without a reason . ah iob ! these very words ( alone ) are treason against th' almighties will : thou oughtest rather submit thy passion to him , as thy father , than plead with him , as with thy peere . is he bound to reveale his secret will to thee ? god speaketh oft to man , not understood , sometimes in dreames , at other times thinkes good to thunder iudgement in his drowzy eare ; sometimes , with hard afflictions scourge , doth teare his wounded soule , which may at length give eas● ( like sharper physicke ) to his foule disease : but if ( like pleasing iulips ) he afford the me●ke expounders of his sacred word , with sweet perswasions to recure his griefe , how can his sorro●es wish more faire reliefe ? ah , then his body shall wax young and bright ; heavens face that scorcht before , shall now delight , his tongue with triumph , shall confesse to men , i was a leper , but am cleare agen . thus , thus that spring of mercy oftentimes doth speak to man , that man may speak his crimes ? consider , iob ; my words with judgement weigh ; which done ( if thou hast ought ) then boldly say ; if otherwise , shame not to hold thy peace , and let thy wisedome with my words encrease . and you , you wisemen that are silent here , vouchsafe to lend my lips your ripened ear● , let 's call a parly , and the cause decide ; for iob pleads guiltlesse ▪ and would faine be try'd ; yet hath his boldnesse term●d himselfe upright , and tax't th' almighty for not doing right ; his innocence with heaven doth he plead , and that unjustly he was punished : o purity by impudence suborn'd ! he scorn'd his maker , and is justly scorn'd : farre be it from the heart of man , that he who is all iustice , yet unjust should be . each one shall reape the harvest he hath sowne , his meed shall measure what his hands hath done ▪ who is 't can claim the worlds great soveraignty ? who rais'd the rafters of the heavens , but he ? if god should breathe on man , or take away the breath he gave him , what were man but clay ▪ o , let thy heart , th' unbridled tongue conuince ! say ; dare thy lips defame an earthly prince ? how darst thou then maligne the king of kings , to whom great princes are but poorest things ? he kicks down kingdoms , spurns th'emperial crown and with his blast , puffes mighty monarchs down . 't is vaine to strive with him , and if he strike , our part 's to beare , not fondly to mislike , ( misconstruing the nature of his drift ) but husband his corrections to our thrift . if he afflict , our best is to implore his ●lessing with his rod , and sin no more . what if our torments passe the bounds of measure ? it unbefits our wils , to stint his pleasure , iudge then , and let th' impartiall world advise , how farre ( poore iob ) thy judgement is from wise : nor are these speeches kindled with the fire of a distempred spleene , but with desire t' inrich thy wisdome , lest thy fury tye presumption to thy rash infirmity . meditat. . for mortals , to be borne , waxe old , and dye , lyes not in will , but bare necessity , common to beasts , which in the selfe degree , hold by the selfe-same patient , even as we : but to be wi●e is a diviner action of the discursive soule , a pure abstraction of all her powers , united in the will , ayming at good , rejecting what is ill : it is an influence of inspired breath , vnpurchased by birth , unlost by death , entail'd to no man , no , not free to all , yet gently answers to the eager cal of those , that with inflam'd affections seeke , respecting tender youth and age alike ; in depth of dayes , her spirit not alway lyes , yeeres make man old , but heaven returnes him wise ; youths innocence , nor riper ages strength can challenge her as due ; ( desired ) length of dayes , produced to decrepit yeeres , fill'd with experience , and grizly hayres , can claime no right ; th' almighty ne're engages his gifts to times , nor is he bound to ages ; his quickning spirit , to sucklings oft reveales , what to their doting grandsires he conceales , the vertue of his breath can unbenumme the frozen lips , and strike the speaker dumme : who put that moving power into his tongue , whose lips did right the chast susanna's wrong , vpon her wanton false accusers death ? what secret fire inflam'd that fainting breath that blasted pharo ? or those ruder tongues , that schoold the faithlesse prophet for the wrongs he did to sacred iustice ? matters not how sleight the meane be in it selfe , or what in our esteemes , so wisedome be the message ; embassadours are worthied in th'embassage : god sowes his harvest to his best increase , and glorifies himselfe how e're he please . lord , if thou wilt , ( for what is hard to thee ? ) i may a factour for thy glory bee , then grant that ( like a faithfull servant ) i may render backe thy stocke with vsury . the argvment . god reapes no gaine by mans best deeds mans misery from himselfe proceeds : gods mercy and iustice are unbounded ; in workes of nature man is grounded . sect. . elihu , thus his pausing lips againe disclos'd , & said , ( rash io● ) dost thou maintaine a rightfull cause , which in conclusion , must a vow thee blamelesse , and thy god unjust ? thy lawlesse words implying , that it can advantage none to live an upright man ? my tongue shall schoole thee , and thy friends , that would ( perchance ) refell thy reasons , if they could : behold thy glorious makers greatnesse , see the power of his hand ; say then , can he be damag'd by thy sinne , or can he raise advantage , by the uprightnesse of thy wayes ? true , the afflicted languish oft in griefe , and roare to heaven ( unanswer'd ) for reliefe , yet is not heaven unjust , for their fond cry their sinne bewailes not , but their misery . cease then to make him guilty of thy crimes , and waite his pleasure , that 's not bound to times , nor heares vaine words . the sorrowes thou art in are sleight , or nothing , ballanc'd with thy sin : thy lips accuse thee , and thy foolish tongue , to right thy selfe , hath done th' almighty wrong . hold back thine answer , let thy flowing streame find passage , to surround my fruitfull theame ; i 'le raise my thoughts , to plead my makers case , and speake , as shall befit so high a place : behold th' almighitie's meeke as well as strong , destroyes the wicked , rights the just mans wrong , mounts him to honour ; if by chance he stray , instructs , and shewes him where he lost his way : if he returne , his blessing shall encrease , crowning his joyes with plenty and sweet peace ; if not , th' intailed sword shall ne're depart his stained house , but pierce his hardned heart ; ah sinfull iob ! these plagues had never bin , had'st thou beene guiltlesse ( as thou boasts ) of sin : but thy proud lips against their maker plead , and draw downe heapes of vengeance on thy head : looke to thy selfe , seek not to understand the secret causes of th' eternals hand ; let wisdome make the best of misery , know who inflicts it , aske no reason why : he will's beyond thy reach , and his divine and sacred knowledge farre surpasseth thine , ah! rather , praise him in his workes , that lye ( wide open to the world ) before thine eye ; his meaner acts , our highest thoughts o'retops , he pricks the clouds , stils down the raine by drops , who comprehends the lightning , or the thunder ? who sees , who heares thē , unamaz'd with wonder ? my troubled heart chils in my quivering brest , to relish these things , and is dispossest of all her powers : who ever heard the voyce of th' angry heavens , unfrighted at the noyse ? the beast by nature daz'd with sudden dread , seekes out for covert to secure his head : if god command , the dusky clouds march forth into a tempest ; from the freezing north he beckens frost , and snow ; and from the south he bloweth whirlewinds with his angry mouth . presumptuous io● ! if thou canst not aspire so high , to comprehend these things , admire . know'st thou the progresse of the rambling clouds ? from mortal eyes , when gloomy darkness shrouds the lamps of heaven ? know'st thou the reason why ? can'st thou unriddle heavens philosophy ? know'st thou th' unconstant nature of the weather ? or whence so many winds proceed ▪ and whither wer 't thou made privy , or a stander●by , when god stretcht forth his spangled canopy ? submit thy selfe , and let these sec●ets teach , how farre his myst'ries doe surmount thy reach : for hee 's almighty , and his sacred will is just , nor renders an unearned ill ▪ his workes are objects for no soaring eyes , but wheresoe're he lookes , he findes none wise . meditat. . the world 's an index to eternity , and gives a glance of what our cleerer eye , in time shall see at large ; nothing's so slight , which in it nature sends not forth some light , or memorandum of his makers glory : no dust so vile , but pens an ample story of the almighties power , nor is there that , which gives not man just cause to wonder at . cast down thine eies , behold the pregnant earth , ( her selfe but one ) produceth at one birth a world of divers natures : from a seed entirely one , things hot and cold proceed , she suckles with one milke , things moist , and dry , yet in her wombe is no repugnancy or shall thy reason ramble up so high , to view the court of wilde astronomy ? behold the planets , round about thine eares , whirling like firebals in their restlesse spheares , at one selfe-instant moving severall wayes , still measuring out our short ▪ and shorter dayes . behold the parts whereon the world consists , are limited in their appointed lists , without rebellion unapt to vary , though being many , divers and contrary : looke where we list , above , b●neath , or under , our eyes shall see to learne , and learne to wonder ; their depth shall drown our judgements , and their height besides his wits , shal drive the prime cōceit : shall then our daring minds presume t' aspire to heavens hid myst'ries ? shall our thoughts inquir● into the depth of secrets , unconfounded , when in the shoare of nature they were drowned ? fond man be wise , strive not above thy strength , tempt not thy barke beyond her cables length ; and , like prometheus , filch no sacred fire , lest eagles gripe thee : let thy proud desire suit with thy fortunes ; curious mindes , that shall mount up with phaeton , shall have phaetons fall . vnb●nd thy bow betimes , lest thou repent too late , for it will breake , or else stand bent . i 'le work at home , ne'r crosse the scorching line , in unknowne lands , to seeke a hidden mine : plaine bullion pleaseth me , i not de●ire deare igno●s from th'elixars techy fire ; i 'le spend my paines ( where best i may be bold ) to know my selfe , wherein i shall behold the world abridg'd , and in that world my maker , beyond which taske , i wish no vndertaker . great god , by whom it is , what-e're is mine , make me thy viceroy in this world of thine , so cleare mine eyes , that i may comprehend my slight beginning , and my sudden end . the argvment . god questions iob , and proves that man cannot attaine to things so high , as divine secrets , since he can not reach to natures ; iobs reply . sect. . forth from the bosome of a murm'ring cloud , heavens great ●ehovah did , at length unshroud his earths-amazing language ( equally made terrible with feare and majesty ) ( challeng'd the duell ) he did undertake his grumbling servant , and him thus bespake , who , who art thou , that thus dost pry in vaine , into my secrets , hoping to attaine , with murmuring , to things conceal'd from man ? say ( poreblinde mortall ) who art thou that can thus cleare thy crimes , and dar'st ( with vaine applause ) make me defendant in thy sinfull cause ? ioe , here i am ; engrosse into thy hands thy soundest weapons : answer my demands : say , where wert thou , when these my hāds did lay the worlds foundation ? canst thou tell me ? say , was earth not measur'd by this arme of mine ? whose hand did ayde me ? was i help't by thine ? where wert thou , when the planets fi●st did blaze , and in their sphears sang forth their makers praise ? who is 't that tames the raging of the seas , and swathes them up in mists , when e're he please ? did'st thou divide the darknesse from the light ? or know'st thou whence aurora takes her flight ? didst ere enquire into the seas abysse , or mark'd the earth of what a bulk she is ? know'st thou the place whence light or darknesse spring● can thy deepe age unfold these secret things ? know●st thou the cause of snow or haile , which are my fierce artill'ry in my time of warre ? who is 't that rends the gloomy clouds in sunder , whose sudden rapture strikes forth fire & thunder ? or who bedewes the earth with gentle showres , filling her pregnant soyle with fruits and flowres , what father got the raine ? from what chill wombe did frosts , and hard-congealed waters come ? canst thou restraine faire maja's course , or stint her ▪ or sad orion ushering in the winter ? will scorching cancer at thy summons come ? or sun-burnt autumne with he fruitfull wombe ? know'st thou heavens course above , or dost thou know those gentle influences here below ? who was 't inspir'd thy soule with understanding ? a●d gave thy spirit the spirit of apprehending ? dost thou command the cisternes of the skie to quench the thirsty soyle ; or is it i ? nay , let thy practice to the earth descend , prove there , how farre thy power doth extend ; from thy full hand will hungry lions eate ? feed'st thou the empty ravens that cry for mea●e● sett'st thou the season , when the fearfull hind brings forth her painfull birth ? hast thou assign'd the mountaine-goate her time ? or is it i ? canst thou subject unto thy soveraigntie the untam'd vnicorne ? can thy hard hand force him to labour on thy fruitfull land ? did'st thou inrich the peacock with his plume ? or did ●hat steele-digesting bird assume his downy flags from thee ? didst thou endow the noble stallion with his strength ? canst thou quaile his proud courage ? see , his angry breath puffes nothing forth , but fears● summ'd up in death marke with what pride his horny hoofes doe tabor the hard resounding earth ; with how great labour ▪ how little ground he spends : but at the noyse and fierce alar'm of the hoarse trumpets voyce he breaks the ranks amidst a thousand speares pointed with death , undaunted at the feares of doubfull warre , he rushes like a ranger , through every troop , & scorns so brave a danger● ▪ doe lofty haggards cleave the flitting ayre , with plumes of thy devising ? then how dare thy ravenous lips thus , thus at randome runne and countermaund what i the lord have done ? thinkst thou to learne ( fond mortall ) thus , by diving into my secrets , or to gaine by striving ▪ plead then : no doubt but thine will be the day ; speake ( peevish plaintiffe ) if th'aft ought to say . io● then replyde : ( great god , i am but dust , ●y heart is sinfull , and thy hands are just ; i am a sinner ( lord , ) my words are wind , my thoughts are vaine , ( ah father ) i have sinn'd : shall dust reply ? i spake too much before , i le close these lips , and never answer more . meditat. . o glorious light ! a light unapprehended by mortall eyes ! o glory , never ended , nor ere created , whence all glory springs in heavenly bodyes , and in earthly things ! o power immense , derived from a will most just and able to doe all , but ill ! o essence pure , and full of majesty ! greatnesse ( it selfe ) and yet no quantity ; goodnesse , and without quality ; producing all things from out of nothing , and reducing all things to nothing ; past all comprehending bo●h first and last , and yet without an ending , or yet beginning ; filling every creature , and not ( it selfe ) included ; above nature , yet not excluded ; of it selfe subsisting , and with it selfe all other things , assisting ; divided , yet without division ; a perfect three , yet three , entirely one ; both one in three , and three in one , together ; begetting , and begotten , and yet neither ; the fountaine of all arts , confounding art ; both all in all , and all in every part ; still seeking glory , and still wanting none ; though just , yet reaping , where thou ne'r hast 〈◊〉 great majestie , since thou art every where , o , why should i misdoubt thy presence here ? i long have sought thee , but my ranging heart ne'r quests , and cannot see thee where thou art : there 's no defect in thee , thy light hath shin'd , nor can be ●id ( great god ) but i am blind . o cleare mine eyes , and with thy holy fire inflame my brest , and edge my dull desire : wash me with hysope , clense my stained thoughts , renew my spirit , blurre forth my secret faults ; thou tak'st no pleasure in a sinners death , for thou art life , thy mercy 's not beneath thy sacred iustice : give thy servant power to seeke aright , and ( having sought ) discover thy glorious presence ; let my blemisht eye see my salvation yet before i die . o , then my dust , that 's bowell'd in the ground , shall rise with triumph at the welcome sound of my redeemers earth-awaking trumpe , vnfrighted at the noyse ; no sullen dumpe of selfe-confounding conscience shall affright me , for he 's my iudge , whose dying blood shal quite me . the argvment . god speaks to iob the second time : iob yeelds his sin , repents his crime : god checks his friends , restores his health , gives him new issue , double wealth . sect. . once more the mouth of heav'n rapt forth a voice , the troubled firmament was fill'd with noise , the rafters of the darkned skie did shake , for the eternall thundred thus , and spake : collect thy scattered senses , and advise , rouze up ( fond man ) and answer my replies . wilt thou make comments on my text , & must i be unrighteous , to conclude thee , just ? shall my decrees be licenced by thee ? what , canst thou thunder with a voyce like me ? put on thy robes of majestie ; be clad with as bright glory ( iob ) as can be had ; make fierce thy frownes , and with an angry face confound the proud , and his high thoughts abase , pound him to dust : doe this , and i will yeeld , thou art a god , and need'st no other sheild . behold , the castle-bearing elephant , that wants no bulke , nor doth his greatnesse want an equall strength . behold his massie bones , like barres of yron ; like congealed stones , his knottie sinewes are ; him have i made , and given him naturall weapons for his ayde ; high mountaines beare his food , the shady boughes his covers are , great rivers are his troughes , whose deepe carouses would to standers-by , seeme at a watring to draw iordan dry : what skilfull huntsman can , with strength out-dare him ? or with what engines can a man ensnare him ? hast thou beheld the huge leviathan , that swarthy tyrant of the ocean ? can thy bearded hooke impierce his gils , or make him thy landed prisner ? can thy angles take him ? will he make suit for favour from thy hands , or be enthralled to thy fierce commands ? will he be handled as a bird ? or may thy fingers bind him for thy childrens play ? let men be wise , for in his lookes he hath displayed banners of untimely death . if creatures be so dreadfull , how is he more bold then wise , that dares encounter me ? what hand of man can hinder my designe ? are not the heavens , and all beneath them mine ? diffect the greatnesse of so vast a creature , by view of severall parts summe up his feature : like shields his scales are plac't , which neither art knowes how to sunder , nor yet force can part . his belching rucks forth flames , his moving eye shines like the glory of the morning skie ; his cragg●e sinewes are like wreaths of brasse , and from his mouth , quicke flames of fier passe as from an oven , the temper of his heart is like a nether-milstone , which no dart can pierce , secured from the threatning speare ; affraid of none , he strikes the world with feare : the bow-mans brawny arme sends shafts in vaine , they fall like stubble , or bound backe againe : stones are his pillow , and the mud his downe , in earth none greater is , nor equall none , compar'd with him , all things he doth deride , and well may challenge to be king of pride . so said , th' amazed iob bent downe his eyes vpon the ground , and ( sadly ) thus replyes . i know ( great god ) there 's nothing hard to thee , thy thoughts are pure , and too too deepe for me : i am a foole , and my distempered wits , longer out-stray'd my tongue , than well befits ; my knowledge slumbred , while my lips did chat , and like a foole , i spake i knew not what . lord , teach me wisedome , lest my proud desire , singe her bold feathers in thy sacred fire ; mine eare hath oft beene rounded with thy story , but now these very eyes have seene thy glory . my sinfull words i not ( alone ) lament , but in the horror of my soule repent ; repent with teares in sack-cloth , mourne in dust ; i am a sinfull man , and thou art just . thou eliphaz . that makst my sacred word , an engine of despaire ( said then the lord ) behold full vyolls of my wrath attends on thee , and on thy two too-partiall friends ; for you have judg'd amisse , and have abus'd my word to worke your ends , falsly accus'd my righteous servant : of you all there 's none hath spoke uprightly , as my iob hath done . haste then ( before my kindling fire begin to flame ) and each man offer for his sin , a sacrifice , by iob my servants hand , and for his sake , your offrings shall withstand the wages of your sinnes ; for what can i , if iob , my servant , make request , deny ? so straight they went , and ( after speedy pardon desir'd and had ) the righteous iob ( for guerdon of his so tedious griefe ) obtain'd the health of a sound body , and encrease of wealth ; so that the second harvest of his store , was double that which he enjoy'd before . ere this was blazed in the worlds wide eares , ( the frozen brests of his familiars , and cold allyes , being now dissolv'd in griefe , ) his backward friends came to him with reliefe , to feed his wants , and with sad shouring eyes , to moane his ( yet supposed ) miseries : some brought him sheepe to blesse his empty fold , some precious earings , others , rings of gold. god blest his loyns , frō whence there sprang again the number of his children that were slaine , nor was there any in the land so rare in vertue as his daughters , or so faire . long after this he liv'd in peace , to see his childrens children to the fourth degree , till at the lenth , cut short by him that stayes for none , he dy'd in peace , and full of dayes . meditat. . evill's the defect of good , and as a shade , that 's but the ruines of the light decay'd : it hath no being , nor is understood , but by the opposition of good. what then is man ? whose purest thoughts are prest for satans warre , which from the tender brest , with infant silence , have consented to such sinfull deeds , as ( babes ) they could not doe ? what then is man , but nothing , being evill , his lunatike affections doe unlevell , what heaven created by just waight and measure ; in pleasures sinke , he takes a swine like pleasure ; his span of life , and beauties like a flower , faire flourishing , and fading in an hower . he breakes into the world with teares , and then departs with griefe , not knowing how , nor when . his life 's a bubble full of seeming blisse , the more it lengthens , the more short it is ; begot in darknesse , he 's brought forth , and cries for succour , passes ore the stage , and dyes ; yet , like a moale , the earth he undermines , making the world , the forge of his designes : he plots , complots , for esees , prevents , directs , hee hopes , he feares , he doubts , pursues , effects ; each hath his plot , each one his course doth bend , each hath his project , and each one his end . thus restlesse man doth still his soule molest to finde out ( that which hath no being ) rest ; thus travels sinfull man in endlesse toyle ; taking a pleasure in his owne turmoyle . fond man , first seeke to purchase that divine and sacred prize , and all the world is thine : great salomon made suit for wisdome , and he found not ( barely ) wisdome , but that wisdome crown'd with diadems of wealth , and faire encrease of princely honour , with long dayes of peace . ( with safe respect , and awfull reverence to myst'ries ) meditation doth commence an earnest doubt : was iobs dispoiled flock restored double : was his former stock renew'd with double vantage ? did heaven adde to all his fortunes double what he had ? yet those sweet emblemes of his dearest love , ( his sonnes ) whom death untimely did remove from off the face of the unthankfull earth , why likewise sprang not they in double birth ? bruit beasts that perish once , are lost for ever , their substance , and their all consumes together ▪ once having given a farewell to the light . they dye , and with them is perpetuall night : but man , ( unorgan'd by the hand of death ) dyes not , is but transplanted from beneath , into a fairer soyle , or as a stranger , brought home secure from the worlds pleasing danger : iobs flocks were lost , and therefore double given , his issue 's equall shar'd 'twixt earth and heaven , one halfe in heav'n are glorious in their doome , ingag'd as pledges till the other come . great god! my time 's but short , and long my way , my heart hath lost her path , and gone astray , my spirit 's faint and fraile , my soule 's imbost , if thou helpe not , i am for ever lost ; though dust and ashes , yet i am thy creature , howe're my sinnes are great , thy mercie 's greater : of nothing didst thou make me , and my sinne hath turn'd me back to nothing , once agin : create me a new heart , ( great god ) inspire my cold affections with thy sacred fire : instruct my will , and rectifie my wayes , o teach me ( lord ) to number out my dayes . the digestion of the whole history . in prosperity . thou , whose lank fortunes heav'n hath swel'd with store , make not thy selfe , by over-wishing , poore , husband that good , which else , abuse makes bad , abstracting , where thy base desire would adde : lines flowing from a sophoclean quill , deserve no plaudit , being acted ill . in adversity . hath heav'n withdrawn the talent he hath giv'n thee hath envious death of all thy sons bereaven thee ? have soule diseases foil'd thee on the floore ? he earnes no sweet , that never tasted sowre : thou art a scholler ; if thy tutor doe pose thee too hard , he will instruct thee too . in tentation . art thou oppos'd to thine unequall foe ? march bravely on ; thy gen'rall bids thee goe ; thou art heav'ns champion to maintain his right ; who cals thee forth , wil give thee strength to fight . god seekes , by conquest , thy renowne , for he will win enough : fight thou , or faint , or flee . in slander . if winter fortunes nip thy summer friends , and tip their tongues with censure , that offends thy tender name , despaire not , but be wise , know heaven selecteth , whom the world denies : thou hast a milke-white this●y that's within 〈◊〉 , will take thy part when all the world's ●gi● thee . in re-advancement . art thou advanc'd to thy supreme desier ? be still the same ; feare lower , aime no higher : mans play hath many sceanes , but in the last , heaven knits up all , to sweeten all that 's past : affliction is a rod , to scourge us home , an 'a painfull earnest of a heaven to come , the end . the historie of samson : by fra. quarles . london , printed by miles flesher , for i. marriott , in s. dunstans church-yard in fleet-street . . to the reader . the tyranny of my affaires was never yet so imperious , but i could steale some howers to my private meditations ; the fruits of which stolne time i here present thee with , in the history of samson : wherein if thy extreme severity check at any thing which thou conceivest may not stand with the majesty of this sacred subject ; know , that my intention was not to offend my brother : the wisest of kings inspired by the king of wisdome , thought it no detraction from the gravity of his holy proverbs , to describe a harlot like a harlot , her whorish attire ; her immodest gesture ; her bold countenance ; her flattering tongue ; her lascivious embraces ; her unchast kisses ; her impudent invitations : if my descriptions in the like kinde , offend ; i make no question but the validitie of my warrant will give a reasonable satisfaction : he that lifts not his feet high enough , may easily stumble : but on the contrary , if any be , whose worse then sacrilegious minds shall prophane our harmles intentions with wanton conceits , to such i heartily wish , a procul ite ; let none such looke farther then this epistle , at their own perils : if they doe , let them put off their shoos , for this is holy ground : foule hands will muddle the clearest waters : & base minds will corrupt the purest text : if any offence be taken , it is by way of stealth , for there is none willingly given : i write to bees , and not to spiders : they will sucke pleasing honey from such flowers : these may burst with their owne poyson : but you , whose well-seasond hearts are not distempered with either of these extremities , but have the better relish of a sacred understanding , draw neere , and reade . i sing th' illustrious , and renowned story of mighty samson ; the eternall glory of his heroicke acts : his life , his death : quicken my muse with thy diviner breath , great god of muses , that my prosp'rous ri●es may live and last to everlasting times ; that they unborne may , in this sacred story , admire thy goodnes , and advance thy glory . the historie of samson . the argvment . a holy angell doth salute the wife of manoah , and inlarge her barren wombe with promis'd fruit of both their loynes . the angles charge . sect. . within the tents of zorah dwelt a man of iacobs seed , and of the tribe of d●n , knowne by the name of maenoah ; to whom heaven had deny'd the treasure of the wombe ; his wife was barren ; and her prayers could not remove that great reproach , or clense that blot which on her fruitlesse name appear'd so foule , not to encrease the tribe of dan one soule : lōg had she , doubtles , stroven with heavē by prair's made strong with teares & sighs ; hopes & despaires no doubt had often tortur'd her desire vpon a rack , compos'd of frost and fire : but heaven was pleas'd to turne his deafned eares against those prai'rs made strōg with sighs & tears : she often pray'd ; but pray'rs could not obtaine : alas , she pray'd , she wept , she sigh'd in vaine : she pray'd , no doubt ; but pray'rs could finde no roome ; they prov'd , alas , as barren as her wombe . vpon a time ( when her unanswer'd pray'r had now given just occasion of despai●e , ( even when her bed-rid faith was grown so fraile , that very hope grew hartlesse to prevaile ) appear'd an angel to her ; in his face , terrour and sweetnesse labour'd for the place : sometimes his sunbright eies would shine so fierce as if their pointed beames would even pierce her soule , and strike th' amaz'd beholder dead : sometimes , their glory would disperse , and spread more easie flames ; and , like the starre , that stood o're bethlem , promise and portend some good : mixt was his bright aspect ; as if his breath had equall errands both of life and death : glory and mildnesse seemed to contend in his faire eyes so long , till in the end , in glorious mildnesse , and in milder glory , he thus salutes her with this pleasing story . woman ; heaven greets thee well : rise up , and feare 〈◊〉 ; forbeare thy faithlesse tremblings ; i appeare not clad in the vestments of consuming fire ; cheare up , i have no warrant to enquire into thy sinnes ; i have no vyals here , nor dreadfull thunderbolts to make thee feare : i have no plagues t' inflict ; nor is my breath charg'd with destruction ; 〈◊〉 my hand with death . no , no ; cheare up , i come not to destroy ; i come to bring thee tidings of great joy ▪ rowze up thy du● beliefe● for i ap●eare , to exercise thy faith , and not thy feare : the g●iae , and great creator of all things , chiefe lord of lords , and supreme king of kings , to whom an host of men are but a swarme of ●urm'●ing guats , whose high prevailing arme can crush ten thousand world● , and at one blow can strike the earth to nothing , and ore-throw the lofts of heaven ; he that hath the keyes of 〈◊〉 , to shut , and ope them when he please ; he that can all things , that he will , this day , is pleas'd to take thy long reproach away : behold ; thy womb 's inlarg'd ; and thy desires shall finde successe : before long time expires , thou sh●l● conceive : ere twise five months be runne ▪ be thou the joyfull mother of a sonne ; but see , thy wary palate doe forbeare the juice of the bewitching grape ; beware , le●● thy defiers tempt thy lips to wine , which must be faithfull strangers to the vine . strong drinke thou must not taste , and all such meate the law proclaimes uncleane , refraine to eate : and when the fruit of thy restored wombe s●●ll see the light , take heed no rasor come 〈◊〉 his fruitfull head ; for from his birth , 〈◊〉 as the wombe entrusts him on the earth , the child shall be a nazarite , to god ; 〈◊〉 whose appointment , be shall prove a rod , to scourge the proud philistians ; and recall p●re suffring israel from their slavish thrall ▪ meditat. . how impudent is nature to account those acts her own , that doe so farre surmo●●● her easie reach ! how purblinde are those eyes of stupid mortals , that have power to rise no higher then her lawes , who takes upon her the worke , and robs the author of his honour ! seest thou the fruitfull wombe ? how every yeare it moves thy cradle ; to thy slender cheare invites another ghest , and makes thee father to a new sonne , who now , perchance , hadst rather bring up the old , esteeming propagation a thanklesse worke of supererogation : perchance the formall mid-wife seemes to thee lesse welcome now ; than she was wont to bee : thou standst amaz'd to heare such needlesse ioy , and car'st as little for it , as the boy that 's newly borne into the world ; nay worse , perchance , thou grumblest , counting it a curse vnto thy faint estate , which is not able t' encrease the bounty of thy slender table : poore miserable man what ere thou bee , i suffer for thy crooked thoughts ; not thee : thou tak'st thy children to be gifts of nature ; their wit , their flowring beauty , comely stature , their perfect health ; their dainty disposition , their vertues , and their easie acquisition of curious arts , their strengths attain'd perfection you attribute to that benigne complexion , wherewith your goddesse nature hath endow'd their well-disposed organs ; and are proud ; and here your goddesse leaves you , to deplore , that such admir'd perfections should be poore : advance thine eyes , no lesse then wilfull blinde , and with thine eyes , advance thy drooping minde ▪ correct thy thoughts ; let not thy wondring eye adore the servant , when the master 's by : looke on the god of nature : from him come these underprized blessings of the wombe : he makes thee rich in childrē ; whē his store crowns thee with wealth , why mak'st thou thy self poor ? he opes the womb : why then should'st thou repine ? they are his children , mortall , and not thine : we are but keepers ; and the more he lends to our tuition , he the more commends our faithfull trust ; it is not every one deserves that honour , to command his son ; she counts it as a fortune , that 's allow'd to nurse a prince ; ( what nurse would not be proud of such a fortune ? ) and shall we repine , great god , to foster any babe of thine ? but 't is the charge we feare : our stock 's but small ; if heaven , with children , send us wherewithall to stop their craving stomacks , then we care not ; great god! how hast thou crackt thy credit , that we dare trust thee for bread ? how is 't , we dare not venture to keepe thy babes , unlesse thou please to enter in bond , for paiment ? art thou growne so poore , to leave thy famisht infants at our doore , and not allow them food ? canst thou supply the empty ravens , and let thy children die ? send me that stint , thy wisedome shall thinke fie , thy pleasure is my will ; and i submit : make me deserve that honour thou hast lent to my fraile trust , and i will rest content . the argvment● th● wife ● manoah attended with fearfull hope , and h●pefull feare , the joyfull tydings recommended to her amazed husbands care . sect. . thus , when the great embassadour of heaven had done that sacred service , which was given , and trusted to his faithfull charge , he spred his ayre dividing pinions , and fled : but now , th' affrighted woman apprehends the strangenesse of the message ; recommends both it , and him , that did it , to her feares ; the newes was welcome to her gratefull eares , but what the newesman was did so encrea●e her doubts , that her strange hopes could finde no peace ; for when her hopes would build a tower of joy , o , then her feares would shake it , and destroy the maine foundation ; what her hopes in vaine did raise , her feares would ruinate againe : one while , she thought ; it was an angel sent : and then her feares would teach her to repent that frighfull thought ; but whē she deeply waigh'd the joyfull message , then her thoughts obay'd her first conceit ; distracted , with confusion , sometimes she fear'd it was a false delusion , suggested in her too beleeving eares ; sometimes she doubts it was a dreame , that beares no waight but in a slumber ; till at last , her feet , advised by her thoughts , made haste vnto her husband ; in whose eares she brake this minde-perplexing secret thus , and spake ; sir , as my discursive thoughts did lately muse on those great blessings , wherewith heaven doth use to crowne his children , here ; among the rest , me thoughts no one could make a wife more blest , and crowne her youth , her age with greater measure of true content , than the unprized treasure of her chaste wombe : but as my thoughts were bent vpon this subject , being in our tent , and none but i , appear'd before mine eyes a man of god : his habit , and his guise was such as holy prophets use to weare , but in his dreadfull lookes there did appeare something that made me tremble ; in his eye mildnesse was mixt with awfull majesty ; strange was his language , and i could not chuse but feare the man , although i lik'd his newes ; woman ( said he ) cheare up , and doe not feare , i have no vials , nor no iudgements here , my hand hath no commission , to enquire into thy sinnes ; nor am i clad in fire : i come to bring thee tydings of such things , as have their warrant from the king of kings ▪ thou shalt conceive , and when thy time is come , thou shalt enjoy the blessings of thy wombe ; before the space of twice five months be runne , thou shalt become the parent of a sonne ; till then , take heed , thou neither drinke , nor eate wines , or strong drinke , or law-forbidden meate , for when this promis'd child shall see the light , thou shalt be mother to a nazarite . while thus he spake , ● trembled : horrid feare vsurpt my quivering heart ; onely mine eare was pleas'd to be the vessell of such newes , which heaven make good ; and give me strength to use my better faith : the holy prophets name i was affraid t' enquire , or whence he came . meditat. . and dost thou not admier ? can such things obtain lesse priviledge , thā a tale , that brings the audience wonder , enter mixt with pleasure ? is 't a small thing , that angels can finde leisure to leave their blessed seates ; where face to face , they see their god , and quit that heavenly place , the least conception of whose joy , and mirth , transcends th' united pleasures of the earth ? must angels leave their thrones of glory thus , to watch our foot-steps , and attend on us ? how good a god have we ! whose eyes can winke , for feare they should discover the base finke of our loath'd sinnes ; how doth he stop his eare , lest , when they call for iustice , he should heare ? how often , ah , how often doth he send his willing angels , hourely to attend our steps ; and , with his bounty , to supply our helplesse wants , at our false-hearted cry ? the bounteous ocean , with a liberall hand , transports her laden treasure , to the land ; inriches every port , and makes each towne proud with that wealth , which now she cals her owne ; and what returne they for so great a gaine , but sinckes and noysome gutters , backe againe ? even so ( great god ) thou sendst thy blessings in , and we returne thee , dunghils of our sinne : how are thy angels hacknei'd up and downe to visit man ? how poorely doe we crowne their blessed labours ? they with ioy , dismount , laden with blessings , but returne th' account of filth and trash : they bring th'unvalued prize of grace and promis'd glory , while our eyes disdaine these heavenly factours , and refuse their proferd wares ; affecting , more , to chuse agraine of pleasure than a iemme of glory ; we finde no treasure , but in transitory and earth-bred toi●s , while things immortal stand like garments , to be sold at second hand : great god ; thou know'st , we are but flesh & blood ; alas ! we can interpret nothing , good , but what is evill , deceitfull are our ioyes ; we are but children , and we whine for toyes : of things unknowne there can be no desire ; quicken our hearts with the celestiall fire of thy discerning spirit , and we shall know both what is good , and good desier too : vouchsafe to let thy blessed angell come , and bring the tidings , that the barren womb● of our affections is inlarg'd ; o when that welcome newes shall be revealed , then , our soules shall soone conceive , & bring thee forth the firstlings of a new , and holy birth . the argvment . manoah's wonder turnes to zeale ; his z●ale , to pray'r : his pray'rs obtaine : the angel that did late reveale the joyfull newes , returnes againe . sect. . now when th' amazed woman had commended her tongue to silence , and her tale was ended ; perplexed manoah , ravisht at the newes , within himselfe , he thus began to muse ; strange is the message ! and as strangely done ! shall manoah's loynes be fruitfull ? shall a sonne blesse his last dayes ? or shall an issue come from the chill closet of a barren wombe ? shall manoah's wife give suck ? and now , at last finde pleasure , when her prime of youth is past ? shall her cold wombe be now , in age , restor'd ? and was 't a man of god , that brought the word ? or was 't some false delusion , that possest the weaknesse of a lonely womans brest ? or was 't an angel , sent from heaven , to show what heaven hath will , as well as pow'r , to doe . till then thou must refraine to drinke , or eate , wines , and strong drink , and law-forbidden meate ? evill angls rather would instruct to riot , they use not to prescribe so strict a dyet ; no , no , i make no further question of it , 't was some good angel , or some holy prophet , thus , having mus'd a while , he bow'd his face vpon the ground ; and ( prostrate in the place , where first he heard the welcome tydings ) pray'd , ( his wonder now transform'd to zeale ) and said : great god ; that hast ingag'd thy selfe , by v●w , when e're thy little israel begs , to bow thy gracious eare , o harken to the least of israel's sonnes , and grant me my request : by thee : i live , and breathe : thou did'st become my gracious god , both in , and from the wombe ; thy precious favours i have still possest , and have depended on thee , from the brest : my simple infancy hath bin protected by thee , my child-hood taught , my youth corrected , and sweetly chastned with thy gentle rod ; i was no sooner , but thou wert my god : all times declare thee good ; this very houre can testifie the greatnesse of thy power , and promptnesse of thy mercy , which hast sent this blessed angel to us , to augment the catalogue of thy favours , and restore thy servants wombe , whose hopes had even given ore t' expect an issue : what thou hast begun , prosper , and perfect , till the worke be done : let not my lord be angry , if i crave aboone , too great for me to beg , or have : let that blest angel , that thou sent'st , of late , reblesse us with his presence , and relate thy will at large , and what must then be done , when time shal bring to light this promis'd sonne . about that time , when the declining lampe trebles each shadow ; when the evening dampe begins to moisten , and refresh the land , the wife of manoah ( under whose command the weaned lambes did feed ) being lowly seated vpon a shrubbe ( where often she repeated that pleasing newes , the subject of her thought ) appear'd the angell ; he , that lately brought those blessed tidings to her : up she rose ; her second feare had warrant to dispose her nimble foot-steps to unwonted haste ; she runnes with speed , ( she cannot runne too fast ) at length , she findes her husband ; in her eyes , were ioy and feare ; whilst her lost breath denies her speech to him , her trembling hands make signs ; she puffes and pants ; her breathlesse tongue disjoynes her broken words : behold , behold , ( said she ) the man of god , ( if man of god he be ) appear'd againe : these very eyes beheld the man of god : i left him in our field . meditat. . heav'n is gods magazen ; wherein , he hath stor'd up his vials both of love , and wrath ; iustice and mercy , waite upon his throne ; favours and thunderbolts attend upon his sacred will and pleasure ; life and death doe both receive their influence from his breath ; iudgements attend his left ; at his right hand blessings and everlasting pleasures stand : heav'n is the magazen ; wherein , he puts both good and evill ; pray'r is the key , that shuts and opens this great treasure ; t is a key , whose wards are faith , and hope , and charity . wouldst thou prevent a judgement , due to sinne ? turne but the key , and thou maist locke it in : or wouldst thou have a blessing fall upon thee ? open the doore , and it will shower on thee . can heav'n be false ? or can th' almighties tongue , that is all very truth , doe truth that wrong , not to performe a vow ? his lips have sworne , sworne by himselfe , that if a sinner turne to him , by pray'r ; his pray'r shall not be lost for want of eare ; nor his desier , crost : how is it then we often aske and have not : we aske , and often misse , because we crave no● the things we should : his wisdome can foresee those blessings , better , that we want , than we● hast thou not heard a peevish infant baule to gaine possession of a knife ? and shall th' indulgent nurse bee counted wisely kinde , if she be mov'd to please his childish minde ? is it not greater wisdome , to deny the sharp-edg'd knife , and to present his eye with a fine harmlesse puppit ? we require things , oft , unfit ; and our too fond desire fastens on goods , that are but glorious ills , whilst heav'ns high wisdome contradicts our wils , with more advantage , for we oft receive things that are farre more fit , for us , to have : experience tels ; we seeke , and cannot finde : we seeke , and often want , because we binde the giver to our times : he knows we want patience ; and , therefore he suspends his grant , t' encrease our faith , that so we may depend vpon his hand ; he loves to heare us spend our childish mouthes : things easily obtain'd , are lowly priz'd ; but what our prayers have gain'd by teares , and groanes , that cannot be exprest , are farre more deare , and sweeter , when possest . great god! whose power hath so oft prevail'd against the strength of princes , and hast quail'd their prouder stomaks ; with thy breath , discrown'd their heads , & thrown their scepters to the groūd , striking their swelling hearts with cold despaire , how art thou conquer'd and o'recome by pray'r ! infuse that spirit , great god , into my heart , and i will have a blessing ere we part . the argvment . manoah desires to know the fashion and breeding of his promis'd sonne ; to whom the angel makes relation of all things needfull to be done . sect. . with that the danite rose ; and being guided by his perplexed wife , they , both divided their heedlesse paces , ●ill they had attain'd the field , 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of god remain'd : and , drawing ●eerer to h●s presence , stai'd his weary steps , and , with obeysance , said : art thou the 〈…〉 blessed lips ●oretold those joyfull 〈◊〉 ? shall my tongue be bold , without the breach of manners to request this boone , art tho●● that prophet , that possest this barren woman , with a hope , that she shall beare a sonne ? he answer'd , i am he : said manoah , then ; let not a word of thine be lost ; let them continue to divine our future happinesse : let them be crown'd with truth ; and thou with honour , to be found a holy prophet : let performance blesse and speed thy speeches with a faire successe : but tell me , sir ; when this great worke is done , and time shall bring to light this promis'd sonne , what sacred ceremonies shall we use ? what rites ? what way of bleeding shall we chuse t' observe ? what holy course of life shall be be trained in ? what shall his office be ? whereat th' attentive angel did divide the portall of his lips , and thus replide . the child , that from thy fruitfull loynes shall come shall be a holy nazarite , from the wombe ; take heed ; that wombe , that shall inclose this childe , in no case be polluted or defilde with law-forbidden meates : let her forbeare to taste those things that are forbidden there . the bunch-back camell shall be no repast for her ; her palate shall forbeare to taste the burrow haunting cony , and decline the swiftfoote-hare , and mire-delighting swine ; the griping , goshauke ; and the towring eagle ; the party-coloured pye must not inveigle her lips to move ; the brood-devouring kite ; the croaking raven ; th' owle that hates the light ; the steele-digesting bird ; the laste snaile ; the cuckow , ever telling of one tale ; the fish-consuming osprey , and the want , that undermines ; the greedy cormorant ; th' indulgent pellican ; the predictious crow ; the chattring storke , and ravenous vulter too ; the thorn-backt hedgehogge , and the prating lay ; the lapwing , flying still the other way ; the lofty-flying falkon , and the mouse , that findes no pleasure in a poore mans house ; the suck-egge weasell , and the winding swallow , from these she shall abstaine , , and not unhallow her op'ned lips with their polluted flesh ; strong drinke she must forbeare , and to refresh her lingring palate , with lu●-breeding wine ; the grape , or what proceedeth from the vine , she must not taste , for feare she be defilde , and so pollute her wombe-enclosed childe : when time shall make her mother of a sonne , beware , no keen-edg'd raisor come upon his b●llowed crowne : the haire upon his head must not be cut : his bountious lockes must spred on his broad shoulders : from his first drawne breath the childe shall be a nazarite , to his death . meditat. . what shallow judgment , or what easie braine can choose but laugh at those , that strive in vaine to build a tower , whose ambitious spire should reach to heaven ? what foole would not admire to see their greater folly ? who would raise a tower , to perpetuate the praise and lasting glory of their renowned name , what have they l●ft but monuments of shame ? how poore and slender are the enterprises of man ; that onely whispers and advises with heedlesse flesh and blood , and never makes his god , of counsell , where he undertakes ! how is our god and wee of late falne out ! we rather chuse to languish in our doubt , then be resolv'd by him ; we rather use the helpe of hell-bred wizzards , that abuse the stile of wise men● then to have recourse to him that is the fountaine and the sourse of all good counsels , and from whom , proceeds a living spring , to water all our needs ; how willing are his angels to descend from off their throne of glory , and attend vpon our wants ! how oft returne they back mourning to heaven , as if they griev'd for lack of our imployment ! o how prone are they to be assistant to us , every way ! have wee just cause to joy ? they 'll come and sing about our beds : does any judgement bring iust cause of griefe ? they 'll fall a grieving too ; doe we triumph ? their joyfull mouthes will blow their louder trumpets , or doe feares affect us ? they 'l guard our heads from danger , & protect us : are we in prison , or in persecution ? they 'l fill our hearts with joy , and resolution : or doe we languish in our sickly beds ? they 'l come & pitch their tents about our heads ; see they a sinner penitent , and mourne for his bewail'd offences , and returne ? they clap their hands , and joyne their warbling voyces , they sing , and all the quire of heaven rejoyces . what is in us poore dust and ashes , lord , that thou should'st looke upon us , and afford thy precious favours to us , and impart thy gracious counsels ? what is our desert , but death , and horror ? what can we more clame , then they , that now are scorching in that flame , that hath nor moderation , rest , nor end ? how does thy mercy , above thought extend to thē thou lov'st ! teach me ( great god ) to prize thy sacred counsels : open my blinde eyes , that i may see to walke the perfect way ; for as i am , lord , i am apt to stray and wander to the gulph of endlesse woe : teach me what must be done , and helpe to doe . the argvment . manoah desires to understand , but is deny'd the angels name : he offers by the angels hand : the angel vanishes in a flame . sect. . so said , the sonne of israel , ( easly apt to credit , what his soule desir'd , and rapt with better hepes , which serv'd him as a guide to his beliefe , o'rejoy'd ) he thus replide ; let not the man of god , whose heavenly voyce hath blest mine eare , and made my soule rejoyce , beyond expression , now refuse to come within my tent , and honour my poore home with his desired presence ; there to taste his servants slender diet , and repast vpon his rurall fare : these hands shall take a tender kidde from out the flockes , and make , ( without long tarriance ) some delighfull meate which may invite the man of god to eate : come , come ( my lord ) and what defect of food shall be , thy servants welcome shall make good : whereto the angel ( who as yet had made himselfe unknowne ) reanswer'd thus , and said ▪ excuse me : though thy hospitable love prevaile to make me stay , it cannot move my thankfull lips to taste thy liberall cheare ; let not thy bounty urge in vaine ; forbeare to strive with whom thy welcome cannot leade to eate thy kid , or tast thy profer'd bread ; convert thy bounty to a better end , and let thy undefiled hands commend a burnt oblation to the king of kings ; 't is he , deserves the thanks ; his servant brings but that bare message which his lips enjoyne ; his be the glory of the act , not mine . said then the israelite , if my desire be not too over-rash , but may conspire with thy good pleasure , let thy servants eare be honourd with thy name ; that whensoere these blessed tidings ( that possesse my heart with firme beleefe ) shall in due time impart their full perfection , and desir'd successe to my expecting eye , my soule may blesse the tongue that brought the message , and proclaime an equall honour to his honour'd name . to whom , the angell ( whose severer brow sent forth a frowne ) made answere ; doe not thou trouble thy busie thoughts with things , that are above thy reach ; enquier not too farre ; my name is cloath'd in mists ; 't is not my taske , to make it knowne to thee ; nor thine , to aske : with that , the danite tooke a tender kid , and said ; my lord , the tribe of dan's forbid to burne an offering ; onely levites may , and holy prophets , if thou please to lay the sacrifice on yonder sacred stone , i 'le fetch thee fire , for fier there is none , forheare thy needlesse paines , the angell said , heaven will supply that want ; with that , he laid the offering on ; and , from the stone , there came a sudden fire , whose high ascending flame burnt and consum'd th'accepted sacrifice ; now whilst th' amaz'd beholders wondring eyes were taken captives with so strange a sight and whilst the new-wrought miracle did affright their trēbling harts , the man of god ( whose name must not b'inquired ) vanisht in the flame , and left them both unable to expound each others feares ; both groveling on the ground . meditat. . a thankfull heart hath earnd one favour twice ; but he that is ungratefull , wants no vice : the beast , that onely lives the life of sense , prone to his severall actions and propense to what he does , without th' advice of will , guided by nature , ( that does nothing ill ) in practicke maximes , proves it a thing hatefull , t' accept a favo●r , and to live ungratefull : but man , whose more diviner soule hath gain'd a higher step to reason : nay , attain'd a higher step then that , the light of grace , comes short of them ; and in that point , more base then they most prompt and perfect in that rude , vnnaturall , and high sinne , ingratitude : the stall-fed oxe , that is growne fat , will know his carefull feeder , and acknowledge too : the prouder stallion , will at length espie , his masters bounty , in his keepers eye : the ayre-dividing faulkon , will requite her faulkners paines , with a well pleasing flight : the generous spaniell , loves his masters eye , and licks his fingers , though no meate be by ; but man , ungratefull man , that 's borne , and bred by heavens immediate pow'r ; mai●tain'd and fed by his providing hand ; observ'd , attended by his indulgent grace ; preserv'd , defended by his prevailing arme ; this man , i say , is more ungratefull , more obdure than they : by him , we live and move ; from him , we have what blessings he can give , or we can crave : food for our hunger ; dainties , for our pleasure ; trades , for our buisnes ; pastimes , for our leasure ; in griefe , he is our ioy ; in want , our wealth ; in bondage , freedome ; and in sicknesse , health ; in peace , our counsell ; and in warre , our leader ; at sea , our pilot ; and , in suites , our pleader ; in paine , our helpe ; in triumph , our renowne ; in life , our comfort ; and in death our crowne ; yet man , o most ungratefull man , can ever enjoy the gift , but never mind● the giver ; and like the swine , though pamper'd with enough , his eyes are never higher than the trough : we still receive : our hearts we seldome lift to heaven ; but drowne the giver in the gift ; we taste the skollops , and returne the shels ; our sweet pomgranats want their silver bells : we take the gift ; the hand that did present it , we oft reward ; forget the friend that sent it , a blessing given to those , will not disburse some thanks , is little better then a curse . great giver of all blessings ; thou that art the lord of gifts ; give me a gratefull heart : o give me that , or keepe thy favours from me : i wish no blessings , with a vengeance to me . the argvment . affrighted manoah and his wife both prostrate on the naked earth : both rise : the man despaires of life ; the woman cheares him : samsons birth . sect. . when time , ( whose progresse mod'rates and out weares th' extreamest passions of the highest fears ) by his benignant power , had re-inlarg'd their captive senses , and at length discharg'd their frighted thoughts , the trembling couple rose from their unquiet , and disturb'd repose : have you beheld a tempest , how the waves ( whose unresisted tyranny out-braves and threats to grapple with the darkned skies ) how like to moving mountaines they arise from their distempred ocean , and assaile heav'ns battlements ; nay when the windes d●e faile to breathe another blast , with their owne motion , they still are swelling , and disturbe the ocean : even so the danite and his trembling wife , their yet confused thoughts , are still at strife in their perplexed brests , which entertain'd continued feares , too strong to be refrain'd : speechlesse they stood , till manoah that brake the silence first , disclos'd his lips and spake ; what strange aspect was this , that to our sight appear'd so terrible , and did affright our scattering thoughts ? what did our eyes behold ? i feare our lavish tongues have bin too bold : what speeches past betweene us ? can'st recall the words we entertain'd the time withall ? it was no man ; it was no flesh and blood ; me thought , mine eares did ●ngle , while he stood , and commun'd with me : at each word be spake , me thou●ht , my heart recoil'd ; his voyce did shake my very soule , but when as he became so angry , and so dainty of his name , o , how my wonder-smitte● heart began to faile ! o , then i kn●w , it was no man : no , no ; it was the face of god : our eyes have seene his face : ( who ever saw 't , but dies ? ) we are but dead ; death dwells within his eye , and we have seen 't , and we shall surely die : where to the woman , ( who did either hide , or else had overcome her feares ) replide ; despairing man ; take courage , and forbeare these false predictions ; there 's no cause of feare : would heaven accept our offerings , and receive our holy things ; and , after that , bereive his servants of their lives ? can he be thus pleas'd with our offerings , unappeas'd with us ? hath he not promis'd that the time shall come , wherein the fruits of my restored wombe shall make thee father to a hopefull sonne ? can heaven be false ? or can these things be done when we are dead ? no , no , his holy breath had spent in vaine , if they had meant our death : recall thy needlesse feares ; heaven cannot lye ; although we saw his face , we shall not dye . so said ; they brake off their discourse , and went , he , to the field ; and she into her tent : thrice forty dayes not full compleat , being come , within th'enclosure of her quickned wombe , the babe began to spring ; and , with his motion , confirm'd the faith , and quickned the devotion of his beleeving parents , whose devout and heaven-ascending orizans , no doubt , were turn'd to thanks , and heart-rejoycing praise , to holy hymnes , and heavenly roundelaies : the childe growes sturdy ; every day gives strength vnto his wombe-fed limmes ; till at the length th'apparent mother , having past the date of her accompt , does only now awaite the happy houre , wherein she may obtaine her greatest pleasure , with her greatest paine . when as the faire directresse of the night had thrice three times repar'd her wained light , her wombe no longer able to retaine so great a guest , betraid her to her paine , and for the toilsome worke , that she had done , she found the wages of a new borne sonne : 〈◊〉 , she call'd his name : the childe encreast , and hourely suckt a blessing with the brest , daily his strength did double : he began to grow in favour both with god and man : his well attended infancy was blest with sweetnesse ; in his childhood , he exprest true seeds of honour ; and his youth was crown'd with high and brave adventures , which renown'd his honour'd name , his courage was suppli'd with mighty strength : his haughty spirit defide and hoast of men : his power had the praise ●ove all that were before , or since his dayes : and to conclude , heav'n never yet conjoyn'd so strong a body , with so stout a minde . meditat. . how pretious were those blessed dayes , wherein soules never startled at the name of sin ! when as the voyce of death had never yet a mouth to open , or to clame a debt ! when bashfull nakednesse forbare to call for needlesse skins to cover shame withall ; when as the fruit-encreasing earth obay'd the will of man without the wound of spade , or helpe of art ! when he , that now remaines a cursed captive to infernall chaines , sate singing anthems in the heavenly quire , among his fellow angels ! when the bryer , the fruitlesse bramble , the fast growing weed , and downy thistle had , as yet , no seed ! when labour was not knowne , and man did eate the earths faire fruits , unearned with his sweate ! when wombs might have conceiv'd without the stain of sin , and brought forth children , without paine ! when heaven could speak to mans unfrighted eare without the sense of sin-begotten feare ! how golden were those dayes ? how happy than was the condition and the state of man ! but man obey'd not : and his proud desire cing'd her bold feathers in forbidden fire : but man transgrest ; and now his freedome feeles a sudden change : sinne followes at his heeles : the voice calls adam : but poore adam flees , and trembling hides his face behind the trees : the voice , whilere , that ravisht with delight his joyfull eare , does now , alas , affright his wounded conscience with amaze and wonder : and what , of late , was musicke ; now , is thunder . how have our sinnes abus'd us ! and betrai'd our desperate soules ! what strangenes have they made betwixt the great creator , and the worke of his owne hands ! how closely doe they lurke to our distempred soules , and whisper feares and doubts into our frighted hearts and eares ! our eyes cannot behold that glorious face , which is all life , unruin'd in the place : how is our nature chang'd ? that very breath which gave us being , is become our death : great god! o , whither shall poore mortalls flie for comfort ? if they see thy face , they dye ; and if thy life-restoring count'nance give thy presence from us ; then we cannot live : how necessary is the ruine , than , and misery of sin-beguiled man ! on what foundation shall his hopes relie ? see wee thy face , or see it not , we dye : o let thy word ( great god ) instruct the youth and frailty of our faith ; thy word is truth : and what our eyes want power to perceive , o , let our hearts admier , and beleeve . the argvment . samson at timnah falls in love and fancies a philistian maide : he moves his parents : they reprove his sinfull choyce : dislike , disswade . sect. . now when as strong limb'd samson had dispos'd his trifling thoughts to children , and disclos'd his bud of child-hood , which being overgrowne , and blossome of his youth so fully blowne , that strength of nature now thought good to seeke her entertainment on his downy cheeke , and with her manly bounty did begin to uneffeminate his smoother chin , he went to timnah ; whither , did resort a great concourse of people , to disport themselves with pastime ; or , perchance , to show some martiall feats ( as they were wont to doe ) scaffolds were builded round about , whereon the crowne of eye-delighted lookers on were closely pil'd : as samsons wandring eye was ranging up and downe , he did espye a comely virgin , beautifull and young , where she was seated midst the gazing throng : the more he view'd , the more his eye desir'd to view her face ; and as it view'd , admir'd ; his heart , inflam'd ; his thoughts were all on fire ; his passions all were turn'd into desire ; such were his lookes , that she might well discry a speaking lover in his sparkling eye : sometimes his reason bids his thoughts beware , 〈◊〉 he be catcht in a philistian snare ; and then , his thwarting passion would reply feare not to be a prisoner to that eye : reason suggests ; 't is vaine , to make a choyce , where parents have an over-ruling voyce : passion replies , that feare and filiall duty must serve affection , and subscribe to beauty : whilst reason faintly mov'd him to neglect , prevailing passion urg'd his soule t' affect : passion concludes ; let her enjoy thy heart : reason concludes ; but let thy tongue impart thy affection to thy parents , and discover to them , thy thoughts : with that the wounded lover ( whose quicke-divided paces had out-runne his lingring heart ) like an observant sonne , repaires unto his parents ; fully made relation of his troubled thoughts , and said , sir ▪ 〈◊〉 day , at timnah , to these wretched eyes , 〈◊〉 taken captive with the novelties 〈◊〉 entertain'd my pleased thoughts , appear'd 〈◊〉 object ; which , hath so endear'd 〈◊〉 very soule , ( with sadnesse so distrest ) that this poore heart can finde no ease , no rest ; it was a virgin ; in whose heavenly face , v●pattern'd beauty , and diviner grace were so conjoyn'd as if they both conspir'd 〈…〉 angell ; when these eyes enquir'd 〈◊〉 the excellence of her rare perfection , 〈…〉 not choose but like , and my affection is so inflamed with desire , that i am now become close prisoner to her eye ; now if my sad petition may but finde a faire successe to ease my tortur'd minde ; and if your tender hearts be pleas'd to prove a● prone to pitty mine , as mine to love ; let me , with joy , exchange my single life , and be the husband of so faire a wife . whereto , th' amazed parents , ( in whose eye distast and wonder percht ) made this reply ▪ what strange desire , what vnadvis'd request hath broken loose from thy distracted brest ? what! are the daughters of thy brethren growne so poore in worth , and beauty ? is there none to please that over-curious eye of thine , but th' issue of a cursed philistine ? can thy miswandring eyes choose none , but her , that is the child of an idolater ? correct thy thoughts , and let thy soule rejoyce in lawfull beauty : make a wiser choyce : how well this counsell pleas'd the tyred eares of love-sicke samson : o , let him that beares a crost affection , judge : let him discover the wofull case of this afflicted lover : what easie pencill cannot represent his very lookes ? how his sterne browes were bent ? his drooping head ? his very port and guise ? his bloodlesse cheekes , and deadnesse of his eyes ? till , at the length , his moving tongue betrai'd his sullen lips to language , thus ; and said : sir , th' extreame affection of my heart does leade my tongue , ( that 's quickned with my love ) to plead what , if her parents be not circumcis'd ? her issue shall ; and she , perchance , advis'd i● worship israels god , and , to forget 〈◊〉 fathers house ; alas , she is as yet , 〈◊〉 young ; her downy yeares are green 〈◊〉 tender ; 〈◊〉 but a twigge , and time may 〈…〉 ●●brace the truth : o●r counsells 〈…〉 〈…〉 breeding , and so save a soule : 〈◊〉 who can tell , but heaven did recommend 〈◊〉 beauty to these eyes , for such an end ? 〈◊〉 not that which heaven is pleas'd to save , 〈◊〉 samson then obtaine , as well as crave : 〈◊〉 gave me being , then prolong my life and make me husband to so faire a wife . with that the parēts joyn'd their whispering heads ; 〈◊〉 observes ; and , in their parly , reads 〈◊〉 characters of hope ; the mother smiles ; the father frownes ; which , samson reconciles ●●th hopefull fears ; she smiles , & smiling crownes 〈◊〉 hopes ; which , he deposes with his frownes : 〈◊〉 whispring ended ; joyntly they displaid , ●●alfe resolved countenance , and said , samson , suspend thy troubled minde a while , 〈◊〉 thy ●ver-charged thoughts recoile : 〈…〉 of shipwracke ; rocks are neare the shore ; 〈◊〉 the virgin , and resolve thee m●re . meditat. . love is a noble passion of the heart ; that , with it very essence doth impart all needfull circumstances , and effects vnto the chosen party it affects ; in absence , it enjoyes ; and with an eye fill'd with celestiall fier , doth espye objects remote : it joyes , and smiles in griefe ; it sweetens poverty ; it brings reliefe ; it gives the feeble , strength ; the coward , spirit ; the sicke man , health ; the undeserving merit ; it makes the proud man , humble ; and the stout it ouercomes ; and treads him underfoot ; it makes the mighty man of warre to droope ; and him , to serve , that never , yet , could stoope ; it is a fire , whose bellowes are the breath of heaven above , and kindled here beneath : t is not the power of a mans election to loue ; he loves no● by his owne direction ; it is nor beauty , nor ●enigne aspect that alwayes moves the lover , to affect ; these are but means : heavens pleasure is the cause ▪ love is not bound to reason , and her lawes are not subjected to th' imperious will of man : it lies not in his power to nill : how is this love abus'd ! that 's onely made a snare for wealth , or to set up a trade ; t' enrich a great mans table , or to pay a desperate debt ; or meerly to allay a base and wanton lust ; which done , no doubt , the love is ended , and her fier out : no ; he that loves for pleasure , or for pelfe , loves truely , none ; and , falsely , but himselfe : the pleasure past , the wealth consum'd and gone , love hath no subject now to worke upon : the props being falne , that did support the roofe , nothing but rubbish , and neglected stuffe , ●●ke a wilde chaos of confusion , lies presenting uselesse ruines to our eyes : the oyle that does maintaine loves sacred fire , is vertue mixt with mutuall desire of sweet societie , begun and bred 〈◊〉 soule ; nor ended in the mariage bed : this is the dew of hermon , that does fill the soule with sweetnesse , watring sions hill ; this is that holy fire , that burns and lasts , till quencht by death ▪ the other are but blasts that faintly blaze like oyle-forsaken snuffes which every breath of discontentment puffs 〈◊〉 quite extinguishes ; and leaves us nothing 〈◊〉 an offensive subject of our loathing . the argvment . he goes to timnah : as he went , he slew a lyon , by the way ; he sues ; obtaines the maids consent : and they appoint the mariage day . sect. . when the next day had , with his morning light , redeem'd the east from the dark shades of night ; and , with his golden raies , had overspred the neighb'ring mountaines ; from his loathed bed , sick-thoughted samson rose , whose watchfull eyes , morpheus that night had , with his leaden keyes ; not power to close : his thoughts did so incumber his restlesse soule , his eyes could never slumber ; whose softer language , by degrees did wake his fathers sleepe-bedeafned eares , and spake ; sir ; let your early blessings light upon the tender bosome of your prosprous sonne , and let the god of israel repay those blessings , double , on your head , this day : the long-since banisht shadowes make me bold to let you know , the morning waxes old ; the sunbeames are growne strong ; their brighter 〈◊〉 have broke the mists , and dride the morning dewe ; the sweetnesse of the season does invite your steps to visit timnah , and acquite your last nights promise : with that the danite and his wife arose , scarce yet resolv'd , at last they did dispose their doubtfull paces , to behold the prize of samsons heart , and pleasure of his eyes ; they went , and when their travell had attain'd those fruitfull hills , whose clusters entertain'd their thirsty palats , with their swelling pride , the musing lover being stept aside to gaine the pleasure of a lonely thought , appear'd a full ag'd lyon , who had sought ( but could not finde ) his long desired prey ; soone as his eye had given him hopes to pay his debt to nature , and to mend that fault his empty stomacke found , he made assault vpon th' unarmed lovers brest , whose hand had neither staffe , nor weapon , to withstand his greedy rage ; but he whose mighty strength or sudden death must now appeare , at length , stretcht forth his brawny arme , ( his arme supplide with power from heaven ) and did , with ease , divide his body limme from limme , and did betray his flesh to foules , that lately sought his prey : this done ; his quicke redoubled paces make his stay amends ; his nimble steps ore take his leading parents ; who by this , discover the smoake of timnah : now the greedy lover thinkes every step , a mile ; and every pace a measur'd league , untill he see that face , and finde the treasure of his heart , that lies in the faire casket of his mistresse eyes ; but , all this while , close samson made not knowne vnto his parents , what his hands had done : by this , the gate of timnah entertaines the welcome travellers : the parents paines 〈◊〉 now rewarded with their sonnes best pleasure ▪ the virgin comes ; his eyes can finde no leisure , to owne another object : o , the greeting th' impatient lovers had at their first meeting ! the lover speakes ; she answers ; he replies ; she blushes ; he demandeth ; shee denies ; he pleads affection ; she doubts ; he sues for nuptiall love ; she questions ; he renewes his earnest suite : importunes ; she relents ; he must have no deniall ; she consents : they passe their mutual loves : their joyned hands are equall earnest of the nuptiall bands : the parents are agreed ; all parties pleas'd ; the day 's set downe ; the lovers hearts are eas'd , nothing displeases now , but the long stay betwixt th'appointment , and the mariage day . meditat. . t is too severe a censure : if the sonne take him a wife ; the mariage fairely done , without consent of parents , ( who perchance had rais'd his higher price , knew where t' advance his better'd fortunes to one hundred more ) he lives , a fornicator ; she , a whore : too hard a censure ! and it seemes to me , the parent 's most delinquent of the three : what ; if the better minded son doe aime at worth ? what , if rare vertues doe inflame his rapt affection ? what , if the condition of an admir'd , and dainty disposition hath wen his soule ? whereas the covetous father finds her gold light , and recommends him , rather , t'an old worne widow , whose more weighty purse is fil'd with gold , and with the orphans curse ; the sweet exubrance of whose full mouth'd portion is but the cursed issue of extortion ; whose worth , perchance , lies onely in her weight , or in the bosome of her great estate ; what , if the sonne , ( that does not care to buy abundance at so deare a rate ) deny the soule-detesting profer of his father , and in his better iudgement chooses , rather , to match with meaner fortunes , and desert ? i thinke that mary chose the better part , what noble families ( that have out-growne the best records ) have quite bin overthrowne by wilfull parents , that will either force their sonnes to match , or haunt them with a curse ! that can adapt their humours , to rejoyce , and fancy all things , but their childrens choice ! which makes them , often , timorous to reveale the close desiers of their hearts , and steale such matches , as , perchance , their faire advice might , in the bud , have hindred in a trice ; which done , and past , o , then their hasty spirit can thinke of nothing , under disinherit ; he must be quite discarded , and exilde ; the furious father must renounce his childe ; nor pray'r nor blessing must he have ; bereiven of all ; nor must he live , nor die forgiven ; when as the fathers rashnesse , oftentimes , was the first causer of the childrens crimes . parents ▪ be not too cruell : children doe things , oft , too deepe for us t' enquire into : what father would not storme , if his wilde sonne should doe the deed , that samson here had done ? nor doe i make it an exemplar act ; onely , let parents not be too exact to curse their children , or to dispossesse them of their blessings , heaven may chance to blesse : be not too strict : faire language may recure a fault of youth , whilst rougher words obdure . the argvment . samson goes downe to celebrate his mariage and his nuptiall feast : the lyon , which he ●lew of late hath honey in his putrid brest . sect. . when as the long expected time was come , wherin these lingring lovers should consumme the promis'd mariage , & observe the rites , pertaining to those festivall delights , samson went downe to timnah ; there , t' enjoy the sweet possession of his dearest joy ; but as he past those fruitfull vineyards , where his hands of late , acquit him of that feare ( wherewith the fierce assaulting lyon quail'd his yet unpractis'd courage ) and prevail'd vpon his life ; as by that place he past , he turn'd aside , and borrowed of his hast a little time , wherein his eyes might view the carkas of the lyon which he slew ; but when his wandring footsteps had drawne neer the unlamented herse , his wondring eare perceiv'd a murm'ring noise , discerning not from whence that strange confusion was , or what ; he staies his steps , and hearkens ; still the voyce presents his eare , with a continued noyse ; at length , his gently moving feet apply their paces to the carkas , where his eye discernes a swarme of bees , whose laden thighes repos'd their burthens , and the painfull prize of their sweet labour in the hollow chest of the dead lyon , whose unbowell'd brest became their plenteous storehouse , where , they laid the blest encrease of their laborious trade ; the fleshly hive was fill'd with curious combes , within whose dainty waxe-divided roomes , were shops of honey , whose delicious taste did sweetly recompence th'adjourned haste of lingring samson , who does now repay the time he borrow'd from his better way , and with renewed speed , and pleasure , flies , where all his soule-delighting treasure lies ; he goes to timnah , where his heart doth finde a greater sweetnesse , than he left behinde ; his hasty hands invites her gladder eyes to see , and lips to taste that obvious prize his interrupted stay had lately tooke , and as shee tasted , his fixt eyes would looke vpon her varnisht lips , and , there , discover a sweeter sweetnesse to content a lover : and now the busie virgins are preparing their costly iewels , for the next dayes wearing ; each lappe is sill'd with flowers , to compose the nuptiall girland , for the brides faire browes ; the cost●neglecting cookes have now encreast their pastry dainties to adorne the feast ; each willing hand is labring to provide ▪ the needfull ornaments to deck the bride . but now , the crafty philistins , for feare lest samsons strength , ( which startled every eare with dread and w●nder ) under that pretence , should gaine the meanes , to offer violence ; and , through the shew of nuptiall devotion , should take advantages to breed commotion , or lest his popular power , by coaction or faire entreats , may gather to his faction some loose and discontented men of theirs , and so betray them to supected feares ; they therefore to prevent ensuing harmes , gave strict command , that thirty men of armes , vnder the ma●ke of bridemen , should attend vntill the nuptiall ceremonies end . meditat. . how high , unutterable , how profound , ( whose depth the line of knowledge cannot sound ) are the deerces of the eternall god! how secret are his wayes , and how untrod by mans conceipt , so deeply charg'd with doubt ! how are his counsels past our finding out ! o , how unscrutable are his designes ! how deepe , and how unsearchable are the mines of his abundant wisdome ! how obscure and his eternall iudgements ! and how sure ! lists he to strike ? the very stones shall flie from their unmov'd foundations , and destroy : lists he to punish ? things that have no sense , shall vindicate his quarrell , on th' offence : lists he to send a plague ? the winters heate and summers damp , shall make his will compleate : lists he to send the sword ? occasion brings new iealousies betwixt the hearts of kings : wills he a famine ? heaven shall turne to brasse , and earth to iron , till it come to passe : both stocks , and stones , and plants , and beasts fulfil the secret counsell of his sacred will , man , onely wretched man , is disagreeing to doe that thing , for which he had his being : samson must downe to timnah ; in the way must meet a lyon , whom his hands must slay ; the lyons putrid carkas must enclose a swarme of bees ; and , from the bees , arose a riddle ; and that riddle must be read , and by the reading , choller must be bred , and that must bring to passe gods just designes vpon the death of the false philistines : behold the progresse , and the royall gests of heavens high vengeance ; how it never rests , till , by appointed courses , it fulfill the secret pleasure of his sacred will. great savior of the world ; thou lambe of sion , that hides our sinnes ; that art the wounded lyon ▪ o , in thy dying body , we have found a world of hony ; whence we may propound such sacred riddles , as shall , underneath our feet , subdue the power of hell and death ; such mysteries ; as none but he , that plough'd with thy sweet hayfer's able to uncloud ; such sacred mysteries , whose eternall praise shall make both angels , and archangels raise their louder voyces , and , in triumph , sing , all glory and honour to our highest king , and to the lambe , that sits upon the throne ; worthy of power and praise is he , alone , whose glory hath advanc'd our key of mirth ; glory to god , on high ; and peace , on earth . the argvment . the bridegroome , at his nuptiall feast , to the philistians , doth propound a riddle : which they all addrest themselves , in counsell to expound . sect. . now , when the glory of the next dayes light had chas'd the shadowes of the tedious night , 〈◊〉 coupling hymen with his nuptiall bands , 〈◊〉 g●lden fetters , had conjoyn'd their hands ; 〈◊〉 jolly welcome had to every guest , ●●pos'd the bounty of the mariage feast ; 〈◊〉 now appeased stomacks did enlarge 〈◊〉 captive tongues , with power to discharge 〈◊〉 quit their table-duty , and disburse 〈◊〉 store of enterchangeable discourse , 〈◊〉 ●●genious bridegroome turn'd his rolling eyes 〈◊〉 his guard of bridemen , and applies ●●●peech to them : and , whil'st that every man 〈◊〉 his attentive eare , he thus began ; my t●ngue's in labour , and my thoughts abound ; 〈◊〉 a doubtfull riddle , to propound ; 〈◊〉 if your joyned wisdomes can discover , 〈◊〉 our seven dayes feasting be past over ; 〈◊〉 , thirty sheets , and thirty new supplies ●●●●●●ment shall be your deserved prize : 〈◊〉 be seven dayes feast shall be dissolv'd , 〈◊〉 darkned riddle be resolv'd , ye shall be all engaged to resigne the like to me , the vict'rie being mine : so said ; the bridemen , whose exchanged eyes found secret hopes of conquest , thus replies : propound thy riddle : let thy tongue dispatch her cloudy errand : we accept the match : with that , the hopefull challenger convai'd his riddle to their hearkning eares , and said ; the riddle . our food , in plenty , doth proceed from him that us'd to eate ; and he , whose custome was to feed does now afford as meate ; a thing that i did lately meet , as i did passe along , afforded me a dainty sweet , yet was both sharpe and strong : the doubtful riddle being thus propounded , they muse ; the more they mus'd , the more cōfounded ▪ one rounds his whispring neighbour in the eare , whose lab'ring lips deny him leave to heare : another , trusting rather to his owne conceit , sits musing , by himselfe , alone : here , two are closely whispring , till a third comes in , nor to the purpose speakes a word : there , sits two more , and they cannot agree how rich the clothes , how fine the sheets must be yonder stands one that , musing , smiles ; no doubt , but he is neere it , if not found it out ; to whom another rudely rushes in , and puts him quite beside his thought agin : 〈◊〉 , three are whispring , and a fourths intrusion spoiles all , and puts them all into confusion : ●●re sits another in a chaire , so deepe 〈◊〉 thought , that he is nodding fast asleepe : the more their busie fancie doe endever , the more they erre ; now , farther off , than ever : 〈◊〉 when their wits , spur'd on with sharpe desire , had lost their breath , and now began to tire , they ceas'd to tempt conceit beyond her strength ▪ and , weary of their thoughts , their thoughts at length present a new exploit : craft must supply defects of wit ; their hopes must now rely vpon the frailty of the tender bride ; she must be mov'd ; perswasions may attaine ; if not , then rougher language must constraine : she must diclose the riddle , and discover the bosome secrets of her faithfull lover . medita . . there is a time , to laugh : a time , to turne our smiles to teares : there is a time to mourn : there is a time for joy , and a time for griefe , a time to want , and a time to finde reliefe , a time to binde , and there 's a time to breake , a time for silence , and a time to speake , a time to labour , and a time to rest , a time to fast in , and a time to feast : things , that are lawfull , have their times , and use ; created good ; and , onely by abuse , made bad : our sinfull usage does unfashion what heaven hath made , and makes a new creatiō ; ioy is a blessing : but too great excesse makes ioy , a madnesse , and , does quite unblesse so sweet a gift ; and , what , by moderate use ; crownes our desiers , banes them in th' abuse : wealth is a blessing ; but too eager thurst of having more , makes what we have , accurst : rest is a blessing ; but when rest withstands the healthfull labour of our helpfull hands , it proves a curse ; and staines our guilt , with crime , betraies our irrecoverable time : to feast and to refresh our hearts with pleasure , and fill our soules with th'overslowing measure of heavens blest bounty , cannot but commend the precious favours of so sweet a friend ; but , when th' abundance of a liberall diet , meant for a blessing , is abus'd by riot , th' abused blessing , leaves the gift , nay , worse , it is transform'd , and turn'd into a curse : things that afford most pleasure , in the use , are ever found most harmfull in the abuse : vse them like masters ; and their tyrannous hand subjects thee , like a slave , to their command ; vse them as servants ; and they will obey thee ; take heed ; they'● either blesse thee , or betray thee . could our fore fathers but revive , and see their childrens feasts , as now a dayes they bee : their studied dishes , their restoring stuffe , to make their wanton bodies sinne enough ; their stomack-whetting sallats , to invite their wastfull palat to an appetite ; their thirst-procuring dainties , to refine their wanton tasts , and make them strong , for wine ; their costly viands , charg'd with rich perfume ; their viper-wines , to make old age presume to feele new lust , and youthfull flames agin , and serve another prentiship to sinne : their time-betraying musicke ; their base noise of odious fidlers ; with their smooth-fac'd boyes , whose tongues are perfect , if they can proclame the quintessence of basenesse without shame ; their deepe-mouth'd curses , new invented oathes , their execrable blasphemy , that loathes a minde to thinke on ; their obsceaner words , their drunken quarrels , their unsheathed swords : o how they 'd blesse themselves , & blush , for shame , in our behalfs , and hast from whence they came , to kisse their graves , that hid them from the crimes of these accursed and prodigious times . great god ; o , can thy patient eye behold this height of sinne , and can thy vengeance hold ? the argvment . the philistins cannot unsolve the riddle : they corrupt the bride ; she wooes her bridegroome to resolve her doubt , but goes away denyde . sect. . now whē three daies had run their howers out , and left no hope for wit-forsaken doubt to be resolv'd , the desp'rate undertakers conjoyn'd their whispring heads ; ( being all partakers and joynt-advisers in their new-laid plot ) the time 's concluded : have ye not forgot how the old tempter , when he first began to worke th' unhappy overthrow of man , accosts the simple woman ; and reflects vpon the frailty of her weaker sex ; even so these curs'd philistians ( being taught and tutor'd by the selfe same spirit ) wrought the selfe same way ; their speedy steps are bent to the faire bride ; their haste could give no vent to their coarcted thoughts ; their language made a little respite ; and , at length , they said ; fairest of creatures : let thy gentle heart receive the crowne , due to so faire desert ; we have a suite , that must attend the leisure of thy best thoughts , and joy-restoring pleasure ; our names , and credits linger at the stake of de●pe dishonour : if thou undertake , 〈◊〉 pleasing language , to prevent the losse , they must sustaine , and draw them from the drosse of their owne ruines , they shall meercly owe themselves unto the goodnesse , and shall know no other patron , and acknowledge none , as their redeemer , but thy love alone : we cannot reade the riddle , whereunto we have engag'd our goods , and credits too ; 〈◊〉 thy jolly bridgroome ; to unfold the hidden myst'ry , ( what can he withhold 〈◊〉 the rare beauty of so rare a brow ? ) and when thou knowst it , let thy servants know : what ? dost thou frowne ? and must our easie triall ▪ at first , reade hierogly ●hickes of deniall ? and are thou silent too ? noy , we 'l give ore t● 〈◊〉 thy bridall fondnesse any more : betray your lovely husbands secrets ? no , 〈◊〉 first betray us , and our land : but know , proud samsons wife , our furies shall make good 〈◊〉 losse of wealth and honour , in thy bloud : ●●ere faire entreaties spend themselves in vaine , there f●●r shall consume , or else constraine . kn●w then , falsehearted bride , if our request 〈◊〉 finde no place within thy sullen brest , 〈◊〉 hands shall vindicate our lost desire , and burne thy fathers house , and thee with fire : thus having lodg'd their errand in her cares ; they left the roome ▪ and her , unto her feares ; who thus bethought ; hard is the case , that i must or betray my husbands trust , or dye ; i haue a wolfe by th' eares : i dare be bold , neither with safety , to let goe , nor hold : what shall i doe ? their mindes if i fulfill not , ●tis death ; and to betray his trust , i will not : nay , should my lips demand , perchance , his breath will not resolve me , : then , no way , but death : the wager is not great ; rather the strife were ended in his losse , than in my life ; his life consists in mine , if ought amisse befall my life , it may indanger his : wagers must yeeld to life ; i hold it best , of necessary evils , to chuse the least : why doubt i then ? when reason bids me doe ; i le know the riddle , and betray it too : with that , she quits her chamber , with her cares , and in her closset locks up all her feares , and , with a speed untainted with delay , she found that brest , wherein her owne heart lay ; where resting for a while , at length , did take a faire occasion to looke up , and spake : life of my soule , and love perpetuall treasure , if my desires be suiting to thy pleasure , my lips would move a suite ; my doubtfull brest would faine preferre an undeny'd request : speake then ( my joy ) : let thy faire lips expound that dainty riddle , whose darke pleasure crown'd our first dayes feast ; enlighten my dull braine , that , ever since , hath mus'd , and mu'sd in vaine ; who , often smiling on his lovely bride , that longs to goe away resolv'd , reply'd ; ioy of my heart , let not thy troubled brest take the denyall of thy small request , as a defect of love : excuse my tongue that must not grant thy suite without a wrong to resolution , daring not discover the hidden myst'ry , till the time be ●ver ; cease to importune then , what cannot be ; my parents know it not , as well as thee : 〈◊〉 ought but this , thy suite shall overcome me ; excuse me then , and goe not angry from me . meditat. . how apprehensive is the heart of man of all , and onely those poore things that can lend him a minutes pleasure , and appay his sweat but with the happinesse of a day ! how can he toyle for trifles , and take paine for fading goods , that onely entertaine his pleased thoughts with poore & painted showes , whose joy hath no more truth , than what it owes to change ! how are the objects of his musing worthlesse , and vaine , that perish in the using ? how reasonable are his poore desires , the height of whose ambition , but aspires to flitting shadowes , which can onely crowne his labour , with that nothing , of their owne ! we feed on huskes , that might as well ataine the fatted calfe , by comming home againe : and , like to esan , while we are suppressing our present wants , neglect and lose the blessing : how wise we are for things , whose pleasure cooles like breath ▪ for everlasting joyes , what fooles ! how witty , how ingeniously wise , to save our credits , or to win a prize ! wee plot ; our browes are studious : first we try one way ; if that succeed not , we apply our doubtfull mindes to attemt another course : we take advice ; consult ; our tongues discourse of better wayes ; and , what our failing braines , cannot effect with faire and fruitlesse paines ; there , crooked fraud must helpe , and slie deceit must lend a hand , which by the potent sleight of right-forsaking bribry must betray the prize into our hands , and win the day , which if it faile ( it does but seldome faile ) then open force , and fury must prevaile : when strength of wit , and secret power of fraud grow dull , constraint must conquer , and appla●d with ill got vict'ry ; which at length obtain'd , alas , how poore a trifle have we gain'd ! how are our soules distempered ; to engrosse such fading pleasures ! to ore-prize the drosse , and under-rate the gold ▪ for painted ioyes , to sell the true , and heaven it selfe for toyes ! lord ; clarifie mine eyes , that i may know things that are good , from what are good in show ▪ and give me wisedome , that my heart my learne the diffrence of thy favours , and discerne what 's truely good , from what is good in part ; with martha's trouble , give me maries heart , the argvment . the bride she begs , and beg sin vaine : but like to a prevailing wooer , she sues , and sues , and sues againe ; at last he reads the riddle to her . sect. . when the next morning had renew'd the day , and th' early twilight now had chac'd away the pride of night , and made her lay aside her spangled robes , the discontented bride ( whose trobled thoghts were tyred with the night , and broken slumbers , long had wisht for light ) with a deepe sigh her sorrow did awake her drowsie bridegroome , whom she thus bespake : o , if thy love could share an equall part in the sad griefes of my afflicted heart , thy closed eyes had never , in this sort , ●in pleas'd with rest , and made thy night so short : perchance , if my dull eyes had slumbred too , my dreames had done , what thou deny'd to doe : perchance , my fancy would have bin so kinde , tunsolve the doubts of my perplexed minde , t was a small suite , that thy unluckie bride must light upon : too small to be denyde : can love so soone — ? but ere her lips could spend the following words , he said , suspend , suspend thy rash attempt , and let thy tongue dispense with forc'd denyall : let thy lips commence some greater suite , and samson shall make good thy faire desiers with his dearest blood : speake then , my love ; thou shall not w●sh , and want ; thou canst not beg , what samson cannot grant : onely , in this , excuse me : and refraine to beg , what thou , perforce , must beg in vaine . in exorable samson : can the teares from those faire ●yes , not move thy deafned eares ? o can those drops , that trickle from those eyes vpon thy naked bosome , not surprize thy neighb'ring heart ? and force it to obey ? o can thy hear● not melt as well as they ? thou little thinkst thy poore afflicted wife importunes thee , and woes thee for her life : her suit 's as great a riddle to thi●e eares , as thine , to hers ; o , these distilling teares are silent pleaders , and her moistned breath would faine redeeme her , from the gates of death ? may not her teares prevaile ; alas , thy strise is but for wagers ; her 's , poore soule , for life . now when this day had yeelded up his right to the succeeding empresse of the night , whose soone-deposed raignc did reconvay her crowne and scepter to the new borne day , the restlesse bride ( feares cannot brooke denyall ) renewes her suit , and attempts a further tryall ; entreats ; conjures ; she leaves no way untride : she will not , no , she must not be denyd : but he ( the portalls of whose marble heart was lockt and barr'd against the powerfull art of oft repeated teares , ) stood deafe and dumbe ; he must not , no , he will not be ore-come . poore bride ! how is thy glory overcast ! how is the pleasure of the nuptialls past , when scarce begun ! alas , how poore a breath of joy , must puffe thee to untimely death ! the day 's at hand , wherein thou must untie the riddles tangled snarle , or else must dye : now , when that day was come wherein the feast was to expire ; the bride , ( whose pensive brest grew sad to death ) did once more undertake her too resolved bridegroome thus , and spake : vpon these knees , that prostrate on the floore , are lowly bended , and shall ne're give ore to move thy goodnesse , that shall never rise , vntill my suit finde favour in thine eyes , vpon these naked knees , i here present my sad request : o let thy heart relent ; a suitor sues , that never sued before ; and she begs now , that never will beg more : hast thou vow'd silence ? o remember , how thou art engaged by a former vow ; thy heart is mine ; the secrets of thy heart are mine ; why art thou dainty to impart mine owne , to me ? then , give me leave to sue for what , my right may challenge as her due ; vnfold thy riddle then , that i may know , thy love is more ; then only love in show : the bridegroome , thus enchanted by his bride , vnseal'd his long-kept silence , and replyde : thou sole , and great commandresse of my heart , thou hast prevail'd ; my bosome shall impart the summe of thy desiers , and discharge the faithfull secrets of my soule , at large ; know then , ( my joy ) vpon that very day , i , first , made knowne my'affection , on the way , i met , and grappled with a sturdy lyon , having nor staffe nor weapon , to relie on , i was enforc'd to prove my naked strength ; vnequall was the match , but at the length , this brawny arme receiving strength from him that gave it life , i tore him limme from limme , and left him dead : now when the time was come , wherin our promis'd nuptialls were to summe , and perfect all my joyes , as i was comming that very way , 'a strange confused humming , not distant farre , possest my wondring eare , where guided by the noyse , there did appeare a swarme of bees , whose busie labours fill'd the carkasse of that lyon which i kill'd with combes of honey , wherewithall i fed my lips and thine : and now my riddle 's read . medita . . the soule of man , before the taint of nature , bore the faire image of his great creator ; his understanding had no cloud : his will no crosse : that , knew no error ; this , no ill : but man transgrest ; and by his wofull fall , lost that faire image , and that little all was left , was all corrupt ; his understanding exchang'd her object ; reason left commanding ; his memory was depraved , and his will can finde no other subject now ; but ill : it grew distemperd , left the righteous reine of better reason , and did entertaine , the rule of passion , under whose command , 〈◊〉 fuffered ship-wracke , upon every sand : where it should march , it evermore retires ; and , what is most forbid , it most desires : 〈◊〉 makes it see too much , and often , blinde ; 〈◊〉 makes it light , and waver like the winde : 〈◊〉 makes it fierce , and studious ; anger , mad ; 〈◊〉 makes it carelesse ; sorrow , dull and sad ; 〈◊〉 makes it nimble , for a needlesse tryall ; 〈◊〉 makes it too impatient of deniall . ●●eat lord of humane soules ; o thou , that art the onely true refiner of the heart ; those hands created all things perfect good , what canst thou now expect of flesh and blood ? how are our leprous soules put out of fashion ! 〈◊〉 are our wills subjected to our passion ! how is thy glorious image soil'd , defac'd , and stain'd with sinne ! how are our thoughts displac'd ! how wav'ring are our hopes , turn'd here and there with every blast ! how carnall is our feare ! where needs no feare , we start at every shade , but feare not , where we ought to be affraid . great god! if thou wilt please but to refine our hearts , and reconforme our wils , to thine , thou 'lt take a pleasure in us , and poore we should finde as infinite delight in thee ; our doubts would cease , our fears would al romove , and all our passions would turne ioy , and love ; till then , expect for nothing that is good : remember , lord , we are but flesh and blood. the argvment . the philistines , by her advice , expound the riddle : samson kild thirty philistians , in a trice ; forsakes his bride : his bed's defilde . sect. . no sooner was the brides attentive eares resolv'd , and pleas'd ; but her impetuous fears cals in the bridemen ; and to them betraid , the secret of the riddle thus , and said : 〈◊〉 sonnes of thunder ; t was not the loud noise 〈…〉 provoking threats , nor the soft voice 〈…〉 prevailing feares , that thus addrest 〈◊〉 ●●●lding heart to grant your forc'd request ; 〈◊〉 language needed not have bin so rough 〈…〉 too much , when lesse had bin enough : 〈◊〉 speech at first was hony in mine eare ; 〈…〉 , it prov'd a lyon , and did teare 〈◊〉 wounded soule : it sought to force me to 〈◊〉 your entreaties w●re more apt to doe : 〈◊〉 then ( to keepe your lingring eares no longer 〈◊〉 what ye long to heare ; ) ther 's nothing stronger then a fierce lyon : nothing more can greet 〈◊〉 pleased palats , with a greater sweet , then hony : but more fully to expound , 〈◊〉 a dead lyon , there was hony found . now when the sun was welking in the west , whose fall determines both the day , and feast ) the hopefull bridegroome ( he whose smiling brow assur'd his hopes a speedy conquest now ) even thirsting for victorious triumph , brake the crafty silence of his lips , and spake : the time is come whose latest hower ends our nuptiall feast , and fairely recommends the wreathe of conquest to the vict●rs brow : say , is the riddle read ? expound it now ; and , for your paines , these hands shall soone resigne your conquer'd prize : if not , the prize is mine : with that , they join'd their whispring heads , and made a speaker ; who in louder language , said ; of all the sweets that ere were knowne , there 's none so pleasing be , as those rare 〈◊〉 which doe cr●wne the labour of the bee : of all the creatures in the field ; that ever man set eye on , there 's none , whose power doth not yeeld vnto the stronger lyon. whereto th' offended challenger , whose eye proclaim'd a quicke revenge , made this reply : no hony's sweeter then a womans tongue ; and , when she list , lyons are not so strong : how thrice accurs'd are they , that doe fulfill the lewd desiers of a womans will ! how more accurs'd is he , that doth impart his bosome-secrets to a womans heart ; they plead like angell , and , like crocadiles , kill with their teares ; they murther with their smiles : how weake a thing is woman ? nay how weake is senslesse man , that will be urg'd to breake his counsells in her eare , that hath no power to make secure a secret , for an homer ! 〈◊〉 , victors , no : had not a womans minde 〈◊〉 faithlesse , and vnconstant , as the winde , mr riddle had , till now , a riddle bin ; 〈◊〉 might have mus'd , and mist ; and mus'd 〈◊〉 , when the next day had heav'd his golden head from the soft pillow of his sea-greene bed ; and , with his rising glory , had possest the spatious borders of th'enlightened east , samson arose , and in a rage , went downe ( by heaven directed ) to a neighbring towne : his choller was inflam'd and from his eye the sudden flashes of his wrath did flye , palenesse was in his cheekes , and from his breath , there flew the fierce embassadours of death ; he heav'd his hand , and where it fell , it flew : he spent , and still his forces would renew : his quick-redoubled blowes fell thick as thunder : and , whom he tooke alive , he tore in sunder : his arme nere mist : and often , at a blow , he made a widow , and an orphane too : here , it divides the father from the child , the husband from his wife : there , it dispoild the friend on 's friend , the sister of her brother : and , oft , with one man , he would thrash another : where never was , he made a little flood , and where there was no kin , he joyn'd in blood , wherein , his ruthlesse hands he did imbrue : thrice ten , before he scarce could breath , he flue : their upper garments , which he tooke away , were all the spoyles the victor had , that day : wherewith , he quit the wagers that he lost , paying philistians , with philistians cost : and thus , at length , with blood he did asswage , 〈◊〉 yet not quench the fier of his rage , for now the thought of his disloyall wife , in his sad soule , renew'd a second strife , from whom , for feare his fury should recoile , he thought most fit t' absent himselfe a while ; vnto his fathers tent , he now return'd ; where , his divided passion rag'd , and mourn'd ; in part , he mourned ; and , he rag'd , in part , to see so faire a face ; so false a heart : but marke the mischiefe that his absence brings ; his bed's defiled , and the nuptiall strings are stretcht and crackt : a second love doth smother the first ; and she is wedded to another . meditat. . was this that wombe , the angel did enlarge from barrennesse ? and gave so strict a charge ? was this that wōbe , that must not be defil'd with uncleane meates , lest it pollute the child ? is this the nazarite ? may a nazarite , then , e●brue and paddle in the bloods of men ? or may their vowes be so dispens'd withall , that they , who searce may see a funerall , whose holy foot-steps must beware to tread vpon , or touch the carkasse of the dead ? may these revēge their wrongs , by blood ? may these have power to kill , & murther where they please ? t is true : a holy nazarite is forbid to doe such things as this our nazarite did : he may not touch the bodies of the dead , without pollution ; much lesse , may shed the blood of man , or touch it , being spilt , without the danger of a double guilt : but who art thou , that art an undertaker , to question with , or plead against thy maker ? may not that god , that gave thee thy creation , turne thee to nothing , by his dispensation ? he that hath made the sabbath , and commands it shall be kept with unpolluted hands ; yet if he please to countermand agin , man may securely labour , and not sin ; a nazarite is not allow'd to shed the blood of man , or once to touch the dead ; but if the god of nazarites , bids kill he may ; and be a holy nazarite still : but stay ! is god like man ? or can he border vpon confusion , that 's the god of order ? the persian lawes no time may contradict ; and are the lawes of god lesse firme and strict ? an earthly parent wills his child to stand and waite , within a while he gives command ( finding the weaknesse of his sonne opprest with wearinesse ) that he sit downe and rest ; is god unconstant then , because he pleases to alter , what he wild us , for our eases ? know , likewise , o ungratefull flesh and blood , god limits his owne glory , for our good : he is the god of mercy , and he prizes thine asses life above his sacrifices ; his sabbath is his glory , and thy rest ; hee 'l lose some honour , ere thou lose a beast : great god of mercy ; o , how apt are wee to rob thee of thy due , that art so free to give unaskt ! teach me , o god , to know what portion i deserve , and tremble too . ●that heare the newes ) thus with himselfe besought ; it cannot be excus'd : it was a fault , it was a foule one too ; and , at first sight , 〈◊〉 greate for love , or pardon to acquite : ● , ●ad it beene a stranger , that betraid ●●posed secrets , i had onely laid the blame ●pon my unadvised tongue ; or bad a common friend but done this wrong to besome trust , my patience might out warne it ▪ i could endur'd , i could have easily borne it ; 〈◊〉 this to be betraied by a wi●e , the par●ner of my heart ; to whom my life , 〈◊〉 very soule was not estee●ed deare , it 〈◊〉 than flesh , is more than bloud can beare : 〈◊〉 yet alas , she was but greene and young , and had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue ; ●●season'd vessells , wi●● finde a leake at first ; but after hold : she is but weake ; ●●y , cannot yet write woman ; which , at best , 〈◊〉 a fraile thing : alas young , things will quest at every turne ; indeed , to say the truth , her yeares could make it but a fault of youth : samson , returne ; and let that fault be set vpo● the score of youth : forgive , forget : 〈◊〉 is my wife : her love hath power to hide a fouler errour ; why should i diuide my presence from her ? there 's no greater wrong 〈◊〉 love , than to be silent over long : 〈◊〉 , poore soule ! no doubt , her tender eye 〈◊〉 wept enough ; perchance she knowes not why 〈◊〉 turn'd so great a stranger to her bed , and boord : nodoubt , her empty eyes have shed a ●●●ld of teares ; perchance , her 〈◊〉 thought 〈◊〉 my absence 〈◊〉 a greater fault then that of late , her harmlesse errour did ; i 'le goe and draw a reconciling kid from the faire flocke ; my feet shall never rest , till i repose me in my brides faire brest ; he went , but ere his speedy lips obtain'd the merits of his haste , darknesse had stain'd the cristall brow of day ; and gloomy night had spoil'd and rifled heaven of all his light : h' approacht the gates ; but being entred in , his carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin , as if that silence meant , it should appeare , he was no other , than a stranger there ; in every servants looke , he did espie an easie copie of their masters eye ; he call'd his wife , but she was gone to rest ; vnto her wonted chamber he addrest his doubtfull steps ; till by her father , staid , who taking him aside a little , said : sonne , it was the late espousals that doe move my tongue to use that title ; not thy love : 't is true ; there was a marriage lately past betweene my childe and you ; the knot was fast and firmely tyed , not subject to the force of any power , but death , or else divorce : for ought i saw , a mutuall desire kindled your likings , and an equall fire of strong affection , joyned both your hands with the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands ; mutuall delight , and equall joyes attended your pleased hearts , untill the feast was ended ; but then i know no ground , ( you know it best ) as if your loves were measur'd by the feast , the building fell , before the house did shake , 〈◊〉 fire was quencht , ere it began to slake ; all on a sudden were your ioyes dis●eis●d ; f●rsooke your bride , and went away displeas'd ; 〈◊〉 left my child to the oppro●rions tongues of open censure , whose malitious wrongs ( maligning her faire merits ) did defame her wounded honour , and unblemisht na●e ; i thought , thy love , which was so strong , of late , had on a sudden , turn'd to perfect hate : at length , when as your longer absence did c●●firme my thoughts ; and time had quite forbid our hopes t' expect a reacdesse of love , thinking some new affection did●●emove your heart , and that some second choice might smother the first , i matcht your bride unto another ; if 〈◊〉 have done amisse , the fault must be imputed yours , and not to her , nor me ; but if your easie losse may be redeem'd with her faire sister ( who ; you know's esteem'd more beautifull than she , and younger too ) she shall be firmely joyn'd by nuptiall vow , and , by a present contract , shall become thy faithfull spouse , in her lost sisters roome : with that poor● samson , like a man entranc'd , and newly wakened , thus his voice advanc'd ; presumptuus philistine ! that dost proceed from the base loines of that accursed seed , blanded for slaughter , and mark'd out for death ; and utter ruine ; this my threatning breath shall blast thy nation ; this revenging hand shall crush thy darkasse , and thy cursed land ; ●●le give thy flesh to ravens ; and ravinous swine shall take that rancke and tainted bloud of thine for wash and swill , to quench their eager thirst , which they shall sucke , and guzzle till they burst ; i 'le burne your standing corne with flames of fire , that none shall quench ; i 'le drag ye in the mire of your owne blouds , which shall ore-flow the land and make your pasture barren as the sand ; this ruthlesse arme shall smite and never stay , vntill your land be turn'd a golgotha ; and if my actions prove my words untrue , let samson die , and be accurs'd , as you . medit. . god is the god of peace : and if my brother strike me on one cheeke , must i turn the other ? god is the god of mercy ; and his childe must be as he his , mercifull and milde ; god is the god of love : but sinner know , his love abus'd , hee 's god of vengeance too . is god the god of vengeance ? and may none revenge his private wrongs , but he alone ? what meanes this franticke nazarite to take gods office from his hand , and thus to make his wrongs amends ? who warranted his breath to threaten ruine , and to thunder death ? curious inquisitor ; when god shall strike by thy stout arme , thy arme may doe the like : his patent gives him power to create a deputie ; to whom he doth collate assistant power , in sufficient measure , to exercise the office of his pleasure ; a lawfull prince is gods lieutenant here : as great a maiesty as flesh can beare , he is endued with all ; in his bright eye ( cloath'd in the flames of majesty ) doth lie both life and death ; into his royall heart heaven doth inspire , and secretly impart the treasure of his lawes ; into his hand he thrusts his sword of iustice and command : he is gods champion ; where his voice bids , kill , he must not feare t' imbrew his hands , and spill , abundant bloud ; who gives him power to doe , will finde him guiltlesse , and assist him too : o , but let flesh and bloud take heed , that none pretend gods quarrell , to revenge his owne ; malice and base revenge must step aside , when heavens uprighter battels must be tride . where carnall glory , or ambitious thurst of simple conquest , or revenge , does burst vpon a neighbouring kingdome ; there to thrust into anothers crowne , the warre 's not just ; 't is but a private quarrell ; and bereft of lawfull grounds ; 't is but a princely theft : but where the ground 's religion ; to defend abused faith , let princes , there , contend , with dauntles courage : may their acts be glorious ; let them goe , prosperous ; and returne victorious : what if the grounds be mixt ? feare not to goe ; were not the grounds of sampsons combate so ? goe then with double courage and renowne , when god shall mixe thy quarrels with his owne : 't is a brave conflict ; and a glorious fray , where god and princes shall divide the prey . the argvment . he burnes their standing corne ; makes void their land : the philistines enquire the cause of all their evill ; destroy'd the timnite , and his house with fire . sect. . as ●agefull samsons threatning language ceast , his resolution of revenge increast ; vengeance was in his thoughts , and his desire wanted no fuell to maintaine her fire : passion grew hot and furious , whose delay of execution , was but taking day for greater payment : his revengefull heart boild in his brest ; whilst fury did impart her readie counsels , whose imperious breath , could whisper nothing , under bloud , and death : revenge was studious , quickned his conceit , and s●rew'd her engins to the very height : at length , when time had rip'ned his desires , and puffing rage had blowne his secret fires to open flame , now ready for confusion , he thus began t' attempt his first conclusion ; the patient angler , first provides his baite , before his hopes can teach him to awaite th' enjoyment of his long expected prey ; revengefull samson , ere he can appay his wrongs with timely vengeance , must intend to gaine the instruments , to worke his end ; he plants his engines , hides his snares about , pitches his toiles , findes new devices out , to tangle wilie foxes ; in few dayes , ( that land had store ) his studious hand betrayes a leash of hundreds , which he thus imploye as agents in his rashfull enterprize ; with tough , and force-enduring thongs of leth , he joynes and couples taile , and taile together , and every thong bound in a brand of fire , so made by art , that motion would inspire continuall flames , and as the motion ceast , the thriftie blaze would then retire and rest in the close brand , untill a second strife gave it new motion ; and that motion , life : soone as these coupled messengers receiv'd their fiercy errand , though they were bereiv'd of power to make great hast , they made good speed ; their thoughts were diffring , though their tailes agreed : t' one drags and draws to th' east ; the other , west ; one fit , they runne , another while they rest ; t' one skulks and snarles , the t' other tugges and hales ; at length , both flee , with fire in their tailes , and in the top and height of all their speed , t' one stops before the other bee agreed ; the other pulls , and dragges his fellow backe , whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke ; at last both weary of their warme embassage , their better ease discride a fairer passage , and time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne more close , and travell in a straiter lin● : into the open champion they divide their straggling paces ( where the ploughmans pride found a faire object , in his rip'ned corne ; whereof , some part was reapt ; some , stood unshorne ) sometimes the fiery travellers would seeke protection beneath a swelling reeke ; but soone that harbour grew too hot for stay , affording onely light , to runne away ; sometimes , the full-ear'd standing●wheat must cover and hide their flames ; and there the flames would hover about their eares , and send them to enquire a cooler place ; but there the flaming fire would scorch their hides ; & send thē sindg'd away ; thus doubtfull where to goe , or where to stay , they range about ; flee forward , then retire ; now here , now there , wher ere they come , they fire : nothing was left , that was not lost , and burn'd ; and now , that fruitfull land of iewry's turn'd a heape of ashes ; that faire land , while ere which fild all hearts with joy , and every eare with newes of plenty , and of blest encrease , ( the joyfull issue of a happy peace ) see , how it lies in her owne ruines , void of all her happinesse , disguis'd , destroyd : with that the philistines , whose sad reliefe and comfort 's deeply buried in their griefe , began to question ( they did all partake in th'irrecoverable losse ) and spake , what cursed brand of hell ? what more than devill , what envious miscreant hath done this evill ? whereto one sadly standing by , replide ; it was that cursed samson ( whose faire bride was lately ravisht from his absent brest by her false father ) who before the feast of nuptiall was a mo●th expir'd , and done , by second marriage , own'd another sonne ; for which this samson heav'd from off the henge of his lost reason , studied this revenge ; that timnits falshood wrought this desol●tion ; samson the actor was , but he , th' occasion : with that they all consulted to proceed in height of iustice , to revenge this deed ; samson whose hand was the immediat cause of this foule act , is stronger than their lawes ; him , they referre to time ; for his proud hand may bring a second ruine to their land ; the cursed timnite , he that did divide the lawfull bridgroome from his lawfull bride , and mov'd the patience of so strong a foe , to bring these evils , and worke their overthrow , to him they haste ; and with resolv'd desire of bloud , they burne his house , & him with fire . meditat. . dost thou not tremble ? does thy troubled care not tingle ? nor thy spirits faint to heare the voice of those , whose dying shriekes proclaime their tortures , that are broyling in the flame ? she , whose illustrious beautie did not know where to be matcht , but one poore houre agoe ; she , whose faire eyes were apt to make man erre from his knowne faith , and turne idolater ; she , whose faire cheeks , inricht with true complexion , seem'd beauties store-house of her best perfection ; see how she lies , see how this beautie lies , a foule offence , unto thy loathing eyes ; a fleshly cinder , lying on the floore starke naked , had it not beene covered ore with bashfull ruines , which were fallen downe from the consumed roofe , and rudely throwne on this halfe roasted earth . o ; canst thou reade her double storie , and thy heart not bleed ? what art thou more than she ? tell me wherein art thou more priviledg'd ▪ or can thy sinne plead more t' excuse it ? art thou faire and young ? why so was she : were thy temptations strong ? why so were hers : what canst thou plead , but she had power to plead the same , as well as thee ? nor was 't her death alone , could satisfie revenge ; her father , and his house must die : vnpunisht crimes doe often bring them in , that were no lesse than strangers to the sinne : ely must die ; because his faire reproofe of too foule sinne , was not austere enough : was vengeance now appeas'd ? hath not the crime paid a sufficient intrest for the time ? remove thine eye to the philistian fields ▪ see what increase their fruitfull harvest yeelds : there 's nothing there , but a confused heape of ruinous ashes : there 's no corne to reape : behold the poyson of unpunisht sinne : for which the very earth 's accurst againe : famine must act her part ; her griping hand , for one mans sinne must punish all the land : is vengeance now appeas'd ? hath sinne given ore to cry for plagues ? must vengeance yet have more ? o , now th' impartiall sword must come ; and spill the bloud of such , as famine could not kill : the language of unpunisht sinne cryes loud , it roares for iustice , and it must have bloud : famine must follow , where the fire begun ; the sword must end , what both have left undone . iust god! our sinnes doe dare thee to thy face ; our score is great , our ephah fills apace ; the leaden cover threatens every minut , to close the ephah , and our sinnes within it . turne back thine eye : let not thine eye behold such vile pollutions : let thy vengeance hold : looke on thy dying sonne , there shalt thou spie 〈◊〉 object , that 's more fitter for thine eye ; 〈◊〉 sufferings ( lord ) are farre above our finnes : 〈◊〉 , looke thou there ; ere iustice once begins ●t ' unsheath her sword : o let one precious drop fall from that pierced side , and that will stop the eares of vengeance , from that clamorous voice of our loud sinnes , which make so great a noise : o , send that drop , before revenge begins , and that will crie farre louder than our sinnes . the argvment . he makes a slaughter ; doth remove to etans rocke , where to repay him the wrongs that he had done , they move the men of iudah to betray him . sect. . thus when th'accurs'd philistians had appaid the timnies sinne , with ruine : and betraid th'unjust offenders to their fierce desire , and burn'd their cursed family with fire : 〈◊〉 the greatnesse of whose debt deni'd so short a payment : and whose wrongs yet cride● for further vengeance , to be further laid vpon the sinne-conniving nation , said , vnjust philistians , you that could behold 〈◊〉 a crime , and yet with-hold 〈◊〉 well deserved punishment so long ; 〈◊〉 made you partners in their sinne , my wrong ; had yee at first , when as the fault was young , before that time had lent her clamorous tongue so great a strength to call for so much bloud ; o , hid your earlie iustice but thought good to strike in time ; nay , had you then devis'd some easier punishment , it had suffic'd ; but now it comes too late ; the sinne has cryed , till heaven hath heard , and mercy is denied : nay , had the sinne but sp●r'd to roare so loud , a drop had serv'd , when now a tide of bloud will hardly stop her mouth : had ye done this betimes ! but now , this hand must plague your persons , and afflict your land : have ye beheld a youth-instructing tutor , ( whose wisdome's seldome seene , but in the future ) when well deserved punishment shall call for the delinquent boy ; how , first of all , he preaches fairely ; then proceeds austerer to the foule crime , whilst the suspitious hearer trembles at every word , untill at length , his language being ceas'd , th' unwelcome strength of his rude arme , that often proves too rash , strikes home , and fetches bloud at every lash : even so stout samson , whose more gentle tongue , in easie tearmes , doth first declare tho wrong , injustice did , then tells the evill effects that mans connivence , and unjust neglects does often bring upon th' afflicted land ; but , at the last , upheaves his ruthlesse hand ; he hewes , he hacks , and furie being guide , his unresisted power doth divide from top to toe ; his furious weapon cleft , where ere it strucke : it slue , and never left , vntill his flesh-destroying arme , at length , could finde no subject , where t' imploy his strength : here stands a head-strong steed , whose fainting guider drops down ; another drags his wounded rider : now here , now there his franticke arme would thunder and at one stroake , cleaves horse & man in sunder , in whose mixt bloud , his hands would oft embrue , and where so ere they did but touch , they slew : here 's no imployment for the surgeons trade , all wounds were mortall that his weapon made ; there 's none was left , but dying , or else dead , and onely they , that scap'd his fury , fled ; the slaughter ended , the proud victor past through the afflicted land , untill at last , he comes to iudah ; where he pitcht his tent , at the rocke etan : there some time he spent ; he spent not much , till the philistian band , that found small comfort in their wasted land , came up to iudah and there pitch'd not farre from samsons tent ; their hands were arm'd to warre : with that the men of iudah , strucke with feare , to see so great an armie , straite drew neere , to the sad campe ; who , after they had made some signes of a continued peace , they said ; what new designes have brought your royall band 〈◊〉 the borders of our peacefull land ? 〈◊〉 strange adventures ? what disastrous weather 〈◊〉 you this way ? what businesse brought you hether ? 〈◊〉 my lords be angry , or conceive 〈◊〉 evill against your servants : what we have , 〈◊〉 : the peacefull plentie of our land 〈◊〉 we , are yours , and at your owne command : 〈◊〉 , to what purpose are you pleas'd to shew us 〈◊〉 strength ! why bring you thus an army to us ? 〈…〉 our yearly tributes justly paid ? have we not kept our vowes ? have we delaid our faithfull service , or denied to doe it , when you have pleas'd to call your servants to it ? have we , at any time , upon your triall , shrunke from our plighted faith , or prov'd disloyall ? if that proud samson have abus'd your land , 't is not our faults ; alas , we had no hand in his designes : we lent him no releefe ; no aid ; no , we were partners in your griefe . whereto the philistines , whose hopes relyde vpon their faire assistance , thus replyde : feare not yee men of iudah ; our intentions are not to wrong your peace : your apprehensions are too toe-timerous ; our desires are bent against the common foe , whose hands have spent our lavish bloud , and rob'd our wasted land of all her joyes : t is he , our armed band expects , and followes : he is cloystred here , within your quarters : let your faiths appeare now in your loyall actions , and convay the skulking rebell to us , that we may revenge our bloud , which he hath wasted thus , and doe to him , as he hath done to us . meditat. . it was a sharpe revenge : but was it just ? shall one man suffer for another ? must the childrens teeth be set on edge , because their fathers ate the grapes ? are heavens lawes so strict ? whose lips did , with a promise , tell , that no such law should passe in israel : because the injurous timnits treacherous hand 〈◊〉 the fault , must samson scourge the land ? 〈◊〉 is a furious plague , and it infects 〈◊〉 next inhabitant , if he neglects 〈◊〉 meanes t' avoid it : t is not because he sinnes 〈◊〉 thou art punisht : no , it then begins ●●fect thy soule ; when , thou a stander by , ●proves it not : or when thy carelesse eye 〈◊〉 it as nothing : if a sinne of mine 〈◊〉 not thy wounded soule , it becomes thine . 〈◊〉 yee that god commits the sword of power 〈◊〉 the hands of magistrates , to scower 〈◊〉 keep it bright ? or onely to advance 〈◊〉 yet unknowne authority ? perchance , 〈◊〉 glorious hilt and scabberd make a show 〈◊〉 serve his turne , have it a blade , or no , 〈◊〉 neither knowes , nor cares : is this man fit 〈◊〉 obtaine so great an honor , as to fit 〈◊〉 gods lievtenant , and to punish sinne ? 〈◊〉 leaden magistrates , and know agin , 〈◊〉 sword was giv'n to draw , and to be dyde 〈◊〉 guilty blood , not to be layd aside 〈◊〉 the request of friends , or for base feare , 〈◊〉 when your honor 's ended with the yeare , 〈◊〉 may be baffled : 't is not enough that you 〈◊〉 bread be waight , or that the waights be true : 〈◊〉 not enough , that every foule disorder 〈◊〉 be refer'd to your more wise recorder : 〈◊〉 charge is given to you : you must returne 〈◊〉 account , or else , the land must mourne : 〈◊〉 keepe your swords too long a season in , 〈◊〉 god strikes us , because you strike not sinne : 〈◊〉 too remisse , and want a resolution : 〈◊〉 lawes lie dead for lack of execution : 〈◊〉 oath is growne so bold , that it will laugh the easie act , to scorne : nay , we can quaffe and reele with priviledge : and we can trample vpon our shame-shrunke cloakes , by your example : you are too dull : too great offences passe vntoucht ; god loves no service from the asse ; rouze up , o use the spurre , and spare the bridle , god strikes , because your swords , and you are idle ; grant lord that every one may mend a fault ; and then our magistrates may stand for nought . the argvment . the faithlesse men of iudah went to make him subject to their bands : they bound him by his owne consent , and brought him prisoner to their bends . sect. . so said : the men of iudah ( whose base feare taught them to open an obedient eare to their revengefull and unjust request ) accept the treacherous motion , and addrest their slavish thoughts , to put in execution the subject of their seruile resolution : with that , three thousand of their ablest men are soone employ'd ; to the fierce lyons den they come , ( yet daring not approach too neare ) and sent this louder language to his eare ; victorious samson , whose renowned facts have made the world a register of thy acts ; great army of men , the wonder of whose power gives thee the title of a walking tower , 〈◊〉 hast thou●thus betraid us to the hand of the accur'd philistines ? thou know'st our land does owe it selfe to thee ; there 's none can clame so great an interest in our hearts : thy name , thy highly honour'd name , for ever , beares a welcome accent in our joyfull eares ; but now the times are dangerous , and a band of proud philistians quarter in our land , and for thy sake , the tyranie of their tongues hath newly threatned to revenge the wrongs vpon our peacefull lives : their lips have vow'd and sworne to salve their injuries with our bloud ; their jealous fury hollowes in our eares , they 'l plague our land , as thou hast plagued theirs , if we refuse to doe their fierce command , and bring not samson prisoner to their hand ; alas , thou know'st our servile necks must bow to their imperious . yoke ; alas , our vow of loyalty is past : if they bid , doe ; we must ; or lose our lands , and our life 's too , were but our lifes in hazard , or if none should seele the smart of death , but we alone , wee 'd turne thy martyrs , rather than obey'm , wee 'd die with samson sooner than betray'm ; but we have wifes , and children , that would be the subjects of their rage , as well as wee : wherefore submit thy person , and fulfill . what we desire so much against our will : alas our griefes in equall poisure lye ; yeeld , and thou dyest : yeeld not , and we must die : whereto sad samson , whose faire thoughts did guide his lips to fairer language , thus replide ; ●e men of iudah , what distrustfull thought of single samsons violence hath brought so great a strength , as if you meant t' ●rethrow some mighty monarch , or suprise a foe ! your easie errand might as well bin done by two or three , or by the lips of one ; the meanest child of holy israels seede might conquer'd samson with a bruised reede : alas , the boldnesse of your welcome words need no protection of these slaves and swords : brethren , the intention of my comming hither was not to wrong you , or deprive you , either of lives , or goods , or of your poorest due ; my selfe is cheaper to my selfe , than you ; my comming is on a more faire designe , i come to crush your tyranous foes , and mine , i come to free your countrey , and recall your servile souldiers from the slavish thrall of the proud philistines ; and with this hand , to make you freemen in your promis'd land ; but you are come to binde me , and betray your faithfull champion to those bands , that lay perpetuall burdens on , which dayly vex your galled shoulders , and your servile neckes : the wrongs these cursed philistines have done my simple innocence , have quite outrunne my easie patience : if my arme may right my too much injur'd sufferance , and requite what they have done to me , it would appease my raging thoughts , and give my tortures ease ; but ye are come to binde me : i submit ; i yeeld ; and if my bondage will acquit your new borne feares , 't is well : but they that doe attempt to ruine me , will ransacke you : first , you shall firmely engage your plighted tr●th , by the acceptance of a sacred ●ath , that when i shall be pris'ner to your bands , i may not suffer violence by your hands : with that , they drawing nearer to him , laid their hands beneath his brawny thigh , and said , then let the god of iacob cease to blesse the tribe of iudah , with a faire successe , in ought they put their cursed hand unto , and raze their seed , if we attempt to doe bound samson violence ; and if this curse be not sufficient , heaven contrive a worse : with that the willing prisoner joyn'd his hands , to he subjected to their stronger bands : with treble twisted cords , that never tried the twitch of strength , their busie fingers tied his sinewy wrists , which being often wound about his beating pulse , they brought him bound to the forefront of the philistian band , and left him captive in their cursed hand . meditat. . o what a pearle is hidden in this field , whose orient luster , and perfections yeeld so great a treasure , that the easterne kings , with all the wealth , their colder climate brings , nere saw the like : it is a pearle whose glory is the diviner subject of a story , pend by an angels quill ; not understood by the too dull conceit of flesh and bloud ! vnkinde iudeans , what have you presented before your eyes ? o , what have you attented ! he that was borne on purpose , to release his life for yours , to bring your nation peace ; to turne your mournings into joyfull songs ; to fight your battells ; to revenge your wrongs ; even him , alas , your cursed hands have made this day your prisoner ; him have you betraid to death : o , he whose snowy arme had power to crush you all to nothing , and to shower downe strokes like thunderbolts , whose blasting breath might in a moment , puft you all to death , and made ye fall before his frowning brow , see how he goes away , betraid by you ! thou great redeemer of the world ! whose bloud hath power to save more worlds , than noahs floud destroyed bodies ; thou , o thou that art the samson of our soules , how can the heart of man give thankes enough , that does not know how much his death-redeemed soule does owe to thy deare merits ? we can apprehend no more than flesh and bloud does recommend to our confined thoughts : alas , we can conceive thy love , but as the love of man : we cannot tell the horror of that paine thou bought us from ; nor can our hearts attaine those joyes that thou hast purchas'd in our name , nor yet the price thou paidst : our thoughts are lāe , and craz'd ; alas , things mortall have no might , no meanes to comprehend an infinite : we can behold thee cradled in a manger in a poore stable : we can see the danger the tetrarch's fury made thee subject to ; we can conceive thy poverty ; we know thy blessed hands ( that might bin freed ) were boūd , we know , alas , thy bleeding browes were crown'd with pricking thorne ; thy body torne with whips ; thy palmes impeirc'd with ragged nailes ; thy lips saluted with a traitors kisse ; thy browes sweating forth bloud : thy oft repeated blowes ; thy fastning to the crosse ; thy shamefull death ; these outward tortures all come underneath our dull conceits : but , what thy blessed soule ( that bore the burden of our guilt , and scroule of all our sinnes , and horrid paines of hell ) o , what that soule endur'd , what soule can tell ! the argvment . he breakes their bands ; and with a bone a thousand philistians he slue : hee thirsted ; fainted ; made his moane to heaven : he drinkes , his spirits renew . sect. . thus when the glad philistians had obtain'd the summe of all their hopes , they entertain'd the welcome pris'ner with a greater noise of triumph than the greatnesse of their joyes required : some , with sudden death would greet the new come guest ; whilst others , more discreet , with lingring paines , and tortures more exact , would force him to discover , in the fact , who his abettors were : others gainsaid that course , for feare a rescue may be made ; ●ome cry , ' t is fittest that th' offender bleed 〈◊〉 , where his cursed hands had done the deed : others cryed , no , where fortune hath consign'd him , wee 'le kill him : best ; to kill him , where we finde him : thus variously they spent their doubtfull breath , at last they all agreed on sudden death ; there 's no contention now , but onely who shall strike the first , or give the speeding blow : have ye beheld a single thred of flax , touch'd by the fire , how the fire crackes with ease , and parts the slender twine in sunder , even so , as the first arme began to thunder vpon the prisners life , he burst the bands from his strong wrists , & freed his loosned hands ; he stoop'd ; from off the bloud-expecting grasse , he snatcht the crooked jaw-bone of an asse ; wherewith , his fury dealt such downe-right blowes so oft redoubled , that it overthrowes man after man ; and being ring'd about with the distracted , and amazed rout of rude philistians , turn'd his body round , and in a circle dings them to the ground : each blow had proofe ; for , where the jaw-bone mist , the furious champion wounded with his fist : betwixt them both , his fury did uncase a thousand soules , which in that fatall place , had left their ruin'd carkeises , to feast the flesh-devouring fowle , and rav'nous beast : with that , the conquerour , that now had fed and surfeited his eye upon the dead his hand had slaine , sate downe ; and having flung his purple weapon by , triumpht , and sung ; samson rejoyce : be fill'd with mirth ; let all iudea know , and tell the princes of the earth how strong an arme hast thou : how has thy dead enricht the land and purpled ore the grasse , that hadst no weapon in thy hand , but the jaw-bone of an asse ! how does thy strength and high renowne the glory of men surpasse ! thine arme has strucke a thousand downe , with the jaw-bone of an asse : let samsons glorious name endure , till time shall render one , whose greater glory shall obscure the glory thou hast wone . his song being ended , rising from the place whereon he lay , he turn'd his ruthlesse face vpon those heapes his direfull hand had made , and op'ning of his thirsty lips , he said : great god of conquest , thou by whose command the heart received courage , and this hand strength , to revenge thy quarrels , and fulfill the secret motion of thy sacred will ; that , shall thy champion perish now with thirst ? thou knowst , i have done nothing , but what first was warranted by thy command : 't was thou that gave my spirit boldnesse , and my brow a resolution : 't is mine arme did doe no more , than what thou didst enjoyne me to : and shall i die for thirst ? o thou that sav'd me from the lyons rage , that would have rav'd vpon my life : by whom i have subdu'd thy cursed enemies , and have imbru'd my heaven-commanded hands , in a spring-tyde of guilty bloud ; lord , shall i be denyde a draught of cooling water to allay the tyranny of my thirst ? i , that this day have labourd in thy vineyard ; rooted out so many weeds , whose lofty crests did sprout above thy trodden vines ; what , shall i dye for want of water , thou the fountaine by ? i know that thou wert here , for had'st thou not supplyde my hand with strength , i ne're had got so strange a vict'rie : hath thy servant taken thy worke in hand , and is he now forsaken ? hast thou not promis'd that my strengthned hand shall scourge thy foe-men , and sccure thy land from slavish bondage ? will that arme of thine make me their slave , whom thou hast promist mine ? bow downe thy eare , and heare my needfull crye ; o , quench my thirst , great god , or else i dye : with that the jaw , wherewith his arme had laid so many sleeping in the dust , obeyde the voice of god , and cast a tooth , from whence a sudden spring arose , whose confluence of chrystall waters , plenteously disburst their precious streames ; and so allaid his thurst . meditat. . the jaw bone of an asse ? how poore a thing god makes his powerfull instrument to bring some honour to his name , and to advance his greater glory ! came this bone , by chance , to samsons hand ? or could the army goe no further ? but must needs expect a foe iust where his weapon of destruction lay ? was there no fitter place , for them to stay , but even just there ? how small a thing 't had bin ( if they had beene so provident ) to winne the day with ease ? had they but taken thence that cursed bone , what colour of defence had samson found ? or how could he withstood the necessary danger of his bloud ? where heav'n doth please to ruine , humane wit must faile , and deeper policie must submit : there , wisdome must be fool'd , & strength of braine must worke against it selfe , or worke in vaine : the tracke that seemes most likely , often leads to death ; and where securitie most pleads , there , dangers , in their fairest shapes , appeare , and give us not so great a helpe , as feare : the things we least suspect are often they , that most affect our ruine , and betray : who would have thought , the silly asses bone , not worth the spurning , should have overthrowne so stout a band ? heav'n oftentimes thinkes best , to overcome the greatest with the least : he gaines most glory in things , that are most slight , and winnes in honour , what they want in might : who would have thought that samsons deadly thurst should have bin quencht with waters , that did burst and flow from that dry bone ? who would not thinke the thirstie conquerour , for want of drinke , should first have died ? what mad man could presume so dry a tooth should yeeld so great a rheume ? god does not worke like man ; not is he tyed to outward meanes : his pleasure is his guide , not reason : he , that is the god of nature , can worke against it : he that is creator of all things , can dispose them , to attend his will , forgetting their created end : hee whose almighty power did supply this bone with water , made the red sea dry : great god of nature , 't is as great an ease for thee to alter nature , if thou please , as to create it ; let that hand of thine shew forth thy powre , and please to alter mine : my sinnes are open , but my sorrow 's hid ; i cannot drench my couch , as david did ; my braines are marble , and my heart is stone : o strike mine eyes , as thou didst strike that bone . the argvment . he lodgeth with a harlot : wait is laid , and guardes are pitcht about● ▪ he beeres away the city gate vpon his shoulders , and goes out . sect. . thus when victorious samson had unliv'd this hoast of armed men ; and had reviv'd his fainting spirits , and refresht his tongue with those sweet christal streames , that lately sprūg from his neglected weapon , he arose ( secured from the tyrannie of his foes by his heaven-borrowed strength ) & boldly came to a philistian city , knowne by th' name of azza ; where , as he was passing by , the carelesse champion cast his wandring eye vpon a face , whose beauty did invite his wanton heart to wonder and delight : her curious haire was crisp'd : her naked brest was white as ivory , and fairely drest with costly iewells : in her glorious face , nature was hidden , and dissembled grace damaskt her rosie cheekes : her eyes did sparke , at every glance , like diamonds in the darke ; bold was her brow ; whose frowne was but a foile to glorifie her better-pleasing smile ; her pace was carelesse , seeming to discover the passions of a discontented lover : sometime , her opned casement gives her eye a twinckling passage to the passer by ; and , when her fickle fancy had given ore that place , she comes , and wantons at the doore ; there samson view'd her , and his steps could finde no further ground ; but ( guided by his minde ) cast anchor there : have thy observing eyes ere mark'd the spiders garbe , how close she lies within her curious webbe ; and by and by , how quicke she hastes to her intangled flie ; and whispring poyson in her murmuring eares , at last , she tugges her silent guest , and beares his hampred body to the inner roome of her obscure and solitary home ; even so this snaring beauty entertaines our eye-led samson , tampred with the chaines of her imperious eyes ; and he , that no man could conquer ; now lies conquered by a woman : faire was his welcome , and as fairely exprest by her delicious language , which profest no lesse affection than so sweet a friend , could , with her best expressions , recommend : into her glorious chamber she directs her welcome guest , and with her faire respects she entertaines him ; with a bountious kisse , she gives him earnest of a greater blisse ; and with a brazen countenance , she brake the way to her unchaste desires , and spake ; mirrour of mankinde , thou selected flowre of loves faire knot , welcome to flora's howre ; cheare up my love ; and looke ●pon these cyes , wherein my beauty , and thy picture lyes ; come take me prisner , in thy folded armes ; and boldly strike up sprightly loves alarmes vpon these rubey lips , and let us trie the sweets of love ; here 's none but thee and i : my beds are softest downe , and purest lawne my sheets ; my vallents and my curtaines drawne in gold and silkes of curious di● : behold , my covrings are of tap'stry , ' inricht with gold ; come , come , and let us take our fill of pleasure ; my husbands absence lends me dainty leasure to give thee welcome : come , let 's spend the night in sweet enjoyment of unknowne delight . her words prevail'd : and being both undrest , together went to their defiled rest : by this the newes of samsons being there possest the city , and fill'd every eare : his death is plotted ; and advantage lends new hopes of speed : an armed guard attends at every gate , that when the breaking day shall send him forth , th' expecting forces may betray him to his sudden death ; and so revenge their kingdomes ruines at a blow : but lustfull samson ( whose distrustfull eares kept open house ) was now possest with feares : he heares a whisp'ring ; and the trampling feet of people passing in the silent street ; he whom undaunted courage lately made a glorious conquerour , is now afraid ; his conscious heart is smitten with his sinne ; he cannot chuse but feare , and feare agin : he feares ; and now the terrible alarmes of sinne doe call him from th'unlawfull armes and lips of his luxurious concubine ; bids him , arise from dalliance , and resigne the usurpation of his luke-warme place to some new sinner , whose lesse dangerous case may lend more leisure to so soule a deed : samson , with greater and vnwonted speed leapes from his wanton bed : his feares doe presse more haste to cloath ; than lust did , to undresse : he makes no tarryance ; but with winged hast , bestrides the streets ; and to the gates he past , and through the armed troupes , he makes his way ; beares gates , and barres , and pillers all away ; so scap'd the rage of the philistian band , that still must owe his ruine , to their land . medit. . how weake , at strongest , is poore flesh & blood ! samson , the greatnes of whose power withstood a little world of armed men , with death , ●ust now be foyled with a womans breath : the mother , sometimes lets her infant fall , to make it hold the surer by the wall : god lets his servant often goe amisse , that he may turne , and see how weake he is : david that found an overflowing measure of heavens high favours , and as great a treasure of saving grace , and portion of the spirit , as flesh and bloud was able to inherit , must have a fall to exercise his feares , and make him drowne his restles couch with tears : wise salomon , within whose heart was planted the fruitfull stockes of heavenly wisdome , wanted not that , whereby his weakenesse understood the perfect vanity of flesh and bloud : whose hand seem'd prodigall of his isaacs life , he durst not trust gods providence with his wife : the righteous l●t had slidings : holy paul he had his pricke ; and peter had his fall : the sacred bride , in whose faire face remaines the greatest earthly beauty , hath her staines : if man were perfect , land entirely good , he were not man : he were not flesh and blood : or should he never fall , he would at length , not see his weakenesse , and presume in strength : ere children know the sharpnesse of the edge , they thinke , their fingers have a priveledge against a wound ; but having felt the knife , a bleeding finger , sometime saves a life : lord , we are children , & our sharpe-edg'd knives , together with our bloud , le ts out our lives ; alas , if we but draw them from the sheath , they cut our fingers , and they bleed to death . thou great chirurgion of a bleeding soule , whose soveraigne baulme , is able to make whole the deepest wound , thy sacred salve is sure ; we cannot bleed so fast , as thou canst cure : heale thou our wounds , that , having salv'd the sore our hearts may feare , and learne to sinne no more ; and let our hands be strangers to those knives , that wound not fingers onely , but our lives . the argvment . he falls in league with delila : the nobles bribe her to discover her samsons strength , and learne the way to binde her arme-prevailing lover . sect. . not farre from azza , in a fruitfull valley close by a brooke , whose silver streams did da●ley ●ith the smooth bosome of the wanton sands , ●hose winding current parts the neighbring lands , and often washes the beloved sides ●her delightfull bankes , with gentle tydes ; ●●re dwelt a beauty , in whose sunne-bright eye , 〈◊〉 sate in thron'd ; and full of majestie , 〈◊〉 forth such glorious eye-surprizing rayes , 〈◊〉 she was thought the wonder of her dayes : 〈◊〉 name was called delila , the faire ; ●●ther did amorous samson oft repaire , 〈◊〉 with the piercing flame of her bright eye , 〈◊〉 so long ; that like a wanton flye 〈◊〉 ●urnt his lustfull wings , and so became 〈◊〉 slavish prisner to that conquering flame : she askt , and had : there 's nothing was too high for her , to beg ; or samson to denie : who now , but delila ? what name can raise and crowne his drooping thoughts , but delila's ? all time 's mispent , each houre is cast away , that 's not imploy'd upon his delila : gifts must be given to delila : no cost , if sweetest delila but smile , is lost : no ioy can please ; no happinesse can crowne his best desires , if delila but frowne : no good can blesse his amorous heart , but this , hee 's delila's , and delila is his : now , when the louder breath of fame had blowne her newes-proclaiming trumpet , & made knowne this lovers passion , to the joyfull eares of the cow'd philistines ; their nimble feates advis'd their better hopes , not to neglect so faire advantage , which may bring t' effect their best desires , and right their wasted land of all her wrongs , by a securer hand : with that , some few of the philistian lords repaire to delila ; with baited words they tempt the frailty of the simple maid , and , having sworne her to their counsell , said : faire delila ; thou canst not chuse but know the miseries of our land : whose ruines show the danger , whereinto not we , but all , if thou deny they helpefull hand , must fall : those fruitfull fields , that offer'd , but of late , their plenteous favours to our prosperous state ; see , how they lie a ruinous heape , and void of all their plenty ; wasted , and destroyde : our common foe hath sported with our lives : hath slaine our children , and destroy'd our wives : 〈…〉 poore distressed land doth grone vnder that mischiefe that his hands have done ; ●●dowes implore thee , and poore orphans tongues ●all to faire delila , to right their wrongs : 〈◊〉 lies in thee , to help ; thy helpefull hand may ha●e the glory to revenge thy land ; for which our thankefull nation shall allow not onely honour ; but reward ; and thou , from every hand that 's present here , shall gaine 〈◊〉 a thousand sicles for thy paine : to whom , faire delila , whom reward had tied to satisfie her owne desires , replied ; my lords ; my humble service i acknowledge due , 〈◊〉 , to my native country ; next , to you : if heaven , and fortune , have enricht my hand , with so much power , to relieve our land , when ere your honours please to call me to it , 〈◊〉 delila shall die , or doe it : say then ( my lords ) wherein my power may doe this willing service to my land , or you . thou knowest , ( say they ) no forces can withstand the mighty strength of cursed samsons hand ; 〈◊〉 ruines armies , and does overthrow 〈◊〉 greatest bands , nay , kingdomes at a blow ; the limits of his , more then manly , powers are not confin'd , nor is his arme like ours : his strength is more then man ; his conquering arme hath , sure , th' assistance of some potent charme ; 〈◊〉 , nothing but the glory of thine eyes , ( wherein a farre more strong enchantment lies ; ) 〈◊〉 overthrow : he 's prisoner to thine eye , 〈◊〉 canst thou aske , what samson can deny : 〈◊〉 sweetnesse of thy language hath the art , to dive into the secrets of his heart ; move samson then : unbarre his bolted brest , and let his deafned eares attaine no rest , vntill his eye-inchanted tongue replyes , and tells thee , where his hidden power lyes : vrge him to whisper in thy private ●are , and to repose his magicke mystr'y , there ; how , by what meanes , his strength may be betray'd to b●nds , and how his power may be allaid ; that we may right these wrongs , which his proud hand hath rudely offer'd to our ruinous land : in this , thou shalt obtaine the reputation to be the sole redeemer of thy nation , whose wealth shall crowne thy loyalty with a meed due to the merits of so faire a deed : whereto , faire delila ( whose heart was tyed to samsons love , for her owne ends ; ) replied ; my honourable lords : if my successe in these your just imployments prove no lesse then my desiers , i should thinke my paines rewarded in the action : if the raines of samsons headstrong power were in my hands , these lips should now performance : your commands should worke obedience , in the loyall brest of your true servant ; who would never rest , till she had done the deed : but know , my lords , if the poore frailty of a womans words may shake so great a power , and prevaile , my best advis'd endeavours shall not faile to be imploy'd : i le make a sudden triall ; and quickly speed , or finde a soule deniall . meditat. . insatiate samson ! could not azza smother thy flaming lust ; but must thou finde another ? is th' old growne stale ? and seekst thou for a new ? alas , where two's too many , three 's too few : mans soule is infinite , and never tires in the extension of her owne desires : the sprightly nature of his active minde aimes still at further ; will not be confinde to th' poore dimensions of flesh and blood ; something it still desiers : covets good , would faine be happy , in the sweet enjoyment of what it prosecutes , with the imployment of best endeavours ; but it cannot finde so great a good , but something 's still behind : it first propounds , applauds , desires , endeavours ; at last enjoyes ; but ( like to men , in feavours , who fancy alway those things that are worst ) the more it drinks , the more it is a thirst : the fruitfull earth ( whose nature is the worse for sin ; with man partaker in the curse ) ●●mes at perfection : and would faine bring forth ( as first it did ) things of the greatest worth ; ●er colder wombe endeavours ( as of old ) to ripen all her metals , unto gold ; o , but that sin-procured curse hath chill'd the heate of pregnant nature , and hath filld her barren seed , with coldnesse , which does lurke in her ●aint wombe , that her more perfect worke is hindred ; and , for want of heate , brings forth imperfect metals , of a baser worth : even so , the soule of man , in her first state , receiv'd a power , and a will to that which was most pure , and good ; but , since the losse of that faire freedome , onely trades in drosse ; aimes shee at wealth ? alas , her proud desire strives for the best ; but failing to mount higher than earth , her errour grapples , and takes hold on that , which earth can onely give her , gold : aimes she at glory ? her ambition flies as high a pitch , as her dull wings can rise ; but , failing in her strength , she leaves to strive , and takes such honour , as base earth can give ; aimes she at pleasure ? her desires extend to lasting joyes , whose pleasures have no end ; but , wanting wings , she grovels on the dust , and , there , she lights upon a carnall lust ; yet nerethelesse , th'aspring soule desires a perfect good ; but , wanting those sweet fires , whose heate should perfect her unrip'ned will , cleaves to th'apparent good , which good is ill ; whose sweet enjoyment , being farre unable to give a satisfaction answerable to her unbounded wishes , leaves a thirst of re-enjoyment , greater than the first . lord ; when our fruitlesse fallowes are growne cold ; and out of heart , we can inrich the mould with a new heate ; wee can restore againe her weakned soile ; and make it apt for graine ; and wilt thou suffer our faint soules ; to lie thus unmanur'd , that is thy husbandry ? they beare no other bulke , but idle weeds , alas , they have no heart , no heate ; thy seedes are cast away , untill thou please t'enspire new strength , & quench them with thy sacred fire : stirre thou my fallowes , and enrich my mould , and they shal bring thee'encrease , a hundred fold . the argvment . false delila accosts her lover : her lips endeavour to entice his gentle nature to discover his strength : samson deceives her thrice . sect. . soone as occasion lent our champions eare to delila , which could not chuse but heare , if delila but whisper'd ; she , whose wiles were neatly baited with her simple smiles , accosted samson ; her alluring hand sometimes would stroke his temples ; sometime span'd his brawny arme sometimes , would gently gripe his sinewy wrest ; another while , would wipe his sweating browes ; her wanton fingers plai'd , sometimes , with his faire lockes ; sometimes , would brai'd his long dishevell'd hair ; her eyes , one while would steale a glance upon his eyes , and smile ; and , thē , her crafty lips would speak ; then , smother her broken speech ; and , then , begin another : at last , as if a sudden thought had brake from the faire prison of her lips , she spake ; how poore a grisle is this arme of mine ! me thinkes , 't is nothing , in respect of thine ; i 'd rather feele the power of thy love , than of thy hand ; in that , my heart would prove the stouter champion , and would make thee yeeld , and leave thee captive in the conquer'd field . the strength of my affection passes thine , as much as thy victorious arme does mine ; the greatest conquest , then , is due to me ; thou conquer'st others , but i conquer thee : but say , my love , is it some hidden charme , or does thy stocke of youth enrich thy arme with so great power , that can overthrow , and conquer mighty kingdomes , at a blow ? what cause have i to joy ! i need not feare the greatest danger , now my samson's here : i feare no rebels now ; me thinks , thy power makes me a princesse , and my house , a tower : but say , my love , if delila should finde thee , lost in a sleepe , could not her fingers binde thee ? me thinkes they should : but i would scorne to make so poore a conquest : when th' art broad awake , teach me the tricke : or if thou wilt deny me ; know , that my owne invention shall supply me , without thy helpe : i 'le use a womans charmes , and binde thee fast , within these circled armes : to whom , the champion , smiling , thus replied ; take the greene osyers that were never dried , and bind thy samsons wrists together , then , he shall be fast , and weake as other men : with that , the philistines , that lay in waite within an eares command , commanded strait , that osyers should be brought : wherwith she tyed victorious samsons joyned hands , and cryed ; samson make haste ; and let thy strength appeare : samson take heed ; the philistines , are here : he starts , and as the flaming fier cracks the slender substance of th'untwisted flaxe , 〈◊〉 ●witcht in sunder his divided bands , 〈◊〉 in a moment freed his fastned hands ; 〈◊〉 that offended delila bewrai'd 〈◊〉 frowne , halfe sweetned with a smile , and said ; thinkst thou , thy delila does goe about 〈◊〉 ●rappe thy life ? or , can my samson doubt ●wrod● ledge a secret in the loyall brest 〈◊〉 faithfull delila , that findes no rest , 〈◊〉 happinesse , but in thy heart , alone , 〈◊〉 ioy i prize farre dearer then my owne ? 〈◊〉 then shouldst thou deceive me , and impart s●●oule a falshood , to so true a heart ? c●me , grant my suite , and let that faithlesse tongue make love amends which hath done love this wrong : to whom dissembling samson thus replied , take twisted ropes , whose strength was never tryed , and tye these closed hands together ; then , i shall be fact , and weake as other men : with that , she bound him close ; and having made the knot more suer , then her love's , she said ; samson arise ; and take thy strength vpon thee ; samson make hast ; the philistines are on thee : he straight arose , and as a striving hand would breake a sisters thred , he crackt the band that bound his arms , he crackt the bands insunder ; but frowning delila , whose heart did wonder no lesse then vexe , being fill'd with discontent , she said ; false lover , if thy heart had meant , what thy faire tongue had formerly profest , thou nere hadst kept thy secrets from my brest : wherein hath delila bin found unjust , not to deserve the honour of thy trust ? wherein , have i beene faithlesse of disloyall ? or what request of thine , are found denyall ? had i but bin so wise , as to deny , samson might beg'd , and mis● , as well as i : but 't is my fortune , still , to be most free to those , as are the ●est reserv'd to me : be not ingratefull , samson ; if my brest were but as false , as thine is hard , i 'd rest to tempt thy silence , or to move my suite ▪ speake then , but speake the truth ; or else be mute . to whom , fond samson : if thy hands would tye these locks to yonder beame , they will diserie my native we●knesse : and thy samson , then , would be as poore in strength , as other men : so said ; her busie fingers soone obey'd ; his locks being platted to the beame , she said : samson bestirre thee ; and let thy power appeare : samson take heed ; the philistines are here : with that he quits the place ( whereon he lay , fallne fast asleepe ) and bore the beame away . meditat. . see , how the crafty serpent , twists and windes into the brest of man ! what paths he findes , and crooked by-wayes ! with how sweet a baite he hides the hooke of his inveterate hate ! what suger'd words , and eare-delighting art he uses , to supplant the yeelding heart of poore deceived man , who stands and trusts vpon the broken staffe of his false ●●●sts ! he tempts ; allures ; suggests ; and , in conclusion , makes man the pander to his owne confusion : the fruit was faire and pleasing to the eyes , apt to breed knowledge , and to make them wise ; must they not taste so faire a fruit , not touch ? yes , doe : t will make you gods , and know as much as he that made it : thinke you , you can fall into deaths hands ? yee shall not dye at all : thus fell poore man : his knowledge proved such , better ' thad bin , he had not knowne so much : thus this old serpent takes advantage still on our desiers , and distemperd will : art thou growne covetous ? wouldst thou faine be rich ? he comes and strikes thy heart with the dry itch of having : wealth will rouze thy heartles friends ; make thee a potent master of thy ends ; 't will bring thee honour ; make thy suites at law prosper at will ; and keepe thy foes in awe : art thou ambitious ? he will kindle fire in thy proud thoughts , & make thy thoughts aspire ; ●ee'l come and teach thy honour how to scorne 〈◊〉 old acquaintance , whom thou hast outworne : 〈◊〉 teach thee how to lord it , and advance 〈◊〉 servants fortunes , with thy countenance : wouldst thou enjoy the pleasures of the flesh ? 〈◊〉 bring thee wanton ladies , to refresh 〈◊〉 drooping soule : he 'l teach thine eyes to wander ; 〈◊〉 thee how to wooe ; hee 'l be thy pander : 〈◊〉 fill thy amorous soule with the sweet passion 〈◊〉 powerfull love : hee 'l give thee dispensation , 〈◊〉 sinne at pleasure ; he will make thee slave 〈◊〉 thy own thoughts : hee 'l make thee beg & crave 〈◊〉 be a drudge : hee 'l make thy treacherous breath 〈◊〉 thee , and betray thee to thy death . lord ; if our father adam could not stay 〈◊〉 his upright perfection , one poore day ; how can it be expected , we have power to hold out seige , one scruple of an hower : our armes are bound with too unequall bands ; we cannot strive ; we cannot loose our hands : great nazarite , awake ; and looke upon us : make haste to helpe ; the philistines are on us . the argvment . she sues againe : samson replies the very truth : her lips betray him : they binde him ; they put out his eyes , and to the prison they convey him . sect. . with that ; the wanton , whose distrustfull eye , was fixt upon reward , made this reply ; had the deniall of my poore request proceeded from th'inexorable brest of one , whose open hatred sought t' endanger my haunted life ; or had it bin a stranger , that wanted so much nature , to deny the doing of a common curtesie ; nay , had it bin a friend that had deceiv'd me , an ordinary friend , it nere had griev'd me : but thou , even thou my bosome friend , that art the onely joy of my deceived heart ; nay thou , whose hony-dropping lips so often did plead thy undissembled love , and soften my deare affection , which could never yeeld to easier termes ; by thee , to be beguild ? how often hast thou mockt my slender suite with forged falshood ? hadst thou but beene mute , i●ere had hop'd : but being fairely led towards my prompt desiers , which were fed with my false hopes , and thy false-hearted tongue , and then beguild ? i hold it as a wrong : how canst thou say thou lov'st me ? how can i thinke but thou hat'st me , when thy lips deny so poore a suite ? alas , my fond desire had slak'd , had not deniall blowne the fire : grant then at last , and let thy open brest 〈◊〉 that thou lov'st me ' , and grant my faire request : speake , or speake not , thy delila shall give ore to urge ; her lips shall never urge thee more : to whom the yeelding lover thus betrai'd his heart , being tortur'd unto death , and said ; my deare , my delila ; i cannot stand against so sweet a pleader ; in thy hand there entrust , and to thy brest impart in samsons life , and secrets of his heart ; 〈◊〉 then my delila , that i was borne ●nazarite ; these locks were never shorne ; 〈◊〉 raisar , yet , came ere upon my crowne ; there lies my strength , with thē , my strength is gone : 〈◊〉 they but shaven , my delila ; o , then , in samson should be weake as other men ; no sooner had he spoken , but he spred his body on the floore , his drowzy head , 〈◊〉 pillow'd on her lap ; untill , at last , he fell into a sleepe ; and , being fast , she clipt his locks from off his carelesse head , and beckning the philistians in , she said ; samson awake ; take strength and courage on thee ; samson arise ; the philistines are on thee : even as a dove , whose wings are clipt , for flying , flutters her idle stumps ; and still 's relying vpon her wonted refuge , strives in vaine , to quit her life from danger , and attaine the freedome of her ayre-diuiding plumes ; she struggles often , and she oft presumes to take the sanctuary of the open fields ; but , finding that her hopes are vaine , she yeelds ; even so poore samson ( frighted at the sound , that rows'd him from his rest ) forsook the ground ; perceiving the philistians there at hand , to take him pris'ner , he began to stand vpon his wonted guard : his threatning breath brings forth the prologue to their following death : he rowz'd himselfe ; and , like a lyon , shooke his drowzy limmes ; and with a cloudy looke , ( fore-telling boystrous , and tempestuous weather ) defi'd each one , defi'd them all together : now , when he came to grapple , he upheav'd his mighty hand ; but , now ( alas , bereav'd of wonted power ) that confounding arme , ( that could no lesse then murther ) did no harme blow was exchang'd , for blow ; & wound for wound he , that , of late , disdained to give ground , flies backe apace ; who , lately , stain'd the field with conquer'd blood , does now begin to yeeld ; he , that , of late , brake twisted ropes in twaine , is bound with packthred ; he , that did disdaine to feare the power of an armed band , can now walke prisoner in a single hand : thus have the trecherous philistines betray'd poore captive samson : samson now obay'd : those glowing eyes , that whirled death about , where ere they view'd , their cursed hands put out they led him pris'ner , and convai'd him downe 〈◊〉 strong-wall'd d' azza ( that philisti●● towne , those gates his shoulders lately bore away ) ●●ere , in the common prison , did they lay ●●stressed samson , who obtain'd no meate , 〈◊〉 what he purchas'd with his painfull sweate ; 〈◊〉 , every day , they urg'd him to fulfill 〈◊〉 twelve howres taske , at the laborious mill ; 〈◊〉 , when his wasted strength began to tyre , ●●ey'd quicken his bare sides , with whips of wire : ●●ll'd was the towne with ioy , and triumph : all , ●rom the high-prince , to th' cobbler , on the stall , ●ept holy-day , whilest every voice became ●oarse , as the trumpe of newes-divulging fame ; 〈◊〉 tongues were fill'd with shouts : and every eare ●●as growne impatient of the whisperer ; 〈◊〉 generall was their triumph , their applause , that children shouted ere they knew a cause : the better sort betooke them to their knees , dagon must worship'd be : dagon , that frees ●oth sea , and land , dagon , that did subdue 〈◊〉 common ●oe : dagon must have his due : dagon must have his praise ; must have his prize : dagon must have his holy sacrifice : dagon has brought to our victorious hand ●roud samson : dagon has redeem'd our land : 〈◊〉 call to dagon : and our dagon heares ; 〈◊〉 groanes are 〈◊〉 to holy dagons eares ; to dagon , all renowne and glory be ; where is there such another god as hee ? medita . . how is our story chang'd ? o , more then strange effects of so small time ! o , sudden change ; is this that holy nazarite , for whom heaven shew'd a miracle on the barren wombe ? is this that holy thing , against whose birth angels must quit their thrones , and visit earth ? is this that blessed infant , that began to grow in favour so with god and man ? what , is this he , who ( strengthn'd by heav'ns hand ) was borne a champion , to redeeme the land ? is this the man , whose courage did contest with a fierce lyon , grapling brest to brest ; and in a twinkling , tore him quite in sunder ? is this that conquerour , whose arme did thunder vpon the men of askalon , the power of whose bent fist , slew thirty in an hower ? is this that daring conquerour , whose hand thrasht the proud philistines in their wasted land ? and was this he , that with the helpe of none , destroy'd a thousand with a silly bone ? or he , whose wrists , being bound together , did break cords like flax , and double ropes like thrid ? is this the man whose hands unhing'd those gates , and bare them thence , with pillars , barrs & grates ? and is he turn'd a mill-horse now ? and blinde ? must this great conquerour be forc'd to grinde for bread and water ? must this heroe spend his latter times in drudgery ? must he end his weary dayes in darknesse ? must his hyer , be knotted cords , and torturing whips of wyer ? ●●ere heaven withdraws , the creaturs power shakes ▪ 〈◊〉 miserie 's wanting there , where god forsakes ? 〈◊〉 samson not abus'd his borrow'd power , 〈◊〉 had still , remain'd a conquerour : 〈◊〉 philistins did act his part ; no doubt , 〈◊〉 eyes offended , and they pluck'd them out : 〈◊〉 will be just : he punishes a sin , 〈◊〉 in the member , that he findes it in : ●●en faithlesse zacharias did become 〈◊〉 curious , his lips were strucken dumbe : 〈◊〉 whose lustfull view did overprize ●●lawfull beautie's punisht in his eyes ; 〈◊〉 flaming eyes seduc'd his wanton minde 〈◊〉 act a sinne ; those eyes are stricken blinde ; 〈◊〉 beauty he invaded , did invade him , 〈◊〉 that faire tong , that blest him so , betraid him : 〈◊〉 strength , intemperate lust imploy'd so ill , 〈◊〉 a d●iving the laborious mill ; 〈◊〉 naked sides , so pleas'd with lusts desire , 〈◊〉 now , as naked , lasht with whips of wire : lord , shouldst thou punish every part in me 〈◊〉 does offend , what member would be free ? 〈◊〉 member acts his part ; they never lin 〈◊〉 they joyne , and make a body ' of fin : 〈◊〉 sinne my burthen ; let it never please me ; 〈◊〉 thou hast promis'd , when i come , to ease me . the argvment . they make a feast . and then to crowne their mirth , blind samson is brought thither : he pulls the mighty pillers downe ; the building falls : all slaine together . sect. . thus when the vulgar triumph ( which does last but seldome , longer then the newes ) was past , and dagons holy altars had surecast to breath their idle fumes : they call'd a feast , a common feast ; whose bounty did bewray a common joy , to gratulate the day ; whereto , the princes , vnder whose command each province was , in their diuided land ; whereto , the lords , leiutenants , and all those , to whom the supreme rulers did repose an under-trust ; whereto , the better sort of gentry , and of commons did resort , with mirth , and jolly triumph , to allay their sorrowes , and to solemnize the day ; into the common hall they come : the hall was large and faire ; her arched roofe was all builded with massie stone , and over-lai'd with pond'rous lead ; two sturdy pillers stai'd her mighty rafters up ; whereon , relied the weighty burthen of her lofty pride . when lusty dyet , and the frollicke cup had rouz'd and rais'd their quickned spirits up , 〈◊〉 brave triumphing bacchus had displaid 〈◊〉 conquering colours , in their cheeks , they said , 〈◊〉 samson forth ; he must not worke to● day ; 〈…〉 feast ; wee 'l give him leave to play ; 〈…〉 bravely ? does our mill-horse sweat ? 〈◊〉 lacke nothing ; what he wants in mea●e , 〈◊〉 in lashes ; he is strong and stout , 〈◊〉 his breath can drive the mill about : 〈◊〉 too hard , we feare : goe downe and free him ; 〈◊〉 that his mistresse , delila would see him : 〈◊〉 of him will take our howers short ; 〈◊〉 him then to make our honours sport : 〈◊〉 provia● some riddles ; let him bring 〈◊〉 of triumph : he that 's blinde , may sing 〈◊〉 better boldnesse : bid him never doubt 〈◊〉 what matter though his eyes be out ? 〈◊〉 dishonour , that he cannot see ; 〈◊〉 , the god of love's as blinde , as hee : 〈◊〉 that they brought poore samson to the hall ; 〈◊〉 as he past , he gropes to finde the wall ; 〈◊〉 pa●● was slow , his feet were lifted high ; 〈◊〉 tongue would taunt him every scornfull eye 〈◊〉 filld with laughter ; some would cry aloud , 〈◊〉 in state : his lordship is growne proud : 〈◊〉 bid his honour , ●asle , whilst others cast ●prochfull termes upon him ; as he past , 〈◊〉 would salute him fairely , and embrace 〈◊〉 wounded sides , then spit upon his face : 〈◊〉 would cry ; for shame for heare t' abuse 〈◊〉 high and great redeemer of the iewes : 〈◊〉 gibe and flout him with their taunts & quip● ▪ 〈◊〉 others flurt him on the starting lips ; 〈◊〉 that poore samson , whose abundant griefe , 〈…〉 hopes of comfort or reliefe , resolv'd for patience : turning round , he made some shift to feele his keeper out , and said ; good sir , my painfull labour in the mill hath made me bold ( although against my will ) to crave some little rest ; if you will please to let the pillour but afford some ease to my worne limmes , your mercy should relieve a soule that has no more but thanks , to give : the keeper yeelded : ( now the hall was filld with princes , and their people , that beheld abused samson ; whilst the roofe retain'd a leash of thousands more , whose eyes were chain●● to this sad object , with a full delight , to see this flesh-and-blood-relenting sight ; with that the pris'ner turnd himselfe and pray'd so soft , that none but heaven could heare , and said● my god , my god : although my sinnes doe cry for greater vengeance , yet thy gratious eye is full of mercy ; o , remember now the gentle promise and that sacred vow thou mad'st to faithfull abram , and his seed , o , heare my wounded soule , that has lesse need of life , then mercy : let thy tender eare make good thy plenteous promise now , and heare ; see , how thy cursed enemies prevaile above my strength ; behold , how poore and fraile my native power is , and , wanting thee , what is there , oh , what is there ( lord ) in me ? nor is it i that suffer : my desert may challenge greater vengeance , if thou wert ●xtreme to punish : lord , the wrong is thine ; the punishment is just , and onely mine : i am thy champion , lord ; it is not me they strike at ; through my sides they thrust at thee : 〈◊〉 thy glory 't is , their malice lies ; 〈◊〉 at that when they put out these eyes : 〈◊〉 their blood-b●dabl'd hands would flie 〈…〉 thou but cloth'd in flesh , as i : 〈◊〉 thy wrongs , great god ; o let thy hand 〈◊〉 thy suffring honour , and this land : 〈◊〉 ●e thy power ; renew my wasted , strength , 〈…〉 fight thy b●ttels ; and at length , 〈◊〉 thy glory ; that my hands may do 〈◊〉 faithfull service they were borne unto : 〈…〉 thy power , that i may restore 〈◊〉 , and i will never urge thee more : 〈◊〉 having ended , both his armes he laid , 〈◊〉 the pillours of the hall ; and said ; 〈◊〉 , with the philistines , i resigne my breath ; 〈◊〉 let my god finde glory in my death : 〈◊〉 having spoke , his yeelding body strain'd 〈◊〉 those marble pillours , that sustain'd 〈◊〉 pondrous roofe ; they cracket ; and , with their fall , 〈◊〉 fell the battlements . and roofe , and all ; 〈◊〉 with their ruines , slaughter'd at a blow , 〈◊〉 whole assembly ; they , that were below , 〈◊〉 their sudden deaths from those that fell 〈◊〉 off the top ; whilst none was left , to tell 〈◊〉 horrid shreckes , that filld the spatious hall , 〈◊〉 ruines were impartiall , and slew all : 〈◊〉 fell ; and , with an unexpected blow . 〈◊〉 every one his death , and buriall too : thus di'd our samson ; whose brave death has won 〈◊〉 honour , then his honourd life had done : 〈◊〉 di'd our conquerour ; whose latest breath 〈◊〉 crown'd with conquest ; triumph'd over death ; 〈◊〉 di'd our sampson ; whose last drop of blood ●deem'd heavn's glory , and his kingdome 's good : thus di'd heavens champion , and the earths bright glory ; the heavenly subject of this sacred story : and thus th' impartiall hand of death that gathers all to the grave , repos'd him with his fathers ; whose name shall flourish , and be still in prime , in spight of ruine , or the teeth of time ; whose fame shal last , till heaven shal please to free this earth from sinne , and time shall cease to be . medita . . wages of sinne , is death . the day must come , wherin , the equall hand of death must sum the severall items of mans fading glory , into the easie totall of one story : the browes that sweat for kingdomes and renown , to glorifie their temples with a crowne ; at length , grow cold , and leave their honourd name to flourish in th' uncertaine blast of fame : this is the heighth that glorious mortalls can attaine ; this is the highest pitch of man : the quilted quarters of the earths great ball , whose unconfined limits were too small for his extreame ambition to deserve , six foote of length , and three of bredth must serve : this is the highest pitch that man can flie ; and after all his triumph , he must die : lives he in wealth ? does well deserved store limit his wish , that he can wish no more ? and does the fairest bounty of encrease crown him with plenty ; and , his dayes with peace● it is a right hand blessing ; but supply of wealth cannot secure him ; he must die ; lives he in pleasure ? does perpetuall mirth 〈◊〉 him a little heaven upon his earth ? ●eets he no sullen care , no sudden losse 〈◊〉 coole his joyes ? breathes hee without a crosse ? ●ants he no pleasure , that his wanton eye 〈◊〉 crave , or hope from fortune ? he must dye : 〈◊〉 he in honour ? hath his faire desart ●●tain'd the freedome of his princes heart ? 〈◊〉 may his more familiar hands disburse 〈◊〉 liberall favors , from the royall purse ? 〈◊〉 , his honour cannot soare too high , 〈◊〉 palefac'd death to follow : he must dye : lives he a conqu'rour ? and doth heaven blesse 〈◊〉 heart with spirit , that spirit , with successe ; successe , with glory ; glory , with a name , to live with the eternitie of fame ? the progresse of his lasting fame may vye with time ; but yet the conquerour must dye : great , and good god : thou lord of life and deth ; 〈◊〉 whom , the creature hath his being , breath ; teach me to underprize this life , and i shall finde my losse the easier , when i dye ; so raise my feeble thoughts , and dull desire , that when these vaine and weary dayes expire , i may discard my flesh with joy , and quit my better part , of this false earth ; and it of some more sinne ; and , for this transitory and tedious life , enjoy a life of glory . the end . sions sonets . sung by solomon the king ; and periphras'd by fra. quarles . london , printed by miles flesher . . to the readers . readers , now you have them . may the end of my paines be the begin●ing of your pleasures . excuse me for ●haring so high , else give me leave to excuse my selfe ; indeed i flew with eagles feathers ; otherwise i had not flowne or falne . it is the song of songs , there present you with : the author , king solomon , the wisest of kings ; the matter mysticall , the divinest of subjects , the speakers , christ , the bridegroome ; the chvrch , the bride ; the end , to invite you all to the wedding . farewell . an epithalme to the bridegroome . hosanna to the highest . ioy betide the heavenly bridegroome , and his holy bride : let heaven above be fill'd with songs , let earth triumph below ; for ever silent be those tongues , that can be silent now . you rocks , and stones , i charge you all to breake your flinty silence , if men cease to speake . you , that professe that sacred art , or now , or never show it , plead not , your muse is out of heart here 's that creates a poet. be ravisht earth , to see this contract driven , 'twixt sinfull man , and reconciled heaven . dismount you quire of angels ; come , with men , your joyes divide ; heaven never shew'd so sweet a groome , nor earth , so faire a bride . sions sonets . bride . sonet . i. . o that the bounty of those lips divine , wold seale their favors , on these lips of mine , that by those welcome * kisses , i might see the mutuall love , betwixt my love and me , for truer blisse , no worldly joy allowes , than sacred kisses , from so sweet a spouse , with which , no earthly pleasures may compare , rich wines are not so delicate as they 'r . . nor myrrh , nor cassia , nor the choice perfume● of unctious narde , or aromaticke fumes of hot arabia , doe enrich the aire with more delicious sweetnesse , than the faire reports , that crowne the merits of thy name , with heavenly lawrels of eternall fame ; which makes the * virgins fix their eyes upon thee and all that view thee , are enamour'd one thee . . o let the beauty of thy su●-like face inflame my soule , and let thy glory chace disloyall thoughts : let no● the world allure my chaste desires , from a spouse so pure ; but when as time shall place me on thy * throne , my feares shall cease , and interrupt by none , i shall transcend the stile of transitory , and full of glory , still be fill'd with glory . . bvt you , my curious ( and too nice ) allyes , that view my fortunes , with too narrow eyes , you say my face is * black , and foule ; 't is true ; i 'm beauteous , to my love , though black to you ; my censure stands not upon your esteeme , he sees me as i * am ; you , as i seeme ; you see the clouds , but he discernes the skie ; know , 't is my * mask that lookes so black , not i. . what if afflictions doe dis-imbellish my naturall glory , and deny the rellish of my adjourned beauty , yet disdaine not her , by whose necessary losse , you gaine not ; i wa● inforc'd to swelter in * the sun , 〈◊〉 * keepe a strangers vine , left mine alone ; ●eft mine owne , and kept a strangers vine ; 〈◊〉 fault was * mine , but was * not onely mine . . o thou , whose love i prize above my life , more worthy farre t' enjoy a fairer wife , tell me , to what cool shade dost thou resort ? ●here graze thy sheepe , where doe thy lambs disport 〈◊〉 from the scorching of this * sowltry weather ? 〈◊〉 tell thy love , and let thy love come thither : 〈◊〉 ( gentle shepheard ) fits it thee , to cherish ●hy private flocks , and let thy true love * perish ? bridegroome . sonet . ii. illustrious bride , more radiant and more * bright , then th' eye of noon , thrice fairer then the light ; thou dearest off-spring of my dying blood , ●ad treasure of my soule , why hast thou stood ●arching so long in those ambitious beames ? come , come & coole thee in these silver * streams ! ●nshade thy face , cast back those golden locks , and i will make thee * mistris of my flocks . . o thou , the center of my choyce desires , in whom i rest , in whom my soule respires ; thou art the flowre of beauty , and i prize thee above the world , how e're the world despise thee : the blinde imagines all things black by kinde ; thou art as beautifull , as they are blinde : and as the fairest troopes of pharoes steeds exceed the rest , so thou the rest exceeds . . thy * cheek ( the garden where fresh beauty plā●● her choicest flowers ) no adorning wants ; there wants no relish of * diviner grace , to summe compleatnesse , in so sweet a face ; thy neck , without a blemish , without blot , than pearl's more orient , cleare from stain or spot ; thy gemms and iewels , full of curious art , imply the sacred treasures of thy heart . . the sun-bright glory of thy resounding fame , addes glory , to the glory of thy name ; the more 's thy honor ( love ) the more thou striv'st to honour me ; thou gainest what thou giv'st : my father ( whom our contract hath made thine ) will give thee large endowments of * divine , 〈◊〉 everlasting treasure ; thus by me thou shalt be rich , that am thus rich , in thee . bride . sonet . iii. oh , how my soule is ravisht with the joyes that spring like fountains frō my tru-loves voice 〈◊〉 cordiall are his lips ! how sweet his tongue ! each word , he breathes , is a melodious song ; 〈◊〉 absent ( ah ) how is my glory dim ! 〈◊〉 have no beauty , not deriv'd from him ; what e're i have , from him alone , i have , and he takes pleasure in those gifts he gave ▪ . as fragrant myr●h , within the bosome hid , sents more delicious , than ( before ) it did , and yet receives no sweetnesse from that brest , that proves the sweeter for so sweet a guest ; even so the favour of my dearest spouse , thus priz'd and placed in my heart , endowes my ardent soule with sweetnesse , and inspires with heavenly ravishment , my rapt desires . . who ever smelt the breath of morning flowres , new sweet'nd with the dash of twilight shoures , of pounded amber , or the flowring thyme , or purple violets , in their proudest prime , or swelling clusters , from the cypresse tree ? so sweet's my love ; i farre more sweet is he : so faire , so sweet , that heavens bright eye is dim , and flowers have no sent , compar'd with him. bridegroome . sonet . iiii. o thou , the joyes of my sufficed heart , the more thou think'st me fair , the more thou art ; looke in the christall mirrours of mine eyes , and view thy beauty ; there thy beauty lyes : see there , th'unmated glory of thy face , well mixt with spirit , and divinest grace ; the eyes of doves , are not so faire , as * thine : o , how those eyes , inflame these eyes of mine ! bride . sonet v. most radiant , and refulgent lampe of light , whose midday beauty , yet ne're found a night , 't is thou , 't is onely thou art faire ; from thee reflect those * rayes , that have enlightned mee , and as bright cinthia's borrow'd beames doe shine from titan's glory , so doe i , from thine ; so dayly flourishes our fresh delight , in dayly * giving , and receiving light . . nor does thy glory shine to me alone ; what place , wherein thy glory hath not shone but o , how fragrant with rich odour , smells that * sacred house , where thou my true love dwells ? 