All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet Being Sixty and three in Number. Collected into one Volume by the Author [i.e. John Taylor]: With sundry new Additions, corrected, reuised, and newly Imprinted |
 |
 |
|
|
| [SVPERBIÆ FLAGELLVM, OR THE WHIP OF PRIDE.] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet |  |
[SVPERBIÆ FLAGELLVM, OR THE WHIP OF PRIDE.]
TO NO MATTER VVHO, NO GREAT MATTER VVHERE, YET TO BE READ, THERE IS MATTER WHY, ALTHOVGH NOT MVCH MATTER WHEN.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, WORTHY, and Learned Gentleman, Sr. Thomas Richardson Knight, Lord Chiefe Iustice of his Maiesties Court of Common Pleas, and Speaker in the High Court of Parliament, &c.
A double Anagramme. Thomas Richardson, As Man Honorde Chrit, So Christ Honerd A Man.
Your name includes, that As Man honorde Christ,So God againe through Christ honord a Man:
For if Man truely honor the most High'st,
Then Christ to honor Man both will and can.
Right Worthy Lord, this in your name is true,
You honor Christ, and Christ hath honord you.
26
A FEW LINES, TO SMALL PURPOSE, AGAINST THE SCANDALOUS ASPERSIONS, that are either maliciously, or ignorantly cast vpon the Poets and Poems of these Times.
There doth a strange, and true opinion runne,That Poets write much worse, then they haue don:
And how so poore their daily writings are,
As though their best inuentions were thread-bare.
And how no new things from them now do spring,
But all hath ref'rence from some other thing:
And that their daily doings doe reueale,
How they from one another filch and steale,
As if amongst them 'twere a statute made,
That they may freely vse the theeuing trade.
And some there are that will not sticke to say,
That many Poets liuing at this day,
27
And in th'Italian and the French haue skill,
These are the greatest theeues they say, of all
That vse the Trade (or Art) Poeticall.
For ancient Bards, and Poets in strange toungs,
Compiled haue their verses and their songs:
And those to whō those tongues are rightly known,
Translating them, make others verse their owne;
As one that steales a Cloake, and presently
Makes it his owne, by alt'ring of the dye.
So whole bookes, and whole sentences haue bin
Stolne, and the stealers, great applause did win,
And by their filching thought great men of fame,
By those that knew not the right Authors name.
For mine owne part, my Conscience witnesse is,
I n'er was guilty of such theft as this,
Vnto such robbery I could neuer reach,
Because I vnderstand no forreigne speach.
To prooue that I am from such filching free,
Latin and French are heathen-Greeke to me,
The Grecian, and the Hebrew Charactars,
I know as well, as I can reach the Stars.
The sweet Italian, and the Chip Chop Dutch,
I know, the man i'th Moone can speake as much.
Should I from English Authors, but purloyne,
It would be soone found counterfeited coyne.
Then since I cannot steale, but some will spy,
Ile truely vse mine owne, let others lye.
Yet to excuse the writers, that now write,
Because they bring no better things to light:
Tis because bounty from the world is fled,
True liberality is almost dead.
Reward is lodg'd in darke obliuion deep,
Bewitch't (I thinke) into an endlesse sleepe,
That though a man in study take great paines,
And empt his veines, puluerize his braines,
To write a Poem well, which being writ
With all his Iudgement, Reason, Art, and Wit,
And at his owne charge, print and pay for all,
And giue away most free, and liberall
Two, three, or foure, or fiue hundred bookes,
For his reward he shall haue nods and lookes;
That all the profit a mans paines hath gat,
Will not suffice one meale to feed a Cat.
Yet still Noble Westminster, thou still art free,
And for thy bounty I am bound to thee:
For hadst not thou, and thy Inhabitants,
From Time to Time relieu'd and help'd my wants,
I had long since bid Poetry adieu,
And therefore still my thankes shall be to you.
Next to the Court, in generall I am bound
To you, for many friendships I haue found.
There (when my purse hath often wanted bait)
To fill or feed it, I haue had receite.
So much for that, I'le now no more rehearse,
They shew their loues in prose, my thankes in verse:
When death, Mecænas did of life depriue,
Few of his Noble Tribe were left aliue,
This makes inuention to be meane and hard,
When Pride and Auarice doth kill reward.
And yet me thinkes, it plainely doth appeare,
Mens writings are as good as e're they were.
Good lines are like a Banquet ill imployd,
Where too much feeding hath the stomack cloyd.
Good verses fall sometimes (by course of fate)
Into their hands that are preiudicate.
And though the Writer n'er so well hath pend,
Yet they'le find fault with what they cannot mend.
Thus many a learned well composed line,
Hath bin a Pearle that's cast before a swine.
Or more familiarly to make compare;
Like Aqua vita giuen vnto a Mare.
These fellowes, (glutted with variety)
Hold good lines in a loath'd saciety,
Whilst paltry Riming, Libels, Iigges and Iests,
Are to their appetites continuall feasts,
With which their fancies they doe feed and fill,
And take the Ill for good, the Good for ill.
Whilst like to Mōkeyes, scorning wholsome meate)
They greedily doe poysnous spiders eate.
So let them feed vntill their humours burst,
And thus much bold to tell them heere I durst,
That Poetry is now as good as euer,
If to bounty, relieue her would endeuer.
Mens mindes are worse then they haue bin ofyore,
Inuention's good now, as it was before.
Let liberality awake, and then
Fach Poet in his hand will take a pen,
And with rare lines inrich a world of paper,
Shall make Apollo, and the Muses caper.
28
SVPERBIAE FLAGELLVM, OR THE VVHIP OF PRIDE.
VVhen all things were as wrap'd in sable night,
And Ebon darknes muffled vp the light:
When neither Sun, or Moone, nor Stars had shinde,
And when no fire, no Water, Earth, or Wind,
No Haruest, Autumne, Winter, when no Spring,
No Bird, Beast, Fish, nor any creeping thing,
When there was neither Time nor place, nor space,
And silence did the Chaos round imbrace:
Then did the Archworkmaster of this All,
Create this Massie Vniuersall Ball,
And with his mighty Word brought all to passe,
Saying, but Let there be, and done it was.
Let there be Day, Night, Water, Earth, Hearbs, Trees,
Let there be Sunne, Moone, Stars, Fish, Fowle that flees,
Beasts of the Field, he said but, Let there be,
And all things were created as we see.
Thus euery sensible and senselesse thing,
The High-Creators Word to passe did bring:
And as in viewing all his workes he stood,
He saw that all things were exceeding good.
Thus hauing furnisht Seas, and Earth and Skies,
Abundantly with all varieties,
Like a Magnificent and sumptuous Feast,
For th'entertainment of some welcome Guest,
When Beasts and Birds, and euery liuing Creature,
And the Earths fruits did multiply by Nature;
Then did th'Eternall Trinity betake
It selfe to Councell, and said, Let vs make,
Not Let there be, as vnto all things else,
But Let Vs Make Man, that the rest excels;
According To Ovr Image Let Vs Make
Man, and then did th'Almightie Red Earth take,
With which he formed Adam, euery limme,
And (hauing made him) breathed life in him.
Loe, thus the first Man neuer was a Child,
No way with sinne originall defil'd:
But with high Supernat'rall Vnderstanding,
He ouer all the World had sole commanding.
Yet though to him the Regency was giuen,
As Earths Lieutenant to the God of Heauen,
Though he commanded all created things,
As Deputy vnder the King of Kings;
Though so he highly here was dignifide,
To humble him, not to be puff'd with Pride,
He could not brag, or boast of high borne birth,
For he was formed out of slime and earth:
No beast, fish, worme, fowle, herbe, weed, stone, or tree,
But are of a more ancient house then he;
For they were made before him, which proues this,
That their Antiquity is more then his.
Thus both himselfe, and his beloued Spouse,
Are by Creation of the younger house,
And whilst they liu'd in perfect Holinesse,
Their richest Garments were bare Nakednesse,
True Innocency were their chiefest weeds,
(For Righteousnesse no Masque or Visor needs.)
The royal'st robes that our first Parents had,
Was a free Conscience with Vprightnesse clad;
They needed ne'r to shift; the cloathes they wore,
Was Nakednesse, and they desir'd no more
Vntill at last, that Hell-polluting sin,
With Disobedience soil'd their Soules within,
And hauing lost their holines Perfection,
They held their Nakednes an Imperfection,
Then (being both asham'd) they both did frame
Garments, as weedes of their deserued shame.
Thus, when as sinne had brought Gods curse on man,
Then shame to make Apparell first began:
E're man had sin'd, most plaine it doth appeare,
He neither did, or needed Garments weare,
For his Apparell did at first beginne,
To be the Robes of penance for his sinne.
Thus all the brood of Adam, and of Eue,
The true vse of Apparell may perceiue,
That they are Liueries, Badges vnto all
Of our sinnes, and our Parents wofull fall.
Then more then mad, these mad-brain'd people be
(Or else theysee, and will not seeme to see)
That these same Robes (with Pride) that makes them swell,
Are tokens that our best desert is hell.
Much like vnto a Traytor to his King
That would his Countrey to destruction bring,
Whose Treasons being prou'd apparantly,
He by the Law is iustly iug'd to dye,
And when he lookes for his deserued death,
A Pardon comes and giues him longer breath,
I thinke this man most madly would appeare
That would a halter in a glory weare,
Because he with a halter merited
Of life, to be quite desinherited.
But if he should vainegloriously persist
To make a Rope of silke or golden twist,
And weare't as a more honourable show,
Of his Rebellion, then course hempe or towe,
Might not men iustly say he were an Asse,
Triumphing that he once a Villaine was,
And that he wore a halter for the nonce,
In pride that he deserued hanging once?
Such with our heau'nly Father is the Case,
Of our first Parents, and their sinfull Race,
Apparell is the miserable signe,
That we are Traytors to our Lord diuine,
And we (like Rebels) still most pride doe take
In that which still most humble should vs make.
Apparell is the prison for our sinne
Which most should shame, yet most we Glory in;
Apparell is the sheete of shame as't were
Which (for our penance) on our backs we beare,
For man Apparell neuer did receiue,
Till he eternall Death deseru'd to haue.
And thus Apparell to our sense doth tell
Our sinnes 'gainst Heau'n, and our desert of Hell.
How vaine is it for man, a clod of Earth,
To boast of his high progeny, or Birth,
Because (perhaps) his Ancestors were good,
And sprung from Royall, or from Noble blood,
Where Vertuous worth did in their minds inherit,
Who gain'd their Honours by Desert and Merit;
Whose seruice for their Country neuer fai'ld,
Who (iustly) liu'd belou'd, and dyde bewaild;
Whose Affability, and Charity,
Guided with pious true sincerity,
Who to their states lou'd all their liues to ioyne
Loue before Lands, Compassion before Coyne?
Yet when they dyde, left wealth, place, state, and name,
To Heires who oury all in Pride & shame,
But as the Sacred Truth most truly saith,
“No man is saued by anothers Faith:
So though some honourable Rascals haue
Turn'd their good Fathers to their timelesse graue,
And like Ignoble noble Reprobates,
Possesse their names, possessions and estates,
Yet (for they want their Vertues and Deserts)
They are but Bastards to their better parts.
Manasses was good Hezechiahs sonne,
And with his Crowne into a Vice did runne;
The Sire the title of good King did gaine,
The Sonn's Abominations all did staine;
Honour is better well deseru'd then had,
To haue it vndeseru'd, that Honour's bad.
In Rome an ancient Law there sometimes was,
Men should through Vertue vnto Honor passe.
And 'tis a Rule that euermore hath bin,
“That Honor's best which a mans selfe doth win.
'Tis no Inheritance, nor can it runne
Successiuely from Father to the Sonne;
But if the Father nobly were inclin'd,
And that the Sonne retaine his worthy mind,
If with his Fathers goods he doth possesse
His goodnesse, all the world must then confesse,
That that Sonnes Honor doth it selfe display
To be the Fathers equall euery way.
Thus good mens Honors can no Honor be
To their degenerate posteritie,
But 'tis a mans owne Vertue, or his Vice,
That makes his Honor high or low in price.
Of Birth, or Parents, no man can be proud,
Pride of Apparell here is disallow'd,
Pride of our Riches is most Transitory,
Pride of our Beauty is a fading Glory:
Pride of our wisedome is most foolish fony:
Pride of our holines is most vnholy,
Pride of our strength is weakenes in our thought,
And Pride in any thing is come to nought.
