Mundorum Explicatio or, The Explanation of an Hieroglyphical Figure: Wherein are couched the Mysteries of the External, Internal, and Eternal Worlds, shewing the true progress of a Soul from the Court of Jerusalem; from the Adamical fallen state to the Regenerate and Angelical. Being A Sacred Poem, written by S. P. [i.e. Samuel Pordage] |
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Whilst thus these powers for man contend, and be
In sharpest Wars; upon the mortal tree
Man lives, his food which to his pallate suits
Best, are its various and delicious fruits.
This is the Tree of Good and Evil: for
The Fruits themselves tho' good, nor evil are,
Yet (as the Plannet Mercury) incline
To either, as they are to whom they joyn.
'Tis not the grosser part that feeds thereon,
But 'tis the soul, the highest part of man.
The flesh hath fleshly food; the soul likewise
Feeds, but on choice and more varieties.
This Tree is good for food; such choice of fruits
It hath, that it conveniently suits
With every soul; so large and fairly spread
That with its branches East, and West are wed.
These then the fruits are. Here hangs natural Wit,
And Judgement, which humane affaires doth fit.
Here a propriety in goods, and Lands,
Self Interest; Love to relations hangs
On this Bow; here an innate doing right
Pends; here hangs Riches, yon' unto the fight
Appears the lovely fruit of Beauty; there
Sports to refresh the mind, and Body are.
Here Honours hang, and high promotions;
Plenty of Goods, and great possessions.
Here dangles Pleasures, here Morality,
Good Carriage, Parts, and civil honesty.
Degrees of State, whence Kings, and Lords arise,
Earles, Barrons, Knights, Gentry, Nobilities:
Here Power, and Authority; and here
This Bow innate Concupiscence doth bear.
On th' other side all manual Arts, and Trades,
In clusters hang, among the greener shades.
Here you may find both Grammer, Rhetoric,
With Logic, opticks, and Arithmetic:
Musick, Physicks, Metaphysicks too,
With Geometry hang dangling in your view;
Astronomy, and Geography there,
Astrologie, and Surgery appear.
Here nat'ral Magic; and Theology,
Accompan'ed with antique Poetry;
Here Chimistry, Ethicks, œconomicks,
Phisosophy all sorts, and Politicks,
With many more do grow. This is the food
Which Man's Soul eats, and finds it very good.
If that you well revolve these in your mind,
Nor Good, nor Bad them in themselves you'l find;
Yet may to poyson be converted, or
Made wholsome nourishment convenient for
Man's soaring Soul. Here the two opposite
Worlds forces often meet, and strongly fight.
Both would his Cooks be, both desire to carve,
Both willingly would at his Table serve,
That they their Tinctures might infuse; for meats
Do operate much in his Soul that eates,
For Beauty (which a pleasant harmony
Of Blood, and humours is, just symmetry
Of all the parts) no evil is: nor is't
A sin to have it, or a sin to miss't:
Yet Sathan this to poyson may convert,
If thorow it he should elate the heart;
Make those that it possesse, make 't nothing worth
By spending precious Time to set it forth.
Sathan endeavours thorow it to cause
Pride, and to make them greedy of applause,
To dresse it forth with highest vanities:
To make adorers with their wanton eyes:
Then Lust creeps in, with other sins; and thus
Beauty though good is evil made to us.
Loves Forces strive if thou hast Beauty, to
Make it most wholsom, and good food for you:
He'd make thee Chast, and strive his Grace to set,
As Jewels in so fair a Cabinet.
Vertue shines brightest in a beauteous frame,
That graceth Beauty: Beauty to the same
Adds splendor. Oft the Beauty of the Soul
Is disregarded in a Face that's foul.
Therefore if thou art beautiful, thou art
More fit to serve God with a purer heart;
For is't not fit that he who Beauty gave,
Before all others should thy Beauty have?
Thus pleadeth Love, who'd make it good; and thus
It may be made both Good, and ill to us.
To ill the Devil would convert thy Wit,
And understanding, by employing it
In vanities, or some ill Arts, or by
Converting it to guile, or subtilty.
Loves power would draw it unto goodnesse, and
His sacred Mysteries to understand
Cause, by converting it to Wisdom; so
Wit may our Friend be, or may be our Foe.