〈◊〉 is it strange : how can those places bee 〈◊〉 fill'd with sweetnesse , if possest with thee ! 〈◊〉 heart 's a heaven , for thou art in that heart , 〈◊〉 presence makes a heaven , where e're thou art . bridegroome . sonet vi. thou soveraigne lady of my select desires , 〈◊〉 i , i am he , whom thy chaste soule admires : 〈◊〉 rose , for smell , the lily to the eye , 〈◊〉 so sweet , is not so faire as i : 〈◊〉 vailed beautie's not the glorious prize of common sight : * within , my beautie lies , 〈◊〉 ne'rethelesse , * my glory were but small , 〈◊〉 should want , to honour thee with all . . nor doe i boast my excellence alone , but thine ( deare spouse ) as whō , the world hath none 〈◊〉 to faith , so pure in love , as whom 〈◊〉 not a bride , so fits so chaste a grome ; 〈◊〉 as the fairest lily doth exceede 〈◊〉 fruitlesse bramble , or the foulest weede , 〈◊〉 ( my love ) dost thou exceed the rest , ●●●fect beautie of a loyall brest . bride . sonet vii . ●ooke how the fruitfull tree ( whose ladē bough● with swelling pride , crowne autumnes smiling ( browes ) surpasses idle shrubs , even so in worth , my love transcends the worthies of the earth : he was my shore , in shipwracke ; and my shelter , in stormes ; my shade , when i began to swelter ; if hungry , he was food ; and if opprest with wrongs , my advocate ; with toile , my rest . i thirsted ; and full charged to the brinke , he gave me * bowles of nectar , for my drinke and in his sides , he broacht me ( for a signe of dearest love ) a sacramentall wine ; he freely gave ; i freely dranke my fill ; the more i dranke , the more remained still : did never souldier , to his colours prove more chaste , than i , to so entire a love. . o how his beautie sets my soule on fire ! my spirits languish , with extreame desire ; desires exceeding limits , are too lavish , and wanting meanes to be effected , ravish ; then let thy * breath , like flaggons of strong wine releeve and comfort this poore heart of mine ; for i am sicke , till time ( that doth delay our marriage ) bring our joyfull marriage day . . till then , o let my dearest lord , by whom , these pleasing paines of my sweet sorrowes com● 〈◊〉 for me his vowes , and with his due resort , 〈◊〉 me , to make the sullen time seeme short : 〈◊〉 his sweet presence , may i still be blest , 〈◊〉 barr'd from whom , my soule can finde no rest ; 〈◊〉 let all times be prosp'rous , and all places 〈◊〉 witnesse to our undefil'd embraces . . all you , whose seeming favours have profest the true affection of a loyall brest , ●●ge you all by the true love you beare 〈◊〉 friendship , or what else yee count most deare , ●isturbe ye not my love , o doe not reive 〈◊〉 of his joyes , that is so apt to grieve ; 〈◊〉 not to breake his quiet slumbers , lest 〈◊〉 rouze a raging lyon from his rest . 〈◊〉 not his spirit with your sinnes . . harke , harke , i heare that thrice-celestial voic● wherein my spirits , rapt with joyes , rejoyce ; ●●ice , that tels me , my beloved's nie ; 〈◊〉 the musicke , by the majestie : 〈◊〉 he comes ; 't is not my * blemisht face 〈◊〉 slacke the swiftnesse of his winged pace ; ●●old he comes ; his trumpet doth proclaime ; ●●comes with speed ; a truer love ne're came . behold the fleetnesse of his nimble feet : the roe-bucke , & the hart were ne're so fleet , the word i spake , flew not so speedy from me , as he , the treasure of my soule comes to me , he stands behinde my wall , as if in doubt of welcome : ah , this * wall debarres him out ; o , how injurious is this wall of sin , that barres my lover out , and bolts me in ! the bride in the person of the bridegroome . sonet viii . harke , harke , me thinks i heare my true love say breake downe that envious bar & come away arise ( my dearest spouse ) and dispossesse thy soule of doubtfull feares , nor overpresse thy tender spirits , with the dull despaire of thy demerits : ( love ) thou art as faire , as earth will suffer : time will make thee clearer , come forth ( my love ) then whom , my life's ne●● dearer . come forth ( my joy , ) what bold affront of fear can fright thy soule , & i , thy champion here 't is i that call , 't is i , thy bridegroome , calls thee , be●ide it me , what ever evill befalls thee : the winter of thy sharpe afflictions gone : why fear'st thou cold , and art so neare the sunne 〈◊〉 thy sunne , if thou be cold , draw nearer : 〈◊〉 forth ( my love ) then whō my life 's not dearer● . come forth ( my dear ) the spring of joyes invite thee , the * flowers contend for beautie to delight thee their sweet ambition's onely , which might be 〈◊〉 sweet , most faire , because most like to thee : 〈◊〉 * birds ( sweet heralds of so sweet a spring ) ●arble high notes , and hymeneans sing : ●●ing , with joy , t' enjoy so sweet a hearer : come forth ( my love ) thē whō my life 's not dearer . the prosperous * vlne , which this deare hand did plant tenders due service to so sweet a saint : 〈◊〉 hidden clusters swell with sacred pride , 〈◊〉 * kisse the lips of so , so faire a bride : 〈…〉 in their leafes , they lurke , fearing to be discryde by any , till first seene by thee : the clouds are past , the heavens cannot be clearer come forth ( dear love ) thē whō my lif 's not dearer . . my dove , whō daily * dangers teach new shifts , that like a dove , dost haunt the secret clifts of solitary rockes : how e're thou be reserv'd from others , be not strange to me , call me to rescue , and this brawnie arme shall quell thy foe , & fence thy soule , from harme ; speake ( love , ) thy voice is sweet ; what if thy face , be drencht with teares ; each teare's a several grace . . all you that wish prosperity and peace , to crowne our contract , with a long encrease of future joyes , o shield my simple love from those that seeke her ruine , and remov the base opposers of her best designes ; destroy the foxes , that destroy her vines ; her vines are fruitfull , but her tender grapes are spoil'd by foxes , clad in humane shapes . the bride in her owne person . sonet ix . what greater joy can bless my soule , thē this that my beloved's mine , and i am his ! our soules are knit ; the world cannot untwine the joyfull union of his heart , and mine ; in him , i live ; in him , my soule 's possest with heavenly solace , and eternall rest : heaven onely knowes the blisse , my soule enjoyes , fond earth 's too dull , to apprehend such ioyes . . thou sweet perfection of my full delights , till that bright * day , devoted to the rites of our solemniz'd nuptialls , shall come , come live with me , & make this heart thy home : 〈◊〉 me not : although my face appeare 〈◊〉 and cloudie , yet my heart is * cleare ; 〈◊〉 haste : let not the swift-foot roe-bucke flee 〈◊〉 following hounde so fast , as thou to me . . ● thought my love had taken up his rest , within the * secret cabin of my brest ; 〈◊〉 thought the closed curtaines did immure 〈◊〉 gentle slumbers , but was too secure ; 〈◊〉 ( driven with love ) to the false bed i * stept 〈◊〉 view his slumbring beautie , as he slept , 〈◊〉 he was gone ; yet plainely there was seene the curious dint , where he had lately beene , . ●●patient of his absence , thus bereaven of him , than whom , i had no other heaven , 〈◊〉 a while ; not able to digest so great a losse , to lose so faire a guest : i left no path untrac'd ; no * place ●nsought ; no secret cell unsearcht ; no way unthought ; i ask'd the shade , but shadowes could not hide him ; i ask'd the world , but all the world deny'd him . . my jealous love , distemp'red with distraction , made fierce with feare , unapt for satisfaction , aplyes fresh fuell , to my flaming fires , with eagles wings supplies my quicke desires vp to the walls i trampled , where i spide the * city watch , to whom with teares i cryde , ah gentle watchmen , you aloft descry what 's darke to us ; did not my love passe by ? at lēgth , whē dul despaire had gain'd the groūd of tyred hopes , my faith fell in a swound ; but he , whose sympathising heart did finde the tyrant passion of my troubled minde , forthwith appear'd : what angels tongue can let the world conceive our pleasures , when we met ? and till the joyes of our espoused hearts be made * cōpleat , the world ne're more shall part 's . bridegroome . sonet x. now rests my love : till now , her tender brest wanting her joy , could finde no peace , no rest : i charge you all by the true love you beare to friendship , or what else you count most deare , disturbe her not , but let her sleepe her fill ; i charge you all upon your lifes , be still , o may that labouring soule , that lives opprest for me ; in me , receive eternall rest . . what curious face is this ? what mortall birth can shew a beauty , thus * unstain'd with earth ! what glorious angell wanders thus alone , from earths foule dungeon , to my fathers throne ! 〈◊〉 is my love ; my love that hath denyde the world , for me ; it is my fairest bride : 〈◊〉 fragrant is her breath ! how heavenly faire her angell face ! each glorifying the aire . bride . sonet xi . o how i 'm * ravisht with eternall blisse ! who e're thought heavē a joy cōpar'd to this ? ●ow doe the pleasures of this glorious face adde glory to the glory of this place ! 〈◊〉 , how kings courts surmoūt poore shepheards cells , so this , the pride of salom on excells , 〈◊〉 wreathes of glory crowne his royall head , and troopes of angels waite upon his bed . . the court of princely salomon was guarded with able men at armes ; their faith rewarded ●ith fading honours , subject to the fate of fortune , and the jealous frownes of state ; 〈◊〉 here th' harmonious quire of heaven attend , those prize is glory , glory without end , ●●mixt with doubtings , or degenerous feare ; 〈◊〉 greater prince , than salomon is here ! . the bridall bed of princely salomon , ( whose beautie amaz'd the greedie lookers on , which all the world admired to behold ) was but of cedar ; and her sted of gold ; her pillars silver , and her canopie of silkes , but richly stain'd with purple die ; her curtaines wrought in workes , workes rarely led by th' needles art , such was the bridall bed . . svch was the bridall bed , which time , or age durst never warrant from th'opprobrious rage of envious fate ; earths measure 's but a minit ; earth fades ; all fades upon it ; all within it ; o , but the glorie ' of this diviner place , no age can injure , nor yet time deface ; too bright an object , for weake eyes to bide , or tongues t' expresse : who ever saw 't but dyde ? . who e're beheld the royall crowne , set on the nuptiall browes of princely salomon ? his glorious pompe , whose honour did display the noysed triumphs of his marriage day ? a greater prince , than salomon is here , the beauty of whose nuptials , shall appeare more glorious farre transcending his , as farre as heavens bright lamp out-shines th'obscurest star bridegroome . sonet xii . how orient is thy * beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth , to thine ! thy vailed * eyes out-shine heavens greater light , vnconquer'd by the shadie cloud of night ; thy curious * tresses dangle , all unbound with unaffected order , to the ground : how orient is thy beautie ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth to thine ! . thy ivory * teeth in whitenesse doe out-goe the downe of swans , or winters driven snow those even proportions lively represent th● harmonious musicke of unite consent , whose perfect whitenesse , time could never blot , nor age ( the canker of destruction ) rot : how orient is thy beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth , to thine ! . the rubie portalls of thy ballanc'd * words , send forth a welcome relish , which affords a heaven of blisse , and makes the earth rejoyce , to heare the accent of thy heavenly voice ; the mayden blushes of thy cheekes , proclaime a shame of guilt , but not a guilt of shame ; how orient is thy beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth , to thine ! * . thy * necke ( unbeautifyde with borrowed grace ) is whiter than the lillies of thy face , 〈◊〉 whiter may ; for beauty , and for powre , t is like the glory of davids princely towre : what vassall spirit could despaire , or faint , finding protection from so sure a saint ? how orient is thy beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth , to thine ! . the deare-bought fruit of that forbidden tree , was not so dainty , as thy apples be , these curious apples of thy snowy * brests , wherein a paradise of pleasure rests ; they breathe such life into the ravisht * eye , that the inflam'd beholder cannot * dye : how orient is thy beautie ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth , to thine ! . my dearest spouse , i 'le * hie me to my home , and till that long-expected * day shall come , the light wherof , shall chase the night that shrouds thy vailed beauty , in these envious * clouds ; till then , i goe , and in my throne , provide a glorious welcome , for my fairest bride ; chapplets of conqu'ring palme , & lawrel boughs shall crowne thy temples , and adorne thy browes . . would beauty faine be flatter'd with a grace she never had ? may she behold thy face : envie would burst , had she no other taske , than to behold this face without a maske ; no spot , no veniall blemish could she finde , to feed the famine of her ranc'rous minde ; thou art the flowre of beauties crowne , & they 're much worse than foule , that thinke thee lesse than faire . feare not ( my love ) for when those sacred bands of wedlock shall conjoyne our promis'd hands , i 'le come , and quit thee from this tedious * place , where thou art forc'd to sojourne for a space ; no forrein angle of the utmost lands , nor seas abysse shall hide thee from my hands ; no night shall shade thee from my curious eye , i 'le rouze the graves , although grim death stand by . . illustrious beames shot from thy flaming * eye , made fierce with zeale , and soveraigne majestie have scorcht my soule , and like a fiery dart transfixt the center of my wounded heart ; the virgin swetnesse of thy heavenly grace hath made mine eyes glad pris'ners to thy face ; the beautie of thine eye-balls hath bereft me of my heart : o sweet , o sacred theft ! . o thou , the deare inflamer of mine eyes , life of my soule , and hearts eternall prize , how delectable is thy love ! how pure ! how apt to ravish , able to allure a frozen soule , and with thy secret fire , t' affect dull spirits with extreame desire . how doe thy joyes ( though in their greatest dearth ) transcend the proudest pleasures of the earth ! . thy lips ( my dearest spouse ) are the ful treasures of sacred * poesie , whose heavenly measures ravish with joy the willing heart , that heares , but strike a deafenesse in rebellious eares : thy words , like milke and honie , doe requite the season'd soule , with profit and delight : heavens higher palace , and these lower places of dungeon-earth are sweetned with thy graces . . my love is like a garden , full of flowers , whose sunny banks , & choice of shady bowres give change of pleasures , pleasures wall'd about with armed angels , to keepe ruine out ; and from her * brests ( * enclosed from the ill of looser eyes ) pure * chrystall drops distill , the fruitfull sweetnesse of whose gentle showres inrich her flowrs with beautie ' , & banks with flowrs . my love is like a paradise beset with rarest gifts , whose fruits ( but tender yet ) the world ne're tasted , dainties farre more rare than edens tempting apple , and more faire : myrrhe , alloes , incense , and the cypresse tree can boast no swetnesse , but is breath'd from thee ; dainties , for taste , and flowers , for the smell spring all from thee , whose sweets , all sweets excell . bride . sonet xiii . o thou ( my deare ) whose sweets , all sweets excell from whom my fruits receive their tast , their smell how can my thriving * plants refuse to grow thus quickned with so sweet a * sun as thou ? how can my flowers , which thy ewers nourish with showers of living waters , choose but flourish ? o thou , the spring , from whence these waters burst . did ever any taste thy streames , and thurst ? . am i a garden ? may my flowers bee so highly honour'd to be smelt by thee ; inspire them with thy sacred breath , and then receive from them , thy borrowed breath agen , frequent thy garden , whose rare fruit invites thy welcome presence , to his choise delights ; taste where thou list , and take thy full repaste , here 's that wil please thy smel , thine eye , thy taste . bridegroome . sonet xiiii . thou sacred center of my soule , in whome i rest , behold thy wisht-for love is come ; refresht with thy delights , i have repasted vpon thy * pleasures ; my full soule hath tasted thy * rip'ned dainties , and hath freely beene pleas'd with those fruits , that are ( as yet ) but * green all you that love the honour of my bride , come taste her vineyards , and be deifi'de , bride . sonet xv. it was a * night , a night as darke , as foule , as that blacke errour , that entranc'd my soule , when as my best beloved came and knockt at my * dull gates , too too securely lockt ; vnbolt ( said he ) these churlish doores ( my dove , ) let not false * slumbers bribe thee from thy iove ; heare him , that for thy gentle sake came hither , long injur'd by this * nights ungentle weather . . heard the voice , but the perfidious pleasure of my sweet slumbers , could not finde the leasure ●ope my drowsie dores ; my spirit could speake ●ords faire enough , but ah , my flesh was weake , 〈◊〉 fond excuses taught me to betray 〈◊〉 sacred vowes to a secure delay : ●●●●dious slumbers , how have you the might 〈◊〉 blinde true pleasures , with a false delight ! . when as my love , with oft repeated knocks could not availe , shaking his dewy locks , ●●●ly displeas'd , he could no longer bide 〈◊〉 slight neglect , but went away denyde ; 〈◊〉 sooner gone , but my dull soule discern'd 〈◊〉 drowzie error ; my griev'd spirit * yearn'd 〈◊〉 finde him out ; these seiled eyes that slept 〈◊〉 soundly , fast , awak'd , much faster wept . . thus rais'd , and rouz'd from my deceitfull rest ▪ ●op'd my doores , where my departed guest 〈◊〉 beene ; i thrust the churlish portals from me that so deny'de my dearest bridegroome to me ; 〈◊〉 when i smelt of my returned hand , 〈◊〉 soule was rapt , my powers all did stand ●●azed at the * sweetnesse they did finde , which my neglected love had left behinde . . i op'd my doore ▪ my myrrhe● distilling doore , but ah , my guest was gone , had given me o're : what curious pen , what artist can define a matelesse sorrow ? such , ah , such was mine ; doubts , and despaire had of my life depriv'd me had not strong hope of his returne reviv'd me , i sought , but he refused to appeare ; i call'd , but he would not be heard , nor heare . . thus , with the tyranny of griefe distraught , i rang'd a round , no place i left unsought , no care unask'd ; the * watch-men of the city * wounded my soule , without remorse of pity to virgin teares ; they taught my feet to stray , whose steps were apt enough to lose their way ; with taunts & scornes they checkt me , and derided and call'd me whore , because i walkt unguided . . you hallowed virgins , you , whose tender hearts ere felt th' impression of * loves secret darts , i charge you all , by the deare faith you owe to virgin purenesse , and your vestall vowe , commend me to my love , if ere you meet him , o tell him , that his love-sick spouse doth greet him ; o let him know , i languish with desire t● enjoy that heart , that sets this heart on fire . virgins . sonet . xvi . o thou the fairest flowre of mortall birth , if such a beautie may be borne of earth , ●●gell or virgin , which ? or both in one , ●●gell by beauty , virgin by thy moane , ●●y , who is he that may deserve these teares , ●hese precious drops ? who is 't can stop his eares 〈◊〉 these faire lips ? speake lady , speake at large , ●ho is 't ? for whom giv'st thou so strict a charge ? bride . sonet xvii . my love is the perfection of delight , roses , and doves are not so red , so white ; ●●patern'd beautie summon'd every grace 〈◊〉 the composure of so sweet a face ; 〈◊〉 body is a heaven , for in his brest ●he perfect essence of a god doth rest ; ●he brighter eye of heaven did never shine ●●an another glorie , so divine . . his * head is farre more glorious , to behold , than fruitfull ophyres oft refined gold , t is the rich magazen of secret treasure , ●hence graces spring in unconsined measure ; 〈◊〉 curl'd and dagling * tresses doe proclame n●zarite , on whom ne're razor came . whose raven-blacke colour gives a curious relish to that which beauty did so much imbellish . . like to the eyes of doves are his faire * eyes , wherein sterne iustice , mixt with mercy , lies ; his eyes are simple , yet majesticall , in motion nimble , and yet chaste withall , flaming like fier , and yet burne they not , vnblemisht , undistained with a spot , blazing with precious beames , and to behold , like two rich diamonds in a frame of gold . . his cheeks are like two fruitfull beds ore-grown with aromaticke flowers newly blowne , whose odours , beauty , please the smell , the sight , and doubling pleasures , double the delight : his * lips are like a chrystall spring , from whence flow sweetned streames of sacred eloquence , whose drops into the eare distill'd , doe give life to * the dead , true joyes to * them that live . * . his hāds are deckt with rings of * gold ; the rings with costly iewels , fitting none but kings . * which ( of themselves though glorious , yet ) receive more glorie from those fingers , than they give ; his * brests like ivorie , circled round about with * veines , like saphyres , winding in and out , whose beautie is ( though darkened from the eye ) full of divine , and secret majestie . . his * legs like purest marble , strong and white , of curious shape , ( though quicke ) unapt for flight : his feet ( as gold that 's oft refined ) are like his upright proceedings , pure and faire ; his * port is princely , and his stature tall , and , like the cedar , stout , yet sweet withall : o , who would not repose his life , his blisse , ●pon a base so faire , so firme as this ? his mouth ! but stay , what need my lips be lavish in choice of words , when one alone wil ravish ? 〈◊〉 shall , in briefe , my ruder tongue discover the speaking image of my absent lover ? then let the curious hand of art refine the race of vertues morall , and divine , from whence , by heaven let there extracted be ● perfect quintessence ; even such is he. virgins . sonet xviii . thrice fairer than the fairest , whose sad teares , and smiling words , have charm'd our eyes , our eares ; say , whither is this prize of beauty gone , more faire than kinde , to let thee weepe alone ? thy tempting lips have whet our dull desire , and till we see him , we are all on fire : wee 'll finde him out , if thou wilt be our guide : the next way to the bridegroome , is the * bride . bride . sonet xix . if errour lead not my dull thoughts amisse , my genius tells me , where my true love is ; he 's busie lab●ring on his * flowry banks , * inspiring sweetnesse , and * receiving thanks , watring those plants , whose tender roots are * dry , and pruning such , whose crests aspire * too high , transplanting , grafting , reaping fruits from some , and covering others , that are * newly come . . what if the frailty of my feebler part , lockt up the portalls of my drowsie heart ? he knowes , the weaknesse of the flesh incumbers th' unwilling spirit , with sense-bereaving slumbers , my hopes assure me , in despight of this , that my beloved's mine , and i am his : my hopes are firme ( which time shall ne're remove ) that he is mine , by faith ; i , his , by love . bridegroome . sonet xx. thy timely griefe , ( my teares-baptized love ) cōpels mine eares to heare ; thy tears , to move ; thy blubber'd beauty , to mine eye appeares more bright than 't was : such is the * strength of teares : ●eautie , & terror , meeting in thine eye , have made thy face the throne of majestie , those awfull beames , the proudest heart will move to love for feare , untill it feare for love . . represse those flames , that furnace from thine eye , they ravish with too bright a tyrannie ; thy fires are too-too fierce : o turne them from me , they pierce my soule , & with their rayes o'recome me , thy curious * tresses dangle , all unbound , ●ith unaffected order , to the ground : how orient is thy beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth to thine ! . thy ivory * teeth in whitenesse doe out-goe the downe of swans , or winters driven snowe , whose even proportions lively represent th' harmonious musicke of unite consent ; whose perfect whitenesse , time could never blot , nor age ( the envious worme of ruine ) rot : how orient is thy beauty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth to thine ! thy temples , are the temples of chaste love , where beauty sacrific'd her milke-white dove , vpon whose azure pathes , are alwaies found the heaven-borne graces dauncing in a round : thy maiden * blushes gently doe proclame a shame of guilt , but not a guilt of shame : how orient is thy be●●ty ! how divine ! how darke's the glory of the earth to thine ! * . you , you brave spirits , whose imperiall hand enforces , what your lookes cannot command , bring forth your pamper'd queenes , the lustfull prize and curious wrecks of your imperious eyes ; surround the circle of the earth , and levie the fairest virgins in loves fairest bevie ; then take from each , to make one perfit grace , yet would my love out-shine that borrow'd face . . i thou art she , corrivalld with no other , thou glorious daughter of thy glorious mother the new lerusalem , whose virgin birth shall deifie the * virgins of the earth : the virgins of the earth have seene thy beautie , and stood amaz'd , and in a prostrate duty have sued to kisse thy hand , making thine eyes their lamps to light them , til the bridegroom rise . . harke , how the virgins hallow'd with thy fire , and wonder-smitten with thy beames , admire , who , who is this ( say they ) whose cheekes resemble ●●●ora's blush , whose eye heavens lights dissemble ? whose face is brighter than the silent lampe that lights the earth , to breathe her nightly damp ; vpon whose brow sits dreadfull majestie , the frowne whereof commands a victorie . faire bride , why was thy troubled soule dejected when i was absent ? was my faith suspected , which i so firmely plighted ? couldst thou thinke my love could shake , or such a vow could shrinke ? i did but walke among my tender plants , to smell their odours , and supply their wants , to see my stockes , so lately grifted , sprout , or if my vines began to burgen out . . though gone was i , * my heart was in thy brest , although to thee ( perchāce ) an unknowne guest 't was that , that gaue such wings to thy desire , t' enjoy thy love , and set thy soule on fire ; but my returne was quicke , and with a minde more nimble ( yet more constant ) than the winde , i came , and as the winged shaft doth flie with undiscerned speed ; even so did i. . returne , ( o then returne ) thou child of peace to thy first joyes , o let thy teares surcease ; returne thee to thy love ; let not the * night with flatt'ring * slumbers , tempt thy true delight : returne thee to my bosome , let my brest be still thy tent ; take there eternall rest ; returne , o thou , in whose enchanted eye are darts enough , to make an army flye . . faire daughter of the highest king , how sweet are th' unaffected graces of thy * feet ! from every step , true majestie doth spring , fitting the daughter of so high a king : thy wast is circled with a * virgin zone , imbellisht round with many a precious * stone . ●●erein thy curious workeman did fulfill 〈◊〉 utmost glory of his diviner skill . . thy * navell , where thy holy embrion doth receive sweet nourishment , and heavenly growth ●●ke a chrystal spring , whose fresh supply ●●living waters , sunne , nor drought can dry : 〈◊〉 * fruitfull wombe is like a winnow'd heape 〈◊〉 purest graine , which heavēs blest hand did reap , ●●th lillies fenc'd : true embleme of rare treasure those graine denotes increase ; whose lillies pleasure . . thy dainty * brests , are like faire twins , both swelling in equall majestie ; in hue excelling 〈◊〉 new-falne snow upon th' untroden mountains , from whence there flowes , as from exub'rous fountaines ●●●ers of heavenly nectar , to allay the holy thirst of soules : thrice happy they , ●●d more than thrice , whose blest affections bring their thirstie palats to so sweet a spring . . thy * necke doth represent an ivory tower , in perfect purenesse , and united power , thine * eyes ( like pooles at a frequented gate for every commer , to draw water at ) are common treasures , and like chrystall glasses , shwes each his lively visage , as he passes . thy * nose , the curious organ of thy sent , wants nothing more , for use , for ornament . . thy * tyres of gold ( inricht with glorious gems , rare diamonds , and princely diadems ) adorne thy browes , and with their native worth aduance thy glory , and set thy beautie forth : so perfect are thy graces , so divine , and full of heaven , are those faire lookes of thine , that i 'm inflamed with the double fire of thy full beauty , and my fierce desire . . o sacred symmetrie ! o rare connection of many perfects , to make one perfection ! o heauenly musicke , where all parts doe meet in one sweet straine , to make one perfect sweet ! o glorious members , whose each severall feature divine , compose so , so divine a creature ! faire soule , as all thy parts united be entire , so summ'd are all my joyes in thee . . thy curious fabricke , and erected stature is like the generous palme , whose lofty nature , in spight of envious violence , will aspire , then most supprest , the more it moūts the higher : thy lovely brests , ( whose beautie reinvites my oft remembrance to her oft delights ) are like the swelling clusters of the vine ; so full of sweetnesse are those brests of thine . . ar● thou my palme ? my busie hand shal nourish thy fruitfull roots , & make thy brāches flourish : 〈◊〉 thou my vine ? my skilfull arme shall dresse thy * dying plants ; my living springs shall blesse thy * infant buds ; my blasting breath shall quell * presumptuous weeds , & make thy clusters swell : and all that love thee , shall attaine the favour to taste thy sweetnesse , and to smell thy savour . . those oracles that from thy lips proceed , with sweet evangels , shall delight and feed 〈◊〉 attentive eare , and like the trumpets voyce 〈◊〉 faint hearts , but make brave spirits rejoice : thy breath , whose dialect is most divine , ●●cends quicke flames , where ember'd sparkes but shine ; 〈◊〉 strikes the pleaders rhet'ricke with derision , and makes the dullest soule a rhetorician . bride . sonet xxi . my faith , not merits , hath assur'd thee , mine ; thy love , not my desert hath made me , thine : vnworthy i , whose drowsie soule rejected thy precious favours , and ( secure ) neglected thy glorious presence , how am i become a bride besitting so divine a groome ! it is no merit , no desert of mine , thy love , thy love alone , hath made me thine . . since then the bountie of thy deare election hath stil'd me thine , o let the sweet reflection of thy illustrious beames , my soule inspire , and with thy spirit , inflame my hot desire ; vnite our soules ; o let thy spirit rest and make perpetuall home within my brest ; instruct me so , that i may gaine the skill , to suite my service to thy sacred will. . come , come ( my soules preserver ) thou that art th' united joyes of my united heart , come , let us visit with the morning light , our prosperous * vines ; with mutuall delight lt's view those grapes , whose clusters being * prest shall make rich wines , to serve your mariage feast , that by the thriving plants it may appeare , our joyes perfecting mariage draweth neere . . behold , my new * disclosed flowers present before thy gates , their tributary sent ; reserve themselves for garlands , that they may adorne the bridegorme , on his mariage day : my * garden 's full of * trees , and every tree laden with * fruit , which i devote to thee ; eternall joyes betide that happy guest , that tastes the dainties of the bridegroomes feast . . o would to god mine eyes ( these fainting eyes , whose eager appetite could ne're devise a dearer object , might but once behold my love ( as i am , clad in fleshly mold , that each may corporally converse with other as friend with friend ; as sister with her brother , o how mine eyes could welcome such a sight ! how would my soule dissolve with o're-delight ! . then should this hand conduct my fairest spouse , to taste a banquet at my mothers * house ; our fruitfull garden should present thine eyes with sweet delights ; her trees should sacrifice their early fruits to thee ; our tender vine should cheare thy palate with her unprest wine ; thy hand should teach my living plants to thrive ; and such , as are a dying , to revive . . then should my soule enjoy within this breast , a holy sabbath of eternall rest ; then should my cause that suffers through despight of errour , and rude ignorance , have right ; then should these * streames , whose tydes so often rise , be ebb'd away , from my suffused eyes ; then should my spirits fill'd with heavenly mirth , triumph o're hell , and finde a heaven on earth . . all you that wish the bountifull encrease of dearest pleasures , and divinest peace , i charge you all ( if ought my charge may move your tender hearts ) * not to disturbe my love ; vexe not his gentle spirit , nor bereave him of his joyes , that is so apt to grieve ; dare not to breake his quiet slumbers , lest you rouze a raging lyon from his rest . . who ever lov'd , that ever lov'd as i , that for his sake renounce my selfe , deny the worlds best joyes , and have the world forgone ? who ever lov'd so deare , as i have done ? i sought my love , and found him * lowly laid beneath the tree of love● in whose sweet shade he rested ; there his eye sent forth the fire , that first enflam'd my amorous desire . . my dearest spouse , o seale me on thy heart so sure , that envious earth may never part . our joyned soules ; let not the world remove my chast desiers from so choyce a love ; 〈◊〉 o , my love 's not slight , her flames are serious ●as never death so powerfull , so imperious : 〈◊〉 jealous zeale is a consuming fire , 〈◊〉 burns my soule , through feare & fierce desire . . ●ires may be quencht ; and flames , though ne'r so great , with many drops shal faint , and lose their heat : 〈◊〉 these quick fires of love , the more supprest , ●he more they flame in my inflamed brest ; ●ow darke is honour ! how obscure and dim 〈…〉 bright glory , but compar'd with him ! 〈◊〉 ●oule is beauty ! what a toyle is pleasure ▪ 〈◊〉 poore is wealth ! how base a thing is treasure ! . have a * sister , which by thy divine 〈◊〉 bounteous grace , our marriage shall make thine ; 〈◊〉 is mine owne , mine onely sister , whom 〈◊〉 mother bare the youngest of her wombe : shee 's yet a * childe , her beauty may improve , her brests are small , and yet too greene for love ; when time and yeares shall adde perfection to her , say ( dearest love ) what honour wilt thou do her ? bridegroome . sonet . xxii . if she be faire , and with her beauty , prove as chaste , as loyall to her virgin-love , as thou hast beene , then in that high degree i le honour her , as i have honour'd thee : be she as constant as her vestall vow , and true to her devoted faith , as thou , i le crowne her head , and fill her hand with power , and give a kingdome to her for a dower . bride . sonet . xxiii . vvhen time shall ripen these her greene desires , and holy love shal breathe her heav'nly fires into her virgin brest , her heart shall be as true to love , as i am true to thee : o , when thy boundlesse bountie shall conjoyne her equall-glorious majesty , with mine , my ioyes are perfect , then , in sacred bands wedlocke shall couple our espoused hands . bridegroome . sonet . xxiiii . i am thy gard'ner , thou my fruitfull vine , whose rip'ned clusters swell with richest wine , the vines of so●omon were not so faire , his grapes were not so pretious , as thine are ; his vines were subject to the vulgar will o● hired ●ands , and mercinary skill ; corrupted carles were merry with his vines , and at a price return'd their barter'd wines . . bvt mine 's a vineyard , which no ruder hand shall touch , subjected to my sole command , my selfe with this laborious arme , will dresse it , 〈◊〉 presence with a busie eye shall blesse it ; ●●rincely so●omon , thy thriving vine 〈◊〉 not so saire , so bountifull as mine ; 〈◊〉 greedy sharers claime an earned hire , 〈◊〉 mine 's reseru'd , and to my selfe entire . . o thou , that dwellest * where th' eternall fame of my renowne so glorifies my name , 〈◊〉 bride , in whose celestiall tongue , 〈◊〉 sacred spels t' enchant the ruder throng ; ●et thy lips , like a perpetuall story ; ●●ulge my graces , and declare my glory ; direct those hearts , that errour leads astray , dissolve the * waxe , but make obdure the * clay . bride . sonet xxv . most glorious love , and honourable lord , my heart 's the vowed servant of thy word , but i am weake , and as a tender vine . shall fall , unpropt by that deare hand of thine : assist me therefore that i may fulfill what thou commandst , and then command thy wil ; o leave thy sacred spirit in my brest , as earnest of an everlasting rest. the end . sions elegies . wept by ieremie the prophet ; and periphras'd by fra. qvarles . london , printed by miles flesher . . to the reader . if the ruines of troy , rome , thebes , or carthage have beene thought a subject , worthy the imployment of more serious pennes , to entaile the remembrance therof 〈◊〉 posterity , how much more worthy the paines ●●livelier pen then mine , is this ancient , most 〈◊〉 , and never enough to bee lamented deso●●●●● , and captivity of ierusalem ; ierusalem , 〈◊〉 holy city of god ; ierusalem , the type of 〈◊〉 catholike church ? after eighteene moneths siege , in the eleuenth 〈◊〉 of zedekiah , the ninth day of the fourth 〈◊〉 , ( which was the eighteenth yeere of ne●●hadonozor over babylon ) the princes of ●●bylon surprized and tooke this brave citie of ●●●usalem : presently after which , nabuzaradan 〈◊〉 general of the babylonian army ( comman●●● by nebuchadonozor ) spoyled the temple , ●●ried away the vessels of gold and silver , that 〈◊〉 consecrated to gods service , and the great 〈◊〉 given by king salomon , and burned the ●●●ple , the first day of the next moneth , which was one and twenty dayes after the surpriz●● 〈◊〉 . yeeres sixe moneths , and ten dayes after the foundation thereof ; . yeeres , sixe moneths ▪ ten dayes after the departure of the people out of egypt ; ● . yeeres , sixe moneths , ten dayes after the deluge : and . yeeres , sixe moneths , ten dayes after the creation of adam . thus , and then , was this citie of ierusalem taken and for seventie yeeres , remained the lewes in this captivitie : and this , in briefe , is the generall occasion why , and the time when these lamentations were compased . reader , i tender to thy consideration two things : first , the pen-man : secondly , the art and method of this threnodia as for the first , it was penned by ieremie the prophet , the sonne of hilkiah , a priest : and undoubt●dly endighted by the spirit of god ; some thinke it was written , when the prophet was in prison : others , when he was with godoliah at maspath : but whether at the one place or at the other , it is not much materiall to discourse . secondly , as touching the art and method , it is short and concise , as being most naturall to so lamentable a subject . cicero sayes , lamentationes debent esse concisae● & breves ▪ quia ●ito lachryma exarescit , & difficile est auditores aut lectores , in illo affectu summae commiserationis , diu tenere . the method is truly elegious , not bound to any ordinary set forme , but wildly depending upon the sudden subject , that new griefes present , and indeed the deepest sorrowes cannot be , but distracted from all rules of method , the neglect of which , is veniall in such ejulations as these , as which , in all the scriptures , there is none so copious , none so ardent ; concerning which gregory nazianzene confesses , threnos ieremiae nunquam à se siccis oculis lectos esse . yet some thinke there is a method kept , but too fine and intricate , for our grosse apprehensions : touching this point , saint ambrose lib. . epist. adjust . sayes , demus , eas secundum artem non scripsisse , at certè secundum gratiam scripsisse fatendum est , quae omnem artem longè superat , and with this , i rest . you shall observe , that the foure first chapters of these lamentations carry a strict order , in the originall , for every verse throughout every chapter begins with a severall letter of the hebrew alphabet , except the third chapter , wherein the first and every third verse onely is tyed to a letter , and continues the alphabet through ; which for me the prophet used , partly for eloquence , partly for memory sake ; meaning either literally thus , that it ought to be perfect as the alphabet , in memory ; or hieroglyphically thus , that as the alphabet is the radix of all words , so the miseries of the iewes , were the combination of all miseries . for the same causes , i likewise here in my periphrase , have observed the same forme , and continue the alphabet in english , as the prophet did in the hebrew , desirous to be his shadow , as much as i can . it appeares by the strictnesse of the order , that these lamentations were originally writ in verse and as some thinke in sapphicks , but many of our learned neotericks deny , that any writings of the iewes cary , now , any direct or certaine lawes of poesie , though ( they confesse ) some ruinous accents , here and there discovered , makes them imagine , they writ some things in verse ; but now , it seemes that god , in dispersing them , hath likewise dissolved , and strucke dumbe their musicke . farewell . to the trve theanthropos , iesus christ , the saviovr of the world : his servant implores his favourable assistance . thou alpha and omega , before whom , things past & present & things yet to come , are all alike ; o prosper my designes , and let thy spirit inrich my feeble lines ; revive my passion ; let mine eye behold those sorrowes present , which were wept of old : strike sad my soule , and give my pen , the art to move ; and me , an understanding heart . o , let the accent of each word , make knowne , i mixe the teares of sion , with mine owne : preserve all such , as beare true hearts to sion . we are thy lambes , o , be thou still our lion. sions elegies . threnodia . i. eleg . . ah griefe of times ! ah , sable times of griefe , whose torments find a voice , but no reliefe ! are these the buildings ? these the tower and state , that all th' amazed earth stood wondring at ? is this that citie , whose eternall glory , could find no period , for her endlesse storie ? and is she come to this ? her buildings raz'd , her towers burnt ? her glory thus defac'd ? o sudden change ! o world of alterations ! she , she that was the prince , the queen of nations see , how she lyes , of strength , of all , bereiv'd , now paying tribute , which she once receiv'd . eleg . . behold ! her eyes , those glorious eyes , that were like two faire suns , in one celestiall sphaere , whose radiant beames did , once , reflect so bright , are now eclipsed , and have lost their light , and seeme like ilands , about which appeares a troubled ocean , with a tide of teares ; her servant cities ( that were once at hand , and bow'd their servile necks to her command , ) stand all aloofe , as strangers to her mone , and give her leave to spend her teares alone , her neighbours flatter , with a false reliefe , and with a kisse , betray her to her griefe . eleg . . compast around with seas of briny teares , iudah laments , distraught with double feares ; even as the fearfull partridge , to excuse her from the fierce gos-hawk , that too close pursues her , falls in a covert , and her selfe doth cover her , from her unequall foe , that sits above her : meane while the treason of her quick retrivers , discovers novell dangers , and delivers her to a second feare , whose double fright findes safety nor in staying , nor in flight ; even so is iudah vext , with change of woes , betwixt her home-bred , and her forreine foes . eleg . . did not these sacred cawsies , that are leading to sion , late seeme pav'd , with often treading ? now secret dens , for lurking theeves to meet , vnprest , unlesse with sacrilegious feet ; sion the temple of the highest god , stands desolate , her holy steps untrod ; her altars are defac'd , her virgin fires surcease , & with a stinke , her snuff expires ; cries , her priests have chang'd their hymus to sighs and cries , her virgins weepe forth rivers from their eyes : o sion , thou that wert the childe of mirth , art now the scorne , and by-word of the earth ▪ eleg . . encreas'd in power , and high chevisance of armes , thy tyrant foem en doe advance their crafty crests ; he , he that was thy father , and crownd thee once with blessings , now doth gather his troops to work thy end ; him , who advan●'t thee to be earths queen , thy sins have bent against thee strange spectacle of griefe ! thy tender frie , whom childhood taught no language , but their cry t' expresse their infant griefe , these , wretched these by force of childish teares , could not appease the ruthlesse sword , which deafe to all their cries , did drive them captives from their mothers eies . eleg . . faire virgin sion , where ( ah ) where are those pure cheekes , wherein the lilly , and the rose so much contended lately for the place , till both compounded in thy glorious face ? how hast thou blear'd those sun-bright eies of thine those beames , the royall magazens of divine and sacred majesty , from whose pure light , the purblind worldlings did receive their sight , thy fearfull princes , leave their fencelesse towers , and flie like harts , before their swift pursuers ; like light-foot harts they flie , not knowing where , prickt on with famine , and distracted feare . eleg . . gall'd with her griefe . ierusalem recalls to minde her lost delights , her festivalls , her peacefull freedome , and full joyes , in vaine wishing , what earth cannot restore againe ; succour she sought , and begg'd , but none was there to give the almes of one poore trickling teare ; the scornefull lips of her amazed foes , deride the griefe , of her disastrous woes ; they laugh , and lay more ample torments on her , disdaine to looke , and yet they gaze upon her , abuse her altars , hate her offerings , prophane her sabbaths , and her holy things . eleg . . hadst thou ( ierusalem ) o , had thy heart beene loyall to his love , whose once thou wert , o , had the beames of thy unvailed eye continu'd pure ; hadst thou beene nice , to try new pleasures , thus thy glory ne're had wasted , thy walls , till now , like thy reproch , had lasted : thy lovers , whose false beauties did entice thee , have seene thee naked , and doe now despise thee ; drunke with thy wanton pleasures , they are fled , and scorne the bountie of thy loathed bed ; lest to thy guilt ( the servant of thy sin ) thou sham'st to show , what once , thou gloriedst i● . eleg . . ierusalem is all infected over with leprosie , whose filth , no shade can cover , puft up with pride , unmindfull of her end , see how she lyes , devoid of helpe , or friend . great lord of lords ( whose mercy far transcēds thy sacred iustice ) whose full hand attends the cries of empty ravens , bow downe thine eare● to wretched sion , sion drownd in teares ; thy hand did plant her , ( lord ) she is thy vine , confound her foes : they are her foes , and thine : shew wonted favour to thy holy hill . rebuild her walls , and love thy sion still . eleg . . knees , falslie bent to dagon , now defile her wasted temple rudely they dispoile th' abused altars , and no hand releeves ; her house of prayer is turn'd a den of theeves her costly robes , her sacred treasure stands , a willing prey to sacrilegious hands , her priests are slaine , & in a lukewarme flood through every channel runs the levites blood ; the hallowed temple of the highest god , whose purer foot-steps were not to be trod with unprepared feet , before her eye , is turn'd a grove , for base idolatrie . eleg . . lingring with death and famine , iudah groanes , and to the ayre , breathes forth her ayrie moanes , her fainting eyes waxe dim , her cheekes grow pale , her wandring steps despaire to speed , and faile , she faints , and through her trembling lips , halfe dead , she whispers oft the holy name of bread : great god , let thy offended wrath surcease , behold thy servants , send thy servants peace , behold thy vassals , groveling on the dust ; be mercifull ( deare god ) as well as just ; 't is thou , 't is thou alone , that sent this griefe , 't is thou , 't is thou alone , can send reliefe . eleg . . my tongu's in labour with her painefull birth , that finds no passage ; lord , how strange a dearth of words , concomitates a world of woes ! i neither can conceale , nor yet disclose : you weary pilgrimes , you whom change of climes have tought you change of fortunes , and of times , stay , stay your feeble steps , and cast your eyes on me , the abstract of all miseries . say ( pilgrimes ) say , if e're your eyes beheld more truer iliades ; more unparalleld , and matelesse evils , which my offended god reulcerates , with his enraged rod. eleg . . no humane power could no envious art of mortall man , could thus subject my heart , my glowing heart , to these imperious fires : no earthly sorrow , but at length expires ; but these my tyrant-torments doe extend to infinites , nor having ease , nor end ; loe , i the pris'ner of the highest god , inth●ailed to the vengeance of his rod , lie bound in fetters , that i cannot flie , nor yet endure his deadly stroakes , nor die : my joyes are turn'd to sorrows , backt with feares , and i ( poore i ) lie pickled up in teares . eleg . . o! how unsufferable is the waight of sinne ! how miserable is their state , the silence of whose secret sinne conceales the smart , till iustice to revenge appeales ! how ponderous are my crimes , whose ample scroul weighs downe the pillars of my broken soule ! their sowre , masqu'd with sweetnes , overswai'd me and with their smiling kisses , they betrai'd me , betraid me to my foes , and what is worse , betraid me to my selfe , and heavens curse , betraid my soule to an eternall griefe , devoid of hope , for e're to finde reliefe ▪ eleg . . perplext with change of woes , where ere i turne my fainting eyes , they finde fresh cause to mourne my griefes move like the planets , which appeare chang'd from their places , cōstant to their sphaere behold , the earth-confounding arme of heaven , hath cow'd my valiant captaines , and hath driven their scattered forces up and downe the street , like worried sheepe afraid of all they meet ; my younger men , the seede of propagation , exile hath driven from my divided nation ; my tender virgins have not scap'd their rage , which neither had respect to youth , nor age . eleg . . qvicke change of torments ! equall to those crimes , which past unthought-of , in my prosp'rous times from hence proceed my griefes , ( ah me ) from hence my spring-tyde sorrowes have their influence ; for these , my soul● dissolves , my eyes lament , spending chose teares , whose store wil ne're be spēt ; for these , my fainting spirits droepe , and melt in anguish , such as never mortall felt ; within the selfe-same flames , i freeze , and frie , i roare for helpe , and yet no helpe is nigh ; my sons are lost , whose fortunes would relieve me , and onely such triumph , that hourely grieve me . eleg . . rent from the glory of her lost renowne , sion laments ; her lips ( her lips o'reflowne with floods of teares ) she prompteth how to breake new languages , instructs her tongue to speake elegious dialects ; she lowly bends her dusty knees upon the earth , extends her brawnlesse armes to them , whose ruthlesse eyes are red , with laughing at her miseries ; naked she lies , deform'd , and circumvented , with troopes of feares , unpitied , unlamented , a loathsome draine for filth , despis'd , forlorne ; the scorne of nations , and the childe of scorne . eleg . . sowre wages issue from the sweets of sin , heavens hand is just , this trecherous heart hath bin the author of my woes : 't is i alone ; my sorrowes reap , what my foule sins have sowne ; often they cry'de to heaven , e're heaven reply'd , and vengeance ne're had come , had they ne'r cride ; all you that passe , vouchsafe your gracious eares , to heare these cries ; your eyes , to view these tears ; they are no heat-drops of an angry heart , or childish passions of an idle smart , but they are rivers , springing from an eye , whose streams , no joy can stop , no griefe draw drie . eleg . . tvrne where i list , new cause of woe presents my poore distracted soule with new laments ; where shall i turne ? shall i implore my friends ? ah , summer friendship , with the summer ends ; in vaine to them my groanes , in vaine my teares , for harvest friends can finde no winter eares ; or shall i call my sacred priests for aid ? alas ! my pined priests are all betraid to death , and famine ; in the streets they cryed for bread , & whilst they sought for bread , they died vengeance could never strike so hard a blow , as when she sends an unlamented woe . eleg . . vouchsafe ( great god ) to turne thy tender eyes on me poore wretch : oh , let my midnight cries ( that never cease , if never stopt with teares ) procure audience from thy gracious eares ; behold thy creature , made by change of griefe , the barest wretch , that ever beg'd reliefe ; see , see , my soule is tortur'd on thy rack my bowels tremble , and my heart-strings crack ; abroad , the sword with open ruine frights me ; at home , the secret hand of famine smites me ; strange fires of griefe ! how is my soule opprest , that findes abroad , no peace , at home , no rest ! eleg . . where , where art thou , o sacred lambe of peace , that promis'd to the heavie laden , ease ? thee , thee alone , my often bended knee invokes , that haue no other helpe , but thee ; my foes ( amazed at my hoarse complaining ) scoffe at my oft repeated cries , disdaining to lend their prosp'rous hand , they hisse and smile , taking a pleasure to behold my spoile : their hands delight to bruize my broken reeds , and still persist , to prick that heart that bleeds ; but there 's a day ( if prophets can divine ) shal scourge their sins , as they have scourged mine . eleg . . you noy some weeds , that lift your crests so high , when better plants , for want of moysture die ? thinke you to flourish ever ? and ( unspide ) to shoot the flowers of your fruitlesse pride ? if plants be cropt , because their fruits are small , thinke you to thrive , that beare no fruit at all ? looke downe ( great god ) & from their places teare these weeds , that suck the juice , shold make us bear vndew'd with showers , let them see no sun , but feel those frosts , that thy poor plāts have done . o clense thy garden , that the world may know wee are the seeds , that thy right hand did sow . threnodia ii. eleg . . alas ! my torments , my distracted feares have no commerce , with reasonable teares : how hath heavens absence darkned the renowne of sions glory ! with one angry frowne . how hath th' almighty clouded those bright beams and chang'd her beauties streamers , into streames ! sion , the glory of whose refulgent fame gave earnest of an everlasting name , is now become an indigested masse , and ruine is , where that brave glory was : how hath heaven strucke her earth-admired name from th' height of honour , to the depth of shame ; eleg . . beautie , nor strength of building could entice , or force revenge from her just enterprise ; mercy hath stopt her eares , and iustice hath powr'd out full vialls of her kindled wrath ; impatient of delay , she hath strucke downe the pride of sion , kickt off iuda's crowne ; her streets unpeopled , and disperst her powres , and with the ground hath levell'd her high towres ; her priests are slaine , her captiv'd princes are vnransom'd pris'ners ; slaves her men of warre ; nothing remaines of all her wonted glory , but sad memorialls of her tragicke story . eleg . . confused horror , and confounding shame , have blur'd the beauty , and renowned name of righteous israel ; israels fruitfull land , entail'd by heaven , with the usurping hand of uncontroled gentiles , is laid waste , and with the spoile so ruine is defac't ; the angry mouth of iustice blowes the fires of hasty vengeance , whose quicke flame aspires , with fury to that place , which heaven did sever , for iacob and his holy seed for ever ; no part , no secret angle of the land , which beares no marke of heavens enraged hand . eleg . . ●arts , thrild from heavē , transfix my bleeding heart and fill my soule with everlasting smart , whose festring wound , no fortune can recure ; th' almighty strikes but seldome , but strikes sure ; his finowy arme hath drawne his steely bow , and sent his forked shafts to overthrow my pined princes , and to ruinate the weakened pillars , of my wounded state ; his hand hath scourg'd my deare delights , acquired my soule , of all , wherein my soule delighted ; i am the mirrour of unmasked sin , to see her ( dearely purchas'd ) pleasures in . eleg . . even as the pilot , whose sharpe keele divides th' encountring waves of the cicilian tides , tost on the list● of death , striving to scape the danger of deepe mouth'd cha●ybdis rape , re●uts on scy●●a , with a forc'd careere , and wrecks upon a lesse suspected feare ; even so poore i , contriving to withstand my foemans , fall into th' almighties hand ; so i , the childe of ruine , to avoid lesse dangers , by a greater am destroy'd : how necessary , ah! how sharp's his end , that neither hath his god , nor man , to friend ! eleg . . forgotten sion hangs her drooping head , vpon her fainting brest ; her soule is fed with endlesse griefe , whose torments had depriv'd her long since , of life , had not new paines reviv'd her : sion is like a garden , whose defence being broke , is left to the rude violence of wastefull swine , full of neglected waste ; nor having flowre for smell , nor herbe for taste ; heaven takes no pleasure in her holy feasts , her idle sabbaths , or burnt fat of beasts ; both state and temple are despoil'd , and fleec't of all their beauty ; without prince , or priest. eleg . . glory , that once did heavens bright temple fill , is now departed from that sacred hill ; see , how the emptie altar stands disguis'd , abus'd by gentiles , and by heaven despis'd ; that place , wherein the holy one hath taken so sweet delight , lies loathed , and forsaken ; that sacred place , wherein the precious name of great iebovah was preserv'd , the same is turn'd a den for theeves ; an open stage for vice to act on ; a defiled cage of uncleane birds ; a house of priviledge for sin , and uncontrolled sacriledge . eleg . . heaven hath decreed ; his angry brest doth boile , his time 's expired , and he 's arm'd to spoile ; his secret will adjourn'd the righteous doome of threatned sion , and her time is come ; his hand is arm'd with thunder , from his eyes a flame more quicke than sulphrous etna , flyes ; sion must fall : that hand which hath begun , can never rest , till the full worke be done . her walls are sunke , her towres are overthrowne , heaven will not leave a stone upon a stone : hence , hence the flouds of roaring iudah rise , hence sion fills the cisternes of her eyes . eleg . . ioy is departed from the holy gates of deare ierusalem , and peace retraits from wasted sion ; her high walls , that were an armed proofe against the brunt of feare , are shrunke for shame , if not withdrawne , for pity , to see the ruine of so brave a city ; her kings , and out-law'd princes live constraind hourely to heare the name of heaven profan'd ; manners and lawes , the life of government are sent into eternall banishment ; her prophets cease to preach ; they vow , unheard : they howle to heaven , but heaven gives no regard . eleg . . king , priest , and people , all alike are clad in weeds of sack-cloth , taken from the sad wardrobe of sorrow , prostrate on the earth , they close their lips , their lips estrang'd to mirth : silent they sit , for dearth of speech affords a sharper accent , for true griefe , than words : the father wants a son , the son a mother ; the bride , her groom : th the brother wāts a brother ; some , famine : exile some : and some the sword hath slaine : all want , when sion wants her lord : how art thou all in all ! there 's nothing scant ( great god ) with thee , without thee , all things want . eleg . . ●aunch forth my soule , into a sea of teares , whose ballanc'd bulke , no other pilot steares , then raging sorrow , whose uncertaine hand , wanting her compasse , strikes on every sand ; driven with a storme of sighes , she seekes the haven of rest , but like to noahs wandring raven , she scowres the maine : and , as a sea-lost rover , she roames , but can no land of peace discover : mine eyes are faint with teares , teares have no end , the more are spent , the more remaine to spend : what marble ( ah ) what adamantine eye , can looke on sions ruine , and not cry ? eleg . . my tongue ? the tongues of angels , are too faint t' expresse the causes of my just complaint ; see , how the pale-fac'd sucklings roare for food , and from their milkles mothers brests , draw blood : children surcease their serious toyes , and plead with trickling teares , ah mothers , give us bread : such goodly barnes , and not one graine of corne ? why did the sword escape's ? why were we borne to be devour'd and pin'd with famine ? save us : with quicke reliefe , or take the lives , you gave us : they cryde for bread , that scarce had breath to cry , and wanting meanes to live , found meanes to dye . eleg . . never , ah ! never yet , did vengeance brand a state , with deeper ruine , than thy land ; deare sion how could mischiefe beene more keene , or strucke thy glory with a sharper spleene ? whereto ( ierusalem ) to what shall i compare this thy unequall'd misery ? turne backe to ages past ; search deepe records : theirs are , thine cannot be exprest in words : would , would to god , my lives cheape price might be esteem'd of value , but to ransome thee ; would i could cure thy griefe ; but who is able to heale that wound , that is immedicable ? eleg . . o sion , had thy prosperous soule endur'd thy prophets scourge , thy joyes had bin secur'd but thou ( ah thou ) hast lent thine itching eare to such as claw'd , and onely such , wouldst heare ; thy prophets , 'nointed with unhallow'd oyle , rubd where they should have launcht , and did beguile thy abused faith , their fawning lips did cry peace , peace , alas , when there was no peace nigh ; they quilted silken curtaines for thy crimes , belyde thy god , and onely pleas'd the times : deare sion , oh ! hadst thou but had the skill to stop thine eares , thou hadst beene sion still . eleg . . ●eople , that travell through thy wasted land , gaze on thy ruines , and amazed stand , they shake their spleenfull heads , disdaine , deride the sudden downefall of so faire a pride ; they clap their joyfull hands , & fill their tongues with hisses , ballads , and with lyrick songs ; her torments give their empty lips new matter , and with their scornfull fingers , point they at her ; is this ( say they ) that place , whose wonted fame made troubled earth to tremble at her name ? is this that state ? are these those goodly stations ? is this that mistris , and that queene of nations ? eleg . . qvencht are the dying embers of compassion , for empty sorrow findes no lamentation : when as thy harvest flourisht with full eares , thy sleightest griefe brought in a tide of teares ; but now , alas ! thy crop consum'd , and gon , thou art but food , for beasts to trample on ; thy servants glory in thy ruine , those that were thy private friends , are publike foes ; thus , thus ( say they ) we spit our rankrous spleene , and g●ash our teeth upon the worlds faire queene ; thrice welcome this ( this long expected ) day , that crownes our conquest , with so sweet a prey . eleg . . rebellious iudah ! could thy flattring crimes secure thee from the dangers of the times ? or did thy summer prophets ere foresay these evills , or warn'd thee of a winters day ? did not those sweet-lipt oracles beguile thy wanton eares , with newes of wine , and oile ? but heaven is just : what his deepe counsell wild , his prophets told , and iustice hath fulfill'd : he hath destroy'd ; no secret place so voyd , no fort so sure , that heaven hath not destroy'd : thou land of iudah ! how 's thy sacred throne become a stage , for heathen to trample on ! eleg . see , see , th' accursed gentiles doe inherit the land of promise ; where heavens sacred spirit built temples for his everlasting name , there , there , th'usurping pagans doe proclaime their idle idols , unto whom they gave that stolen honor which heavnes lord should have winke sion ; o let not those eyes be stain'd with heavens dishonour , see not heaven profan'd ; close , close thine eyes , or if they needs must be open , like flood-gates , to let water flee , yet let the violence of their flowing streames obscure thine open eyes , and mask their beames . eleg . . trust not thy eye-lids , lest a flattering sleepe bribe them to rest , and they forget to weepe : powre out thy heart , thy heart dissolv'd in teares , weepe forth thy plaints , in the almighties eares ; oh , let thy cries , thy cries to heaven addrest , disturbe the silence of thy midnight rest ; prefer the sad petitions of thy soule to heaven , ne're close thy lips till heaven condole confounded sion , and her wounded weale ; that god that smit , oh , move that god to heale ; oh , let thy tongue ne're cease to call , thine eye to weepe , thy pensive heart ne're cease to cry . eleg . . vouchsafe , oh thou eternall lord of pitty , to looke on sion , and thy dearest city , confus'd ierusalem , for thy davi●s sake , and for that promise , which thy selfe did make to halting isr'el ; loe , thy hand hath forc'd mothers ( whom law lesse famine hath divorc'd from deare affection ) to devoure the bloomes , and buds , that burgeond frō their painful wombs ; thy sacred priests and prophets , that while-ere did hourely whisper in thy neighbouring eare , are falne before the sacrilegious sword , even where , even whilst they did unfold thy word ▪ eleg . . wounded , and wasted , by th' eternall hand of heaven , i grovell on the ground ; my land is turn'd a golgotha ; before mine eye , vnsepulchred my murthred people lye ; my dead lye rudely scattred on the stones , my cawsies all are pav'd with dead mens bones ; the fierce destroyer doth alike forbeare the maidens trembling , and the matrons teare , th' imperiall sword spares neither foole , nor wise , the old mans pleading , nor the infants cries : vengeance is deafe , and blinde , and she respects nor young , nor old , nor wise , nor foole , nor sex. eleg . . yeares heavie laden with their months , retire ; months , gone their date of numbred daies , expire ; the daies , full houred , to their period tend ; and howers , chac'd with light-foot minutes , end ; yet my undated evills , no time will minish , though yeares & months , though daies and howers finish : feares flocke about me , as invited guests before the portalls , at proclamed feasts ; where heavē hath breathd , that man , that state must fall ▪ heaven wants no thunder-bolts to strike withall : i am the subject , of that angry breath , my sonnes are slaine , and i am mark'd for death . threnodia iii. eleg . . all you , whose unprepared lips did tast the tedious cup of sharp affliction , cast your wondring eyes on me , that have drunke up those dregs , whereof you onely kist the cup : i am the man , 'gainst whom th' eternall hath discharg'd the lowder volley of his wrath ; i am the man , on whom the brow of night hath scowl'd , unworthy to behold the light ; i am the man , in whom th' almighty showe● the dire example of unpattern'd woes ; i am that pris'ner , ransome cannot free ; i am that man , and i am onely he . eleg . . bondage hath forc'd my servile necke to faile beneath her load ; afflictions nimble flayle hath thrasht my soule upon a floore of stones , and quasht the marrow of my broken bones , th' assembled powres of heaven enrag'd , are eager to root me out : heavens souldiers doe beleager my worried soule , my soule unapt for fleeing , that yeelds o'reburthen'd with her tedious being th' almighties hand hath clouded all my night , and clad my soule with a perpetuall light , a night of torments , and eternall sorrow , like that of death , that never findes a morrow . eleg . . chain'd to the brazen pillars of my woes , i strive in vaine . no mortall hand can loose what heaven hath bound ; my soule is walld about , that hope can nor get in , nor feare get out ; when ere my wav'ring hopes to heaven addresse the feeble voice of my extreame distresse , he stops his tyred eares ; without regard of suit , or suitor , leaves my prayers unheard . before my faint and stumbling feet he layes blockes , to disturbe my best advised wayes ; i seeke my peace , but seeke my peace in vaine ; for every way 's a trap ; each path's a traine . eleg . . disturbed lyons are appeas'd with blood , and ravenous beares are milde , not wanting food , but heaven ( ah heaven ! ) will not implored be : lyons , and beares are not so fierce as hee : his direfull vengeance ( which no meane confines ) hath crost the thriving of my best designes ; his hand hath spoild me , that erewhile advanc't me brought in my foes , possest my friends against me ; his bow is bent , his forked rovers flie like darted haile-stones from the darkned skie , shot from a hand that cannot erre , they be transfixed in no other marke , but me . eleg . . exil'd from heaven , i wander to and fro , and seeke for streames , as stags new stricken doe , and like a wandring hart i flee the hounds , with arrowes deeply fixed in my wounds ; my deadly hunters with a winged pace , pricke forwards , and pursue their weary chace , they whoope , they hollow me , deride , & flout me , that flee from death , yet carrie death about me : excesse of torments hath my soule deceiv'd of all her joyes , of all her powres bereiv'd . o curious griefe , that hast my soule brim-fill'd with thousand deaths , and yet my soule not kill'd ! eleg . . follow'd with troopes of feares , i flie in vaine , for change of places breeds new change of paine ; the base condition of my low estate , my exalted foes disdaine , and wonder at : turne where i list ( these ) these my wretched eyes , they finde no objects , but new miseries ; my soule , accustom'd to so long encrease of paines , forgets that she had ever peace ; thus , thus perplext , thus with my griefes distracted what shall i do ? heavens powers are compacted to worke my ' eternall ruine ; to what friend shal i make mone , when heaven conspires my end ? eleg . . great god ! what helpe ( ah me ) what hope is left to him , that of thy prescence is bereft ? absented from thy favour , what remaines , but sense , and sad remembrance of my paines ? yet hath affliction op'ned my dull eare , and taught me , what in weale i ne're could heare ; her scourge hath tutor'd me with sharpe corrections and swag'd the swelling of my proud affections ; till now i slumbred in a prosp'rous dreame , from whēce awak'd , my griefes are more extreame ; hopes newly quickned , have my soule assur'd , that griefes discover'd , are one halfe recur'd . eleg . . had not the milder hand of mercy broke the furious violence of that fatall stroke offended iustice strucke , we had beene quite lost in the shadowes of eternall night ; thy mercy lord , is like the morning sunne , whose beames undoe , what sable night hath done ; or like a streame , the current of whose course , restrain'd a while , runs with a swifter force ; oh , let me swelter in those sacred beames , and after bathe me in these silver streames ; to thee alone , my sorrowes shall appeale ; hath earth a wound , too hard for heaven to heale ? eleg . . in thee ( deare lord ) my pensive soule respires , thou art the fulnesse of my choice desires ; thou art that sacred spring , whose waters burst in streames to him , that seekes with holy thirst ; thrice happy man , thrice happy thirst to bring the fainting soule to so , so sweet a spring ; thrice happy he , whose well resolved brest expects no other aide , no other rest ; thrice happie he , whose downie age had bin reclaim'd by scourges , from the prime of sin , and early season'd with the taste of truth , remembers his creator in his youth . eleg . . knowledge concomitates heavens painefull rod , ● eaches the soule to know her selfe , her god , vnseiles the eye of faith , presents a morrow of joy , within the ●ablest night of sorrow , th' afflicted soule abounds in barest need , sucks purest honie from the foulest weed , detests that good , which pamp'red reason likes , welcomes the stroke , kisses the hand that strikes ; in roughest tides his well-prepared brest , vntoucht with danger , findes a● haven of rest ; hath all in all , when most of all bereaven ; in earth , a hell , in hell he findes a heaven . eleg . labour perfected , with the evening ends , the lampe of heaven ( his course fulfill'd ) descends can workes of nature seeke , and finde a rest ; and shall the torments of a troubled brest , impos'd by natures all-commanding god , ne're know an end , ne're finde a period ? deare soule despaire not , whet thy dull beliefe with hope ; heavens mercy will o'recome thy griefe from thee , not him , proceeds thy punishment , hee 's slow to wrath , and speedy to relent ; thou burnst like gold , consumest not like fuell ; o , wrong not heaven , to thinke that heaven is cruell . eleg . . mountaines shall move , the sun his circling course shall stop ; tridented neptuae shall divorce th' embracing floods from their beloved iles , ere heaven forgets his servant , and recoyles from his eternall vow : those , those that bruise his broken reeds , or secretly abuse the doubtfull title of a rightfull cause , or with false bribes adulterat the lawes , that should be chaste , these , these , th' almightie hath branded for subjects of a future wrath ; oh , may the just man know , th' eternall hastens his plagues for trialls ; loves the child he chastens . eleg . . no mortall power , nor supernall might , not lucifer , nor no infernall spright , nor all together joyn'd in one commission , can thinke or act , without divine permission ; man wils , heaven breathes successe , or not , upon it ; what good , what evill befals , but heaven hath done it ? vpon his right hand , health and honors stand , and flaming scourges on the other hand : since then the states of good or evill depend vpon his will , ( fond mortall ) thou attend vpon his wisdome ; why should living dust complaine on heaven , because that heaven is just ? eleg . . o let the ballance of our even pois'd hearts weigh our afflictions with our just deserts , and ease our heavie scale ; double the graines we take from sinne , heaven taketh from our pains ; oh , let thy lowly-bended eyes not feare th' almighties frownes , nor husband one poore teare ; be prodigall in sighes , and let thy ●ongue , thy tongue estrang'd to heaven , cry all night long ; my soule thou leav'st , what thy creator did will thee to doe , hast done what he forbid ; this , this hath made so great a strangenesse bee ( if not divorce ) betwixt thy god , and thee . eleg . . prepar'd to vengeance , and resolv'd to spoile , thy hand ( just god ) hath taken in thy toile our wounded soules ; that arme which hath forgot his wonted mercy , kills and spareth not ; our crimes have set a barre betwixt thy grace and us : thou hast eclipst thy glorious face , hast stopt thy gracious eare , lest prayers enforce done ; thy tender heart to pity and remorse : see , see great god , what thy deare hand hath we lie like drosse , when all the gold is gone , contemn'd , despis'd , and like to atomes , flye before the sunne , the scorne of every eye . eleg . . qvotidian fevers of reproach , and shame , have chill'd our honor , and renowned name , we are become the by-word , and the scorne of heaven and earth ; of heaven & earth forlorne ; our captiv'd soules are compast round about , within , with troopes of feares ; of foes , without ; without , within , distrest ; and , in conclusion , we are the haplesse children of confusion ; oh , how mine eyes , the rivers of mine eyes o'reflow these barren lips , that can devise no dialect , that can expresse or borrow sufficient metaphors , to shew my sorrow ! eleg . . rivers of marish teares have over-flowne my blubber'd cheeks my tongue can find no tone so sharpe as silence , to bewaile that woe , whose flowing tides , an ebbe could never know : weepe on ( mine eyes ) mine eyes shall never cease ; speake on ( my tongue ) forget to hold thy peace ; cease not thy teares ; close not thy lips so long , til heaven shal wipe thine eles , & heare thy tongue : what heart of brasse , what adamantine brest can know the torments of my soule , and rest ? what stupid braine , ( ah me ! ) what marble eye can see these , these my ruines , and not cry ? eleg . so hath the fowler , with his slye deceits , beguil'd the harmelesse bird ; so with false baits , the treach'rous angler , strikes his nibbling prey ; even so my foes , my guiltlesse soule betray ; so have my fierce pursuers , with close wiles inthralled me , and gloried in my spoiles ; where undermining plots could not prevaile , there mischiefe did with strength of arme assaile ; thus in afflictions troubled billowes tost , i live ; but t is a life worse had , than lost : thus , thus o'rewhelm'd , my secret soule doth cry , i am destroy'd , and there 's no helper nigh . eleg . . thou great creator , whose diviner breath preserves thy creature , joyst not in his death , looke downe from thy eternall throne , that art the onely rocke of a despairing heart ; looke downe from heaven ( o thou ) whose tender eare once heard the trickling of one single teare ; how art thou now estranged from his cry , that sends forth rivers from his fruitfull eye ? how often hast thou , with a gentle arme , rais'd me from death , and bid me feare no harme : what strange disaster caus'd this sudden change , how wert thou once so neare , and now so strange ! eleg . . vanquisht by such , as thirsted for my life , and brought my soule into a legall strife , how oft hast thou ( just god ) maintain'd my cause and crost the sentence of their bloudie lawes ? be still my god , be still that god thou wert , looke on thy mercy , not on my desert ▪ be thou my iudge betwixt my foes and me ; the advocate , betwixt my soule & thee ; 'gainst thee ( great lord ) their arme they have advanc'd , and dealt that blow to thee , that thus hath glanc'd vpon my soule ; smite those that have smit thee , and for thy sake , discharge their spleene at me . eleg . . what squint-ey'd scorne , what flout , what wry-mouth'd scoffe that sullen pride e're tooke acquaintance of , hath scap'd the furie of my foemans tongue , to doe my simple innocencie wrong ? what day , what houre ; nay , what shorter season ; hath kept my soule secure , from the treason of their corrupted counsels , which dispensed dayes , nights and houres , to conspire my end ? my sorrowes are their songs , and as slight fables , fill up the silence of their wanton tables ; looke downe ( just god ) & with thy powre divine behold my foes ; they be thy foes , and mine . eleg . . yet sleeps thy vengeance ? can thy lustice be so slow to them , and yet so sharpe to me ? dismount ( just iudge ) from thy tribunall throne , and pay thy foemen , the deserved lone of their unjust designes ; make fierce thy hand , and scourge thou thē , as they have scourg'd my lād breake thou their adamantine hearts , & pound thē to dust , and with thy finall curse confound them ; let horror seize their soules ; o may they bee the scorne of nations , that have scorned thee ; o , may they live distrest , and die bereaven of earth delights , and of the joyes of heaven . threnodia . iiii. eleg . . alas ! what alterations ! ah , how strange amazement flowes from such an uncouth change ambitious ruine ! could thy razing hand finde ne're a subject , but the holy land ? thou sacrilegious ruine , to attempt the house of god! was not heavens house exempt from thy accursed rape ? ah me ! behold , sion , whose pavement of refulgent gold , so lately did reflect , so bright , so pure , how dimme , how drossie now , ( ah ! ) how obscure ! her sacred stones lie scatter'd in the street , for stumbling blocks before the levites feet . eleg . . behold her princes , whose victorious browes fame oft had crowned , with her laurell bowes , see how they hide their shame-confounded crests , and hang their heads upon their fainting brests , behold her captaines , and brave men at armes , whose spirits fired at warres loud alarmes , like worried sheepe , how flee they from the noise of drummes , and startle at the trumpets voice ! they faint , and like amazed lyons , show their fearefull heeles , if chaunticleere but crow ; how are the pillars ( sion ) of thy state transform'd to●lay , and burnisht gold , so late ! eleg . . can furious dragons heare their helplesse broode cry out , and fill their hungry lips with food ? hath nature taught fierce tygers to apply the brest unto their younglings empty cry ? have savage beasts time , place , and natures helps , to feed and foster up their idle whelpes ? and shall the tender babes of sion cry , and pine for food , and yet their mothers by ? dragons , and tygers , and all savage beasts can feed their young , but sion hath no breasts : distressed sion , more unhappie farre , than dragons , savage beasts , or tygers are ! eleg . . death thou pursuest , if from death thou flee , or if thou turnst thy flight , death followes thee : thy staffe of life is broke ; for want of bread , thy city pines , and halfe thy land is dead ; the son t' his father weepes , makes fruitlesse moane the father weepes upon his weeping sonne : the brother cals upon his pined brother , and both come crying to their hungry mother : the empty babe , in stead of milke , drawes downe his nurses teares , well mingled with his owne ; nor chāge of place , nor time with help supplys thee abroad the sword , famine at home destroyes thee . eleg . . excesse , and surfet now have left thy coast , the lavish guest , now wants his greedie host , no wanton cooke prepares his poynant meate , to teach a saciate palate how to eate ; now ●acchus pines and shakes his feeble knees , and pamp'red envie lookes as plumpe , as hee 's ; discolour'd ceres , that was once so faire , hath lost her beauty , ●indg'd her golden haire ; thy princes mourne in rags , asham'd t' infold their leaden spirits in a case of gold ; from place to place thy statesmen wandring are ; on every dung-hill lies a man of warre . eleg . . foule sodome , and incestuous gomorrow , had my destruction , but ne're my sorrow ; vengeance had mercy there ; her hand did send a sharpe beginning , but a sudden end ; iustice was milde , and with her hastie flashes they fell , and sweetly slept in peacefull ashes ; they felt no rage of an insulting foe , nor famins piching furie , as i doe ; they had no sacred temple to defile ; or if they had , they would have helpt to spoile ; they dy'd but once , but i , poore wretched i , die many deaths , and yet have more to die . eleg . . gold from the mint ; milke , from the uberous cow ; was ne're so pure in substance , nor in show , as were my nazarites , whose inward graces adorn'd the outward lustre of their faces ; their faces robb'd the lilly , and the rose , of red and white ; more faire , more sweet then those , their bodies were the magazines of perfection , their skins vnblemisht , were of pure complexion ▪ through which , their saphire-colour'd veines descride the azure beauty of their naked pride ; the flaming carbuncle was not so bright , nor yet the rare discolour'd chrysolite . eleg . . how are my sacred nazarites ( that were the blazing planets of my glorious sphaere ) obscur'd and darkned in afflictions cloud ? astonisht at their owne disguize , they shrowd their foule transformed shapes , in the dull shade of sullen darknesse ; of themselves afraid ; see , how the brother gazes on the brother , and both affrighted , start , and flie each other ; blacke as their fates , they cross the streets unkend , the sire , his son ; the friend disclaimes his frend ; they , they that were the flowers of my land , like withered weeds , and blasted hemlocke stand . eleg . impetuous famine , sister to the sword , left hand of death , childe of th' infernall lord , thou tort'rer of mankind , that with one stroake , subject'st the world to thy imperious yoake : what pleasure tak'st thou in the tedious breath of pined mortals ? or their lingring death ? the sword , thy generous brother 's not so cruell , he kills but once , fights in a noble duell : but thou ( malicious furie ) dost extend thy spleene to all , whose death can find no end ; alas ! my haplesse weale can want no woe , that feeles the rage of sword , and famine too . eleg . . kinde is that death , whose weapons do but kill , but we are often slaine , yet dying still ; our torments are too gentle , yet too rough , they gripe too hard , because not hard enough ; my people teare their trembling flesh , for food , and frō their ragged wounds , they suck forth blood the father dies , and leaves his pined coarse , t' inrich his heire , with meat ; the hungry nurse broyles her starv'd suckling on the hastie coales , devoures one halfe , and hides the rest in holes : o tyrant famine ! that compell'st the mother , to kill one hungry childe , to feed another ▪ eleg . . lament , o sad ierusalem , lament ; o weepe , if all thy teares be yet unspent , weepe ( wasted iud●h ) let no drop be kept vnshed , let not one teare be left , unwept ; for angry heaven hath nothing left undone , to bring thy ruines to perfection : no curse , no plague the fierce almighty hath kept backe , to summe the totall of his wrath ; thy citie burnes ; thy sion is dispoyld ; thy wives are ravisht , and thy maides defil'd ; famine at home ; the sword abroad destroyes thee ; thou cry'st to heav'n , & heav'n his ●are denies thee . eleg . . may thy dull senses ( o unhappy nation , possest with nothing now , but desolation ) collect their scatter'd forces , and behold thy novell fortunes , ballanc'd with the old ; couldst thou , ô could thy prosp'rous heart cōceive ▪ that mortall powre , or art of state could reive thy ' illustrious empire of her sacred glory , and make her ruines , the thren●dian story of these sad times , and ages yet to be ? envie could pine , but never hope to see thy buildings crusht , and all that glory ended , which man so fortifyde , and heav'n defended . eleg . . ne're had the splendor of thy bright renowne beene thus extinguisht ( ludah ; ) thy fast crowne had ne're beene spurn'd from thy imperiall brow , plenty had nurs'd thy soule , thy peacefull plough had fill'd thy fruitfull quarters with encrease , hadst thou but knowne thy selfe , and loved peace ; but thou hast broke that sacred truce , concluded betwixt thy god , and thee ; vainly deluded thy selfe with thine own strength , with deadly feud thy furious priests and prophets have pursude the mourning saints of sion , and did s●ay all such , as were more just , more pure , then they , eleg . . o how the priests of sion , whose pure light should shine to such , as grope in errors night , and blaze like lamp● ▪ before the darkned eye of ignorance , to raise up those that lie in dull despaire , and guide those feet that strey , ay me ! how blinde , how darke , how dull are they ▪ fierce rage , & fury drives them through the street , and , like to mad men , stabbe at all they meet ; they weare the purple livery of death , and live themselves , by drawing others breath ; say ( wasted sion ) could revenge behold so foule an acted scene as this , and hold ? eleg . . prophets , and sacred priests , whose tongues whilere did often whisper in th'eternalls eare , disclos'd his oracles , found ready passage twixt god , and man , to carry heavens embassage , are now the subjects of deserved scorne , of god forsaken , and of man forlorne ; accursed gentiles are asham'd to know , what sions priests are not asham'd to doe ; they see and blush , and blushing flee away , fearing to touch things , so defil'd as they ; they hate the filth of their abomination , and chace them forth , from their new conquer'd nation . eleg . . qvite banisht from the joyes of earth , and smiles of heaven , and deeply buried in her spoiles , poore iudah lies ; unpitied , disrespected ; exil'd the world ; of god , of man rejected ; like blasted eares among the fruitfull wheat , she roames disperst , and hath no certaine seat ; her servile neck 's subjected to the yoake of bondage , open to th' impartiall stroake of conquering gentiles , whose afflicting hand smites every nooke of her disguised land ; of youth respectlesse , nor regarding yeeres , nor sex , nor tribe ; like scourging prince , & peers ▪ eleg . . rent , and deposed from imperiall state , ●y heavens high hand , on heaven we must await ; to him that struck , our sorrowes must appeale ; where heaven hath smit● no hand of man can heale ; in vaine , our wounds expected mans reliefe , for disappointed hopes renew a griefe ; aegypt opprest us in our fathers loynes , what hope 's in aegypt ? nay , if aegypt joynes her force with iudah , our united powres could nere prevaile 'gainst such a foe as our's ; aegypt , that once did feele heavens scourge , for grieving , his flock , would now refinde it , for reliving . eleg . . so , the quick-sented beagles , in a view , o're hill , and dale , the fleeing chase pursue , as swift-foot death , and ruine follow me , that flees , afraid , yet knowes not where to flee : flee to the fields ? there , with the sword i meet ; and , like a watch , death stands in every street ; no covert hides from death ; no shade , no cells so darke , wherein not death and horror dwells : our dayes are numbred , and our number 's done , the empty houre-glasse of our glorie 's run : our sins are summ'd , and so extreame 's the score , that heauen could not doe lesse , nor hell do more . eleg . . to what a downfall are our fortunes come , subjected to the suffrance of a doome , whose lingring torments hell could not conspire more sharp ! than which , hell needs no other fire : how nimble are our foemen to betray our soules ? eagles are not so swift as they : where shall we flee ? or where shall sorrow finde a place for harbour ? ah , what prosp'rous winde will lend a gale , whose bounty ne're shall cease , till we be landed on the i le of peace ? my foes more fierce than empty lions are ; for hungry lions , woo'd with teares , will spare . eleg . . vsurping gentiles rudely have engrost into their hands those fortunes we have lost , devoure the fruits that purer hands did plant , are plump and pampred with that bread we want , and ( what is worse than death ) a tyrant treads vpon our throne ; pagans adorne their heads with our lost crowns ; their powers have dis-jointed the members of our state , and heavens anointed their hands have crusht , & ravisht from his throne , and made a slave , for slaves to tread upon ; needs must that flock be scattred and accurst , where wolves have dar'd to seize the shepherd first . eleg . . waxe fat with laughing ( edom ; ) with glad eies behold the fulnesse of our miseries ; triumph ( thou type of antichrist ) and feed thy soule with joy , to see thy brothers ●eed ruin'd , and rent , and rooted from the earth , make haste , and solace thee with early mirth ; but there 's a time shall teach●thee how to weepe as many teares as i ; thy lips , as deepe shall drinke in sorrowes cup , as mine have done , till then , cheere up thy spirits , and laugh on : offended iustice often strikes by turnes ; edom , ●eware , for thy next neighbour burnes . eleg . . ye drooping sonnes of sion , o , arise , and shut the flood-gates of your flowing eyes , surcease your sorrowes , and your joyes attend , for heaven hath spoke it , and your griefes ●●al end ; beleeve it sion ; seeke no curious signe , and wait heav'ns pleasure , as heav'n waited thine ; and thou triumphing ed●m , that dost lye in beds of roses , thou , whose prosp'rous eye did smile , to see the gates of sion fall , shalt be subjected to the selfe-fame thrall ; sion , that weepes , shall smile ; and edoms eye , that smiles so fast , as fast shall shortly cry . the prophet ieremie his prayer for the distressed people of ierusalem , and sion . great god , before whose all-discerning eye , the secret corners of mans heart doe lye as open as his actions , which no clowd of secresie can shade ; no shade can shrowd ; behold the teares , o , hearken to the cryes of thy poore sion ; wipe her weeping eyes , binde up her bleeding wounds , ô thou that art the best chirurgeon for a broken heart : see how the barb'rous gentiles have intruded into the land of promise , and excluded those rightfull owners , from their just possessions , that wander now full laden with oppressions ; our fathers ( ah ) their savage hands have slaine , whose deaths our widdow-mothers weepe in vaine ; our springs , whose christall plenty once disburst their bounteous favours , to quench every thirst ; our liberall woods , whose palsie-shaken tops , to every stranger , bow'd their yeelding lops , are sold to us , that have no price to pay , but sweat and toyle , the sorrowes of the day : oppressors trample on our servile necks , we never cease to groane , nor they to vexe ; famine and dearth , haue taught our hands t' extend to ashur , and our feeble knees to bend to churlish pharoe : want of bread compells thy servants to begge almes of infidels ; our wretched fathers sinn'd , and yet they sleepe in peace , and have left us their sonnes to weepe ; we , we extracted from their sinfull loynes , are guilty of their sinnes ; their ossa joynes to our high pelion ; ah! their crimes doe stand more firmly ' entailed to us , than our land : we are the slaves of servants , and the scorne of slaves , of all forsaken , and forlorne ; hunger hath forc'd us to acquire our food , with deepest danger of our dearest blood ; our skins are wrinckled , and the fruitlesse ploughs of want have fallow'd up our barren browes : within that sion which thy hands did build , our wives were ravisht , and our maids defil'd : our savage foe extends his barb'rous rage to all , not sparing sexe , nor youth , nor age : they hang our princes on the shamefull trees of death ; respect no persons , no degrees : our elders are despised , whose gray hayres are but the index of their doting yeares ; our flowring youth are forced to fulfill their painfull taskes in the laborious mill ; our children faint beneath their loads , and cry , opprest with burdens , under which they lie : sages are banisht fo●● iudiciall courts , and youth takes no delight in youthfull sports : our joyes are gone , and promise no returning , our pleasure 's turnd to paine , our mirth to mourning ; our hand hath lost her sword ; our head his crowne ; our church her glory ; our weale her high renowne . lord , we have sinn'd , and these our sins have brought this world of griefe ; ( o purchase dearely bought ! ) from hence our sorrowes , and from hence our feares proceed ; for this , our eyes are blinde with teares ; but that ( aye that ) which my poore heart doth count her sharpest torture , is thy sacred mount , sacred mount sion ; sion , that divine seat of thy glory 's raz'd ; her tender vine , laden with swelling clusters , is destroy'd , and foxes now , what once thy lambs enjoy'd . but thou ( o thou eternall god ) whose throne is permanent , whose glory 's ever one , vnapt for change , abiding still the same , though earth consume , & heaven dissolve her frame , why dost thou ( ah ! ) why dost thou thus absent thy glorious face ? oh , wherefore hast thou rent thy mercy from us ? o! when wilt thou be atton'd to them , that have no trust but thee . restore us ( lord ) and let our soules possesse our wonted peace ; o , let thy hand redresse our wasted fortunes ; let thine eye behold thy scattered flock , and drive them to their fold ; canst thou reject that people , which thy hand hath chose , and planted in the promis'd land ? o thou ( the spring of mercy ) wilt thou send no ease to our afflictions , no end ? the end . an alphabet of elegies , vpon the much and truly lamented death of that famous for learning , pietie , and true friendship , doctor ailmer , a great favourer , and fast friend to the muses , and late arch-deacon of london : imprinted in his heart , that ever loves his memorie . written by fra : qvarles . cum privilegio amoris . doloris . dignum laude virum musa vetat mor● . readers ▪ give me leave to performe a necessary duty , which my affection owes to the bles●ed memory of that reverend prelate , my much ●onoured friend , doctor ailmer ▪ hee was one , whose life and death made as full and perfect a story of worth and goodnesse , as earth would suffer , and whose pregnant vertues deserve as faithfull a register as earth can keepe : in whose happy remembrance , i have here ●●usted these elegies to time and your favours : had he bin a lampe to light me alone , my pri●ate griefes had beene sufficient ; but being a sunne , whose beames reflected on all ; all have 〈◊〉 interest in his memory : to which end i recommend these memorialls to the publike , in testimony of my undissembled affection , and true pietie that i owe to so great an example of vertue and learning . f. q. fvnerall elegies . eleg . . all you whose eies would learn to weepe , draw neere , and heare , what none , without full teares , and hear ▪ come marble eyes , as marble as your hearts , i 'le teach you how to weepe a teare in parts ; and you false eyes , that never yet , let fall a teare in earnest , come , and now ye shall send forth salt fountaines of the truest griefe , that ever sought to language , for reliefe : but you , you tender eyes , that cannot beare an elegie , wept forth , without a teare . i warne you hence ; or , at the most , passe by , lest while you stay , you soone dissolve , and dye . eleg . . bvt stay : ( sad genius ) how doe griefes transport thy exil'd senses ? is there no resort to forkt parnassus sacred mount ? no word , no thought of helicon ? no muse implor'd ? i did invoke , but there was none reply'd ; the nine were silent , since m●●aenas dy'd : they have forsaken their old spring : 't is said , they haunt a new one , which their tears have made : should i molest them with my losse ? 't is knowne , they finde enough to re-lament their owne : i crave no ayde , no deity to infuse new matter : ah : true sorrow needs no muse. eleg . . call back ( bright phoebus ) your sky-wandring steeds your day is tedious , and our sorrow needs no sun : when our sad soules have lost their light , why should our eyes not finde perpetuall night ? goe to the nether world , and let your rayes shine there : bestow on them our share of dayes ; but say not , why : lest when report shall show such cause of griefe , they fall a grieving too , and pray the absence of your restlesse wayne , which then must be return'd on us againe , deare phoebus graunt my suit ; if thou denie 't , my teares shall blinde me , and so make a night . eleg . . death , art thou growne so nice ? can nothing please thy curious palate , but such cates as these ? or hath thy ravenous stomach beene o'represt with common diet at thy last great feast ? or hast thou fed so neere that there is none now left but delicates to feed upon ? or was this dish so tempting , that no power was left in thee , to stay another hower ? or didst thou feed by chance , and not observ'd what food it was , but tooke as fortune carv'd ? 't is done . be it or fortunes act or thine , it fed the one , whose want made millions pine . eleg . . envie now burst with joy , and let thine eyes strut forth with fatnesse : let thy collops rise pampred and plump : feed full for many yeares vpon our losse : be drunken with our teares : for he is dead , whose soule did never cease to crosse and violate your malitious peace : he 's dead ; but in his death hath overthrowne more vices , than his happy life had done : in life he taught to dye ; and he did give in death , a great example how to live : though he be gone , his fame is left behinde : now leave thy laughing envie , and be pin'd . eleg . . farewell those eyes , whose gentle smiles forsooke no misery , taught charity how to looke : farewell those cheerefull eyes , that did e'rewhile ▪ teach succour'd misery how to blesse a smile : farewell those eyes whose mixt aspect , of late , did reconcile humility and state : farewell those eyes , that to their joyfull guest , proclaim'd their ordinary fare , a feast ; farewell those eyes , the load-stars , late , whereby the graces ●ail'd secure , from eye to eye : farewell deare eyes , bright lamps ; ô who can tell your glorious welcome , or our sad farewell ! eleg . . goe glorious saint ! i knew 't was not a shrine of flesh , could lodge so pure a soule as thine ▪ i saw it labour ( in a holy scorne of living dust and ashes ) to be sworne a heavenly quirifter : it sigh'd and groan'd to be dissolv'd from mortall , and enthron'd among his fellow angells , there to sing perpetuall anthems to his heavenly king : he was a stranger to his house of clay ; scarce own'd it , but that necessary stay miscall'd it his : and onely zeale did make him love the building for the builders sake . eleg . . had vertue , learning , the diviner arts , wit , judgement , wisdome , ( or what other parts that make perfection , and returne the minde as great as earth can suffer ) beene confin'd to earth , had they the patent to abide secure from change , our ailmer ne're had dy'de : fond earth , forbeare and let thy childish eyes ne're weep for him ▪ thou ne're knew'st how to prize shed not a teare , blinde earth ; for it appeares thou never lov'dst our ailmer by thy teares : or if thy flouds must needs oreflow their brim , lament , lament thy blindenesse , and not him . eleg . . i wondred not to heare so brave an end , because i knew , who made it , could contend with death , and conquer , and in open chace would spit defiance in his conquered face ; and did : dauntlesse he trod him underneath , to shew the weaknesse of unarmed death : nay , had report , or niggard fame denyde his name , it had beene knowne 't was ailmer dyde ▪ it was no wonder , to heare rumor tell , that he which dyde so oft , once dyde so well : great lord of life , how hath thy dying breath made man , whō death had conquerd , cōquer death ▪ eleg . . knowledge ( the depth of whose unbounded maine hath bin the wreck of many a curious braine , and from her ( yet unreconciled ) schooles hath fill'd us with so many learned fooles ) hath tutor'd thee with rules that cannot erre , and taught thee how to know thy selfe , and her ; furnisht thy nimble soule , in height of measure , with humane riches and divinest treasure , from whence , as from a sacred spring , did flow fresh oracles , to let the hearer know a way to glory ; and to let him see , the way to glory , is to studie thee . eleg . . looke how the body of heavens greater light in●iches each beholder with his bright and glorious rayes , untill the envious west too greedy to enjoy so faire a guest , calls him to bed , where ravisht from our sight , he leaves us to the solemne frownes of night ; even so our sun in his harmonious spheare enlightned every eye , rapt every eare , till in the earely sunset of his yeares he dyde , and left us that survive , in teares ; and ( like the sun ) in spight of death and fate , he seemed greatest in his lowest state . eleg . . molest me not , full sighes and flowing teares , you stormes & showres of nature : stop your eares , fond flesh and bloud , against the strong temptation of fullen griefe , and sense-bereaving passion : cease to lament ; let not thy slow pac'd numbers disturbe his rest , that so , so sweetly slumbers ; the child of virtue is asleepe , not dead ; he dies , alone , whom death hath conquered : why should we shed a teare for him ? or why lament we , whom we rather should envie ? he lives ; he lives a life , shall never tast a change , so long as crownes of glory last . eleg . . no , no , he is not dead ; the mouth of fame , honors shrill herald , would preserve his name , and make it live in spight of death and dust , were there no other heaven , no other trust . he is not dead : the sacred nine deny , the soule that merits fame , should ever dye : he lives ; and when the latest breath of fame shall want her trumpe , to glorifie a name , he shall survive and these selfe closed eyes , that now lie slumbring in the dust , shall rise , and fill'd with endlesse glory , shall enjoy the perfect vision of eternall joy . eleg . o but the dregs of flesh and bloud ! how close they grapple with my soule , and interpose her higher thoughts ; which , yet but young of wing , they cause to stoope and strike at every thing ; passion present● before their weakned eye , iudgement and better reason standing by : i must lament , nature commands it so : the more i strive with teares , the more they flow ; these eyes have just , nay double cause of mone , they weepe the cōmon losse ; they weep their own : he sleepes indeed ; then give me leave to weepe teares fully answerable to his sleepe . eleg . . pardon my teares , if they be too too free , and if thou canst not weepe , i 'le pardon thee , dull stoick ; if thou laugh to heare his death , i 'le weep , that thou wert borne to spend that breath thou dry-brain'd portick , whose ahenian brest , ( transcending passion ) never was opprest with griefe ; o had your flinty sect but lost so rare a prize , as we lament and boast , your hearts had crost your tenet , and disburst as many drops as we have done , or burst ; no marvell , that your marble braines could crosse her lawes , that never gave you such a losse . eleg . . qvicke-sould pythagoras , o thou that wert so many men , and didst so oft revert from shades of death , ( if we may trust to fame ) with losse of nothing but thy buried name ; hadst thou but liv'd in this our ailmers time , thou wouldst have dyde once more , to live in him ; or had our ailmer in those daies of thine , but dyde , and left so glorious , so divine a soule as his , how would thy hasty br●st have gasp'd to entertaine so faire a guest ! which if obtained , had ( no doubt ) supplyde thee with that immortall state thy sire denyde thee . eleg . . rare soule , that now sits crowned in that quire of endlesse joy , fill'd with coelestiall fire ; pardon my teares that in their passion would recall thee from thy kingdome , if they could ; pardon , o pardon my distracted zeale ; which , if condemn'd by reason , must appeale to thee , whose now lamented death , whose end confirm'd the deare affection of a friend ; permit me then to offer at thy herse these fruitles teares , which if they prove to fierce o pardon , you , that know the price of friends ; for teares are just , that nature recommends . eleg . . so may the faire aspect of pleased heaven conforme my noone of daies , & crowne their even ; so may the gladder smiles of earth present my fortunes with the height of jo●s , content ; as i lament , with unaffected breath , our losse ( deare ailmer ) in thy happy death : may the false teare , that 's forc'd , or slides by art , that hath no warrant from the soule , the heart , or that exceeds not natures faint commission , or dares ( unvented ) come to composition ; o , may that teare in stricter judgement rise against those false , those faint , those flattring eyes . eleg . . thus to the world ▪ and to the spacious eares of fame , i b●azon my unboasted teares ; thus to thy sacred dust , thy vrne , thy herse i consecrate my sighes , my teares , my verse ; thus to thy soule , thy name , thy just desert i offer up my joy , my love , my heart ; that earth may know , and every eare that heares , true worth and griefe were parents to my teares : that earth may know thy dust , thy vrne , thy herse brought forth & bred my sighes , my teares , my verse ; and that thy soule , thy name , thy just desert , invites , incites my joy , my love , my heart . eleg . . vnconstant earth ! why doe not mortalls cease to build their hopes upon so short a lease ? vncertaine lease , whose terme , but once begun , tells never when it ends , till it be done : we dote upon thy smiles , not knowing why : and whiles we but prepare to live , we dye : we spring like flowers , for a daies delight , at noone , we flourish , and we ●ade at night : we toile for kingdomes , conquer crownes , & then we that were gods but now , now lesse than men : if wisdome , learning , knowlege cannot dwell secure from change , vaine bubble earth , farewell . eleg . . wouldst thou , when death had done deserve a story should staine the memory of great pompeyes glory ? conquer thy selfe ; example be thy guide ; dye just as our selfe-conquering ailmer dyde , woldst thou subdue more kingdōes , gain mo crowns than that brave hero caesar conquer'd townes ? then conquer death ; example be thy guide : die just as our death-conquering ailmer dyde : but woldst thou win more worlds , than he had done kingdomes , that all the earth hath over-runne ? then conquer heaven ; example be thy guide ; die just as our heaven-conquering ailmer dyde . eleg . . yeares , fully laden with their months , attend th' expired times acquitance , and so end : months gone their dates of numbered daies require bright cyn●●ia's full discharge , and so expire ; dayes deepely ag'd with houres , lose their light , and having runne their stage , conclude with night : and howers chac'd with light-foot minutes , flye , tending their labour to a new supply ; yet ailmers glory never shall diminish , though yeares and months , though daies & howers finish ▪ yet ailmers joyes for ever shall extend , though yeares , & months , though daies and howers end . finis d●loris nullus ▪ his epitaph . aske you , why so many a teare bursts forth ; i 'le tell you in your eare : compell me not to speake aloud , death would then be too too proud ; eyes that cannot vye a teare , forbeare to aske , you may not heare : gentle hearts , that overflow have onely priviledge to know : in these sacred ashes , then , know ( reader ) that a man of men lyes covered : fame and lasting glory make deare mention of his story : nature when she gave him birth , op'd her treasure to the earth , put forth the modell of true merit , quickned with a higher spirit : rare was his life ; his latest breath saw , and scorn'd , and conquer'd death : thanklesse reader , never more vrge a why , when teares runne ore : when you saw so high a tyde , you might haue knowne , 't was ailmer dyde , obijt , ian. vj. mdcxxv . vivet post funera virtus . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * sensible graves . * pure in heart . * the kingdome of heaven . * through apparant infirmities . * glorious in him . * weaknesse of the flesh . * afflictions . * 〈◊〉 to idolatrous superstitions . * by reason of my ●●●●nesse . * being seduced by false prophets . * persecutions . * by idolatry . * th●ough my merits and thy sanctification . * the doctrine of the true prophets . * teacher of my congregations . * thy most visible parts . * sanctification . * the riches of his holy spirit . * the holy prophets . * thy holy spirit . * in giving grace and receiving glory . * the congregation of saints . * in inward graces . * 〈◊〉 is outword glorie . * the holy scriptures . * thy sweet promises . * 〈◊〉 imperfections of my present state . * the weakenesse of my flesh . * the elect. * angels . * the congregation of the faithfull . * to offer up the first 〈◊〉 of obedience . * ● persecutions . * the day of iudgement . * 〈◊〉 sanctification . * 〈◊〉 my soule . * by strict examination . * amongst the wisest worldlings . * the ministers of the word . * at the resurrection . * through sanctification by my merits * ●y heavenly contemplation . * through the gifts of my spirit . * the modestie and purity of thy judgement . * ornaments of necessary ceremonies . * sincere ministers . * doctrine of thy holy prophets . * modest graces of the ●pirit . * magistrates . * the old and new testaments . * the sanctified & zealous reader . * the second death . * i will withdraw my bodily presence . * the day of judgement . * infirmities of the flesh . * this vale of miserie . * thine eye of faith. * divine harmonie . * the two testaments . * riddles to prophane readers . * celestiall comforts . * ●he faithfull . * the sunne of righteousnesse . * obedience . * strong workes of faith. * the new fruits of the spirit . * to● much securitie . * my heart . * the pleasures of the flesh. * thy hard-hearted unkindenesse . * ●●pented . * the sweetnesse of his graces . * false teachers . * with their false doctrines . * divine love. * his dietie . * his humanitie . * his judgements and care of his church . * the discovery of him in his word . * his promises . * those that die to sinne . * that live to righteousnesse . * his actins . * with purenesse . * his secret counsells . * inwardly glorious . * his waies constant , firme , and pure . * his whole carriage . * the church is the way to christ. * congregation of the faithfull . * giving graces . * receiving glory . * despairing soules . * not yet thorowly humbled . * strengthning the weake in spirit . * the force of repentance . * sincere ministers . * thy visible parts . * modestie , and zeale . * the pure in hea●t . * my spirit . * securitie . * worldly pleasures . * thy wayes . * the girdle of truth . * the precious gifts of the spirit * thereby there is a receipt of spirituall conceptions . * increase of the faithfull . * the old and new testament . * magistrates . * teachers . * glorious in all parts . * the ceremonies of the church . * despairing soules . * young converts . * opposers of the truth . * congregation of the faithfull . * by affliction . * young convers. * assemblies . * faithfull . * faith and good workes . * the universall church . * teares and sorrowes . * not to vexe and grieve his holy spirit . * in humility . * the church of the gentiles then uncalled . * vncall'd to the truth . * in the great congregation . * the penitent . * the presumptuous . the shepheards oracles delivered in certain eglogues. by fra: quarles. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the shepheards oracles delivered in certain eglogues. by fra: quarles. quarles, francis, - . quarles, francis, - . shepheards oracle. aut [ ], , [ ] p. [ ] leaf of plates : ill. printed by m.f. for john marriot and richard marriot, and are to be sold at their shop in s. dunstans church-yard fleetstreet, under the dyall, london : . [i.e. ] thomason received his copy on december , ; wing has . with an added engraved title page, with title: the shepherds oracles. includes: quarles, francis. the shepheards oracle (wing q ) as th eglogue. in verse. signatures: a-t⁴. annotation on thomason copy: "decemb: d "; the in imprint date is crossed out. reproductions of the originals in the british library (thomason tracts) and the bodleian library (early english books, - ). eng charles -- i, -- king of england, - -- poetry -- early works to . great britain -- church history -- th century -- poetry -- early works to . a r (wing q a). civilwar no the shepheards oracles: delivered in certain eglogues. by fra: quarles. quarles, francis b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the shepheards oracles : delivered in certain eglogues . by fra : quarles . london , printed by m. f. for john marriot and richard marriot , and are to be sold at their shop in s. dunstans church-yard fleetstreet , under the dyall . . to the reader . reader , though the authour had some years before his lamented death , compos'd , review'd , and corrected these eglogues ; yet , he left no epistle to the reader , but onely a title , and a blanke leafe for that purpose . whether he meant some allegoricall exposition of the shepheards names , or their eglogues , is doubtfull : but 't is certain , that as they are , they appear a perfect pattern of the authour ; whose person , and minde , were both lovely , and his conversation such as distill'd pleasure , knowledge , and vertue , into his friends and acquaintance . 't is confest , these eglogues are not so wholly divine as many of his publisht meditations , which speak his affections to be set upon things that are above , and yet even such men have their intermitted howres , and ( as their company gives occasion ) commixtures of heavenly and earthly thoughts . you are therefore requested to fancy him cast by fortune into the company of some yet unknown shepheards : and you have a liberty to beleeve 't was by this following accident . he in a sommers morning ( about that howre when the great eye of heaven first opens it selfe to give light to us mortals ) walking a gentle pace towards a brook ( whose spring-head was not far distant from his peacefull habitation ) fitted with angle , lines , and flyes : flyes proper for that season ( being the fruitfull month of may ; ) intending all diligence to beguile the timorous trout , ( with which that watry element abounded ) observ'd a more then common concourse of shepheards , all bending their unwearied steps towards a pleasant meadow within his present prospect , and had his eyes made more happy to behold the two fair shepheardesses amaryllis and aminta strewing the foot-paths with lillies , and ladysmocks , so newly gathered by their fair hands , that they yet smelt more sweet then the morning , and immediately met ( attended with clora clorinda , and many other wood-nymphs ) the fair and vertuous parthenia : who after a courteous salutation and inquiry of his intended iourney , told him the neighbour-shepheards of that part of arcadia had dedicated that day to be kept holy to the honour of their great god pan ; and , that they had designed her mistresse of a love-feast , which was to be kept that present day , in an arbour built that morning , for that purpose ; she told him also , that orpheus would bee there , and bring his harp , pan his pipe , and titerus his oaten-reed , to make musick at this feast ; shee therefore perswaded him , not to lose , but change that dayes pleasure ; before he could return an answer they were unawares entred into a living moving lane , made of shepheards and pilgrimes ; who had that morning measured many miles to be eye-witnesses of that days pleasure ; this lane led them into a large arbour , whose wals were made of the yeelding willow , and smooth beech boughs : and covered over with sycamore leaves , and honysuccles . i might now tell in what manner ( after her first entrance into this arbour ) philoclea ( philoclea the fair arcadian shepheardesse ) crown'd her temples with a garland , with what flowers , and by whom 't was made ; i might tell what guests ( besides astrea and adonis ) were at this feast ; and who ( beside mercury ) waited at the table , this i might tell : but may not , cannot expresse what musick the gods and wood-nymphs made within ; and the linits , larks , and nightingales about this arbour , during this holy day : which began in harmlesse mirth , and ( for bacchus and his gang were absent ) ended in love and peace , which pan ( for he onely can doe it ) continue in arcadia , and restore to the disturbed island of britannia , and grant that each honest shepheard may again sit under his own vine and fig-tree , and feed his own flock , and with love enjoy the fruits of peace , and be more thankfull . reader , at this time and place , the authour contracted a friendship with certain single-hearted shepheards : with whom ( as he return'd from his river-recreations ) he often rested himselfe , and whilest in the calm evening their flocks fed about them , heard that discourse , which ( with the shepheards names ) is presented in these eglogues . a friend of the authours wisht me to tell thee so , this . of novem. . jo : marriot . the shepheards oracles . eglogve i. gallio . britannus . gall . heaven-blest britannus ; thou , whose oaten reed sings thy true-love , whilst thy proud flocks do feed secure about thee , on this fruitfull brow : above all shepheards , ô how blest art thou ! your fruitfull pastures flourish , and appeare fresh , and in perfect verdure all the yeare : no summers fire , nor winters frost impaire your thriving plains , continuing fresh and faire , and full of vigor , like th' elysian lay , where every season's like the month of may : your milkwhite ewes inrich your peacefull grounds , no snarles of foxes , nor the yelps of hounds disturbe their quiet ; whilst your sporting lambs , with bended knees , draw blessings from their dams . how happy ! o how more then all the rest , in the wide world , are britaine shepheards blest . brit . true , gallio , we poore shepheards doe inherit a happinesse transcending farre our merit ; we have no griefe , no misery but this ; senselesse we are , and blind to our owne blisse : goods without evills are oftentimes despis'd , and common happinesse is lowly priz'd : but tel me gallio , make relation how your pastures flourish , and what flocks have you : what kind of government doe you live under , that mak'st our state the object of your wonder . gall . ah , gentle shepheard , there , there lyes the corne that wrings poore gallios toe : o! there 's the thorne that stings my bleeding heart . the sad relation of our dysasters , will revive such passion in my spent bosome , that each wounding word will prove a dagger , and each line a sword : come , sit thee downe beneath this shady beech , and lend thine eare : full hearts are eas'd by speech , i 'le tell thee , whilst thy busie flocks doe feed . brit . wounds fester , swaine , the lesse , the more they bleed : speake freely then , and this sad heart of mine shall comfort thee , or else shall bleed with thine . gall . then , shepheard , know : there was a time my heart even faints to think that word , there was alas ! wherein our fruitfull pastures were as fair as faithfull shepheards , by their fervent prayer , could make them , trench'd , and quickset round about , could neither fox get in , nor flocks get out : deep were the trenches , and divinely fill'd with living waters , waters that were still'd in heavens great limbeck , whose celestiall power exceeds a strong beliefe ; but this short hower we have to spend , can onely give a touch in things of large discourse ; onely thus much , the german spaw ( nor yet your britain bath ) hath not such vertue , as this water hath : now my britannus , needs me not to tell how rare 's the kernell , when so sweet 's the shell ; amongst wise shepheards is not often found costly inclosures , and a barren ground ; no , no , britannus ; the bright eye of day , that in twelve measur'd howers , does survay the moity of this earth , did ne'er behold more glorious pastures : nay , i dare be bold ( with awefull reverence to our great god pan ) to say , that heaven could not devise on man a good we had not , nor augment our store ( if earth makes happy ) with one blessing more : our flocks were faire , and fruitfull , and stood sound ; our grounds enricht them ; they enricht the ground : the alpine mountaines could not boast nor show so pure a whitenesse , white surpassing snow : our ub'rous ewes were evermore supply'd with twins , attending upon either side , whose milk-abounding bags did overflow : they fed our lambs , and fill'd our dayry too : in those past daies our shepheards knew not what red-water meant ; that common language , rott , was neither fear'd , nor knowne ; nor did they feare that heart-confounding name of massacre : there was no putrid scabbe to exercise the malice of the maggot-blowing flies , whose prince , belzebub , ( if report be true ) breath'd forth his loud retreat , and raging drew his buzzing army thence ; and , for a time , led them to forage in another clime ; and , to conclude , no shepheard ere did keep more thriving grounds ; nor grounds , more dainty sheep : o my britannus , in those halcyon daies , our jolly shepheards thirsted after praise , not servil wages ; they were , then , ambitious of fame ; whose flocks should be the most auspicious ; who , by most care , should most encrease their fold ; they hunted after faire report , not gold : they were good shepheards , and they lov'd their sheep , watch'd day and night : one eye would never sleep : small cottages would serve their turnes ; that day knew no such things as robes : a shepheards gray would cloath their backs : for , being homly drest , their sheep , whose fleece they wore , would know them best : they were good shepheards ; seldome durst they feed on cates , or drink the juice that does proceed from dangerous vines , for feare the fumes should steep their braines too much , and they neglect their sheep : they were good shepheards ; these would every day twise tell their flocks , and , then , at night , convay a secret blessing , got by fervent prayer , into their peacefull bosomes unaware : they were good shepheards ; they would even lay downe their dearest lives , nay more , the eternall crowne of promis'd immortality , to keep their lambs from danger , and preserve their sheep : but now , ah ! now , those precious daies are done with us poore shepheards : ah ! those times are gone , gone like our joyes , and never to returne : our joyes are gone , and we left here , to mourne : let this relation of those times of old , suffice ; the rest were better be untold . brit . my dearest gallio , had it pleased heaven , i wish no further matter had been given to thy discourse : it would have pleas'd mine eare , and eas'd thy tongue t' have pitch'd thy period here ; but since our god , that can doe nothing ill , hath sent a change , we must submit our will ; what he hath made the subject of thy story , feare not to tell ; his ends are his own glory : there 's nothing constant here ; the states of kings , as well as shepheards , are but tickle things : good daies , on earth , continue but a while ; we must have vinegar as well as oyle : there must be rubs ; can earth admit all levell ? the hist'ry of a state is good and evill . speake then my gallio , this attentive eare can not heare worse then 't is prepar'd to heare . gall . know'st thou britannus , what , in daies of old , our great god pan , by oracle foretold of that brave city ( whose proud buildings stood as firme as earth , till stain'd with shepheards blood ) that there 's a time should come , wherein not one should live to see a stone upon a stone ? and is not , now , that prophecy made good ? growes not grasse there , where these proud buildings stood ? nay , my britannus , what concernes us more , did not that oracle , in times of yore , threaten to send his foxes from their holds , into our vines ? and wolves into our folds ? to breake our fences , and to make a way for the wilde boare to ramble , and to prey where ere he pleas'd ? o gentle shepheard , thus , thus that prophetick evill 's made good in us : our hedge is broken , and our pastures yeeld but slender profit : all 's turn'd common-field : our trenches are fill'd up : our crystall springs are choak'd with earth , and trash , and baser things : our shepheards are growne plough-men all , and now our generous crooke is turn'd a crooked plough : shepheards build halls , and carry princely ports , their woolls are chang'd to silks ; their cotts to courts : they must have hospitable barnes to keep riot on foot : no matter now for sheep ; turne them to graze upon the common fallowes , whilst the luxurious shepheard swills , and wallowes in his own vomit : having swallowed downe goblets of wine , he snorts in beds of doun , whilst his poore lambs , his poore neglected lambs bend fruitless knees before their milkless dams : nay , my britannus , now these pamper'd swaines are grown so idle , that they think it paines to sheare their fleeces : no , they must be pickt and rins'd in holy-water ( they are strict to touch defiled things ) must be presented upon the knee , as if they had repented their service , and for which they must deserve but what ? a dispensation now to sterve . brit . but stay , my gallio , let not my attention too farre exceed my slower apprehension ; 't is better manners t' interrupt , then heare things serious with an ill-instructed eare : make me conceive your forain acceptation of that ambiguous word of dispensation . gall . it is a tearm that forain shepheards use too much , ( i was about to say , abuse . ) in elder times , when pastors tooke delight to feed their flocks , and not their appetite , it was a word exprest ( now faln asleep to that true sense ) a feeding of the sheep : but now 't is alter'd , and it does appeare diffring as much , as they from what they were : and if your gentle patience will excuse it ; a word too much shall tell you how they use it : in times of yore the pious minded swaine finding base sodomy , and incest raigne in looser brests , taught their obedient sheep t' observe those laws that goats refus'd to keep , forbidding twins to couple , and the rams to take a ●arnall knowledge of their dams : to which intent it was their studious care to severall such flocks as might not paire : so much those holy swaines abominated unnaturall incest ( as we finde related ) that even among their sheep they thought it good to punish such enormous crimes with bloud , not to be us'd for sacrifice , nor food : but now britannus , times are growne more course , declin'd from good to bad ; from bad to worse : those rules are broke by these licentious times , lawes are esteem'd no lawes ; and crimes no crimes . 't is true , our rascall-sheep , whose fly-blown skin hath lost her fleece , and brings no profit in , to such , the law continues firm and strict , on such the hand of justice does inflict the height of law ; but those , whose fleecy loines beare thriving burdens , there th' edict injoines an easie penance : sisters with their brothers , and budding rams may tup with their own mothers : ( o! where the sacred bell of profit rings , murthers are merits , rapes are veniall things ) such may transgresse their pleasures , such may doe their lists , be ' incestuous with their shepheard too . such may have pardons for elapsed crimes , and cheape indulgences for present times : nay , more then that , a twin-producing suitor shall finde a dispensation for the future : a liberty to sinne for yeares , or life , our nation ( in a more shadow'd tearm ) tearms dispensation . brit . monsters of monsters ! ô prodigious shame to all mankind , and staine to shepheards name ! i thought , our shepheards had deserv'd the stile of bad , till now ; and ( to speake truth ) a while , vpon the entrance of thy sad complaint , i fear'd thy gamesome wit began to paint , in shadow'd scopticks , some that beare the crook in our blest island ; to which end , i took vngranted leave to hinder your relation , with a forc'd ignorance of dispensation , to feele thy bent ; but now my jealous eares are made unhappy losers by their feares : but tell me gallio , ( for the eye of heaven is yet unclos'd , and hath not quite made even with earth ) where graze thy flocks , and to whose keep hast thou committed thy absented sheep . gall . nor dare , nor can i tell , unlesse thine eares will give me leave to mingle words with teares , and teares with blood , & blood with saddest moanes , and moanes with sobs , and sobs with deepest groanes : o my britannus , 't is not yet two yeares twise fully told , since my abundant teares began to flow : i had , i had , till than , the fairest flock that ever eye of man beheld , with envy ; ( ah ! i had but few , my deare britannus , if compar'd with you : ) but 't was a thriving flock : for bone and fleece , arcadia , no nor all the plaines in greece could show the like : it was my onely griefe , that my report ( exceeding all beliefe ) was counted fictious : when i made my boast , 't was thought but my affections voice , at most : ah gentle swaine , the poorest lamb i had did beare a fleece , nay such a fleece , as clad a naked brother , and the meanest ewe in all my flock did suckle ne'er so few as twins , besides the surplusage , that fed a leash of orphans , in their mothers stead : nay , ( as these eyes can witnesse ) on a day , one of my weaker yeanlings hapt to stray , where , being fast upon a crooked bryer , the rest came in , and gently did supply her with all the strength they could ; i could not choose but smile , to see while some assaid to loose the prisoners bands , they hung as fast as shee , but in the end they set my yeanling free : o my britannus , when they heard my voyce , how my poore lambs would frisk , and even rejoyce to see their shepheard ! they would come and stand about me , and take ivy from my hand ; but ô my god , what patience shall i crave , to tell the rest ! what patience shall i have ! vpon a night ( it was a night as dark as was the deed ; there was no glimm'ring spark that would vouchsafe to shoot his feeble rayes from heaven , ( alas ! why did no comet blaze against such hideous things ? ) upon that night rusht in a rout of wolves ( no jesuite was sharper bent to kill : ) into my fold they rusht , they slue , they spar'd nor young nor old . o! the next morning all my flock lay dead , all but some few , that being wounded fled : my self , that held ten thousand lifes not deare to save my dearer flock , they wounded there , upon the rescue : ah! they grip'd me sore , yet let me live , to wound my soule the more . but gentle shepheard , i am lately told , some of my scatter'd sheep have been so bold to seek for refuge in the british fold : long have i sought , like one that knowes not whither to guide his wandring steps , i hapned hither : o , canst thou tell me tidings ? canst thou give me at least some hopes of comfort to relieve me ? brit . towards bright titans evening court there lyes from hence ten miles not fully measur'd thrice , a glorious citie , called by the name of troynovant , a place of noted fame throughout the christian world , of great renowne for charitable deeds , a place well knowne for good and gratious government ; in briefe , a place for common refuge , and reliefe to banisht shepheards , and their scatter'd sheep ; there our great pans vice-gerent now does keep his royall court , whose gracious hand hath store of soverain balsames apt for every sore : in that brave city , there be folds provided for sheep of diverse quarters , all divided one from the other , ready to receive affrighed flocks , and bounteous to releive their severall wants : hast gallio , hast thee thither , and if thou misse thy ends , returne thee hither , and make britannus happy to enjoy thee , vntill thy pleased god shall re-imploy thee . gall . thankes gentle shepheard ; let that god encrease thy flocks : and give thy soule eternall peace . eglogve ii. brito . luscus . bri. graze on my lambs , here 's nothing to disquiet your gentle peace , or interupt your diet : why croud ye thus so neer your frighted dams ? here 's neither wolf , nor fox ; graze on , my lambs : graze on , my sheep ; why gaze ye to and fro , as if ye fear'd some evill ? why gaze ye so ? what serves your shepheard for , if not to keep your hearts secure from feares ? graze on , my sheep : forbeare my lambs , to feare ye know not what , and feed ; your feeding makes your shepheard fat : but who comes yonder ? ' seemes farre off to be our creeping shepheard luscus : and 't is he : i thought my lambs had something in the wind , they left to graze and lookt so oft behind : they love that luscus , on the selfe same manner , as dogs , by instinct of nature , love the tanner : see here he comes : lord , how my lambs divide their eching paces to the farther side ! lusc. the blessed virgin , and s. francis keep the joviall shepheard , and his jolly sheep . bri. would not the blessed virgins blessing doe , without the blessing of s. francis too ? lusc. why , captious brito , store is held no sore ; and two saints blessings make us blest the more . bri. is luscus , then , my soule two blessings deep , or am i joyn'd in patent with my sheep ? but tell me now , my saint-imploring brother , one cypher being added to another , what makes the totall summe ? lusc. no summe at all . bri. such were the blessings , thy late tongue let fall : but 't was thy blinded love , and , to repend thee ; that blessed virgins blessed son amend thee : but say , what ayl'st thou , luscus , that thy skin appeares so course , and thy pale cheekes so thin ? me thinks thine eyes are dim , those eyes of thine , that lately were so radiant , and did shine like blazing starres , ( which oftentimes foreshow the fall of some great prince , or overthrow of prosperous states ) how dull , how dead they look ! as if the style of some new-answer'd book had overwatch'd them , or thy hollow cheek had been at buffets with an ember week . lusc. plump faces , brito , are esteem'd the least of shepheards care ; good shepheards may not feast , they must bin sober , keep their bodies chast ; a shepheards calling is to watch and fast : their lips must tast no cates ; their eyes , no sleep ; such diet , brito , roman shepheards keep , bri. or should , good luscus : shepheards love their ease too well , to make a dye of that disease : their faces are not alwayes faithfull signes of hide-bound ribs , and narrow wasted loynes : shepheards can make good-friday on their cheeke , when their full hearts , at home , keep easter weeke . lusc. curse on those shepheards , that bin so untrue . bri. that curse , i feare , belongs to some of you : your roman faces can look thin , by art , their eye can weep teares , strangers to their heart . lus . rash are those censures , and those words misguided , where hearts and charity , are so farre divided : but tell me , brito ; what have we misdone to earne so sharp a censure ? whereupon ground'st thou thy harsh conceit ? what has our nation committed , worthy of so foul taxation ? bri. i 'le tell thee if thy patience will but lend a quiet eare ; plain dealing speakes a friend . lus . speake freely then , luscus shall find an eare ; thou shalt not speake , what luscus will not heare . bri. when our great master-shepheard , ( under whom we serve , being substituted in his roome ) forsooke this vale , and tooke his journey on , to take possession of his fathers throne , he cal'd his under shepheards , to whose care he lent his flocks , ( those flocks he priz'd more deare then his owne life ) to them he recommended the highest trust that ever yet depended on care of man : to them he did enlarge his strict commands , to execute that charge , with greatest faith and loyalty , to keep his lambs from danger , and to feed his sheep ; nay , luscus , the more fully to declare his gracious pleasure , and his tender care in that behalfe , what his desire did move his zeale did quicken on the bands of love ; nay more , that word , whose accent had the power to ruine heaven and earth , and , in one hower , to build a thousand more , ( whose very breath at the first motion could blow life or death ) he thrice repeated , o my shepheards keep my flocks ; o feed my lambs ; o fold my sheep : yet did our bounteous master not regard his good alone ; our pan was not so hard , ( although our lifes , and all that we enjoy lye prostrate at his pleasure ) to imploy the busie hands of us poore shepheard swaines , or to require our unrewarded paines : he gives us peace , and freedome ; he sustaines us with full and wholsome diet ; he maintaines us in needfull raiment ; keeps us sound in health ; gives us content ; the very height of wealth : besides , at every shearing he allowes a golden girland , to adorne our browes ; and when our faithfull hands shall give account of our improv'd endeavours , we shall mount into our masters joy , where , being drest in robes , and crownes , we shall enjoy that rest , prepar'd for faithfull shepheards , and there sing perpetuall past'rals to our shepheard-king : but they whose slumbring eyes have misattended their wandring flocks , whose hands have not defended their worried lambs , those shepheards shal make good their owne defaults , with their owne dearest blood . lusc. brito , this night , the moone begins to gain her wanedlight ; i feare , she threatens rain ; these busie gnats , i doubt , conspire together , to bring us tidings of some change of weather . bri. luscus , 't were much for faithlesse shepheards ease , if no worse gnats might suck their blood then these . lusc. the sun shines hot ; the southern wind blows warme : but kindly showers would do these grounds no harme . bri. lesse harme , good luscus , ( if my thoughts bin true ) then this discourse ( which you so baulk ) does you : we talk of shepheards ; our discourse relates of thriving flocks ; and you of showres and gnats : a pleasing subject may command your eare , but what you like not you are slow to heare : a roman swain can heare , and yet can choose ; his eares , like jugglers , can play fast and loose , for his advantage , nay , ( and what appeares more strange ) he can be deaf to what he heares . lusc. what ayles this peevish shepheard ? i attended till i was tyred , and his tale was ended ; what would'st thou more with my obtunded eare ? bri. that , shepheard , which thou seem'st so loth to heare ; that , which observed with attentive heed , will make thy heart-strings crack , and thy heart bleed . lusc. speake , shepheard , then , whilst i renew my eare : a roman spirit scornes a childish feare . bri. i , luscus , 't is the want of childish feare that makes thee lend a fear-disdaining eare : thou art a shepheard ; ( else , the fouler shame t' usurp the honour of so high a name ) a roman shepheard too , that does professe to feed the flock ; and yet does nothing lesse ; you take the croppe ; your flocks , alas , but gleane , and what makes you so fat , makes them so leane ; god knows you feed your selves : by what commission plough you those pastures , for your owne provision , which our good shepheard sever'd out , to keep and to maintaine his poore deceived sheep ? who gave you licence thus , bold swaines , to pinch your masters gracious bounty , and to inch his bounteous favours , that can but allow the headlands , but the margents of your plough , to feed so faire a flock ? nay , more then so , they are forbid those slender headlands too , vntill the slow-pac'd sythe , has shorne them downe so late , that winter flouds have overflowne their saplesse swaths , and fill'd them so with sand and earthy trash , brought downe from th' upper land by th' unresisted current of the flood , that 't is but flatter'd with the name of food : nay , more then that , poore flocks , they are forbid to feed at large , as heretofore they did , they must betether'd now , must be bereaven of the sweet moysture , of the dew of heaven : nor must their slender food be simply such as heaven had made it ; no , ' tmust have a touch of new invention , which our wise god pan ne're thought on ; since , devis'd by wiser man : it must be mingled with fast growing flagges , mire-rooted rushes , sweet'ned with the bragges of pious thrift ; nor must the hungry flocks take what they please ; it must be serv'd in locks , and ostry bottles ; neither when they would they must be fed , nor yet with what they should : to day , they must be dieted , and fast from common food ; no lesse then death , to tast : to morrow , pamper'd with excesse , ( and nurst with a full hand ) may ravin till they burst : brave shepheards , luscus ; fit to serve such flocks ! where you command , lambs need not feare the fox . lus . no wonder , brito , that your censures be so sharpe to us , that so much disagree among your selves : you britain shepheards are so strangely factious , that you would even jarre with your owne shadowes , had no substance been subjected to the venome of your spleen : look , first at home , and seek to reconcile your selves , that mixe like vineger with oyle : then snarle : till heaven shall send you such a season , it is your faction speakes , and not your reason . bri. we have our factions , swaine , you speake but true ; they must have itch that touch such blanes as you : you broach new fangles ; you devise new waies , and give more licence to licencious daies : you limit , you distinguish as you please ; you take no paines but in contriving ease , and plotting how to pamper flesh and blood , masking true evills with apparent good : thus you corrupt our shepheards , and even those that of themselves are apt enough ( god knowes ) to love their eases ; shepheard , when we jarre among our selves , we doe but onely warre against your doctrines , which too much encrease among us : no , such warres conclude a peace . lusc. our doctrines , brito ? recollect thy thought , whose doctrin was it , that swaine luther taught ? who taught your wisdomes to forsake your flocks , and let them ramble on the barren rocks , and wander god knowes where ? who taught your hearts , ( more hard then marble ) those well practis'd arts of cruell piety , to prize conceit , and wilde opinion at a higher rate then all their lives , and rather beare the losse of your whole flocks , then brand them with a crosse , our masters sheepmarke ? these conceits are yours , good britain swaine ; these doctrines were not ours . bri. fanne not my smoth'ring fiers , lest their flame torment your neighb'ring shins : should i but name the tithe of that base dunghill trash , brought in by your dominicans , scaveng'd out agin by worse franciscans ; the perpetuall jarres twixt your hot jesuits and your seculars ; how thomas snarles at scotus ; and how hee snarles back at thomas ; how your new decree confronts the old ; and how your last does smother the first ; and how one councell thwarts another ; 't would stop your mouth , and make you scorn the or wisely pray for more encrease of fooles : but to conclude , the shepheards charge is given schooles , to us ; and if an angel come from heaven , and teach new wayes , whose rules should disaccord from what our master-shepheard left by word to our performance , i would teach mine eare a scornfull deafnesse ; or ( if forc'd to heare ) my tongue should find the courage to defye his words , and boldly give his face the lye : but see ! the treble shades begin to damp the moystn'd earth ; and the declining lamp invites our lips to silence ; day growes old : 't is time to draw our willing flocks to fold : hark , hark , my wether rings his evening bell ; i must away . lusc. shepheard goodnight . bri. farewell . eglogve iii. pan. gentilla . gent . what ails my dearest shepheard ? what new change has taught his heart-rejoycing eys such strange and dire aspects ? what humor hath possest the sanctuary of his troubled brest ? what mean these sullen frownes ? 'gainst whom do'st thou thus sternely bend thy discontented brow ? at whom does this artil'ry of thine eye levell such flames ? here 's none but thee and i , why dost thou turne aside ? why dost thou shun gentilla ? what has poore gentilla done ? have i prov'd false ? say , did i ever bow to a new choyce , or started from my vow ? have not my thoughts observ'd a holy fast from new desires ? have not these eyes bin chast as th' eyes of turtles ? did gentilla's knee ere bend to any , but her god , and thee ? if i be loyall ; say , why doest thou shun me ? why doe thy causelesse browes thus frown upon me ? and if my faith be conscious of a blot , why stand'st thou mute so long ? why chid'st thou not ? no , no , my dearest shepheard , if there be cause of suspect , that cause is given to me : how long ( too too unkind ! ) hast thou deny'd thy presence ? ah , how often have i cry'd in corners ? nay , how often have these eyes bin drown'd with briny streames , that did arise from the full fountaine of a flowing heart ? how often have i charm'd by the black art of all my sorrowes ? yet my shepheards eares were deafe ; his eyes were blind to all my teares : and now thy wisht-for presence ( the full crowne of all my joyes ) is clouded with a frowne . pan . thou know'st , gentilla , when thy brests were green ▪ vnripe for love , there past a vow between thy elder sister iudabell , and me , whose onely portion was virginitie ; she had no beauty to enflame mine eyes , nor wealth , nor birth , nor ought to make me prize her naked love ; her visage was uncomely , her fortunes poore ; her breeding , blunt and homely ; i lov'd her for her selfe , and the direction to that deare love , was my own deare affection : in sacred bands of contract , we both ty'd our folded hands , and she became my bride : i made her supreame queen of all my vows , and set a crowne of gold upon her browes ; i made her sole commandresse of my keyes , to shut and open , where , and when she please : i made her mistresse of my flocks , and gave what i could give , or what her soule could crave ; she had what favours bounty could confer ; my life was but a trifle , weigh'd with her : but she forsook me ; her false heart did prove disloyall ; took a surfeit of my love ; she sleighted all my favours ; falsely broke her plighted faith , and scorn'd my easie yoke ; my dearest love she answer'd with disdaine , cast am'rous eyes on every vnder-swaine ; i lov'd , she scorn'd , and what i gave , she slighted ; was never love so true , so ill requited . gent . but stay , deare shepheard , shall my sisters crimes , or shall th' unjust rebellions of her times be plagu'd in me ? or shall thy lips demand the debts of iudabell at gentilla's hand ? stands it with justice , that those vows which she hath falsely broke , should be reveng'd on me ? pan . thou know'st gentilla , when thy sisters brest grew too obdurate for my deare request , when faire entreaties , and more hard commands found disrespect at her respectlesse hands , i left my vaine attempt , cal'd home my heart , and plac'd it ( as i thought ) on more desert ; those deare affections , and the love that she vnworthily despis'd , i fixt on thee : the selfe same priviledge , the selfe same power , those very favours , and the selfe same dower , that was assured hers , while she was mine , were by a second contract , all made thine : what she hath left , thy fortunes have engrost ; gentilla found what iudabell has lost : but ô gentilla , thou hast faild to prove a worthy object of so faire a love ; thou hast thy sisters frailty ; thou hast all her fortunes with her faults , though not her fall . gent . tell me , deare shepheard , that i may amend them , i will acknowledge them , or not defend them . pan . did not i trust , gentilla , to thy hand my flocks , my substance , under whose command i left them charg'd ? say did i not submit my shepheards to thy service , and commit my sheep to their protection , to be foder'd by them , and overseen by thee ? were not those pastures faire enough , to keep my wained lambs , and to maintaine my sheep ? were they not sweet enough , and well sufficing without that mixture , of your swaines devising ? vnwholesome stuffe ! whose very tast did rot , or breed diseases where it poyson'd not ; that insomuch , where ere i turn'd my head , i saw some flocks a dying ; and some , dead . gent . true , gentle shepheard , thus in former times we did ; if ignorance may salve our crimes , we have enough to plead : i bent my knee to a false master then , and not to thee . pan . i thought , that pan had had supreame command ; i thought , my rules might had the grace to stand in full authority , and power ; i thought , those georgicks which i writ , as well as taught by word of mouth , had been a full direction both for my flocks good diet , and protection : but you , and your disloyall swaines ( it 's said ) have joyn'd in serious councell , and have made another head , whose selfe-conceited waies i never knew ; and him your wisdomes raise into a height above the height of man , and plac'd him in a throne , which never pan , when he kept earth , and govern'd here below , had ere the honour to be call'd into : him yee advance with reverence and renown , his browes adorning with a triple crown , when as a wreath of willow , or of thorne ( for want of high priz'd metall ) rudely torne from the next hedge , must serve my turne , and be a crowne , thought fit , and good enough for me ; him ye observe , and , like a thing divine , him ye adore : his words must passe , not mine ; his words are oracles , and his commands are laws , or death ; the power of his hands ( which he pretends to be deriv'd from me ) can reach from peasants , to the high degree of princes , whom , by vertue of his keyes , he can dis-crown , and murther when he please : my sacred book , wherein these fingers writ the shepheards lawes , his nature-pleasing wit has interlin'd with his owne bold devises , and made it now a starting-hole for vices : his holy finger can put out , put in ; change , and on second thoughts , rechange agin : he can correct , distinguish , reconcile ; and where a gap stands faire , can make a style : his lips can blesse , where i have curs'd ; and curse , whom i have blest , according as the purse feeles light or heavy ; if the tides but flow , what is 't , he can ? what is 't , he cannot doe ? this is that head which your false hearts allow ; this is that golden calf , to whom yee bow your sacrilegious knees ; him , him yee crown with honour , whil'st ye pull my honour down : him ye corrupt ; his open fist ye greaze , and make your oracle speake what you please : thus are my poore abused flocks beguil'd by your disguis'd impostures ; thus despoil'd of their deare lifes , whil'st you grow plump and full , fed with their flesh , and cloathed in their wooll . gent . ah dearest shepheard , in those bloody daies , i was but young , and childish ; and my waies were ill devis'd ; alas , my tender yeares were too too credulous ; my abused eares were open long before my judgement had strength to know truth from falshood , good from bad ; i knew no diff'rence twixt my friend and foe , thought all was gold , that made a golden show : i thought , those swaines , to whose experienc'd care thou left thy flocks , had knowledge to prepare covenient food ; and judgement how to keep with most advantage , thy reposed sheep . pan . i , so they had , gentilla , they could read a book , could teach them how , and when to feed ; the book was faire , and pen'd without a blot : they knew there masters will , but did it not . gent . i trusted them ; but they abus'd mine eare , told me faire tales , which youth was apt to heare : that little book thou gav'st me , ( when pan woo'd his poore gentilla , first ) writ with thy blood , they pilfer'd from me ; told me 't was unfit to be the object of a womans wit : sometimes , by snatches , they perus'd the book ; as once they read , my lingring eye-balls took a view , by stealth ; and my deluded eare was fill'd ; with what ? with nothing written there : o , thus they wrong'd my too-beleeving eares ; and taking vantage of my easie yeares , they kept me dark , for feare mine eyes behold their gilded trash , that 's current now for gold : nay more , they knowing that the weaker sex by nature's apt to loose their servill necks from mans imperious yoke , and so to fly aloft into the pitch of soveraignty , they did not blush , to weigh , at least to joyne thy sacred oracles , with poore words of mine ; whose later boldnesse ventur'd to debase thy words authority , and give mine the place : all this my bolder swaines presum'd to do ; all this my prouder weaknes yeelded to . true , gentle shepheard , 't is confest , that we made a new power , but no head but thee ; our first intention was not simply evill , but accidentall ; all things were unlevell , and rude disorder crept into our state : swaine would contest with swaine , and fierce debate encreas'd among us : every hand would feed his own devised way , which was the seed , the pregnant seed of ruin , and confusion to our green government ; till , in conclusion , we pickt the ablest swaines from out the rest , and made them chiefe , by whose discreeter brest , next under thee our head , we did annorme our government , and made it uniforme : thus , for a while , our state was well redrest ; they were good shepheards , and our state had rest : they were good shepheards , and they scorn'd to keep their lives upon the rescue of their sheep : but daies grew worse and worse , and after times as they encreas'd in age , encreas'd in crimes : these pow'rs grew proud , hereticall , did hold new-broach'd opinions ; law was bought and sold , and gospell too ; new orders were erected : the shepheards sought themselves ; their flocks neglected ; thus each succeeding power at last , did add , a worse unto his predecessors bad : thus were my tender yeares , and trust abus'd ; t' avoid confusion , thus we grew confus'd : o , they that follow a misguided head , the farther goe , the more they are misled : but now my sad experience ( dearely bought ) hath cal'd me off , and made me see my fault ; my soule abhors the deeds of former times , they , they are past , but present are my crimes : let not my dearest shepheard search my waies with too severe an eye : as the old daies are swallow'd with the new , and past away , so let my faults be past as well as they : close , chose thine eyes , or if thou needs must see , look , look upon thy goodnesse , and not me ; or if thine eyes will look on such a shame , behold not what i was , but what i am . pan . my deare gentilla , dearer then my soule , thy wounds are cur'd , thy faith has made thee whole : thy teares have scour'd thy trespasse ; witnesse heaven , thou hast not done what pan has not forgiven : come , come into mine armes , my greedy brest longs , longs to entertaine so faire a guest : the poorest teare that wets thy lovely cheek has washt a world of faults ; thou shalt not seek what thy prevailing language cannot find . gent . o let me weep , untill i weep me blind ! how can my frozen gutters choose but run , and feel the beames of such a melting sun ! pan . enough , my sweet gentilla , o forbeare to gaul my wounded heart ! each pearly teare that trickles from thine eye , does make rebound vpon my heart , and gives my heart the wound : what meanes my dearest love to overflow my curious garden , on whose banks doe grow those flowres , whose sweetnesse does as far exceed arabian sents , as they the foulest weed . gent . no , no , my dearest deare ; these slubber'd cheeks call for more water ; 't is the work of weeks , to purge the morphew from so foule a face ; 't is not the labour of an howers space can doe the deed . pan . no leprosie can find so cleare a cure , but that some scurf behind will yet remaine , gentill● may be sure , the worse being past , time will perfect the cure . gent . my dearest pan , such desperate sores as these requier fresh supplies : o! my disease enjoynes me to goe wash nine times , at least , in jordans streames till it be quite redrest . pan . be not deluded with traditious dreames ; 't is pan that cures thee , and not jordan-streames : let not thy morphew plunge thy soule too farre in needlesse griefe ; deep wounds will leave a scarre : vexe not thy selfe , and let no chill despaire perplex thy troubled heart ; thou art as faire , as earth will suffer : my contented eies take pleasure in thy beauty , which i prize above the world : and when the time shall come , wherein thy shepheard shall conduct thee home into my fathers palace , where i dwell , i 'le give thee water , ( water shall excell the streames of jordan ) whose diviner power shall cleanse thy staines , and in a moment soower thy morphew so , that heavens meridian eye shall vaile , to see thy greater glory by : till then , my dearest , let these chast embraces twine us a while , then to our severall places depart we both . gent . then let gentilla dye , if ought can part my dearest pan and i : these twined armes shall hold thee ; if thou go , my pan shall draw his own gentilla too . pan . forbeare gentilla , for i must be gone , i have a father to attend upon , and thou a flock ; the time will come , wherein we shall re-meet , and never part agin . gent . i 'le drive my flocks , whil'st we walk hand in hand ; and i will feed them on thy fathers land . pan . not so gentilla , when thy flocks are thriven in fat and fleece , then , then they shall be driven vnto my fathers court ; where , on thy knee , thou shalt present them as a gift from thee ; and at that day thy shepheard shall come hither , and hand in hand conduct gentilla thither . gent . if needs we must , farewell ▪ but see thou keep ▪ thy promis'd word . pan . farewell ; and feed my sheep . eglogve iiii. nullifidius . pseudo-catholicus . null . ho , shepheard ho ! what aile thine eyes to take such early slumbers ? shepheard , ho , awake : ho , shepheard , ho ! lord how secure he lies ! what , not a word ? for shame , for shame , arise : ho , shepheard , ho ! i think , his drouzy head is nail'd to th' ground , i think our shepheard's dead : ho , shepheard , ho ! pseud. i prithee leave thy hoing . null . then leave this sleeping , shepheard , cease thy blowing , shake off dull slumb●r , and disclose thine eyes : ho , shepheard , ho ! 't is time , 't is time to rise : til thou leave snorting swaine , i 'le ne'er leave calling ; ho , shepheard , ho ! pseud. i prithee leave thy bauling . null . then shepheard wake , there is a wolf broke in among thy sheep ; what fallen asleep agin ? ho , shepheard , ho ! pseud. i prithee , let me sleep , p'sh , what care i for either wolf or sheep ? null . look , shepheard , look , here flowes a curious cup of dainty sparkling nectar , full charg'd up to th' brim ; see how her sprightly dancing bubbles defie degenerous feares , and the dull troubles of poore afflicted hearts ; look how they swell in proud disdain , as if they threaten'd hell with bold defiance , or would undertake a prosperous duell with th' infernall lake : see how she mantles ; see with what a grace she lookes upon thee ; smiles upon thy face : ho , shepheard , ho ! pseud. i , there 's a voice , would raise a dying soule , and give the dead new daies ; i , there 's a rapture ! what blest angels tongue has broke my slumbers with so sweet a song ? what nullifidius ! o , the sweetest straine , that e're was sung ! but , where 's the nectar , swaine ? sure jolly shepheard , pan will turn my friend ; i never dreame , but still my dreames portend some good or other ; as i lay asleep beneath this shrub , me thought my thirsty sheep demanded water ; in my troubled dreames , me thought i sent them to the flowing streames , to drink their fill ; with that , they made reply , there is no water , for the streames are dry : so having said , me thought that one among the flock unstopt my bottle , whence there sprung cleare cry stall streames , that water did abound ; me thought those streames no sooner felt the ground but turn'd to blood ; whereat being sore affraid , me thought , i crost my selfe , and after said three ave maries , and three creeds ; and then , the blood turn'd water , and grew cleare agen : and there i wak'd , as i was e'en about to dreame the rest : and now my dreame is out . null . faith , so 's my nectar , swaine ; my nectar 's ended ; look , here 's the shrine , but the sweet saint 's ascended : see'st thou this empty bottle ? hence did flow those rare , those precious streames of late ; but now dri'd up ; i sipt , and call'd , and sipt agin ; i told thee that a wolf was broken in , among thy flocks , and yet no art could rate thee from thy slumbers , till it grew too late ; at last i rouz'd thee with a potent charme ; advanc'd my voice as stoutly as my arme , i rais'd both arme and voice to th' height , and so thy slumber 's ended , and my nectar too . pseud. the cramp , the murre , for ever blesse such armes and tongues , that can attempt no earlier charmes . null . sure pan's no friend of thine , that gives no theames but blood and water to thy empty dreames : had'st thou but dream'd of wine — . but shepheard swaine , i have a project to re-entertaine thy next attempt ; lye down and dreame againe ; meane while , these hands shall be imploi'd to fill my bottle at the foot of yonder hill ; i 'le brim my bottle with those crystall streames ; ( second thoughts thrive , & why not second dreames ? ) perchance ( deare swain ) those second dreams of thine , may transubstantiate water into wine . pseud. i prithee doe , and swill it for thy paines : 't will wring thy bowels , ere it wrong thy braines . null . you roman shepheards have prodigious dreames : can change your bread to flesh ; your wine to streames of purest blood : you can convert a dish of steakes to roots ; surloines to joules of fish ; your full cram'd capons , on your friday table ( as shepheards saine , and shepheards will not fable ) forget their fleshly natures ; their smooth skins turn to rough scales , their wings and legs to fins : plump partridge turns to pike ; your smaller dishes of quailes and costly knots , to lesser fishes : but tell me , swaine , what meane your learned schools to tell such tales ? pseud. to make you shepheards fools . null . that 's not the mark ye levell at , you glance your shafts but there , ye hit but there by chance ; come tell me , swaine , this shady place is free from ill-digesting eares ; here 's none but we : i have an ewe , now grazing on my plain , whose bounteous bags , thrice every day i strain , well struck in flesh , and of a noble race ; she has more white about her then her face : black is her fleece , but silk is not so soft , shee 's th' onely glory of my fruitfull croft : repose this secret in my brest , and thou shalt be the owner of this dainty ewe . pseud. i know the ewe ; how fortune made her thine , i know not ; but , i 'm sure , that ewe was mine : but come , my swaine , i know thy peacefull brest is slow to strife ; thou car'st not to contest of shepheards lawes ; i know thou art none of those that will maintain an argument with blowes : i know , th' indifferent faith does not rely on stiffe opinion ; that mans no , or i are both alike to thee ; thou car'st not whether it raine or shine , thy tongue keeps temperate wether : and to say troth , but that that pretty thing , call'd profit , lends a little fleeter wing to our desires , no doubt but we should joine in that good , honest , harmlesse way of thine : i tell thee , swaine , these darker clouds of ours are full of stormes , but send down golden showers : thou know'st , the vulgar sort are apt to admire things strange ; what 's most unlikely , they desire most to beleeve , and onely that applaud : now what we whisper they divulge abroad : ( for they are fooles , and women most ) whereby , if ought be found i' th' suburbs of a lye , 't is shuffled off from us , from whence it came , and lai'd upon the common breath of fame : but seldom't comes to that ; such fooles as they ( bound to beleeve , not question what we say ) ne'er sift our tales too near , but make them good ( in spight of reason ) with their dearest blood : all such , for feare lest wisdome should , by chance , get th' upperhand , we traine in ignorance : there 's none must read a book , but onely he that 's able to corrupt as well as we : but shepheard , know , that these we keep so short , are but the women and the simpler sort ; these are our new-milch-cowes , that doe maintain our house , these bring but slow , yet constant gain : now , there 's a wiser sort ; but they attend in higher regions ; some their worths commend ( and some their fortunes ) to superiour powers ; some stand on their own legs , and some on ours : these are our greater pillars ; men of action , and stout maintainers of our prosperous faction : these are our plush atturnies ; these befriend our desperate suites ; these day and night attend our thriving causes , whil'st we sleep secure ; nay , when our selfe made wounds , implore a cure , these are our surgeons too ; these stand our baile , if need require , and drag us from the jayle . null . but dearest swaine , me thinks such high degrees of brave atturnies should expect high fees : gamesters say , nothing draw , if nothing stake , and men of plush are friends but where they take : sure , such atturnies labour not for pleasure ; tell me what pen'worths does their friendship measure ? pseud. some , as i told thee , are of higher blood ; some creatures of our owne , whom we thought good to recommend ; to those we crouch the knee , and make a catholique face ; these ask no fee . null . but tell me , swaine , how come you to engage such great ones to your faction ? pseud. in this age , the price of pleasure 's rais'd to a high pitch ; 't is a faire traffique , now a daies , and rich to those that sell ; no gold is held too deare to purchase but a licence for a yeare , to sin securely , or to swim in pleasure but twice six monthes ; the very height of treasure will stoop to this ; our everlasting trade will ne'er be dead , till sin and pleasure fade . null . but tell me swaine , does any such foole dwell within our pale , that thinks you swaines can sell such priviledg ? can any mortall heart be so befool'd ? pseud. why , shepheard , there 's the art , the depth of all our trade ; whereon depends the whole designe ; whereby we work our ends : when silly birds have toucht the twigs , who is 't that cannot hand and take them as they lift ? wherein t' acquaint thee fully , thou shalt know not onely what is done , but how we do ; i 'le lay some grounds , and when those grounds be lai'd practice will make thee master in our trade : two sort of birds doe use to make resort into our cage ; a wise , a simpler sort ; to those we teach obedience ; to these dark ignorance , and charity , when we please : the simpler sort , are hatch'd , and bred our owne , we clime their nests , and take them in their doune : we feed them , and we bring them up by hand , and make them infant slaves to our command ; we discipline them , teach them how to prate , like parakitoes , words they know not what ; we keep them close , we never let them know , the aiery freedome they were borne unto ; we teach them to forget their wilder note they have b'instinct , and tune our songs by rote : we onely keep them dark , and then , with ease we make them sing what notes soe're we please : they feed on rape-seed , or the crums that fall from off our trenchers at a festivall . but there 's a wiser sort ; and such are they that spread their stronger wings , and use to prey for their own selves ; that can behold the sun , like joves own bird , and when the day is done , can roost themselves ; these kind of birds are wary where they frequent , their hagard eyes are chary near whom th' approach : for these the shepherd plants his close-laid gins ; their common food are wants , and fucking lev'rets ; often time they stoop at their own shades , fly thousands in a troop : we bait our gins with fleshly recreations , larded with pardons , drest with dispensations : oft times we take ; but taken , there 's the skill , how to reclaim their wildnesse to our will : at first , they 'l strive and struggle out of breath ; if we use force , they 'l beat themselves to death : they will not brook the dark , whose eagle eyes have view'd the sun ; here , swain , we must be wise ; they must have freedome , shepheard , yet not so but that their freedome may appeare to grow from our permission ; then they must be fed with dainties , whereunto they ne'er were bred ; and 't is the nature of these birds to feed so long , till their dull wings can find no speed , nor they , their wings ; howe'r , put case , they try their wings are clipt , unknown ; they cannot fly ; thus kept with feeding , and with gentle handing , and made familiar with our wanton dandling , they 'l make themselves our slaves ; & in strong bands will yeild themselves close prisoners to our hands ; they 'l fall before thee , and like water spilt , maist draw them with a finger where thou wilt : now we begin to work , our smoother brow growes more severe ; our wanton favours , now , wax more reserv'd ; they that before we dandled like looser minions , they must now be handled like servill stuffe ; they now must know their distance ; where we command , there must be no resistance : they must not question now ; and what we say , they must beleeve ; what we enjoyne , obey : these are the hawks we fly with ; and our game is gold and glory , and an honour'd name : these are the generous spaniels that retrive imperiall crownes , and swallow kings alive : the simpler sort maintain us plump and fat , but these advance the glory of our state : the eyas faulcon's not so fierce in game , as th' high pitch'd hagard , whom our hands reclaime : these are brave dayes ; and these brave dayes we live : this is the trade that roman shepheards drive . null . but tell me , swaine , what busie eyes attend thy flocks the while ? what courses doe they bend ? pseud. graze where they please ; if they will feed , they may ; our musick twangs upon a higher kay : they doe but meerely serve to draw mens eyes from spying where our greater profit lyes ; they are like switches in a beggers hand , to counterfeit a calling ; no , we stand on higher termes ; the habit of a swaine seemes holy ; gives advantage to obtaine those glorious ends , that we pursue so fast ; they must been chary , swaine , that be not chast ; this russet thred-bare weed , that now i weare , can startle monarchs , bow a princes eare : these very hems be kist , and skirts ador'd : and every button shall command a lord . null . farewell my flocks ; goe seek another swain : farewell my office , and my glorious gain of twenty marks per annum ; i 'le goe wash more thriving cattel ; leave to haberdash in such small pedling wares ; come jolly swain , i 'le trade with thee , and try another strain : we 'l fish for kingdomes , and imperiall powers ; come gentle swaine , the gold of ophir's ours . pseud. no more , good shepheard ; it growes dark and late : at th' popes-head-taverne , there 's a posterne gate will give us way ; where flowing cups of wine shall re-confirme thy brotherhood , and mine . eglogve v. vigilius . evangelus . vig . what strange affrights are these , that thus arrest my lab'ring soule , and spoile me of my rest ? before my meeting eyelids can conclude a long desired league , the war 's renew'd : i cannot rest ; sometimes me thinks i heare loud whoopes of triumphs , sounding in mine eare : sometimes the musick of celestiall numbers sweetens my thoughts , and casts my soule in slumbers ; and then the discords of infernall cryes and horrid shreekes awake my closing eyes : me thinks my trembling cot does not allow such restfull ease , as it was wont to doe : pray god my flocks be safe : my dreames foretell some strange designes ; pray god , that all be well : i 'le up ( for sure the wasted night growes old ) and , if that need require , secure my fold : lord how the heavens be spangled ! how each spark contends for greater brightnes , to undark the shades of night ; and in a silent story , declare the greatnesse of their makers glory ! but hark ! am i deceiv'd ? or does mine eare perceive a noise of footsteps , drawing neare ? what midnight-wanderer is grown so bold at such a seas'n , to ramble near my fold ? sure , t is some pilgrime , burthen'd with the grief of a lost way , or else some nightly thief : or else , perchance , some shepheard that doth fly from his affrighted rest , as well as i : no , t is some friend ; or else my dog had nere bin silent half so long ; hoe ! who goes there ? evang. vigilius ? is the swain i sought so nigh ? fear not vigilius ; it is none but i. vig . evangelus ? what businesse has divided thy steps this way ? or bin thy steps misguided ? evang. o , my vigilius , i am come to bring a true relation of the strangest thing ; the sweetest tidings , and the rarest wonder this night brought forth , as ever broke in sunder the lips of panting fame : i had no power to keep it undisclos'd another hower . vig . what is 't ? speak , speak ; vigilius eares are mad to know the newes : say , is it good , or bad ? evang. o my vigilius , 't is as good as true ; true , true as heaven it self ; and good to you : 't is good to wise and simple ; rich and poore ; 't is good to me ; 't is good to thousands more ; the greatest good that ever fell to man since earth had beeing , since the world began . vig . speake , welcome shepheard ; let thy tongue proceed to make thy tydings sweeter by thy speed : breake ope thy lips , and let thy tongue diffuse her welcome errand : shepheard , what 's the news ? evang. thou know'st , vigilius , davids bethlem , now , swarmes with much people , and does overflow with tides of strangers , that attend the pleasure and soveraigne will of sole-commanding cesar : in this concourse , there 's one , among the rest , a galilean maid , a virgin guest , whose radiant beauty ( if we may relye on fames report ) strikes every gazing eye stark blind , and keeps th' amaz'd beholder under the stupid tyranny of love and wonder : and ( what does more embellish so divine , so rare a creature ) she drawes out the line of princely david longer by her birth , and keeps his blood alive upon the earth ; nay , what compleats both linage and complexion , and heapes perfection more upon perfection , mounting her glory to the upper staire , she is as perfect chast , as perfect faire ; so pure a soule inflames her virgin brest , that most conceive , she is an angel drest in flesh and blood ; at least some saint reviv'd ; some say , ( if their report may passe believ'd ) she hath no sins at all ; at most , so few , that very scriptures are but barely true ; her name is mary ; and if every one may owne their right , right heire to davids throne : she 's now at bethlem ( where being newly come ) this very night , her pregnant virgin-womb , without the throwes of childbed or the grone of the sick chaire , has borne , brought forth a son . vig . a virgin beare a son ? what busie tongue has done thine eares , and easie faith that wrong ? borne without pain ? and of a virgins womb ? thou art befool'd : where heard'st thou this ? of whom ? evang. shepheard ; it is the common voic'd report of every tongue , and sent to caesars court ; i come from bethlem , where the dead of night is wak'd in every corner , with th' affright of sudden voices , and the hasty feet of wond'ring people , trampling in the street ; wind-blazing tapours hurry to and fro , and every window 's turn'd a lanthorn too ; the streets are fill'd ; some ramble up and down to know the news ; and some to make it known : here one man trudges ; there another tramples ; some whoop for joy ; and some , by their examples : some softly whisper : others stand and muse , some bawl aloud ; no need to aske the news : one while , the multitude is fallen at strife ; some say , she is a virgin ; some , a wife ; some neither ; others , that best know , aver she is espoused to a carpenter , who finding her too great before her day , brought her to bethlem , secretly to lay the charge upon the town , and steal away . vig . all this may be , and yet no virgin , swain ; can virgins bear ? or births be freed from pain ? evang. know , faithlesse shepheard , then , that there appear'd an angel to me , from whose lips i heard the news i tell thee ; swain , he did unfold not onely this , but what remains untold : nor was 't to me alone , the news was brought , for then my slow beleef might well have thought mine ears had bin abus'd ; the thing was told to many shepheards more , that dare be bold to call it truth ; to shepheards , that were by , that heard , and saw , and shook as well as i. his face was like the visage of a childe , round , smooth , and plump , and oftentimes it smil'd ; it glow'd like fier , and his rowling eyes cast flames , like lightning darted from the skyes ; his haire was long , and curl'd , and did infold like knots of wire , compos'd of burnisht gold ; his body was uncloath'd ; his skin did show more white then iv'ry , or the new-faln snow , whose perfect whitenesse made a circling light , that where it stood , it silverd o're the night ; and , as he spake , his wings would now and then spread , as he meant to flye , then close agen ; this news he brought ; 't was neither fame , nor i that forg'd it , swain ; good angels cannot lye : canst thou beleeve it ? if thy faith be strong , my greater tidings shall enlarge my tongue . vig . i doe evangelus , though for a season , my faith was tyding on the streames of reason : yet now , the gale of thy report shall drive her sailes another course ; my thoughts shall strive against that streame ; and what i cannot understand with my heart , i will beleeve and wonder : but tell me , swaine , what happinesse accrews from this ? or else , relate thy better news . evang. then know vigilius , whilst the angell spake , my spirits trembled , and my loines did ake ; horror and heart-amazing feares possest the fainting powers of my troubled brest , and struck my frighted soule into a swound , that i lay senselesse prostrate on the ground ; with that he stretcht his life-restoring arme , he rais'd me up and bid me feare no harme ; feare not , said he ; i come not to affright thy gaster'd soule with terrours of the night ; my errand ( shepheard ) is not to abuse thine eyes with horrid shapes ; i bring thee news , tidings of joy , and everlasting peace : stand up and let thy faithlesse trembling cease ; collect thy scatter'd senses , swaine , and heare the happiest newes that ever beg'd an eare ; such news , whereat th' harmonious quire of heaven , archangels , angels , and the other seven " of those celestiall hierarchies , the troop of glorious saints , and soules of prophets stoop their joyfull eares , and being fully freight with joyes , sing forth hosanna's to the height : this night a virgin hath brought forth a son , a perfect god , though clad in flesh and bone , like mortall man , th' eternall prince of rest , and peace , in whom all nations shall be blest : this night a virgin hath brought forth a child , a perfect man , but pure , and undefil'd with guilt of sin ; like you in shape and fashion , and for your sakes , as subject to your passion : a perfect god , whose selfe-subsisting nature required not the help of a creator : a perfect man , conceived by the power of th' holy ghost , and borne this very hower : a perfect god ; beyond the comprehending of man ; and infinite , without an ending : a perfect man ; objected to the eye , and touch of flesh and blood ; and borne to dye : like god , eternall ; yet his life a span , like yours ; a perfect god , a perfect man : to you a son is given ; the heire of glory , whose kingdome 's endlesse and untransitory : to you a child is borne , that shall succeed that princely david , and of davids seed : a son is given , whose name redeem'd the earth a world of daies before his mothers birth : a child is borne , whose last expiring breath shall give new dayes ; and dying , conquer death : a son , a child ; compos'd of earth , and heaven ; to you a child is borne , a son is given : " we blessed angels have no need at all of such a saviour , for we cannnot fall : the damned spirits of th' infernall throne receive no profit by this childe , this son ; to you the glory of so great a gain belongs ; to you these tidings appertain ; to you , thrice happy sons of men , we bring this welcome errand from th' eternall king of endlesse mercy , the great lord of heaven ; to you this childe is born ; this son is given . goe , shepheards , goe to bethlem , and your eyes shall see the babe ; the blessed infant lyes in a poor stable , swadled in a manger ; goe , swains , and entertain this heavenly stranger , upon your bended knees ; see , yonder starre shall be your pilot , where these wonders are ; and as he spake that word , ( not fully ended ) ten thousand angels in a troop descended ; but here my tongue must fail , not having might to tell the glory of that glorious sight : nay , had i power , thine ears would prove as weak to apprehend , as my poor tongue 's to speak . they joyn'd their warbling notes , and in a height beyond the curious frailty of conceit , their voices sweetned our delighted fears , and with this caroll blest our ravisht ears . glory to god on high ; and jolly mirth twixt man and man ; and peace on earth : this night a childe is born ; this night a son is given ; this son , this childe hath reconcil'd poor man that was forlorne , and th' angry god of heaven : hosanna , sing hosanna . now , now that joyfull day , that blessed howre is come , that was foretold in dayes of old , wherein all nations may blesse , blesse the virgins wombe : hosanna , sing hosanna . let heaven triumph above , let earth rejoyce below , let heaven and earth be fill'd with mirth ; for peace and lasting love atones your god , and you : hosanna , sing hosanna . with that , their air-dividing plumes they spred , and , with hosanna , in their mouths , they fled : but , shepheard , ah how far does my report , ah how extreamly my poor words come short to blaze such glory ! how have i transgrest , t' expresse such raptures , not to be exprest ! vig . o , swain , how could i lose my self to hear thy blest discourse ! o how my greedy ear clings to thy cordiall lips , whose soveraign breath brings antidotes against the fangs of death ! how happy are these times ! how blest are wee above all ages , that are born to see this joyfull day , whose glory was deny'd to kings and holy prophets , that rely'd upon the self-same hopes ! how more then they are we poor shepheards blest to see this day ! evang. o shepheard , had our princely david seen this happy how'r , how had his spirit been inflam'd with joy , and zeal ! what heavenly skill had passion lent to his diviner quill ! what odes ! what lyrick raptures had inspir'd his ravisht soul , that was already fir'd with hopes alone ; that these rare things should bee in after days , which now his eyes should see ! vig . no question , but an infinite delight had easily sprung from so divine a sight : it had bin joy sufficient , that a sonne was born to sit upon his princely throne ; o , but that son , to be a saviour too , able to conquer death , and overthrow the very gates of hell , and by his breath , to drag his soul from the deep jaile of death , had bin a joy too high to be exprest by tongues , or trusted to a common brest : but hold ! whilst we endevour to make known anothers joy , we o're neglect our own : the day is broke ; the eastern lamps begin to fail , and draw their nightly glory in : let 's up to bethlem ; though our happy eyes but see the building where our saviour lyes ; perchance our prosp'rous journey may find grace to kisse his hand , or see his lovely face . evang. come , haste we then , vigilius , let 's away , and gain th' advantage of the early day . vig . come , shepheard ; o how blest are thee and i , that may behold our saviour ere we dye ! eglogve vi . arminius . philamnus . armin. shepheard , well met ; our losse hath made me bold to search thy dounes : five weathers of our fold have straggled from our pastures , and have stray'd . philam. 