Pride hath bin Author of the worst of Euils,
Transforming glorious Angels, into Deuils,
When Babels Tow'r gan proudly to aspire,
With toungs confusion, they were paid their hire.
Through Pride the King of Babels glory ceast,
And for seu'n yeeres it turn'd him to a beast;
And Baltazar that next him did succeede,
Lost life, and left his Empire to the Mede,
For Pride, to Tyre and Zidons wicked Kings
The Prophet a most iust destruction brings.
Herod mid'st his vngodly glory vaine,
Through Pride was eaten vp with wormes, and slaine,
Great Alexander, King of Macedon,
Disdaind to be his father Phillips son,
But he from Iupiter would be descended,
And as a god be honour'd and attended,
Yet Bain'de at Babylon he prou'd but man,
His godhead ended foolish as't began.
There was in Sicilie a proud Physitian,
Menecrates, and he through high ambition,
To be a god, himselfe would needs preferre,
And would (forsooth) be named Iupiter,
King Dionysius making a great feast,
This foole-god daigned there to be a guest,
Who by himselfe was at a table plac'd,
(Because his godhead should the more be grac'd)
The other Guests themselues did feed and fill,
He at an empty table still, sate still.
At last with humble low Sir Reuerence,
A fellow came with fire and Frankincense,
And offer'd to his godship, (saying then)
Perfumes were fit for gods, and meate for men:
The god in anger rose incontinent
Well laugh'd at, and an hunger'd, home he went.
The Romane Emperour Domitian
Would be a god, was murther'd by a man.
Caligula would be a god of wonder,
And counterfeite the lightning, and the thunder;
Yet euery Reall heau'nly Thundercracke,
This Caitife in such feare and terror strake,
That he would quake, and shake, & hide his head
In any hole, or vnderneath his bed.
And when this godlesse god had many slaine,
A Tribune dasht out his vngodly braine.
“And thus th'Almighty still 'gainst Pride doth frowne,
“And casts Ambition headlong tumbling downe.
Great Pompey would be all the worlds superior,
And Cæsar vnto none would be inferior;
But as they both did liue ambitiously,
So both of them vntimely deaths did dye.
The one in Ægypt had his finall fall,
The other murthered in the Capitall.
A number more Examples are beside,
Which shewes the miserable fall of Pride:
And doe men thinke to goe to Heauen from hence
By Pride, which cast the Angels headlong thence?
Or doe they through their Pride suppose to dwell
With God, when Pride did make the Deuils in hell?
It is a Vice which God abhors and hates,
And 'gainst it doth denounce most fearefull threats.
Oh, what a hellish vanity is't then,
That doth bewitch vaine women, and vile men,
That rather then their Pride and they will seuer,
They will be seuer'd from their God for euer?
I will not say but Wisedome, Beauty, Health,
Strength, Courage, Magnanimity, and Wealth,
Empires and Kingdomes, rule of Sea, and Land,
Are blessings giuen by Gods all-giuing hand;
But not because on whom they are bestow'd,
Should in the stead of Humblenesse waxe proud,
Or with vaine glory haue their hearts vpheau'd:
For why? what ere they haue, they haue receiu'd:
And therefore Christian Kings their stile doe grace
King By the Grace of God, of such a place;
Because by his especiall prouidence
They hold Maiesticall Preheminence.
And as there is distinction of Estates,
Some Emp'rours, Kings, and mighty Potentates,
Superiors and Inferiors, each degree,
As Gods foreknowing Knowledge did foresee:
Yet he did not bestow his bounteous Grace,
To make the great men proud, or meane men base;
Aboundant wealth he to the Rich doth lend,
That they the poore should succour and defend.
He hath giu'n strength and vigour to the strong,
That they shuld guard the weak frō taking wrong:
To some he knowledge doth and wisdome grant,
Because they should instruct the Ignorant:
But vnto no man God his gifts doth giue,
To make him proud, or proudly here to liue.
For Pride of state, birth, wisedome, beauty, strength,
And Pride in any thing, will fall at length,
But to be proud of Garments that we weare,
Is the most foolish pride a heart can beare.
For as they are the Robes of sinne and shame,
Yet more may be consider'd in the same:
Be they compact of silke, or cloth of Gold,
Or cloth, or stuffes, (of which ther's manifold)
Let them be lac'd and fac'd, or cut, or plaine,
Or any way to please the wearers braine,
And then let him or her that is so clad,
Consider but from whence these stuffes were had,
How Mercers, Drapers, silkmen were the Iaylers.
And how the Executioners were Taylers,
That did both draw and quarter, slash and cut,
And into shape, mishapen Remns-ants put.
Consider this, and you will graunt me than,
That Garments are the workemanship of man.
Which being granted no man can deny,
But that it is most base Idolatry,
T'adore or worship a proud paltry knaue,
Because the Mercers shop hath made him braue.
Or is it not a foolish vile mistaking,
To Honour things that are a Taylers making?
I make a vowe, that neuer whilst I liue
A Reuerence to Apparell will I giue;
Some goodnesse in the wearer I'le expect,
Or else from me he shall haue small Respect;
If in him vertue, and true worth I see,
He shall haue heart and hand, and cap and knee.
Tis laudable there should be diff'rence made
Betwixt a Courtier, and a man of Trade:
For sense or reason neuer would allow,
A Prince to weare a habit for the Plow:
Nor that a Carter vainely should aspire,
To thrust himselfe into the Court attire.
Distinctions of Office, and Estates
Should habit men according to their rates.
Thus I rich Garments no way doe condemne,
But I say no man should be proud of them.
In Rome, a worthy Law there once was made,
That euery man, of each degree and Trade,
Some marke or badge, about him still should beare,
Whereby men knew what all mens-callings were.
The Consuls bearing the Imperiall sway,
(To whose command the rest did all obey)
In token they had power to saue or spill,
Had Rods and Axes borne before them still.
The Censors, Tribunes, Ædiles, and the Prætors,
The Prouosts, Questors, and the Conseruators,
And as their offices were sundry varied,
So were they known by things before them carried.
The Mercer in his hat did weare some tuffe,
Or shred of Silke, or Gold, his trading stuffe;
Drapers a piece of List, Weauers a quill,
Or Shuttle, and the Millers wore a Mill.
And as men sundry callings did apply,
So they wore Emblemes to be knowne thereby.
But if that Law were but enacted here,
How like a pluckt crow, would Pride soon appeare?
Some Taylors would be very mad at that,
To weare each one a Bodkin in his hat;
There's many a wealthy Whoremaster would skip,
And stamp, and start, if he should weare a whip:
But yet if euery thiefe of each degree
Were bound to weare a halter, God blesse me:
A Butcher still should weare a Calfe or Bull,
My selfe (a Waterman) an Oare or Skull.
And so of euery trade both high and low,
Men (by their badges) would their fuuctions know.
And if this Law the State would but allow,
Some would weare Calues skins, that weare veluet now.
Then Iacke and Iill, and Iohn a Drones his issue,
Would not be trapped thus in Gold and Tissue.
'Tis strange a coxcomb should be cram'd with pride,
Because he hath got on a Sattin hide:
A Grogreine outside, or a siluer Case,
Some fourteene groce of buttons, and Gold lace;
When as perhaps the corps that carries all,
Hath more diseases then an Hospitall,
And (which is worst of all) his Soule within,
Stinks before God, polluted with all sinne.
Romes great Arch-tyrant Nero, amongst all
The matchlesse vices he was tax'd withall,
(The which in Histories are truely told,)
Was said t'haue shoo-ties al wrought o'r with gold,
If in an Emperour (that did command
Almost the whole world, both by Sea and Land,
Who countermaunded Indian Mines and Iems,
Iewels, and almost all earths Diadems,)
To weare gold shoo-strings were a noted crime,
What may it then be called at this time,
When many, below Hostlers in degree,
Shall (in that point) be deckt as braue as he?
Thus Pride's an ouerweening selfe opinion,
A soule-destroyer, come from Hels dominion;
Which makes vianglorious fools, & new found Madams
Forget they are of Eues good brood & Adams,
But yet though Pride be a most deadly sinne,
What numbers by it doe their liuings vvinne?
A vvorld of people daily liue thereby;
Who (vvere it not for it) would starue and dye.
Thus (by coruption of the time) this Deuill
Is grovvne a good, bad, necessary euill.
She is the Mercers onely fruitfull crop,
She is the Silkman, and th'Embrod'rers prop;
She is the Haberdashers chiefest Stocke,
She feeds the Hat-sellers vvith blocke on blocke;
She makes the Dyers daily liue to dye,
And dye to liue, and get great vvealth thereby;
She (euery Winter) doth the Draper feed,
With food and fuell She supplies his need:
She is the Taylors goddesse; and vpon her
He daily doth attend to doe her honour;
All the inuentions of his studious pate,
He at her shrine doth euer consecrate,
He rakes the vvorld for fashions that excell,
From Germany, from France, from Spaine, from Hell;
And vvould himselfe be out of fashion quite,
But that Pride in nevv fashions doth delight.
Silke-vveauers (of the vvich abundance are)
Wer't not for Pride, vvould liue, and dye most bare:
Sempsters with ruffs and cuffs, & quoifes, and caules,
And falles, (wer't not for pride) would soone haue falles.
The Shoomakers neat, spanish, or polony,
Would haue but single-soal'd receit of money.
The sweet perfumers would be out of fauour,
And hardly could be sauers by their fauour.
The glittering Ieweller, and Lapidary,
(But for Prides helpe) were in a poore quandary.
The Goldsmiths plate would stand vpon his shelfe,
And's Rings and Chaines he might weare out himselfe.
Thus Pride is growne to such a height, I say,
That were she banish'd, many would decay:
For many hundred thousands are, you see,
Which from Pride only, haue meat, cloaths, and fee.
No maruell then she hath so many friends,
When as such numbers on her still depends,
Pride is their Mistres, she maintaines them still,
And they must serue her, or their case is ill.
But as so many numbers numberlesse,
Doe liue and flourish here by Prides excesse:
So are there more vpon the other side,
Toild and tormented still to maintaine Pride.
The painfull Plowmans paines doe neuer cease,
For he must pay his Rent, or lose his lease,
And though his Father and himselfe before,
Haue oft relieu'd poore beggers at their doore;
Yet now his Fine and Rent so high is rear'd,
That his own meat, and cloathes are scarcely clear'd,
Let him toyle night and day, in light and darke,
Lye with the Lambe downe, rise vp with the Larke,
Dig, delue, plow, sow, rake, harrow, mow, lop, fell,
Plant, graft, hedge, ditch, thresh, winnow, buy & sell;
Yet all the money that his paines can win,
His Land-lord hath a purse to put it in.
What though his Cattell with the Murraine dye,
Or that the Earth her fruitfulnesse deny?
Let him beg, steale, grieue, labour and lament,
The Quarter comes, and he must pay his Rent;
And though his Fine and Rent be high; yet higher
It shall be rais'd, if once it doth expire:
Let him and his be hunger-staru'd and pin'de,
His Land-lord hath decreed his bones to grinde:
And all this carke and care, and toile of his,
Most chiefly for this onely purpose is,
That his gay Land-lord may weare silke & feather,
Whilst he poore drudge can scarce get frize or leather;
Because his Land-lady may dog the fashion,
Hee's rack'd and tortur'd without all compassion;
Because his Land-lords Heyre may haue renowne
Of Gentle, though the Father be a Clowne:
Because his Landlords daughters (deckt with pride)
With ill-got portions may be Ladyfide.
In briefe, poore tenants pinch for clothes and food
To dawb with pride their Landlords & their brood.
The time hath bin (and some aliue knowes when)
A Gentleman would keepe some twenty men,
Some thirty, and some forty, lesse or more,
(As their Reuenews did supply their store.)
And with their Charities did freely feed
The Widow, Fatherlesse, and poore mans need,
But then did Pride keepe residence in Hell,
And was not come vpon the earth to dwell:
Then Loue and Charity were at the best,
Exprest in Action, not in words profest.
Then conscience did keepe men in much more aw,
Than the seuerest rigour of the Law,
And then did men feare God (with true intent,)
For's Goodnesse, not for feare of punishment.
But since the Leprosie of Pride hath spred
The world all ouer, from the foot to head:
Good bounteous house-keeping is quite destroyd,
And large reuenewes other wayes imployd;
Meanes that would foure men meate and meanes allow,
Are turnd to garters, and to roses now,
That which kept twenty, in the dayes of old.