All Arts and Sciences may be abus'd,
Made Good if rightly, Bad if wrongly us'd.
So nat'ral knowledge us indammage may,
But do great good if it we well employ.
So whilst that we inspect Astrology,
Or the starres motions by Astronomy
View; we may there Gods Wonders contemplate,
Which may to Earth our eager Love abate:
Whilst we in Natural Magic look, and see
The various Wonders that there hidden be.
We may with greater ardour praise his Name,
Who out of nothing, thus all things did frame.
Thus it redound may to God's glory: But
It by temptation we do solely put
Our mindes therein, or greater things neglect
For them, or to the stars an indirect
Power ascribe; or natural Magic passe
To necromancy, or Hells arts, alas!
How are we lost! thus recreations
May help the mind; or prove temptations
To greater ills. Thus Logick may be bent
For to maintain Errors by Argument,
And Syllogisms, when the Truth it shou'd
Alone maintain: Thus bad it proves: Thus good.
So Rhetoric with all its figures may
A false cause to Truth's prejudice display.
What may do greater good, than may the Tongue?
And yet what is there that doth greater wrong?
So Eloquence which should to heaven invite,
By Satans means doth unto Hell excite.
How good a fruit's divine Theology!
Yet it by Satan may corrupted be:
How many Errors, Schisms, Heresies,
Strange Fancies, Whimsies, horrid Blasphemies
Hath sprung from those who thus have study'd, by
Our Adversarie's subtle ingeny
Caus'd! Musick Satan doth impoyson too,
And makes more hurt, than good by it accrue
To most; for those, whose minds he doth possesse,
It stirs to Lust, provokes to wantonness:
Allures to riot, and to vanity:
Thus is't the fruit made of the evil Tree.
When that it should (so minds to Heav'n erect
Do find it) unto happiness direct
Our fleeting thoughts, and by those warbling measures
Ravish our souls from earth, to Heavens pleasures:
Make us to enter contemplation
Of those sweet voices, which before the Throne
Sing evermore with Halalujahs; raise
Our duller spirits; and make us sing with praise
Heav'n's mercies to us; and above the poles
Divinely carry our harmonious souls;
Where in a kind of extasie, a bliss
Not to be spoke they find. Thus good it is.
In sharpest Wars; upon the mortal tree
Man lives, his food which to his pallate suits
Best, are its various and delicious fruits.
This is the Tree of Good and Evil: for
The Fruits themselves tho' good, nor evil are,
Yet (as the Plannet Mercury) incline
To either, as they are to whom they joyn.
'Tis not the grosser part that feeds thereon,
But 'tis the soul, the highest part of man.
The flesh hath fleshly food; the soul likewise
Feeds, but on choice and more varieties.
This Tree is good for food; such choice of fruits
It hath, that it conveniently suits
With every soul; so large and fairly spread
That with its branches East, and West are wed.
These then the fruits are. Here hangs natural Wit,
And Judgement, which humane affaires doth fit.
Here a propriety in goods, and Lands,
Self Interest; Love to relations hangs
On this Bow; here an innate doing right
Pends; here hangs Riches, yon' unto the fight
90
Sports to refresh the mind, and Body are.
Here Honours hang, and high promotions;
Plenty of Goods, and great possessions.
Here dangles Pleasures, here Morality,
Good Carriage, Parts, and civil honesty.
Degrees of State, whence Kings, and Lords arise,
Earles, Barrons, Knights, Gentry, Nobilities:
Here Power, and Authority; and here
This Bow innate Concupiscence doth bear.
On th' other side all manual Arts, and Trades,
In clusters hang, among the greener shades.
Here you may find both Grammer, Rhetoric,
With Logic, opticks, and Arithmetic:
Musick, Physicks, Metaphysicks too,
With Geometry hang dangling in your view;
Astronomy, and Geography there,
Astrologie, and Surgery appear.
Here nat'ral Magic; and Theology,
Accompan'ed with antique Poetry;
Here Chimistry, Ethicks, œconomicks,
Phisosophy all sorts, and Politicks,
With many more do grow. This is the food
Which Man's Soul eats, and finds it very good.