't was soundly watcht the whil'st : but have you made search no where else ? armin. my hopes first led me hither ; his way lies every where that kens not whither ; small moment , shepheard , guides a doubtfull breast ; our sheep oft turn their faces to the east , which led my hopefull fears ( perchance too bold ) to make enquiry in your eastern fold . philam. and welcome : but me thinks the roman swains should tell you news : it had bin lesser pains and to more purpose , ( if my thoughts be cleare ) for you t' have made your first enquiry there : there 's but a slender ruinous hedge that bounds and slightly limits your contiguous grounds ; so poor a fense , young swain , that 't is suppos'd yee feed in common , though yee seem enclos'd : goe make a speedy triall , and search there . armin. my hopes renue . philam. and i renue my feare . arminius . but gentle shepheard , here a second thought puzles my quickning hopes , and i am brought into a greater doubt : the roman brand is so , so like to ours ; nay , ev'n doth stand in th' selfe same place , that my unskilfull tongue dare make no challenge : i am yet but young and too too green to judge , and yet not made acquainted with the secrets of our trade : i 'm doubtfull what to doe : it is all one not to make search , as seek , and finde unknowne . philam. then , swain , take my advice ; if what i say please not thy fancy , try a better way . armin. thanks , gentle shepheard ; you shall much endear your thankfull servant , and command his ear . philam. but swain , acquaint me first ( for it appears thou art as yet no shepheard by thy years ) how often doth thy master shepheard feed his numerous flocks ; they are a jolly breed , and well come on ; how often doe they stand before his eye , and number'd by his hand ? armin. once in seven dayes , his food-providing care gives them a full repast of dainty fare , but for their daily diet , his command refers their welfare to my carefull hand . philam. which of the seav'n may his grave wisdome keep for this repast ? or doe his ready sheep expect his call , and wholly leave the day to his wise pleasure ? armin. what he will , he may : the day is alterable ; pow'r is given to him , to choose , so he choose one in seaven : but yet his wisdome for the fashion sake and his own quiet , hath bin pleas'd to make choice of the first . philam. feeds he for by-respect ? folds he for fashion ? better , quite neglect : but does he totally devote that day to his fair flock ? armin. he sends them pleas'd away , full fed with dainties , mingled with delight : all day , they feed , and when the drooping light begins to trebble the encreasing shades , the musick of the oaten reeds perswades their hearts to mirth ; his wanton rams grow brisk ; his ewes begin to trip ; his lambs to frisk ; and whilst they sport and dance , the love-sick swains compose rush-rings and myrtleberry chains , and stuck with glorious king-cups , and their bonnets adorn'd with lawrell slips , chaunt their love-sonnets to stir the fires , and to encrease the flames in the cold hearts of their beloved dames . philam. your shepheard takes great pains ; but his reward will prove as heavy as his pains are hard : but tell me , swain , what dainty food is that that makes your thriving flocks , so plump , so fat ? they make rich shepheards , and encrease their stock ; pan grant , your shepheard make as rich a flock : but what 's that dainty food ? here 's none but wee , i am no sive : i prithee swain , be free . arminius . i know not , why ; but i stand full possest , my secrets finde a closet in thy brest ; where i 'le repose them : know then , shepheard , know , there is a glorious plant , that once did grow in priestly arons garden , in the dayes of legall worship ; this fair plant did rayse a swelling husk , in whose rich womb there lay large grains of orient pearl , which ( as they say ) rip'ned , but nere disclos'd till that blest morn wherein our good , our great god pan was born ; just then it open'd ; and th' enclosed grain unknownly vanisht ; and then , clos'd again : this wondrous plant still flourisht , and her strength maintain'd her empty husks , untill at length , ah me ! our great pan dyed , and then it droopt ; and had not brain-dissolved mortals stoopt and watred her dry roots with floods of tears , 't had dyed , a fable to our faithlesse ears ; which blessed plant , whom these salt showres repair , was by a roman-shepheards holy pray'r and some days fast , transplanted to the lay of roman shepheards , fruitfull to this day . philam. but have those pray'rs restor'd the pearl again ? armin. the husks are plump ; but yet they bear no grain : philam. those husk-like pray'rs , which vain devotion swels , come short for things of price , but home for shels . but tell me , swain , to what prodigious end may these miraculous discourses tend ? armin. shepheard , i 'le now perform ( as you require ) my faithfull promise , and your fair desire : these swellings husks , which heretofore retain'd this vanisht pearl , for many years remain'd uselesse and vain , untill an after age more wisely curious , and maturely sage , made further search , and by experience found their vast and wide extended wombs abound with precious oyle , whose aromatick sent , like fatning amber , nourisht where it went : this odoriferous , this unctious juice our roman shepheards husband to their use a thousand ways : with this their sacred hands varnish their painted folds , manure their lands , sweeten their putrid fodder , and improve their wel-contented flocks in fear , and love : now gentle shepheard ; we , whose bord'ring bounds are ev'n contiguous with those roman grounds , have secret traffick , and a fair commerce ; though seeming foes , we under hand converse : we plot , contrive , consult , we enterchange both wares and hearts , and yet are seeming strange ; this precious oyle , ( the hint of our discourse ) we hold in common , without pray'r , or purse : with this , our thriving shepheards every day anoint their formall temples , which display their glorious frowns , at whose severer brow their croutching flocks doe tremble , fawn , and bow their curved bodies , and with reverence , stand creating idols at their strict command : with this restoring oyle , they dulcifye the meanest trash that ever shepheards eye disdain'd ; nay , oftentimes their flocks doe fare no better then chameleons in the ayre : not having substance ; but with forc'd content , making their maundy with an empty sent . philam. but swain , me thinks , such kind of food should keep the thriving shepheard fatter then his sheep . armin. true , shepheard ; they seem lusty , though not full ; but what they want in flesh , they find in wooll . philam. but swain , i wonder much they make not bold , sometimes to straggle to another fold , to mend so mean a diet ? armin. every day , if not well watcht , some one or other stray to your rich plains : where if by chance ere found they rue it dearely , though they scape the pound . philam. we are poor tenants , swain ; the pound's not ours , the pound belongs to you ; the lordship 's yours . armin. but shepheard , when our rambling flocks oppresse your vally pastures , they as well transgresse our mountain laws , which when our swains present , our righteous scales weighs out the punishment companion to th' offence ; sometimes we fine , sometimes impound , and sometimes discipline with sharper censures : but what wrong is made to you , our lordship 's sure to see you paid . philam. w' are paid indeed ! your lordship is so just that smooth-fac'd mercy oftentimes is thrust from your too just assemblies ; but young swain , what if some stragglers in your fleecy train should chance to wander to the roman fold ? armin. as oft they doe : why , shepheard , we still hold a fair compliance there ; alas , we stand on equall tearms , not diff●ring much in brand , nor soil , nor bone , nor number ; our proud rams oft tup their ewes , and then we share their lambs ; and their's , by stealth , sometimes tup ours ; and thus as we did share their lambs , they share with us ; that insomuch , not twice two moons full past , unseen , i heard some conference at last , it was their mutuall vote , that that sleight fense which parts their neighb'ring hils were taken thence by some indifferent hand ; at length , concluded that swift wing'd time ( whose crooked sithe intruded into the state of transitory things ) would doe the deed . philam. heav'n close or clip his wings . but tell me swain , ( since thine own fair desert hath taught thee so much trust as to impart thy treasur'd secrets in my faithfull eare ) what are thy shepheards ways ? are they severe , reserv'd , and strict ? or gives he free'r raines to mirth and sports , as on our frolique plaines we shepheards use ? armin. shepheard , the early days of my lifes kalender can hardly rayse so high a reck'ning to inform your eare what his first ways and new-launcht courses were ; nor can my credit warrant the report of doubtfull fame , which oftentimes comes short , and oft exceeds the letter of the truth ; but here 't is voic'd that his ingenious youth was tutor'd first , and trained up in sweet and sacred learning at gamaliels feet under that famous chappell , ( which they say was since repair'd , whose memory to this day is fresh in our records ) where twice at least in every twice twelve howres he came and blest his hopefull fortunes ; led a temp'rate life , as far from idlenesse , as factious strife ; he was a painfull shepheard , strict , severe , and by report , a little too austere against those harmlesse sports and past'rall songs and ceremonious quintils , that belongs to shepheards rurall mirth ; nay , more then so , if same be true , he was a zelot too . but since promotion rais'd him from the plaines to mountain service , where his flock remains committed to my charge , his zeale abates , and richly cloth'd with lordly silks he waites in courts of princes , reveling out his dayes in lavish feasts and frolique roundelayes , carousing liberall healths to the deare name of this rare beauty , or that courtly dame ; commands , controls , usurps a power unknown , makes laws , and puffs , and lords it up and down : that insomuch the course he first began is quite forgot , and he another man . philam. o swain , me thinks these rufflings ill befit a shepheards cloth ; the riots they commit , methinks should bring a scandall , and defame their publique callings , and their private name . arminius . ah shepheard , were their glory not too bright for scandall to eclipse , 't would soon be night with their profession ; but the clouds that rise upon their darkned names so blurre the eies of their repute , that neighb'ring swains deride the bubling folly of their babling pride , whilst passers by cry shame , when they behold such burly shepheards and so bare a fold . ah gentle shepheard , how it gripes and wounds my bleeding soul to see our mossy grounds parcht up and burnt , for want of timely show'rs , bought with our painfull shepheards pray'rs , whilst yours flourish and prosper , watred with the dew of pleased heav'ns that blesse both them and you ! philam. true swain , the gracious hand of heav'n hath blest our fruitfull plains ; my thriving flocks have rest and down-right feeding ; what we gain we spend with thankfull hearts , and what we spare we lend : roots are our food , and russet is our clothing ; we have but little , and we want for nothing : streams quench our thirst , nor taste we what 's delicious ; our brain 's not busie ; nor our breasts ambitious , we charm our cares , and chaunt away , our sorrow , we live to day , and care not for to morrow : thrice blessed be our great god pan , that takes a gracious pleasure in our pains , and makes our labours prosp'rous , and with sparing hand lends us enough , and courage to withstand the gripes of fortune , and her frowns , for which our lowly hearts shall fly as high a pitch , as they that impe their more ambitious wings with eagles plumes , and mount to thrones of kings . but swain , i am transported , and i fear too long delay hath wrong'd your patient ear ; my promise hath engag'd me as your guide to search your stragglers that have stray'd aside . armin. your blest example hath prescrib'd a way to find my selfe that am the greater stray , for which fair shepheard , may the heav'ns encrease your perfect welfare in eternall peace . philam. thanks gentle swain ; and if our homely plains may give you pleasure , purchas'd by our pains , enjoy it freely : but the evening damp begins to fall , and heavens declining lamp bespeaks the doubtfull twilight : day ( grown old ) invites the fowls to roost ; my sheep to fold . eglogve vii . schismaticus . adelphus . schis . how fare thy flocks , adelphus ? doe they stand all sound ? and doe they prosper in thy hand ▪ adel . i hope they doe ; their pasture 's green and fresh ; they 'r of good bone , and meetly struck in flesh : they bring faire lambs , and fleeces white as snow , their lambs are faire ones , and their fleeces too . schis . what makes thee then so sad ? thy flocks so faire and fleeces too , what makes thy fleece so bare ? thy cheekes so hollow , and thy sides so thin , as if thy girdle had been taken in by famine , for the want of belly stuffe to fill them up ? adel . the shepheard's fat enough that owes the flock ; i doe but dresse his vine , and tread the presse ; 't is he that drinks the wine . schis . art thou his lad ? or do'st thou serve for fee ? wert ever bound to th'trade ? or art thou free ? adel . seaven yeares compleat , i serv'd a jolly dame yclept cantabria , whose illustrious name has fill'd the world , whose memorable glory is made the subject of all shepheards story : for frolick roundelayes , and past'rall songs , and all those quaint devises that belongs to shepheards mirth , she bore the bell away ; had thracian orpheus liv'd to seen her day , how had the glory of his art been dim ! sure , he had follow'd her , as beasts did him : seaven yeares i serv'd this jolly dame , and she at seaven yeares end was pleas'd to set me free : ere since i fisht in troubled streams , to get some poor imployment , as she thought me fit ( after my seaven yeares bonds ) to entertain ; out fisht my patience , and yet fisht again : my float lay still , whil'st other anglers took : indeed , i fisht not with a golden hook , as others did ; whereby i was compel'd to flag my sailes , which late ambition swel'd above the power of my purse , and serve , like a poore hireling : better stoop then sterve . schis . 't is true , adelphus ; times are grown so bad , without that hook , there 's nothing to be had ; but say , young swaine , what stipend does reward thy yearely paines ? i know thy paines are hard . adel . there 's nothing cheaper now , then poor mens sweat ; indeed my paines are not esteem'd too great for twice ten yearly royalls to requite , and yet i ward all day , and watch all night . schis . gold , dearely purchas'd ! does thy paines obtain no by-commendaes , no collaterall gain , to raise and heighten up the slender wall of thy low fortunes ? adel . shepheard , none at all ; and that which grieves me most , my straggling sheep are apt to roame abroad ; they will not keep their owne appointed limits ; but they stray , rambling some one ; and some , another way : they love to change , & wander , god knowes whither , like other flocks , they seldome feed together ; whereby , to my great grief , they neither show their good will to me , nor loves to one another . schis . thou art but greene , adelphus , and as yet a very novice in the trade of wit : time was , adelphus , that my wants would whine and whimper in poore rags as well as thine ; as small a girdle circled , and embrac'd the empty casket of my hidebound wast ; my visage was as thin , my hollow cheeks as faithfull almanacks of emberweeks ; but wise experience , the beloved child of time and observation , soone exil'd my green wit folly , and endu'd my heart with the true knowledge of the shepheards art ; she taught me new devises , to enrich my flocks and me ; ( waies far above the pitch of plaine , and triviall wits , and far exceeding the downright discipline of common feeding ) i tell thee , swaine ; before i learn'd this way , my rambling flocks would never fadge to stay within my pastures ; every thorne would beare a costly witnesse that they had been there ; i sought about , but often sought in vaine ; some would be lost , and ne'er come home againe : others , unsought for , would perchance return with bags new strain'd , and fleeces newly shorn ; some hang'd on crooked bryers , where , unfed , some were discover'd dying , others dead : thus being a foole , like thee , i lost my sheep ; they could not keep me , that i could not keep : but when as wise experience had school'd me , and purg'd that common error that befool'd me , my flocks could love their feed , and leave to roame ; in stead of straying , there would thousands come from other folds , that daily su'd to be accounted mine ; and own'd no swaine , but me : that in short time , my fold was grown so full that lamb was held no dainty ; and my wooll waxt so abundant , that one moity fill'd a spacious room , which tother halfe did build . adel . i envy not not thy wel-deserved store , ingenious shepheard ; i admire more the secret of thy art , which if it be to be repos'd , repose the trust in me : my better'd fortunes , shall have cause to pay their vowes , and blesse thy soule another day . schis . come then , sit down , adelphus , and attend ; thou hast desir'd , thou hast obtain'd a friend , who , in a word , shall give thee briefe direction , wherein , thy practice must produce perfection : there is a glorious island , cal'd by name , the isle of man , a place of noted fame for merchants trading , rich and fairely stor'd with all that forain kingdomes can afford ; vpon that island is a city cal'd by th' name of kephalon , round , richly wal'd with polisht ivory , wherein does stand the beauty and the strength of all the land ; at th' upper end of microcosmos streit , neare to the palace , where the muses meet in counsell , ( as the heathnish poets fain ) there dwels , ( wel known to many a shepheard swain ) a man , by trade a gardner , hight by name phantasmus ; one , whose curious hand can frame rare knots , and quaint devises ; that can make confounding labyrinths ; will undertake to carve the lively shapes of fowle or beast in running streames ; nay , what exceeds the rest , will make ye gardens full of dainty flowers , of strawbery banks , and sun-resisting bowers , like cobwebs flying in the flitting aire ; there is no seed of any thing that 's rare , forein or native , which by sea or land , is not conveigh'd to his enquiring hand : among the rest , ( to draw a step more neare to what suspends thy long expecting eare ) this gardner has a seed , which schollers call idea ; sweet in tast , and very small ; it is a seed well known , and much despis'd by vulgar judgments , but as highly priz'd by men of art ; a seed of wondrous might , and soverain vertue , being us'd aright ; but most of all to shepheards , that have care t' encrease their flocks , and keep their pastures faire . adel . neglect of what is good , is goods abuse : but tell me how it makes for shepheards use ? schis . this seed being scatter'd on the barest grounds , shoots up a sudden leafe , which leafe abounds with pretious moisture ; 't is , at first , but slender , like spiney grasse of nature soft and tender , and apt to chill with every blast of aire , vnlesse the skilfull swaine take speciall care to keep it close , and cover'd from the blast of easterne winds ; and then it thrives so fast , and spreads abroad so rank , that frost nor fire can make it fade ; and trod , it mounts the higher ; 't is call'd opinion ; 't is a curious feed that sheep doe most delight in , and indeed , is so delicious pleasing to the tast , that they account it but a second fast to feed , or graze on any food but that ; it makes them in a fortnights space as fat , as full of thriving moisture , and appeare as faire , as those that pasture all the yeare : it is so fragrant , that the sent provokes the lingring appetite of neighb'ring flocks to prove unknown delight ; nor hedge , nor ditch , can be a fence sufficient to the itch of their invited stomacks ; they will come from other folds , and make thy fold their home . adel . but wher 's the profit , shepheard , where 's the gains ? he feedes but ill , that finds no price , but pains . schis . he 's but a silly cook that wists not how to lick his fingers ; she deserves no cow that kens not how to milke ; nor he , a fold , that cannot sheare ; he that complaines of cold , and has a lib'rall woodstack in his yard , may freeze , unpitied ; and lament , unheard . adel . true , gentle shepheard ; but ill gotten wealth ill thrives ; better be cold then warm by stealth . schis . thou art a novice , swaine , thou need'st not take vngiven ; nor yet , with humble suits awake their charity ; when they have found the smack of thy delicious pasture , thou shalt lack no good , that they can give ; one every bryer they 'l hang their fleeces for thee ; they 'l conspire to yeane their jolly lambs within thy cot , to make them thine ; in briefe , what wil they not ? adel . but tell me , shepheard , will this dainty feed make them but seeming fat , or fat indeed ? schis . what 's that to us , if they appear but so ? their lambs are fair ; their fleeces white as snow ; they thrive ; are fruitfull , and encrease our store ; what need a curious shepheard question more ? what , if their skins be puft ? no eye can see 't ; what , if their flesh be ranck ? their lambs are sweet : if plump and fruitfull , whether bloat , or fat , we take no care ; let butchers look to that : they bear nor fleece , nor lamkin being flead ; swain , 't is the quick we live by , not the dead . adelph . but i have heard some learned shepheards say , there is a statute , that forbids this way of feeding sheep : there dwels , not far from hence , a shepheard , lately question'd for th' offence . schis . let tim'rous fooles fear statutes ; swain , i know the worst that statutes have the pow'r to doe ; they speak big words , will threaten to deprive , imprison , fine , and then perchance connive : twice have i star'd the stern-brow'd high cōmission in th' open face , in levell opposition ; the first time they depriv'd me of my crook ; dispoil'd me of my fruitfull flocks ; they took my thriving pastures from me ; even proceeding to the height of law , to bind my hands from feeding ; but 't was no high commission cords could tie my hands so fast , in publique , but that i could slip the knot in private ; i did keep no flocks abroad ; but , then , i hous'd my sheep ; i fed in corners ; slipt my wethers bell from off his lofty crest , that none could tell our secret meetings ; there , my flocks would come , sometimes , perchance , and toll an ewe from home , t' enrich my fold ; and now my gaines were more , being thus depriv'd ; then ere they were before : but soon my private practice was discry'd by a false-hearted brother , who envy'd my prosp'rous state ; and , under-hand did call my yeelding cause to try a second fall with th' high commission , whose tempestuous blast confin'd me , fin'd me , and severely past , next market day , betwixt mine eares and me , a firm divorce perpetually to be . adelp . gain dearly bought ! in my opinion , swain , the profit counterpoyses not the pain : i hold more sweetnesse in a poor estate , then treasure , purchas'd at so deare a rate : the day was fair , till the foul evening soil'd it ; the play was good , untill the last act spoil'd it : 't is a false trade , that flatters at the first with peace , and wealth , and makes last days the worst . schis . be not deceiv'd , adelphus ; bolts and chains make shepheards pris'ners , but enlarge their gains : where wealth comes trowling , pains are princely sports ; bands are but goldē bracelets ; jails , but courts ; i tell thee , swain , ( i speak it to the praise of charity ) i never breath'd such dayes , as when the voice of law enjoyn'd my feet to tread the curious lab'rinth of the fleet ; full diet came , unsought ; my bounteous dish deny'd no delicates , that flesh or fish could yeeld ; the sporting lamb , the frisking kid , the tripping fawn , the sucking lev'ret did present themselves before my smiling eyes , a morning , or an evening sacrifice : the sea-born sturgeon , and the broad-side bream , the wary trout , that thrives against the stream ; the well-grown carp , full laden with her spawn ; the scarlet lobster , and the pricknos'd prawn ; oyle-steep'd anchovis , landed from his brine , came freely swimming in red seas of wine ; the brawny capon , and the full egg'd hen , the stream-fed swan , the malard of the fen , the coasting plover , and the mounting lark , furnisht my table like an other ark : come , come , adelphus , prisons are no more then scare-bugs to fright children from the dore of their preferment ; linits in the cage sit warm , and full , when flyers feel the rage of frost , and famine ; they can sit , and sing whilst others droop , and hang the feeble wing : besides , the name of prison breeds remorse in such as meerly know it by discourse ; it moves compassion from the tender city , when we deserve their envy , more then pity . adelph . i , but me thinks , such bulk-improving ease , join'd with such pamp'ring delicates as these , should boulster up thy brawny cheeks , and place such lusty characters upon the face of prosp'rous welfare , that an easie eye could find no object for her charity . schis . who cannot force complaint without a grief , may grieve in earn'st , and pine without relief : when gentle novices bring their bounties in , we suck our cheeks , to make our cheeks look thin ; put on our fustian night-caps , and compose strange rufull faces ; whimper in the nose ; turn up the eye , and justifie our cause against the strictnesse of severer lawes ; o , how these tender-hearted fools partake in our distresse ! how sadly they will shake their sorrow-palsi'd heads , and sigh and whine , to see poor hunger-bitten christians pine in the sad jayle ! whereas we spend the day as frolick , feast , and sleep as soft as they . adelp . if prisons be so gainfull , what offence took thy discretion to remove thee thence ? schis . fair hopes of fairer fortunes ; which , in short , my tongue shall take the freedome to report ; there was a hopefull voyage ( late intended for new plantation ) to a place commended by common voice , and blaz'd above all other for fat , and fruitfull soile ( the joyfull mother of fair and peacefull plenty ) call'd by name nov ' anglia ; if the partiall blast of fame be not too vainly lavish , and out-blowes the truth too much , it is a land that flowes with milke and hony , and ( conceiv'd of some ) by good manuring , may , in time , become a second land of canaan ; to which end there is a holy people , that intend to sell intire estates , and to remove their faithfull housholds thither , to improve their better'd fortunes , being resolv'd to keep ( as our forefathers did in canaan ) sheep ; this hopefull voyage was the cord , that drew me from prison ; but this voyage overthrew me : i thought that my delicious kind of feed had bin a dainty there ; i thought , my seed had bin unknown in that unplanted clime ; i hop'd , that in the small extent of time , ( being out of reach of law , and uncontroll'd by high commissions ) my frequented fold might soon ingrost the flocks of every soile , and made me supream lord of all the isle ; but when i came to practice , every swain was master of my art , and every plain brought forth my secret ; now , the common pasture of all the land ; and every hind's a master . adelph . thanks , gentle shepheard , for thy fair discourse ; the fiery chariot now declines her course , and hot-mouth'd phlegon bowes his crest , to coole his flaming nosthrils in the western poole : my closed lips must plead a debt , and pray your courteous patience till another day ; i fear , my flocks will think their swain too bold to keep them longer from their quiet fold . eglogve viii . anarchus . canonicus . anar. graze on my sheep ; and let your soules defye the food of common shepheards ; come not nigh the babylonish pastures of this nation ; they are all heathenish ; all abomination : their pastors are prophane , and they have trod the steps of belial , not the ways of god . you are a chosen , a peculiar crew , that blessed handfull , that selected few that shall have entrance ; set apart and gifted for holy exercises , cleans'd and sifted , like flowre from bran , and separated from the coats of the unsanctified , like sheep from goats . but who comes here ? my lambs , why gaze ye thus ? why stand yee frighted ? 't is canonicus . can. god-morrow , swain ; god keep thee from the sorrow of a sad day ; what speechlesse ? swain , god-morrow : what , shepheard , not a word to entertain the wishes of a friend ? god morrow , swain : not yet ? what mean these silent common-places of strange aspects ? what mean these antick faces ? i fear , his costive words , too great for vent , stick in his throat ; how like a jack-a-lent he stands , for boyes to spend their shrovetide throws , or like a puppit , made to frighten crows ! anar. thou art a limb of satan ; and thy throat a sink of poyson ; thy canonicall coat is nothing but a liv'ry of the beast ; thy language is prophane , and i detest thy sinfull greetings , and that heath'nish fashion of this your antichristian salutation ; in brief , god keep me from the greater sorrow of thee ; and from the curse of thy god-morrow . can. how now , anarchus ? has thy hungry zeale devoured all thy manners at a meale ? no scraps remain ? or has th' unfruitfull year made charity so scarce , and love so dear , that none 's allow'd , upon the sleight occasion of enterview , or civill salutation ? is thy store hoarded up ? or is it spent ? wilt thou vent none ? or hast thou none to vent ? the curse of my god-morrow ? t is most true , gods blessing proves a curse to such as you . anar. to such as we ? goe , save your breath , to blow your vain cathedrall bagpipes ▪ and bestow your triviall pray'rs on those that cannot pray without their spectacles ; that cannot say their unregarded prayers , unlesse they hold the let'ny , or the charms of sorrocold before their purblind eyes ; that disinherit their soules of freedome , and renounce the spirit ; perchance , your idle prayers may finde an eare with them ; go spend your vain god-morrows there . can. art thou thy self , anarchus ? is thy heart acquainted with that tongue , that does impart this brain-sick language ? could thy passion lend no sleighter subject , for thy breath to spend her aspine venome at , but that , alone , that shuts and opens the eternall throne of the eternall god ? is prayer become so poor a guest , to be deny'd a roome in thy opinion ? to be scorn'd , contemn'd , like school-boyes theams , whose errors have condemn'd the guilty truant to the masters rod ? can that displease thee , that delights thy god ? anar. thou childe of wrath , and fierbrand of hell , flows wholesome water from a tainted well ? or can those prayers be pleasing , that proceed from unregen'rate breasts ? can a foul weed delight the smell ? or ugly shapes , the view ? i say , your prayers are all prophane , like you ; they 'r like that heath'nish ruffe of thine , that perks upon thy stiffe-neckt coller , pranckt with ferks of studied wit , startcht with strong lines , and put in a set form , of th' antichristian cut . can. consult with reason , shepheard , and advise ; call home thy senses ; and cast back thine eyes on former dayes ; no doubt , but there were they that liv'd as sanctimonious , that could pray , lift up as holy hands , and did inherit as great a share , and freedome of the spirit , as you ; and these could count it no disgrace to their profession , in a publique place , to use set forms ; did not their wisdomes doe what you contemn , nay more prescribe it too , ( yet neither quench'd , nor wrong'd the sacred motion of the prompt spirit ) as helps to dull devotion ? nay , more ; has not th' unanimous consent of all reformed churches ( to prevent confused babling , and to disenorm pre post'rous service ) bred us to a form of common prayer ; prayers so divinely penn'd , that humane eloquence does even contend with heavenly majesty , whilst both conspire to kindle zeal , and to inflame desire ? anar. the book of common prayer ? what tell'st thou me of that ? my soul defies both that and thee : thou art baals priest ; and that vain book 's no more then a meer relique of the romane whore : me thinks a christian tongue should be asham'd to name such trash ; i spit to hear it nam'd : tell me of common prayers ? the midnight yelp of bal my bandog is as great a help to raise devotion in a christians breast , as that ; the very language of the beast ; that old worn masse-book of the new edition ; that romish rabble , full of superstition ; that paper idol ; that inchaunting spell ; that printed image , sent from rome , from hell ; that broad-fac'd owle , upon a carved perch ; that bel and dragon of the english church . can. be not too lavish , shepheard ; half this stuffe will make a coat , to prove thee fool enough : hold , hold : thy brain-sick language does bewray the self-same spirit , whether rayle or pray : for fooles that rave , and rage , not knowing , why , a scourge is far more fit , then a reply : but say , anarchus , ( if it be not treason against discretion , to demand a reason from frantick tongues ) resolve me , shepheard , why this book is grown so odious in thine eye ? anar. because it is an idoll , whereunto you bend your idle knees , as papists doe to their lewd images . can. i ; but we pray not to , but by it ; anar. just so , papists say : say , in what place th' apostles ever did command set forme ? can. where was set forme forbid ? what text commanded you to exercise your function over tables ? or baptise in basons ? what apostle taught your tongue to gibe at bishops ? or to vex and wrong your mother church ? who taught yee to oppose your rulers ? or to whimper in the nose ? but since you call for precedents , ( although 't is more then our safe practice need to show ) read , to what blessing that blest saint commends the holy church , saluted at the ends of all his sweet epistles ; or if these suffice not , may your greater wisdomes please to step into the law , and read th' expresse commanded * form , wherein the priest must blesse the parting people ; can thy brazen brow deny all this ? what refuge have yee now ? y' are gone by law and gospel ; they both us'd set forme ; what scripture now must be abus'd ? anar. well , if the lord be pleased to allow set formes to prophets , are they set to you ? or have yee so much boldnesse to compare a prelats pratling , to a prophets pray'r ? can. o , that some equall hearer now were by to laugh his treble share , as well as i ! examples are demanded ; which , being given , we must not follow : giddy brains ! bereaven of common sense ! where heaven does make no mentiō , you style it with the term of mans invention : where heaven commandeth , and is pleas'd to hallow with blest examples , there we must not follow . anar. so heaven ( by blest examples ) did enjoin , your bended knees to worship bread , and wine ? can. when your crosse-garted knees fall down before your parlour-table , what doe you adore ? anar. so heaven commands , by conjuring words to bring vow'd hands together , with a hallow'd ring ? can. 't is true ; your fiery zeals cannot abide long circumstance ; your doctrine 's , vp and ride . anar. so heaven commanded , that religious praise be given to saints , and worship to their dayes ? can. whom you contemn , because they did not preach those doctrines , that your western parlours teach . anar. so heaven commanded bishops , and the rest of that lewd rank , ranck members of the beast ? can. i , heaven commanded such , and gave them power to scourge , and check suchill-pac'd beasts as you are : anar. so heaven commanded , that the high commission should plague poor christians , like the inquisition ? can. your plagues are what your own behaviours urge ; none , but the guilty , raile against the scourge . anar. so heaven commands your prayers , that buried dust of whores and theeves should triumph with the just ? can. man may not censure by externall view ; forbear ; we , sometimes , pray for some of you . anar. so heaven commands your paintings , pipes , & copes , us'd in your churches , and ordain'd by popes ? can. where popish hands have rais'd in every town a parish church , shall we pull churches down ? but come , anarchus , let us leave to play at childish pushpin ; come , let not the day be lost in trifles , to a fruitlesse end ; let 's fall to hotter service , and contend by more substantiall argument , whose weight may vindicate the truth from light conceit ; let 's try a syllogisme ; ( art infuses spirit into the children of the muses ) whereby , stout error shall be forc'd to yield , and truth shall sit sole mistresse of the field . anar. art me no arts ; that which the sp'rit infuses shall edge my tongue : what tell'st thou me of muses , those pagan gods ; the authours of your schismes ? p'sh ! tell not me of arts , and silisismes ; i care not for your quirks , and new devices of studied wit : we use to play our prizes , with common weapons ; and , with downright knocks , we beat down sin , and error , like an oxe ; and cut the throat of heath'nish pop'ry too , like calves , prepar'd for slaughter ; so we doe : we rash in sunder heresie , like an ell of sarc'net , then convey it down to hell : we take just measure of a christians heart , by th' yard of judgement ; then , by dextrous art , we cut out doctrines , and from notch , to notch we fit our holy stuffe , ( we doe not botch like you ; but make it jump , that it be neither too wide nor straight ) then stitch it up together , and make a robe of sanctity , to fit the childe of grace ; we medle not with wit : these be the meanes that overthrow our schismes , and build religion , without sigilismes . can. a rare device ! but tell me , wert thou made a butcher , or a tayler by thy trade ? i look'd for schollership ; but it appears , hoods make no monks ; nor beards , philosophers . anar. surely , i was , at first , by occupation , a merchant tayler , till that lender fashion of spanish cassocks grew into request ; when having left that calling , i profest a chaunler , where i was enforc'd to vent that hellish smoake , whose most unsavory scent perfum'd my garments so , that i began to be conceiv'd an unregenerate man : which cal'd me from that course of life , to trade in tape and inckle ; ere i year'd and day'd this new imployment , o a strange mischance ore threw my dealings , which did disadvance my meane estate ; and whereupon , i fled to amsterdam ; where being trencher-fed by holy brethren , liv'd in great respect , sr rev'rence , footing stockings for th' elect : surely the savour of the brethrens feet , perfum'd with commings in , is very sweet : there , twise six monthes i had not led my life , but i became an husband to an wife , the widow of an elder ; in whose stead , i was , ( though i could neither write , nor read ) accounted worthy ( though i say 't ) and able to preach the gospel at our holy table . can. but say , what strange mischance was that , did move thee to flee thy native soile ? what mischief drove thee ? what dire dysaster urg'd thy skilfull hand to find imployment in a forain land ? anar. surely , i was , when that mischance befell , but poore in purse , and was constrain'd to sell cadice and inckle ; now because my trade requir'd an help , i entertain'd a maide ; an able christian ; ( though i say 't ) begot of holy parents ; ( though the nuptiall knot of ceremonious mariage never tyed their joyned hands ) she was a sanctified and undefiled vessell ; she would pray , when others slept ; and work when others play : she was of exc'lent knowledg ; and , indeed , she could expound , and preach too , for a need : she was my servant , and set up my trade with her owne hands ; her skilfull fingers made the tape and inckle , where withall she stor'd my thriving shop ; whereby , i did afford my brethren better pennyworths ; nay , more , she had a gift , ( was all the city ore well known ) in making puddings , whose meer view would make a proselyte , and convert a jew ; whose new religion would proclaim our hogs as clean and holy as their synagogues ; these would she beare from house to house , and sell to holy brethren , who would please her well ; for under that pretence , she oft repeated some close preacht sermon ; oftentimes entreated of holy discipline ; sometimes gave warning of some rare lecture held next thursday morning : i know not how , ( fraile flesh and blood ye know can doe no more then flesh and blood can doe ) but to be short , she would so often fig from place to place , that she was grown too big to be conceal'd from wicked neighb'ring eyes ; t' avoid the scandall , i thought good t' arise , and flee to amsterdam , till i could gather , by information , the reputed father . can. a wholsome hist'ry ! able to transforme abus'd religions sunshine to a storme of direfull thunderbolts , to overthrow all christian rulers , that dare longer ow confusion to the varlets , and not grind them to dust , and send them to the place design'd them : had'st thou that impudence , that brazen face , in the fag end of thy unsav'ry , base , triobular trades ( foule beast ; ) nay , piping hot from thy close strumpet , thus to soile , and blot the beauty of religion , and to wrong the gospels name with thy illiterate tongue ? anar. were not th' apostles fishers , and not fly their trades , and preach'd the word as well as i ? can. avoid , presumptuous varlet ; urge no more my tyred patience ; goe , seeke out thy whore , thy fit compere , and exercise thy trade vpon her ruin'd stockings , much decaid with long pursuit , and trudging all about to find the father of her bastard out ; whil'st i remove my zenith , and go hence , to waile this fruitlesse howers misexpence , and pray to heaven , that heaven would please to keep such goats still separated from my sheep . eglogve ix . iudex . romastix . flambello . jud . this is the place , the hower ; this the tree , beneath whose hospitable shades , must be this challeng'd combat ; but the champions stay exceeds their limits ; 't is an equall lay that neither come : they were so hot last night , 't is like their quarrell ended with the light : but who comes yonder ? look , methinks't should be , by 's gate , romastix ; no , 't is not ; 't is he : me thinks his posture prophecies of palmes before th' encounter ; see , how sweat imbalmes his varnisht temples ! how each envious pace vies to be first , and eches for the place ! he 's neer at hand ; champion let faire applause crown your intended combat , let your cause thrive as it merits ; let this morning jarre bring forth an evening peace , the child of warre ; let truth prevaile , at last , and let heaven send , first , a faire enemy ; next , a faithfull friend . rom . thanks , gentle iudex ; for the last , i durst assure my selfe in thee : but where 's the first ? where 's our brave enemy ? whose very breath , last night , could puffe an heretick to death , then by the vertue of st. francis name , could snatch a well broyl'd soule from the sad flame of purgatory , from the sulph'rous flashes of hells hot suburbs , and inspire his ashes with a new catholike soule ; whose knee shall gain salvation from a puppit , for the pain of twenty pater nosters , and thrice seaven repeated ave's to the queen of heaven : but look ; am i deceiv'd ? or doe i see our boanarges comming ? jud . sure 't is hee . rom . 't is he , heaven grant that his discourse may trace a measure , but as sober as his pace : lord , how his tongue last evening shot at rover ! sometimes , how wide it shot ! how , sometimes , over ! how like a new broke colt , he pranc'd about ! sometimes stept orderly ; sometimes flew out : his hot-mouth'd argument , would for a space srike a good stroke ; then straight forsake his pace : how his discretion sunk , while his tongue floted ! his wit falsegallop'd , while his judgment trotted . but here he comes . jud . the blessings of the day greets thee . flam . and let the glory of the fray crown my triumphant browes with conquest . rom . stay , take my god-morrow , first , and then inherit stay , the crown that shall be purchas'd by thy merit , and justnesse of thy well defended cause . flam . the like to thee . jud . but let the chief applause be given to truth ; which must and will prevaile , how ever you defend , or he assaile : she does not like a thredbare client , sue for help , nor does her cause subsist by you : but like a queen , sits in her palace royall , to judge betwixt the rebel and the loyall : then quit your selves , and let the day proclame , who 's the true subject : truth is still the same : romastix this your first arrivall here , gives you precedence : you shall truely sweare , no private grudge ; nor no malicious end of base revenge did move you to contend in these fair lists , no itch of vaine applause , but a true thirst , t' advance the publike cause . rom . i doe . jud . and you flambello too , shall sweare , you try this combat , with a conscience cleare from by-respects of preadvised hate , or spleen , of later , or of elder date ; and that you aime not at a private foe , but at the glory of the truth . flam . i doe . jud . then champions , too t ; you cannot be too stern , in truths behalfe ; 't is best to be altern ; for mutuall language works a faire conclusion : truth is the queene of order ; not confusion . rom . i here appeach flambello , as a high - traitor to the sacred crown , and dignity of soveraign truth , a rebel to her lawes , a private iudas to the publike cause . flam . blisters o th' tongue that speaks it ! he that durst proclaim , and not maintain it , be accurst . rom . they 'r traitours , rob their soveraign of their due ; you doe the same ; and therefore such are you . flam . you argue with lesse charity , then art ; your halting minor 's false as your own heart . rom . he that invests another in the throne of truth ; or owns a prince , but truth alone , robs his own soveraign ; but such are you , you therefore rob your soveraign of her due . flam . you plead for truth ; and yet you speak beside the text of truth : your minor is denyed . rom . they that prefer their own brain-bred traditions before her perfect laws ; make , here , additions ; and , there , abstractions from her sacred hests , depose the old , and a new prince invests ; but you prefer traditions ; therefore you depose the old prince , and invest a new . flam . the selfe-same spirit that inspir'd the words of holy prophets , in old time affords vndoubted truth to the most just traditions of holy councels , whose divine commissions make it a perfect truth , which they averre confirmed by a head that cannot erre . rom . admit all this ! can very truth take place of very truth ? has truth a double face ? how can the wav'ring will of man be guided betwixt two sp'rits ; at least , one sp'rit divided ? but say ; upon what shoulders grows that head that cannot erre : that cannot be misled ? what is he ? where is his abode ? that i may bow my knees , and worship ere i dye . flam . it is our holy father ; he , that keeps the keys of heaven , and of th' infernall deeps ; he that has power , with those sacred keyes , to open heaven , and lock it when he please ; to open hels broad portals , and let out his dire anathemaes to scourge the stout rebellious heart ; and legions , to devour all such as will not prostrate to his powre , and high omnipotency , but rebell against the chamberlain of heaven : rom . and hell : but tell me to what sort of souls does he expand the gates of heaven ? flam . to such as be obedient to his laws ; whose purged hearts have felt the flames of purgatory , and smarts of holy penance , that observe and do all things his holinesse enjoyns them to : the gates of heaven stand ope for such as these . rom . if he be paid for turning of the keyes : what sort of sins unlock the gates of hell ? flam . the disobedient hearts , that puffe and swell against his government ; to such as dare question the councels of our holy chaire : to hereticks ; and such as plot revenge ; these are the card'nall sins , that greaze the henge . rom . but what betides to riotous gluttons , then , hell-tutor'd sorcerers , and incestuous men ? unnat'rall sodomites , and the brasse-brow'd lyer ? those that give false commissions , nay , and hyer perverted subjects to dissolve their bands of abjur'd loyalty , and lay violent hands on their own princes ? are th' infernall keys lesse nimble to unlock hels gate for these ? flam . these break the dores , and rend the portals ope , unlesse the grace of our lord god the pope give former dispensation ; or at least an after pardon . rom . i conceiv'd , the best your al-sufficient popes could doe , had bin , god-like to pardon a forsaken sin , but to afford a dispensation too for after crimes , is more then heaven will doe : no wonder , then , the councels of your chaire claim the right hand , and your traditions dare take place of scripture , when that god of yours , that cannot erre , is stronger arm'd , then ours . flam . it stands not with obedience to aspire unto such holy heights , as to enquire into the sacred secrets of the chaire ; all champions must lay down their weapons , there : doubts cool devotion ; and the good digestion of catholiques faith is hinder'd , where we question . romast . such dainty stomachs , as are daily fill'd with costly delicates , are eas'ly chill'd ; when faith can feed upon no lower things then crowns dissolv'd , and drink the blood of kings , experience tels , that oftentimes digestion finds strange obstructions , where indictments questiō : but since your guilt ( beneath the fair pretence of filiall silence ) leaves yee no defence from your reposed weapons ; breathe a space and take up new ones , which may plead your case ( with the quick spirit of a keener edge ) against the foule reproach of sacriledge : that bread of life ; which , with a lib'rall hand , heaven made a common gift , you countermand ; and what his bounty carv'd to every one , you falsly challenge to your selves alone ; he gives his children loaves ; where you afford but crums , being fed , like dogs , beneath your board ; that holy draught , that sacramentall cup , which heaven divides among them , you drink up : you are impostors , and delude poor soules , and what your pamper'd prelates swill in bowles , like fooles , you send them to exhaust from dead and pallid veines of your incarnate bread . flam . first , for the bread , which your false tongues averre we ravish from the childrens lips , you erre : your censures misinterpret our intent ; we doe but dresse the grist , that heaven hath sent ; and , by our mixture , raise a sweeter paste , to adde a pleasure to the childrens taste : next ; for that sacred blood , you grosly term , by th' name of wine ; which , rudely you affirm , our pamper'd prelates swill in lusty bowles , and after , send our poor deluded soules to suck ; to suck in vain from out the dead and pallid veins of our incarnate bread ; you show your wisdomes : it is living flesh , wherein are living streams , that doe refresh the drooping soul ; a perfect sacrifice of perfect flesh and blood , in breads disguise . rom . your double answer wants a single force : and is the grist of heaven become so course to need your sifting ? can your mixtures adde a sweetnesse to it , which it never had ? your chaire ( whose brow hath brasse enough , to call saint pauls epistles , heresies , and saint paul a hare-brain'd schismatick , and once projected , to have his errors purg'd , and text corrected ) may eas'ly tax , and censure all the rest , being all indited by the selfe-same brest : but is that body living , that ye tear with your ranck teeth ? how worse doe you appear then canibals , to be an vndertaker in that foul act , to eat , to grinde your maker ! your double answer does abridge the story of the true passion of the lord of glory ; your first condemns him ; and , ( the sentence past ) you boldly crucifie him , in your last : but is it reall flesh , ye thus devour ; timber'd with bones ; and like this flesh of our ? say ; doe you eat , and grind it , flesh and bone ? or like an unchew'd pill , but swallow 't down ? if onely swallow ; champion , you compleat not your work : you take the body , but you eat not : if eat ; you falsifie what heaven hath spoken ; can you eat bones , and yet a bone not broken ? but tell me , tell me , what was he that first did make so bold , to make himself accurst , to rob the decalogue , and to withdraw the second statute from the morall law ? why was that statute thought a worse offence then all the rest ? could not your chair dispence with that as safely as with all the rest ? what has that statute done ? wherein transgrest , that you have made the tables too too hot to hold it ? champion , speak ; why speakst thou not ? flam . superiour powers , that have large commission to judge , conceive it but a repetition of the first statute , and thought fit to take it thence for brevity , for corruption sake . rom . corruption sake ? did never word disclose from roman lips more true : what tongue ere chose a term more proper , that more full exprest th' idea of a well-composed brest ? i wish no greater conquest , or concession of a fair truth , then from a foes confession . flam . you boast too soon : take heed your vain conceit befools you not with a false antidate : ill-grounded triumphs are but breaths expense ; fools catch at words ; but wise men at the sense . rom . content thee , champion ; every gamester knows , that falsifies are play , as well as blows : but tell me now ; if each abstraction draws a curse upon th' abstractor from those laws , how can your councels scape this judgement then , that have exil'd the second from the ten ? flam . their number 's nere the lesse ; for where we smother one statute , we dichotomize another . rom . then , champion ; there 's a double curse , you know : one , for abstracting ; one , for adding to : but to proceed ; what law of god denies the bands of mariage ? what exceptionties that undefil'd , that honourable life from priestly orders ? aaron had his wife ; and he , from whom yee claim ( but claim amiss ) the free succession of your keys , had his . heavens statute qualifies all sorts of men ; how came yee to repeal that statute then ? flam . mariage is but an antidote for lust , it is ordain'd for such as dare not trust the frailty of their bodies , or want art to quench the roving tempters fiery dart : but such , whose vessels prayer , and fasting keeps unsoild and pure , where idle blood nere creeps into their wanton veines ; that can restrain base lust ; to such , this antidote is vain : such be our sacred priests , whose horned knees are seldome streight , but pay their howrely fees to the worn ground , whose emb'ring lips send up perpetuall vows ; whose wine-abjuring cup yeelds no delight ; whose stomachs are content to celebrate an everlasting lent. rom . say , champion then , for what respects ? for whom , are brothels licenc'd by the lawes of rome ? laymen may wed ; there , licence is unjust , where law allowes a remedy for lust : but if your priesthood be so undefil'd how came that pamper'd pope , ( the onely child of his long since deceased syre ) to own so many jolly nephewes , whose unknown and doubtfull parentage , truth fear'd to blaze , vntill the next succeeding prelates daies ? how is 't such vaulted entries have been found , affording secret passage , under ground , ( with pathes deluding argus thousand eyes ) betwixt your abbies , and your nunneries ? how come the depths of your deep throated wells , ( where utter shades , and empty horror dwells ) to yeeld such reliques ; and in stead of stones , to be impav'd with new-borne infants bones ? flam . plagues , horror , madnesse , and th' infernall troops of hells anathema's ; the schreeching whoops of damned soules ; this present worlds disdain , and that worse world to come's eternall pain ; our holy vrbans execrable curse , or ( if unthought on ) any plague be worse , confound these base , these upstart luth'ran tongues , that spit such poyson , and project these wrongs against our church . rom . a curse sufficient ! hold , and lend my tongue your patience , to unfold your catholike church ; & when my words shal end , speake you your pleasure , while mine eares attend : your church is like a market ; where , for gold , both sinnes and pardons , may be bought and sold : it is a jugglers shop , whose master showes fine tricks at fast and loose , with oathes and vowes : it is a mill ; wherein , the laity grind for the fat clergy , being still kept blind : it is a schoole , whose schollers , ill directed , are once a yeare , by their own hands corrected : it is a magazine , wherein are lai'd more choice of scriptures , then their maker made : it is a church , depraves the text ; and then , pins the authority on the sleeves of men : it is a slaughter-house , where butchers bring 〈…〉 all sorts of men ; and now and then , a king : it is a sort of people , doe unthrone the living god , and deifie a stone : it is a woman , that in youth , has bin a whore ; and now in age , a baud to sin : it damnes poore infants , to eternall fire , for want of what they liv'd not to desire : it dare assure us sound before the cure , and bids despaire , where we should most assure : it leads poore women captive , does contrary the lawfull use of meats ; forbids to marry . jud . hold , champions , hold ; 't is needlesse to renue your fight ; the day grows hot , as well as you : it is against the course of martiall lawes to deal a blow in a decided cause : sheath up your sanguine blades ; these wars have cost much bloud and sweat : the field is won and lost ; and we adjudge the palms triumphant bow of conquest to renown'd romastix brow ; and , with our shrill-mouth'd trumpet we proclame eternall honour to his honour'd name , who shall be styl'd , to his perpetuall prayse , truths faithfull champion till the last of dayes : queen truth shall prosper , when her pleader fails : great is the truth ; and that great truth prevails . eglogve x. orthodoxus . catholicus . nuncius . orth. what news , catholicus ? you lately came from the great city : what 's the voice of fame ? cath . the greatest part of what my sense receives , is the least part of what my faith believes : i search for none : if ought , perchance , i hear unaskt , it often dies within my eare , untold ; what this man , or what that man saith , can hardly make a packhorse on my faith : but , now i think on 't ; there 's great talk about a strange predictious star , long since , found out by learned ticho-brachy , whose portents reach , to these times , they say , and tels th' events of strange adventures , whose successe shall bring illustrious fame , to a victorious king , born in northern parts ; whose glorious arme shall draw a sword , a sword that shall be warm with austrian blood , & whose loud beaten drum shall send , beyond the walls of christendome , her royall-conquering marches , to controle ( even from the artick , to th' antartick pole ) the spaun of antichrist , and to engore those bald-pate panders of proud babels whore . orth. may these portents be sure , as they are great ; and may that drum ne're sound her faint retreat , till these things take effect : but tell me , swaine , how hapt this lucky comet to remaine so long in silence , and , at length , to blaze with us , and be the rumor of our daies . cath . there is a prince , new risen from the north , of mighty spirit , and renowned worth ; prudent and pious ; for heroick deeds , at least a caesar ; in whose heart , the seeds of true religion were so timely sown , that they are sprung to height , and he is grown the wonder of his daies ; whose louder name has blast enough to split the trump of fame : hast thou beheld the heavens greater eye , maskt in a swarthy cloud , how , by and by , it breaketh forth ; and , with his glorious ray , gives glory to the discontented day ? so this illustrious prince , scarce nam'd among the rank of common princes , bravely sprung from his dark throne ; and with his brighter story hast soil'd the lustre of preceding glory : this is that man , on whom the common eye is turn'd ; on his adventure does relye the worlds discourse ; this is that flame of fire we hope shall burn ( we hope as we desire ) proud babel : this , the arme that shall unhenge th' incestuous gates of sodom , and revenge the blood of blessed martyrs spilt , and frying in flames ; ( blood , that has been this age a crying for slow-pac'd vengeance ) this is he , whose throne this blazing prophet bent his eye upon . orth. and well it may ; the kalender , whereby we rurall shepheards calculate , and forespy things future , good or evill , hath late descry'd that evill affected planet mars , ally'd to temporizing mercury , conjoyn'd i' th' house of death ; whereby we shepheards find strange showres of blood , arising from the north , and flying southward , likely to breake forth vpon the austrian parts , and raise a flood , to overwhelm that bloody house , with blood : that house ; which like a sun in this our orbe , whiffes up the belgick fumes , and does absorbe from every soile rich vapours , and exhale from sea and land , within our christian pale ; a sun , the beams of whose meridian glory fill eyes with wonder , and all tongues with story . cath . but there 's a viall , to be emptyed out vpon this glorious planet ; which , no doubt , thine eye and mine shall see , within these few approaching days ; ( if shepheards signes be true ) no doubt , the lingring times are sliding on , wherein , this house shall flame , and this bright sun shall lose his light , shall lose his light , and never shine more , but be eclips'd , eclips'd for ever : o shepheard ; if the pray'rs of many a swain have audience , and our hopes be not in vain , this is that prince , whose conqu'ring drum shal beat through the proud streets of room , and shall unseat the man of sin ; and , with his sword unthrone the beast , and trample on his triple crown : this is that angel , whose full hand does grasp that threatned viall , and whose fingers clasp this flaming fauchin , which shall hew and burn the lims of antichrist , and nere return into his quiet sheath , till that proud whore , that perks so high , lye groveling on the flore . orth. shepheard ; me thinks , when my glad ears attends vpon his fair successe , his actions , ends , his valour , wisdome , piety , when i scan all this , me thinks , i think on more then man : o , how my soul lies down before the feet of this brave prince ! o , how my blessings greet each obvious action , whose loud breath i dare not hear , unprosper'd with my better pray'r : i must forget the peace of sion , when i cease to honour this brave man of men : had plutarch liv'd till now , to blazon forth his life , ( as sure he would ) what prince of worth , or greek , or roman , had his single story selected out to parallel his glory ? cath . o shepheard , he , whose service is employ'd in heavens high battels , can doe nothing void of fame , and wonder ; nothing , lesse then glorious : heavens champion must prevail ; must be victorious : but , o , what hap ! what happinesse have wee , the last , and dregs of ages , thus to see these hopefull times ; nay more , of sit beneath , beneath our quiet vines , and think of death by leisure , when spring-tides of blood o'rewhelms the interrupted peace of forain realms ! our painfull oxen plough our peacefull grounds ; our quiet streets nere startle at the sounds of drums or trumpets ; neither wolf , nor fox disturb the folds of our encreasing flocks : our kids , and sweet-fac'd lambs can frisk , and feed in our fresh pastures , whilst our oaten reed can breath her merry strains , and voice can sing her frolick past'rals to our shepheard-king . orth. 't is not for our deserts ; or that our ways are more upright , then theirs of former days : we lay the pelion of our new transgressions upon our fathers ossa : the confessions of our offences ; nay , our very pray'rs are more corrupt then the worst sins of theirs : sure , swain , the streams of mercy run more clear then they were wont ; her smiling eyes appear more gracious now , in these our borean climes , then other nations , or in former times . cath . shepheard ; perchance , some fifty righteous men , perchance , but thirty ; peradventure , ten have made our peace : perchance , th' almighties eare has found a moses , or some phineas , here . orth. vengeance , that threatned sinfull israels crime , for davids sake , nere stirr'd all davids time : 't was davids piety did suspend the blow of vengeance : have not we a david too ? a prince ; whose worth , what our poor tongues can scatter , may rather wrong for want of height , then flatter ; a pious prince ; whose very actions preach rare doctrines ; does , what others doe but teach : a prince ; whom neither flames of youth can fire , nor beauty adde the least to his desire ; whose eyes are like the eyes of turtles , chast ; can view ten thousand dainties , and yet tast but one ; but in that dainty , can digest the perfect quintessence of all the rest : a prince , that ( briefly to characterize him ) wants nothing , but a people , how to prize him . evill princes , oft , draw plagues upon the times , whereas good princes salve their peoples crimes . cath . thou hast not spoken many things , but much ; such is our people , and our prince is such : such fierce temptations still attend upon the glitt'ring pompe of the imperiall throne , i , either wonder princes should be good , or else conceive them not of flesh and blood : what change of pleasure can his soul command , and not obtain , being lord of all the land ? what bold ? what ventrous spirit dare enquire into the lawfulnesse of his desire ? what crown-controlling nathan dare begin to question vice ? or call his sin , a sin ? who is 't , that will not undertake to be his sins attorney ? nay , what man is he that will not temporize , and fan the fire t' encrease the flames of his unblown desire ? what place may not be secret ? or what eye dare ( under pain of putting out ) once pry into his closet ? or what season will not wait upon his pleasure , to fulfill his royall lust ? what chast sophronia would wound her own heart , for fear her soverain should ? o shepheard , what a prince have we , that can continue just , and yet continue man ! no doubt , but vengeance would confound these times , were not his goodnesse far above our crimes : alas ; our happy age ( that has enjoy'd the best , the best of princes , and is cloy'd with prosp'rous plenty , and the sweet increase of right-hand blessings ) in this glut of peace , loaths very quails and manna ; we are strangers to those hard evils , to those continuall dangers that cleave to states , wherein poor subjects grone beneath the vices of th' imperiall throne : they cannot prize good princes , that nere had the too too dear experience of a bad : who knows not pharoh ? or the plagues , that brake upon the people for hard pharohs sake ? orth. the acts of princes mount with eagle-wings : few know th' alliance between god and kings . cath . look , shepheard , look ! whose hasty feet are they that trace the plains so quick ? they bend this way . orth. his steps divide apace ; pray god , his hast be good : good tidings seldome come so fast . cath . i think 't is nuncius . orth. nuncius never uses to come unnews'd . cath . i wonder what the news is ? orth. see , how he strikes his breast ! cath . good lord , how sad his countenance seems ! orth. what , nuncius , good or bad ? ca●h . bad ! worse ! the worst of worsts ! the heaviest news that lips ere broach'd , or language can diffuse ! o , earths bright sun 's eclips'd ! ah me ! is drench'd in blood ! his flames are quench'd , for ever quench'd : that light , which wondring shepheards did adore , is out ; will never shine on shepheard more : expect no sunshine from the beams of suede ; sueden , the glory of the world , is dead : our strength is broke , and all our hopes are vain ; sueden , the glory of the world , is slain : our sun is set , and earth now wants a sun ; sueden , the glory of the earth is gone : gone , gone for ever to eternall night ; earth wants her sueden ; and the world , her light . cath . fond hopes ! why damp ye not my dull belief , to lend a little respite to my grief ? what ailes my passion to beleeve so soon the evill it feares ? can phoebus , in the noon of his meridian glory , cease to shine , before his solstice leaves him to decline the least degree ? can brave adolphus fall , and heaven not give us warning ? none at all ? there was no comet blaz'd : no apparition of kindled meteors , lent the least suspition : me thinks , the heavens should flame , and earths foundation , should shake , against so great an alteration . orth. but is it certain , nuncius ? nun . i , too sure : the wounds of death admit no hopes of cure : orth. god knows his own designs : his sacred brest knows where to propagate his glory best : his hidden ways agree not with our eyes : his wars must prosper , though his champion dyes : we must not question fate : where heaven thinks fit to doe , we must be silent , and submit : we must not look too near ; we must not prye ; perhaps , young joshuah lives , though moses dye : give suede his honour , and enroll his name among the worthies , in the book of fame : give him the honour of his double story , begun in grace , and perfected in glory : but let our fond indulgence be adviz'd , in hon'ring sueden , heaven be not dispriz'd : we must not languish , in a morall thirst , t' advance the second cause , and sleight the first ; we must not droop , for want of suedes alarm , as if that heaven were bound to suedens arm : that god , that hath recall'd our sueden , can make a new sueden of a common man . cath . but see ! the drooping day begins to do'n his mourning weeds ; the sullen night draws on : 't is time to fold our sheep ; they little know , or feel those sorrows , their poor shepheards do : shepheards , farewell ; perchance the morrow light may shine forth better news : orth. god night . nun . god night . finis . eglogve xi . philarchus . philorthus . anarchus . philar. shepheard , ah shepheard , what sad days have wee ( more sad then these sad days ) surviv'd to see ! how is the guilt of our forefathers crimes , reveng'd on us in these distracted times ! how is the shepheards honour that while ere shone like the morning star ; and did appeare to all the world , like heraulds to make known th' approaching glory of the rising sun ! how is that honour dim ! how is her light clouded in shades of ignorance and night ! how is our calling sleighted , and that power our master lent us , threatned every hower ! how are our worried names become the scorn of every base mechanick ! rent and torn in every vulgar mouth ? reproacht and made delinquents judg'd by every triviall trade ! how are our persons scorn'd , contemn'd , revil'd , nay , even by him , whose schoole-instructed child ieers at his ignorance ; and oft by him , whose sinking fortunes teaches how to swim with zealous bladders , being apt to steale advantage from the times , and trade in zeale ! how are wee growne the by-word of the land , commanded now , where late we did command ! prest like a vintage , banded like a ball ! despis'd of many , and dispris'd of all ! philor. true my philarchus ; shepheards never found so hard a time , ah , fortune never frown'd so sterne till now ; presumptuous ignorance had nere till now the boldnesse to advance her beetle browes ; or once to tread the stage of this blest island in so bright an age . but ah ! when lights grow dim and dull , what hand can keepe out darkenesse ? who can countermand the melancholy shades of ugly night , when heaven wants lamps , or when those lamps want light ? come shepheard , come , ( here 's none but thee and i ) we taxe the times , but could the times reply they 'd vindicate their evils , and lay their crimes on us poore shepheards that thus taxe the times . had we burnt bright , had our refulgent rayes given lustre to the world , and fill'd our dayes with glorious brightnesse , how had darknesse found a place for entrance ? where could shadowes ground their ayery errands ? or what soule could taint our sun-bright names ? what evill could cause complaint ? how blest ! how more then blest , had shepheards been had shepheards beene so happy to have seen but their owne happinesse ; had the waxen wings of their ambitious thoughts not aym'd at things beyond their pitch ; had they beene wise to move in their owne orbes , and not like phaeton rove through the wild labyrinth of th' olympick tower and search'd the secrets of too vast a power , their glory had not found so short a date , nor caus'd combustion in so calme a state . philar. admit all this philorthus , ( for who can consider frailty , and not thinke of man ? ) shall some few staines in the full lampe of night cry downe the moone , and wooe the stars for light ? what if thy too neglected soile abound with noysome weeds ? wilt thou disclaime the ground ? or wouldst thou dry the earths full breast , that feeds thy fragrant flowers , because it fosters weeds ? ah my philorthus , thus the cause now stands with us poore swaynes ; the power of our hands entrusted there by our all-wise god pan , ( to whom the frailties of collapsed man was knowne too well ) for some disorders growne among us swaines is cry'd , is voted downe ; and that fair livelyhood that late maintain'd those love-preserving festivals which chain'd our mutuall hearts in links of love ; which clad the naked orphan , and reliev'd the sad afflicted widow , and releas'd the bands of the lean prisoner grip'd with the hard hands of his too just oppressor ; this they say is to be shortned , if not snatcht away . philor. ah , gentle shepheard , heaven , ah , heavens forefend , those tydes should ebb that flow to such an end ; but some we fear bin more corrupt then so ; they 'r two things , what they should , & what they do . philar. true my philorthus , some lewd swains there bee that have more bags then bowels , that can see pale misery panting at their lordly gates , answerd with statutes , and repulsive rates ; whose hard , whose adamantine eare can brook the sad complaints of those ( who cannot look beyond the prospect of consuming grief ) without remorse at all , without relief ; whose wanton tables , deckt with costly fare , pamper their idle bodies , and prepare oyl for their lust , whose craving thoughts , made poore with too much wealth , condemn themselves to more ; and such they be philorthus whose lewd fames and lives have poyson'd the illustrious names of reverend shepheards , whose ambitious pride hath brought contempt , and made the world deride what late it honour'd , now disdain'd , abhorr'd by whom they were as much , ere while , ador'd . ah shepheard , these are they whose vain ambition made us sad partners in the worlds derision ; but that which wounds my soul beyond redresse , and aggravates my grief above excesse , those past'rall staves wherewith those reverend sages of former times have rul'd so many ages , and by a settled government , exilde confus'd disorder , the prodigious childe of factious anarchie , those rods of power that rul'd our swains by day , and did secure their folds by night , are threatned from our hands , and all our flocks to bow to new commands . philor. it cannot be , the great assembly 's wise ; has many heads , and twice as many eyes , eyes bright as day , that view both things and times , fast clos'd to persons , open to their crimes : judgement , nor fancy , moves in that bright sphere ; there are no ends , no by-respects are there : the care of truth , and zeal of publique rest rests in their restlesse , their united brest : heav'n be their guide , and may their pains encrease heav'ns glory , and this glorious islands peace ; ah , thinkst thou shepheard , their heav'n-guided heart will venture to decline his ways , or start from heav'ns example ? heav'n was pleas'd to beare with very sodom , had but ten been there that had been righteous ; loath to mixe the blood of guilty thousands , with some few of good : no question , shepheard , but the enormous crimes of our profession , heightened with the times , are foule enough ; nor could such actions lye conceal'd and clos'd before so cleare an eye ; and being seene , how could they choose but grate the groaning feoffees of our tottering state ? how could our growing greatnesse choose but blow and quicken up their zealous flames ? or how could our untam'd ambition hope to stand against the power of so great a hand ? but they are just and wise , and wisdome still shews rather what it can , then what it will . when publick iustice threatens , it propounds way for amendment , rather then confounds : and far lesse cost and dammage vvill ensue to vveed old gardens , then to dig a nevv . philar. true , shepheard , but they plead for want of dressing our garden 's forfeited , and they are pressing hard for reentry ; they have seal'd a deed vpon the ground , intending to proceed next tearme t' ejectment , by which means they 'l stand a new possest and re-enjoy the land . philor. shepheard , we hold in terme from great god pan ; his counsell drew the lease ; if wiser man can find a flaw , our weaknesse must appeale to pan's vicegerent ; he will vouch the seale faire and authentick : if the common lawes condemne our right , by vertue of that clause of heedlesse forfeiture , o then we fly to be reliev'd in the high chancery , that uncorrupted court that now does rest in the great chamber of the assemblies brest : ther 's iudgement there , which idle heaps of gold despaires to bribe , and conscience there unsold : poore shepheards , there , shall find as faire accesse , as peers , as princes , and as just redresse . philar. heav'n be our great protection , and close their suits-attending ears against all those , whom rayling ignorance , and frantick zeale hath only taught the way to say , and seale , and set their marks , not having skill to shape a letter ; or , without a lye , to scape the danger of non legit , whose profession is only to scorne lambeth , and discretion : these be fit men , philorthus , to descend into these lists , sweet champions to contend about these myst'ries , likely to confound those famous worthies that have searcht the ground of sage antiquity ; wherein of old , the government was wrapt , and still enroll'd . philar. come shepheard , come , our great assemblie's wise , and for a while , in policy complies with the rude multitude , who must have day , to breath their humors , which would else break way , like earth-imprisoned aire , whose sudden birth startles the world , and shakes the shivering earth : it is the nature of the vulgar brest still to mislike , and count that state the best which they enjoy not ; pleas'd with novelties , they grow impatient of the old , and prize what 's next in hope ; more happy in expectation then when possest ; all fire to alteration : but shepheard know ; our grave assembly pryes where they nere view'd , and looks with clearer eyes ; their wisdoms know , what sudden change portends : things rash begun , too oft in danger ends ; but unavoided ruine daily waites on suddain change of fundamentall states . philar. i , but philorthus , whilst the state complies with the tumultuous vulgar , tumults rise , and rude disorder creeps into our plains , swains will be shepheards , coblers will be swains ; flocks are disturb'd , and pastures are defac'd ; swains are despis'd , and shepheards are disgrac'd , orders are laught to scorn ; and , in conclusion , our kingdome 's turn'd a chaos of confusion . philor. why shepheard , there 's the plot : the surest way to take the fish , is give her leave to play , and yeeld her line ; he best can cure the cause that marks th' effect ; evill manners breed good laws : the wise assembly knowing well the length of the rude popular foot , with what a strength the vulgar fancy still pursues the toy that 's last presented , leaves them to enjoy their uncontrolled wils , untill they tire and quickly surfeit on their own desire , whose wild disorders secretly confesse needfull support of what they 'd most suppresse : but who comes here ? anarchus ? philar. 't is the same ; philor. how like a meteor made of zeal and flame the man appears ? philar. or like a blazing star , portending change of state , or some sad war ; or death of some good prince . philar. he is the trouble of three sad kingdomes . philar. even the very bubble , the froth of troubled waters . philor. hee 's a page fill'd with errata's of the present age ; philar. the churches scourge ; philor. the devils enchiridion . philar. the squib , the ignis fatuus of religion : but hee ' at hànd : anarchus what 's the newes ? philor. in a browne studie ? philar. speechlesse ? philor. in a muse ? anar. man , if thou be'st a babe of grace , and of an holy seed , i will reply incontinent , and in my words proceed ; but if thou art a child of wrath , and lewd in conversation , i will not then converse with thee , nor hold communication . philor. i trust anarchus , wee all three inherit the selfe same gifts , and share the selfe same spirit . anar. know then my brethren , heav'n is clear , and all the clouds are gone ; the righteous now shall flourish , and good dayes are comming on ; come then , my brethren , and be glad , and eke rejoyce with me ; lawn sleeves and rochets shall go down , and , hey ! then up goe we . wee 'l breake the windows which the whore of babylon hath painted , and when the popish saints are downe , then barow shall be sainted ; there 's neither cr●sse nor crucifixe shall stand for men to see ; romes trash and trump'ries shall goe downe , and , hey ! then up goe we . what ere the popish hands have built our hammers shall undoe ; wee 'l breake their pipes & burn their copes , and pull downe churches too : wee 'l exercise within the gr●ves , and teach beneath a tree ; wee 'l make a pulpit of a cart , and , hey ! then up goe wee . wee 'l down with all the varsities , where learning is profest , because they practise and maintain the language of the beast : wee 'l drive the doctors out of doores , and arts what ere they be , wee 'l cry both arts , and learning down , and , hey ! then up goe we . wee 'l down with deans and prebends too , but i rejoyce to tell ye , how then we will eat pig our fill , and cap●n by the belly : wee 'l burn the fathers witty tomes , and make the schoole-men flee , wee 'l down with all that s●els of wit , and , hey ! then up go wee . if once that antichristian crew be crusht and overthrown , wee 'l teach the nobles how to croutch , and keep the gentry down ; good manners have an evill report , and turns to pride we see ; wee 'l therefore cry good manners down , and , hey ! then up goe wee . the name of lord shall be abhorr'd , for every man 's a brother , no reason why in church or state , one man should rule another : but when the change of government shall set our fingers free , wee 'l make the wanton sisters stoop , and , hey ! then up go we . our coblers shall translate their soules from caves obscure and shady , wee 'l make tom t — as good as my lord , and joan as good as my lady . wee 'l crush and fling the marriage ring into the romane see ; wee 'l ask no bands , but even clap hands and , hey ! then up goe wee . philar. heaven keep such vermin hence ; if sinfull dust may boldly chuse a punishment , and trust their own desires , let famine , plague or sword , a treacherous friend , or ( what is more abhorr'd ) a foolish , false , contentious wife , first seise on our sad souls , then such wilde beasts as these . anar. surely thou art an hypocrite , a lewd false-hearted brother ; i find thou art a childe of rome , and smell the whore thy mother . philor. away false varlet ; come not nere my flocks ; thou taint'st my pastures ; neither wolfe nor fox is halfe so furious ; they , by stealth , can prey , perchance , upon a lambe , and so away ; but thy blood-thirsty malice is so bold , before my face to poison all my fold : i warn thee hence , come not within my list ; be still , what thou art thought , a separatist . anar. thou art the spawn of antichrist , and so is this thy brother ; thou art a man of belial , and he is such another : i say thou art a priest of baal , and surely i defie thee ; to satan i will leave thy soul , and never more come nigh thee . philar. a gentle riddance : o may never crosse fall heavier on this land , then such a losse ! philor. but think'st thou swain , the great assemblies eye beholds not these base sycophants that lye close gnawing at the root , as well as those , that with the romish axe , strike downright blows on the main body of religions tree ? think'st thou their sharp ey'd providence can see the chamber councels , and the close designes of forain princes , and their secret mines of state invention ? can their wisedomes rome through all the world , and yet be blinde at home ? no , no ; philarchus , the assemblies hand feels but , as yet , the pulses of the land , seeks out the ev'll ; and , with a skilfull eye , enquiers where the peccant humours lye ; but when th' apparent symptomes shall disclose the certain griefs that vex and discompose our universall body ; then , no doubt , their active wisdomes soon will cast about , to make a glorious cure , which shall enhance heav'ns greater glory , settle and advance the rest of groaning sion , to th' encrease of their own honour , and great britains peace . philar. my bended knee shall never rise till then . philor. heav'n nere shall rest , till heav'n shall say amen . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- * numb. . . hosanna, or, divine poems on the passion of christ by francis quareles. quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) hosanna, or, divine poems on the passion of christ by francis quareles. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed for iohn benson, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. eng jesus christ -- poetry. a r (wing q a). civilwar no hosanna, or divine poems on the passion of christ. by francis quareles. quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion hosanna , or divine poems on the passion of christ . by francis quareles . london , printed for iohn benson , and are to be sold at his shop in chancery lane neare the roules . . vpon the day of ovr saviovrs nativity . this day 's a riddle for the god that made this day , this day from his owne creature had his making too ; his flesh , and bone , and lim and breath from her , that had her breath from him . th'unbribed judge of mans eternall doome this day was pris'ner in a virgins wombe : and the lord paramount of all the earth was wanting a poore tenement at his birth , into the inne this meane guest must not come . strange , he that fills all roomes should have no roome ▪ the sunne dropt from his spheare , and did decline his unshorne head to the earth ; his radiant shine peep'd from the windores of the east , to breath new life on people in the shades of death . deare sunne since from thy sphere thou once were sent , here is a soule , make it thy firmament . borne of a virgin . although the eye of faith , not reason can behold a virgin mother of a man , yet natralists affirme some things may breed and have their propagation without seed . as that rich crop of pease which story sayes made orford famous in our gransires dayes th' admir'd phoenix which admits no paire in her perfumed ashes leaves an heire . and this maiola dares to justifie to be no false , but true history . by seminall commixtion , i had bin distain'd , and soiled with originall sin , pure must the pipe , pure must the conduit bee that must convey water of-life to mee . our sunne of righteousnesse when he would-shine vpon the world , choose virgo for his signe . borne in augustus time . now was the man of men great iulius slaine , and with his blood had dy'd the chaire in graine hee sate in , in the senate : and the flood which streamd from civill warre dri'd in his blood ; and now the milde augustus sate above the sphere of rome like a propitious iove . and with a milder influence clear'd the skies , and purg'd these exhalations which did rise from so much blood effused : or was sent like some apollo to romes firmament ; for in his sunnie dayes was learnings spring , all the arts flourish'd , and each muse did sing the fulnesse of all time , who will not thinke ? when peace and learning were so fairely link't ? when wisdome hadits flourish on the earth , then had the wisdome of the father birth . and when the olive branch of peace was showne then , not before , the prince of peace came downe ! borne in winter . phlegmatick winter on a bed of snow lay spitting full of rhewme ; the sunne was now inn'd at the goat ; the melancholique earth had her wombe bound , and hopelesse of the birth of one poore flowre , the fields , wood , meads , and all fear'd in this snowie sheet a funerall , nor only senselesse plants were in decay man , who 's a plant revers'd , was worse then they ▪ he had a spirituall winter , and bereft not of his leaves , but juyce , nay , nothing lesse ▪ his passive power to live was so abated he was not to be rais'd , but new created . when all things else were perished , and when no flowers were , but in their causes , then this wondrous flower it selfe to act did bring , and winter was the flowre lesses spring . borne in the night . the hav'ns was now but mask'd , and now forbids his eyelike starres to looke out of their lids , for it had been a shame unto the night if but one starre had miss'd so great asight . or else it wa● muffled in silent shade , and dress'd in sullen blacks , and was afraid to let one starre gaze out , for had it seene this sight , it had for ever blinded been . there was a double night , a night of sinne , darke heav'n design'd the darknesse we were in the darknesse , which through heav'n with silence roules was the sad emblem of our darkned soules . now when the sun , which daily rounds the skies was gone to bed , this other sunne did rise ; for happy 't was not fit there should appeare two suns at once , in the same hemisphere . the angels tell it to the shepheards . there is a point of happinesse a time se● wherein felicity either must be met or miss'd for ever ; and that certaine now is , when w' are at our calllngs ; from the plow rome painfull quintus her dictator makes . while matthew gathers toule , and custome takes hee 's call'd to write a gospell . at their net the sonnes of zebedee their conversions met . and while these men stand centinells and keep strict watd , and watch about their charge their sheep , they from themselves are rapt with sacred hymnes ; and ravish'd with a noise of chernbimes . that sung this infants lullabie . the storie hath some proportion with the auditorie , they shepherds were , to them the tydings came ▪ and the first gospel of the holy lambe . of the starres that appeared to the wise men . astrologie hath this rule ; heav'ns seldome shine with idle fires ; like prophets they devine stupendious events ; that spark'ling beame that did so long in cassiopia streame , and shot upon the world an angery glance , shew'd in its lookes the massacree of france this starre whose comming balaam had profest , from some wise men , thinke these wise men were guest not fram'd by natures fingers , but the hand that framed nature did not move and stand a non significant , but it selfe a wonder , sew`d that a greater miracle lay under . how was th' eternall sonne obscured here a stable was his heav'n , a crib his sphere ▪ never had sun such an eclips as this , to want a starre to shew ●en where it is . of the wise men . let them not boast , that they first saw this starre , a brawnie brainlesse clowne might goe as farre , the starre in cassiopea as i find . ticho confesse , was shew'd him by a hinde , wise though they were , they 'd gone they knew not whether had this starre then been sent to lead them thither . so that the starre which did before them goe both shew'd them light , and shew'd their blindnesse too . but why a starre ? when god doth meane to woe us , he useth meanes that are familiar to us . peter a fisher was , and with a draught of many fishes was the fisher caught : these men were vers'd in starres and well could read them therefore a starre is chose ●●out to lead them . how are men drawne to heaven the way they please , a fish to●●●peter , and a starre takes these . of the innocents . harke what is that i heare ? o t is the sound of rachel ! cause her children can'nt be found . herod that fox : so is his title good he slayes the tender lambs , and sucks their blood . strange tempered hearts whose edges would not yeeld suppled with all the teares that day were spild ; hearts of the rock which like to diamonds must be cut , or ner'e be cut , with their owne dust . there a child giving death a lovely looke smiles on his executioner ; there an other asleep is slaine ; sleep chang'd to death his brother dennis who sweats to put on ranke and file heav'ns spirits by nine orders ; doth beguile himselfe and me ; his memorie was too blame this order of the innocents not to name . of st. stephen . some names are ominous , wherein wise fate writes in fare characters mens future state hippolitus who scorn'd incestuou● sports was torne with horses , as his name imports . stephen was a crowne , which shew'd in time to come he should put on the crown of martyrdome . a crowne enchas'd with stones , nay such a one earth cannot boast , 't was all of precious stone ; the storme of stones which at this martyr flew recoild , inriched with an orient hue . the meanest flint which at this saint was throwne , reflects a rubie , or some richer stone ▪ the stones advanced to a heap , become as first our martyrs crowne , so now his tombe . muse , make a pagan wonder : thus set down , here lyes a man intombed in his crowne . of our saviours circumcision , or new-yeares day . the seventh day from his birth , he did begin obedience to the law and pawnd his s●●n , he would fulfill it ; when ziskas houre was come he should expire , he bad them make a drum of s' skin , conceited it would scare the foe 't was strange antipothie , if it would doe so . but this small peece of skin was such a spell it scar'd the sootie regimen●s of hell . hee as a prince a crowne like princes weares , and thornes are th' emblemes of a princes cares : the church a lilly amongst thornes doth grow , and as the churches head himself doth so . when romes dictators did a conquest bring from some sackt towne , or from some petty king triumphing palme , and temples crowning bayes circling their browes shot from their head like rayes . here hell was captive , death it triumph borne . and yet victors head but crown'd with thorne : peace ; 't was 〈…〉 his blood had dide the twigs and chang'd 〈…〉 of corrall sprigs , or stain'd the buds , so 〈…〉 blush out-vied the english or the province bush . they gave him vineger and gall , mat. . and wine mingled with myrrh , mark . when one was on the cursed tree to die , they gave narcotick drinke to stupifie and dull the motion of the active sense so to allay the racking violence of his sharpe tortures , and the rabbins say that these compounded potions were they give wine to men ready to quit their breath , vineger is his preparative to death ; hee must have nought but vineger who hath trod in the wine-presse of his fathers wrath . those lips that once like honey combs distill'd are now with gall in stead of honey fill'd . and he 's presented with a draught of gall , whose innocence before had none at all . one of the wise-men that to betblem went to doe him homage , did him myrh present . so they did here , but in a different case 't was there in honour , here in his disgrace . they compell'd simon of syrene to beare his crosse . he could not beare his crosse , his crosse must try to beare the burthen of his majesty , a burthen which the legendaries write made christopher to stoope , maugre his might , which maz'd him , till 't was whisper'd in his eare he had borne him , that all the world did beare . his yoke is easie ; yet on him they lay a heavie crosse to carry ; who dares say that this was just ? yet thus we men requite him , who professed that his burthen 's light , but this 't was made it heavie , there came in his fathers wrath to boot , and the worlds fin . poore simon then comming out of the field where haply he had plow'd , not us'd a shield ; receives the crosse for 's armes ; no herauld can produce me such another gentleman . so he walkes on to golgotha , where hee commends his saviour to the fatall tree where death and life were wond in mutuall strife , it was his tree of death , our tree of life . crucified . those hands , which heav'n like to a curten spred , are spred upon the crosse : those hands which did consolidate the metals in the ground , one of those metals gave those hands the wound : see his hands spred , as if he meant to grace his executioners with his last embrace , nay , all the world : for if his fist can hold the winds , his armes can all the world enfold . see there longinus with his ruder speare peirce his diviners side , from whence appeare water and blood , whose white and red present th'admitting and confirming sacrament . see here his feet nail'd to the crosse , which done those feet with streames of purple did so runne , that in one sense it might be understood our saviours feet were swift to shed blood : his hands and feet thus forced to obey the cruell nailes command ; may we not say the starre that out of jacob shin'd so farre was then , or never made a fixed starre ? crucified between two theeves . vvhat , reckon'd amongst rogues ? mixt with the rabble d●svail'd like the jewell in the fable cast in the count mongst theeves ? what coine is he in jury stamp'd , yet there not currant be ? they should not for inscription sake refuse iesus of nazareth king of the iewes ; a peece so rich , no angell that could make it so good , the devill was content to take it . when mans arreareages for sinne were paid , and the whole ransome of the world defraid those moralists who anciently did dreame vertue was not a meant , but an extreame , if they had seene him placed thus , would sweare vertue was in the midst , for he was there , and by his presence made it plaine to try how vertue look'd set by her contrary . and yet his glory had not an addition of lustre lent it by this opposition ; to set him off , he stood in need of none no foile was needfull for so rich a stone . the earth did quake . rest is the property her creator gave her , but now a palsey makes her veins to quaver : how can't to passe , that wind cholique strove in the earths bowels , and did make her move . shee once was built so firmely on her base shee need not feare a shouldering from her place , 't is true ; but wa' st not time to stirre , when hee that fastned her , was fastned to a tree . when he was in his lowest declination , then dust and ashes had their exaltation . and the earth rous'd lier selfe , as if shee meant to be no more the lowest element . or since his deaths-men did so bouldly dare , shee taught them by example how to feare . the earth did put on man , and trembling shooke , man put on earth , and no amazement tooke ; sure this will aggravate those mens offence the earth show'd reason , and the men no sense . the sunne was in a totall eclips , and not as naturally it should have been in the sign with the moon . two suns were seene , when charles the great deceast whose mighty wings ore-shaded all the west . but when this mightier king of kings did die not one appear'd to beautifie the skie : for when great charles did undergo his doome one sunne seem'd added to supply his roome . but when the god of natures selfe was gone into a passion , there was use for none . nay , when the sphere of light was puffed out how could the sunne poore taper looke about ? horrid eclipse ; for now the moone by right was not in the sunes signe , but opposite ; and the same way our sinnes eclips'd that sun upon the crosse ▪ by opposition . miraculous eclipse , how could the small and lesse circumference of the moone hide all the larger sunne , but that our darker sin to aide the moone , did bring her forces in . the graves opened , and many of the saints arose . there was no trumpet here to raise the dead , and call them from their graves , nor was there need , though no arch-angell with a trumpet cried , yet now the angell of the covenant died . and dying cri'd with a loud voice ; and those mistooke it for the trumpet , and arose . they rose , as if it had been their intents to give him choise of all their monuments . and seeing that he must interment have , each saint did seeme to cry , pray take my grave . when he bow'd downe his head , the dead rais'd theirs and lookt out of their frighted sepulchres . the soules shot out of heav'n in to the dead , and did a second time their bodies wed . and though they had not left their blessed thrones to reassume their ancient flesh and bones : yet his last gaspe had been enough to have hurl'd soules into all the bodies of the world . buried in a garden . after his spirituall death , first adam's cast out of the garden , where he had been plac'd . after his corporall , second adam's put into a garden , and there closely shut . the first had not gone out but for his sin , and but for ours , the second not come in . hee 's in a garden laid ▪ not as one dead , but as a living plant set in a bed : set in the spring , and without aid of showres sprung in the spring-time , like to other flowres to which he gave the beauty that they have , and that 's the reason , that the spring's so brave , nay , wholesome as 't is brave ; for in that place sprung up ( if ever ) that rich herbe of grace . our herbalists have writ that serpents feare the vertue of that herbe , nor dare come neare her soveraigne powre ; i care not though they misse i 'm sure th'old serpent dares not come neere this . buried in a new tombe hewen out of a rock . vvhen emperours were crown'd , tomb-makers brought severall stones , and what the emperour thought rest in his choise , that stone was laid aside to be the emperours tomb-stone when he died . ●his emperour was crown'd but choose no stone , ●seph supplies that want , and chooseth one , ●nd such a one , as might be censur'd fit ●or him that was to be inclos'd in it . ●hat wondrous stone , which daniel saith was cut out of the rock , that stone it selfe was put ●nto a stone , which lately had forsaken the rockie quarrie , whence it had been taken . that for his epitaph it might be read , here in a stone , a stone lies buried . 't was a new tombe , and was it not most fit for that pure body which was put in it ? how like his tombe and maiden mother is , man never lay with her , nor man in this . he that was taken from a virgin wombe where should he lye but in a virgin tombe . the mount of olives . hee 's humble ; and that humblenesse will show by th' emblem ; nature plants the olive low . but as presaging that from hence should bee the starting of a great ascention , shee set those upon a hill , as if shee meant they should have theirs , where he had his ascent , he 's a king , and his majesty will show by th'emblem ; oyle annoints the royall brow not liquors , unguents , nor rich palmes we try , but oyle ; for oyle denoteth soveraignty . blended with other liquors it will move in an ambition till it flowes above . in the compounding of a majesty , a chiefe ingredient is humility . the heightned spirits would be too elate ●f humblenesse should not a● temper state . in him like friended elements they doe commix ; he was a lambe , yet lion too . whit-sunday : there was a noise from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind . when sad elijah did by horeb lye , a roaring wind so buffeted the skie as if the musterd vapours had combind to make one storme ; god was not in the wind . but when th' apostles by consent were met , after their parture from mount olivet a bellowing tempest vollied from the sphere , and filled all the roome ▪ and god was there . the spirit and the wind may seeme to bee imploy'd in consort for their simpathie when th' universe was made , and darknesse strove for place , the spirit did on the waters move ; when the drown'd world was to be made agen the wind did move upon the waters then . now when th' eternall spirit was to blow and breath on them , he sent a wind , as though the uncreated spirit had assign'd th'other created spirit of the wind to usher him the way as he should come , or be his harbinger to take his roome . there appeared unto them tongues . when babel first rear'd her ambitious crest upon the plaine of shinar , to contest with heav'n ; a different language did beguile the founders hopes , and stay the rising pile , so when the church was to be edified , the builders language was diversified ; but difference of tongues had different power , it rais'd the church and ruined the tower . th' apostles were ambassadors assign'd by the king of heav'n to go to all mankind ; and 't was both reason , and their kings intent that they should know the tongues before they went yet they had none , but as the haste requir'd their language was infused , not acquir'd . unletter'd soules , poore fisher-men that spoke hardly more tongues , then the mute fish they tooke . he who 's the fathers word , a promise gave that he should send , and they a present have . this mission did the miracle afford , he sent the tongues , who was himselfe the word . tongues of fire , and sate upon each of them . vvhen fire like the postilian was past elijah ; a soft language came at last . but here was no precedencie in either , the fire and language did come both together , for he who father of all language is , was in the apostles fire , but not in his . that fierce apparition which did flame in moses bush , and not enfire the same , helpt not his tongues defect , nor did him store with any dialects unknowne before . here it did both , here the divided blaze refin'd their stile , and varied their phrase the prophet had not power to forbeare because it was fite in his bones ; 't was here fire in their tongues ; they needs must silence breake tongues tipt with fire , how can they choose but speak ? the prophets tongue once with a ●oale had bin toucht at the altar by a cherubin ; but here it were superfluous to require coales for these tongues , these tongues themselves were fire , these tongues the spirir would not represent in the drie , cold , or the moist element , that temper were too languishing and weake , so powerfull an embassie to speake . they must be fire , whose doctrine must be hurl'd swift as the wings of lightning through the world , and worke th' effects of lightning ; will not hit a heart of flesh , but gently passe by it . but grindes these hearts to dust , whose hardnesse dare provoke a nether mill-stone to compare , and like the lightnings uncontrouled stroake slides by a reed , but ruinates an oake ; like fire they were to separate the gold from the admixture of th' impurer mould , to take the masse of the whole rationall creature to fine , and quintessentiate their nature , and with the alchimie of heavenly fire . make the extracted spirits to aspire , which with repeated heates they so refin'd that they drew out th' elixar of mankind . steele-temper'd consciences , and hearts conflate of sturdiest metals , as unmov'd as fate were by the working of the fire made fit , coelestiall formes , and notions to admit . their sermons were not only heard but felt and made a leaden auditory melt . which being so dissolved they imprest divine ideas in the softned brest those parted blazes fix'd on them did shine like prettie commets , whence one might divine ▪ some alteration ; and there was ; for then there was the change of soules , and change of men . or else like starres these little flames did slide with which th' apostles were all stellified , and turn'd to the twelve signs , through which the sun of righteousnesse should as his zodiack run , or from the phantasme which did then appeare ▪ there was some order instituted there . the badge was fiery tongues , and they may bost themselves of th' order of the holy ghost . finis . the loyall convert quarles, francis, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing q ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the loyall convert quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed by henry hall, oxford : . a plea for political and religious submission to the king as ruler by divine right. attributed to francis quarles by wing. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng divine right of kings. a r (wing q ). civilwar no the loyall convert quarles, francis d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the loyall convert viro . improbus haec tam culta novalia miles habebit ? barbarus has segetes ? hom. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . oxford , printed by henry hall . . to the honest-hearted reader . reader , ihere protest before the searcher of all hearts , that i have no end , either of faction , or relation in this ensuing treatise . i am no papist , no sectarie , but a true lover of reformation & peace : my pen declines all bitternesse of spirit ; all deceitfulnesse of heart ; and i may safely , in this particular , with saint pavl , say , i speake the truth in christ and lye not , my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy ghost , that i neither walke nor write in craftinesse , nor handle the holy scriptures deceitfully : therefore if thy cause be iesus christ , in the name of iesus christ , i adjure thee to lay aside all wilfull ignorance , all prejudice , all private respects and interests , and all uncharitable censures : deale faithfully with thy soul , and suffer wholesome admonitions : search the severall scriptures herein contained , and where they open a gate , climbe not thou over a stile , consult with reason herein exerciz'd , and where it finds a mouth , find thou an eare : and let truth prosper , though thou perish ; and let god be glorified , although in thy confusion . the loyall convert . the kingdome of england , that hath for many ages continued the happiest nation on the habitable earth , enjoying the highest blessings that heaven can give , or earth receive ; the fruition of the gospell , which setled a firme peace ; which peace occasion'd a full plentie , under the gracious government of wise and famous princes , over a thriving and well-contented people , insomuch that shee became the earths paradise , and the worlds wonder , is now the nurcerie of all sects ; her peace is violated , her plentie wasting , her government distempered , her people discontented , and unnaturally embroyl'd in her owne blood , not knowing the way , nor affecting the meanes of peace ; insomuch , that shee is now become the by-word of the earth , and the scorne of nations . the cause and ground of these our nationall combustions , are these our nationall transgressions , which unnaturally sprung from the neglect of that truth we once had , and from the abuse of that peace we now want : which , taking occasion of some differences betwixt his majestie and his two houses of parliament , hath divided our kingdome within it selfe , which had so divided it selfe from that god , who blest it with so firme a truth , so setled a peace , and so sweet an unitie . at that sinne brought this division , so this division ( sharpned with mutuall jealousies ) brought in the sword . when the lyon r●●res who trembles not ? and when judgement 〈◊〉 , who is not troubled ? among the rest , i ( who brought some faggors to this combustion ) stood astonisht , and amazed ; to whom the mischiefe was farre more manifest then the remedy : at last , i laid my hand upon my heart , and concluded , it was the hand of god : where being plundered in my understanding , i began to make a scrutinie , where the first breach was made , that let in all these miseries . i found the whole kingdome now contructed into a parliament , which consisted of three estates ; a king , a house of peeres , and a house of commons ; by the wisdome and unitie whereof , all things conducible to the weale-publique were to be advised upon , presented , and established . i found this unitie dis-joynted , and growne to variance even to blood : the king and his adherents on the one party ; and his two houses and their adherents on the other . the presence of this division , was the true protestant religion , which both protested to maintaine ; the libertie of the subject , which both protested to preserve ; the priviledges of parliament , which both promise to protect : yet neverthelesse , the first never more profaned ; the second never more interrupted ; the third never more violated . standing amazed at this riddle , i turned , mine eyes upon his majesty ; and there i viewed the lords annointed , sworne to maintaine the established lawes of this kingdome : i turned mine eyes upon the two houses ; and in them i beheld the interest of my countrey sworne to obey his majestie as their supreme governour . i heard a romanstranoe cryed from the two houses i read it ; i approved it ; i inclined unto it : a declaration from his majesty ; i read it ; i applauded it ; i adhered to the justnesse of it : the parliaments answer : i turned to the parliament : his majesties reply ; i returned to his majestie . thus tost and turned as a weatherc●●k to my own weaknesse , i resolved it impossible to serve two masters . i fled to reason ; reason could not satisfie me : i fled to policies policie could not resolve me : at length , finding no councellour , but that which first i should have sought ; i hyed me to the book of god as the great oracle , and ushering my inquest with prayor & humiliation , i opened the sacred leaves , which ( not by chance ) presented to my first eye the of the proverbs , v. . the fear of a king is as the roaring of a lyon , & who so provoketh him to anger , sinneth against his own soule . now i began to search , and found as many places to that purpose , as would swell this sheet into a volume ; so that in a very short space , i was so furnished with such strict precopts , backt with such strong examples , that my judgement was enlightned , and my wavering conscience so throughly convinced , that by the grace of that power which directed me , neither feare , nor any by-respects shall ever hereafter remove me , unlesse some cleaner light direct me . but , above all the rest , a precept and an example out of the old testament ( strongly confirmed by a precept and an example out of the new ) setled my opinion and established my resolution . the first precept out of the old , jeremy , . v. . where it pleased god to owne nebuchadnezzar his servant , ( although a a known pagan , a profest idolater , and a fierce porsecuter of all gods children ) concerning whom he saith , v. . they that serve not the king of babylon , and that will not put their necks under his yoak , i will punish them with the sword , pamine , and the pestilence , till i have consumed them . v. . therefore hearken not to your diviners and prophets , that say unto you , you shall not serve the king of babylon , for they prophosio a lye unto you , v. . but the nations that shall serve the king of babylon , and bring their necks under his yoak , those will i let remain in their own land , ( saith the lord ) and they shall till it , and dwell therein . can there be a stricter precept ? or could there be a more impious prince ? and yet this precept , and yet this prince must be obeyed nay , sub paena too ; upon the paine of gods high wrath , fully exprest in famine , sword and pestilence , not onely upon the people , but upon the priests also , that shall perswade them unto disobedience . the second precept is enjoyned us out of the new testament , rom. . . let every soule be subject to the higher powers , for there is no power but of god ; the powers that be , are ordained of god : whosoever therefore r●sisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of god , & they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation . this power , ( this king ) to whom s. paul commandeth this subjection , was nero , the bloody persecutor of all that honoured the blessed name of jesus christ . gods command should be a sufficient argument , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} is enough : but when he adds a reason too , he answers all objections : but when he threatens a punishment ( no lesse then damnation ) upon the resistance thereof , he hath used all means to perswade a necessitie of obedience . let every soule be subject . ) not equall , much lesse superiour . and what is taking up of armes , but an implyed supposition of at least equalitie ? what are the hopes of conquest but an ambition of superioritie ? what is condemning , judging , or deposing , but supremacie ? for it is against the nature of an inferiour to condemne , judge , or depose a superiour . and , lest the rebellious should confine his obedience to a good prince , the next words reply . for there is no power but of god . power in it selfe is neither good nor evill , but as it is in subjecto , the person ; if an evill king an evill power , if a good king , a good power : god sends the one in mercy ; and we must be subject ; the other in judgement , and we must be subject : in things lawfull , actively ; in things unlawfull , passively : if a good king , he must have our praise and our plyance ; if an evill king , he must have our prayers , and our patience . he that resisteth the power ( whether good or evill , for all power is of god ) resists an ordinance of god ( ordinances of men are not resisted without ruine ) and whosoever resisteth , shall receive , but what ? {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , damnation to themselves . now compare this place with th●t . cor. . . he that shall eat this bread , & drink this cup of the lord unworthily , eateth and drinketh , what ? {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , damnation to himself . if then there be proportion betwixt the sin and the punishment , you may hereby gather the heynousnesse of disobedience , the punishment whereof is the very same with his that is guilty of the body & blood of our lord ; to the one for not discerning the lords body , to the other for not discerning the lords annoynted . the lords annoynted ? and who is he ? none but the regenerate : christ is not christ to any , to whom jesus is not jesus . gods word answers your silly objection , not i : was not saul gods annoynted ? was not cyrus gods annoynted , and many more whom god acknowledges so & yet wicked kings ? cyrus is mine annointed yet he hath not known me . the first example for our obedience the old testament proposeth to our imitation , dan. . . nebuchadnezzar the king of babylon sets up a golden image , shadrach , meshach , and abednego , were commanded to fall down & worship it . the king a knowne pagan commands grosse idolatry , did these men conspire ? or ( being rulers of the province of babel ) did they invite the jewes into a rebellion ? did these to strengthen their own faction , blast their soveraignes name with tyranny and faganisme ? did they endeavour by scandals and impious aspersions to render him odious to his people ? did they encourage their provinces to take up arms for the defence of their liberties or religion ? did they seize upon or stop his revenues ? or annihilate his power ? did they estrange themselves from his presence ? murther his messengers . or would they have slighted his gracious offers ? no , being called by their prince , they came ; & being commanded to give actuall obedience to his unlawfull commands , observe the modestie of their first answer ; we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter ; and being urged , ma●ke their pious resolution in the second : be it knowne , o king , we will not serve thy gods , nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up . the king threatens the fornace , they yeeld their bodies to the fornane & say , god whom we serve wil deliver us out of thy hands , and not , he will deliver thee into our hands . they expect deliverance rather in their passive obedience , then in their actuall resistance . but they were few in number , and their forces not considerable . admit that , which all histories deny . was not god as able to subdue him with so few , as to deliver them from so many ? had their weaknesse lesse reason ( for the cause of gods apparent dishonour ) to expect a miraculous assistance in those daies of frequent miracles , then we after so long a cessation of miacles ? gods glory will not be vindicated by unlawfull means , or unwarrantable proceedings . i , but we take up armes , not against the king , but against his evill counsellours . adherents ye meane . a rare distinction ! and , tell me ; whose power have his adherents ? the kings : by which appeares , ye take up armes against the kings power ; he that resisteth the power ( it is not said the prince ) shall receive damation . againe , where the word of a king is , there is power . god joyned the king and his power , and who dare separate them ? they that take up armes against the parliaments power ( you say ) take up armes against the parliament ; doe not they then that take up armes against the kings power , by the same reason , take up armes against the king ? now , look back upon your intricate distinction , and blush . but , if the king betray the trust reposed in him by his subjects , they may suspend their obedience and resist him . kings are gods vicegerents , & cannot be compelled to give an accompt to any , but to god . against thee , against thee only have i sinned : that is to thee , to thee only must i give an accompt . though i have sinned against ●riah , by my act ; and against my people , by my example , yet against thee have i only sinned . you cannot deprive , or limit them in what you never gave them . god gave them , their power , and who are thou that darest resist it ? by me kings raigne . but , his crown was set upon his head by his subjects upon such and such conditions . why was the penaltie , upon the faile , not expressed them ? coronation is but a humane ceremonie . and was he not proclaimed before he was crowned ? proclaimed ? but what ? a king ? and did not you at the same instant by relative consequence , proclaime your selves subjects ? and shall subjects condition with their king , or will kings bind themselves to their subjects , upon the sorfeiture of their power , after they have received their regall authoritie ? but the king hath , by writ , given his power to his parliament , and therefore what they doe , they doe by vertue of his power . the king , by his writ , gives not away his power , but communicates it . by the vertue of which writ , they are called ad tractandum & consulendum de arduis regni , to treat and advise concerning the difficulties of the kingdome : here is all the power the writ gives them , and where they exceed , they usurp the kings power , being both against the law of god , and the constitutions of the kingdome . well , but in case of necessitie , when religion and libertie lye at the stake , the constitutions of the kingdome ( for the preservation of the kingdome ) may suffer a dispensation . admit that : but what necessitie may dispense with the violation of the law of god ? the deviation where from is evil , and thou shalt doe no evill that good may come thereon . but , we take not armes against the king , but only to bring delinquents to condigne punishment . and , who are they ? even those that take up armes for the king ; which an unrepealed statute , . hen. . acquits . but , admit statutes may be broken , and you seeke to punish them ; who gave you the power so to doe ? the law : and what law denyes the king power to pardon delinquents ? god that hath put power into the hand of majestie , hath likewise planted mercie in the heart of soveraigntie : and , will ye take away both his birth-right and his blessing also ? take heed , you doe not slight that , which one day may prove your sanctuarie . but , the king , being a m●●r monarch , is bound to his owne lawes . there be two sorts of lawes , directive and coercive : as to the first , he is onely bound to make his accompt to god ; so to the second , he is onely lyable to the hand of god : who shall say unto him , what dost thou ? but kings now adayes have not so absolute a power , as the kings mentioned in the scripture . who limited it ? god or man ? man could not limit the power he never gave : if god , shew me where ; till then , this objection is frivolous . but , when kings and their assistance make an offensive , and a destructive warre against their parliament , may they not then take up defensive armes ? it is no offensive warre for a king to endeavour the recoverie of his surrepted right ; however , are not the members of a parliament subjects to their soveraigne ? if not , who are they ? if subjects , ought they not to be subject ? gods people , the jewes , that were to be destroyed by the kings command , neither did not durst make a defensive warre against his abused power , untill they first obtained the kings consent . but admit it lawfull , ( though neither granted nor warranted ) that subjects may upon such tearmes make a defensive warre ; does it not quite crosse the nature of a defensive warre , to assayle , pursue , and dis-possesse ? when you shot five peeces of ordnance , before one was returned at edge-hill , was that defensive ? when you besieged redding , which you after slighted , was that defensive ? when you affronted basing-house , was that defensive ? the warrantable weapons against an angry king , are exhortation , disswasion , wise reprenfe ( by such as are nearest to him ) petition , prayer , and flight . all other weapons will at last wound them that use them . the second example was left us out of the new testament , by him that is the true president of all holy obedience , our blessed saviour ; whose humilitie and sufferance was set before us as a copie for all generations to practise by . the temporall kingdome of the jewes , successively usurpt by those two heathen princes , augustus & tiberius , two contemporaries , was his natural birth-right , descended from his type , and auncestor king david . had not he as great an interest in that crown , as we have in this common-wealth ? was not he as tender-eyed towards his own naturall people , as we to one another ? was not the truth as deare to him , ( who was the verie truth ) and the way to it as direct to him ( that was the only way ) as to us ? was not he the great reformer ? had the sword been a necessary stickler in reformation , how happened it that he mistook his weapon so ? in stead of a trumpet , he lifted up his voice . were plots , policies , propositions , prophanations , plunderings , militatie proparations , his way to reformation ? were they not his owne words , he that taketh up the sword , shall perish by the sword ? nor was it want of strength , that he reformed not in a martiall way : could not he command more then twelve legions of angels ? or had he pleased to use the arme of flesh ; could not he that raysed the dead , rayse a considerable army ? sure , s. john the baptist would have ventured his head upon a fairer quarrell , and s. peter drawn his sword to a bloodier end ; no question , but s. paul , the twelve apostles and disciples would have proved as tough colonels as your associated essex priests did captaines ; and doubtlesse s. peter , who converted in one day , would have raysed a strong army in six . our blessed saviour well knew , that caesar came not thither without divine permission ; in respect whereof , he became obedient to the very shadow of a king ; and whom he actively resisted not , he passively obeyed . i , but there was a necessity of his obedience , & subjection , to make him capable of a shamefull death . no , his obedience , as well as death , was voluntarie ; which makes you guiltie of a shamefull argument . but , he was a single person ; we a representative body : what is unexpedient in the one , is lawfull in the other . worse and worse ! if our blessed saviour be not representative , tell me where of art thou a member ? woe be to that body politick , which endeavours not to be conformed according to the head mysticall . he preacht peace ; your martiall ministers ( by what authoritie they best know ) proclaime warre : he , obedience ; they , sedition : he , truth ; they , lyes : he , order ; they , confusion : he , blessednesse to the peace-makers ; they , courage to the persecutors : he , blessednesse to the persecuted ; they brand them with malignitie that call them blessed . god was not heard in the whirlewind , but in the still voice . but , his thoughts are not as our thoughts , neither are our wayes like his wayes . but , whence proceeds all this ? even from a viperous generation ( which hath long nested in this unhappie island ) and those encreased multitudes of simple soules , seduced by their sceming sanctitie , who taking advantage of our late too great abuse of ceremonies , are turn'd desperate enemies to all order and discipline , being out of charity with the very lords prayer , because it comes within the popish liturgie . how many of these have lately chalenged the name of sanctified vessels , for containing the poyson of unnaturall sedition ? how many of these have usurpt the stile of well-affected , for dis-affecting peace ? how many of these have counterfeited the honour of good patriots , for largely contributing towards the ruines of their country ? how many does this army consist of ? how for their sakes is blasphemy connived at ! sacriledge permitted ! how , for their encouragement , are lyes and brasse-brow'd impudencies invented , nay publisht ( nay published in their very pulpits ) and tolerated ( if not commanded ) even by them , who ( pe●chance , were this quarrell ended ) would throw the first stone at them ! how many of our learned , religious , and orthodox divines ( who by their able tongues , and pens , have defended and maintained the true ancient and catholique faith and vindicated the reformed religion from the aspersions of her potent adversaries ) are now plundred in their goods , sequestred in their livings , imprison'd in their persons , ( if not forced in their consciences ) whilest their wives and poore children begging their bread , are left to the mercy of these , 〈◊〉 mercifull times ; even for the encouragement of them , whose pedantick learning durst never shew her ridiculous face before an easie school-man , whose livelyhoods they unworthily usurp , not dispensing the bread of life but the darnell of giddy-headed fancie and sedition , abhorring the way to peace , and maligning those that ensue it . i , but we desire peace , so we may have truth too . what meane ye by having truth ? the preservation of the old truth , or the institution of a new ? if ye feare the alteration of the old , ( having your soveraigns oath , which you dare not beleeve ) what other assurance can you have ? the blood you shed , is certaine ; the change you feare , is uncertaine : it is no wisedome to apply a desperate remedy to a suspected disease . if the enjoyment of peace depends upon a full assurance of truth , our discords may beare an everlasting date : god hath threatned to remove his candlestick and our wickednesse justly feares it ; and so long as we feare it , shall we abjure peace , the blessed meanes to prevent it ? he that seekes to settle truth by the sword , distracts it . or , is it a truth ye want ? if so , is it of doctrine , or of discipline ? if of doctrine , actum est de nostra religione , farewell our religion . or , is it of discipline ? discipline is but a ceremony . and did the lord of the sabbath dispence with a morall law , for the preservation of an oxes life , or an asses ? and shall we , to alter some few indifferent ceremonies ( allowed by the parliaments of three pious and wise princes , and the practise of many holy martyrs , who sealed the true protestant religion with their blood ) cry down peace , and shed the blood of many thousand christians ? our seduced protestants will have no set forms of prayer but what proceed immediatly from their owne fancies . this is their truth . our semi-separatists wil heare our sermons ( if they like the teacher ) but no divine service . this is their truth . our separatists will not communicate in our churches , nor joyne in our congregations . that is their truth . our anabaptists will not baptize till yeares of discretion , and re-baptize . that is their truth . our antinomians will have no repentance . this is their truth . our independents will have an universall paritie ; this their truth . good god , when shall we have peace , if not till all these truths meet ! but , christ sayes , i come not to bring peace , but the sword : therefore , for the propagation of peace , it is lawfull to use the sword . so , he is tearmed a stumbling block , and does that warrant us to stumble ? so , he sayes , all you shall be offended because of me ; and does this patronize our offences ? the law is good and just : because then we had not knowne sinne but by the law , is it therefore lawfull for us to sinne ? god forbid . our saviour brings the sword among us , as wholesome meat brings sicknesse to a weakely sick stomack , or physick to a body abounding with humours ; not intentionally , but occasionally . thus , by your erroneous and weake mistakes , you make the prince of peace the patron of your unnaturall warre ; and the god of truth , the president of your unexamined errors . but , almightie god , the champion of his owne truth , and maintainer of his own cause , hath ( to mere then common admiration ) appeared in this great enterprize . he that delivered israels handfull from the hand of pharoahs host , hath shewed himselfe in the ( almost incredible ) proceedings of this heaven-displeasing warre ; the brief relation whereof may move those hearts , that are not seated , or stone , to melt into a thankfull acknowledgement of his power , and remaine as monuments of his mercy , that children ( yet unborne ) may say hereafter , god was here : viz. the two houses of parliament made first a generall seizure of all the armes , ammunition , castles , forts , magazines , and ships , ( being the whole visible strength of this unhappie kingdome ) to whom ( having now setled the militia , both by sea and land , in their own hands ) tides of proposition-gold came in upon the publique faith ; money ( like blood from the liver , conveighed through all the veines ) issued to make a large supply , and where it stopt a while , mountains of massie plate , from the vast goblet to the slender thimble , this faith removed into their safe possession : and when the great milch-cow began to slake , they prest her nipples , and by hard streyning renew'd the stream . as physicians evacuate the body , sometimes by vomit , sometimes by purge , sometimes by phlebotomie , sometimes by sweating , sometimes fluxing , sometimes diuretically , yet purge but the same peccant humour ; so did they , first by proposition , then by way of contribution , now by way of loan , then by way of subsidie ( no lesse then at one time ) here by way of assessement , there by way of twentieth part , then by way of excise , one while by way of sequestration , then by way of plunder , but still the issue , mony : and to work the better upon the affections of the multitude , all this for the behoof of king and parliament , for the pretended defence of ( god knowes what ) religion ; insomuch , that men came in like swarmes to the next tree , or rather like treacherous decoys , with their innocent multitude , into the net , and horses without number . thus were they supplyed with all necessaries which the arme of flesh could provide for the waging of an unconquerable war , whereon the money alreadie expended , makes no lesse figures then . millions ster. besides the revenues of the king queen , prince , duke of yorke , and the whole estates of all such as take up armes against them , besides free quarter , and souldiers yet unpayd . his majestie on the other side , driven away with a few attendants , not having among them so many swords and pistols as these had cannons , wanting both money , horses and ammution , onely what he received from the pietie of some beleeving subjects , ( whose eares were pamphlet-proofe against all defamations , and scandals cast upon sacred maiestie ) finding slender provision in his own dominions ; and that stopt or seized , which came from forreigne parts . no shipping , but what he purchast with the precious and extreame hazard of his few ( but valiant ) subjects : no armes , but what he gained by the couragious venture of his owne neglected life , the subject of our cortinuall prayers . yet , hath god covered his head in the day of battaile , and blest him with such successe , that he is ( by the divine providence ) become a great master of the field , and almost able to maintaine fight with his owne ships at sea . the god of heaven blesse him , and prosper him , and make his dayes as the dayes of heaven , that being here the faiths defender , he may still be defended by the object of that faith . nor is the providentiall hand of god more visible in prospering him then in punishing his enemies , whose ruines may remaine as sea-markes to us , and pyramids of gods power , whereof a touch . sir john hotham , then governour of hull , who first defyed and dared his soveraigne to his face , what is become of him ? how stands he a marke betwixt two dangers , having nothing left him but guile enough to make him capable of a desperate fortune ? master hampden , that first waged law & then war against his own naturall prince hath not he ( since these unhappy troubles began ) bin first punished with the losse of children , nay visited to the third generation , to the weakning ( if not ●●ining ) of his family , & then with the losse of his own life , in the same place where he first tooke up armes against his gracious soveraigne ? was it not remarkable that the lord brook who so often excepted against that clause in the lyturgie , ( from sudden death good lord deliver us ) was slaine so suddenly ? who was so severe an enemy against peace should perish in the same warre , ●e so encouraged ? who , so bitterly inveighed against episcopall government , should be so shot dead out of a cathedrall church ? who labouring to put out the left eye of establisht government , his left eye , and life were both put out together ? how is duke ham●l●on ( scarce warme in his new honour ) taken in his owne ●●re , having entangled his lord and master in so many inconveniences ? how is holland , whose livelyhood was created by his soveraigns favours , branded with a double treachery , and like a shittlecock fallen at the first returne , and scarce able to raise himselfe by a sorry declaration ? is not bristoll fines ( who at his councell of war condemned and executed innocent blood ) himselfe condemned , ( pleading innocence ) at a councell of war , from the mouth of his owne generall , though finding ( perchance ) more mercy then he either deserved , or shewed ? but that blood that cryed to him for mercy , will crie to heaven for vongeance . and are not many more ripe for the same judgement , whose notorious crimes have branded them for their respective punishments ? how many of those blood-preaching ministers have died expectorating blood , whilst others at this time labouring under the same disease , can find no art to promise a recoverie ? all whom i leave to possible repentance , and passe over . cromwell , that profest desacer of churches ( witnesse peterborough , and lincolne , &c. ) and rifler of the monuments of the dead , whose prphane troopers ( if fame has not forgot to speak a truth ) watered their horses at the font , and fed them at the holy table , that cromwell . sandes , whose sacrilegious troopers committed such barbarous insolencies , with his ( at least ) connivence , in the church of canterbury , and used such inhumane tortures on the tender brests of women , to force confession of their hidden goods , the golden subjects of their robberie . what can the first expect , and what reward the other hath found , i neither prophesie nor judge . if these and such as they , doe fight for the beformed religion , god deliver every good man both from them , and it : cursed be their wrath , for it is fierce ; and their anger , for it is cruell . these ( and of such many ) are they , that whilst they pretend a reformation , need first to be reformed . nor doe i , in tasking this army of such impious barbarismes , excuse or rather not condemn the other ; whereof no question , too great a number are as equally prophane ; whilst all together make up one body of wickednesse , to bring a ruine on this miserable kingdome ; for whose impieties his majestie hath so often suffered . i but his majesties army ( besides those looser sorts of people ) consills of numerous papists , the utter enemies of true religion . to whom the king hath sworn his protection , from those he may require assistance . but , unto all his people as well papists as protestants , he hath sworne his protection ; therefore from all his subjects , as well papists as protestants he may require assistance . neither does he call in papists as papists , to maintaine religion ( as himselfe hath often manifested ) but as subjects to subdue , or at least qualifie sedition . the ayd of the subject , is either in his person or in his purse ; both are requirable to the service of a soveraigne . put case his majestie should use the assistance of none but protestants ; tell me , would ye not be apt to cavill that he is favourable to the papists ; neither willing to endanger their persons , nor endamage their purses ; or , at least , that they are reserv'd for a last blow ? or , in case papists should largely under-write to your propositions , send in horses , armes , or other provisions , would you not accept it , and for its sake their persons too ? are you so strict in your preparations , as to catechize every souldier ? or , to examine first every officers religion ? or , having the proffer of a good popish , or debaucht commander , tell me , should he be denyed his commission ? remember sir arthur ashton , whom his majesty entertains by your example . these things indifferently considered , it will manifestly appeare , that the honest-minded vulgar aremeerly seduced , under the colour of piety , to be so impious , as by paysoning every action of their lawfull prince , to foster their implicite rebellion . but , in case , your side should prosper , and prevaile , what then ? would then our misertes be at an end ? reason tells us , no , god keeps us from the experience : think you , that government ( whether new , or reformed ) which is set up by the sword , must not be maintained by the sword ? and how can peace and plentie be consistent with perpetuall garrisons , which must be maintained with a perpetuall charge ; besides the continuall excursions , and conniv'd-at injuries committed by souldiers , judge you ? or , put the case , this necessary consequence could be avoided , think you the ambition of some new states-men accustomed to such arbitrary , and necessitated power , on the one side , and the remaining loyaltie of his majesties dis-inherited subjects watching all opportunities to right their injur'd soveraigne , and themselves , on the other side , would not raise perpetuall tempests in this kingdome ? or , if such an ( almost ) unpreventable evill should not ensue , think you , such swarmes of sectaries sweat for nothing ? are their purses so apt to bleed to no end ? will not their costs , and paines expect , at least , a congratulatory connivence in the freedome of their consciences ? or , will their swords , now in the strong possession of so great a multitude , know the way into their quiet scabbards , without the expected liberty of their religions ? and , can that liberty produce any thing but an establisht disorder ? and is not disorder the mother of anarchie ? and that , of ruine ? open then your eyes , closed with crasse , and wilfull blindnes and consider , and prevent that , which your continued disobedience will unavoidably repent too late . but , the truth is , they are all papists , by your brand , that comply not in this action with you : admit it were so ; are not papists as tolerable for his majesty , as anabaptists , brownists , separatists , atheists , antinomians , turks , and indeed all religions and factions , nay papists too , for his subjects ? these of his majesties side come freely , out of their allegeance , as subjects : yours , are preach'd in , comming out of obstinacie , as rebells : they , at their owne charges proportionable to their abilities ; these like iudas , selling their soveraignes blood for ill payd wages : yet , both sides pretend a quarrell for the true protestant religion . good god! what a monstrous religion is this , that seeks protection from the implacable opposition of her two champions ! his majesty protests to maintaine it : the two houses protest to maintaine it : o , for an oedipus to reade this riddle ! his majesty addes one clause more , wherein if the other party would agree , the worke would be at an end , which is : according to the establisht constitutions , by oath taken by him at his coronation ; and there the two houses leave him contending for a yet undetermined alteration . and , for my part , i dare not conceive such evill of the lords anointed , and my gracious soveraigne , as to feare him perjur'd . hatn not his majesty , in the presence of that god , by whom he reignes , imprecated the curse of heaven on him and his royall posterity , ( sub sigillo sacrament . too ) if he , to his utmost , maintaine not the true protestant religion exercised in that blessed queenes dayes , and propagated by the blood of so many glorious martyrs ( at which time god blest this island in so high a measure ) if he preserve not the just priviledges of parliament , and the liberty of the subject ? nay , more , did not his majesty so promise the severe execution of the statute against all recusants , that if he failed , he desired not the ayde of his good subjects ? what interiour person would not think his reputation wronged , not to take up considence upon such terrible termes ? what notorious evill hath his majesty perpetrated to quench the sparkles of a common charity ? consider , o , consider ; he acts his part before the king of kings , whose eye is more especially upon him ; he acts his part before his fellow princes , to whom he hath declared this his imprecation ; he acts his part before his subjects , whose stricter hand weighs his pious words with too unequall balances . were he the acknowledger of no god , yet the princes of the earth , ( if guilty of such a perjurie ) would abhorre him . or , were all the princes of the earth , blind , deafe , or partiall , would not he think his crown a burthen to be worne upon his perjured brow before his own abused people ? or , ( having renounced his subjects ayde , upon his fayle ) could he expect that loyalty , which now he wants upon a meere suspition ? but : he is a prince , whom god hath crowned with graces above his fellowes ; a prince , whom , for his piety , few ages could parallel . what vices of the times have branded his repute ? his youth , high diet , strength of body , and soveraigne power might have enclin'd , and warpt him to luxurious vanitie , as well as other monarchs , whose effeminacles have enerv'd the strength of their declining kingdoms ; how many would have held it a preferment to be attorny to his royall lust , or secretary to his li●some sinne ? yet , he remaines a president of unblemisht chastity . he might have pleasd and pamperd up his wanton palate with the choice of curious wives , to lighten cares which wait upon the regall diademe ; yet , he continues the patterne of a chaste sobriety : he might have magnifyed his mercie , and sold his justice , to reward a service , in pardoning offences ( committed by those of neare relation ) yet he abides the example of inexorable justice . these and many other eminent graces , and illustrious vertues can claime no birth from flesh and blood ; especially , in those , whose pupillages are strangers to correction ; nor is it safe divinity , to acknowledge such high gifts , from any hand , but heaven . which , being so , my conscience , and religion tells me , that almighty god , ( who is all perfection ) will not leave a work so forward . so imperfect ; but , will , from day to day , still adde and adde to his transcendent vertues , till he appeare the glory of the world ; and , after many yeares be crowned in the world of glorie . martial . llb. . ep. . rerum prima salus , & una caesar . post-script to the reader . now thou hast heard the harmony of scriptures , without corruption ; and the language of reason , without sophistry . thou hast not only heard divine precepts , but those precepts backt with holy examples : neither those out of the old testament alone , but likewise out of the new . being now no matter lest for thy exceptions , prevaricate no longer with thy own soule : and , in the feare of god , i now adjure thee once againe , as thou wilt answer before the tribunall at the dreadfull and terrible day ; that thou faithfully examine , and ponder the plaine texts which thou hast read , and yeelding due obedience to them , stop thine eares against all sinister expositions ; and remember , that historicall scripture will admit no allegoricall interpretations . if any thing , in this treatise , shall deserve thy answer , doe it punctually , briefly , plainly , and with meeknes ; if , by direct scripture , thou canst ( without wresting ) refute my error , thou shalt reforme , and save thy brother ; if not , recant thine , and hold it no dishonor to take that shame to thy self , which brings glory to thy god . pet. . . be alwayes ready to give an answer to every one that asketh you a reason , with meeknes and feare . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- pre. . pre. . ob. ans. sam , . . example . dan. . . dan. . . dan. . . ob. ans. ob. ans. eccl. . ob. ans. psal. . . prov. ● , . ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans ob. ars. hester . example . pet. . mat. . ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. ans. ob. mar. . . ans. co. . . mat. . . rom. . . ob. ans. the whig rampant, or, exaltation being a pleasant new song of , to a new tune of, hey boys, up go we. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing q estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the whig rampant, or, exaltation being a pleasant new song of , to a new tune of, hey boys, up go we. quarles, francis, - . sheet ([ ] p.) : ill. printed for p. brooksby ..., [london] : [ ] attributed to f. quarles. cf. wing. place and date of publication from wing. reproduction of original in british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng political poetry, english. political ballads and songs -- england -- texts. broadsides -- england -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the whig rampant : or , exaltation . being a pleasant new song of . to a new tune of , hey boys up go we. now now the tories all shall stoop , religion and the laws , and whigs of common-wealth get up , to top the good old cause : tantivy - boys shall all go down , and haughty monarchy ; the leathern-cap shall brave the crown then hey boys up go we. when once that anti-ceristian crew are chrush'd and overthrown , we 'l teach the nobles how to bow , and keep the gentry down ; good manners has a bad repute , and tends to p●ide we see , we 'l therefore cry all breeding down , and hey boys up go we. the name of lords shall be abhor'd , for ev'ry man 's a brother , what reason then in church or state , one man should rule another ? thus having pill'd and plunder'd all , and level'd each degree , we 'l make their plump young daughters fall and hey boys up go we. what though the king and parliament , cannot accord together , we have good cause to be content , this is our sun-shine weather : for if good reason should take place , and they should both agree , z — who 'd be in a round-heads case , for hey then up go we. we 'l down with all the uersities where learning is profest : for they still practice and maintain the language of the beast : we 'l exercise in e'ry place , and preach beneath a tree : uue'l make a pulpit of a cask , for hey then up go we . the uuhigs shall rule committee-chair , who will such laws invent , as shall exclude the lawful heir by act of parliament : uue'l cut his royal highness down , e'n shorter by the knee : that he shall never reach the throne , then hey boys up go we. uue'l smite the idol in guild-hal , and then ( as we were wont ) uue'l cry it was a popish-plot , and swear those rogues have don 't : his royal highness to un-throne , our interest will be : for if he e're enjoy his own , then hey boys up go we . rebellion was a thrveing trade on this our english coast : uuhen pauls-church was a stable m 〈…〉 then troopers rul'd the roast : then loyalty was call'd a crime , in anno forty-three : a godly reformation time , for hey then up went we . uuhen three great nations sweat in b 〈…〉 and many thousand slain : the bosome of the earth bestrew'd , then godliness was gain : but now the days are alter'd since , as college plain did see : if we rebel against our prince , to tybh go we . urn y we 'l break the windows which the w 〈…〉 of babylon has painted , and when their b — s are pull'd down . our deacons shall be sainted : thus having quite enslav'd the town , pretending to set free , at last the gallows claims its own . then hey boys up go we. finis . printed for p. brooksby at the golden ball in west smithfield . hadassa: or the history of queene ester with meditations thereupon, diuine and morall. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) hadassa: or the history of queene ester with meditations thereupon, diuine and morall. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. imprinted [by felix kingston] for richard moore, and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstans church-yard, in fleetstreet, at london : . in verse. printer's name from stc. signatures: a-m⁴ n² . reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng esther, -- queen of persia -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion hadassa : or the history of qveene ester : with meditations thereupon , diuine and morall . horat. ode . conamur tenues , grandia ; nec pudor , imbellisque lyrae musa potens vetat . by fra. qvarles . at london , imprinted for richard moore , and are to be sold at his shop in saint dunstans church-yard , in fleetstreet . . to the most high and mighty prince , renowned for learning , piety , and all graciovs governement : iames , by the grace of god , king of great brittaine , france and ireland , defender of the faith . francis qvarles , his most hvmble servant , and faithfull homager , dedicates , presents , and consecrates these his labours , to receiue honour from his gracious countenance , and to be glorified by his approbation . a preface to the reader . a sober vaine best suits theologie : if therefore thou expectst such elegancy as takes the times , affect some subiect as will beare it . had i laboured with ouer-abundance of * fictions , or flourishes , perhaps they had exposed me , censurable , and disprized this sacred subiect : therefore i rest more sparing in that kind . two things i would treat of : first , the matter , secondly , the manner of this history . as for the matter , ( so farre as i haue dealt ) it is canonicall , and indighted by the holy spirit of god , not lyable to errour , and needs no blanching . in it theologie sits as queene , attended by her handmaid philosophy ; both concurring , to make the vnderstanding reader , a good diuine , and a wise moralist . as for the diuinity , it discouers the almighty in his two great attributes ; in his mercy , deliuering his church ; in his iustice , confounding her enemies . as for the morality , it offers to vs the wholy practicke part of philosophy , dealt out into ethicks , politicks , and oeconomicks . the ethicall part ( the obiect whereof is the manners of a priuate man ) ranges through the whole booke , and empties it selfe into the catalogue of morall vertues , either those that gouerne the body ; as fortitude , chap. . . and temperance , chap. . . or those which direct the soule , either in outward things , as liberality , chap. . . magnificence , chap. . . magnanimity , chap. . . and modesty , chap. . . or in conuersation , as iustice , chap. . . mansuetude , chap. . , &c. the politicall part ( the obiect whereof is publike society ) instructs , first , in the behauiour of a prince , to his subiect ; in punishing his vice , chap. . . in rewarding of vertues , chap. . , . secondly , in the behauiour of the subiect to his prince ; in obseruing his lawes , and discouering his enemies , chap. . . thirdly , the behauiour of a subiect , to a subiect ; in mutuality of loue , chap. . . in propagation of peace , chap. . . the oeconomicall part ( the obiect whereof is priuate society ) teacheth , first , the carriage of the wife , to her husband ; in obeying , chap. . . of the husband , to his wife , in ruling , chap. . . secondly , of a father , to his child , in aduising , chap. . , . of a child , to his father , in obseruing . chap. . . thirdly , of a master , to his seruant , in commanding . chap. . . of a seruant , to his master , in effecting his command , chap. . . furthermore , in this history , the two principall faculties of the soule are ( nor in vaine ) imployed . first , the intellect , whose proper obiect is truth . secondly , the will , whose proper obiect is * good , whether philosophicall , which that great master of philosophy cals * wisdome ; or theologicall , which we poynt at now , hoping to enioy hereafter . who the pen-man of this sacred history was , or why the name of god ( as in few other parts of the bible ) is vnmentioned in this , it is immateriall , and doubtfull . for the first , it is enough for an vncurious questioner to know , it was indited by the spirit of god : for the second , let it suffice , that , that spirit will'd not here to reueale his name . as for the manner of this history ( consisting in the periphrase , the adiournment of the story , and interposition of meditations ) i hope it hath not iniured the matter : for in this , i was not the least carefull , to vse the light of the best expositors ( authoritatis quorum sum germanus ) not daring to goe vn-led , for feare of stumbling . some say , diuinity in verse , is incongruous and vnpleasing : such i referre to the psalmes of dauid , or the song of his sonne salomon , to be corrected . but in these lewd times , the salt , and soule of a verse , is obscene scurrility , without which it seemes dull , and liuelesse : and though the sacred history needs not ( as humane doe ) poetry , to perpetuate the remembrance , ( being by gods owne mouth blest with eternity ) yet verse ( working so neere vpon the soule , and spirit ) will oft times draw those to haue a history in familiarity , who ( perchance ) before , scarce knew there was such a booke . reader , be more than my hasty pen stiles thee : reade me with aduice , and thereafter iudge me , and in that iudgement censure me . if i iangle , thinke my intent thereby , is to toll better ringers in . farewell . the introdvction . when zedechia ( he whose haplesse hand once swaid the scepter of great iudah's land ) went vp the palace of proud babylon , ( the prince seraiah him attending on , ) a dreadfull prophet , ( from whose blasting breath came sudden death , and nothing else but death ) into seraiah's peacefull hand betooke the sad contents of a more dismall booke : breake epe the leaues , those leaues so full of dread , reade ( sonne of thunder ) said the prophet , reade , say thus , say freely thus , the lord hath spoke it , 't is done , the world 's vnable to reuoke it ; woe , woe , and heauy woes ten thousand more betide great babylon , that painted whore ; thy buildings , and thy fensiue towers shall flame on a sudden , and to cinders fall ; none shall be left , to waile thy griefe with howles : thy streets shall peopl'd be with bats , and * owles : none shall remaine , to call thy places voyd , none to possesse , nor ought to be enioy'd ; nought shall be left for thee to terme thine owne , but helplesse ruines of a haplesse towne : said then the prophet , when performance hath empty'd thy cheekes of this thy borrow'd breath , euen so the persian host it selfe bestur'd , so fell great babel by the persian sword , which warme with slaughter , and with blood imbru'd , ne'r sheath'd , till wounded babel fell , subdu'd . but see ! these braue ioynt-tenants that suruiu'd to see a little world of men vnliu'd , must now be parted : great darius dyes , and cyrus shares alone , the new-got prize ; * he fights for heauen , heauens foemen he subdues : * he builds the temple , he restores the iewes , by him was zedechias force disioynted , vnknown to god he was , yet gods anoynted ; but marke the malice of a wayward fate ; he whom successe crown'd alwaies fortunate , he that was strong t' atchieue , bold to attempt , wise to foresee , and wary to preuent , valiant in warre , successefull to obtaine , mustnow be slaine , and by a * woman slaine . accursed be thy sacrelegious hand , that of her patrone rob'd the holy land ; curs'd be thy dying life , thy liuing death , 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 , among whom ester ( the orphane of a iew ) is chosen , married , and crowned queene . mordecai , queene esters vnkle , discouers a treason , which was entred into the records : haman , the son of amedatha , is promoted into the kings fauour : the king commands his subiects to bow to him , which mordecai alone refused to doe : whereupon haman is full of wrath , and ( directed by a lot ) begs of the king to destroy all the iewes in his prouinces vpon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth ; which the king granting , haman sends letters in the kings name to make the massacre vpon that day : the queene vnderstanding the plot , ventures in to the king , ( vncalled : ) the king demanding the cause of her comming ; she inuites him , and haman to a feast : they come : the king is pleased to demand her further suit ; whereupon she inuites them both to a second feast . in the meane while haman , aduised by his wife , builds vp a gallowes for mordecai , ( intending at the banquet to beg his life . ) that night , the king ( indisposed to sleepe ) reades the chronicles , where hee findes , that mordecai discouered a treason ; which seruice the king intending to reward , askes haman ( who then came to beg mordecai's life ) what worship best befits him that the king meanes to honour ? haman ( supposing himselfe the man ) spake largely : whereupon the king commands him to doe that very honour to mordecai : so haman goes home discomforted , and is straight sent for to attend the king to the queenes feast ; where ( in his presence ) the king vrges the queene to mooue her suit ; whereupon shee humbly begs hers , and her peoples life , which haman sought to betray : wherat the king is inraged , & cōmands haman to be hanged on the gallowes which he built for mordecai , and giues his estate to the queene , and his honour to mordecai : the queene earnestly requests the king , that he would reuerse the letters which haman had deuised for the iewes destruction : the king referres it to the queene , and mordecai , who sent letters in the kings name , that the iewes should defend themselues on the day that haman had appoynted for their slaughter ; vpon which day the iewes slay in susa fiue hundred men , and the ten sonnes of haman , and in the other prouinces . whereupon the queene desires the king , that the next day the iewes might likewise defend themselues from their enemies : and that the dead sons of haman may be hanged vp ; all which the king grants : so as the iewes slew the next day in susa , . men , and hamans ten sons were hanged vp ; whereupon the feasts of purim are instituted , and in the kings name confirmed for euer . partly to blow the coles of old affection , which now are dying through a forc'd subiection ; partly to make his princely might appeare , to make them feare for loue , or loue for feare , he made a feast : he made a royall feast , fit for himselfe , had he himselfe bin ghest ; to which he calls the princes of his land , who ( paying tribute ) by his power stand ; to which he calls his seruants of estate , his captaines , and his rulers of the state , that he may shew the glory of his store , the like vnseene by any prince before ; that he may boast his kingdomes beauty forth , his seruant princes , and their princely worth ; that he may shew the type of sou'raignty , fulfil'd in th' honour of his maiesty : he made a feast , whose time did full extend one hundred fourescore dayes before an end : and when this royall-tedious feast was ended , ( for good more common 't is , 't is more commended ) for meaner sort he made a second feast ; his ghests were from the greatest to the least in susa's place ; seuen dayes they did resort to feast i' th palace garden of the court ; where in the midst , the house of bacchus stands , to entertaine when bounty claps her hands ; the tap'stry hangings were of diuers hiew , pure white , and youthfull greene , and ioyfull blue , the maine supporting pillers of the place were perfect marble of the purest race ; the beds were rich , right princely to behold , of beaten siluer , and of burnish't gold. the pauement was discolour'd porphyry , and during marble , colour'd diuersly ; in lauish cups of oft-refined gold , came wine vnwisht , drinke what the people would ; the golden vessels did in number passe , great choyce of cups , great choyce of wine there was . and since abuse attends vpon excesse , leading sweet mirth to lothsome drunkennesse , a temp'rate law was made , that no man might inforce an vndisposed appetite : so that a sober mind may vse his pleasure , and measure drinking , though not drinke by measure . meditatio prima . no man is borne vnto himselfe alone ; who liues vnto himselfe , he liues to none : the world 's a body , each man a member is , to adde some measure to the publike blisse ; where much is giuen , there much shal be requir'd , where little , lesse , for riches are but hyr'd ; wisdome is sold for sweat , pleasures for paine ; who liues vnto himselfe , he liues in vaine ; to be a monarch is a glorious thing ; who liues not full of care , he liues no king ; the boundlesse tryumph of a king is such , to sweeten care , because his care is much : the sun ( whose radient beames reflect so bright ) comforts , and warmes , as well as it giues light , by whose example phoebe ( though more dim ) does counterfeit his beams , and shines from him : so mighty kings are not ordain'd alone to pearch in glory on the princely throne , but to direct in peace , command in warre those subiects , for whose sakes they onely are ; so loyall subiects must adapt them to such vertuous actions as their princes doe : so shall his people , euen as well as he , princes ( though in a lesser volume ) be . ¶ when as i fixe my sharpe-contracted eye vpon assuerus feast , me thinkes , i spye the temple daunce , in my attentiue eare ( rauisht with th'heauenly musike that i heare ) i well conceiue this sence-bereauing song , like dainty warbling of an angels tong , vashti shall fall , and ester rise , sion shall thriue , when haman dyes . blest are the meetings , and the banquets blest ▪ where angels caroll musike to the feast ; ¶ how doe our wretched times degenerate from former ages ! how intemperate hath lauish custome made our bed-rid age , acting obsceane sceanes on her drunken stage ! our times are guided by a lewder lot , as if that world another world begot : their friendly feasts were fill'd with sweet sobriety ; ours , with obsceane delights , and foule ebriety . theirs , the vnualued prize of loue intended ; ours seeke the cause , whereby our loue is ended . how in so blind an age could those men see ! and in a seeing age , how blinde are wee ! ¶ let poore men then diuide their wants to me , if not to them my wealth diuided be . the argvment . the king sends for the queene , the queene denies to come ; his hasty spleene inflames , vnto the persian lawes he leaues the censure of his cause . sect. . to adde more honour to this royall feast , that glory may with glory be increast , vashti the queene , ( the fairest queen on earth ) 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. . 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. . 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 . the strongest arcteries that knit and tye the members of a mixed monarchy , are learned councels , timely consultations , rip'ned aduice , and sage deliberations ; and if those kingdomes be but ill be-blest , whose rule 's committed to a young mans brest ; then such estates are more vnhappy farre , whose choycest councellors but * children are : how many kingdomes blest with high renowne , ( in all things happy else ) haue plac'd their crowne vpon the temples of a childish head , vntill with ruine , king , or state be sped ! what massacres ( begun by factious iarres , and ended by the spoyle of ciuill warres ) haue made braue monarchyes vnfortunate , and raz'd the glory ' of many ' a mighty state ? how many hopefull princes ( ill-aduis'd by young , and smooth-fac'd councell ) haue despis'd the sacred oracles of riper yeeres , till deare repentance washt the land with teares ! witnes thou lucklesse , and succeeding * son of ( wisdomes fauourite ) great salomon ; how did thy rash , and beardlesse councell bring , thy fortunes subiect to a stranger king ? and laying burthens on thy peoples neck , the weight hung sadly on thy bended back . thou second * richard ( once our brittaine king , whose syr's , and grandsyr's fame the world did ring ) how was thy gentle nature led aside , by greene aduisements , which thy state did guide , vntill the title of thy crowne did crack , and fortunes ( like thy fathers name ) were black ? ¶ now glorious brittaine , clap thy hands , and blesse thy sacred fortunes ; for thy happinesse ( as doth thy iland ) does it selfe deuide , and sequester from all the world beside ; blest are thy open gates with ioyfull peace , blest are thy heaped barnes with sweet increase , blest in thy councell , whose industrious skill , is but to make thy fortunes happy still ; in all things blest , that to a state pertaine ; thrise happy in my dreaded soueraigne , my sacred sou'raigne , in whose onely brest , a wise assembl ' of priuy councels rest , who conquers with his princely heart as far ▪ by peace , as alexander did by war , and with his olife branch more hearts did boord , then daring cesar did , with cesars sword : long mayst thou hold within thy royall hand , the peacefull scepter of our happy land : ¶ great iudah's lyon , and the flow'r of iesse , preserue thy lynes , and thy flowers blesse . the argvment . faire virgins brought to hege's hand , the custome of the persian land ; esters neglect of rich attire , to whet the wanton kings desire . sect. . and when the lustfull kings decree was read in eu'ry eare , and shire proclaim'd , and spred , forthwith vnto the eunuch hege's hand the beuy came , the pride of beauties band , armed with ioy , and warring with their eyes , to gaine the conquest of a princely prize ; but none in peerlesse beauty shin'd so bright , as louely ester did , in hege's sight , in loyall seruice he obserued her ; he sent for costly oyles , and dainty myrrh , to fit her for the presence of the king : rich tyres , and change of vesture did he bring ; seuen comely maids he gaue , to tend vpon her , to shew his seruice , and increase her honour : but she was watchfull of her lips , and wise , disclosing not her kindred , or alyes : for trusty mardocheus tender care gaue hopefull ester items to beware to blaze her kin , or make her people knowne , lest for their sake , her hopes be ouerthrowne ; before the gates he to and fro did passe , wherein inclos'd ( the courtly ) ester was , to vnderstand how ester did behaue her , and how she kept her in the eunuchs fauour . now when as time had fitted eu'ry thing , by course these virgins came before the king. such was the custome of the persian soyle , sixe months the maids embalm'd in myrrh and oyle , sixe other months perfum'd in odours sweet , that perfect lust , and great excesse may meet ; what costly robes , rare iewels , rich attire , or , curious fare , these virgins did desire , 't was giuen , and freely granted , when they bring their bodies to be prostrate to the king : each virgin keepes her turne , and all the night they lewdly lauish in the kings delight , and soone as morning shall restore the day , they in their bosomes beare blacke night away , and ( in their guilty brests , as are their sinnes close prisoners ) in the house of concubines , euen so are they , vntill the king shall please , with lustfull bayle their bondage to release . now when the turne of ester was at hand , to satisfie the wanton kings command , shee sought not ( as the rest ) with braue attire , to lend a needlesse spurre to foule desire , nor yet indeuours with a whorish grace , t'adulterate the beauty of her face : nothing she sought to make her glory brauer , but simply tooke , what gentle hege gaue her : her sober visage daily wan her honour : each wandring eye inflam'd , that look'd vpon her . meditatio quinta . when god had with his all-producing blast , blowne vp the bubble of the world , and plac't in order that , which he had made in measure , as well for needfull vse , as ioyfull pleasure : then out of earthy mould he fram'd a * creature farre more diuine , and of more glorious feature than earst he made , indu'd with vnderstanding , with strength victorious , & with awe commanding , with reason , wit , replete with maiesty , with heauenly knowledge , and capacity , true embleme of his maker : him he made the sou'raigne lord of all ; him all obay'd ; yeelding their liues ( as tribute ) to their king ; both fish , and bird , and beast , and euery thing : his body 's rear'd vpright , and in his eye , stand radient beames of awfull sou'rainty ; all creatures else pore downward to the ground , man lookes to heauen , and all his thoughts rebound : vpon the earth ( where tydes of pleasures meet ) he treads , and daily tramples with his feet ; which reade sweet lectures to his wandring eyes , and teach his lustfull heart to moralize : * naked he liu'd , nak'd to the world he came ; for he had then nor fault to hide , nor shame : he lik't them all , but when with strict reuye , he viewed esters face , his wounded eye sparkl'd , whilst cupid with his youthfull dart , transfixt the center of his feeble heart ; ester is now his ioy , and in her eyes , the sweetest flower of his garland lyes : who now but ester ? ester crownes his blisse ; and hee 's become her prisoner , that was his : ester obtaines the prize , her high desert like di'mond's richly mounted in his heart ; iö , now iö hymen sings ; for she that crownes his ioy , must likewise crowned be : the crowne is set on princely esters head , ester sits queene in scornfull vashties stead . to consecrate this day to more delights , in due solemnizing the nuptiall rites , in esters name , assuerus made a feast , inuited all his princes , and releast the hard taxation , that his heauy hand laid on the groning subiects of his land ; no rites were wanting to augment his ioyes , great gifts confirm'd the bounty of his choyce : yet had not esters ( lauish ) tongue descri'd her iewish kin , or where she was aly'd ; for still the words of mordecai did rest within the cabbin of her royall brest , that was as plyent ( being now a queene ) 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. . 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 haman fill'd with ioy ( his fortunes blest with faire succeeding of his foule request ) laid care aside to sleepe , and with the king , consum'd the time in iolly banqueting : meane while , the iewes , ( the poore afflicted iewes perplext , and startl'd with the newbred newes ) with drooping heads , and selfe-imbracing armes , wept forth the dirge of their ensuing harmes . meditatio octaua . of all diseases in a publike weale , no one more dangerous , and hard to heale , ( except a tyrant king ) then when great might is trusted to the hands , that take delight to bathe , and paddle in the blood of those , whom iealousies , and not iust cause oppose : for when as haughty power is conioynd vnto the will of a distemper'd mind , what e'r it can , it will , and what it will , it in it selfe , hath power to fulfill : what mischiefe then can linger , vnattempted ? what base attempts can happen , vnpreuented ? statutes must breake , good lawes must go to wracke , and ( like a bowe that 's ouerbent ) must cracke : iustice ( the life of law ) becomes so furious , that ( ouer-doing right ) it prooues iniurious : mercy ( the steare of iustice ) flyes the citty , and falsly must be tearm'd , a foolish pitty : meane while the gracious princes tender brest ( gently possest with nothing but the best of the disguis'd dissembler ) is abus'd ▪ and made the cloke , wherewith his fault 's excus'd : the radient beames that warme , and shine so bright , comfort this lower world with heate , and light , but drawne , and recollected in a glasse , they burne , and their appoynted limits passe : euen so the power from the princes hand , directs the subiect with a sweet command , but to peruerse fantasticks if confer'd , whom wealth , or blinded fortune hath prefer'd , it spurres on wrong , and makes the right retire , and sets the grumbling common-wealth on fire : their foule intent , the common good pretends , and with that good , they maske their priuate ends , their glorie 's dimme , and cannot b'vnderstood , vnlesse it shine in pride , or swimme in blood : their will 's a law , their mischiefe policy , their frownes are death , their power tyranny : ill thriues the state , that harbours such a man , that can , what e'r he wills , wills , what he can . may my vngarnisht quill presume so much , to glorifie it selfe , and giue a touch vpon the iland of my sou'raigne lord ? what language shall i vse , what new-found word , t' abridge the mighty volume of his worth , and keepe me blamelesse , from th'vntimely birth ( of false reputed flattery ? ) he lends no cursed haman pow'r , to worke his ends vpon our ruine , but transferres his grace on iust desert , which in the vgly face of foule detraction , ( vntoucht ) can dare , and smile till black-mouth'd enuy blush , and tare her snaky fleece . thus , thus in happy peace he rules , to make our happinesse increase , directs with loue , commands with princely awe , and in his brest he beares a liuing law : defend vs thou , and heauens thee defend , and let proud hamans haue proud hamans end . the argvment . the iewes , and mordecai lament , and wayle the height of their distresses : but mordecai the queene possesses , with cruell hamans soule intent . sect. . now when as fame ( the daughter of the earth newly dis-burthen'd of her plumed birth ) from off her turrets did her wings display , and pearcht in the sad eares of mordecai , he rent his garments , wearing in their stead distressed sackcloth : on his fainting head he strowed dust , and from his showring eyes ran flouds of sorrow , and with bitter cryes his griefe saluted heauen ; his groanes did borrow no art , to draw the true pourtraict of sorrow , nor yet within his troubled brest alone , ( too small a stage for griefe to trample on ) did tyrant sorrow act her liuely sceane , but did inlarge ( such griefe admits no meane ) the lawlesse limits of her theater i th' hearts of all the iewish nation , where ( with no dissembled action ) she exprest the liuely passion of a pensiue brest . aboue , or here below ; and he that doth inioy the one , may neuer taste of both ; sweating , and constant labour wins the goale of rest ; afflictions clarifie the soule , and like hard masters , giue more hard directions , tut'ring the nonage of vncurb'd affections : wisedome ( the antidote of sad despaire ) makes sharpe afflictions seeme not as they are , through patient suffrance , and doth apprehend , not as they seeming are , but as they end : to beare affliction with a bended brow , or stubborne heart , is but to disallow the speedy meanes to health ; salue heales no sore , if misapply'd , but makes the griefe the more : who sends affliction , sends an end ; and he best knowes what 's best for him , what 's best for me : ' t is not for me to carue me where i like ; him pleases when he list , to stroake or strike : i 'le neither wish , nor yet auoyd tentation , but still expect it , and make preparation : if he thinke best my faith shall not be tride ; ( lord ) keepe me spotlesse from presumptuous pride : if otherwise ; with triall , giue me care , by thankfull patience , to preuent despaire ; fit me to beare what e'r thou shalt assigne ; i kisse the rod , because the rod is thine . how-e'r , let me not boast , nor yet repine , with triall , or without ( lord ) make me thine . the argvment . her aydimplor'd , the queene refuses to helpe them , and her selfe excuses : but ( vrg'd by mordecai ) consents to die , or crosse their foes intents . sect. . now when the seruant had return'd the words of wretched mordecai , like poynted swords , they neere impierc't queen esters tender hart , that well could pitty , but no helpe impart ; ballast with griefe , and with the burthen foyld , ( like ordnance ouer-charg'd ) she thus recoyld : goe , hatach , tell my wretched kinsman thus , the case concernes not him alone , but vs : we are the subiect of proud hamans hate , as well as you ; our life is poynted at as well as yours , or as the meanest iew , nor can i helpe my selfe , nor them , nor you : you know the custome of the persian state , no king may breake , no subiect violate : how may i then presume to make accesse before th' offended king ? or rudely presse ( vncall'd ) into his presence ? how can i expect my suit , and haue deseru'd to dye ? must suit his deare indeuour to his might ; each one must lift , to make the burthen light , prouing the power , that his gifts afford , to raise the best aduantage for his lord , whose substitute he is , and for whose sake we liue and breathe ; each his account must make , or more , or lesse ; and he whose power lacks the meanes to gather honey , must bring waxe : fiue talents double fiue , two render foure ; wher 's little , little 's crau'd , where much , ther 's more : kings by their royall priuiledge may doe , what vnbefits a mind to search into , but by the force of their prerogatiues , they cannot free the custome of their liues : the silly widdow , ( from whose wrinkled browes faint drops distill , through labour that she owes her needy life , ) must make her audite too , as well as kings , and mighty monarkes doe : the world 's a stage , each mortall acts thereon , as well the king that glitters on the throne , as needy beggers : heau'n spectator is , and markes who acteth well , and who amisse . ¶ what part befits me best , i cannot tell : it matters not how meane , so acted well . the argvment . vnto the king queene ester goes , he ( vnexpected ) fauour showes , demands her suit , shee doth request the king and haman to a feast . sect. . when as queene esters solemne three dayes fast had feasted heauen , with a sweet repast , her lowly bended body she vnbow'd , and ( like faire titan breaking from a cloud ) she rose , and with her royall robes she clad her liuelesse limmes , and with a face as sad as griefe could paint , ( wanting no art to borrow a needlesse helpe to counterfeit a sorrow , ) softly she did direct her feeble pace vnto the inner court , where for a space , she boldly stood before the royall throne , like one that would , but durst not make her mone : which when her gracious lord did well behold , his heart relented , ( fortune helpes the bold ) and to expresse a welcome vnexpected , forth to the queene his scepter he directed ; whom ( now imboldn'd to approch secur'd ) in gracious tearmes , he gently thus coniur'd : what is 't queene ester would ? what sad request hangs on her lips , dwells in her doubtfull brest ? say , say , ( my lifes preseruer ) what 's the thing , that lyes in the performance of a king , shall be deny'd ? faire queene , what e'r is mine vnto the moyty of my kingdom 's thine . so ester thus : if in thy princely eyes thy loyall seruant hath obtain'd the prize of vndeserued fauour , let the king and haman grace my this-dayes-banqueting , to crowne the dainties of his handmaids feast , humbly deuoted to so great a ghest . the motion pleas'd , and fairly well succeeded : ( to willing minds , no twice intreaty needed ) they came , but in queene esters troubled face , rob'd of the sweetnesse of her wonted grace , the king read discontent ; her face diuinde the greatnesse of some further suit behinde . say , say , ( thou bounteous haruest of my ioyes ) ( said then the king ) what dumpish griefe annoyes thy troubled soule ? speake , lady , what 's the thing thy heart desires ? by th' onour of a king , my kingdomes halfe , requested , i 'le diuide to faire queene ester , to my fairest bride . lo then the tenor of my deare request , ( replide the queene , ) vnto a second feast , thy humble suitor doth presume to bid the king , and haman , as before she did : now therefore , if it please my gracious lord , to daine his royall presence , and afford the peerlesse treasure of his princely grace , to dry the sorrowes of his handmaids face , then to my kingly , and thrice-welcome ghest , his seruant shall vnbosome her request . meditatio vndecima . he that inuites his maker to a feast , ( aduising well the greatnesse of his chest ) must clense his dining roome from foule infections , and sweepe the cobwebs of his lewd affections , and then prouide such cates , as most delight his palate , and best please his appetite : and such are holy workes , and pious deeds , these are the dainties whereon heau'n feeds : faith playes the cooke , seasons , directs , and guides ; so man findes meate , so god the cooke prouides : his drinke are teares , sprung from a midnight cry , heau'n sips out nectar from a sinners eye ; the dining chamber , is the soule opprest ; god keepes his reuels in a sinners brest : the musick that attends the feast , are grones , deepe-sounding sighes , and lowd-lamenting mones : heau'n heares no sweeter musick , than complaints ; the fasts of sinners , are the feasts of saints , to which heau'n daynes to stoop , & heau'ns hie king transcends , whil'st all the quire of angels sing , and with such sense-bereauing sonnets fill the hearts of wretched men , that my rude quill ( dazeld with too much light ) it selfe addressing to blaze them forth , obscures them in th' expressing : thrice happy man , and thrice thrice happy feast , grac'd with the presence of so great a ghest ; to * him are freely giuen the * priuie keyes of heauen and earth , to open when he please , and locke when-e'r he list ; in him it lies to ope the showring floud-gates of the skyes , or shut them at his pleasure ; in his hand the host of heauen is put ; if he command , the sunne ( not daring to withstand ) obeyes , out runnes his equall howres , flyes backe , or stayes , to him there 's nought vneasie to atchieue ; hee 'le rouze the graues , and make the dead aliue . ¶ lord , i 'me vnfit t' inuite thee to my home , my cates are all too course , too meane my roome : yet come and welcome ; by thy pow'r diuine , thy grace may turne my water into wine . the argvment . good mordecai's vnreuerence great hamans haughty pride offends : h'acquaints his wife with the offence ; the counsell of his wife and friends . sect. . that day went haman forth ; his swolne brest was fill'd with ioyes , and heart was full possest of all the height ambition could require , to satisfie her prodigall desire . but when he passed through the palace gate , ( his eye-sore ) aged mardocheus sate , with dauntlesse head vnbar'd , and knee vnbent , vnapt to fawne , with slauish blandishment : which when great haman saw , his boyling brest ( so foule disdaine vnable to digest ) ran o're ; his blood grew hot , and new desires incenst , and kindled his auenging fires : surcharg'd with griefe , and sicke with male-content of his distemper'd passion , home he went ; where ( to asswage the swelling of his sorrow with words , the poorest helpes distresse can borrow ) his wife , and friends he summon'd to partake his cause of discontent , and thus bespake : see , see , how fortune with a lib'rall hand , hath with the best , and sweetest of the land , crown'd my desires , and hath timely blowne my budded hopes , whose ripenesse hath out-growne the limits , and the height of expectation , scarce to b'inioyd , but in a contemplation : see , see , how fortune ( to inlarge my breath , and make me liuing in despight of death ) hath multiplide my loynes , that after-fame may in my stocke preserue my blood , my name . to make my honour with my fortunes euen , behold , my gracious lord the king hath giuen and trusted to my hand the sword of pow'r ; or life , or death lies where i laugh or lowre : who stands more gracious in the princes eye ? how frownes the king , if haman be not by ? ester the queene hath made the king her ghest , and ( wisely weighing how to grace the feast with most aduantage ) hath ( in policy ) inuited me : and no man else but i ( onely a fit companion for a king ) may taste the secrets of the banqueting : yet what auailes my wealth , my place , my might ? how can i rellish them ? with what delight ? what pleasure is in dainties , if the tast be in it selfe distemper'd ? better fast : in many sweets , one sowre offends the pallate ; one loth some weed annoyes the choycest sallat : what are my riches ? what my honour'd place ? what are my children ? or my princes grace , so long as cursed mordecai furuiues ? whose very breath infects , whose life depriues my life of blisse , and visage sternly strikes worse venime to mine eyes , than basilisks . when haman then had lanc'd his rip'ned griefe in bloody tearmes , they thus appli'd reliefe : erect a gibbet , fifty cubits hie , then vrge the king ( what will the king denie when haman sues ? ) that slauish mordecai be hang'd thereon ; his blood will soone allay the heate of thine ; his cursed death shall fame the highnesse of thy power , and his shame ; so when thy suit shall finde a faire euent , goe banquet with the king , and liue content . the counsell pleas'd : the gibbet fairely stands , soone done , as said : reuenge findes nimble hands . meditatio duodecima . some eu'ls i must approue , all goods , i dare not , some are and seeme not good ; some seeme , and are not : in chusing goods , my heart shall make the choyce , my flattring eye shall haue no casting voyce ; no outward sence may chuse an inward blisse , for seeming happinesse least happy is : the eye ( the chiefest cink-port of the hart ) keepes open doores , and playes the panders part to painted pleasures , luring the affections , and maskes foule faces vnder false complections ; it hath no pow'r to iudge , nor can it see things as they are , but as they seeme to be . there 's but one happinesse , one perfect blisse ; but how obtaind , or where , or what it is , the world of nature ne'r could apprehend , grounding their labours on no other end then supposition , dinersly affecting some one thing , some another , still proiecting prodigious fancies , till their learned schooles lent so much knowledge , as to make them fooles : one builds his blisse vpon the blaze of glory , can perfect happinesse be transitory ? in strength , another summes felicity : what horse is not more happy farre than he ? some pile their happinesse on heapes of wealth , which ( sicke ) they 'd loath , if gold could purchase health ; be done to him the king shall most affect ; in robes imperiall be his body drest , and brauely mounted on that very beast the king bestrides ; then be the crowne of state plac'd on his lofty browes ; let princes waite vpon his stirrop , and in triumph leade this impe of honour , in assuerus stead ; and to expresse the glory of his name , like heralds , let the princes thus proclaime , this peerlesse honour , and these princely rites be done to him , in whom the king delights . said then the king , ( o sudden change of fate ! within the portall of our palace gate there sits a iew , whose name is mordecai , be he the man ; let no peruerse delay protract ; but what thy lauish tongue hath said , doe thou to him : so haman , sore dismaid : his tongue ( ty'd to his roofe ) made no reply , but ( neither daring answere , nor deny ) perforce obeyd , and so his page became , whose life he sought to haue bereau'd with shame : the rites obserued , mordecai return'd vnto the gate , haman went home and mourn'd , ( his visage muffled in a mournfull vale ) and told his wife this melancholy tale ; whereat amaz'd and startl'd at the newes , despairing , thus she spake ; if from the iewes this mordecai deriue his happy line , his be the palme of victory , not thine ; the highest heau'ns haue still conspir'd to blesse that faithfull seed , and with afaire successe , haue crown'd their iust designes : if mordecai descend from thence , thy hopes shall soone decay , and melt like waxe before the mid-day sunne . so said , her broken speech not fully done , haman was hasted to queene esters feast ; to mirth and ioy , an indisposed ghest . meditatio decimatertia . there 's nothing vnder heauen more glorifies the name of kings , or in a subiects eyes winnes more obseruance , or true loyalty , than sacred iustice , shared equally : no greater glory can belong to might , than to defend the feeble in their right ; to helpe the helplesse , and their wrongs redresse , to curbe the haughty-hearted , and suppresse the proud ; requiting eu'ry speciall deed with punishment , or honourable meed : herein kings aptly may deserue the name of gods , inshrined in an earthly frame ; nor can they any way approach more nye the full perfection of a deity , then by true iustice imitating heauen in nothing more , than in the poyzing euen their righteous ballance : iustice is not blind , as poets faine , but with a sight refin'd her lyncian eyes are cleer'd , and shine as bright as doe their errours , that deny her sight ; the soule of iustice resteth in her eye ; her contemplation is to descry thy hand maid hath found fauour ; let my lord grant me my life ( my life so much abhorr'd , to doe him seruice ) and my peoples life , which now lye open to a tyrants knife : our liues are sold , 't is i , 't is guiltlesse i , thy loyall spouse , thy queene and hers must dye ; the spotlesse blood of me , thy faithfull bride , must sivage the swelling of a tyrants pride : had we been sold for drudges , to attend the busie spindle , or for slaues , to spend our weary howers to deserue our bread , so as the gaine stood but my lord in stead , i had been silent , and ne'r spent my breath : but neither he that seekes it , nor my death , can to himselfe the least aduantage bring , ( except reuenge ) nor to my lord the king. like to a lion rouzed from his rest , rag'd then the king , and thus his rage exprest : who is the man , that dares attempt this thing ? where is the traitor ? what ? am i a king ? may not our subiects serue , but must our queene be made the subiect of a villaines spleene ? is not queene ester bosom'd in our heart ? what traitor then dares be so bold , part our heart , and vs ? who dares attempt this thing ? can ester then be slaine , and not the king ? repli'd the queene , the man that hath done this , that cursed haman , wicked haman is : like as a felon shakes before the bench , whose troubled silence proues the euidence , so haman trembled , when queene ester spake , nor answere , nor excuse , his guilt could make . the king , no longer able to digest so foule a trechery , forsooke the feast , walk'd in the garden , where consuming rage boyl'd in his heart , with fire ( vnapt t' asswage . ) so haman pleading guilty to the fault , besought his life of her , whose life he sought . when as the king had walk'd a little space , ( so rage and choller often shift their place ) in , he return'd , where haman fallen flat was on the bed , whereon queene ester sate ; whereat the king new cause of rage debates , ( apt to suppose the worst , of whom he hates ) new passion adds new fuell to his fire , and faines a cause , to make it blaze the higher : is 't not enough for him to seeke her death , ( said he ) but with a lechers tainted breath , will he inforce my queene before my face ? and make his brothell in our royall place ? so said , they vailed hamans face , as he vnfit were to be seene , or yet to see : said then an * eunuch sadly standing by , in hamans garden , fifty cubits high , there stands a gibbet , built but yesterday , made for thy loyall seruant mordecai , whose faithfull lips thy life from danger freed , and merit leads him to a fairer meed . said then the king , it seemeth iust and good , to shead his blood , that thirsted after blood ; who plants the tree , deserues the fruit ; 't is fit that he that bought the purchase , hansell it : hang haman there ; it is his proper good ; so let the horseleach burst himselfe with blood : they straight obey'd : lo here the end of pride : now rests the king appeas'd , and satisfi'de . meditatio decimaquarta . cheere vp , and caroll forth your siluer ditty , ( heau'ns winged quiristers ) and fill your citty ( the new ierusalem ) with iolly mirth : the church hath peace in heauen , hath peace on earth ; spread forth your golden pinions , and cleaue the flitting skies ; dismount , and quite bereaue our stupid senses with your heauenly mirth , for lo , there 's peace in heauen , there 's peace on earth : let haleluiah fill your warbling tongues , and let the ayre , compos'd of saintly songs , breathe such celestiall sonnets in our eares ; that whosoe'r this heauenly musicke heares , may stand amaz'd , and ( rauish't at the mirth ) chaunt forth , there 's peace in heauen , there 's peace on earth ; let mountaines clap their ioyfull , ioyfull hands , and let the lesser hills trace o'r the lands in equall measure ; and resounding woods , bow downe your heads , and kisse your neighb'ring floods : let peace and loue exalt your key of mirth ; for loe , there 's peace in heauen , there 's peace on earth : you holy temples of the highest king , triumph with ioy ; your sacred anthemes sing ; chaunt forth your hymnes , and heauenly roundelayes , and touch your organs on their deeper keyes : for haman's dead that daunted all your mirth , and now there 's peace in heau'n , there 's peace on earth : proud haman's dead , who ( liuing ) thee opprest , seeking to cut , and seare thy lilly brest ; the rau'ning fox , that did annoyance bring vnto thy vineyard , 's taken in a spring . ¶ seem'd not thy spouse vnkind , to heare thee weepe , and not redresse thee ? seem'd he not asleepe ? no , ( sion ) no , he heard thy bitter pray'r , but let thee weepe : for weeping makes thee faire . the morning sunne reflects , and shines most bright , when pilgrims grope in darknesse all the night : the church must conquer , e'r she gets the prize , but there 's no conquest , where 's no enemies : the day is thine ; in triumph make thy mirth , for now there 's peace in heauen , there 's peace on earth : what man 's so dull , or in his braines vndone , to say , ( because he sees not ) there 's no sunne ? weake is the faith , vpon a sudden griefe , that sayes , ( because not now ) there 's no reliefe : god's* bound to helpe , but loues to see men sue : though datelesse , yet the bond 's not present due . ¶ like to the sorrowes of our child-bed wines , is the sad pilgrimage of humane liues : but when by throes god sends a ioyfull birth , then find we peace in heauen , and peace on earth . meditatio decimaquinta . to breathe , 's a necessary gift of nature , whereby she may discerne a liuing creature from plants , or stones : 't is but a meere degree from vegitation ; and this , hath she like equally shar'd out to brutish beasts with man , who lesse obserues her due behests ( sometimes ) than they , and oft by accident , doe lesse improue the gift in the euent : but man , whose organs are more fairly drest , to entertaine a farre more noble ghest , hath , through the excellence of his creation , a soule diuine ; diuine by inspiration ; diuine through likenesse to that pow'r diuine , that made and plac'd her in her mortall shrine ; from hence we challenge lifes prerogatiue ; beasts onely breathe ; 't is man alone doth liue ; the end of mans creation , was society , mutuall communion , and friendly piety : the man that liues vnto himselfe alone , subsists and breathes , but liues not ; neuer one deseru'd the moity of himselfe , for he that 's borne , may challenge but one part of three ; triparted thus ; his country claimes the best ; the next , his parents ; and himselfe , the least . he husbands best his life , that freely giues it for the publike good ; he rightly liues ; that nobly dies : 't is greatest mastery , not to be fond to liue , nor feare to dye on iust occasion ; he that ( in case ) despises life , earnes it best , but he that ouer-prizes his dearest blood , when honour bids him dye , steales but a life , and liues by robbery . ¶ o sweet redeemer of the world , whose death deseru'd a world of liues ! had thy deare breath been deare to thee ; oh had'st thou but deny'd thy precious blood , the world for e'r had dy'd : o spoyle my life , when i desire to saue it , by keeping it from thee , that freely gaue it . the argvment . letters are sent by mordecai , that all the iewes , vpon the day appointed for their death , withstand the fury of their foe-mens hand . sect. . forthwith the scribes were summon'd to appeare : to eu'ry prouince , and to eu'ry shiere letters they wrote ( as mordecai directed ) to all the iewes , ( the iewes so much deiected ) to all lieu-tenants , captaines of the band , to all the states and princes of the land , according to the phrase , and diuers fashion of dialect , and speech of eu'ry nation ; all which was stiled in the name of king , and canonized with his royall ring : loe here the tenor of the kings commission ; whereas of late , ( through hamans foule sedition , ) decrees were sent , and spred throughout the land , to spoyle the iewes , and with impartiall hand , ( vpon a day prefixt ) to kill , and slay ; we likewise grant vpon that very day , full power to the iewes , to make defence , and quit their liues , and for a recompence , to take the spoyles of those they shall suppresse , shewing like mercy to the mercilesse . on posts , as swift as time , was this decree commanded forth ; as fast as day they flee , spurr'd on , and hast'ned with the kings command , which straight was noys'd , & publisht through y e land , as warning to the iewes , to make prouision to entertaine so great an opposition . so mordecai ( disburthen'd of his griefe , which now found hopefull tokens of reliefe ) departs the presence of the king , addrest in royall robes , and on his lofty crest he bore a crowne of gold , his body spred with lawne , and purple deeply coloured : fill'd are the iewes with triumphs , and with noyse ( the common heralds to proclaime true ioyes : ) like as a prisner muffl'd at the tree , whose life 's remou'd from death scarce one degree , his last pray'r said , and hearts confession made , ( his eyes possessing deaths eternall shade ) at last ( vnlook'd for ) comes a slow reprieue , and makes him ( euen as dead ) once more aliue : amaz'd , he rends deaths muffler from his eyes , and ( ouer-ioy'd ) knowes not he liues , or dyes ; so ioy'd the iewes , whose liues , this new decree had quit from death and danger , and set free their gasping soules , and ( like a blazing light ) disperst the darknesse of th'approching night ; so ioy'd the iewes : and with their solemne feasts , they chas'd dull sorrow from their pensiue brests : meane while , the people ( startl'd at the newes ) some grieu'd , some enui'd , some ( for feare ) turn'd iewes . meditatio decimasexta . among the noble greekes , it was no shame to lose a sword ; it but deseru'd the name of warres disastrous fortune ; but to yeeld the right and safe possession of the shield , was foule reproach , and man-lesse cowardize , farre worse than death to him that skorn'd to prize his life before his honour ; honour 's wonne most in a iust defence ; defence is gone , the shield once lost : the wounded theban cry'd , how fares my shield ? which safe , he smil'd , & dy'd ▪ true honour bides at home , and takes delight in keeping , not in gaining of a right ; scornes vsurpation , nor seekes she blood , and thirsts to make her name not great , as good : god giues a right to man ; to man , defence to guard it giu'n ; but when a false pretence shall ground her title on a greater might , what doth he else but warre with heau'n , and fight with prouidence ? god sets the princely crowne on heads of kings ; who then may take it downe ? no iuster quarrell , or more noble fight , than to maintaine , where god hath giu'n a right ; there 's no despaire of conquest in that warre , where god's the leader ; policy 's no barre to his designes ; no power can withstand his high exployts ; within whose mighty hand are all the corners of the earth ; the hills his fensiue bulwarks are , which , when he wills , his lesser breath can bandy vp and downe , and crush the world , and with a winke , can drowne the spacious vniuerse in suds of clay ; where heau'n is leader , heau'n must win the day : god reapes his honour hence ; that combat's safe , where hee 's a combatant , and ventures halfe : right 's not impair'd with weaknesse , but preuailes in spight of strength , when strength and power failes : fraile is the trust repos'd on troopes of horse ; truth in a handfull , findes a greater force . ¶ lord , maile my heart with faith , and be my shield , and if a world confront me , i 'le not yeeld . the argvment . the bloody massacre : the iewes preuaile : their fatall sword subdues a world of men , and in that fray , hamans ten cursed sonnes they slay . sect. . now when as time had rip'ned the decree , ( whose winter fruit vnshaken from the tree full ready was to fall ) and brought that day , wherein pretended mischiefe was to play her tragicke seane vpon the iewish stage , and spit the venome of her bloody rage , vpon the face of that dispersed nation , and in a minute breathe their desolation ; vpon that day ( as patients in the fight ) their scatter'd force , the iewes did reünite , and to a head their straggling strength reduc'd , and with their fatall hand ( their hand disus'd to bathe in blood ) they made so strong recoyle , that with a purple streame , the thirsty soyle o'rflowd : and on the pauement ( drown'd with blood ) where neuer was before , they rais'd a flood : there lyes a headlesse body , here a limme newly dis-ioynted from the trunke of him heau'n fought for isr'el , weakned pharo's heart , who had no counter-god to take his part : what meant that cloudy piller , that by day did vsher isr'el in an vnknowne way ? what meant that fi'ry piller , that by night appear'd to isr'el , and gaue isr'el light ? 