By Satan is turn'd sattin, silke, and gold,
And one man now in garments he doth weare,
A thousand akers, on his backe doth beare,
Whose ancestours in former times did giue,
Meanes for a hundred people well to liue.
Now all his shrunke, (in this vaineglorious age)
T'attire a coach, a footman, and a page,
To dice, drinke, drabs, tobacco, hauks & hounds,
These are th'expence of many thousand pounds,
Whilst many thousands starue, and daily perish,
For want of that which these things vs'd to cherrish.
There is another Pride, which some professe,
Who pinch their bellies, for their backs excesse:
For thogh their guts through wāt of fodder clings,
That they will make sweet filthy fiddle strings;
Yet they will suffer their mawes pine and lacke,
To trap with rich caparisons the backe.
These people, (for their Pride) doe Iustice still,
Vpon themselues, although against their will.
They doe in their owne stomacks, try, examine,
And punish outward Pride, with inward famine.
But sure the people can be good for nothing,
Whose reputation onely lyes in cloathing:
Because the hangman oft may execute,
A thiefe or traytor in a sattin sute,
And that sute which did from the gallowes drop,
May be againe hang'd in a Broakers shop,
And then againe hang'd, and bought, and worne,
And secondly (perhaps) to Tiburne borne:
And so at sundry times, for sundry crimes,
The Hangman may sell one sute sixteene times,
And euery Rascall, that the same did fit,
To be exceeding pockie proud of it.
And all this while, (if I be not mistooke)
It rests vnpaid for, in the Mercers booke.
Thus many simple honest people haue,
Giu'n worship to a Broakers wardrobe slaue,
Thus Tiburne ornaments may be the chiefe,
To grace a graceles arrant whoore, or thiefe.
A Seruing-man, I in cast cloathes haue seene,
That did himselfe so strangely ouerweene,
That with himselfe he out of knowledge grewe,
And therefore all his old friends he misknewe,
Vntill at last his Glory did decrease,
His outside fac'd with tatters, rags and greace,
Then did the changing time, the youth transforme
From Pride, to be as lowly as a worme.
A many of these fellovves may be had,
That's meeke or proud, as clothes are good or bad.
I leaue true Noble Gentry all this while,
Out of the reach of my inuectiue stile,
Tis fit that those of worthy race and place,
Should be distinguisht from the Vulgar base.
Particulars Ile not to question call,
My Satyre is 'gainst Pride in generall.
Soft Rayment is in Princes Courts allow'd,
Not that the wearers should thereof be proud:
For worth and wisedome knowes most certainely,
That Hell giues pride, and Heau'n Humility,
And be their garments ne'r so rare or rich,
They neuer can make Pride their hearts bewitch.
Then if all sorts of men considred this,
Most vaine the pride of any rayment is,
For neither Sea, land, fish, fowle, worme, or beast,
But man's beholding to the most and least.
The silly Sheepe puts off his coate each yeere,
And giues it to forgetfull man to weare:
The Oxe, Calfe, Goate, and Deere doe not refuse
To yeeld their skins, to make him boots & shooes,
And the poore silke-worme labours night and day,
T'adorne and granish man with rich array:
Therefore if men of this did rightly thinke,
Humility would grow, and pride would shrinke.
Fowles of the ayre doe yeeld both fans & plpmes
And a poore Ciuet-cat allowes perfumes.
The Earth is rip'd and bowel'd, rent and torne,
For gold and siluer which by man is worne:
And sea and land are rak'd and search't & sought,
For Iewels too farre fetcht, and too deare bought.
Thus man's beholding still (to make him trim)
Vnto all creatures, and not they to him.
Nature (without mans helpe) doth them supply,
And man without their helpe would starue and dye.
If men (I say) these things considered well,
Pride then would soone be tumbled downe to hell.
Their golden suits that make them much renown'd,
Is but the guts and garbage of the ground:
Their Ciuet (that affords such dainty sents)
Is but a poore Cats sweating Excrements;
Their rarest Iewels (which most glister forth)
Are more for outward shew then inward worth,
They are high valu'd at all times, and season,
But for what reason, none can giue a reason,
The best of, them like whoores, hath euer bin,
Most faire without, and full of bane within.
And let a great man weare a piece of glasse,
It (for his sake) will for a Diamond passe;
But let a man that's of but meane degree,
Weare a faire Diamond, yet it glasse must be.
This valuing of a Iewell is most fit
It should not grace a man, man should grace it.
A good man to his suite is a repute,
A knaues repute lyes onely in his sute.
And for a stone, that but three drams hath weigh'd,
Of precious poyson, hundreds haue bin paid.
And who can tell how many liues were lost,
In fetching home the Bables of such cost?
(For many of them as are as dearely bought,
As if they from Acheldama were brought.)
Yet some rush through (fantastques pates to please)
Rocks, sands & change of aire, rough winds & seas
Storms, tēpests, gusts, flawes, pirates, sword, & fire,
Death, or else slauery, (neuer to retire.)
And thus prides various humours to suffice,
A number hazard these calamities;
When our owne Countrey doth afford vs heere,
Iewels more precious, nothing nigh so deere.
A whetstone is more necessary sure,
A grindstone much more profit doth procure:
But for a milstone, that's a Iewell rare,
With wich no other stone can make compare.
The loadstone is the meanes to find the rest,
But of all stones the milstone is the best.
Free stones and artificiall bricks I graunt,
Are stones which men in building cannot want:
And the flintstone can yeeld vs fire and heate,
But yet the milstone yeelds bread vs to eate.
The tilestone keepes vs dry, the roadestone bydes,
And holds fast Boates, in tempests, winds, and tides,
The chalke stone serues for lyme, or for account
To score, how reck'nings doe abate or mount.
Pebles, and grauell, mend high wayes, I know,
And ballast shippes, which else would ouerthrow.
And this much I'le maintaine here with my pen,
These are the stones that most doe profit men:
These, these are they, if we consider well,
That Saphirs, and the Diamonds doe excell,
The Pearle, the Em'rauld, and the Turkesse bleu,
The sanguine Corrall, Ambers golden hiew,
The Christall, Iacinth, Achate, Ruby red,
The Carbuncle, Squar'd, cut, and pollished,
The Onix, Topaz, Iaspar, Hematite,
The sable Iet, the Tutch, and Chrysolite;
All these considred as they are indeee,
Are but vaine toyes that doe mans fancy feed;
The stones I nam'd before, doe much more good
For building, sayling, lodging, firing, food.
Yet Iewels for their lawfull vse are sent,
To be a luster, and an ornament
For State, magnificence, and Princely port,
To shew a Kingdomes glory, at the Court;
And God (I know) ordain'd them to be worne,
Superiour States to honour and adorne,
And for the vses they were made are good,
If (as they should be) they are vnderstood:
T'adorne our persons they are still allow'd,
But not to buy too deare, or make vs proud.
The holy Ghost in Exodus recites,
How Aaron (High Priest of the Israelites)
Twelue seuerall stones did on his Brest-plate beare,
Which of the twelue Tribes a remembrance were;
But they were mysticall, prophetique tropes,
And figures of Saluations future hopes.
But God did neuer giue or Gold or Iemme,
Or Iewell, that we should take pride in them.
The Deu'ill laugh'd lately at the stinking stir,
We had about Hic Mulier, and Hæc Uir,
The Masculine appareld Feminine,
And Feminine attired Masculine,
The Woman-man, Man-woman, chuse you whether,
The Female-male, Male-female, both, yet neither;
Hels Pantominicks, that themselues bedights,
Like shamelesse double sex'd Hermaphrodites,
Uirago Roaring Girles, that to their middle,
To know what sexe they were, vvas halfe a Riddle,
Braue trim'd & truss'd, vvith daggers & vvith dags,
Stout Captaine Maudlins feather brauely vvags,
Lieutenant Dol, and valiant Ensigne Besse,
All arm'd with impudence and shamelesnesse;
Whose Calues eg-starch may in some sort be taker
As if they had beene hang'd to smoake like Bacon,
Whose borrowed hayre (perhaps) not long before
Drop'd from the head of some diseased Whore,
Or one that at the Gallowes made her Will,
Late choaked with the Hangmans Pickadill.
In which respect, a Sow, a Cat, a Mare,
More modest then these foolish Females are.
For the bruit beasts (continuall night and day)
Doe weare their owne still (and so doe not they.)
But these things haue so well bin bang'd and firk'd,
And Epigram'd and Satyr'd, whip'd and Ierk'd,
Cudgeld and bastinadoed at the Court,
And Comically stag'de to make men sport,
Iyg'd, and (with all reason) mock'd in Rime,
And made the onely scornefull theame of Time;
And Ballad-mongers had so great a taske,
(As if their muses all had got the laske.)
That no more time therein my paines I'le spend,
But freely leaue them to amend, or end.
I saw a fellow take a white loaues pith,
And rub his masters white shoces cleane therewith,
And I did know that fellow, (for his pride)
To want both bread and meate before he dy'de.
Some I haue heard of, that haue beene so fine,
To wash and bathe themselues in milke or wine,
Or else with whites of egges, their faces garnish,
Which makes thē looke like visors, or new varnish.
Good bread, and oatmeale hath bin spilt like trash,
My Lady Polecats dainty hands to wash:
Such there hath bin, but now if such there are,
I wish that want of food may be their share.
Some practise euery day the Painters trade,
And striue to mend the worke that God hath made:
But these deceiuers are deceiued farre,
With falsly striuing to amend, they marre:
With deu'lish dawbing, plast'ring they doe spread,
Deforming so themselues with white and red,
The end of all their cunning that is showne,
Is, God will scarcely know them for his owne.
In a great frost, bare-brested, and vnlac't,
I haue seene some as low as to their waste:
One halfe attyr'd, the other halfe starke bare,
Shewes that they halfe asham'd, halfe shamelesse are,
Halfe, (or else all) from what they should be erring,
And neither fish or flesh, nor good red herring.
I blow'd my nailes when I did them behold:
And yet that naked Pride would feele no cold.
Some euery day doe powder so their haire,
That they like Ghosts, or Millers doe appeare:
But let them powder all that er'e they can,
Their Pride will stinke before both God and man.
There was a trades-mans wife, which I could name,
(But that I'le not divulge abroad her shame)
Which a strong legion of good garments wore,
As gownes and petticoates, and kirtles store,
Smocks, headtires, aprons, shadowes, shaparoons,
(Whim whams, & whirligiggs to please Baboones)
Iewels, rings, ooches, brooches, bracelets, chaines;
(More then too much to fit her idle braines)
Besides, she payd (not counting muffes and ruffes)
Foure pounds sixe shillings for two paire of cuffes.
'Twill make a man halfe mad, such wormes as those,
The generall gifts of God should thus ingrosse:
And that such numbers want their needfull vse,
Whilst hellish Pride peruerts them to abuse.
Now a few lines to paper I will put,
Of mens Beards strange and variable cut:
In which there's some doe take as vaine a Pride,
As almost in all other things beside.
Some are reap'd most sudstantiall, like a brush,
Which makes a Nat'rall wit knowne by the bush:
(And in my time of some men I haue heard,
Whose wisedome haue bin onely wealth and beard)
Many of these the prouerbe well doth fit,
Which sayes Bush naturall, More haire then wit.
Some seeme as they were starched stiffe and fine,
Like to the bristles of some angry swine:
And some (to set their Loues desire on edge)
Are cut and prun'de like to a quickset hedge.
Some like a spade, some like a forke, some square,
Some round, some mow'd like stubble, some starke bare,
Some sharpe Steletto fashion, dagger like,
That may with whispering a mans eyes out pike:
Some with the hammer cut, or Romane T,
Their beards extrauagant reform'd must be,
Some with the quadrate, some triangle fashion,
Some circular, some ouall in translation,
Some perpendicular in longitude,
Some like a thicket for their crassitude,
That heights, depths, bredths, triforme, square, ouall, round,
And rules Geo'metricall in beards are found,
Besides the vpper lip's strange variation,
Corrected from mutation to mutation;
As't were from tithing vnto tithing sent,
Pride giues to Pride continuall punishment.
Some (spite their teeth) like thatch'd eues downeward grows,
And some growes vpwards in despite their nose.
Some their mustatioes of such length doe keepe,
That very well they may a maunger sweepe:
Which in Beere, Ale, or Wine, they drinking plunge,
And sucke the liquor vp, as't were a Spunge;
But 'tis a Slouens beastly Pride, I thinke,
To wash his beard where other men must drinke.