If that you well revolve these in your mind,
Nor Good, nor Bad them in themselves you'l find;
Yet may to poyson be converted, or
Made wholsome nourishment convenient for
Man's soaring Soul. Here the two opposite
Worlds forces often meet, and strongly fight.
Both would his Cooks be, both desire to carve,
Both willingly would at his Table serve,
That they their Tinctures might infuse; for meats
Do operate much in his Soul that eates,
For Beauty (which a pleasant harmony
Of Blood, and humours is, just symmetry
Of all the parts) no evil is: nor is't
A sin to have it, or a sin to miss't:
Yet Sathan this to poyson may convert,
If thorow it he should elate the heart;
91
By spending precious Time to set it forth.
Sathan endeavours thorow it to cause
Pride, and to make them greedy of applause,
To dresse it forth with highest vanities:
To make adorers with their wanton eyes:
Then Lust creeps in, with other sins; and thus
Beauty though good is evil made to us.
Loves Forces strive if thou hast Beauty, to
Make it most wholsom, and good food for you:
He'd make thee Chast, and strive his Grace to set,
As Jewels in so fair a Cabinet.
Vertue shines brightest in a beauteous frame,
That graceth Beauty: Beauty to the same
Adds splendor. Oft the Beauty of the Soul
Is disregarded in a Face that's foul.
Therefore if thou art beautiful, thou art
More fit to serve God with a purer heart;
For is't not fit that he who Beauty gave,
Before all others should thy Beauty have?
Thus pleadeth Love, who'd make it good; and thus
It may be made both Good, and ill to us.
To ill the Devil would convert thy Wit,
And understanding, by employing it
In vanities, or some ill Arts, or by
Converting it to guile, or subtilty.
Loves power would draw it unto goodnesse, and
His sacred Mysteries to understand
Cause, by converting it to Wisdom; so
Wit may our Friend be, or may be our Foe.
All Arts and Sciences may be abus'd,
Made Good if rightly, Bad if wrongly us'd.
So nat'ral knowledge us indammage may,
But do great good if it we well employ.
So whilst that we inspect Astrology,
Or the starres motions by Astronomy
View; we may there Gods Wonders contemplate,
Which may to Earth our eager Love abate:
Whilst we in Natural Magic look, and see
The various Wonders that there hidden be.
92
Who out of nothing, thus all things did frame.
Thus it redound may to God's glory: But
It by temptation we do solely put
Our mindes therein, or greater things neglect
For them, or to the stars an indirect
Power ascribe; or natural Magic passe
To necromancy, or Hells arts, alas!
How are we lost! thus recreations
May help the mind; or prove temptations
To greater ills. Thus Logick may be bent
For to maintain Errors by Argument,
And Syllogisms, when the Truth it shou'd
Alone maintain: Thus bad it proves: Thus good.
So Rhetoric with all its figures may
A false cause to Truth's prejudice display.
What may do greater good, than may the Tongue?
And yet what is there that doth greater wrong?
So Eloquence which should to heaven invite,
By Satans means doth unto Hell excite.
How good a fruit's divine Theology!
Yet it by Satan may corrupted be:
How many Errors, Schisms, Heresies,
Strange Fancies, Whimsies, horrid Blasphemies
Hath sprung from those who thus have study'd, by
Our Adversarie's subtle ingeny
Caus'd! Musick Satan doth impoyson too,
And makes more hurt, than good by it accrue
To most; for those, whose minds he doth possesse,
It stirs to Lust, provokes to wantonness:
Allures to riot, and to vanity:
Thus is't the fruit made of the evil Tree.
When that it should (so minds to Heav'n erect
Do find it) unto happiness direct
Our fleeting thoughts, and by those warbling measures
Ravish our souls from earth, to Heavens pleasures:
Make us to enter contemplation
Of those sweet voices, which before the Throne
Sing evermore with Halalujahs; raise
Our duller spirits; and make us sing with praise
93
Divinely carry our harmonious souls;
Where in a kind of extasie, a bliss
Not to be spoke they find. Thus good it is.
And now my heart glows with a sacred fire,
Just is my zeal, nor sinful is my ire,
'Gainst those vitiators who in these our times
Make Poesie hateful, by their wanton rithmes;
Who feel no sacred, glowing heats; who prize
No flames, but what come from their Mistress' eyes.