't was not the secret force of moses rod , that charm'd the seas in twayne ; 't was moses god that fought for isr'el , and made pharo fall ; well thriues the fray where god's the generall : 't is neither strength , nor vndermining sleight preuailes , where heauen 's ingaged in the fight . ¶ me list not ramble into antique dayes , to manne this theame , lest while vlysses strayes , his heart forget his home penelope : our iolly brittaine findes sufficient plea to proue her blisse , and heau'ns protecting power , which had she mist , her glory , in an hower had falne to cinders , and had past away like smoke before the wind ; which happy day , let none but faithlesse traitors euer faile to consecrate , and let this age entayle , vpon succeeding times eternity , heau'ns highest loue , in that dayes memory . the argvment . the sonnes of haman ( that were slaine ) are all hang'd vp : the iewes obtaine freedome to fight the morrow after ; they put three hundred more to slaughter . sect. . when as the fame of that dayes bloody newes came to the king , he said , behold , the iewes haue wonne the day , and in their iust defence , haue made their wrong , a rightfull recompence ; fiue hundred men in susan haue they slaine , and that remainder of proud hamans straine , their hands haue rooted out ; queene ester , say , what further suit ( wherein assuerus may expresse the bounty of his royall hand ) rests in thy bosome : what is thy demand ? said then the queene : if in thy princely sight my boone be pleasing , or thou take delight to grant thy seruants suite , let that commisssion ( which gaue the iewes this happy dayes permission to saue their liues ) to morrow stand in force , for their behalfes that onely make recourse to god , and thee , and let that cursed brood ( the sonnes of haman , that in guilty blood , lye all ingoar'd , vnfit to taint a graue ) be hang'd on gibbets , and ( like co-heires ) haue like equall shares of that deserued shame , their wretched father purchas'd in his name : the king was pleas'd , and the decree was giuen from susan , where 'twixt earth and heauen , ( most vndeseruing to be own'd by either ) these cursed ten ( like twins ) were borne together : when titan ( ready for his iournall chase ) had rouz'd his dewy locks , and rosie face inricht with morning beauty , vp arose the iewes in susan , and their bloody blowes so roughly dealt , that in that dismall day , a lease of hundreds fell , but on the prey no hand was laid , so , sweet and iolly rest the iewes enioy'd , and with a solemne feast , ( like ioyfull victors dispossest of sorrow ) they consecrated the ensuing morrow ; and in the prouinces throughout the land , before their mighty , and victorious hand , fell more than seuenty thousand , but the prey they seaz'd not , and in mem'ry of that day , they solemnized their victorious gests , with gifts , and triumphs , and with holy feasts . meditatio decimaoctaua . the doctrine of the schoole of grace discents from natures ( more vncertaine ) rudiments , and are as much contrayr , and opposite as yea , and nay , or blacke , and purest white : for nature teaches , first to vnderstand , and then beleeue ; but grace doth first command man to beleeue , and then to comprehend ; faith is of things vnknowne , and must intend , and so are aboue conceit ; what we conceiue , we stand possest of , and already haue , but faith concernes such things , as yet we haue not , which eye sees not , eare heares not , heart conceiues not ; hereon , as on her ground-worke , our saluation erects her pillers ; from this firme foundation , our soules mount vp the new ierusalem , to take possession of her diademe ; god loues no sophistry ; who argues least in graces schoole , concludes , and argues best ; a womans logicke passes heere ; for 't is good proofe to say , 't is so , because it is : had that old * patr'arch cours'd with flesh and blood , bad had his faith been , though his reasons good ; if god bid doe , for man to question , why ? is but an interrogatiue deny : the fleshly ballances of our conceits , haue neither equall poysure ; nor iust weights , to weigh , without impeachment , gods designe ; there 's no proportion 'twixt things diuine , and mortall : liuely faith may not depend , either vpon th' occasion , or the end . ¶ the glorious suns reflected beames suffise , to lend a luster to the feeblest eyes , but if the eye too couetous of the light , boldly outface the sunne , ( whose beames so bright and vndispers'd , are too-too much refin'd for view ) is it not iustly strucken blind ? i dare not taske stout samson for his death ; nor wandring ionah , that bequeath'd his breath to raging seas , when god commanded so ; nor thee ( great queene ) whose lips did ouerflow with streames of blood ; nor thee ( o cruell kind ) to slake the vengeance of a womans mind , with flowing riuers of thy subiects blood ; from bad beginnings , god creates a good , and happy end : what i cannot conceiue , lord , let my soule admire , and beleeue . the argvment . the feast of purim consecrated : th' occasion why 't was celebrated ; letters wrote by mordecai , to keepe the mem'ry of that day . sect. . so mardocheus throughout all the land dispers'd his letters , and with them , command to celebrate these two dayes memory with feasts , and gifts , and yeerly iollity , that after ages may record that day , and keepe it from the rust of time , that they which shall succeed , may ground their holy mirth vpon the ioyes , those happy dayes brought forth , which chang'd their sadnes , & black nights of sorrow , into the brightnesse of a gladsome morrow ; whereto the iewes ( to whom these letters came ) gaue due obseruance , and did soone proclaime their sacred festiuals , in memory of that dayes ioy , and ioyfull victory : and since the lots ( that haman did abuse , to know the dismall day , which to the iewes might fall most fatall , and , to his intent , least vnprospitious ) were in th' euent crost with a higher fate , than blinded chance , to worke his ruine , their deliuerance : they therefore in remembrance of the lot ( whose hop'd-for sad euent succeeded not ) the solemne feasts of * purim did inuest , and by the name of purim call'd their feast ; which to obserue with sacred complement , and ceremoniall rites , their soules indent , and firmly'inroll the happy memory ith'hearts of their succeeding progeny , that time ( the enemy of mortall things ) may not , with hou'ring of his nimble wings . beat downe the deare memoriall of that time , but keepe it flowring in perpetuall prime . now , lest this shining day in times progresse perchance be clouded with forgetfulnesse , or left the gaulled persians should debate the bloody slaughter , and re vlcerate in after-times , their former misery , and blurre the glory ' of this dayes memory , the argvment . assuerus acts vpon record : the iust mans vertue , and reward . sect. . and assuerus stretcht his heauie hand , and laid a tribute , both on sea , and land ; what else he did , what trophies of his fame , he left for time to glorifie his name , with what renowne , and grace , he did appay the faithfull heart of loyall mordecai ; are they not kept in endlesse memory , recorded in the persian history ? for mordecai possest the second seat in all the kingdome , and his name was great ; of god and man his vertues were approu'd , by god and man , both honour'd , and belou'd ; seeking his peoples good , and sweet prosperity , and speaking ioyfull peace to his posterity . meditatio vltima . thus thriues the man , thus prosper his endeuors , that builds on faith , and in that faith perseuers ▪ ¶ it is no losse , to lose ; no gaine , to get , if he that loses all , shall win the set : god helpes the weakest , takes the losers chayre , and setting on the king , doth soone repaire his losse with vengeance ; hee 's not alway best that takes the highest place , nor he the least that sits beneath : for outward fortunes can expresse ( how great , but ) not how good 's the man : whom god will raise , he humbles first a while ; and where he raises , oft he meanes to foyle . ¶ it matters not ( lord ) what my fortunes be , may they but leade , or whip me home to thee . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e audire fabulas , est impedimentum cognitioni veritatis . arist. . metaphis . the excellence and vse of this history . heiland in eth. mores instituūt ad virtutem . arist . eth . obiectum voluntatis non est nisi bonum . arist . eth. . de dubijs non definies , sed suspensam teneas sententiam ; seneca de formali vita . notes for div a -e ierem. . * isay . . darius dyes . cyrus , king alone . * carionis chro. lib. . p. . . chro. . . * carionis chro. lib. . p. . . chro. . . isay . . * tomyris . cyrus dyes . tomyris queen of the massagetans . cambyses king succeeded cyrus cambyses dyes . * chro. carionis . lib. . p. . a magus succeeds cambyses . smerdis . the magi slaine by the persians . the feast is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is the slaughter of the magi. otanes . darius , gobrias , asphatines , hidarnes . they put the choyce of their king to seuen electors . the speech of the electors . * the persians did dedicate horses to their god , which was the sunne . * the persian worshipped the sunne . * heroditus in medio tholiae iustin. * stiled assuerus , whom metactines calls artaxerxes . ester ▪ . . notes for div a -e the king makes a feast to his princes . the king makes another feast to the common people . the description of the banqueting house . whereon they vsed to feast . a law against immoderate drinking . explicit hist. hesiod . chap. . . queene vashti makes a feast . the king sends for queene vashti . chap. . . memucan's speech . genes . . . costa dura est & difficiliter flectitur : sphinx . ioh. stig . in poematis ▪ coniugium humanae diuina academia vitae est . hand vlla vnquam salua mansit familia , partes priores vxor in qua gesserit . euripid. in androm . non placet mihi ista domus , in qua gallina cantat , gallus tacet . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chap. . . the kings seruants speech to the king. the king pleased with the speech . mordecaies parentage . * . sam. . . * . kin. . . esters parentage , vertue , and beauty . explicit hist . * iuuines meribus . * rehoboam . . king. . . * sonne to the blacke prince . chap. . . virgins brought to the eunuch hege . hege affects ester . the persian custome . esters behauiour . explicit hist . * genes . . . * gen. . . the king fauoured ester . ester made wife , and queene . the nuptials celebrated . mordecai ouer-heares treason . discouers it to the queene . the queene discouers it to the king. the traitors pursued . found , and tryed . hanged . * esau . haman comes into fauour with the king. mordecai refuseth to reuerence haman . the kings seruants complaine of mordecai , to haman . hamans passion . chap. . . hamans speech to the king. his request . the king grants hamans suit . the decree was made . the decree . * the . day of the twelfth month , which was part of february , part of march. explicit hist . paling . cui ius est , ius non me●uit , ius obruitur vi . summum ius est summa iniuria . simile . chap. . . mordecaies passion . cahp . . . esters message to mordecai . chap. . the kings speech to the queene . the queene inuites the king to a feast . the kings speech to the queene . the queene inuites the king , and haman to a second feast . expl. hist . * the power of a faithfull man. math. . . and . . * the power of a faithfull man. math. . . and . . . king. . . . king . . iosh . . . . king. . . . king. . . act. . . chap. . . mordecai neglects his seruice to haman . haman discontented . hamans speech to his wife and friends . the answere of hamans wife and friends . expl. hist . the kings reply . hamans wife speakes to him . expl. hist . solon . praemio & poena conseruatur resp . the kings answere . the queenes reply . the kings speech . harbona's speech to the king. the king commands to hang haman . explicit . hist . by promise . chap. . . the kings commission . * the . day of the twelfth moneth . the ioy of the iewes ▪ simile . expl. hist. nil fortitudine indigemus , si omnes iusti simus , plutarch . chap. . . the massacre . exod. . . exod. . . . nouemb. chap. . . the kings speech to the queene . the queenes answere . . in susan slaine by the iewes . . slaine by the iewes in the prouinces . explicit hist . * abraham ▪ gen. . . iudg. . . iona. . . ester . . ester . . chap. . . mordecai sends letters to celebrate a feast yeerly . the originall of the feasts of purim . interp. lo●● . ester , and mordecai send letters to confirme the feasts of purim . chap. . . the greatnesse and vertue of mordecai . expl. hist . diuine fancies digested into epigrammes, meditations, and observations / by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) diuine fancies digested into epigrammes, meditations, and observations / by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed by m.f. for iohn marriot, and are to be sold at his shop in st. dunstans churchyard in fleetstreet, london : . in verse. signatures: [par.]⁴(-[par.] ) a- c⁴ d³. numbers - repeated and - deleted in the pagination. reproduction of original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng epigrams, english. meditations. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - aptara rekeyed and resubmitted - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion divine fancies : digested into epigrammes , meditations , and observations . by fra : qvarles . london , printed by m. f. for iohn marriot , and are to be sold at his shop in st. dunstans churchyard in fleetstreet . . to the royall bvdde of maiestie , and center of all our hopes and happinesse , charles , prince of great britaine , france and ireland , sonne and heyre apparant to the high and mighty charles , by the grace of god , king of great britaine , france , and ireland , &c. illustrious infant : give mee leave to acknowledge my selfe thy servant , ere thou knowst thy selfe my prince : my zeale burnes mee , and my desires are impatient : my breeding muse longs for greene fruit , and cannot stay thy ripenesse : sweet babe ; the loyalty of my service makes bold to consecrate these early leaves to thy sacred infancie , not knowing how to glorifie themselues , more , then by the patronage of such princely innocencie . modell of sweetnesse , let thy busie fingers entertaine this slender present , and let thy harmelesse smiles crowne it : when thy infancie hath crackt the shell , let thy childhood tast the kernell ; in the meane while , let thy little hands and eyes peruse it : lugge it in thy tender armes , and lay thy burthen at thy royall parents feet ; for whose sake , it may gaine some honor from their glorious eyes . heaven blesse thy youth with grace , and crowne thy age with glorie : angells conduct thee from the cradle , to the crowne : let the english rose , and the french lilly florish in thy louely cheeke : and let their united colours presage an euerlasting league . let the eminent qualities of both thy renowned grand-fathers meet in thy princely heart ; that thou mayst , in peace , be honourable ; and in warre , victorious . and let the great addition of thy royall parents vertues make thee vp a most incomparable prince , the firme pillar of our happines , and the future object of the worlds wonder expected , and prayd for by your highnesses most loyall and humble servant , fra : qvarles . to the right honovrable and truely vertuous lady , mary countesse of dorset , governesse to that royall infant , charles , prince of great britaine , france , and ireland , the mirror of unstained honovr . most excellent lady , yov are that starre , which stands over the place , where the babe lyes ; by whose directions light , i am come from the east , to present my myrrh , and frankincense to the yong child : let not our royall joseph , nor his princely mary be affrayd ; there are no herods here ; we have all seene his starre in the east , and have rejoyced : our loyall hearts are full ; for our eyes have seene him , in whom our posterity shall bee blessed : to him , most honorable lady , i addresse my thoughts ; to him , i presume to consecrate these lines ; which , since it hath pleased our gracious soveraigne to appoint you the governesse of his royall infancy , i have made bold to present , first , to your noble hands ; not daring , in my very thoughts to disjoyne , whom his sacred majestie , in so great wisedome , hath put together ; or to consider severally , where his highnesse hath made so in violable a relation . madam , may your honors increase with your howers , and let eternall glory crowne your u●rtues ; that when this age shall sleepe in dust , our children , yet unborne , may honour your glorious memory , under the happinesse of his government , whose governesse you are ; which shall be daily the subject of his prayers , who is the sworne-servant of your ladiships perfections , fra : qvarles . to the readers . readers , i wil not ( like one that knowes the strength of his owne muse ) commit rape upon your vnderstandings , nor rayle at your ignorances , if our wits jumpe not : i have written at my owne peril ; understand you at your owne pleasures : i have nor so little man in me , as to want my faults ; nor so much foole in me as to thinke it ; nor so little modesty , as to sweare it ; nor so much childe in me as to whine at zoilus : my request is , that the faultles hand may cast the first stone , so although i cannot avoyd the common lot of man , error ; i may escape the punishment of the common man , censure . i heere present thee with a hive of bees ; laden , some with waxe , and some with honey : feare not to approach ; there are no waspes ; there are no hornets , here : if some wanton bee should chance to buzze about thine eares , stand thy ground , and hold thy hands : there 's none wil sting thee , if thou strike not first : if any doe ; she hath honey in her bagge , will cure thee too : in playner tearmes , i present thee with a booke of fancies ; among which , as i have none to boast of ; so ( i hope ) i shall have none to blush at . all cannot affect all : if some please all ; or all , some , 't is more then i expect ; i had once thought to haue melted the title , and cast it into severall bookes , and have lodg'd observations , meditations , and epigrams by themselves ; but new thoughts have taken place : i have required no helpe of herauld , either to place , or to proclaime them . cards , well shuffled , are most fit for gamesters : and oftentimes , the pastime of discovery adds pleasure to the enioyment : the generous faulkner had rather retrive his partridge in the open feilds , then meet her in his coverd dish . only this : when you read a meditation , let me entreate thee to forget an epigramme . fare-well . ad lectores vtrivsque generis . candide , si mala sint nostra inter carmina , parce ; et bona si quae sint , zoile , parco tibi . to god. glorious and great ; whose power did divide the waves , and made them walls on either side ; that didst appeare in cloven-tongues of fyre ; divide my thoughts : and with thy selfe , inspire my soule ; o cleave my tongue , and make it scatter various expressions in a various matter ; that like the painefull bee , i may derive from sundry flow'rs , to store my slender hive : yet , may my thoughts not so divided be , but they may mixe againe , and fixe in thee . divine fancies , digested into epigrammes , meditations , and observations . . on the musique of organs . observe this organ : marke but how it goes : 't is not the hand of him alone that blowes the unseene bellowes ; nor the hand that playes upon th'apparent note-dividing kayes , that makes these wel-composed ayres appeare ●●fore the high tribunall of thine ear● : they both concurre : each acts his severall part : th' one gives it breath ; the other lends it art. man is this organ : to whose every action heav'n gives a breath ( a breath without coaction ) without which blast we cannot act at all ; without which breath , the vniverse must fall to the first nothing it was made of : seeing in him we live , we move , we have our being : thus fill'd with his diviner breath , and back't with his first power we touch the kayes and act : he blowes the bellowes : as we thrive in skill , our actions prove , like musicke , good or ill. on the contingencie of actions . i saw him dead ; i saw his body fall before deaths dart ; whō tears must not recall : yet is he not so dead , but that his day might have bin lengthen'd , had th'untrodden way to life beene found : he might have ●ose agin , if something had , or something had not bin : what mine sees past , heav'ns eie foresaw to come he saw , how that contingent act should summe the to●all of his dayes : his knowing eye ( as mine doth see him dead ) saw he should die that very fatall howre ; yet saw his death , not so so necessary , but his breath might beene enlarg'd unto a longer date , had he neglected this , or taken that : all times to heav'n are now , both first and last ; he see● things present , as we see them past . . on the sacraments . the lo●ves of bread were five ; the fishes two , whereof the multitude was made partaker . who made the fishes ? god : but tell me , who gave being to the loaves of bread ? the baker : ev'n so th●se sacraments , which some call seaven , five were ordain'd by man , and two , by heaven . . on the infancie of our saviour . hayle blessed virgin , full of heavenly grace , blest above all that sprang from humane race ; whose heav'n-saluted womb brought forth in one , a blessed saviour , and a blessed son : o! what a ravishment ' thad beene , to see thy little saviour perking on thy knee ! to see him nuzzle in thy virgin brest ! his milke white body all unclad , undrest ; to see thy busie fingers cloathe and wrappe his spradling limbs in thy indulgent lappe ! to see his desprate eyes ▪ with childish grace , smiling upon his smiling mothers face ! and , when his forward strength began to bloome , to see him diddle up and downe the roome ! o , who would thinke , so sweet a babe as this , should ere be slaine by a false-hearted kisse ! had i a ragge , if sure thy body wore it , pardon sweet babe , i thinke i should adore it , till then , o grant this boone , ( a boone far dearer ) the weed not being , i may adore the wearer . . on iudas iscariot . vve raile at iudas , him that did betray the lord of life ; yet doe it day by day . . on the life and death of man. the world 's a theater ; the earth , a stage plac'd in the midst ; wheron both prince & page , both rich and poore ; foole , wiseman ; base , and high ; all act their parts in lifes short tragedy : our life 's a tragedy : those secret roomes wherein we tyre us , are our mothers wombes ; the musicke ush'ring in the play , is mirth to see a manchild brought upon the earth : that fainting gaspe of breath which first we vent is a dumb-shew , presents the argum●nt : our new-born cries that new-born griefes bewray , is the sad prologue of th' ensuing play : false hopes , true feares , vaine ioyes , and fierce distracts are like the musicke that divides the acts : time holds the glasse , and when the hower's run , death strikes the epilogue ; and the play is done . ▪ on the seven liberall sciences of a christian. grammar . it is an art , that teaches not t' excell in writing , speaking , as in doing well . logicke . it is an art sometimes of plotting treason against the crowne and dignity of reason . rhetoricke . it is an art , whereby he learnes t' encrease his knowledge of the time , to hold his peace . arythmeticke . it is an art , that makes him apt to raise and number out gods blessings , and his dayes . musicke . it is a potent science , that infringes strong prison dores , and heaves them from their hinges . astronomie . it is an art of taking out the lead from hi● dull browes , and lifting ●p the head. geometrie . it is an art , ins●ructs him how to have the world in scorne ; and measure out his grave . . christs foure houses . his first house was the blessed virgins wombe ; the next , a cratch ; the third , a crosse ▪ the fourth a tombe . . of light and heate . mark but the sun-beames , when they shine most bright , they l●●d this lower world both heat & light : they both are children of the selfe-same mother , twinnes ; not subsis●i●g one without the other ; they both conspire unto the common good , when , in their proper places , understood : is 't not rebellion against sense to say , light helps to quicken : or , the beames of day may lend a heat , and ye● no light at all ? 't is true , some obvious shade may chance to fall vpon the quickned pl●nt , yet not so great , to quench the 〈◊〉 of the heate : the heate cannot be parted from the light , nor yet the light from heate ; they neither might be mingled in the act , nor found asunder : distinguish now fond man ; or stay and wonder : know then ; their vertues differ though themselves agree ; heat vivifies ; light gives man power to see the thing so vivifyed : no light , no heate ; and where the heat 's but small , the light 's not great : they are inseparable , and sworne lovers , yet differing thus ; that quickens ; this discovers : within these lines a sacred myst'ry lurkes : the heat resembles faith : the light ; good workes . . on judas iscariot . some curse that traytour iudas life and lim ▪ god knows , some curse thēselves , in cursing him . . on the possession of the swine . when as our blessed saviour did un-devill the man possest ; the spirits , in conclusion , entred the swine ( being active still in evill ) and drove them headlong to their owne confusion . dru●kards , beware , and be advised then , they 'l find you as y' are swine ▪ if not , as men : . on a sun●dyall . this horizontall dyall can bewray to the sad pilgrim , the houre of the day : but if the sun appeare not his adviser , his eye may looke , yet he prove n●'er the wiser : alas , alas ; there 's nothing can appeare , but onely types , and shadow'd figures there : this dyall is the scripture ; and the sun , gods holy spirit ; wee , the ●ookers on : alas , that saceed letter , which we read , vvithout the quickning of the spirit 's dead : the knowledge of our peace improves no better , then if our eye had not beheld a letter : i , but this glorious sun shines alwayes bright : i , but we often stand in our owne light : vse then the day , for when the day is gon , there willl be darknes : there will be no sun. . on the three christian graces . faith. it is a grace , that teaches to deprave not the goods we have ; to have the goods we have not . hope . it is a grace ▪ , that keeps th' almighty blamelesse , in long delay : and men ( in begging ) shamelesse . charitie . it is a grace , or art to get a living by selling land ; and to grow rich , by giving . . on a feast . the lord of heav'n and earth ha's made a feast , and ev'ry soule is an invited guest : the word 's the food ; the levits are the cookes ; the fathers writings are their dyet-bookes ; but seldome us'd ; for 't is a fashion growne , to recommend made dishes of their owne : what they should boyle , they bake ; what r●st , they broyle ; their lushious sallats are too sweet with oyle : in briefe , 't is now a dayes too great a fault , t' have too much pepper , and too little salt. . on dives . that drop-requesting dives did desire his brothers might have warning of that fire , whose flames he felt : could he , a fiend , wish well to man ? what , is there charity in hell ? each soule that 's damned is a brand of fire , to make hell so much hotter ; and the nigher in blood or love they be , that are tormented , the more their paines & torments are augmented : no wonder then , if dives did desire , his brothers might have warning of that fire ▪ . on outward shew . ivdge not that field , because 't is stubble , nor him that 's poore , and full of trouble ▪ though t'one looke bare ; the tother thin ; judge not ; their treasure is within . . on the reading of the scriptures . in reading of the sacred writt ; beware , thou climbe no stile , when as a gapp stands faire ▪ . on the life of man. ovr life 's the modell of a winters day ; our soule 's the sun , whose faint and feeble ray gives our earth light ; a light but weak , at strongest , but low , at highest ; very short , at longest : the childish teares , that from our eyes doe passe , is like the dew that pearls the morning grasse : when as our sun is but an hower high , we goe to schoole , to learne ; are whipt , and cry : we truant up and downe ; we make a spoyle of precious time , and sport in our owne toyle : our bed's the quiet grave ; wherein we lay our weary bodyes , tyred with the day : the early trumpet , like the morning bell , calls to account ; where they that have learnd well shall find reward ; and such as have mis-pent their time , shall reape an earned punishment : no wonder , then , to see the sluggards eyes , so loath to goe to bed ; so loth to rise . . on the crowing of a cocke . the crowing of a cocke doth oft foreshow a change of weather : peter found it so : the cocke no sooner crew , but by and by he found a change of weather in his eye : t 's an easie thing to say , a●d to sweare too , wee 'l dye for christ ; but t is as hard to doe . . on mammon . mammon's growne rich : does mammon boast of that ? the stalled oxe , as well may boast , hee 's fat . . on church-contemners ▪ those church-contemners , that can easily waigh the profit of a sermon with a play ; whose testy stomacks can digest , as well , a profer'd injury , as a sermon-bell ; that say unwonted pray'rs with the like wills , as queazy patients take their loathed pills : to what extremity would they be driven , if god , in iudgement , should but give them heaven . . on morus . he is no flemming : for he cannot swill : no roman ; for his stomacke 's fleshly still : he cannot be a iew ; he was baptiz'd : nor yet a gentile ; he was circumciz'd : he is no true man ; for he lyes a trot : prophane he is not ; for he sweares ye not : what is he then ? one feast without a bill shall make him all ; or which of all ye will. . on the hypocrite . no mans condition is so base as his ; none more accurs'd than he : for man esteemes him hatefull , 'cause he seemes not what hee is : god hates him , 'cause he is not what he seemes ; what griefe is absent , or what mischiefe can b● added to the hate of god and man ? . on a pilgrime . the weary pilgrime , oft , doth aske , and know ▪ how farre hee 's come ; how far he has to go● ▪ his way is tedious , and his hart 's opprest , and his desier is to be at rest : our life 's a wayfare ; yet fond man delaies t'enquier out the number of his daies ; he cares not , he , how slow his howers spend ; his iourney 's better then his iournies end . . on the needle of a sun-diall . behold this needle ; when the arctick s●one hath toucht it , how it trembles vp and downe ; hunts for the pole ; and cannot be possest , of peace , untill it finde that poynt , that rest : such is the heart of man ; which , when it hath attayn'd the vertue of a lively faith , it findes no rest on earth , makes no abode , in any object , but his heav'n , his god. . on afffiction . when thou afflict'st me , lord , if i repine , i show my selfe to be mine owne , not thine . . on a sun-dyall . goe light a candle : by that light , make tryall , how the night spends it selfe , by the sun-dyall ▪ goe , search the scripture ; l●bour to increase in the diviner knowledge of thy peace by thy owne light , derived from thy mother : thou maist as eas●ly doe the one , as t'other . . on peter . vvhen walking peter was about to sinck into the sea , in what a case d' ye thinke , h 'ad bin ; if he had trusted his complaint to th' intercession of some helpfull saint : beleeve it ; if romes doctrine had bin sound , and soundly follow'd , peter had bin drown'd . on merits . fie , rome's abus'd : can any be thought able to merit heaven by workes : t is a meere fable : if so ; stout rome had never bin so faint to move her suit by a collaterall saint . . on servio ▪ servio serves god ▪ servio has bare relation ( not to gods glory ) but his owne salvation : servio serves god for life : servio , t is well : servio may finde the cooler place in hell. . a soliloquie . where shall i find my god! o where , o where shall i direct my steps , to finde him there ? shall i make search in swelling baggs of coyne ? ah no ; for god and mammon cannot joyne : doe beds of down containe this heavenly stranger ? no no ; hee 's rather cradled in some manger : dwells he in wisedome ? is he gone that rode ? no no ; mans wisedome's foolishnes with god : or hath some new plantation , yet unknown , made him their king , adorn'd him with their crowne ? no , no , the kingdomes of the earth thinke scorne t' adorne his browes with any crown but thorne . where shall i trace ; or where shall i go winde him ? my lord is gone ; and o! i cannot finde him : i le ransack the dark dungeons : i le enquire into the furnace , after the sev'nth fire . i le seeke in daniels den , and in pauls prison ; i le search his grave ▪ and see if he be risen : i le goe to th' house of mourning ; and i le call at every almes-abused hospitall : i le goe and aske the widow , that 's opprest ; the heavy laden , that enquiers rest : il● search the corners of all broken hearts ; the wounded conscience , and the soule that smarts ; the contrite spirit fill'd with filiall feare ; i , there he is ; and no where else , but there : spare not to scourge they pleasure , o my god , so i may finde thy pres●nce , with thy rod. . on daniel in the den. fierce lyons roaring for their prey ? and then daniel throwne in ? and daniel yet remaine alive ? there was a lyon , in the denne , was daniels friend , or daniel had bin slaine : among ten thousand lyons , i de not feare , had i but only daniels lyon there . . on those that deserve it . o when our clergie , at the dreadfull day , shal make their audit ; when the iudge shal say give your accompts : what , have my lambs bin fed ? say , doe they all stand sound ? is there none dead by your defaults ? come shepheards , bring them forth that i may crowne your labours in their worth : o what an answer will be given by some ! we have bin silenc'd : canons strucke us dumbe ; the great ones would not let us feed thy flock , vnles we pla●'d the fooles , and wore a frock : we were forbid unles wee 'd yeeld to signe and crosse their browes , they say , a mark of thine . to say the truth , great iudge , they were not fed , lord , here they be ; but , lord , they be all dead . ah cruel shepheards ! could your conscience serve not to be fooles , and yet to let them sterve ? what if your fiery spirits had bin bound to antick habits ; or your heads bin crownd with peacocks plumes ; had ye bin forc'd to feed your saviours dear-bought flock in a fools weed ; he that was scorn'd , revil'd ; endur'd the curse of a base death , in your behalfs ; nay worse , swallow'd the cup of wrath charg'd up to th' brim , durst ye not stoope to play the fooles for him ? . doe this and live . doe this and live ? t is true , great god ▪ then who can hope for life ? for who hath power to doe ? art thou not able ? is thy taske too great ? canst thou desier help ? canst thou intreat aid from a stronger arm ? canst thou conceive thy helper strong enough ? canst thou beleeve , the suffrings of thy dying lord can give thy drooping shoulders rest ? doe this and live . . on ioseph and his mistresse . when as th' egyptian lady did invite wel-favor'd ioseph to unchast delight , how well the motion and the place agreed ! a beastly place , and t was a beastly deed : a place well season'd for so foule a sin ; to● sweet to serve so foule a master in ▪ . on scriptum est . some words excell in vertue , and discover a rare conclusion , thrice repeated over . our saviour thrice was tempted : thrice represt th'assaulting tempter with thrice scriptvm est. if thou would'st keepe thy soule secure from harme , tho● know'st the words : it is a potent charme . . on the flourishing of the gospell . how doe our pastures florish , and refresh our uberous kine , so faire , so full of flesh ! how doe our thriving cattell feed our young with plenteous milk ; & with their flesh the strong ▪ heav'n blest our charles , and he did our late iames , from pharohs troubles , and from pharohs dreames . . on ioseph's speech to his brethren . goe , ●etch your brother ( said th' egyptian lord ) if you intend our garniers shall afford your craving wants their so desir'd supplies ; if he come not , by pharoes life , y' are spies : ev'n as your suits expect to find our grace , bring him ; or dare not to behold my face : some little food , to serve you on the way , we here allow , but not to feed delay ; when you present your brother to our hand , ye shall have plenty , and possesse the land ; away ; and let your quicke obedience give the earnest of your faiths ; do this and live : if not ; your wilfull wants must want supply , for ye are spies , and ye shall surely dye : great god , th' egyptian lord resembles thee ; the brother 's iesus ; and the suitors wee . . of common devotion . ovr god and souldiers we alike adore ev'n at the brink of danger ; not before : after deliverance , both alike requited ; our god 's forgotten , and our souldier's slighted . . on the day of iudgement . o when shal that time come , whē the loud trump shall wake my sleeping ashes from the dump of their sad vrne ! that blessed day , wherein my glorifi'd , my metamorphiz'd skin shall circumplexe and terminate that fresh and new refined substance of this flesh ! when my transparent flesh , dischargd frō groan●s , and paynes , shall hang upon new polisht bones ! when as my body shall re-entertaine her cleansed soule , and never part againe ! vvhen as my soule shall , by a new indenture , possesse her new-built house , come down and enter ! vvhen as my body and my soule shall plight inviolable faith , and never fight nor wrangle more , ●or alcercat , agin , about that strife-begetting question , sin ! vvhen soule and body shall receive their doome of o yee blessed of my father , come ! vvhen death shall be exil'd , and damn'd to dwell vvithin her proper and true center , hell ! vvhere that old tempter shall be bound in chaynes , and over-whelm'd with everlasting paynes ; vvhilst i shall sit , and , in full glory , sing perpetuall anthems to my iudge , my king. . on death . vvhy should we not , as well , desier death , as sleep ? no diffrence , but a little breath : 't is all but rest ; 't is all but a releasing our tyred lims ; vvhy then not alike pleasing ? being burthen'd with the sorrowes of the day , vve wish for night ; which , being come , we lay our bodies downe ; yet when our very breath is yrkesome to us , w' are affraid of death : our sleepe is oft accompanied with ●rights , distracting dreames and dangers of the nights ; vvhen in the sheets of death , our bodie 's sure from all such evils , and we sleepe secure : vvhat matter , doune , or earth ? what boots it whether ? alas , our bodye's sensible of neither : things that are senslesse feele nor paynes nor ease ; tell me ; and why not wormes as well as fleas ? in sleepe , we know not whether our clos'd eyes shall ever wake ; from death w' are sure to rise : i , but 't is long first : o , is that our feares ? dare we trust god for nights ? and not for yeares ? . on the body of man. mans body 's like a house : his greater bones , are the maine timber ; and the lesser ones , are smaller splints : his ribs are laths , daubd o'er , plaister'd with flesh and bloud : his mouth 's the doore : his throat 's the narrow entry : and his heart is the great chamber , full of curious art : his midreife , is a large partition wall , 'twixt the great chamber , and the spacious hall : his stomacke is the kitchin , where the meate is often but halfe sod , for want of heate : his spleen 's a vessell , nature does allot to take the skimme , that rises from the pot : his lungs are like the bellowes that respire in ev'ry office , quickning ev'ry fire : his nose , the chimney is , whereby are vented such fumes , as with the bellowes are augmented : his bowels are the sinke , whose part 's to dr●ine all noysome filth , and keepe the kitchin cleane : his eyes like christall windowes cleare and bright lets in the ob●ect , and le ts out the sight : and as the timber is , or great or small , or strong or weake ; 't is apt to stand , or fall ; yet is the likelyest building sometimes knowne , to fall by obvious chances ; overthrowne , oft-times by tempests , by the full mouth'd blasts of heav'n ; sometimes by fire ; somtimes it wasts through unadvis'd neglect : put case , the stuffe were ruin-proofe ; by nature , strong enough , to conquer time and age : put case , it should ne'er know an end , alas , our leases would : what hast thou then , proud flesh and bloud , to boast ? thy dayes are ev'll , at best , ; but few , at most ; but sad , at merryest ▪ and but weake , at strongest ; vnsure , at surest ; and but short , at longest , . on the young man in the gospell . how well our saviour and the landed youth agreed a little while ? and , to say truth , had he had will and power in his hand , to keepe the law , but as he kept his land ; no doubt , his soule had found the sweet fruition of his owne choyce desires without petition : but he must sell and follow ; or else , not obtaine his heav'n : o now his heav'ns too hot : he cannot stay ; he has no businesse there : hee 'l rather misse , then buy his heav'n too deare : when broth 's too hot for hasty hounds , how they will licke their scalded lips , and sneake away ! . on mans goodnesse and gods love . god loves not man , because that man is good ; for man is sinfull , because flesh and blood : we argue false : it rather may behove us , to thinke us good , 'cause god thinks good to love us ▪ hee that shall argue up from man to god , takes but the paines to gather his owne rod : who from such premis●es , shall drawe's conclusion , makes but a syllogisme of his owne confusion . . on mans plea. mans plea to man , is , that he never more will begge , and that he never begg'd before : mans plea to god , is , that he did obtaine a former suit , and therefore sues againe . how good a god we serve ; that when we sue , makes his old gifts th'examples of his new ! . on furio. fvrio will not forgiue ; furio beware : furio will curse himselfe in the lords prayer . . on martha and mary . martha , with joy , receiv'd her blessed lord ; her lord she welcoms , feasts , and entertains : mary sa●e silent ▪ heares , but speakes no word ; martha takes all , and mary takes no paines : mary's to heare ▪ to feast him martha's care is ; now which is greater , martha's love , or mary's ? martha is full of trouble , to prepare ; martha respects his good beyond her owne : mary sits still at ease , and takes no care ; mary desires to please her selfe , alone : the pleasure's maryes ; martha's all the care is ; now which is greater , martha's love , or maryes ? t is true ; our blessed lord was martha's guest ; mary was his ; and , in his feast , delighted : now which hath greater reason to love best , the bountifull invitor , or th'invited ? sure , both lov'd well ; but mary was the detter , and therefore should , in reason , love the better ▪ marye's was spirituall ; martha's love was carnall ; t'one kist his hand ; the other , but the glove : as far as mortall is beneath eternall , so far is martha's lesse then marye's love : how blest is he , great god , whose heart remembers marye's to thee ; and martha's to thy members ! . on our blessed saviour . we often read our blessed saviour wept ; but never laught , and seldome that he slept : ah , sure his heavy eyes did wake , ●●d weepe for us that sin , so oft , in mirth , and sleepe . . on sinnes . si●●es , in respect of man , all mortall be ; all veniall , iesu , in respect of thee . . on mans behaviour to god. vve use our god , as vs'rers doe their bands ; we often beare him in our hearts , our hands ▪ his paths are beaten , and his wayes are trod , so long as hee 's a profitable god : but when the money 's paid , the profit 's taken , our bands are cancel'd , and our god 's forsaken . . on mans cruelty . and da●'st thou venture still to live in sin , and crucifie thy dying lord agin ? were not his pangs sufficient ? must he bleed yet more ? o , must our sinfull pleasures feed vpon his torments ; and augment the story of the sad passion of the lord of glory ! is there no pitty ? is there no remorse in humane brests ? is there a firme di●ors● betwixt all mercy , and the hearts of men ? parted for ever ? ne'r to meet agen ? no mercy bides with us : ' ●is thou , alone , hast it , sweet jesu , for us , that have none for thee : thou hast ●ore-stal'd our markets so , that all 's above , and we have none below : nay , blessed lord , we have not wherewithall to serve our shiftlesse selves , unlesse we call to thee , that art our saviour , and hast power to give , and whom we crucifye , each hower : w' are cruell ( lord ) to thee , and our selves too ; iesv forgive's ; we know not what we doe . . mans progresse . the earth is that forbiden tree that growes i th' midst of paradise ; her fruit that showes so sweet , so faire , so pleasing to the eyes , is worldly pleasure in a faire disguize : the flesh suggests : the fruit is ●aire and good apt to make wise , and a delicious food ; it hath a secret vertue , wherewithall to make you gods ; and not to dye at all . man ●asts , and ●empts the frailty of his brother ; his brother eats ; one bits calls on another : his guilty conscience opes his eyes ; he sees , he sees his ●mpty nakednesse ▪ and flees ; he sti●ches slender fig-leaves , and does frame poore arguments t'●xcuse his sin , his shame : but in the cooler evening of his dayes , the voyce calls adam : adam's in a maze : his consci●nce bids him run : the voyce pursues ; poore ad●m trembles , ere he knowes the newes : adam must quit the garden , lest he strive to tast the saving tree of life , and live ; poore man must goe ; but whether is he bound ? ev'n to the place from whence he came , the ●round . . on the two great flouds . two flouds i read of ; water , and of wine ; the first was noahs ; lot , the last was thine : the first was the effect ▪ the last , the cause of that foule sin , against the sacred lawes of god and nature , incest : noah found an arke to save him , but poore lot was drownd ; good n●ah found an arke ; but l●t found none : w' are safer in gods hands then in our owne : the former flood of waters did extend but some few dayes ; this latter ha's no end ; they both destroy'd , i know not which the worst : the last is ev'n as gen'rall , as the first : the first being ceas'd ; the world began to fill ; the last depopulates , and wasts it still : both flouds ore welm'd both man and beast together ; the last is worst , if there be best of either : the first are ceas'd : heav'n vow'd it by a signe ; when shall we se● a rainebow after wine ? . on fuca. fvca ▪ thou quo●'●t the scriptures on thy side , and maks● rebec●a patronize ●hy pride ; thou say'st that she wore ear-rings : did she so ? know this withall , she bore the pitcher too : thou may'st , like h●r , we●re ear-rings , if thy pride can stoope to what , rebecca did beside . . on abrahams servant . this faithfull servant will not feed , u●till he doe his trust-reposing masters will : there 's many , now , that will not eat before they speed their masters work : they 'l drink the more . . on alexander . no marvell , thou great monarch , did'st complaine and weep , there were no other worlds to gaine ; thy griefes and thy complaints were not amisse ; h 'as griefe enough , that findes no world but this . . on rash iudgement . ivdge not too fast : this tree that does appeare so barren , may be fruitfull the next yeare : hast thou not patience to expect the hower ? i feare thy owne are crabs they be so ●ower : thy judgement oft may tread beside the text ; a saul to day , may prove a paul , the next . . on iacobs purchase . how poore was iacobs motion , and how strang● his offer ! how unequall was th' exchange ! a messe of porrage for inheritance ? why could not hungry e●au strive t'enhaunce his price a little ? so much und●rfoot ? well might he give him bread and drink to boot : an easie price ! the case is even our owne ; for toyes we often sell our heaven , our crowne . . on esau. what hast thou done ? nay what shal esau do ? lost both his birthright , and his blessing too ! what hath poore esau left , but empty teares , and plaints , that cannot reach the old mans eares ? what with thy fathers diet , and thine owne , thy birthright's aliend , and thy blessing 's gone : how does one mischiefe overtake an other : in both , how overtaken by a brother ? could thy imperious stomack but have stay'd , and if thy fathers had not bin delay'd , thou had'st not need have wept and pleaded so , but kept thy birthright , and thy blessing too : had thy unprosp'rous , thy unlucky hand dispatch'd thy venz'on , as it did thy land , thy sorrowes had not made so great a heape , that had not bin so deare ; nor this , so cheape : had thine given place but to thy fathers will , thad'st had thy birthright ; and thy blessing still . . on the absence of a blessing . the blessing gon , what do's there now remaine ? esau's offended ; iacob must be slaine : the heart of man once emptyed of a grace , how soone the devill jostles in the place ! . on the younger brother . i know , the elder and the yonger , too , are both alike to god ; nor one , nor other can plead their yeares , but yet we often doe observe , the blessing 's on the yonger brother : the scripture notes it , but does spare to show a reason ; therefore , i despaire to know . . on kain . before that monster spilt his brothers blood , w'●re sure the fourth part of the world was good : o , what a dearth of goodnes did there grow , when the fourth part was murd'red at a blow ! . on the righteous man. promise is d●tt : and det implyes a payment : how can the righteous , then dout food , & raymēt ? . on faith , love , and charity . by nature faith is fiery , and it tends still upward : love , by native course , descends : but charity , whose nature doth confound and mixe the former two , moves ever round : lord , let thy love descend , and then the fire of sprightly faith shall kindle , and aspire : o , then , my circling charity shall move in proper motion , mixt of faith and love. . on iacobs pillow . the bed , was earth : the raised pillow , stones , whereon poore iacob rests his head , his bones ; heav'n was his canopy ; the shades of night were his drawne curtaines , to exclude the light : poore state for isacks heyre ! it seemes to me , his cattell found as soft a bed , as hee : yet god appeared there , his ioy , his crowne ; god is not alway seene in beds of doune : o , if that god shall please to make my bed , i care not where i rest my bones , my head ; with thee , my wants can never proove extreame ; with iacobs pillow , give me iacobs dreame . . on faith. faith do's acknowledge gifts , altho we have not ; it keepes unseene those sins , confession hid not ; it makes us to enjoy the goods we have not ; it counts as done , those pious deeds , we did not ; it workes ; endowes ; it freely ●accepts ; it hides : what grace is absent where true faith abides ? ▪ on zacheus . me thinks , i see , with what a busie hast , zacheus climb'd the tree : but , o , how fast how full of speed , canst thou imagine ( when our saviour call'd ) he powder'd downe agen ! he ne'r made tryall if the boughes were sound , or rotten ; nor how far 't was to the ground : there was no danger fear'd : at such a call , hee 'l venture nothing , that dare feare a fall : needs must he downe , by such a spirit driven ▪ nor could he fall , unlesse he fell to heaven : downe came zacheus , ravisht from the tree ; bird that was shot , ne'r dropt so quicke as he . . on the thiefe and slanderer . the thiefe , and sland'rer are almost the same ; t'one steales my goods ; the tother , my good name : t'one lives in scor●e ; the other dies in shame . . on abram● pleading for sodome . how loth was righteous abraham to cease , to beat the price of lustfull s●doms peace ! marke how his holy boldnesse intercepts gods iustice ; brings his mercy downe , by steps : he dare not bid so few as ten , at first ; nor yet from fifty righteous persons , durst his zeale , on sudden , make too great a fall , although he wisht salvation to them all . great god : thy dying son has pow'r to cleare a world of sinnes , that one shall no● appeare before thine angry eyes : what wonder then , to see thee fall , from fifty downe to ten ! . on mans goodnesse . thy hand , great god , created all things good ; but man rebell'd , and in defiance stood against his owne creation , and did staine , nay lost that goodnesse which the beasts retaine ▪ what ●ap ha's man , poore man , above the rest , that hath lesse goodnesse left him , then a beast ! . on zacheus . short-legg'd zacheu● ▪ 't was the happiest tree that ever mortall climb'd ; i meane , to thee : thy paynes in going up , receiv'd the crowne of all thy labour , at thy comming downe : thy statures lownesse gave thee faire occasion to mount that tree ; that tree , to find salvation : but was 't the tree , zacheus ? no , t' was hee , whose bleeding body dy'd upon the tree . . on the roman , turke , and atheist . the roman worships god upon the wall ; the turke , a false god ; th' atheist , none at all . . on babels building . great god , no sooner borne , but we begin babels accurs'd foundation , by our sin : our thoughts , our words , our deeds are ever yeelding the sad materials of our sinfull building : should not thy grace prevent it , it would even rise , and rise up , untill it reach'd to heaven : lord , ere our building shall begin to show , confound our language , and our building too ▪ . on the theife and the lyer . the lyer and the thiefe have one vocation ; their difference is but only in their fashion : they both deceive ; but diversly proceed ; the first deceives by word ; the last , by deed. . on the egyptians famine . marke but the course the pin'de egyptians run : when all their coyn , when all their corn is done : they come to ioseph , and their stomacks plead ; they chāge their beasts for corn , their flocks for bread , yet still they want : observe what now they doe ; they give their lands , and yeeld their bodies too : now they have corne enough ; and now , they shall have seed to sow their barren soyle withall ; provided that the fi●t of their encrease be pharoe's : now their stomacks are at peace : thus when the famine of the word shall strike our hungry soules ; our soules must doe the like : we first must part with , ( as by their directions ) our flocks , our beasts , our bestiall affections ; when they are gone , what then must sinners doe ? give up their lands , their soules , and bodies too : o , then our hearts shall be refresht and fed , wee shall have seed to sowe , and present bread : allowing but the fift of our encrease , wee shall have plenty , and our soules have peace ▪ how art thou pleas●d , good god , that man shold live ! how slow art thou to take ! how free to give ! . on zacheus . well climb'd , zacheus ; 't was a step well given ; frō hence toth tree ; & frō the tree to heavē ! . on the plough-man . i heare the whistling plough-man , all day long , sweetning his labour with a chearefull song : his bed's a pad of straw ; his dyet , course ; in both , he fares not better then his horse : he seldome slakes his thirst , but from the pumpe , and yet his heart is blithe ; his visage , plumpe ▪ his thoughts are nere acquainted with such things . as griefes or feares ; he onely sweats , and sings : when as the landed lord , that cannot dine without a qualme , if not refresht with wine ; that cannot judge that controverted case , 'twixt meat & mouth , without the bribe of sauce ▪ that claimes the service to the purest linnen , to pamper and to shroud his dainty skin in , groanes out his dayes , in lab'ring to appease the rage of either buisnes , or disease : alas , his silken robes , his costly diet can lend a little pleasure , but no quiet : the untold summes of his descended wealth can give his body plenty , but not health : the one , in paynes , and want , possesses all ; t'other , in plenty , findes no peace at all ; 't is strange ! and yet the cause is easly knowne ; tone's at gods finding ; t'other , at his owne . . on a happy kingdome . that kingdome , and none other , happy is , where moses , and his aar●n meet , and kisse . . on gods appearance to moses . g●● first appeard ●o moses , in the myre ; the next time he appeard , h●appeard in fire ; the third time , he was knowne to moses eye vpon mount sinai , cloath'd in maiestie . thrice god appeares to man : first , ●allowing in his ●oule pollution , and base myre of sin ; and like to pharoes daughter do'es bemone our helplesse state , and drawes us , for his owne : the next ●ime , he ●ppeares in fyre , whose bright and gentle flames consume not , but give light ; it is the fire of grace ; where man is bound to d'off his sh●●●s , because 't is holy ground : the last apparance shall be in that mount , where every soule shall render an account of good or evill ; where all things transitory shall cease ▪ & grace be crownd with perfect glory . . on gods law. thy sacred law , o god , is like to mo●es ●od● if wee 〈◊〉 i● i● our hand , it will doe wonders in the land ; if wee sleight and throw it to the ground ; 't will 〈…〉 a wound that flesh and blood cannot endure , nor salve , untill the brazen serpent cure : i wish not , lord , thou sholds● ●ithold it ; nor wold i have it , and not hold it : o ●each me the●● my god ▪ to handle mos●s rod. . on pharo●●s b●icke . ovr god 's not like to pha●o● ; to require his 〈…〉 for fi●e : his workemen wanted straw , and yet were lasht , for not performance : we have straw unthrasht , yet we are idl● , and we w●●ch , and kicke against our burthens , and returne no bricke : we spend our 〈…〉 the s●abl● , and then we cry ▪ alas ! w● are not able ; thinke not on isra●ls sufferings , in that day , when thy offended justice shall repay our labo●● ; lord ▪ when 〈…〉 thinke , 〈◊〉 was a tyrant ; thou ▪ a ●od . . on the insa●iablenesse of mans heart . this globe of earth ha's not the pow'r to fill the heart of man , but it desi●rs still : by him that seekes , the cause is easly found ; the heart 's triangular ; the earth is round ; he may be full ; but , never to the brim be fill●d with earth , till earth be fill'd with him . . on pharoe's ●ard-heartednes . plag●es after plagues ? and yet not pharoh yeeld t' enlarge poore israel ? was thy heart so steel'd , rebellious tyrant , that it dare withstand the oft repeated iudgements of heav'ns hand ? could neither mercies oyle , nor iudgements thunder dissolve , nor breake thy ●linty heart in sunder ? no , no , what sun beames soften not , they harden ; purpos'd rebellions are asleepe to pardon . . on the change of pharoe's fortunes . observe what peace great pharo's kingdom found while ioseph liv'd ; what blessi●gs●round ●round his happy dayes ! heav'ns plague-inf●icting hand was then a stranger to his peacefull land : peace was ent●yl'd upon his royall thron● ; his land had plenty , when the world had none ; his full desiers over-flowd their brim , favo●rs cam● downe unask●t , unsought by him : his scepter florish'd , from a god unknown● , no need to tro●ble any of his owne : while ioseph liv'd , his blessings had no end ; that god was his , whil'st he was iosephs frend : these temp'rall blessings heav'n doth , often , share vnto the wicked , at the good-mans prayer : but ioseph dyes : and ios●phs sons must fall beneath their burthens , and be scourg'd withall ; whilst tyrant pharoh's more severer hand keeps them laborious pris'ners in his land : god oft permits his children to be hurld into distresse , to weane them from the world : but pharohs blessings alter with his brow ; the budding scepter 's turn'd a serpent now : his land must groan ; her plagues must still encrease , till iacobs off-spring shall find iacobs peace ; gods children are the apples of his eye , whose touch is death , if beeing toucht , they cry : now tyrant pharoh dares no longer chuse , israel must goe : pharoh , repents , pursues ; pharoh wants brick ; pharoh , ere long , i feare , will find the purchase of his brick too deare : moses holds forth his rod : the seas divide ; the waves are turn'd to walls on either side : they passe secure ; pharoh pursues them still : god leaves his children to the brunt of ill : the chariot - wheeles flye off , the harnesse cracks ; one wants a nayle ; the next , a hammer lacks : how man is cross'd and puzzel'd in that plot , where heav'n denyes successe , and prospers not ! moses holds forth his rod : the easterne wind calls backe the tydes : the parted waters ioynd , and overwhelmd great pharo and pharoes host ; none scap'd to ●ell the newes : all drownd , and lost : thus thrives rebellion : plagues , nor doing good , oft-times conclude their ceremony in blood : thus hardned hearts grow more and more obdure ; and heav'n cuts off , when earth is most secure . . on the first born● . the fir●● borne of th' egyptians all were slaine , from him that holds the scepter to the swayne : but all that are first-borne in israel , be accepted , lord , and sancti●ied to thee : thy lookes are always turn'd upon the prime of all our actions , words , our thoughts , our time ; thy pleased eye is fixt upon the first ; and from the womb w' are thine , or else accurst . . on baptized infants . i dare not judge those iudgements , ill advis'd , that hold such infants sa●'d , as dye , baptiz'd . what hinders life ? originall hath bin new was●t away ; there 's yet , no actuall sin : death is th' effect of sin : the cause being gon , what ground is lef● for death to worke upon ? i know not : but of israels sons 't is found , moses was sav'd ; i read that none was drownd . . on the grumbling israelites . no sooner out , but grumble ? is the brick so soone forgotten ? 't is a common trick : serve god in plenty ? egypt can doe thus ▪ no thankes to serve our god , when god serves us : some sullen curres , when they perceive a bone , will wagg their tayles and faune ; but snarle , if none . . on mans rebellion . o , how perverse is flesh and bloud ! in whom rebellion blossomes from the very wombe ! what heav'n commands , how lame we are to do ! and things forbid how soone perswaded t● we never read rebellio●s israel did bow to strange gods , till israel was forbid . . on israel . had israel , in her want , been truely humbled , isr'el had prayd , & ground to heav'n ; not grumbled : but isr'el wanted food . isr'els complaint could not be servent , isr'el being faint : isr'el gets food : now isr'el is so full , that her devotion , and her zeale is dull : lord when art thou in season ? when 's the time , to doe thee service ? when 's our zeale in prime ? 't is alwayes either not full ripe or wasting : we can not serve our god nor full nor fasting . . on the sinners refuge . he that shall shed , with a presumptuous hand , the blood of man ; must , by thy just command be put to death : the murtherer must dye ; thy law denyes him refuge where to flye : great god our hands have slain a man ; nay further , they have commit●ed a presumptuous murther , vpon a guiltles man ; na● , what is worse , they have betraid our brother to the curse of a reproachfull death ▪ nay , what exceeds , it is our lord , our dying saviour bleeds : nay more ; it is thy son ; thy only son ; all this have we , all this our hands have done : on what deare obiects shall we turne our eye ? looke to the law ? o , by the law , we dye : is there no refuge , lord ? no place that shall secure our soules from death ? a● , none at all ? what shall poore mortals do ? thy lawes are j●st , and most irrevocable : shall we trust or flye to our owne merits , and ●e freed by our good workes ? i ; there were helpe indeed ! is there no city for a soule to flye , and save it selfe : must we resolve to dye ? o infinite ! o ( not to be exprest ? ) nay , not to be conceived by the brest of men or angels ! o transcendent love ! incomprehensible ! as farre above the reach of man , as mans deserts are under the sacred benefit of so ●lest a wonder ! that very blood our sinfull hands have shed , cryes loud for mercy , and those wounds do plead for those that made them : he that pleades , forgives ; and is both god and man ; both dead , and lives ; he , whom we murther'd , is become our g●arden ; hee 's man , to suffer ; and hee 's god to pardon : here 's our protection ; here , our refuge city , whose living springs run piety and pitty : goe then , my soule , and passe the common bounds of passion , goe , and kneele before his wounds ; go touch them with thy lips : thou needst not feare ; they will not bleed afresh , though thou be there : but if they doe , that very blood , thou spilt , beleev 't , will plead thy pardon , not thy guil● . . on the deposing of princes . i know not by what vertue rome deposes a christian prince : did aaron command moses ? if sacred scriptures mention such a thing , sure rome has colour to depose a king. . on peters keyes . the pow'r of peter does all pow'r excell ; he opens heav'n ; he shuts the doores of hell : the keyes are his ; in what a ●a●e were they , should peters● successors mist●ke the k●y ? . on offrings . are all such offrings , as are crusht , and bruis'd , forbid thy altar ? may they not be us'd ? and must all broken things be set apart ? no , lord : thou wilt accept a broken heart . on vsurers . of all men , vs'rers are not least accurst ; they robb the spittle , pinch th' afflicted worst . in others griefe they 'r most delighted in ; whilst givers suffer for the takers sin : o how unjust a trade of life is that , which makes the lab'rers leane ; and th' idle , fat ! . on repentance . canst th●● recover thy consumed flesh , from the well-feasted wormes ? or put on fresh ? canst thou redeeme thy ashes from the dead ? or quit thy carkas from her sheet of lead ? canst thou awaken thy earth-closed eyes ? vnlock thy marble monument , and rise ? all this thou mayst performe , with as great ease , as to repent thee , mortall , when thou please : it is thy grave , not bed that thou art in : th' art not asleepe , but thou art dead in sin. . on wine and water . nature and grace , who ever tasted both , differ as much , as wine and water doth : this clenses , ( if not grosly stayn'd with sin ) the outward man : but scowers not , within : that cheares the heart , & makes the courage bold , quickens and warmes dead spirits that are cold : it fires the blood , and makes the soule divine : o ●hat my water , lord , were turnd to wine ! . on balams asse . the asse , that for her slownesse , was ●orbid to be imployed in gods service , did per●orme good service now , in being slow : the asse received stripes , but would not goe : she bau●kd the way , and balam could not guid her : the asse had farre more wisedome then the rider : the message being bad , the asse was loth to be the bearer : 't was a happy sloth ; 't was well for balam : had his asse but tryde another step , balam had surely dy'd : poore asse ! and was thy faithfull service payd with oft-repeated strokes ? hadst thou obayd , thy lord had bought thy travell , with his blood : such is mans payment , often , bad for good : the asse begins to question with his master , argues the case , pleads why he went no faster : nay , shewes him myst'ries , far beyond his reach ▪ sure , godwants prophets , when dull asses preach : the asse perceives the angel , and fals downe ; when balam sees him not ; or ●ees , unknowne : nor is 't a wonder : for gods spirit did passe from blindfold balam , into balams asse . . on some raw divines . some raw divines , no sooner are espous'd to their first wives , and in the temple hous'd , but straight the peace is broke : they now begin t' appoint the field , to fight their battailes in : school-men must war with school men ; text with text : the first 's the chaldee's paraphrase ; the next the septuagints : opinion thwarts opinion ; the papist holds the first ; the last , th' arminian ; and then the councells must be call'd t'advice , what this of lateran sayes ; what that of nice : and here the poynt must be anew disputed ; arrius is false ; and bellarmine's confuted : thus with the sharpe artill'ry of their wit , they shoot at random , carelesse where they hit : the slightly studied fathers must be prayd , although on small acquaintance , in to ayd , whose glorious varnish must impose a glosse vpon their paint , whose gold must gild their drosse : now martine luther must be purg'd by them , from all his errors , like a school-boyes theame ; free-wil's disputed , consubstantiation ▪ and the deepe ocean of predestination , where , daring venter , oft , too far into 't , they , pharo like , are drownd both horse and foot : forgetting that the sacred law enioynes new-married men to sit beneath their vines , and cheare their wives : they must not venter out to warre , untill the yeare be run about . . on buying of the bible . t is but a folly to rejoyce , or boast , how smal a price , thy wel-bought pen'worth cost : vntill thy death , thou shalt not fully know whether thy purchase be good cheap , or no ; and at that day , beleev 't , it will appeare , if not extreamely cheape , extreamely deare . . on the buying of the new testament . reader , if thou wilt prove no more then what i terme thee , ev'n before thou aske the price , turne backe thine eye ; if otherwise , unclaspe , and buy : know then , the price of what thou buy'st , is the deare blood of iesus christ ; which price is over-deare to none , that dares protect it with his owne : if thou stand guilty of the price , ev'n save thy purs-strings , and be wise : thy mony will but , in conclusion , make purchase of thy owne confusion : but if that guilt be done away , thou mayst as safely buy , as pay . . to my booke . my little pinnace , strike thy sayles , let slippe thy anchor ? the vvin●e fayles : and sea-men oft , in calmes doe feare that foule , and boy ●●rous ●●ather's neare ; if a 〈◊〉 storme should rise and bl●●●er from censorious eyes , although the swelling vva●es be rough , and proud , thy 〈◊〉 sa●e enough : rest , rest a while , ●ill ●bbing tides shall make thee stanch , and breme thy sides ; when vvinds shall serve , hoyst up thy sayle , and flye before a prosp'rous gale ▪ that all the coasters may resort , and bid thee welcome to thy port . the end of the first booke . divine fancies . the second booke . . to almighty god. lord , thou requir'st the first of all our time , the first of all our actions , and the prime of all our thoughts ; and , lord , good reason , we , when thou giv'st all , should give the first to thee : but o , we often rob thee of thy due , like elies children , whom thy vengeance slue : we pinch thy offring to enlarge our fee ; we keepe the fat , and carve the leane to thee : we thrust our three-tooth'd flesh-hook in thy pot , that only , what the flesh-hook taketh not , we share to thee : lord , we are still deceiving ; we take the prime , and feed thee with our leaving : our sluttish bowles are cream'd with soile & filth , our wheat is full of chaffe ; of tares , our tilth : lord , what in flesh and blood can there be had , that 's worth the having , when the best is bad , here 's nothing good , unlesse thou please to make it ; o , then , if ought be worth the taking , take it . . on gods dyet . deare lord ; when wee approch thy sacred fire , to burne our sacrifice , thou do'st require the heads of ev'ry beast that dyes ; the hearts ; th'enclosed fat● ; and all the inward parts : our senses and our memories must be , all set apart and sanctifi'd to thee ; the strength of our desires , the best perfections of our imperfect wills , the choyce aflections of our refined hearts must all conjoyne to seeke thy glory : they must all be thine : i know thy dyet , lord ; of all the rest , thou do'st affect the head and pur●nance , best . . on moses birth and death . vve read ; no sooner new-borne moses crept into this vale of teares , but th'infant wept ; but , being warned of his death , his last , we find it storied , that he sung as fast : these sev'rall passions found their reason , why ; he dy'd to live , but he was borne to dye : to whom this transitory life shall bring just cause to weepe ; there , death gives cause to sing . . on ieptha's vow . victorious ieptha , could thy zeale allow no other way , then by a rash-made vow , t' expresse thy thanks ? a vow , whose undertaking was ev'n a sin more odious , then the making : 't was cruell piety that taught thee how to paddle in thy da●ghters blood : but thou , vnlucky virgin ! was there none to ●e ▪ betwixt thy fathers mortall brow ▪ and thee ? why cam'st thou forth , sweet virgin ? to what end mad'st thou such needlesse hast ? thou cam'st , to lend thy filiall triumph to thy fathers wreath ; thou thought'st to meet a blessing , and not death : rash ieptha ▪ may not thy repentance quit that vow , when rashnesse was the cause of it ? o canst thou not dispence with that , wherein ▪ thy strict religion 's a presumptuous sin ? is she unhappy , or thou cruell rather ? vnhappy child ▪ and too too cruell father . . on jesus and sampson . an angel did to m●no●hs wife appeare , and brought the news her barren womb should beare : did not another angel , if not he , thrice blessed virgin , bring the same to thee ? the wife of m●no●h ( nine moneths being run ) her he●v'n-saluted womb brought forth a son : to thee , sweet virgin , full of grace and heaven , a child was borne , to us a son was given : the name of hers was sampson , borne to fight for captiv'd israel , and a nazarite : thine was a naz'rite too , and bor●e to ease us from sathans bur●hens , and his name is iesus : s●●pson espons'd , and tooke in marriage her that was the child of an idolater ; our iesus tooke a wife , that bow'd the knee and ●orshipt unknown● 〈◊〉 ; as well as she : assaulted sa●pso● me● , and had to doe vvith ● fierce lyon ; ●oyld , and 〈◊〉 him too : our conquering iesus purchas'd higher fame ; his arme encountred death ▪ and overcame ▪ 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 but what ! is sampson singular in this ? did not our iesus doe the like to his ? sampson propounds a riddle , and does hide the folded myst'ry in his faithles bride : our blessed iesus propounds riddles too , too hard for man , his bride unsought , t' undoe : the bride forsakes her sampson ; do's betroth her to a new love , and falsly weds another : and did not the adult'rous iewes forgoe their first love iesus , and forsake him too ? displeased sampson had the choyce to wed the younger sister in the elders stead : displeased jesus had espous'd the younger ; god send her fairer ; and affections stronger : sampson sent foxes on his fiery errant , among their corn , & made their crim●s his warrant : offended jesus shewes as able signes of wrath : his foxes have destroyd their vines : our sampsons love to delilah was such , that for her sake poore sampson suffer'd much : our jesus had his delilah : for her his soule became so great a s●ff●r●r . sampson was s●bject to their scorne and shame : and was not jesus even the very same ? sampson's betrayd to the philistians hands , vvas bound a while , but quickly brake his bands : jesus the first , and s●cond day , could be the graves clos● pris'ner ; but , the third was free : in this they differ'd ; jesus dying breath cry'd out for life ; but sampsons cald for death : father forgive them ; did our jesus crye ; but sampson , let me be reveng'd and dye : since then , sweet saviour , t is thy death must ease us , we flye from sampson , and appeale to iesus . . on elyes double ●ensure . vvhen barren hanna , prostrate on the floore , in heat of zeale and passion , did implore redresse from heav'n , censorions ely thought she had beene drunk , and checkt her for her fault ; rough was his censure , and his check , aus●ere ; where mildnesse should be us'd , w' are oft severe . but when his lustfull sonnes , that could abuse the house of god , making her porch their stues , appear'd before him , his indulgent tongue compounded rather then rebuk'd the wrong ; he dare not shoot , for feare he wound his childe ; where we should be severe , w' are oft too milde : vnequall ely ! was thy sentence iust , to censure zeale , and not to punish lust ? could thy parentall mildnesse but have past the former by as eas'ly , as the last , or had the last , by just proportion , bin rated but like the first supposed sin , perchance thy aged head had found encrease of some few dayes , and gone to sleepe , in peace : passions misplac'd are dangerous : let all remember elies faults , with elies fall. . on the refining of gold. hast thou observed how the curious hand of the refiner seekes to understand the inadult'rate purenesse of his gold ? he waighs it first , and after does infold in lead ; and then , commits it ●o the fire ; and , as the lead consumes , the gold drawes ●igher to his perfection , without wast or losse of his pure substanc● , but his waight , his drosse : the great refiner of mans baser heart vses the like , nay showes the selfe-same art ; he weighs it , first , and finding it too full of trash and earth , he wraps it in some dull and leaden crosse , of punishment , or sin ; then , tryes it in afflictions fire ; wherein , the lead and drosse evaporate together , and leaves the heart refin'd , and quit of ●ither : thus though mans heart be lessen'd by the crosse , and lighter ; 't is but lighter by the drosse . . on dagon and the arke . what newes with dagon ? is thy shrine so hot , thou canst not keepe it ? or has dagon got the falling sicknes , that his godship's found on such a posture , prostrate on the gro●nd ? poore helplesse god! but stay ! is dagon growne so weake ith'hamms : nor stand , nor rise , alone ? a god , and cannot rise ? t is very odde ! he must have help , or lye : a proper god! well , dagon must requier helpe of hands ; vp dagon go●s the second time , and stands as confident as though his place had bin his owne , in fee : downe dagon falls agin : but dagon's shrewdly martyr'd with the jumpe , lost hands and head ; and nothing left but stumpe : sure , all 's not well with dagon , now a late ; hee 's either sicke , or much forgot the state , belonging to so great a god : has none offer'd some stinking sacrifice , or blowne some nauseous fume into his sacred nose , and made his god-ship dizzy ? or who knowes , perchance h 'as taken pett , and will resigne his sullen place , and quitt his empty shrine : no wonder , a false god should stoope , and lye vpon the floore when as a true god's by : it was unlikely dagon should forbeare respite of homage , when the arke was there : if i would worship a false god at all , it should be one that would not scorne to fall before his betters : whose indiff'rent arme , if it could doe no good , could doe no harme ; i 'd rather choose to bend my idle knee , of all false gods , to such a god as hee , whose spirit 's not too quick : the fabulous frogg found greater danger in the stork , then logge : and to conclude , i 'd choose him , dagon-like , not having head , to plot ; nor hand , to strike . . on saul and david . svre , saul as little lookd to be a king , as i : and david dreamd of such a thing , as much as he ; when both alike did keepe , the one his fathers asses ; t'other , sheepe : saul must forsake his whip : and david flings his crooke aside ; and they must both be kings : saul had no sword ; and david , then , no speare , there was none conquer'd , nor no conqu'ror there ; there was no sweat ; there was no blood , to shed ; the unsought crowne besought the wearers head ; there was no stratagem ; no opposition ; no taking parts ; no jealous competition : there needs no art ; there needs no sword to bring , and place the crown , where god appoints the king. . on david and goliah . sathan's the great goliah , that so boasts and threats our israel , and defyes her hosts : those smoother stones couragious david tooke from the soft bosome of the silver brooke , are scriptum ests : the sling , that gives them flight , is faith ; that makes them flye , and flye aright : lord , lend me davids sling , and then i know , i shall have davids strength and courage too ; give me but skill to pick such stones , as these , and i will meet goliah , when he please . . on sauls witch . when saul receiv'd no answer down frō heav'n how quickly was his jealous passion driven a despr'ate course ! he needs must cure the itch of his extreame desiers , by a witch : when wee have lost our way to god , how levell , how easie to be found 's the way toth ' divell . . on the necessity of gods presence . vvhen thou wert present with thy strengthning grace , saul prophesied , and fought : but when , great god , thou didst with-draw thy face , murther was in his thought : thus , as thou giv'st , or tak'st away thy hand , we either fall , or stand . . davids epitaph on jonathan . here lyes the fairest flowre , that stood ▪ in isr'els garden ; now , in blood ; which , death to make her girland gay , hath cropt , against her triumph day : here , here lies hee , whose actions pen'd the perfect copie of a frend : whose milke-white vellam did incurre no least suspition of a blurre : here lyes th' example of a br●ther , not to be follow'd by another ; the faire indented counter-part of davids joy , of davids heart : rest then ; for ●ver , rest alone ; thy ashes can be touch'd by none , till death hath pickt one such another : here lyes a flow'r , a friend , a brother . . on gods word . gods sacred w●rd is like the lampe of day , which softens wax , but makes obdure the clay ; it either melts the heart , or more obdures ; it never falls in vaine ; it wounds , or cures : lord , make my brest thy hive , and then i know , thy bees will bring in waxe and honey too . . on man. by nature , lord , men worse then nothing be ; and lesse then n●thing , if compar'd with thee ; if lesse and worse then nothing , tell me than , where is that s●mthing , thou so boasts , proud man ? . on ahaz●diall mans heart 's like ahaz diall ; if it flees not forward ; it goes backward ten degrees . . on lust. lvst is an ignis fatuus , that arises from the base earth , that playes her wanton prizes , in solitary hearts , and ever haunts darke places , whose deceitfull flame inchaunts the wandring steps of the diverted stranger , still tempting his mis-guided feet to danger : she never leaves , till by her faire delusion , shee brings him headlong to his owne confusion . . on thamar and ammon . she must be lov'd ; then courted ; and what more ? enjoy'd ; then hated ; then expeld the dore : ammon must be discov'red ; must obtaine license to feast ; and then , be drunke ; then slaine : o what repose is had in sinfull breath , whose love , in hate ; whose mirth cōcludes in death ! . on love and lust. they 'r wide , that take base lust , for loves halfe-brother , yeelding two fathers , but the selfe same mother : lust is a monster , that 's conceiv'd and bred of the abused will ; maintain'd , and fed with sensuall thoughts ; of nature rude , uncivill ; of life , robustious ; and whose sire 's the devill : but love 's the childe of th' uncorrupted will , nourisht with vertue , poys'ned with the swill of base respects ; of nature , sweet and milde ; in manners , gentle ; eas'ly knowne ▪ whose childe ; for , by the likenesse , ev'ry eye may gather , that he 's the off-spring of a heav'nly father : this , suffers all things ; that , can suffer nothing ; this , never ends ; that , ever ends in loathing : t'one loves the darknesse most : the other , light : the last's the childe of day ; the first , of night ; the one is meeke ; the other , full of fyre ; this never laggs ; that ever apt to tyre ; t'one's rash and furious ; t'other milde and sage ; that dies with youth ; whilst this survives with age ; the one's couragious ; tother full of feares ; that seekes ; the other baulks both eyes and eares : in briefe , to know them both aright , and misse not ; in all respects , t'one is , what to'ther is not : so farre from brothers , that they seeme disioyn'd , not in condition only , but in kinde : admit a falshood : that they had one mother , the best that l●st can claime 's a bastard brother ▪ great god , must thou be conscious of that name , which jealous mortals ●ount the height of shame ? and not thy nuptiall bed alone defil'd , but to be charged with the base-borne childe ? and yet not mov'd ? and yet not move thy rod ? hast thou not cause to be a iealous god ? can thy just iealousies , great god , be grounded on mans disloyalty , not man confounded ? . on a tinder-boxe . my soule is like to tinder , whereinto the devill strikes a sparke , at ev'ry blow ; my heart 's the flint ; the steele temptation is ; and his suggestions hit , and never misse : his hand is sure ; my tinder apt to catch , soone sets on fier ev'ry profer'd match . . on achitophel . sage were thy counsels , and as well apply'd , if thou hadst had but loyalty on thy side : i like thy last designe ( above the rest ) when thou hadst set thy house in order , best ; in all exploits , the rule is not so ample , not halfe so beneficiall as th' example : th' almighty prosper christian crownes ; and blesse all such like counsels , with the like successe : confound achitophel : and , lord , impart his head to us ; and to our foes , his heart . . on sinne. vnhappy man ! whos 's every breath is sin : whos 's every sin is death : sin , first originall ; then our actuall sin : our sins that sally forth : our sins that lurk within , our wilfull sins ; and worlds of sins , by chance , our conscious sins ; our sins of darker ignorance , our o●t-repeated sins●never ●never reckon'd : gainst the first table sins : sins done against the second , our pleading sins ; our sins without a cause : our gospel - sins ; reb●llious sins against thy laws : our sins against our vowes ; fresh sins agin : sin of infirmity ; and high presumptious sin : thus like our lines , our lives begin , continue , and conclude in sin : ▪ on the sun and starres . ovr dying saviour's like the setting sun ; his saints , on earth , are like the stars of night : experience tels us , till the sun be gon , the starres appeare not ▪ and retaine no light : till sun-set we descerne no starres at all , and saints receive their glory , in his fall : . on absolon and sampson . sampsons defect ▪ and thy excesse of hayre , gave him his death , oth'ground ; thee , thine i th' ayre ; his thoughts were too deprest ; thine sor'd too high ; as mortals live , so oftentimes , they die : . on gods favour . gods favour 's like the sun , whose beams appeare to all that dwell in the worlds hemispheare , though not to all alike ▪ to some they expresse themselves more radiant , and to others ; lesse : to some , they rise more early ; and they fall more late to others , giving day to all : some soyle's more grosse , and breathing more impure and earthy vapours forth , whose foggs obscure the darkned medium of the moister aire ; whilst other soiles , more perfect , yield more rare and purer fumes ; whereby , those beames appeare , to some , lesse glorious ; and to some , more cleare : it would be ever day ; day , alwayes bright , did not our interposed earth make night : the sun shines alwayes strenuous and faire , but , ah ▪ our sins , our clouds benight the ayre : lord , drayne the fenns of this my boggy soule , whose grosser vapours make my day so foule ; thy son hath strength enough to chase away these rising foggs , and make a glorious day : rise , and shine alwayes cleare ; but most of all , let me behold thy glory , in thy fall ; that being set , poore i ( my flesh being hurld from this ) may meet thee , in another world . . on a spirituall feaver . my soule hath had a fever , a long while ; o , i can neither rellish , nor digest , my nimble pulses beat ; my veynes doe boile : i cannot close mine eyes , i cannot rest : o , for a surgeon , now , to strike a vaine ! that , that would lay my heate , and ease my paine : no , no , it is thy blood , and not my owne , thy blood must cure me , iesus , or else none . . on davids ●hoise . famine ? the sword ? the pestlence ? which is least , when all are great ? which worst , when bad 's the best ? it is a point of mercy , yet , to give a choise of death to such , as must not live : but was the choise so hard ? it seemes to me , there was a worse , and better of the three , though all extreame : me thinks , the helpe of hands might swage the first ; the bread of forraine lands might patch their lives , & make some slender shift to save a while , with necessary thrift : me thinks , the second should be lesse extreame then that ; alas ! poore israel could not dreame of too much peace , that had so oft division among themselves , and forrain opposition : besides , their king was martiall ; his acts glorious ; his heart was valiant , and his hand victorious ; me thinks a conquerour ; a man o th' sword should nere be puzzeld a● so poore a word : in both , however , david , at the worst , might well presume he should not die the first ▪ but oh , the plague's impartiall , it respects no quality of person , age , nor sex : the royall brest 's as open to her hand as is the loosest pesant in the land : famin ? the sword ? the pest'lence ? david free , to take his choice ? and pick the worst of three ? he that gave david power to re●use , instructed david , in the art to chuse ; he knew no forrain kingdōe could afford supply , where god makes dearth : he knew the sword would want an arm ; the arm would want her skill ; and skill , successe , where heav'n prepares to kill : he knew ▪ there was no trust , no safe recourse to martiall man , or to his warlike horse ; but it is thou , great god ▪ the only close of his best thoughts , and the secure repose of all his trust ; he yields to kisse thy rod ; israel was thine , and thou art israels god : he kn●w thy gratious wont , thy wonted grace ; he knew , thy mercy tooke the upper place of all thy attributes ; 't was no adventure to cast himselfe on thee , the only center of all his hopes ; thy david kn●w the danger to fall to th' hands of man ; or frend , or stranger : thus davids filiall hopes , being anchor'd fast on gods knowne mercy , wisely ●hose the last : if thou wilt give me davids heart : i le voyce , great god , with david ; and make davids choyce : but stay ; deare lord , my tongue 's too bold , too free , to speake of choyce , that merits all the three . . on mans unequall division . lord , 't is a common course ; w' are apt and free to take the best , and share the worst to thee : we fleet the mornings for our owne designe ; perchance , the flotten afternoones are thine : thou giv'st us silke ; we offer cammills hayre . thy blessings march i th' front ; our thanks , i th' reare ▪ . on beggers . no wonder that such swarmes of beggers lurke in every street : 't is a worse trade to worke then begge : yet some , if they can make but shift to live , will thinke it scorne to thrive by gift ; 't is a brave mind ; but yet no wise fore●cast ; it is but pride , and pride will stoope at last ; we all are beggers ; should be so , at least ; alas ! we cannot worke : the very best our hands can doe , will not maintaine to live ; vve can but hold them up , whilst others give : no shame for helples man , to pray in aid ; great sol'mon scornd not to be free o' th' trade ; he begg'd an almes and blusht not ; for the boone he got , was tr●ble fairer then his crowne : no wonder that he thriv'd by begging , so ; he was both begger and a chuser too : o who would trust to worke , that may obtaine the suit he beggs , without or sweat , or paine ! o what a priviledge , great god , have we , that have the honour , but to begge on thee ! thou dost not ●right us with the tort'ring whips of bedels ; nor dost answere our faint lips with churlish language ; lord , thou dost not praise the stricter statute of last henries dayes : thou dost not dampe us with the empty voyce of nothing for yee : if our clam'rous noyse should chance t' importune , turn'st thy gracious eye vpon our wants , and mak'st a quick supply : thou dost not brand us with th'opprobrious name of idle vagabonds : thou know'st w' are lame , and can●ot worke ; thou dost not , pharo-like , deny us straw , and yet requier brick : thou canst not heare us grone beneath our taske , but freely giv'st , what we have faith to aske : the most , for which my large desire shall plead , to serve the present's but a loafe of bread , or but a token ( ev'n as beggers use ; ) that , of thy love , will fill my slender cruse : lord , during life , i le begge no greater boone , if at my death , thou 'lt give me but a crowne . . on the two children . my flesh and spirit , lord , are like those payre of infants , whose sad mothers did repayre to iustice : t'one is quick ; the other dead : the two promiscuous parents that doe plead for the live childe , is thee and sathan , lord : both claime alike ; iustice cals forth the sword , and seeing both , with equall teares , complaine , proffers to cleave the children both in twaine ▪ and make them equall sharers in the same that both doe challenge , and what both disclaime : sathan applaudes tho motion , and replyde ; nor thine , nor mine , but let them both divide ; and give alike to both : but thou , deare lord , dislik'st the iustice of th'unequall sword : rather then share it dead , thou leav'st to strive , and wilt not own't at all , if not alive : the sword 's put up , & straight condemnes the other to be the false ; calls thee , the nat'rall mother : lord of my soule : it is but sathans wilde , to cheate thy bosome of thy living childe ; hee 'd have the question by the sword decided , knowing the soule 's but dead , if once divided : my better part is thine , and thine alone ; take thou the flesh , and let him gnaw the bone : . on two mysteries . a perfect virgin , to bring forth a son ! one , three entyre ; and three , entirely one ! wonder of wonders ! how might all this come ? we must be deafe , when th' holy spirit 's dumb ; spare to enquire it : thou shalt never know , till heav'n dissolve , and the last trump shall blow . . a forme of prayer . if thou wouldst learne , not knowing how , to pray , adde but a faith , and say as beggers say ; master , i 'm poore , and blinde , in great distresse ; hungry and ●ame , and cold , and comfortlesse : o , succour him , that 's graveld on the shelf of payne , and want , and cannot help himself ; cast downe thine eye upon a wretch ▪ and take some pitty on me for sweet iesus sake : but hold ! take heed this clause be not put in , i never begg'd before , nor will agin : note this withall , that beggers move their plaints at all times ore tenus , not by saints . . on solomon and the queene of sheba . it spreds : the sweet perfume of salomons fame affects the coasts ; and his illustrious name cannot be hid : the unbeliev'd report must flye with eagles wings to th'honourd court of princely sheba : sheba must not rest , vntill her eye become th'invited guest of fames loud trumpet ; her impatience strives with light-foot time , while her ambition drives her chariot wheeles , and gives an ayry passage to'th'quick deliv'ry of her hearts embassage : true wisdome planted in the hearts of kings , needs no more glory then the glory'it brings ; and , like the sun , is viewd by her owne light , b'ing , by her owne reflection , made more bright : the emulous queen 's arriv'd ; shee 's gon toth ' court ; no eye-delighting masque ? no princely sport , to entertaine her ? no , her ●ye , her eare is taken up , and scornes to see , to heare inferiour things : sh'allowes her eare , her eye no lesse then oracles , and maiestie : how , empty pastimes doe resolve and flye to their true nothing , when true wisdome's by ! th'arrived queene has audience ; moves ; disputes ; wise solomon attends ; replyes ; confutes ; sh' objects ; he answers ; she afresh propounds ; she proves ; maintaines it ; he decides ; confounds : she smiles ; she wonders , being overdaz'd with his bright beams , stands silent ; stands amaz'd : how scripture-like apo●rypha's appeare to common bookes ! how poore , when scripture's neare ! the queene is pleas'd , who , never yet did know the blast of fame , lesse prodigall , then now ; for now , the greatest part of what she knew by fame , is found the least of what is true ; we often finde that fame , in prime of youth , does adde to falshood , and subtract from truth : the thankfull queene do's , with a lib'rall hand , present him with the riches of her land : where wisdome goes before we often finde that temp'rall blessings seldome stay behinde : lord , grant me wisdome ; and i shall possesse enough ; have more , or have content with lesse . . on rehoboam . could dying parents , at their peacefull death , make but a firme assurance , or bequeath their living vertues ; could they recommend their wisdome to their heyrs ; could hearts descend vpon the bosome of succeeding sons , as well as scepters doe ; as well as th●●nes ; sure rehobeams reigne had found increase of love and honour , and had dyed in peace : kingdomes are transitory : scepters goe frō hand , to hand , and crownes , from brow , to brow , but wis●dome marches on another guize : they●● two things ; to be worldly great , and wise ; it was the selfe same scepter that came downe from solomon to thee : the selfe same crowne , that did encl●se his princely browes , and thine ; th● 〈◊〉 same flesh and blood , the next o'th'line ; the selfe same people were alive , to blesse the prosp'rous dayes ; but not the same successe : where reste the fault ? what secret mischiefe can vn-same thy peace ? 't was not the selfe same man. . on the prophet slaine by a lyon. t was not for malice ; not for want of food , the obvious lyon shed this prophets blood : where faithlesse man neglects the sacred law of god ; there , beasts abate their servile awe to man : when man dares take a dispensation , by sin , to frustrate th' end of mans creation , the beasts , oft-times , by mans example , doe renounce the end of their creation too : the prophet must abstaine : he was forbid ; he must not eate : and yet the prophet did : th'obedient lyon had command to shed that prophets blood : and see , the prophet's dead : o , how corrupt's the nature of mans will , that breaks those lawes which very beasts fulfill ! . on ahab . how ah●b longs ! ahab must be possest of naboths vineyard , or can find no rest : his tongue must second his unlawfull eye : ahab must sue : and naboth must denye : ahab growes sullen ; he can eat no bread ; his body prostrates on his restlesse bed : vnlawfull lust immoderate often brings a loathing in the use of lawfull things : ahabs defier must not be with-stood , it must be purchas'd , though with naboths blood ; witnesse must be suborn'd : naboth must lie open to law ; must be condemn'd ; and dye : his goods must be confiscate to the crowne ; now ahab's pleas'd ; the vineyard's now his owne ▪ vnlawfull pleasures , when they jostle further then ordinary bounds ; oft end in murther . me thinkes , the grapes that cluster from that vine , should ( being prest ) afford more blood then wine . . on rehoboam . people have balances ; wherein to weigh their new-crown'd princes ; which can soone bewray their native worth : some counterpoyse th'allow : vnhappy israel had not weights enow , to weigh thy fingers ▪ heads can never rest in peace , when their poore members are opprest : had thy unlucky fingers weigh'd no more then thy light iudgement ; had thy judeement bore but halfe the burthen of thy fingers weight , thou hadst bin prosp'rous , both in crowne , and state : the lyon's knowne by 's paw ; the people spends their judgement of a prince by 's fingers ends . . on leprous naaman . the leper , prompted with his lothsome griefe , seekes to the king of israel for reliefe : but naaman's vayne desiers could not thrive ; israel's no god ; to hill , or make alive : the morall man is of too meane a stature , to reach his hand above the head of nature : the willing prophet undertakes the cure ; the leper must goe wash , and be secure from his disease : he must goe paddle straight , in iordan's water : 't is a faire receipt : and why in iordan ? have our syrian streames lesse pow'r then isr'els ? sure the prophet dreames : how hard it is for mortals to rely on faith ! how apt is sense , to question , why ? the cure perpl●xes more then the disease ; prophets prescribe no better meanes then these ? i lookd his ceremonious hand should stroke the place ; i look'd the prophet should invoke : some men would faine he cleane , if god would stay their times , or would but cure them their owne way : the techy leper is displeas'd ; hee 'l hence : the iordan prophet dallyes against sense : his wiser servants urge their hasty lord to iordan's streames : he washes ; is restor'd ▪ how good a god have we , whose grace fulfils our choyce desires oft-times against our wills ! the leper's clens'd ; and now he dos applaud not isr'els streames alone , but isr'els god : the prophet must have thanks , and gold beside ; the thanks are taken , but the gold 's deny'd : who would not deale with thee , that are not nice , to sell such pen'worths at so small a price ! naaman , in lieu of his refus'd reward , vowes the true god ; provided , when his lord shall serve i th house of rimmon , if he bow for fashion-sake , he may secure his vow : some will not stick to lend their god a house , might they reserve one roome for their owne use : gehazi thinks the cure too cheape ; he soone oretakes the lepers chari●t , asks a boone i' th' prophets name : but marke what did befall ; he got his boone ; but got his plague withall : vnlawfull gaines are least what they appeare , and ill got gold is a alwayes bought too deare : lord , i did wash in iordan , and was cur'd ; my flesh , that false gehazi , hath procur'd a sinfull purchase , having over-run the clensed naaman of my soule : what 's done by false gehazi , let gehazi beare ; let naamans leprosie alone stick there ; o , clense them both , or if that may not be , lord , strike gehazi ; and keepe naaman free , . on chamber-christians . no matter whether ( some there be that say ) or goe to church , or stay at home , if pray : smiths dainty sermons have , in plenty , stor'd me with better stuffe , then p●lpets can afford me : tell me , why pray'st thou ; heav'n commanded so : art not commanded to his temples too ? small store of manners ! when thy prince bids come , and feast at court ; to say , i 've ●●at at home . . on the widowes cruse . lord , i 'm in debt , and have not where withall to pay : my score is great ; my wealth but small ; my house is poorely furnisht , and my food is slender ; i have nothing that is good : lord , if my wasted fortunes proove no better , my debt is ev'n as desp'rate as the detter : all the reliefe thy servant this long while , hath had , is but a little cruse of oyle ; there 's none will give of almes : i neither get enough to satisfie my wants , nor debt : lord , if thee please to show the selfe same art vpon the slender vessell of my heart , the prophet did , upon the widowes cruse , i shall have oyle to sell , have oyle to use ; so shall my debt be paid , and i go free ; no debt is desp'rate , in respect of thee . . on the swimming axe . the borrow'd axe fell in : 't was lost ; lamented ; the prophet moov'd ; the workman discontented ; a stick he ●ne downe ; and by the prophets hand , throwne in ; the axe did float , and came aland : and why a stick ? had that the pow'r to call the massy ●ron up ? sure , none at all : moses must use his rod ; moses i doubt it , had beene but lame , but impotent without it ; nor could that rod have scourged pharoes land , had it beene waved by an other hand : god often workes by meanes , and yet not so , but that he can , as well without them , too . god can save man without the helpe of man , but will not ; wils not alwaies that he can : something is left for us : we must not lye i th' ditch , and cry , and if we dye we dye : we must not lye like blocks , relying on the workmans axe ; there 's something must be done : the workmans axe perchance had never bin recald againe , if not the sticke throwne in : we must be doing , yet those deeds , as our , have no more native vertue , nay , lesse power to save us , then that sticke had , to recall the axe from the deepe bottome of his fall : i will be doing ; but repose in him ; throw i in sticks : hee 'l make my iron swim . . on baals priests . iehu's crown'd king ; iehu the king must fall to ahabs gods : iehu must worship baal : the gods-divided people must goe call baals sacred priests : iehu must worship baal : none must be left behinde ; they must come all ; iehu must burne a sacrifice to baal : the priests come puffing in ; both great and small must wait on iehu that must worship baal : baals house is fill'd and crouded to the wall with people , that are come to worship baal . what must there now be done ? what offring shall perfume baals nostrils ? ev'n the priests of baal : baals holy temple 's now become a stall of priestly flesh ; of fleshly priests for baal ; how would our gospell flourish , if that all princes , like iehu , would but worship baal ! . on the tempter . how dares thy bandog , lord , presume t' approach into thy sacred pre●ence ? or incroach vpon thy choyce possessions , to devoure thy sporting lambs ? to counterfeit thy po'wr , and to usurpe thy kingdome , ev'n as he were , lord , at least , a substitute to thee ? why dost not rate him ? why does he obtaine such favour to have liberty of his chaine ? have we not enemies to counterbuffe , enow ? is not the flesh , the world enough to foyle us ? this abroad , and that at home ; but must that sathan , must that bandog come t' afflict the weake , and take the stronger side ? o , are there not enow , enow beside ? is there not odds enough , when we have none but mighty foes ; nay , rebels of our owne , beneath a false disguise of love and peace , that still betray us ? are not these , all these sufficient , to encounter and o'rthrow , poore sinfull man ; but must that bandog too , assault us , lord ? we dare not cast our eyes our timorous eyes to heav'n , we dare not rise from off our aking knees , to plead our case , when he can commune with thee face to face ; nay more , were it but possible to doe , would draw thee , lord , to his bold faction too . lord , lend me but thy power to resist what foes thou sendst , and send what foes thou list : it is thy battaile : if thou please to warme my blood , and find the strength , i le find the arme ; march thou i' th' front , i le follow in the reare ; come then ten thousand bandogs , i le not feare . . on a cypher . cyphers to cyphers added , seeme to come ( with those that know not art ) to a great sum : but such as skill in numeration , know , that worlds of cyphers , are but worlds of show : we stand those cyphers , ere since adams fall ; we are but show : we are no summe at all : our bosome-pleasures , and delights , that doe appeare so glorious , are but cyphers too : high-prized honour , friends , this house ; the tother , are but one cypher added to another : reckon by rules of art , and tell me , than , how great is thy estate , ingenious man ? lord , be my figure , then it shall be knowne that i am something : nothing , if alone : i care not in what place , in what degree ; i doe not weigh how small my figure be : but as i am , i haue nor worth , nor vigure : i am thy cypher ; o , be thou my figure . . on haman and mordecay . the king wold fain take rest ; but thought denies to pay her nightly tribute to his eyes : the persian chronicle must be brought , to set his eyes in quiet , till they 'r payd the debt : he turnes the leaves ; the first he lights upon , is the true service mordecay had done : heav'n often works his ends , at such a season , when man has will to banish sense , and reason : his loyall service must be now recall'd to blest remembrance : haman must be call'd to councell ; question'd , but not know the thing the king intends : he must advise the king , what ceremony must be us'd , what cost , what honor , where the king shall honor most ; observe but in the progresse of this story , how god turnes factor for his servants glory : haman perswaded that such honour can fit none but him ; ne'r questions , who 's the man ; his more ambitious thoughts are now providing a horse of state , for his owne princely riding ; in briefe ; his iudgement is , that such a one , must lack no honor , but the royall throne : how apt is man to flatter his owne heart ! how faire a debter to his false desert ! the royall horse is ready , all things fit , that could be broach'd by a vain-glorious wit : haman expects his answere ; his ambition spurrs on , wants nothing but his large commission : haman must haste with all the speed he can , and see it done : but mordecay's the man ▪ god often crownes his servants at their cost , that hate their persons , and disdaine them most : lord , if thou please to make me but thine owne , i shall have honour , spight of honours frowne . . on jobs temptations . god questions sathan : boasts his iobs desert , in the perfection of a simple heart : iobs faith was servent ; sathan was as chill to yeeld it ; but must yeeld against his will ; condemnes it to be servile , to be bought with gods own coyn ? does iob ●erve god for nought ? it is a common trick , the tempter uses , the faith he cannot conquer , he abuses . alas , that faith requires not so much praise , 't is a good faith , as faiths goe now a dayes : is it not strengthen'd by thy indulgent hand , that blest his labours , and inricht his land ? puffe out the fire : his faith will quickly chill : sathan puffe thou ; nay sathan puffe thy will : nor ebbe nor floud of small , or great estate , are certaine badges of gods love or hate : what 's now to doe ? poore iob must be bereaven of all his stronger herds ; fire , sent from heaven , must burne his fruitfull flocks , that none remaine ; his houses fall ; and all his children slaine ; and yet not ●●rse ? alas , poore iob adresses his thoughts to heav'n ; he worships god & blesses ▪ the lively faith that can retaine her god , may groane ; but seldome rav● beneath the rod. but what sayes sathan now ? the hedge is broke , that fenc'd my servant iob : what further cloke for his uprightnesse hath he ? what pretence for his continued love and innocence ? has not thy malice had her owne desire ? 't was soundly puff'd ; thy puffs have blown the ●ire : gods tryals are like bellows : sathan's blower , blowes out false faiths , makes true ones blaze the more . true lord ; his raith is tough : but snailes as well can thrive without , as live within their shell : to save a life who would not lose some skin ? touch but his hornes ; o how hee 'l draw them in sathan i give thy malice leave , be free to peele the barke , but spare to touch the tree . feare not ye little flocke : the greatest ill your foes can doe's to scratch ; they cannot kill . what now 's th'exployt ? afflicted iob does lye , a very hospitall of misery : i thinke , that all the vlcers that have bin in egypt cu●'d , are broken out agin in his distempered flesh ; yet iob is still the very same , nor charg'd his god with ill : a faith that lodges in a double brest , may stand the touch ; none but true faiths the test : if these be flames poore man must swelter in , he needs a world a patience , not to sin . . on bauling curres . i feard the world and i were too acquainted ; i hope my feares are , like her joyes , but painted : had i not bin a stranger , as i past , her bauling curres had never bark'd so fast . . on david . stands it with state , that princely david , who did weare the crown , should play the harper too ? he playes and sings ; his glory ne'r disdaines to dance , and to receive a crowne for 's paines : t is no disparagement , 't is no misprision of state , to play before the great musitian . . on abraham . the word is out : poore abr'am must be gon ; must take his isaak ; take his onely son ; the son of his affection ; him , from whom , from whose blest loynes so many kings must come : ev'n him must abr'am slay , abr'am must rise , and offer isaac a burnt sacrifice . god scornes the offals of our faint desires ; he gives the best , and he the best requires . abr'am forbeares to question ; thinks not good to reason , to advise with flesh and blood ; begs not young isaacks life , nor goes about t'object the law of murther ; makes no doubt : he rises , rises early , leads his son ; hasts where this holy slaughter must be done : where god bids goe , that very breath's a warrant : we must not linger there : haste crownes the arrant . his servants must no further : they must stay : private devotion claimes a private way : they must abide with th' asse , whilst th' aged syre in t'one hand takes the knife : in t'other , fire : the sacred wood of offring must be pil'd on the young shoulders of th'obedient childe : o here mine eye must spend a teare to see thee beare that wood , great god , that , since , bore thee : mistrustles isaac seeing the wood , the fire , the sacrificing knife , begins t' enquire , but where 's the sacred lambe , that must be slaine ? resolved abr'am ( lest the flesh should gaine too much of nature ) sayes not , thou my son art he : but , the almighty will provide ●s one : where god commands , 't is not enough t' effect , but we must baulk th' occasion of neglect . the faithfull abra'm now erects an altar : orders the wood : what tongue can chuse but falter , to tell the rest ? he layes his hands upon his wondring isaac , binds his only son : he layes him downe , unsheath's his priestly knife : vp-heaves his arme , to take his isaacks life . true faith is active : covets to proceed from thought to action ; and from will to deed : before the strengthned stroke had time to fall , a sudden voyce from heav'n cryes hold : recall thy threatning arme , and sheath thy ●oly knife , thy faith has answer'd for thy isaac's life ; touch not the childe ; thy faith is throughly showne , that has not spar'd thine owne , thine onely son : how easie is our god , and liberall , who counts it as don , what we haue will to doe ! . on censorio . censorio takes in hand , by sharp reproofe , to mend his brothers errror , and to snuffe his darkned flame ; and yet censorio's crimes are rankt among the foulest of the times : let none presume , censorio , to controule or top the dim light of anothers soule , if not more pure then him , that is controll'd : the temple-snuffers must be perfect gold. . on mordecay and haman . two steeds appointed were by hamans hand ; the one at grasse ; the other steed did stand in persia's mues : the former was providing for mordecay : the last for hamans riding : but since , in order , last things prove the worst , hamans ambition drove him to the first : but see , proud hamans prouder steed did cast his glorious rider , whilest the iew sits fast : what matter haman ? fortu●● , though no friend of thine , first brought thee to thy iourneyes end . . on three fooles . the wise man sayes , it is a wise mans part , to keepe his tongue close pris'ner in his heart ; if he be then a foole , whose thought denies , there is a god , how desp'rately unwise , how more then foole is he , whose language shall proclaime in publike , there 's no god at all ! what then are they , nay fooles , in what degree , whose actions shall maintain 't ? such fooles are we . . on miserable man. adam , the highest pitch of perfect nature , and lively image of his great creator , declin'd his god ; and , by one sinfull deed , destroy'd himselfe , and ruin'd all his seed : how wretched , then , how desp'rate's our condition , whose ev'ry minute makes a repetition of greater sins , against both light of nature , and grace , against creation and creator ! alas ! we claime not by descent , alone , but adde by hourely purchase of our owne : there is no breach of loyalty , no sin we are imperfect , and unpractis'd in ; shall not a world of sins bring ruine , then , to one ; when one sin slew a world of men ? . on mans two enemies . two potent enemies attend on man ; t'one's fat and plump ; the other leane and wan ; t'one faunes and smiles ; the other weepes as fast ; the first presumption is ; despaire , the last : that feeds upon the bounty of full treasure ; brings jolly newes of peace , and lasting pleasure : this feeds on want , unapt to entertaine gods blessings : finds them ever in the waine : their maximes disagree ; but their conclusion is the selfe same : both jump in mans confusion : lord , keepe me from the first , or else , i shall sore up and melt my waxen wings , and fall : lord , keepe the second from me ; lest i , then , sinke downe so low , i never rise agen : teach me to know my selfe , and what i am , and my presumption will be turn'd to shame : give me true faith , to know thy dying son , what ground has then despaire to worke upon ? t' avoid my shipwrack upon either shelfe , o , teach me , lord , to know my god ; my selfe . . on queene ester . illustrious princesse , had thy chance not beene , to be a captive , thou hadst bin no queene : such is the fortune , our misfortune brings ; had we not first bin slaves , w'ad ne'r beene kings . . on slanders . have sland'rous tongues bin busie to defame the pretious oyntment of my better name ? or hath censorious basenesse gone about with her rude blast to puffe my taper out ? they have : and let their full mouthd bellowes puffe : it is their breath that s●inks , and not my snuffe : i , let them snarle and burst , that i may smile , doe , let them jerk , and i will laugh the while : they cannot s●rike beyond my patience ; no , i le beare , and take it for an honour too ; the height that my ambition shall flye , is only to deserve their calumny : o , what a iudgement 't were , if such as they should but allow my actions , and betray my'endangered ●ame , by their maligne applause , to good opinion , that were a just cause of griefe indeed ! but to be made the story of such base tongues , it is my crowne , my glory : i , let them spend their dust against the winde , and bark against the moone , till they be blind , and weary ; let their malice not forbeare to baule at innocence , to wound and teare an absent name , whilst their un●allowed tongues make me a glorious martyr in their wrongs : i beg no favour : nay , my hearts desire is still to be calcin'd by such a fyre : that , in conclusion , all men may behold a faire gilt counter , from a crowne of gold. great god , i care not this , how foule i seeme to man ; may i be faire in thy esteeme : it matters not how light i seeme to be to the base world , so i be weight to thee . . on nabvchadnezzer . what lucklesse accident hath bred such ods betwixt great babels monarch , and his gods , that they so oft disturbe him , and affright his broken slumbers with the dreames of night ! alas , what hath this princely dreamer done , that he must quit the glory of his throne , his royall scepter , his imperiall crowne ? must be expeld his honour , and come downe below the meanest slave , and , for a season , be banisht from the use , the act of reason ? must be exil'd from humane shape , and chew the cudde , and must be moistned with the dew of heav'n ; nay , differ in no other thing from the bruit beast , but that he was a king ? what ayle thy gods , that they are turn'd so rough , so full of rage ? what , had they meat enough to fill their golden stomacks ? was thy knee bent oft enough ? what might the reason be ? alas , poore harmelesse things ! it was not they ; 't was not their wills : i dare be bold to say , they knew it not : it was not they that did it ; they had no pow'r to act , or to forbid it : deserv'st thou not , great king , the stile of beast , to serve such gods , whose deities can digest their servants open wrongs ? that could dispense with what they'endure , without the least offence ; illustrious beast , methinks thy better'd state has no great reason to complaine of fate : thou art more neere to him thou didst adore , by one degree , then ere thou wert before : ●tis some promotion ; that there is lesse ods ' betwixt thy nature , and thy senslesse gods. . on partio . hast thou forsaken all thy sinnes , but one ? beleeve it , partio , th' ast forsaken none . . on ignorance . the greatest friend religion hath t' aduance her glory's unaffected ignorance : the burning taper lends the fairest light , and shines most glorious , in the shades of night . . on a great battaile . vvhen my rebellious flesh doth disagree with my resisting spirit ; me thinks , i see two mighty princes draw into the field , where one must win the day ; the other , yeeld : they both prepare ; both strike up their alarmes ; both march ; both well appointed in their armes ; they both advance their banners : t'one displayes a bloody crosse : the other colours blaze a globe terrestriall : nature carries one , and grace the other : each by 's ensigne's knowne : they meet , encounter , blowes exchange for blowes : dart is returnd for dart : they grapple , close : their fortune 's hurryed with unequall sailes , somtimes the crosse ; somtimes , the globe prevailes . we are that field ; and they that strive to win us , are god and sathan ; those , that warre within us , the flesh , the spirit : no parting of the fray , till one shall win : the other , lose the day : my god , o weaken this rebellious flesh , that dares oppose : o , quicken and refresh my dull and coward spirit , that would yeeld , and make proud sathan master of the field : deare lord , the field's thy own ; thou thoughtst it good to purchas 't with my dying saviours blood : 't is thine , great god , by title , and by right ; why should thou question , what 's thy owne , by fight ? lord , keepe possession thou , and let th'accurst and base vsurper doe his best , his worst . . on the world. the world 's an inne ; and i , her guest , i eate , i drinke , i take my rest : my hostesse nature , do's deny me nothing , wherewith she can supply me : where , having stayd a while , i pay her lavish bills , and goe my way . . on the sabbath . away my thoughts : away my words , my deeds ; away , what ever nourishes and feeds my frayle delights : presume not to approach into my presence ; dare not once t' encroach vpon the hallowed temple of my soule ; ye are not for this day , y' are all too foule : abide yee with the asse , till i goe yonder , and cleave the isaac of my heart in sunder : i must goe sacrifice : i must goe pray , i must performe my holy vowes , to day : tempt not my tender frailty : i enjoyne your needfull absence ; y' are no longer mine : but if it may not be , that we must sever our yoakt affections , and not part for ever ; yet give me leave , without offence , to borrow , at least , this day , although we meet to morrow . . on prayer . in all our prayers , th' almighty do's regard the iudgement of the ballance , not the yeard : he loves not words , but matter ; 't is his pleasure to buy his wares by weight , and not by measure . . on fido . findst thou no comfort on this fickle earth ? no joy at all ? no obiect for thy mirth ? nothing but sorrow ? nothing else , but toyle ? what , doe thy dayes shew nothing , worth a smile ? doe worldly pleasures no contentment give ? content thee , fido , th' ast not long to live . . on charissa . woldst thou , charissa , wish thy fortunes better , then , by thy act , to make thy god thy detter ? i le teach thee how to doe 't : relieve the poore , and thou mayst safely set it on gods score : . on raymond sebvnd . i wonder , raymond , thy illustrious witt , strengthned with so much learning , could commit so great a folly , as to goe about , by natures feeble light , to blazen out such heav'n-bred mist'ryes , which the hearts of men cannot conceive , much lesse the darkned pen expresse ; such secrets , at whose depth , the quire of blessed angels tremble , and admire : could thy vaine-glory lend no easier taske to thy sublime attempt , then to unmaske the glorious trinity , whose tri-une face was ne'r discovered by the eye of grace , much lesse by th' eye of nature , being a story objected only to the eye of glory ? put out thy light , bold raymond , and be wise ; silence thy tongue , and close thy'ambitious eyes : such heights as these , are subjects far more fit for holy admiration , then for witt. . on sinnes . my sinnes are like the hayres upon my head , and raise their audit to as high a score ; in this they differ ; these doe dayly shed , but , ah , my sinnes grow dayly more and more : if , by my hayres , thou number out my sinnes , heav'n make me bald , before that day begins . . on the gospell . ovr gospell thrives the more by forreine iarres ; it overcomes in outward opposition : but o , it suffers still , in civill warres , and loses honour by a home-division : if thou assist , i care not , lord , with whom i warre abroad , so i have peace at home . . on the dayes of man. lord , if our dayes be few , why doe we spend and lavish them unto so evill an end ? lord , if our dayes be evill , why doe we wrong our selves , and thee , to wish our day so long ? our dayes decrease ; but , still , our evils renew ; great god , we make them evill ; thou mak'st them few . . on sinnes . my sinnes are like the sands upon the shore ; which every ebbe layes open to the eye : in this they differ ; these are cover'd ore with ev'ry flood ; my sinnes still open lye : if thou wilt make mine eyes a sea of teares , o , they will hide the sinnes of all my yeares . . on kain and david . their sins were equall ; equall was their guilt : they both committed homicide ; both spilt their brothers guiltles blood : nay , of the twayne , the first occasion was lesse foule , in kain : 't was likely kains murther was in heate of blood ; there was no former grudge , no threate : but davids was a plott ; he tooke the life of poore vriah , to enjoy his wife : was iustice equall ? was her ballance even ? kain was punisht : david was forgiven : both came to tryall : but good david did confesse that sin , which cursed kain hid : kain bewaild the punishment ; wherein , his sin had plung'd him : david wayles his sin : if i lament my sins ; thou wilt forbeare to punish , lord ; or give me strength , to beare . . on plavsvs . plausus of late , hath rais'd an hospitall , repay'rd a church ; founded a colledge hall : plausus hath built a holy temple ; vow'd it to god : erects a schoole , and has endow'd it : plausus hath given , through his abundant pity , a spittle to the blind , and lame o' th' citty : plausus allowes a table for the poore o' th ●parish ; besides those , he seeds at doore : plausus relieves the prisons ; mends the wayes ; maintaines a lecture , on the market dayes : plausus , in briefe , for bounty beares the bell ; plausus has don much good ; but nothing , well . . on sinnes . my sinnes are like the starres , within the skyes ; in view , in number , ev'n as bright , as great : in this they differ : these doe set and rise ; but ah , my sinnes doe rise , but never seit : shine son of glory , and my sins are gon , like twinkling starres , before the rising sun. . on change of weathers . and were it for thy profit , to obtaine all sunshine ? no vicissitude of raine ? thinkst thou , that thy laborious plough requires not winter frosts , as well as summer fires ? there must be both : somtimes these hearts of ours must have the sweet , the seasonable showres of teares ; sometimes , the frost of chill despaire makes our desired sunshine seeme more faire : weathers that most oppose to flesh and blood , are such as helpe to make our harvest good : we may not choose , great god ; it is thy task : we know not what to have ; nor how to ask . . on prosper . take heed , thou prosp'rous sinner , how thou liv'st in sin , and thriv'st ; thou , that dost flourish in thy heapes of gold , and summes untold ; thou , that hadst never reason to complaine of crosse , or paine . whose unafflicted conscience never found nor check , nor wound . beleeve it , prosper , thy deceitfull lease allowes thee neither wealth , nor ioy , nor peace . thy golden heapes are nothing but the price of paradise ; thy flattering pleasures , and thy ayrie ●oyes , but painted toyes ; thy peacefull conscience is but like a dogge , tyed in a clogge ; beleeve it , prosper , thy deceitfull lease allowes thee neither wealth , nor ioy , nor peace : thy heapes of gold will stand thee in no steed , at greatest need ; thy e●pty pleasures , will convert thy laughter , to groanes , hereafter . thy silent conscience , when enlarg'd , will roare , and rage the more : beleeve it , prosper , thy deceitfull lease , affords thee neither wealth , nor ioy , nor peace . . on the sight of a plague bill . five thousand in a weeke , in one poore city ? because it was thy pleasure , t was no pity ; why should thou pity us , just god , when we could never finde a time to pity thee ? thou never strik'st without a reason why , nor often , then : we easily cast our eye vpon the punishment , but blinde toth ' sin , that farre transcends the judgement it calls in : o , if the weekly bills of our transgression could but appeare , and make as deepe impression in our sad hearts , to make our hearts but know as great a sorrow , as our plague-bills doe ; no doubt , no doubt but heav'ns avenging hand would turne a stranger to our prosprous land o , if that weekly catalogue of si● could , with our city bills be brought but in ; and be compar'd wee 'd think our bills not high , but rather wonder there are men , to dye . . on theaters . six dayes were made for work ; the seventh , for rest ; i read of none , that heav'n ordaind for play ; how have our looser theaters transgrest the decalogue , that make it ev'ry day : me thinkes that they should change their trade for shame , or honour 't with a more laborious name , . on players and ballad mongers . ovr merry ballads , and ●ascivious playes are much alike : to common censure , both doe stand or fall : t'one sings ; the other sayes ; and both are frippries of anothers froth : in short ; they 'r priest and clark of belials altar ; t'one makes the sermon ; t'other tunes the psalter . . on god and the king. ovr god and prince ( whom god for ever blesse ) are both , in mercy , of a constitution : both slow , till meere necessity shall presse , to put their penall lawes in execution : and marke , how in a like successe they joyne ; at both we grumble ; and at both , repine . . on the life and death of man. the life of man is but th' imperfect story of his adventure , towards future glory ; for death to finish : who will sticke to say , a glorious ev'n foretells a glorious day ? . on fox . there was a time , ( wo-worth that heavy time ) when rav'no●is foxes did devoure the prime , and choyce of all our lambs : but heav'n did raise a more ingenuous fox , in after dayes , whose high immortall pen redeem'd their breath , and made those lambs revive , in spight of death : to see , how mutuall saintly favours be ! thou gav'st them life , that now give life to thee . . on the booke of common prayes . the booke of common pray'r excels the rest ; for pray'rs that are most common are the be●● . . to mvndano . woldst thou mundano , prove too great , too strong for peevish fortunes angry brow to wrong ? renounce her power : banish fortune hence , and trust thee to the hands of providence ; the poorest heart that ever did importune heav'ns ayd , is farre above the frownes of fortune . . on romes sacrifices . it cannot be excus'd : it is a wrong proceeding from a too-too partiall tongue , to say , the profer'd service of false ro●● had no good savor , and did never come toth ' gates of heav'n ; eye , poore rome's belyde ; for when our troopes of glorious martyrs dy'd , in that warm age , who were their priests ? by whom was their blood shed ? was 't not by holy rome ? such sweet perfumes , i dare be bold to say , rome never burnt before , nor since that day : a sweeter incense , save his dying son , heav'n ne'r accepted since this world begun . . on a dead man. it is a common use to entertaine the knowledge of a great man , by his trayne : how great 's the dead-man then ? there 's none that be so backt with troopes of followers , as he. . on corner sinners . svch men are like to owles ; they take delight , to make the night their day ; their day , the night , they hate the sun , and love dark corners best ; but they shall houle , when day-birds are at rest . . on the kite . marke but the soaring kite ; and she will reade brave rules for diet ; teach thee how to feede ; she flyes aloft ; she spreads her ayrie plumes above the reach , above the nau●ious ●umes of dang'rous earth ; she makes her selfe a stranger t'inferiour things , and checks at ev'ry danger ; at length , she stoopes ; and , with a brave disdaine , she strikes her prey , and mounts her up againe ; by her example , learne to use the earth , and thou shalt find lesse mischiefe , and m●●● mirth . . on formio . formio bewailes his sins , with the same heart , as frends do frends , when they 'r about to part , beleeve it , f●rmio will not entertaine a merry thought , untill they meet againe . . on bosome sinnes . how loath is flesh , to yield ! the spirit , to win the glorious conquest of a bosome sin ! o , how th'ingenious flesh will pleade ! abuse the height of wit , to argue , or excuse : at length , it yeelds : o , give it leave to stay a yeare , a moneth ; a weeke ; at least , a day ; and if not so , yet let my breaking heart but hugge it once or twice , before we part ; let me but take my leave , my thoughts shal bind me from the least touch ; let me but looke behind me : nay sin , gehezi●like , will have a blow at cleansed naamans bounty , ere she goe . . on the eccho . an eccho's nothing , but a forc'd rebound , or airy repercussion of a sound , proceeding from some hollow place , well knowne to have to bulk , no beeing of her owne : it is no substance ; nothing , but a noise ; an empty sound ; the picture of a voyce : such is my courtly friend , at my request , hee 'l breath his service from his hollow brest , and eccho-like for every word that 's blowne into his eares , returnes me two , for one ; but when they come to th'test , alas they 'r found more light then ayre , meere shadowes of a sound ; i le trust my god ; his bounty still af●ords as many deedes , as my false friends do words . on a water-mill . the formall christian's like a water-mill : vntill the floodgate's open , he lyes still : he cannot work at all ; he cannot dreame of going : till his wheeles shall finde the streame . . on pavl and apollos . t is not , what this man , or what that man saith , brings the least stone , toth'building of my faith ; my eare may ramble , but my conscience followes no man : i 'me neither pauls , nor yet apollo's : when scripture gold lyes by me , is it just to take up my salvation , upon trust ? my faith shall be confin'd to no mans lists ; i le onely follow paul , as paul is christs . . on morvs . if a poore timorous hare but crosse the way , morus will keepe his chamber all the day ; what evill●ortends ●ortends it , morus ? it does show , that morus is not wise , for thinking so . but morus keepes his chamber : there will be , morus , one foole the lo●●e abroad by thee . . on some faiths . some faiths are like those mills , that cannot grind their c●rne , unles they worke against the wind : . on the temporizer . he seemes to be a man of warre ; his sayle being fill'd and prosper'd with a foreright gale , makes speedy way ; and , with her keele , divides the sparkling furrowes of the swelling tides ; or if the wind should slacke , or ●●ase to blow , can make a shift to tide it to and fro ; but if it prove a storme , or the wind cro●●e , his wavering bottom soone begin● to tosse vpon the troubled ●aves , without r●gard of either stear● , or yet the sea-mans ●ard ; his prouder courage quailes , & the rough weather transports his wandring keel , he knows not whither ; till , after many a ruine-threatning knock , he 's overwhelmd or splitt upon a rock . . on our sins . it is an errour even as foule , to call our sins too great for pardon , as too small . . on the hypocrite . hee 's like a christmas candle , whose good name crowns his faire actions with a glorious flame ; burnes cleare and bright , and leaves no ground for doubt to question , but he stincks at going out ; when death puf●s out his flame , the snuff will tell if he were waxe or tallow , by the smell . . on secret mungers . he , that at secrets , shall compose his aime , is like the flie that sports about the flame ; he never leaves to buzze , untill he brings hi●selfe to ruine ; or at least , his wings : and like a desp'rate fly , though he has bin once schorcht , hee 'l venture at the flame agin . . on a flye . the sun-delighting flye repayres , at first to the full cup , onely to quench her thirst ; but , oftentimes , she sports about the brinke , and sipps so long till she be drownd in drinke : when wanton leysure shall present thine eye with lavish cups , remember but the flye . . on scripture and apocrypha . vvhen as the scripture opens to mine eyes , i see my lord in 's bed : but when i meet th' apocrypha at th' end , me thinks it lyes , like his well countnanc'd page , at the beds feet ; who wears his lords old cloths , made lesse ; & sayes his owne inventions in his masters phrase . . to my booke . here comes a criticke ; close thy page : thou art no subject for this age : and censure , oftentimes , yee know , will strike the dove , and spare the crow : but hold ; thy guilt does not require that thou shouldst lurke , or yet retyre ; be open as the eye of noone : and let dogs barke against the moone : thou hast no luster of thy owne , but what 's deriv'd from heav'n alone : feare not : thy heav'n-instructed page , will either please , or teach the age. the end of the second booke . divine fancies . the third booke . . on old wine and new . old crazy casks are not designd to hold new-wines ; nor yet new vessells , for the old : old must , with old ; and new , with new , be filld : else will the vessels breake , and wine be spilld : these empty vessels are thy heart and mine ; the law and gospell represents the wine : the new's the spirit , and the old 's the letter ; with reverence to the text , the new's the better . . on zacharias and the blessed virgin. his tongue requir'd a signe , which might afford a cleerer evidence , then the angels word ; and had it too : vntill those things shall come to passe , his faithlesse lips are stricken dumb : our blessed virgin , at her salutation , seemd ev'n as faithles , on the selfe same fashion her lips reply'd : and how can these things be ? hard iustice ! why he punisht , and not she ? the reason's easie to be riddeld out ; hers was the voyce of wonder ; his , of doubt . . on a picture . some pictures , with a fore-right eye , if seene , present unto the view some beauteous queene ; but step aside , and it objects the shape ; on this side , of an owle ; on that , an ape : looke full upon the world , it proves the story , and beauteous picture of th' almighties glory ; but if thy change of posture lead thy sight from the full view , to th' left hand , or the right , it offers to thine eye , but painted toyes , poore antick pleasures , and deceitfull ioyes . . on servio . servio's in law : if servio cannot pay his lawyers fee , servio may lose the day , no wonder , formall servio does trudge so oft to church : he goes to bribe his judge . . on peters cocke . the cocke crow'd once , and peters careles eare could heare it , but his eye not spend a teare : the cocke crow'd twice , peter began to creepe to th' fyer side , but peter could not weepe : the cocke crow'd thrice : our saviour turnd about , and look'd on peter ; now his teares burst out : 't was not the cock , it was our saviours eye . till he shall give us teares , we cannot crye . . on ambidexter . god keepe my goods , my name , they never fall into the net of ambidexters lawes ; but , for a cause , he seldome prayes at all ; but curses , evermore , without a cause : i 'de rather have his curses , all the day , then give his conscience the least cause to pray . . on lazarus , the damosell , and a sinner . laz'rus come forth ? why could not laz'rus plead , i cannot come , great god , for i am dead : dam'sell arise ? when death had closd her eies , what power had the damsell to arise ? sinner repent ? can we as dead , in sin , as laz'rus , or the damsell , live agin ? admit we could ; could we appoint the hower ? the voyce that calls , gives , and gives then the power . . on sinne. how , how am i deceiv'd ! i thought my bed had entertaind a faire , a beauteous bride : o , how were my beleeving thoughts misled to a false beauty , lying by my side ! sweet were her kisses , full of choyce delight ; my fancy found no difference in the night . i thought they were true ioyes , that thus had led my darkned soule , but they were false alarmes ; i thought i 'd had faire rachel in my bed , but i had bleare ey'd leah in my armes : how seeming sweet is sin , whē cloathd with night ; but , when discover'd , what a loathd delight . . on repentance . t is not , to cry god mercy , or to sit and droope ; or to confesse , that thou hast faild ; t is , to bewaile the sinnes , thou didst commit , and not commit those sinnes , thou hast bewaild : he that bewailes , and not forsakes them too , confesses , rather , what he meanes to doe . . on man. man is a mooving limbeck , to distill sweet smelling waters ; where withall to fill gods empty b●ttle : lord doe thou inspire thy quickning spirit ; put in thy sacred fire ; and then mine eyes shall never cease to droppe , till they have brimd thy bottle , to the toppe : i can doe nothing , lord , till thou inspire : i 'm a cold limbeck , but expecting fire . . on the pouring out of our hearts . t is easie to poure in : but few , i doubt , attaine that curious art , of pouring out : some poure their hearts , like oyle , that there resides an unctions substance still , about the sides : others , like wine ; which , though the substance passe , does leave a kinde of savour in the glasse ; some pour their hearts like milk , whose hiew distaines though neither substance , nor the sent remaines : how shal we poure them , then ; that smel , nor matter , nor colour stay ? poure out your hearts like water . . on friends . god sheild me from those friends , i trust ; and be my firme defence from such , as trust not thee . . on the hypocrite . hee 's like a bul-rush ; seems so smooth , that not the eye of cato can discry a knot : pill but the barke , and strip his smoother skin , and thou shalt find him spungie , all within : his browes are alwaies ponderous as lead , he ever droopes , and hangs his velvet head : he washes often ; but , if thou enquire into his depth , his rootes are fixt in myre . . on servio . servio would thrive ; and therefore , do's obay gods law , and shuts up shop o th' sabbath day : servio would prosper in his home affaires , and therefore dares not misse his dyet-prayres . servio must put to sea , and does implore ; toth'end , that he might safely come ashore . servio's in suit , and therefore must be tyed to morning prayre , untill his cause be tryed : servio begins to loath a single life , and therefore prayes for a high-portion'd wife : servio would faine be thought religious too , and therefore prayes as the religious doe : servio still prayes for profit , or applause ; servio will seldome pray , without a cause . . on the devils master-piece . this is the height the devils art can show , to make man proud , because he is not so . . on our saviours fishing . when as our blessed saviour tooke in hand to be a fisher ; marke the rule he keepes ; he first puts off a little from the land ; and , by degrees , he launchd into the deepes : by whose example , our men-fishers hold the selfe same course ; they do the same , or should . . on mans greatest enemy . of all those mortall enemies , that take part against my peace , lord , keep me frō my heart . . on the hypocrite . hee 's like a reed , that alwaies does reside , like a well planted tree , by th' water side ; hee beares no other fruit , but a vaine bragge of formall sanctitie ; a very flagge : hee 's round , and full of substance , to the show ; but hollow hearted , if enquir'd into : in peacefull seasons , when the weather 's faire , stands firme ; but shakes , with every blast of aire . . on the holy scriptures . why did our blessed saviour please to breake his sacred thoughts in parables ; and speake in darke enigma's ? whosoere thou be that findst them so , they were not spoke to thee : in what a case is he , that happs to run against a post , and cries , how dark's the sun ? or he , in summer , that complaines of frost ? the gospell's hid to none , but who are lost : the scripture is a ford , wherein , t is said , an elephant shall swim ; a lambe may wade . . on mans heart . nature presents my heart in ore ; faire civill cariage gilds it o're ; which , when th' almighty shall behold with a pleas'd eye , he brings to gold : thus chang'd , the temple ballance weighs it ; if drosse remaine , the touch bewrayes it ; afflictions furnace , then refines it : gods holy spirit stamps and coynes it : no coyne so currant ; it will goe for the best wares , that heav'n can show , . on drunkennesse . most sins , at least , please sense ; but this is treason not only 'gainst the crowne of sense , but reason . . on a kisse . ere since our blessed saviour was betrayd with a lip-kisse , his vicar is affraid : from whence , perchance , this common use did grow to kisse his tother end ; i meane his toe . . on the alchymist . the patient alchymist , whose vaine desire , by art , is to dissemble natures fyre , imployes his labour , to transmute the old , and baser substance into perfect gold : he laughs at unbeleevers , scornes and flouts illiterate counsell ; neither cares , nor doubts : vntill , at length , by his ingenious itch , hee 's brought most poore , in seeking to be rich : such is the civillman ; that by his even and levell actions hopes to merit heaven ; he thinks , by help of nature , to acquire , at least to counterfeit the sacred fire of saving grace , to purge and to refresh his base desires , and change his stone , to flesh : he spurnes at counsell ; he derides and jerks those whining spirits that renounce their works ; till , too much trusting to their doing well , in seeking heav'n , they find the flames of hell , . on the ten lepers . ten lepers clensed ? and but one , of ten returne the clenser thanks ? vngratefull men ! but ten i' th' hundred ? ' that 's a gaine that we receive or sue , yet oft deny it thee . . on the last epigram . how , how , am i deceiv'd , that speake to thee of interest , when the purchase was in fee ! thou mad'st a cleane conveyance to the ten , and ne'r expectd'st the principall agen : lord , we must reckon by another rate : they gave not one yeares purchase for th' estate : lord , how we palter with thee ! we pretend a present payment , till w'obtaine our end : and then we crave , and crave a longer day , then pay in driblets ; or else , never pay . . on the boxe of oyntment . it is no wonder , he , above the rest , whom thirty pieces tempted to betray the lord of glory to his death , profest the boxe of oyntment was but cast away : he that dare murther at so small a cost , may eas'ly thinke the charge in buriall , lost . . on mary and jvdas . mary did kisse him : iudas kist him too , but both their aymes were coverd in a mist ; both kisse our saviour ; but their kisses doe differ as farre as did the parts they kist : there 's danger still , where double hearts doe steale the forme of love , or weare the cloake of zeale . . on our saviour and his vicar . me thinks thy vicar gen'rall beares the keyes , and executes thy place , with greater case . and in one iubile , enjoyes more mirth , then thou , my dying lord , didst from thy birth , alas : thou hadst not , wherewithall to fill thy craving stomack : he has cates at will : thy empty costers had not to defray thy tribute charge : to him kings tribute pay ; foxes haue holes ; thou hadst not , whereupon to rest thy wakefull head : he snorts in downe : in short , thy life was nothing but the story of poverty ; and his , of princely glory : when tempting sathan would have giv'n thee all the wealth and glory of the world , to fall and worship him ; at thy refusall , lord , thy vicar tooke the tempter at his word ; so came thy wants so great ; so great his store ; the vicar so-so rich ; the lord , so poore . . on the great prelate . ovr saviours feet were kist : the people doe the very same to thee , great prelate , too ; o , who will seale but such another kisse vpon thy lips , our saviour had on his ! . on idolatry . can common madnes find a thing , that 's more repugnant to the very lawes of nature ; that the creators image should adore the senslesse image of a sensuall creature ! if such be gods ; if such our helpers be , o , what are men ! how more then beasts are we ! . on the tables of stone . that stony table could receive the print of thy just lawes ; thy lawes were written in 't : it could be hew'd , and letters grav'n thereon ; sure , lord , my heart is harder then that stone . . on mans three enemies . there 's three , that with their fiery darts , do level against my soul , the world , the flesh , the devil . lord , give me patience , if not strength ; for there are three t' afflict me ; i 'm but one , to beare . . ☞ on dinah . ☜ when dinahs careles eye was grown too lavish to entertaine , sechem found time to ravish : it is no lesse then silent invitation , although we scorne the sin , to give th' occasion : sure , dinahs resolution was too strong , or to admit , or not resist a wrong , and scornes to stoope to the adult'rers armes ; we often burne , intending but to warme's : she went but out to see , perchance , to heare what lust could say : what harme to lend an eare ? anothers sin , sometimes , procures our shames : it staines our bodies ; or , at least , our names . . on fido . mark , when the good man prospers with his plot , hee 's still envy'd ; despis'd , if prosper not ; the wicked have no peace with god ; and , then , how canst thou , fido , look t' have peace with men ? . on jacob . how iacob's troop'd : laban pursues with one great troope ; and esau meets him with another . laban resolves to apprehend his son : esau , to be reveng'd upon his brother : me thinks i see how jacob stands supplide , like vertue with a vice on either side : laban pursues him , to regaine his gods : esau , t' avenge his birth-right and his blessing : what hope has iacob now ? 'twixt both , 't is ods , there will be either death or dispossessing : god takes delight to turne our helper , then , when all our helps and hopes are past with men . laban encounters iacob : he requires his gods : and esau's neare at hand , by this : laban's appeas'd ; and quencht are esaus fyres ; t'one leaves him ; t'other meets him with a kisse ; iacob's in league with both : the soule that shall have peace with god , has league and peace with all . . on drunkennesse . it is a thiefe ; that , oft , before his face , steales man away , and layes a beast in 's place . . on a tenis-court . man is a tenis-court : his flesh , the wall : the gamesters god , & sathan . th'heart's the ball : the higher and the lower hazzards are too bold presumption , and too base despaire : the rackets , which our restlesse balls make flye , adversity , and sweet prosperity : the angels keepe the court , and marke the place , where the ball fals , and chaulk out ev'ry chace : the line 's a civill life , we often crosse , ore which , the ball not flying , makes a losse : detractors are like standers-by , that bett with charitable men : our life 's the sett ; lord , in this conflict , in these fierce assaults , laborious sathan makes a world of faults ; forgive them lord , although he ne'r implore for favour : they 'l be set upon our score : o , take the ball , before it come toth'ground , for this base court has many a false rebound : strike , and strike hard , but strike above the line : strike where thou please , so as the sett be thine . . on abels blood. abel was silent , but his blood was strong , each drop of guiltles blood commands a tongue , a tongue , that cryes ; 't is not a tongue , implores for gentle audience , 't is a tongue that rores for hideous vengeance : 't is a tongue that 's bold and full of courage , and that cannot hold : o , what a noyse my blessed saviours blood makes now in heav'n ! how strong it cries ! how loud ! but not for vengeance : from his side , has sprung a world of drops ; from ev'ry drop , a tongue . on the memory . does thy corrected frailty still complaine of thy disloyall mem'ry ? do'st retaine nothing that 's good ? and is the better part of what thou hear'● , before it warme thy heart , snatcht from thy false remembrance ? is the most of what th' inspired prophets tell thee , lost in thy unhospitable eares ? and not to be recall'd ? quite buried ? quite forgot ? feare not : thou hast a chanc'lour in thy brest , that keeps th' exchequer , and hoards up the least , the poorest summe : no , no , thou needst not feare , there 's nothing will be lost that 's taken there : thinkst thou , that thou hast lost that piece of gold that 's dropt into a fairer heape , untold ? or canst thou judge that fier , clos'd about with rak'd up embers , 'cause not scene , is out ? gold , lost in greater summes , is still thine owne ; and rak'd up embers will , in time , be blowne to flames : beleeve 't the words thine eares have lost , thy heart wil find , when thou shalt need them most . . on the babel-builders . svre , if those babel-builders had thought good to raise their heav'n-high tower before the flood , the wiser sort of people might deride their folly , and that folly had salv'd their pride ; or had their faiths but enterpriz'd that plot , their hearts had finisht what their hands could not ; 't was not for love of heav'n : nor did they ayme so much to rayse a building ; as a name : they that by works shall seeke to make intrusion to heav'n , find nothing but their owne confusion . . on esav and jacob . esau goes forth ; strives , with his owne disquiet , to purchase ven'son for his fathers diet : iacob abides at home ; and , by his mother , is taught the way , how to supplant his brother : there 's some that hunt , like esau , sweat and toyle , and seeke their blessing by their owne turmoyle ; whilst others crave assistance , and bewray their wiser weakenes , in a safer way : o , if the church my mother will instruct me ; make savory meate , and cloath me , and conduct me into my fathers armes , these hands shall never trust to the poorenesse of their owne endevor : bring i a kid but of my mothers dressing , 't will please my father , and procure my blessing . . on severall sinnes . grosse sinne. is like a show'r , which ere we can get in into our conscience , wets us to the skin : sin of infirmity . is like the falling of an april shower ; 't is often raine , and sun-shine , in an hower . sin of custome . is a long showre , beginning with the light oft-times continuing till the dead of night . sin of ignorance . it is a hideous mist , that wetts amaine , though it appeare not in the forme of raine . crying sin. it is a sudden showre , that teares in sunder the cope of heav'n , & alway comes with thunder . sin of delight . is like a fethered showre of snow , not felt , but soakes to th' very skin , when ere it melt : sin of presumption . does like a showre of hayle , both wet and wound with sudden death : or strikes us to the ground . the sin of sinnes . it is a sulph'rous shower , such as fell on sodom , strikes , and strikes to th' pit of hell. . on these showers . good god! what weather 's here ! these soules of our have still the luck to travell in a shower : lord , we are cold and pitifully drencht ; not a dry thrid ; and all our fyer's quencht : our very blood is cold ; our trembling knees are mutuall andvils ; lord , we stand and freeze : alas we find small comfort from the eye of heav'n ; these showring clouds , our sins , doe flye betwixt the sun and us : wee dry no more , then if the sun had giv'n his office o'r : nay lord ; if now and then those beames do chance to breake upon 's , and lend a feeble glaunce vpon our reeking soules , ere we begin to feele the warmth , w' are dous'd and drencht agin : in what a case are we ! our nightly damps and daily storms , have fild our soules with cramps , with wav'ring palseyes , and our hoarser tongues can doe thee service , nor in prayers , nor songs : our zeales are aguish ; hot and cold : they be extreamely hot toth ' world , as cold to thee ; our blood has got a fever : lord , it must be set on fire with every wanton lust : what worlds of mischiefes are there , that prevaile not vpon our fainting soules ? what is 't we ayle not , that wet and cold can bring ? yet have no power to keepe us in , but dable in the shower : shine forth , bright sun of glory ; be as feirce , as these eclipsing clouds are blacke ; disperse and cleare them with thy stronger beams , that thus dare interpose betwixt thy glory ' and us : reflect on my distempered soule ; refine this vap'rous earth , this sinfull flesh of mine , that , tho some drops m●●● fall , i may have power , shelter'd by thee , t' avoyd the down right shower ; o let my dabled spirit still retyre to thee , and warme her by thy sacred fyre ; that having ravill'd out some weary howers , she may arrive where 's neither clouds nor showers . . on dives and lazarvs . did ever iudge more equally proceed to punish sin ? so right , in kind , and nature ? poore laz'rus was refus'd a crum of bread ; and dives was deny'd a drop of water : children are oftentimes so like the mother , that men may eas'ly know the one , by th' other . . on two suitors . the soule is like a virgin ; for whose love two jealous suitors strive : both daily move for nuptiall favour ; both , with lovers art , plead for the conquest of the virgins heart : the first , approaching , knockt , and knockt agin ; the doore being op'ned , at his entring in , he blushd ; and ( as young bashfull lovers use ) is more then halfe discouraged , ere he sues : at length , that love , that taught him what to feare , gave resolution to present her eare with what he hop'd , and in a lovers fashion , he oft repeates the story of his passion : he vowes his faith , and the sincere perfection , of undissembled , and entyre affection ; he sues for equall mercy from her eye ; and must have love , or else , for love , must dye : his present meanes were short : he made profession of a faire ioynture , though but small possession : and in word , to make his passion good , he offers to deserve her with his blood : the other boldly enters : with the strong and sweet-lip'd reth'ricke of a courtly tongue , salutes her gentle eares : his lips discover the amorous language of a wanton lover : he smiles and faunes , and now and then le ts flye imperious glaunces from his sparkling eye ; bribes her more orient neck with pearl ; with charms ▪ - enclosing bracelets decks her yvory armes ; he boasts th' extent of his imperiall power , and offers wealth and glory for a dower : betwixt them both the virgin stands perplext ; the first tale pleas'd her well , untill the next was told : she lik'd the one , the other ▪ loth to make a choyce : she could affect them both : the one was iocund , full of sprightly mirth : the other , better borne ; of nobler birth : the second su'de in a compleater fashion ; i , but the first show'd deeper wounds of passion : the first was sadly modest : and the last more rudely pleasant : his faire lookes did cast more am'rous flames ; but yet the tothers eye did promise greater nuptiall loyalty : the last's more rich ; yet riches , but for life , make a poore widow , of a happy wife : the first 's estate 's but small , if not made good by death : faire ioyntures comfort widow hood : whō shal this virgin 〈◊〉 her thoughts approve the last , for present wealth , the first , for love : both may not be enjoy'd : her heart must smother her love to one , if she affect the other : ah , silly virgin , is the choyce so hard in two extreames ? can thy weake thoughts reward two so unequall , with a like respect ? knowst thou not which to slight , & which t' affect ? submit to better judgement , and advise with thy best friend : o trust not thine owne eyes : this last , that seemes so pleasant , so acute , is but a slave , drest in his lords old suite : he brags of glory , and of princely power , when he is kickt and baffled every hower : the treasure that he boasts is not his owne , he basely stole it , and the theft is knowne ; for which , he is arraign'd , condemn'd to th'paines of death ; his sentence is , to hang in chaines : his plott's to bring thee in as deepe as he ; beleeve 't ; it is thy blood he seekes , not thee : the bribes he gave thee , are but stolne : fond girle , discard those bracelets , and disclaime that pearle : the first , whose oft repeated knocks did crave admittance , was the lord to that base slave : his faith is loyall , and as firme his vow : to him , his life 's not halfe so deare , as thou : that wealth , that honour , that dissembled power , that pleasant pesant offer'd as a dower , is that faire lords : nor peace , nor pow'r●or ●or wealth can any challenge from him , but by stealth : match there , my soule , and let thy sacred vowes plight holy contracts with so sweet a spouse : his left hand 's full of treasure ; and his right ; of peace , and honour , and unknowne delight : hee 'l give thee wealth ; and in that wealth , content , for present meanes ; and ( when thy glasse has spent her latest sand , that time untransitory thy dayes ) a joynture of eternall glory . . on the old and new garment . new garments being brought , who is 't that would not scorne to live a pris'ner to the old ? yet though our bo●nteous saviour , at his cost , presents us new , we love the old ones most : alas , they pinch us ! o , they sit too strait ! they are too combersome ! too great a waight ! no , no ; the old were too too light , too great ; so we have ease , we care not to be neat : like tyred jades , our better wils repayre to a foule stable , then t' a rod● that 's faire . . on mans co-operation . we are not blocks : we must expect the call ; and , being cal'd , must move , and rise withall : the voyce were needlesse , and as good be dumb , as , with the call , not give the pow'r to come : deserves hee food , that thinkes it vaine to gape ? christ takes his spouse by contract , not by rape . . on the old and new tables . the former tables of the law were broken , and left no monuments of themselves , no token , no signe that ever such things were : but marke , the later were kept holy in the arke : those tables are our hearts . can we be bold to looke for new , and yet not breake the old ? or can the ruines of the old find place in th' arke of glory , not repayr'd by grace ? dismount , o blessed moses , and renew those tables thou hast broken , or make new . . on a crucifixe . why not the picture of our dying lord , as of a friend ? nor this , nor that 's ador'd : does not th' eternall law command , that thou shalt ev'n as well forbeare to make , as bow ? not to so good an end ? t' advance his passion ? the gold being pure , what matter for the fashion ; take heed : the purest gold does often take some losse , some prejudice , for the fashions sake : not to a civill end ? to garnish halls ? to deck our windowes ? to adorne our walls ? shew-bread must not be common : and the cruse of holy oyle admits no civill use : no , no ; the beauty of his picture lies within ; t is th' object of our faith , not eyes . . on praying to saints . not pray to saints ? is not the warrant ample , if back't with scripture ? strengthen'd with example ? did not that sweltring dives make complaint for water ? was not abraham a saint ? why should reformed churches then forbid it ? 