And some (because they will not rob the cup,
Their vpper chaps like pot hookes are turn'd vp,
The Barbers thus (like Taylers) still must be,
Acquainted with each cuts variety:
Yet though with beards thus merrily I play,
'Tis onely against Pride which I inueigh:
For let them weare their haire or their attire,
According as their states or mindes desire,
So as no puff'd vp Pride their hearts possesse,
And they vse Gods good gifts with thankefulnesse.
There's many an idle shallow pated Gull,
Thinks his owne wisedome to be wonderfull:
And that the State themselues doe much forget,
Because he in authoritie's not set:
And hauing scarcely wit to rule a Cottage,
Thinks he could guide a Kingdome with his dotage.
True wisedome is mans onely guide and guard,
To liue here, to liue better afterward.
It is a rich mans chiefe preeminence,
And 'tis a poore mans stay, and best defence.
But worldly wisedome is the ground of all
The mischiefes that to man did euer fall.
Gods Wisedome is within the Gospel hid,
Which we to search, are by our Sauiour bid.
Thus Pride of humane wisedome is all vaine,
And foolish fancies of mens idle braine.
Pride of our knowledge, we away must throw,
For he knowes most, which least doth seeme to know:
One Apple from the Tree of life is more,
Then from the tree of knowledge halfe a score:
'Tis good for vs to know our Masters will,
But the not doing it, makes knowledge ill.
Ther's many know, the Iust in heau'n shall dwell,
Yet they vniustly runne the way to hell.
The life Eternall no way can be wonne,
But to know God, and Iesus Christ his Sonne.
Christ, (to his people) by his word and passion,
Taught men the ioyfull knowledge of saluation.
I rather had by knowledge, raise my chance,
Then to be poore with barb'rous ignorance;
Yet better 'twere I nothing vnderstood,
Then to know goodnesse, and to doe no good.
Thus knowledge, worthy is of dignity;
But not to make the knowers proud thereby.
For if men would, to know themselues endeuer,
Pride of their knowledge would infect them neuer.
Pride of our riches is a painefull pleasure,
Like sumpter horses laden with rich treasure,
So misers beare their vvealth as they are able,
Till Death the hostler makes the graue their stable.
There's some take pride in treasure basely got,
Haue it, yet want it, as they had it not;
And though to get it, no vile meanes they spare,
To spend it on themselues they seldome dare;
How can a base extortionizing Bore,
Get riches ill, and giue God thankes therefore?
Tis all one, if a thiefe, a bawde, a vvitch,
Or a Bribe-taker should grovv damned rich,
And for their trash, got vvith their hellish pranks,
The hypocriticke slaues vvill giue God thanks.
No, let the litter of such helhound vvhelps,
Giue thanks to th'Deuill (author of their helpes)
To giue God thanks, it is almost all one,
To make him partner in extortion.
Thus if men get their wealth by meanes that's euill,
Let them not giue God thanks but thāke the Deuill.
Yet wealth the gift of God hath euer bin,
But not such wealth that's onely got by sinne;
Nor any vvealth, if men take pride therein.
And those vvho pur their foolish confidence
In Riches, trusting to their false defence;
Those that vvith Mammon are bevvitched so,
Our Sauiour 'gainst them threats a fearefull vvoe.
Humility vvith Riches may be blest.
But Pride's a poyson God doth still detest.
Pride of our Learning's vaine, it doth appeare,
For though men study many a vveary yeere,
And learn'd as much, as possible the braine,
Or scope of mans Inuentions may attaine,
Yet after all their studies, truth doth show,
Much more is vvhat they know not, then they know,
To learne by bad mens vices, vice to shunne,
By good mens good, vvhat should by vs be done:
This is the learning vve should practise most,
Not to be proud thereof, or vainely boast,
A Princes fauour is a precious thing,
Yet it doth many vnto ruine bring;
Because the hauers of it proudly vse it,
And (to their ovvne ambitious ends) abuse it.
If men that are so stately and so strange,
Would but remember hovv time oft doth change,
And note hovv some in former times did speed,
By their examples they vvould take some heed:
For as a cart-wheele in the vvay goes round,
The spoake that's high'st is quickly at the ground,
So Enuy, or iust cause, or misconceit,
In Princes Courts, continually doe vvaite,
That he that is this day Magnifico,
To morrow may goe by Ieronimo.
The spoakes that now are highest in the wheeles,
Are in a moment lovvest by the heeles.
Haman was proud, past reasons bounds or scope,
And his vaine glory ended in a rope,
And his ten sonnes, in duty to obay
Their father, follovved him the selfe-same vvay.
Those men that harbour Pride vvithin their brest,
Doe seldome end their dayes in peace and rest.
But if they doe, disgrace and shame withall,
Are the chiefe vvayters on their funerall.
Where honour is with noble vertue mix'd,
It like a rocke stands permanent and fix'd,
The snares of enuy, or her traps of hate
Could neuer, nor shall euer hurt that state:
Like Adamant it doth beat backe the battry
Of spitefull malice, and deceiuing flattry,
For it with pride can neuer be infected,
But humbly is supernally protected,
Such with their Kings shall euer be belou'd,
And like to fixed starres, stand fast, vnmou'd.
Those that are proud of Beauty, let them know,
Their Pride is but a fickle, fading show.
A smoake, a bubble, a time-tossed toy,
A Luna-like, fraile, euer changing ioy.
For as a tide of flood, flow'd to the height,
Doth (in a moment) fall to ebbing straight:
So beauty, when it is most faire and fine,
(Like new pluck'd flowers) doth presently decline.
That man or womans vertue doth excell,
If with their beauty chastity doth dwell:
But Pride of beauty is a marke most sure,
That th'owners of it vse to procure
The Paphian pastime, and the Cyprian game,
The sports of Venus, and the acts of shame,
To breed the heat of Cupids lustfull flame.
Oft beauty hath faire chastity displac'd,
But chastity hath beauty euer grac'd.
For 'tis a maxime, Those haue euer bin,
That are most faire without, most foule within.
Too oft hath beauty, by disloyalty,
Branded it selfe with lasting infamy,
That one fraile creature, (nobly well descended)
(Proud of her fairenes) fouly hath offended,
And on her house and kindred, laid a blot,
That the dishonor ne'r will be forgot.
But a faire feature vertuously inclin'd,
A beauteous outside, and a pious mind,
Such are Gods Images Epitomies,
And Cabinets of heauens blest treasuries:
And therefore be thy feature, faire or foule,
Let inward vertues beautifie the soule.
Pride of our strength, shewes weaknes in our wit,
Because the Collicke, or an Ague fit,
The tooth-ach, or the pricking of a pin,
Oft lets the strength out, and the weaknesse in.
The Tribe of Dans great glory, Samsons strength,
By a weake woman was orethrowne at length.
And sure there's many do themselues much wrong
In being proud because they are made strong,
For a great number liuing now there are,
Can wrastle, throw the sledge, or pitch the barre,
That on their backs foure hundred waight can beare,
And horse-shooes (with their fists) in sunder teare,
Yet neuer vse their strength in any thing,
To serue their God, their Country, or their King.
But with outragious acts their liues pursue,
As if God gaue them strength but as their due,
As though they like the Gyants could remoue,
And hurle great mountaines at the head of Ioue,
Or like Gargantua or Polipheme,
Or Gogmagog, their boystrous fancies dreame,
That they more wonders by their strength can doe,
Then Hercules could e're attaine vnto.
Let those Goliahs, that in strength take pride,
Know that the Lord of Hostes doth them deride,
And what they are (that proudly brag and swell
Of strength) let any man but note them well,
If hurt or sickenesse make their strength decay,
A man shall neuer see such Cowes as they.
Be'ng strong, their minds on God they neuer set;
In weakenesse, iustly he doth them forget:
Strength, thus like headstrong Iades they doe abuse it,
For want of Reasons bridle how to vse it.
Pride of our children's vaine; our proper stem
Must either dye from vs, or we from them.
If our examples of the life we liue,
Inrich them not more then the gifts we giue,
If (disobedient) they despise instruction,
And will peruersly runne into destruction;
Much better had it bin, we had not bin
Begetters of such Imps of shame and sinne.
Children no duty to such Parents owe,
Who suffer vice their youth to ouergrow,
Neglect to teach thy sonne in younger yeeres,
He shall reiect thee in thy hoary haires,
The way to make our children vs obay,
Is that our selues from God runne not astray,
Such measure to our Maker as we mete,
Tis iust, that such, we from our children get.
Th'Apostle Paul exhorteth more and lesse,
To be all children in maliciousnesse:
That is to say, as children harmeles be,
So we should from maliciousnes be free.
Thus Pride of birth, apparell, wealth, strength stare,
And Pride of humane wisedome God doth hate:
Of knowledge, learning, beauty, children and
The Pride of Princes fauour cannot stand.
And Pride in any thing shall euermore,
Be bar'd and shut from heau'ns Eternall doore,
For whosoeuer will beleeue and looke,
Shall find examples in the sacred booke:
That God hath euer 'gainst the proud withstood,
And that a proud heart neuer came to good.
He saith, Pride is destruction, and agen
That Pride is hatefull before God and men.
How Prides beginning is from God to fall.
And of all sinne is the originall.
Who taketh hold on Pride, in great affliction
Shall be o'rethrowne, fild with Gods malediction,
Pride was not made for man, man hath no part
In pride, for God abhorreth a proud heart.
And 'tis decreed by the Almighties doome,
That pride vnto a fearefull fall shall come.
A person that is proud, ne'r pleas'd God yet:
For how can they please him whom they forget?
Yet as before I said, againe He say,
That pride to such a hight is growne this day.
That many a thousand thousand familie,
Wer't not for pride would begge, or starue and dye.
And the most part of them are men of might,
Who in prides quarrell will both speake and fight:
I therefore haue no hope to put her downe;
But Satyre-like, to tell her of her owne.
There is another pride which I must touch,
It is so bad, so base, so too too much:
Which is, if any good mans fortune be,
To rise to Honourable dignitie,
Or through infirmity, or wilfulnesse,
Men fall vnhappily into distresse.
That Libellers doe spirt their wits like froth,
To raile at Honor, and dishonor both.
These Mungrell whelpes are euer snarling still,
Hating mens goodnesse, glorying in their ill,
Like blood-hound Curs, they daily hunt and sent,
And rime and Iigge on others detriment:
Supposing it a very vertuous thing,
To be an arrant Knaue in libelling.
Forsooth these Screech-owles would be cal'd the wits,
Whose flashes flye abroad by girds and fits:
Who doe their mangy Muses magnifie:
Making their sports of mens calamity,
But yet for all their hatefull hellish mirth,
They are the vilest cowards on the earth:
For there's not one that doth a libell frame,
Dares for his eares subscribe to it his name.
Tis a base brutish pride to take a pen,
And libell on the miseries of men;
For why all men are mortall, weake and fraile,
And all, from what they should be, fall and faile.
And therefore men should in these slip'ry times
Bewaile mens miseries, and hate their crimes:
Let him that stands, take heed he doth not fall,
And not reioyce in mens mis-haps at all.
It is too much for Libellers to meddle,
To make their Muse a Hangman or a Beadle:
At mens misfortunes to deride and iest,
To adde distresse to those that are distrest.
As I doe hold mens vices to be vile,
So at their miseries Ile neuer smile,
And in a word (lest tediousnesse offend)
A Libeller's a Knaue, and there's an end.
And Ebon darknes muffled vp the light:
When neither Sun, or Moone, nor Stars had shinde,
And when no fire, no Water, Earth, or Wind,
No Haruest, Autumne, Winter, when no Spring,
No Bird, Beast, Fish, nor any creeping thing,
When there was neither Time nor place, nor space,
And silence did the Chaos round imbrace:
Then did the Archworkmaster of this All,
Create this Massie Vniuersall Ball,
And with his mighty Word brought all to passe,
Saying, but Let there be, and done it was.
Let there be Day, Night, Water, Earth, Hearbs, Trees,
Let there be Sunne, Moone, Stars, Fish, Fowle that flees,
Beasts of the Field, he said but, Let there be,
And all things were created as we see.
Thus euery sensible and senselesse thing,
The High-Creators Word to passe did bring:
And as in viewing all his workes he stood,
He saw that all things were exceeding good.
Thus hauing furnisht Seas, and Earth and Skies,
Abundantly with all varieties,
Like a Magnificent and sumptuous Feast,
For th'entertainment of some welcome Guest,
When Beasts and Birds, and euery liuing Creature,
And the Earths fruits did multiply by Nature;
Then did th'Eternall Trinity betake
It selfe to Councell, and said, Let vs make,
Not Let there be, as vnto all things else,
But Let Vs Make Man, that the rest excels;
According To Ovr Image Let Vs Make
Man, and then did th'Almightie Red Earth take,
With which he formed Adam, euery limme,
And (hauing made him) breathed life in him.