Leave off you looser rithmers, cease your pains,
For shame, and trouble shall be all your gains.
Abuse no longer what in times of old
God hath himself made use of to unfold
His sacred Mysteries, nor let it be
Made by you thus fruit of the evil Tree.
Luxurious wits who feed on Poetry
Are thus by subtle Satan drawn awry,
Whilst they the creame of wit do spend, to grace
With Eulogies some disproportion'd face.
Let these low lines you witty ones excite
Your ready quills, on some such theame to write,
Then shall mine cede to yours: not while you erre
And mortal beauties do to heav'n preferre
The end of Poesy is the praise of God,
Us'd to that end it is exceeding good.
Just is my zeal, nor sinful is my ire,
'Gainst those vitiators who in these our times
Make Poesie hateful, by their wanton rithmes;
Who feel no sacred, glowing heats; who prize
No flames, but what come from their Mistress' eyes.
Leave off you looser rithmers, cease your pains,
For shame, and trouble shall be all your gains.
Abuse no longer what in times of old
God hath himself made use of to unfold
His sacred Mysteries, nor let it be
Made by you thus fruit of the evil Tree.
Luxurious wits who feed on Poetry
Are thus by subtle Satan drawn awry,
Whilst they the creame of wit do spend, to grace
With Eulogies some disproportion'd face.
Let these low lines you witty ones excite
Your ready quills, on some such theame to write,
Then shall mine cede to yours: not while you erre
And mortal beauties do to heav'n preferre
The end of Poesy is the praise of God,
Us'd to that end it is exceeding good.
The food of man's soul thus describ'd you see,
The fruits are of the the good and evil Tree,
Which may be made, or good, or bad or so
Bring Man to blisse, or everlasting woe.
Therefore take heed to Satans subtle traine,
That by these fruits thy soul he may not gain,
For here he shews his cunning, and his skill,
To make thee, only feed upon the ill.
Heav'n's forces strive, and if thou wilt obey,
This Tree shall be the Tree of good, and joy:
And since we must upon it feed we shou'd
Eschew the Evil, and accept the Good.
The fruits are of the the good and evil Tree,
Which may be made, or good, or bad or so
Bring Man to blisse, or everlasting woe.
Therefore take heed to Satans subtle traine,
That by these fruits thy soul he may not gain,
For here he shews his cunning, and his skill,
To make thee, only feed upon the ill.
Heav'n's forces strive, and if thou wilt obey,
This Tree shall be the Tree of good, and joy:
And since we must upon it feed we shou'd
Eschew the Evil, and accept the Good.
The subtle Serpent, our sworn foe, with his
Vast Troops, do use to keep us from our bliss
A thousand wayes: a thousand stratagems
And tricks he hath: he round about behemms
Our yielding Souls; and round about he sets
To catch us fast, his strong, and wide spread nets:
Hel's Troops like Ants do never idle stand.
But move about Earth's mighty Moles, and
All wayes to gain the Soul of Man do try;
Which got they straight send to Hel's Treasury.
Sometimes he this makes use of, sometimes that,
This serves for this that for another Plot.
Sometime the Starres, and their bad influence
As instruments he uses; and from whence
He oft assaults poor Man. MARS stirs to wrath,
And blood, SATURN to Avarice, and sloth:
MERC'RIE to Theft: Ambition JUPITER,
VENUS to Lust, and the cold MOON, to err.
His wayes innumerable are, and mount
Unto infinity; the starres you count
May first, or sands that on the shore do lye.
He'l suit all Humours: By their humours try
To work for his advantage. To excesse
Of feeding this man, that to drunkennesse,
He doth provoke. Leads this to Pride; to Lust
Another: this to doing things unjust
To lying, Theft, Adultery, Perjury,
And to all manner of iniquity.
But meets he with a studious Man, or one
Who hath got conquest o're his passion,
Unto grosse sins he doth not tempt them, he
Their strength doth know; therefore with policy
His shape he changes, and with subtle guile
Corrupts their knowledge; and with errours vile
Their Brains doth fill: if in Theology
Their study be; their errours are more high.
A prying mind finds he in men of Parts,
He subtlely draws them to his blacker Arts,
Where with most strange delusions them delude
And thus himself in every one intrude
He will; and suting to their inclination
With cunning Art, unseen work their destruction.