't is true : but tell me ; what was he , that did it ? . on confession . experience tels , that agues are about to weare away , when as our lips breake out : in spirituall fevers , there 's the same expression of health , when lips breake forth into confession : but mark : these hopefull symptomes never doe confirme the ague gone , but faire to goe : they doe not alwayes worke , what they portend ; confession profits not , unlesse we mend . . on solomons rejoyce . young man rejoyce : what jolly mirth is here ? let thy heart cheare thee : what delicious cheare ? in thy young dayes ; thy cates will relish sweeter . walk thy owne wayes : thy cares will passe the fleeter : please thine own heart : carve where it likes thee best : delight thine eyes : and be a joyfull guest : but know withall , the day will come , whereon thy iudge will doome thee for the deeds th' ast done : o what a feast ! o what a reckning's here ! the cates are sweet ; the shot 's extreamely deare : lord , i have been , and am a dayly guest ( too oft invited ) at the young mans feast : the reckning's great ; although i cannot pay , i can confesse ; great god , before this day , i had been dragd to the redeemlesse iayle , hadst thou not pleas'd t' accept my saviours baile ; lord , he must bear 't i doubt : for i can get nor coyne to pay , nor labour out the debt : i cannot digge , my ioynts are starke and lame , but i can begge , although i beg with shame ; i have no grace in begging ; can receive the first repulse : i have no faith , to crave : if th'entertainments of the feast be these ; lord give me famine ; take the feast that please : on bread. take up that bit of bread : and understand , vvhat 't is thou holdest in thy carelesse hand : observe it with thy thoughts , and it will reade thee an usefull lecture , ev'n as well as feed thee ; vve stirre our lands , or give directions how ; but god must send a season for the plough : vve sow our seede ; but sowe our seed in vaine , if heav'n deny the first , the later raine ; small proofe in showrs , if heau'ns pleas'd hand shall cease to blesse those showrs , nor crowne thē with encrease . the tender blades appeare , before thine eye , but , uarefresht by heav'n , as soone they die : the infant eares shoot forth , and now begin to corne : but god must hold his mildewes in : the harvest 's come : but clouds conspire together hands cannot work , til heav'n shall clear the weather : at length 't is reap'd : between the barne and furrow how many offices poore man runs thorow ! now god has done his part : the rest we share to man : his providence takes now the care : no ; yet it is not ours : the use alone , not bare possession makes the thing our owne : thy swelling barnes have crownd thy full desire ; but heav'n , when mows should sweat , can make them i , but the sheaves are thrasht , & the heap lies in thy full garnier . he that sent the flyes fire ; to pharees court , can , with as great an ease , send thee more wastfull vermin if he please : perchance 't is grounded , kneded : and what though ? gods curse is often temper'd with the dough ; beleeve 't the fruits of all thy toyle , is mine , vntill they be enjoy'd , as much as thine : but now t' has fed thee : is thy soule at rest ? perchance , thy stomack 's dainty to digest . no , if heav'ns following favour doe not last from the first furrow to the very tast , thy labour 's lost : the bread of all thy travill , without that blessing , feeds no more then gravill : now wastfull man , thou mayst repose againe that modell of gods prov'dence and thy paine : that bitt of bread ; and if thy dog should fawne vpon thy lappe , let not so deare a pawne of greater plenty be contemn'd and lost ; remember how it came , and what it cost . . on faith and reason . true faith and reason , are the soules two eyes : faith evermore lookes upward , and discryes objects remote ; but reason can discover things onely neere ; sees nothing that 's above her ; they are not matches ; often disagree ; and sometimes both are clos'd , and neither see : faith viewes the sun ; and reason , but the shade ; t'one courts the mistresse ; t'other wooes the maide : that fees the fire ; this , only but the flint ; the true-bred christian alwayes lookes asquint . . on carnall mirth . vvho seeks to quench by help of carnal frends those fiery errants that the consciēce sends , redeemes his peace , but with a further spoyle ; drinks in a fever : quenches fyre with oyle . lord , if thou strike my conscience ; and that , me : i will expect , and trust no friend , but thee . . on prayer . prayre's like a vapour fum'd from earth ; that flyes to th' gates of heav'n : it never rotts i th' skyes : if faith and it be joyn'd , it will obtaine , and melt into a first and later raine ; if faith forsake her , and they part in sunder , it falls in thunderbolts ; at least , in thunder . . on anna . vvhat faithfull anna by her teares had done deserv'd the double duty of a son : she was a double parent ; pleas'd to doe a double office ; bore , and got him too : thus samuel was ( it was lesse strange then rare ) borne of her body , gotten by her prayer . . on a gift . no losse to give to thee ; the gift is more our owne , being giv'n , great god ; then 't was before . . on my selfe . if righteous ely was not vengeance-free , how shall i scape ! he was a saint , to me : nay , lord , how would my heart & comfort faile , if i should weigh thy mercies in our scale ! . on iustification and sanctification . lord , thou hast promis'd , in and for thy christ , to sanctifie where ere thou iustifi'st : lord , all my evils are iustifi'd in thee ; lord , let those evils be sanctifi'd to me . . on mans love. when think we , lord : on thee ! & when we doe , how feeble are our thoughts , & sinfull too ! how basely doe our crooked soules engage themselves to heav'n ? we make thy glory , page to our salvation : mans more servile heart loves what he 'd have thee , lord , not what thou art : this is the very best of man ; wherein w' are apt to think we merit more , then sin. but there 's a baser love : our chiefe respects have meere relation to our owne defects , like dogs we fawne upon our masters lapps , with dirty feet , and only love for scrapps . but there 's a baser yet : we love for feare , finding , like kain , more then we can beare , and , were it not for shame , our hearts would be as warme to sathan , as , great god , to thee : but there 's a baser yet : and baser none : we love thee , to be lov'd of man alone : we force a zeale ; usurpe the name of pure ; that we may sin more closely , more secure , we love thee onely to abuse thee , just as whores love husbands , but to cloke their lust : how art thou martyr'd in our lustfull fyres ! how made a stale to catch our wilde desires ! lord , i will love as farre as lyes in me , thee for thy selfe , and all things else in thee : . on filiall love and servile . they 'r not alike , although alike appeare : t'one feares for love : the other loves for feare . . on grapes . it is receiv'd , that seed of grapes being sowne , brings forth degenerate clusters , or else none : but stocks being grafted prove a fruitfull vine , whose pleasing berries yeeld a generous wine ; we are thy vineyard , lord ; these grapes of our , by nature , are degenerous and sower ; but if thou please to graft us , we shall beare delicious fruit ; which being prest , shall cheare the hearts of angels , and that blessed trine of perfect glory with their sprightly wine . . on ioy and griefe . lord , if my griefes were not oppos'd with ioy , they would destroy : and if my mirth were not allaid with sadnesse , it would be madnesse : while this , with that , or that , with this contends , they 're both my friends : but when these happy wars doe chance to cease , i have no peace : the more my earthly passions doe contest , the more my heavenly ' affections are at rest . . on doves and serpents . we must have doves and serpents in our heart , but how they must be marshall'd there 's the art ; they must agree , and not be farre asunder ; the dove must hold the wily serpent under : their natures teach what places they must keepe , the dove can flye , the serpent onely creepe . . on christ , and our selves . i wish a greater knowledge , then t' attaine the knowledge of my selfe ; a greater gaine then to augment my selfe ; a greater treasure then to enjoy my selfe ; a greater pleasure then to content my selfe : how slight , and vaine is all selfe-knowledge , pleasure , treasure , gaine ; vnlesse my better knowledge could retrive my christ ; unlesse my better gaine could thrive in christ ; unlesse my better wealth grow rich in christ ; unlesse my better pleasure pitch on christ ; or else my knowledge will proclaime to my owne heart how ignorant i am : or else my gaine , so ill improv'd , will shame ; my trade , and shew how much declin'd i am : or else my treasure will but blurre my name with bankrupt , and divulge how poore i am ; or else my pleasures , that so much inflame my thoughts , will blabb how full of fores i am : lord , keepe me from my selfe ; 't is best for me , never to owne my selfe , if not in thee . . on man. at our creation , but the word was said , and we were made : no sooner were , but our false hearts did swell with pride , and fell : how slight is man ! at what an easie cost hee 's made and lost ! . on death . we all are going to the selfe same place , we only differ in our way , our pase : one treads the common roade of age : another travels , directed by the hand os's brother : some crosse the waves , perchance the neerer way ; some by the winged shaft that flyes by day ; some ride on feavers ▪ others beat the hoofe , with horses in their hands , and make a proofe of their owne strrngth ; others more fairely pase on beds of downe ; some ride a speedy race on hot-mouthd surfeits , emulous for the cup : some hotly mounted fiercely gallop up . on spurgal'd broyles , whose frantick motions send their hasty spirits to their iournies end : some ride upon the racking steeds of treasure ; others false-gallop on the backs of pleasure : all journey forwards to the selfe-same place ; some , the next way ; and some , the faster pace : all post an end ; till beaten out of breath , they all arrive at the great gates of death ; lord , in this common roade , i doe not care what pase i travell , so my way be faire . . on the life of man. ovr life is nothing but a winters day ; some onely breake their fast , and so , away : others stay dinner , and depart full fed ; the deepest age but sups , and goes to bed : hee 's most in debt , that lingers out the day ; who dyes betimes , has lesse ; and lesse to pay . . on gods image . it was a dainty piece ! in every part , drawne to the life , and full of curious art : it was as like thee as a shadow could be like a substance ; there was none but would have known thee by 't : there needed then no name , no golden characters , that might proclaime whose picture t' was : the art was so divine that very beasts did reverence , as thine : but now , alas , 't is blurr'd : the best that we or they can judge , is this , 't was made for thee : alas'tis faded , soyl'd with hourely dust , sullyed , and shadow'd with the smoke of lust ; so swarthy as if that glorious face of thine were tawnyed underneath the torrid line : how is thy picture altred ! how ill us'd by our neglects ! how slubberd ! how abus'd ! her cedar frame 's disioynted , warp'd and broke ; her curious tablet's tainted with the smoke : the objects both offensive , and the savor ; retaining neither beauty , nor thy favour : lord , let not thy displeased eye forsake thy handy-worke ; for the bad keepers sake : behold it still ; and what thou seest amisse , passe by : thinke what it was ; not what it is : what though her beauty and her colours fade ? remember ; o , 't was like thee when 't was made . there is a great apelles that can lim with thy owne pencell ; we have sought to him : his skilfull hand will wash off all the soyle , and clense thy picture with his sacred oyle : hee 'l mak 't more faire then 't was ; at least , the same ; hee 'l mend the tablet , and renew the frame : till then ; be pleas'd to let thy picture be acknowledg'd thine : 't was made for none but thee . . on the penny. he that endur'd the tyranny of heate ; the morning-sorrowes , and the midday-sweat ; the evening-toyle , and burthen of the day , had but his promis'd penny for his pay : others , that loyter'd all the morning ; stood i th' idle market , whose unpractis'd blood scarse felt the warmth of labour , nor could show a blush of action , had his penny too . what wages can we merit , as our owne ? slaves that are bought with price , can challeng none , but onely stripes : alas , if servants could doe more , then bid , they doe but what they should ▪ when man endeavours , and where heav'n engages himselfe by promise , they are gifts , not wages , he must expect : we must not looke t' obtaine because we run ; nor doe we run in vaine : our running showes th' effect , produces none : the penny 's giv'n alike to every one , that works i th' vin●yard : equall price was shar'd t'unequall workes : therefore no reward : lord , set my hands a worke : i will not serve for wages , lest thou give what i deserve . . on a christian. the generous christian must as well improve i th' quality of the serpent , as the d●ve ; he must be innocent ; affraid , to doe a wrong ; and crafty , to prevent it too : they must be mixt , and temper'd with true love ; an ounce of serpent , serves a pound of dove . . on gods bountie . god freely gives ; as freely we receive ; it is not , doe ; but ask , and thou shalt have . . on sinnes . my sinnes are like to mountaines , that arise above the clouds , & threat the threatning skyes ; lord , give me faith ; and let that faith be prov'd , in leaving not a mountaine unremoov'd . . on the life of man. a thousand yeares , with god ( the scriptures say ) are reckon'd but a day ; by which accompt ; this measur'd life of our exceeds not much an hower ; the halfe whereof nature does claime and keepe as her owne debt for sleepe : a full sixt part or what remaines , we ryot in more then needfull dyet : our infancy , our child hood , and the most of our greene youth is lost : the little that is left , we thus divide ; one part to cloathe our pride ; an other share we lavishly deboyse to vaine , or sinfull joyes ; if then , at most , the measur'd life of man be counted but a span , being half'd and quarter'd , and disquarter'd thus , what , what remaines for us ? lord , if the totall of our dayes doe come to so-so poore a summe ; and if our shares so small , so nothing be , out of that nothing , what remaines to thee ? . on the childrens bread. thy strengthning graces are the childrens bread , which maks thy thriving children strong & able honour , and riches are the crummes that feed the d●ggs that lurk beneath their masters table : lord , if thy gracious pleasure will allow but bread , i 'am sure i shall have crums enow : . on trust and care . ovr trust in god , for riches ; neither must exclude our care ; nor care exceed our trust. . on rvscvs . illiterate ruscus heard pedantius preach ; admir'd the church mans learning , & commended such things alone , that were above his reach ; but meanly slighted what he appprehended : what hinders then to thinke that ruscus hath at least the twi-light of a bastard faith ? . on the receiving of the lords supper . men take the sacred seales of their salvation , as some doe physick , not for health , but fashion : the day preceding , and the following day , there 's none so strict ; none so reform'd as they : they curb the fury of their wanton ryot , and call their surfets to a stricter dyet : the time expir'd , the first assault that haps , prevailes , and strikes them to a worse relaps ; like doggs to vomits they returne agin , as though they'ad past a patent now to sin : let such day-christians , on the very toppe of all their mirth , remember judas sopp . on faith. th'oft shaken tree growes faster at the root ; and faith 's most firm , that 's somtimes urg'd with doubt . . on the story of man ? the word was spoke ; and what was nothing , must be made a chaos of confused dust : the word was spoke : the dust began to thicken to a firme clay : the clay began to quicken : the grosser substance of that clay thought good to turne to flesh : the moyster turn'd to blood : received organs : and those organs , sense ; it was imbellisht with the excellence of reason : it became the height of nature , being stampt with th' image of the great creator : but , lord , that glorious image is defac'd : her beautye's blasted , and her tablet's raz'd : this height of nature has committed treason against it selfe : declin'd both sense and reason ; meere flesh and blood , containing but a day of painted pleasure , and but breathing clay : whose moysture , dry'd with his owne sorrow , must resolve , and leave him to his former dust ; vvhich dust , the utter object of our loathing , small time consumes , & brings to his first nothing : thus , from this nothing , from this dust , began thus something , turnd to dust , to nothing ; man. . on ananias . the land was his : the land was his , alone ; 't was sold , and now the money was his owne : the powre remain'd in the possessors hand , to keepe his money , or have kept his land : but once devoted to the churches good , and then conceald , it cost his life , his blood : if those that give , may not resume agin , vvithout a punishment , without a sin , vvhat shall become of those , whose unjust power dispoyles the widdowed temple of her dower : vvho take her profits , and in stead of giving encrease to her revenues , make a living vpon her ruines , growing plump and full vpon her wants , being cloathed in her wooll ; vvhile she sustains th'extremes of cold and hunger , to pamper up the fat advousion-monger ; vvho thrust their flesh-hooks in their thristy pot , and only leave her what they value not : the whilst her sacred priests , that dayly tread their slighted corne , must begge their early bread ; or else , be forc'd to purchase easie shares vvith the deare price of their ungranted prayres : let such turne backe their sacrilegious eyes , and see how breathlesse ananias lyes : behold the wages that his sin procures , that was a mole-hill , to these alpes of yours : he tooke not from the church : did but conceale some part he gave ; but your false fingers steale her maine inheritance , her owne possession ; his was but bare deceipt , yours bold oppression : o , if no lesse then the first death was due to him , what death d' ye think's prepar'd for you ? so often as your pamper'd eyes shall looke on your estates , thinke on the flying booke . . on pious vses . they that , in life , oppresse , and then bequeath their goods to pious uses at their death , are like those drunkards , being layd to sleepe , that belch and vomit what they cannot keepe : to gods and mans acceptance , i presume their severall actions send the like perfume . . on sophronia . the chast sophronia knowes not how to scape th' inevitable danger of a rape ; cruell sophronia drawes her hasty knife and would relieve her chastity with life : doubtfull sophronia knowes not what to doe , she cannot keepe the one , and t'other too : sophronia's in a strait ; one eye is fixt o' th' seventh commandment ; t'other , on the sixt ; to what extreames is poore sophronia driven ! is not sophronia left at sixe and seaven ? . on the knowing man. hee 's like a lusty soyle , whose moysture feeds , if not a world of corne , a world of weeds . . on romes pardon . if rome could pardon sins , as romans hold , and if such pardons might be bought for gold , an easie iudgement might determine which to choose : to be religious , or else rich ; nay rome does pardon : pardons may be sold ; wee 'l search no scriptures , but the mines , for gold. . on the world. the world , compos'd of heaven & earth , 's the story of gods eternall , and mans temp'rall glory . . on formall devotion . men doe god service with the same devotion , as the soule body takes his loathed potion : they stay and stay , then gulp it downe in hast , not for the pleasure , but to have it past : whose druggy tast goes so against their minde ; that , oft , the better part is left behind , and what is taken , 's taken but in vaine , it either works not , or comes up againe . on heavenly manna . o what a world of heav'nly manna falls within the circuit of our happy walls ! with how great ioy wold neighb'ring lands receive the fragments of those fragments , that we leave ! our furnisht markets flourish all the yeare : we need no ephaths , nor yet omers here : we take , unmeasur'd , from the bounteous heape ; thanks never were so deare : not that , so cheape : vve never hoard , but tosse from hand to hand , as if that famine had forsworne the land ; our satiate stomacks are so lavish fed , that we ev'n sleight , and wanton with our bread : ah lord ! i feare when carelesse children play vvith their spoyl'd bread , 't is time to take away . . on naturall sins . to murther parents , or our selves , has bin , though falsly , counted an unnaturall sin : by nature , we are apt to fall into 't ; i rather think 't unnaturall not to doe 't : if heav'n should but forsake us , 't were agin . the very course of nature , not to sin . . on the arke . if flouds of teares should drown my world of sin , alas , my floating arke retaines within , a cursed cham to store the world agin : what then ? so long as holy sem vouchsafeth but to divide a tent with bashfull iapheth . . on sophronia . sophronia chooses rather to commit selfe murther , then by violence , to submit her ventur'd honor to th' injurious trust of the eye sparkling tyrants furious lust : what means sophronia ? dare her conscience frame , to act a sin , but to prevent a shame ? . on a faire prospect . looke up ; and there , i see the faire abode and glorious mansion of my gracious god : looke downe ; in ev'ry garnisht corner lyes favours objected to my wondring eyes : looke on my right hand ; there , the sweet encrease of joyes present me with a joyfull peace : looke on my left hand ; there , my fathers rod sublimes my knowledge , from my selfe , to god : looke forward ; there , i see the lively story of faiths improvement and of future glory : looke backward : there , my thankfull eye is cast on sinnes remitted , and on dangers past : looke inwards ; and mine eye is made partaker of the faire image of my glorious maker : looke up ; or downe ; about , above , or under ; nothing but objects of true love and wonder . . a resolution . if thou hast giv'n me wealth , great god , i crave content ; and grace to have the goods i have ; if otherwise ; thy will be done : i crave not so much , to have , as use the goods i have not : lord , make me thine : and then i shall appeare , if not thy almner , yet thy beads-man , here . . on the worlds welcome . earths entertainments are like those of iael , her left hand brings me milke ; her right , a nayle . . on our meditation upon god. vvhen thy ambitious knowledge would attempt so high a taske as god , she must exempt all carnall sense ; thy reason must release her pow'r ; thy fancy must be bound toth ' peace ; thy spirits must be rapt ; they must exile thy flesh , and keepe a sabbath for a while ; thou must forget thy selfe , and take strong bands of thy owne thoughts , and shake eternall hands with thy rebellious lusts ; discard and cleare thy heart of all idea's ; then , with feare , and holy reverence , thou must thinke of one , as though he were not to be thought upon : conceive a spirituall , a most perfect beeing , pure , simple ; at the selfe-same instant , seeing things present , past , and future ; one , whose might , whose wisedome , iustice , mercy , ( in a height above exceeding ) is himselfe , being great without a quantity , and most compleat without degrees ; eternall without space of time : at all times present , without place : think thus : and whē thy thoughts can sore no higher , stay there , stand humbly silent , and admire . . on faith. he that wants faith , and apprehends a griefe because he wants it , hath a true beliefe . and he that grieves , because his griefe 's so small , h 'as a true griefe , and the best faith of all . . on mans folly. ideots , and sense-bound lunaticks discerne 'twixt salt and suger ; very babes will learne to know a counter from the currant coyne ; bruit beasts , by ' instinct of nature , will decline th'alluring bait , and sense-beguiling snare ; though that seeme ne'r so sweet ; this , ne'r so faire : yet man , heav'ns greatest master-piece will chuse , what fooles , and mad-men , beasts , and babes refuse : delights in dangerous pleasures , and beneath the name of ioyes , pleases himselfe to death . . on glory . that saint , in heav'n , whose glory is the least , has ev'n as perfect glory , as the best : there 's no degrees ; but in a finite treasure : no difference 'twixt pauls glory & mine , but measure . . on reward . when holy scriptures mention the rewarding of works , we read not , for , but stil according . the end of the third booke . divine fancies . the fourth booke . . a good morrow . t is day : vnfold thine armes ; arise , and rouze thy leaden spirits , and pay thy mcrning vowes ; send up thy incense ; let her early smoke renew that league thy very dreames have broke ; then mayst thou worke or play ; nothing shall be displeasing to thy god , that pleases thee . . a good-night . close now thine eyes , and rest secure ; thy soule is safe enough ; thy body sure ; he that loves thee , he that keepes and guards thee , never slumbers , never sleepes . the smiling conscience in a sleeping brest has onely peace , has onely rest : the musicke and the mirth of kings are all but very discords , when she sings : then close thine eyes and rest secure ; no sleepe so sweet as thine , no rest so sure . . on a printing-house . the world 's a printing-house : our words , our thoughts our deeds , are characters of sev'rall sizes : each soule is a compos'ter ; of whose saults the levits are correctors : heav'n revises ; death is the common press ; from whence , being drivē , w' are gathered sheet by sheet , & bound for heaven . . a dialogue betweene gabriel and mary . gabriel . haile blessed mary : ma , what celestial tongue cals sinfull mary blessed ? gab : it is i : ma. who art thou ? ga. i am gabriel that belong to the high quire of heaven : ma. i faint , i dye . ga. feare not sweet virgin ; all the earth shall be son made debters to thy womb , and blest in thee . ma. how lord ? ga : thy virgin womb shal beare a that shal redeem the world . ma. my lord , how can such wonders come to passe ; such things be done by a poore virgin , never knowne by man ? ga. the holy ghost , at his appointed howre , shall make thee pregnant by his sacred powre : ma. wonder of wonders ! ga. at whose height the quire of heav'n stand ravisht , tremble , & admire . ma. o may it be according to thy word : ga. before that twice five moons compleated be thou shalt be knowne the mother of our lord , and thou shalt dance thy saviour on thy knee . ma. both heav'n & earth shall triumph ; & the frame of hell shall tremble at maria's name : ga. all ages past , and present , and to come , shall joy in mary , and in marye's wombe . on rhemvs . if heav'n would please to purge thy soule as well as rome thy purse , thou needst not feare a hell. . on the life of man. mans day 's a song , compos'd by th'great musition , full of harmonious ayres and dainty choyce ; but spoyld with discords , and too much division ; abus'd and lost for want of skill , and voyce : we misse our rests , and we neglect our graces ; our life the trebble , and our death the base is : . on mary . foure marye's are eterniz'd for their worth ; our saviour found out three , our charls , the fourth . . on the church . let not thy blacknesse moove thee to despaire , black women are belov'd of men that 's faire : what if thy hayre , her flaxen brightnes lack ? thy face is comely , though thy brow be black . . on the two essences . gods sacred essence represents the bright and glorious body of the greater light : 't is perfect ; hath a being of her owne , giving to all , receiving light from none : mans essence represents the borrowed light and feeble luster of the lampe of night : her rayes are faint , and her reflection thin , distain'd with nat'rall blemishes within ; inconstant , various ; having , of her owne , no light at all ; or light , as good as none : when too much earth shall interpose , and slipps betwixt these lights , our soules are in th' eclips . . on our saviours passion . the earth did tremble ; and heav'ns closed eye was loth to see the lord of glory dye ; the skyes were clad in mourning , & the spheares forgat their harmony ; the clouds dropt teares : th' ambitious dead arose to give him roome ; and ev'ry grave did gape to be his tombe ; th' affrighted heav'ns sent down elegious thunder ; the worlds foundation loos'd , to lose their founder ; th' impatient temple rent her vaile in two , to teach our hearts what our sad hearts should do : shall senslesse things doe this , and shall not i melt one poore drop to see my saviour dye ? drill forth my teares ; and trickle one by one , till you have p●irc'd this heart of mine , this stone . . on peter . vvhat luck had peter ! for he tooke a fish that stor'd his purse , as well as fill'd his dish ; whose bounty did inrich , as well as feed him ; but they are better fishers that succeed him : he catcht by chance : these catch the like by skill : he catcht but once : these catch them when they will : they cast their angles into better seas ; their bayts are only for such fish as these : brave sport , and full of curious pleasure ! come , there is no fishing to the sea — of rome . . on herodias . i 'le tell thee , light-skirts , whosoever taught thy feet to dance , thy dancing had a fault : thou 'lt find it deare , herodias , if thou do'st compare thy pen'worth with the price it cost . . on faith and hope . how much the stronger , hopes on life relye , so much the weaker is my faith , to dye . . on water and wine . the happy diff'rence and sweet change of life , when a chast virgin turnes a loyall wife , our blessed lord , in cana did divine , and turnd cold water into lusty wine . . on age. how fresh blood dotes ! o how green youth delires ! it most disdaines the thing it most desires . . on a figg-tree . a christian's like a figg-tree , that does beare fruit , greene , or ripe , or blossomes all the yeare : no wonder then , our saviour curst that tree ; figg-trees are alwayes dead , where no figgs be . . on rhemvs . rhemus , upon a time i heard thee tell , a wall divideth purgatory ' and hell ; and that a gold-bought masse will cleare th' offence that brought us thither , and redeeme us thence : ah rhemus , what demented soule would spare to ruine wife , or to dis-land an heyre , rather then feele such torments , you pretend , that equall hell in all but time , and end : ah rhemus , if the power of gold be such , how dare you be so bold to dye so rich ! . on jacob . ne're boast thy bargaine , iacob : for poore wee have made a better contract far , then thee : we envy not his land thou didst inherit ; our brother tooke our flesh ; gave us his spirit . . on simon magvs . simon , bring gold enough ; and i will tell thee , wher thou shalt buy what peter wold not s●l thee : repaire to his successors ; they are free and frolick gamsters ; not so strict as hee : nay , if thy gold be weake , they will not stand to sell good pen'worths at the second hand : they 'l sell good cheape , but they 'l not give to any ; no , pater-noster where there is no penny : no , if thy purse be like an empty shell , they will not give , what peter would not sell. . on the bishop of rome . admit , great prelat , that thou wert that rock wheron the church was founded ; coldst unlock the gates of heav'n ; and , with thy golden key , make hel thy pris'ner , and the fiends obey , thy papall dignity would far be greater , if thou wert simon , but as well as peter . . on milo . do ; strive to enter milo , though the gate be narrow , and the rugged passage straight ; lessen thy selfe , and fast thy carkas thin ; take in thy flesh , 't will get thee easier in : look up to heav'n , t will raise thy body'uprighter ; give lib'rall alms , t will make thee tread the lighter : sweat forth thy base corruptions , and inherit thy promis'd crowne ▪ halfe lost for want of spirit ; let not thy destard , and dull thoughts disdaine those works which cold despaire mistakes , as vaine ; take heed ; let not thy queazy soule repine against those actions which are none of thine : heav'n bids thee shine ; what if thy rayes be dim , doe thou thy best ; leave the successe to him : follow thy worke ; and when thy soule shall be gather'd from hence , thy works shall follow thee . . on rome . good workes abound in rome : 't is well they doe , 't is the best string they chalenge to their bow : but ev'ry hee 's no monck , that weares a hood , 't is well , if they 'r well done , as well as good : when wandring passengers have lost their way , no sort of men that ride so fast as they . . on three dayes and nights . thou knowst our dying saviour did repose on friday ; on the sabbath , he arose ; tell me , by what account can he be said to lodge three dayes and nights among the dead ? he dyde for all the world : what wanted here , was full supply'd in t'other hemisphere . . on tobits dogge . what luck had tobits dog ! what grace ! what glory thus to be kenel'd in th' eternall story ! vntill th' apocrypha and scripture sever , the mem'ry of tobits dogg shall live for ever : . on the gospell . vvhen two evangelists shall seeme to vary in one discourse , they 'r divers , not contrary ; one truth doth guide them both ; one spirit doth direct them ; doubt not , to beleeve them both . . on servio . servio , 't is scarcely worth thy paines , to smother or to subdue one sin , and hugge another : beleeve it servio , he that is in thrall to one , is a potentiall slave to all . . on formio . formio will keepe the sabbath , read and pray , his lips are seal'd from oaths upon that day ; formio is clad in black , and will absent his fleshly thoughts , this holy time of lent. thinkst thou that formio's shaking hands with sin ? no , t is but giving hands to meet agin . . on iohn and iesvs . iohn was the morning-starre that did fore-run the long-wisht rising of our glorious sun : the first word that iohns preaching lips expressed was this , repent : our saviours first , was , blessed : iohn makes th' incision ; iesus makes it sound ; iesus nere cures , where iohn ne'r made a wound . . on dispossessing . vve read , a broyled fishes heart will scare a frighted devil from a troubled brest : we read againe , by fasting , and by prayre the fierce demoniack's only dispossest : what this affirmes , that flatly does deny ; with reverence to the text , the t'one's a lye. . on herodias . i have a young herodias lives within me , that never leaves to dance , untill she win me to grant her suit ; will never cease to plead vntill i give her my iohn baptists head : o then my sorrow would be past her date , and i , like h●rod , should repent too late . . on malfido . sathans injections are like weeds that fall into thy garden , darted ore the wall , whose loathsom smel unscent thy sweeter flow'rs ; but grow not there , unles we make them ours : they 'l dye , neglected ; if thou lend them roome , they 'l stink ; but eas'ly thrown from whence they come : feare not , malfido ; those they be that spoyle thy flow'rs , that suck their substance from the soyle . . on slanders . when undeserv'd report distaines my name , it shames not , but perchāce prevents a shame . . on law and gospell . the law is rough ; the gospell milde and calme ; that launc'd the bile ; & this powres in the balme . . on abosome sin. that sin that finds more credit then the rest , that is thy darling , leanes upon thy brest ; that , in the b●some of thy heart does lye ; that dips within thy dish , sayes , is it i ? that gives thee kisses ? that 's the sin that slayes thee , o that , o that 's the iudas , that betrayes thee . . on the world. the world 's a booke , writ by th' eternall art of the great maker , printed in mans heart ; 't is falsly printed , though divinely pend , and all th' erratas will appeare at th' end . . on my soule . my weather-beaten soule long time has bin becalm'd , and tiding in the sea of sin ; but now afflictions storme does drive and tosse her batter'd keele : the wind is loud and crosse : feare fills her tatterd sailes , & doubts doe drive her , she knowes not where ; and of all hopes deprive her : thus , thus transported by the troubled ayre amongst the swallowing quick-sands of despaire , if not prevented by a greater power , she looks for wreck and ruine ev'ry hower ; o , that mine eyes could raine a showre of teares , that , that would lay the storme of all my feares . . on the cuckoe . the idle cuckoe , having made a feast on sparrowes eggs , layes downe her owne i' th' nest ; the silly bird she ownes it , hatches , feeds it ; protects it from the weather , clocks and breeds it ; it neither wants repose nor yet repast , and joyes to see her chicken thrive so fast : but when this gaping monster has found strength to shift without a helper , she at length not caring for that tender care that bred her , forgets her parent , kills the bird that fed her : the sin we foster in our bosome , thus ere we have left to feed it , feeds on us . . on tobit . was it not time to send his sonne to rages , for mony , whē his wife spun hard for wages ? was 't not high time for him to post away , that for an angell paid a groat a day ? . on david . who ever sung so high , so rapt an 〈◊〉 as david prompted by heroick clio ? but when thy more divine vrania sung , what glorious angell had so sweet a tongue ? but when melpomene began to sing , each word 's a rapture , or some higher thing : sweet were thy triumphs ; sweet those ioyes of thine ; o , but thy teares were more then most divine . . on a monument . seest thou that mon'ment ? dost thou see how art does polish nature to adorne each part of that rare worke , whose glorious fabrick may commend her beauty to an after day ? is 't not a dainty pe●ce ? and apt to raise a rare advantage to the makers praise ? but knowst thou what this dainty peece encloses ? beneath this glorious marble there reposes a noysome putrid carkas , halfe devour'd by crawling caniballs , disguiz'd , deflour'd with loath'd corruption , whose consuming sent would poyson thoughts , although it have no vent : ev'n sucha peece art thou , who ere thou be that readst these lines : this monument is thee : thy body is a fabricke , wherein nature and art conspire to heighten up a creature to summe perfection , being a living story and rare abridgement of his makers glory ; but full of loathsome filth , and nasty mire of lust , uncurb'd affections , base desire ; curious without , but most corrupt within a glorious monument of inglorious sin. . on plavsvs . plausus has built a church : and lest his glory should dye , has boasted his vain-glorious story vpon the painted wall , and built to fame a large memoriall of his doubtfull name : plausus , 't is bravely done ; thy deeds make knowne thou either seekst gods glory , or thy owne . . on censorio . thou blam'st the age , condemns the daies of crimes , if thou wouldst mend thy faults , 't would mend the times . . on fooles of both kinds . some scorne the crosse , whilst others fall before it : some sit and take the bread , and some adore it : some are too bold , and others too too nice : fooles act a sin whilst they decline a vice. . on the name of jesvs . it is the common course of man to double the name of iesus in the times of trouble : the name of lord is not a stile to please us ; iesu's no lord with us ; if lord , no iesus . . on the woman with the issue . how could thy soule , fond woman , be assur'd thy long disease could be so eas'ly cur'd ? what ? couldst thou think the touch of cloth was good to dry the fountaine of thy flowing blood ? or was 't because our blessed saviour wore it ? or why ? i read not , that thou didst adore it : he nere so much as ownd thee , woman : sure , thy faith , and not his garments wrought the cure . on our redemption . we were created at a word , a breath ; redeemed with no lesse then blood & death : how much greater labour is it , than , to wash a sinner , then to make a man ! . on gods arme. t was not , that he was weake ; or thou so strong ; he dy'd so soone , or that thou liv'st so long : the head-strong oxe is haled to the slaughter , when the poore worm crawls many a summer after : when heav'ns victorious arme shal please to strike , the gyant and the pigmey are alike . . on our blessed saviour . o thou that wert the king of heav'n and earth , how poorely wert thou attended at thy birth ! a manger was thy cradle , and a stable thy privy chamber , marye's knees thy table ; theeves were thy courtiers , & the cross , thy throne ; thy dyet , gall ; a wreath of thornes , thy crowne : all this , the king of glory endur'd , and more , to make us kings that were but slaves before . . on cordvplo . keepe in thy actions , and maintaine the fences of thy clos'd lipps , corduplo , and thy senses ; thou shalt deceive both man and devill too , and mayst be damn'd , and yet they never know ; the devils power of knowledge never delves into our hearts , till we proclaime our selves . . on dreames . vvho dreams a sin , & not his dreams forbid it an entertainment , sins , as if he did it ; which if thy slumbring soule could not prevent , th' art safe , if thou hast dreamd thou didst repent . . on adam . how soon , poore adam , was thy freedome lost ! forfeit to death ere thou hadst time to boast ; before thy triumph , was thy glory done , betwixt a rising and a setting sun : how soon that ends , that should have ended never ! thine eyes ne'r slept , untill they slept for ever : . on sins and blessings . vve write thy common blessings , lord , upon a sliding streame ; no sooner writ , but gon : thy more illustrious favors we entrust to the dry sand , defac'd with ev'ry gust : but , lord , our scrowle of sins are written downe on during marble , or some harder stone ; and our extreame mis-doings are thought good to be inscrib'd , like draco's lawes , in blood : lord , let us change our tables , or our story , and we shall have more comfort ; thou , more glory . . on celia . celia complaines , her heart cannot be well ; nor will not , celia , till it cease to swell ; 't is too-too proud with blood , perverse and stout ; it must be launc'd to let the humour out : alas no launce can pierce it ; it is growne more hard then raunce , or th' adamantine stone . then celia , like an adamant , thou must make the incision with her owne made dust . . on pvsillvs . pvsillus can be jocund , never whines when he is full , but still , in want , repines ; and , like a bad-nos'd ●ound , that hunts not true , hee 's at a fault , if not the game in view : be well advis'd pusillus ; heav'n may chance , to pipe no more , if thou give ore to dance . . on beliefe . the divels doe beleeve ; i know they doe ; but their beleefe does make them tremble too . . on crastinio . past time is gone , the future is to be ; crastinio , say , which most belongs to thee ? the first , thou further goest and further from ; and thou mayst dye before the last shall come : the first , crastinio's now growne out of date ; perchance the last may come , but come too late : the last's uncertaine , and the first is gone , the present then crastinio's thine , or none . . on an hower-glasse . mans life is like an hower-glasse , wherein each sev'rall sand that passes is a sin : and when the latest sand is spent and run , our sinnes are finisht , as our lives are done . . on kain . kain , 't is true : it was , and did appeare a punishment too great for thee to beare : if thou hadst had a faith , and couldst have bin as much opprest and loaded with thy sin , thy greater patience either might out-worne it , or found more able shoulders to have borne it . on ticio . ticio stands gaping for the clouded sun to be inform'd how fast the howers run ; ah , foolish ticio , art thou sound in minde , to lose by seeking , what thou seekst to finde ? . on sortio . sortio , that makst a trade of gaming , know thou breakst two great command'ments at a throw : the third thou break'st by thy abuse of lot ; thou breakst the tenth , that bids thee covet not : now tell me , sortio , whether sins most high , he that playes faire , or he that helps a die ? . on raymond sebvnd . honour to high-brain'd raymond , and no lesse to thy renowned scholler , great du plesse : your high attempts object to our dull sight the god of nature , by dull natures light : but what has raymond , and du plessis done ? they light but two bright tapers to the sun. . to henry earle of holland . t is not the sun-shine of great cesars eye , nor our opinion makes thy honour flye so faire a pitch ; nor need thy glory claime assistance from thy blood , t' enrich thy name : but what it is that mounts thee up so high , the world shall tell thee , henry , and not i : blood gives no vertue ; nor opinion , glory ; and princely favors are but transitory ; heav'ns act is mingled with great cesars eye : heav'n gave thee wings , and cesar bids thee flye . . on drunkards and idolaters . which is the greater sin , and which the lesse ? which finds the sharper ? which the milder rod ? to turne gods glorious image to a beast , or turne the image of a beast to god ? thrice happy is that soule , and more then thrice , that buyes no knowledge at so deare a price . . on dying . he that would dye once well , must often trye ; practice does bring perfection how to dye : the law 's our tutor ; and the world our schoole , wherein w' are taught by ' example , as by rule : the rods afliction , which being laid away , the gospell comes , and begs us leave to play . . on ravens and lilies . are not the ravens , great god , sustaind by thee ? and wilt thou cloth the lilyes , and not me ? i 'le nere distrust my god , for cloth , and bread , whilst lilyes flourish , and the ravens be fed . . on degrees of sin. cvrses proportion to the sins degree : adam had one ; eve , two ; the serpent , three . . a last will. my life 's my dying day ; wherein i , still , am making , alter , and correct my will : my soule i doe bequeath to god ; provided some smaller legacies may be divided among my friends : item my sins i giue to my deare iesus , whether dye or live : item , i give the world , that did refresh the tender frailty of my feeble flesh , my lesser cares : i doe bequeath moreover , to my poore body , home-spun cloath , to cover and hide her shame , and food for needfull diet ; some sleepe , but not immoderate , to quiet distemper'd nature , and in her vacation , some lawful pleasures for her recreation ; my charity , to my poore helples brother , i give ; my prayers to the true church my mother ; whose watchfull eyes i must desier , still , to be the over-seers of my will. . on our jesvs . hee 's like a rock , which when we strive to shun we are in danger to be wreckt upon ; but when our wide-spred armes seek refuge there , it will secure us from the harmes we feare . . to king charles . the common wealth is like an instrument ; the divers sorts of people represent the strings , all differing in degrees , in places ; some trebles , and some meanes , and some are bases : the potent rulers the musitians are ; the musicke , sometimes peace , and sometimes warre ; the lawes are like the ruled bookes that lye before their eyes , and which they practice by : play on great charles ; heav'n make thy strings as strong , and true , as thou art skilfull : ravish long the worlds wide eares , with thy diviner ayres , that whosoever to thy land repayres , may thence returne amazd , and tell the story of brittains triumph , in great charles his glory . . a riddle . the goods we spend we keepe ; and what we save , we lose , and only what we lose , we have . . on glorioso . nero vaunt glorioso , that thou oft reliev'st the poore ; glorioso , t is not thine , thou giv'st : boast what 's thy own ; thou art the poor mans sive ; thy wealth was giv'n thee , with a clause , to give ; put case it were thy owne thou gav'st ; what then ? thy owne applause hath paid thy own agen . . on jvdas : two hundred pence ! what 's that to thee ? but say that so much oyntment had beene cast away ; the coyne that paid for 't , iudas , was not thine ; o iudas , that 's the cause thou didst repine . . on impropriator . lord , how he swells ! as if he had , at least , a common wealth reposed in his brest : a common-wealth ? ●twas shrewdly guest , i tell ye ; he has a leash of churches in his belly . . on the same . prodigious stomacke ! what a cruell deale it can devoure ! who le churches at a meale : 't is very strange that nature should deliver so good ● stomack to so bad a liver . . on lvcro . lvcro , it is beleev'd , thy conscience , either is very wide , or made of stretching leather : me thinkes thy conscience rather seemes too small ; so farre from large , i feare th' ast none at all . . to god. if thou shouldst strike a blow for every slipp that mortalls make , or spurre for every tripp , within a moments space , here would be found no place left free t' inflict an other wound : hackneys and spur-gall'd iades would happier be , and in condition , better farre , then wee . . on sleepe and death . it is receiv'd , that sleep's the elder brother ; i see no reason for 't ▪ i thinke , the other : though sleepe does now usurp the upper hand , i 'am sure that death do's sweepe away the land. . to rhemvs . thy conscience tels thee , that to make debate twixt prince and people ; to subvert a state ; to violate a truce , to murther kings are lawfull ; nay , are meritorious things : thou hast a freedome more then we , wherein to doe against thy conscience , and not sin . . on glorioso . he that relieves his brother in distresse , and seeks no 〈◊〉 applause , do's nothing lesse then lend to his redeemer , laying downe a worthlesse 〈◊〉 , to take up a crowne : but if vain-glory prompt thy tongue to boast , it is not lent , glorioso ; 't is but lost . . to god. i wonder , lord , thou shouldst so much desire our yonger dayes , when as the greene-wood fire of feeble nature is but newly blowne ; when ev'ry roome 's unfurnisht ; and not one fit for the presence of so great a guest ; none trim'd with art ; no , not so much as drest with common sense ; when as th'unburnisht print of thy faire image , taken from the mint but now , has not the least imbellishment of heav'nly knowledge : lord , what hast thou ment , to make such choyce , to choose a time so ill , when we have neither meanes , nor yet a will to entertaine ? would not our deeper age , wherein the toyes of child-hood , and the rage , the fire of lustfull youth shall be abated , wherein our riper soules shall be estated in richer knowledge , and the strength of reason ; o might not , might not this bin thought a season , a time more aptly chosen of the twaine , for thee to come ; and us , to entertaine ? no ; thou , great god , that art our wise creator , wert better read in our rebellious nature : thou knewst the bow of our corrupted will stood bent to mischiefe , would be drawne to ill by every arme ; thou knewst that every hower gave new encrease to strength , and double power to draw those sinfull shafts that shoot at heaven ; thou knewst our easie nature would be driven by ev'ry breath , and that our thoughts would fall from bad to worse ; from worse , to worst of all ; thou knowst that growing time wold more unlevell our rugged wills , and tookst the best of evill : lord , take it , and betimes ; that , being possest of that , thou mayst prescribe for all the rest . . on partio . thou sayst thy will is good , and glory'st in it , and yet forgetst thy maker ev'ry minit : say partio , was there ever will allow'd when the testators mem'ry was not good ? . on an evill conscience . what hells of horror , an evill conscience brings . what strange chimera's ! what prodigious things ! a pregnant womb of wonders ! ev'ry minit we sin ; but least , when most we sin agin it . . to mvndano . nere thinke , mundaeno , that one roome will hold thy god , and all thy gold ; if ere they chance to meete within a heart , they 'l either fight , or part ; so long as earth seemes glorious in thine eyes , thy thoughts can never rise ; beleeve 't mundano , by how much more neare thou getst to heav'n , the lesse will earth appeare . . to my friend . vvould'st thou be prosp'rous , tho the bēded brow of fortune threaten thee ? he teach thee how : call home thy dearest wishes , and recall thy hopes ; expect the worst that can befall : if come ; thy heart will be the more secure , the lesse amaz'd , and abler to endure : if it come not , expectance is no losse ; perchance it armes thee for another crosse : thus wisely sheltred under this reliefe , thy ioy shall be the lesse ; and lesse , thy griefe . . to malfido . cheare up malfido , lay thy thoughts more level ; make sure of grace , and ne'r suspect thy food : he that is good , can give a thing that 's evill no more , then thou , being evill , canst wish a good : he better knowes to give , then thou , to begge ; thou whin'st for stones , and grumblest at an egge : o , let his better will suspend thy wish , and thou shalt find no scorpion ; if , no fish. . on crvcio . thou stil complainst that sorrowes do attend thee , and that their savours do so much annoy thee : mistake not ; they are weapons , to defend thee ; they be not engins , crucio , to destroy thee ; wilt thou mislike thy cropps of swelling corne , because th' are trencht , & fenc'd about with thorn ? . to rhemvs . t is true ; we are but dust ; but wormes ; nay men , that are more base then either ; and what then ? shall wormes , or dust , or men be well advis'd , to goe in person ( where we have despis'd ) before a god , a glorious god ? i doe ; who bids thee come , will bid thee welcome too : rhemus , when call'd in person , you appeare by proxy , tell me where 's your manners , there ? 't is better to be wisely bold , then make thy selfe unmannerly , for manners sake : some ill-bred clownes there be , that , being loath to foule a napkin , draw a filthy cloath . . to macio . droope not beneath thy wants , as if forlorne , thou must be made a iewell , to be worne in abrams bosome : macio , he that comes to abrams bosome , finds his way , by crumms . . on reproofe . t is not enough to strive agin the act , or not to doe 't ; we must reprove the fact in others too ; the sin , being once made knowne to us , if not reprov'd , becomes our owne : we must disswade the vice , we scorne to follow ; we must spit out , as well as never swallow . . on cvrio . two eares to let in knowledge ; nature gave ; to entertaine true faith , one heart we have ; why so ? i le tell thee curio , in briefe , our knowledge twice exceeds our halfe beleefe . . on zelvstvs . zelustus thinks , his paines are worth his labour if he love god , though he traduce his neighbour : his hot-mouth'd zeale false-gallops on so fast in the table't tyers in the last : art thou a faithfull steward of gods store , zelustus , that spendst sixe , and keepst but foure ? . on philautos . philauto's charity is like a mouse that keepes at home , and never leaves the house , till it be fir'd : it stirres for no mans cause , vnlesse to feed on crumms of vaine applause : take heed , philautos , lest thou heed too late ; the mouse , in time , will eate up thy estate . . on dubius . dvbius , thy eares are two , thy tongue but one ; heare god and priest , confesse to god alone . . to sir julius cesar , master of the rol●es . the high perfections , wherwith heav'n do's please to crowne our transitory dayes , are these ; goods well possest ▪ and not possessing thee : a faithfull friend ; equall in love , degree : lands fruitfull , and not conscious of a curse : a boastlesse hand , a charitable purse : a smiling conscience , a contented mind ; a sober knowledge , with true wisedome , j●ynd : a brest , well temper'd ; dyet without art , surfeit , or want ; a wisely-simple heart . pastimes ingenious , lawfull , manly , sparing ; a spirit not contentious rash , but daring : a body healthfull , found , and fit for labour ; a house well order'd , and an equall neighbour : a prudent wife , and constant to the roofe ; sober , but yet not sad , and faire enough ; sleepe seasonable , moderate , and secure ; actions heroicke , constant , blamelesse , pure , a life , as long as faire ; and when expir'd , a glorious death , unfeard , as undesir'd . . on lvcro . lvcro , how poor thy tyrant-wealth has made thee ! how miserable poore ! it has betrayd thee to thy owne seeming selfe ; and it is growne as little , thine , or lesse then thou , thy owne : alas , poore lucro , how thy fruitfull pawnes abuse thy stomacke , that so often yawnes . for a good morsell , whilst thy saint does rome , like a d●coy , t' entice evill angels home , whose more imperious presence must controule and fright the peace of thy perplexed soule ! lucro , be slave no longer to thy pelse ; sub due thy gold , and make thy selfe , thy selfe : but if thy saint be growne too strong for thee , he tell thee lucro ; turne thy saint to me . . on mendax . faire-spoken mendax , on the least occasion , sweares by his faith , and by his owne salvation ; is rash●brayne mendax , well advised , then , to pawne his faith in god , for faith with men ? sure , small 's thy wit or credit , to be drawne for wares so poore , to leave so great a pawne . . on blandvs . vvhen ere i wish my blandus a good mor●ow he is my servant : if i come to borrow , or but salute my blandus passing by , i am your servant , blandus does reply : if court my blandus , i must understand , he is my servant , and does kisse my hand ; discourse with blandus , ev'ry clause shall be i am your servant : if he drinke to me my servant does it ; i returne his love , my servant pledges : if my lips doe move a suit , he is my servant ; though i doe abuse my blandus , hee 's my servant too : how blest am i , his service should be such to me ! he never told his god so much : how much , dear blandus , hast thou bound me thine , that art his servant , not so much , as mine ! . on rebellio . the stout rebellio , scourged by his god , slights his correction , and ne'r ownes the rod ; take heed , rebellio ; be not stout too long ; neglected stripes doe oft returne more strong ; a stubborne silence more ill nature showes , then sobbs of stomack , and deserves more blowes . . on god and gold. my god and gold cannot possesse one heart : my god and i ; or gold and i must part . . to james archbishop of armagh . renowned prelate , i nor know nor care what secret vertue 's in saint patricks chayre ; if any ; i dare boldly say , 't is more since thou satst there , then ere it was before : goe on , great patriarck ; if thy higher story ( as sure it will ) shall drowne s. patricks glory : iërna will , ( as now iërna vaunts ) be knowne , as well as cal'd , the isle of saints . . on a waking conscience . there is a kind of conscience some men keepe , is like a member that 's benumb'd with sleepe ; which , as it gathers blood , and wakes agen , it shoots , and pricks , and feeles as big as ten . . on our affections . o how prepostrous our affections burne ! we serve the world , love god , to serve our turn . . on zelvstvs . zelustus weares his clothes , as he were clod to frighten crowes , and not to serve his god ; as if the symptomes of regeneration were nothing but a christian out of fashion . . on rebellio . vvhat ? ever whining ? evermore alike , both when heav'n strikes & whē he leaves to strike ? not stroke thy stomacke downe , when as thy god is friends with thee , and throwne aside the rod ? take heed , rebellio , heaven doe not replye vpon thy sobbs , and he that made thee crye for thy owne good , reward not thy repining with a new rod , & scourge thee worse for whining . . on zelvstvs . not thy geneva ruffe , nor steeple hat with flagging eaves , or cepresse out of date ; thy nock-shorn cloake , with a round narrow cape ; thy russet hose crosse-garterd with a tape ; thy antick habit , of the old translation , made for the purpose in despight of fashion ; t is none of these , zelustus , that can bring thy zeale in credit ; none of these can wring the least applause from heav'n : heav'n never ment a christians conscience should be bound or bent to shapes ; zelustus , we can scarce divide an affectation from a secret pride . . on conscio . art thou revil'd , and slandred ? and yet whine ? i feare th' art guilty : is that heart of thine so faint ( if guiltles ) that it cannot stoope beneath so poore a burthen , and not droope ? he that has fire at home may well refraine to blow his singers , conscio , or complaine the weather 's cold abroad : make sure within , and let them censure , let them snarle agin : thou mayst appeare , but not be this , the worse ; if conscience blesse thee , doe , let shemei curse . to god. thy sacred will be done , great god , to spend , or to suspend thy rod : if possible , my will 's to misse it ; if otherwise , to stoope , and kisse it . . on devotion . we must not onely be to god , but shew to man ; pauls cloak must be remembred too on the christian. t is not enough that the kings daughter should be faire within ; she must be clad in gold ; the curious needle cloathes her whiter skin ; shee 's rich without , and glorious all within : the true borne christian , must , as well , be clod with lives to men , as lin'd with hearts to god. . on mercy and lustice . gods mercy and his iustice is the same ; t is but the obiect that divides the name . on avlicvs . before that aulicus was made a lord , he was my friend ; we might exchange a word , as well as hearts ; he could be never weary of my society ; was jocund , merry ; ingenious , and as jealous to offend ; he was enjoyd , he could enjoy his friend : but now he swells , looks big , his favours change , a● well as fortunes : now his eyes are strange : his thoughts are councels , curious webs of state ; and all his actions must be wonder'd at ; his speeches must be lawes , and every word an oracle , to be admir'd , ador'd : friendship must now be service : a new mold must have new matter , melted from the old : o aulicus , 't were well , if thou couldst doe the very same in spirituall honour too . . to rhemvs . faith must be joynd to works : rhemus , i wonder , what god has joynd , thou dar'st presume to sunder ! . on tortvs . t is not the bearing of the crosse , or cup of thy affliction ; thou must take them up : nor i st the taking up , alone , will doe ; tortus , thou must take up , and follow too . . on gracchvs . gracchus so often did repeat a lye , past on , with credit , from his very youth , that now his conscience has forborne to crye against it , and perswades him 't is a truth : t is well for gracchus ; he has gaind thereby ; he now may tell the same , and never lye . . on phares . thou sayst , it is a supper , and is fit to use the posture of a meale , to sit : can thy discretion , phares , or thy zeale give carnall gestures to a spirituall meale ? a heav'nly supper and a fleshly heart ? thy posture has discover'd what thou art . . on the same . you 'l take it sitting : pray ; and no man know it : you 'l doe , and yet you will not seeme to doe it : you 'l bow your heart , although you bend no knee : 't is like your selfe ; you seeme , not what you be . . to my booke . so ; now , 't is time to waine thee from my brest ; thy teeth grow sharp , my babe , it will be best for both : thy hasty nurse is come to take thee from my fond arms : ne'r whimper ; he wil make thee a dainty golden coate : let it suffice thee , thou art mine stil : how ere ; thy nurse will prize thee for his own sake and thine : when thou art strong , and fure of foot , hee 'l let thee sport among thy fellow●children ; he will let thee see the world , which thou hadst never seene , with me : thou mayst doe well ; if fortune strike thee lucke , and faire opinion ; thou didst never sucke but one good friday , and thou mayst improve as well in merit , as in pop'ular love : thou hast sixe brethren ( borne as well as thee of a free muse ) legitimate and free ; pages to cesar , and in cesars court , besides an ishmael , that attends the port of a great lord , an honourable peere of this blest realme : if ere thou wander , there . they 'l bid thee welcome , at the times of leasure , perchance , and bring thee to the hand of cesar : thou art but young , and tender , ( for who knowes the paths of fate ? ) perhaps , and one of those whom clotho favours not ; perchance , thy twine may be produc'd ( for thou art halfe divine ) to after ages , to the utmost date of time ; who knowes ? but we subscribe to fate : perchance , thy fortune 's to be bought and sold ; was not young ioseph serv'd the like of old ? thy bondage may , like his , be made perchance , a steppe to honour , and a meanes t' advance thy higher fortunes , and prepare thy hand to ease a dearth , if dearth should strike the land : but i transgresse , my b●be : 't is time to part ; the lawes of nature breake the rules of art ; once more farewel : let heav'ns high blessings shine on my poork babe , as my poore babe has mine . the end of the fourth and last booke . the historie of samson: written by fra: quarles quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the historie of samson: written by fra: quarles quarles, francis, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by m[iles] f[lesher] for iohn marriott, in s. dunstans church-yard in fleetstreet, london : . in verse. printer's name from stc. running title reads: the history of samson. the last leaf is blank. reproduction of the original in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng samson -- (biblical judge) -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the historie of samson : written by fra : qvarles . london , printed by m. f. for iohn marriott , in s. dunstans church-yard in fleetstreet . . for the time , but quickly leaves us to our former darknesse : the overtaken lanthorne is the true friend ; which , though it promise but a faint light , yet it goes along with us , as farre as it can , towards our journies end : the offered linke is the mercenary friend ; which , though it be ready enough to doe us service , yet that service hath a servile relation to our bountie . sir ; in the middle ranke i finde you , hating the first , and scorning the last ; to whom , in the height of my undissembled assection , and unfained thankfulnes , i commend my selfe , and this booke , to receive an equall censure , from your uncorrupted judgement : in the bud , it was yours ; it blossomd , yours ; and now , your favour able acceptance confirmes the fruit yours : all i crave , is , that you would be pleased to interpret these my intentions to proceed from an ardent desire , that hath long beene in labour to expresse the true affections of him that holds it an honor to honor you fra : qvarles . to the reader . the tyranny of my affaires was never yet so imperious , but i could steale some howers to my private meditations ; the fruits of which stolne time i here present thee with , in the history of samson : wherein , if thy extreme severity checke at any thing , which thou conceivest may not stand with the majesty of this sacred subject ; know , that my intention was not to offend my brother : the wisest of kings , inspired by the king of wisedome , thought it no detraction from the gravity of his holy proverbs , to describe a harlot like a harlot , her whorish attire ; her immodest gesture , her bold countenance ; her flattring tongue ; her lascivious embraces ; her unchast kisses ; her impudent invitations : if my descriptions in the like kinde , offend ; i make no question but the validitie of my warrant will give a reasonable satisfaction : hee that lifts not his feet high enough , may easily stumble : but on the contrary , if any be , whose worse then sacrilegious mindes shall prophane our harmelesse intentions with wanton conceits , to such i heartily wish , a procul ite ; let none such looke farther then this epistle , at their owne perils : if they doe , let them put off their shooes , for this is holy ground : foule hands will muddle the clearest waters : and base mindes will corrupt the purest text : if any offence be taken , it is by way of stealth , for there is none willingly given : i write to bees , and not to spiders : they will suck pleasing hony from such flowers : these may burst with their owne poyson : but you , whose well-seasond hearts are not distempered with either of these extremities , but have the better rellish of a sacred understanding ; draw neere , and reade . i sing th' illustrious , and renowned story of mighty samson ; the eternall glory of his heroicke acts : his life , his death : quicken my muse with thy diviner breath , great god of muses , that my prosp'rous rimes may live and last to everlasting times ; that they unborne may , in this sacred story , admire thy goodnes , and advance thy glory . the historie of samson . sect . . argvment . a holy angell doth salute the wife of manoah , and inlarge her barren wombe with promis'd fruit of both their loynes . the angels charge . within the tents of zorah dwelt a man of iacobs seed , and of the tribe of dan ; knowne by the name of manoah ; to whom heaven had deni'd the treasure of the wombe ; his wife was barren ; and her prayres could not remove that great reproach , or clense that blot which on her fruitless name appear'd so foule , not to encrease the tribe of dan one soule : long had she , doubtles , stroven with heaven , by prayres made strong with teares and sighes ; hopes and despaires no doubt had often tortur'd her desire vpon a rock , compos'd of frost and fire : but heaven was pleas'd to turne his deafned eares against those prayres made strong with sighes and teares : she often praid ; but prayres could not obtaine : alas ; she pray'd , she wept , she sigh'd in vaine : she pray'd , no doubt ; but prayres could finde no roome ; they proov'd , alas , as barren as her wombe . vpon a time ( when her unanswer'd prayre had now given just occasion of despaire , ( even when her bedrid faith was growne so fraile , that very hope grew heartlesse to prevaile ) appear'dan angel to her ; in his face , terrour and sweetnesse labour'd for the place : sometimes , his sun-bright eyes would shine so fierce , as if their pointed beames would even pierce her soule , and strike th' amaz'd beholder dead : sometimes , their glory would dispeirce , and spread more easie flames ; and , like the starre , that stood o're bethlem , promise and portend some good : mixt was his bright aspect ; as if his breath had equall errands both of life and death : glory and mildnesse seemed to contend in his fayre eyes , so long , till in the end , in glorious mildnesse , and in milder glory , he thus salutes her with this pleasing story . woman ; heaven greets thee well : rise up , and feare not ; forbeare thy faithlesse tremblings ; i appeare not clad in the vestments of consuming fire ; cheare up , i have no warrant to enquire into thy sinnes ; i have no vyals here , nor dreadfull thunderbolts to make thee feare : i have no plagues t' inflict ; nor is my breath charg'd with destruction ; or my hand , with death . no , no ; cheare up ; i come not to destroy ; i come to bring thee tydings of great joy : rowze up thy dull beliefe ; for i appeare , to exercise thy faith , and not thy feare : the guide , and great creator of all things , chiefe lord of lords , and supreame king of kings , to whom an host of men are but a swarme of murmring gnats ; whose high prevayling arme can crush ten thousand worlds , and at one blow can strike the earth to nothing , and ore-throw the losts of heaven ; he that hath the keyes of wombes ; to shut , and ope them , when he please ; he that can all things , that he will , this day , is pleas'd to take thy long reproach away : behold ; thy wombe's inlarg'd ; and thy desires shall finde successe : before long time expires , thou shalt conceive : eretwise five months be runne , be thou the joyfull mother ef a sonne ; but see , thy wary palate doe forbeare the juyce of the bewitching grape ; beware , lest thy desires tempt thy lips to wine , which must be faithfull strangers to the vine . strong drinke thou must not tast , and all such meate the law proclaimes uncleane , refraine to eate : and when the fruit of thy restored wombe shall see the light , take heed no rasor come vpon his fruitfull head ; for from his birth , soone as the wombe entrusts him on the earth , the child shall be a nazarite , to god ; by whose appointment , he shall prove a rod , to scourge the proud philistians ; and recall poore suffring israel from their slavish thrall . meditat . . how impudent is nature , to account those acts her owne , that doe so farre surmount her easie reach ! how purblind are those eyes of stupid mortalls , that have power to rise no higher then her lawes , who takes upon her the worke , and robbes the author of his honor ! seest thou the fruitfull wombe ? how every yeare it moves thy cradle ; to thy slender cheare , invites another ghest , and makes thee father to a new sonne , who now , perchance , hadst rather bring up the old , esteeming propagation a thanklesse work of supererogation : perchance , the formall mid-wife seemes to thee lesse welcome now ; then she was wont to be : thou standst amaz'd , to heare such needlesse ioy , and car'st as little for it , as the boy that 's newly borne into the world ; nay worse , perchance , thou grumblest , counting it a curse vnto thy faint estate , which is not able t' encrease the bounty of thy slender table : poore miserable man what ere thou be , i suffer for thy crooked thoughts ; not thee : thou tak'st thy children to be gifts of nature ; their wit , their flowring beauty , comely stature , their perfect health ; their dainty disposition , their vertues , and their easie acquisition of curious arts , their strength 's attain'd perfection you attribute to that benigne complexion , wherewith your goddesse , nature hath endow'd their well-disposed organs ; and are proud ; and here your goddesse leaves you , to deplore that such admir'd perfections should be poore : advance thine eyes , no lesse then wilfull blind , and , with thine eyes , advance thy drooping mind : correct thy thoughts ; let not thy wondring eye adore the servant , when the master 's by : looke on the god nature : from him come these underprized blessings of the wombe : he makes thee rich , in children ; when his store crownes thee with wealth , why mak'st thou thy selfe poore ? he opes thee wombe : why then shouldst thou repine ? they are his children , mortall , and not thine : we are but keepers ; and the more he lends to our tuition , he the more commends our faithfull trust : it is not every one deserves that honor , to command his son : she counts it as a fortune , that 's allow'd to nurse a prince : ( what nurse would not be proud of such a fortune ? ) and shall we repine , great god , to foster any babe of thine ; but t is the charge we feare : our stock 's but small ; if heaven , with children , send us wherewith all to stop their craving stomacks , then we care not : great god! how hast thou crackt thy credit , that we dare not trust thee for bread ? how is 't , we dare not venture to keepe thy babes , unlesse thou please to enter in bond , for payment ? art thou growne so poore , to leave thy famisht infants at our doore , and not allow them food ? canst thou supply the empty ravens , and let thy children dye ? send me that stint , thy wisedome shall thinke fit , thy pleasure is my will ; and i submit : make me deserve that honour thou hast lent to my fraile trust , and i will rest content . sect . . argvment . the wife of manoah attended with fearefull hope , and hopefull feare , the joyfull tydings recommended to her amazed husbands eare . thus , when the great embassadour of heaven had done that sacred service , which was given and trusted to his faithfull charge , he spred his ayre-dividing pineons , and fled : but now , th' affrighted woman apprehends the strangenesse of the message ; recommends both it , and him , that did it , to her feares ; the newes was welcome to her gratefull eares , but what the newesman was , did so encrease her doubts , that her strange hopes could find no peace ; for when her hopes would build a tower of joy , o , then her feares would shake it , and destroy the maine foundation ; what her hopes , in vaine , did raise , her feares would ruinate againe : one while , she thought ; it was an angell sent ; and then , her feares would teach her to repent that frightfull thought : but when she deeply waigh'd the joyfull message , then her thoughts obay'd her first conceit ; distracted , with confusion , sometimes she fear'd it was a false delusion , suggested in her too beleeving eares ; sometimes she doubts , it was a dreame , that beare no waight but in a slumber ; till at last , her feet , advised by her thoughts , made hast vnto her husband ; in whose eares she brake this mind-perplexing secret thus , and spake ; sir. as my discur sive thoughts did lately muse on those great blessings , wherewith heaven doth use to crowne his children , here ; among the rest , me thoughts no one could make a wife more blest , and crowne her youth , her age with greater measure of true content , then the unprized treasure of her chast wombe : but as my thoughts were bent vpon this subject , being in our tent , and none but i , appear'd before mine eyes a man of god : his habit , and his guise was such as holy prophets use to weare , but in his dreadfull lookes there did appeare something that made me tremble ; in his eye , mildnesse was next with awefull majesty ; strange was his language , and i could not chuse but feare the man , although i lik'd his newes ; woman ( said he ) cheare up , and doe not feare ; i have no vialls , no nor iudgements here ; my hand hath no commission , to enquire into thy sinnes ; nor am i clad in fire : i come to bring thee tydings of such things , as have their warrant from the king of kings ; thou shalt conceive , and when thy time is come , thou shalt enjoy the blessings of thy wombe ; before the space of twice five months be runne , thou shalt become the parent of a sonne , till then , take heed , thou neither drinke , nor eate wines , or strong drinke , or law-forbidden meate , for when this promis'd child , shall see the light , thou shalt be mother to a nazarite : while thus he spake , i trembled : horrid feare vsurpt my quivering heart ; only mine eare was pleas'd to be the vessell of such newes , which heaven make good ; and give me strength to use my better faith : the holy prophets name i was affraid t' enquire , or whence he came . meditat . . and dost thou not admier ? can such things obtaine lesse priviledge , then a tale , that brings the audience wonder , entermixt with pleasure ? is 't a small thing , that angells can finde leisure to leave their blessed seates ; where , face to face , they see their god , and quit that heavenly place , the least conception of whose joy , and mirth , transcends th' united pleasurs of the earth ? must angells leave their thrones of glory thus , to watch our foot-steps , and attend on us ? how good a god have we ! whose eyes can wincke , for seare they should discover the base sincke of our loath'd sinnes : how doth he stop his eare , lest , when they call for iustice , he should heare ? how often , ah , how often doth he send his willing angells , hourely to attend our steps ; and , with his bounty , to supply our helplesse wants , at our false-hearted cry ? the bounteous ocean , with a liberall hand , transports her laden treasure , to the land ; inriches every port , and makes each towne proud with that wealth , which now she calls her owne ; and what returne they for so great a gaine , but sinckes and noysome gutters , back againe ? even so ( great god ) thou send'st thy blessings in , and we returne thee , dunghills of our sinne : how are thy angells hacknei'd up and downe to visit man ? how poorely doe we crowne their blessed labours ? they with ioy , dismount , laden with blessings , but returneth ' account of filth and trash : they bring th' unvalued prize of grace and promis'd glory , while our eyes disdaine these heavenly factors , and refuse their proferd wares ; affecting , more , to chuse a graine of pleasure then a iemme of glory ; we finde no treasure , but in transitory and earth-bred toyes , while things immortall stand like garments , to be sold at second hand : great god ; thou know'st , we are but flesh and blood ; alas ! we can interpret nothing , good , but what is evill ; deceitfull are our ioyes ; we are but children , and we whine for toyes : of things unknowne there can be no desire ; quicken our hearts with the celestiall fire of thy discerning spirit , and we shall know both what is good , and good desier too : vouchsafe to let thy blessed angell come , and bring the tydings , that the barren wombe of our affections is enlarg'd ; o when that welcome newes shall be revealed , then , our soules shall soone conceive , and bring thee forth the firstlings of a new , and holy birth . sect . . argvment . manoah's wonder turnes to zeale ; his zeale , to prayre : his prayres obtaine the angell that did late reveale the joyfull newes , returnes againe . now when th' amazed woman had commended her tongue to silence , and her tale was ended ; perplexed manoah , ravisht at the newes , within himselfe , he thus began to muse ; strange is the message ! and as strangely done ! shall manoah's loynes be fruitfull ? shall a sonne blesse his last dayes ? or shall an issue come from the chill closset of a barren wombe ? shall manoah's wife give sucke ? and now , at last , finde pleasure , when her prime of youth is past ? shall her cold wombe be now , in age , restor'd ? and was 't a man of god , that brought the word ? or was 't some false delusion , that possest the weaknes of a lonely womans brest ? or was 't an angell , sent from heaven , to show what heaven hath will , as well as pow're , to doe ? till then thou must refraine to drinke , or eate , wines , and strong drinke , and law-forbidden meate ? euill angells rather would instruct to ryot , they use not to prescribe so strickt a dyet ; no , no ; i make no further question of it , 't was some good angell , or some holy prophet . thus , having mus'd a while , he bow'd his face vpon the ground ; and ( prostrate in the place , where first he heard the welcome tydings ) pray'd , ( his wonder now transform'd to zeale ) and said : great god ; that hast engag'd thy selfe , by vow , when ere thy little israell begs , to bow thy gratious eare ; o harken to the least of israel's sonnes , and grant me my request : by thee , i live , and breathe : thou did'st become my gratious god , both in , and from the wombe ; thy precious favours i have still possest , and have depended on thee , from the brest : my simple infancy hath bin protected , by thee ; my child-hood taught , my youth corrected , and sweetly chastned with thy gentle rod ; i was no sooner ; but thou wert my god : all times declare thee good ; this very houre can testifie the greatnesse of thy power , and promptnesse of thy mercy , which hast sent this blessed angell to us , to augment the catalogue of thy favours , and restore thy servants wombe , whose hopes had even given ore t' expect an issue : what thou hast begun , prosper , and perfect , till the worke be done : let not my lord be angry , if i crave a boone , too great for me to beg , or have ; let that blest angell , that thou sent'st , of late , reblesse us with his presence , and relate , thy will at large , and what must then be done , when time shall bring to light this promis'd sonne . about that time , when the declining lampe trebles each shadow ; when the evening dampe begins to moisten , and refresh the land , the wife of manoah ( under whose command the weaned lambes did feed ) being lowly seated vpon a shrubbe ( where often she repeated that pleasing newes , the subject of her thought ) appear'd the angell ; he , that lately brought those blessed tydings to her : up she rose ; her second feare had warrant to dispose her nimble foot-steps to unwonted haste ; she runnes with speed , ( she cannot runne too fast ) at length , she findes her husband ; in her eyes , were ioy and feare ; whilst her lost breath denyes her speech , her trembling hands make signes ; she puffes and pants ; her breathlesse tongue disjoynes her broken words : behold , behold ( said she ) the man of god , ( if man of god he be ) appear'd againe : these very eyes beheld the man of god : i left him in our field . meditat . . heav'n is gods magazen ; wherein , he hath stor'd up his vials both of love , and wrath ; iustice and mercy , waite upon his throne ; favors and thunderbolts attend upon his sacred will and pleasure ; life and death doe both receive their influence from his breath ; iudgements attend his left ; at his right hand blessings and ever lasting pleasures stand : heav'n is the magazen ; wherein , he puts both good and evill : prayre is the key , that shuts and opens this great treasure ; t is a key , whose wards are faith , and hope , and charity . wouldst thou prevent a judgement , due to sin ? turncbut the key , and thou maist locke it in : or wouldst thou have a blessing fall upon thee ? open the doore , and it will shower on thee . can heav'n be false ? or can th' almighties tongue , that is all very truth , doe truth that wrong , not to performe a vow ? his lips have sworne , sworne by himselfe , that if a sinner turne to him , by prayre ; his prayre shall not be lost for want of eare ; nor his desier , crost : how is it then , we often aske and have not ? we aske , and often misse , because we crave not the things we should : his wisedome can foresee those blessings , better , that we want , than wee . hast thou not heard a peevish infant baule to gaine possession of a knife ? and shall th'indulgent nurse be counted , wisely kinde , if she be mov'd to please his childish minde ? is it not greater wisedome , to denie the sharp-edg'd knife , and to present his eye with a fine harmelesse puppit ? we require things , oft , unfit ; and our too fond desire fastens on goods , that are but glorious ills , whilst heaven's high wisedome contradicts our wills , with more advantage ; for we oft receive things that are farre more fit , for us , to have : experience tells ; wee seeke , and cannot finde : we seeke and often want , because we binde the giver to our times ; he knowes we want patience ; and , therefore he suspends his grant , t' increase our faith ; that so we may depend vpon his hand : he loves to heare us spend our childish mouthes : things easily obtain'd , are lewly priz'd ; but what our prayres have gain'd by teares , and groanes , that cannot be expest , are farre more deare , and sweeter , when possest . great god! whose power hath so oft prevail'd against the strength of princes , and hast quail'd their prouder stomackes ; with thy breath , discrown'd their heads , and throwne their scepters to the ground , striking their swelling hearts with cold despaire , how art thou conquer'd , and orecome by prayre ! infuse that spirit , great god , into my heart , and i will have a blessing , ere we part . sect . . argvment . manoah desires to know the fashion and breeding of his promis'd sonne ; to whom the angell makes relation of all things needfull to be done . vvith that , the danite rose ; being guided by his perplexed wife , they , both divided . their heedlesse paces , till they had attain'd the field , wherein the man of god remain'd : and , drawing neerer to his presence , stai'd his weary steps , and , with obeysance , said : art thou the man whose blessed lips foretold those joyfull tidings ? shall my tongue be bold , without the breach of manners , to request this boone , art thou that prophet , that possest this barren woman with a hope , that she shall beare a sonne ? he answer'd , i am he : said manoah , then : let not a word of thine be lost ; let them continue to divine our future happinesse : let them be crown'd with truth ; and thou with honour , to be found a holy prophet : let performance blesse and speed thy speeches with a faire successe : but tell me , sir ; when this great worke is done , and time shall bring to light this promis'd sonne , what sacred ceremonies shall we use ? what rites ? what way of breeding shall we chuse t' observe ? what holy course of life shall he be trained in ? what shall his office be ? whereat th' attentive angell did divide the portall of his lips , and thus replide : the child , that from thy fruitfull loynes shall come shall be a holy nazarite , from the wombe ; take heed ; that wombe , that shall enclose this childe ; in no case be polluted or defilde with law-forbidden meates : let her forbeare to tast those things that are forbiddenthere . the bunckbacke camill , shall be no repast for her ; her palate shall forbeare to tast , the burrow haunting conie , and decline the swiftfoot - hare , and miredelighting swine ; the griping goshauke ; and the towring eagle ; the party-collour'd pye must not inveigle her lips to move ; the brood devouring kite ; the croaking raven ; the oule that hates the light ; the steele-digesting bird ; the laisie snaile ; the cuckow , ever telling of one taile ; the fish-consuming osprey , and the want , that undermines ; the greedy cormorant ; th' indulgent pelican ; the predictious crow ; the chattring storke , and ravenous vulter too ; of all good counsells ; and , from whom , proceeds a living spring , to water all our needs ; how willing are his angells to discend from of their throne of glory , and attend vpon our wants ! how oft returne they back mourning to heaven , as if they griev'd for lack of our imployment ! o , how prone are they to be assistant to us , every way ! have we just cause to joy ? they 'l come and sing about our beds : do's any judgement bring iust cause of griefe ? they 'l fall agreeving too ; doe we tryumph ? their joyfull mouths will blow their louder trumpets ; or doe feares affectus ? they 'l guard our heads from danger , and protectus : are we in prison , or in persecution ? they 'l fill our hearts with joy , and resolution : or doe we languish in our sickly beds ? they 'l come and pitch their tents about our heads ; see they a sinner penitent , and mourne for his bewail'd offences , and returne ? they clap their hands , and joyne their warbling voices they sing , and all the quire of heaven rejoyces . what is in us poore dust and ashes , lord , that thou should'st looke upon us , and afford thy precious favours to us , and impart thy gracious counselcs ? what is our desert , but death , and horror ? what can we more clame , then they , that now , are scortehing in that flame , that hath nor moderation , rest , nor end ? how doe's thy mercy , above thought , extend to them thou lov'st ! teach me ( great god ) to prize thy sacred counsells : open my blind eyes , that i may see to walke the perfect way ; for as i am , lord , i am apt to stray and wander to the gulfe of endlesse woe : teach me what must be done , and helpe to doe . sect . . argvment . manoah desires to understand , but is denide , the angells name ! he offers by the angells hand : the angell vanishes in a flame . so said , the sonne of israel , ( easly apt to credit , what his soule desir'd , and rapt with better hopes , which serv'd him as a guide to his beliefe , o'rejoy'd ) he thus replide ; let not the man of god , whose heavenly voice hath blest mine care , and made my soule rejoice , beyond expression , now refuse to come within my tent , and honour my poore home with his desired presence ; there to tast his servants slender diet , and repast vpon his rurall fare : these hands shall take a tender kidde from out the flockes , and make , ( without long tarriance ) some delightfull meate , which may invite the man of god to eate : come , come ( my lord ) and what defect of food shall be , thy servants welcome shall make good : where to the angell ( who as yet had made himselfe unknowne ) reanswer'd thus , and said . excuseme : though thy hospitable love prevaile to make me stay , it cannot move my thankfull lips to tast thy liberall cheare ; let not thy bounty urge in vaine ; forbeare to strive with with whom , thy welcome cannot leade to eate thy kid ; or tast thy profer'd bread ; convert thy bounty to a better end , and let thy undefiled hands commend a burnt oblation to the king of kings ; t' is he , deserves the thankes ; his servant brings but that bare message with his lips enjoyne ; his be the glory of the act , not mine . said then the israelite ; if my desire be not to over rash , but may conspire with thy good pleasure , let thy servants eare be honour'd with thy name ; that whensoere these blessed tidings ( that possesse my heart with firme beliefe , ) shall in due time impart their full perfection , and desir'd successe to my expecting eye , my soule may blesse the tongue that brought the message , and proclame an equall honour to his honour'd name . to whom , the angell ( whose severer brow sent forth a frowne ) made answere ; doe not thou trouble thy busie thoughts with things , that are above thy reach ; enquier not too farre ; my name is cloath'd in mists ; t' is not my taske , to make it knowne to thee ; nor thine , to aske : the generous spaniell , loves his masters eye , and licks his fingers , though no meat be by ; but man , ungratefull man , that 's borne , and bred by heavens immediate powre ; maintain'd and fed by his providing hand ; observ'd , attended by his indulgent grace ; preserv'd , defended by his prevailing arme ; this man , i say , is more ungratefull , more obdure then they : by him , we live and move ; from him , we have what blessings he can give , or we can crave : food for our hunger ; dainties , for our pleasure ; trades , for our buisnes ; pastimes , for our leasure ; in greife , he is our ioy ; in want , our wealth ; in bondage , freedome ; and in sicknes , health ; in peace , our counsell ; and in warre , our leader ; at sea , our pilot ; and , in suites , our pleader ; in paine , our helpe ; in triumph , our renowne ; in life , our comfort ; and in death , our crowne ; yet man , o most ungratefull man , can ever enjoy the gift , but never minde the giver ; and like the swine , though pamper'd with enough , his eyes are never higher then the trough : we still receive : our hearts we seldome lift to heaven ; but drowne the giver in the gift ; we tast the skollops , and returne the shells ; our sweet pomgranats , want their silver bells : we take the gift ; the hand that did present it , we oft reward ; forget the friend , that sent it . a blessing given to those , will not disburse some thanks , is little better then a curse . great giver of all blessngs ; thou that art the lord of gifts ; give me a gratefull heart : o give me that , or keepe thy favours from me : i wish no blessings , with a vengeance to me . sect . . argvment . affrighted manoah and his wife both prostrate on the naked earth : both rise : the man despaires of life ; the woman cheares him : samsons birth . vvhen time , ( whose progresse moderates and outweares th' extreamest passions of the highest feares ) by his benignant power , had reinlarg'd their captive senses , and at length , discharg'd their frighted thoughts , the trembling couple rose from their unquiet , and disturb'd repose : have you beheld a tempest , how the waves ( whose unresisted tyranny out-braves and threats to grapple with the darkned skies ) how like to moving mountaines they arise from their distempred ocean , and assaile heavens battlements ; nay when the windes doe faile to breathe another blast , with their owne motion , they still are swelling , and disturbe the ocean : even so the danite and his trembling wife , their yet confused thoughts , are still at strife in their perplexed brests , which entertain'd continued feares , too strong to be refrain'd : speechlesse they stood , till manoah that brake the silence first , disclos'd his lips and spake ; what strange aspect was this , that to our sight appear'd so terrible , and did affright our scattering thoughts ? what did our eyes behold ? i feare our lavish tongues have bin too bold : what speeches past betweene us ? can'st recall the words we entertain'd the time withall ? it was no man ; it was no flesh and blood ; me thought , mine eares did tingle , while he stood , and commun'd with me : at each word , he spake me thought , my heart recoil'd ; his voice did shake my very soule , but when as he became so angry , and so dainty of his name , o , how my wonder-smitten heart began to faile ! o , then i knew , it was no man : no , no ; it was the face of god : our eyes have seene his face : ( who ever saw 't , but dies ? ) we are but dead ; death dwells within his eye , and we have seen 't , and we shall surely die : where to the woman , ( who did either hide , or else had over come her feares ) replide ; despairing man ; take courage , and forheare these false predictions ; there 's no cause of feare : would heaven accept our offerings , and receive our holy things ; and , after that , bereive his servants of their lives ? can he be thus pleas'd with our offerings , unappear'd with us ? hath he not promis'd that the time shall come , wherein the fruits of my restored wombe shall make thee father to a hopefull sonne ? can heaven be false ? or can these things be done when we are dead ? no , no ; his holy breath had spent in vaine , if he had ment our death : recall thy needlesse feares ; heaven cannot lye ; although we saw his face , we shall not dye . so said ; they brake off their discourse , and went , he , to the field ; and she into her tent : thrice forty dayes not full compleate , being come , within th' enclosure of her quickned wombe , the babe began to spring ; and , with his motion , confirm'd the faith , and quickned the devotion ofhis believing parents , whose devout and heaven-ascending orizans , no doubt , were turn'd to thankes , and heart-rejoycing praise , to holy hymnes , and heavenly roundelaies : the child growes sturdy ; every day gives strength vnto his wombe fed limmes ; till at the length , th' apparant mother , having past the date of her accoumpt , does onely now awaite the happy houre , wherein she may obtaine her greatest pleasure , with her greatest paine . when as the faire directresse of the night had thrice three times repair'd her wained light , her wombe no longer able to retaine so great a guest , betrai'd her to her paine , and for the toilesome worke , that she had done , she found the wages of a new borne sonne : samson , she call'd his name : the childe encreast , and hourely suckt a blessing with the brest ; daily his strength did double : he began to grow in favour both with god and man : his well attended infancie was blest with sweetnesse ; in his childhood , he exprest true seeds of honour , and his youth was crown'd with high and brave adventures , which renown'd his honour'd name ; his courage was supplide with mighty strength : his haughty spirit defide an hoast of men : his power had the praise 'bove all that were before , or since his dayes : and to conclude , heav'n never yet conjoin'd so strong a body , with so stout a minde . meditat . . how pretious were those blessed dayes , wherein soules never startled at the name of sin ! when as the voyce of death had never yet a mouth to open , or to clame a debt ! when bashfull nakednesse forbare to call for needlesse skinns to cover shame withall when as the fruit-encreasing earth obay'd the will of man without the wound of spaide , or helpe of art ! when he , that now remaines a cursed captive to infernall chaines , sate singing anthems in the heavenly quire , among his fellow angells ! when the bryer , the fruitlesse bramble , the fast growing weed , and downie thistle had , as yet , no seed ! when labour was not knowne , and man did eate the earths faire fruits , unearned with his sweate ! when wombes might have conceiv'd without the staine of sinne , and brought forth children , without paine ! when heaven could speake to mans unfrighted care , without the sense of sin-begotten feare ! how golden were those dayes ? how happy than was the condition and the state of man ! but man obay'd not : and his proud desire cing'd her bold feathers in forbidden fier : but man transgrest ; and now his freedome feeles a sudden change : sinne followes at his heeles : the voice calls adam : but poore adam flees , and , trembling , hides his face behind the trees : the voice , whilere , that ravisht with delight his joyfull eare , does now , alas , affright his wounded conscience , with amaze and wonder : and what , of late , was musicke ; now , is thunder : how have our sinnes abus'd us ! and betrai'd our desperate soules ! what strangenesse have they made betwixt the great creator , and the worke of his owne hands ! how closely doe they lurke to our distempred soules , and whisper feares and doubts into our frighted hearts and eares ! our eyes cannot behold that glorious face , which is all life , unruin'd in the place : how is our natures chang'd ? that very breath which gave us being , is become our death : great god! o , whither shall poore mortalls flie for comfort ? if they see thy face , they dye ; and if thy life-restoring count'nance give thy presence from us ; then we cannot live : how necessary is the ruine , than , and misery of sin-beguiled man ! on what foundation shall his hopes relie ? see we thy face , or see it not , we dye : o , let thy word ( great god ) instruct the youth and frailty of our faith ; thy word is truth : and what our eyes want power to perceive , o , let our hearts admier , and beleeve . which entertain'd my pleased thoughts , appear'd a sairer object ; which , hath so endear'd my very soule , ( with sadnesse so distrest ) that this poore heart can finde no ease , no rest ; it was a virgin ; in whose heavenly face , vnpattern'd beauty , and diviner grace were so conjoyn'd , as if they both conspir'd to make one angell ; when these eyes enquir'd into the exc'lence of her rare perfection , they could not choose but like , and my affection is so inslamed with desire , that i am now become close prisoner to her eye ; now if my sad petition may but finde a faire successe , to ease my tortur'd minde ; and if your tender hearts be pleas'd to prove as prone to pitty mine ; as mine , to love ; let me , with joy , exchange my single life , and be the husband of so faire a wife . whereto , th' amazed parents , ( in whose eye distast and wonder percht ) made this reply ; what strange desire , what unadvis'd request hath broken loose from thy distracted brest ? what! are the daughters of thy brethren growne so poore in worth , and beauty ? is there none to please that over-curious eye of thine , but th' issue of a cursed philistine ? can thy miswandring eyes choose none , but her , that is the child of an idolater ? correct thy thoughts , and let thy soule rejoyce in lawfull beauty : make a wiser choice : how well this counsell pleas'd the tired eares of love-sicke samson ; o , let him that beares a crost affection judge : let him discover the woefull case of this afflicted lover : what easie pensell cannot represent his very lookes ? how his sterne browes were bent ? his drooping head ? his very port and guise ? his bloodlesse cheekes , and deadnesse of his eyes ? till , at the length , his moving tongue betrai'd his sullen lips to language , thus ; and said : sir. th' extreame affection of my heart does leade my tongue , ( that 's quickned with my love ) to pleade what , if her parents be not circumcis'd ? her issue shall ; and she , perchance , advis'd to worship israells god ; and , to forget her fathers house ; alas ; she is , as yet , but young ; her downy yeares are greene , and tender ; shee 's but a twigge , and time may easly bend her t' embrace the truth : our counsells may controule her sinfull breeding , and so save a soule : nay ; who can tell , but heaven did recommend her beauty to these eyes , for such an end ? o loose not that , which heaven is pleas'd to save , let samson then obtaine , as well as crave : you gave me being , then prolong my life and make me husband to so faire a wife . with that , the parents joyn'd their whispering heads ; samson observes ; and , in their parly , reads some characters of hope ; the mother smiles ; the father frownes ; which , samson reconciles with hopefull feares ; she smiles , and crownes his hopes ; which , he deposes with his frownes : the whispring ended ; jointly they displaid , a halfe resolved countenance , and said , samson , suspend thy troubled minde a while , let not thy over charged thoughts recoile : take heed of shipwracke ; rockes are neere the shore : wee 'l see the virgin , and resolve thee more . meditat . . love is a noble passion of the heart ; that , with it very essence doth impart all needfull circumstances , and effects vnto the chosen party it affects ; in absence , it enjoies ; and with an eye . fill'd with celestiall fier , doth espy objects remote : it joyes , and smiles in griefe ; it sweetens poverty ; it brings reliefe ; it gives the feeble , strength ; the coward , spirit ; the sicke man , health ; the undeserving , merit ; it makes the proudman , humble ; and the stout it overcomes ; and treads him vnder foote ; it makes the mighty man of warre to droope ; and him , to serve , that never , yet , could stoope ; it is a fire whose bellowes are the breath of heaven above , and kindled here beneath : t is not the power of a mans election to love ; he loves not by his owne direction ; it is nor beauty , nor benigne aspect that alwayes moves the lover , to affect ; these are but meanes : heavens pleasure is the cause ; love is not bound to reason , and her lawes are not subjected to the imperious will of man : it lies not in his power to nill : how is this love abus'd ! that 's onely made a snare for wealth , or to set up a trade ; t' enrich a great mans table , or to pay a desperate debt ; or meerely to allay a base and wanton lust ; which done , no doubt , the love is ended , and her fier out : no ; he that loves for pleasure , or for pelfe , loves truly , none ; and , falsely , but himselfe : the pleasure past , the wealth consum'd and gone , love hath no subject now to worke upon : the props being falne , that did support the roofe , nothing but rubbish , and neglected stuffe , like a wilde chaos of confusion , lies presenting uselesse ruines to our eyes : the oyle that does maintaine loves sacred fire , is vertue mixt with mutuall desire of sweet society , begunne and bred i' th soule ; nor ended in the mariage bed : this is that dew of hermon , that does fill the soule with sweetnesse , watring sions hill ; this is that holy fire , that burnes and lasts , till quencht by death ; the other are but blasts , that faintly blaze like oyle-for saken snusses , which every breath of discontentment puffs and quite extinguishes ; and leaves us nothing but an offensive subject of our loathing . sect . . argvment . he goes to timnah : as he went , he slew a lyon , by the way ; he sues ; obtaines the maides consent : and they appoint the mariage day . when the next day had , which his morning light , redeem'd the east frō the darke shades of night ; and , with his golden raies , had overspred the neighbring mountaines ; from his loathed bed , sicke-thoughted samson rose , whose watchfull eyes , morpheus that night had , with his leaden keyes , not power to close : his thoughts did so incumber his restlesse soule , his eyes could never slumber ; whose softer language , by degrees , did wake his fathers sleepe-bedeafned eares , and spake ; sir ; let your early blessings light upon the tender bosome of your prosp'rous sonne , and let the god of israel repay those blessings , double , on your head , this day : the long-since banisht shaddows make me bold to let you know , the morning waxes old ; the sunbeames are growne strong ; their brighter hiew have broke the mists , and dride the morning dewe ; the sweetnesse of the season does invite your steps to visit timnah , and acquite your last nights promise : with that , the danite and his wife arose , scarce yet resolv'd , at last , they did dispose their doubtfull paces , to behold the prize of samsons heart , and pleasure of his eyes ; they went ; and when their travell had attain'd those fruitfull hills , whose clusters entertain'd their thirsty palats , with their swelling pride , the musing lover being stept a side to gaine the pleasure of a lonely thought , appear'd a full ag'd lyon , who had sought , ( but could not finde ) his long desired prey ; soone as his eye had given him hopes to pay his debt to nature , and to mend that fault his empty stomacke found , he made assault vpon th' unarmed lovers brest , whose hand had neither staffe , nor weapon , to withstand his greedy rage ; but he whose mighty strength or sudden death must now appeare , at length , stretcht forth his brawny arme , ( his arme supplide with power from heaven ) and did , with ease , divide his body limme from limme , and did betray his flesh to foules , that lately sought his prey : this done ; his quicke redoubled paces make his stay amends ; his nimble steps oretake his leading parents ; who by this , discover the smoake of timnah : now the greedy lover thinkes every step , a mile ; and every pace , a measur'd league , untill he see that face , and finde the treasure of his heart , that lies in the faire casket of his mistresse eyes , but , all this while , close samson made not knowne vnto his parents , what his hands had done : by this , the gate of timnah entertaines the welcome travellers : the parents paines are now rewarded with their sonnes best pleasure : the virgin comes ; his eyes can finde no leasure , to owne another object : o , the greeting th' impatient lovers had at their first meeting ! the lover speakes ; she answers ; he replies ; she blushes ; he demandeth ; she denyes ; he pleads affection ; she doubts ; hee sues for nuptiall love ; she questions ; hee renewes his earnest suite : importunes ; she relents ; he must have no deniall ; she consents : they passe their mutuall loves : their joyned hands are equall earnests of the nuptiall bands : the parents are agreed ; all parties pleas'd ; the day 's set downe ; the lovers hearts are eas'd ; nothing displeases now , but the long stay betwixt th' appointment , and the mariage day . meditat . . t is too severe a censure : if the sonne take him a wife ; the mariage fairely done , without consent of parents , ( who perchance had rais'd his higher price , knew where t' advance his better'd fortunes to one hundred more ) he lives , a fornicator ; she , a whore : too hard a censure ! and it seemes to me , the parent's most delinquent of the three : what ; if the better minded son doe aime at worth ? what , if rare vertues doe inflame his rapt affection ? what , if the condition of an admir'd , and dainty disposition hath won his soule ? where as the covetous father findes her gold light , and recommends him , rather , t' an old worne widow , whose more weighty purse is fill'd with gold , and with the orphans curse ; the sweet exubrance of whose full-mouth'd portion is but the cursed issue of extortion ; whose worth , perchance , lies onely in her weight , or in the bosome of her great estate ; what , if the sonne , ( that does not care to buy abundance at so deare a rate ) deny the soule-detesting profer of his father , and in his better judgement chooses , rather , to match with meaner fortunes , and desert ? i thinke that mary chose the better part . what noble families ( that have out growne the best records ) have quite binoverthrowne by wilfull parents , that will either force their sonnes to match , or haunt them with a curse ! that can adapt their humours , to rejoyce , and fancy all things , but their childrens choice ! which makes them , often , timerous to reveale the close desiers of their hearts , and steale such matches , as , perchance , their faire advice might , in the bud , have hindred in a trice ; which done , and past , o , then their hastie spirit can thinke of nothing , under disinherit ; he must be quite discarded , and exilde ; the furious father must renounce his childe ; nor prayre nor blessing must he have ; bereiven of all ; nor must he live , nor die forgiven ; when as the fathers rashnesse , often times , was the first causer of the childrens crimes . parents ; be not too cruell : children doe things , oft , too deepe for us t' enquire into : what father would not siorme , if his wild sonne should doe the deed , that samson here had done ? nor doe i make it an exemplar act ; only , let parents not be too exact , to curse their children , or to dispossesse them of their blessings , heaven may chance to blesse : be not too strict : faire language may recure a fault of youth , whilst rougher words obdure . sect . . argvment . samson goes downe to celebrate his mariage , and his nuptiall feast : the lyon , which he slue of late hath hony in his putrid brest : when as the long expected time was come , wherein these lingring lovers should consumme the promis'd mariage , and observe therites , pertaining to those festivall delights , samson went downe to timnah ; there , t' enjoy the sweet possession of his dearest joy ; but as he past those fruitfull vineyards , where his hands , of late , acquit him of that feare ( wherewith the feirce assaulting lyon quail'd his yet unpractis'd courage ) and prevail'd vpon his life ; as by that place he past , he turn'd aside , and borrowed of his hast , a little time , wherein his eyes might view the carkas of the lyon which he flew ; but when his wandring footsteps had drawne neere the unlamented herse , his wandring eare meditat . . how high , unutterable , how profound , ( whose depth the line of knowledge cannot sound ) are the decrees of the eternall god! how secret are his wayes — and how untrod by mans conceipt , so deeply charg'd with doubt ! how are his counsells past our finding out ! o , how unscrutable are his designes ! how deepe , and how unsearchable are the mines of his abundant wisedome ! how obscure are his eternall iudgements ! and how sure ! lists he to strike ? the very stones shall flie from their unmov'd foundations , and destroy : lists he to punish ? things that haue no sense , shall vindicate his quarrell , on th' offence : lists he to send a plague ? the winters heate and summers damp , shall make his will compleate : lists he to send the sword ? occasion brings new iealousies betwixt the hearts of kings . wills he afamine ? heaven shall turne to brasse , and earth to iron , till it come to passe : with stockes , and stones , and plants and beasts fulfill the secret counsell of his sacred will , man , onely wretched man , is disagreeing to doe that thing , for which he hath his being samson must downe to timnah ; in the way , must meete a lyon , whom his hands must slay ; the lyo'ns putrid carkas must enclose a swarme of bees ; and , from the bees , arose a riddle ; and that riddle must be read and by the reading , choller must be bred , and that must bring to passe gods just designes vpon the death of the false philistines : behold the progresse , and the royall gests of heavens high vengeance ; how it never rests , till , by appointed courses , it fufill the secret pleasure of his sacred will. great saviour of the world ; thou lambe of sion , that hides our sinnes : thou art that wounded lyon : o , in thy dying body , we have found a world of hony ; whence we may propound such sacred riddles , as shall , underneath our feet , subdue the power of hell and death ; such misteries , as none but he , that plough'd with thy sweet hayfer's , able to uncloud ; such sacred misteries , whose eternall praise shall make both angells , and archangells raise their louder voices ; and , in triumph , sing , all glory and honour to our highest king , and to the lambe , that sits upon the throne ; worthy of power and praise is he , alone , whose glory hath advanc'd our key of mirth ; glory to god , on high ; and peace , on earth . sect . . argvment . the bridegroome , at his nuptiall feast , to the philistians , doth propound a riddle : which they all addrest themselves , in counsell , to expound . now , when the glory of the next dayes light had chas'd the shadows of the tedious night , when coupling hymen , with his nuptiall bands , and golden fetters , had conjoyn'd their hands ; when jolly welcome had , to every guest , expos'd the bounty of the mariage feast ; their now appeased stomacks did enlarge their captive tongues , with power to discharge and quit their table-duty , and disburse their store of enterchangeable discourse , th' ingenious bridegroome turn'd his rolling eyes vpon his guard of bridemen , and applies his speech to them : and , whilst that every man lent his attentive eare , he thus began ; my tongue 's in labour , and my thoughts abound ; i have a doubtfull riddle , to propound ; meditat . . there is a time , to laugh : a time , to turne our smiles to teares : there is a time to mourne : there is a time for joy ; and a time for griefe ; a time to want ; and a time to finde reliefe ; a time to binde ; and there 's a time to breake ; a time for silence ; and a time to speake ; a time to labour ; and a time to rest ; a time to fast in ; and a time to feast : things , that are lawfull , haue their times and use ; created good ; and , onely by abuse , made bad : our sinfull usage does unfashion what heaven hath made , and makes a new creation : ioy is a blessing : but too great excesse makes ioy , a madnesse , and , does quite unblesse so sweet a gift ; and , what , by moderate use ; crownes our desiers , banes them in th' abuse : wealth is a blessing ; but too eager thurst of having more , makes what we have , accurst : rest is a blessing ; but when rest withstands the healthfull labour of our helpfull hands , it proves a curse ; and staines our guilt , with crime , betraies our irrecoverable time : to feast and to refresh our hearts with pleasure , and fill our soules with th' overflowing measure of heavens blest bounty , cannot but commend the pretious favours of so sweet a friend ; but , when th' abundance of a liberall diet , meant for a blessing , is abus'd by riot , th' abused blessing leaves the gift , nay worse , it is transform'd , and turn'd into a curse : things that afford most pleasure , in the use , are ever found most harmfull in th' abuse : vse them like masters ; and their tyrannous hand subjects thee , like a slave , to their command : vse them as servants ; and they will obey thee ; take heed ; they 'l eyther blesse thee , or betray thee . could our fore-fathers but revive , and see their childrens feasts , as now a dayes they be ; their studyed dishes ; their restoring stuffe , to make their wanton bodies sinne enough ; their stomacke-whetting sallats , to invite their wastfull palats to an appetite ; their thirst-procuring dainties , to refine their wanton tastes , and make them strong , for wine : their costly viands , charg'd with rich perfume ; their viper-wines , to make old age presume to feele new lust , and youthfull flames agin , and serve another prentiship to sinne ; their time-betraying musicke ; their base noise of odious fidlers , with their smooth-fac'd boyes , whose tongues are perfect , if they can proclame the quintessence of basenesse , without shame ; their deepe mouth'd curses ; new invented oathes , their execrable blasphemy , that loathes a minde to thinke on ; their obsceaner words ; their drunken quarrells ; their unsheathed swords ; o how they 'd blesse themselves , and blush , for shame , in our behalfs , and hast from whence they came , to kisse their graves , that hid them from the crimes of these accursed and prodigious times . great god ; o , can thy patient eye behold this height of sinne , and can thy vengeance hold ? sect . . argvment . the philistins cannot unsolve the riddle : they corrupt the bride ; she wooes her bridegroome to resolve her doubt , but goes away denyde . now when three dayes had run their howers out , and left no hope for wit-forsaken doubt to be resolv'd , the desp'rate undertakers conjoyn'd their whispring heads ; ( being all partakers and joynt-advisers in their new-laid plot ) the time 's concluded : have yee not forgot how the old tempter , when he first began to worke th' unhappy overthrow of man , accosts the simple woman ; and reflects vpon the frailty of her weaker sex ; even so these curs'd philistians ( being taught and tutord by the selfe same spirit ) wrought the selfe same way ; their speedy steps are bent to the faire bride ; their hast could giue no vent to their coarcted thoughts ; their language made a little respite ; and , at length , they said ; fairest of creatures : let thy gentle heart receive the crowne , due to so faire desert ; we have a suit , that must attend the leisure of thy best thoughts , and joy-restoring pleasure ; our names , and credits linger at the stake of deepe dishonour : if thou undertake , with pleasing language , to prevent the losse , they must sustaine , and draw them from the drosse of their owne ruines , they shall meerely owe themselves unto thy goodnesse , and shall know no other patron , and acknowledge none , as their redeemer , but thy love alone : we cannot read the riddle , where unto we have engag'd our goods , and credits too ; entice thy jolly bridgroome , to unfold the hidden myst'ry , ( what can he withhold from the rare beauty of so faire a brow ? ) and when thou knowst it , let thy servants know : what ? dost thou frowne ? and must our easie tryall , at first , reade hieroglyphickes of deniall ? and art thou silent too ? nay , wee 'l give ore to tempt thy bridall fondnesse any more : betray your lovely husbands secrets ? no , you 'l first betray us , and our land : but know , proud samsons wife , our furies shall make good our losse of wealth and honour , in thy blood : where faire entreaties spend themselves , in vaine , there fier shall consume , or else constraine : know then , false hearted bride , if our request can find no place within thy sullen brest , our hands shall vindicate our lost desire , and burne thy fathers house , and thee , with fire : thus having lodg'd their errand in her eares , they left the roome ; and her , unto her feares ; who thus bethought ; hard is the case , that i must or betray my husbands trust , or dye ; i have a wolfe by th' eares ; i dare be bold , neither with safety , to let goe , nor hold : what shall i doe ? their minds if i fulfill not , 't is death ; and to betray his trust , i will not : nay , should my lips demand , perchance , his breath will not resolve me : then , no way , but death : the wager is not great ; rather the strife were ended in his losse , then in my life ; his life consists in mine , if ought amisse befall my life , it may endanger his : wagers must yeeld to life ; i hold it best , of necessary evills , to choose the least : why doubt i then ? when reason bids me doe ; i le know the riddle , and betray it too : with that , she quits her chamber , with her cares , and in her closset locks up all her feares , and , with a speed untainted with delay , she found that brest , wherein her owne heart lay ; where resting for a while , at length , did take a faire occasion to looke up , and spake : life of my soule , and loves perpetuall treasure , if my desires be suiting to thy pleasure , my lips would move a suite ; my doubtfull brest would faine preferre an undenyde request : when strength of wit , and secret power of fraud grow dull , constraint must conquer , and applaud with ill got vict'ry ; which , at length obtaind , alas , how poore a trifle have we gaind ! how are our soules distempered ; to engrosse such fading pleasures ! to ore-prize the dresse , and under-rate the gold ! for painted ioyes , to sell the true ; and heaven it selfe for toyes ! lord ; clarifie mine eyes , that i may know things that are good , from what are good in show : and give me wisedome , that my heart may learne the diffrence of thy favours , and discerne what 's truly good from what is good , in part ; with martha's trouble , give me maries heart . sect . . argvment . the bride shee begs , and begs in vaine : but like to a prevailing wooer , she sues , and sues , and sues againe ; at last he reads the riddle to her . when the next morning had renew'd the day , and th' earely twilight now had chac'd away the pride of night , and made her lay aside her spangled robes , the discontented bride ( whose troubled thoughts were tired with the night , and broken slumbers long had wisht for light ) with a deepe sigh , her sorrow did awake her drowsie bridegroome , whom she thus bespake ; o , if thy love could share an equall part in the sad griefes of my asflicted heart , thy closed eyes had never , in this sort , bin pleas'd with rest , and made thy night so short ; perchance , if my dull eyes had slumbred too , my dreames had done , what thou denide to doe : perchance , my fancy would have bin so kinde , t' unsolve the doubts of my perplexed minde , i was a small suite , that thy unluckie bride must light upon : too small , to be denyde : can love so soone — ? but ere her lips could spend the following words , he said , suspend , suspend thy rash attempt , and let thy tongue dispense with forc'd denyall : let thy lips commence some greater suite , and samson shall make good thy faire desiers , with his dearest blood : speake then , my love ; thou shalt net wish , and want ; thou canst not beg , what samson cannot grant : onely , in this , excuse me : and refraine to beg , what thou , perforce , must beg in vaine . inexorable samson : can the teares from those faire eyes , not move thy deafned eares ? o can those drops , that trickle from those eyes vpon thy naked bosome , not surprize thy neighb'ring heart ? and force it to obey ? o can thy heart not melt , as well as they ? thou little thinkst thy poore afflicted wife importunes thee , and wooes thee for her life : her suit 's as great a riddle to thine eares , as thine , to hers ; o , these distilling teares are silent pleaders , and her moistred breath would faine redeeme her , from the gates of death ? may not her teares prevaile ? alas , thy strife is but for wagers ; her 's , poore soule , for life . now when this day had yeelded up his right to the succeeding empresse of the night , whose soone-deposed raigne did reconvay her crowne and scepter to the new borne day , the restlesse bride ( feares cannot brooke deniall ) renewes her suite , and attempts a further tryall ; entreats ; conjures ; she leaves no way untride : she will not ; no , she must not be denide : but he ( the portalls of whose marble heart was lockt and barr'd against the powerfull art of oft repeated teares ) stood deafe and dumbe ; he must not , no , he will not be orecome . poore bride ! how is thy glory overcast ! how is the pleasure of the nuptialls past , when scarce begun ! alas , how poore a breath of joy , must puffe thee to untimely death ! the day 's at hand , wherein thou must untie the riddles tangled snarle , or else must die ; now , when that day was come wherein the feast was to expire ; the bride , ( whose pensive brest grew sad to death ) did once more undertake her too resolved bridegroome thus , and spake : vpon these knees , that prostrate on the floore , are lowly bended , and shall nev'r give ore to move thy goodnesse , that shall never rise , vntill my suite finds favour in thine eyes , vpon these naked knees , i here present my sad request : o let thy heart relent ; a suitor sues , that never sued before ; and she begs now , that never will beg more : hast thou vow'd silence ? o remember , how thou art engaged by a former vow ; thy heart is mine ; the secrets of thy heart are mine ; why art thou dainty to impart mine owne , to me ? then , give me leave to sue for what , my right may challenge as her due ; vnfold thy riddle then , that i may know , thy love is more , then only love , in show : the bridegroome , thus enchanted by his bride , vnseal'd his long-kept silence , and replide : thou sole , and great commandresse of my heart , thou hast prevail'd ; my bosome shall impart the summe of thy desiers , and discharge the faithfull secrets of my soule , at large ; know then , ( my joy ) vpon that very day , i , first , made knowne my'affection , on the way , i met , and grappled with a sturdy lyon , having nor staffe nor weapon , to relie on , i was enforc'd to proove my naked strength ; vnequall was the match ; but , at the length , this brawney arme , receiving strength from him that gave it life , i tore him limme from limme , and left him dead : now when the time was come , wherein our promis'd nuptialls were to summe , and perfect all my joyes , as i was comming that very way , a strange confused humming , not distant farre , possest my wondring eare ; where guided by the noise , there did appeare a swarme of bees , whose busie labours fill'd the carkasse of that lyon which i kill'd , with combes of hony , wherewithall i fed my lips and thine : and now my riddle 's read . meditat . . the soule of man , before the taint of nature , bore the faire image of his great creator ; his understanding had no cloud : his will no crosse : that , knew no error ; this , no ill : but man transgrest ; and by his wofull fall , lost that faire image , and that little all was left , was all corrupt : his understanding exchang'd her object ; reason left commanding ; his memory was depraved , and his will can finde no other subject now , but ill : it grew distemperd , left the righteous reine of better reason , and did entertaine the rule of passion , under whose command , it suffered ship-wracke , upon every sand : where it should march , it evermore retires ; and , what is most forbid , it most desires : love makes it see too much ; and often , blinde ; doubt makes it light , and waver like the winde ; hate makes it fierce , and studious ; anger , mad ; ioy makes it carelesse ; sorrow , dull and sad ; hope makes it nimble , for a needlesse tryall ; feare makes it too impatient of deniall . great lord of humane soules ; o thou , that art the onely true refiner of the heart ; whose hands created all things perfect good , what canst thou now expect of flesh and blood ? how are our leprous soules put out of fashion ! how are our wills subjected to our passion ! how is thy glorious image soil'd , defac'd , and stain'd with sinne ! how are our thoughts displac'd ! how wavering are our hopes , turn'd here and there with every blast ! how carnall is our feare ! where needs no feare , we start at every shade , but feare not , where we ought to be affraid . great god! if thou wilt please but to refine our hearts , and reconforme our wills , to thine , thou 'lt take a pleasure in us , and poore we should finde as infinite delight in thee ; our doubts would cease , our feares would all remove , and all our passions would turne ioy , and love ; till then , expect for nothing that is good : remember , lord , we are but flesh and blood. sect . . argvment . the philistines , by her advice , expound the riddle : samson kild thirty philistians , in a trice ; forsakes his bride : his bed's defilde . no sooner was the brides attentive eares resolv'd and pleas'd ; but her impetuous feares calls in the bridemen ; and , to them betraid the secret of the riddle thus , and said : you sonnes of thunder ; t was not the loud noise of your provoking threats , nor the soft voice of my prevailing feares , that thus addrest my yeelding heart to grant your forc'd request ; your language needed not have bin so rough to speake too much , when lesse had bin enough : your speech at first , was hony in mine eare ; at length , it prov'd a lyon , and did teare my wounded soule : it sought to force me to what your entreaties were more apt to doe : know then ( to keepe your lingring eares no longer from what ye long to heare ; ) there 's nothing stronger then a fierce lyon : nothing more can greet your pleased palats , with a greater sweet , then hony : but more fully to expound , in a dead lyon , there was hony found . now when the sun was welking in the west , ( whose fall determines both the day , and feast ) the hopefull bridegroome ( he whose smiling brow assur'd his hopes a speedy conquest now ) euen thirsting for victorious tryumph , brake the crafty silence of his lips , and spake : the time is come , whose latest hower ends our nuptiall feast , and fairely recommends the wreathe of conquest to the victors brow ; say ; is the riddle read ? expound it now ; and , for your paines , these hands shall soone resigne your conquerd prize : if not ; the prize is mine : with that , they joyn'd their whispring heads , and made a speaker ; who , in louder language , said ; of all the sweets , that ere were knowne , there 's none so pleasing be , as those rare dainties , which doe crowne the labour of the bee : of all the creatures in the field ; that ever man set eye on , there 's none , whose power doth not yeeld vnto the stronger lyon. whereto th' offended challenger , whose eye proclaim'd a quicke revenge , made this reply : no hony's sweeter then a womans tongue ; and , when she list , lyons are not so strong : how thrice accurs'd are they , that doe fulfill the lewd desiers of a woman's will ! how more accurs'd is he , that doth impart his bosome secrets to a womans heart ; they plead like angells , and , like crocadiles , kill with their teares ; they murther with their smiles : how weake a thing is woman ? nay how weake is senslesse man , that will be urg'd to breake his counsells in her eare , that hath no power to make secure a secret , for an hower ! no ; victors , no : had not a womans minde bin faithlesse , and unconstant , as the winde , my riddle had , till now , a riddle bin ; you might have mus'd ; and mist ; and mus'd agin , when the next day had heav'd his golden head from the soft pillow of his seagreene bed ; and , with his rising glory , had possest the spatious borders of th' enlightned east , samson arose ; and , in a rage , went downe ( by heaven directed ) to a neighbring towne ; his choller was inflam'd ; and , from his eye the sudden flashes of his wrath did flie ; palenesse was in his cheekes ; and , from his breath , there flew the fierce embassadours of death ; he heav'd his hand ; and where it fell , it slew ; he spent , and still his forces would renew ; his quick-redoubled blowes fell thicke as thunder ; and , whom he tooke alive , he tore in sunder : his arme nere mist ; and often , at a blow , he made a widow , and an orphane too : here , it divides the father from the child ; the husband , from his wife ; there , it dispoild the friend on 's friend , the sister of her brother ; and , oft , with one man , he would thrash another : where never was , he made a little flood , and where there was no kin , he joyn'd in blood , wherein , his ruthlesse hands he did imbrue ; thrice ten , before he scarce could breathe , he slue ; their upper garments , which he tooke away , were all the spoiles the victor had , that day ; where with , he quit the wagers that he lost , paying philistians , with philistians cost ; and thus , at length , with blood he did asswage , but yet not quench the fier of his rage , for now the thought of his disloyall wife , in his sad soule , renew'd a second strife , from whom , for feare his fury should recoile , he thought most fit t' absent himselfe awhile ; vnto his fathers tent , he now return'd ; where , his divided passion rag'd , and mourn'd ; in part , he mourned ; and , he rag'd , in part , to see so faire a face ; so false a heart : but marke the mischiefe that his absence brings ; his bed's defiled , and the nuptiall strings are stretcht and crackt : a second love doth smother the first ; and she is wedded to another . meditat . . vvas this that wombe , the angell did enlarge from barrennesse ? and gave so strickt a charge ? was this that wombe , that must not be defil'd with uncleane meates , lest it pollute the child ? is this the nazarite ? may a nazarite , then , embrue and paddle in the bloods of men ? or may their vowes be so dispens'd withall , that they , who scarce may see a funerall , whose holy footsteps must beware to tread vpon , or touch the carkasse of the dead ? may these revenge their wrongs , by blood ? may these have power to kill , and murther where they please ? t is true : a holy nazarite is forbid to doe such things as this our nazarite did : he may not touch the bodies of the dead , without pollution ; much lesse , may shed the blood of man , or touch it , being spilt , without the danger of a double guilt : but who art thou , that art an undertaker , to question with , or pleade against thy maker ? may not that god , that gave thee thy creation , turne thee to nothing , by his dispensation ? he that hath made the sabbath , and commands it shall be kept with unpolluted hands ; yet , if he please to countermand agin , man may securely labour , and not sin ; a nazarite is not allow'd to shed the blood of man , or once to touch the dead ; but if the god of nazarites , bids kill he may ; and be a holy nazarite still : but stay ! is god like man ? or can he border vpon confusion , that 's the god of order ? the persian lawes no time may contradict ; and are the lawes of god lesse firme and strict ? an earthly parent wills his child to stand and waite ; within a while , he gives command ( finding the weakenesse of his sonne opprest with wearinesse ) that he sit downe and rest ; is god unconstant then ; because he pleases to alter , what he wild us , for our eases ? know , likewise , o ungratefull flesh and blood , god limits his owne glory , for our good ; he is the god of mercy , and he prizes thine asses life , above his sacrifices ; his sabbath is his glory , and thy rest ; hee 'l lose some honour , ere thou lose a beast : great god of mercy ; o , how apt are wee to robbe thee of thy due , that art so free to give unaskt ! teach me , o god , to know what portion i deserve , and tremble too . sect . . argvment . samson comes downe to reenjoy his wife : her father does withstand : for which , he threatens to destroy and ruine him , and all the land . bvt samson , ( yet not knowing what was past , for wronged husbands ever are the last that heare the newes ) thus with himselfe bethought ; it cannot be excus'd : it was a fault , it was a foule one too ; and , at first sight , too greate for love , or pardon to acquite : o , had it bin a stranger , that betraid reposed secrets , i had onely laid the blame upon my unadvised tongue ; or had a common friend but done this wrong to bosome trust , my patience might out-worne it ; i could endur'd , i could have easily borne it ; but thus to be betraied by a wife , the partner of my heart ; to whom my life , my very soule was not esteemed deare , is more then flesh , is more then blood can beare : but yet alas , she was but greene , and young , and had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue ; vnseasond vessells , oft , will finde a leake at first ; but after , hold : she is but weake , nay , cannot yet write woman ; which , at best , is a fraile thing : alas young things will quest at every turne ; indeed , to say the truth , her yeares could make it but a fault of youth : samson , returne ; and let that fault be set vpon the score of youth : forgive ; forget : she is my wife : her love hath power to hide a fouler error ; why should i divide my presence from her ? there 's no greater wrong to love , then to be silent over long : alas , poore soule ! no doubt , her tender eye hath wept enough ; perchance she knows not why i 'me turn'd so great a stranger to her bed , and boord : no doubt , her empty eyes have shed a world of teares ; perchance , her guiltlesse thought conceives my absence as a greater fault then that , of late , her harmelesse error did ; i 'l goe and draw a reconciling kid from the faire flocke ; my feet shall never rest , till i repose me in my brides faire brest ; he went ; but ere his speedy lips obtain'd the merits of his hast , darknesse had stain'd the cristall brow of day ; and gloomy night had spoild and rifled heaven of all his light : h'approach'd the gates ; but , being entred in , his carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin , as if that silence meant , it should appeare , he was no other , then a stranger , there ; in every servants looke , hee did espie an easie copie of their masters eye ; he call'd his wife , but she was gone to rest ; vnto her wonted chamber he addrest his doubtfull steps ; till , by her father , staid , who taking him aside a little , said . son ; it was the late espousals that doe move my tongue to use that title ; not , thy love : t is true ; there was a mariage lately past betweene my childe , and you ; the knot was fast and firmly tyed , not subject to the force of any powre , but death , or else divorce . for ought i saw , a mutuall desire kindled your likings , and an equall fire of strong affection , joyned both your hands with the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands ; mutuall delight , and equall loyes attended your pleased hearts , untill the feast was ended ; but then , i know no ground , ( you know it best ) as if your loves were measur'd by the feast , the building fell , before the house did shake , loves fire was quencht , ere it began to slake ; all on a sudden were your joyes disseis'd ; forsooke your bride , and went away displeas'd ; you left my childe to the opprobrious tongues of open censure , whose mabitious wrongs , ( maligning her faire merits ) did defame her wounded honour , and unblemisht name ; i thought , thy love , which was so strong , of late , he thus began t' attempt his first conclusion ; the patient angler , first , provides his baite , before his hopes can teach him to awaite th' enjoyment of his long expected prey ; revengefull samson , ere hee can appay his wrongs with timely vengeance , must intend to gaine the instruments , to worke his end , he plants his engines , hides his snares about , pitches his toiles , findes new devices out , to tangle wilie foxes ; in few dayes , ( that land had store ) his studious hand betrayes a leash of hundreds , which he thus imployes , as agents in his ragefull enterprize ; with tough , and force-enduring thongs of lether , he joynes and couples taile , and taile together , and every thonge bound in a brand of fire , so made by art , that motion would inspire continuall flames , and , as the motion ceast , the thrifty blaze would then retire and rest in the close brand , untill a second strife gave it new motion ; and that motion , life : soone as these coupled messengers receiv'd their siery errand , though they were bereiv'd of power to make great hast , they made good speed ; their thoughts were diffring , though their tailes agreed : t'one drags and drawes to th' east ; the other , west ; one fit , they run ; another while they rest ; t' one skulks and snarles , the t' other tugges and hales ; at length , both flee , with fier in their tailes , and in the top and height of all their speed . t'one stops , before the tother be agreed ; the other pulls , and drags his fellow backe , whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke ; at last , both weary of their warme embassage , their better ease discride a fairer passage , and time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne more close , and travell in a straighter line : into the open champion they divide their straggling paces ( where the ploughmans pride found a faire object , in his rip'ned corne ; whereof , some part was reapt ; some , stood unshorne ) sometimes , the fiery travellers would seeke protection beneath a swelling reeke ; but soone that harbour grew too hot for staie , affording onely light , to run away ; sometimes , the full-ear'd standing-wheat must cover and hide their shames ; & , there the flames would hover about their eares , and send them to enquire a cooler place ; but , there , the flaming fire would scorch their hides , and send them sing'd away ; thus , doubtfull where to goe , or where to stay , they range about ; flee forward ; then retire , now here , now there ; where ere they come , they fire ; nothing was left , that was not lost , and burn'd ; and now , that fruitfull land of iewry's turn'd a heape of ashes ; that faire land , while ere which fild all hearts with joy , and every eare with newes of plenty , and of blest encrease , ( the joyfull issue of a happy peace ) see , how it lies in her owne ruines , void of all her happinesse , disguiz'd , destroy'd : with that the philistines , whose sad reliefe and comfort 's deeply buried in their griefe , began to question ( they did all partake in th' irrecoverable losse ) and spake , what cursed brand of hell ? what more then devill , what envious miscreant hath done this evill ? whereto , one sadly standing by , replide ; it was that cursed samson ( whose faire bride was lately ravisht from his absent brest by her false father ) who before the feast of nuptiall was a month expir'd , and done , by second mariage , own'd another sonne ; for which , this samson heav'd from off the henge of his lost reason , studied this revenge ; that timnits falshood wrought this desolation ; samson the actor was , but he , th' occasion : with that , they all consulted , to proceed in height of iustice , to revenge this deed ; samson , whose hand was the immediate cause of this foule act , is stronger then their lawes ; him , they refer to time ; for his proud hand may bring a second ruine to their land ; the cursed timnite , he that did divide the lawful bridegroome from his lawfull bride , and mov'd the patience of so strong a foe , to bring these evils , and worke their overthrow , to him they hast ; and , with resolv'd desire of blood , they burne his house , & him with fire . meditat . . dost thou not tremble ? does thy troubled eare not tingle ? nor thy spirits faint to heare the voice of those , whose dying shriekes proclame their tortures , that are broyling in the flame ? she , whose illustrious beauty did not know where to be matcht , but one poore houre agoe ; she , whose faire eyes were apt to make man erre from his knowne faith , and turne idolater ; she , whose faire cheeks , inricht with true cōplexion , seem'd beauties store-house of her best perfection ; see , how she lies , see how this beautie lies , a foule offence , unto thy loathing eyes ; a fleshly cinder , lying on the floore . starke naked , had it not bin cover'd ore with bashfull ruines , which were fallen downe from the consumed roofe , and rudely throwne on this halfe-roasted earth . o , canst thou reade her double story , and thy heart not bleed ? what art thou more then she ? tell me wherein art thou more priviledg'd ? or can thy sinne plead more t' excuse it ? art thou faire and yong ? why so was she : were thy temptations strong ? why , so were hers : what canst thou plead , but she had powre to plead the same , as well as thee ? nor was 't her death alone , could satisfie revenge ; her father , and his house must dye : vnpunisht crimes doe often bring them in , that were no lesse then strangers to the sinne : ely must dye ; because his faire reproofe of too foule sinne , was not austere enough : was vengeance now appeas'd ? hath not the crime paid a sufficient intrest for the time ? remove thine eye to the philistian fields ; see , what increase their fruitfull harvest yeelds : there 's nothing there , but a confused heape of ruinous ashes : there 's no corne , to reape : behold the poyson of unpunisht sinne ; for which the very earth 's accurst agin : famine must act her part ; her griping hand , for one mans sinne , must punish all the land : is vengeance now appeas'd ? hath sinne given ore to cry for plagues ? must vengeance yet have more ? o , now th' impartiall sword must come , and spill the blood of such , as famine could not kill : the language of unpunisht sinne cryes loud , it roares for iustice , and it must have blood : famine must follow , where the fire begun ; the sword must end , what both have left undone . iust god ; our sinnes doe dare thee to thy face ; our score is great ; our ephah fill's apace ; the leaden cover threatens , every minut , to close the ephah , and our sinnes , within it . turne backe thine eye : let not thine eye behold such vile pollutions : let thy vengeance hold : looke on thy dying sonne ; there shalt thou spie an object , that 's more fitter for thine eye ; his sufferings ( lord ) are farre above our sinnes ; o , looke thou there ; ere iustice once begins t'unsheathe her sword , o , let one pretious drop fall from that pierced side ; and that will stop the eares of vengeance , from that clamorous voice of our loud sinnes , which make so great a noise ; o , send that drop , before revenge begins , and that will cry farre louder then our sinnes . sect . . argvment . he makes a slaughter ; doth remove to etans rocke ; where , to repay him the wrongs that he had done , they move the men of iudah to betray him . thus when th'accurs'd philistians had appaid the timnits sinne , with ruine ; and betraid th'unjust offenders to their fierce desire , and burn'd their cursed family with fire ; samson , the greatnesse of whose debt denide so short a payment ; and whose wrongs yet cride for further vengeance , to be further laid vpon the sinne-conniving nation , said , vnjust philistians , you that could behold so capitall a crime , and yet with-hold this well-deserved punishment so long , which made you partners in their sinne , my wrong ; had yee at first , when as the fault was yong , before that time had lent her clamorous tongue so great a strength , to call for so much blood ; o , had your earlie iustice but thought good to strike in time ; nay , had you then devis'd some easier punishment , it had suffic'd ; but now it comes too late ; the sin has cryed , till heaven hath heard , and mercy is denied : nay , had the sin but spar'd to roare so loud , a drop had serv'd , when now a tide of blood will hardly stop her mouth : had ye done this betimes ! but now , this hand must plague your persons , and afflict your land : have ye beheld a youth-instructing tutor , ( whose wisedom's seldome seene , but in the future ) when well deserved punishment shall call for the delinquent boy ; how , first of all , he preaches fairely ; then , proceedes austerer to the foule crime , whilst the suspitious hearer trembles at every word , untill , at length , his language being ceas'd , th' unwelcome strength of his rude arme , that often proves too rash , strickes home , and fetches blood at every lash . even so stout samson , whose more gentle tongue , in easie tearmes , doth first declare the wrong , injustice did , then tells the evill effects that mans connivence , and unjust neglects does often bring upon th' afflicted land ; but , at the last , upheaves his ruthlesse hand ; he hewes , he hacks , and , fury being guide , his unresisted power doth divide from top to toe ; his furious weapon cleft , where ere it strucke : it slue ; and never left , vntill his flesh-destroying arme , at length , could finde no subject , where t' imploy his strength : here stands a head-strong steed , whose fainting guider drops downe ; another dragges his wounded rider : now here , now there his franticke arme would thunder , and , at one stroake , cleaves horse and man in sunder , in whose mixt blood , his hands would oft embrue , and where so ere they did but touch , they slew : here 's no imployment for the surgeons trade , all wounds were mortall that his weapon made ; there 's none was left , but dying , or else dead , and onely they , that scap'd his fury , fled ; the slaughter ended , the proud victor past through the afflicted land , untill , at last , he comes to iudah ; where , he pitch'd his tent , at the rocke etan : there , some time he spent ; he spent not much , till the philistian band , that found small comfort in their wasted land , came up to iudah , and there , pitch'd not farre from samsons tent ; their hands were arm'd to warre : with that , the men of iudah , strucke with feare , to see so great an armie , straight drew neare , to the sad campe ; who , after they had made some signes of a continued peace , they said ; what new designes have brought your royall band vpon the borders of our peacefull land ? what strange adventures ? what disastrous weather drove you this way ? what businesse brought you hether ? let not my lords be angry , or conceive an evill against your servants : what we have , is yours : the peacefull plenty of our land and we , are yours ; and at your owne command : why , to what purpose are you pleas'd to show us your strength ! why bring you thus an army to us ? are not our yearly tributes justly paid ? have we not kept our vowes ? have we delaid our faithfull service , or denied to doe it , when you have pleas'd to call your servants to it ? have we , at any time , upon your triall , shruncke from our plighted faith , or prov'd disloyall ? if that proud samson have abus'd your land , t is not our faults ; alas , we had no hand in his designes : we lent him no reliefe ; no aid ; no , we were partners in your griefe . where to the philistines , whose hopes relyde vpon their faire assistance , thus replyde : feare not , yee men of iudah ; our intentions are not to wrong your peace : your apprehensions are too-too timerous ; our designes are bent against the common foe , whose hands have spent our lavish blood , and rob'd our wasted land of all her joyes : t is hee , our armed band expects , and followes : hee is cloysterd here , within your quarters : let your faiths appeare now in your loyall actions , and convay the skulking rebell to us , that we may revenge our blood , which he hath wasted thus , and doe to him , as he hath done to us . meditat . . it was a sharpe revenge : but was it just ? shall one man suffer for another ? must the childrens teeth be set on edge , because their fathers ate the grapes ? are heavens lawes so strict ? whose lips did , with a promise , tell , that no such law should passe in israel : because th' injurious timnites trecherous hand commits the fault , must samson scourge the land ? sinne is a furious plague ; and it infects the next inhabitant , if he neglects the meanes t' avoid it : t is not because he sinnes that thou art punisht : no , it then begins t' infect thy soule ; when , thou a stander by , reproves it not : or when thy carelesse eye slights it as nothing : if a sinne of mine grieve not thy wounded soule , it becomes thine . thinke yee that god commits the sword of power into the hands of magistrates , to scower and keepe it bright ? or onely to advance his yet unknowne authoritie ? perchance , the glorious hilt and scabberd make a show to serve his turne ; have it a blade , or no , he neither knowes , nor cares : is this man fit t' obtaine so great an honor , as to sit as gods lieutenant , and to punish sinne ? know leaden magistrates , and know agin , your sword was given to draw , and to be dyde in guilty blood ; not to be laid aside , at the request of friends , or for base feare , lest when your honor 's ended with the yeare , ye may be baffled : t is not enough that you finde , bread be waight ; or that the waights be true : t is not enough , that every foule disorder must be refer'd to your more wise recorder : the charge is given to you : you must returne a faire account ; or else , the land must mourne : you keepe your swords too long a season in , and god strikes us , because you strike not sinne : y' are too remisse , and want a resolution : good lawes lye dead , for lacke of execution : an oath is growne so bold , that it will laugh the easie act , to scorne : nay , we can quaffe and reele with priviledge : and wee can trample vpon our shame shrunke cloakes , by your example : you are too dull : too great offences passe vntoucht ; god loves no service from the asse ; rouze up ; o use the spurre , & spare the bridle ; god strikes , because your swords , and you are idle ; graunt , lord , that every one may mend a fault ; and then our magistrates may stand for nought . sect . . argvment . the faithlesse men of iuda went to make him subject to their bands : they bound him by his owne consent , and brought him pris'ner to their hands . so said : the men of iudah ( whose base feare taught them to open an obedient eare to their revengefull and unjust request ) accept the trecherous motion , and addrest their slavish thoughts , to put in execution the subject of their servile resolution : with that , three thousand of their ablest men are soone imploy'd ; to the fierce lyons den they come , ( yet daring not approach too neare ) and sent this louder language to his eare ; victorious samson , whose renowned facts have made the world a register of thy acts , great army of men , the wonder of whose power gives thee the title of a walking tower , why hast thou thus betraid us to the hand of the curs'd philistines ? thou know'st our land does owe it selfe to thee ; there 's none can clame so great an intrest in our hearts : thy name , thy highly honour'd name , for ever , beares a welcome accent in our joyfull eares ; but now the times are dangerous , and a band of proud philistians quarter in our land ; and ; for thy sake , the tyranny of their tongues hath newly threatned to revenge thy wrongs vpon our peacefull lives : their lips have vow'd and sworne to salve their injuries with our blood ; their jealous fury hollowes in our eares , they 'l plague our land , as thou hast plagued theirs , if we refuse to doe their fierce command , and bring not samson prisoner to their hand ; alas , thou knowst our servile neckes must bow to their imperious yoke ; alas , our vow of loyalty is past : if they bid , doe ; we must ; or loose our lands , and our life 's too ; were but our lifes in hazard , or if none should feele the smart of death , but wee alone , wee 'd turne thy martyrs , rather then obey'm , wee 'd dye with samson sooner then betray'm ; but we have wifes , and children , that would be the subjects of their rage , as well as wee : wherefore , submit thy person , and fulfill what we desire so much against our will : alas , our griefes in equall poisure lye ; yeeld , and thou dyest : yeeld not , and wee must dye : whereto , sad samson , whose faire thoughts did guide his lips to fairer language , thus replide ; yee men of iudah , what distrustfull thought of single samsons violence hath brought so great a strength , as if you meant t' orethrow some mighty monarch , or surprise a foe ! tour easie errand might as well bin done by two or three , or by the lips of one ; the meanest childe of holy israels seede might conquer'd samson , with a bruised reed : alas , the boldnesse of your welcome words need no protection of these staves and swords : brethren ; the intention of my comming hither was not to wrong you , or deprive you , either of lives , or goods , or of your poorest due ; my selfe is cheaper to my selfe , then you ; my comming is on a more faire designe , i come to crush your tyranous foes , and mine , i come to free your country , and recall your servile shoulders from the slavish thrall of the proud philistines ; and , with this hand , to make you freemen in your promis'd land ; but you are come to binde me , and betray your faith full champion to those hands , that lay perpetuall burthens on , which daily vex your galled shoulders , and your servile necks : the wrongs these cursed philistines have done my simple innocence , have quite outrun my easie patience : if my arme may right my too much injur'd suffrance , and requite what they have done to me , it would appease my raging thoughts , and give my tortures ease ; but ye are come to binde me : i submit ; i yeeld ; and if my bondage will acquit your new borne feares , t is well : but they that doe attempt to ruine me , will ransack you : first , you shall firmely ' engage your plighted troth , by the acceptance of a sacred oath , that , when i shall be prisoner to your bands , i may not suffer violence by your hands : with that , they drawing nearer to him , laid their hands beneath his brawny thigh , and said , then let the god of iacob cease to blesse the tribe of iudah , with a faire successe , in ought they put their cursed hand unto , and raze their seed , if we attempt to doe bound samson violence ; and if this curse be not sufficient , heaven contrive a worse : with that , the willing prisoner join'd his hands , to be subjected to their stronger bands : with treble twisted cords , that never tried the twitch of strength , their buisie fingers tied his sinewy wrists , which being often wound about his beating pulse , they brought him bound to the forefront of the philistian band , and left him captive in their cursed hand . meditat . . o what a pearle is hidden in this field , whose orient luster , and perfections yeeld so great a treasure , that the easterne kings , with all the wealth , their colder climate brings , nere saw the like : it is a pearle whose glory is the diviner subject of a story , penn'd by an angells quill ; not understood by the too dull con ceitof flesh and blood ! vnkinde iudeans , what have you presented before our eyes ? o , what have you attented ! he that was borne on purpose , to release his life , for yours ; to bring your nation peace ; to turne your mournings into joyfull songs ; to fight your battells ; to revenge your wrongs ; even him , alas , your cursed hands have made this day your prisoner ; him have you betraid to death : o ; hee whose sinowy arme had power to crush you all to nothing , and to shower down strokes , like thunderbolts , whose blasting breath , might , in a moment , pufft you all to death , and made ye fall before his frowning brow , see , how he goes away , betraid by you ! thou great redeemer of the world ! whose blood hath power to save more worlds , then noah's flood destroyed bodies ; thou , o thou that art the samson of our soules , how can the heart of man give thanks enough , that does not know how much his death-redeemed soule does owe to thy deare merits ? we can apprehend no more then flesh and blood does recommend to our confined thoughts : alas , we can conceive thy love , but as the love of man : we cannot tell the horror of that paine thou bought us from , not can our hearts attaine those joyes that thou hast purchas'd in our name , nor yet the price , thou paidst : our thoughts are lame , and craz'd ; alas , things mortall have no might , no meanes to comprehend an infinite : we can behold thee cradled in a manger , in a poore stable : we can see the danger the tetrarch's fury made thee subject to ; we can conceive thy poverty ; we know thy blessed hands ( that might bin freed ) were bound ; we know , alas , thy bleeding browes were crown'd with prickling thorne ; thy body torne with whips ; thy palmes impeirc'd with ragged nailes ; thy lips saluted with a traitors kisse ; thy browes sweating forth blood : thy oftrepeated blowes ; thy fastning to the crosse ; thy shamefull death ; these outward tortures all come underneath our dull conceits : but , what thy blessed soule ( that bore the burthen of our guilt , and scroule of all our sinns , and horrid paines of hell ) o , what that soule endur'd , what soule can tell ! sect . . argvment . he breakes their bands ; and with a bone , a thousand philistians he slue : he thirsted , fainted ; made his mone to heaven : he drinkes , his spirits renew . thus when the glad philistians had obtain'd the summe of all their hopes , they entertain'd the welcome pris'ner with a greater noise of triumph then the greatnesse of their joyes required : some , with sudden death , would greet the new come guest ; whil'st others , more discreet , with lingring paines , and tortures more exact , would force him to discover , in the fact , who his abettors were : others gainsaid that course , for feare a rescue may be made : some cry , t is fittest , that th' offender bleed there , where his cursed hands had done the deed : others cryed , no , where fortune hath consign'd him , wee'lk : h him : best ; to kill him , where we finde him : thus variously they spent their doubtfull breath , at last , they all agreed on sudden death ; there 's no contention now , but onely who shall strike the first , or give the speeding blow : have yee beheld a single thred of flax , touch'd by the fier , how the fier crackes with ease , and parts the slender twine in sunder , even so , as the first arme began to thunder vpon the prisners life , he burst the bands from his strong wrists , and freed his loosned hands ; hee stoop'd ; from off the blood-expecting grasse , he snatcht the crooked jaw-bone of an asse ; wherewith , his fury dealt such downe-right blowes . so oft redoubled , that it overthrowes man after man ; and being ring'd about with the distracted , and amazed rout of rude philistians , turn'd his body round , and in a circle dings them to the ground : each blow had proofe ; for , where the jaw-bone mist , the furious champion wounded with his fist : betwixt them both , his fury did uncase a thousand soules , which , in that fatall place , had left their ruin'd carkeises , to feast the slesh-devouring fowle , and rav'nous beast : with that , the conquerour , that now had fed and surfeited his eye upon the dead his hand had slaine , sate downe ; and , having flung his purple weapon by , triumpht , and sung ; samson rejoyce : be fill'd with mirth ; let all iudaea know , and tell the princes of the earth how strong an arme hast thou : how has thy dead inricht the land , and purpled ore the grasse , that hadst no weapon in thy hand , but the iaw-bone of an asse ! how does thy strength , and high renowne the glory of men surpasse ! thine arme has strucke a thousand downe , with the jaw-bone of an asse : let samsons glorious name endure , till time shall render one , whose greater glory shall obscure the glory thou hast wonne . his song being ended , rising from the place whereon he lay , he turn'd his ruthlesse face vpon those heapes his direfull hand had made , and op'ning of his thirsty lips , he said : great god of conquest , thou by whose command this heart received courage , and this hand strength , to revenge thy quarrels , and fulfill the secret motion of thy sacred will ; what , shall thy champion perish now with thirst ? thou knowst , i have done nothing , but what first was warranted by thy command : t was thou that gave my spirit boldnesse , and my brow a resolution : this mine arme did doe no more , then what thou didst enjoyne it to : and shall i dye for thirst ? o thou that sav'd me from the lyons rage , that would have rav'd vpon my life : by whom i have subdu'd thy cursed enemies , and have imbru'd my heaven-commanded hands , in a spring-tyde of guilty blood ; lord , shall i be denyde a draught of cooling water , to allay the tyranny of my thirst ? i , that this day have labour'd in thy vineyard ; rooted out so many weeds , whose losty crests did sprout above thy trodden vines ; what , shall i dye for want of water , thou the fountaine by ? i know that thou wert here , for hadst thou not supplyde my hand with strength , i ne'er had got so strange a vict'ry : hath thy servant taken thy worke in hand , and is he now forsaken ? hast thou not promis'd that my strengthned hand shall scourge thy foemen , and secure thy land from slavish bondage ? will that arme of thine make me their slave , whom thou hast promist , mine ? bow downe thy eare , and heare my needfull cry ; o , quench my thirst , great god , or else i dye : with that , the jaw , wherewith his arme had laid so many sleeping in the dust , obayde the voice of god , and cast a tooth , from whence a sudden spring arose , whose confluence of christall waters , plentiously disburst their pretious streames ; and so allaid his thurst . meditat . . the jaw-bone of an asse ? how poore a thing god makes his powerfull instrument to bring some honour to his name , and to advance his greater glory ! came this bone , by chance , to samsons hand ? or could the army goe no further ? but must needs expect a foe iust where his weapon of destruction lay ? was there no fitter place , for them to stay , but even just there ? how small a thing ' thad bin ( if they had beene so provident ) to winne the day with ease ? had they but taken thence that cursed bone , what colour of defence had samson found ? or how could he withstood the necessary danger of his blood ? where heav'n doth please to ruine , humane wit must faile , and deeper pollicie must submit : there , wisedome must be fool'd , and strength of braine must worke against it selfe , or worke in vaine : the tracke , that seemes most likely , often leads to death ; and where securitie most pleads , there , dangers , in their fairest shapes , appeare , and give us not so great a help , as feare : the things wee least suspect , are often they , that most effect our ruine , and betray : who would have thought , the silly asses bone , not worth the spurning , should have overthrowne so stout a band ? heav'n , often times , thinkes best , to overcome the greatest with the least : he gaines most glory in things , that are most sleight , and wins , in honour , what they want in might : who would have thought , that samsons deadly thurst should have bin quencht with waters , that did burst and flow from that dry bone ? who would not thinke , the thirsty conquerour , for want of drinke , should first have dyed ? what mad man could presume so dry a tooth should yeeld so great a rheume ? god does not worke like man ; nor is he tyed to outward meanes : his pleasure is his guide , not reason : he , that is the god of nature , can worke against it : he that is creator of all things , can dispose them , to attend his will , forgetting their created end : hee , whose almighty power did supply this bone with water , made the red sea ; dry : great god of nature ; t is as great an ease for thee to alter nature , if thou please , as to create it ; let that hand of thine shew forth thy powre , and please to alter mine : my sinnes are open , but my sorrow 's hid ; i cannot drench my couch , as david did ; my braines are marble , and my heart is stone : o strike mine eyes , as thou didst strike that bone . sect . . argvment . hee lodges with a harlot : wait is laid , and guards are pitcht about : hee beares away the city-gate vpon his shoulders , and goes out . thus when victorious samson had unliv'd this hoast of armed men ; and had reviv'd his fainting spirits , and refresht his tongue with those sweet christall streames , that lately sprung from his neglected weapon , he arose ( secured from the tyrannie of his foes by his heaven-borrow'd strength ) and boldly came to a philistian city , knowne by th' name of azza ; where , as he was passing by , the carelesse champion cast his wandring eye vpon a face , whose beauty did invite his wanton heart to wonder and delight : her curious haire was crisp'd : her naked brest was white as ivory , and fairely drest with costly iewells : in her glorious face , nature was hidden , and dissembled grace damaskt her rosie cheekes : her eyes did sparke , at every glance , like diamonds in the darke ; bold was her brow ; whose frowne was but a foile to glorifie her better-pleasing smile ; her pace was carelesse , seeming to discover the passions of a discontented lover : sometime , her op'ned casement gives her eye a twinckling passage to the passer by ; and , when her fickle fancy had given ore that place , she comes , and wantons at the doore ; there samson view'd her , and his steps could finde no further ground ; but ( guided by his minde ) cast anchor there : have thy observing eyes ere mark'd the spiders garbe , how close she lies within her curious webbe ; and by and by , how quicke she hasts to her entangled flie ; and , whispring poyson in his murmring eares , at last , she tugges her silent guest , and beares his hampred body to the inner roome of her obscure and solitary home ; even so this snaring beauty entertaines our eye-led samson , tamperd with the chaines of her imperious eyes ; and he , that no man could conquer ; now lyes conquerd by a woman . fayre was his welcome , and as fairely ' exprest by her delicious language , which profest no lesse affection , then so sweet a friend , could , with her best expressions , recommend : into her glorious chamber she directs her welcome guest , and with her fayre respects she entertaines him ; with a bountious kisse , she gives him earnest of a greater blisse ; and with a brazen countenance , she brake the way to her unchaste desires , and spake ; mirrour of mankinde , thou selected flowre of loves faire knot , welcome to flora's bowrs ; cheare up , my love ; and looke upon these eyes , wherein my beauty , and thy picture lyes ; come , take me prisner , in thy folded armes ; and boldly strike up sprightly loves alarmes vpon these ruby lips , and let us trie the sweets of love : here 's none but thee and i : my beds are softest downe , and purest lawne my sheets ; my vallents , and my curtaines drawne in gold and silkes of curious dye : behold , my coverings are of tap stry , inricht with gold ; come , come , and let us take our fill of pleasure ; my husbands absence lends me dainty leasure to give thee welcome : come , let 's spend the night in sweet enjoyment of unknowne delight . her words prevail'd : and , being both undrest , together went to their defiled rest : by this , the newes of samsons being there possest the citie , and fill'd every eare : his death is plotted ; and advantage lends new hopes of speed : an armed guard attends at every gate , that when the breaking day shall send him forth , th' expecting forces may betray him to his sudden death ; and so , revenge their kingdomes ruine at a blow : but lustfull samson ( whose distrustfull eares kept open house ) was now possest with feares : hee heares a whisp'ring ; and the trampling feet of people passing in the silent street ; he , whom undaunted courage lately made a glorious conquerour , is now afraid ; his conscious heart is smitten with his sinne ; he cannot chuse but feare , and feare agin : he feares ; and now the terrible alarmes of sinne doe call him from th' unlawfull armes and lips of his luxurious concubine ; bids him , arise from dalliance , and resigne the usurpation of his luke-warme place to some new sinner , whose lesse dangerous case may lend more leisure to so foule a deed : samson , with greater and unwonted speed leaps from his want on bed ; his feares doe presse more haste , to cloath ; then lust did , to undresse : he makes no tarryance ; but , with winged hast , bestrides the streets ; and , to the gates , he past , and through the armed troupes , he makes his way ; beares gates , and bars , and pillers all away ; so scap'd the rage of the philistian band , that still must owe his ruine , to their land . meditat . . how weake , at strongest , is poore flesh and blood ! samson , the greatnes of whose power withstood a little world of armed men , with death , must now be foyled with a womans breath : the mother , sometimes , lets her infant fall , to make it hold the surer by the wall : god lets his servant , often , goe amisse , that he may turne , and see how weake he is : david that found an overflowing measure of heavens high favours , and as great a treasure of saving grace , and portion of the spirit , as flesh and blood was able to inherit , must have a fall , to exercise his feares , and make him drowne his restlesse couch with teares : wise salomon , within whose heart was planted the fruitfull stockes of heavenly wisedome , wanted not that , whereby his weakenesse understood the perfect vanity of flesh and blood : whose hand seem'd prodigall of his isaacks life , he durst not trust gods providence with his wife : the righteous lot had slidings : holy paul he had his pricke ; and peter had his fall : the sacred bride , in whose faire face remaines the greatest earthly beauty , hath her staines : if man were perfect , and entirely good , he were not man : he were not flesh and blood : or should he never fall , he would , at length , not see his weaknesse , and presume in strength : ere children know the sharpnesse of the edge , they thinke , their fingers have a priviledge against a wound ; but , having felt the knife , a bleeding finger , sometime , saves a life : lord , we are children ; and our sharpe-edg'd knives , together with our blood , le ts out our lives ; alas , if we but draw them from the sheath , they cut our fingers , and they bleed to death . thou great chirurgion of a bleeding soule , whose soveraigne baulme , is able to make whole the deepest wound , thy sacred salve is sure ; we cannot bleed so fast , as thou canst cure : heale thou our wounds ; that , having salv'd the sore , our hearts may feare , and learne to sinne no more ; and let our hands be strangers to those knives , that wound not fingers onely ; but our lives . of your true servant ; who , would never rest , till she had done the deed : but know , my lords , if the poore frailty of a womans words may shake so great a power , and prevaile , my best advis'd endeavours shall not faile to be imploi'd : i 'le make a sudden triall ; and quickly speed , or finde a foule deniall : meditat . . insatiate samson ! could not azza smother thy flaming lust ; but must thou finde another ? is th' old growne stale ? and seeks thou for a new ? alas , where two's too many , three 's too few : mans soule is infinite , and never tires in the extension of her owne desires : the sprightly nature of his active minde aimes still at further ; will not be confinde to th' poore dimensions of flesh and blood ; something it still desiers ; covets good ; would faine be happy , in the sweet enjoyment of what it prosecutes , with the imployment of best endeavours ; but it cannot finde so great a good , but something 's still behind : it , first , propounds ; applauds ; desiers ; endeavours ; at last , enjoyes ; but ( like to men , in feavours , who fancy alwaies those things that are worst ) the more it drinks , the more it is a thirst : the fruitfull earth ( whose nature is the worse for sinne ; with man partaker in the curse ) aimes at perfection ; and would faine bring forth ( as first it did ) things of the greatest worth ; her colder wombe endeavours ( as of old ) to ripen all her metalls , unto gold ; o , but that sic-procured curse hath child the heate of pregnant nature , and hath filld her barren seed , with coldnesse , which does lurke in her faint wombe , that her more perfect worke is hindred ; and , for want of heate , brings forth imperfect metals , of a baser worth : even so , the soule of man , in her first state , receiv'd a power , and a will to that which was most pure , and good ; but , since the losse of that faire freedome , onely trades in drosse ; aimes she at wealth ? alas , her proud desire strives for the best ; but failing to mount higher then earth , her error grapples , and takes hold on that , which earth can onely give her , gold aimes she at glory ? her ambition flies as high a pitch , as her dull winges can rise ; but , failing in her strength , she leaves to strive . , and takes such honour , as base earth can give : aimes she at pleasure ? her desires extend to lasting joyes , whose pleasures have no end ; but , wanting wings , she grovells on the dust , and , there , she lights upon a carnall lust : yet nerethelesse , th' aspiring soule desires a perfect good ; but , wanting those sweet sires , whose heate should perfect her unrip'ned will , cleaves to th' apparent good , which good is ill ; whose sweet enjoyment , being farre unable to give a satisfaction answerable to her unbounded wishes , leaves a thrist of reenjoyment , greater then the first . lord ; when our fruitlesse fallowes are growne cold , and out of heart , we can inrich the mould with a new heate ; we can restore againe her weakned soile ; and make it apt , for graine ; and wilt thou suffer our faint soules , to lie thus unmanur'd , that is thy husbandrie ? they beare no other bulke , but idle weedes , alas , they have no heart , no heate ; thy seedes are cast away , untill thou please t' inspire new strength , and quench them with thy sacred fire : stirre thou my fallowes ; and enrich my mold ; and they shall bring thee ' increase , a hundred fold . sect . . argvment . false delila accosts her lover : her lips endeavour to entice his gentle nature to discover his strength : samson deceives her thrice . soone as occasion lent our champions eare to delila , which could not choose but heare , if delila but whisper'd ; she , whose wiles were neatly baited , with her simple smiles , accosted samson ; her alluring hand sometimes would stroke his temples ; sometime , span'd his brawny arme ; sometimes , would gently gripe his sinewy wrest ; another while , would wipe his sweating browes ; her wanton fingers plai'd , sometimes , with his faire locks ; somtimes , would brai'd his long dishevell'd haire ; her eyes , one while , would steale a glance upon his eyes , and smile ; and , then , her crafty lips would speake ; then , smother her broken speech ; and , then , begin another : at last , as if a sudden thought had brake from the faire prison of her lips , she spake ; how poore a grisle is this arme of mine ! me thinkes , 't is nothing , in respect of thine ; of having : wealth will rouze thy heart lesse friends ; make thee a potent master of thy ends ; 't will bring thee honour ; make thy suites at law prosper at will ; and keepe thy foes in awe : art thou ambitious ? he will kindle fire , in thy proud thoughts , and make thy thoughts aspire ; hee 'l come , and teach thy honour how to scorne thy old acquaintance , whom thou hast outworne : hee 'l teach thee how to lord it , and advance thy servants fortunes , with thy countenance : wouldst thou enjoy the pleasures of the flesh ? hee 'l bring thee wanton ladyes , to refresh thy drooping soule : hee 'l teach thine eyes to wander ; instruct thee how to wooe ; hee 'l be thy pander : hee 'l fill thy amorous soule with the sweet passion of powerfull love : hee 'l give thee dispensation , to sinne at pleasure ; he will make thee slave to thy owne thoughts : hee 'l make thee beg and crave to be a drudge : hee 'l make thy trecherous breath destroy thee , and betray thee to thy death . lord ; if our father adam could not stay in his upright perfection , one poore day ; how can it be expected , we have power to hold out seige , one scruple of an hower : our armes are bound with too unequall bands ; we cannot strive ; we cannot loose our hands : great nazarite , awake ; and looke upon us : make hast to helpe ; the philistines are on us . sect . . argvment . she sues againe : samson replies the very truth : her lips betray him : they binde him ; they put out his eyes , and to the prison they convay him . vvith that ; the wanton , whose distrustfull eye , was fixt upon reward , made this replie ; had the deniall of my poore request proceeded from th' inexorable brest of one , whose open hatred sought t' endanger my haunted life ; or had it bin a stranger , that wanted so much nature , to deny the doing of a common curtesie ; nay , had it bin a friend , that had deceiv'd me , an ordinary friend , it nere had griev'd me : but thou , even thou my bosome friend , that art the onely joy of my deceived heart ; nay thou , whose hony-dropping lips soloften did plead thy undissembled love , and soften my deare affection , which could never yeeld to easier termes ; by thee , to be beguild ? how often hast thou mockt my slender suite with forged falshoods ? hadst thou but bin mute , i nere had hop'd : but being fairely led towards my prompt desires , which were fed with my false hopes , and thy false-hearted tongue , and then beguilde ? i hold it as a wronge : how canst thou say thou lov'st me ? how can i thinke but thou hat'st me , when thy lips deny so poore a suite ? alas , my fond desire had slak'd , had not deniall blowne the fire : grant then at last , and let thy open brest shew that thou lov'st me ' , and grant my faire request : speake , or speake not , thy delila shall give ore to urge ; her lips shall never urge thee more : to whom , the yeelding lover thus betrai'd his heart , being tortur'd unto death , and said ; my deare ; my delila ; i cannot stand against so sweet a pleader ; in thy hand i here entrust , and to thy brest impart thy samsons life , and secrets of his heart ; know then my delila , that i was borne a nazarite ; these locks were never shorne ; no raisor , yet , came ere upon my crowne ; there lies my strength ; with thē , my strength is gone : were they but shaven , my delila ; o , then , thy samson should be weake as other men ; no sooner had he spoken , but he spred his body on the floore , his drowzy head he pillow'd on her lap ; untill , at last , he fell into a sleepe ; and , being fast , she clipt his locks from off his carelesse head . and beckning the philistians in , she said ; samson awake ; take strength and courage on thee ; samson arise ; the philistines are on thee : even as a dove , whose wings are clipt , for flying , flutters her idle stumps ; and still , relying vpon her wonted refuge , strives in vaine , to quit her life from danger , and attaine the freedome of her ayre-dividing plumes ; she struggles often , and she oft presumes to take the sanctuary of the open fields ; but , finding that her hopes are vaine , she yeelds : even so poore samson ( frighted at the sound , that rowz'd him from his rest ) forsooke the ground ; perceiving the philistians there at hand , to take him pris'ner , he began to stand vpon his wonted guarde : his threatning breath brings forth the prologue to their following death : he rowz'd himselfe ; and , like a lyon , shooke his drowzy limmes ; and with a cloudy looke , ( fore-telling boystrous , and tempestious weather ) defied each one , defied them all together : now , when he came to grapple , he upheav'd his mighty hand ; but , now ( alas , bereav'd of wonted power ) that confounding arme , ( that could no lesse then murther ) did no harme ; blow was exchang'd , for blow ; and wound for wound : he , that , of late , disdained to give ground , flies backe apace ; who , lately , stain'd the field with conquer'd blood , does now begin to yeeld ; he , that , of late , brake twisted ropes in twaine , is bound with pack thred ; he , that did disdaine to feare the power of an armed band , can now walke prisoner in a single hand : thus have the trecherous philistines betray'd poore captive samson : samson now obay'd : those glowing eyes , that whitled death about , where ere they view'd , their cursed hands put out ; they led him pris'ner , and convai'd him downe to strong-wall'd azza ( that philistian towne , whose gates his shoulders lately bore away ) there , in the common prison , did they lay distressed samson , who obtain'd no meate , but what he purchas'd with his painfull sweate ; for , every day , they urg'd him to fulfill his twelve howres taske , at the laborious mill ; and , when his wasted strength began to tyre , they 'd quicken his bare sides , with whips of wire : fill'd was the towne with ioy , and triumph : all , from the high-prince , to th' cobbler , on the stall , kept holy-day , whilest every voice became hoarse , as the trumpe of newes-divulgeing fame ; all tongues were fill'd with shouts : and every care was growne impatient of the whisperer ; so generall was their triumph , their applause , that children shouted , ere they knew a cause : the better sort betooke them to their knees ; dagon must worship'd be : dagon , that frees both sea , and land , dagon , that did subdue our common foe : dagon must have his due : dagon must have his praise ; must have his prize : dagon must have his holy sacrifice : dagon has brought to our victorious hand proud samson : dagon has redeem'd our land : we call to dagon ; and our dagon heares ; our groanes are come to holy dagons eares ; to dagon , all renowne and glory be ; where is there such another god as hee ? meditat . . how is our story chang'd ? o , more then strange effects of so small time ! o , sudden change ; is this that holy nazarite , for whom heaven shew'd a miracle , on the barren wombe ? is this that holy thing , againe whose birth , angells must quit their thrones , and visit earth ? is this that blessed infant , that began to grow in favour so , with god and man ? what , is this hee , who ( strengthned by heavens hand ) was borne a champion , to redeeme the land ? is this the man , whose courage did contest with a fierce lyon , grappling brest to brest ; and in a twinckling , tore him quite in sunder ? is this that conquerer whose arme did thunder vpon the men of askalon , the power of whose bent fist , slew thirty in an hower ? is this that daring conquerour , whose hand thrasht the proud philistines , in their wasted land ? and was this he , that with the help of none , destroy'd a thousand with a silly bone ? or he , whose wrists , being bound together , did breake cordes like flax , and double ropes like thrid ? is this the man whose hands unhing'd those gates , and barethem thence , with pillers , barres , & grates ? and is he turn'd a mill-horse now ? and blinde ? must this great conquerour be forc'd to grinde for bread and water ? must this heroe spend his latter times in drudgery ? must he end his weary dayes in darkenesse ? must his hyer , be knotted cords , and torturing whips of wyer ? where heaven withdrawes , the creatures power shakes ; what miserie 's wanting there , where god for sakes ? had samson not abus'd his borrow'd power , samson , had still , remain'd a conquerour : the philistines did act his part ; no doubt , his eyes offended , and they pluck'd them out : heaven will be just : he punishes a sin , oft , in the member , that he findes it in : when faithlesse zacharias did become too curious , his lips were strucken dumbe : samson whose lustfull view did overprize vnlawfull beautye's punisht in his eyes ; those flaming eyes seduc'd his wanton minde to act a sinne ; those eyes are stricken blinde ; the beauty he invaded , did invade him , and that faire tongue , that blest him so , betrayd him : that strength , intemperate lust imploy'd so ill , is now a driving the laborious mill ; those naked sides , so pleas'd with lusts desire , are , now , as naked , lasht with whips of wire : lord ; shouldst thou punish every part in me that does offend , what member would be free ? each member acts his part ; they never lin vntill they joyne , and make a body ' of sin : make sinne my burthen ; let it never please me ; and thou hast promis'd , when i come , to ease me , sect . . argvment . they make a feast . and then to crowne their mirth , blind samson is brought thither : he pulls the mighty pillers downe ; the building falls : all slaine together , thus when the vulgar triumph ( which does last but seldome , longer then the newes ) was past , and dagons holy altars had surceast to breath their idle fumes : they call'd a feast , a common feast ; whose bounty did bewray a common joy , to gratulate the day ; whereto , the princes , under whose command each province was , in their divided land ; whereto , the lords , leiutenants , and all those , to whom the supreme rulers did repose an under-trust ; whereto , the better sort ofgentry , and of commons did resort , with mirth , and jolly tryumph , to allay their sorrowes , and to solemnize the day ; into the common hall they come : the hall was large and faire ; her arched roofe was all builded with massie stone , and over lai'd with pond'rous lead ; two sturdy pillers stai'd her mighty rafters up ; whereon , relied the weighty burthen of her lofty pride . when lusty diet , and the frollicke cup had rouz'd and rais'd their quickned spirits up , and brave triumphing bacchus had displaid his conquering coullers , in their cheeks , they said ; call samson forth ; he must not worke to day ; t is a boone feast ; wee 'le give him leave to play ; does he grinde bravely ? does our millhorse sweat ? let him lacke nothing ; what he wants in meate , supply in lashes ; he is strong and stout , and , with his breath can drive the mill about : he workes too hard , we feare : goe downe and free him ; say , that his mistresse , delila would see him : the sight of him will take our howers short , goe fetch him then , to make our honours sport : bid him provide some riddles ; let him bring some songs of triumph : he that 's blinde , may sing with better boldenesse : bid him never doubt to please : what matter , though his eyes be out ? t is no dishonour , that he cannot see ; tell him , the god of lov 's as blinde , as hee : with that they brought poore samson to the hall ; and as he past , he gtopes to finde the wall ; his pace was slow ; his feet were lifted high ; each tongue would taunt him ; every scornefull eye was filld with laughter ; some would cry aloud , hee walkes in state : his lordship is growne proud : some bid his honour , haile ; whilst others cast reproachfull termes upon him ; as he past ; some would salute him fairely , and embrace his wounded sides ; then spit upon his face : others would cry ; for shame forbeare t' abuse the high and great redeemer of the iewes : some gibe and floute him with their taunts and quips , whilst others flurt him on the starting lips : with that ; poore samson , whose abundant griefe , not finding hopes of comfort , or releife , resolv'd for patience : turning round , he made some shift to feele his keeper out , and said ; good sir : my painefull labour in the mill hath made me bold ( although against my will ) to crave some little rest ; if you will please to let the pillour but afford some ease to my worne limmes , your mercy should relieve a soule , that has no more , but thankes , to give : the keeper yeelded : ( now the hall was filld with princes , and their people , that beheld abused samson ; whilst the roofe retain'd a leash of thousands more , whose eyes were chain'd to this sad object , with a full delight , to see this flesh-and-blood-relenting sight ; with that , the pris'ner turnd himselfe and prai'd so soft , that none but heaven could heare , and said ; my god , my god : although my sinnes doe cry for greater vengeance , yet thy gratious eye is full of mercy ; o , remember now the gentle promise and that sacred vow thou mad'st to faithfull abram , and his seed , o , heare my wounded soule , that has lesse need of life , then mercy : let thy tender eare make good thy plentious promise now , and heare ; see , how thy cursed enemies prevaile above my strength ; behold , how poore and fraile my native power is , and , wanting thee , what is there , oh , what is there ( lord ) in me ? nor is it i that suffer ; my desart may challenge greater vengeance , if thou wert extreme to punish : lord the wrong is thine ; the punishment is just , and onely mine : i am thy champion , lord ; it is not me they strike at ; through my sides , they thrust at thee : against thy glory 't is , their malice lies ; they aym'd at that , when they put out these eyes : alas their blood bedabbl'd hands would flie on thee , wert thou but cloth'd in flesh , as i : revenge thy wrongs , great god ; o let thy hand redeeme thy suffring honour , and this land : lend me thy power ; renew my wasted strength , that i may fight thy battells ; and , at length , rescue thy glory ; that my hands may doe that faithfull service , they were borne unto : lend me thy power , that i may restore thy losse , and i will never urge thee more : thus having ended , both his armes he laid , vpon the pillours of the hall ; and said ; thus , with the philistines , i resigne my breath ; andlet my god finde glory in my death : and having spoke , his yeelding body strain'd vpon those marble pillour , that sustain'd the pondrous roofe ; they crackt ; and , with their fall , downe fell the battlements , and roofe , and all ; and , with their ruines , slaughter'd at a blow , the whole assembly ; they , that were below , receiv'd their sudden deaths from those that fell from off the top ; whilst none was loft , to tell the horrid shreekes , that filld the spatious hall , whose ruines were impartiall , and slew all : they fell ; and , with an unexpected blow , gave every one his death , and buriall too : thus died our samson ; whose brave death has won more honour , then his honourd life had done : thus died our conquerour ; whose latest breath was crown'd with conquest ; triumph'd over death : thus died our samson ; whose last drop of blood redeem'd heavens glory , and his kingdom 's good : thus died heavens champion , & the earths bright glory ; the heavenly subject of this sacred story : and thus th' impartiall hand of death that gathers all to the grave , repos'd him with his fathers ; whose name shall flourish , and be still in prime , in spight of ruine , or the teeth of time ; whose fame shall last , till heaven shall please to free this earth from sinne , and time shall cease to be . meditat . . vvages of sinne , is death . the day must come , wherein , the equall hand of death must summe the severall items of mans fading glory , into the easie totall of one story : the browes that sweat for kingdomes and renowne , to gloryfie their temples with a crowne ; at length , grow cold , and leave their honour'd name to flourish in th' uncertaine blast of fame : this is the height that glorious mortalls can attaine ; this is the highest pitch of man : the quilted quarters of the earths great ball , whose unconfined limits were too small for his extreme ambition , to deserve , six foote of length , and three of bredth must serve : this is the highest pitch that man can flie ; and after all his triumph , he must die : lives he in wealth ? does well deserved store limit his wish , that he can wish no more ? and does the fairest bounty of encrease crowne him with plenty ; and , his dayes with peace ? it is a right hand blessing ; but supplie of wealth cannot secure him ; he must die : lives he in pleasure ? dóes perpetuall mirth lend him a little heaven upon his earth ? meets he no sullen care ; no sudden losse to coole his joyes ? breathes he without a crosse ? wants he no pleasure , that his want on eye can crave , or hope from fortune ? he must dye : lives he in honour ? hath his faire desart obtain'd the freedome of his princes heart ? or may his more familiar hands disburse his liberall favours , from the royall purse ? alas , his honour cannot soare too high , for palefac'd death to follow : he must dye : lives he a conqu'rour ? and doth heaven blesse his heart with spirit ; that spirit , with successe ; successe , with glory ; glory , with a name , to live with the eternity of fame ? the progresse of his lasting fame may vye with time ; but yet the conquerour must dye : great , and good god : thou lord of life and death ; in whom , the creature , hath his being ; breath ; teach me to under prize this life , and i shall finde my losse the easier , when i dye ; so raise my feeble thoughts , and dull desire , that when these vaine and weary dayes expire , i may discard my flesh , with joy , and quit my better part , of this false earth ; and it of some more sinne ; and , for this transitory and teadious life , enjoy a life of glory . the end . king solomon's recantations being an extract out of the famous works of the learned francis quarles ... : with an essay, to prove the immortality of the soul, by way of symetry, or connexion. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) king solomon's recantations being an extract out of the famous works of the learned francis quarles ... : with an essay, to prove the immortality of the soul, by way of symetry, or connexion. quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed by j.r. and are to be sold by randal taylor ..., london : . in verse and prose. "licensed, july . . rob. midgley" errata: p. . advertisements: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng immortality -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion king solomon's recantations : being an extract out of the famous works of the learned francis qvarles , cup-bearer to the queen of bohemia , sister to the blessed martyr king charles the i. of venerable memory . with an essay , to prove the immortality of the soul , by way of symetry , or connexion . licensed , july . . rob. midgley . london , printed by i. r. and are to be sold by randal taylor , near stationers-hall . . advertisements . t'here is lately printed a book , intitule the way of life is pleasant : or , t●● church of england is the best guide . co●●taining several useful discourses , for every christian to read and practise , for the support of their spirits , and comfort of the minds : with some evangelical reflection upon the apostolical observation of th● lent-fast : with short and useful prayer upon the church-festivals , and most ( other emergent occasions : with several prepa●ratory prayers for the holy sacrament , an● thanksgiving after receiving . licensed iun 〈◊〉 the th . . and sold by randal taylo● near stationers hall ; i. harding , at the bi●● and anchor in newport-street ; rich. sare , a grays-inn gate in holbourn ; and by most book sellers in london and westminster . . king solomons experimental observations of himself , time and things ; deducted from his recantations , by way of soliloquie ; in a well digested method . sold by randal taylor , near stationers-hall . ● . king solomon's recantations , &c. oh ! 