Loe, thus the first Man neuer was a Child,
No way with sinne originall defil'd:
But with high Supernat'rall Vnderstanding,
He ouer all the World had sole commanding.
Yet though to him the Regency was giuen,
As Earths Lieutenant to the God of Heauen,
Though he commanded all created things,
As Deputy vnder the King of Kings;
Though so he highly here was dignifide,
To humble him, not to be puff'd with Pride,
He could not brag, or boast of high borne birth,
For he was formed out of slime and earth:
No beast, fish, worme, fowle, herbe, weed, stone, or tree,
But are of a more ancient house then he;
For they were made before him, which proues this,
That their Antiquity is more then his.
Thus both himselfe, and his beloued Spouse,
Are by Creation of the younger house,
And whilst they liu'd in perfect Holinesse,
Their richest Garments were bare Nakednesse,
True Innocency were their chiefest weeds,
(For Righteousnesse no Masque or Visor needs.)
The royal'st robes that our first Parents had,
Was a free Conscience with Vprightnesse clad;
They needed ne'r to shift; the cloathes they wore,
Was Nakednesse, and they desir'd no more
Vntill at last, that Hell-polluting sin,
With Disobedience soil'd their Soules within,
And hauing lost their holines Perfection,
They held their Nakednes an Imperfection,
Then (being both asham'd) they both did frame
Garments, as weedes of their deserued shame.
Thus, when as sinne had brought Gods curse on man,
Then shame to make Apparell first began:
E're man had sin'd, most plaine it doth appeare,
He neither did, or needed Garments weare,
For his Apparell did at first beginne,
To be the Robes of penance for his sinne.
Thus all the brood of Adam, and of Eue,
The true vse of Apparell may perceiue,
That they are Liueries, Badges vnto all
Of our sinnes, and our Parents wofull fall.
Then more then mad, these mad-brain'd people be
(Or else theysee, and will not seeme to see)
29
Are tokens that our best desert is hell.
Much like vnto a Traytor to his King
That would his Countrey to destruction bring,
Whose Treasons being prou'd apparantly,
He by the Law is iustly iug'd to dye,
And when he lookes for his deserued death,
A Pardon comes and giues him longer breath,
I thinke this man most madly would appeare
That would a halter in a glory weare,
Because he with a halter merited
Of life, to be quite desinherited.
But if he should vainegloriously persist
To make a Rope of silke or golden twist,
And weare't as a more honourable show,
Of his Rebellion, then course hempe or towe,
Might not men iustly say he were an Asse,
Triumphing that he once a Villaine was,
And that he wore a halter for the nonce,
In pride that he deserued hanging once?
Such with our heau'nly Father is the Case,
Of our first Parents, and their sinfull Race,
Apparell is the miserable signe,
That we are Traytors to our Lord diuine,
And we (like Rebels) still most pride doe take
In that which still most humble should vs make.
Apparell is the prison for our sinne
Which most should shame, yet most we Glory in;
Apparell is the sheete of shame as't were
Which (for our penance) on our backs we beare,
For man Apparell neuer did receiue,
Till he eternall Death deseru'd to haue.
And thus Apparell to our sense doth tell
Our sinnes 'gainst Heau'n, and our desert of Hell.
How vaine is it for man, a clod of Earth,
To boast of his high progeny, or Birth,
Because (perhaps) his Ancestors were good,
And sprung from Royall, or from Noble blood,
Where Vertuous worth did in their minds inherit,
Who gain'd their Honours by Desert and Merit;
Whose seruice for their Country neuer fai'ld,
Who (iustly) liu'd belou'd, and dyde bewaild;
Whose Affability, and Charity,
Guided with pious true sincerity,
Who to their states lou'd all their liues to ioyne
Loue before Lands, Compassion before Coyne?
Yet when they dyde, left wealth, place, state, and name,
To Heires who oury all in Pride & shame,
But as the Sacred Truth most truly saith,
“No man is saued by anothers Faith:
So though some honourable Rascals haue
Turn'd their good Fathers to their timelesse graue,
And like Ignoble noble Reprobates,
Possesse their names, possessions and estates,
Yet (for they want their Vertues and Deserts)
They are but Bastards to their better parts.
Manasses was good Hezechiahs sonne,
And with his Crowne into a Vice did runne;
The Sire the title of good King did gaine,
The Sonn's Abominations all did staine;
Honour is better well deseru'd then had,
To haue it vndeseru'd, that Honour's bad.
In Rome an ancient Law there sometimes was,
Men should through Vertue vnto Honor passe.
And 'tis a Rule that euermore hath bin,
“That Honor's best which a mans selfe doth win.
'Tis no Inheritance, nor can it runne
Successiuely from Father to the Sonne;
But if the Father nobly were inclin'd,
And that the Sonne retaine his worthy mind,
If with his Fathers goods he doth possesse
His goodnesse, all the world must then confesse,
That that Sonnes Honor doth it selfe display
To be the Fathers equall euery way.
Thus good mens Honors can no Honor be
To their degenerate posteritie,
But 'tis a mans owne Vertue, or his Vice,
That makes his Honor high or low in price.
Of Birth, or Parents, no man can be proud,
Pride of Apparell here is disallow'd,
Pride of our Riches is most Transitory,
Pride of our Beauty is a fading Glory:
Pride of our wisedome is most foolish fony:
Pride of our holines is most vnholy,
Pride of our strength is weakenes in our thought,
And Pride in any thing is come to nought.
Pride hath bin Author of the worst of Euils,
Transforming glorious Angels, into Deuils,
When Babels Tow'r gan proudly to aspire,
With toungs confusion, they were paid their hire.
Through Pride the King of Babels glory ceast,
And for seu'n yeeres it turn'd him to a beast;
And Baltazar that next him did succeede,
Lost life, and left his Empire to the Mede,
For Pride, to Tyre and Zidons wicked Kings
The Prophet a most iust destruction brings.
Herod mid'st his vngodly glory vaine,
Through Pride was eaten vp with wormes, and slaine,
Great Alexander, King of Macedon,
Disdaind to be his father Phillips son,
But he from Iupiter would be descended,
And as a god be honour'd and attended,
Yet Bain'de at Babylon he prou'd but man,
His godhead ended foolish as't began.
There was in Sicilie a proud Physitian,
Menecrates, and he through high ambition,
To be a god, himselfe would needs preferre,
And would (forsooth) be named Iupiter,
30
This foole-god daigned there to be a guest,
Who by himselfe was at a table plac'd,
(Because his godhead should the more be grac'd)
The other Guests themselues did feed and fill,
He at an empty table still, sate still.
At last with humble low Sir Reuerence,
A fellow came with fire and Frankincense,
And offer'd to his godship, (saying then)
Perfumes were fit for gods, and meate for men:
The god in anger rose incontinent
Well laugh'd at, and an hunger'd, home he went.
The Romane Emperour Domitian
Would be a god, was murther'd by a man.
Caligula would be a god of wonder,
And counterfeite the lightning, and the thunder;
Yet euery Reall heau'nly Thundercracke,
This Caitife in such feare and terror strake,
That he would quake, and shake, & hide his head
In any hole, or vnderneath his bed.
And when this godlesse god had many slaine,
A Tribune dasht out his vngodly braine.
“And thus th'Almighty still 'gainst Pride doth frowne,
“And casts Ambition headlong tumbling downe.
Great Pompey would be all the worlds superior,
And Cæsar vnto none would be inferior;
But as they both did liue ambitiously,
So both of them vntimely deaths did dye.
The one in Ægypt had his finall fall,
The other murthered in the Capitall.
A number more Examples are beside,
Which shewes the miserable fall of Pride:
And doe men thinke to goe to Heauen from hence
By Pride, which cast the Angels headlong thence?
Or doe they through their Pride suppose to dwell
With God, when Pride did make the Deuils in hell?
It is a Vice which God abhors and hates,
And 'gainst it doth denounce most fearefull threats.
Oh, what a hellish vanity is't then,
That doth bewitch vaine women, and vile men,
That rather then their Pride and they will seuer,
They will be seuer'd from their God for euer?
I will not say but Wisedome, Beauty, Health,
Strength, Courage, Magnanimity, and Wealth,
Empires and Kingdomes, rule of Sea, and Land,
Are blessings giuen by Gods all-giuing hand;
But not because on whom they are bestow'd,
Should in the stead of Humblenesse waxe proud,
Or with vaine glory haue their hearts vpheau'd:
For why? what ere they haue, they haue receiu'd:
And therefore Christian Kings their stile doe grace
King By the Grace of God, of such a place;
Because by his especiall prouidence
They hold Maiesticall Preheminence.
And as there is distinction of Estates,
Some Emp'rours, Kings, and mighty Potentates,
Superiors and Inferiors, each degree,
As Gods foreknowing Knowledge did foresee:
Yet he did not bestow his bounteous Grace,
To make the great men proud, or meane men base;
Aboundant wealth he to the Rich doth lend,
That they the poore should succour and defend.
He hath giu'n strength and vigour to the strong,
That they shuld guard the weak frō taking wrong:
To some he knowledge doth and wisdome grant,
Because they should instruct the Ignorant:
But vnto no man God his gifts doth giue,
To make him proud, or proudly here to liue.
For Pride of state, birth, wisedome, beauty, strength,
And Pride in any thing, will fall at length,
But to be proud of Garments that we weare,
Is the most foolish pride a heart can beare.
For as they are the Robes of sinne and shame,
Yet more may be consider'd in the same:
Be they compact of silke, or cloth of Gold,
Or cloth, or stuffes, (of which ther's manifold)
Let them be lac'd and fac'd, or cut, or plaine,
Or any way to please the wearers braine,
And then let him or her that is so clad,
Consider but from whence these stuffes were had,
How Mercers, Drapers, silkmen were the Iaylers.
And how the Executioners were Taylers,
That did both draw and quarter, slash and cut,
And into shape, mishapen Remns-ants put.
Consider this, and you will graunt me than,
That Garments are the workemanship of man.
Which being granted no man can deny,
But that it is most base Idolatry,
T'adore or worship a proud paltry knaue,
Because the Mercers shop hath made him braue.
Or is it not a foolish vile mistaking,
To Honour things that are a Taylers making?
I make a vowe, that neuer whilst I liue
A Reuerence to Apparell will I giue;
Some goodnesse in the wearer I'le expect,
Or else from me he shall haue small Respect;
If in him vertue, and true worth I see,
He shall haue heart and hand, and cap and knee.
Tis laudable there should be diff'rence made
Betwixt a Courtier, and a man of Trade:
For sense or reason neuer would allow,
A Prince to weare a habit for the Plow:
Nor that a Carter vainely should aspire,
To thrust himselfe into the Court attire.
Distinctions of Office, and Estates
Should habit men according to their rates.
Thus I rich Garments no way doe condemne,
But I say no man should be proud of them.
In Rome, a worthy Law there once was made,
That euery man, of each degree and Trade,
31
Whereby men knew what all mens-callings were.
The Consuls bearing the Imperiall sway,
(To whose command the rest did all obey)
In token they had power to saue or spill,
Had Rods and Axes borne before them still.
The Censors, Tribunes, Ædiles, and the Prætors,
The Prouosts, Questors, and the Conseruators,
And as their offices were sundry varied,
So were they known by things before them carried.
The Mercer in his hat did weare some tuffe,
Or shred of Silke, or Gold, his trading stuffe;
Drapers a piece of List, Weauers a quill,
Or Shuttle, and the Millers wore a Mill.
And as men sundry callings did apply,
So they wore Emblemes to be knowne thereby.
But if that Law were but enacted here,
How like a pluckt crow, would Pride soon appeare?
Some Taylors would be very mad at that,
To weare each one a Bodkin in his hat;
There's many a wealthy Whoremaster would skip,
And stamp, and start, if he should weare a whip:
But yet if euery thiefe of each degree
Were bound to weare a halter, God blesse me:
A Butcher still should weare a Calfe or Bull,
My selfe (a Waterman) an Oare or Skull.
And so of euery trade both high and low,
Men (by their badges) would their fuuctions know.
And if this Law the State would but allow,
Some would weare Calues skins, that weare veluet now.
Then Iacke and Iill, and Iohn a Drones his issue,
Would not be trapped thus in Gold and Tissue.
