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Christs passion

A tragedie. With Annotations [by George Sandys]
  

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JVDAS. CAIAPHAS.
[JVDAS.]
You who preserve your pure integrity;
O you whose crimes transcend not credit, fly
Farre from my presence! whose invenom'd sight
Pollutes the guilty. Thou, who wrong and right
Distinctly canst discern; whose gentle brest
All faith hath not abandon'd, but art blest
With children, brothers, friends; nor hast declin'd
The sweet affections of a pious Minde;
Shut up the winding entry of thine eare,
Nor let the world of such a bargain heare.
A Sinne so horrible should be to none
Besides the desperate Contractors known.
Wher's now that mitred Chief? where that dire Train
Of Sacrificers, worthy to be slain
On their own Altars? I have found my Curse:
The Sun, except my self, sees nothing worse.
Heare, without hire; O heare the too well known:
If you seek for a witnesse; I am one
That can the truth reveal: Or would you finde
A Villain? Her's a self-accusing Minde.
That sacred Life, O most immaculate!
More then my Masters! to your deadly Hate

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Have I betrai'd: discharge my hands I may,
Although not of the Guilt, yet of the Prey.
Receive the gift you gave: a treachery
Second to mine, you may of others buy.

CAIAPHAS.
If thou accuse thy selfe of such a Sin
Deservedly, thou hast a Court with-in,
That will condemne thee. Thy offences be
No Crimes of ours: our consciences are free.
Nor shall the sacred Treasury receive
The price of bloud. Thee to thy Fate we leave.

JVDAS.
Is this the doctrine of your piety
To approve the Crime, yet hate the Hire? O fly,
Fly, wretch, unto the Altar, and pollute
The Temple with thy Sins accursed fruite.
Nor will I for my selfe with hopelesse praier
Solicit Heaven; lost in my owne despaire;
But Gods sterne Justice urge, that we, who were
Joyn'd in the guilt, may equall vengeance beare.
Nor shall I in my punishment proove slow:
Behold, your Leader will before you go;
'Tis fit you follow; to those silent Deepes,
Those horrid Shades, where Sorrow never sleepes.

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Thou great Director of the rouling Starres,
Vnlesse thou idlely lookst on mens affaires,
And vainely we thy brutish Thunder feare;
Why should thy land so dire a Monster beare?
Or the Sun not retire, and yet behold?
If those thy fearefull punishments of old
Require beliefe, in one unite them all:
Let Seas in Cataracts from Meteors fall,
Afford no shore, but swallow in their Brine;
That so the Worlds first ruine may prove mine,
Let melting Stars their sulphrous surfet shed,
And all the Heavenly Fires fall on my Head.
And thou, O injur'd Earth, thy jawes extend,
That I may to th'infernall Shades descend:
Lesse cause had thy revenge, when she the five
Inrag'd Conspirators devour'd alive.
Those evils which amaz'd the former-times,
Thy fury hath consum'd on smaller Crimes.
O slow revenger of his injuries,
And he thy Son! some fearefull death devize;
Vnknowne, and horrid: Or shall I pursue
My owne offence, and act what thou shouldst doe?
You Legions of Heavens Exuls, you who take
Revenge on Mortals for the crimes you make;
Why troope you thus about me? Or what need
These terrors? Is my punishment decree'd

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In Hell already? Furies, now I come.
In your darke dungeons what more horrid Rome
Shall now devoure me? Must I to that Place,
Where the curs'd Father of a wicked Race
Your scourges feeles? who, when the world was new,
And but possest by foure, his brother slew.
Or where that faithlesse Prince blasphemes? then all
His Host more eminent; who lest his fall
Should honour to his enemies afford,
Made way for hated Life with his own sword.
He most affects me, who his fathers Chaire
Vsurp'd; when caught by his revenging Haire,
He lost the Earth and Life: the way he led
T'avoided Death, my willing feet shall tread.
Master, I fly to anticipate the event
Of my foule crime with equall punishment.