't is much better not to thirst at all . than thirst in vain , or quench thy thir●t with gall. ●hose profit can accrue to man , what gains ●an crown his actions , or reward his pains : ●●nless he trample on the asp , and tread 〈◊〉 the young lyon , and the old dragon's head : or else the clouds of sorrow may multiply , ●●d hide from thee the crystal of the gloomy sky . ●●oad not thy shoulders by the sin of unwise desire , ●hat all thy bedrid passions may quite expire . ●●earch for , and find such words which have the might , 〈◊〉 intermingle profit with sweet delight ; than shalt thou have hopeful worth to crown thy last ●ith peace and honor ; yea such rare sons thou hast , ●●nce frolick , midnight , madness , is quite expir'd ; and thou requite thy wild attention with heavenly delight : thy courage indeavouring to deserve the name of heroick martyr , by giving thy body to the flame . this will give true life , so sweet , to every one that takes pleasure in the worlds redeeming son , from earths pleasures , by striving to refrain , knowing those short-liv'd flattering pleasures vain : therefore rejoycing greatly in true spiritual ways , by heavenly contentment , chearing youthful days . banishing false-eyed mirth , let it be truly disposest of those lewd firs , that are apt to inflame thy brea●● for earths best injoyments are short , and vain ; but for a season rejoycing , but cannot remain , for feeble strength , her ruins , smite thee , and grinds thy clod to dust , tho not afrights thee . one generation gives another way , but earth abides in one perpetual stay : the prince of light put on his morning crown ; but in the evening lays his glory down ; where leaving earth , to take a short repose , he soon returns , and rises where he rose . his wisdoms choice affections own , his churches good , much dearer then his throne . for us subduing , beneath the spangled sky , what ever might hurt us . that in wisdom we may decry all evils , and seek all hevenly sweet felicity : yet injoying such pleasures , that earth could len● that i might find earths mirth and beauty but vanity . my thoughts yet pondering all that hath been done betwixt the solid center , and the glorious son : and yet no knowledge can reduce the state of crooked nature , to a perfect straight . for some mens ignorance , which surmounts the learned language of arithmeticks accounts . oh! then thought i , how are the vain desires flesh and blood baffled in their mistaken things , called good : yet travel seeks them , yea unwearied hearts makes them the objects , both of arms and arts : yet many certan obvious evils attend our ways , to our uncertain journies end . we tire the night in thought , the day in toil , sparing neither sweet nor lucubrated oyl . ●o seek the things we cannot find , or found ; ●e cannot hold ; or held , we cannot ground ●o firm , as to resist the various swings ●f fickle fortune , or the frowns of kings ; that if his royal power please to commit ●●is pastorial staff , to such as are more fit ●o eat and drink , kill , or recommend his flocks ●o such dumb dogs , of whom ne'r wof nor fox ●●ill stand in awe ; or shew their fears by flight , not having tongues to bark , nor teeth to bite : yet , by the way , advise obedience ; then always he sure to please , rather god than men. ●f the embers of his rage should chance to lye rak'd up , or furnace from his angry eye ; quit not thy duty , 't is thy part to asswage , ●y due obedience , the jealous flames of consuming rage . curse not the king , nor them that bears the sword ; no , not in thought , tho thought express no word : ●or secret report shall vent such hidious things , to punish those who oppose the legal authority of kings : for all that attempt thus to act , casts a shame upon the beauty of an honor'd name . ah , then , my soul , take heed to keep thy heart at thy right hand ; where , there she will impart continual secrets , and direct thy ways ●n secret ethicks , sweetning out thy days with season'd knowledge ; wisdom past the reach of dangerous error ; and instruct and teach thy heart-wise silence , wisdom , when to beak thy clos'd lips , and judgement how to speak , ●uch wise mens words are gracious where they go ; but foolish language doth themselves o're-throw : folly brings in the prologue , with his song , whose epilogue is rage , and open wrong . yea the tedious actions of every fool doth try , the solid patience of the weary standers by ; because their weakness knows not how to lay their actions posture , in a civil way : yea such rude folly stains their fame , but fair repute for wisdom lends a name . therefore our steps will measure out the way , our garb , our looks , our language doth betray , our wisdom , or follies read by all we meet , our selves proclaiming our follies in every street . but 't is a grief that grates beneath the sun , that like events betides to every one . a like be false , to good and bad , wise and foo● yea both to him that swears , and him that fears an oath . better to be a living creatures , tho vild they plead , then to be known a wealthy wiseman that is dead : for they that live well , know that they shall die , therefore take time ; but the● that lie rak'd up in deaths cold em●rs , they know not or good , or ill , their names are quite forgot ; no friends they have to love , nor foes to hate ; they know no virtue to spit venom at ; they sell no sweet for gains , nor do they buy pleasures with pains , or tread beneath the sky . but yet go thou rejoyce and eat , let a full bowl cashire thy cares , and chear thy frolick soul , what heaven hath lent thee with a liberal hand , to serve and chear thy frailty up , command . indulge thy weary flesh with new supplies , and change of garments of the purest die . refresh thy limbs , annoy'd with sweat and toil ; with costly baths , thy head with precious oyl . what e'er thy hand endeavours , that may gain contentment , spair not either cost or pain , for there is no hand to work , no power to save , no wisdom to contrive within the grave . i find the swift not always win the prize ; nor strength of arm the battel ; nor the wise grow rich in fortune ; nor the men of skill in favour , all as time and fortune will : ●en knowing not their time , as fishes are ●ar'd in the net , birds tangled in the snare . so be the sons of men surpriz'd with fears , when mischief falls upon them unawares : this wisdom have i seen beneath the sky , which wisely weigh'd , deserves the wiseman's eye ; ●ut when i set my busie heart to know , ●isdom and heavens strange workings here below . for night and day my studys did deny , sleep to my eye-lids , slumber to my eye ; striving to note each action under heaven , endeavouring to observe and have given my soul to god , in due obedience ; having sought for true spiritual wealth worth keeping . but the poor fruitless labours of deluded man , are vainly spent , being short as a span or seeming pleasures , serves to requite , long leagues of travel , for one drops delight of airy froth ; how are ye forc'd to borrow strong gales of hope , to sail through seas of sorrow . why do we thus afflict our labouring souls with dregs of wormwood , and carouse full bowls of boyling anguish ? to what hopeful end d●oyl we our craizy bodies , and expend our sorrow wasted spirits , to acquire a good , not worth a breath of our desire . a good , whose fulsome sweetness , clogs and cloys the soul , but never lasts nor satisfies . how poor an object pleases , and how soon that pleasure finds an end ; how quickly noon ; how quickly night , and what to day we prize above our souls , to morrow we despise . beneath a trifle , what in former times we own'd as virtues , now we tax as crimes . tell me my soul , what would'st thou buy ? go in and cheapen ; let thy curious eye make her choice : they will present thy view with numerous joys ; buy something that 's new . the wiseman's eyes are in his head ; they stand like watchmen in the tower , to guard the land. at length i cast my serious eyes upon my painful work , and what my hands had done ; and there i find my hearts delight was all my gains , my pleasure was the portion of my pains . i gave my eyes , what e're my heart requir'd : i denied my soul no mirth , my spirit desir'd all sorts of musick , the spirits delights had i to please my spiritual ear , was beauties to my eyes yet knowledge then affords my soul no rest ; my roving thoughts tried mirth , and was possest , of all the pleasures earth could lend , yet i found mirth and pleasure all but vanity : i laugh'd at laughter as a toyish antick , and counted all earths pleasure no less than frantick since hearts that wisely , foolish do incline to costly fare , and frolick cups of wine . for in those pleasures i find but little solid good , to crown the short liv'd days of flesh and blood ; tho some build great magnifick palaces , and fraim vast buildings to the glory of their name ; planting vineyards , whose plump clusters might make them fruitful orchards for their delight . rejoycing their souls with earthly treasures , with curious gardens to refresh their pleasures : yet true wisdom can discern but little real good , mistaken earth so much admiring stood ! what profit hath my wisdom , then thought i the height of wisdom hath her vanity . the foolish bauble and the learned bays , are both forgotten ; in succeding days impartial death shall cloath the dying eyes , both of the ignorant and also of the wise : therefore i hated life , for , from the events of humane actions , flows many discontents . then slighted i , all that my hand had done , in seeking happiness beneath the sun : for what i did , i cannot call my own ; ●nothers hand must reap what mine has sown ; who knows if my surviver is to be a wiseman , or a fool ? however , 't is he must spend with ease , what i have earn'd with pain and souls vexation ; this is all so vain , for which my soul thus fool'd with vain persuits of blossom happiness that bears no fruits . some men there be , whose elaborate gains the fruits of lawful cares and prudent pains descend to those who know not pains nor art : this is a sore vanity , and afflicts the heart ; for what reward hath man of all his droyl , his evening trouble and his morning toyl , his hearts vexation and his griefs , that run through all his labours underneath the sun. ' i view'd the chair of judgment , where i saw ' instead of righteousness , a perverted law. ' i view'd the courts of equity , and spy'd ' corruption there ; and justice wrap'd aside . ' oh! then , ( thought i ) the of judge heaven shall do ' right to the wicked , and the righteous too . then puzzel'd in my thoughts , i thus advis'd , heaven suffers mortals to be exercis'd in their own miseries , that they may see they are yet not much more happy than the bee ; they substance of flesh , tho not the same , yet dust to dust , both must turn from whence they came . which rightly way'd , it seems the better choice , for man to suck his labours and rejoyce , since flashly , troubles doth all things so unframe , that earths content doth scarce deserve the name : considering this , what can we advise , since we berefit of wisdom , labouring to be wise . alas ! is it not enough , that we poor farmers pay quit-rent to nature , at the very day : and at our dying hour bequeath to thee our whole substance , for a legacy : i mus'd again , and found when pains had crackt the harder shell to some heroick act . pale envy strikes the kernel with taxation ; oh , this is vanity , and the souls vexation ! thus pausing , contemplation shew'd mine eye a new prospect of humane vanity : when , the droyling hand thinks nothing can supply the greedy wants of his insatiate eye . he robs himself , not knows for whose relief , this is a vanity , and a wounding grief ; woe to the man whom danger meets alone , for there 's no arm to help him but his own : but if some help put in a timely stroak , the cord that 's three-fold is not quickly broke . if eithers feeble shoulders be betray'd to a sad burden , there 's a mutual aid , to be a poor wise child , is judg'd a thing more honourable , than to be a vain king. my soul , to what a strange disguis'd good , art thou bewitch'd ? oh , how hath flesh and blood betray'd thee , to a happiness that brings no comfort , but from transitory things . are not the shady bowers of death more sweet , than the scorching sunshine , where we hourly meet fresh evils , like a temes , whose deluded breath tickles our fancies , till we laugh to death ? when thou hast bound thee to thy god by vow , defer not payment , but perform , it thou discharge thy bonds , for heaven takes no delight in those that violate the faith they plight ; for better 't is thy vows were never made , then having promis'd , payment never paid . let not thy lips insnare thee , plead not thou before thy angel , 't was too rash a vow . 't is not the pills of treasur'd wealth sustain thy drooping spirits , this is all so vain . oft have i seen increasing riches grow to their great mad owners overthrow : vexing their souls with care , and then repay unprosperous pains with grief and melts away ; his wealth is fled , and when he shall transfer it upon his heir , there 's nothing to inherit . look how he came into the world , the same he shall go out as naked as he came ; of what his labouring heart have brought about , this dying hand shall carry nothing out : this is a wounding grief that as he came , in every point , he shall return the same . what profit can his souls afflictions find , that toils for air , and travels for the wind. this is an evil , that happiness now and then beneath the sun amongst the kings of men : then eat and drink , and reap what pains have got , to crown thy days which thy creator gave ; 't is all the portion some will have , who study not for happiness in the grave . but hark , my soul , the morning bell invites thy early paces to a new delight ; away , away , the holy saints bell rings , put on thy robes and oyl thy secret wings ; call home thy heart , and bid thy thoughts surcease , to be thy thoughts , go bind them to the peace : take good security , or if such fail commit them to the all commanding jayl ; and thy cram'd bags there to lie close and fast , until thy heavenly atoning vows are past : confine thy rambling pleasures to the trust of vacant hours , and let thy wisdom thirst : banish all worldly passions , with their base born sir from thy delectable courts , that wisdom may come in leave all thy servil fancies in the vail , mount thou the secret hill , and there bewail thy dying isaac , whose free gift may be a living pledge 'twixt thy god and thee . take thou no care , heaven , will supply their craving thirst with bottles from thy eye ; better it is to be funeral guest , then find the welcoms of a frolick feast : for he that fears the almighty shall out-wear his evils , or find no evil at all . wisdom affords more strength , more fortifies the undejected courage of the wise : yet is there none beneath the crystial skies so just in actions , or in words so wise , that doth always good , or hath not been sometimes poluted with the stains of sins . what god hath setled in a crooked state , no industry of man can make it strait ; since then the righteous man's recompence is such ; be not too wise , nor righteous over much . let not thy flesh suggest thee , or advise thee to be wicked , or too unwise . why should thy too much righteousness betray , thy danger'd life , and make thy life a prey ? at passions language stop thy gentel ear , lest if thy servant curse thee , thou should'st hear : for oftentimes thy heart will let thee see , that others have been likewise curs'd by thee . this wisdom , by my travel i attain'd , and in my thoughts conceiv'd that i had gain'd . i gave my studious heart to watch and pry into the bosom of philosophy . i laboured to give my self to fly the art of falshood , and the madness of the heart . for whom heaven favours , shall decline sins gates ; but the incorrigible shall be taken by her baits : but whether shall these , to what strange religion fly to find content , and baulk that hidious vanity , which haunts this buble earth , and makes thee still a slave to thy preverse infatuated will. all this i have ( by thee ) observ'd , and given my heart to not each action under heaven . there was a time when the oppressers arm oppress'd his neighbour , to the oppressers harm , with floods of bitterness , since none of these , nor , all can crown our labours , nor appease our raging hearts . oh! my deceiv'd soul , where wilt thou take thy peace ? who shall controul our unbounded thoughts , to sweeten out this span of frailty plung'd and orb'd about the threatning firmements ; but as a breath darts down , and dashes at the doors of death . since waxen-wing'd honour is not void of danger , whether arm'd or injoy'd : since hearts rejoycing , profit have no fruit , but care both in fruition , and in persuit : since laughter is but madness , and high diet oft ruins our health and breeds us great disquiet : since humane wisdom is but humane trouble , and double knowledge makes our sorrow double : since what we have , but lights our wish to more , and in the height of plenty makes us poor ; and what we have not too , to apt to crave , even dispossess of what we have . a good repute is sweeter , far , than breaths of aromatick oyntments are ; and that sad day wherein we drew our breath , is not so happy as the day of death : for here we are but quickly forgot ; blaze for a season , but continue not . tho foolish flatteries entertain our souls with joy , but all that joy is vain ; for if both heaven and earth should undertake , to extract the best from mankind , and to make one perfect happy man ; and thou art he , thy finite fortunes still would disagree . man in whose frame the great three-one advis'd , and with a studious hand epitomiz'd the large volumes , and perfect story of all his works , the manuel of his 〈…〉 with fear and wonder in whose sovereign eye , he breath'd the flames of awful majesty . man a poor shiftless transitory thing , born without sword or shield , not having wing to fly from threatning dangers , not to arm , or graple with those numerous evils , that swarm about this new born frailty , wrapt aside from fair obedience , to rebellious pride . how is that power , that was bred and born the earths commander , now become the scorn of dunghil passions , shipwrack'd with the gust of every factious and inferiour lust ? how is the sun-bright honour of his name eclpis'd ? how is his glory cloath'd with shame ? what means that great creating power , to frame this spacious universe ? was not his name glorious enough without a witness ? why did that corrected twilight of his eye unmuzle darkness , and with morning light redeem the day , from new baptiz'd night ? there is an evil , which my observing eye hath taken notice of beneath the skye : man's wealth can't instruct him to withstand the augry stroak of the almighties hand ; since the increase of wealth procur'd by pain , preserv'd with fears , with sorrow lost again , increaseth grief in the possessors breast ; what vantage than have man to be possess'd , who knows what 's good for man in this dull balze of life is swift , his shaddow flying days : or who can tell when his short hour is run , the events of all his toyl beneath the sun ? the worlds surviving lamps do not affright the pleasing slumbers of his peaceful night . there be no ears , no eyes , to hear , to see the living soul , have not such rest as he , who stands upright in courts , with unshaken mind ; for the test proves him , and he is found refin'd . if thy superiour happen to incense his jealous wroth at thy suppos'd offence ; do thou thy part , yield , for yielding slacks the raging flame great transgressions makes : he that shall dig a pit , that shall prepare a snare , shall be ensnar'd in his own snare . happy is the just and holy , for who but he can judge of things , or what their natures be ? for these are heavens favorits , sent down from thence , unfolding secret mysteries in heavenly eloquence ; knowing there 's a time , true justice shall preceed on every purpose , upon every deed . with god all future times are present . all times to heaven are now both first and last , god sees things present , yea future , as we see them past : but we transgress his laws , 't is time to part , for why ? the laws of nature break the rules of art. a smiling conscience , a contented mind , a sober knowledge , with true wisdom joyn'd . sleep seasonable , moderate and secure ; actions heroick , constant , blameless , pure : a life as long as fair , and when expir'd , a glorious death unfear'd as undesir'd . the world is a book , writ by the eternal art of the great maker , printed in mans heart . 't is falsely printed , tho divinely pen'd , and all the errata will appear at the end. believe it christian , by how much near . thou get'st to heaven , the less will earth appear : call home thy dearest wishes . and recal thy hopes ; expect the worst that can befal . grace giveth virtue , opinion not glory ; for princely favours are but transitory . humane nature , curious without , corrupt within ; a glorious monument of inglorious sin : yet much our saviour have endured , yea more to make us kings that were but slaves before . he that grieves because his grief is so small , has a true grief , and the best faith of all ; he vows his faith , and the sincere perfection of undissembl'd and intire affection ; and such in doing well , shall seek for heaven ; not find the flames of hell. ` oh! let the church my mother instruct me , give savory meat , cloath and conduct me into my fathers arms : these hands shall never trust to the poorness of their own endeavour . bring i a kid , but of my mothers dressing , 't will please my father , and procure a blessing . most sins , at least , please sense , but some are treason , not only against the crown of sense but reason . but 't is an error , as foul , to call our sins too great , for pardon , as too small . the reason is easie to be riddled out , one's dispair , the other not doubt . lord weaken this rebellious flesh , that 's apt to oppose grace : oh! quicken , and refresh : my dull and coward spirit , that would yield , and make proud satan master of the field : because 't is grave , not bed , that i am in ; not a-sleep , but dead in sin. serve god in plenty , and in affliction trust ; no thanks to serve our god when he feeds us . promise is a debt , and debt implies a payment ; how can the righteous then doubt food and rayment : let not my thoughts so divided be , but they mix again , and fix on thee . oh! thou who didst appear in cloven tongues o● fire ; direct my thoughts and with thy self inspire : that i may search the scripture , to increase in the diviner knowledge of thy peace ; that when all things shall cease that are transitory , thy gifts of grace may be crown'd with perfect glory the rich mans sum of untold descended wealth , can give his body plenty , but no health : the poor in pains and want possesses all , the other in plenty finds no peace at all . 't is strange , and yet the cause is easily known ; the one 's at gods finding , the other at his own . the formers filken robes , his costly diet ; can lend a little pleasure , but no quiet . the latter seldom slacks his thirst , but from the pump and yet his heart is blithe , his visage plump . such truths are subjects , far more fit for holy admiration than for wit. 't is said of alexander , that he complain'd and wept , because there was no other worlds to gain his griefs and thy complaints are not amiss ; he has grief enough that finds no world but this . our trust in god for riches , never must exclude our care , nor care exceed our tru●t . thy sacred will be done , great god , to spend , or to suspend thy rod ; if possible my will 's to miss it , if otherwise to stoop and kiss it : however submit , we shall not be this the worse , if conscience bless , what if shimei curse . ' some say the sacrament's a supper , and 't is fit 'to use the posture of a meal to fit ; ' can thy discretion phares , or thy zeal ' give carnal gestures to a spiritual meal : 'a heavenly supper and a fleshy heart ; ' thy posture has discover'd what thou art . of those sacraments which some call seven , five were ordain'd by man and two by heaven , as saith the eternal word , whose high decree admits no change , and cannot frustrate be . what thing is man ? that gods regard is such : or why , should heaven love wretchless man so much ? his age is sinful , and his youth 's vain , his life 's a punishment , his death 's a pain : yea , man who ought to be a watch-light in the temple , is as a snuffer , wants the oyl of good example : can he be said to fear the lord that flys him , can word confess him , when as deed denys him . for this , men should strive to have their hearts relent ; such hearts which never knew what mercy meant . gods love is boundless , apt and free to turn to man , when man returns to thee . adjourn thy sanguine dreams , awake , arise , call in thy thoughts and let them all advise . before the soul can a true comfort find , the body must be prostrate , and the mind truly contrite and repentive within , and loath the fawning of a bosom sin : but lord , can man deserve , or can his best do justice , equal right , which he transgrest . when dust and ashes mortally offends , can dust and ashes make eternal mends : ●s heaven unjust ? must not the recompence be full equivalent to the offence . what mends by moral man can then be given , to the offended majesty of heaven . o mercy , mercy , on thee my soul relies , ●n thee we build our faith , we bend our eyes . if thou wilt , thou canst change our lot , that we and ours may live and perish not ; thy glorious wisdom , and tender love transcends thy sharper justice will remove . ' judge not that field because its stubble , ' nor him that 's poor and full of trouble ; ' tho the one look bare , the other thin , ' judge not , their treasure is within . injur'd inocency , while the enemies unhallow'd tongue● makes her a glorious martyr in their wro●gs . the devils believe , all know they do ; but their belief does make them tremble too : men rail at iudas , him that did betray the lord of life , yet do●t day by day ; they curse that traytor life and limb , tho curse themselves in curfing him . the thief and slanderer are almost the same , the one steals my goods , the other my good name ; the one lives in scorn , the other dies in shame . but from these dark som clouds good lord deliver us , let them not interpose betwixt thy glory and us : for thou alone art our creator , in whom we trust : some trust too much in their doing well , in seeking heaven they find the flames of hell : but the pure of heart have power to refuse , being endow'd with wisdom , the evil and good to chuse . he that gives wisdom to refuse , inspires the art which to chuse . ' in thee , o king , my pensive soul respires ; ' thou art the fulness of my choice desires ; ' thou art that sacred spring , whose waters burst ' in streams to him , that seeks with holy thirst . ' thrice happy man , thrice happy thirst to bring the fainting soul to so sweet a spring . god is just , what his deep counsel wild , his prophets told , and justice hath fulfill'd : but man , the child of ruin , to avoid less dangers , by a greater is destroy'd ; whose spring is like a flower for a days delight , at noon we flourish , and we fade at night . if plants be cropt because their fruits are small ; think you to thrive that bears no fruit all : but who so fruitful is , and worthy to drink this , shall be receiv'd unto eternal bliss ; such cannot dye , the sacred nine deny , all souls that merits fame shall ever dye . for these must survive , for their self clos'd eyes , that now lie slumbering in the dust shall rise . the highest heavens have decreed , to bless the fruitful souls , and with a fair success ; for that they built their bliss , not on the blaze of glory , nor seated their happiness in things transitory . o lord , how great is the power of thy hand ? glorious is thy name in every land , great god , unlimited are thy confines ; and assistest man in his good designs . thy mercies like the dew of hermon hill : or , like the oyntment dropping downward still . thy love is boundless , thou art apt and free to turn to man , when man returns to thee . ● sacred subject , of a meditation , thy works are full of admiration : thy judgments all are just , severe and sure ; they quite cut off , or else by lancing cure. ' my faith , not merits , hath assur'd thee mine ; thy love , not my desert , hath made me thine . unworthy i , whose drousie soul rejected thy precious favours , and ( secure ) neglected thy glorious presence , how am i become a bride befitting , so divine a groom ? ' it is no merit , no desert of mine , thy love , thy love alone , hath made me thine : since then the bounty of thy dear election have styl'd me thine . oh , let the sweet reflection ' of thy illustrious beams , my soul inspire , ' and with thy spirit inflame my hot desire . ' unite our souls ; oh , let thy secret rest ' make a perpetual home within my breast ; ' instruct me , so that i may gain the skill 'to suit my service to thy secret will. then shall my soul that suffers through dispite of error and rude ignorance , have right : then shall my soul injoy within this breast a holy sabboth of eternal rest ; and my dearest spouse shall seal me on his heart , so sure , that envious earth may never part our joyn'd souls ; let not the world remove my chast desires , from so chast a love. ' all you that wish the bountiful encrease ' of dearest pleasures and divinest peace ; ' i charge you all , if ought my charge may move ' your tender hearts , not to disturb my love ; ' vex not his gentle spirit nor bereave ' him of his joys , that is so apt to grieve . that he may teach his living plants to thrive ; and such as are a dying , to revive . he walks about such tender plants to smell their odours , and supply their wants ; that he may leave his secret spirit in their breast , as earnest of an everlasting rest . to thy creatour hast my soul , and let thy sacre● vows plight holy contracts with so sweet a spouse : his left hand 's full of treasure , and his right of peace and honor , and unknown delight . then shall it please our gracious lord to crown , with audience , his suppliants word . o glory , chace disloyal thoughts , let not thi● world allure my chast desires from a spouse so pure . he 'l endow my ardent soul with sweetness , and inspire with heavenly ravishment my rapt desires . o let all times be prosperous , and all places be witness to our undefil'd imbraces . sure is the knot , that true religion ties ; and love that 's rightly grounded never dies . ' if error lead not my dull thoughts amiss , ' my genius tells me where my true love is : ' he 's busie labouring in the flowry banks , ' inspiring sweetness and receiving thanks . ' watering those plants , whose tender root are dry ; ' and pruning such , whose crests aspire too high : ' transplanting , grafting , reaping from some , ' and covering others that are newly come . then take from each to make one perfect grace , yet would my love out-shine that borrow'd face . so perfect are his graces , so divine , so full of heaven are those fair looks of thine . o sacred symetry , o rare connexion of many perfects , to make one perfection . o let my lips , like a perpetual story , divulge thy graces and declare thy glory . hear comes a critick , close thy page , thou art no subject for this age ; thou hast no guilt that does require , that thou should'st lurk , nor yet retire ; thou hast no lustre of thy own , but what 's deriv'd from heaven alone . fear not thy heaven instructed page will either please , or teach the age : for the wise with ease shall riddle out , which is the voice of wonder , which of doubt ; for god sends an angel to protect , as well from evil , as to good direct . o thou , the beginning , and the end , before whom things past , and present , and things to come are all alike ; o prosper my designs , and let thy spirit inrich my feeble lines : rejoyce , my soul , and give my pen the art wisely to move , and me an understanding heart . earthly glories are scarce worth craving to obtain ; they are happinesses that must be lost again : gasp not for honour , wish no blazing glory , for these will perish in an ages story ; nor yet for power ; power may be carv'd to fools , as well as thee that hast deserv'd . thirst not for lands nor mony , wish for none : for wealth is neither lasting nor our own . riches are fair inticements to deceive us ; they flatter while we live , and dying leave us . what fit of madness makes us love them thus , we leave our lives and pleasure leaveth us . pleasure is fleeting still and makes no stay , it lends a smile or twain and steals away . the pleasures of this world soon abate , they are lively emblems of our own estate ; which like a banquet at a funeral show , but sweeten grief and serve to flatter woe . how slight a thing is man , how frail and brittle , how seeming great , how truly little . we rise securely with the morning sun , but unregarded die e're day be done : yet his estate was level , and he hath free-will to stand or fall ; unforst to good or ill. such is the state man was created in ; within his power , a power not to sin : his life 's a bubble , full of seeming bliss , the more it lengthens , the more short it is . the swelling of his outward fortune , can create a prosperous , not a happy man. 'a peaceful conscience is the true content , ' but wealth is only her golden ornament . ' i care not so my kernel relish well , ' how slender be the substance of my shell . ' my heart being virtuous , let my face be wan ; ' i am to god , i only seem to man. to him the searching of mens hearts belong ; mans judgment sinks no deeper than the tongue . let shame prevent our lips , recant and give to the almighty his prerogative . he overlooks thee , and in one space of time his eye is fixt on every place . a disswasive from placing our hopes in transient happinesses . build not your bliss upon the blaze of glory , can perfect happiness be transitory ? nor in the use of beauty place your end , nor in the enjoyment of a courtly friend : these , if injoy'd , are crost with discontent , if not in the pursuit , yet in the event . apply thy heart to wisdom , with good attention , for 't will inrich thy soul with fair prevention ; that no foul treason against thy blood intended , thy life , thy state , will loyally be defended ; for worship , honor , and true respect shall be done to him , whom the heavenly king do affect . peerless honours and princely rights be done , to them in whom this king delights . the highest heavens will still conspire to bless all faithful seed , and with a fair success their enemies he 'll ty , they shall not make reply ; not daring to answer nor deny . the heavens grown great with age must soon decay , ●●e pondrous earth in time shall pass away ; ●●t yet his sacred words shall always flourish , though days and years , and heaven and earth do perish . ●an sees like men , and can but comprehend ●●ings as they present are , not as they end . man wants the strength to sway his strong affections ; what power he has is from divine direction , which oft unseen through dulness of the mind , we nick-name chance , because our selves are blind ; and that 's the cause man's first beholding eye oft loves , or hates , and knows no reason why . if he be poor that wanteth much , how poor he that hath too much , and yet wants more : ●●ice happy he , to whom the bounty of heaven ●fficient , with a sparing hand hath given ●e fairest crop of either grass , or grain , ●ot for use , undew'd with timely rain . the wealth of crcesus , were it to be given , were not thank-worthy , if unblessed by heaven . 〈◊〉 riches , which fond mort●●s so imbrace , ●re not true riches , it not enlightned with true grace . wealth interpos'd with too too gross a care , ●hey lie obscur'd and no riches are . let not the fawning world to pleasure then invite , thy wandering eyes ; the flesh presents delight . ●sist me in my combat with the flesh , ●elieve my fainting power , and refresh 〈◊〉 feeble spirit . i will not wish to be cas●t from the world , lord , cast the world from me . to be afraid to die , or wish for death , are words and passions of disparing breath . but wretched man ! were thy condition mine , i 'de not dispair as thou do'st , not repine ; but offer up the broken sacrifice of an humble soul , before his gracious eyes . whose works are miracles of admiration ; he mounts the meek amidst their desolation , confounds the worldly wise , that blindfold they grope all in darkness at the noon of day : but guards the humble from reproach of wrong , and stops the current of the crafty tongue . thrice happy is the man , his hands correct ; beware lest fury force thee to reject the almighties tryal ; he that made thy wound , in justice can , in mercy make it sound . ●ear not , tho multiply'd affliction shall b●siege thee , he at length will rid them all . in famine he shall feed , in war defend thee ; shield thee from slander , and in griefs attend thee . thy house shall thrive , replenisht with content , which thou shalt rule in prosperous government : for man ●●licted by the almighties hand , his faith doth flourish and securely stand . yet the worst i 'le look for , that i can project ; if better come , 't is more then i expect : if other ways i am arm'd with preparation , no sorrows sudden to an expectation . lord , to thy wisdom , i submit my will ; i will be thankful , send me good or ill. if good , my present state will pass the sweeter , if ill , my crown of glory will be greater : all this experience tells , when i advise those , who have taught many , may themselves b● wise tho rising early with the morning sun , yet unregarded die e're day be done . no gold is pure from dross , tho oft refin'd . the strongest ceder's shaken with the wind. the ●est of men have sins , none lives secure ; in nature nothing's perfect , nothing pure ●●om mudded springs , can crystal water come . 〈◊〉 some things all men sin , in all things some . since that my vesture cannot want a stain , assist me lest the tincture be in grain . to thee my great redeemer do i fly , it is thy death alone can change my dye : tears mingled with blood can scowr so , that scarlet sins shall be as white as snow . but wretched man be not in thought too sure , sin steals unseen when we sleep most secure . by craft there are , who season error with the taste of truth , and tempt the frailty of our tender youth . what pleasure is in dainties ? if the tast be in it self distemper'd , better fast . lord , in my soul , a spirit of love create me , and i will love my neighbour tho he hate me . i love the world to serve my turn , and leave her ; tho i 'll not say 't is no deceit to cozzen a deceiver . she 'll not miss me , i less the world shall miss ; to loose a world of g●ief , to injoy a life bliss . by thy mercy , lord , to glory receive me in , a●though my soul is burthen'd with my sin ; for thou art just and bent to a wise decree , which certain is , and cannot alt'red be ; it seems a paradox beyond belief , t●●t men in trouble should prolong , relief . we poor weaklings when we sleep in sin , knock at onr dro●sie hearts and never lin till thou 〈◊〉 our sin congealed eyes , lest drown'd in 〈◊〉 we sink and never rise . the approaching 〈◊〉 might be at once prevented , with pra●rs and pains r●●●red , reattented . we try new ways dispairing of the old ; love quickens , courage makes the spirits bold . our god bids go , our credit bids us stay , our guilty fear bids fly another way . o earthy men , make not your righteous laws a trick for gain , let justice r●●e the cause . ' o worthless man , arise and see , ' there 's not a twiny thread 'twixt death and thee . ' this darksome place thou measur'st may be thy grave ; ' and sudden death rides proud on yonder wave . by thoughts dive down into the abyss of hell , and there in justice doth the almighty dwell . death is a calander , compos'd by fate , concerning all men , never out of date : yet chear up , i have a message in store whose comforts much , and joyful news is more . we have yet a friend puissant and of might , will see us take no wrong but do us right . le ts offer up sacrifice with one accord , and pay our solemn vows unto the lord ; and with penitent hearts implore him , and day and night pour forth our souls before him for shall i be silent ; no , i 'le speak till tongue be tired , and my lungs be weak . proclaim to us thy mercy , for we thurst for grace for thou art free of mercy to those that mercy will embrace . o save us harmless from our foe-mans jaws , who art turned orator to plead our cause : how are thy mercies full of admiration , how sovereign sweet's their application . how redef●●ed are we with the rust of sin , which hath abus'd thy stamp and eaten in . but yet at length if we repent , instead of plagues and direful punishments , we shall find mercy , love , and heavens applause ; for the great almighty himself will plead our cause . thine eye that views the moving spheres above , ought to give praise to him that makes them move . here may we see how prayer and true repentance do strive with god , prevail and turn his sentence from judgment just , and plagues infernal , to boundless mercies and to life eternal . all o're the world how should these mercies make a sound , as blessings fall , thansgiving must abound ; ●dge then did ever record round thine ear , that god forsook the heart that was fiueere . but often have we seen that such as plow ●●wdness and mischief , reap the same they sow . the moral says , all wisdom that 's given ●o hood-wink'd mortals , first proceeds from heaven . far safer 't is of things unsure to doubt , than undertake to riddle secrets out . it was demanded once what god did do , before the world was fram'd : whereunto ' answer was made , he built a hell for such as were too curious , and would know too much . at such curiosity preceds from him , who can ●●ly accuse man to god , and god to man ; ●●no hourly sows fresh schisms among the saints , ●ea , buffets them , then laughs at their complaints . o chastity , the flower of the soul , ●ow is thy perfect fairness turn'd to foul : there are thy maiden-smiles , thy blushing cheek , ●hy lamb-like countenance , so fair , so meek ; ●ay not other virtues serve , but must this queen 〈◊〉 made the subject of unchast spleen . so young is man , that broke with care and sorrow , ●e's old enough to day to die to morrow . ●●e gives us passage to endure great woes , ●●ath frees us from all temporal foes . ●t tho secure , my soul did never slumber , ●et do my woes exceed both weight and number . both poor and rich , are equal in the grave ; ●rvants no lords , and lords no servants have . ●hat needs there light to him that 's comfortless ; ●r , life to such as languish in distress : ●bjects of pitty , are bodies in distress , ●nd worthy to injoy eternal rest . lord , make wise thy servant ; a wise forecast grieves for things present , not for things are past . satan have servants , who can make true boast they gave away as much as thine have lost : others with learning made to wisely mad , refuse such fortunes as croesus never had . lord , make me champion , give me such belief , a strong and fervent , but not crafty faith. i know a forc'd love neeeds no such great applause , since they love ill , that loves not for a cause . i bespeak leave to answer all this , before i knew they want no grief , that find such friends as you . be not discontent , no , no , forbear ; for i hate less your censures than your flattery : succour i sought and begged , but none was there to give the alms of one poor trickling tear. see how i lie devoid of help or friend : o make me humble and mindful of my end. lord , make me just in image , like my divin● creator , pollish and 〈◊〉 , yea refine my nature ; let me receive all as 〈◊〉 thy hand , with a thankful heart as living in thy land : and consider the self-same sorrow grieves others to day , may make me groan to mo● row . great king , be my comfort in my highest grief , i will not trust to mans , but thy relief . i know great god , upon my true repentance thou wi●t determine to reverse thy sentence : make me , tho in a blind age wisely to see ; and in a seeing age , not b●ind to be . he that would save his life , when honour bids hi● die , steals but a life , and lives by robbery , dishonours his god , and that likens to the pow● divine , that made and placed her in her fleshly shrine . the wise and good-like kind physicians are , that strive to heal us by their care ; their physick and their learning calmly use , although the patient them strangely abuse : for since the sickness is they find , a sad distemper of the mind . the wiseman in the midst of woes , may enjoy and feel a sweet repose : might pitty all the griefs we see , by compassion anoint every malady . while our selves are calm , our art improve ▪ to rescue them and shew our love , that we with open eyes may see the brightness of gods majesty , and never more in chains of darkness lie , 〈◊〉 be secure from bondage and all iniquity . that comforts divine may fortifie and raise the soul , to heavenly joys where none can controul . the world 's a hurly burly , and the court all tongues were fill'd with wonder and report . the watch is set , pursute was made about , to guard the king and find the traytors out , to punish him according to his due , that did not peace nor loyalty persue . had man been kind , loving , true , and always good , as formerly in the golden age they stood ; then had we lived in all delights and glory full of love , blest as the holy angels are above . but now we suffer for evil deeds , reaping the fruit of our ill weeds . but thou , o holy jesus , who did'st for us die , and on the altar bleeding for all men lie ; bearing all torment , pain , reproach and shame , that we by virtue of the same , tho enemies to god , might be redeemed and set at liberty . let us likewise favour to others show , and live in heaven on earth below ; let 's prize their souls , and let them be our gems , our valuable temples and our diadems , rich spoils and trophies , our own joys compar'd to souls , all else are toyes . o let them be such unto us , as they were to thee , valued as vessels of glory and felicity : what would i give , that i might likewise see the brightness and true glory of thy majesty , the joy and fulness of that high delight , whose blessedness is glorious , yea infinite . and while we feel how much our god doth love the peace of sinners , how much move , sue , and thirst , intreat , lament , and grieve for all the crimes in which they live ; and wait , and seek , and call again , and long to save them from their pain . my memory 's like a searce of lawn . ( alas ! ) it keeps things gross , and lets the purer pass , which makes me loath my self so vile ; o base repute , 〈◊〉 better starve then eat such empty fruit : yet dear lord , let me ne're confounded be , since all my hope is plac'd in thee . true joys alone contentment do inspire , i●rich , content , and make our courage higher ; the true fear of god , desire and love must in the height of all their rapture move : for content alone 's a dead and silent stone ; the real lite of bliss is glory reigning on a thro●e . o let me in a lively manner see dear jesus eternal joys in thee ; inable me to prai●e thy majesty with all my might , whose grace and favour is sweet , yea infinite . o let me love thee , since thy divine care hast promised me a share in thy kingdom fair . 'a sea that 's bounded in a finite shore , ' is better far , because it is no more . ' should waters endlesly exceed the skies , they 'd drown the world , and all what e'er we prize . ' had the bright sun been infinite , the flame ' had burnt the world , and quite consum'd the same . ' that flame would yield no splendor to the sight , ' 't would be but darkness , tho 't were infinite : ' one star made infinite would all exclude ; ' an earth made infinite could ne'er be view'd : ' but all being bounded for each others sake , ' he bounding all , did all most useful make . ' and , which is best , in profit and delight , ' tho not in bulk he made all infinite . ' he in his wisdom did their use extend ' by all , to all the world from end to end ; ' in all things , all things service do to all , ' and thus a sand is endless tho but small ; ' and every thing is truly infinite . ' in its relation deep and exquisite . ' o lord , be thou within me to strengthen me . ' without me to keep me . ' about me to protect me . ' beneath me to uphold me . ' before me to direct me . ' behind me to reduce me . ' round about me to defend me . o lord , i beseech thee , give me a longing affection after the pleasures of thy holy spirit , because they are noble , and will advance my soul to eternal happiness ; make me often contemplate the joys of heaven ; the hopes of which is the joy and comfort of my soul. a short discourse of the mortality of the body , and immortality , and excellency of the soul . isaiah . . thy dead men shall live , together with my dead body shall they arise : awake , and sing ye that dwell in dust : for thy dew is as the dew of herbs , and the earth shall cast out the dead . glory be to god on high , and on earth peace , good will towards men. hallelujah . . first , and above all , let us consider how short , and uncertain our lives are , which are subject to a thousand frailties and casualties , and to death every moment ; insomuch that our whole life is but short and troublesome , and as a wind that passeth away , and cometh ●ot again , which is evidently declared by the various ●nstances of the mortality of frail and mortal man : that our very sleeping and waking , is but a kind of living and dying ; nay , morning and evening , is but 〈◊〉 a emb●em of the representation of death , and the ●esurrection . for god hath given every man but a short time to be upon earth , so that upon the well ●enc●ing it , our well being in eternity depends . where●ore divines say , that every hour or our life , after ●e are capable of receiving laws , and knowledge ●f good and evil , we must give an account how ●e spend our time , to the judge of men and angels : therefore we must remember we have a great work to do , many enemies to conquer , many evils to pre●ent , many dangers to go through , many necessities ●o serve , much good to do , many friends to support , many poor to relief , besides the needs of nature , and relation , our private and publick cares ; so that god hath given every man work enough to do , that there is no room for idleness ; and , yet there is room for devotion : wherefore he spends his time and wealth well , that imploys it in the service of god , by setting a part a great portion of it for religion , and the necessity of mens souls , by filling up all the spaces of his time with devotion ; and by taking from sleep , to imploy in this exercise . secondly , let him consider that hath but little ●leasure ; that he ought to set a part some solemn time , for the venerable worship of god , thrice in the year , at least , tho he buy it at the rate of any labour , and honest art ; for the quiting of worldly business , let him attend wholly to fasting and prayer ; in the dressing up of his soul , by confession , meditation , and deep humiliation ; that he may make up his accounts , renew his vows , and improve his time , to the glory of god , and his own souls good . seeing that we know not the day of our death , we ought with all care and diligence to prepare for it , that if it be our lot to die young , we may also die innocent , before the sweetness of our souls are defloured ; that we may attain this favour of god , that our souls have suffered a less imprisonment , by being speedily freed form the load of the body : for at death our souls are equal to the angels , and heirs of eternity . for it is observed by some , that after the time that a child is conceived , he never ceaseth to be to all eternity ; so that if he dies young or old h● hath still an immortal soul ; and laid down his bod● only for a time , as that , which was the instrumen● of his trouble and sorrow ; for he will certainly hav● a more noble being after death , than he hath here seeing these things are so , let us endeavour to stamp religion on our souls , that god may deliver us from unrighteous dealings ; may we therefore always hav● an ear open , to hear the just complaints of the poor and a heart full of pitty , to support them ; for the soul must have the prehemency over the body , because it is more noble , and infinitly more to be valu'd than the body ; for the body is to turn to dust within a little time , but in the mean while , it is nourished by sleep , which refreshes it and revives the spirit . wherefore it is said of sleep , it 's a kind of death , and whatsoever we take from sleep , we add to life . thirdly , wherefore be saith , awake thou that sleepest , and arise from the dead , and christ shall give thee light , ephes . . . arise , thou sleepy soul call upon thy god , jonah . . suffer it not to be drowsy or sleeppy , when it stands upon the bri●ks of eternity ; but prefer the care of the soul before all the world , for it is more to be valued than ten thousand worlds : wherefore take heed to your selves , and be wise in time , before it is to late ; for though you know not what the soul is , because you see it not , neither can you feel it ; yet it is a particle which came from heaven , and when it goes out of the body it goes to god , to live for ever ; it sleeps not , neither doth it die , for it is immortal and of an immortal nature , and so impossible to be destroy'd , for we have our saviours own word for it , when he saith , ye cannot kill the soul , st. luke . . and when he saith , my father is the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob , st. matt. . . whereby he plainly shews , that the soul which is the nobler part of man , tho it be taken from the body , is alive , for saith he , my father is the god of the living , and not of the dead as dead , but of the living that are dead . so that th● souls of all departed people are alive , for althoug● their bodies are crumbled to dust , from whence the● were taken ; their souls are with god that gave them or in some place of gods appointment , according 〈◊〉 their lives have been , because god have prepared ma● mansions for us , st. john . . and as we have improved our talent , so shall our station be . st. pa●● also saith , that one star differeth from another star 〈◊〉 glory ; and since these things are so , let us not lo● a minutes time , but improve it to the glory of go● and our own souls good , and begg of him to gi●● us a heart inflamed with love , and winged wi●● duty , that we may give up our souls totally to h●● adorable majesty , that he may dwell in the thro●● of our souls for ever : and after this life we may 〈◊〉 admitted to the vision of bliss , and have free inte●course with all holy souls in those beautious regions . fourthly , 't is evident , that spirits fill no roo● tho they could see all things , which point is ve●● dubious and unsertain ; for that holy souls can beho●● the visible actions of mortal men , to us is altogeth●● uncertain ; tho we doubt not but they do behold wha●soever is acted in those regions where they dwe● in those infinite dimensions , or heavenly habitations tho they are inriched with liberty , and made brig●● by knowledge , derived from the illustrous and illum●nated power of the omnipotent god , who is infinit● communicative to be good , and to do good to 〈◊〉 mankind ; and hath made the soul of man on purpo●● that it might see him in his kingly country , whe● st. paul saith , we shall be like him , for we shall 〈◊〉 him as he is not , as we now behold him darkly throug● a vail in deep obscurity , but face to face in unva●●ed glory . and if the eye of the body that was ma●● for the world , being so little a ball of earth a●● water , can take in all and see the visible world , i. e. ●hat part of it , on which the sight of the eye can be ●resent , much more is the soul able to see and be pre●ent with all that is divine and eternal ; tho the soul 〈◊〉 unhappily divided from god , is a weak and in●onsiderable creature ; but when united to god , 't is 〈◊〉 transcendant and celestial thing , god being its life , ●reatness , and power ; for as the apostle saith , he ●hat is ioyned to the lord is one spirit , for his omni●resence and eternity fills the soul , and makes it able 〈◊〉 contain all hights and depths , and all things may ●e in it as it were by thoughts and intellections ; and magnanimous desires are the natural result of such 〈◊〉 magnanimous capacity : such a soul then in respect ●f its capacity is an immovable sphere of power and ●nowledge , and by imagination is able to pass ●●rough the centre of the earth , and through all ●xistencies ; for it is most capacious and swift . com●and it then by thought to go into india , and sooner ●●en thou canst bid it , it will be there ; not as passing ●●om place to place , but by thought and immagina●on , suddenly , in a moment , as you may send it to ●eaven by the slight of a thought , as you may at any ●●me command it to fly , tho not by the assistance of ●ings in a bodyly manner , but after the manner that ●ouls pass from place to place , not locally , but after ●e manner of spirits : for the soul of man is said to 〈◊〉 an immutable essence , his power of reasoning is ●ive , even when 't is quiet , and the body unactive . ●is one and the same for nature in all men , tho not ●r indeuments , of it self equally inclined to great ●ransendent things ; tho in most men 't is misguided , ●●ffled and suppressed ; but where it has the common ●ssistances that god has prepared for it , it is a miracu●●us creature and of near alliance to the divine ma●sty . for a man being wise and holy , his soul is , 〈◊〉 it were , in the heavenly world ; and it 's no trivial ●●jury can make him contend being liberal and magnanimous , he is prone to do heroical things , and to make himself venerable to his very adversary ; being averse to all wroth , clamour , and anger scarcely in any thing being defective , and becomes a great man by contemning danger , having an infinite felicity in his dayly view , and may justly strengthen himself in the hopes of divine assistance , knowing the infinite value of his soul , and believing the blessedness that is in reserve for it , by reason of the greatness of interiour bliss ; and is therefore environed with the bright beams of his own injoyments , and always beggeth of god , that as sin hath abounded , so may grace superabound ; that all souls may receive the blessed advantages of the divine forgiveness ; that all may have the blessed assistance of grace , to lead us into all virtues , which are themselves our aids to bring us to glory : for these acquire good habits , and infuse● grace , causing us to incline to the secret study of felicity , that we may be even now possessed with sincere and pure delights ; for godliness is a kind of god-likeness , a divine habit or frame of soul , that may fitly be accounted the fulness of the stature of the inward man. for 't is an inclination to be like god , to please him , and injoy him ; and he may be said to be god-like , that is high and serious in all his thoughts , humble and condescending in all his actions , full of love and good will to all the creatures , and bright in the knowledge of all their nature , covering all the treasures of god , and breaths after the joys of heaven . recollecting all his broken and scattered thoughts , nothing less than the wisdom of god will please the god-like man , for god-likeness is the comment of amity betwixt god and man , eternity and immensity are the sphere of his activity , and are often frequented and filled : with his thoughts he must injoy god , or he can enjoy nothing , nor himself ; for nothing will satisfie him but the glory of his great creator , the great counsellor of nature , and the perfect beauty of the whole universe . and to be exalted to this frame is a very sublime and glorious perfection ; and blessed are all those that are thus beautified in their minds , and are blessed with such an angelical soul , and are thus curiously acquainted with these things : i heartily wish , that all that shall happen to peruse these things , may be a little higher elevated with the true inward sense of what is here described , and with the secret perfection of the decrees of god , and the nature of his divine essence , that they may be worthy to partake of his sublimity ; and hereby aspire to dwell with him for ever , and covet the treasure of his immensity , and be able to expaciate therein , by being blessed with the wisdom of an angel , in being as divine and heavenlly , by being truly eminent in inward and outward worth ; not being either weak or defective : for virtue is base and not virtue while it is remiss , or not carried to the highest pitch 't is possible , for then it is that their glory shall su●mount the rage of their enemies ; and their true worth continue immortally shining throughout all kingdoms and ages for ever , inheriting the benefits of their own virtues , in the peace and tranquility of their own happy condition ; and this because they have been prepossed with true gratitude and felicity ; and in all their actions been cloathed with meekness , and a condescending behaviour , having been highly kind and serviceable in their generation , free from the spots and blemishes of the world ; having frequently arrived to an universal applause , and truly deserved to be exceedingly honoured by all people ; for it 's a very hard matter to hate a very excellent person . no man was ever uppraided for being a wise and gallant man ; but it often happens that for some infirmity that a good man have , he may suffer the misfortune of being censured ; but meerly for being good or wise , 't is not usual to suffer reproach , contempt , or slander , for it would be cruel , for being wise and good , holy and chast , just and liberal , honest and merciful , meek and couragious to be vilified : perhaps he may be censured and ha●● at his first setting out , but when he have made a goo● proficiency in goodness , he will be sure to overcome the rage and malice of his enemy , because he have made himself eminent and conspicuous , and therefore is admired by all that love virtue ; because he is a man of intire and approved virtue , well known for a person of honour and worth , and therefore the first envies and censures abate , because he hath long exercised virtue and goodness , with great activity and courage , prudence and wisdom : thus moses after his long meekness and invincible fidelity to the jewish nation , was in the close of his life most exceedingly honoured by all people , and injoyed a veneration of high degree ; for his glory surmounted the rage of his enemies ; and he will for ever continue immortally , shining throughout all kingdoms and ages . all good men delight in his eternal praises ; for he is now glorified and admired for his sanctity : he therefore is a full and adequate object of our early humble imitation not in working miracles , but in meekness , love and magnanimous actions , enriched with liberality , and made bright by knowledge , guided by wisdom to the highest end ; every action being mixt with gravity and chearfulness , for in the due use of these means we may actually injoy all blessedness and glory , righteous●ness , holiness and goodness , love and christian charity are the true lineaments and colours of suchy men● minds ; for these are the true ornaments of every blessed soul , they shine upon the face and make him glorious in the perfection of beauty . this man is 〈◊〉 humility , and yet all injoyment amazed at its ow● nothingness and vileness ; yet , at the same time , ravished with wonder at the height of his felicity , and yet this is no paradox , for the whole system of religio● is mysterious ; for the lower the man is in his ow● eyes , the more doth the goodness of god appear in ●im , and the more transcendently sweet is his adorati●● and satisfaction ; by his gratitude he sacrifices himb●● to the deity . pride aimeth at the utmost height of esteem and honour , and is feed by its own beauty and glory , yet foolishly undermineth the person it would advance , with the greatest baseness and shame imaginable ; it devours the beauty which ought to feed it , and destroys the glory in which it delights . the higher the greater , the more perfectly glorious and blessed the person is that is exalted , is the baseness and ingratitude of pride , and is therefore the dregs of impiety ; and forfits and renounces all delights , and blackens whatsoever might appear auspicious , which provokes detestation in all that delight in the truth , for this turns the brigthness of seraphims into the abominations of devils . fifthly , some men imperfectly virtuous abhor others , for being more excellent than themselves , at ●east for being more honourable and more prosperous ; but this proceeds from a naughty and a vitious heart , unacquainted with the truth of goodness , and the true a●mity of real virtue : for true goodness is excellent from the quality of its object ; and all that have true goodness dwelling in them , will undoubted●y venerate it , and all those in whom they find it ; for whosoever is so happy as to be truely good , will with moses , wish that all the lords people were prophets , and that every soul were a fountain of delights . for it 's a beautiful thing to be exceeding good , for there ●s an infinite and eternal force in true goodness , it ●ideth luster and beauty to all that are blessed therewith ; for it 's beautiful thing to be exceeding good , or every degree hereof have exceeding sweetness in it ; and these are filled with hope divine , and have infinite felicity in their daily view , they know their du●y , and their master , and the infinite value of their souls , and have a fore tast of interior bliss : being acquainted with the true habits of divine grace , and are as it were , prone to celestial epicurisme , ( if may be premitted so to speak ) by being really engaged in the true study of felicity . a pious man hath great treasures , high honours , pure pleasures , having a true tast of infinite delights ; but is not ravished with temporal pleasures nor treasures ; not melting with these nor flinching at any temporal distresses ; for neither of these can move the fixed mind of a true good man , for his thoughts divine are upon higher objects , for his inward stature is miraculous , and his complexion divine ; he pities poor vitious princes , that are oppressed with heavy crowns of vanity , whether of gold or emralds , whose souls ought to be endued with generous and noble principles , that they may be worthy the infinite perfections of the great god , who giveth liberally to all men , and uppraideth not ; and would have all men endued with divine and deep delights , that they may be eminent and conspicuous in the true exercise of every virtue , and be cloathed with great activity , courage and prudence , to overcome their enemies , and inherit the benefits of their own virtues , in the peace and tranquility of a happy condition ; by being liberal and kind , humble and chearful , rejoycing and trusting exceedingly in god ; then shall their soul● be even now as happy , as if they had taken possess●on of heaven . having taken that city , as it were violence or force , by carrying virtue to the highe●● pitch humane frailty could exalt it to . god havin● given us many lights , to assist our souls in the compleating more allurements , to provoke our desir● after more of heaven , and its glorious injoyment● so that all our inclinations may now become puri●● and praise , that we may hereby be able to reconci●● men to god , who were formerly enemies to gra●● and virtue , by putting embroideries on religion , 〈◊〉 moving in a sphere of wonder : in that his life is ●ontinual stream of miracles , for such a man carries 〈◊〉 . light whereever he goes , for he is cloathed like 〈◊〉 son in his raies , and reigns like a king by the sole power of virtue and goodness , in beautifying religion in the due exercise hereof , making himself great by inriching others ; being full of musick in the words of his sweet and pleasing behaviour : this being conducive to his own ease and honour ; the want therefore of the abovementioned virtues is pernicious and destructive , for these holy works and wise dispositions of soul are absolutely necessary to qualifie us for heaven ; for all the fathers teach us . both an●ient and modern , that good works are inseparable attendants upon a justifying faith ; and no heretick hat is either grave or serious , can deny this sequel : for this must consequently follow upon the premises , ●or good works are absolutely necessary to salvation , tho ●hey can in no wise merit it ; for far be it from us ●●om decrying good works or the due use of them , but ●he merit of them . for that there is any real or per●onal merit in them , we do indeed d●●ry ; not but ●hat high induments of 〈◊〉 is a greater blessing to ●●ll that are so highly 〈◊〉 by the hand of heaven , 〈◊〉 to be in●iched by them ; and good works are cer●●inly conditional to life eternal , for in the great day ●f mercy , 't will be said . come for ye have done them ; 〈◊〉 , god for ye have not done them . so that tho they 〈◊〉 not meritorious , yet they are undoubtedly condional to bifs , for the more of these any man have a ●●ue share in , the more happy eternally will he un●●oubtedly be ; so that what the church of england in ●●is and in all points do teach , is most assuredly pure ●●d refined , and in all points conformable to the pri●●●tire times ; neither is she pure in doctrine only , ●●t in charity most catholick , and in hearty practise ●●ost refined , for she admonishes her children , that ●●yey may not be strangers to any point of doctrine ●●at is of moment to salvation , unless they should unhappily be aliens to felicity , by being foreigners to the truth ; but that they may in ●is light learn to see the true light , that enlighten every one that cometh into the world : 't is this beauty of truth that maketh knowledge of such infinite value , as to repair the divine image in us , in which consists the perfection of our nature , renews us in the spirit of our minds , purging our consciences from dead works , securing our minds from that restlesness and unquietness , which minutly attends both the dominion and guilt of sin , which racks the mind with dreadful expectations , and fills the consciences with dismal horror and direful confusion , and lays them obnoxious to the dreadfulest denunciations imaginable , not only temporal improsperity , but eternal punishments in the dismal shades of the other world. but to avoid the danger of these , let us convince our understandings , that we ought to aspire to live angelical lives , such as becomes a reformed religion built upon the doctrines of the apostles , and have all the marks of a true church ; so that every one may prove and try himself , whether he be in the right ; for by trying the spirits we may know them , if we observe their fruits ; may we therefore perswade our affections to stick close to this refined religion , that is certainly the true path to heaven , and conducive to life and bliss : for this church agreeable to the holy scriptures directs to the treasures of divine wisdom and ●uch oracles , to which , it is safe to resort , for saving knowledge to rule and guide us to a holy life ; therefore we ought studiously to imbrace whatsoever we ●earn from her , since she is now refined and purged from all error and corruption , superstition , and whatsoever is contrary to divine truth ; for in her preaching she observes the method of christ , by un●ailing the very truth to her disciples , making christs word to us , as it is in it self , the power of god to salvation . so that now the gospel with noon day brightness , does cearly shine amongst us , for she gives us cautionary advices , and to them subjoins plain directions , sheving us how to detect error and to love truth ; so that her counsel may be of the same effect to us , as the oral word was to our progenitors , who lived their own doctrine and preached their own experience , and gave up themselves without reserve to the guidance of gods word , inwardly reverencing every paragraph of it , as an immediate message from the almighty : for every thing in scripture is sublimely divine . it s doctrine are most accommodate , to the refreshment and building up of our minds , and in all respects so ordered , that every one may draw thence what is sufficient for him , provided he approach it with devotion , piety and religion . for the things of god are spiritually descerned , as the secret word of god was fi●st dictated by the holy spirit ; so still it must owe its effects and influence to its cooperation , for by this its power and energy , insinuatively perswades the heart to be led by the power of it ; and to invoke the divine aid , by darting ejaculations up to god , that we may truly understand the sense and meaning of his divinely inspired word , by ke●ping our minds fixt and attent upon what we either hear or read that refin'd thoughts ma●●●●ways poss●●● our minds to convince our understanding , and perswade our affection , and intirely rule our imaginations ; that divine meditations may always prepossess our minds , and refresh and revive our souls ; turning out of our ●reast all distracting phansies , lest our chr●stianity should vapor away and disappear , by a pi●ing to too high degrees of speculation ; and neglecting to practice plain truths , for the practice of 〈…〉 truths are infinitely of more use , then to study curious or critical remarks upon those mysteries , on which god have spread a vail . i mention this not to divert any from aspiring to the highest degrees of perfection , but to reprove that preposterous course many ta 〈…〉 est weight upon those things 〈…〉 least ; and have more zeal for 〈…〉 then for express downright comm 〈…〉 the one to commute for the contemp 〈…〉 for some men are apt to scruple small thi 〈…〉 not startle at injustice or oppression ; which 〈…〉 to be rectified , that men may have an equa 〈…〉 to all the commands of god , not letting any 〈…〉 slip their observation : for he that breaks the 〈…〉 command is guilty of all , not but that he that brea 〈◊〉 them all is guilty of more severe punishments , then he that breaks but one . but the meaning is , he that breaks one shall not go unpunished , being deeply guilty of disobedience . god having required an equal regard to all his precepts , and who so gives him not their whole heart , offers to him but a lame and unacceptable sacrifice ; for any thing less than the full power of our wills cannot please god , who is of purer eyes than to behold any the least evil with approbation ; for his wisdom being so pure a majesty , cannot be pleased with any thing that is impure of heart : necessary is it therefore , to give him the full of our mind , will and soul ; or , as our catechism expresses it , to serve him with all our strength , in every centure of our lives . for the more we serve him , the more and better shall we be regarded , honoured and rewarded , by him the searcher of all hearts . of the excellent qualification of the soul , from its high extraction . although men do not know the soul , neither can they see it , because it is like the eyes of our bodies , it sees every thing but it self ; but it self 〈…〉 assuredly know that by it we 〈…〉 inabled to do actions of piety 〈…〉 consciences dictates to us what is 〈…〉 done , for that is a good and faith 〈…〉 that whensoever we do amiss , we do , 〈…〉 our souls , and stupifie our consciences , 〈…〉 evil or cause others so to do . but to a 〈…〉 let us begg of god , to give us a chast spi 〈…〉 is the crown of faithful souls : wherefore 〈…〉 said of virginity , that it is the life of angels , 〈…〉 animal of the soul , the advantage of religion , which is a mutual , a strong , and voluntary inclination to the worship of god ; for it is empty of cares , and ought to be full of prayers , which are fed with fastings ; it is very advatagious to devotion and retirement , for whosoever is careful of his time and behaviour shall not be robbed of his reward , for his good intentions . secondly , then fail not of being eminent in your generations , for virtue and piety , by being burning and shining lights , unmingled with any manner of evil , that you may follow the lamb wheresoever he goeth : but above all be humble , for that is the ornament of our holy religion , and it makes you to differ from the wisdom of the world. for our learning is then best , when it teaches us humility , for to be proud of our learning is the greatest ignorance in the world ; for our learning is so long in getting , and so very imperfect , that the learnedest person in the world knows not the thousandth part of that which he is ignorant of ; so that he cannot attain to any maturity of knowledge , proportionable to that of angels . no man therefore has any cause to boast of his excellency , for what thou hast , thou hast received from god , and art the more obliged to return him thanks for it ; and thou art bound to improve the grace that he hath given thee to his glory . consider then that thou wer't nothing before thou as born , and what wer 't thou in the first regions of ●y dwellings before thy birth , but uncleaness . what ●●ast thou for many years after , but weakness and ●●ailty ? as the psalms expresses , it even as the smoak ●at vanisheth away , ps . . . a great debtor then ●●t thou to god , to thy parents , to the earth , and all ●●e creatures . for all men that have ever been , were ●●ressed with hunger , and the frailties of human na●re ; so that the best and wisest persons are subject ●o the necessity of nature ; wherefore there is great ●●ause of humility , for the spirit of man is light and ●oublesome , his body is bruitish and sickly , he is con●ant in his folly and errour , inconstant in his man●er and good purposes ; his labours are vain , intri●ate and endless , his fortune is changeable , but sel●om pleasing , his wisdom comes not till he be ready 〈◊〉 die ; or at least , till he have spent great part of his ●●me in wast : his death is certain , always ready at ●he door , but never far off , upon these or the like me●●itations . if we dwell on them , or frequently retire 〈◊〉 consider them , we shall see nothing more reasonable ●an to be humble , and nothing more foolish than to ●e proud ; humility consists not in railing against our ●●lves , or wearing mean cloaths , or going softly , or ●●bmissively ; but in a hearty and real mean opinion ●f our selves . thirdly , believe thy self then an unworthy person , 〈◊〉 heartily as thou believest thy self to be hungry , poor , 〈◊〉 sick ; when thou art so , love to be concealed and 〈◊〉 esteemed off . be not troubled when thou art ●ighed and undervalued ; and when thou hast done ●ny thing worthy of praise return it to god , who is ●●e giver of the gift , and blesser of the action ; and ●●ive him thanks for making thee the instrument of is glory . secure a good name to thy self , by being ●irtuous , pious and humble ; and when people have ●n occasion to speak well of thee , take no content in ●raise when it is offered thee , but let thy rejoycing be in gods gift , but let it be alay'd with fear , lest th● good bring thee to evil. pray often for gods grac● with humility of gesture and passion of desire , tha● god may be glorified by thy example of humility which may be as well in a low condition as in a ric● begg god 〈◊〉 irri●h thy soul with all graces , an● when thou had attained them , give god thanks 〈◊〉 them . p●ide hinders the acceptance of our prayer● humility pierceth the clouds , and will not give ove● till god accepts ; neither will it depart till the mos● high regards : for he resisteth the proud , but 〈◊〉 grace to the h●mble , st. jam. . then begg g●ac● and pardon , that it may be a remedy and relief a●gainst misery and oppression , and be content in 〈◊〉 conditions ; begg tranquility of spirit , patience i● affliction , that we may gain love abroad and peac● at home . co●sider the blessed s●●iour of the world 〈◊〉 who left the 〈◊〉 of his father , the lord of glory 〈◊〉 who took upon him the li●e of labour , and came t● a state of poverty , to a death of mal●f●ctou●s , to th● grave of death , and the intolerable calamiti●s which we deserved : therefore it 's but reasonable , that w● should be as humble in the mid●● of our greatest im●perfections and 〈◊〉 ●ins , as 〈◊〉 was in the 〈◊〉 and fulnes● of the spi●it , g●eat wisdom , perfect life ▪ and most admirable virtue . wherefore be cont●●te● with all thing● that shall happen ●●to you , and seek● after the spirit of peace , which will make you shin● like angels , or the 〈◊〉 above ; and in so doing you will not fear death , 〈◊〉 ●●ther fear a dishonest action , and think im patience far worse than any disease . be ready to do go●d to the destr●yers of your fam●● for the re●ards of 〈◊〉 doing is very certain , and do testifie that you have a most no●le soul within you , which is a particle of the divine r●ys . forthly , dress up your souls , that they may be fit to appear before the majesty of heaven ; for you can die but once , and if you do not die well , you will perish undoubtely for ever : and yet there is no wise or good man to perish , for god have ordained an expedient help for all men that they should not perish , for he gives us pardon for our past offences , and grace to prevent us for the future , even the due disposition of his holy spirit , that we may delight in that which his majesty delights in ; that is , true virtue and w●sdom , which will cause us to injoy the blessings that god sends us , and to bear patiently with meekness our calamities which our own sins have brought upon us , may we th●refore consider this day is only ours , for we are dead to yesterday , and we are not born to too morrow ; these considerations will make us to bear poverty , with nobleness , patience and meek●ess , and not blame the providence of god for placing us in a low f●rtune , but in all troubles and sad accidents , let us take sanctuary in religion , and by innocency cast anchor for our souls , to keep them from shipwrack , though they be not kept from storms : by these means we may fill our cup full of pure and unmingled joys , for no wise m●n did ever describe f●licity without virtue , no good m●n did ever think virtue to depend upon the vari●ty of good or bad fortune ; 't is no evil to be poor , but to be virtuous and impatient ; therefore be patient under affl●ctions , and begg god to give thee a happy deli●erence out of them , and be content with poverty , for that adds lustre to thy person , and may make thy virtue more excellent if thou improve it wisely , for there is but 〈◊〉 things that we feel is so bad , as that we fear . many eminent scholars have been eminently poor ; some by choice , and more by chance and the invincible decrees of providence ; wherefore the rich may support the poor , by his wealth ; and , perhaps the poor may instruct the rich in learning and experience ; for it may be observed , no man had all excellency and felicity in this one person or power : therefore there is but few wise and good men that would change conditions entirely with any man in the world , for though some there are that would desire the wealth of one man added to himself , or the power of another , and the learning of a third ; yet , still he would receive these in his own person , because he loves that best , and therefore esteems that most , tho we desire the wealthy to inrich us , the powerful to protect us , and the witty to delight us . let us consider , that in the fortune of a prince , there is not the course robes of beggary , but there is infinite cares , fears and dangers ; therefore the state of affliction is a school of virtue , wherein there is the exercise of wisdom , the tryal of patience , and the wining a crown ; for this may be said to be the gate of glory . fifthly , therefore we may not expect to be better treated than the apostles , and saints ; nay , than the son of the eternal god , the heir of both the worlds . affliction is oftentime the occasions of temporal advantages , as well as spiritual ; and if we imploy our grace and reason well it will deliver us from extream necessitys , and if you will not otherwise be cured : if you improve your time w●ll , god will deliver you in his due time , if it be for his glory and your good , for his power can sanctifie poverty to you , and make it become as necessary as riches ; for tho poverty makes a man dispised , and contemptable , and exposed to a thousand insolencies of evil persons , and leaves t●em defenceless ; yet , it may make them look up to god , and trust more firmly in him the rock of their strength , who will most certainly deliver them from the cruelty of all wicked persons : wherefore it is said of poverty , that it is the sister of a good mind , the parent of sober councel , the nurse of all virtue ; and this is really true , a great estate has great croses , and a mean fortune has small ones ; for riches often bread a disease in the souls of them that long after them , and admire them with too much egarness when they have them , for riches are great dangers to the s●ul , not only of them that covet them , but al●● to most that have them ; wherefore let us trust in ch●ist , ●ho have promised , that we should have sufficient for this life , who have said , that his father takes care for us ; and we are sure that he knows all his fathers counsels and kindnesses towards us , for if 〈◊〉 wisdom gives but a very little , he will make it 〈◊〉 a great way ; for if he sends thee but course diet , he wi●l 〈◊〉 it and make it healthful to thee , and can cure a●l the anguish of thy poverty , by giving thee 〈◊〉 and the grace of contentment ; for the grace 〈◊〉 god 〈◊〉 you of providence , and , yet the grace of god feeds and supports the spirit even in the want 〈◊〉 providence . and if a thin table be apt to infeeble the body , or spirit of one used to feed better ; yet the cheerfulness of the spirit that is ●●essed with dew from above , will make a thin a table become a delicacy : if the m●n be but as well taught , as he is feed , by learning the duty , when he receives the reward , poverty is therefore in some sense eligible , and to be preferred before riches , but in all senses it is very tolerable . sixthly , but to return to a further inquiry into the excellency of the soul , let us consider the various speculations that the soul of man is capable of entertaining her self withal , and we shall see that there is none of greater moment , or closer concernment to her than this of her own immortality , and independance on this terestial body ; for hereby , not only the intricacies and perplexities of providences are made more easie and smooth to her , and she becomes able by unraveling this clue from end to end , to pass and repass safe through this labyrinth , wherein many , both anxious and careless spirits have lost themselves ▪ but also which toucheth her own interest more particularly , being once raised to the knowledge and be●lief of good and evil , so weighty a conclusion 〈◊〉 may return to this most certain and most compendious way to her own happiness , which is to be acquired by bearing affl●ction patiently , and endeavouring to overcome whatever tempts her , during the time of this her pilgrimage , ●ith a careful preparing of her self , for her future condition ; by such noble actions , and heroick qualifications of mind , as shall render her most welcome to her own country ; which belief and ●u●pose 〈…〉 in an utter in c●pacity of e●ther 〈…〉 at nothing but what is not in the power of m●n to confirm upon her ; with c●urage she ●ets upon the main work , and being still more ●aithful to her self , and to that light that asi●●s her , at lasts she tasts the fruites of her future harve●● , and does more then presage that great happiness that is accrewing to her , and quits her from the troubles and anxieties of this pre●●nt world stays with it in tranquility and content , 〈◊〉 at last leaves it with joy. therefore let us fur●●er consider , that the soul has four qualities , be●●use her faculties are fourfold : the first , is un●erstanding : the second , is the will : the third , 〈◊〉 the memory : the fourth , is the affections 〈◊〉 heart , which is the principle seat of the rational 〈◊〉 . the mind is the inward act. the thoughts 〈◊〉 the mind , the fountain of counsel , the soul of life : 〈◊〉 understand by the mind , and live by the soul. 〈…〉 a deceision , or a demonstration , of the mutual and reciprocal relation betwixt the soul and the body . . the true love of god raises the soul to the highest perfection ; the purest and fullest love shall wear always the weightiest crown of glo●y : where this love is , if it meet with hard precepts it desolves it into sweet promises , and fills the heart with the shining beauty of soul , ravishing delights by divine respiration , giving it true repose , causing the delights and pleasures to be as capacious as the soul , that lovely creature of god , whom his majesty is always pleased to fill with an ineffable pleasure ; in perpetually extending their knowledge of intellection , by consequences and lights always new , which they draw from their light and their knowledge , always acquired , they always find something to be discovered in the immense spaces of truth , they always find some-shing to be enlightned with of the perfection of the aupream essence , which they always see all entire , and ill exposed to their eyes , and , which they never knew so perfectly ; but that there always remains something further to be known and discovered , they always drink of this lively and eternal spring , and are always a thirst ; they drein from thence every moment , by a full and entire knowledge of the intuitive vision , but they always find it full and inexhaustable to reason and intellection , which they always make a further progress into , and further still find something to be known in the fountain of its infinite incomprehensibility . the reprobate souls do also find by the exercise of their reasonings , a thousand ; and a thousand new dispairs in their state of reprobation and misery : the prophets say , they always remain awake to the end ; they may always see their misery and woe , which does express the exercise of the active faculty in unhappy souls , which proves that all souls have out of the body , the exercise of the faculties , of perceiving , of imagining , and of recollecting , which they do not exercise here , but dependent upon the body : for thus we say , without difficulty , that they may compare one thing with another , that they conceive the nature of bodies by pure intellection , by which they form universal notions ; from whence they draw consequences , and frame ideas ; but these ideas do not cause us to believe , that the body and the soul can be united like two liquors , or like two metalls , which are melted one with the other , which are made either by an unctuous or viscous humor , which binds the parts of them together , nor by nails , pegs and joynts . we may not imagine here any thing material , for we are to cut off every thing that presents it self corporeal to our spirits , for we are to conceive precisely only a mutual and necessary dependance , in such a manner , as god has directed and disposed ; which is the way to conceive the manner how our souls are in our bodies , as well as we are capable to comprehend : they are not in us by a local and corporeal circumscription , they are not there as liquor is in a vessel , or as a bird is in the nest or cage , or as the body is in the air , which environs it ; but they are in us as god is in the world , in which we must conceive him , as saith st. augustin , much more containing than contained ; for we may remember , that tho the nature of the soul is a spiritual nature , which doth as essentially exclude local extention , and by consequence all sorts of ideas of local presence , such as we commonly conceive under corporeal images of immediation , of preportions , and of coextention , of substances , as it doth essentially include the grounds and the acts of the knowing faculty . bodies have their proper fashion of being within places , and spirits have theirs likewise ; there is nothing of likeness betwixt one and the other , for to think otherways , were to subvert and destroy both corporeal and spiritual nature ; for it is with the manner how the soul is in the body , as it is with the soul it self : we cannot comprehend it as oft as we conceive it by imagination , what corporeal image so ever we make of it , or under what material form soever we may conceive of it ; for the manner how the soul is in the body is altogether as spiritual , as is the substance of the soul ; if it be demanded after this , in what part of the body the soul is , or whether she is in all the body ; the question will be difficult to resolve : however , the learned say , that all the soul is in all the body , and all of it in the essential and integral parts of it , as god is in all the world , and in all the parts of the world ; not by that co-extension and local chimerical presence , which gross spirits do imagine , but by the intimate presence of his essence , essentially operating in all the world. we must say the same of the soul , that it is in all the body , by relation of its dependance and activity ; but this does not hinder , but that we may say she is more properly , and more particularly in the brain , since it is by that part , that the action of the soul upon the body immediately commences ; and that all the actions of the body upon the soul termin●tes wholly in that part , as it sensibly appears , by that which interrupts and suspends the action of the soul upon the body , and the action of the body upon the soul ; for as often as it happens that the action of the body upon the soul is interrupted , it is because there is some relaxation , or some obstruction in some of the nerves , which hinders the motion from being continued in the part affected of the body , as far as the brain , which is the seat and organ of the senses , because the impression have some palpable let or hindereance , and cannot be carried , or arrive through the exterior senses of the brain , which are called internal . but our souls naturally , like other-created spirits , ought not to have any dependance upon our bodies , for to have the ideas of things , they ought only to have immediately dependance upon god , and by consequence ought only to have union with him ; but this supreame spirit having been pleased , for the reasons we have said , and for many others which we conceive , and for more , yet apparently , perhaps , which we do not conceive , that our souls should have their thoughts and their sentiments , their desires and affections upon the occasion of the body , to the end , that they should be a continual subject of victory , and meritorious exercise , by the assistance of divine grace , which is of it self victorious over the impure delectation of concupiscence ; whereof it invincibly suspends the charm , by the heavenly and inward taste , which it gives us of god , of our duty , and of eternal happiness ; for divine grace causes 〈◊〉 to love order and duty , in spight of our selves , making us sensible that we owe to god an infinite ●●ve of complacency , wholly disinteressed , and wholly pure ; for which we ought to love his eternal and sovereign beauty , with all the strength and motions 〈◊〉 our hearts ; for this alone will convey to us true ●●●asure , for this will furnish us with order , truth and justice , which will undoubtedly prevent all irregularity . which order is to be beloved by all spi●its , and all upright hearts in all the parts of the world ; for this have some affinity to the sovereign beauty of nature , and of the supreame essence , who ●s the lively and eternal source of order , equity and duty , the eternal and substantial truth , which do not discover it self but by rays , by degrees escaping ●ut from god , clearing the obscure clouds of our disorderly desires , that we may love and adore our sovereign creator , who gives us the weak glimmering of his ineffable beauty , in that virtue and duty which he causes us to love ; which is as it were , the charm of the supreame being . for all that we love in the abstracted idea of our duties , or in the real charms of the creatures , is nothing but the splendor and the rays , or the shadow of that charm of sovereign beauty and perfection , which gloriously shines ●n the supreame nature ; from whose beams it is , that nature commences equally in us the love of complacency , and the love of union ; that we may be filled with contentment , with pleasure and love , truth , justice and equity , and all other graces and virtues whom we love invincibly , under the ideas , and under the names of truth , of justice , of beauty , of virtue , of duty , or of equity , which shine in all places of the world , and makes it self seen loved and adored invincibly by all hearts , in all ages for these all preceed from the glimmering and glances of gods original beauty , which is so amicable by it self , that as corrupt as we are , we cannot hinder our selves from loving it , because it flows from the sovereign nature of god. . the soul of man have no power of giving i● self , neither the idea , nor knowledge , nor sentiment of any particular thing , but it is god , who hath al● perfections dwelling in him , that instructs and inlightens the souls of men ; for his majesty alone is the life of every thing that lives , and the light of every thing that is enlightned ; who gives us all the sentiments and all the ideas which we receive , or have from the occasion of our particular bodies , and from others which environ us . tho to clear this point 〈◊〉 be obscure and difficult ; and , yet is very important and necessary , in order to make us comprehend our dependance upon god , who is alone the all-knowing being by himself , as he is an existent being by himself : for it 's god alone who hath essentially of himself , and by himself , his eternal and subsistent idea , by which he can distinctly see all things possible , present and to come . the created spirits who are not thinking beings of themselves , much less spirits knowing by themselves , or in themselves , the things which are exterior to them ; and , therefore they have need to receive the ideas of particular things from god , that they may have a knowledge of them : for if they had the idea of one sole particular thing out of themselves , there would not be any idea which they might not have ; neither would the soul of man have been ignorant of any thing , if she had had a power by her self to form and idea of the least thing , but by consequence would have had the idea of all things : but since , of her self 〈◊〉 cannot form any one idea ; by consequence she cann●● form many : for to imagine she could , would be no sensical and trivial . our poor soul goes grop●●● through all the bodies , who environs it , searching 〈◊〉 a pleasure and contentment , which should satisfie i●● but no pleasure nor treasure can give the soul tr●● satisfaction , but god , who is the alone soverei● pleasure , which makes the soul thus search after hi●● and him allone it is we ought to regard , with all o●● strength , might and motion , seeing his majesty r●gards our soul by all the rays of his infinite essen●● for his wisdom , it is who is our satisfaction , our 〈◊〉 and contentment , yea , our sovereign felicity . o● bodies then are , but as it were , our souls burden , at best but a house upon the road of eternity : whe●● fore we ought to seek for a lively idea of our d●pe●●dance upon this supreame being , and upon all divine attributes , that we may the better apprehe●● his sovereign perfection whose nature is supream and yet is graciously pleased to operate continual in us , and rules over us in all our ways , and in divers operations . our souls do not make the digs●ion in us , the circulation of the blood , the natu●● and pure●y animal respiration in us ; the soul bei●● altogether spiritual , have no power to act this wa● but there is nothing which we certainly know , b●● the soul is the active cause and principle of it , which she have gain'd the empire , either to do not do , as she pleases ; we may therefore reflect up her faculty , which she have of thinking , of willin●● and determining her self , which are the two o● active faculties that we know in her , for the oth●● passive and receptive faculties , of which she ha● essentially the empire , as well as the certainty of th● double faculty , and of all the acts that precee● there from ; and we may see that she suspends 〈…〉 thoughts , and her reasonings puts them by determ●●● and applies them as she pleases to new matters , which always present themselves ; and thus she is mistress of ●●er will , without the motion that carries her towards god in general . if she be not preoccupy'd ●nd transported with some passions or other , but the ●oul can by no means be the formal or physical cause of the heat which is in our bodies , for it is impossible to conceive that a spirit should produce heat ; yet ●y their virtue and operation they make the body move , by empire and by will , and yet this the soul is ●aid to do out of it self ; but whatsoever is done in us physically , is done by the act of our body and its life , for there is in us a material principle of vegeta●ion , or a vegetative life , which the soul doth not ●ause ; so there is likewise a certain kind of acts of ●eeing , of hearing , of tasting , of smelling , of ●ouching , of self-moving , or of sensibility in the ●ody , in which the soul hath not any part , to which ●●e doth not influence any thing , and to which she ●ath not so much as a sentiment . . to think and know is the life of spirits , who ●eceives being from the first of beings , or the prin●●ple of beings , the great almighty , from whom ●●ery thing that is , receiveth without ceasing its ●eing , by a perpetual and never interrupted communi●n of the supreame essence , by reason that he is the ●rinciple of life , or the essential and original of ●ife : it must needs be that every thing that lives , ●eceives continually a life from him by a like in●●uence , and by a like communication of life , and by ●onsequence every thing that thinks and knows , ●hinks and knows by him , since to think and know the life of spirits . this is the solid metaphysick ●f st. augustin , and the theology of others , who ●ith , agreeeble to the scriptures , that an angel and man differ without doubt ; for an angel is a spirit ●hich god makes tryal off out of the body , and ●hose thoughts and affections he hath not subjected to the dispositions of a body ; and a man is a spirit● which god makes tryal off in the body , to which he subjects it before he crowns it with eternity : but the soul of man if god had not disposed of it , after that manner , would have had no need of a body , wherefore the union of souls with bodies is a hard and difficult empire , which god doth exercise over them , and which if his majesty would not sweeten the rigo●● and difficulty of it , by the pleasures of agreeable sentiments , which he hath annexed to the acts and operations of souls in bodies . it could not be a tryal , but a misery ; nay , the fathers maintain , that if god should not spiritualize bodies , that is to say , take away from souls the dependance which their present state gives them upon bodies , they could not have so firm a hope of being raised again , as now they have , because he would not put the just souls , whose approved fidelity deserves to be crowned into bodies that should constrain them , and which enslaved their thoughts ; which is what spiritualized bodies cannot bear , because spiritualization of bodies will consist in this precisely , that they should no longer exercise an empire over the souls , and that they should be no longer a charge , an obstacle and an incumbrance to them ; for the body cannot in any manner act upon the soul , so as to illuminate it , or affect it physically , or immediately by it self ; for the body cannot subject the soul to be united to it , nor can the soul be willing to submit to the body , which humbleth and constraineth it . it is therefore god the author of universal nature , that is the immediate and efficient principle , and cause of the union of souls and bodies ; for his wisdom acteth as universal cause in the whole frame of nature ; 't is evident then that none but god alone can give the soul the sentiments and ideas which she hath , from the occasion of the impressions which are made upon the body , for 't is the author of nature which enlightens us , by the ideas which we receive upon the occasion of the impression , of exterior objects ; and who affectionates to the conversation of the body , by the agreeable or disagreeable sentiments which he gives us , to make us know by way of instinct , that which is profitable or hurtful , for the conver●ation of our bodies and of humane species . this action he joyns to that , by which he moves our bodies , when our thoughts and wills require it , and is properly the action , by the which he unites our bodies to our souls , and our souls to our bodies . this is the active or actual union , which the schools call the unitive action of god , which is joyned to the immutable decree and will ▪ by the which he hath determined to continue it , so long as the structure of the body shall subsist , and makes in the soul and ▪ in the body that estate of union , which is called passive and formal union ; and this the almighty doth by the essential act of his supreame nature , for his essence and nature is infinitly pleased to act thus continually , esteeming it his pleasure and his glory , by which , also he is the occasional cause of all the eneffable ple●sure of holy souls , and so much the rather , because the analogy of the divine conduct inspires us to acknowledges an occasional cause of all our joy and f●●icity . as there is an occasional cause of the torments of the reprobates , for each of these he is pleased to make tryal off in the body , by their obedience or disobedience , annext to each of which , is felicity or misery , for these shall go into life eternal , but the wicked into endless burnings . our body is a structure full of harmony , whereby all the parts are united to one common center , which is the brain wrapt up in membranes , and distributed and divided into divers compartments , proper to receive and retain the traces and impressions which the divine image shall in●amp upon it : we say , also that the soul is ●●n the body , but we take care not to conceive it . for all that as truly and properly contain'd in the body , it is united to the body ; but we may not conceive her as poured into , and mingled with the body ; or , as adjusted to its extent by a co-extention and immediation of greatness , of figure , or of substance ; but they have the greatest part of their thoughts , and of their ideas , and of all their sentiments of pleasure , and of pain , by the occasion of their body , because they act upon the body by the action of the will , which removes them and moves them , in the manner as have been already said . the learned say , that they are no otherways in the body , therefore every thing we conceive beyond this , will be false , contradictory and extreamly dubious . that which we call good sense and judgment , is nothing but the power and faculty which the soul hath , to order and regulate our thoughts , to suspend and stay them , that she may consider and maintain their connexion and dependence : but she is said , sometimes to loose this faculty and power , when the motion of the blood , humours , and of the animal spirits , or of the fibres of the brain , which is the organ of the internal sense , which are annexed the species of things , that is to say , the impressions which remains of the objects , are disordered and embroiled in such sort , that the natural order and connexion of these species cannot be observed and kept , but are confusedly and tumultuously excited and stired up , by a tumultuous and irregular agitation of the organ , in which they reside ; from whence comes necessarily , that kind of folly which consists in a disorder and a fantastick confusion of thoughts , without order and dependance , or connexion , because the fibres of those parts of our bodies ar● scorched up , on which the soul usually acts ; and to say this may not shake a truth so well establishe●● and proved , that it needs no further illustration therefore let it be our care and study to seek th● kingdom above , rather than to puzle our selves in the nicities of nature , or the manner how our soul acts in our body ; for better it is that the soul and body be free from pollution , than to understand all the knowledge our nature is capable of being enlightned with ; for 't is not he that understands al myst●ies or all secrets , but he that is obedient and dutiful to the divine laws , that shall be filled with joy in the heavenly ierusalem , that place of spotless purity , where no impure thing can dwell : wherefore our lord chose rather to suffer any indignity , than that we should continue in the guilt of sin ; because any pollution unquallifies us for his kingdom , and robs us of the happiness of being meet to be citizens thereof . for since fruition is the end of knowledge , it is of great moment to us so to demean our 〈◊〉 as not to be unfit for the union of glory ; and amongst other aspiring knowledge , the due knowledge of a m●●●s self is highly conducive to attain to this happiness , for such a knowledge shews him the humility of the frame he ought to be in , to qualify him , to be worthy to enter into this glorious city , where every holy soul will be beloved of ang●ls , and admired of men : such qualified persons be●●g the true friends of god , seeing they have defined to w●●ship god in the inward court of their souls , as well as in the out court of his sanctuary , and in the admiration of him in all his works of wonder ; for there is nothing of more concern to us , than to be truly sensible of his exceeding mercy , which ought to be deeply it graven in all ou● minds , so as to raise our sons to a high pitch of gratitude , for all the benefits we have momently received from him , the rememberance of each of which are reviving comforts , and are able to cheer the hearts of the most dejected penitents ; for the true sense of this assures them that they shall be for ever blessed , even to such a perfection , as to be perfect sovereigns in his glorious kingdom , where every one will be a sovereign prince , being blessed with infinite injoyments , such as the beholding the unvailed vision of god , and the sweet society of saints and angels , where god essence and works will satisfie all holy desires , all blessed wishes and eager thirst after purity , and every heavenly injoyment . . the will which is that invincible and insurmountable movement , which pusheth on all knowing natures towards god , is without doubt , and operates perpetually in just souls , and in reprobated souls ; but it is there , and operates there very diversly . the just souls have found the good they sought , they are arrived to the term they have so long persued ; they imbrace it ; they possess it ; they lose themselves ; they plunge themselves ; drown and ingulph themselves in it . when they are arrived to the place of their repose , to the center of their desires , to the port of their wishes , they have nothing more to follow , to search after in this fortunate state they p●ssess , because they taste with an inexplicable tranquility , and an incomprehensible satiety the sove●eign good , and therefore are fully satisfied , content and quiet : but this tranquility and this satiety does ●●t lull them to sleep , nor ever cloy them the will ●atisfied , and arrived to its term does not cease proceeding on always . it operates and sturs up it self eternally ; in a most happy repose these holy souls are always satisfied , and always a hungary , always at quiet , and always sturred up they will and desire always , that which they have and would always have more ; for they are immediately united to the sovereign good , and to all his joys , and are always till vehemently desirous of being more united to ●im . thus the will hath its excellency and per●ection in holy souls , without any of the imper●ections , it is at present subject to ; for now it 's not ●ble to ballance it self betwixt true and false good , for at present it 's sotting and wavering betwixt the false images of good , which the immagination and the senses presents to it in the present state , and betwixt the true and solid goods which instinct and reason , philosophy and religion preposses to it : it is happily drawn in by the presence and injoyments of the sovereign good , whose immensity draws them and carries them by force , and fastens them to his sovereign beauty and to his soverig● delights ; for it 's his wisdom in whom they see the source of good and as it were , all the true treasure and foundation of life giving excellencies , and , therefore cannot be turned aside by any false good ; but there is a vast difference betwixt these happy souls , and the souls o● the reprobate , as to their final state ; for as to the latter of these , the fountain of good repulses them , and throws them back from the vision o● glory , and in the same time , wounds and transperce● them with a thousand deadly darts ; they are et●rnally thirsting after pleasure , but have eternally nothing but grief , pain and dispair , for their portion : so that the will placed in them , to be the beginning and seat of their happiness , is found to be the eternal principle and seat of their unhappiness and dispair ; for as all the agreeable passions will be in holy souls so all the afflicting ones will be in reprobate souls . the dispair of the soul lies in the seeing and perceiving the impossibilities of a voiding evil , and the not being able to attain the good she persues , which must needs be a dejection and a discouragement , accompanied with profound sadness , because of this crue sentiment of privation , and yet by some is called truly and properly voluntary , because the will is tha● motion , by which the soul is driven on invincibly to●wards god , to unite her self , and to be united to him , which is the love of god in general , and ma● be called properly voluntary ; for when the go● which is aspired after cannot be acquired , dispair b● consequence succeeds ; for the resentment of the appetite preceeds from the dismal thoughts , that 't is impossible to acquire the good so much wished for ; for we should not be afflicted , penetrated and overwhelm'd with the privation of good if we did not love it , which made st. augustin say , that the eternal dispair of the reprobates in hell , is a true love of the sovereign good ; but this being a nicity that concerns us not , we may not with saifty dive into it , or amuse our selves about it ; but strive to be cloathed with the true love of god , whereby we are sure we may be qualified to enjoy the full bliss of heaven ; the true hopes of which fills every holy soul with exceeding joy , even such reviving joy as may give him some small glimmerings , even in this life ; of what hereafter will undoubtedly be his portion in those glorious regions above , where every true penitent will be a favorite of that great tremendious king , who is the searcher of every heart and observer of every action here , and the infinite rewarder of every virtue hereafter . to him therefore be glory and praise , might , majesty and dominion ascribed by us , ●nd all the whole creation , now and for ever . a recapitulation of the moral consequences , drawn from what have been established concerning our souls , and for the conviction of our duties , and the condemnation of disorder . no man of reason can believe that ingratitude is an ornament to nature ; or , that injustice me●s a reward , nor that treachery is a virtue , or an honest and commendable quality ; nor on the contrary that justice , fidelity and gratitude are things condemnable and wicked . men make laws according to their fancy , they make themselves obey'd , for fear of punishment , when they have the power in their hands . but it 's remarkable , that men who make laws cannot make themselves obey'd , nor be beloved or beleived , when they act things disagreeable : for unjust and tyrannical laws , people pay only an exterior obedience to their commands ; but the heart and the spirit cries out and demand● justice , from him whom all men naturally feel over their heads , as a protector of justice , and an avenge● of oppression and unjust authority . we sometime receive unjust laws , but we do not believe them to be just for all that ; but , as to the natural laws o● duty and consciences all men receive them , and be lieve by an invincible determination of a superio● light , which equally perswades them alike ; for natural light convinces us with invincible force ; and this is an infallible character of natural light. conscience is then in us undoubtedly natural , and as certain as it is an essential companion of our nature and a propriety inseparable from our soul : from hence arises in us , by the help of grace , all mora● and christian virtues ; because it is impossible to conceive that corporeal nature can be the subject o● magnanimity , of justice , of fidelity , of continenc● and of truth ; for a corporeal nature alone canno● have the light of order , or of duty , or the inclination , or determination of duty , or the pleasure o● performance , or the pain of the violation of duty for duty , order and justice have no bodies , they ar● things totally spiritual and intelligible ; and , there fore without the assistance of the soul cannot hav● the idea or the sentiment of them , because it is by the soul that they are ingrafted , and poured into ou● corporeal nature . god having assembled togethe● both these in one single whole , not as one ; but acting by this indubitable method god have prescribed , by reason of their dependance one upon another , or to say better , the union betwixt each other , and are all animated with one and the same influence of divine life , and marked with one and the same resemblance , and equally impelled by the same love of duty : for which reason we are obliged to love and to accomplish all the extents of justice , of truth , of charity , and of civility , and of mutual or reciprocal respect towards all men , upon the consideration that this life is short and troublesome , and all things in it are frail and perishable , and the noblest pleasures in it are essentially false , as well as empty ; they leave the heart , even during this life , sick and famished , and if not retired from before death , they will leave the soul eternally , deceived by a cruel privation , and an insupportable desolation of regret . for the best injoyments of this life are a perpetual alternativeness of real cares and torments , all things here being but false shadows of repose and lucid intervals of reason , a theater of eternal mutations , a chain interlinked with short and transitory felicities , and long and durable miseries , a vehement and impetuous whirl-wind of hurry and ambition , which after having much tormented and agitated the body and soul , having raised a thousand snares in the heart and spirit , it disappears into air and smoak ; for so it is that this life doth not exercise it self , but upon the false and perishable objects of time , and ●s deceitful and deceiving oeconomy ; whereas the n●ture life exercises it self upon objects wholly true , and wholly solid ; because the future life is ●ut , as it were , one day , all uniformity ; for there very holy soul will eternally be united to eversting triumphs and felicities , for there every soul ●ill be essentially living , infinite happy and joyous ; no here it have been exercised in trouble , in the future life it shall rest in glory and endless felicities , as the apostle saith , such as eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor heart conceived , cor. . . much less can the feeble eloquence of man express , by any description that his idea or sentiment can conceive to put into method to declare , or so much as describe . our soul is said to commence when it goes out of the body . that which we call time is taken either by relation to the duration of the abode of every soul in its body , or by relation to the duration of the whole present oeconomy of the visible world , destined to the tryal of the souls in the bodys ; and in whatsoever signification we take time , in opposition to eternity , it signifies precisely a state of instability , of change and vicissitude , i. e. a state which ought to have an end ; for these are two things which enter essentially into the idea , which is called time vicissitude , and end ; the space of the duration that our souls are in our bodies , is called time , for these two reasons . first , because it is to have an end . and secondly , because in the interim , so long as it endures , it holds us exposed to a thousand chainges and vicissitudes ; and , which is to be lamented , that vicissitude of being obnoxious to pass from good to evil , from virtue to sin , to crimes or vice ; but on the contrary , eternity is immutable and an interminable state and order of things : as much as time includes instability and end , so much does eternity excludes both ; time speaks change● and end , eternity speaks the being always the same and never ending . thus as our present state in the body is time , so our future state out of the bod● is eternity , the due consideration of which ought to penetrate us , and cause a general and universa● change in our ideas , that now in time we may s● prepare for eternity , that we may be eternally happy when time shall be no more . now of these tw● states , the one appears infinitly precious and essential , and the other infinitly despisable : we ought therefore earnestly to endeavour , to render our selves worthy of being rewarded by him , to whom the secrets of all hearts are at present unclosed ; and now immediately relate our selves to him , by our confession of our dependance upon his supereminent excellency over us , and over all the world , that we may ●●el indubitably the pleasures and delights which he contains ; for his goodness is ready to discover the charms and beauty of his sovereign nature , to all ●ho desire to be united to him , by shewing love and charity to all their christian brethren ; that when god ●hall make up his jewels , they may be found worthy of ●eward at the end of the present oeconomy , when his m●jesty shall put an end to the vicissitudes of time , when ●e shall fix all things in an immutable and an eternal or●er , when he will give a beginning to the new world , ●nd when he will re-establish all the bodies , and re●nite every soul to that body which she animated , ●pring this present life ; this will ●e do who calls ●●mself the resurrection and the life , the first born ●mongst the dead , the father of ages to come , he 〈◊〉 whom we are all raised up again , in a mistery and ●● a figure , and will undoubtedly raise us effectually 〈◊〉 the last day : for then we shall be even in our ●odies like angels , disfranchised from the businesses , ●d the inclinations which we have upon the occaons of the body . st. paul also teaches us , that our ●odies shall be spiritualized , and we may upon this ●●inciple decide with certainty , that the re-union of ●odies doth not at all change the foundation of that ●●ate of the soul out of the body ; the manner and ●●● cumstances , whereof we have been illustrating : ●r when our bodies shall be spiritualized by the ●surrection , they shall be no more a charge to the 〈◊〉 ; tho the learned say , that the nature of our ●dies shall not be chainged , so as to become know●● natures , or cease to be extended substances ; but that the body shall be no more an obstacle , o● hinderance in any thing to the soul ; but our bodies will serve to do honour and glory to the god of nature our bodies after they are raised , will have a perfect and sovereign agility , that is to say , an intire indifference for all sorts of motion , which will cause them without any resistance to be carried every where whether the souls would have them ; for then they will have neither levity nor gravity , but will be a●● light as the air , and as swift as a thought ; th● bodies of themselves have not either lightness 〈◊〉 weight , so as to ascend or descend ; but being afters they are raised from the grave spiritualized , the● will by the almighty power be able to do this , whe● our bodies shall be replaced with our souls ; and ou● whole man will be replaced in a much purer structure than ever it was at first , before it was defile by sin. from whence we may see the excellen●● train of the divine system of religion , which without doubt clear and certain , that the univers●● resurrection will be a circumstance of that glorious solemnity of justice , which god will make at th● consummation of ages , for the consecration of h● eternal temple , for the overture and commenc●ment of his immortal reign , for the solemn coronation of his royal majesty , and for the compleat tr●●umph of man-god , for the justification of his pr●vidence , and the full declaration , and ma●●festatio of his glorious will , at the end of this prese●● oeconomy of time. the scripture speaks of ho●souls , as if they had the pleasure of walking on th● globes of the heavens , and to be in the midst of th● stars , to walk upon the sun and the moon after t●● manner of spirits ; it accommodates it self to o● ross manner of speaking , and of conceiving t● most spiritual things under corporeal forms , whic● may be called a clear distinct idea of the visib●● world , which god gives to just souls ; they wa● after their manner upon the arches of heaven ; they are capable of being at the same time at both the poles of the world ; they are said to fill its whole extent ; they are in both the hemispheres . their horizon is not at all a limited horizon , which never permits us to see here but a little portion of the universe ; it is not bounded . but by the bounds of nature , we do not at present see these heavenly bodies , but only these parts of them , which reflects the light upon us : we do not see the sun , the moon , the stars , and the terraqueous globe of the earth and the seas , but only one side of them . but the pure souls immediately ●nlightned by god , as they are , they see at the same ●ime the whole globe of the sun , all the face of the moon , both the hemispheres of the earth ; there is ●o antipodes to them , they all see at one view all the ●air prospects of nature , and all the beautiful table of ●he visible world ; for besides that , their knowledg , universal in this respect ; so it is not at all successive , ●ut all full and clear at once , so that they see all things , least by reflection , by which we compare one ●hing with the other , to observe diversities and sin●●arities , by which we pass on , from that we know that we do not as yet know , which may be called ●e proper species of reasoning , which brings into the ●orld all the arts and sciences as proper means to tend knowledge , as is an effort and agitation of ●hought ; but this is to be understood of the pre●●● life ; but what we spake before , we spake of 〈◊〉 future life , i. e. of pure souls made glorious by majesty on high , who presides over all our know●●ge , and over all our sentiments , and causes them us , in spite of us ; and all this by the assistance of 〈◊〉 admirable and illuminating wisdom , which are 〈◊〉 ess●ntial character and attributes of that which 〈◊〉 call divinity , or supreame nature , so that a re●●e and an attentive man cannot be ignorant of 〈◊〉 excellent truths , by the assistance of the provident wisdom of our great creator ; for he it is that teaches us , that the luminous body of the sun with the firmament shews perpetually his glory ; every thing sympathysing with each other in the mistaken miseries , which men call good , till their spiritual eyes are open , and they see they are deluded by great mistake , when the sensation , by which one man doth see and understand an other , is made with a confus'd sentiment of pleasure , and with a certain agreement which carries a desire of being united to him , and which makes one man pleased with another , that is called sympathy . and , when on the contrary , this sensation is made with confused sentiments o● disagreement and straingeness , that is called antipathy . and this is the general idea of sensation , which are the knowledges that we have by the determination of present objects , by which we are able to chuse to do acts free and voluntary , tho there is 〈◊〉 distinction to be made betwixt free acts and volu●●tary acts ; for every thing that is free is voluntary but every thing that is voluntary is not free ; but no thing is voluntary in us but what is made by the determination of the will ; for this is a necessary and i●●vincible motion of our souls towards god , causing 〈◊〉 invincibly to love good in general , with a full dete●mination of our mind and will , by the which also w●● shun evil , and every thing that hurts and afflicts 〈◊〉 and we persue some times one particular good tha● an other , as they more or less immediately concer● us ; for liberty is always accompanied with the wil● now liberty is precisely that empire which we ha● of being able to determine our selves , which to chu●● and which to refuse , when the objects are present● to the perceptive faculty of the soul. we m● easily shut our eyes , and not let that reflective lig ● to enter in , from the superficies of the object , whi●● ingraves it in our retina : but , yet we cannot hind ● the impression of light , if once it be entred into 〈◊〉 eyes , nor that ordor of savor , if they have affected those nerves which are proper to carry the impression of them to the brain . but our soul cannot see the objects in those passages of the brain , nor the species , as in pictures as we have endeavoured to ●llustrate in our former presuppositions : this is a thing which we know by an indubitable sentiment . we may then presuppose that it is not all these ta●les , whereon the soul sees the object ; she being formally knowing , having in her self a lively representation , or an inward sentiment of the objects which ●●ders themselves present by the material impression , ●hich is received in the body by the assistance of the ●ctive faculty of thinking , which is sometimes cal●●d the faculty of reasoning ; for by these the ob●cts which strike the senses are lively represented tobe passive , or the active faculty of the thinking soul , ●hich come from the diversity of the temperament , ●nd from the material structure and harmony of the ●ody , by which the understanding , the judgement , ●d the memory , with all the other natural quali●● receives advantage , to act every one its part ●hen occasion shall present in its proper season ; for ●e soul is inclined to all great and transcendant ●●ings : the mind is sometimes said to be the soul , ●●erting its power into heroick actions , wherefore great soul is magnanimous in effect , i. e. when our ●nd is applied to mighty objects ; and such a one said to be the son of eternal power , and the friend infinite goodness , a man whose inward state is raculous , and his complexion divine , because he lights in the celestial way of true bliss , he turns his ●mporeal riches into obligations , by wining souls god , and thus gaining the affections of the ●se . for to be rich in the hearts and affections good people can be no deformity , and every such ●n is , as it were , his own end , while he considers it 〈◊〉 ; for nothing is more conducive to the 〈…〉 honour of the holy man , than to be bountiful and munificient ; for this proves true riches to his own soul , and puts a double lustre upon that noble jewel , for this beautifies it , and makes it truly aimable and praise worthy ; all these being shut up in goodness . for these men make themselves truly great by enriching others , for the eccho of their works are sweet , and pleasing in the ears of all that are surrounded with them ; and may be said to be like the sun in the rays of his glory , and reigns like a king by the sole power of virtue , and thus beautifies their religion ; for these delight in the felicity of all that accost them , and thus puts embroiderie on religion by the chearfulness of their spirits , and the heroick actions of their souls , and thus carries a light wher●ever they go , and attracts the esteem● of every good person ; so that these men move in a sphere of wonders ; their lives are a continua● strem of miracles , for they are always sacrificing their persons and possessions to the benefit of th● world. benifits and blessings are their life-guard , fo● that they live holy and temperate , and strive to i●●mediate the wisdom of angels , whose guardian sh● is never wanting to their assistance ; so that their i●ward house is a habitation of joy and felicity , an● so brightens their outward behaviour , that almost a● their actions yields a spectacle of contentment 〈◊〉 every beholder : there is a generous confidence dcoursed in all their actions , and some glimps of he●ven in all their behaviour : therefore a life beautifie with virtues is the greatest gift that can be give to man. for the return of it in holy actions is a●ceptable to god : for when all things shall be r●vealed , the life of these secret persons shall perfect appear in all their perfections . may we therefore careful to adorn our persons and palaces with th● kind of riches , seeing they are so delectable a● pleasant : for these men have a love within the souls , that is willing to impart all these incomprehensible treasures and glories to every soul , for such a mind and such affections must perfume and e●rich our sacrifices : for the greatness and goodness of our souls consists in such inlargements ; for a will inlarged with an infinite fancy is a prodigious depth of goodness ; for infinite desires and intentions of pleasing god are real objects to his eye , for such a soul being all love , would do millons of things for ●ts object : for infinite love puts an infinite value on the gift , wherefore it must needs be magnificence to give a gift of infinite value ; and infinite valuable every good and pious action , in the eyes of him , who have told us , that no thought or action shall ●emain uncovered , but every thought , word and action shall be seen clearly by all for ever : and all ●hall be admired for their inward piety and holiness , ●nd every discovery of virtue in one shall be an occasion of joy in each other ; so that every secret vir●e that have been long concealed , but only to those ●ho have enjoyed the benefit of it , shall be a new ●ause of eternal joy to all , when in heaven it shall clearly discovered . for our actions in passing , pass ot away , but in the sphere of our life abideth for 〈◊〉 ; so that a good man's life all at once is a myerious object , interwoven with many thoughts , ●ccurrences and transactions ; and ought to be pre●●ted to god like a ring , a garland , or a jewel to a ●agnificent benefactor : therefore we had need to be ●ry choice in the mixture of our flowers , and cu●●ous in the enammel of so rare a present , that it may ●ove to us a royal diadem , to adorn our souls for 〈◊〉 : therefore to let any dirt or blemish be in it , ●ould be inconsistent to our felicity : therefore ●ight and clear apprehensions , divine , and ardent ●ffections are highly necessary to this compleatment , ●eing upon the sincerity of the affections and intenons depends the honour of the work , it concerns every one therefore to cleans his heart from all impurity and insincerity , that his whole man may be an acceptable present to god , that his infinite immensity may graciously accept him , and all his works ; for his wisdom never rejected the sincere , but endews them with inward and outward ornaments , such as an infinite clesi●e and delight in goodness , enabling them always to love his eternal majesty , with an infinite love , and deiight , greatly thirsting to be fully satisfied with him , and him only ; for the soul is to noble a thing to be satisfied with any thing less than his transcendent majesty , whose goodness extends to all , even to the unthankful : but he is most the friend of those who delight most in him , for infinite love and eternal blessedness are near ally'd ; for all delight springs from the satisfaction of violent desires , for which cause , when the desire is forgotten the delights are abated . the coming of a crown● and the joy of a kingdom , is far more quick and powerful in the surprize and novelty of the glory , than the length of its continuance . the greate● part of our eternal happiness consist in a greatfu● recognition , not only of our joys to come , but o●● benefits already received . true contentment is th● full satisfaction of a knowing mind , i. e. a long habi● of solid repose , after much study and serious consi●●deration , or a free and easie mind attended with plea●sure , that naturally ariseth from ones present cond●tion ; yet to be content without a true cause , is t●● fit down in our imperfections , and to seek all on● bliss in ones self alone , and , as it were , to scorn a● other objects , which is in it self a high piece of pride that renders a man good for nothing , but makes him arrogant and presumptious in the midst of his blind●ness ; whereby he leads a living death by shuting u● his soul in a grave , in that it tramples under fo●● the essence of his soul , which in truth turns his f●licity to malevolence and misery , or in other word disorder and confusion : therefore man is an unwelcome creature to himself , till he can delight in his present condition , provided his condition be such as is pleasing in the sight of god ; for this must be the condition that can make our pleasure exquisite : for otherways we shall be tormented with the contriety of our desires . the happiness of a contented spirit consists not only in the fruition of its bliss , but in the fruits and effects it produceth in our lives , which makes every virtuous man truly great within , and glorious in his retirements , magnanimity and content are very near aly'd , they spring from the same parents , but are of several features . fortitude and patience are kindred too , to this incomparable virtue , for these fill a man with true pleasure and great treasure , which makes him magnanimous and truly great , not in his own thoughts but in the sight of god : the magnanimous soul is always awake , the whole globe of earth is but a nut-shel in comparison of his injoyments ; for god alone is his sovereign delight and supreame complacency : so that nothing is great if compared to a magnanimous soul , but the sovereign lord of all worlds . but man divided from god is a weak and inconsiderable creature : but every soul united to god is a transcendent and celestial thing , for god is its life , its greatness , and its power , its blessedness and perfection ; for he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit , cor. . . his omnipresence and eternity fills the holy soul , and makes it able to contain all heights , and depths , and lenghts , and breadths whatsoever . in a word , it 's the desire of every such soul to be filled with the fulness of god. magnanimous desires are the natural results of a magnanimous capacity , the desire of being like god , of knowing good and evil. but in a grosser sence , this was the destruction of the old world : not that it is unlawful to desire to be like god , but to aspire to the perfection in a forbidden way , by disobedience and following our own inventions , by seeking to the creatures in opposition to the great creator . a magnanimous soul if we respect its capacity , is an immovable sphere of power and knowledge , far greater than all worlds , by its virtue and power that it passeth through all things , the centre of the earth , and through all existencies ; and allsuch creatures as these he counteth but vanity and trifles in comparison of his true object , the great almighty , whose transcendent goodness desendeth in full showers upon all men , by his communitive goodness which is freely extended to every man. the seven last words our saviour spoke upon the cross . i. father forgive them , for they know not what they do . o lord , forgive me , wherein i have forgot thy presepts , and done that which is evil. to the good thief , ii. this day shalt thou be with me in paridise . o god , say to my soul , in the day when thou takest it from my body , this day shall thou be with me in heaven . iii. woman behold thy son. in futurity let me behold the vision of bliss . iv. eli , eli , lama sabachthani ? that is to say , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me . forsake me not in my greatest afflictions . v. i thirst . grant that i may thirst for thee the fountain of living waters . vi. father into thy hands i commend my spirit . receive my soul when it is returning unto thee . vii . it is finished . finish my course with joy , and grant o jesus , that i may be worthily qualified to receive that sweet voice of thine , welcome to the kingdom prepared by my father . meditation for the sick. they that glory in their ancestors , in the nobleness of their birth and blood , must make their beds in the dark , and acknowledge corruption for their father , and the worm for their mother and sister , they that are already dead , and crumble away , to make room from us that must come after them , are secluded from men , but live with angels : dust thou art , and to dust thou shalt return , gen. . . what man is he that liveth , and shall not see death , psal . . . our bodies shall return to the earth from whence they were taken , but our spirit shall return to god that gave it , eccl. . . it is appointed for all men once to die , heb. . . we must needs dye , and are as water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again , sam. . then let not the place of thy death trouble thee , for the earth is the lords , and the fulness thereof ; death lost her sting in the side of our saviour : the day of death is the day of jubilee , and frees us from all these evils ; god kisseth the righteous in their deaths , and , as it were , sucks in those souls , which he breathed into them , deut. . . it is certain that the soul so soon as it is separated from the body , is presented to god , and receives an irrevocable doom , either of woe , or weal ; those that honour me , i will honour , saith the lord , sam. . . blessed and happy is he that hath part in the first resurrection , on such the second death hath no power , but they shall be precious with god and christ , and shall reign with him . the angels which kept not their first estate , he hath reserved in everlasting chains of darkness , unto the judgment of the great day , iude . the joy of our heart is ceased , and the crown is fallen from our head , lam. . . in the days of his flesh , when he had offered up prayers and supplications , with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death , and was heard in that he feared , heb. . . the heavens shall be opened , and those everlasting doors shall be lift up that the king of glory may go forth with his angels to judge the world , and return back again with his saints , when he hath judged it . in the day of judgment a good conscience will stand us in more stead , than a mint of treasure ; therefore with st. ierome , let us make it our business , that whether we eat or drink , or whatsoever we do , we may think we hear the last trumpet sounding in our ears , saying , arise ye dead , and come to judgment ; let us therefore appeal from the bar of gods justice , to the bowels of his mercy , beseeching him in that day to deal with the souls of his servants , not as a severe judge , but as a merciful jesus . amen . prayers for the sick. o lord , look down from heaven , behold , visit and relieve this thy servant , look upon him with the eyes of mercy , give him comfort and sure confidence in thee , defend him from the danger of the enemy , and keep him in perpetua●● peace and safety , through jesus christ our lord amen . hear us almighty and most merciful god and saviour , extend thy accustomed goodness t● this thy servant who is grieved with sickness sanctifie we beseech thee this thy fatherly correction to him , that the sense of his weakness may ad●● strength to his faith , and seriousness to his repentance , that if it shall be thy good pleasure to restore him to his former health , he may lead th● residue of his life in thy fear , and to thy glory or give him grace so to take this thy heavenly visi●tation , that after this painful life ended , he may dwell with thee in life everlasting , through jesu● christ our lord. amen . o father of mercyes , and god of all consolation , lay no more upon him ( or her ) ther● thou wilt inable him to bear with patience courage , and contentment ; either asswage his pain● or increase his patience ; bless all those means tha● have been , or shall be used for his recovery ; eithe● shorten his sickness , or else give him grace , an● strength to bear it ; deliver him from the bitte● pangs of eternal death , and from the gates of hel● take from him the sting of his consciences , and th● extremity of sickness , anguish , or agony , that 〈◊〉 withdraw his mind from thee , through jesus christ our lord. amen . deliver him from all dangers and distress , from pain and punishment bodily and ghostly , and from all the sins and misdeeds , which by the ma●ice of the devil , or his own frailty he have at any time committed against thee . that it may please thee not to lay to his charge what in concupiscence of the eye , pride of life , vanity , or superfluity , he hath committed against thee . that it may please thee not to lay to his charge what in the fierceness of his wroth , or in the eagerness of an angry spirit he hath committed against thee . that it may please thee not to lay to his charge what in vain and idle words , in the looseness and slipperiness of the tongue he hath committed against thee . that it may please thee to make him partaker of all the mercies , and promises in christ jesus . that it may please the to vouchsafe his soul the estate of joy , bliss , and happiness with all thy blessed saints in thy heavenly kingdom . that it may please thee to give him peace , and a part in the blessed resurrection of life and glory ; we commend his soul into thy hands beseeching thee that it may be pretious ●n thy sight . o let not the blood of christ that was ●shed for all men , be spilt in vain to any , but let it be effectual to the salvation of every soul , for thy own bowels and compassion sake . amen . in the midst of life we are in death , of whom then may we seek for succor , but of thee o lord ? who for our sins are most justly displeased with us ; yet o lord most holy , o god most mighty , o holy and most merciful father , deliver us not over to the bitter pains of eternal death . thou knowest lord the secrets of our hearts , o shut not up against us the ears of thy mercy , but spare us o lord most holy , o saviour most mighty , o immortal and mos● merciful redeemour . thou most worthy judge eternal , suffer us not in our last hour , for any pains of death to fall from thee , though he hath sinned , yet he seeketh thee ; and thou lord never failest them that seek thee . let not the guiltiness of a sinne● more prevail to condemn , than the gracious goodness of a most merciful father , to aquit and to pardon . o let not the unrighteousness of man make th● goodness of god of none effect , o lord , no not so remember not the unkindnesess of this thy child so as thereby thou forgottest the compassion and kindness of a father . do not so think on our sins ▪ that thou thereby forget thine own nature and property , which is always to have mercy and forgive . do not so remember our sins , that thou thereby remember not thy own name , which is jesus a most loving and kind saviour . lord is thy life in our life hath not sufficiently appeared , yet let not thy death lose the full power and effecacy thereof . suffer not , o lord , in both so great a price to perish , lose not that o lord which thou hast redeemed since thou comest to redeem that which was lost , that which was so dear to thee to redeem , suffer not to be lost as a thing of no value . oh ! most merciful and blessed saviour , have mercy upon the soul of this thy servant ; remember not his ignorance , nor the sins of his youth ; but according to thy great mercies remember him in the mercies , and glories of thy kingdom . thou , o lord , hast opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers ; let the everlasting gates be opened , and receive his soul ; let the angels who rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner , triumph ●nd be exalted in his deliverance and salvation , make him partaker of the benefits of thy holy incarnation , life , and sanctity , passion , and death , resurrection , and assension , and of all the prayers of the church , of the joy of the elect , and all the fruits of the blessed communion of saints ; and daily add to the number of thy beatified servants , such as shall be saved , that thy coming may be hastned , and the expectation of the saints may be fulfiled , and the glory of thee our lord jesus be advanced ; all the whole church singing praises to the honour of thy holy name , who livest and reignest ever one god , world without end . amen . oh ! most merciful jesu , who didst die to redeem us from death and damnation , have mercy upon this thy servant , whom thy hand has visited with sickness , of thy goodness be pleased to forgive him all his sins , and seal his hopes of glory with the refreshments of thy holy spirit . lord give him strength and confidence in thee , asswage his pain , repel the assaults of his gostly enemies , by thy mercies , and a guard of holy angels preserve him in the unity of the church , keep his senses intire , his understanding right , give him a great measure of contrition , true faith , a well grounded hope , and abundance of charity , give him a quiet and a joyful departure , let thy ministring spirits conveigh his soul to the mansions of peace and rest , there with certainty to expect a joyful resurrection , to the fulness of joy at thy right hand , where there is pleasure for evermore . amen . a prayer for a penitent . o thou who still remainest the same richfulness in thy self , and the same bright glory to all the blessed , have mercy upon me , and all mankind , in the 〈◊〉 and full pardon , and forgiveness of all our sins that ever we have committed , from our infancy to this present moment ; and indue us with thy preventing and assisting grace , that we never fall into those sins of the which we have repented ; but fill us with thy holy spirit , that we may increase in all goodness in the spirit , of might , of wisdom , and counsel , knowledge , piety , and thy holy fear , that we may do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in , by the assisting power and might of thy holy strength , which we beseech thee constantly to afford us to our last breath , that when we shall breathe out our souls , they may be received instantly to glory : and this we begg for thy sake , who didst begin to bleed and suffer for our sin , even thee o blessed jesus , who tookest that heavenly name , thy blessed purpose to proclaim . oh! may we bow our heart● and knee bright king of names to glorious thee who thus beginest our bliss , thus carriedest on our happiness , to thee all praise be paid , o great misterious three for ever live , and ever be obeyed ▪ beloved , adored by men , and angels all abroad ▪ hallelujah . o lord , make us eminent examples of perfect christianity ; and kindle in our hearts zealous emulations of thy grace , that here immitating thy life o christ , we may be constant in the truth to our last breath , that in our mouths there may not at any time be found a lie , that we may be worthy to be presented without spot , before thy throne o god ; and thou maiest exalt us to thy kingdom , and there admit us to tast of thos● glorious joys which incurcel thy blessed thron● above , to which we are intituled by the suffering o● christ our lord. oh , give us true repentance , that w● may not fail of attaining of them , though i have no● been strong enough to be perfectly innocent : yet mak● me humble enough to be truly penitent , make m● heartily sorry that ever i have done amiss , and never again dare to do that for which i am sorry ; but perpetually watch , and change my thoughts , to more diligent and concerning cares , how to redeem my mispent time with sighs , and tears , and prayers ; and prepare our understanding to assent to thy truths , and our wills to follow thy divine inspirations ; that thou o god maiest fill our memories with innumerable mercies , and our whole souls with the glory of his adorable atributes ; that thy blessed spirit may come and breathe thy spacious odor into our hearts , in these dull regions here beneath , to fill our souls with thy sweet grace , and inspire us to give all possible glory to that secret three , one ever living sovereign lord , as at the first still may be , beloved praised , feared and adored . hallelujah . o lord , open the eyes of our understanding , and shew us thy clear and supernatural light , even 〈◊〉 thou didst to the apostles , together with the whole army of martyrs ; that we may confidently ●ffirm to others what we know so infallibily cer●ain our selves : and be pleased to infuse into all ●●ens hearts the fulness of thine own divine charity , that every one may instruct his family ; and with courage and patience overcome their oppressors , that being thus illuminated with a pure and clear ●●ight , and inflamed with the ferver of grace , ●hey may mightily shew forth thy glory , and con●ert many souls to thee , that thy grace may run ●nd be glorious over all the world , and thy holy ●pirit be aimable in the hearts of every creature , ●hat all dulness may be removed from them , and they ●nay with swift glances understand the sweet will 〈◊〉 their divine master , that they may daily more and ●ore increase in virtue , and be inebriated with thy ●eavenly wine , and filled with an heroick spirit , ●●at may keep alive in their hearts the primitive grace . grant this o god who art still the same , and with an equal spirit governs the world ; replenish us all we beseech thee with the holy ghost , which warms without scorching , and shines without dim●ess , and inlightens without consuming : kindle in every one of our hearts this holy spirit of meekness , peace , and unity , that all the world may know that we belong to thee . that exercising those virtues of meekness , long suffering , patience , contentedness and charity ; thou maiest difuse thy holy joy into our breast , that may fill our hearts with strength and undaunted courage , that may duly qualify us to ascend to those satisfing joys above , where all our faculties shall be exercised in adoring and worshiping thee o lord our god , who wilt fill our souls full of joy , and ravish our hearts with overflowing pleasures , and make us ever give glory to father , son , and holy ghost , the undivided three one equal glory , one same praise , from henceforth and for ever be . hallelujah . a prayer for the rich and noble . o lord , i beseech thee , make the great and honourable become good and just , o suffer them never to consent , nor combine with the counsel of the wicked , but teach the rich and noble to lear● to wait for thy kingdom , cause them to im●ploy their wealth and power in piety , for religio● and charity , for the poor ; let them not loos● their courage in thee o king of kings , for any diffi●culties they meet with in their way , but increase thei● faith , and support their hope , that they may go o● cheerfully in their duty , firmly trusting in thee with●out being removed from the hope of a blessed acce●●tance and a sure reward . o make them diligent 〈◊〉 all their indeavours , by removing all lets and hinderances of piety , cause them religiously to trust in thy never failling goodness , which will rather work a miracle , which thy power can do : then forsake or slight thy servants which thy goodness cannot , let the firm assurance of this support them in every centre of their lives , that they may always dedicate themselves to thy service , striving to be beneficial to the poor , that so at ●ength both poor and rich may meet together in the kingdom of glory , to praise the eternal king for ever and ever . amen . a charitable prayer for the conversion of all hereticks . o thou all-knowing being , have mercy upon the church of rome , bless her with the choicest and ●he richest of thy blessings , power on her a double portion of thy spirit , illuminate her with thy truth , ●urge out of her all errors , heresie and superstition , ●nd whatsoever is contrary to truth ; make her such ●s she once was , a pure , spotless , and holy church , ●●ee her from all those abominations which now she 〈◊〉 involved in , illuminate her once again with the ●right beams of thy pure truth , that she may see ●er errors , and forsake them , and cleave only to thee , 〈◊〉 god , that she may become such as thou canst not ●huse but love , and be delighted with ; take from her ●hatsoever displeaseth thee , make her pure , spotless ●nd innocent , full of charity and good fruits , free ●er from all those superstitions and corruptions she ●ave of late imbrac'd . with her , be merciful to all ●ther churches , which differ from the ancient truth , ●ake us all one sheepfold , under one shepherd christ ●●sus , that we may all give thee honor and praise is most justly due ; compleat that promise of giving thy son the heathen for his heritage , and the utmost parts of the earth for his possessions . bless the king 's most excellent majesty , james , by thy grace , of great brittain and ireland , supream governor , bind up his soul in the bundle of life , give him a long and prosperous reign , with abundance of peace and plenty , and when , at length , it shall please thee to gather him to his fathers , crown him with immortal glory . and with him , bless his queen , with queen dowager , their royal highnesses william and mary , the prince and princeses of orange , and the princess anne of denmark , make them instruments of much good to the church of england , and these nations , and give them a crown of immortal glory in thy heavenly kingdom . bless all the nobility , the judges , and the gentry , with the whole commonalty of these nations , give them all true faith and fear to thee their god , loyalty to our gracious sovereign , and brotherly love and charity one towards another ; and bless with the choicest of thy blessings the clergy of this nation , the most reverend the arch-bishops , and the right reverend the bishops , with all priests and deacons : grant , we beseech thee , that thy grace may illustriously appear in them , that by the holiness of their lives , and the soundness of their doctrine , they may bring many souls to the obedience of our most holy faith ; and because no man's greatness or wisdom can secure him from the grave . we beg thee , bless all schools and nurseries of piety and learning , especially the two universities of our land , that from thence may proceed men able and willing , to tell judah of her sins and israel of her transgressions , and be mindful o● those who suffer affliction with joseph ; comfort all those who in this transitory life , are in trouble , sorrow , need , sickness , or any other calamity , suppor● them under , and give them a happy issue out of al● their troubles , bind up their souls wounds , and fi●● their spirits with joy and gladness ; be with all those that are going through the valley of the shadow of death , let thy holy angels conduct them safe to thy eternal kingdom , let the blood of jesus bespeak their peace with thee , appoint those blessed spirits to bring their souls safe into bliss and glory ; make us all , we pray thee , mindful of our departure , that from thenceforth , we may be for ever happy : mean time , make us all truly thankful to thee , for all spiritual and temporal mercy to us , for the blessed use of thy word and sacraments , for food and nourishment , and for all the blessings we daily injoy , health , peace and liberty , for all the conveniencies of this life , and for the means and hopes of a better . o impress in our minds , the lovely idea of thy majesty , that we may seek to worship and adore thee according to thy excellent greatness , who art infinitely worthy of all praise , honour and glory . o inlarge our souls to pay thee such praises , as may be in some degree worthy of thee , or at least , such as thou wilt be graciously pleased to accept . these mercies we beg of thee , for jesus christ's sake : to whom with thee , o father , and the eternal spirit , be all honour , glory , power and praise , might , majesty , and dominion , now henceforth and for ever . hallelujah . o lord , i beseech thee , to magnify thy power in my preservation , that my feeble knees fains not ; preserve me from all unconstancy and deceitfulness of heart , that i may be presented to thee , pure and unblamable : be not wroth with us very sore , neither remember our iniquities for ever ; but cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary , which is in danger of being desolate . give ease to those that are in pain , supplies to all that are in want. give presumptious sinners a deep sense of their sins , and a true sight of thy mercies to all that are in despair , that they may ●ot cast away their confidence in thee , nor place it any where but in thee : abhor them not , nor cast them away in displeasure ; but wean all our hearts from the love of this world , and dispose of us as thy all-wise counsel have determined , but c●use us to set our affections above , where thou , o king of glory , seteth at the right hand of thy father , to interceed for us , that all our weaknesses may be pitied , our sins pardoned , our graces strengthened , and our souls eternally saved . in all our pains of body , and agonies of spirit , give us thy refreshing comforts , endew us with patience and courage , fortitude , and a full measure of faith , to bear , to undergo and to overcome ; look , with compassion , upon all poor creatures that draw near the approaches of death , open the gates of thy everlasting mercy to them , and receive them to thy favour ; cause death to be to them a joyful gate of glory , and an entrance into everlasting bliss , for thine own bowels and compassion sake . amen . a prayer for a member of the church of england . o lord take not off thy afflicting hand , till i am reformed , and my sins consumed ; suffer me never to receive the least check against , nor disaffection to the true religion established in ( the church of ) england : let me return an humble denial to all that shall propose such an unreasonable question to me ; but if my denial will not suffice in this case , give me courage rather to part from my life , than to forsake my faith ; and if my case be so happy , give me grace , with chearfulness , to pray for my persecutors , though dying by their cruelty , that i may deeply impress constancy and true courage in the hearts of all my spectators , that we all may sacrifice our wills to god before our bodies , and both , whenever it shall please him to require them at our hands ; assist us in the doing this , by the powerful operations of thy divine grace , which we beseech thee , always plentifully to supply us with , for thy mercy sake . amen . o lord have mercy upon our parents , let th● souls be bound up in the bundle of life grant them grace to live a quiet and peaceable , just and honest life here , that when they come t● die they may live with thee , and thy christ in th● heavenly kingdom . look not upon their merit but pardon their offences , for thy bowels an● compassions sake , to whom be all honour and glor● world without end . amen . a prayer at receiving the holy sacrament . o lord and heavenly father , we thy humble se●●vants beseech thy fatherly goodness to loo● down from heaven , thy holy habitation , th● throne of thy glory , with an eye of pitty and compassion upon us thy servants , let not our sins hinde● our prayers from ascending up unto thee , or preven● thy mercies coming down upon us ; but come we pray thee , and sanctifie these souls and bodies o● ours , and make them fit habitations for thy holy spirit to dwell in ; and come sanctifie these thy creatures , to the end , for which we receive them , that the receiving the blessed sacrament may be unto us , for the conformation of our faith , for the strengthning our hope , and for the pardoning of all our sins , and for the increase of all thy graces in us , that the pal●ate of our souls may be so changed thereby , that we may relish nothing besides thee ; but hunger and thirst after this bread of life , and cup of salvation , till we change this place of misery , to enjoy thy presence in thy heavenly kingdom , for ever and ever . amen . finis . errata . page . line . for whose , read what . p. . l. . r. the judge of . p. . l. . r. nor repine . p. . l. . 〈◊〉 . exclude . iob militant with meditations diuine and morall. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) iob militant with meditations diuine and morall. by fra. quarles. quarles, francis, - . [ ] p. printed by felix kyngston for george winder, and are to bee sold at his shop in saint dunstons churchyard in fleetstreet, london : . in verse. signatures: a-o⁴ p² . the first leaf is blank. reproduction of the original in yale university. library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng job -- (biblical figure) -- poetry -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion iob militant : with meditations divine and morall . horat. car . lib. . ode . — dijs , pietas mea , et musa , cordiest . — by fra. qvarles . sapientia pacem pax opvlentiam . f k london , printed by felix kyngston for george winder , and are to bee sold at his shop in saint dunstons churchyard in fleetstreet . . to the high and thrice illvstriovs prince , charles , prince of wales , duke of cornwall and yorke , albany and rothsay , marquesse of ormont , earle of rosse , and baron of armanoch , high seneschall of scotland , lord of the iles , and knight of the most noble order of the garter . thrice-hopefull earnest of a royall race , whom art and nature , to returne compleate , haue pray'd the aide of a diuiner grace , whereby thou art a prince , as good , as great ; nature and art haue both been proud e're since , in their composure of so rare a prince . rare prince , oh! let the influence of thy quickning ray affect these faint , and indisposed lines , that they may flourish , as the child of may , and clime , like fresh aurora's eglentines ; that , by the smell , the world may know , this flowre hath had th' aspect of such a sunne , as you are . before the luster of so pure a light , my prostrate heart ( swolne big with loyaltic ) presents this legend of a sad delight ; which if made glorious with thy pleased eyc , my workes are crowned with like honour , done by princely caesar , and his princely sonne . your highnesses , in choyce affection , and chaste loyaltie , francis quarles . a preface to the reader . i present thee with a new worke , a work difficult and intricate , wherein ( i confesse ) i had suffered shipwracke on the first shore , had i not been steared by the better pilots , by whose compasse i haue securely sayled , and ( weather-beaten , ) i salute thee serious reader . i commend to thee heere the historie of iob , in part , periphrased ; in part , abridged . it is not of the nature of a parable ( whereon historicall faith depends not , ) no feigned thing , or counterfeite sceane ( as many rash heads would , ) but a true and faithfull record of reall passages , as appeares by the holy scriptures , where the spirit of god pleaseth to mention the name of this our iob. and saint chrysostome in some of his writings , saith ; that his sepulcher in his dayes was to be seene in arabia foelix . who this iob was , and from what stock descended , it shall appeare by the consent of the most famous and ancient writers , who absolutely deriue him from the loynes of esau : of which opinion is origen in epist . ad iulium affricanum . saint augustine . de ciuit. dei , . saint chrysostome , concione , . de lazaro . saint gregorie in praefat . and many more , besides the septuagints , who in these words ( post balac autem iobab qui vocatur iob ) conclude , that iob is but the contraction of iobab , which iobab is of the lineage of esau , as appeares in his * genealogie . but the aduersaries to this opinion ( who deriue him from abraham by keturah ) obiect , that esau and his seede were accursed by god , therefore iob could not ( being so vpright a man ) spring from so tainted a generation . to which i answere , that , though esau bee said to bee expulsus à primogenitura ; yet wee reade not , that hee is exclusus à foedere . and when god in iustice curses a generation in generall , yet his mercie ( neuerthelesse ) which is endlesse , hee may extend to some in that off-spring in particular . touching the time when these things were done , it is thought , that it was before moses penned the law , and much about the dayes , when the children of israel were captiu'd by pharaoh . who the pen-man was , is not directly concluded , and to small purpose to bee enquired : gregorius romanus saith , that it is in vaine to enquire the writer , where it is certaine , the holy spirit is the author ; yet by some it is ( nor without some ground ) imagined , that it was done by the penne of moses , ( when hee fled into midian , after hee slew the egyptian , ) in hexameter verses , from the third chapter , to the fifth verse of the last . to conclude , reader , i commit this my booke to thy fairer disposition . as for censures , i am so ouer-bold , that i feare none , and i should be ouer-wise , if i deserued none . an si quis atro dente me petiuerit , inultus , vt flebo , puer ? farewell . the proposition of the worke . would'st thou discouer in a curious map , that iland , which fond worldlings cal , mishap , surrounded with a sea of brinie teares , the rocky dangers , and the boggie feares , the stormes of trouble , the afflicted nation , the heauy soyle , the lowly situation ? on wretched iob , then spend thy weeping eye , and see the colours painted curiously . would'st thou behold a tragick sceane of sorrow , whose wofull plot , the author did not borrow from sad inuention ? the sable stage , the liuely actors , with their equipage ? the musick made of sighes , the songs of cryes , the sad spectators , with their watry eyes ? behold all this , comprized here in one , expect the plaudit , when the play is done . or would'st thou see a well-built pinnace tost vpon the swelling ocean , split ( almost ) now , on a churlish rocke , now , fiercely striuing with labouring winds , now , desperately driuing vpon the boyling sands , her storme-rent flags , her maine-mast broke , her canuas torne to rags , her treasure lost , her men with lightning slaine , and left a wreck to the relentlesse maine ? this , this and more , vnto your moystned eyes , our patient iob shall liuely moralize . would'st thou behold vnparalell'd distresse , which minds cannot out-thinke , nor tongues expresse full to the life ; the anuill , whereupon mischiefe doth worke her master-piece , for none to imitate ; the dire anatomie of ( curiously dissected ) miserie ; the face of sorrow , in her stearnest lookes , the rufull arg'ment of all tragick bookes ? in briefe , would tender eyes endure to see ( summ'd vp ) the greatest sorrowes , that can be ? behold they then , poore iob afflicted here , and each beholder spend ( at least ) his teare . the generall argvment of the historie . iob , tryed of god , by the losse of his children , goods and health , is tempted by his friends to despaire , and by his wife to blasphemie ; neuerthelesse , continues patient for a while ; but at last yeelds to passion , curses his birth-day , and wishes death . his wife and three friends condemne him of hypocrisie ; iob defends his speeches , gods iustice , and his owne integritie , blaming his friends for handling gods cause to an ill end , and for accusing him without a cause . at length elihu makes a modest agreement betweene them , reprooues them al ; him , for not handling a good cause well ; and them , for handling a bad cause , though well . hee teaches iob gods greatnesse by his works , and that man ought not to pleade with his maker . in fine , god himselfe out of a cloud , confirmes elihu's words , by example from his workes , puts iob to silence , to confession and repentance , rebukes his three friends , commands reconciliation , restores iob his health , doubles his former wealth , and giues him a second issue of his body . to the great tetragramaton , lord paramovnt of heaven and earth : his humble seruant dedicates himselfe , and implores the enfranchising of his muse . great god , the indebted prayses of thy glorie , if man should smother , or his muse waxe faint to number forth ; the stones would make cōplaint , and write a neuer-ending storie , and , not without iust reason , say , mens hearts are more chdure then they . dismount from heauen ( o thou diuiner power ) handsell my slender pipe , breathe ( thou ) vpon it , that it may run an euerlasting sonnet , which enuious time may not deuower : oh , let it sing to after-dayes ( when i am dust ) thy lowder prayse . direct the footsteps of my sober muse to tread thy glorious path : for , be it knowne , she onely seekes thy glorie , not her owne , nor rouzed for a second vse ; if otherwise , o! may she neuer sing more , but be struck dumbe for euer . iob militant . the argvment . iobs lineage and integritie , his issue , wealth , prosperitie , his childrens holy feast : his wise forecast , and zealous sacrifice . sect. . not far from casius , in whose bountious wombe , great pompeys dust lies crowned with his tombe , westward , betwixt arabia and iudaea , is situate a country , called idumaea , there dwelt a man ( brought from his linniage , that for his belly , swopt his heritage , ) his name was iob , a man of vpright will , iust , fearing heauen , eschewing what was ill , on whom his god had heap't in highest measure , the bountious riches , of his boundlesse treasure , as well of fortune , as of grace , and spirit ; goods for his children , children to inherit ; as did his name , his wealth did daily wex , his seed did germinate in either sexe a hopefull issue , whose descent might keepe his righteous race on foote ; seuen thousand sheepe did pay their summer-tribute , and did ad their winter blessings to his fold : he had three thousand camels , able for their loade , fiue hundred asses , furnisht for the road , as many yoake of oxen , to maintaine his houshold , for he had a mightie traine ; nor was there any in the east , the which in vertue was so rare , in wealth so rich . vpon a time , his children ( to improue the sweete affection of their mutuall loue ) made solemne feasts ; each feasted in his turne , ( for ther 's a time to mirth , aswell as mourne ) and who , by course , was master of the feast , vnto his home inuited all the rest . euen as a hen ( whose tender brood forsakes the downy clozet of her wings , and takes each it's affected way ) markes how they feed , this , on that crum ; and that , on t'other seed , mooues , as they mooue ; and stayes , when as they stay , and seemes delighted in their infant-play : yet ( fearing danger ) with a busie eye , lookes here and there , if ought she can espie , which ( vnawares ) might snatch a booty from her , eyes all that passe , and watches euery commer . euen so the affection of this tender syre ( being made more feruent , with the selfe-same fyre of dearest loue , which flamed in their brests , preserued ( as by fuell ) in those feasts ) was rauish'd in the height of ioyes , to see his happy childrens ten-fold vnitie : as was his ioy , such was his holy feare , lest he , that plants his engines euery-where , bayted with golden sinnes , and re-insnares the soule of man , turning his wheat to tares , should season error with the taste of truth , and tempt the frailtie of their tender youth . no sooner therefore had the dappled skye opened the twilight of her waking eye , and in her breaking light , had promis'd day , but vp he rose , his holy hands did lay vpon the sacred altar ( one by one ) an early sacrifice for euery sonne : for who can tell , ( said he ? ) my sonnes ( perchance ) haue slipt some sinne , which neither ignorance pleaded , nor want of heed , nor youth can cure . sin steales , vnseene , when men sleepe most secure . meditatio prima . want is the badge of pouerty : then he that wanteth most , is the most poore , say we . the wretch , that hunger driues from dore to dore , ayming at present almes , desires no more . the toyling swaine , that hath with pleasing trouble , cockt a small fortune , would that fortune double , which dearely bought with slau'ry , then ( alas ) he would be deem'd a man , that 's well to passe : which got , his mind 's now tickled with an itch , but to deserue that glorious stile of rich. that done , h'enioyes the crowne of all his labour , could he but once out-nose his right-hand-neighbour . liues he at quiet now ? now , he begins to wish , that vs'rie were the least of sinnes : but great or small , he tryes , and sweet's the trouble , and for it's sake , he wishes all things double . thus wishing still , his wishes neuer cease , but as his wealth , his wishes still encrease . wishes proceed from want : the richest then , most wishing , want most , and are poorest men : if he be poore , that wanteth much , how poore is he , that hath too much , and yet wants more ? thrice happy he , to whom the bounty of heauen , sufficient , with a sparing hand , hath giuen : t is grace , not gold , makes great ; seuer but which , the rich man is but poore ; the poore man , rich . the fayrest crop of either grasse , or grayne , is not for vse , vndew'd with timely rayne . the wealth of croesus , were it to be giuen , were not thank-worthy , if vnblest by heauen . euen as faire phoebe , in diameter , ( earth interpos'd betwixt the sun and her ) suffers eclipse , and is disrobed quite ( during the time ) of all her borrowed light ; so riches , which fond mortals so embrace , if not enlightned with the beames of grace , being interposed with too grosse a care , they lye obscured , and no riches are . my stint of wealth lyes not in my expressing , with iacobs store ( lord ) giue me iacobs blessing ; or if , at night , thou grant me lazars boone , let diues dogs licke all my sores at noone . lord , pare my wealth , by my capacitie , lest i , with it , or it suite not with me . this humbly doe i sue for , at thy hand , enough , and not too much , for my command . lord , what thou lend'st , shall serue but in the place of reckoning counters , to summe vp thy grace . the argvment . satan appeares , and then professes himselfe mans enemy , confesses gods loue to iob , malignes his faith , gaines power ouer all he hath . sect. . vpon a time , whē heauēs sweet quire of saints , ( whose euerlasting halleluiah chaunts the highest prayse of their celestiall king ) before their lord , did the presentment bring , of th' execution of his sacred will , committed to their function to fulfill : satan came too ( that satan , which betray'd the soule of man , to deaths eternall shade , satan came too ) and in the midst he stands , like to a vulture ' mongst a heard of swans . said , then , th' eternall ; from what quarter now , hath businesse brought thee ? ( satan ) whence com'st thou ? great lord of heauen ( said th' infernall ) since thou hast intitled me the worlds great prince , i haue been practising mine old profession , and come from compassing my large possession , tempting thy sonnes , and ( like a roaring lion ) seeking my prey , disturbe the peace of sion ; i come from sowing tares , among thy wheate ; to him , that shall dissemble peters seate , i haue been plotting , how to prompt the death of christian princes , and the bribed breath of cheapned iustice , hath my fire inflam'd with spirit of boldnesse , for a while , vnsham'd . ●●come from planting strife , and sterne debate , twixt priuate man and man , 'twixt state and state , ●ubuerting truth with all the power i can , accusing man to god , and god to man : i daily sow fresh schismes among thy saints ; i buffet them and laugh , at their complaints ; the earth is my dominion , hell 's my home , i round the world , and so from thence i come . said then th' eternall : true , thou hast not faild of what thou say'st ; thy spirit hath preuail'd to vex my little flocke ; thou hast been bold to make them stray , a little , from their fold . but say ; in all thy hard aduentures , hath thine eye obserued iob my seruants faith ? hath open force , or secret fraud beset his bulwarks , so impregnable , as yet ? and hast thou ( without enuy ) yet beheld , how that the world , his second cannot yeeld ? hast thou not found , that hee 's of vpright will , iust , fearing god , eschewing what is ill ? true lord , ( replide the fiend ) thy champion hath a strong and feruent ( yet a crafty ) faith , a forced loue needs no such great applause , he loues but ill , that loues not for a cause . hast thou not heap'd his garners with excesse ? inricht his pastures ? doth not he possesse all that he hath , or can demand , from thee ? his coffers fil'd , his land stockt plentiously ? hath not thy loue surrounded him about , and hedg'd him in , to fence my practice out ? but small 's the tryall of a faith , in this , if thou support him , 't is thy strength , not his . can then my power , that stands by thy permission , encounter , where thou mak'st an opposition ? stretch forth thy hand , and smite but what he hath , and prooue thou then , the temper of his faith ; cease cock'ring his fond humour , veyle thy grace , no doubt , but hee 'l blaspheme thee to thy face . lo , ( said th' eternall ) to thy cursed hand , i here commit his mightie stocke , his land , his hopefull issue , and wealth , though ne'r so much ; himselfe , alone , thou shalt forbeare to touch . meditatio secunda . satan beg'd once , and found his pray'rs reward : we often beg , yet oft returne , vnheard . if granting be th' effect of loue , then we conclude our selues , to be lesse lou'd , then he . true , satan beg'd , and beg'd his shame , no lesse ; 't was granted ; shall we enuie his successe ? we beg , and our request 's ( perchance ) not granted ; god knew , perhaps , it were worse had , then wanted . can god and belial both ioyne in one will ; the one to aske , the other to fulfill ? sooner shall stygian darknesse blend with light , the frost with fier , sooner day with night . true , god and satan wild the selfe same will , but god intended good ; and satan , ill : that will produc'd a seuerall conclusion ; he aym'd at mans , and god , at his confusion . he that drew light , from out the depth of shade , and made of nothing , whatsoere he made , can , out of seeming euill , bring good euents ; god worketh good , though by euill instruments . as in a clocke , one motion doth conuay , and carry diuers wheeles a seuer all way : yet all together , by the great wheeles force , direct the hand vnto his proper course : euen so , that sacred vvill , although it vse meanes seeming contrarie , yet all conduce to one effect , and in a free consent , they bring to passe heauens high decreed intent . takes god delight in humane weakenesse , then ? what glory reapes he from afflicted men ? the spirit gone , can flesh and blood endure ? god burnes his gold , to make his gold more pure : euen as a nurse , whose childs imperfect pace can hardly leade his foot from place to place , leaues her fond kissing , sets him downe , to goe , nor does vphold him , for a step , or two : but when she sindes that he begins to fall , she holds him vp , and kisses him withall : so god , from man sometimes withdrawes his hand a while , to teach his infant-faith to stand ; but when he sees his feeble strength begin to faile , he gently takes him vp againe . lord , i 'm a child ; so guide my paces , than , that i may learne to walke an vpright man : so shield my faith , that i may neuer doubt thee , for i shall fall , if ere i walke without thee . the argvment . the frighted messengers tell iob his foure-fold losse : he rends his robe , submits him to his makers trust , whom he concludeth to be lust . sect. . vpon that very day , when all the rest were frollike at their elder brothers feast , a breathless mā , prickt on with winged feare , with staring eyes , distracted here and there , ( like kindled exhalations in the aire at midnight glowing ) his stiffe-bolting haire , not much vnlike the pennes of porcupines ) crossing his armes , and making wofull signes , purboyld in sweat , shaking his fearefull head , that often lookt behind him , as hee fled , he ran to iob , still ne'rethelesse afraid , his broken blast breath'd forth these words , and said , alas ( deare lord the whiles thy seruants plide thy painfull plough , and whilest , on euery side thy asses fed about vs , as we wrought , there sallied forth on vs ( suspecting nought , nor ought intending , but our chearfull paine ) a rout of rude sabaeans , with their traine armed with death , and deafe to all our cries , which , with strong hand , did in an houre surprize all that thou hadst , and whilest we stroue ( in vaine to gard them , their impartiall hands haue slaine thy faithfull seruants , with their thirsty sword ; i onely scap't , to bring this wofull word . no sooner had he clos'd his lips , but see ! another comes , as much agast as he : a flash of fire ( said he ) new falne from heauen , hath all thy seruants of their liues bereauen , and burnt thy sheepe ; i , i alone am he , that 's left vnslaine , to bring the newes to thee . this tale not fully told , a third ensues , whose lips , in labour with more heauie newes , brake thus ; the forces of a triple band , brought from the fierce caldaeans , with strong hand , hath seyz'd thy camels , murther'd with the sword thy seruants all , but mee , that brings thee word . before the ayre had cool'd his hasty breath , rusht in a fourth , with visage pale as death : the while ( said he ) thy children all were sharing mirth , at a feast of thy first sonnes preparing , arose a wind , whose errand had more hast then happy speed , which with a full-mouth blast , hath smote the house , which hath thy children reft of all their liues , and thou art childlesse left ; thy children all are slaine , all slaine together , i onely scap't to bring the tidings hither . so said , behold the man , whose wealth did flow like to a spring-tide , one bare houre agoe , with the vnpattern'd height of fortunes blest , aboue the greatest dweller in the east ; he , that was syre of many sonnes but now , lord of much people , and while-ere could show such heards of cattell , he , whose fleecy stocke of sheepe could boast seuen thousand , in a flocke , see how he lyes , of all his wealth dispoyl'd , he now hath neither seruant , sheepe , nor child ; like a poore man , arose the patient iob , ( stun'd with the newes ) and rent his purple robe , shaued the haire from off his wofull head , and , prostrate on the floore he worshipped : naked , ah ! poore and naked did i come forth from the clozet of my mothers wombe ; and shall returne ( alas ) the very same to th' earth as poore , and naked , as i came : god giues , and takes , and why should he not haue a priuiledge , to take those things , he gaue ? we men mistake our tenure oft , for hee lends vs at will , what we miscall as free ; he reassumes his owne , takes but the same he lent a while . thrice blessed be his name . in all this passage , iob , in heart , nor tongue , thought god vniust , or charg'd his hand with wrong . meditatio tertia . the proudest pitch of that victorious spirit was but to win the world , whereby t' inherit the ayrie purchase of a transitory , and glozing title of an ages glory ; would'st thou , by conquest , win more fame then hee ? subdue thy selfe ; thy self 's a world to thee : earth's but a ball , that heauen hath quilted o're with wealth , and honour , banded on the floore of sickle fortunes false and slippery court , sent for a toy , to make vs children sport , mans satiate spirits , with fresh delights supplying ▪ to still the fondlings of the world , from crying , and he , whose merit mounts to such a ioy , gaines but the honour of a mighty toy . but would'st thou conquer , haue thy conquest crown'd by hands of seraphims , tryumph'd with the sound of heauens lowd trumpet , warbled by the shrill celestiall quire , recorded with a quill , pluck't from the pinion of an angels wing , confirm'd with ioy , by heauens eternall king ? conquer thy selfe , thy rebbel thoughts repell , and chase those false affections that rebell . hath heauen dispoyl'd what his full hand hath giuen thee ? nipt thy succeeding blossoms ? or bereauen thee of thy deare latest hope , thy bosome friend ? doth sad despaire deny these griefes an end ? despair's a whispring rebbell , that , within thee , bribes all thy field , and sets thy selfe agin thee : make keene thy faith , and with thy force , let flee . if thou not conquer him , hee 'l conquer thee : aduance thy shield of patience to thy head , and when griefe strikes , 't will strike the striker dead ; the patient man , in sorrow , spies reliefe , and by the taile , he couples ioy with griefe . in aduerse fortunes , be thou strong and stout , and brauely win thy selfe , heauen holds not out his bow , for euer bent . the disposition of noblest spirits , doth , by opposition , exosperate the more : a gloomie night whets on the morning , to returne more bright ; a blade well try'd , deserlies a trebble price , and vertu 's purest , most oppo'd by vice : braue minds , opprest , should ( in despight of fate ) looke greatest , ( like the sunne ) in lowest state . but ah ! shall god thus striue with flesh and blood ? receiues he glory from , or reapes he good in mortals ruine , that he leaues man so , to be o'rewhelm'd by his vnequall foe ? may not a potter , that , from out the ground , hath fram'd a vessell , search if it be sound ? or if , by furbushing , he take more paine to make it fairer , shall the pot complaine ? mortall , thou art but clay : then shall not hee , that fram'd thee for his seruice , season thee ? man , cloze thy lips ; be thou no vndertaker of gods designes ; dispute not with thy maker . lord , 't is against thy nature to doe ill , then giue me pow'r to beare , and worke thy will ; thou know'st what 's best , make thou thine owne conclusion , be glorifi'd , although in my confusion . the argvment . satan the second time appeares , before th' eternall , boldly dares maligne iobs tryed faith afresh , and gaines th' afflicting of his flesh . sect. . once more , whē heauens harmonious quiristers appear'd before his throne , ( whose ministers they are , of his concealed will ) to render their strict account of iustice , and to tender th' accepted sacrifice of highest praise , ( warbled in sonnets , and celestiall layes ) satan came too , bold , as a hungry fox , or rauinous wolfe amid the tender flockes , satan , ( said then th' eternall ) from whence now hath thy imploymēts driuē thee ? whēce com'st thou ? satan replies : great god of heauen and earth , i come from tempting , and from making mirth : to heare thy dearest children whine , and roare : in briefe , i come , from whence i came before . said then th' eternall , hast thou not beheld my seruants faith , how , like a seuen-fold shield , it hath defended his integrity against thy fiery darts ; hath not thine eye , ( thine enuious eye ) perceiu'd how purely iust he stands , and perfect , worthy of the trust i lent into his hand , persisting still iust , fearing god , eschewing what is ill ? 