'Tis strange a coxcomb should be cram'd with pride,
Because he hath got on a Sattin hide:
A Grogreine outside, or a siluer Case,
Some fourteene groce of buttons, and Gold lace;
When as perhaps the corps that carries all,
Hath more diseases then an Hospitall,
And (which is worst of all) his Soule within,
Stinks before God, polluted with all sinne.
Romes great Arch-tyrant Nero, amongst all
The matchlesse vices he was tax'd withall,
(The which in Histories are truely told,)
Was said t'haue shoo-ties al wrought o'r with gold,
If in an Emperour (that did command
Almost the whole world, both by Sea and Land,
Who countermaunded Indian Mines and Iems,
Iewels, and almost all earths Diadems,)
To weare gold shoo-strings were a noted crime,
What may it then be called at this time,
When many, below Hostlers in degree,
Shall (in that point) be deckt as braue as he?
Thus Pride's an ouerweening selfe opinion,
A soule-destroyer, come from Hels dominion;
Which makes vianglorious fools, & new found Madams
Forget they are of Eues good brood & Adams,
But yet though Pride be a most deadly sinne,
What numbers by it doe their liuings vvinne?
A vvorld of people daily liue thereby;
Who (vvere it not for it) would starue and dye.
Thus (by coruption of the time) this Deuill
Is grovvne a good, bad, necessary euill.
She is the Mercers onely fruitfull crop,
She is the Silkman, and th'Embrod'rers prop;
She is the Haberdashers chiefest Stocke,
She feeds the Hat-sellers vvith blocke on blocke;
She makes the Dyers daily liue to dye,
And dye to liue, and get great vvealth thereby;
She (euery Winter) doth the Draper feed,
With food and fuell She supplies his need:
She is the Taylors goddesse; and vpon her
He daily doth attend to doe her honour;
All the inuentions of his studious pate,
He at her shrine doth euer consecrate,
He rakes the vvorld for fashions that excell,
From Germany, from France, from Spaine, from Hell;
And vvould himselfe be out of fashion quite,
But that Pride in nevv fashions doth delight.
Silke-vveauers (of the vvich abundance are)
Wer't not for Pride, vvould liue, and dye most bare:
Sempsters with ruffs and cuffs, & quoifes, and caules,
And falles, (wer't not for pride) would soone haue falles.
The Shoomakers neat, spanish, or polony,
Would haue but single-soal'd receit of money.
The sweet perfumers would be out of fauour,
And hardly could be sauers by their fauour.
The glittering Ieweller, and Lapidary,
(But for Prides helpe) were in a poore quandary.
The Goldsmiths plate would stand vpon his shelfe,
And's Rings and Chaines he might weare out himselfe.
Thus Pride is growne to such a height, I say,
That were she banish'd, many would decay:
For many hundred thousands are, you see,
Which from Pride only, haue meat, cloaths, and fee.
No maruell then she hath so many friends,
When as such numbers on her still depends,
Pride is their Mistres, she maintaines them still,
And they must serue her, or their case is ill.
But as so many numbers numberlesse,
Doe liue and flourish here by Prides excesse:
So are there more vpon the other side,
Toild and tormented still to maintaine Pride.
The painfull Plowmans paines doe neuer cease,
For he must pay his Rent, or lose his lease,
And though his Father and himselfe before,
Haue oft relieu'd poore beggers at their doore;
Yet now his Fine and Rent so high is rear'd,
That his own meat, and cloathes are scarcely clear'd,
Let him toyle night and day, in light and darke,
Lye with the Lambe downe, rise vp with the Larke,
Dig, delue, plow, sow, rake, harrow, mow, lop, fell,
Plant, graft, hedge, ditch, thresh, winnow, buy & sell;
32
His Land-lord hath a purse to put it in.
What though his Cattell with the Murraine dye,
Or that the Earth her fruitfulnesse deny?
Let him beg, steale, grieue, labour and lament,
The Quarter comes, and he must pay his Rent;
And though his Fine and Rent be high; yet higher
It shall be rais'd, if once it doth expire:
Let him and his be hunger-staru'd and pin'de,
His Land-lord hath decreed his bones to grinde:
And all this carke and care, and toile of his,
Most chiefly for this onely purpose is,
That his gay Land-lord may weare silke & feather,
Whilst he poore drudge can scarce get frize or leather;
Because his Land-lady may dog the fashion,
Hee's rack'd and tortur'd without all compassion;
Because his Land-lords Heyre may haue renowne
Of Gentle, though the Father be a Clowne:
Because his Landlords daughters (deckt with pride)
With ill-got portions may be Ladyfide.
In briefe, poore tenants pinch for clothes and food
To dawb with pride their Landlords & their brood.
The time hath bin (and some aliue knowes when)
A Gentleman would keepe some twenty men,
Some thirty, and some forty, lesse or more,
(As their Reuenews did supply their store.)
And with their Charities did freely feed
The Widow, Fatherlesse, and poore mans need,
But then did Pride keepe residence in Hell,
And was not come vpon the earth to dwell:
Then Loue and Charity were at the best,
Exprest in Action, not in words profest.
Then conscience did keepe men in much more aw,
Than the seuerest rigour of the Law,
And then did men feare God (with true intent,)
For's Goodnesse, not for feare of punishment.
But since the Leprosie of Pride hath spred
The world all ouer, from the foot to head:
Good bounteous house-keeping is quite destroyd,
And large reuenewes other wayes imployd;
Meanes that would foure men meate and meanes allow,
Are turnd to garters, and to roses now,
That which kept twenty, in the dayes of old.
By Satan is turn'd sattin, silke, and gold,
And one man now in garments he doth weare,
A thousand akers, on his backe doth beare,
Whose ancestours in former times did giue,
Meanes for a hundred people well to liue.
Now all his shrunke, (in this vaineglorious age)
T'attire a coach, a footman, and a page,
To dice, drinke, drabs, tobacco, hauks & hounds,
These are th'expence of many thousand pounds,
Whilst many thousands starue, and daily perish,
For want of that which these things vs'd to cherrish.
There is another Pride, which some professe,
Who pinch their bellies, for their backs excesse:
For thogh their guts through wāt of fodder clings,
That they will make sweet filthy fiddle strings;
Yet they will suffer their mawes pine and lacke,
To trap with rich caparisons the backe.
These people, (for their Pride) doe Iustice still,
Vpon themselues, although against their will.
They doe in their owne stomacks, try, examine,
And punish outward Pride, with inward famine.
But sure the people can be good for nothing,
Whose reputation onely lyes in cloathing:
Because the hangman oft may execute,
A thiefe or traytor in a sattin sute,
And that sute which did from the gallowes drop,
May be againe hang'd in a Broakers shop,
And then againe hang'd, and bought, and worne,
And secondly (perhaps) to Tiburne borne:
And so at sundry times, for sundry crimes,
The Hangman may sell one sute sixteene times,
And euery Rascall, that the same did fit,
To be exceeding pockie proud of it.
And all this while, (if I be not mistooke)
It rests vnpaid for, in the Mercers booke.
Thus many simple honest people haue,
Giu'n worship to a Broakers wardrobe slaue,
Thus Tiburne ornaments may be the chiefe,
To grace a graceles arrant whoore, or thiefe.
A Seruing-man, I in cast cloathes haue seene,
That did himselfe so strangely ouerweene,
That with himselfe he out of knowledge grewe,
And therefore all his old friends he misknewe,
Vntill at last his Glory did decrease,
His outside fac'd with tatters, rags and greace,
Then did the changing time, the youth transforme
From Pride, to be as lowly as a worme.
A many of these fellovves may be had,
That's meeke or proud, as clothes are good or bad.
I leaue true Noble Gentry all this while,
Out of the reach of my inuectiue stile,
Tis fit that those of worthy race and place,
Should be distinguisht from the Vulgar base.
Particulars Ile not to question call,
My Satyre is 'gainst Pride in generall.
Soft Rayment is in Princes Courts allow'd,
Not that the wearers should thereof be proud:
For worth and wisedome knowes most certainely,
That Hell giues pride, and Heau'n Humility,
And be their garments ne'r so rare or rich,
They neuer can make Pride their hearts bewitch.
Then if all sorts of men considred this,
Most vaine the pride of any rayment is,
For neither Sea, land, fish, fowle, worme, or beast,
But man's beholding to the most and least.
The silly Sheepe puts off his coate each yeere,
And giues it to forgetfull man to weare:
The Oxe, Calfe, Goate, and Deere doe not refuse
To yeeld their skins, to make him boots & shooes,
33
T'adorne and granish man with rich array:
Therefore if men of this did rightly thinke,
Humility would grow, and pride would shrinke.
Fowles of the ayre doe yeeld both fans & plpmes
And a poore Ciuet-cat allowes perfumes.
The Earth is rip'd and bowel'd, rent and torne,
For gold and siluer which by man is worne:
And sea and land are rak'd and search't & sought,
For Iewels too farre fetcht, and too deare bought.
Thus man's beholding still (to make him trim)
Vnto all creatures, and not they to him.
Nature (without mans helpe) doth them supply,
And man without their helpe would starue and dye.
If men (I say) these things considered well,
Pride then would soone be tumbled downe to hell.
Their golden suits that make them much renown'd,
Is but the guts and garbage of the ground:
Their Ciuet (that affords such dainty sents)
Is but a poore Cats sweating Excrements;
Their rarest Iewels (which most glister forth)
Are more for outward shew then inward worth,
They are high valu'd at all times, and season,
But for what reason, none can giue a reason,
The best of, them like whoores, hath euer bin,
Most faire without, and full of bane within.
And let a great man weare a piece of glasse,
It (for his sake) will for a Diamond passe;
But let a man that's of but meane degree,
Weare a faire Diamond, yet it glasse must be.
This valuing of a Iewell is most fit
It should not grace a man, man should grace it.
A good man to his suite is a repute,
A knaues repute lyes onely in his sute.
And for a stone, that but three drams hath weigh'd,
Of precious poyson, hundreds haue bin paid.
And who can tell how many liues were lost,
In fetching home the Bables of such cost?
(For many of them as are as dearely bought,
As if they from Acheldama were brought.)
Yet some rush through (fantastques pates to please)
Rocks, sands & change of aire, rough winds & seas
Storms, tēpests, gusts, flawes, pirates, sword, & fire,
Death, or else slauery, (neuer to retire.)
And thus prides various humours to suffice,
A number hazard these calamities;
When our owne Countrey doth afford vs heere,
Iewels more precious, nothing nigh so deere.
A whetstone is more necessary sure,
A grindstone much more profit doth procure:
But for a milstone, that's a Iewell rare,
With wich no other stone can make compare.
The loadstone is the meanes to find the rest,
But of all stones the milstone is the best.
Free stones and artificiall bricks I graunt,
Are stones which men in building cannot want:
And the flintstone can yeeld vs fire and heate,
But yet the milstone yeelds bread vs to eate.
The tilestone keepes vs dry, the roadestone bydes,
And holds fast Boates, in tempests, winds, and tides,
The chalke stone serues for lyme, or for account
To score, how reck'nings doe abate or mount.
Pebles, and grauell, mend high wayes, I know,
And ballast shippes, which else would ouerthrow.
And this much I'le maintaine here with my pen,
These are the stones that most doe profit men:
These, these are they, if we consider well,
That Saphirs, and the Diamonds doe excell,
The Pearle, the Em'rauld, and the Turkesse bleu,
The sanguine Corrall, Ambers golden hiew,
The Christall, Iacinth, Achate, Ruby red,
The Carbuncle, Squar'd, cut, and pollished,
The Onix, Topaz, Iaspar, Hematite,
The sable Iet, the Tutch, and Chrysolite;
All these considred as they are indeee,
Are but vaine toyes that doe mans fancy feed;
The stones I nam'd before, doe much more good
For building, sayling, lodging, firing, food.
Yet Iewels for their lawfull vse are sent,
To be a luster, and an ornament
For State, magnificence, and Princely port,
To shew a Kingdomes glory, at the Court;
And God (I know) ordain'd them to be worne,
Superiour States to honour and adorne,
And for the vses they were made are good,
If (as they should be) they are vnderstood:
T'adorne our persons they are still allow'd,
But not to buy too deare, or make vs proud.
The holy Ghost in Exodus recites,
How Aaron (High Priest of the Israelites)
Twelue seuerall stones did on his Brest-plate beare,
Which of the twelue Tribes a remembrance were;
But they were mysticall, prophetique tropes,
And figures of Saluations future hopes.