Vast Troops, do use to keep us from our bliss
94
And tricks he hath: he round about behemms
Our yielding Souls; and round about he sets
To catch us fast, his strong, and wide spread nets:
Hel's Troops like Ants do never idle stand.
But move about Earth's mighty Moles, and
All wayes to gain the Soul of Man do try;
Which got they straight send to Hel's Treasury.
Sometimes he this makes use of, sometimes that,
This serves for this that for another Plot.
Sometime the Starres, and their bad influence
As instruments he uses; and from whence
He oft assaults poor Man. MARS stirs to wrath,
And blood, SATURN to Avarice, and sloth:
MERC'RIE to Theft: Ambition JUPITER,
VENUS to Lust, and the cold MOON, to err.
His wayes innumerable are, and mount
Unto infinity; the starres you count
May first, or sands that on the shore do lye.
He'l suit all Humours: By their humours try
To work for his advantage. To excesse
Of feeding this man, that to drunkennesse,
He doth provoke. Leads this to Pride; to Lust
Another: this to doing things unjust
To lying, Theft, Adultery, Perjury,
And to all manner of iniquity.
But meets he with a studious Man, or one
Who hath got conquest o're his passion,
Unto grosse sins he doth not tempt them, he
Their strength doth know; therefore with policy
His shape he changes, and with subtle guile
Corrupts their knowledge; and with errours vile
Their Brains doth fill: if in Theology
Their study be; their errours are more high.
A prying mind finds he in men of Parts,
He subtlely draws them to his blacker Arts,
Where with most strange delusions them delude
And thus himself in every one intrude
He will; and suting to their inclination
With cunning Art, unseen work their destruction.
95
But sees he now some who in earnest be
To leave the World, who would their Spirits free
From his sad bondage, bid this Earth adiew,
And would with Heav'n a stricter league renew:
Uprightly walk, and very closely presse
To find that Gate that leads to happinesse,
Out of this Earth; thus cunningly he deals,
So soon as he their working pulses feels.
A mighty Circle 'fore the gate he draws,
The which scarce touched is with Heaven's Rayes:
Those then who presse toward this Gate, anon
Fall into this Fantastic Region.
For so it is they in a Circle run,
Blinded, and groping, wanting heat, and Sun.
A little Light, as at a crevice flows
Into the place, the which these umbra's shows
Unto their hood-winck'd eyes: Formes, Government,
Words, Literal sence, Disputes, and Cavilment,
Concerning Ceremonies, Judging, and
Self-gathering in a more righteous Band.
With these they sport themselves, who (like that fire
That in the Night leads people th'row the mire,
And 'bout the Field) do cause these blind ones stray,
In oblique pathes, and hinder from the way
They should have ta'n. In this same Region
All Sects, as in a misty Circle run.
Here gropes the Presbyter, whose rigid sp'rit
Is took for zeal: beclouded too with night
In this dark Region's th' Independant who
Hath a more pleasing sp'rit, and better hue.
The Dippers here do wash their scaly eyes,
And round about the bolder Ranter flies,
Here the severer Quakerist, and here
Fift Monarchists; Enthusiasts appear,
With other Sects, and Fanaticks, and all
Who pressing forward stay, or catch a fall.
To leave the World, who would their Spirits free
From his sad bondage, bid this Earth adiew,
And would with Heav'n a stricter league renew:
Uprightly walk, and very closely presse
To find that Gate that leads to happinesse,
Out of this Earth; thus cunningly he deals,
So soon as he their working pulses feels.
A mighty Circle 'fore the gate he draws,
The which scarce touched is with Heaven's Rayes:
Those then who presse toward this Gate, anon
Fall into this Fantastic Region.
For so it is they in a Circle run,
Blinded, and groping, wanting heat, and Sun.
A little Light, as at a crevice flows
Into the place, the which these umbra's shows
Unto their hood-winck'd eyes: Formes, Government,
Words, Literal sence, Disputes, and Cavilment,
Concerning Ceremonies, Judging, and
Self-gathering in a more righteous Band.
With these they sport themselves, who (like that fire
That in the Night leads people th'row the mire,
And 'bout the Field) do cause these blind ones stray,
In oblique pathes, and hinder from the way
They should have ta'n. In this same Region
All Sects, as in a misty Circle run.