't was not the losse of his so faire a flocke , nor sudden rape of such a mighty stocke ; 't was neither losse of seruants , nor his sonnes vntimely slaughter , ( acted all at once ) could make him quaile , or warpe so true a faith , or staine so pure a loue ; say ( satan ) hath thy hand ( so deepely counterfeiting mine ) made him mistrust his god , or once repine ? can there in all the earth , say , can there be a man so perfect , and so iust , as hee ? replies the tempter , lord , an outward losse hopes for repaire , t is but a common crosse : i know thy seruant 's wise , a wise forecast , gricues for things present , not for things are past ; perchance , the tumor of his sullen heart , brookes losse of all , since he hath lost a part ; my selfe haue seruants , who can make true boast , they gaue away as much , as he hath lost : others ( with learning made so wisely mad ) refuse such fortunes , as he neuer had ; a faith 's not try'd by this vncertaine tuch , others , that neuer knew thee , did as much : lend me thy power then , that i might once but sacrifice his flesh , afflict his bones , and pierce his hide , but for a moments space , thy darling , then , would curse thee to thy face . to which , th' eternall thus : his body 's thine , to plague thy fill , withall , i doe confine thy power to her lists , afflict and teare his flesh at pleasure : but his life forbeare . meditatio quarta . both goods , and body too ; lord , who can stand ? expect not iobs vprightnesse , at my hand , without iobs aid ; the temper of my passion , ( vntam'd by thee ) can brooke no iobs temptation , for i am weake , and fraile , and what i can most boast of , prooues me but a sinfull man ; things that i should auoyd , i doe ; and what i am inioyn'd to doe , that doe i not . my flesh is weake , too strong in this , alone , it rules my spirit , that should be rul'd by none but thee ; my spirits faint , and hath been neuer free from the fits of sins quotidian feuer . my powr's are all corrupt , corrupt my will , marble to good , and wax to what is ill ; eclipsed is my reason , and my wit ; by interposing earth 'twixt heauen , and it : my mem'ry's like a searce of lawne ( alas ) it keepes things grosse , and lets the purer passe . what haue i then to boast , what title can i challenge more then this , a sinfull man ? yet doe i ( sometimes ) feele a warme desier , raise my low thoughts , and dull affections , higher , where , like a soule entrans't , my spirit flies , makes leagues with angels , and brings deities halfe way to heauen , shakes hands with seraphims , and boldly mingles wings with cherubims , from whence , i looke askaunce , adowne the earth , pitty my selfe , and loath my place of birth : but while i thus my lower state deplore , i wake , and prooue the wretch i was before . euen as the needle , that directs the howre , ( toucht with the loadstone ) by the secret power of hidden nature , points vpon the pole ; euen so the wauering powers of my soule , toucht by the vertue of thy spirit , flee from what is earth , and point alone to thee . when i haue saith , to hold thee by the hand , i walke securely , and me thinkes i stand more sirme then atlas ; but when i forsake the safe protection of thine arme , i quake , like wind-shaki reeds , and haue no strength at all , but ( as a vine , the prop cut downe ) i fall : yet wretched i ( when as thy iustice lends thy glorious presence from me ) straight am friends with flesh and blood , forget thy grace , flye from it , and , like a dog , returne vnto my vomit ; the sawning world , to pleasure then inuites my wandring eyes ; the flesh presents delights vnto my yeelding heart , which thinks those pleasures , her onely bus'nes now , and rarest treasures , content can glorie in , whil'st i , secure , stoope to the painted plumes of satans lure : thus i captiu'd , and drunke with pleasures wine , like to a mad man , thinke no state like mine . what haue i then to boast ? what title can i challenge more then this , a sinfull man ? i feele my griefe 's enough , nor can i be redrest by any , but ( great god ) by thee . too great thou art , to come within my roofe , say but the word , be whole , and 't is enough ; till then , my tongue shall neuer cease , mine eyes ne'r cloze , my lowly bended knees ne'r rise ; till then , my soule shall ne'r want early sobs , my cheekes no teares , my pensiue brest , no throbs , my heart shall lacke no zeale , nor tongue expressing . i 'le striue , like iacob , till i get my blessing : say then , be cleane , i 'le neuer stop till then , heauen ne'r shall rest , till heauen shall say , amen . the argvment . iob , smote with vlcers , groueling lyes , plung'd in a gulfe of miseries , his wife to blasphemy doth tempt him , his three friends visit , and lament him . sect. . like as a truant-scholler ( whose delay is worse then whipping , hauing leaue to play ) makes haste to be inlarged from the iayle of his neglected schoole , turnes speedy tayle vpon his tedious booke ( so ill befriended ) before his masters ite be full ended . so thanklesse satan , full of winged haste , thinking all time , not spent in mischiefe , waste , departs with speed , lesse patient to forbeare the patient iob , then patient iob to beare . forth from the furnace of his nostrell , flyes a sulpherous vapour , which ( by the enuious eyes of this foule fiend inflam'd ) possest the faire , and sweet complection of th' abused aire with pestilence , and ( hauing power so farre ) tooke the aduantage of his worser starre , smote him with vlcers ( * such as once befell th' egyptian wizzards , ) vlcers * hot and fell , which like a searching tetter vncorrected , left no part of his body vnaffected , from head to foote , no empty place was found , that could b'afflicted with another wound : so noy some was the nature of his griefe , that ( left by friends , and wife , that should be chiefe assister ) he ( poore he ) alone remain'd , groueling in ashes , being ( himselfe ) constrain'd , with pot-sheards , to scrape off those rip'ned cores , ( which dogs disdayn'd to licke ) from out his sores . which when his wife beheld , adust , and keene , her passion waxt , made strong , with scorne & spleene ; like as the winds , imprison'd in the earth , and barr'd the passage to their naturall birth , grow fierce ; and nilling to be longer pent , breake in an earth quake , shake the world , and vent ; so brake she forth , so forth her fury brake , till now , pent in with shame , and thus she spake . fond saint , thine innocence finds timely speed , a foolish saint receiues a saintly meed ; is this the iust mans recompence ? or hath heauen no requitall for thy painefull faith , other then this ? what , haue thy zealous qualmes , abstemious fastings , and thy hopefull almes , thy priuate groanes , and often bended knees , no other end , no other thankes , but these ? fond man , submit thee to a kinder fate , cease to be righteous , at so deare a rate : 't is heauen , not fortune , that thy weale debarres ; curse heauen then , and not thy way ward starres : 't is god that plagues thee , god not knowing why ; curse then that god , reuenge thy wrongs , and dye . iob then reply'd : god loues where he chastiz'd , thou speakest like a foole , and ill aduis'd ; laugh we to licke the sweete , and shall we lowre , if he be pleas'd to send a little sowre ? am i so weake , one blast or two , should chill me ; i 'le trust my maker , though my maker kill me . when these sad tidings fill'd those itching eares of earths black babbling daughter ( she that heares , and vents alike , both truth and forgeries , and vtters , often , cheaper then she buyes ) she spred the pinnions of her nimble wings , aduanc't her trumpet , and away she springs , and sils the whispring ayre , which soone possest the spacious borders of th' enquiring east , vpon the summon of such solemne newes , whose truth , malignant fame could not abuse , his wofull * friends came to him , to the end , to comfort , and bewaile their wretched friend . but when they came , farre off , they did not know , whether it were the selfesame friend , or no , ( brim-fill'd with brinie woe ) they wept , and tore ( t' expresse their griefe ) the garments that they wore , seuen dayes and nights they sate vpon the ground , but spake not , for his sorrowes did abound . meditatio quinta . say , is not satan iustly stiled than , a tempter , and an enemy to man ? what could he more ? his wish would not extend to death , lest his assaults , with death , should end : then what he did , what could he further doe ? his hand hath setz'd both goods , and body too , the hopefull issue of a holy straine , in such a dearth of holinesse , is slaine . what hath the lazar left him , but his griefe , and ( what might best been spar'd ) his foolish wife ? could mischiefe been more hard ( though more in kind ) to nip the flowers , and leaue the weeds behind ? woman was made a helper by creation , a helper , not alone for propagation , or fond delight , but sweet societie , which man ( alone ) should want , and to supply comforts to him , for whom her sexe was made , that each may ioy in eithers needfull aide : but fairest angels , had the foulest fall ; and best things ( once abus'd ) prooue worst of all , else , had not satan been so foule a fiend , else , had not woman proou'd so false a friend . euen as the treacherous fowler , to entice his silly winged prey , doth first deuise to make a bird his stale , at whose false call , others may chance into the selfe-same thrall : euen so , that craftie snarer of mankind , finding mans righteous pallate not enclind , to taste the sweetnesse of his guilded baites , makes a collater all sute , and slily waites vpon the weakenesse of some bosome friend , from whose enticement , he expects his end . ah righteous iob , what crosse was left , vnknowne ? what griefe may be describ'd , but was thine owne ? is this a lust mans case ? what doth befall to one man , may as well betide to all . the worst i 'le looke for , that i can proiect , if better come , 't is more then i expect ; if otherwise , i 'm arm'd with preparation ; no sorrow's sudden to an expectation . lord , to thy vvisdome i submit my vvill , i will be thankfull , send me good , or ill ; if good , my present state will passe the sweeter ; if ill , my crowne of glorie shall be greater . the argvment . orewhelm'd with griefe , iob breaketh forth into impatience : bans his birth , professes , that his heart did doubt , and feare , what , since , hath fallen out . sect. . worne-bare with griefe , the patient iob betray'd his seuen-dayes silence , curst his day , & said : oh that my day of birth had neuer been , nor yet the night , which i was brought forth in ! be it not numbred for a day , let light not make a difference twixt it , and night ; let gloomy shades ( then death more sable ) passe vpon it , to declare how fatall 't was : let clouds ore-cast it , and as hatefull make it , as life's to him , whom tortures bid , forsake it : from her next day , let that blacke night be cut , nor in the reckning of the months , be put : let desolation fill it , all night long , in it , be neuer heard a bridall song : let all sad mourners , that doe curse the light , when light 's drawne in , begin to curse this night . her euening twylight , let foule darkenesse staine , and may her mid-night expect light , in vaine ; nor let her infant day ( but newly borne ) suffer't to see the eye-lids of the morne , because my mothers wombe it would not cloze , which gaue me passage to endure these woes : why died i not in my conception , rather ? or why was not my birth , and death together ? why did the midwife take me on her knees ? why did i sucke , to feele such griefes , as these ? then had this body neuer been opprest , i had inioy'd th' eternall sleepe of rest ; with kings , and mighty monarchs , that lie crown'd with stately monuments , poore i had found a place of rest , had borne as great a sway , had been as happy , and as rich as they : why was i not as an abortiue birth , that ne're had knowne the horrors of the earth ? the silent graue is quiet from the feare of tyrants : tyrants are appeazed there , the grinded prisner heares not ( there ) the noyse , nor harder threatnings of th' oppressors voyce : both rich and poore are equal'd in the graue , seruants no lords , and lords no seruants haue : what needs there light to him that 's comfortlesse ? or life to such as languish in distresse , and long for death , which , if it come by leisure , they ransack for it , as a hidden treasure ? vvhat needs there life to him , that cannot haue a boone , more gracious , then a quiet graue ? or else to him , whom god hath wal'd about , that would , but cannot finde a passage out ? vvhen i but taste , my sighes returne my food , the flowing of my teares haue rais'd a flood ; when my estate was prosperous , i did feare , lest , by some heedlesse , or want of care , i might be brought to misery , and ( alas ! ) what i did then so feare , is come to passe : but though , secure , my soule did neuer slumber , yet doe my woes exceed both waight , and number . meditatio sexta . so poore a thing is man. no flesh and blood deserues the stile of * absolutely good : the righteous man sins oft ; whose power 's such , to sin the least , sins ( at the least ) too much : the * man , whose faith disdain'd his isacks life , dissembled once , a * sister , for a wife the righteous * lot , being drunk , did make ( at once ) his daughters , both , halfe sisters to their sonnes : the royall fauorite of heauen , stood not guililesse of * adultery , and blood , and he , whose hands did build the temple , doth bow downe his lustfull knees to * ashtaroth the * sinfull woman was accus'd , but none was found , that could begin to sting a stone . from muddled springs , can christall waters come ? in some things , all men sin , in all things , some . euen at the soyle , ( which aprils gentle showers haue fild with sweetnesse , and inricht with flowers ) reares vp her suckling plants , still shooting forth the tender blossomes of her timely birth , but , if deny'd the beames of cheerly may , they hang their withred heads , and fade away : so man , assisted by th' almighties hand , his faith doth flourish , and securely stand , but left , awhile , forsooke ( as in a shade ) it languishes , and nipt with sin , doth fade : no gold is pure from drosse , though oft refin'd ; the strongest cedar's shaken with the wind ; the fairest rose hath no prerogatiue , against the fretting canker-worme ; the hiue no hony yeelds , vnblended with the wax , the finest linnen hath both soyle and bracks : the best of men haue sins ; none liues secure , in nature nothing's perfect , nothing pure . lord , since i needs must sin , yet grant that i forge no aduantage by infirmity : since that my vesture cannot want a staine , assist me , lest the tincture be in graine . to thee ( my great redeemer ) doe i flye , it is thy death , alone , can change my dye ; teares , mingled with thy blood , can scower so , that scarlet sinnes shall turne as white as snow . the argvment . rash eliphaz reproues , and rates , and falsly censures iob ; relates his vision ; shewes him the euent of wicked men : bids him repent . sect. . then eliphas , his pounded tongue replieu'd , and said , shuld i cōtēd , thou would'st be grieu'd ; yet what man can refraine , but he must breake his angry silence , hauing heard thee speake ? o sudden change ! many hast thou directed , and strengthned those , whose minds haue been deiected , thy sacred thewes , and sweet instructions , did helpe those were falling , rays'd vp such as slid : but now it is thy case , thy soule is vext , and canst not helpe thy selfe , thy selfe perplext ; thou lou'dst thy god , but basely for thy profit , fear'st him , in further expectation of it ; iudge then : did record euer round thine eare , that god for sooke the heart , that was sincere ? but often haue we seene , that such as plow lowdnesse , and mischiefe , reape the same they sowe ? so haue proud tyrants from their throanes bin cast , with all their of spring , by th' almighties blast ; and they , whose hands haue bin imbrew'd in blood , haue with their issue dyed , for want of food : a vision lately ' appeard before my sight , in depth of darknesse , and the dead of night , vnwonted feare vsurpt me round about , my trembling bones were sore , from head to foot : forthwith , a spirit glanc'd before mine eyes , my browes did sweat , my moystned haire did rise , the face i knew not , but a while it stayd , and in the depth of silence , thus it said , is man more iust , more pure then his creator ? amongst his angels , ( more vpright by nature then man ) he hath found weaknes , how much more shall he expect in him , that 's walled ore with mortall flesh , and blood , founded , and floor'd with dust , and with the wormes to be deuour'd ? they rise securely with the morning sunne , and ( vnregarded ) dye ere day be done ; their glory passes with them , as a breath , they dye ( like fooles ) before they thinke of death . rage then , and see who will approue thy rage , what saint will giue thy railing patronage ? anger destroyes the foole , and he that hath a wrathfull heart , is slaine with his owne wrath ; yet haue i seene , that fooles haue oft been able to boast with babel , but haue falne with babel : their sons despairing , roare without reliefe in open ruine , on the rocks of griefe : their haruest ( though but small ) the hungry eate , and robbers seaze their wealth , though ne'r so great : but wretched man , were thy condition mine , i 'de not despaire , as thou dost , nor repine , but offer vp the broken sacrifice of a sad soule , before his angry eyes , whose workes are miracles of admiration , he mounts the meeke , amidst their desolation , confounds the worldly wise , that ( blind-fold ) they grope all in darknesse , at the noone of day : but guards the humble from reproach of wrong , and stops the current of the crafty tongue . thrice happy is the man his hands correct : beware , lest fury force thee to reiect th' almighties tryall ; he that made thy wound in iustice , can , in mercy , make it sound : feare not , though multiply'd afflictions shall besiege thee ; he , at length , will rid them all ; in famine he shall feed , in warre defend thee , shield thee from slander , and in griefes attend thee , the beasts shall strike with thee eternall peace , the stones shall not disturbe thy fields encrease ; thy house shall thriue , replenisht with content , which , thou shalt rule , in prosprous gouernment , the number of thy of-spring shall abound , like summers grasse vpon a fruitfull ground , like timely corne , well rip'ned in her eares , thou shalt depart thy life , struck full of yeeres : all this , experience tels : then ( iob ) aduise , thou hast taught many , now thy selfe be wise . meditatio septima . the perfect modell of true friendship 's this : a rare affection of the soule , which is begun with rip'ned iudgement , doth perseuer with simple wisdome , and concludes with neuer . 't is pure in substance , as refined gold , that buyeth all things , but is neuer sold : it is a coyne , and most men walke without it ; true loue 's the stampe , iehouah 's writ about it ; it rusts , vnvs'd , but vsing makes it brighter , 'gainst heauen high treason 't is , to make it lighter . 't is a gold chaine , linkes soule and soule together in perfect vnitie , ties god to either . affliction is the touch , whereby we prooue , whether 't be gold , or guilt with fained loue. the wisest moralist , that euer diu'd into the depth of natures bowels , striu'd with th' augar of experience , to bore mens hearts so farre , till he had found the ore of friendship , but , despaying of his end , my friends ( said he ) there is no perfect friend . friendship 's like musick , two strings tun'd alike , will both stirre , though but onely one you strike . it is the quintessence of all perfection extracted into one ; a sweet connexion of all the vertues , morall and diuine , abstracted into one. it is a mine , whose nature is not rich , vnlesse in making the state of others wealthy by partaking : it bloomes and blossoms , both in sunne and shade , doth ( like the bay in winter ) neuer fade : it loueth all , and yet suspecteth none , is prouident , yet seeking not her owne : 't is rare it selfe , yet maketh all things common , and is iudicious , yet it iudgeth no man. the * noble theban , being asked , which of * three ( propounded ) he suppos'd most rich in vertues sacred treasure , thus reply'd , till they be dead , that doubt cannot be try'd . it is no wise mans part , to waigh a frend , without the glosse , and goodnesse of his end : for life , without the death considered , can affoord but halfe a story of the man. 't is not my friends affliction , that shall make me either wonder , censure , or forsake : iudgement belongs to fooles ; enough that i find hee 's afflicted , not enquier , why : it is the hand of heauen , that selfesame sorrow grieues him to day , may make me grone to morrow : heauen be my comfort ; in my highest griefe , i will not trust to mans , but thy reliefe . the argvment . iob counts his sorrowes , and from thence excuses his impatience ; describes the shortnesse of mans time , and makes confession of his crime . sect. . bvt wretched iob , sigh 't forth these words , & said , ah me ! that my impatience were waigh'd with all my sorrowes , by an equall hand , they would be found more pondrous then the sand , that lyes vpon the new-forsaken shore ; my griefes want vtt'rance , & haue stopt their dore : and wonder not ; heau'ns shafts haue struck me dead , and god hath heapt all mischiefes on my head : will asses bray , when they haue grasse to eate ? or lowes the oxe , when as he wants no meate ? can pallates find a rellish in distast ? or can the whites of egges well please the tast ? my vexed soule is daily fed with such corruptions , as my hands disdaine to touch . alas ! that heauen would heare my hearts requste , and strike me dead , that i may find some rest : what hopes haue i , to see my end of griefe , and to what end , should i prolong my life ? why should not i wish death ? my strength , ( alas ) is it like marble , or my flesh like brasse ? what power haue i to mitigate my paine ? if e're i had , that power now is vaine , my friends are like the riuers , that are dry in heat of summer , when necessity requireth water ; they amazed stand to see my griefe , but lend no helping hand . friends , begge i succour from you ? craued i your goods , to ransome my captiuity ? shew me my faults , and wherein i did wrong my patience , and i will hold my tongue ; the force of reasonable words may mooue , but what can rage or lunacy reprooue ? rebuke you ( then ) my words , to haue it thought my speech is frantick , with my griefe distraught ? you take a pleasure in your friends distresse , that is more wretched then the fatherlesse : behold these sores : be iudg'd by your owne eyes , if these be counterfeited miseries ; ballance my words , and you shall find me free from these foule crimes , wherewith ye branded me , and that my speech was not distaind with sin , only the language , sorrow treated in . is not mans day prefixt , which , when expyr'd , sleepes he not quiet , as a seruant hir'd ? a seruants labour doth , at length , surcease , his day of trauell findes a night of peace , but ( wretched ) i with woes , am still opprest , my mid-day torments see no euen of rest , my nights ( ordaind for sleepe ) are fill'd with griefe , i looke ( in vaine ) for the next dayes reliefe : with dust , and wormes my flesh is hid , my sorrow 's haue plough'd my skin , and filth lyes in her furrowes : my dayes of ioy are in a moment gone , and ( hopelesse of returning ) spent and done : remember ( lord ) my life is but a puffe , i , but a man , that 's misery enough , and when pale death hath once seald vp my sight , i ne're shall see the pleasures of the light , the eye of man shall not discouer me , no , nor thine ( lord ) for i shall cease to be ; when mortals dye , they passe ( like clouds before the sunne ) and back returne they neuer more , t' his earthly house he ne're shall come agin , and then shall be , as if he ne're had bin : therfore my tongue shall speak , while it hath breath , prompted with griefe , and with the pangs of death : am i not weake and saint ? what need'st thou stretch thy direfull hand vpon so poore a wretch ? when as i thinke that night shall stop the streames of my distresse , thou fright'st me then , with dreames , so that my soule doth rather chuse to dye , then be inuolued in such miserie ; my life 's a burthen , and will end : o grieue no longer him , that would no longer liue . ah! what is man , that thou should'st raise him so high at first , then , sinke him downe so low ? what 's mā ? thy glory 's great enough , without him : why dost thou ( thus ) disturbe thy mind about him ? lord , i haue sin'd , ( great helper of mankind ) i am but dust and ashes , i haue sin'd : against thee ( as a marke ) why hast thou fixt me ? how haue i trespas't , that thou thus afflict'st me ? why , rather , didst thou not remoue my sin , and salue the sorrowes that i raued in ? for thou hast heapt such vengeance on my head , that when thou seek'st me , thou wilt find me dead . meditatio octaua . th' egyptians , amidst their solemne feasts , vsed to welcome , and present their ghests , with the sad sight of mans anatomie , seru'd in with this loud motto , all must dye . fooles often goe about , when as they may take better vantage of a neerer way ; looke well into your bosomes ; doe not slatter your knowne infirmities : behold , what matter your flesh was made of : man , cast back thine eye , vpon the weaknesse of thine infancie ; see how thy lips hang on thy mothers brest , bawling for helpe , more helplesse then a beast . liu'st thou to childhood ? then , behold , what toyes doe mocke the sense , how shallow are thy ioyes : com'st thou to downy yeeres ? see , how deceits gull thee with golden fruit , and with false baits , slily beguile the prime of thine affection : art thou attaind at length to full perfection of ripened yeeres ? ambition now hath sent thee on her frothy errand , discontent payes thee thy wages : doe thy grizly haires begin to cast account of many cares vpon thy head ? the sacred lust of gold now fires thy spirit , for fleshly lust , too cold , makes thee a slaue to thine owne base desire , which melts and hardens , at the selfe same fire : art thou decrepit ? then thy very breath is grieuous to thee , and each griefe 's a death : looke where thou list , thy life is but a span , thou art but dust , and , to conclude , a man. thy life 's a warfare , thou a souldier art , satan's thy foe-man , and a faithfull heart , thy two edg'd weapon , patience thy shield , heauen is thy chiefetaine , and the world thy field . to be * afraid to dye , or wish for death , are words and passions of despairing breath : who doth the first , the day doth faintly yeeld , and who the second , basely flies the field . man 's not a lawfull steares-man of his dayes , his bootlesse wish , nor hastens , nor delayes : we are gods hired workmen ; he discharges some , late at night , ( and when he list ) inlarges others at noone , and in the morning , some : none may relieue himselfe , till he bid , come : if we receiue for one halfe day , as much as they that toyle till euening , shall we grutch ? our life 's a road , in death our iourney ends , we goe on gods embassage , some , he sends call'd with the trotting of hard misery , and others , pacing on prosperity : some lagge , whilest others gallop on , before ; all goe an end , some faster , and some slower . * lead me that pace ( great god ) that thou think'st best , and i will follow with a dauntlesse brest : vvhich ( ne'rthelesse ) if i refuse to doe , i shall be wicked , and yet follow too . assist me in my combate with the flesh , relieue my fainting powers , and refresh my feeble spirit : i will not wish to be cast from the world ; lord , cast the world from me . the argvment . bildad , man 's either state expresses , gods mercy ' and iustice iob confesses ; he pleads his cause , and begs reliefe , foyl'd with the burthen of his griefe . sect. . so bildads silence ( great with tongue ) did breake , and , like a heartlesse comforter , did speake : how long wilt thou persist to breath thy mind in words , that vanish as a storme of wind ? will god forsake the innocent , or will his iustice smite thee , vndeseruing ill ? though righteous death thy sinfull sons hath rent from thy sad bosome , yet if thou repent , and wash thy waies with vndissembled teares , tuning thy troubles to th' almighties eares , the mercy of his eyes shall shine vpon thee , and showre the sweetnesse of his blessings on thee : and though ( a while ) thou plunge in misery , at length hee 'l crowne thee with prosperity : run back , and learne of sage antiquity , what our late births , to present times , deny , see , how , and what ( in the worlds downy age ) befell our fathers in their pilgrimage ; if rushes haue no myre , and grasse no raine , they cease to flourish , droope their heads , & wayne : so fades the man , whose heart is not vpright , so perisheth the double hypocrite ; his hopes are like the spiders web , to day that 's flourishing , to morrow swept away : but he that 's iust , is like a flowring tree , rooted by christall springs , that cannot be scorcht by the noone of day , nor stir'd from thence , where , firmely fixt , it hath a residence , heauen neuer failes the soule that is vpright , nor offers arme to the base hypocrite : the one , he blesses with eternall ioyes , the other , his auenging hand destroyes . i yeeld it for a truth ; ( sad iob reply'd ) compar'd with god , can man be iustifi'd ? if man should giue account what he hath done , not of a thousand , could he answere one : his hand 's all-power , and his heart all pure , against this god , what flesh can stand secure ? he shakes the mountaines , and the sun he barres from circling his due course , shuts vp the starres , he spreads the heauens , and rideth on the flood , his workes may be admir'd , not vnderstood : no eye can see , no heart can apprehend him , lists he to spoyle ? what 's he can reprehend him ? his will 's his law. the smoothest pleader hath no power in his lips , to slake his wrath , much lesse can i pleade faire immunitie , which could my guiltlesse tongue attaine , yet i would kisse the footstep of his iudgement-seate : should he receiue my crie , my griefe 's so great , it would perswade me , that he heard me not , for he hath torne me with the fiue-fold knot of his sharpe scourge , his plagues successiue are , that i can find no ground , but of despaire . if my bold lips should dare to iustifie my selfe , my lips would giue my lips the lye . god owes his mercy , nor to good , nor bad ; the wicked oft he spares , and oft does adde , griefe , to the iust mans griefe , woes after woes ; we must not iudge man , as his market goes . but might my prayers obtaine this boone , that god would cease these sorrowes , and remoue that rod , which moues my patience , i would take vpon me , t'impleade before him , your rash iudgement on me , because my tender conscience doth perswade me , i 'm not so bad , as your bad words haue made me . my life is tedious , my distresse shall breake into her proper voyce , my griefes shall speake ; ( iust iudge of earth ) condemne me not , before thou please to make me vnderstand wherefore . agrees it with thy iustice , thus to be kind to the wicked , and so harsh to me ? seest thou with fleshly eyes ? or doe they glance by fauour ? are they clos'd with ignorance ? liu'st thou the life of man ? doest thou desire a space of time to search , or to enquire my sinne ? no , in the twinkling of an eye , thou seest my heart , seest mine immunitie frō those foule crimes , wherwith my friends , at pleasure taxe me , yet thou afflict'st me , in this measure : thy hands haue form'd , and fram'd me , what i am , when thou hast made , wilt thou destroy the same ? remember , i am built of clay , and must returne againe ( without thy helpe ) to dust . thou didst create , preserue me , hast endu'd my life with gracious blessings , oft renew'd thy precious fauours on me : how wert thou , once , so benigne , and so cruell now ? thou hunt'st me like a prey , my plagues encrease , succeed each other , and they neuer cease . why was i borne ? or why did not my tombe , receiue me ( weeping ) from my mothers wombe ? i haue not long to liue ; lord , grant that i may see some comfort , that am soone to dye . meditatio nona . he that 's the truest master of his owne , is neuer lesse alone , then when alone , his watchfull eyes are plac't within his heart ; his skill , is how to know himselfe ; his art , how to command the pride of his affections , with sacred reason : how to giue directions vnto his wandring will ; his * conscience checks his more looser thoughts ; his lowder sinnes , she vexes with srights , and feares ; within her owne precincts , she rambles with her * whips of wire , ne'r winks at smallest faults . like as a tender mother ( howe're she loues her darling ) will not smother his childish fault , but she ( her selfe ) will rather correct , then trust him to his angry father : euen so the tender conscience of the wise , checks her beloued soule , and doth chastise , and iudge the crime her selfe , lest it should stand , as liable to a seuerer hand . fond soule , beware , who e're thou art , that spies anothers fault , that thou thine owne , chastize , lest , like a foolish man , thou iudge another , in those selfe-crimes , which in your brest you smother . who vndertakes , to dreine his brothers eye of noysome humors , first , must clarifie his owne , lest when his brothers blemish is remoou'd , he spie a souler blame in his . it is beyond th' extent of mans commission , to iudge of man : the secret disposition of sacred prouidence is * lockt , and seal'd from mans conceit , and not to be reueal'd , vntill that lambe breake ope the seale , and come vvith life and death , to giue the vvorld her doome . the ground-worke of our faith , must not relie on bare euents ; peace and prosperitie are goodly fauours , but no proper marke , vvherewith god brands his sheepe : no outward barke secures the body , to be sound within . the rich man liu'd in scarlet , dyed in sinne. behold th' afflicted man ; affliction mooues compassion ; but no confusion prooues . a gloomie day brings oft a glorious euen : the poore man dyed with sores , and liues in heauen . to good and bad , both fortunes heauen doth share , that both , an after-change , may hope , and feare . i 'le hope the best ( lord , ) leaue the rest to thee , lest , while i iudge another , thou iudge me ; it 's one mans vvorke , to haue a serious sight of his owne sinnes , and iudge himselfe aright . the argvment . zophar blames iob ; iob equall makes his wisdome vnto theirs : he takes in hand to pleade with god ; and then describes the fraile estate of men . sect. . then zophar from deepe silence , did awake his words , with lowder language , & be spake : shall prattlers be vnanswer'd , or shall such be counted iust , that speake , for babbling much ? shal thy words stop our mouths ? he that hath blam'd and scoft at others , shall he dye vnsham'd ? our eares haue heard thee , when thou hast excus'd thy selfe of euill , and thy god accus'd : but if thy god should pleade with thee at large , thou d'st reape the sorrowes of a double charge . canst thou , by deepe enquirie , vnderstand the hidden iustice of th' almighties hand ? heauens large dimensions cannot comprehend him ; what e're he doe , what 's he , can reprehend him ? what refuge hast thou then , but to present a heart , inricht with the sad compliment of a true conuert , on thy bended knee , before thy god , t' attone thy god and thee ? then doubt not , but he 'l reare thee from thy sorrow , disperse thy clouds , and , like a shining morrow , make cleare thy sun-beames of prosperitie , and rest thy soule in sweet securitie : but he , whose heart , obdur'd in sinne , persists , his hopes shall vanish , as the morning mists . but iob , euen as a ball , against the ground banded with violence , did thus rebound : you are the onely wisemen , in your brests , the hidden magazen of true wisdome rests , yet ( though astunn'd with sorrowes ) doe i know a little , and ( perchance ) as much as you ; i 'm scorned of my friends , whose prosprous state , surmises me ( that haue expyr'd the date , of earths faire fortunes ) to be cast away , from heauens regard , thinke none belou'd , but they ; i am despised , like a torch , that 's spent , whil'st that the wicked blazes in his tent : what haue your wisdoms taught me , more then that , which birds and beasts ( could they but speak ) would chat ? digests the stomake , ' ere the pallat tastes ? o weigh my words , before you iudge my case . but you referre me to our fathers dayes , to be instructed in their wiser layes . true , length of dayes brings wisdome ; but , i say , i haue a wiser teacheth me , then they : for i am taught , and tutor'd by that hand , whose vnresisted power doth command the limits of the earth , whose wisdome schooles and traines the simple , makes the learned , fooles : his hand doth rayse the poore , deposes kings ; on him , both order , and the change of things depend , he searches , and brings forth the light , from out the shaddowes , and the depth of night . all this , mine owne experience hath found true , and in all this , i know as much as you . but you auerre ; if i should pleade with god , that he would double his seuerer rod. your tongue belyes his iustice , you applie amisse , your med'cine , to my maladie ; in silence , you would seeme more wise , lesse weake ; you hauing spoke , now lend me leaue to speake . will you doe wrong , to doe gods iustice right ? are you his counsell ? need you helpe to fight his quarrels ? or expect you his applause , thus ( brib'd with selfe-conceit ) to pleade his cause ? iudgement 's your fee , when as you take in hand heauens cause , to pleade it , and not heauen command . if that the foulenesse of your censures could not fright you , yet , me thinkes , his greatnes should , whose iustice , you make patron of your lyes ; your slender maxims , and false forgeryes , are substanc't , like the dust , that flies besides me ; peace then , and i will speake , what ere betides me . my soule is on the rack , my teares haue drown'd me , yet will i trust my god , though god confound me ; he , he 's my towre of strength ; no hypocrite stands , vnconfounded , in his glorious sight : ballance my words ; i know my case would quit me from your censures , should i argue it . who takes the plaintiffes pleading ? come , for i must pleade my right , or else ( perforce ) must dye . with thee ( great lord of heauen ) i dare dispute , if thou wilt grant me this my double sute ; first , that thou slake these sorrowes , that surround me , then , that thy burning face doe not confound me ; which granted , then take thou thy choyse , let me propound the question , or , else , answere thee . why dost thou thus pursue me , like thy foe ? for what great sinne do'st thou afflict me so ? break'st thou a withred leafe ? thy iustice doth summe vp the reck'nings of my sinfull youth ; thou keep'st me pris'ner , bound in fetters fast , and , like a thread-bare garment , doe i wast . man , borne of woman , hath but a short while to liue ; his dayes are fleete , and full of toyle ; he 's like a flower , shooting forth , and dying , his life is as a shaddow , swiftly flying . ah! being so poore a thing , what need'st thou mind him ? the nūber of his daies , thou hast confin'd him ; then adde not plagues vnto his griefe , o giue him peace , that hath so small a time to liue ; trees , that are fell'd , may sprout againe , man neuer ; his dayes are numbred , and he dyes for euer , hee 's like a mist , exhaled by the sunne , his dayes once done , they are for euer done . o , that thy hand would hide me close , and couer me in the graue , till all thy wrath were ouer ! my desperate sorrowes hope for no reliefe , yet will i waite my change. my day of griefe will be exchang'd , for an eternall day of ioy : but now , thou dost not spare to lay full heapes of vengeance on my broken soule , and writest my sinnes , vpon an ample scrowle ; as mountaines ( being shaken ) fall , and rocks , ( though firme ) are worne , & rent with many knocks : so strongest men are batter'd with thy strength , loose ground , returning to the ground at length : so mortals dye , and ( being dead ) ne'r mind the fairest fortunes , that they leaue behind . while man is man ( vntill that death bereaue him of his last breath ) his griefes shall neuer leaue him . meditatio decima . doth hist'ry then , and sage chronologie , ( the index , pointing to antiquitie , ) so firmely grounded on deepe iudgement , guarded , and kept by so much miracle , rewarded with so great glorie , serue , but as slight fables , to edge the dulnesse of mens wanton tables , and claw their itching eares ? or doe they , rather , like a concise abridgement , serue to gather mans high aduentures , and his transitorie atchiuements , to expresse his makers glorie ? acts , that haue blowne the lowdest trumpe of fame , are all , but honours , purchac't in his name . is * he , that ( yesterday ) went forth , to bring his fathers asses home , ( to day ) crown'd king ? did * he , that now , on his braue palace stood , boasting his babels beautie , chew the cud an hower after ? haue not babes been crown'd , and mightie monarchs beaten to the ground ? man vndertakes , heauen breathes successe vpon it ; what good , what * euill is done , but heauen hath done it ? the * man , to whom the world was not asham'd , to yeeld her colours , he , that was proclam'd a god , in humane shape , whose dreadfull voyce did strike men dead , like thunder , at the noyse ; was rent away , from his imperiall throne , before his flowre of youth was fully blowne , his race was rooted out , his issue slaine , and left his empire to another straine . who , that did e're behold the ancient rome , would rashly , giuen her glorie such a doome , or thought her subiect to such alterations , that was the * mistresse , and the queene of nations ? egypt , that in her walls , had once engrost more wisdome , then the world besides , hath lost her senses now ; her wisest men of state , are turn'd , like puppets , to be pointed at : if romes great power , and egypts wisdome can not aide themselues , how poore a thing is man ? god playes with kingdomes , as with tennis-balls , fells some that rise , and rayses some that falls : nor policie can preuent , nor secret fate , vvhere heauen hath pleas'd , to blow vpon a state. if states be not secure , nor kingdomes , than how helpelesse ( ah! ) how poore a thing is man ! man 's like a flower , the while he hath to last , hee 's nipt with frost , and shooke with euery blast , hee 's borne in sorrow , and brought vp in teares , he liues , a while in sinne , and dyes in feares . lord , i 'le not boast , what ere thou giue vnto me , lest e're my brag be done , thou take it from me . no man may boast , but of his owne , i can then boast of nothing , for i am a man. the argvment . rash eliphaz doth aggrauate the sinnes of iob , malign's his state , vvhom iob reprouing , iustifies himselfe , bewailes his miseries . sect. . doth vaine repining ( eliphaz replies ) or words , like wind , beseeme the man that 's ( wise ? ah sure , thy faithlesse heart reiects the feare of heauen , dost not acquaint thy lips with prayre : thy words accuse thy heart of impudence , thy tongue ( not i ) brings in the euidence : art thou the first of men ? doe mysteries vnfold to thee ? art thou the onely wise ? wherein hath wisdome been more good to you then vs ? what know you , that we neuer knew ? reuerence , not censure , fits a young mans eyes , we are your ancients , and should be as wise ; is 't not enough , your arrogance derides our counsels , but must scorne thy god besides ? angels ( if god inquier strictly ) must not plead perfection : then , can man be iust ? it is a truth receiu'd , these aged eyes haue seen 't , and is confirmed by the wise , that still the wicked man is voyd of rest , is alwayes fearfull , falles , when he feares least , in troubles he despaires , and is deiected , he begs his bread , his death comes vnexpected , in his aduersity , his griefes shall gaule him , and , like a raging tyrant , shall inthrall him , he shall aduance against his god , in vaine , for heauen shall crush and beate him downe againe ; what if his garners thriue , and goods encrease ? they shall not prosper , nor he liue in peace , eternall horrour shall begirt him round , and vengeance shall both him and his confound , amidst his ioyes , despaire shall stop his breath , his sons shall perish , with vntimely death ; the double soule shall dye , and in the hollow of all false harts , false harts themselues shall swallow . then answered iob , all this , before i knew , they want no griefe , that find such friends as you ? ah , cease your words , the fruits of ill-spent houres ! if heauen should please to make my fortunes yours , i would not scoffe you , nor with taunts torment ye , my lips should comfort , and these eyes lament ye : what shall i doe ? speake not , my griefes oppresse my soule , or speake ( alas ) they 'r ne'r the lesse ; lord , i am wasted , and my pangs haue spent me , my skin is wrinkled , for thy hand hath rent me , mine enemies haue smit me in disdaine , laught at my torments , iested at my paine : i swel'd in wealth , but ( now ) alas , am poore , and feld with woe ) lye grou'ling on the floore , in dust and sackcloth , i lament my sorrowes , thy hand hath trencht my cheekes with water-furrowes , nor can i comprehend the cause , that this my smart should be so grieuous as it is : oh earth ! if then an hypocrite i be , couer my cryes , as i doe couer thee , and witnesse heauen , that these my vowes be true , ( ah friends ! ) i spend my teares to heau'n , not you . my time 's but short , ( alas ! ) would then , that i might try my cause with god , before i dye . since then i languish , and not farre from dead , let me , a while , with my accusers plead ( before the iudge of heauen , and earth ) my right , haue they not wrong'd , and vext me , day and night ? who , first , layes downe his gage , to meet me ? say , i doubt not ( heauen being iudge ) to win the day : you 'l say , perchance , wee 'l recompell our word , e're simple truth should , vnawares , afford your discontent ; no , no , forbeare , for i hate lesse your censures , then your flattery ; i am become a by-word , and a taber , to set the tongues , and eares of men , in labour , mine eyes are dimme , my body 's but a shade , good men that see my case , will be afraid , but not confounded ; they will hold their way , and in a bad , they 'l hope a better day ; recant your errours , for i cannot see one man , that 's truly wise , among you three ; my dayes are gone , my thoughts are mis-possest , the silent night , that heauen ordain'd for rest , my day of trauell is , but i shall haue er'e long , long peace , within my welcome graue ; my neerest kindred , are the wormes , the earth my mother , for she gaue me , first , my birth ; where are my hopes then ? where that future ioy , which you false-prophecy'd i should enioy ? both hopes , and i , alike , shall trauell thither , where , clos'd in dust , we shall remaine together . meditatio vndecima . the morall poets , ( nor vnaptly ) faine , that by lame vulcans help , the pregnant braine of soueraign * ioue , brought forth , & at that birth ; was borne * minerua , lady of the earth . o strange diuinity ! but sung by rote ; sweet is the tune , but in a wilder note . the morall sayes , all wisedome that is giuen to hood-wink't mortals , first , proceeds from heauen : truth 's errour , wisedom's , but wise insolence , and light 's but darknesse , not deriu'd from thence ; wisdom's a straine transcends morality , no vertu 's absent , wisedome being by . vertue , by constant practice , is acquir'd , this ( this by sweat vnpurchas't ) is inspir'd : the master-piece of knowledge , is to know but what is good , from what is good in show , and there it rests : * wisdome proceeds , and chuses the * seeming euill , th' apparant good refuses ; knowledge deseru's , alone ; wisedome applyes , that , makes some fooles , this , maketh none but wise ; the curious hand of knowledge doth but pick bare simples , wisedome pounds them , for the sicke ; in my affliction , knowledge apprehends , who is the authour , what the cause , and ends , it findes that patience is my sad reliefe , and that the hand that caus'd , can cure my griefe : to rest contented here , is but to bring clouds without raine , and heat without a spring : what hope arises hence ? the diuels doe the very same : they know , and tremble too ; but sacred wisedome doth * apply that good , which simple knowledge barely vnderstood : wisedome concludes , and in conclusion , proues , that wheresoeuer god corrects , he loues : wisedome digests , what knowledge did but tast , that deales in futures , this , in things are past : wisedom's the card of knowledge , which , without that guide , at random's wreckt on euery doubt : knowledge , when wisedome is too weak to guide her , is like a head-strong horse , that throwes the rider : vvhich made that great * philosopher auow , he knew so much , that he did nothing know . lord , giue me vvisdome to direct my wayes , i beg nor riches , nor yet length of dayes , o grant thy seruant vvisedome , and with it , i shall receiue such knowledge as will fit to serue my turne : i wish not phoebus waine , without his skill to driue it , lest i gaine too deare an honour , lord , i will not stay , to pick more manna , then will serue to day . the argvment . bildad , the whil'st he makes a show to strike the wicked , giues the blow to iob : iobs misery , and faith ; zophar makes good what bildad saith . sect. . said bildad then , when will ye bring to end , the speeches , whereabout ye so contend ? waigh eithers words , lest ignorant confusion debarre them of their purposed conclusion ▪ we came to comfort , fits it then that we be thought as beasts , or fooles accounted be ? but thou , iob , ( like a mad man ) would'st thou force god , to desist his order , and set course of iustice ? shall the wicked , for thy sake ( that would'st not taste of euill ) in good partake ? no , no , his lampe shall blaze , and dye , his strength shall faile , or shall confound it selfe , at length , he shall be hampred with close hidden snares , and dog'd , where e're he starts , with troups of feares : hunger shall bite , destruction shall attend him , his skin shall rot , the worst of deaths shall end him , his feare , shall be a thousand link't together , his branch , aboue , his root , beneath , shall wither , his name shall sleepe in dust , with dust , decay , odious to all , by all men chas't away , no son shall keepe aliue his house , his name , and none shall thriue , that can alliance clame , the after-age shall stand amaz'd , to heare his fall , and they that see 't , shall shake for feare : thus stands the state of him that doth amisse , and ( iob ) what other is thy case , then this ? but iob reply'd , how long ( as with sharpe swords ) will ye torment me , with your poynted words ? how often haue your biting tongues defam'd my simple innocence , and yet , vnsham'd ? had i deseru'd these plagues , yet let my griefe expresse it selfe , though it find no reliefe , but if you needs must weare your tongues vpon me , know , 't is the hand of god hath ouerthrowne me ; i roare , vnheard ; his hand will not release me ; the more i grieue , the more my griefes oppresse me : he hath dispoyld my ioyes , and goes about ( my branches being lopt ) to stroy the root , his plagues , like souldiers , trench within my bones , my friends , my kindred fly me all at once , my neighbours , my familiars haue forgon me , my houshold stares , with strangers eyes , vpon me : i call my seruant , but his lips are dumbe , i humbly beg his helpe , but hee 'l not come , my owne wife loathes my breath , though i did make my solemne suit , for our dead childrens sake : the poore , whose wants i haue supply'd , despise me , and he that liu'd within my brest , denyes me , my bones are hide-bound , there cannot be found one piece of skin , ( vnlesse my gummes ) that 's sound , alas ! complaints are barren shaddowes , to expresse , or cure the substance of my woe . haue pitty , ( oh my friends ) haue pitty on me , 't is your gods hand and mine , that lyes vpon me , vexe me no more . o let your anger be ( if i haue wrong'd you ) calm'd with what ye see ; o! that my speeches were ingrauen , then , in marble tablets , with an yron pen : for sure i am , that my redeemer liues , and though pale death consume my flesh , and giues my carkas to the wormes , yet am i sure , clad with this selfe-same flesh ( but made more pure ) i shall behold his glory ; these sad eyes shall see his face , how-e're my body lies , mouldred in dust ; these fleshly eyes , that doe behold these sores , shall see my maker too . vnequall hearers , of vnequall griefe , y' are all ingag'd to the selfe-same beliefe , know ther 's a iudge , whose voyce will be as free , to iudge your words , as you haue iudged me . said zophar then , i purpos'd to refraine from speaking , but thou mou'st me back againe : for hauing heard thy haughty spirit breake such hasty termes , my spirit bids me speake : hath not the change of ages , and of climes , taught vs , as we shall our succeeding times , how vain 's the tryumph , and how short the blaze , wherein the wicked sweeten out their dayes ? though for a while his palmes of glorie flourish , yet , in conclusion , they grow seire , and perish : his life is like a dreame , that passes o're , the eye that saw him , ne're shall see him more : the sonne shall slatter , whom the syre opprest , and ( poore ) he shall returne , what he did wrest ; he shall be bayted with the sinnes , that haue so smil'd vpon his childhood , to his graue , his plenty ( purchac't by oppression ) shall be hony , tasted , but digested , gall ; it shall not blesse him with prolonged stay , but euilly come , it soone shall passe away ; the man , whose griping hath the poore opprest , shall neither thriue in state , nor yet find rest in soule ; nought of his fulnesse shall remaine , his greedy heyre shall long expect , in vaine ; soak't with extorted plenty , others shall squeeze him , and leaue him dispossest of all ; and when his ioyes doe in their height abound , vengeance shall strike him groaning , to the ground , if sword forbeare to wound him , arrowes shall returning forth , anoynted with his gall , no shade shall hide him , and an vnblowne fyer shall burne both him , and his . heauen , like a cryer , shall blaze his shame , and earth shall stand his foe , his wandring children shall no dwelling know ; behold the mans estate , whom god denies , behold thine owne , pourtracted to thine eyes . meditatio duodecima . can mercy come from bloody cain ? or hath his angry brow a smile ? or can his wrath be quencht with ought , but righteous abels blood ? can guiltie pris'ners hope for any good from the seuerer iudge , whose dismall breath doomes them to die , breathes nothing else but death ? ah righteous iudge , wherein hath man to trust ? man hath offended , and thy lawes are iust ; thou frownest like a iudge , but i had rather , that thou would'st smile vpon me like a father ▪ what if thy esau be austere and rough ? thou hast a iacob that is smooth enough : thy iacobs tender kid brings forth a blessing , while esau's tedious ven'zon is a dressing . thy face hath smiles , as well as frownes , by turnes ; thy fier giueth light , as well as burnes . what if the serpent stung old adam dead , young adam liues , to breake that serpents head ? iustice hath struck me with a bleeding wound , but mercy powr's in oyle , to make it sound . the milke-white lambe confounds the roaring lion , blasted by sinah , i am heal'd by sion : the law finds guiltie , and death iudgement giues , but sure i am , that my redeemer liues . how wretched was mans case , in those darke dayes , when law was onely read ? which law dismaies , and , taking vantage , through the breach of it , the letter kils , and can no way admit release by pardon ; for by law we dye . why then hop'd man , without a reason why ? although there was no sunne , their morning eies , saw , by the twilight , that the sunne would rise . the law was like a mistie looking-glasse , wherein the shaddow of a sauiour was , treates in a darker straine , by types and signes , and what should passe in after-dayes , diuines . the gospell sayes , that he is come , and dead , and thus the riddle of the law is read . * gospell is law , the myst'ry being seal'd ; and law is gospell , being once reueal'd . experience tells vs , when as birth denies to man ( through natures ouer-sight ) his eyes , nature ( whose curious workes are neuer vaine ) supplies them , in the power of his braine : so they , whose eyes were barr'd that glorious sight of the messiah's day , receiu'd more light , ( inspyred by the breath of heauen ) then they , that heard the tidings of that happy day . the man , that with a sharpe contracted eye , looks in a cleare perspectiue-glasse , doth spie obiects remote , which , to the sense , appeare ( through helpe of the perspectiue ) seeming neere . so they that liu'd within the lawes dominion , did heare farre off , a bruit and buzz'd opinion , a sauiour ( one day ) should be borne ; but hee that had a perspectiue of faith , might see that long-expected day of ioy as cleere , as if the triumph had been then kept there . lord , so direct me in thy perfect vvay , that i may looke , and smile vpon that day : o! bathe me in his blood , spunge euery staine , that i may boldly sue my counter-paine : o! make me glorious in the doome he giues , for sure i am , that my redeemer liues . the argvment . earths happinesse is not heauens brand : arash recounting of iob's crimes : iob trusts him to th' almighties hand : god tyes his iudgements , not to times . sect. . then iob replyde : o , let your patience proue , you came ( not to afflict me but ) in loue. o! beare with me , & heare me speak at leisure , my speech once ended , mock , & scoffe your pleasure ; myst'ries i treat , not toyes ; if then i range a thought beyond my selfe , it is not strange ; behold my case , and stand amaz'd , forbeare me ; be still , and in your deeper silence heare me . search you the hearts of man ( my friends ) or can you iudge the inward , by the outward man ? how haps the wicked then , so sound in health , so ripe in yeeres , so prosperous in wealth ? they multiplie , their house is fill'd with peace , they passe vnplagu'd , their fruitfull flockes encrease ; their children thriue in ioyfull melodie , prosperous they liue , and peacefully they dye ; renounce vs ( god ) say they ( if god there be ▪ what need we knowledge of thy vvord , or thee ? vvhat is th' almighty , that we should adore him ? vvhat bootes our prayer , or vs , to fall before him ? 't is not by chance , their vaine prosperitie crownes thē with store , or heauē , not knowing , why : but you affirme , that in conclusion they shall fall . but not so sudden , as you say : but can ye limit forth the space , confine , how long , or when their lampes shall cease to shine ? will any of you vndertake to teach your maker , things so farre aboue your reach ? the bad man liues in plentie , dyes in peace : the good , as doe his howres , his griefes encrease ; yet both the good and bad alike shall haue , though liues much differing , yet one cōmon graue . i know your mining thoughts ; you will demand , vvhere is the wickeds power ? and where stand their loftie buildings , are they to be seene ? enquire of wandring pilgrims , that haue beene experienc'd in the roade , and they 'l relate the princely greatnesse of their tow'rs , and state : liue any more secure , then they ? or who dare once reprooue them , for the deeds they doe ? he liues in power , and in peace he dies , attended in his pompeous obsequies . how vaine are then the comforts of your breath , that censure goodnesse , or by life , or death ? said eliphaz : what then remaines ? thy tongue hath quit thy selfe , accus'd thy god of wrong . gaines he by mans vprightnesse ? can man ad to his perfection , what he neuer had ? feares he the strength of mā ? doth he torment him , lest that his vntam'd power should preuent him ? what need i waste this breath ? recall thy senses , and take the inuentorie of thy offences : thou tookst the poore mans pawne , nor hast thou fed thy needy brother , with thy prosp'rous bread ; thy hands peruerted iustice , and haue spoyl'd the hopelesse widdow , with her helpelesse child . hence spring thy sorrowes ( iob ; ) 't is iustice , then , thou should'st be plagu'd , that thus plagu'd other mē . is heauen iust ? can heauens iust creator let passe ( vnpunisht ) sinnes of so high nature ? hath not experience taught , that for a while , the wicked may exalt their crests , and smile , blowne vp with insolence : but in conclusion they fall , and good men laugh at their confusion ? iob , adde not sinne to sinne , cease to beguile thy selfe , thinking to quench thy fire with oyle ; returne thee to thy god , confesse thy crimes ; returne , and he will crowne thy after-times with former blessings , and thy riches shall be as the sand : for god is all in all ; his face shall welcome thee , and smile vpon thee , and cease that mischief , his iust hand hath done thee ; he shall be pleased with thy holy fiers , and grant the issue of thy best desires . iob answer'd then : although my soule be faint , and griefes weigh down the scale of my complant , yet would i pleade my cause ( which you defam'd ) before my maker , and would pleade , vnsham'd ; could i but find him , i would take vpon me , to quit the censures you haue passed on me . his iustice hath no limits , is extended beyond conceit , by man vnapprehended ; let heauen be vmpire , and make arbitration , betwixt my guiltlesse heart , and your taxation . my embrion thoughts and words are all inroll'd , pure will he find them , as refined gold ; his steps i followed , and vprightly stood , his lawes haue been my guide , his words my food ; hath he but once decreed ? ( alas ! ) there 's none can barre : for what he wills , must needs be done ; his will 's a law : if he hath doom'd , that i shall still be plagu'd , 't is bootelesse to replie . hence comes it , that my sore afflicted spright trembles , and stands confounded at his sight ; his hand hath struck my spirits in amaze , for i can neither end my griefes nor dayes . why should not times in all things be forbid , when to the iust , their time of sorrow 's hid ? some mooue their land-markes , rob their neighbour others , in gage , receiue the widowes oxe , some grinde the poore , while others seeke the prey ; flocks ; they reape their haruest , beare their graine away ; men presse their oyle , and they distraine their store , and rend the gleanings , from the hungry poore . the citie roares , the blood , which they haue spent , cryes ( vnreueng'd ) for equall punishment ; early they murther , and rob late at night , they trade in darkenesse , for they hate the light ; the sinne ( vnpunisht ) thriuing , vncontroll'd , and what by force they got , by force they hold . o friends ! repeale your words , your speeches bring no lawfull yssue , prooue not any thing : your deeper wisdomes argue ( in effect ) that god doth , or not know , or else neglect : conclude with me , or proue my words vntrue , i must be found a lyer , or else you . meditatio tertiadecima . the vvisest men , that nature e're could boast , for secret knowledge of her power , were lost , confounded , and in deepe amazement stood , in the discouery of the chiefest good : keenely they hunted , beat in euery bracke , forwards they went , on either hand , and backe return'd they counter ; but their deepe-mouth'd art , ( though often challeng'd sent , yet ) ne'r could start , in all th' enclosures of philosophy , that game , from squat , they terme , felicity : they iangle , and their maxims dis-agree , as many men , so many minds there be . one digs to pluto's throane , thinkes there to find her grace , rak't vp in gold : anothers mind mounts to the courts of kings , with plumes of honour , and feather'd hopes , hopes , there , to seize vpon her ; a third , vnlockes the painted gates of pleasure , and ransacks there , to find this peerelesse treasure . a fourth , more sage , more wisely melancholy , perswades himselfe , her deity 's too holy , for common hands to touch , he rather chuses , to make a long dayes iourney to the muses : to athens ( gown'd ) he goes , and from that schoole returnes vnsped , a more instructed foole . where lies she then ? or lies she any where ? honours are bought and sold , she rests not there , much lesse in pleasures hath she her abiding , for they are shar'd to beasts , and euer sliding ; nor yet in vertue , vertu 's often poore , and ( crush't with fortune ) begs from dore to dore , nor is she sainted in the shrine of wealth , that makes men slaues , is vnsecur'd from stealth ; conclude we then , felicity consists not in exterior fortunes , but her lists are boundlesse , and her large extension out-runnes the pace of humane apprehension ; fortunes are seldome measur'd by desert , the fairer face , hath oft the fouler heart ; sacred felicity doth ne're extend beyond it selfe : * in it all wishes end : the swelling of an outward fortune can create a prosperous , not a * happy man ; a peacefull conscience is the true content , and wealth is but her golden ornament . i care not , so my kernell rellish well , how slender be the substance of my shell ; my heart being vertuous , let my face be wan , i am to god , i onely seeme to man. the argvment . bildad showes mans impurity ; iob setteth forth th' almighties power , pleads still his owne integrity : gods wisedome no man can discouer . sect. . said bildad then , with whom dost thou contest , but with thy maker , that liues euer blest ? his powr's infinite , mans light is dimme , and knowledge darknesse , not deriu'd from him : say then , who can be iust before him ? no man can challenge purity , that 's borne of woman . the greater torch of heauen in his sight , shall be asham'd , and lose his purer light ; much lesse can man , that is but liuing dust , and but a fairer worme , be pure and iust . whereat iob thus : doth heauens high iudgement stand , to be supported by the weaker hand ? wants hee thy helpe ? to whom dost thou extend these , these thy lauish lips , and to what end ? no , hee 's almighty , and his power doth giue each thing his being , and by him they liue : to him , is nothing darke , his soueraigne hands whirle round the restlesse orbs , his pow'r cōmands th' euen poys'd earth ; the water-pots of heauen he empties at his pleasure , and hath giuen appoynted lists , to keepe the waters vnder , the trembling skies he strikes amaz'd , with thunder : these , these the trophies of his power be , where is there e're a such a god as he ? my friends , these eares haue heard your censures on me , and heauens sharp hand doth waigh so hard vpō me so languishing in griefe , that no defence seemes to remaine , to shield my innocence : yet while my soule a gaspe of breath affords , i 'le not distrust my maker , nor your words deserue , which heauen forfend , that euer i proue true , but i 'le plead guiltlesse till i dye , while i haue breath , my pangs shal ne'r perswade me to wander , and reuolt from him , that made me . er'e such thoughts spring from this confused brest , let death and tortures doe their worst , their best . what gaines the hypocrite , although the whole worlds wealth he purchase , with the price on 's soule ? will heauen heare the voyce of his disease ? can he repent , and turne , where-e're he please ? true , god doth sometime plague with open shame the wicked , often blurres he forth his name from out the earth , his children shall be slaine , and who suruiue , shall beg their bread in vaine ; what if his gold be heap'd , the good man shall possesse it , as true master of it all , like moths , their houses shall they build , in doubt and danger , euery houre to be cast out , besieg'd with want , their lips make fruitlesse moane , yet ( wanting succour ) be relieu'd by none . the worme of conscience shall torment his brest , and he shall rore , when others be at rest , gods hand shall scourge him , that he cannot flye , and men shall laugh , and hisse , to heare him cry . the purest metall 's hid within the mould , without , is grauell , but within , is gold ; man digs , and in his toyle he takes a pleasure , he seekes , and finds within the turfe , the treasure , he neuer rests , vnsped , but ( vnderneath ) he mines , and progs , though in the fangs of death : no secret , ( how obscure soeuer ) can earths bosome smother , that 's vnfound by man ; but the diuine , and high decrees of heauen , what mind can search into ? no power 's giuen to mortall man , whereby he may attaine the rare discouery of so high a straine , diue to the depth of darknesse , and the deepes , renounce this wisedome : the wide ocean keepes her not inclos'd ; 't is not the purest gold can purchase it , or heapes of siluer , told , the pearles , and peerelesse treasures of the east , resined gold , and gemmes , are all , the least of nothings , if compar'd with it , as which , earths masse of treasure , ( summ'd ) is not so rich ; where rests this wisedome then ? if men enquire below , they find her not ; or , if they ( higher ) soare with the prince of fowles , they still despaire , the more they seeke , the further off they are . ah friends ! how more then men ? how eagle-eyde are you , to see , what to the world beside was darke ? to you , alone , ( in trust ) was giuen to search into the high decrees of heauen : you read his oracles , you vnderstand to riddle forth mans fortunes by his hand , your wisedomes haue a priuiledge to know his secret smiling , from his angry brow : let shame preuent your lips , recant , and giue to the almighty his prerogatiue , to him , the searching of mens hearts belong , mans iudgement sinkes no deeper then the tongue ; hee ouerlookes the world , and in one space of time , his eye is fixt on euery place : he waigh'd the waters , ballanc'd out the ayre , what-e're hath being , did his hands prepare ; he wills that mortals be not ouer-wise , nor iudge his secrets with censorious eyes . meditatio quartadecima . t is vertue to flye vice : ther 's none more stout , then he that ventures to pick vertue out , betwixt a brace of vices : dangers stand , threatning his ruine , vpon either hand ; his card must guide him , lest his pinnace runne vpon charibdis , while it scylla shun : in moderation all vertue lyes ; 't is greater folly to be ouer-wise , then rudely ignorant : the golden meane , is but to know enough ; safer to leane to ignorance , then * curiositie , for * lightning blasts the mountaines that are high : the first of men , from hence , deseru'd his fall , he sought for secrets , and sought death , withall : * secrets are vnfit obiects for our eyes , they blind vs in beholding : he that tryes to handle water , the more hard he straines and gripes his hand , the lesse his hand retaines : the mind that 's troubled with that pleasing itch , of knowing secrets , hauing flowne a pitch beyond it selfe , the higher it ascends , and striues to * know , the lesse it apprehends : that secret wiseman , is an open foole , which takes a councel-chamber , for a schoole . the eye of man desires no farther light , then to descry the obiect of his sight , and rests contented with the sunnes reflection , but ( lab'ring to behold his bright complection ) if it presume t' outface his glorious light , the beames bereaue him , iustly , of his sight : euen so the mind should rest in what 's reueal'd , but ouer-curious , if in things conceald , she wade too farre , beyond her depth , vnbounded , her knowledge will be lost , and she confounded . * farre safer 'tis , of things vnsure , to doubt , then vndertake to riddle secrets out . it was demanded once , what god did doe before the world he framed ? whereunto answere was made , he built a hell for such , as are too curious , & would * know too much . who flies with icarus his father , shall haue icarus his fortunes and his fall . a noble prince , ( whose bounteous hand was bent , to recompence his seruants faith , and vent the earnest of his fauours , ) did not proffer , but wil'd him , boldly , to preuent his offer : thankfull , he thus reply'd , then grant vnto me this boone , with-hold thy princely secrets from me . that holy * man , in whose familiar eare heauen oft had thundred , might not come too neare : the temple must haue * curtaines ; mortall hearts must rest content to see his * hinder parts . i care not ( lord ) how farre thy face be off , if i but kisse thy hand , i haue enough . the argvment . iob wisheth his past happinesse , shewes his state present , doth confesse that god's the authour of his griefe , relates the purenesse of his life . sect. . oh ! that i were as happy as i was , when heauens bright fauours shone vpon my face , and prospred my affaires , inrich't my ioyes , when all my sonnes could answere to my voyce ; then did my store , and thriuing flockes encrease , offended iustice sought my hands , for peace ; old men did honour , and the young did feare me , princes kept silence ( when i spake , ) to heare me , i heard the poore , relieu'd the widdowes cry , orphans i succour'd , was the blind mans eye , the cripples foot , my helplesse brothers drudge , the poore mans father , and th'oppressours iudge ; i then supposed , that my dayes long lease would passe in plenty , and expire in peace , my roots were fixed , and my branches sprung , my glory blaz'd , my pow'r grew daily strong ; i speaking , men stood mute , my speeches moou'd all hearts to ioy , by all men were approou'd , my kindly words were welcome , as a latter rayne , and were oracles in a doubtfull matter . o sudden change ! i 'm turn'd a laughing-stock to boyes , & those , that su'd to tend my flock , and such , whose hungry wants haue taught their hands to scrape the earth , and dig the barren lands , for hidden roots , wherewith they might appease their tyran'-stomakes , these , ( euen very these ) flout at my sorrowes , and disdaining me , poynt with their fingers , and cry , this is he : my honour 's foyld , my troubled spirit lyes wide open to the worst of iniuries , where-e're i turne , my sorrow , new , appeares , i 'm vex't abroad , with slouts , at home , with feares , my soule is faint , and nights that should giue ease to tyred spirits , make my griefes encrease , i loathe my carkas , for my rip'ned sores haue chang'd my garments colour with their cores : but what is worst of worsts , ( lord ) often i haue cry'd to thee , a stranger to my cry , though perfect clemency , thy nature be , though kind to all , thou art vnkind to me . i ne'r waxt pale , to see another thriue , nor e're did let my ' afflicted brother striue with teares , alone , but i ( poore i ) tormented , expect for succour , and am vnlamented ; i mourne in silence , languish all alone , as in a desart , am relieu'd by none ; my sores haue dyed my skin with filth , still turning my ioyes to griefe , and all my mirth to mourning . my heart hath past indentures with mine eye , not to behold a maide : for what should i expect from heauen , but a deseru'd reward , earnd by so foule a sinne ? for death 's prepar'd , and flames of wrath , are blowne for such : doth he not know my actions , that so well knowes me ? if i haue lent my hand to slie deceit , or if my steps haue not been purely strait , what i haue sowne , then let a stranger eate , and roote my plants vntimely from their seate . if i with lust haue e're distain'd my life , or been defiled with anothers wife , in equall iustice , let my wife be knowne of all , and let me reape as i haue sowne : for lust , that burneth in a sinfull brest , till it hath burnt him too , shall neuer rest . if e're my haste did treate my seruant ill , without desert , making my pow'r , my will , then how should i before gods iudgement stand , since we were both created by one hand ? if e're my power wrong'd the poore mans cause , or to the widdow , length'ned out the lawes : if e're ( alone ) my lips did taste my bread , or shut my churlish doores , the poore vnfed , or bent my hand to doe the orphane wrong , or saw him naked , vnapparell'd long ; in heapes of gold , if e're i tooke delight , or gaue heauens worship , to the heauenly * light , or e're was flattred by my secret will , or ioyed in my aduersaries ill ; let god accurse me from his glorious seate , and make my plagues ( if possible ) more great . oh! that some equall hearer , now were by , to iudge my righteous cause ; full sure am i , i shall be quitted , by th' almighties hand . what , therefore , if censorious tongues withstand the iudgement of my sober conscience ? compose they ballads on me , yet from thence , my simple innocence shall gaine renowne , and on my head , i 'le weare them , as my crowne : to the almighties eare will i reueale my secret wayes , to him , alone , appeale : if ( to conclude ) the earth could find a tongue , t' impeach my guiltlesse hands of doing wrong : if hidden wages ( earn'd with sweat ) doe lye , rak't in her furrowes , let her wombe denie to blesse my haruest , let her better seeds be turn'd to thistles , and the rest , to weedes meditatio quintadecima . the man , whose soule is vndistain'd with ill , pure from the check of a distemp'red will , stands onely free from the distracts of care , and flies a pitch aboue the reach of feare : his bosome dares the threatning bow-mans arme , his wisdome sees , his courage feares no harme , his brest lyes open to the reeking sword ; the darts of swarthy maurus can afford lesse dread , then danger , to his well prepar'd and settled mind , which ( standing on her guard ) bids mischiefe doe the worst she can , or will , for he that doth no ill , deserues no ill. would any striue with * samson for renowne , whose brawny arme can strike most pillers downe ? or try a fall with * angels , and preuaile ? or with a hymne , vnhinge the strongest * iayle ? would any from a pris'ner , prooue a * prince ? or with * slow speech , best orators conuince ? preserue he then , vnstained in his brest , a milke-white conscience ; let his soule be blest with simple innocence : this seuenfold shield no dart shall pierce , no sword shall make it yeeld ; the sinowy bow , and deadly-headed launce , shall breake in shiuers , and the splinters glaunce aside , returning backe from whence they came , and wound their hearts with an eternall shame . the iust and constant mind , that perseueres vnblemisht with false pleasures , neuer feares the bended threatnings of a tyrants brow , death neither can disturbe , nor change his vow ; vvell guarded with himselfe , he walkes along , vvhen , most alone , his stand's a * thousand strong liues he in vveale , and full prosperitie ? his wisdome tells him , that he liues , to die . is he * afflicted ? sharpe afflictions giue him hopes of change , and that that he dyes , to liue . is he * reuil'd and scorn'd ? he sits , and smiles , knowing him happie , whom the world reuiles . if rich , he giues the poore ; and if he liue in poore estate , he finds rich friends to giue ; he liues an angell in a mortall forme ; and , hauing past the brunt of many a storme , at last , arriueth at the hauen of rest , where that iust iudge , that rambles in his brest , ioyning with angels , with an angels voyce , chaunts forth sweet requiems of eternall ioyes . the argvment . elihu iob reprooues , reprooues his friends alike , he pleades the case with iob in gods behalfe , and mooues him to recant , and call for grace . sect. . thus iob his ill-defended cause adiournes , and silence lends free libertie of turnes , to his vniust accusers , whose bad cause hath left them grounded in too large a pause : whereat elihu ( a young stander-by , whose modest eares , vpon their long reply did waite ) his angry silence did awake , and ( crauing pardon for his youth ) bespake . young standers-by doe oftentimes see more , then elder gamesters : y' are too blame all foure ; t'ones cause is bad , but with good proofes befriēded , the others iust and good , but ill defended . though reason makes the man , heauen makes him wise , wisdome in greatest clerks not alway lyes : then let your silence giue me leaue to spend my iudgement , whil'st your heedfull eares attend . i haue not heard , alone , but still expected to heare , what more your spleenes might haue obiected , against your wofull friend ; but i haue found your reasons , built vpon a sandy ground . flourish no flags of conquest : vnderstand , that hee 's afflicted by th' almighties hand : he hath not fayld to crosse your accusations ; yet i ( though not with your foule exprobations ) will crosse him too . i 'me full , and i must speake , or , like vnuented vessels , i must breake , and with my tongue , my heart will be relieu'd , that swells , with what my patience hath conceiu'd : be none offended , for my lips shall tread that ground ( without respect ) as truth shall leade ; god hates a flattring language : then how can i vnliable to danger , flatter any ? now , iob , to thee i speake , o , let my errant be welcome to thine eares , fortruth's my warrant ; they are no slender trifles that i treate , but things digested with the sacred heate of an inspired knowledge ; 't is no rash discharge of wrath , nor wits conceited flash ; i 'le speake , and heare thee speake as free , for i will take no vantage of thy miserie . thy tongue did challenge to maintaine thy case with god , if he would vayle his glorious face : be i the man ( though clad with clay and dust , and mortall like thy selfe ) that takes the trust to represent his person ; thou dost terme thy selfe most iust , and boldly dost affirme , that heauen afflicts thy soule without a reason . ah iob ! these very words ( alone ) are treason against th'almighti's will. thou oughtest rather submit thy passion to him , as thy father , then pleade with him , as with thy peere . is he bound to reueale his secret vvill to thee ? god speaketh oft to man , not vnderstood , sometimes in * dreames , at other times thinks good , to thunder iudgement in his drowzy eare ; sometimes , with hard afflictions scourge , doth teare his wounded soule , which may at length giue ease ( like sharper physicke ) to his foule disease : but if ( like pleasing iulips ) he afford the meeke expounders of his sacred vvord , vvith sweete perswasions to recure his griefe , how can his sorrowes wish more faire reliefe ? ah , then his body shall waxe young and bright ; heauens-face that scortcht before , shall now delight , his tongue with triumph , shall confesse to men , i was a leper , but am cleare agen . thus , thus that spring of mercy oftentimes doth speake to man , that man may speake his crimes . consider , iob ; my words with iudgement weigh ; vvhich done ( if thou hast ought ) then boldly say ; if otherwise , shame not to hold thy peace , and let thy vvisdome with my words encrease . and you , you vvisemen , that are silent here , vouchsafe to lend my lips your rip'ned care , let 's call a parlie , and the cause decide ; for iob pleades guiltlesse , and would faine be tride ; yet hath his boldnesse term'd himselfe vpright , and taxt th'almightie for not doing right ; his innocence with heauen doth he pleade , and that vniustly he was punished : o puritie by impudence suborn'd ! he scorn'd his maker , and is iustly scorn'd : farre be it from the heart of man , that he , vvho is all iustice , yet vniust should be . each one shall reape the haruest he hath sowne , his meede shall measure , what his hands haue done . vvho is 't , can claime the worlds great soueraignty ? vvho rays'd the rafters of the heauens , but he ? if god should breathe on man , or take away the breath he gaue him , what were man , but clay ? o , let thy heart , th'vnbridled tongue , conuince ! say ; dare thy lips defame an earthly prince ? how darst thou then maligne the king of kings , to whom , great princes are but poorest things ? he kicks down kingdoms , spurns th' emperial crown , and with his blast , puffes mighty monarchs downe . 't is vaine to striue with him ; and if he strike , our part 's to beare , not ( fondly ) to mislike , ( misconstruing the nature of his drift ) but husband his corrections to our thrift . if he afflict , our best is to implore his blessing with his rod , and sinne no more . what if our torments passe the bounds of measure ? it vnbesits our wills , to stint his pleasure ; iudge then , and let th' impartiall world aduise , how farre ( poore iob ) thy iudgement is from wise : nor are these speeches kindled with the fire of a distempred spleene , but with desire , t' inrich thy wisdome , lest thy furie tie presumption to thy rash infirmitie . meditatio sextadecima . for mortals , to be borne , waxe old , and die , lyes not in will , but bare necessitie , common to beasts , which , in the selfe-degree , hold by the selfe-same patent , euen as wee : but to be wise , is a diuiner action of the discursiue soule , a pure abstraction of all her powers , vnited in the will , ayming at good , reiecting what is ill ; it is an influence of inspired breath , vnpurchased by birth , vnlost by death , entayl'd to no man , no , nor free to all , yet gently answers to the eager call of those , that , with inflam'd affections , seeke , respecting tender youth and age alike ; in depth of dayes , her spirit not alway lyes , yeeres make man old , but heauen returnes him wise ; youths innocence , nor riper ages strength can challenge her , as due ; ( desired ) length of dayes , produced to decrepit yeeres , fild with experience , and grizly haires , can claime no right ; th' almighty ne'r engages his gifts to times , nor is he bound to ages , his quickning spirit , to sucklings oft reueales , what to their doting grandsires he conceales , the vertue of his breath ; can vnbenumme the frozen lips , and strike the speaker dumme : who put that mouing power into his tongue , whose lips did right the chaste susanna's wrong , vpon her wanton false accusers death ? what secret fire inflam'd that * fainting breath that blasted pharo ? or those ruder tongues , that school'd the faithlesse * prophet , for the wrongs he did to sacred iustice ? matters not how slight the meanes be in it selfe , or what in our esteemes , so wisedome be the message ; embassadours are worthyed in th' embassage : god sowes his haruest to his best encrease , and glorifies himselfe , how-e're he please . lord , if thou wilt , ( for what is hard to thee ? ) i may a factor for thy glory be , then grant that ( like a faithfull seruant ) i may render back thy stock with vsury . the argvment . god reapes no gaine by mans best deeds ; man's misery from himselfe proceeds : gods mercy and iustice are vnbounded ; in workes of nature man is grounded . sect. . elihu , thus his pausing lips , againe disclos'd , & said , ( rash iob ) dost thou maintain a rightfull cause , which in conclusion , must auow thee blamelesse , and thy god vniust ? thy lawlesse words implying , that it can aduantage none , to liue an vpright man ? my tongue shall schoole thee , and thy friends that would ( perchance ) refell'd thy reasons , if they could : behold thy glorious makers greatnesse , see the power of his hand , say then , can he be damag'd by thy sinne , or can he raise aduantage , by th'vprightnesse of thy wayes ? true , th' afflicted languish oft in griefe , and roare to heauen ( vnanswer'd ) for reliefe , yet is not heauen vniust , for their fond cry , their sinne bewailes not , but their misery . cease then , to make him guilty of thy crimes , and waite his pleasure , that 's not bound to times , nor heares vaine words . the sorrowes thou art in , are slight , or nothing , ballanc'd with thy sin : thy lips accuse thee , and thy foolish tongue , to right thy selfe , hath done th' almighty wrong . hold back thine answere ; let my flowing streame find passage , to surround my fruitfull theame , i 'le raise my thoughts , to plead my makers case , and speake , as shall befit so high a place : behold th' almighty's meeke , as well as strong , destroyes the wicked , rights the iust mans wrong , mounts him to honour ; if by chance he stray , instructs , and showes him where he lost his way : if he returne , his blessings shall encrease , crowning his ioyes with plenty and sweet peace ; if not , th'intailed sword shall ne'r depart his stained house , but pierce his hardned heart ; ah sinfull iob ! these plagues had neuer bin , had'st thou been guiltlesse ( as thou boasts ) from sin : but thy proud lips against their maker plead , and draw downe heapes of vengeance on thy head ; looke to thy selfe , seeke not to vnderstand the secret causes of th' eternals hand , let wisedome make the best of misery , know who inflicts it , aske no reason why : his will 's beyond thy reach , and his diuine and sacred knowledge farre surpasseth thine . ah! rather , praise him in his workes , that lye ( wide open to the world ) before thine eye ; his meaner acts , our highest thought o'retops , he pricks the clouds , stils downe the raine by drops ; who comprehends the lightning , or the thunder ? who sees , who heares them , vnamaz'd with wonder ? my troubled heart chils in my quiuering brest , to rellish these things , and is dispossest of all her powers : who euer heard the voyce of th' angry heauens , vnfrighted at the noyse ? the beast by nature daz'd with sudden dread , seekes out for couert to secure his head : if god command , the dusky clouds march forth into a tempest ; from the freezing north he beckens frost , and snow ; and from the south , he bloweth whirlewinds with his angry mouth . presumptuous iob ! if thou canst not aspire so high , to comprehend these things , admire . know'st thou the progresse of the rambling clouds ? from mortall eyes , when gloomy darknesse shrouds the lamps of heauen , know'st thou the reason why ? can'st thou vnriddle heauens philosophy ? know'st thou th'vnconstant nature of the wether ? or whence so many winds proceed , and whither ? wer 't thou made priuie , or a stander-by , when god stretch't forth his spangled canopy ? submit thy selfe , and let these secrets teach , how farre his myst'ries doe surmount thy reach : for hee 's almighty , and his sacred will is iust , nor renders an vnearned ill ; his workes are obiects for no soaring eyes , but wheresoe're he looks , he findes none wise . meditatio septimadecima . the world 's an index to eternity , and giues a glance of what our cleerer eye , in time , shall see at large ; nothing's so slight , which , in its nature , sends not forth some light , or memorandum of his makers glory : no dust so vile , but pens an ample story , of the almighties power , nor is there that , which giues not man iust cause to wonder at . cast downe thine eyes , behold the pregnant earth , ( her selfe but one ) produceth at one birth , a world of diuers natures : from a seed entirely one , things hot and cold proceed , she suckles with one milke , things moyst , and dry , yet in her wombe is no repugnancy . or shall thy reason ramble vp so high , to view the court of wilde astronomie ? behold the planets , round about thine eares , whirling like fire-balles in their restlesse spheares . at one selfe-instant moouing seuerall wayes , still measuring out our short , and shorter dayes . behold the parts , whereon the world consists , are limited in their appoynted lists , without rebellion , vnapt to varie , * though being many , diuers , and contrary : looke where we lift , aboue , beneath , or vnder , our eyes shall see to learne , and learne to wonder ; their depth shall drowne our iudgements , and their height , besides his wits , shall driue the prime conceit : shall then our daring mindes presume t' aspire to heauens hid myst'ries ? shall our thoughts inquire into the depth of secrets , vnconfounded , when in the showre of nature they are drowned ? fond man , be wise , striue not aboue thy strength , tempt not thy barke beyond her cables length ; and , like prometheus , filch no sacred fire , lest eagles gripe thee : let thy proud desire suite with thy fortunes ; curious minds , that shall mount vp with phaeton , shall haue phaetons fall . vnbend thy bow betimes , lest thou repent too late , for it will breake , or else stand bent . i 'le worke at home , ne'r crosse the scorching line , in vnknowne lands , to seeke a hidden mine : plaine bullion pleaseth me , i not desire deare ingots from th' elixars piercing fire ; i 'le spend my paines , ( where best i may be bold ) to know my selfe , wherein i shall behold the world abridg'd , and in that world , * my maker , beyond which taske , i wish no vndertaker . great god , by whom it is , what-e're is mine , make me thy viceroy in this * world of thine ; so cleare mine eyes , that i may comprehend my slight beginning , and my sudden end. the argvment . godquestions iob , and prooues that man cannot attaine to things so high , as diuine secrets , since he can not reach to natures ; iobs reply . sect. . forth from the bosome of a murm'ring cloud , heauens great iehouah did , at length , vnshrowd his earths-amazing language made terrible with feare and maiesty ) equally ( challeng'd the düell ) he did vndertake his grumbling seruant , and him thus bespake , who , who art thou , that thus dost pry in vaine , into my secrets , hoping to attaine , with murmuring , to things , conceal'd from man ? say ( blear-ey'd mortall ) who art thou , that can thus cleare thy crimes , and dar'st ( with vain applause ) make me defendant in thy sinfull cause ? loe , here i am ; engrosse into thy hands the soundest weapons ; answere my demands : say , where wer 't thou , whē these my hands did lay the worlds foundation ? canst thou tell me ? say , was earth not measur'd by this arme of mine ? whose hand did ayde me ? was i help't by thine ? where wert thou , when the planets first did blaze , and in their spheares sang forth their makers praise ? who is 't that tames the raging of the seas , and swathes them vp in mists , when-e're he please ? did'st thou diuide the darknesse from the light ? or know'st thou whence aurora takes her flight ? did'st ere enquire into the seas abysse , or mark'd the earth , of what a bulke she is ? know'st thou the place whence light or darknesse springs ? can thy deepe age vnfold these secret things ? know'st thou the cause of snow , or haile , which are my fierce artill'ry , in my time of warre ? who is 't that rends the gloomy clouds in sunder , whose sudden rapture strikes forth fire , & thunder ? or who bedewes the earth with gentle showres , filling her pregnant soyle with fruits and flowres ? what father got the raine ? from what chill wombe did frosts , and hard-congealed waters come ? canst thou restraine faire maia's course , or stint her , or sad orion vshering in the winter ? will scorching cancer at thy summons come , or sun-burnt autumne with her fruitfull wombe ? knowst thou heauens course aboue , or dost thou know those gentle influences here below ? who was 't inspir'd thy soule with vnderstanding ? and gaue thy spirit , the spirit of apprehending ? dost thou command the cesternes of the skie , to quench the thirsty soyle ; or is it i ? nay , let thy practice to the earth descend , proue there , how farre thy power doth extend ; from thy full hand will hungry lions eate ? feed'st thou the empty rauens that cry for meate ? sett'st thou the season , when the fearefull hind brings forth her painefull birth ? hast thou assign'd the mountaine goate her time ? or is it i ? canst thou subiect vnto thy soueraigntie , the vntam'd vnicorne ? can thy hard hand force him to labour on thy fruitfull land ? did'st thou inrich the peacock with his plume ? or did that steele-digesting bird assume his downie flags from thee ? didst thou endow the noble stallion with his strength ? canst thou quaile his proud courage ? see , his angry breath puffes nothing forth , but feares , summ'd vp in death ? marke with what pride his horny hoofes doe tabor the hard resounding earth ; with how great labor , how little ground he spends : but at the noyse and fierce alar'm of the hoarse trumpets voyce he breakes the rankes , amidst a thousand speares pointed with death , vndaunted at the feares of doubtfull warre ; he rushes like a ranger , through euery troope , & scornes so braue a danger . doe loftie haggards cleaue the flitting ayre , with plumes of thy deuising ? then how dare thy rauenous lips thus , thus , at randome runne , and counter-maund what i the lord haue done ? think'st thou to learne ( fond mortall ) thus , by diuing into my secrets , or to gaine by striuing ? pleade then : no doubt , but thine will be the day ; speake ( peeuish plaintiffe ) if th' ast ought to say . iob then reply'd : ( great god ) i am but dust , my heart is sinfull , and thy hands are iust ; i am a sinner ( lord , ) my words are wind , my thoughts are vaine , ( ah father ) i haue sinn'd : shall dust replie ? i spake too much before , i 'le close these lips , and neuer answere more . meditatio octauadecima o glorious light ! a light , vnapprehended by mortall eyes ! o glorie , neuer ended , nor e're created , whence all glorie springs in heauenly bodies , and in earthly things ! o power immense , deriued from a will most iust , and able to doe all , but ill ! o essence pure , and full of maiestie ! greatnesse ( it selfe ) and yet no quantitie ; goodnesse , and without qualitie ; producing all things from out of nothing , and reducing all things to nothing ; past all comprehending , both first and last , and yet without an ending , or yet beginning ; filling euery creature , and not ( it selfe ) included ; aboue nature , yet not excluded , of it selfe subsisting , and with it selfe , all other things , assisting ; diuided , yet without diuision ; a perfect three , yet three , entirely one ; both one in three , and three in one , together ; begetting , and begotten , and yet neither ; the fountaine of all arts , confounding art ; both all in all , and all in euery part ; still seeking glorie , and still wanting none ; though iust , yet reaping , where thou ne'r hast sowne ! great maiestie , since thou art euery where , o , why should i misdoubt thy presence here ? i long haue sought thee , but my ranging heart ne'r quests , and cannot see thee where thou art : there 's no defect in thee , thy light hath shin'd , nor can be hid ( great god , ) but i am blind . o , cleare mine eyes , and with thy holy fire inflame my brest , and edge my dull desire : wash me with hysope , clense my stained thoughts , renew my spirit , blurre forth my secret faults ; thou tak'st no pleasure in a sinners death , for thou art life , thy mercy 's not beneath thy sacred iustice : giue thy seruant power to seek aright , and ( hauing sought ) discouer thy glorious presence ; let my blemisht eye see my saluation yet before i dye . o , then my dust , that 's bowell'd in the ground , shall rise with triumph at the welcome sound of my redeemers earth-awaking trumpe , vnfrighted at the noyse ; no sullen dumpe of selfe-confounding conscience shall affright me , for hee 's my iudge , whose dying blood shall quite me . the argvment . god speakes to iob the second time : iob yeelds his sinne , repents his crime . god checks his friends , restores his health , giues him new issue , double wealth . sect. . oncemore the mouth of heauē rapt forth a voice , the troubled firmament was fill'd with noise , the rafters of the darkned skie did shake , for the eternall thundred thus , and spake : collect thy scattred senses , and aduise , rouze vp ( fond man ) and answere my replies . wilt thou make comments on my text , and must i be vnrighteous , to conclude thee , iust ? shall my decrees be licenced by thee ? what , canst thou thunder with a voyce like me ? put on thy robes of maiestie ; be clad with as bright glorie ( iob ) as can be had ; make fierce thy frownes , and with an angry face confound the proud , and his high thoughts abase , pound him to dust : doe this , and i will yeeld , thou art a god , and need'st no other shield . behold , the castle-bearing elephant , that wants no bulke , nor doth his greatnesse want an equall strength . behold his massie bones , like barres of yron ; like congealed stones , his knottie sinewes are ; him haue i made , and giuen him naturall weapons for his aide ; high mountaines beare his food , the shady boughes his couerts are ; great riuers are his troughs , whose deepe carouses would , to standers-by , seeme at a watring , to draw iordan drie : what skilfull huntsman can , with strength , out-dare him ? or with what engins can a man ensnare him ? hast thou beheld the huge leuiathan , that swarthy tyrant of the ocean ? can thy bearded hooke impierce his gils , or make him thy landed pris'ner ? can thy angles take him ? will he make suite for fauour from thy hands , or be enthralled to thy fierce commands ? will he be handled as a bird ? or may thy fingers bind him for thy childrens play ? let men be wise , for in his lookes , he hath displayed banners of vntimely death . if creatures be so dreadfull , how is he more bold then wise , that dares encounter me ? what hand of man can hinder my designe ? are not the heauens , and all beneath them , mine ? dissect the greatnesse of so vast a creature , by view of seuerall parts : summe vp his feature , like shields , his scales are plac't , which neither art knowes how to sunder , nor yet force can part , his belching rucks forth flames , his mouing eye shines like the glory of the morning skie ; his craggie sinewes are like wreathes of brasse , and from his mouth , quicke flames of fier passe , as from an ouen , the temper of his heart is like a nether-milstone , which no dart can pierce , secured from the threatning speare ; affraid of none , he strikes the world with feare : the bow-mans brawnie arme sends shafts in vaine , they fall like stubble , or bound backe againe : stones are his pillow , and the mud his downe ; in earth none greater is , nor equall , none , compar'd with him , all things he doth deride , and well may challenge to be king of pride . so said , th' amazed iob bent downe his eyes vpon the ground , and ( sadly ) thus replyes . i know ( great god ) there 's nothing hard to thee , thy thoughts are pure , and too too deepe for me : i am a foole , and my distempered wits , longer out-strayed my tongue , then well befits ; my knowledge slumbred , while my lips did chat , and , like a foole , i spake i knew not what . lord , teach me wisdome , lest my proud desire , cinge her bold feathers in thy sacred fire ; mine eare hath oft been rounded with thy storie , but now these very eyes haue seene thy glorie . my sinfull words i not ( alone ) lament , but , in the horror of my soule , repent repent with teares in sackcloth , mourne in dust ; i am a sinfull man , and thou art iust . thou eliphaz , that mak'st my sacred word , an engine of despaire ( said then the lord ) behold , full vyals of my wrath , attends on thee , and on thy two too-partiall friends ; for you haue iudg'd amisse , and haue abus'd my word to worke your ends ; falsely accus'd my righteous seruant : of you all , there 's none hath spoke vprightly , as my iob hath done . haste then ( before my kindling fire begin to slame ) and each man offer for his sin , a sacrifice , by iob my seruants hand , and for his sake , your offrings shall withstand the wages of your sinnes ; for what can i , if iob , my seruant , make request , denie ? so strait they went , and ( after speedy pardon desir'd , and had , ) the righteous iob ( for guerdon of his so tedious griefe ) obtain'd the health of a sound body , and encrease of wealth ; so that the second haruest of his store , was double that , which he enioy'd before . ere this was blazed in the worlds wide eares , ( the frozen brests of his familiars , and cold allyes , being now dissolu'd in griefe , ) his backward friends came to him with reliefe , to feede his wants , and with sad showring eyes , to moane his ( yet supposed ) miseries : some brought him sheepe , to blesse his emptie fold , some precious earerings , others , rings of gold. god blest his loines , from whence there sprang again , the number of his children that were slaine , nor was there any in the land so rare in vertue , as his daughters , or so faire . long after this , he liu'd in peace , to see his childrens children , to the fourth degree , till at the length , cut short by him , that stayes for none , he dyed in peace , and full of dayes . meditatio vltima . evill's the defect of good , and as a shade , that 's but the ruines of the light decay'd : it hath no * beeing , nor is vnderstood , but by the * opposition of good. what then is man ? whose purest thoughts are prest for satans warre , which from the tender brest , with infant silence , haue consented to such sinfull deeds , as ( babes ) they could not doe ? what then is man , but nothing , being euill , his lunatick affections doe vnleuell , what heauen created by iust waight and measure ; in pleasures sincke , he takes a swinelike pleasure ; his span of life , and beautie's like a flower , faire flourishing , and fading in an hower . he breakes into the world with teares , and then departs with griefe , nor knowing how , nor when. his life 's a bubble , full of seeming blisse , the more it lengthens , the more short it is ; begot in darknesse , hee 's brought forth , and cryes for succour , passes ore the stage , and dyes ; yet , like a moale , the earth he vndermines , making the world , the forge of his designes : he plots , complots , foresees , preuents , directs ; he hopes , he feares , he doubts , pursues , effects ; each hath his plot , each one his course doth bend , each hath his proiect , and each one his end . thus restlesse man doth still his soule molest , to finde out ( that which hath no being ) rest ; thus trauels sinfull man in endlesse toyle ; taking a pleasure in his owne turmoyle . fond man , first seeke to purchase that diuine and sacred prize , and all the world is thine : great salomon made suit for wisedome , and he found not ( barely ) wisedome , but that wisedome , crown'd with diademes of wealth , and faire encrease of princely honours , with long dayes of peace . ( with safe respect , and awfull reuerence to mystryes ) meditation doth commence an earnest doubt : was iobs dispoyled flock restored double ? was his former stock renew'd with double vantage ? did heauen adde to all his fortunes , double what he had ? yet those sweet emblemes of his dearest loue , ( his sonnes ) whom death vntimely did remoue from off the face of the vnthankfull earth , why likewise sprang not they in double birth ? bruit beasts , that perish once , are lost for euer , their substance , and their all consume , together . once hauing giuen a farewell to the light , they dye , and with them is perpetuall night : but man , ( vnorgan'd by the hand of death ) dyes not , is but transplanted from beneath , into a fairer soyle , or as a stranger , brought home , secure from the worlds pleasing danger iobs flocks were lost , and therefore double giuen , his issu's equall shar'd 'twixt earth and heauen , one halfe in heauen , are glorious in their doome , ingag'd as * pledges , till the other come . great god! my time 's but short , and long my way , my heart hath lost her path , and gone astray , my spirit 's faint , and fraile , my soul 's imbost , if thou helpe not , i am for euer lost ; though dust and ashes , yet am i thy creature , how e're my sinnes are great , thy mercy 's greater : of nothing did'st thou make me , and my sinne hath turn'd me back to nothing , once agin : create me a new heart , ( great god ) inspire my cold affections with thy sacred fire : instruct my will , and rectifie my wayes , o teach me ( lord ) to number out my dayes . the digestion of the whole historie . in prosperity . thou , whose lanke fortunes heauē hath sweld with make not thy selfe , by ouer-wishing , poore , ( store , husband that good , which else , abuse makes bad , abstracting , where thy base desire would adde : lines flowing from a sophoclean quill , deserue no plaudit ' , being acted ill . in aduersity . hath heauē withdrawn the talent he hath giuē thee ? hath enuious death of all thy sons bereau'n thee ? haue foule diseases foyl'd thee on the floore ? he earnes no sweet , that neuer tasted sowre : thou art a scholler ; if thy tutor doe pose thee too hard , hee will instruct thee too . in tentation . art thou oppos'd to thine vnequall foe ? march brauely on ; thy generall bids thee goe , thou art heauens champion , to maintaine his right ; who cals thee forth , will giue thee strength to fight . god seekes , by conquest , thy renowne , for hee will win enough : fight thou , or faint , or flee . in slander . if winter fortunes nip thy summer friends , and tip their tongues with censure , that offends thy tender name , despaire not , but be wise , know heauen selecteth , whom the world denies : thou hast a milke-white thisby , that 's within thee , will take thy part , when all the world 's again thee . in re-aduancement . art thou aduanc'd to thy supreme desier ? be still the same ; feare lower , aime no higher : mans play hath many sceanes , but in the last , heauen knits vp all , to sweeten all that 's past : affliction is a rod , to scourge vs home , a painfull earnest of a heauen to come . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ezech. . , . iames . . * ambrosius et sedulius ad roman . prosper de pradict . part . . c. . eusebius lib. . de demonst . euang cap . peronius lib. . de vitis prophetard . volateranus lib. . sua antropologiae . gen. . hor. epod . notes for div a -e chap. . . job sacrifice● . hor. car. lib. . od. . — improbae crescunt diuitiae , tamen curtae nescio quid semper abest rei . non qui parum habet est pauper , sed qui plus cupit . sen ad luc. — multa petentibus desunt multa . bene est cut deus obtulit parca , quod satis est , manu . hor car . lib. . ode . simile . chap . god questions satan . satans answere . god speakes to satan . satans reply . god licences and limits satan . obiect . resol . obiect . resol . volens agit deus per malum instrumentum . simile . obiect . resp . simile . chap. . v . the first messenger . the second messenger the third messenger . the fourth messenger . alexander . obiect . res . god questions satan . satan answere . god replies to satan . satans answere . gods reply . simile . chap. . . simile . iob smote with vlcers . * ezod . . . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simiie . the speech of jobs wife . * eliphaz , tsophar , buildad . simile . chap . iob curses his birth-day . * hor lib. . car . ode . . nihilest exom ni parte beatum . * gen. . . * ibid. . . * gen. . . * sam. . , * king . * iohn . simile . eliphaz speech chap. . the vision . chap. . the description of true friendship . sali●s homo amico amicus ter. phorm act. . scn . aristotle . . cor. . * epaminond as . * chahrias , or jphicrates , or himselfe . chap. . jobs speech . chap . * mahu est miles qui imperate rem gemens sequitur . sen. hor. car . lib. . od . . omnium versatur vrna , serius ocyius sors exitura . * epictet . euchirid . cap. . bildads speech . chap. . chap. . jobs reply . chap. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * juuenal . sat. . occultum qua tientean●●o tortore slagcl●um . * hor. car . lib. . ode . prudens sulturi temporis exitum , caliginosa nocte , prenut deus . luk . . chap. . zophars speech . chap . iobs reply . chap . chap . the shortnes of mans life . * . sam. . . * dan . * malum poenae . * alexander . * terrarum domina gentium que roma . martial . nemo gloriari debet , nisi de suo , sen. ad lucil. chap. . eliphaz his speech . chap. . jobs answere . chap. . * the father of the gods . * the goddesse of wisedome . tla●o in me none . * prudentia sola pralt & ducit ad recte saciendum . * lipsius ciuil . doct . lib. . cap. * non vt sciamus , quid sit virtus , perscrutamur , sed vt boni essiciamur . arist . eth. . cap. . * socrates . hoc vnum scit , me nihil scire . chap. . bildads speech . chap. . jobs reply . chap. . zophar's speech . obiect . * lex est euangelium velatum , & euangelium est lex reuelata . simile . simile . chap . iobs answere . chap. . eliphaz his reply chap. . iobs speech . chap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , id est , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * arist . eth. felicit as propter se oppetitur . * non possidentem multa , vocaris recte beatum rectius occupat nomen beati , qui , &c. hor. car . lib. . od . . chap. . bildads speech . chap. . jobs reply . chap. . chap. . * cypr. in symp. * etiam de deo vera dicere periculosum est . ferumtque summos fulmina mentes , hor. car . lib. . od . . * boetius . de cons . philos . non est fas homini cunctas diuini oper is machinas , vel ingenio com prehendere , vel sermone explicare . * melius sciuntur , nesciendo , s aug. lib. . de ord . simile . raymond sebond , theol. natural cap. . * melius est dubitare de incertis , quàm litigare de occultis , s. aug. lib. . de gen. ad liter . cap. . * nec scire , sa● est , omnia — hor. car . lib . od . . * exod. . . * exod. . . * ibid . . chap. . chap. . chap. . iobs innocency . * it was the custome of that ignorant nation , to worship the sunne and moone . * iudg. . . * gen. . . * acts . . * gen . . * exod. . . * conscientia mille testes . * hor. car . lib. . ode . — secund's temporibus du●b●que reclus . * mat. . . v●● nunquam tristis esse ? bene viue isod . soliloq . lib. . chap. . elihus speech . chap. . elihu speakes to iob. * lucret. lib. . . — persomnia sapeloquentes aut morbo delirantes , &c. et celata diu in medium peccata dedisse . chap . * exod. . . * ionah . . chap. . chap. . boetius cons . philos . * raymond sebond . theob . natural . cap. . * raymond sebond , theol. natural cap. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chap . god speakes to job out of a cloud . chap. . iobs confession . chap. . god speakes to iob out of a cloud the second time . the eliphant . chap . the whale . chap. . iobs contrition . iobs repentance . god reprooues iobs three friends . the number of iobs children supplied . his long life . his peaceable death . * non ens & malum consunduntur . * non ens non intelligitur nisi per oppositionem entis . obiect . res. * non amiss●…●ed praen●●… . prison-pietie, or, meditations divine and moral digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, henry lord bishop of london / by samuel speed ... speed, samuel, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) prison-pietie, or, meditations divine and moral digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, henry lord bishop of london / by samuel speed ... speed, samuel, - . herbert, george, - . quarles, francis, - . [ ], p. printed by j. c. for s. s. ..., london : . first edition. the issue with "for, before i was afflicted, i went astray, but now have i learned thy statutes" instead of note of license on t.p. a manual founded largely on quarles and george herbert. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (oxford) sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion what here thou viewest is the gravers art , a shape of man , only the outward part peruse the booke , therein more plainly read vera effigies samuelis speed. f.h. van houe fec : what here thou viewest is the gravers art , a shape of man , only the outward part peruse the booke , therein more plainly read vera effigies samuelis speed. prison - pietie : or , meditations divine and moral . digested into poetical heads , on mixt and various subjects . whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend , and most nobly descended , henry lord bishop of london . by samuel speed , prisoner in ludgate , london . despise not this , 'cause in confinement writ ; prisons improve the gifts of grace and wit. for , before i was aflicted , i went astray : but now have i learned thy statutes . london : printed by j. c. for s. s. and sold by the booksellers of london and westminster . . to the most reverend father in god his grace gilbert by divine providence lord arch - bishop of canterbvry , primate and metropolitan of all england . may it please your grace : use hath become a custome for writers to shroud their pens and parts under the patronage of some honourable and secure protection ; by which , my lord , i am emboldened to supplicate your graces favour ; my attempt carrying with it these two reasons to mitigate my presumption : first , that these my ejaculations and meditations being divine , they pretend a title to your graces cognizance ; with whose most learned name being presented to the world , they will undoubtedly sinde an acceptance among pious and judicious readers . the other reason is , that since your grace was acquainted with my deceased grand - father mr. john speed , the english chronologer , and laborious genealoger , the author ( and this his enchiridion , he ) humbly hopes may obtain your favourable aspect : for which causes , i am apt to promise to my self a fair interpretation , though they are the issues of my retirements in a prison ; since from the like place almighty god by a miracle did redeem st. peter , and our blessed saviour deigned to love poor lazarus , though in a low condition : though i write from a prison to the palace of england's renowned metropolitan , it is , however , to testifie the zeal i have for your graces merits . may your honours , as your hours , increase in this age ; may your glorious memory be admired in futurity : and when your grace shall exchange your terrest●…ial theatre for a coelestial throne , may a crown of glory to eternity adorn your vertues ; which is and shall be the continual prayer of , most reverend , learned , and most pious patron , your graces most devout , most humble , and obsequious servant , samuel speed . to the devout . christian reader , london's too late and fatal judgments , the plague and fire , having made me uncapable to manage my affairs with the like success as formerly , some creditors , severe as well as covetous , forced me to a confinement in ludgate ; where , the bet ter to employ my time , i have compiled and composed this manual of meditations , which consists of psalms , hymns , and divine poems : in which act of contemplation , i made my prison my paradise , being so transported with raptures , that i banish'd from my memory all thoughts of my affliction : and as i found great satisfaction in the writing , i hope the reader will finde the like in the perusal ; for in it are variety of subjects , especially such as are extracted from the psalms , that book which may properly be called the heart of the bible , and is therefore most fitly placed in the middle , as the anatomy of the soul , the epitome of the law , and the expositor of the gospel ; the register , enchiridion , and summary of the holy scriptures . and as the writing thereof hath been delightful , so certainly in confinement no pleasure can exceed a serious ( especially if divine ) study ; no companions can be better than divine books ; nor can any time be better spent than in contemplative devotion . therefore since this life is as it were a fair , and while the fair lasteth there is to be bought in it any thing that is necessary ; if we suffer the time of the fair to slip away , it is in vain to expect another : wherefore before the time be past , which the lord of the fair and the mercie of thy maker hath allowed , be studious to perform repentance , that thou mayst procure pardon ; be diligent to gain grace , that thou mayst obtain glory . it is reported of alexander the great , that when he came to besiege any place he caused a burning light to be set up , and then made proclamation , that so long as the light burned , he gave his enemy time to seek for mercie by surrendring themselves and the place ; but if within that time they did it not , the sword should destroy them all . now what is mans life but a burning light ? and so long as this light continues , god gives us time to make our peace with him , and to provide for our future safety ; but this light being once extinguished before we draw neer to god , by repentance and conversion , those two fabricks of salvation , what remains but a sudden and an eternal destruction ? therefore since we have filled god's bag with our sins , let us likewise fill his bottle with our tears . wherefore when we waste our time , we ought not to complain for the want of time ; but rather to follow the example of that holy st. ignatius , who ( when he heard a clock strike ) would say , there 's one hour more now past that i have to answer for . latimer rose usually at two of the clock in the morning to his study ; and bradford slept not commonly above four hours in the night ; and in his bed , till sleep came , his book went not out of his hand . he counted that hour not well spent , wherein he did not some good , either with his pen , his study , or discourse ; these worthies well weighing that truth which seneca asserts : time that is consumed idly , is rather spilt than spent . contemplation is the life of the soul , and the christians best companion in his solitude ; but a contemplative life without practice , is like unto rachel , jacob's wife , beautiful , bright-sighted , but barren . it is good therefore to have rachel's beautiful face to be seconded with leahs fruitful womb . by contemplation and consideration , solomon got much of his wisdom , as appeareth by his ecclesiastes , which by some is very aptly called solomon's soliloquy . st. basil left his friends and acquaintance , retiring himself into a wilderness , that he might the more devoutly serve god , and delight himself in holy meditations . and st. hierome comforting a young hermit , bad him look up to heaven , and take a few turns in paradise , by his meditations ; assuring him , that so long as he had paradise in his minde , and heaven in his thoughts , he should not be sensible of his solitariness . nor is contemplation onely delightful , but also profitable , by taking the meditation off from vain imaginations , idle company , profane discourse , and obscene songs ; all which are too frequent in a prison , and tend not onely to the corruption of good manners , but the ruine both of precepts & of principles : for vain songs are songs sung to the world , lascivious ballads are songs sung to the flesh , and satyrical libels are songs sung to the devil ; onely psalms , hymns , and spiritual songs , making melody in the heart , are songs sung to the lord. spiritual silence is a sweeter note than a loud ( especially if lewd ) sonnet ; and the advice of st. james is both divine and wholsome : is any among you afflicted ? let him pray : is any merry ? let him sing psalms . i know it is a general humour in this age , to think no verse good but what is scurrilous and profane ; nor do i promise elegancy in my stile , that being more proper for dramatick than divine poesie . nay , such is the looseness of this age , that many are of opinion , that divinity in verse is unpleasant to the ear and to the heart : let such be convinced by the psalms of david , or the song of his son solomon . divine verse hath these two operations : it is pleasant , and makes an impression in the memory of the reader ; so true is that of the excellent mr. geo. herbert , vniversity-oratour of cambridge . a verse may take him who a sermon flies , and turn delight into a sacrifice . as affliction admits of contemplation , so prosperity swells the heart : this agur knew well , and therefore prayed for a mediocrity . some are of opinion , that solomon's wealth did him much more hurt than his wisdom did him good . david's first ways were his best ways ; neither was he ever so good and tender as when he was hunted like a partridge on the mountains . indeed of vespatian it is storied , that he was made the better man by being made emperour ; but he was too rare a bird to have his fellow . such is the incertainty of humane affairs , that a full estate discovers a man as well as doth a low and empty one : to know how to abound , is as high a part of grace as to know how to want : god tries in a right-hand-way as well as in a left-hand-way : poverty endangers grace much , but riches more : to be great in the world , is a great temptation : it is a hard thing to carry a full cup with an even hand . many when they grow rich in temporals , wax poor in spirituals : as their outward man increaseth , so their inward man decayeth ; and as the flesh flourishes , the spirit withers : yet prosperous wickedness is accounted vertue . dionysius , after the spoil of an idol-temple , finding the winds favourable in his navigation , lo , said he , how the gods approve of sacriledge : so divers because they are prosperous , are apt to believe themselves pious , and that god must needs love them because the world doth ; but a painted face is no signe of a good complexion : and seneca hath this saying ; the greatest unhappiness is to prosper in impieties . adversity teacheth humility , and how to pray ; prosperity leads to pride , folly , vain-glory , and all manner of evils . david in persecution and wars , was a chast man ; when he came to take his ease , he was caught in the snare of adultery . who ever swam in such a sea of honour and riches as solomon ? and who sank so egregiously as he ? such as stand upon slippery places , slide ere they be aware ; and the higher the pinacle is from whence they do descend , the greater must be their precipitation : but godliness with contentment is great gain . to conclude , i end with that of st. paul , cor. . . i will with heart and understanding sing praise to the name of the eternal king. from my chamber in ludgate . s. s. the prayer of st. thomas aquinas , which he used to say before he went to study . ounspeakable creator , who from the treasure of thy wisdom hast appointed three hierarchies of angels , and placed them by a wonderful order above the heaven ; and hast most admirably distributed the parts of the world. thou , which art called the true fountain of light , of wisdom , and the highest being ; vouchsafe to pour down upon the darkness of my understanding in the which i was born , the double beam of thy brightness , removing from me darkness , or the clouds of sin and ignorance . thou which makest eloquent the tongues of men , and givest the benefit of utterance , instruct my tongue , and pour into my lips the grace of thy blessing : give me quickness of understanding , capacity of retaining , judgment in interpreting , facility of learning , and copious grace of speaking : guide my going in , direct my going forward , and accomplish my going forth : teach me to instruct others in thy fear , that they and i may sing praises to thee and to the lamb for evermore . amen . a brief exhortation to prayer , written by st. chrysostome . it is very meet and profitable that we employ the time of our life in prayer , that thereby our hearts may continually receive the sweet dew of god's grace ; of which all persons have no less need , than trees and herbs have of refreshing waters : for they cannot bring forth fruit except the roots be comforted with moisture ; and in like manner , it is impossible for us to be replenished with beautiful fruits of piety , if our hearts be not refreshed by prayer : for which cause we ought to forsake our beds , and prevent the sun-rising in god's service . the like we ought to do when we go to meat , and at night when we take our rest ; yea , it behoveth us at all times to offer some ejaculation to god , to the end we may continually retain him and his mercies in our mindes . tell me , o my soul , how canst thou behold the sun , if thou dost not honour him that made thine eyes to behold that most beautiful light ? how canst thou go to the table to eat , if thou dost not first honour him who giveth and furnisheth thee dayly with such great benefits ? how canst thou trust thy self in a dark and dismal night , when discontents , dreadful dreams , and many dangers might assault thee , if thou dost not defend thy self by prayer and holy meditations , which are the watchful guards that allay and destroy the stratagems of wicked spirits that continually endeavour to surprize and to devour ? but if they see thee furnish'd with prayer or divine cogitations , they presently retire , even as wicked theeves when they see the sword towards them . wherefore , put you on the armour of god , that you may withstand the assaults of the devil . dr. thomas cranmer , archbishop of canterbury , his prayer for wisdome . let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense ; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice . o god of my fathers , and lord of mercies , thou that hast made all things with thy word , and didst ordain man through thy wisdom , that he should have dominion over thy creatures which thou hast made , and that he should order the world according to holiness and righteousness , and execute judgment with an upright heart ; give me wisdom which is ever about thy seat , and put me not out from among thy children : for i thy servant , and son of thy handmaid , am but of a short time , and too weak for the understanding of thy judgments and laws . although a man be never so perfect among the children of men , yet if thy wisdom be not with him , he shall be of no value : o send her out therefore from thy holy heavens , and from the throne of thy majesty , that she may be with me , and labour with me , that i may know what is acceptable in thy sight : for she knoweth and understandeth all things ; and she shall lead me soberly in my works , and preserve me in her power : so shall my works be acceptable by christ our lord ; to whom , with the father , and the holy ghost , be all honour and glory , world without end . amen . the fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom ; and the price of wisdom is above rubies . holy rules for the devout christian. if thou art learned , be also pious : for learning sanctified , is an ornament to grace ; but learning corrupted , is an advocate for the devil . call to minde , and oftentimes examine thy self , accounting thy thoughts , thy words , and deeds , especially after much business , discourses , pastime , &c. silence is commendable in things that appertain not to thee ; to the end thou mayest the better call to minde the sufferings of a crucified saviour . if god hath blessed thee with an estate , relieve thy brother ; and so live as having little , yet possessing all things : for remember that meat , drink , and cloath , are the riches of a christian ; and since christ gave himself for thee , well may'st thou give some fruits of thy labour unto his . let death be oftentimes the subject of thy meditations ; yield thy self wholly to god. if thou art poor , and hast nothing to requite him with but thy prayers and thy self , yet if thou givest thy self to his disposal , thou then givest all thou hast . the apostles left their ships and their nets : the poor widow gave only her two mites to the poor mans box , and she was preferred before a wealthy croesus . he easily despiseth all things of this world , that doth but remember he must die . in open assemblies use not ordinarily all spiritual things , lest thou shalt be thought to be singular ; except thou may'st edisie others , and by thy example stir them up to the like . on all occasions prefer the glory of god and his service above all things . be a comfort to the afflicted , reconcile dissentions , visit the sick and the imprisoned , and forget not to relieve the poor and needy : above all things , have servent love , for love shall cover a multitude of sins . fast one day in each month , or oftner if the strength of thy body will bear it ; and remember to distribute thy alms : for fasting and alms are the wings of prayer . if perturbation or discontents arise in thy minde , apply thy self to prayer . go not to thy rest in wrath , lest thou givest the common enemy to mankinde an opportunity to surprize thee . beware of immoderate cares , lest you dishonour or deny god : for such cares are . needless , . bruitish , . bootless , . heathenish . . needless . what need we care , when our heavenly father knoweth we have need of these things ? and saith , be careful for nothing , but let us cast our cares on him , for he careth for us . . bruitish . consider the fowls of the air , and ravens that he feeds , they toyl not . . bootless , and in vain . which of you by taking thought , 〈◊〉 one cubit to his stature , or peny to his estate 〈◊〉 . heathenish . for after all these things the gentiles seek . repent dayly ; let not the devil have the flour of thy age , and god the bran. the spirit of prayer is far more pretious than treasures of gold and silver . despise not the ministers of christ ; for christ is the word , and they are his embassadors . god requires we should mortisie our lusts ; for prayer , without that , is the service of a hypocrite . sin bringeth shame and sorrow ; but piety hath the portion of everlasting joys . let us cloath our selves with righteousness ; it is the safest armour against the darts of satan . the two roads that lead to heaven , are innocence and repentance . sin is the christians greatest sore , and repentance his surest salve : who then would want the rare jewel of repentance ? since , if ye seek , ye shall finde . an alarm to the drowsie . permit not sluggish sleep to close your waking eye , till you with judgement deep , your dayly actions try . he that his sin as darling keeps , when he to quiet goes , more desperate is than he that sleeps amidst his mortal foes . at night lie down , prepar'd to have thy sleep thy death , thy bed thy grave . divine advice to the devout soul. thy soul is spiritual , and thy body is flesh ; make not then flesh of thy spirit : for an habitual familiarity with corrupt lusts , perverts it into the basest flesh . god hath made man a lovely creature ; do not then make thy self a monster . he dignified thee at first , to glorifie thee at last . then let not carnality deprive thee of thy blessings . with thy sins god will not own thee ; then tremble to think who it is will take thee . if by lust thou hast lost the sence of honour and glory , study to recover it by grace . thy soul is immortal , cannot die ; thy body is mortal , must die : let not then thy body be preferred above thy soul. thy body hath but a lease for life ; then let not a moment be preferred before eternity . study not to satisfie thy body , and neglect the salvation of thy soul. it is madness to seek for an unreasonable welfare for the body , and thereby eternally ruine both soul and body . for so the immortal is made damnably mortal , and dies to bliss ; and the mortal miserably immortal , ever living to wo. remember , thy soul is the noble part of humane nature ; wherefore to set thy affections on earth , is infinitely below thee , such is thy nobility . thy arms are the minde and will , which were created to embrace mercie , truth , justice , charity , &c. and all the vertues of a heavenly life . thy body is servant to thy soul ; let it tread upon the earth , for that is likewise its subject . let not then the soul , which is the soveraign of the body , set its heart upon that earth on which its subject sets his foot . in thy soul is the image of god ; let it not then be stained with the similitude of beast . let reason , not sense , direct thee ; a rational will , not the appetite of a bruit . he that lives a negligent and careless ●…ife , does what he can to outdo the de●…il in his own undoing . for god hath given him reason , ●…nd his depraved nature acts against 〈◊〉 . if thou wouldst be in eternal bliss , act like man , but appear like god : for heaven hath no room for beasts . if a wicked spirit hath deformed thee , let an holy one transform thee . every child of god should maintain his father's likeness , that he may enjoy his inheritance . thy soul is the spouse of god , the great creator is its husband ; no creature is worthy to be thy match or mate : then consult thy honour ; if thou lovest the world and embracest the earth , canst thou hate adultery with man , and be an adultress to god ? let not a strumpet stand in thy sight ; but especially suffer not thy heart to whore after vanity . if thou fallest into ill company that shall court thee , let not the devil woo●… thee . o my soul , thou most beloved above all creatures , that hast god for thy hu●…band , heaven for thy dower , and eart●… for thy service ; suffer not hell to 〈◊〉 thy pander , to dote upon the world let thy heart be an habitation for go●… and heaven . thy soul is the lord of thy body ; take then thy bodies homage , not thine own ruine : let thy soul act the will of god , and command the body to execute thine : let not thy body be thy god , lest thou becomest a devil to thy self . thy soul is an angels peer ; let it not then be a companion for satan . let not thy lordship be sold for slavery and misery : for if thou maintainest not thy right , hell must be thy harbour , torments thy terrour , and wicked spirits thy company . thy soul , under god , is the supream soveraign of thy body ; be not then a subject to thy subject ; let not the law of the members be the law of the minde : for the senses are handmaids to the soul , and she is the princess of heaven . thy soul is a free-born-childe of eternity , heir of immensity , the daughter of almighty god , who is beyond all bounds of time and being : to whom then oughtest thou to pay thy duty , but to him alone ? thy body is but a prison to thy soul ; thou art inclosed in the walls of mud and gates of sense : can there then be more pleasure in a prison than a palace ? shall a bodily restraint be preferred before a spirits liberty ? canst thou count thy bondage to be thy bliss ? are chains of iron to be esteemed above the treasures of gold ? are fetters better than freedom ? earth is but a goal to heaven ; then be not so rash as to prize thy goal before thy delivery , lest thou art cast into that goal from whence there is no redemption . it is most just , that the soul that prizeth the devil's chain before god's liberty , should have the devil's prison instead of god's palace ; and befor ever his slave in hell , that would not be god's servant for a time on earth . o thou beloved dove of god , fly to thy coelestial home ; belime not thy spiritual wings in slime and mud : in heaven is thy treasure , and where canst thou finde more riches to invite thee ? be not like the crow , to feed upon carrion ; or like the blinde beetle , to place thy blessedness in boggs . make not sale of thy self to buy a goal , when thou partest with a palace for the purchase , and becomest a familiar to bolts and shackles . thy soul is god's jewel , and thy body is the casket ; then keep thy body clean , that thy soul may the better be preserved . it is a bright diamond of heaven , a spark of the divinity , & a ray of divine glory , set for a time in the foil of flesh , till it pleaseth god to take it to himself , and keep it for ever in his cabinet . let not then thy soul , that transparent diamond , be an ornament to the devil's finger , when it may sit at the right hand of god , where there are pleasures for evermore . thy soul is the purchase of christ , bought with no less than the blood of the son of god ; then sell not that for a trifle , which cost thy saviour so great a price : it is better to enjoy the riches of eternity , than to purchase vanity for a moment . is thy body distemper'd , then thou requirest physick ; if wounded , thou sendest for a chirurgeon ; if naked , it must have cloaths ; and if hungry , it must have food . for these thou shouldest depend upon god ; for he knoweth all these things are necessary : but when thy precious soul lies sick of sin , hath wounds of the spirit , stript of its innocence , and starv'd for grace , no regard is given thereunto ; not considering , though thou usest humane helps , it is god that gives the blessing , and is the physitian both of soul and body . that soul that acts the part of a faithful servant to the lord , shall have a double reward , the crown of a saint , and of a sufferer . certain considerations , worthy the devout souls meditation . the soul is spiritual , sin makes it carnal . the soul is immortal ; sin is the death of the soul , it makes it die to grace , and live in grief . the soul is noble , sin makes it ignominious . the soul is lord , sin enslaves it . the soul is soveraign , sin brings it in subjection . the soul is god-like , sin makes it beastial . the soul is the spouse of god , sin makes it the strumpet of the devil . the soul is the jewel of god , sins casts it in the devil's fire . the soul is a free-born citizen of heaven , sin keeps it in perpetual imprisonment . the soul is god's purchase ; sin cheats god of his due , and the soul of eternal bliss . a miscelany of divine maximes : or , words fitly spoken , like apples of gold in pictures of silver . . wouldst thou be truly perfect ? love god with all thy heart , and thy neighbour as thy self . . let thy eye be always upon god and thy self , and thou shalt never see him without goodness , nor thy self without misery . . none shall see god so much as he is visible ; and none shall ever love god so much as he is amiable . . he that doth not covet to love god more and more , can never love him enough . . to whom god is all , the world ought to be nothing at all . . let us be what god will , so we be but his ; and let us not be what we will our selves , against the will of god. . in the service of god , there is nothing little enough to be rejected . . to meditate much upon god is good , but the souls greater advancement in vertue , consists in much loving him . . he to whom god alone is pleasing , is displeased with nothing , but that which displeaseth god. . in divine matters a generous soul finds greatest contentment , in believing things most difficult . . all our actions take their value from their conformity to the will of god. . love and suffering are the greatest duties we owe to god , they being the two causes for which he died for us . . he that neglects his own will , complies best with god's . . so love thy neighbour upon earth , as that thou mayst enjoy his love in heaven . . thou canst not love thy neighbour too much , but thou mayst too much shew thy love . . one great argument of our love to our neighbour , is to bear with his imperfections . . we should never endure to hear evil spoken of any but our selves . . we should never under value any person ; the workman loves not that his work should be despised in his presence : wherefore beware , for god is present every where , and and every person is his work . . it is a spiritual injustice to desire to know the secrets of others , and to conceal our own . we ought not to love our neighbour onely because he is good , or because we hope he will be so , but because god commands us so to do . . in holy duties we should speak little , think much , but do more . . it is a great evil not to do good . . the just man never dies unprepared : for he is well prepared for death , who perseveres in christian justice to the end . . confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble , is like a broken tooth , and a foot out of joynt . . as he that taketh away a garment in cold weather , and as vinegar upon nitre , so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart . . it is no shame to be poor : nature brought us so into the world , and so we must return . . dost thou want things necessary ? grumble not , perchance it was necessary thou shouldest want ; however , seek a lawful remedy ; if god bless not thy endeavour , do thou bless him that knoweth what is fittest for thee : thou art god's patient , prescribe not thy physician . . art thou calumniated ? examine thy conscience ; if that be spotted , thou hast a just correction ; if not guilty , thou hast a fair instruction : use both , so shalt thou distil honey out of gall , and make to thy self a secret friend of an open enemy . . if thine enemy be hungry give him bread , if thirsty give him drink ; thou thereby heapest coals of fire upon his head , and a reward unto thy self . . charity makes god our debtor ; for the poor are his receivers . . hast thou an estate , and wouldst increase it ? divide thy riches to the poor ; those seeds that are scattered do encrease , but hoarded up they die . . correction without instruction , makes the master a tyrant , and the servant a novice . . that man is a conquerour that can subdue his own passions . . faithful are the wounds of a friend , but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful . . arm thy self against a profest enemy ; but he that dissembleth friendship strikes beyond a caution , and wounds above a cure : from the one thou mayst deliver thy self , but from the other good lord deliver thee . . a man that flattereth his neighbour , s●…eadeth a net for his feet . . the touch-stone trieth gold , and gold trieth men . . virtue must be the guide of all qualities , otherwise the professors are undone . . as the servants of god are known by their two vertues , humility and charity , so the servants of the devil are known by their opposite vices , pride and cruelty . . the best way to keep good acts in memory , is to refresh them with new . . to boast is to be vain , since the greatest conquerour , if he measure his own shadow , shall finde it no longer than it was before his victory . . believe not soothsayers : for prophesies are never understood till they are accomplished . . the world is a wide prison , and every day an execution-day . . our stomachs are common sepulchres for birds , beasts , and fish ; they all die to feed us : lord , with how many deaths are our poor lives patched up ! how full of death is the life of man ! . beware of drink : where drunkenness reigns , reason is an exile , vertue a stranger , and god an enemy ; blasphemy is wit , oaths are rhetorick , and secrets are proclamations . . whosoever will arrive at a new life , must pass by the death of the old. . he that is truly humble , never thinks himself wronged . . the good man lives contented with a moderate estate , not so much taking notice of those that have more , as those that have less than our selves . . he that most mortifies natural inclinations , receives most supernatural inspirations . . to shun the accidental troubles of this life , is to meditate often upon eternity . . it is the great misfortune of man , to desire those things which he should only use . . to have a desire to be poor , and not to receive the inconveniencies of it , is too great ambition : for it is to desire the honour of poverty , and the commodity of wealth . . there is no better way to end happily a true spiritual life , than daily to begin it . . he that would have a part with jesus glorified , must first take part with jesus crucified . . we should live in this present world as if our souls were in heaven and our bodies in the grave . . in the death of our passions consists the life of our souls . . it is not humility to acknowledge our selves miserable , that onely is not to be a beast ; but it is humility to desire that others should esteem us so . . there is no reason to be given for the fault we commit in sin ; for the fault would not be sin , if it were not against reason . . virtues never have their full growth , but when they bring forth desires of advancing ; which like spiritual seeds , serve to produce new degrees of vertues . . we should never speak of god , or of things which concern his service , carelesly , by way of discourse , or entertainment , but always with great respect and humble minde . . we should sear the judgement of god without discouragement , and encourage our selves without presumption . . the ready way for the soul to have peace with it self , is to obtain its peace with god. . we may perform many holy actions , yet not please god , if we neglect to do what he requires of us , no more than a painter in representing an eagle , pleaseth him that desired a bee. . let us never look on our crosses but through the cross of christ ; thereby we shall finde them pleasant , and have fresh desires to be afflicted . . desire to obtain the love of god , makes us meditate ; but that love once obtained , makes us contemplate . the table . a angel and man. a dialogue page on ambition an adieu to the world almost a christian st. ambrose's hymn st. augustine's hymn ibid. the ascension an adoration ibid. the altar the ant antiphon of angels on age acknowledgments advice to prisoners st. austin's prayer on alexander the great b on the book ( misprinted the tree ) of life on beauty the bible the beatitudes the believer bad at best on blasphemy blessings of the righteous , as they are recorded in holy writ c the christian and worlding on conscience on contentation the christians alphabet on christ's death on christ's cross the cross on christ christian and death the candle of christ's passion on christ's praying on christ's nativity christ's triumph to jerusalem of christ's birth in an inne to the creator the caution on the conscience on christ's nativity expected the call the check christ all in all the careless christian the colestial painter to the divine creator curses of the wicked d on dives a dialogue a dialogue on death on a death-bed-repentance the dream on disturb'd devotion on death a dialogue death , man , and grave a dialogue , in three parts the dream on the day of judgement a dialogue , in three parts the divine inquest delights of the minde on death on darkness degrees of love on drunkenness on desperation e on envy on enmity the evenings ejaculation ●… the extasie f of flesh the free prisoner faith's mystery on formal duty the flower on food on fatherly affection the free giver the friendly advice g on a glorious soul on gods presence of god god is love of grief the grave to god the father — son ibid. — holy ghost the godly garden on greatness and goodness god and caesar gabriel and mary to the god of heaven gabriel and zacharias on worldly gain gloria in altissimis : or the angelical anthem . on the gospel h on the hypocrite on humility on hypocrisie on an hour-glass an hymn on honour and valour on the holy trinity on humane frailty on heaven on hell the holy innocents i on judas his treason on an israelite on ingratitude an infant on the judgment on st. john's day judeth's prayer judeth and holosernes judeth's song of thanksgiving on judgment jeremiah's lamentation on justice and mercie i would , but cannot jesus wept k on knowledge knots l on lazarus on luxury the litany of life on love and hatred on life and death on the lord's prayer m on meditation of mirth and mourning of mortality on memory on the mariner on magnanimity on mortality on st. michael the archangel on man and wife on mans creation the mornings ejaculation ibid. on mercy martha and mary n natures delight the new birth o oppositions p the penitents praise of poverty on patience of presumption on st. peter's enlargement on prosperity on pleasures on perfection on st. paul's conversion the free prisoner the petition on the pharisee and publican the power of prayer advice to prisoners on peace prayer for peace ibid. the penitent st. paul's petition on pride on st. peter's perjury on pusillanimity ibid. on persecution praises to god a panegyrick to the right reverend , and most nobly descended prelate , henry , by divine providence , lord bishop of london r on a rose tree the resurrection the remembrance on repentance s the souls soliloquy spiritus sanctus on shame on supplication on sin and sorrow the souls search salve for the sick on sighs and groans on sunday the shepherds dialogue , in three parts the souls alarm the souls yearnings the sinners tears the swine the soul awaked the salutation of saints on sin the seeker the steward ibid. on the spring on science ibid. the sick mans ease on singing of psalms on little sins on sleep on sloath t on the tree of knowledge the thanksgiving on tinder on thoughts on the holy trinity of thoughts on tears time's travel on temperance v on a vsurer on vice on vain-glory the voyage w the warning on a wicked man on the wilful impenitent the wish on the worth of wealth the widows mite on worldly gain errata . page . for the tree of life , read on the book of life . p. . for he it is that gives us peace , read he it is that gives us peace . in line . observe these points are omitted j. es. u. to my muse . forbear , vain muse , thy subject is too high ; thy saveraign rather , is the deity ; the god of all the world , whose dreadful name strikes an amazement in whole natures frame . god! what a fright the very sound hath made ! my soul into a ravishment is laid . i must repent my rashness ; when that 's done , let us consult how thou shalt journey on . first let thy meditations , milde and meek , direct thy heart to teach thy tongue to speak ; and from those pious thoughts ( my muse ) distil those fragrants may befit an angels quill : consider , thou dost boldly dare t' aspire to do the duty of an holy quire ; nay , of a quire of angels blest , who bring joy to themselves , and duty to their king. then since thy task is great , thy work sublime , invoke apollo to assist thy rhyme ; call the nine muses to inspire thy heart , that every one with thee may bear a part : so to preserve your duties from decay , striving to love , to sing , and to obey . 't is not an easie or a common thing , for peasants to approach an earthly king ; then how much study is to be acquir'd , when god , the king of kings , must be admir'd ? yet thou , presumptuous muse , although confin'd , makest attempts ; i hope because thy mind tikes a delight in a poetick air , converting every poem to a prayer . the task is great , too great for grave divines ; angels and saints best sing 〈◊〉 lines . first let thy pen in helico●… be 〈◊〉 ; soar not too high , because thy wings are clipt . prison-piety : or , divine poems . ¶ the warning . all idle thoughts from hence depart : let none , but what are pure in heart , draw neer ; and those tun'd with an air , supposing ev'ry page a prayer . ¶ on meditation . in meditation let devotion be the hand-maid to the hearts soliloquie . the eagle casts her eye upon the sun , so contemplation doth her courses run , fixing the minde upon no object less than the bright beams o' th' sun of righteousness . or else unto those birds ( aspiring ) rare , the soul contemplative i may compare , of whom king david worthily attests , that by the holy altar build their nests : ●…o meditation's said in holy story , ●…o build her nest about the throne of glory . ●…his bee of paradise all days and hours ●…ucks honey from the choicest garden flowers . by contemplation i with god can talk ; in mansions of eternity can walk . then , o my soul , what mak'st thou here below where nought but thorns do spring , and weeds do grow ; where nothing thrives but loose unlawful tares , watered with tears , and nourished with cares ? then mount , my soul , from this terrestrial bubble , this heap of sin , and wilderness of trouble : mount to the land of promise , where thy wings shall consorts finde of angels , and of kings . though present habitation here is given , yet let thy conversation be in heaven . ¶ the soul's soliloquy . come , holy ghost , our souls inherit with beams of thy coelestial spirit : inflame our hearts , we thee desire , with sparks from thy coelestial fire . thou the anoynting spirit art , who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart : thy holy unction from above , is comfort , life , and fire of love. enable with perpetual light the dulness of our blinded sight : cherish and cleer our soiled face with the abundance of thy grace . keep far our foes , give peace at home ; where thou art guard no ill can come : teach us to know the father , son , and thee of both to be but one . that through the ages all-along , this may be our endless song : praise to the almighty merit , father , son , and holy spirit . ¶ the enquiry . tell me , my soul , where doth thy passion bend ? doth it on heaven , or things on earth attend ? if worldly objects do thy reason guide , thou mayst desire , but not be satisfi'd . if thou dost beauty love , it is a shade ; but righteousness doth shine , and never fade . if worldly wisdom , 't is but as a blast ; but heav'nly wisdom doth the world outlast . if earthly riches , they have wings and fly ; but heav'nly gems do last eternally . estates on earth do as in shipwracks reel ; in heaven's harbour are no thieves to steal . all thou canst compass here , is trifling store ; in heav'n are crowns laid up for evermore . would'st thou have honour , which the world depaints ? what honour can be greater than the saints ? or is it pleasure ? 't will thy soul destroy ; the just shall enter in their masters joy . but tell me farther , what is 't thou wouldst have ? both heav'n and earth on this side of thy grave ? away , vain fancies , ye are vertues moth , pitty 〈◊〉 the promise of them both . these lustful thoughts lead thee to splendid folly ; but if thou wouldst be happy , then be holy . ¶ on dives . see with what splendor dives sits at meat , with choice of dainties , courting him to eat . his habit purple , and his l●…nnen fine , as if drest up on purpose here to dine . how the spectators look , and seem to say , there 's too much store provided for one day : how many wretched souls do beg for bread , whilst this same glutton hath his table spread with all varieties ? and thus they show their envy : but alas , did they but know , and well consider what his wants are , then they'd pity him , as if the worst of men . his talent's rich : on earth there 's none above it ; but he wants grace and wisdom to improve it . all his estate is but a mighty spoil ; he hath a lamp , but that lamp hath no oyl . he hath a soul , but what doth that embrace ? vain worldly lusts ; the opposites to grace . his house shines gloriously ; but when all 's done , he hath the star-light , but he wants the sun. a friend to vice , and vertue 's mortal hater ; having the creature , but not the creator . this world 's a torrent of false joys ; the boat is his vain life , doth on it dayly float . his silver anchor is as weak as sand ; nor can his gold conduct him safe to land , but rather sink him to the misers cell , there to inhabit where damn'd spirits dwell . can he be worth your envy then ? forbear , rather in pity shed a christian tear . if he be happy , may it be thy will , o lord , that i be miserable still . give me thy grace , although i 'm clad in rags ; let vice attend the miser and his bags . ¶ on lazarus . the wicked worldling spends his time in laughter , having his heaven here , his hell hereafter . contrarywise , the good man whilst he 's here lives as in hell , to sigh , and shed his tear ; but when to heaven he hereafter flies , god wipes away all tears from off his eyes . though here he suffer scorn , the worlds annoy , yet he that sows in tears , shall reap in joy . the rich man hath his good things in this life , lazarus evil things , slights , scorn , and strife ; but meets at last , with what he here doth miss , eternal joy : it is the poor mans bliss , whilst dives lies , as if with scorpions stung , wishing for lazarus to cool his tongue ; that lazarus who whilome lay before the gilded postern of the rich mans door , begging some mean remainings of his table . dives , rapt up in silks and costly sable , glutted with sumptuous food and choice of wine , hath neither time nor ear for them that pine . the very ( kinder ) dogs , in pity , then licked his sores , thereby instructing men to love and charity . observe the end ; angels upon the begger did attend : he dies , and they to abraham's bosom fly , leaving him there to all eternity ; whilst dives , striving others to excell when here , tormented is in flames of hell. thus worldlings ride in pomp to hell's hot nest , and penitents in tears swim to their rest. the penitents praise . lord , now the time returns for weary men to rest , and lay aside those pains and cares wherewith we are opprest . or rather change our thoughts to more concerning cares , how to redeem our mis-spent time , with sighs , and tears , and prayers . how to provide for heav'n , that place of rest and peace ; where our full joys shall never wain , our pleasures never cease . blest be thy love , dear lord , that taught us this sweet way , only to love thee , for thy self , and for that love obey . o thou our souls chief hope , we to thy mercy fly ; wheree're we are thou canst protect , whate're we need supply . whether we wake or sleep , either to thee is done , by night we through our eye-lids peep as if the night were gone . whether we live or die , both we submit to thee ; in death we live , as well as life , if thine in death we be . glory to thee , great god , one co-eternal three ; to father , son , and holy ghost , eternal glory be . ¶ angel and man. a dialogue . ang. listen , oh sinner , i shall make it plain , mankind is wicked , altogether vain . nature instructs the bru●…ts to bear in mind a friendly consort to each others kind ; but man more monstrous than of bruitish hue , first preys on them , then doth himself undo : devouring widows houses , in his way , pretending piety , seems oft to pray . will with himself and sins oft-times be vext , when as his zeal is only a pretext . their very prayers do themselves condemn . as citizens o' th' new jerusalem . they would appear , whenas their chiefest care should be to crave a pardon for their prayer . man. what glorious creature can a tongue rehearse , may be compar'd to man ? the universe is subject to him ; all things with applause pay homage to him , and obey his laws . god did not from the angels nature frame his own , he took the seed of abraham . man hath his saults , which causeth melancholy ; even ye angels , god doth charge with folly . ang. well have ye said , therein we do agree ; for we are charg'd with such vain things as ye : we are your guardians , so to direct ; ye safely sleep , we watchmen do protect . so great a truth it is , no more but thus , they are well kept that are secur'd by us . and from the sacred writ we cleerly know that ev'ry man makes vanity his show . preferment , pleasure , profit , are the three that do compleat the worldlings trinity . he dies a sinner , as when he began at first to live ; so vain a thing is man. man. well may the angels feet ne'r step aside , when ye have god to be your glorious guide . how can ye wander , or how can ye stray , when ye are always in , and with your way ? your conversations must be void of strife , when ye have god your way , your truth , & life . ang. man was created in no less degree than the bright image of the deity : he above other creatures well may boast , as he 's the temple of the holy ghost ; but how hath he that glorious form defac'd , defi'd his maker , and himself disgrac'd ; retaining principles his soul bereaves , making god's temple seem a den of thieves ? how can ingratitude sound louder than yours to your god ? so vain a thing is man. man. but if we do repent , and pardon crave , as god can smite , so the same god can save ; then bring us hallelujahs from your quier , we 'll vie whose notes shall sweetest be , and higher . both all glory be to god on high , and to the holy trinity : as first it was , is now , and may , when fading time shall want a day . ¶ of mirth and mourning . in midst of mirth there sadness is , and so in grief there 's joy ; whilst wealthy sinners faces smile , their hearts do feel annoy . carnal delights they are but vam , and bring vexations too ; they sound like musick in a strain , whose discord ends in rue . thus to the sensualist they play , left he prove dull and sad ; but when the reckoning comes to pay , it makes him downright mad . so true is that of solomon , in laughter there is grief ; the end of mirth is heaviness , and hell the salse relief . but he that 's truly penitent , and doth his tears impart , they are to angels straightway sent , rejoycing his own heart . they are the solace of his soul ; if bitter they appear , his comforts then the sweeter are , the sinner's pearl's a tear. his sighs and groans , if they are deep , and threaten to destroy , in peace he may lie down and sleep , the fuller is his joy . the beams of consolation shine into this house of grief : his soul in travel is ; at last sweet peace is his relief . so that i truly may conclude , he that doth mourn for sin , doth weep for joy ; a multitude of pleasure lies therein . those christal rivers that do flow so n●…er the heav'nly king , they their original do owe unto a weeping-spring . one rich drop from a solid sigh pure in a christal-birth , is to be priz'd ( by far ) above oceans of carnal mirth . ¶ on ambition . honour 's insatiate , never satisfi'd ; nor is the beggar innocent from pride . the labourer a yeoman fain would be , the yeoman would a gentleman's degree . the gentleman must worship'd be at feast , and to that end must be a squire at least . the swaggering squire must needs be dub'd a knight , then aims at baron , as his title-right . the baron must be lord , to please his girl ; if that won't do , he must be made an earl : that done , ambition bids him still aspier ; marquess in heraldry is one step higher . the marquess then casts out his golden hook with cash and crast , till he becomes a duke . the duke no arguments can him convince , but that by merit he should be a prince . when prince , he elevates his foaring wing , flies to the throne of a terrestrial king : yet there 's no rest , so doth ambition gull us , he must be caesar , or he will be nullus . caesar won't make him yet the world's commander , wherefore he must be styl'd an alexander . and alexander , though the whole world's rod , must be ador'd and worshipt as a god. after his many wonders , even then he sound himself to be as other men . base pride eclipses those of high degree ; but before honour is humility : honour that furnace which doth heat the blood , making men act things but profusely good . swelling ambition makes a man its slave till death's sharp dart doth post him to his grave . but how in play first came this cheating sin ? adam would be a god , so it came in . other sins fly from god , and shun the chace , this boldly flies in the almighty's face . all that the erring children have to say is this ; it was our father led the way . ¶ spiritus sanctus . come , holy spirit , come , and breathe thy spicy odours on the face of our dull region here beneathe , and fill our souls with thy sweet grace . come , and root out the poysonous weeds that over-run and choak our lives , and in our hearts plant thine own seeds , whose quickning power our spirit revives . first pla●… the humble violet there that dwells secure by being low , then let the lily next appear , and make us chast , yet fruitful too . but oh , plant all the vertues , lord , and let the metaphors alone ; repeat once more that mighty word , thou needst but say , let it be done . we can , alas , nor be , nor grow , unless thy powerful mercy please ; thy hand must plant and water too , thy hand alone must give encrease . do then what thou alone canst do , do what to thee so easie is , conduct us through this world of woe , and place us safe in thine own bliss . all glory to the sacred three , one ever living soveraign lord , as at the first , still may he be belov'd and prais'd , fear'd and ador'd . ¶ the christian and a worldling . a dialogue . wor. is it not pleasant ( christian ) to be great ? chr. 't is but a moral cheat . wor. where lies the cheat , when i receive the gold ? chr. in crying sins untold . wor. must i be wretched 'cause i'm growing rich ? chr. wealth is oft-times a witch ; wor. amity with the world i never mist. chr. that 's enmity with christ. wor. i cloath the naked , i the hungry seed . chr. those are good acts indeed . wor. my purse , for alms , flows like a conduit p●…pe . chr. 'cause ye the widows gripe . wor. i fear my god , and do my neighbours love . chr. that men may well approve , wor. i relieve those that have in perils been ; chr. but only to be seen . wor. this do i do , what is 't i should do more ? chr. give all unto the poor ; then may thy name be in the christian-list : and when thou' rt poor , thy treasure is in christ. ¶ on the tree of knowledge . in paradise it was this tree did grow , plac'd in the midst , that man might thereby know it was the choicest plant ; but satan came , and with his wiles beguiled adam's dame. taste , woman , eat , quoth he , it doth descry both good and evil ; eat and never die , forbear and perish : herein lies the odds , they that shall eat hereof shall be as gods. is it not pleasant ? were it understood , you 'd eat , and say , it is no common food : it is an oyntment for your blinded eyes ; first taste , then eat , this fruit will make you wise . eve , like a silly woman , then began to bite that bait which satan cast for man. she having eat , the next thing she must do , is to perswade her husband do so too . adam forsakes his innocencie , and they each perceiv'd that both did naked stand ; then cloath'd themselves with fig leaves , to prevent their present shame , and future punishment . but the great god ( whose ever seeing eye discern'd their folly ) he was straightway nigh . perceiving that they for immediate ease sought for their shelter among other trees ; but god's loud voice soon pierc'd the tender bough , only with saying , adam , where art thou ? adam as conscious that he was betraid , 〈◊〉 he heard god's voice , and was afraid : he and his wife , as two poor naked elves , in dire distress , betook to hide themselves . then saith the lord , for what cause wast thou hid ? what , hast thou eat the fruit which i forbid ? who told thee thou art naked ? let me know . adam reply'd , this woman caus'd my woe : she whom thou gavest me said it was sweet ; she gave me of the tree , and i did eat . the woman likewise did her plaint prefer , saying the serpent 't was deceived her . was eden's garden barren , was there none that could invite , but this same tree alone ? that fruitful soyl , whose trees with bending 〈◊〉 , and justly styl'd her mistris of the world , 't was there choice dainties made a rich encrease , paradise then was natures master-piece . of all the other trees said god the lord , thou maist delight thy self with free accord . by which it follows with divine attest , that there were more , and who knows which was best ? this tree like adam's self might have been hid . it s fruit was eat , because it was forbid . thus did their disobedience usher in a world of sorrow , with a world of sin. our god in the beginning did create man for himself , woman mans helpful mate : 't was then the serpent first contriv'd to scan to make a woman prove a wo [ to ] man. adam's cast out by order of the lord , and cherubs guard the tree with flaming sword. ¶ on judas his treason . what monstrous devil , or what horrid hag bewitch●… his mind , with blood to fill his bag ? what pains he took for an eternal ●…rise , to sell his mailer , and the lord of life for thirty pieces , high ingratitude , treason ne're wore a guilt could be so rude . he that is covetous doth hug an evil , bids god farewel , to entertain the devil ; although his mouth be full of gold , his fate is such , he bites at every tempting bait . base avarice , the block 'twixt man and bliss , betraying judas with a judas-kiss ; a false deluding gloworm to the blind , and greatest canker of the heart and mind : 't was that made him betray his righteous judge , and do his homage to the vilest drudge . a liveless piece of earth , was his request , made that his god , to shrine it in his chest ; whose frantick minde no reason could controul , he sells for silver both his king and soul. mark the effect of hungring after pelf ; judas repented , then he hang'd himself . such is the character of avarice , ` t is vertu 's bane , and 't is the root of vice. ¶ an adieu to the world. be gone , false joys , ye , and the world are frail , my soul 's immortal ; ye shall not prevail to cheat me of an everlasting jewel : for all your glories are but menstrous fuel . god is eternal ; your bewitching charms are meerly vain , more vain than false alarms . heaven is my home , the world is but my inn , stufft up with straw , with rubbish , dung , and sin. your gold , your silver , and your diamonds are but dross ; heaven's blessings are beyond compare . here ye have land , erect your castles high , but there are mansions for eternity . your poor deluding pleasures soon are o're , but there are pleasures last for evermore . here pride and envy in swift motion move , but there the angels dayly sing and love . here live rich fools that glut themselves to hell , but there lives none but doth your best excel . god is my portion , let earth hallow thee ; mercy and goodness both shall follow me : and whilst the worldling doth in torments cry , glory attends the righteous when they die . heaven's transcendent joys are firm and true , there lies my aim ; farewel , fond world , adieu . ¶ on a usurer . 't is not the usurer that gives relief , but rather robs the spittle , plays the thief with priviledge ; whilst others do abhor it , he boldly dares to plead a statute for it . tell him of godliness , you talk in vain ; for it is gold , is both his god and gain . six in the hundred from the meaner tribes , continuation-money , other bribes which he extorts , do make his bags swell o'r , and keeps the borrower continual poor . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him thus reports , he 's ●…ke a false physician who exhorts his feaverish patient take for his relief cold water , which doth much augment his grief . so money lent on usury , doth seem relief , but in conclusion proves a dream ; and as cold water gives some present ease , but the effect prolongeth the disease . he follows debtors , as the eagles train an army , preying upon those are slain : and men flock to him , when they seem forlorn , as birds do gather to an heap of corn ; for they desire , and strive their food to get , 'till they 're entrapt within the fowler 's net. idleness is his darling , spouse , his wife ; he lives at ease a sedentary life . his pen's his plow , and parchment is his field , ink is his seed , and time his crop doth yield . he 's so hem'd in where'er he casts his eye , he dayly views objects of charity : but study'ng then to feather his own nest , minds them of principal and interest . to over-reach he bends his utmost strength , and like the butler's box sweeps all at length , agis th' athenian general set fire on all the books and bonds , for love or hire he could procure , by those that did adhere to finde them out , as goods of usurer : on which agesilaus was wont to say , the market ne're had fairer market day . and aristotle did this sort decry as harpies , strangers unto unity . this biting usurer , or man-eater , he is like the shark that swimmeth in the sea , devouring lesser fish : so ostrich right , all metals sure this monsters appetite . st. matthew teacheth us in words but few , do as you would have others do to you : be kinde to the unthankful and the evil ; god's children scorn to imitate the devil . nor will this doctrine reach a miser's scull , be merciful , as god is merciful . st. paul most piously adviseth thus , in conversation be not covetous . thus usury , throughout the holy writ , is held a hainous crime , and thought unfit for christian practice . wealth could never buy one little moment of eternity . it was alphonsus saying , all such gain makes a sepulchre for the soul : in vain let usurers god's tabernacle hope , that give their conscience such a wretched scope . charity 's kinde , helps to keep all things even , but usury excludes the soul from heaven . ¶ of poverty . no stony walls can make a jayl , though iron-bars do it surround ; confinement cannot make him vayl , that with contentments doth abound . men are trees of one spacious grove : the greatest men do seem the tallest ; but grace makes little trees improve , sweet favour lies in those are smallest . a poor man may be godly-wise , and sin may make a rich man poor : the silent lamb 's the sacrifice , whilst lions proudly live and roar . the dove , that bird of innocence , before the soaring eagle's chose , that we may justly learn from thence , humility to heaven goes . lazarus poor , diseased lay in misery , earth was his hell ; yet he to abram found the way , and dives went in flames to dwell . the rich man's title and his name to learn , men con them o're and o're ; but they more glory have , less shame , that study to relieve the poor . he that at present lives in state , above the reach of worldly wrong , may in another world relate he wants a drop to cool his tongue . the poor are pious usurers ; for having lost their earthly leaven , their god , with interest , confers glorious rewards on them in heaven . rich men delight to count their gold , 't is pastime for their minde and eye : content is happiness ( in hold ) such pleasure is in poverty . ¶ on mortality . when a rich worldling dies , first question is , how rich he di'd ; not , is he gone to bl ss ? many make answer , or in love or hate , rich , very rich , he lest a good estate ; not well considering 't should be understood many estates are greater far than good . alas , poor man , his eyes are clos'd with sleep , and his inheritors rejoyce , not weep . he by oppression heapt up ill got wealth , and they carouze it to their ladies health . perhaps when living he undid so many , he scarce hath tear , so much as sigh from any . the poor , instead of prayers ( so much the worse ) attend his corps with clamours , and a curse . what fruit hath man in all these things ? his breath is spent , his labour too concludes in death : his mamon fails him , all his stores so great will witness 'gainst him at the judgment-seat . he leaves to others principal and use , but that which ●…ollows him is the abuse . he casts about to compass his by-ends , himself to ruine to inrich his friends : so that each bag might make this motto good , if fixt thereon , this is the price of blood. hark then , my soul , bestow thy fortunes hoard , upon the members of thy blessed lord. give whilst thou iv'st , 't is safe to do so ; for thine eye is then thine own executor . the poor will praise thee in some pious ditty , and that may help , for prayer can save a city . ¶ on a wicked man. lord , what a creature is a wicked man ! his life is miserable , though a span : all his religion is in outward forms ; h●…s dainties , meat , and manna , turns to worms . the mercies daily that adorn his table do prove his poyson , make him miserable . if his estate be large ; it doth annoy , his dangers keeping what he can't enjoy : or if he doth enjoy , he so doth use it , that the enjoyment is but to abuse it . luxury leaves him no time to repent , but ●…ulls him to eternal punishment . the pleasures of this world do pass away , but pains and hellish horrours last for aye . lord help me then thy mercies to improve ; he is ingrateful gives not love for love. ¶ on p●…ce . the patient man is of a metal made not hard , but flexible : he 's overlaid with heavy burthens , which do try his skill , making affections equal to his will : all which he bears rather than feed a feud , not out of cowardize , but fortitude . he by his yielding doth his foes condemn ; rides conqueror both of himself and them . he above nature is ; and so prolongs his cognizance , that he doth tire his wrongs . to receive injuries that dayly fall , pronounceth him more than heroïcal . he god's best witness is ; and when he stands before the bar for truth , his word commands : he hears his unjust , and with fate his innocence dares to expostulate . his jaylors that attend him to the sages , are not his guard so fitly as his pages . his earthly dungeon is an heavenly vault ; vertu 's his crime , and patience his fault . his rack or wheel , are the ascending stayers that reach to glory , all adorn'd with prayers . good laws are his protection , not his ends ; minds not revenge , but loves both foes and friends . if crosses do afflict , he doth submit , and is content , 'cause heaven thinks it fit . he turns an evil into good : 't is he can make a vertue of necessitie . an easie enemy , a certain friend , to injuries can bow and condescend . than others , far more happy , he applies a satisfaction to his miseries . he that can keep his angry spirit down , is better far than he that takes a town . patience is the prisoner's walk , patience is the dumb man's talk. patience is the lame man's thighs , patience is the blind man's eyes . patience is the poor man's ditty , patience is the exiles city . patience , the sick man's bed of down , patience is the wise man's crown . patience is the live man's story , patience is the dead man's glory . when your troubles do controul , in your patience keep yout soul. ¶ on the tree of life . hark , o my soul , to cane th' infernal pit , know it thy name i' th' book of life be writ : and for a certainty the same to finde , read o'r thy conscience , and peruse thy minde . think not of heave●…s ro●…l to have a view ; examine thine own heart , 't will tell thee true : for in the conscience of a saint doth lie an holy record of eternitie . if in thy conse ence th●… hast writ god's word , be sure the book of life doth th●…e record . when at the day of judgment god shall look into his register , and when the book of conscience lieth open , then indeed the saint and sinner both may trembling read . wherefore , my soul , so govern hand and pen ; write now , as not to fear to read it then . on acts . . ¶ almost a christian. learning well manag'd make the graces glad ; but if abus'd , the learned man grows mad , and make ; his learning , as an hand-maid , sit to wait on the profa'ness of his wit : but piety and parts when they agree , learning then makes an heavenly harmony . so did st. paul's , that pious prisoner ; for he was at once a slave and orator : witness his pithy , and his quaint responds to king agrippa ; king , except these bonds i wish not only thou , but all hereby , were both almost , and wholly such as i ; not half a christian , but to bear those arms of faith that may repel the devil's charms . an altogether christian 's not deprav'd ; almost a christian shall almost be sav'd . ¶ of presumption . if thou' rt a disputant , or proudly wise , if ignorant , yet seemingly precise , beware of being busie with god's word , to dive into the secrets of the lord. his closet is his own , and wo to they shall pick the lock , when god doth keep the key . then be not over-busie ; he that will be sifting every cloud to try his skill , for his presumption he may have the luck , for daring boldly , to be thunder-struck . he that will be familiarly bold with heavens mysteries , them to unfold , may with his judgment overwhelmed be , as ad●… was with his unhappy tree . the 〈◊〉 must p●…y into the ark ; god's judgment was serene , though theirs was dark . for their presumption this became their gain , they by the lord had fifty thousand slain . then hover not about this flame which brings soul fatal falls , by scorching of its wings : i will improve by what we have reveal'd , not strive to know what god would have conceal'd . lord , to prese●…ve me from the devil's gins , keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins . ¶ on death . since nothing is so certain as our death , and nothing more uncertain than when breath expires , we ought each minute to prepare : death sends no summons , but comes unaware . the grand decry is past ; dispute not why all men have sinned , and all men must die . man's days are numbred , he can finde no aid ; 't is god hath man upon the balance laid , and found him wanting . god's all-searching eye hath thus determin'd , men are vanity . corruption is man's father , and the worms his sisters , they have their corrupt conforms . the grave it is his bed , the sheet his shrine , the earth his cover , grass his carpet fine . at last death comes , and he concludes the theam , finds man asleep , and darts him in his dream . such is our sluggish life , a shadow , frail , a bubble , vapour , and a trifling tale : so vain a story , that when we grow old we spend our days before the tale is told . the world 's of contraries a vast compound , nothing within it solid is , or sound . four elements in opposition move each to the other . the degrees of love cannot be found in a con●…used heap ; 't is heaven doth that holy order keep . death gives our earthly bodies a new cast , refines us , that we may prove cleer at last . what is corrupt , within the grave must lie , till mortal puts on immortality . no mans corruption can be laid aside , until his body in the earth abide . he chiefly 't is that is afeard to die , hath little hope of an eternity . the time we have to live , it is but small , less than a point that 's geometrical . our common enemy doth promise fair this world , to cheat us of a world more rare . our pleasures do deceitfully entangle , smiling ev'n then , when they intend to strangle . the world is kindest when it most doth frown , and honours list us up to cast us down . the christian then should ready be to cry , when god shall call , behold , lord , here am i. for they of their salvation never mist , have been partakers of the death of christ. god on the righteous alway hath an eye ; his ear is ever open to their cry : and he that doth a righteous man regard , he shall receive a righteous man's reward . be truly zealous , shew no vain pretext , but live each hour as if to die the next . ¶ on conscience . the conscience is a function of the minde , a guide to straglers , to the lame , and blinde . over the will the conscience sits commanding , and is a guardian to the understanding : for what the pen of nature doth engrave upon that general knowledge which we have , or to our thoughts , our minds , or to our acts , conscience applies , and summons up our facts . paul our example was of innocence , having a conscience void of all offence both towards god , and towards men , so cleer , that his own conscience was his overseer . christian , unto thy conscience have an eye , lest conscience doth accuse , for that 's a spie . ¶ on memory . memory is the store-house of the soul ; the will 's dictator ; understanding's scroul . there we hoard up the treasures of our minde , and fetch them out as we occasion finde . but well it may with filthy ponds compare , wherein fish die , but frogs are nourish'd there . so we retain trash that doth sowre and rot , whilst admirable mercies are forgot . thus we that should be temples of god's praise , are graves to bury what his love displays . all injuries most men to marble trust , but courtesies are written in the dust. what 's bad they can sufficiently retain , but what is good is idle thought , and vain . like nets , our memories let clear waters go , and nothing catch but sticks and weeds of wo : or else like sieves ( so rashly are we born ) that do retain the chaff , let go the corn. but like an holy ark the soul should be , and as the pot of manna , memorie . our faculties herein need no excuse , preserving holy truths for holy use . ¶ on a death-bed-repentance . this speech , though sad , it did a king survive ; i now must die , e're i begin to live . and such is the condition of that man that dies e're his repentance is began ; that wants his weapons , can for none implore ; for why ? behold , death knocketh at his door . what sign●…fie petitions of a heart that trembling lies when death presents his dart ? unhappy certainly must be their dooms have oyl to seek just when the bridegroom comes . death and the devil do their souls pursue , and they no refuge have to fly unto . the seven years of plenty all are gone , and years of famine are not thought upon . time that is swift hath took his nimble flight ; travel doth tire , yet we want rest at night : i 'll therefore finish every work i have , so shall i go with peace unto my grave . ¶ on the mariner . the mariner that 's drove by boreas breath , doth sail within four inches of his death . so of the soul the saying may be true , that e're it bids its cabinet adieu , four inches is the most that it doth keep betwixt its life and an eternal sleep . if the ship splits , or by a fire doth shrink . the ship is swallow'd , and the sailers sink . so if our earthly vessels break , the soul doth to another habitation roul , for ever plung'd into a boundless sea , the bankless ocean of eternity . the soul should therefore careful be , and strive to swim , before it come to sink or dive . ¶ on an israelite . as the tree falls , so doth it lie ; and when death strikes , all men must die : only herein the difference is , god gives us misery or bliss . as in the red sea , if i go an israelite , though waters flow , in triumph i shall tell my story , and land rejoycing , full of glory , while all mine enemies lie spread upon the shore , and each one dead : but if egyptian-like i croud , and be on this side of the cloud , on this side of the covenant , and yet run hardned in ( for want of grace ) amongst proud phara●…h's troops , the sea shall open all her poops : and e're i finde my journeys length , justice shall swallow me with strength ; an inundation shall destroy my soul , and drown my future joy. o lord , then by thy powerful might , make me thine own , an israelite . ¶ on shame . the age is impudent in which we live ; men seem asham'd to be asham'd of blame ; and to their errours such a licence give , that they delight to glory in their shame . they have a specious cloak for each offence , and study how to palliate their vice. the covetous hath husbandry's pretence ; the prodigal is free , perhaps at dice . the lecher shrouds his sin i' th' mask of love ; the drunkard to good fellowship pretends ; the cheat doth for his family improve ill-gotten goods ; each have their private ends . they blush not at the fact , yet will not own the title ; by the which we may conclude the sense of shame , when to perfection grown , restrains from sins , can hide a multitude . but he that is this apprehension past , le ts loose the reins of his suborned will , goes hand in hand with satan , till at last madness and mischief are his joy and skill . the world says to him , take thy pleasure , swim in lust and liquor : heart , the minde , and eye are lively , merry , careless , and so trim , he doth not care though god's his enemie . fools shew their folly as it sutes their name , but prudent men will be asham'd of shame . ¶ on the wilful impenitent . tell me , fond worldling , why dost thou deride a godly christian ? is 't thy natures pride ? dost thou not dayly see his weeping eye shed tears to wake thy sleeping lethargie ? see how he trembles at the sight of sin ! whilst thou , lewd actor , longest to begin ; and look'st on him as pusillanimous , a coward , or a drone . i tell thee , thus thou' rt rashly valiant , and dost spend thy breath on toys , whilst he dare boldly look on death . he 's truly noble ; and when he appears , is not appall'd before the king of fears . heav'n is his harbour , grace doth most delight him ; hell's horrours may appear , but not affright him : but as a conqueror over death and hell , can with his smiles all their bravadoes quell ; and with a chearful heart this ditty sing , as if in scorn , o , death , where is thy sting ? or like a cherubim that flies on high , can say , o , hell , where is thy victory ? this is the valediction of a saint , whilst sinners toyl , and in their labours faint . where is the worldling's glory ? he can sin , can vitious be , and he can boast therein : can silence conscience , and outface a crime , and shun a blush to damn his soul betime . that man a coward is , and fights by stealth ; for if a sickness doth impair his health , he then believes death doth a summons beat , and his large spirit sneaks to a retreat . doth he not tremble when he once hath got a shaking ague , or a feaver hot ? and when he feels the heavy hand of fate , he begs for quarter , though it be too late . what heaviness then fits upon his look ? terrour appears , conscience unfolds its book , charges him to consider well and read ; and just as he begins , death strikes him dead . a true repentance cannot be too late ; early repentance is a blessed state . thus doth a sinner to perdition fall , and that which was his throne , becomes his thrall . ¶ on a glorious soul. whenas the moon her constant course hath run , and draws to a conjunction with the sun , it to the heavens shines more bright and pure , and towards earth seemeth the more obscure . so , as the soul draws neer , as like a spouse , shines fair to christ , is to the world a blouse . he that is pretious unto god , that man is by the world esteem'd a puritan : and he whose soul in glory doth inherit , appears but odious to an earthly spirit . for he that looks with a terrestrial sight , is lustre-dazled with coelestial light . shine fair to god if thou'lt to heaven go ; beauty on earth is a beclouded show . ¶ on contentation . cyae as asking pyrrhus his intent , what he would do after his hazard spent in many victories , pyrrhus did reply , he 'd take his ease , and then live merrily . to whom cyneas , that you might have done before , were you contented with your own . 't is not the largeness of the cage doth bring notes to the bird , instructing him to sing . moreover , though a bird hath little eye , yet he hath wings by which he soars on high , can see far wider , and abundance better than may an ox , although his eye be greater . 't is not the great estate that brings content , but piety , the christian's ornament . the righteous having little , no promotion ; yet what he hath , when joyned with devotion , may seel more comfort , more enjoy god's bounty than he whose incomes may command a county . but few can be content with what they have ; he that hath hundreds , still for more doth crave : if his possessions be in houses , land , he grasps at more , and with a ready hand omits no mischief that his craft can nurse , to fill his coffer , or enlarge his purse . the greatest thing in little compass can be comprehended , is content in man. and this great vertue hath its safe abode only in him that is a childe of god ; who sees , and to his brethren cries , content ye , enough 's a feast , and piety hath plentie . as when a traveller comes to his inn , he for a lodging-room does first begin t' enquire ; but if he cannot please his minde , he is content with such as he shall finde , although perhaps his room may not delight , well knowing that it is but for a night : so is it with the christian pilgrim ; he can use a large estate , if it should be god's will to bless him with it , yet his mind to heaven's pleasure alway is confin'd . a little of the creatures will asswage hunger and thirst in christian pilgrimage : for let his journeying be sweet or rough , he knows his father's house hath bread enough ; therefore as sweetly feeds , in going home , as sampson did upon his honey-comb . let no man's mind on earthly things be bent ; but having food and rayment , be content . ¶ on the hypocrite . the hypocrite of actors is the worst , his own pretences making him accurst . by so much as he acts the better part , and janus-like with double face and heart , he can compose his forehead to be grave , although his heart be then his humours slave . his modest face doth shew the characters of justice and religion ; nor forbears his tongue and gestures so much to proclaim ; but heart and hands , they do recant the same . when to the church he comes , he there salutes one of the pillars , and on knee confutes the atheist , worshiping that god , in part , whose precepts never could affect his heart . he rises , looks about , and takes his seat ; complains that charity is not so great as he could wish , or heretofore hath been . perhaps bestows an alms ; but to be seen , always sits where he may embrace the look of all spectators : and his table-book , in sermon-time comes from beneath his coat , as seeming fearful he should loose that note . then takes his bible , hums to rear his voice , and turns to some quotation with a noise : then doubles down the leaf , as if the same were found ; and loudly asks the preacher's name : and that his zeal may fervently appear , repeats it , that the standers by may hear . he can command his tears , reckon up sins with detestation ; but when he begins he never thinks , with a true pious wrath , how many darling-sins his bosom hath : nor alms , nor prayers ne're fall , unless he spy , although at distance , certain witness by ; as if he doubted whether god would own receiving them : and is so wary grown , that left the world should not discern his worth , his mouth 's the trumpet that doth sound it forth . and when his bags run o're , bethinks to build an hospital ; and that is straightway fill'd with persons indigent , did aged grow , poor as when born ; for he had made them so . with flesh on frydays he will not be fed , he more abhors it than his neighbours bed . will at the name of jesus bow , or nod , at church ; anon at tavern swear by god when his step-mother's sick , and seems to creep towards her grave , he then brings tears to weep : when he hath cause to fear she will not die , he forces a rejoycing-sympathie with her best friends . 