But God did neuer giue or Gold or Iemme,
Or Iewell, that we should take pride in them.
The Deu'ill laugh'd lately at the stinking stir,
We had about Hic Mulier, and Hæc Uir,
The Masculine appareld Feminine,
And Feminine attired Masculine,
The Woman-man, Man-woman, chuse you whether,
The Female-male, Male-female, both, yet neither;
Hels Pantominicks, that themselues bedights,
Like shamelesse double sex'd Hermaphrodites,
Uirago Roaring Girles, that to their middle,
To know what sexe they were, vvas halfe a Riddle,
34
Stout Captaine Maudlins feather brauely vvags,
Lieutenant Dol, and valiant Ensigne Besse,
All arm'd with impudence and shamelesnesse;
Whose Calues eg-starch may in some sort be taker
As if they had beene hang'd to smoake like Bacon,
Whose borrowed hayre (perhaps) not long before
Drop'd from the head of some diseased Whore,
Or one that at the Gallowes made her Will,
Late choaked with the Hangmans Pickadill.
In which respect, a Sow, a Cat, a Mare,
More modest then these foolish Females are.
For the bruit beasts (continuall night and day)
Doe weare their owne still (and so doe not they.)
But these things haue so well bin bang'd and firk'd,
And Epigram'd and Satyr'd, whip'd and Ierk'd,
Cudgeld and bastinadoed at the Court,
And Comically stag'de to make men sport,
Iyg'd, and (with all reason) mock'd in Rime,
And made the onely scornefull theame of Time;
And Ballad-mongers had so great a taske,
(As if their muses all had got the laske.)
That no more time therein my paines I'le spend,
But freely leaue them to amend, or end.
I saw a fellow take a white loaues pith,
And rub his masters white shoces cleane therewith,
And I did know that fellow, (for his pride)
To want both bread and meate before he dy'de.
Some I haue heard of, that haue beene so fine,
To wash and bathe themselues in milke or wine,
Or else with whites of egges, their faces garnish,
Which makes thē looke like visors, or new varnish.
Good bread, and oatmeale hath bin spilt like trash,
My Lady Polecats dainty hands to wash:
Such there hath bin, but now if such there are,
I wish that want of food may be their share.
Some practise euery day the Painters trade,
And striue to mend the worke that God hath made:
But these deceiuers are deceiued farre,
With falsly striuing to amend, they marre:
With deu'lish dawbing, plast'ring they doe spread,
Deforming so themselues with white and red,
The end of all their cunning that is showne,
Is, God will scarcely know them for his owne.
In a great frost, bare-brested, and vnlac't,
I haue seene some as low as to their waste:
One halfe attyr'd, the other halfe starke bare,
Shewes that they halfe asham'd, halfe shamelesse are,
Halfe, (or else all) from what they should be erring,
And neither fish or flesh, nor good red herring.
I blow'd my nailes when I did them behold:
And yet that naked Pride would feele no cold.
Some euery day doe powder so their haire,
That they like Ghosts, or Millers doe appeare:
But let them powder all that er'e they can,
Their Pride will stinke before both God and man.
There was a trades-mans wife, which I could name,
(But that I'le not divulge abroad her shame)
Which a strong legion of good garments wore,
As gownes and petticoates, and kirtles store,
Smocks, headtires, aprons, shadowes, shaparoons,
(Whim whams, & whirligiggs to please Baboones)
Iewels, rings, ooches, brooches, bracelets, chaines;
(More then too much to fit her idle braines)
Besides, she payd (not counting muffes and ruffes)
Foure pounds sixe shillings for two paire of cuffes.
'Twill make a man halfe mad, such wormes as those,
The generall gifts of God should thus ingrosse:
And that such numbers want their needfull vse,
Whilst hellish Pride peruerts them to abuse.
Now a few lines to paper I will put,
Of mens Beards strange and variable cut:
In which there's some doe take as vaine a Pride,
As almost in all other things beside.
Some are reap'd most sudstantiall, like a brush,
Which makes a Nat'rall wit knowne by the bush:
(And in my time of some men I haue heard,
Whose wisedome haue bin onely wealth and beard)
Many of these the prouerbe well doth fit,
Which sayes Bush naturall, More haire then wit.
Some seeme as they were starched stiffe and fine,
Like to the bristles of some angry swine:
And some (to set their Loues desire on edge)
Are cut and prun'de like to a quickset hedge.
Some like a spade, some like a forke, some square,
Some round, some mow'd like stubble, some starke bare,
Some sharpe Steletto fashion, dagger like,
That may with whispering a mans eyes out pike:
Some with the hammer cut, or Romane T,
Their beards extrauagant reform'd must be,
Some with the quadrate, some triangle fashion,
Some circular, some ouall in translation,
Some perpendicular in longitude,
Some like a thicket for their crassitude,
That heights, depths, bredths, triforme, square, ouall, round,
And rules Geo'metricall in beards are found,
Besides the vpper lip's strange variation,
Corrected from mutation to mutation;
As't were from tithing vnto tithing sent,
Pride giues to Pride continuall punishment.
Some (spite their teeth) like thatch'd eues downeward grows,
And some growes vpwards in despite their nose.
Some their mustatioes of such length doe keepe,
That very well they may a maunger sweepe:
Which in Beere, Ale, or Wine, they drinking plunge,
And sucke the liquor vp, as't were a Spunge;
But 'tis a Slouens beastly Pride, I thinke,
To wash his beard where other men must drinke.
And some (because they will not rob the cup,
Their vpper chaps like pot hookes are turn'd vp,
The Barbers thus (like Taylers) still must be,
Acquainted with each cuts variety:
35
'Tis onely against Pride which I inueigh:
For let them weare their haire or their attire,
According as their states or mindes desire,
So as no puff'd vp Pride their hearts possesse,
And they vse Gods good gifts with thankefulnesse.
There's many an idle shallow pated Gull,
Thinks his owne wisedome to be wonderfull:
And that the State themselues doe much forget,
Because he in authoritie's not set:
And hauing scarcely wit to rule a Cottage,
Thinks he could guide a Kingdome with his dotage.
True wisedome is mans onely guide and guard,
To liue here, to liue better afterward.
It is a rich mans chiefe preeminence,
And 'tis a poore mans stay, and best defence.
But worldly wisedome is the ground of all
The mischiefes that to man did euer fall.
Gods Wisedome is within the Gospel hid,
Which we to search, are by our Sauiour bid.
Thus Pride of humane wisedome is all vaine,
And foolish fancies of mens idle braine.
Pride of our knowledge, we away must throw,
For he knowes most, which least doth seeme to know:
One Apple from the Tree of life is more,
Then from the tree of knowledge halfe a score:
'Tis good for vs to know our Masters will,
But the not doing it, makes knowledge ill.
Ther's many know, the Iust in heau'n shall dwell,
Yet they vniustly runne the way to hell.
The life Eternall no way can be wonne,
But to know God, and Iesus Christ his Sonne.
Christ, (to his people) by his word and passion,
Taught men the ioyfull knowledge of saluation.
I rather had by knowledge, raise my chance,
Then to be poore with barb'rous ignorance;
Yet better 'twere I nothing vnderstood,
Then to know goodnesse, and to doe no good.
Thus knowledge, worthy is of dignity;
But not to make the knowers proud thereby.
For if men would, to know themselues endeuer,
Pride of their knowledge would infect them neuer.
Pride of our riches is a painefull pleasure,
Like sumpter horses laden with rich treasure,
So misers beare their vvealth as they are able,
Till Death the hostler makes the graue their stable.
There's some take pride in treasure basely got,
Haue it, yet want it, as they had it not;
And though to get it, no vile meanes they spare,
To spend it on themselues they seldome dare;
How can a base extortionizing Bore,
Get riches ill, and giue God thankes therefore?
Tis all one, if a thiefe, a bawde, a vvitch,
Or a Bribe-taker should grovv damned rich,
And for their trash, got vvith their hellish pranks,
The hypocriticke slaues vvill giue God thanks.
No, let the litter of such helhound vvhelps,
Giue thanks to th'Deuill (author of their helpes)
To giue God thanks, it is almost all one,
To make him partner in extortion.
Thus if men get their wealth by meanes that's euill,
Let them not giue God thanks but thāke the Deuill.
Yet wealth the gift of God hath euer bin,
But not such wealth that's onely got by sinne;
Nor any vvealth, if men take pride therein.
And those vvho pur their foolish confidence
In Riches, trusting to their false defence;
Those that vvith Mammon are bevvitched so,
Our Sauiour 'gainst them threats a fearefull vvoe.
Humility vvith Riches may be blest.
But Pride's a poyson God doth still detest.
Pride of our Learning's vaine, it doth appeare,
For though men study many a vveary yeere,
And learn'd as much, as possible the braine,
Or scope of mans Inuentions may attaine,
Yet after all their studies, truth doth show,
Much more is vvhat they know not, then they know,
To learne by bad mens vices, vice to shunne,
By good mens good, vvhat should by vs be done:
This is the learning vve should practise most,
Not to be proud thereof, or vainely boast,
A Princes fauour is a precious thing,
Yet it doth many vnto ruine bring;
Because the hauers of it proudly vse it,
And (to their ovvne ambitious ends) abuse it.
If men that are so stately and so strange,
Would but remember hovv time oft doth change,
And note hovv some in former times did speed,
By their examples they vvould take some heed:
For as a cart-wheele in the vvay goes round,
The spoake that's high'st is quickly at the ground,
So Enuy, or iust cause, or misconceit,
In Princes Courts, continually doe vvaite,
That he that is this day Magnifico,
To morrow may goe by Ieronimo.
The spoakes that now are highest in the wheeles,
Are in a moment lovvest by the heeles.
Haman was proud, past reasons bounds or scope,
And his vaine glory ended in a rope,
And his ten sonnes, in duty to obay
Their father, follovved him the selfe-same vvay.
Those men that harbour Pride vvithin their brest,
Doe seldome end their dayes in peace and rest.
But if they doe, disgrace and shame withall,
Are the chiefe vvayters on their funerall.
36
It like a rocke stands permanent and fix'd,
The snares of enuy, or her traps of hate
Could neuer, nor shall euer hurt that state:
Like Adamant it doth beat backe the battry
Of spitefull malice, and deceiuing flattry,
For it with pride can neuer be infected,
But humbly is supernally protected,
Such with their Kings shall euer be belou'd,
And like to fixed starres, stand fast, vnmou'd.
Those that are proud of Beauty, let them know,
Their Pride is but a fickle, fading show.
A smoake, a bubble, a time-tossed toy,
A Luna-like, fraile, euer changing ioy.
For as a tide of flood, flow'd to the height,
Doth (in a moment) fall to ebbing straight:
So beauty, when it is most faire and fine,
(Like new pluck'd flowers) doth presently decline.
That man or womans vertue doth excell,
If with their beauty chastity doth dwell:
But Pride of beauty is a marke most sure,
That th'owners of it vse to procure
The Paphian pastime, and the Cyprian game,
The sports of Venus, and the acts of shame,
To breed the heat of Cupids lustfull flame.
Oft beauty hath faire chastity displac'd,
But chastity hath beauty euer grac'd.
For 'tis a maxime, Those haue euer bin,
That are most faire without, most foule within.
Too oft hath beauty, by disloyalty,
Branded it selfe with lasting infamy,
That one fraile creature, (nobly well descended)
(Proud of her fairenes) fouly hath offended,
And on her house and kindred, laid a blot,
That the dishonor ne'r will be forgot.
But a faire feature vertuously inclin'd,
A beauteous outside, and a pious mind,
Such are Gods Images Epitomies,
And Cabinets of heauens blest treasuries:
And therefore be thy feature, faire or foule,
Let inward vertues beautifie the soule.
Pride of our strength, shewes weaknes in our wit,
Because the Collicke, or an Ague fit,
The tooth-ach, or the pricking of a pin,
Oft lets the strength out, and the weaknesse in.
The Tribe of Dans great glory, Samsons strength,
By a weake woman was orethrowne at length.
And sure there's many do themselues much wrong
In being proud because they are made strong,
For a great number liuing now there are,
Can wrastle, throw the sledge, or pitch the barre,
That on their backs foure hundred waight can beare,
And horse-shooes (with their fists) in sunder teare,
Yet neuer vse their strength in any thing,
To serue their God, their Country, or their King.