Here gropes the Presbyter, whose rigid sp'rit
Is took for zeal: beclouded too with night
In this dark Region's th' Independant who
Hath a more pleasing sp'rit, and better hue.
96
And round about the bolder Ranter flies,
Here the severer Quakerist, and here
Fift Monarchists; Enthusiasts appear,
With other Sects, and Fanaticks, and all
Who pressing forward stay, or catch a fall.
For such whose love to heaven, caus'd them press
Towards that gate that leads to happiness,
Once enter'd here, it is more hard to finde
Then 'twas before they entered this blinde
Phantastic place: passe this forme, that, try there
Another, round them all, yet where you were
At first you are; nor are more neer the gate
In this same sect now, then you were in that.
Help't by some Angel, or some brighter ray,
Of all these Sects some may invene the way
Out of this Region, and may finde the gate
Which all that Heaven find must enter at.
All it endeavour: can we justly blame
Them, when they grope about to find the same?
Alas! though some do almost touch it, yet
Through blindnesse they can have no power to see't.
The way's not Sects, nor formes of pleasing sence,
But Truth, and Life, to Christ obedience.
Towards that gate that leads to happiness,
Once enter'd here, it is more hard to finde
Then 'twas before they entered this blinde
Phantastic place: passe this forme, that, try there
Another, round them all, yet where you were
At first you are; nor are more neer the gate
In this same sect now, then you were in that.
Help't by some Angel, or some brighter ray,
Of all these Sects some may invene the way
Out of this Region, and may finde the gate
Which all that Heaven find must enter at.
All it endeavour: can we justly blame
Them, when they grope about to find the same?
Alas! though some do almost touch it, yet
Through blindnesse they can have no power to see't.
The way's not Sects, nor formes of pleasing sence,
But Truth, and Life, to Christ obedience.
Tho Satan tempteth all men unto sin,
And doth desire they should inhabite in
His harsh-dark, principle, and rather then
He'd any loose, a thousand wayes for men
He trys, as by this worlds law pleasures, yet
He'd rather man should like a Prince be set
Then like a slave in his great Kingdom; there
Both high and low degrees of places are:
They nearer to, or farther from his Throne
Are set, as they with him have union.
Those whom this worlds low pleasures catch, or those
Who by Lust, Lying, Wrath, or Envy goes
To this dark world; are kind of underlings,
And are like Subjects to Hells greater Kings.
But those who to greater perfection
Arrive, and who have stricter union
With Hell; and those who knew his Magic's might
Advanc'd are, and their states are higher pight.
These do become Princes in Wrath, and these
He loveth most; for they his nature please,
Are one with him; these do his Wonders show
And make his mighty power known below.
These are his Agents, Saints, beloved ones,
Are more than servants: these become his Sons.
Heav'n thirsts not more to have one perfect here
To make his Glory, and his might appear,
Than Hell; who as tho Elder Brother show
His Magic first shall on this Earth below.
Therefore it first I will describe, and tell,
The Power, Nature, Might, and Pomp of Hell.
And doth desire they should inhabite in
His harsh-dark, principle, and rather then
He'd any loose, a thousand wayes for men
He trys, as by this worlds law pleasures, yet
He'd rather man should like a Prince be set
Then like a slave in his great Kingdom; there
Both high and low degrees of places are:
They nearer to, or farther from his Throne
Are set, as they with him have union.
Those whom this worlds low pleasures catch, or those
Who by Lust, Lying, Wrath, or Envy goes
To this dark world; are kind of underlings,
And are like Subjects to Hells greater Kings.
But those who to greater perfection
Arrive, and who have stricter union
97
Advanc'd are, and their states are higher pight.
These do become Princes in Wrath, and these
He loveth most; for they his nature please,
Are one with him; these do his Wonders show
And make his mighty power known below.
These are his Agents, Saints, beloved ones,
Are more than servants: these become his Sons.
Heav'n thirsts not more to have one perfect here
To make his Glory, and his might appear,
Than Hell; who as tho Elder Brother show
His Magic first shall on this Earth below.
Therefore it first I will describe, and tell,
The Power, Nature, Might, and Pomp of Hell.
| Mundorum Explicatio | |