't is hard to rightly paint an hypocrite . to strangers he 's a saint ; a meer pretender to the poors relief ; private extortioner ; his neighbours grief ; the blot of goodness ; scoff in good mens fight ; a rotten stick to trust in dark of night ; a candle temper'd ill , with a large snuff ; the poor man's plague , and a religious huff ; the fool 's great idol , and the wife man's scorn ; a choaking poppy in a field of corn : abroad an angel , free from least of evil ; at home none more implacable , a devil : and when an angel worse , a guide amiss ; but when a devil , shews but what he is . as the apostle's phrase is , many men are servants of the eyes ; for they shall , when they are beheld , act vertue with a grace , and in their zeal run with a thorow pace : when they perceive spectators all are gone , they change their habits , for the play is done . they curious searchers are in others acts , careless correctors of their own foul facts . they to their lust and lewdness are so prone , they think they 're safe , because espi'd by none . thus an ill nature leadeth man to sin , and corrupt custom bids him ' bide therein . when carnal constitutions get a head , they , like commanders , do weak mortals lead : but for the hypocrite , he seems a friend will promise much , but , not without an end , nothing perform ; but many he hath broke , receiving substance , but returning smoke . and he whose quality is eminent , more foul's the quality of his intent . acts that dishonourable are , look great in them , by blood or parts , have honours seat . the publican and sinner have more right to heaven's mansions than an hypocrite . i with prolixity might spoil my pen , for he 's in verity the scum of men . the worst of damned souls their portion have with him in hot and horrid scorching cave . there leave we him and his tormented bone measuring minutes with deep sighs and groar ¶ on envy . all lusts reduced are to three-fold heads , lust of the eyes , the flesh , and that which leads to as much vice and a continual strife , the haughty humour , or the pride of life . but envy is the chiefest lust of eyes ; seeing another good , with him it vies , not to be farther good ; his envy grew , seeing good men belov'd and honour'd too . envy thinks all men made of equal stuff : why may not envious men be good enough ? it for the innocent defends a cause to seem a saint , and to procure applause : but 't is a plague within a man 's own brest , and a disease will not admit of rest. if such a thing as admiration be , it 's heart doth whisper , that belongs to me . it is a furious wind , which to rehearse , sometimes breaks forth to shake the universe . a sharp malignity , most quick of sight ; an ostrich with an eager appetite . cherish a do●… , and you may make him tame ; lions by gentleness become the same : but man grown ●…vious , if you speak him fair , yet keep at distance , of his wiles beware : for if he sees you creep , then he proves worse , may smile upon you when his heart doth curse . 〈◊〉 the world's frowns do force you to comply , he gluts himself with your adversity ; and beetle-like , as i have heard it sung , when hungry grown , doth eat its fellows dung . whilst envy doth obliquely look upon the good of others , all his own is gone : or at the least takes no delight ; the smart is like a vulture seeding on the heart . the basilisk by nature kills all trees and shrubs it breatheth on ; and when he please doth scorch and burn all herbs , and leaves of grass over the which his body chance to pass . so envy is an aetna in a man , ( like the cantharides ) if seeding can encompass as its stomach doth dispose ; and often diets on the fairest rose . it is a passion doth ones health deser , and proves at last a man's self-murtherer . 't is couzen-german to the sin of pride , and each may well be call'd a homicide . wrath kills the foolish man , when in his way the envious man the silly soul doth slay . the eye , alas , is the unhappy pit that first doth this destructive guest admit : and when it gets a full possession once , it shrinks the nerves , and rots into the bones : till with consumption it doth man environ , feeding on him as rust doth seed on iron . envy believes its will should be its law : socrates saith , 't is to the soul a saw ; grates without mercy when it doth behold its dross , and sees another shine in gold . like the poor fly , to put the candle out , doth burn it self with buzzing round about . or like the bee , that with a humming flies , looses his sting , and then at once he dies . or viper-like , to make a paul expire , leaping on him , is cast into the fire . envy 's a canker in the heart and minde , spleen to the good ; great charity is kinde . ¶ on supplication . as in a ship when sailing from its port , the sails are loised , thereby to exhort some skilful mariner to shew his art , who presently doth to the rudder start . so every morning when we rise from rest , our hearts should study for a just request : for that 's the rudder of our life and age , to guide us through our earthly pilgrimage . heav'n is our home , and god alone ; to him through rivers of our tears we ought to swim : for when god's wrath is kindled to a fire , no other water can allay his ire . christians no better messengers can send than prayers and tears , angels on them attend . moses by prayer , that prevailing word , harm'd amalik much more than israel's sword. th' apostle paul this golden rule hath laid , let supplications for all men be made : in which great duty let this be observ'd , first a due preparation , not with carv'd or starch'd expressions made by wit and art ; god doth desire truth in the inward part . consider , thou the supplicant art dust , a vile and sinful man , a heap of lust. the lord , to whom thou dost thy prayers apply , is holy , wise , of sacred majesty . let meditation guide thee in thy way , lest thy frail minde distracted be , and ftray . pray sor things lawful , don't that bound exceed ; for god , before ye ask , knows what ye need : but silence in the soul he doth abhor ; mercies are small , if not worth asking for . pray not for mercies as thy fancy drives , as little children do for toys and knives , who when they have them know not how they 're us'd ; mercies are better wanted than abus'd . make supplications in the name of christ ; thou mayst be good , yet shew not merits list . examine well thine heart , keep faith therein , for whatsoever's not of faith , is sin . be constant , that thou mayst abide the touch ; for servent righteous prayer availeth much . birds without motion cannot fly i' th' air , nor without work can we persist in prayer . pray in humility , and nothing fear ; the poor man cryed , and the lord did hear . in supplications be importunate ; pray perseveringly ; and in that state so guide thy thoughts , and so thy heart prepare , as if thy life were one continual prayer . all our iniquities we must forbear ; in vain we pray , when god shall stop his ear . ¶ on luxury . seneca speaks of some ( of tender years suppos'd ) that hang'd their lordships at their ears . and in our time , gallants , to their disgrace , convert their lands to feathers and to lace ; wasting their rents to purchase silks and stuffs , mortgaging mannours to procure them muffs . this they have left , when all things else are gone ; air for their breath , and earth to tread upon . apicius in his kitchin did expend two millions of gold ; and in the end , having devour'd so much , begins to think what might remain of his huge mass of chink : finding two hundred thousand crowns , no more , he then concluded he was waxing poor : too little 't was his humour to suffice , wherefore he poyson drinks , and so he dies . thus our estates , though large , in vain are spent , when the main thing is wanting ; that 's content . the glutton philoxenus did ●…inveigh against dame nature , and for what , i pray ? it was because his neck was made so short , his eating was no recreating sport , but wisht his neck were like a cranes for length , better to relish his sweet morsels strength . to the insatiate , water , land , nor air , sufficient is to keep him from despair . how many golden mines at stake must lie , to bear the charge of prodigality ? of henry duke of guise it hath been said , usury was his pleasure and his trade : for when his large estate to ashes burn'd , at last it all to obligations turn'd . but he that spendeth all to please his friend , perhaps may visit him , but want i'th'end . but the three b's , back , belly , building , have to fair estates each one become a grave . luxurious men this for themselves may say , their hands are their executors , and they before old age approach to make their years many , their eyes are their own overseers . much of their patrimonies they expend upon their guts , the rest to harlots lend ; who usually do leave him full as bare as crows do leave a carcass ; and 't is rare when riot doth into man's senses steal , but certain ruine follows at the heel . beggery doth on luxury attend , when the poor spendthrift hath no other friend ; and doth at last so despicable grow , he is beneath the thought of friend or foe . the drunkard and the glutton , e're he die , shall know the want of superfluitie . ¶ on enmity . pliny affirmeth , that the serpents brood cannot be reconcil'd to man : nor wou'd the learn'd bodinus this relation tell , did not his own experience know it well . a capital antipathy is spread between the woman and the serpent's head : so that within a multitude of men if but one woman croud i' th' middle , then the serpent doth his enmity reveal by finding her , and stings her in the heel : well verifying what their maker sed , th'serpent should bruise her heel ; her seed , his head . perswasions may o' come an enemy ; irreconcilable is enmity : it is a mutual malevo'ence , ' that between parties studies for offence . a dire antipathy that doth create the killing canker of a mortal hate . magirus saith , nature makes it appear in divers creatures , namely horse and bear , the eagle and the swan , among all fowl , the lesser sort of birds oppose the owl . the toad and spider likewise do agree each one to poyson by antipathy . the stately lion of couragious stock , though bold and fierce , is fearful of a cock. but the most sharp hostility indeed , is between satan and the womans seed . ¶ the dream . methinks i hear six voices cry aloud ! the first of dying man's , by sickness bow'd ; that of the damned is the second voice ; thirdly my soul with an affrighted noise ; the sourth is christ's with sweet inviting chimes ; the fifth's the charming voice of evil times ; the sixth a voice that doth the sense allay , a dreadful sommons to the judgment-day . the dying man , methinks , doth make his moan , breathing out sighs , and with each sigh a groan : oh , loose no time , call every minute o're , a minute's pretious ; man's whole life 's no more . oh that i could make sure of heaven , for now my days on earth unto a period grow . the damned cry and roar : o see the end and sad effects of sin ! sorrows attend the wicked man. i now discern my crime , and seel the punishment of loss of time ; and then i hear my soul expostulate , oh , thou my body , frail , of wretched state , why should i play the fool to please thy lust , when all my kindnesses are writ in dust ? nay , in ungrateful dust , that doth repay a pearl , only besmearing it with clay . thou but a moment art of time ; but i must last for ever , to eternity . when thou with rottenness art whelm'd about , where shall i be ? 't is fit i should get out betimes from such an earthy house as thine , and , as a star , in heaven's mansion shine . angels are my companions there : dost think , to pleasure thee , i 'll to perdition sink ? is it not better , prethee mortal tell , to heaven we go , than thou bear me to hell ? and then methinks sweet jesus is at hand with invitations thus : behold , i stand here at the door , and knock ; i weep , i sue until my head is covered o're with dew : i wait and beg to lead thee to delight , my locks being filled with the dew of night . my tears , my groans , my crying blood doth knock ; open to me , thou heart , if not a rock . with patience i beseech , let sin no more a lodging have , and christ wait at the door . let not damnation gull thee with deceit , whilst thy salvation doth intreat and wait . then evil times methinks do thus invite : oh , now consider , walk as in the light ; let all your vertues be adorn'd with rays ; be living christians , these are dying days : be growing christians , lay aside vain crimes ; walk stedfastly in these back-sliding times . oh , now , or else thou art for ever gone , leave devil , world , and flesh , make christ thine own . then the archangels voice at last i hear , summoning all the dead forthwith appear before the judgment-seat , crying , arise , come forth , ye blessed saints , open your eyes ; with god and angels each one take his place , to judge the world , and try the finners case : arise , ye cursed naked souls , and take your standing before god and angels ; quake at the tribunal great , from whence shall come your fearful , final , and your fatal doom . lord , the first voices let me hear with fear , that the last voice i may not fear to hear . ¶ on beauty . have you not heard o' th' bloody siege of troy ? of hellens beauty how it did destroy ? the lustre of her beauty did decay , and she was but a glorious heap of clay . or have you read of jacob , how he serv'd full fourteen years for rachel , never swerv'd from his affections ? she , his hearts delight , was amiable and lovely in his fight . thus we adove those whom we think excel in beauty , though a painted jezebel . if these deserve so much , then what doth he that made these beauties ? he whose majestie is altogether lovely , doth surpass the glories of an indigested mass. the beauty of the whole creation is as dross to him ; for the creation's his . be not discourag'd , oh my soul , but place thy firm affections on thy saviour's face . though enemies may watch for thy defaults , christ can secure thee from their fierce assaults . let him be beautiful within thine eye , and thou shalt live , although thou seemst to die . be not dsheartned , oh my soul ; for though rules may be strict and duties hard , yet know they are as 〈◊〉 'gainst the worst disaster ; heaven 's thy wages , christ himself thy master . lord , let my heart thy beauty understand , no difficulty then shall reach my hand . ¶ on knowledge . this precious jewel , knowledge , may compare to those the israelites of old did wear : for if our knowledge be improv'd but half of that , i ke them we but erect a calf . their gold was precious , all that while commodious ; but in an idol cast , it then grew odious . so the pure wit of man , well understood , was in the days of innocencie good ; but when corruption seizes on his age , he becomes vicious that before was sage . or it resembles an untilled field that barren lies , and nothing else doth yield but brambles , thorns , unnecessary weeds , till grace manures it with its growing seeds . the best of minerals their poysons have until extracted . flowers sweet and brave , their faeces do possess , till art and skill , by separation takes away the ill . so the best wits have folly , until grace plucks up its roots and groweth in the place . in things that do spiritually relate , the understanding when it 's tried by weight , will like 〈◊〉 much too light be found , lighter than vanity or verbal sound . then let not wise men glory in their parts , but hoard their wisdome in unspotted hearts : for 't is a jewel of an unknown price , 'bove that of rubies , or of mans device : for he that getteth wisdom loves his soul , dare oppose dangers , feareth no controul . it excels folly as a glorious star , and better is than weapons us'd in war. 't is profitable to instruct , direct , teacheth the ignorant be circumspect . wherefore if any one do wisdom lack , ask of the lord , for he will not be slack . it is the gift of god , and he alone can wisdom fix within a heart of stone . why are we dayly by our sins decoy'd ? for want of knowledge people are destroy'd . with knowledge put on practice : satan's brood have knowledge , but it does more harm thad good . to appreher sive knowledge must conjoyn affective knowledge : if those two combine , they give a christian courage . no retreat is needful when a saint is arm'd compleat . when as god's holy spirit takes in hand to teach , the scholar soon doth understand . to a good soul nothing's of higher prize than is the knowledge of deep mysteries . austin of god desir'd no worldly pelf , but only to know god , and know himself . knowledge and love must both accord , for why ? knowledge puffs up , but love doth edifie . foolish were they that knowledge did despise because it puffeth up : rather than wise , they were resolv'd continue ignorant and humble , pride and arrogance to want . knowledge puffs up , but grace gives an allay ; for knowledge can command , and can obey : but those were like democritus , half wise , to shun uncleanness pluck'd out both his eyes . though knowledge nimbly on our senses dance , it 's greatest part 's the least of ignorance : yet we are apt to think , though can't discern't , that we know all that can by man be learnt . as in the host of alcibiades all would be leaders , none commanders please : and epicurus spoke but as a youth , boasting he was the first discover'd truth ; for he in many things exprest his minde not as a man , but as a beetle blinde . aratus the astrologer did vent his brags , he knew all stars i' th' firmament . laurentius valla gloried there was none writ logick worth the reading . but his own . nestorius the heretick could boast , that he alone , on the european coast , did understand the scriptures ; when he came , the world awakned was with his great name . well saith th'apostle , and 't is truly so , man knoweth nothing as he ought to know . ¶ on magnanimity . caesar spoke proudly when he boldly said , in midst a storm , pilot , be not afraid ; the angry surges know not what they do ; thou carriest caesar and his fortunes too . the cannibals , as history doth tell , are for their courage thought invincible ; rather than seem to fear , remissly flie , or sue for life , they bravely choose to die . in alexander's last and fatal fight , he shew'd his courage was his chief delight , by boasting 't was his glory and his pride , at once the power of persia to divide . mahomet the persian sultan overthrown , his passion was to such a fury grown , he in revenge ( perhaps more mad than wise ) caus'd his chief captains ten to loose their eyes , so to prevent their overthrow agen ; and threatned female habits for his men . lacedemonians were wont to cry , it was a shame for any man to fly in time of danger : but a cursed fate , lacedemonians should deliberate . and socrates , criton's advice did slight , when by him wish'd to make a private flight . salisbury's noble earl , whenas he found the sultans army had inclos'd him round , and he advis'd to fly , answer'd in scorn , heavens forbid i should for that be born ; or any of my father's blood or race should fear a sarasin for force or face . much less then should a christian fear , whose eye should fix on christ , who did for christians die . bravely resolv'd it was of blessed paul after conversion , his aspiring fall , i ready am not only to proclaim , but to be bound , and die for jesus name . who sails with christ fears neither rock nor sand ; christians through storms must reach the promis'd land. ¶ on ingratitude . lord , what a danger lately i escap'd ! torrents of terrours just before me gap'd : upon the brink i was , yet scaped free ; they are well kept , o lord , are kept by thee . surely thy meaning only was to fright , as an advice that i might shun a smite . thus thy great providence doth think it fit to hit the mark sometimes by missing it . let me not now appear so idly rude , to pay my god with my ingratitude ; and give my thanks to fortune , as if she were governess of my tranquillity : but if my thanks may make a recompence , i 'll pay them to the eye of providence . narrow was my escape ; be it my charge , that therefore i my thankfulness inlarge , lest my ingratitude should justly cause , that since this arrow seemingly did pause , by touching of my hat , but miss'd my head ; the next may pierce my heart , and strike me dead . the ancient romans did this law contrive ; ingrateful ones should be devour'd alive : he that receiv'd , and thankfulness would want , was cast , whilst living , to the cormorant . lycurgus made no law to punish such , thinking no wretch could dare to sin so much . ¶ on disturb'd devotion . this morning , lord , i visited my friend , but ill came of that good i did intend . unhappy i , that then should finde the way , when he to his apartment went to pray . if i 'm uncapable my self to build , shall i snatch tools from him is thorow skill'd ? certainly better far , more pious 't were and christian-like , to joyn with him in prayer . but now how shall i study an amends , that , as before , we may continue friends ? lord , what he wanted , if it be thy will , be pleas'd to grant , for he 's thy servant still . thou knowst for what he did intend to sue , and my petition for him 's doubly due . that neither he nor i may loosers be , lord , hear our saviour both for him and me . ¶ on sin and sorrow . our sin and sorrow two companions are ; sin leads us in , and sorrow feeds the snare . if our short moments merrily are spent , into eternal mournings we are sent . he that won't weep while he may pardon have , hereafter may , in vain , for pity crave . one bottle full of tears thy sins may quell , but a whole cloud not quench the flames of hell. then let the careless sinner laugh and scorn ; i 'll weep at present , not for ever mourn . valleys of tears do shew their cleansing skill , and raise a sinner unto sions hill : but the fool's heart is in the house of mirth , his joy's his sorrow , and his heaven , earth . but he whose cup is fill'd unto the brink with sin , he shall in seas of sorrow sink . wherefore my sins i 'll here in sorrow steep , and so weep now , as not for ever weep . ¶ on mortality . lord , what a shadow is the life of man ? a nothing , less than is a little span . just as a bird when as it takes its flight from off the owners hand , is out of sight . our present time is as a fading flower , a flying minute , or a running hour . the time to come , after the present's fled , uncertain is , next sun may see us dead . lord , in this hour , oh , make me sure of thee , lest in the next i miss felicitie . ¶ on st. peter's enlargement . when the good angel brought saint peter out from prison , there was neither noise nor shout that should for joy awake the iron-gate , yet of its own accord it open'd straight . but see how all things in their duties vary ; he chang'd his prison for the house of mary mother of john , yet stood and knock'd at door , could not get in , with ease got out before : the iron-gate obedience understood , yet he found opposition by the wood. easie the answer is , there no man was the gate to open , or to guard the pass ; but as in course it usual was before , a portress was design'd to wait the door . god would not shew his finger where the hand of man impower'd was to bear command . lord , should a wooden obstacle increase , or be a bar unto our hopes of peace , an arm of flesh might set a ●…ter free without those miracles are wrought by thee : but shou'dst thou leave us●… lord , do what we can , we cry , alas ! vain is the help of man. to god alone all glory be ascrib'd : jaylors extort , but god cannot be brib'd . ¶ the soul's search . like weeping mary , holy sorrow lays wait for the lord , and seeks him divers ways : and saving faith , like wrestling jacob , finds its saviour out , and firmly to him binds . like the devoted spouse , so fervent love doth dwell with christ , not thinking to remove , this brings the soul to pastures fresh and green , and leads it to the chamber of the queen . hereafter christ the blessed soul doth bring to the coelestial-chamber of the king : so that to lodge with christ and view his face , is the perfection of eternal grace . lord , oh my soul doth love no other he : i sought , have found , and thirst to dwell with thee . ¶ on prosperity . if wicked men in gold and silver shine , should i at their prosperity repine ? when i indeed behold their spreading eay , and view their quails , methinks i 'm apt to say , they happy are ; but 't is when i forget their shining-sun doth with a twinkle set : for when into god's sanctuary i once place my foot , i easily descry that all the blossoms of their splendid glory are as dull shadows , meerly momentory ; the scum of vanity , a useless froth , blasted with one breath of almighty wrath ; external pleasures , on which they rely , fill up the measures of their misery . like the deceitful salute joab gave to amasa ; so all their great and brave bespangled honour mounts them up in vice , only to cast them from a precipice : or like the mule of absalom , doth bear them to the gallows , and so leaves them there . like jaels present in a lordly dish , it seems to pleasure the luxurious wish ; but in the end , when sensual lusts prevail , the dire conclusion shews a fatal nail ; and very frankly chalketh out the way for a sad summons to the judgment-day . thus their prosperity doth first betray with tempting smiles , and in conclusion slay . as a poor ox in fatning pasture feeds to day , the next he 's singled out , and bleeds . what envy will at malefactors flie , because the day is fair wherein they die ? why doth iniquity in glory flourish , in pastures large ? it only is to nourish them for the slaughter . hear the sum of all ; experience tells it , pride will have a fall . for mediocrity bent agur's art ; he knew prosperity doth swell the heart . ¶ on humility . nosce teipsum hard is to be learn'd ; a mans own faults are not with ease discern'd . the faults of other men are writ in text , easie to read , when ours are not annext . the eye that 's fixt on natures choicest shelf , can all things see , yet not behold it self . presumptuous confidence goes bleeding home , when humble fear triumphantly doth come . great alexander would be deifi'd , confess'd himself a man , his blood espi'd . the humble man , within another minds all things are excellent ; but when he finds he doth decline in vertue , noble elf , he is the first that shall condemn himself . his eyes are full of his continual want , sees others worth , and grieves himself is scant . when he hath but a mite of his deserts , others he magnifies . thus he imparts his generosity to famous use , whilst others do repay him with abuse . from pride and malice none is more exempt ; asham'd of honour , values no contempt . violet-like , he grows low to the ground , that hides its head with leaves ; and he is found like that , with fragrant smells which so bewray that his own vertues do his worth betray . in his discourse he never flies aloft ; his words are few , and those few words are soft . modestly speaking , not self-glorious , nor peremptory , nor censorious . because he thinks all other men more wise , corrects himself by his own modest eyes . when his devotions do the time beguile , he makes himself a nothing , wretched , vile ; doth no man emulate : if understood , he hates none but himself , because not good . a mite of comfort doth his wants supply ; and none more patient when in misery , because he knows that his deserts are such , that having sin'd , cannot be plagu'd too much . he a low valley is , and planted sweet , where fresh and fragrant odours often meet ; and like the proud mans earth is trampled on , though full of wealthy mines ; a pretious stone fit for foundation-work , not plac'd aloof , god's holy temple built with lowly roof . camomile-like , and palm-tree , when deprest , doth higher rise , wearied to take his rest . zacheus from the sycamore came down , and that descension made the lord his own . 't is not the proud that do in christ believe , not lofty , but the humble him receive . fruitfullest trees do in the valleys grow , and thrive the better for their being low : when taller trees an interruption finde , by the strong blast of a contagious winde : yet the tall tree hangs down its head , to say , for this god made me , and i do obey . the humble man considers earth's his womb , and then remembers earth must be his tomb. unto humility god's grace is given , who with that grace a ladder makes to heaven . ¶ on vice. when on a journey , and am weary grown , i finde an inne within some countty-town , and have observ'd , numbers of guests do come first to the chamberlain to shew a room ; perhaps one chamber doth contain them all , yet on the chamberlain doth each man call : one to the table bids him straight attend , another doth him to the window send , a third unto the chimney must be led , a fourth would be conducted to his bed , a fifth man sends him down for glass or cup , and e're he 's down , another calls him up . thus he 's distracted with a sudden moyl , scarce can please all , though tired with his toyl . such is the sad condition of my soul ; in what a cloud of crosses it doth rowl ! by nature i am born a wretched twin ; to sorrow servant , and a slave to fin . unto the window i am call'd by pride , gluttony next pretends to be my guide . by laziness i 'm to the chimney led , by wantonness i 'm finely brought to bed . ambition calls me up , but i am grown so coverous , more profit calls me down . vices , i see , themselves do contradict ; 't is only vertue that doth vice convict . free me , o lord , from this distracted case : vertue it self is vice , unless thou place it in a centre , like it self to shine ; a servant unto sin cannot be thine : for in thy service perfect freedom is : sin is a slavery , a dark abyss . satan deludes the soul to acts obscure ; but the commandments of the lord are pure . vice is at best but a diseased whore splendidly painted , making fools adore . ¶ on god's presence . heaven it is , ever to be with god ; without him is in hell to take abode . you that in christ no beauty can behold , nor heavens glory , dare you be so bold as not to think they all things do excel ? or can you not behold the flames of hell ? if in god's presence you do not delight , oh , tremble at his absence . if your flight be at a distance , as if you did doubt him , consider well , and fear to be without him . lord , thou my heaven art , my god , my guide , my wedded husband ; and my soul 's thy bride . ¶ on hypocrisie . the hypocrite , with his deceitful eye , doth serve the devil in god's livery ; and therefore to the lord so well is known , both earth and heaven doth his craft disown . man sees his livery and cunning art , and hateth him ; but god doth view his heart , and hates him too . mensee his outward zeal , for which they do deride him . he , like steel , grows strong and siubborn , pleas'd with his own case , though god and man do both abhor his face : so that he in a wilderness doth rove , and never doth become a canaan's dove . the sum of all his labours doth at last consume with the almighty's dreadful blast : and a dire doom , when he at judgment stands , who hath required these things at your hands ? he that so cunningly did others cheat , took greatest pains his own soul to defeat : he steals his own damnation , and can tell ( for he with sweat hath found ) the way to hell. so that the sinner openly prophane , and hypocrite , as they together reign on earth , although in different degrees , they both at last jament their little ease . only two ways they finde unto their fate , one steals to hell thorow the postern-gate , the other keeps the open beaten road ; but both at last in tophet make abode . hypocrites habit is formality ; but , lord , cloath me with thy sincerity . perhaps men may not of my state approve ; it matters not , so i obtain thy love . saints here but labour to peruse their story , when they arrive to their eternal glory . ¶ on pleasures . in all things an immoderated use breeds a distate ; and man , when grown prosuse , doth glut himself with pleasure : he that 's wise esteems them chiefly for their novelties . the pleasure of the body gives relief no otherwise than adding grief to grief . when jupiter ( as ancient poets fain ) with all his might and art could not attain two great antagonists to reconcile , pleasure and sorrow , having paus'd a while he took an adamantine chain , with that bound them together , so that then they sat as fixt companions : they that were unstable but just before , were made inseparable . affection propagates our pleasures growth ; vertue 's an antidote against them both . pleasure is the adulterate brat of sense , so very fading , she cannot dispence to last while artists shall her picture frame , and therefore memory preserves her name . all those delights that do the senses please , are one days age , an ephemerides . what excellence may that be said to be , which the most excellent ( as dangers ) slee ? time with the pleasures of this world is spilt , full of the stain of fin , and sting of guilt . hannibal his honour lost , and duty , being entangled with a womans beauty . antonius his cleapatra had ; both were most valiant captains : but the sad effects of lust did like a cloud o'recast all their archievements , and their labours blast . lust is the bane of kingdoms : done alone , it would more common be than any one of all those vices that corrupt the eye ; heathens the first place give to piety . and trismegistus this assertion brings , religion is the ground of publick things . god did not cast man out of paradise , that man might make another by advice . be therefore wary , during time and leisure , 't is dangerous to take delight in pleasure : for 't is a syren doth deceive us all ; it gives us dainties , but they 're mix'd with gall . the pitch and tar of sin so close do cleave , that pleasure waiteth only to deceive . riches seem pleasant things to banish care , but are at best but an intangling snare . our meat and drink , when taken with excess , breaks forth to surfeitings and drunkenness . silver and gold seem pleasant things , yet they , like thieves , from god do steal our hearts away . that man that loveth pleasure shall he poor ; but god's right hand hath pleasures ever more . ¶ on an hour-glass . as i in haste did through a chamber pass , i had almost destroy'd a christal glass . with fear affrighted , i too soon believ'd that i had broke it ; thereupon i griev'd . but how much time more pretious than that sand have i neglected ? and with ready hand pursu'd my solly , being round beset with sins , yet i not thinking of regret . though that but christal , i my self condemn , but minde not time , though every hour 's a gem . the thought of breaking that did me affright ; the other 's minded not , though lost outright . that were but casual , if it had been done ; but with consent my pretious time hath flown . a better hour glass may be had for cost , but time ill-spent is once and ever lost : for toys our griess can finde a certain leisure , but have no vent for an unvalued treasure . lord , let that hour-glass for its service win me , ( not that stands by me , but ) shall be within me , teach me to number so my days , that i , right soon , my heart to wisdome may apply . ¶ salve for the sick. whenas some sharp disease shall visit me , i sear , with pain , i shall impatient be : for i am cholerick by nature made , by temper tender , apt to be afraid ; and such a stranger unto sickness am , 't would prove a lions conquest o're a lamb. o whither will my minde with wavering sail , when a disease shall over me prevail ? o whither will my giddy fancy stride , when a distemper's the unstable guide ? wilde-fire will sit upon my burning tongue , when with a feaver every sense is stung . wherefore , o lord , if it disclose my shame , let it give no dishonour to thy name . teach me the art of patience whilst i 'm well , that when grown sick , that vertue may excel . in that day let me not assistance lack ; lighten my burthen , or improve my back . in god i 'll trust when life hath spun its length ; for in the lord is everlasting strength . ¶ on perfection . in humane life there no perfection can be said to be an attribute of man. lust and the senses have a constant jar ; the flesh and spirit do maintain a war against each other : man may make his moan , he perfect is in imperfection . none but the lord that badge of honour wears ; but man may gain it with his prayers and tears ; cannot enjoy it here , but he must fly where it is crowned with felicity . they are coelestial plants or flowers , both of paradise , not of terrestrial growth . the best in this his pilgrimage doth hault , like jacob with one leg , 't is natures fau't . though we have many tongues , as paul , are apt to climb like him , till i' th' third heaven wrapt ; though we , with moses , have in egypt sought for all the learning the egyptians taught ; though we ( as ezra did ) should understand . each article of every command within the law of god. though eloquent in scripture as apollos , we indent too far with sin and satan , that our care hath no perfection , but a perfect snare . we are but scholars here , to use our arts in pious duties to improve our parts . the clearest christian hath some soil or spot : noah with drinking did himself besot . peter with perjury eclips'd his fame : and with dissimulation abraham . with loud contention paul and barnabas . the psalmist truly doth express the case : the sons of men are so profusely prone , none perfect are , nor none good , no not one . the vertue that a just man hath , doth lie in pious works , and in humilitie . the author to the hebrews quotes the name of many worthies blemish'd in their fame . gideon an ephod made , and that let in idolatry ; he israel made to sin : had many wives , to nourish his designe of lust , and with those wives a concubine . barak , although a souldier , waxed faint . sampson , a strong and a couragious saint , defil'd himself with strumpets . wretched fate made jepthe rash and inconfiderate . david was tainted with two horrid sins , murther , adultery , as if two twins or brethren ; both have his great honour checkt . samuel observ'd his children with neglect . no prince or prophet but his weakness had , virtues have opposites in things are bad ; yet they were men that did with god accord , and were most highly honour'd by the lord ; faithful to god , obedient to his law : that chrystal perfect is that hath no flaw . shew me a garden that 's without its weeds , i 'll yield man perfect by his words and deeds . yet let us not upon their errours play ; the righteous man offendeth every day : and if the righteous scarcely can be sav'd , it plainly shews whole nature is deprav'd . wouldst thou of a perfection have thy share , repent , like them ; for now they perfect are . ¶ on a rose-tree . 't was in september i observ'd a tree that then bore roses ; stranger 't was to me . others of like kind round about it grew , yet all were barren , and those not a few . the gardner kindly did the reason give : in may 't was closely clipt , that it might thrive and bud in autumn . lord , had i been kept curb'd in my tender years , whenas i slept secure from punishment , my life had been grey in its youth , and when grown aged , green. he that intends to win the happy race , must learn in tender years to grow in grace . ¶ the christians alphabet . an angel good satan himself can make ; but the apostles true , bid men beware . christ had his paul the drowsie to awake , daring even death it self ; such was his care . earnest in zealous works , did sharply tast fortunes ill will in stripes of cruel measure ; great was his troubles : he did oft forecast honour for god , in counting death his treasure . in prisons frequent , from the fight o' th' sun ; kill'd oftentimes , and yet he did revive ; lashes five times he had forty save one ; menacing terms did frequently receive . night and day in the deep , and shipwrack'd thrice ; once was he ston'd , and three times beat with rods ; perils came often ; cold he was as ice ; quips oftner came than did his days by odds . render he did his thanks to god for all , such was his holy love and fervent zeal , though first he was a persecuting saul , undoing such as bless'd the commonweal . wreaths crown his head because he was a tree xactly good , too pretious for the frames , yielding such fruit as few have born but he ; zealous for heaven , where he in glory reigns , & so his losses turn'd to be his gains . ¶ on christ's death . my god , my god , turn not to night my day ; shall mans black crimes be darts my heart to slay ? must my dear blood on sinful dust be spilt to pay his debt , and wash away his guilt ? my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? must i come from a diadem to death , leaving my joys , in sorrow spend my breath ? must i , that am coequal with the father , be crucifi'd , that man may comfort gather ? my god , my god , &c. i that e're now was cloath'd in state of glory , am now in rags of flesh to tell my story . i that fill ev'ry place in spight of danger , yet i , in fear , was cradled in a manager . my god , my god , &c. to egypt i compelled was to fly ; i am the life , yet i my self must die . i am the sole dictator of the law , yet must be subject now , and stand in aw . my god , my god , &c. 't was i that both the earth and heavens made , but working now at joseph's homely trade . children of men , i have ye ost exempted , can binde the devils , yet must i be tempted . my god , my god , &c. i made the world of nothing , man of dust , yet i have hungred and have been athirst . i am become life to the lunatick ; if god can die , nature may well be sick . my god , my god , &c. must i , that keep the keys of death and hell , pay visits now where griefs and terrours dwell ? must kings be made the subjects of their scorns , and wear , instead of stars , a crown of thorns ? my god , my god , &c. my senses all extreamly are agriev'd , my eyes beholding whom i have reliev'd , mine ears with hearing lewd blasphemous taunts , instead of hallelujahs sung by saints . my god , my god , &c. smelling , i finde my nostrils streight grow full o' th' evil scent of some corrupted skull . my taste is chang'd with liquor like my thrall , sower and bitter , vinegar and gall. my god , my god , &c. my feeling , with the spear that pierc'd my side : that man might live , i thus was crucifi'd . at length my father heard me , bad me die , but nothing fear , sor he himself stood by . ¶ an hymn . by st. ambrose and st. augustine . our tongues , o god , thy praise record ; we thee consess our soveraign lord. to thee , eternal father , all who dwell on earth , do prostrate fall . to thee the angels at all hours ; to thee the heavens and heav'nly powers ; to thee with voice incessantly the seraphins and cherubs cry , thou holy , holy , holy one of sabbath , lord and god alone : fill'd is the earth , the heavens , the skie , with glory of thy majesty . the bless'd apostles glorious quire , the prophets whom thou didst inspire , and all the white-rob'd martyrs sing eternal praise to thee their king. the holy church does loudly sound thy blessed name throughout the ronnd of the whole earth , confessing thee father of boundless majestie . the same is dutifully done to thy sole venerable son : and to the holy ghost that arms the soul with consolating charms . thou , christ , hast kingly glories won , thy father 's dear eternal son. thou , man to free from endless pain , a virgins womb didst nor disdain . that death subduing , didst unlock heav'ns realms unto thy faithful flock . on god's right hand thou fit'st as bright as in thy father's radiant light . our judge to come thou art esteem'd ; thy servants therefore help , redeem'd with thy most precious blood , and make us , with thy saints , of bliss partake . lord , save thy people in distress , thy heritage vouchsase to bless ; rule and exalt them without end . our dayly blessings thee attend . thy glorious name we magnifie from age to age , eternally . this day , sweet lord , we now are in , preserve us from committ'ng sin . have mercy on us , lord , efface our sins with thy coelestial grace . let mercy on us , lord , be seen as in thy self our hopes have been . lord , i have fix'd my hopes on thee , then let me ne're confounded be . ¶ on christ's cross. can we spell chris-cross row , and yet not read that christ for us was dead ? how he himself did humble unto death , loosing his life to give us breath ? but now he shines in the coelestial frame , and hath receiv'd a name to which all knees shall bow , and tongues shall say , this is the lord , we must obey . he that doth disregard the cross of christ , of happiness hath mist ; destruction is his end , his glory shame ; but happy he doth love the same . i will not hate the cross , nor yet adore any but he it bore . i 'll not blaspheme the cross , because t was dy'd with his rich blood was crucifi'd . rich beyond price ; for when that blood was spilt it cleans'd a world of guilt , it bought mankinde : for when christ's blood was flown , as lord , he call'd us all his own . wherefore i will not worship any one but my dear lord alone . take up my cross and bear my cross i will , i 'll love it and embrace it still . but to adore my cross i will not dare , all knees should that forbear : in reverence to his name all hearts shall bow with pious zeal , as mine does now . christ never wanted crosses , scoffs , and scorns ; his ways were strew'd with thorns : then may we judge by his most sacred birth , he 's cross'd , wants crosses here on earth . ¶ the cross. then let us count all things as loss and dung compared with the cross. this is the figure of that tree that bore the fruit of life for me . the emblem of humility express'd in him , did on it die . to it was nail'd the god of life , who did in love to end our strife . god had one son who had no sin , but all his sons have crossed bin . ¶ the resurrection . he 's risen now , behold , the stone is gone which late was rolled to inclose the son. had the weak jews so little wit or grace to trust to that , when he fills ev'ry place ? earth is his foot-stool , yet he dwells on high ; holy his name , himself 's eternity . ¶ the ascention . how nimbly , and with what a quick ascent heaven was scal'd by the omnipotent ! but one days speedy journey ; surely then sinners are sots , that won't be happy men . ¶ an adoration to the lord of the sabbath . behold , we come , dear lord , to thee , and bow before thy throne : we come to offer on our knee our vows to thee alone . whate're we have , whate're we are , thy bounty freely gave ; thou didst us here in mercy spare , and wilt hereafter save . but oh , can all our store afford no better gifts for thee ? thus we confess thy riches , lord , and thus our poverty . 't is not our tongue or knee can pay the mighty debt we owe ; for more we should than we can say , far lower than we bow . come then , my soul , bring all thy powers , and grieve thou hast no more : bring ev'ry day thy choicest hours , and thy great god adore . but above all , prepare thy heart whilst now 't is called day , in humble duty bear thy part to sing , to love , and pray . glory to thee , eternal lord , thrice blessed three in one ; thy name at all times be ador'd , till time it self be done . ¶ of god. he is the author of the worlds creation , foundation . the great and mighty judge of mans salvation , damnation . the glorious lord , and only god above , of love. that both to men and angels is — a god , a rod. he did the world create , and by his hand or word , foundations laid of sea and land ; can save or damn , as he doth best approve ; will be our god , or rod , as we shall love . thou that canst hold the winds within thy fist , have mercy on us , oh , thou god in christ. ¶ of christ. he it is that gives us peace , increase . he to poor souls cries , i 'm your jesu , iesu . he it is that is our good , food . the saints with him do trust their treasure , pleasure . he it is can end our life , strife . he it is that gives us breath , death . he is to us a judge and king , sting . he is our peace , increase ; our j●…u , and an ease to those that wait on his command . our good , our food ; our treasure , and our joy ; our life , to see no strife shall us annoy . he gives us breath , can give us death , as king , and un●…o death he is become a sting . he punish can , or help us in our thrall ; for christ is god's , and god is all in all . wouldst farther know what god is , silly elf , go study first to be a god thy self . ¶ god is love. give praise unto the lord above ; omit no thanks that thou canst move . dost thou not know that god is love ? in word and deed make him thy aim , so shall thy soul be free from blame . let his commandments be in ure ; obedience cannot be a clod : vs he hath spar'd , and doth endure ev'n still ; such is the love of god. ¶ the remembrance . and now , my soul , canst thou forget that thy whole life is one long debt of love , to him who on the tree paid back the flesh he took for thee ? lo , how the streams of pretious blood flow from five wounds into one flood ! with these he washes all thy stains , and buys thy ease with his own pains . tall tree of life , we clearly now that doubt of former ages know ; it was thy wood should make a throne fit for a more than solomon . large throne of love , royally spread with purple of too rich a red : strange costly price ! thus to make good thine own esteem with the kings blood . hail , fairest plant of paradise , to thee our hopes lift up their eyes . o may aloft thy branches shoot , and fill the nations with thy fruit . o may all reap from thy increase ; the just more strength , the sinner peace , while our half-wither'd hearts , and we engraft our selves , and grow on thee . live , o for ever live , and reign , bless'd lamb , whom thine own love hath slain : and may thy lost sheep live to be true lovers of thy cross and thee . ¶ of death . cor. ch . . v. , . o , death , where is thy sting ? the sting of death is sin . o. death , forbear , i yet must live : stay , death , till god your warrant give , and then where you see best , this heart most willing is to seel your dart. but , lord , o let thy servants breath preserv'd be from the sting of death . ¶ of grief . the tears come slowly , lord , my sins remain : o sting my shallow fords , and make them rain rivers of waters ; or , if so thou please , send daring death my sorrows to decrease . my grief is great , 't is time to rise or fall ; then cleanse me , lord , from sin , and ease my thrall , that i may say , o , death , where is thy sting ? and tell the world , the sting of death is sin . ¶ a christian and death . a dialogue . chr. come ; valiant death , and welcome , do thy worst ; shew me the power thou claimst , as being king. dea. poor mortal , know , alas , thou art but dust , and i the sexton that thy knell must ring . chr. away , lean , half-starv'd wretch , go daunt a sool ; think not to fright me with , thy glass is run . dea. thou art my scholar , therefore come to school ; delays but waste that time which might be gone . chr. thou seemst a student , for thou lookst so poor , that famine in thy face i plainly read . dea. come , silly wretch , you word it must no more ; see here 's thy glass , thy doom , and thou art dead . chr. then boldly strike , thou dost the body kill , my soul shall wait upon its master's will. dea. lie there , proud dust , all flesh is born to die . chr. this is the road unto eternitie . ¶ the altar . a broken altar , lord , to thee i raise , made of a heart , to celebrate thy praise : thou that the onely workman art , that canst cement a broken heart . for such is mine , o make it thine : take out the sin that 's hid therein . though it be stone , make it to groan ; that so the same may praise thy name . melt it , o lord , i thee desire , with flames from thy coelestial fire ; that it may ever speak thy praise alone , since thou hast changed into flesh a stone . ¶ death , man , and grave . a dialogue . death . come down , proud lust. man. to what ? to dust ? grav . i that you must , and shall . man. thou thing of bones . grav . that fetcheth groans , death . from very stones , and all . man. from dust i came . grav . thou must again . death . sin is thy bain and thrall . man. that 's thee : away death . with mortal clay : grav . why do you stay ? you must . death . come , leave your groans . man. to go with bones ? grav . you must go once , poor dust . death . nay , do not frown . man. away rude clown . death . i 'll strike thee down , proud lust . man. then i submit ; forbear your storms seeing i must return a guest to my acquaintance old , the worms , farewel , fond world , i 'll take my rest . grav . i have a charm will make you sleep ; and all you have you here may trust : for watchmen , not a few , i keep , the harmless worms , that are so just . with care they do befriend him that cometh here within this path . thus man one world of servants hath , and when he on his death-bed lies , another doth attend him . ¶ nature's delight . hark , my soul , how every thing strives to serve our bounteous king. each a double tribute pays , sings its part , and then obeys . natures chief and sweetest quire , him with chearful notes admire , chanting every day their lauds , whilst the grove their song applauds . though their voices lower be , streams have too their melody . night and day they warbling run , never pause , but still sing on . all the flowers that gild the spring , hither their sweet musick bring . if heaven bless them , thankful they smell more sweet , and look more gay . only we can scarce afford due thanksgivings to our lord. we , on whom his bounty flowes , all things give : , and nothing owes . wake for shame , my sluggish heart , wake , and gladly sing thy part . learn of beasts , of springs , and flowers , how to use thy noble powers . call whole nature to thy aid , since 't was he whole nature made . joyn in one eternal song , who to one god all belong . live for ever , glorious lord , live by all thy works ador'd ; one in three , and three in one , thrice we bow to thee alone . ¶ of flesh. ali flesh is grass , doth therefore rot . for why ? can man be born to live , and not to die ? 't is happiness to leave this life and world , and have our names , where joys are rife , enroll'd . the dead ne're fear what death can do : his blast will come no more ; for why ? that wo is past . then to the soul appeareth love and joy : for god will not his turtle-dove destroy . then though a torch-light here , 't is better far to be put out , and after rise a star. ¶ the grave . though clay , my cottage is secure : princes do dwell with me ; and my foundations do endure for aye . death waits on me , and with his dart sends me the stoutest he , and , champion-like , commands the heart to stay . then be he rich , or be he poor , a spark , or else a clown , they lie together on the floor , and so they sleep as if they lay upon the softest bed of down . troubles are fled , and griefs are gone : for though the body naked in the cold earth lies , the soul sings hallelujahs 'bove the skies . ¶ an infant . earths little morsel , man's small letter , and adam's copy ; no one better before he tasted eve : nature's fresh picture drawn in oyl , which time and handling oft doth spoil . his soul appears like paper white , that yet had scarce bore word aright ; neither knew how to grieve . but purest colours , without pains , are subject most to spots and stains . he is above the tempts of devil , since he can't understand an evil . his days are raw and dull : nor hath he yet agreed with sin to banish joys , let sorrows in . he cannot yet be counted wise ; and being dumb , he with his eyes sings silent tunes of lull . he kisses all , doth them approve ; his innocency is his love. nature and parents , much alike , do sometimes dandle , sometimes strike . with hidden sugred bait they him intice , and he doth sup whate're he finds within the cup. could his weak body finde the way to bliss , and here no longer stay , he 'd have a happy fate . not knowing sin , or mortal crime , he 'd reach eternity betime . ¶ the candle . like as vain man i downward grow , my life is ever wasting ; i fall by fire , still waxing low , as man did fall by tasting . my house of tallow doth decrease , and i that am but cotten , within one hour live and decease , am in the next forgotten . o lord , pour oyl into my lamp to light me to thy home , that when it shall extinguish't be , i may a star become . ¶ the ant. although a creature small , yet all my labour , pains , and care ( 't is rare ) is in the summer to provide against the cold and winter-tide . and though so small , yet i an eye can have to things : for when weak men waste time in feasts and riot , i study for my diet. idleness breeds distempers , povertie , gives room for sin ; ye sluggards , learn of me . ¶ the thanksgiving . come , let 's adore the gracious hand that brought us to this light , that gave his angels strict command to be our guard this night . when we laid down our weary heads , and sleep seal'd up our eye , they stood and watch'd about our beds , to let no harm come nigh . now we are up , they still go on , and guide us through the day ; they never leave their charge alone , whate're besets our way . and , oh my soul , how many snares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before our feet ? in all our hopes , in all our cares , some dangers still we meet . sometimes the sin does us o'retake , and on our weakness win ; sometimes our selves our ruine make , and we o'retake the sin . o save us , lord , from all those darts that seek our souls to slay ; save us from us , and our filse hearts , lest we our selves betray . save us , o lord , to thee we cry , from whom all blessings spring ; we on thy grace alone rely , alone thy glory sing . glory to thee , eternal lord , thrice blessed three in one , thy name at all times be ador'd , till time it self be done . ¶ antiphon . a dialogue in three parts . chor. thanks be to the lord on high , angels . that gave his son men. for us to die . chor. he that is the holy one , ang. lov'd us of old , men. for us was sold. chor. he that is the god of might men. made us of dust , ang. for us did fight . chor. he that is the god most just ang. set us aright , men. to us gave light . chor. he that made the heavens , earth , men. and all therein , ang. he is more worth ; chor. he it is that knew no sin , ang. yet suffered death men. to give us breath . chor. blessed he hung on the cross men. for our great gain , ang. but his own loss . chor. he that heal'd the blinde and lame , ang. yet sought as thief men. for our relief . chor. he that died with a kiss , men. from wretched man , ang. is now in bliss . chor. he that can the heavens span , men. and do much more , ang. him we adore . chor. he that was bound to herod sent , men. and spit upon , ang. he is our tent. chor. he that melteth hearts of stone , ang. with us doth stand , men. doth us command . chor. he that pardon can our sin ang. hath broke our snare , men. but we fall in . chor. he with whom none can compare , men. he gave us eyes , ang. he made us rise . chor. he was scourg'd with heavy lash , men. for us lost blood , ang. and us did wash . chor. he it is that is the good men. great god alone , ang. heaven 's his throne . chor. he that wore a crown of thorns , men. that doth us keep , ang. and us adorns . chor. he the shepherd of the sheep , ang. our choicest stock , men. our only rock . chor. praise him then that did us make , men. doth us defend , ang. and us did take . chor. bless his name , world without end , men. for his great love ang. to us above . angels and men , praise ye the lord for aye ; oh , all ye nations praise the lord , and say , amen . ¶ the bible . the book of books , the only good to him that looks for heav'nly food a holy light in darkest night the blessed word of god the lord. divinitie in it doth lie . indeed it is the gate of bliss . ¶ the dream . i dreamt my death was but a sleep , my grave and bed both one ; and when the morning forth did peep , life came , and death was gone . since so it is , that none can be asleep but such as die , o lord , i 'll sleep to all but thee , and make my bed on high . ¶ the beatitudes . bless'd are the poor , that is , the meek in spirit ; for they the heav'n , god's kingdom shall inherit . blessed are they that mourn away their years ; god hears their sighs , hath bottles for their tears . blessed are they that thirst for righteousness ; they shall be fill'd more than we can express . bless'd are the tender , mercifus of minde ; they that in mercy give , shall mercy finde . bless'd are the pure of heart ; their sanctitie shall lead them to the holy deitie . bless'd are peace-makers ; they shall make abode , as children with their father and their god. blessed are they that suffer in a cause that 's just ; their suffering is their applause . blessed are they that persecuted are , and when relivers do no venom spare . when disconcent sets all things out of frame , patience is physick ; prophers us'd the same . of angels . my soul , in thy devotions always say , o god , my god , lord , hear me when i pray : let not or saint or angel , though sublime , share of that honour which is due to him : for if you give not god your heart , your all , you caesar rob , to pay your tythes to paul. nor ought we to the saints to shew neglect , as if the objects of our disrespect . dives in his distress cry'd out for water to abraham a saint : it is no matter , we know what dives was , and will forbear to follow him that ran into a snare . ¶ of christ's passion . from circumcision to the hour of death , alas sad sate ! christ's passions still kept even with his breath , such was his state . he first was in a manger wrap'd , in dangers nurs'd , and often scap'd . as he of graces had the richest store , so likewise he of tears , of sweat , of blood , and yet much more , could not be free : for emulation then was understood ; as now it is , 't was dangerous to be good . and he that seeks for peace 'mong men , shall finde it — but the lord knows when . on st. paul's conversion . so shin'd that glorious sun upon this saint , that falling down he did both fear and faint . it was the light of god that shin'd , whose weight might sorely press , coming from such a height ; encompass'd round , so that he could not ●…lee from that same vo ce , why persecut it thou me ? from that same date st. paul's conversion came , and he grew master of a shining fame . ¶ on christ's praying . christ in the garden prays , enclos'd with trees , and earnestly importunes on his knees , that cup might pass ; but see his son-like skill in praying , father , if it be thy will. from whence i learn the duty of a son , it is to say , father , thy will be done . ¶ on honour and valour . honour and valour being once at strise , which should atchieve most glory in their life , honour did much , went on , would not give o're , valour flew boldly on , and did much more . the world 's uncertain ; honour he was beat , yet valour 's head must serve for honour's seat . ¶ on tinder . to tinder like , each strike that satan gives my soul receives . with ev'ry match a catch , my soul does get when he doth hit . hereafter i will flie temptations all , so shall my voice be rightly tun'd , and apt to say , i 'll worship none but god , and him obey . ¶ the litany . o god the father , god the son , that made , and did redeem each one , and god the holy ghost , look on — us , miserable sinners . by thy most bloody sweat and cross , by thy pretious death and loss , by thy ascending up from dross , good lord deliver us . in all our troubles , time of wealth , in time of sickness , or of health , in deaths sad hour , which comes by stealth , good lord deliver us . we sinners do beseech thee , lord , to prosper , and increase thy word ; unto thy church good rules afford , we beseech thee to hear us , good lord. that it may please thee to endue all ministers with knowledge true , that we with profit may it shew , we beseech thee , &c. that grace and wisdome may increase , that wars and jarrings all may cease , that we , thy people , may have peace , we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee to bestow on us thy servants here below , hearts that shall praise for what we owe , we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee , be the way for their return that do each day deceive themselves and go astray ; we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee , by thy hand to strengthen those aright do stand , others to raise by thy command ; we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee , succour those that grief and tribulation knows , when persecuted by their foes ; we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee to preserve captives in danger like to starve , and from childe-bearers not to swerve ; we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee to desend the fatherless , and to the end thy blessings to the widows send ; we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee , pity all , and keep our enemies from thrall ; fetch home their hearts that from thee fall , we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee to defend on us the kindly fruits that grow ; be god and friend unto thy foe , we beseech thee , &c. that it may please thee to forgive our sins , that we upright may live according to thy word , and thrive . we beseech thee , &c. o son of god , we pray thee hear ; o lamb of god , do not forbear to look in mercy on each tear ; we beseech thee , &c. after our sins , o do not us regard , nor after our iniquities reward . lord have mercy upon us , christ have mercy upon us . let us pray . our father , &c. ¶ on st. michael the archangel . we praise thee , christ , among the quires of angels , who thy voice obey , that art the life of heart-desires , thy father's power and shining ray. whole myriads of heav'nly peers fight for thy cause in close aray : but michael , who thy standard bears , the cross of safety does display . he the pernicious dragon threw into the flames of hell's abyss ; the captain with his rebel-crew , he thundred from coelestial bliss . under this prince let 's every one against pride's captain combat so , as that the lamb may from his throne . crown glories upon us below . to god the father , god the son , and to the holy ghost in heaven , as hitherto it hath been done , let glory evermore be given . ¶ oppositions . god is light , and sin is dark ; god lives above , and sin beneath ; god is just , but sin 's a shark ; god is life , and sin is death ; god is heaven , sin is hell ; god is fair , and sin is foul ; god saves many that rebel ; sin 's damoation to the soul. adam in paradise did stand , angels in heaven by god's command ; but sin doth , with a gilded dart , not only tempt , but wound the heart . god doth entreat the soul by love , sin with deceit the soul doth move . sin laid the corner-stone in hell ; sin made this world a monster swell . in all to god 't is flatly opposite , it wants the good of vertue and of light. ¶ on thoughts . still i am thinking thoughts that are not good , they are as common as my food , and do increase like beans in mud , as thick as any wood. suppose i harbour some that do no ill , nor yet no good , they hurt , when fill to little purpose , lying still , and such a hurt may kill . when i am praying to the lord my god , they often on my prayers have trod ; and when i hope'd to scape the rod , my sins have still abode . the reason sure why i am thus possest with such a bold unwelcome guest , ( unto my shame be it consest ) it is because his nest , with my consent before , was builded there , who now lies lurking like a bear , watching my sinful soul to tear , when once got in his snare . lord , be my surgeon , heal my wounded heart , and give me grace , that by that art i may devise a bolt or dart to cause such thoughts depart . for with repentant tears it is con'est , thou art a help to men opprest ; when we are most of all distrest , thou art our chiesest rest . with fervent zeal unto thy aid we flee , thou art our rest ; truly our hope 's in thee . ¶ on repentance . repentance is a gift which comes from high , we are not with it born ; none of themselves repentantly can cry , or make the world his scorn . they 're carnal christians think it is enough to mingle lord have mercy with their stuff . we jewels buy , and they prove counterfeit , so man himself undoes . thus in repentance souls themselves do cheat , and their rich jewel loose . which made one say , repentance would not lin , until it damned many more than sin . if we repent for sin , 't is nothing worth , unless we do refrain from it as well : for if we from our birth delighted to be vain , yet sometimes weep , but still our hearts do harden , god will us with a contradiction pardon . the sorrow of this world it worketh death , but godly sorrow that repentance works , and that eternal breath : the lord himself doth hate man for his sins , that numberless do flush , and for those sins doth love as much the blush . repentance strips us of those garments black , that the first adam's was ; it kills our sins , and keep us from the wrack . though now we are but grass , it doth revive : our tears do water so , that we like plants of paradise do grow . all , above all thou art , o god most just , repentance grant to me , that i may cleanse my carnal house of dust , and make it fit for thee . teach me that lesson which doth still remain , with dayly tears to wash my dayly stain . repentance should appear before i die ; nor can i know the when my dying-day shall come , or when i flie from hence to thee agen : therefore g●…ve me repentance ev'ry day , so shall my flight be clear , and thou my way . no better showers extinguish can the flames of hell , than sinners tears . begin ●…etimes , trust not to after-games , forthey bring after-fears . have little cause to say , wo's me , that i , who liv'd a sinner , must a sinner die . we all are apt to think it is too soon repentance to begin ; we put it off from morning until noon , from thence do farther spin ; whenas we hourly should prepare a room to entertain our god when he shall come . beda makes mention of a certain man , who lying very sick , was counsell'd by his friends his life to scan , and to repent , while quick : who said , his sins he would not yet shake off , lest if he should recover , then a scoff to his companions he himself should make : but still he waxed worse ; his friends then counsell'd him again to take repentance , not his curse : he answered them , that then it was too late , for he was plung'd in a condemn'd estate . better it is by far from sin to flie , than lack repentant cure ; for he that hath no wounds fears not to die , but liveth safe and sure . 't is good for any man , more for his ease , neither to know the cure nor the disease . ¶ on the day of judgment . ah , come it will , that dreadful day , which shall the world in ashes lay . as david and the sibyl both could say . how men will tremble and grow pale when justice comes with sword and scale , to weigh the faults , and sort the fates of all ! a trumpet first shall rend the skies , and all , whereever laid , must rise , and come unto the bar in pris'ners guise . nature and death amaz'd will stand to see each one rebodied , and brought to reply himself to each demand . a written book lie open shall , containing each ones charge ; and all by those grand evidences stand or fall . then sits the judge himself , and tries ; no shifting from all-seeing eyes , nor scaping seen , whoe're deserves it dies . oh then poor i ! what shall i do ? which friend or patron take me to , when saints themselves are scarce secure from wo ? dread lord , to thee thy self run i , who sav'st the sav'd without a why , and so mayst me , thou source of clemencie . think , who did once thy pity move , and drew thee from thy throne above , cast me not off at last , thy former love. thou tir'dst thy self in seeking me , and for my sake di'dst on a tree ; let not in vain such pangs and labour be . true , thou hast dealt thy mercies home , yet acts of grace mayst deign to some at least , before that day of reckoning come ? i guilty am e're thou me try , my looks and blushes me descry ; but mercy , lord , o lord , do not deny . thou , who didst once a magd'len spare , and of a thief condemn'd took'st care , b'dst me , by these examples , not despair . not that my prayers ought can claim , but thou art good , be still the same , that wretched i burn not in endless flame . when from the goats thou shalt divide thy sheep , let me with thee abide , plac'd in eternal bliss , on thy right side : and then ( those great 〈◊〉 ssizes done , the curs'd to flames tormenting thrown ) say , come ye blessed , meaning me for one . lord , this i beg on bended knee , with heart contrite as ashes be , that thou take care both of my end and me ? ¶ on sighs and groans . sigh on , sad heart , as hard as diamond-stone , at ev'ry breathing usher forth a groan : for such , although thou dost not speak , sufficient are thy minde to break . or if thy groans are smothered with grief , and steal out softly as a cunning thief , god hears and understands the cry better than he that lets them fly . for many sighs and groans are poured out , loaded with thoughts ; so that this heavy scout hath such an errand then to tell , where to begin he knows not well . god hath a bottle for the sinners tear , and ready is ( as we to speak ) to hear : heav'n is attentive to a sinners sute , and sighs are vocal , though the tongue be mute . ¶ knots . who reads a chapter when to bed , shall not have aches in his head . who opes his purse unto the poor , shall finde it filling more and more . whose heart and tongue obey god's word , both beats the bush and gets the bird . who keeps his thoughts from things amiss , is thinking on his way to bliss . who keeps his conscience pure and clear , is always feasting year by year . whose stomach doth for dainties crave , with his own teeth doth dig his grave . who loves his humour to fulfil , his humour is himself to kill . who doth aspire be great and tall , should carefully beware a fall . who with good works delights to dwell , sails fair for heaven , far from hell. ¶ on age. the painter's pencil sure must go astray in painting to the life a lump of clay , who does but seem to live , dies every day . how can he lively paint a man that hath the cold effigies in his face of death ? ¶ on man and wife . silence and patience are the twins that make concord 'twixt couples never to forsake . a husband good in words ought to be wise , in conversation wary , hating lies : careful provision ought he to provide , in ordering circumspect , a careful guide ; a father , master , and a friend beside . the good wife , when abroad she should be grave , discreet in governing at home , and have patience to bridle passions when they move , learning her husband to obey and love : kinde to her neighbours , courteous unto all ; careful of children , be they great or small . but chiefly herein there should be no flaws , she should her husband fear , and he the laws . ¶ the free prisoner . what though a prisoner i am now ? time doth allow instead of liberty , to walk , to write , or talk . what though 〈◊〉 make me sicken ? they do me quicken . my body in confinement lies , but my soul flies . what though by nature i am dumb ? then i be ●…ome a silent sinner , and my tongue doth no man wrong . or what although i loose my sight ? yes if the light of divine graces shine in me , my soul can see let sorrows come when god thinks best , they are my rest : for in afflictions 't is my psalm , the bruise 〈◊〉 balm . if i 'm afflicted in this world , i am but hu●…'d ●…o heaven , where all pleasures stand at god's right hand . th' afflictions of this world of care cannot compare to those blest mansions christ hath wrought , and dearly bought . dear may i say , because his blood is that choice flood that drowns my sorrows and my grief , gives me relief . thus all things work together for their good , that have lov'd god , and for his honour stood . a jayl's the centre of this iron-age , yet not my prison , but mine hermitage . he that can boldly dare , yet justly do , fortune 's his subject , and his vassal too . ¶ on sunday . this is the day the lord hath made , then let not christians be afraid ; laying aside all sin , rejoyce therein . the clearest radiant day that shines upon the christians golden mines . god's holy torch and light , that leads aright . the day of our consession , the ease of our oppression , the day of peace and rest , churches our nest. a light it is to all the week , a summons to the proud and meek , that says to conscience , fie , ye go awry . the day that pulleth man from death , and crowns his head with holy wreath ; that guides him to his grave , yet doth him save . the day of god , so god of days , it is above my reach of praise : god's with his free accord the sabbaths lord. it is the day-book of a saint , a spring for those that thirst or faint : nor can we say there 's one day like to sunday ; but we 'll such thoughts in silence smother , till we can finde out such another . ¶ the petition . stand by me , lord , when dangers stare ; keep from my fruit such choaking tare , that on confusion grounded — are. thou that from bondage hast me brought , and my deliverance hast — rought , 't is thee that i will praise for — ought . o lord , to evil make me chill , be thou my rock and holy hill , so shall i need to fear no ill . ¶ faith's mystery . with all the pow'rs my poor soul hath , o humble love , and loyal faith ; thus low , my god , i bow to thee , whom too much love bow'd low for me . down busie sense , discourses die , and all adore faith's mysterie . faith is my skill , faith can believe ; as fast as love , new laws can give . faith is my eye , faith strength affords , to keep pace with those pow'rful words ; and words more sure , more sweet than they , love could not think , truth could not say . o dear memorial of that death which still survives , and gives us breath , live ever , bread of life , and be my food , my joy , my all to me . come , glorious lord , my hopes increase , and fill my portion in thy peace . come , hidden life , and that long day for which i languish , come away . ¶ on the judgment . great god , that hast at thy command both leaden feet and iron hand , how shall i stand , how can i look , when thou call'st for thy dreadful book ? oh , save me , lord , i then shall say , i do confess i went astray . thy judgment stay ; o let thy rod chastise with mercy , o my god. o , christ my saviour , may it please thee , thy dear father's wrath appease , and making peace , then i alwaies will strive to magnifie thy praise . some , it is like , may shew a book so full of blanks , that when you look thereon , a rook you 'll think that man that shews a scrole with nothing on . but so to do is highly vain : for he that doth just judgments rain , can see each stain , keeps just account how ev'ry sinner's sins amount . i am resolv'd , when god doth call , to hide not one , but shew him all that wrought my fall ; but if my will exceed my skill , lord , do not kill . ¶ on the pharisee and the publican . two men into the temple went to pray ; the one a pharisee , who thus did say , i thank thee , god , i am no common man , no unjust person , as this publican ; twice in the week i fast from my excess , and i give tythes of all that i possess . the humble publican at distance stood , with head and eyes dejected , as if food , or heavenly manna then was to be found carelessly scatter'd on the dusty ground : but as in bitterness of soul distrest , he with his hand smote on his troubled breast , of his petition this was the beginner , o god be merciful to me a sinner : the other shew'd ( rather than zeal ) his pride , but the poor publican went justifi'd . god doth delight the proud look to abase , and on humility bestows his grace . ¶ to god the father . before the closing of the day , creator , we thee humbly pray , that for thy wonted mercies sake , thou us into protection take . may nothing in our mindes excite vain dreams and fantoms of the night . our enemy repress , that so our bodies no uncleanness know . to jesus , from a virgin sprung , be glory given , and praises sung . the like to god the father be , and holy ghost eternallie . ¶ to god the son. let others take their course , and sing what name they please ; let wealth or beauty be their theam , such empty sounds as these . i never will admire a lump of burnish'd clay ; for though it shines , it is but dust , and shall to dust decay . sweet jesus is the name my song shall still adore ; sweet jesus is the charming word that does my life restore . when i am dead in grief , or , what is worse , in sin , i call on jesus , and he hears , and i to live begin . wherefore , to thee , bright name , behold , thus low i bow , and thus again ; yet is all this nothing to what i owe. down then , down bow my knees still lower to the ground , while with mine eyes and voice lift up , aloud these lines i sound : live heaven's glorious king , by angels bright ador'd ; live , gracious saviour of the world , our chief and only lord : live , and for ever may thy throne establish'd be ; for ever may all hearts and tongues sing praises unto thee . ¶ to god the holy ghost . come into us , holy ghost , from thy bright coelestial coast , send us a resplendant beam : come , thou father of the poor , come , thou willing gift-bestow'r , come , thou heart-reviving gleam . thou , of comforters the best , thou , the souls delightful guest , a refreshing sweet relief ; thou in toyl a resting seat , temper in excessive heat , solace to a soul in grief . o thou blessedest of lights ! those that love t' observe thy rites , with thy self their bosoms fill . while thou' rt absent , nothing can be regardable in man ; nothing can he act but ill . what is for did , mundifie ; water , what is over-dry : what is wounded , render sound ; pliant make what 's hard to yield ; cherish what with cold is chil'd ; govern what is vagabond . in the faithful that confide in thy mercies , cause reside all the train of sev'n-fold grace , give what vertue 's merit is , give th' accomplishment of bliss , joys of an eternal race . amen . ¶ on the holy trinity . in sacred sheets of either testament , 't is hard to finde an higher argument , more deep to sound , more busie to s●…uss , more useful known , unknown more dangerous . ¶ on christ's nativity . mysterious miracle ! the same should be a lamb , a shepherd , and a lion too ! yet so was he whom first the shepherds knew , and readily became sheep to their shepherd-lamb . shepherd of angels , men ; and lamb of god , lion of judah : by these titles keep the wolf from all thy harmless sheep . let the whole world flock to thy fold , jews and gentiles , may they all come in multitudes not to be told , thy lambs that wander bring them home . glory be to god on high , glory to the deity . ¶ on christ's triumph to jerusalem . behold , we stay ; lord , come away : thy road is ready , and thy paths made strait , with languishing expect and wait the consecration of thy beauteous seet . ride on triumphantly ; see , lord , we lay our carnal lusts and wills all in thy way . hosanna ! welcome to our hearts : lo here thou hast a temple too , and full as dear as that of sion ; but more full of sin , nothing but thieves and robbers dwell therein . then enter , lord , chase them , and cleanse the floore ; crucifie all , that they may never more profane that holy place where thou hast chose to set thy face : and if our stubborn tongues shall be mute in the praises of thy deitie , the stones from out the temple-wall shall cry aloud and call , hosanna ! and thy glorious foot-steps greet . ¶ the shepherds dialogue . in three parts . . come , let us finde the babe that hath made this our world so full of joy and expectation ; that glorious blessed boy that crowns each nation with his triumphant wreaths of blessedness . . doubtless he is within the throng , just among his angels that divinely sing , taking wing ; so as to eccho to his voice , they rejoyce with wing , with tongue , and heart , that so they do perceive their happiness . . but attended is as now with a cow ; the ox and mule do all behold with wonder , an homely stable should unfold the thunder . chor. what an almighty god have we ! great , great , as is our miserie . ¶ on christ's birth in an inne . bless'd be that virgin travel'd without pain , and lodg'd within an inne , a splendid star the signe : no greater guest did ever come that way ; for therein lay the glorious lord of night and day , who doth o're heav'n and over angels reign . he came i' th' time of great augustus tax ; all cry'd , he comes to pay the sums , or ransom of our lost humanitie , to set us free from an impious emperie of satan , sin , that then bore sway . inspire our hearts to be thy lodging place ; in each ones brest take up thy rest : temples are fitter for thee than an inne , and let not sin profane the sacred deity within , so to defile the ornaments of grace . ¶ of thoughts . to think upon the pow'r of god , doth awe me ; to think upon gods justice , doth affright me ; to think upon the love of god , doth draw me ; to think upon god's mercy , doth delight me ; to think upon god's bounty , that doth please me ; to think upon god's favour , doth endear me ; to think upon god's goodness , much doth ease me ; to think upon god's promises , doth chear me . thus thinking what i think , doth make me say , the more i think , the more methinks i may . lord , let my thoughts so firmly fixed be , that i may think on nothing more than thee . ¶ to the creator . divine creator , bear in minde , that thou , of our corporeal kinde the form didst take , when heretofore 't was thee a sacred virgin bore , bless'd mary , pre-ordain'd to be mother of grace and clemencie : defend us from our mortal foe , receive us when from hence we go . jesus , all glory to thy name , born of a virgin ; and the same to th' holy ghost , and father be , through ages to eternitie . ¶ the godly garden . a godly heart 's a garden full of flowers well kept and trim'd , where herbs of grace do flourish , tears of unfeign'd repentance are the showers that kindly do those herbs refresh and nourish . faith is the prime-rose that doth first appear , which being rooted well , stands firm and fast . then grows for ev'ry season of the year , the choicest flowers for odour , or for tast . if weeds amongst them spring to give offence , the gard'ner plucks them up , and casts them thence . lord , give me grace to keep my garden so , that nothing there but herbs of grace may grow . ¶ the soul's alarm . a wake , my soul , chase from thine eyes this drowsie sloath , and quickly rise up , and to work apace . no less than kingdoms are prepar'd , and endless bliss for their reward who finish well their race . 't is not so poor a thing to be servants to heav'n , dear lord , and thee , as this fond world believes ; not even here , where oft the wise are most expos'd to injuries , and friendless vertue grieves . sometimes thy hand lets gently fall a little drop that sweetens all the bitter of our cup : o what hereafter shall we be when we shall have whole draughts of thee , brim-full , and drink them up ! say , happy souls , whose thirst now meets the fresh and living stream of sweets , which spring from that bless'd throne ; did you not finde this true , even here ? do you not finde it truer there , now heaven is all your own ? o yes , the sweets we taste exceed all we can say , or you can read ; they fill , and never cloy . on earth our cup was sweet , but mix'd , here all is pure , refin'd , and fix'd ; all quintessence of joy. hear'st thou , my soul , what glorious things . the church of heav'n in triumph brings of their bless'd life above ? chear thy faint hopes , and bid them live ; all these thy god to thee will give , if thou embrace his love . great god of rich rewards , who thus hast crown'd thy saints , and wilt crown us , as both to thee belong : o may we both together sing eternal praise to thee , our king , in one eternal song . ¶ on greatness and goodness . greatness is with a strong desire affected , and often sought with hazard , cost , and pain . goodness , of greater worth , is less respected , priz'd as a thing both needless is , and vain . greatness aspires , and sets it self on high , while goodness walks below with humble pace : the first is follow'd with an eagle's eye , the last is thought unworthy of the chace . but greatness seeks that which is transitory , and goodness aims at grace , which leads to glory . lord , let thy grace my mundane thoughts defeat , that i may study to be good , not great . ¶ the soul's yearnings . my soul pants towards thee , my god , fountain of light and life : flesh strives with me , conclude the strife , that so in blessed peace i may unclay my spirit ; that done , swiftly take my flight to thy refreshing spring , where for thy sake , who art my king , i may wash all my griefs away that day , and conquer sin and death . thou great triumpher o're the grave , whose life and breath was spent to save a wretched world , make me be stil'd thy child ; and grant that when i die and leave this world , that then my soul above the skie thou wilt enroul , that in thy arms for ever i , even unto eternity , may lie . ¶ the divine inquest . tell me , you bright stars that shine round about the lambs high throne , how though bodies once like mine , how you are thus glorious grown ? heark , with one voice they reply , this was all our happy skill ; we on jesus fix'd our eye , and his em'nent followers still . as we clearly saw their mind set and rul'd , we order'd ours ; both this state alone design'd , up towards this strain'd all our pow'rs . taught by temp'rance , we abstain'd from all less for greater goods ; slighting little drops , we gain'd full , and sweet , and lasting floods . arm'd with fortitude , we bare lesser evils , worse do flie ; mortal death we durst out-dare , rather than for ever die . justice we observ'd , by giving ev'ry one their utmost due , that in peace and order living , all might freely heav'n pursue . prudence govern'd all the rest , prudence made us still apply what was fittest , what was best to advance great charity . on those golden wheels of grace , that love 's fiery chariot bear , we arriv'd at this bright place ; follow us and never fear . o sure truth , o bless'd attesters ; o that all the world may prove , of both these , such strong digesters , that both these may feed their love . him who made us all for this , him who made himself our way , him who leads us unto bliss , may all praise , and all obey . ¶ the sinners tears . shed forth apace , and make a bath to cure my soul of sin ; haste out , for god a bottle hath to keep ye in . every tear is worth a crown ; it lifts the soul to heav'n , supports the same from sinking down to filthy leav'n . they 're comfort to the heart , they 're case , embassadors to god , to beg he may his wrath appease , and spare his rod. they 're holy messengers of saints , sent to him to impart . they 're godly sorrows : each tear paints their grief of heart . then flow amain , and weep those fords or little rivers dry , and when i 've vented all my hords , then i will groan because no longer cry ; and die , that i may live eternally . ¶ on st. john's day . to day let 's sing joy to the friend of heaven's king. he in his bosom lay , secur'd the keys of his profound and hidden mysteries . those to the world dispensed by his hand , did make it stand in admiration to behold that light happily came from the throne of the lamb , and to invite our sinful eyes ( which nothing else could see but fire and sword , hunger and miserie , ) anticipating by their ravish'd sight the beauty of coelestial delight . great lord of all , o hear me when i pray , that when my heap of clay shall fall away , o let thy gracious hand support me up , that on the lambs rich viand i may sup●… and that in this last supper i may with thy friend in thy rich bosom lie for ever , to eternitie . ¶ acknowledgements . my god , had i my breath from thee , this hour to speak and sing ? and shall my voice , and shall my song praise any but their king ? my god , had i my soul from thee , this pow'r to judge and chuse ? and shall my brain , and shall my will their best to thee resuse ? alas , not this alone , or that , hast thou bestow'd on me ; but all i have , and all i hope , i have , and hope from thee . and more i have , and more i hope , than i can speak or think ; thy blessings first refresh , then fill , then overflow the brink . glory to thee , immortal god , o great co-equal three : as at the first beginning was , may now and ever be . ¶ the wish . oh , that i once were in that city where hallelujah is the ditty , where contemplation is the diet ; sure that 's the place where man is quiet . oh , that i once were in that court where all good spirits do resort , where love , and joy , and grace abound ; sure that 's the place where man is crown'd . oh , that i once could sly the wav from my unfurnish'd house of clay ; for should my landiord sue for rent , too late it would be to repent : but sighs and tears will pay my score ; he 's merciful , and asks no more . then whilst thy fountain hath one tear to yield , weep , oh my soul , and to th' elizium field swim in a river of repentant tears ; thy rent is paid , and thou art freed from fears . ¶ the caution . open thine eyes , my soul , and see once more the light returns to thee . look round about , and chuse thy way thou meanst to travel o're to day . think on the dangers thou mayst meet , and always watch thy sliding feet . think where thou once hast fall'n before , observe the place , and sin no more . think on the helps thy god bestows , contrive to steer thy life by those . think on the sweets thy soul doth feel when thou dost well , and do so still . think on those pains that shall torment those sinners bold that ne●…e repent . think on the joys that wait above , to crown the head of holy love. think what at last will be thy part , if thou go'st on where now thou art . see life , and death , set thee to chuse ; one thou must take , and one refuse . o lord , be thou my perfect guide , so shall i never step aside . still make me walk , still make me tend ; be thee my way to thee my end . all glory to the sacred three , one undivided deity : as it hath been in ages gone , may now and ever still be done . ¶ of life . an humane life is but a play of passion ; what is man's mirth but musick of division ? our mothers wombs the tyring-houses be , to deck us up for time's short tragedie : the world 's the stage ; heav'n the spectator is , to sit and judge who'ts doth act amiss : the clouds that shade us from the scorching sun , are but drawn curtains till the play be done . ¶ the power of prayer . the sun by pray'r did cease his course , and staid ; the hungry lions sawn'd upon their prey ; a walled passage through the sea it made ; from furious fire it banish'd heat away : it shut the heav'ns three years from giving rain ; it open'd heav'ns , and show'rs pour'd down again . o may our pray'rs , dear lord , approach to thee ; petitions hear , and then propitious be . teach us to praise thy name with one accord , that we may sing due praise to thee , o lord. ¶ god and caesar. render to caesar , and to god , &c. 't is god's command we should be just : why then let 's not wrong him , giving his right to men . honour to god it is our due to render , and caesar's due we justly ought to tender . to both we stand indebted ; all we have must caesar's be , if caesar please to crave . what matter is it ? wherein lies the odds ? we all are caesar's , caesar's all is gods. ¶ gabriel and mary . the salutation which the angel brings , imports , that joys come and depart with wings . gab. — hail , blessed mary , never cast thy mind to trace the passage of this pleasing wind . mary . — what voice is this that calls me blessed ? when — gab. — stay , wandring thoughts , 't is i : thou' rt bless'd agen , blessed of women . mary . — oh , i faint , i die . gab. — eternally thou liv'st : again , 't is i ; god hath thee favour'd so , as to entomb a blessed saviour in thy blessed womb. mary . — how shall this be ? alas , my lord , how can i bear a childe , that never knew a man , but am a virgin pure ? gab. — farther attend : of his dominions there shall be no end . thou shalt be shadow'd by the holy one , and what thou bearest shall be call'd his son. mary . then , lord , behold thy hand-maid , let it be as thou hast said , all shall be bless'd in me : that angels may rejoyce , and men may sue ; that devils may believe , and tremble too . ¶ judeth's prayer . thus lowly on my face , with sack-cloath spread , to god on high , with ashes on my head , i come to pay my vows ; to him alone , the lord god of my father simeon , who with his sword became a just revenger on a ( virginity ) polluting stranger . o lord , my god , i pray thee bow thine ears unto my pray'rs , accompani'd with tears . the widow of manasses lifts her voice , let all that put their trust in thee , rejoyce . behold , o god , ( though enemies may smile ) an israelite in whom there is no guile ; to thee i trust ; experience teacheth well , they 're not all israel are of israel . th' assyrians do multiply each hour with horse and man ; they glory in their pow'r ; they trust in shield , in spear , in bowe , and sling , not knowing thee the lord , whose breath can bring destruction to them all , and lay their fame in ashes ; god , the lord it is thy name . gird me with strength unto the battel , lord , teach me to manage holofernes sword ; turn thou its edge until , at thy command , thy servant judeth take it in her hand ; then be my battel-ax , for , lord , with thee i 'll kingdoms ruine , and make nations flee : the horse-man and his rider shall no more isr'el defie ; their captains shall adore 〈◊〉 no longer ; for thy rod shall make them understand that thou art god. i , though a widow , have conceiv'd a pow'r ; but my designes lie harbour'd in a bower of pleasing fancies : for , o lord , at length i must to thee for judgment and for strength . let my deceitful lips finde craft to smite th' assyrian prince , and those in him delight : bring down their pride , that they may understand thou canst work wonders by a womans hand : for , lord , thy power is not bound by scope , thou sav'st in dangers when there is no hope ; and in thy name i 'll go , and dare to do , that those thy foes shall fear and tremble too . ¶ judeth and holofernes . hol. be of good comfort , woman , let not fear presume to have an habitation here : i never injur'd any man or thing that willing was to serve the earth's chief king. what now is hapned to thy people , they by their perverseness have hewn out the way : but , fairest of your country , let me know whither your wandring beauty means to go ? and why thou fledst to us , leaving those whom dame nature hath commanded from thy womb , thy name in golden letters to entomb ? jud. receive the cause thy hand-maid shall relate , who will resolve in truth the same to state : follow the way thy servant shall direct , and god will thee undoubtedly respect . as lives nebuchodonozor thy king , who sent thee to support each living thing ; man shall obedience pay to thee , and all the beasts , fowls of the air , and cattel , shall live under thy command : for we have hear'd thy wisdome makes thine enemies afeard . most true it is , a sword is not the rod can scourge our nation , till against their god they sin : now death hath got the upper hand , their meat and water fail , they 're at a stand what to do next , and do resolve to cause some things to be consumed , which the laws of god have held unlawful ; tenths or oyl which was once for the priests , is now for spoil . a license from the senate they expect , as if that cloak can cover their neglect : now when 't is brought , they 'll doat without delay , and justice shall condemn them that same day . and i thine hand-maid , knowing this , am fled , to work such wonders with thee , when they 're spread , those that shall hear , shall stand astonished . thy servant serveth god both day and night , and is religious , trusting in his might . let then thine hand-maid to the valley go , and pray to god , then shall she surely know the time that they intend to act their sin , and consequently when thou may'st begin to seize upon judea for thine own , and make their great ones to become as none . and it shall come to pass that there shall be not one shall dare to lift his hand to thee . thus will i lead thee through the midst of them , until thou com'st before jerusalem ; and in the midst thereof thy throne shall stand , and give to nations far and neer , command . hol. god's strength be with thee ; sure he sent thee here t' encourage us , and put our foes in fear . your beauty and your wisdome do conspire , the world should judeth's vertuous name admire . proceed , fair lady ; surely if thou do as thou hast spoken , then will i be true to thee , and to thy god , and thou shalt dwell with nebuchodonozor . we will tell the nations how thy vertues do excel . here 's wine enough ; when this is gone , we 'll then revive the banquet with the blood of men . jud. my lord , now will i drink , because my state is more by much exalted now of late then e're it was , since nature did display over mine eyes the banner of the day . hol. this wine benums my joynts , my limbs do feel as if each one would with the other reel . since so it is , i 'll stretch me on my bed . jud. do so , my lord — and i 'll secure thy head . thou need'st not fear those at jerusalem ; they shall not come to thee , thou go'st to them : ¶ judeth's song of thanksgiving . with timbrels and with cymbals raise a tune , wherewith our god to praise : divinity , afford me balm for sins , and skill to sing a psalm of praise to god did heaven frame . exalt him , call upon his name : he breaks the battels of the strong , and i that was the camps among of proud king assur , even then when israel seem'd a prey to men , then did the lord direct my ways ; i came from thence to sing his praise . out of the mountains from the north the enemy came thundring forth . their strength did threaten dismal ills , their numbers covered the hills ; he brag'd he would my borders burn , and make jerusalem an urn ; and kill my young men with the sword , dash infants brains against the board , and make my virgins prove their spoil ; but god prevented hath their toyl : a female hand by his command hath conquer'd the assyrian land. our mighty foe , he did not fight , nor did the sons of titans smite : neither did giants force his care , but beauty was his only snare . the daughter of merari went with resolution to the tent of holofernes , drank him dead , and safely brought away his head . thus , lord , i ventur'd to commit two sins , and sacrifice my wit. but with a chast and holy eye i shun'd ways of carnality . my people , lord , i knew should live , and thou art ready to forgive . i boldiy went , was not afraid , because assured of thine aid ; and to allure , i thought it good the garments of my widowhood to lay aside , and did attire my head , to raise my beauty higher . my sandals ravished his eyes , and he became my beauties prize : for then to give his pride a check , i strook his faulchin through his neck ; which act did make the persians quake ; the medes stout hearts did likewise ake . thus my exterminating arm , by inspiration , did alarm a mighey host , and did destroy their chief commander , once their joy. a new song to the lord i 'll sing : thou art a great and glorious king , wonderful in strength and might , invincible , the god of fight : to praise thy name all things accord , for thou mad'st all things with a word : in thee all creatures shall rejoyce , not any can resist thy voice . mountains and waters shall remove , rocks melt as wax , if they not love . shall man be subject to obey , and his inseriours go astray ? do we not see , year after year , god's merciful to them that sear ? all sacrifice too little is for him that is the god of bliss . the savour of the heart is sweet , and he that sears the lord is great . wo to those nations that arise against my kindred : they a prize shall be to worms ; their flesh , as meat , the ravens of the field shall eat , whilst in bethulia all my days i 'll spend to celebrate his praise . ¶ on man's greation . we were created with a word , a breath ; redeemed with no less than blood and death : how much a greater labour is it then , sinners to cleanse , or breathe souls into men ? ¶ the mornings ejaculation . now , that the day-star doth arise , beg we of god with humble cries , all hurtful things to keep away , whilst we in duty spend the day : out tongues to guide so , that no strife may breed disquiet in our life : to shut the casement of our eye , lest it admit of vanity ; preserve the heart both pure and free from vain , and troubled phantasie : to tame proud flesh , while we deny it a full cup , and a wanton diet ; that when the day-light shall go out , time bringing on the night about , we , by leaving worldly ways , may in silence sing god's praise . ¶ the evenings ejaculation . o lord , now night 's return'd again , our bodies and our souls refrain from being soil'd with filthy stain . let not dull sleep oppress our eyes , nor us , the enemy surprize ; nor fearful dreams our minde affright , while the blackness of the night holds from us the cheerful light . to thee , who dost by rest renew our wasted strength , we humbly sue , that when we shall enclose our eyes , pure and chast we may arise , making morning-sacrifice . all honour , lord , to thee be done , thou ever-blessed virgins son ; with the father and the spirit , as is thine eternal merit , e're and ever to inherit . ¶ on tears . tears ! the sweet musick of harmonious souls ; angels rejoyce , and ready are in shouls to dance thereto ; it is their heav'nly skill , their master's bottle , with such pearls to fill : and when the soul in sin 's consumption lies , no balsam's better than the briny eyes . god loves not waters of a common ford ; all rivers are not pleasing to the lord. when esau wept , it was to think upon his brothers fraud ; with indignation his tears were mix'd , his whispring thoughts within , cry'd , 't is my loss i prize beyond my sin . tears of dissimulation too , invite men to believe , god knows the hypocrite . when in devotion we our case impart , we should remember , god requires the heart . tears of contrition give the piercing voice , at which both god and angels do rejoyce : such as were mary magdalens , who spent full thirty years in weeping , to repent . st. peter likewise , waking , look'd as sleeping , his face b'ing surrow'd with continual weeping . the spouse , of whom in 〈◊〉 , her fears , like pools of heshbon , glaz'd her eyes with tears . as musick on the water sounds more sweet than on the land , so pray'rs , with tears , they greet almighty god with prevalence : all hours god listens to effectual oratours . then let our tears into a deluge flow , to drown our sins , and wash away our woe : may they shoot forth like showers in the spring , to bathe our souls in ; 't is an offering well pleasing to the lord. when peter wept , he look'd more lovely than as when he slept . david pathetically ever sung , when heart and harp with penitence was strung : when to repose he laid his weari'd head , not diamonds , but tears adorn'd his bed . and in the sacred quire there 's much more mirth for one repentant sinner ( so by birth ) than persons just , repentance needing none , though of an hundred there should want but one . to heav'n comes none but what are pure and cleer ; heaven would not be heav'n , if sin were there . ¶ on humane frailty . the world 's a monster , and a humane life so full of strife , that a dry morsel better may suffice with quiet , than contentions sacrifice : man is conceiv'd in sin ; when born become a scorn ; addicts himself to vanities and lyes ; poysons himself with sin , then bursts , and dies . then , o my soul , that thou may'st thrive , fix thus to live : serve god , and love thy neighbour ; not for gains , self-service will but cheat thee for thy pains . consider well , thou canst not buy eternity , but pious pray'rs and tears must be thy cost ; for heav'n is not so soon obtain'd as lost . prepare thy heart , for that 's the room where god must come : then mind not things that are but transitory , but entertain thy god , the king of glory . he when he comes will be thy guest , himself the feast . of earth no expectation thou canst have , but live a sinner , to become a slave . ¶ on the worth of wealth . the good that is in riches doth consist in the right use thereof : for if we list to shew it in its lustre and its worth , it must be us'd like ointment poured forth . the womans box , if it had not been broke , its vertue ( like the dumb ) had never spoke . so hoarded wealth that hath much labour cost , by being so recluse , its worth is lost : the sweet refreshments of those glittering embers insuse a heat in christ's distressed members . he that is covetous may justly write on rusty heaps , this ore corrupts my sight : they breed but care , and are for nothing good ; might cloath the naked , finde the hungry food . chrysostome well observes , he is not rich that lays up much : he is more happy which doth much lay out , but not in ways prosuse ; it 's all one , not to have , and not to use . he that relieves the poor with what he hath , makes for himself a purging healing bath . he that bath pity on the poor , doth lend unto the lord : and god's our firmest friend . ¶ on formal duty . tradition doth of ovid thus relate : his father with him holding strict debate on poetry , commanded him rehearse the profits ( not the pleasures ) of a verse , by words as well as srowns , did plainly threat . ovid , when thus in danger to be beat , beg'd mercy of his father for his crime ; but in his begging made this warbling rhyme : father , on me pity take , verses i no more will make . how many promises , lord , do i gather , when i in prayer petition thee , my father ? i promise to forsake all sinful snares , and yet i sin , even when i say my prayers . the weakness of my prayer , time being spilt in vain , serves only to increase my guilt : for when at prayers i seem to wish them past , as jews the pass-over did eat in hast . bodily-motion is the cause of heat ; but in devotion we should sigh , not sweat . ¶ advice to prisoners . a prison is a cage of certain cares , whose birds sing tunes of discords and despairs . so sares it in this fickle world ; man's like a foot-ball toss'd and hurl'd : even the poor and honest prisoners lie like silver swans , to sing their last , and die . but what 's a prison when the soul is free ? a jayl is but the world's epitome : there ye contemplate how to lie i'th'grave , before ye come to die ; whilst others heaping up their stores of pelf , have no more land , when dead , than you your self . consider , there are thousands are so low , that they 'd be glad to be as ye are now . your want of liberty's a rod to scourge you neerer to your god. thus providence to prisoners is most kinde , their eyes to open , leaving others blinde . what 's your confinement but a certain rule that leads to happiness , afflictions school ? to know no sorrow , is no more than to be equal with a boar. a prison is an honourable jayl , when a cleer conscience is the pris'ners bayl. let reason be your vertue and your guide ; impatience will but make your wounds more wide , if any be afflicted , pray : it is to sorrows an allay . is any merry ? let this be his psalm ; strike harder , fate , for every bruise is balm . since by misfortunes it is so decreed , that ye should all things ( but a prison ) need , grieve not at sorrows come to day , to morrow they may pass away . to be dejected is but to deprive your selves of finding out a means to thrive . if you 're despised , pity those poor elves that laugh at you before they know themselves , you have paid dear to know your doom ; to morrow theirs perhaps may come . he that can glory in his large estate , is but a subject ( as your self ) to fate . happy 's that pris'ner that can live above the reach of malice , or intrigues of love. there 's no light object to pervert the candour of an upright heart . those iron-bars that do your bodies hold , are far less burthensom than chains of gold. where care will help , there have a careful heart ; where care will not , ne're act a foolish part : for all the help that care can do , is but to make one sorrow two . pine not with care , but modestly be jolly : to be more wretched than ye need , is folly . ¶ on vain-glory. in his devotions unto god , the lord , he gives no alms unless upon record ; and if his good deed happens to appear , 't is often sent to the almighty's ear : pharisee-like , behold , lord , all my store , half of the whole i give unto the poor . twice in the week i fast , and do bestow my alms on those whom i deserving know . if an ill fortune doth molest his minde , he 's apt to think god shews himself unkinde ; as if it were decreed he should inherit heaven , therefore upbraids god with his merit . he can fulfil commandements , to try an earning god with superfluity . in pious bounties lies upon the lurch , and writes them in the windows of the church . bare heads in concourse of a publick street , tickles his fancy more than doth his meat . stands at his door taking his fork from sheath , and though his stomach 's empty , picks his teeth . and when abroad , he 's first that doth begin to call for pheasants at a common inne : cheapens rich jewels , slighting those are worse , although he hath no earnest in his purse . he 's ever on the stage to shew his art , and when abroad , still acts a glorious part : thinks all men view the vertues of his mind , when he 's indeed a bladder full of wind ; skin full of words , unnecessary tool , the fool 's great idol , and the wise man's fool. he that is truly wise is silent found ; the emptiness of knowledge makes a sound . ¶ on peace . i sought for peace , but could not finde ; i sought it in the city , but they were of another minde ; the more 's the pity . i sought for peace of country swain , but yet i could not finde , so i returning home again , left peace behinde . sweet peace , where dost thou dwell ? said i , methought a voice was given , peace dwelt not here , long since did fly to god in heaven . thought i , this eccho is but vain , to folly 't is of kin : anon i heard it tell me plain , 't was kill'd by sin . then i believ'd the former voice , and rested well content , lay down and slept , rose , did rejoyce , and then to heaven went ; there i inquir'd for peace , and found it true ; an heav'nly plant it was , and sweetly grew . ¶ prayer for peace . blessed saviour , god of peace , when storms arise , or shall increase , say thou the word , and they shall cease . allay their fury , quench their rage , whose factions would disturb the age , their fiery zeal do thou asswage . be thou a comforter to those that never do the truth oppose , them strengthen , and convert their 〈◊〉 ¶ on mercy . mercy is comfort to the poor ; 't is that the rich desire : lord , we thy mercies do implore ; 't is that the saints require . mercy it was that gave us life , to move , to think , or say ; mercy is physick for our grief , and teacheth us to pray . o how can we for mercy call , that have so wicked been ! our parents gave us such a fall , 't is hard to rise agen : yet 't is for mercy still we crave , 't is that which must us raise ; mercy first made , and now will save , and teach us how to praise . our sins increase more than our days , yet mercy lets us live ; 't is god that we for all must praise , that doth these mercies give : and shall we still run on the score , not paying any part of what we ought to him before ? he asketh but a heart . my soul , pay what thou canst of all thy store ; he that pays nothing , ever owes the more . ¶ the swine . lord , i am thine , although possest ; o be thou mine , and give some rest to me a beast . o christ , be good to sinful man , and with thy blood , lord , wash me clean : be thou my food , my staff , my stay ; my king , my god , and thee alway i will obey . command my sins into the sea , that i may praise and honour thee . ¶ the penitent . lord , i 'm a sinner , and my sins increase to such an unknown sum , that should my rockie heart and eyes , nay , my whole microcosm , a flood become , and drown it self in tears , 't would not suffice to name my score , not then to pay : but , lord , thy blood is my rich store , thou art the patron of the poor ; but all the balsam of thy blood , alas , i know will do no good , unless i wash my griefs with tears before . o thou whose sweet and pensive face to laughter never gave a place , instruct mine eyes , without delay , to melt away , and then the less of balsam will suffice . ¶ the soul awaked . lord , we again lift up our eyes , and leave our sluggish beds ; but why we wake , or why we rise , comes seldom in our heads . is it to sweat , and toyl for wealth , or sport our time away , that thou preserv'st us still in health , and giv'st us this new day ? no , no , unskilful soul , not so , be not deceiv'd with toys ; thy lord's commands more wisely go , and aim at higher joys : they bid us wake to seek new grace , and some fresh vertue gain ; they call us up to mend our pace till we the prize attain . that glorious prize , for which all run who wisely spend their breath ; who , when this weary life is done , are sure of rest in death . not such a rest as here we prove , disturb'd with cares and fears ; but endless joy , and peace , and love , the pleasures of the spheres . glory to thee , o bounteous lord , who giv'st to all things breath ; glory to thee , eternal word , who sav'st us by thy death . glory , o blessed spirit , to thee , who fill'st our souls with love ; glory to all the mystick three , who reign one god above . ¶ st. paul's petition . from enemies , where're they be , my god , do thou deliver me : from them that do against me rise ; from private foes inventing lyes ; from bloody men , who loving strife , endeavour to ensnare my life . the mighty are against me bent , because i sinn'd , and do repent . arise , and visit with thy rod those enemies of thine , o god ; their follies shew , that they may be at last , true followers of thee . ¶ on the conscience . corruption now adays doth spring so fast , so regarded , and rewarded , that if my tender conscience would be sold , or if for it a dispensation could be but got , i doubt it not , i 'd store up wealth in this our nation . one spark of flattery would so increase my evil goods , so that my woods would make a lasting fire , when i decease . the world 's fond love might easily be bought , if i could tell the way to sell the little honesty that i have got . were but this world my home , perhaps i might be apt to trade , but here things fade : give me the riches wherein saints delight . though now i live in a corrupted cell which doth annoy , i would enjoy the peace of conscience there where angels dwell . love upon earth is good 〈◊〉 that doth last ; but the choice love of god above is everlasting , and doth never wast . tush , wicked world , heav'n is my merchandize ; if in my way my sight should stray , my home shall be the curtains of mine eyes . a desp'rate fate it is the worldlings run , a pearl to sell to purchase hell : they must be great , or to be just undone . ¶ st. austin's prayer . recommended to the devout christian by p. vrban the th . before thy holy eyes , o lord , we sinners heartily accord , humbly to own our griefs of heart are nothing to our just desert . the evils we have done , exceed what we can write , or may be read . our consciences our souls affright , and say , thy chastisements are light . we feel the punishments of sin , and yet we do persist therein . weak nature faints at ev'ry scourge , yet perverse wills do dayly urge . our restless minds do still provoke thy justice , and despise thy yoke . we sigh away our days in grief , yet sorrow gives us small relief : for when our sighs do once expire , we wallow in our former mire . if we repent , 't is at a rate , that we had need repent for that . if thou revenge our stubbornness , thy justice doth our hearts depress . thy anger fills our souls with fears ; we weep , but soon forget our tears . if thou stretch out thy hand , we then promise to turn to saints , from men ; but if thy sword suspension shows , we then forget to pay our vows . if thou dost strike , we pardon crave ; and when thou pardon letst us have , we sin again , and ne're give o're , with provocations more and more . thus we our guilty selves accuse , thus we thy mercies do abuse ; yet mercy , mercy , still we cry , or we are drench'd in misery . then , lord , o let thy goodness give those streams by which the angels live ; our souls inspire , amend our days ; touch thou our tongues , and we shall praise . all glory be to god on high , the father of eternity , to three in one , and one in three . ¶ the believer . happy is he that doth the truth believe ; for he it is shall kiss the son of righteousness , shall surely come by his believing , to believers home . let thy belief be true ; but few there are that do make that their state. abraham left a pattern good behinde him ; but few there are that seek him , less that finde him . i do believe a tree will be pleasantly green , when i with eye in winter judge how leaveless then it stood ; but i confirm it when i see the bud. in thomas 't was a fault to hault in waving faith , until his will was satisfied ; but 't would a madness been so to continue , having felt and seen . belief , it may indeed exceed the strength of reason , yet doth let no opposition in : faith likewise will suspence , 't will get above , but not against the sense . whilst faith assures i eat my sweet redeemer , with direct effect , sense cannot so in ignorance allure me , as that i cat not bread , but will assure me . although i see not all that i believe , yet those things that i see i must believe . christians must guard their mouths , and watch their actions ; be pure in heart , and keep their faiths from factions . ¶ on christ's nativity expected . when , blessed lord , shall we our safe salvation see ? dear lord , arise , for our saint eyes have long'd all night , and 't was a long night too : poor man could never say , he saw more than a day , one day of edeu's seven ; the guilty hours were blasted with the breath of sin and death , and have e're since worn a nocturnal hue . but in thy birth is hopes , that we at length a splendid day shall see . wherein each poor neglected place , grac'd with the aspect of thy face , shall glister like the porch and gate of heav'n . how long , bless'd lord , how long ? the nations thirst , and throng : all humane kinde are now combinde into one body , wanting thee , their head. large is our multitude , and almost vile and rude , headless , great god , for lack of thee , unhappy for the want of thy bless'd face ; then come apace , and thy bright self to our dull body wed , that thorough thy almighty power , each part that hath confusion wore , may order take , so to appear fresh as the dawning of the year , when thou , dear lord , shalt so united be . ¶ the call. come away , my lord , my life , thy presence doth preserve from strife . come away , my lord , my way , thy presence 〈◊〉 to obey . come away , my lord , my truth , thy presence turneth age to youth . come away , my lord , my light , thou dost both sin and satan fright . come away , my lord , my feast , that my poor soul may be thy guest . come away , my lord , my strength , by thee my days have health and length . come away , my holy joy , guard my rejoycings from annoy . come away , my dearest love , lord , let my call thy presence move . come away , divinest lamb , my sins deface , that seek to damn . come , my shepherd , come away , thy flock in danger are to stray . come , my safeguard , and my shield , in fights assist me , lest i yield . come away , lord , hear my call ; make no stay , thou all in all. ¶ the extasie . such a lord and such a life , whose presence bringe h pleasures rise . such a way as leads to bliss , who walks therein can't walk amiss . such a truth whose ray defies the father and the prince of lyes . such a light as leads us to eternal comforts not a few . such a feast as doth rejoyce , compounded of the best and choice . such a strength as doth desend not for a day , but to the end . such a joy that giveth store of pleasures , lasting evermore . such a love as heard my cry , though sin made me his enemy : such a lamb whose sweet abode makes ev'ry saint a lamb of god. such a shepherd of his sheep , there 's none can stray whom he doth keep . shuch a 〈◊〉 and such a sun , desends 〈◊〉 shines till all is won . open , my heart , and such a god receive ; he 's all in all to them that do believe . delights of the minde . jesus , the only thought of thee fills with delight my memorie ; but when thou dost thy presence show , heav'n seems into my breast to flow . no theam so sweet for voice can be , nor to the ear such harmonie . — no heart can thoughts for charming frame as jesus his most pretious name ! jesus , when for our sins we grieve , thy mercies all our wants relieve . if good to those that seek thy grace , what art thou when they see thy face ? jesus , in whom we comsort finde , fountain of life , light of the minde : thou dost our hearts with comforts feed ; our utmost wish thy gifts exceed . no eloquence of tongue can teach , nor art of pen this secret reach ; only th'experienc'd soul does prove what sweets they taste who jesus love . him then i 'll seek , retir'd apart , shutting the world out of my heart ; and midst my business him i 'll strive , with fresh pursuit still to retrive . early with magdalen , i 'll come a pilgrim to my saviour's tomb ; weeping my sins in mournful cries , i 'll seek him with my minde , not eyes . my tears shall on his grave distill , and faithful sighs the garden fill : prostrate before him on my face , his sacred feet i 'll fast embrace . jesus , in thy bless'd steps i 'll tread , striving to follow where they lead : nor shall my soul give o're to mourn , till to thy favour i return . o jesus , most admired king , who didst triumph o'r deaths sharp sting , thy mystick sweetness first excites , then satisfies all appetites . thy quickning visits life bestow , thy lights true good so cleerly show , that they who once have relish'd thee , know all the world 's meer vanitie . come then , dear lord , possess our hearts , enflame our loves with thy chast darts ; all clouds of errour drive away , and change our n ght to thy bright day . to thee our hearts and voices sing , to thee our vows and pray'rs we bring ; that when we end this life 's short racc , in heav'n with thee we may have place . ¶ on death . o death , the serpents son , where is thy sting ? once like thy sire , with hellish torments , ever burning fire ; but those dark days are gone . thy peevish spite buri'd thy sting in the sacred and wide wound of a saviour's side . now thou' rt become a tame and harmless thing , a toy we scorn to fear : for we hear that our triumphant god to conquer thee for the assault thou gav'st him on the tree , hath took the keys of hell out of thy hand , and forc'd thee stand as porter to that gate of life . o thou who art the gate , be pleas'd that he , when we shall die and that way flie , may ope the courts of heav'n to us through thee , ¶ on judgment . judge of the world , we wretched sinners quake , our consciences do ake ; and well they may , whenas we think of the fierce dreadful fire of thine ire , and phials thou fhalt make us sinners drink : for thou the wine-press of thy wrath wilt tread with feet of lead . wretched notorious duft ! what uncouth place can shelter from thy face ? the earth will shrink out of thy sight ; the heavens too , that cannot erre , then shall fear thee and thy laws , and from thee take their flight : so burnt with glory , their bright eyes shall , dead , burst from their head . great god , can we , thy enemies , abide to see such a glorious majesty ? we beg thy mercy , lord : thy judgment-seat we dare not to intreat , for we are all condemned there . lord , then o cast a look on thy book of life ; behold , we read a saving jesus here , and in that name our sure salvation see : lord , make us free , and cross within our scores of sin ; that cancel'd , all our debts are paid by thee . ¶ on heaven . bright glorious lord , uncircumscribed treasure of everlasting pleasure , thy throne is placed far above the richest star ; where thou prepar'st a splendid place within the glory of thy face , that each spirit may inherit , who builds his hopes 〈◊〉 thy merit , and thee adores with holy charity . no ravish'd heart , seraphick tongue , or eyes inspir'd , can once surmise , or speak , or think , or see , so bright eternity . the glorious king 's transparent throne is of pretious jasper-stone , where the eye o' th' chrysolite with a skie of di'monds , rubies , chrysoprase ; but above all , thy brighter face speaks an eternal charity . when thou thy jewels bindest up , that day forget not us , we pray ; but there where the beryl lies , christal too , above the skies , that there thou mayst afford us place within the glories of thy face , and enroul each ones soul in the scroul of life and blessedness , that we may praise thy name unto eternitie . ¶ on hell. dismal darkness , sad , and sore , an everlasting night ; groans and shricks , when sinners roar in their abyssful plight . no corner there but hath a snake breeding in the infernal lake : heaps of fire , and beds of snow , are the chief delights below . a viper springing from the fire is his hire that prizeth moments to eternity . o thou god of day and night , fountain of eternal light , allelujahs , hymns , and psalms , holy coronets of palms , adorn the temple evermore . almighty god , let not thy iron rod bruise our bones with an eternal pressure ; let thy mercy be the only measure . if thou shouldst hoard up wrath in store , we shall all die , not one be left to glorifie the lord , and tell how thou preserved hast our souls from hell. ¶ the salutation of saints . jesus , who man's redeemer art , the solace of each godly heart ; the ransom'd world's great architect , chast light of souls which thee affect . what mercy conquer'd thee , my god , that thou wouldst bear our sinful load ? and innocent wouldst death endure , that us from death thou mightst secure . still let commiseration press to give our damages redress ; and by fruition of thy sight , inrich us with a blessed light . thou guide to heav'n , and path to rest , be thou the scope of ev'ry brest ; be thou the comfort of our tears , our sweet reward above the spheres . ¶ on pride . the proud man looks that ev'ry one should shew a reverence to him , though none they owe. i 'll value such , as we do coyn , set forth just what they go for , rather than their , worth . pride unto reason seemeth ever strange ; is reason absent ? there 't is pride doth range . and then for reason , there is none beside that is so highly opposite to pride : for reason maketh art dame nature's ape , and pride turns nature out of nature's shape . ¶ jeremiah's lamentation for jerusalem's desolation . consider , lord , the wretched , poor , and vile ; a glorious city ! no , sh 'as lost that stile ; she and her joys are under an exile . behold , and see ; thou , lord , as in a wine-press , hast her trod , and crush'd her virgins with an iron rod : sin was the cause ; but , lord , thou art her god. may it please thee , to wipe away her tears that do pour down , cause thou that art the comforter , dost frown ; o let repentant tears offences drown , and send relief . o all ye passing by , behold her sorrow ; jerusalem , jerusalem would borrow tears of ye all ; but none will say , good morrow ; the more 's her grief . her sucklings sigh , and cry for corn and wine , whilst she her self for want thereof doth pine . jerusalem , was ever grief like thine ? behold , and weep ; she that was call'd the joy of all the earth , is desolation now , and nothing worth : her sorrows to her enemies are mirth . her lovers sleep . the apples of her eyes do finde no rest , their streams o'reflow the flood-gates ; she 's distrest , and sorrow doth become a constant guest : doth never fail . her old and young ones , both lie on the ground ; her priests , and prophets , thou dost deeply wound ; terrours on ev'ry side beset her round on hill and dale . wormwood besots , she seems as she were drunk ; this angry tempest hath her treasure shrunk ; she that was full of people , now is sunk , and desolate . her soul 's remov'd from any glimpse of peace ; prosperity is fled ; there doth increase but sad effects of groans , which never cease ; such is her fate . they that on delicates were wont to feed , in dust and ashes now lament their need : jerusalem is bow'd , and broke indeed ; but god is just . the enemies they did her maidens finde , and ravished ; her young men forc'd to grinde : confider , lord , how she with grief hath pinde upon the dust . remember , lord , her wormwood and her gall ; oh hear her sad complaints , and ease her thrall : lord , hear my pray'rs and tears , for her i call , in mercy see . oh , lay that darksome cloud from off thy face ; one smile will say , thou think'st upon her case : oh hear , and help her , lord , of thy good grace , thou glorious three . judge and revenge her cause , o lord , my god ; behold her scorners , how they mock and nod ; in mercy towards her withdraw thy rod. lord , let her cry unto thee fly , and let her not be quite forgot , as if , o lord , she never were , that she may sing of thee her king , that unto thee none may compare . ¶ on sin. sin is such an uncouth thing , i cannot well define it ; death doth own it is his sting , god bids me undermine it . but it so cunning is , that when i think to win the day , it now comes over , under then , and blows my baits away . it seiz'd my parents , and beguil'd more learned men than i ; and when i think it is most milde , i have most cause to fly . at church when i devotion have , it hovers o're my book , and bids me think upon my grave , and off the other look . invisible it is , no doubt , and felt before 't is seen ; it subtilly can wheel about , and like an angel seem . good deeds i know accepted are , and will be evermore ; but if i do not well , i sear sin lieth at the door : sin , as a serpent , cunningly doth lurk upon the scout , that if my foot but tread awry , my sins they finde me out . if i with brother break my word , the fact may not be great ; but if i sin against the lord , who shall for me intreat ? many the faults are of my youth , i have been oft misled ; but they are blessed , faith the truth , whose sin is covered . wherefore , o lord , i will confess what in those days i did ; o grant thy merciful redress , and let my sins be hid . but i with heart and knee will bow , in duty to adore thee ; then recollect , and study how to set my sins before me . shap'd in iniquity i was , a wretch of little worth : in sin my mothers womb , alas , conceiv'd , and brought me forth . lord , with thy grace enrich my heart , take out the filth therein ; let fools pursue their idle art , to make a mock at sin . wo unto them their sins do draw with ropes , them fast to tie ; that bind iniquity their law with cords of vanitie . if sinners could but count their score , they'd fear a future doom : let him that sinneth , sin no more , lest worser things shall come . whoso doth his transgression love , careless , or lose , or win , he strangely doth himself approve to be a slave to sin . lord , fix my heart still towards thee , especially at pray'r , lest my petition on my knee , become to me a snare . surely the quintessence of sin , satan that judas is ; he turns a murtherer , when in leads the poor soul amiss , and kills it with a kiss . ¶ the check . peace , rebel sin , and dare not to rebel , for thou art dead without the law ; and thou that cam'st from hell art captive led . how durst thou say to him that dwells on high , the holy one , look on the world where all my wealth doth lie ? 't is all as none . or yet , how durst thou say unto the christ , if there be none like thee , or if by thee men do subsist , make bread of stone ? i read , the sting of death is sin ; but yet sin , that came first ; poor infant-man no sooner on his feet , but fell , and burst . 't is said , that sin the child is of the devil ; but sin , thou art his elder , and the very self-same evil caus'd him to start . then prithee say , what is thy name ? for death and devil , they , right understood , are both too good . ¶ to the god of heaven . bright builder of the heav'nly poles , eternal light of faithful souls ! jesus , redeemer of mankinde , our humble pray'rs vouchsafe to minde ; who , lest the fraud of hell's black king should all men to destruction bring , didst by a strong impulse of love , the fainting world's physician prove . who from a sacred virgins womb , didst an unspotted victim come unto the cross , to cleanse the sin the wretched world was plunged in : the sound of whose high pow'r and name , no sooner any voice can frame , but all in heav'n , and those that be in hell , how down their trembling knee . thee , christ , who at the later day shalt be our judge , we humbly pray , such arms of heav'nly grace to send , as from our foes may us defend . be glory giv'n , and honour done to god the father , and the son ; and to the holy ghost on high , from age to age eternally . ¶ the flower . o that i were a lovely flower in christ his bower ; or that i were a weed , to fade under his shade . but how can i a weed become , if i am shadow'd with the son ? ¶ on darkness . how , sinner ! darkness better far than light to be preferr'd ? it is because the night draws a thick curtain over your black deeds ; but god's all seeing eye no curtain heeds . if he should shew severity to men , and you in hell , you 'd hate your darkness then . ¶ on love and hatred . i love too much , to hate what i should love ; i love too much , to love what i should hate . my love and hatred in wrong centres move , such hateful love , god doth abominate . i love not goodness , neither hate i evil : my hate to vertue 's hot , to vice is cold . i love too little god , too much the devil ; my love and hate , wrong objects do behold . lord , change my love to hate , my hate to love , that so thy just ce may of both approve . ¶ on justice and mercy . justice doth call for vengeance on my sins , and threatens death as guerdon for the same ; mercy to plead for pardon then begins , with saying , christ hath undergone the shame . justice shews me an angry god offended , and mercy shews a saviour crucifi'd : justice says , i that sinn'd must be condemned : mercy replies , christ for my sins hath di'd . grim justice threats with a revengeful rod ; meek mercy shews me an appeased god. lord , though my sins make me for justice fit , through christ let mercy triumph over it . ¶ on food . a man with all things needful may be sed ; god for both soul and body food hath sent . that for the body is material bread , and for the soul his word 's the nutriment . if bread i want , my body then must perish ; without the word , my soul will fail to thrive : he that sends both , sends both of them to cherish , to keep both body and the soul alive . famine of bread is a destructive curse ; but famine of the word is much more worse . lord , to my soul thy heav'nly food apply ; give that a life , although my body die . ¶ christ , all in all. christ is the rock on which my faith must build ; christ is the staff on which i safe may lean ; christ is for my defence the safest shield ; christ is the fountain that must wash me clean . who builds not on that rock , doth build on sand ; who leans from him , trusts to a broken reed ; he falls that fights not under his command ; his blood alone doth make me clean indeed . christ cleanses , saves , supports my feet from fall : he is my only rock , my all in all. lord , to my soul such heav'nly grace impart , thou may'st be lord and tenant of my heart . ¶ i would , but cannot . i would be rich , but riches fly away ; i would be great , but 't is with envy blended ; i would be fair , but beauty doth decay ; i would be brave , but 't is with pride attended . i would be worldly-wise , but that is folly ; i would be strong , but 't is a beast-like guise ; i would be thought religious , that 's unholy ; i would be learned , but it makes not wise . these vain endowments soon draw to an end ; to each there is a but that doth attend . thus fate , who stops the race of worldly glory , shews such endowments are but transitory . ¶ the voyage . the world 's a spacious sea that 's large and wide , and man a little barque that sails therein ; his thoughts do drive him like the wind and tide ; the shelf that threatens shipwrack is his sin. his heart 's the pylot that this ship doth guide ; faith is the freight with which he freely trades ; his anchor , hope : thus doth he safely ride ; heav'n is the haven where the barque unlades . needs must the merchant in his voyage thrive , that safely doth at such a port arrive . lord , be thou pylot to this ship of mine , that both the ship and lading may be thine . ¶ the careless christian. i do desire my prayers may be heard , yet i my self regard not how i pray ; i fear god's wrath , yet have i no regard to what i do , or what i think , or say . i know his promises are just and true , yet do i live as i believ'd them not : i hear he judgements hath for each ones due , yet careless i not terrifi'd a jot . searching my heart to finde the cause of this , i find that in my heart no grace there is . lord , since thy grace will rectifie my course , grant me that grace which breedeth true remorse . ¶ on life and death . the life i live on earth uncertain is , being attended with a certain death , which will produce eternal bane , or bliss , waiting the expiration of my breath . it doth behove me then to have a care how i my short and pretious time do spend , left i , through sin , be trapt in satan's snare ; griefs then beginning when my life doth end . lord , grant as life and death do here begin , my life may be to grace , my death to sin : ¶ the 〈◊〉 away , fond youth , vertue is hid in truth ; your vanities can no contentment bring . alas , give o're , thy pleasure 's but a sore , honey at first , but in the end a sting . seek not in vain , so to augment thy pain ; such is thy grief , that nothing surer is . fond youth , give ore , woo not a festring sore ; when thou hast found , thou 'lt wish that thou didst miss . love not this world , but minde the things above ; in seeking so , thou shalt finde love for love . ¶ the steward . it is not much i have , yet i have more than some that live more splendidly than i. although i am not rich , i am not poor , but have enough to vanquish penury . all that i have is lent me , and i must give an account to god how i do use it ; or if i hide it up , and let it rust , or by miss spending wastfully abuse it , it had been better i had poorer been , than ti'd a slave ( in chains of gold ) to sin . lord , grant my talent so on me bestown , may be employ'd as thine , and not mine own . ¶ the coelestial painter . o thou most holy god of bliss , who paintst the heaven's centre cleer , in burning brightness fair address , with goodly lights , as doth appear . who on the fourth day didst ordain the fiery circle of the sun , and for the moon an order set , and stars their wandring course to run : that thou might'st give the nights and days . divided bounds to keep them in , as an allured mark to know how duly all the months begin . illuminate the heart of man ; wipe out the soulness of the minde ; cast down the heaps of our misdeeds ; the bands of guilt do thou unbinde . grant this , o holy father most , and eke the son equal to thee , together with the holy ghost , that reigns in all eternity . ¶ the holy innocents . hail , you sweet and building flowers , whom ( when you life began to taste ) the enemy of christ devours , as whirlwinds down young roses cast . first sacrifice to christ you went , of offered lambs a tender sort , with palms and crowns , you , innocent , before the sacred altar port . glory , o lord , be given to thee , whom the unspotted virgin bore ; all glory to the trinitie , from all , both now and evermore . ¶ to the divine creator . o god , which diddest man create , and hast alone all things assign'd , the earth to bring forth savage beasts , and creeping things each in their kind . great bodied creatures are ordain'd by thy great word and will , to live , in times and seasons man to serve , to whom they all subjection give . put from thy servants far away what to uncleanness may allude , it self in manners to suggest , or in our actions to intrude . give us the recompence of jovs , and yield to us thy graces free ; in sunder break the bands of strife , confirm the bands of unity . ¶ the new birth . a multitude of creatures do agree to give their documents to wretched man , as emblems and examples , whereby he may learn to write himself a christian. the eagle casts her bill , the ass his hair , the peacoak 〈◊〉 is plumes , the snake his skin ; and shall not man , a creature far more fair , renew himself by shaking off his fin ? old fins retain'd do fester as they lie ; to the new man belongs felicity . he that would clear himself from worldly stain , to sin must die , to life be born again . die to the flesh , and if you would inherit eternal life , be born then of the spirit . this is the birth a christian should prefer ; for being born of god , he cannot err . lord , let thy grace my idle thoughts subdue , that i may change the old man for the new. ¶ degrees of love. if i a creature love , it may not know the channel whence my flood of love doth flow : but god knows all mens hearts , and will approve of love to him ; for god himself is love. if i a creature love , it no regard may have to make amends ; god doth reward . but when my kinde affections do intrude , the creature answers with ingratitude . if i a creature love , that creature may be captious , peevish , making me its prey . the love of god exceeds the love of men ; for loving him , i 've love for love agen . a humour too , may make a creature fly me ; but loving god , i have him always by me . if i a creature love , that very thing on which i dote , may prove to me a sting but to love god , brings comfort , joy , and ease ; for he 's the everlasting prince of peace . if i a creature love , my care must be for that ; but god will angels charge with me . if i a creature love , my hearts desire is all inflam'd but with terrestrial fire ; but loving god , my soul and senses feel the holy flames of a coelestial zeal . if i a creature love , for face , parts , limb , that moves ; god dwells in me , and i in him . if i a creature love , it doth not know all my affairs ; god knows whate're i do . if i a creature love , it doth deceive me ; if i love god , he 's ready to relieve me . if i a creature love , much pain and grief attend ; but loving god , i finde relief . if i a creature love , we both must die ; but god gives life to all eternitie . if i a creature love , i oft behold those slights and faults , which make my love grow co'd ; but if on god i firmly fix my love , the love of god doth make my love improve . he is so good , so noble , rich , sweet , fair , mighty and wise , so exquisitly rare , i 'll court his love ( as he hath taught ) with prayer . ¶ bad at best . my practice gives the lye to my profession ; i give too large a rein unto my will ; i do not grieve enough for my transgression , but do delight in contemplating ill . i wish for heav'n , but tread the path of hell ; i love the day , but more the deeds o' th' night : little i have , yet that i use not well ; i covet much , but covet not aright . good deeds ill done , run clearly 'gainst the byas ; wishes and words are winds , our deeds must try us . my ways are evil , sin doth too much attend them ; open mine eyes , o lord , and i shall mend them . time's travel . the uberous womb of time , since its creation , innumerable issues hath brought forth , of strange , and of prodigious generation ; and glorious things of beauty and of worth : it 's never barren , but is ever breeding unwonted forms , and various shapes of things . it was , it is , and will through time succeeding , continue labouring . the fruit she brings , savours of goodness , but much more of evil ; extols che maker , but adores the devil . lord , since there is a time to laugh , to weep , 't is high time i awake out of the sleep of sin and death , o then propitious be , and in due time let true repentance free my soul , and i 'll be convert unto thee . ¶ the widows mite . room for a wealthy benefactor ; he , behold , draws neer unto the treasury : others approach with their abundant store , but here 's a widow , who , although she 's poor , hath outdone all , her bounty to display ; for her's was giv'n , and theirs but cast away . and she was noted for a true believer ; for god delighteth in a cheerful giver . ¶ gabriel and zacharias . gab. bless'd zacharias , cease to be afeard , a john shall call thee father , thou art heard . he shall be richly stor'd with grace and mirth ; the god of gods shall celebrate his birth . zac. o lord , whereby can i know this ? my life is well-nigh spent ; likew se my ancient wife , her years are so in number , i am bold to say , for bearing children she 's too old . gab. is any thing impossible to god , whose power can do it with a word , or nod ? i that am gabriel , am sent down from high to do this message from the deity : and seeing thou believ'st not what i say , behold , thou shalt be dumb until that day . then will i loosen that which now i strung ; thou shalt have john , & with that john a tongue . ¶ on alexander the great . thou earth's great monarch ; to thy valour 's praise , be it recorded , thou didst spend thy days in mars his school ; but one thing did remain , thou shouldst have made thy piety thy gain , not ostentation . flesh was made thy slave , but wherein didst thou satan's works deprave ? those being vanquish'd , thou might'st take thy rest , and weep for joy , as being stout and blest . alas , his conquests are as good as none , that fights for worlds , and never finds but one . ¶ jesus wept . hence may we see tears are the only things , when watring well , revives our fading springs . martha and mary sprinkling pious tears over their brother , four days freed from fears . with the sole help of jesus , when they wept , his tears and theirs reviv'd a saint that slept : the very words , come forth , bore such a sound , laz'rus straight came , but left death in the ground . such love our saviour shew'd his friend , his eye , that knew no sin , could weep , when he should die . the antients have this observation kept , jesus was never seen to laugh , but wept . ¶ martha and mary . as contemplation is the bane of ill , by that our good is so continued still . happy that house which never doth m scar y , yielding a martha to complain of mary . ¶ on worldly gain . this world yields nothing more than ca●…es and crosses , yet my forc'd heart dotes on it ne'retheless ; if i cast up my gains , they are but losses : for more and more i languish in excess . it shews varieties of sweet content , alluring me with fair and golden baits ; but in the taste i finde them different , no real pleasures , but meer counterfeits . delusions are the knacks that do excell for cheats ; they shew as heaven , lead to hell. lord , plant thy heav'nly wisdome in my heart , that world and worldly things i may desert . ¶ on st. peter's perjury . sheathe up that sharp keen sword , which did befriend thee in smiting him who gave his car to end thee ; but yet consider , he that doth salsely swear , is by the law condemn'd to loose an ear. i tell thee , peter , e're the cock crow twice , thou art my friend that shalt deny me thrice . but , peter , thou art favour'd , take 't from me , instead of paying one ear , thou hast three . ¶ on pusillanimity . religion made the martyrs dare , and die ; honour abhors to dread an enemie . our actions try our courage ; and our hearts as icie weather with its chilly smarts , do try our health : and this we yearly find , withered leaves fall with the breath of wind . as rotten bows no longers hold debate with strength , but break when they 're opprest with weight , so earthen vessels may be said t' expire , expos'd when empty to the heat of fire . this trivial passion of faintheartedness , dispirits man , and makes a dull impress upon his body , as if there were writ , hire stands a house , but no one dwells in it . cowardise doth express a man to be an easie prey unto his enemie : whose cruel mercy suddenly is spent , whilst for the victim no man doth lament . he grew in misery , became forlorn , was both to friend and to his foe a scorn . the righteous man is bold , bids fear adieu ; the wicked flee , when no man doth pursue . ¶ on the spring . since winters cold blasts are expell'd by the sun , and fields that did penance in snow , have put madam nature's gay liveries on , embroyder'd with flowers to make a fine show ; the hills and the vallies in duty abound , and men praise the lord ; so the duty goes round . heark , heark , how the birds in sweet consort conspire , the lark and the nightingale joyn ; in every note is an amorous quire , with an innocent mirth to entertain time . the hills and the vallies in duty abound , and men praise the lord ; so the duty goes round . methinks the god pan , whose glad subjects we are , doth sit on his flowery throne ; we accept his kinde offerings every year , with garlands of roses , and flowers new grown . the hills and the vallies in duty abound , and men praise the lord ; so the duty goes round . ¶ on science . many for science seek with care and art , when conscience is the science of the heart ; yet that most sacred knowledge is become in mens esteem , of knowledge but the scum . when as the heart with conscience doth converse , infinite mysteries they then rehearse . a conscienoe good and pure , relies upon the sacred title of religion : that is a knowledge puffs not up to boast , but is the temple of the holy ghost : built so for beauty , equalled by none , rich as the temple of a solomon , the fruitful field of bonediction . the joy of angels , and the sinners sting , the subjects ark , the treasure of the king. an habitation for the saints abode , the book of life , the princely court of god : the book that 's seal'd to keep deeds from decay , and to be open'd at the judgement-day . a rich persume , and a most happy guest , a pleasant friend , and a continual feast . a castle , tower , a rock to build upon , a certain fabrick of salvation . the poor man's comfort , his most trusty staff ; the rich man's elegy and epitaph wouldst thou be farther in this science read ? then purge thy conscience from all works are dead . ¶ on drunkenness . this is a vice that fights without defence ; he that doth finde this sin , doth loose his sense . i formerly have read of one who stood amaz'd , as lost within a spatious wood , when in one vice he was to build his nest , which of these three he judg'd to be the best ; to kill his father , mother to beguile with just , or rather to be drunk a while . he thinking drunkenness the least of these , chose that , thereby god's justice to appease . then drunk he gets , making no more to do ; and when got drunk , acted the other two . the juicy vine doth to us ev'ry year , three forts of grapes at once most duly bear . the first for pleasure , drunkenness the next . the third for misery . when man 's perplext with too much drink , he is as one deceast , a shape of man , more properly a beast . if all our trees were pens , and seas were ink , they could not write the mischiefs done by drink . awake , ye drunkards , weep , and howl ; poyson encompasseth your bowl . ¶ on blasphemy . it sets in mouth against each holy place , and shoots out words like darts , against the face of god ; despising his great majesty , imposing things upon the deity . thus written 't is by the historian , speaking of the apostate julian , when he engag'd against the parthian bands , and then receiv'd a wound , with outstretch'd hands he took his blood ( to shew he did persist ) and in derifion threw it toward christ , thus saying , to augment his si●…ful sum , o galilean , thou hast 〈◊〉 . so by an outward gesture we may finde the secret indignation of the minde : and he that doth blaspheme his god , doth broach designes to cast upon him all reproach his little wit or folly can invent , vainly to shew the reach of his intent . but julian being wounded with a dart ( unknown from whence ) that reach'd his wretched heart , in scorn to christ , he galilean 〈◊〉 , perish'd in fin , so this blasphemer di'd . caius caligula , with judgment dim , his statue fix'd , that men might worship him . the holy temple , with profane abuse , he dedicated to his proper use , making himself a god ; but it appear'd at length , that vengeance this blasphemes heard . it is a sin that studies how to fight against the dictates of dame nature's light ; which princess oft have punished with death : the very turks will not endure that breath that wounds the ears of heaven , but punish those that to blaspheming christ their lips dispose . if turks to this great fin give a restraint , how piercing must it be unto a saint ? ¶ the sick man's ease . the sick man is a prisoner to his bed , when healthy men have room their wings to spread . wealth without health a gilded torment is ; croesus vast riches lead not unto bliss : nor can the wealth of all the indian shore assure the sick from agues to restore . health is a jewel of such high degree , not to be priz'd until it wanted be . the sick can nothing do , he 's indispos'd ; he cannot pray , his eyes are almost clos'd . he restless turns , then on his back doth lie , whilst pain deprives him of his piety . but when a good man sickens , god hath sed , he in his sickness will make all his bed , his pillow , bolster , sides , the feet , and head. god taketh thorough care for his elect , in all his bed he will be circumspect . and sure that god that suffers a disease to reign , is best physician , giving ease . herein his art is excellently spread ; not fitting bed , but person to the bed. his potion patience is , and that works so , what god inflicts the just doth undergo . but how shall god make my bed ? i have none , saith the poor man , and saith it with a groan . to him god answers , son , be thou content , for that 's a bed adorn'd with ornament . jacob slept on the ground ; who would not deem himself most happy , having jacob's dream ? fox in his book of martyrs , speaks of one , a woman poor in jersey , yet though grown mean to the world ( when mary , englands queen , drew on our english stage a bloody scene ) god made her bed in that same fiery flake ; and when she came as martyr to the stake , a childe came from her , to her hearts desire : so god brought her to bed by flames of fire . he likewise threatned jezabel , that she should have a bed of fire . his justice he therein displays : may not his mercy then turn flames of fire to beds for righteous men ? nothing 's impossible if god accord ; fire shall prove beds of ease , say he the word . ¶ on singing of psalms . birds sweetly chirp and sing , but nature gave me a harsh voice , more fit ( than sing ) to rave . should i use art for a melodious strain , 't would be to spend my pretious time in vain . when i sing psalms and hymns to god on high , with devout praises to the deity , how can i think my voice shall please his ear , when to my self it meanly doth appear ? yet though i cannot chaunt a warbling tale with the sweet musick of the nightingale , or with the blackbird chirp , i swallow-like will chatter , or will with the raven strike or croak my measures , better so to do , than to be silent ; for there may accrew a blessing by my will. if i want art , god thus commands , my son , give me thy heart . had god bestow'd on me a better voice , with better musick i would then rejoyce : but since 't is so the spirits influence shall salve my want of skill with store of sence . to that end , blessed lord , in me create a heart unfeigned , new ; and in that state , with heart and understanding , i 'll rejoyce , and rest contented with my present voice . yet one thing more of god i do desire ; make me a quirester in heaven's quire. ¶ on little sins . sin at the first seems small ; when i begin , i thus conclude , 't is but a little sin , i may wade through it dry shod : so on tilt i run , as if secur'd from sin by guilt ; but when into my sin i slily creep , it suddenly appears so soul , so deep , so dangerous a gulph doth widely gape , that without drowning i can hardly scape . thus in extremities i always bleed ; my sins are small , they no repentance need ; or else so great and heynous is my stain , that i despair , i can't a pardon gain . a reed out of thy sanctuary , lord , would truly measure every deed and word . but o if thou my misery reveal , do not thy mercy from my soul conceal , lest if i apprehend my wounds gape wide , my desperate soul run out , and thereby glide into a world of to ments , if my grief seem to be greater than is thy relief . if sin seems greater by one breadth of hair than mercie doth , it makes way for despair . no sins are little : 't is the devil's cheat so to surmise ; for ev'ry sin is great . ¶ on temperance . this guides the reason , gives the minde delight , in moderating lust and appetite . the jews in this great vertue are expert , shunning excess as men of great desert ; perhaps because it should be understood , they drank full draughts up of our saviour's blood ; and being sensible they did digress , may think it time t'abominate excess . our english chronicles do much commend their queen elizabeth , who did transcend the nobles of her age ; and england's king , edward the sixth , did in her praise thus sing : when to discourse on her it was his chance , he call'd her his sweet sister temperance . when at her table she sate down to eat , she seldom us'd more than one sort of meat ; and did in temperance so much delight , she ever rose up with an appetite . nature is with a little satisfi'd : ebriety and gluttony have tri'd , and conquer'd many , who to death did dance . one of the spirits fruits is temperance . ¶ on persecution . as the poor sheep is to the slaughter led in all humility , and free from dread , so all god's people may be said to be as sheep , the emblems of humility . they harmless are , and profitable too , obedient to their shepherd ; in a crew led into folds and pastures , where , as strangers , they are obnoxious to many dangers , wolves , bryars , thieves , dogs , plagues both great and small ; but god their shepherd rids them out of all . many desire the number may increase of god's good sheep ; but 't is a golden fleece which they desire to wear : however , they most happy are that follow him their way . excellent things the church of god hath won ; she 's like a woman cloathed with the sun , crowned with stars , treading upon the moon ; yet travelling in birth at night and noon : the dragon in pursuit of her and hers ; but , under god , they still ride conquerers . he that would be an israelite indeed , must arm himself compleatly ; taking heed of all assaults , all persons , places , times , guard his own vertue , resist others crimes . elias spoke against the craft of sin ; then ahab's hate against him did begin . isaiah , as we read , was sawn in two ; it was manasses pleasure so to do . and jeremiah he was ston'd , to please the cruel humour of tahaphanes . stephen was stoned of the jews ; and john beheaded was , herod would have him gone . ignatius to the lions had his doom ; the clergy likewise hated chrysostom : but justin martyr slights these things as dirt , say●… , persecutors kill , but cannot hurt . tertullian well observ'd , the more they mow the christians down , they much the faster grow . large volumes might be fill'd with the bright names of sufferers by swords , by stones , and flames . true saith st. paul , all that will shun the grave of hellish fin , shall persecution have . well may the christian with his god comply in persecution , christ himself could die . ¶ on sleep . death in the scripture is compar'd to sleep : when death approacher , then with care we keep a schedule of our wealth , so to dispose of those estates we then are forc'd to lose . so when sleep comes , methinks my ev'ning-prayer is like the making of my will ; my care ought therefore to provide betimes : for why ? there 's danger in a drowsie lethargy . in perfect memory , and when awake , i 'll leave my soul to god ; for if he take not charge of me , and me in safety keep , the devil will attempt me in my sleep . though day and night he seeketh to devour , he keeps his markets in the darkned hour . i on my pillow do my sleep confirm : thus mans vacation is the devil 's term. ¶ blessings of the righteous , as they are recorded in holy writ . hearken unto the lord thy god , his covenants observe ; so will he kindly spare his rod , and not afflict a nerve . bless'd shalt thou in the city be ; thy god will blessings yield , at home , abroad , at bed , at board , and likewise in the field . blessed shall be thy bodies fruit , and that upon the ground : the wicked , be they loud or mute , shall neither of them wound . thy cattel shall inrich thy store with increase of their kine ; thy sheep shall still wax more and more ; thy grapes shall yield thee wine . bless'd shall thy store and basket be ; blessings shall thence accrew : comings and goings shall agree to make thee blessed too . the lord shall smite thine enemies , and put them to disgrace ; the chiefest he will make to flie , and that before thy face . thy foes one way shall thee attempt , but flie before thee seven ; from judgement none shall be exempt , but as the chaff be driven . thy store-houses the lord will bless , and all thou tak'st in hand ; and give to thee a large increase of plenty in the land . the lord , as he himself hath sworn , he will establish thee ; and farther to exalt thy horn , his people ye shall be . keep thou the lord's commandements , and all the earth shall see that thou art great in innocence , and stand in fear of thee . the lord he shall his treasures ope , the heav'ns shall give thee rain ; if head or hand with business cope , it shall be for thy gain . no discontent shall thee attend , as free from grief or sorrow : to many nations thou shalt lend , but have no need to borrow . blessed are they that in him trust , he will them bless with speed ; for do they hunger , do they thirst , he is their help at need . blessed is he whose sin is hid , he may with gladness smile ; whose errours all are covered , whose spirit hath no guile . blessed are they that now lament , as being poor in spirit ; for they are promis'd by the lord his kingdom to inherit . blessed are they that now do mourn , thinking their joys are fled ; for though as yet they seem forlorn , they shall be comforted . the meek are blessed too ; for they that love not strifes increase , shall on the earth bear happy sway , delighting much in peace . the hungry too , and they that thirst for righteousness as meat , they shall be fill'd , when those accurst shall nothing have to eat . bless'd be the merciful to those whom they observe in pain ; for he that mercily bestows , shall mercy reap again . thrice blessed are the pure in heart , whose souls and hands are free from vanity and wicked oaths ; for they their god shall see . bless'd the peace-makers are ; for they his children shall be call'd : and he that loves and doth obey , shall never be enthrall'd . blessed are they for righteousness do persecution bear ; their great reward none can express but heav'n , it lieth there . blessed are they that are revil'd because they seek the lord ; be they at home , or if exil'd , his grace will strength afford . rejoyce , and be exceeding glad , for great is your reward ; the prophets by such usage bad , did get into regard . ¶ curses of the wicked . he that doth hear the poor mans cry shall never fare the worse ; but whoso turneth back his eye shall never want a curse . he that himself hath others curst , his servant curseth him ; the blessings of his flowing purse shall him to ruine swim . he that bla phemeth god his lord , ought to be ston'd to death ; and cursed be that man , abhorr'd , serves other god beneath . cursed be he that setteth light by father , or by mother ; the people shall him dayly slight , and none his curses smother . cursed be he that doth remove his neighbours land-mark ; then the people shall him curse , none love , but each one cry , amen . cursed be he that leads the blinde in an erroneous way ; the lord for him will torments finde , and be the blinde man's stay . cursed be he that doth pervert the window , fatherless , or stranger , from an upright heart ; curses shall him oppress . cursed , thrice cursed shall he be covers his father's breast ; and that man curst shall be ( as he ) that lieth with a beast . curs'd let him be with sister lies , o●… mother ( though ) in law : such fins do make those horrid cries that dreadful curses draw . cursed be he that secretly his silent neighbour smites : murtherers too , that cause to die when a reward invites . the wicked shall be curs'd at home , and likewise in the field ; his basket and his store at last shall blessings cease to yield . cursed be all his sinful fruit of body and of land : his kine , and flock , though they are mute , and all he takes in hand . cursed be he when going out , and when returning in ; that happy 't were for him , no doubt , if he had never been . ¶ praises to god. psal. . . praise waiteth for thee , o god , in zion . praise the most high , oh clap your hands ! praise him , for he the world commands . praise him , mount zion , praises sing , praise him that is your cities king. praise him with loud and silent air , praise ye the lord that heareth pray'r . praise him makes morning hear his voice , praise him makes evening to rejoyce . praise him that doth prepare our corn , praise him , all ye that are forlorn . praise him that duly sends us rain , praise him for fruits , herbs , flow'rs , and grain . praise him for his refreshing showers , praise him for recreating bowers . praise him that doth our pastures fill , praise and rejoyce , each little hill. praise him , ye birds , and ev'ry tree , praise him that did divide the sea. praise him for waters from the fount , praise him for grass grows on the mount. praise him that gives and nothing ows , praise him with sacrifice and vows . praise him that form'd us in the womb , praise him that guides us to our tomb. praise him that makes us blest in heaven , praise him from whom all food is given . praise him , his holy name adore , praise him , o praise him more and more . praise god , the father of the just , praise him doth raise the poor from dust . praise him that makes the barren bear , praise him with duty , love , and fear . praise ye the lord for dayly food , praise ye his name , for it is good . praise him who gives success in wars , praise him who numbereth the stars . praise him that builds jerusalem , praise him whose word is more than jem . praise him that lifteth up the meek , praise him that doth support the weak . praise him who doth the ravens feed , praise him , our meetly help at need . praise him doth cause his winds to blow , praise him that makes the waters flow . praise him in his angelick coasts , praise him , all ye his mighty hosts . praise ye his name , both sun and moon , praise him , ye lights that shine at noon . praise him , ye heavens never fade , praise him , for ye by him were made , praise ye the lord , ye dragons fell , praise him , ye deeps , his wonders tell . praise him , fire , hail , vapour and snow , praise him , ye stormy winds that blow . praise him , ye cedars , beasts o' th' field , praise him all things can praises yield . praise him , ye kings of highest birth , praise him , ye judges of the earth . praise him , ye rulers whom he rais'd , praise , for he 's greatly to be prais'd . praise ye the lord , both great and small , praise him that did create us all . praise him within his holy tower , praise him for his almighty power . praise him for what he to us gave , praise jesus christ that did us save . praise ye the holy spirit too , praise each with all devotions due . praise all , strive who shall praise the most , praise father , son , and holy ghost . praise each with pious harmony , praise ye the blessed trinity . praise ye the lord with trumpets sound , praise him that heal'd us with his wound . praise him with harps loud melody , praise him with song and psaltery . praise him with timbrel , let the flute praise him , with organ , pipe , and lute . praise him with instrumental string , praise him with cymbals , loudly sing . praise him with joy , and skilful voice , praise with new songs , the chief and choice . praise him that is our guide , our light , praise him , because his word is right . praise him whose works are done in truth , praise him that no injustice doth . praise him all people , great and less , praise him that loveth righteousness . praise him whose goodness fills the earth , praise him with zeal and pious mirth . praise him the author is of days , praise him that gives us power to praise . praise him whose word the heavens made , praise him whose breath requir'd no aid . praise him that doth the wind command , praise him that makes the waters stand . praise him whom sun and moon obey , praise him doth heaven's scepter sway . praise him that doth the heathen awe , praise him whose ev'ry word 's a law. praise him who doth from heav'n behold , praise him , ye rich , poor , young , and old. praise him that fashions all our hearts , praise him alone doth heal our smarts . praise him that is the king of kings , praise him in grief that comfort brings . praise him that governs sea and coasts , praise him that is the lord of hosts . praise him who can the lion tame , praise him that mighty is by name . praise him that guards us day and night , praise him the god of peace and fight . praise him that makes the stoutest yield , praise him that is our help and shield . praise him with both thy heart and mouth , praise him in age , in strength , and youth . praise him who are with sorrows sad , praise , that the humble may be glad . oh let the nations all accord to praise and magnifie the lord. amen , amen . ¶ gloria in altissimis : or , the angelical anthem . angels , saints , and all men cry , glory be to god on high : and that glory ne'er may cease , grant us , lord , on earth thy peace . when there 's good will towards men , we shall praise , and praise agen . ¶ on fatherly affection . as in the street i walking cast my eye , it was my chance two children to espie fighting together : by a●…d by in hast the father of the one , who saw what past , stept in , and suddenly , without delay , he parted both , and took his son away , and l●…ke a father , careful of his son , gave him correction for the sau●…t he 'd done . the other lad was left without a check , which made him strut and boast , and stretch his neck , believing he had surely won the day , though both alike were equal in the fray . i thought it hard that one should punish'd be and not the other , he escaping free , at last i guess'd 't was a paternal care one to correct , to teach him to beware : for over him he a dominion had , but was a stranger to the other lad. so when the wicked sin , the godly smart ; god in chas●…sing shews paternal art : he chastens whom he loves , whilst wicked men pursue their sins , and act them o're agen . the reason common sense cannot avo d , sinners are spar'd only to be destroy'd . what need a whip for stubborn sinners backs , when 't is decreed their heads are for the axe ? ¶ on the gospel . the gospel ancient as moses is , nay adam , it was preacht in paradise . 't is true , before the gospel came the law , yet from the gospel we most vertue draw . likewise before the day , appear'd the night , yet above darkness we esteem the light. and before man was made , all creatures were , yet he excells them , they his servants are . he that before his lord the sword doth bear , is not suppos'd superiour to the mayor . all things which in this world we splendid see , are not esteem'd by their priority . sa●…th j●…hn , there comes one after me , whose shooes i am unworthy , too low , to unloose . the law is most compos'd of forms of fears ; but in the gospel streams of love appears . the law makes god our foe with pointing — thus ; the gospel cries , emanuel , god with us . the office of the law is to accuse ; that of the gospel is to heal a bruise . the law a killing letter 's stil'd by merit ; but th' holy gospels is a quickning spirit . besides , the gospel is the bell whereby we all are called to eternity . ¶ on the lord's prayer . that pray'r of pray'rs , how meanly doth it look of late , as if religion's frame were shook ! but if the lord were just to use his powers , with how much anger might he look on ours ? some think that lesson may their spirits grieve ; lord , us forgive , as others we forgive . others , like witches , when in haste they pray , they it repeat , but do it backward say . many with zeal desire their dayly bread ; thy kingdom come , not much concerns their head . thus temp'ral benefits we do prefer before eternal blessings , and adhere to what our present wants require : but oh , when death appears , and whispers , we must go . then our petitions , all that we can gather , from his take pattern , crying , our father . christ so began to teach us , being weak ; so we conclude when we can hardly speak . ¶ the free giver . great alexander , when he youthful was , a check received from leonidas his governour , for being too profuse in wasting his perfumes in pious use : for on a day being to sacrifice unto the gods , to shew himself unnice , fill'd both his hands with frankincense ; that done , gave it the fire as his devotion . but afterwards when he became a man , he conquered judea , over-ran that country whence those spices took their birth , then to conclude his piety with mirth , he sent five hundred talents weight ( by odds too much ) to him grutch'd what he gave the gods. thus they that sowing plentifully keep a zeal unspotted , plentifully reap . he that doth niggardly his talent spare , shall sow , but in the end reap but a tare . give god the choicest branches of thy fruit ; for by that means god may give thee the root . ¶ the friendly advice . the roman senators , as we may read , thirsted that julius caesar might be dead : wherefore they then conspir'd to seek his end . artemidorus , who was caesar's friend , gives him a paper wherein lay his lot , his life to save by finding out the plot ; but caesar being busie with applauds , with salutations , and the peoples lauds , pockets the paper , as if it had been petition-like at leisure to be seen ; so onward walks , - not dreaming of that train , and going to the senate-house was slain . the world , the flesh , and devil , do beset poor man , contriving divers ways to get him in their gin . god's ministers accord to bring a letter , namely god's own word , wherein their plot is publickly reveal'd , the wounded man hath offers to be heal'd ; nay , god himself in clemencie doth crie , oh house of israel , why will ye die ? but most men generally busie are about the worlds concerns , though things of air ; they cannot mind their friends advice ; to write , is to present them with a paper-kite . thus men run headlong to expend their breath , forgetting they before were doom'd for death . ¶ on sloath. the idle man is like the heavie drone , that wasts his time in contemplation : this present hour he 's mightily perplext with studv'ng which way he shall spend the next ; not like the wise man , who with lesser pain , contrives to make expences prove his gain . winter he loves , because the days are short ; walks in the summer , as if a-la-mort . when in the morning he bethinks to rise , first stretcheth arms and legs , then wipes his eyes . his manners-lets the morning rise before him ; and when the sun shines , seeming to adore him , then he bethinks to stir ; but first affords a prayer to god , not making many words , and sometimes none , well knowing he can do with thoughts as much as words , though more than few . he commonly lies still , his bed to keep , more out of sloath , than a desire to sleep ; then yawns and turns himself for want of rest ; anon for dinner calls , before he 's d●…est : which having eat , he seems to be in pain , at last concludes , 't is best to sleep again . that done , he rises , to his neighbour goes , and in sew words doth thus his minde disclose : how do you , neighbour ? 't is a pleasant day ; what 's the best news ? what price are mackrel , pray ? the days do lengthen strangely , and the spring bids us attend the birds that sweetly sing . then in the end bethinks to bid adieu ; but first he yawns , and cries , what shall we do ? so he concludes his speech : perhaps in fine , they both agree to drink a pint of wine . when from the church all auditors are gone , he is found sleeping in his seat alone . he enters into bond , ne'er minds to pay , but forfeits that , 'cause he forgets the day . to be a jury-man is his disease ; rather than fetch his wood , he 'll chuse to freeze . he 's half a christian and half a turk ; his principle's to steal , and not to work . he is indeed a proper standing-pool that needs must get corruption : 't is a rule observable , those p●…ts do ●…oonest stink , whose mud ass●…ns to overflow the brink . the id●…e soul shall finde his food grow scant ; sloath casts a man into deep sleeps and want . ¶ on desperation . chear up , my scul , thy griess in time will cease ; despair is satan's only master-piece : hearken to that , the devil soon will tell the ready road that leads the way to hell. my sin , 〈◊〉 cain , is great , and i am driven justly to ●…ear 〈◊〉 never be forgiven . with murther first he did his curse begin , and furthers that , by 〈◊〉 sin to sin . then to despair give neither ear nor scope ; lay hold on christ , the anchor of thy hope . a panegyrick to the right reverend , and most nobly descended prelate , henry by divine providence , lord bishop of london . illustrious prelate ! whom the world must own a father of the church , a martyr's son ; of sacred function , and of noble blood ; 't is a dispute whether more great or good . thou second ambrose of the mitred lords , northampton's ‖ helmets joyn'd with london's swords , will keep thy vineyard from the forest-boar , beyond the skill of them who went before . in rev'rend heachman we beheld a look much like the frontispiece of thee the book ; jehovah's poem , where he hath annext a gracious comment to a glorious text ; urim and thummim wrote in words at large . thou d'cus and tutamen of thy charge , who ex utroque sitt'st amongst the peers , a perfect nestor at meridian years . old jeroboam , holy legends tell , by making peasants priests , turn'd israel with her heels upward . that prodigious phrase of high swoln woolsey in king harry's days , ego & rex , may teach great monarchs what 's the sad effects of mounting butchers † beats to any thing but gibbets . where such sway , there 's none so proud , so tyrannous as they who suck nought from their dams but kill and slay . for take an upstart groom , who setcht his rise but lately from a dung hill , in a trice he huffs , and hamans it a●… such a rate , as if the slip'ry wheels of rowling fate were scotcht in him , forgetting that the son may end as basely as the sire begun . births are th'immediate acts of god ; the choice of man sounds well , which ecchoes to that voice . the cream of gentry , not the scum of trade ; princes are born , but commonwealths are made . then bless'd be christ , and charles his servant , who to silence the rude cavils of our foe , has rais'd a ruler from an antient stock , a swain ( like daphais ) faiter than his flock ; in whom , by happy providence , we see the salse aspersion , and foul caiumnie , which brooke of old cast in the churches face , bravely wipt off in nobler compton's race . 〈◊〉 the great ! a family well known from hopton * heath , to the olympick throne . compton the valiant ! that hears a power from the imperial ‖ closet , to the † tower. compton the just ! what can be more exprest ? the guns and organs shall proclaim the rest . nor can the mouth of spite it self defame th'unfulli'd trophies of that spotless name : nor malice , choak'd with liberty , controul the least attempt of so divine a soul. had all been lyons once , who wore that hide , and each lawn-sl●…eve so honourably alli'd , save tem'pral envy and spiritual pride , 〈◊〉 had not liv'd , nor caesar di'd . the cassock whilom scar'd into a jump , and curta●…'d all in rev'rence to the rump , may now exult with warrantable glee , in thy serene unblemish'd pedigree , with the white ‖ prelate of the garter blue , undaunted dolben , and couragious mew , the high-born durham , generous hereford , by line a baronet , by grace a lord. and ( who should be first nam'd ) sheldon the prime , a word too glorious to be blaz'd in rhyme . as learned lawyers justly boast the worth of their heroick finch , and honour'd north. when gospel-sury chang'd our oyl to ashes , and pulpits turn'd to caledonian † swashes ; when charity caught cold , and zeal ran mad ; when men of l●…vi dwelt in tents of gad ; black were our stars , cimmerian our night , no darkness like degenerated light. but when the sons of peers lay down the sharp faulchion , to tune the psaltery and the harp , abandoning the pleasures of hide-park , and with king david dance before the ark , 〈◊〉 spirit flies : the warlike spear being beat into a sheep-hook , shall we fear new curse ye meroz doctrines in these nations , clench'd with edge hill and naseby applications ? harry the eighth , that he might propagate feud against popery , and secure his state , dispos'd the then top-heavy churches lands in his nobilities and gentries hands ; knowing when time should turn ( which often varies ) they'd surely fight pro focis , if not aris. but our blest liege , that piety may greet her younger sister policy , thinks meet true honours ore should wear religion's stamp , to have the chair recruited from the camp. his majesty , in such designes as these , impropriates the bishops , not the sees : impropriate , did i say ? rather restore them to the splendour they maintain'd of yore ; that when weak curats fail , these sons of thunder may keep the dan and bethil rabble under . no northern storms shall then our temple stir , whose beams are cedar , though their rasters fir. and the rich pavement which we walk upon , smooth as the chariot of king solomon , without a stone of stumbling and offence , or speaking treason in a scripture sence ; or crushing texts until they vomit blood , a signe the pulpits were not irish wood . all peevish sects shall fall from their extreams , won by thy worth , and melted by thy beams , as if thy parts , which we poor lads admire , were mixt of gunning's ●…ht , and rupert's fire ; enough to make a brownist keep the road , and 〈◊〉 chaunt another palinode . abringdon * wild , whose drolls infect the rout , may now complain his pen hath got the gout ; who bubbled with his once-applauded 〈◊〉 , out-did his name by barking at the mitre , shall cease to stroak his half-dry muses duggs , in tenderness to 's conscience or his luggs . the pagan saint , whose prerious lips express nought but sweet sippets of soul-savingness , making the splay-mouth'd brethren mump like apes , at brooks his apples , and at titchburn's grapes , shall balk his canting , and convince the gang , an anthem's better musick than a twang . and we plebeian off-springs , meanly bred , with a short grace , an egg , and so to bed , yet having souls where loyal flames are nurst , to charles the good , and james of charles the first , shall ( to engage posterity our bebtor ) spend our dear blood as free as it 't were better . my lord , accept this mite ; and if it please , give us thy benediction , and take these . may all the gifts and graces that befel on moses , joshua , and samuel , inrich thy breast and brain in such a sort , that the whole city , country , and the court , led by thy good example without stain of being factious , bruitish , or profane , may win their pristine glory once again . may as benign and prosperous a state as e'er george wharton could prognosticate , light on thy heart , and bless thee o're and o're , wisdom and wealth augmenting still thy store . long may'st thou govern without guile or gall , and be thy moderation known to all , to bring strai'd sheep , by whatsoever name , back to the fold from whence at first they came . no private meetings in thy diocess , except those lawful ones of truth and peace : but if the many-headed beast should rise to pluck kings plumes , and peck out prelates eyes , teach them to crumble , like a tottring wall , or dagon cripled with a second fall ; or heads on london-bridge , expos'd to sight , that grin , and shew their teeth , but cannot bite : lastly , when paul's cathedral ( whose fair growth attends on thine ) is finish'd , when ye both piercing the clouds , have kiss'd the lights above , that by aspiting towers , thee by love ; when the whole story of thy span is told , and deeds , as well as bays , have made thee old ; when the officious angels shall have given thy better part its proper place in heaven , may thy bright fame outshine the morning-star , as prince , a prelate , and a batchelar . so prayeth , most honoured lord , the humblest and meanest of your lordships servants , samuel speed. advertisement . there is lately published an an excellent piece , entituled the vanity of arts and sciences . by henry cornelius agrippa , kt. doctor of both laws , judge of the prerogative court , and counsellor to charles the fifth , emperour of germany . to be sold by most booksellers . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e ‖ helmets the arms of compton . † woolsey a butcher's son of ipswich . * the place where the old earl was murthered . ‖ the bishop of london clerk of the closet . † earl of northampt. constable of the tower. ‖ the bishop of winton , doctor morley . † dr●…m , in the scotch phrase , as appears by their letany , fro au harlotree , the dinger of the swash ( i.e. the beater of the drum ) the foul fiend , and the gallow-tree , gude laird deliver us . * once chaplain to m. g. brown at abingdon .