But with outragious acts their liues pursue,
As if God gaue them strength but as their due,
As though they like the Gyants could remoue,
And hurle great mountaines at the head of Ioue,
Or like Gargantua or Polipheme,
Or Gogmagog, their boystrous fancies dreame,
That they more wonders by their strength can doe,
Then Hercules could e're attaine vnto.
Let those Goliahs, that in strength take pride,
Know that the Lord of Hostes doth them deride,
And what they are (that proudly brag and swell
Of strength) let any man but note them well,
If hurt or sickenesse make their strength decay,
A man shall neuer see such Cowes as they.
Be'ng strong, their minds on God they neuer set;
In weakenesse, iustly he doth them forget:
Strength, thus like headstrong Iades they doe abuse it,
For want of Reasons bridle how to vse it.
Pride of our children's vaine; our proper stem
Must either dye from vs, or we from them.
If our examples of the life we liue,
Inrich them not more then the gifts we giue,
If (disobedient) they despise instruction,
And will peruersly runne into destruction;
Much better had it bin, we had not bin
Begetters of such Imps of shame and sinne.
Children no duty to such Parents owe,
Who suffer vice their youth to ouergrow,
Neglect to teach thy sonne in younger yeeres,
He shall reiect thee in thy hoary haires,
The way to make our children vs obay,
Is that our selues from God runne not astray,
Such measure to our Maker as we mete,
Tis iust, that such, we from our children get.
Th'Apostle Paul exhorteth more and lesse,
To be all children in maliciousnesse:
That is to say, as children harmeles be,
So we should from maliciousnes be free.
Thus Pride of birth, apparell, wealth, strength stare,
And Pride of humane wisedome God doth hate:
Of knowledge, learning, beauty, children and
The Pride of Princes fauour cannot stand.
And Pride in any thing shall euermore,
Be bar'd and shut from heau'ns Eternall doore,
For whosoeuer will beleeue and looke,
Shall find examples in the sacred booke:
That God hath euer 'gainst the proud withstood,
And that a proud heart neuer came to good.
He saith, Pride is destruction, and agen
That Pride is hatefull before God and men.
How Prides beginning is from God to fall.
And of all sinne is the originall.
Who taketh hold on Pride, in great affliction
Shall be o'rethrowne, fild with Gods malediction,
37
In pride, for God abhorreth a proud heart.
And 'tis decreed by the Almighties doome,
That pride vnto a fearefull fall shall come.
A person that is proud, ne'r pleas'd God yet:
For how can they please him whom they forget?
Yet as before I said, againe He say,
That pride to such a hight is growne this day.
That many a thousand thousand familie,
Wer't not for pride would begge, or starue and dye.
And the most part of them are men of might,
Who in prides quarrell will both speake and fight:
I therefore haue no hope to put her downe;
But Satyre-like, to tell her of her owne.
There is another pride which I must touch,
It is so bad, so base, so too too much:
Which is, if any good mans fortune be,
To rise to Honourable dignitie,
Or through infirmity, or wilfulnesse,
Men fall vnhappily into distresse.
That Libellers doe spirt their wits like froth,
To raile at Honor, and dishonor both.
These Mungrell whelpes are euer snarling still,
Hating mens goodnesse, glorying in their ill,
Like blood-hound Curs, they daily hunt and sent,
And rime and Iigge on others detriment:
Supposing it a very vertuous thing,
To be an arrant Knaue in libelling.
Forsooth these Screech-owles would be cal'd the wits,
Whose flashes flye abroad by girds and fits:
Who doe their mangy Muses magnifie:
Making their sports of mens calamity,
But yet for all their hatefull hellish mirth,
They are the vilest cowards on the earth:
For there's not one that doth a libell frame,
Dares for his eares subscribe to it his name.
Tis a base brutish pride to take a pen,
And libell on the miseries of men;
For why all men are mortall, weake and fraile,
And all, from what they should be, fall and faile.
And therefore men should in these slip'ry times
Bewaile mens miseries, and hate their crimes:
Let him that stands, take heed he doth not fall,
And not reioyce in mens mis-haps at all.
It is too much for Libellers to meddle,
To make their Muse a Hangman or a Beadle:
At mens misfortunes to deride and iest,
To adde distresse to those that are distrest.
As I doe hold mens vices to be vile,
So at their miseries Ile neuer smile,
And in a word (lest tediousnesse offend)
A Libeller's a Knaue, and there's an end.
Thus hauing of Prides various formes related,
And how of God, and good men it is hated;
I thinke it fit some Lines in praise to write,
Of Vertues which to Pride are opposite.
For vice with shew of Vertue blindes the eye,
And Vertue makes vice knowne apparantly.
When falsehood is examin'd and compar'd
With Truth, it makes truth haue the more regard.
The Crow seemes blackest, when the Swan stands neere
And goodnes makes the ill most bad appeare:
So vertues that are contrary to vices,
Make them contemptible, and base in prices
Humility, if it be well embrac'd,
It makes disdainfull Pride, disdain'd, disgrac'd:
Humility is a most heauenly gift,
The Stayre that doth (to Glory) men vp lift.
None but the meeke and lowly humbled spirit
Shall true eternall happinesse inherit:
Those that are humble, honour God alwayes,
And onely those will he to honour raise.
If thou be'st great in state, giue thanks therefore,
And humble still thy selfe, so much the more.
He that is humble, loues his Christian brother,
And thinkes himselfe inferiour to all other;
Those that are meeke, the Lord shall euer guide,
And teach them in his wayes still to abide.
For though the Lord be high, he hath respect
Vnto the lowly, whom he will protect.
Humility, and lowlinesse goes on,
Still before honour, (as saith Salomon)
He that is humble heere and free from strife,
Shall for reward haue glory, wealth, and life.
He that himselfe doth humble, certainly,
Our Sauiour saith, shall be exalted high.
He that with Christ will weare a glorious Crowne,
Must cast himselfe, (as Christ did) humbly downe.
And like to the rebounding of a ball,
The way to rise, must first be, low to fall.
For God the Father will accept of none,
That put not on the meekenes of his Sonne:
If proudly, thou doe lift thy selfe on high,
God and his blessings, from thee, still will fly:
But if thou humble, meeke, and lowly be,
God and his blessings will come downe to thee.
If thou wouldst trauell vnto heau'n, then know,
Humility's the way that thou must goe.
If in presumptuous paths of Pride thou tread,
'Tis the right wrong way that to hell doth lead.
Know that thy birth, attire, strength, beauty, place,
Are giu'n vnto thee by Gods speciall grace:
Know that thy wisedome, learning, and thy wealth,
Thy life, thy Princes fauour, beauty, health,
And whatsoeuer thou canst goodnes call,
Was by Gods bounty giu'n vnto thee all.
And know that of thine owne thou dost possesse
Nothing but sinne, and wofull wretchednes,
A Christians pride should onely be in this,
When he can say that God his Father is.
When grace and mercy, (vvell applide) affoord,
To make him brother vnto Christ his Lord.
When he vnto the holy Ghost can say,
Thou art my Schoolemaster, whom I'le obay;
When he can call the Saints his fellovves, and
Say to the Angels, for my guard you stand,
This is a laudable, and Christian pride,
To knovv Christ, and to know him crucifi'd.
This is that meeke ambition, lovv aspiring,
Which all men should be earnest in desiring:
Thus to be proudly humble, is the thing,
Which vvill vs to the state of glory bring.
But yet bevvare; pride hypocriticall,
Puts not humilities cloake on at all:
A lofty mind, vvith lovvly cap and knee,
Is humble pride, and meeke hypocrisie.
Ambitious mindes, vvith adulating lookes,
Like courteous (Crovvne-aspiring) Bullinbrookes,
As a great ship ill suited vvith small saile,
As Iudas meant all mischiefe, cride, All-haile,
Like the humility of Absalon:
This shadovved pride, much danger vvaites vpon.
These are the counterfeite (God saue yee Sirs)
That haue their flatteries in particulars,
That courteously can hide their proud intents,
Vnder varieties of complements,
These Vipers bend the knee, and kisse the hand,
And sweare, (svveet Sir) I am at your command,
And proudly make humility a screvv,
To vvring themselues into opinions vievv.
This pride is hatefull, dangerous, and vile,
And shall it selfe (at last) it selfe beguile.
Thus pride is deadly sin, and sin brings shame,
Which here I leaue to hell, from whence it came.
And how of God, and good men it is hated;
I thinke it fit some Lines in praise to write,
Of Vertues which to Pride are opposite.
For vice with shew of Vertue blindes the eye,
And Vertue makes vice knowne apparantly.
When falsehood is examin'd and compar'd
With Truth, it makes truth haue the more regard.
The Crow seemes blackest, when the Swan stands neere
And goodnes makes the ill most bad appeare:
So vertues that are contrary to vices,
Make them contemptible, and base in prices
Humility, if it be well embrac'd,
It makes disdainfull Pride, disdain'd, disgrac'd:
Humility is a most heauenly gift,
The Stayre that doth (to Glory) men vp lift.
None but the meeke and lowly humbled spirit
Shall true eternall happinesse inherit:
Those that are humble, honour God alwayes,
And onely those will he to honour raise.
If thou be'st great in state, giue thanks therefore,
And humble still thy selfe, so much the more.
He that is humble, loues his Christian brother,
And thinkes himselfe inferiour to all other;
Those that are meeke, the Lord shall euer guide,
And teach them in his wayes still to abide.
For though the Lord be high, he hath respect
Vnto the lowly, whom he will protect.
Humility, and lowlinesse goes on,
Still before honour, (as saith Salomon)
He that is humble heere and free from strife,
Shall for reward haue glory, wealth, and life.
He that himselfe doth humble, certainly,
Our Sauiour saith, shall be exalted high.
He that with Christ will weare a glorious Crowne,
Must cast himselfe, (as Christ did) humbly downe.
And like to the rebounding of a ball,
The way to rise, must first be, low to fall.
For God the Father will accept of none,
That put not on the meekenes of his Sonne:
If proudly, thou doe lift thy selfe on high,
God and his blessings, from thee, still will fly:
But if thou humble, meeke, and lowly be,
God and his blessings will come downe to thee.
If thou wouldst trauell vnto heau'n, then know,
Humility's the way that thou must goe.
If in presumptuous paths of Pride thou tread,
'Tis the right wrong way that to hell doth lead.
Know that thy birth, attire, strength, beauty, place,
Are giu'n vnto thee by Gods speciall grace:
Know that thy wisedome, learning, and thy wealth,
Thy life, thy Princes fauour, beauty, health,
38
Was by Gods bounty giu'n vnto thee all.
And know that of thine owne thou dost possesse
Nothing but sinne, and wofull wretchednes,
A Christians pride should onely be in this,
When he can say that God his Father is.
When grace and mercy, (vvell applide) affoord,
To make him brother vnto Christ his Lord.
When he vnto the holy Ghost can say,
Thou art my Schoolemaster, whom I'le obay;
When he can call the Saints his fellovves, and
Say to the Angels, for my guard you stand,
This is a laudable, and Christian pride,
To knovv Christ, and to know him crucifi'd.
This is that meeke ambition, lovv aspiring,
Which all men should be earnest in desiring:
Thus to be proudly humble, is the thing,
Which vvill vs to the state of glory bring.
But yet bevvare; pride hypocriticall,
Puts not humilities cloake on at all:
A lofty mind, vvith lovvly cap and knee,
Is humble pride, and meeke hypocrisie.
Ambitious mindes, vvith adulating lookes,
Like courteous (Crovvne-aspiring) Bullinbrookes,
As a great ship ill suited vvith small saile,
As Iudas meant all mischiefe, cride, All-haile,
Like the humility of Absalon:
This shadovved pride, much danger vvaites vpon.
These are the counterfeite (God saue yee Sirs)
That haue their flatteries in particulars,
That courteously can hide their proud intents,
Vnder varieties of complements,
These Vipers bend the knee, and kisse the hand,
And sweare, (svveet Sir) I am at your command,
And proudly make humility a screvv,
To vvring themselues into opinions vievv.
This pride is hatefull, dangerous, and vile,
And shall it selfe (at last) it selfe beguile.
Thus pride is deadly sin, and sin brings shame,
Which here I leaue to hell, from whence it came.
FINIS.
Acts 12. Josephus lib 19. cap. 7. Acts. 8. Plutarch, in the life of of Alexander, He was poysoned at Babylon.
The field of blood, that the Iewes bought with thirty pieces of siluer, which Iudas brought back againe after he betrayed Christ, Mat. 27. 7. Acts 1. 19.
| All the workes of Iohn Taylor the Water-Poet | |