University of Virginia Library

Gods Patience through this Century his Shine
Having Display'd Gods Justice her Divine
And sparkling Glory Shines full out as cleare
And burnisht stands upon her Scutchons here.

God did the Empire smite with barrenness
Ruind their Harvests with great floods, distress
With storms and Tempests and Ecclipses black
Signs, Plagues, and Tyrants breaking of its back.

Vigelius that first did dip his lance
In Christian blood was stricken blind, sad Chance
And Claud Herminian, Cappadocias Plague,
Dide of the plague, when while alive (thus said)
When boyling up alive with Worms cride so
Let no man know't lest Christians joyous grow.
Severus now comes to the Pillary
And made to run the Gantlet and die
After he turnd his sword against Christ Cause
His Empire's filld with wars and full of flaws.
He's in each member so tormented now
And pains so great his petty toes do plow
He begs a Cup of poyson, but doth fall
At York by Scots who pay him there his all.
His Carracalla son slayes Geta and
Himself is slain by one Macrinu's hand.
Antiochus a persecuting judge
Is not permitted from the Bench to budge.
But down he tumbles from his Judgment Seate
And there he dies of Bowell burning heate.

And Maximinus when he banisht had
The Pastors of Christ flocks met with things bad.
The Roman Senate did him hatefull hold
And while he liv'd appoinded as he would
Some other Emperours: His Souldery
In Africa did him desert and fly.
His Son a youth they tore a pieces all
And in a joculary way let fall
This adage old, We of the worst base kinde
Will not preserve a Whelp we are designd.
And he when slaind had all his friends when known
Took, slain, dracgd out cast into Channells thrown.

Then Decius that the sixth hot brush brought in
Is made to run the Chapter house for's sin,
Who waring on the Goths he and his son
Was ruin'd fell, he in a Whirlepit run
To shun there hands and thus this Tyrant fell
As by an Emblem of the pit of hell.
Gods Justice spard not when apostatizd,
For some of these were grievously surprizd
By Evill spirits, as a maid who when
She had denide Christ cause was ceized then
In such a sort, her teeth do tare her tongue,
And so she dies with belly torments stronge.
Another who when he should with them stand
And joyn, for bread tock ashes in his hand,
And other when he had denide his Call
Was suddenly struck dumb (Oh Dismall fall).

But to turn back to Gordians day we'st see
A day as dark then as the darkst nights bee.
The Sun so sadly Chast the following day
That no man could, unless light Candles stay
To give them Light, see or do any thing
There was such grieveous Earth Quakes shivering
That made the Earth her wide mouth open then
And many Cities swallow with their men.

In Alexanders day Joves Idoll bright
Had's golden left hand melted off, which sight
Made Alexander press the priests to do
Him sacrifice to reconcile him so.
Four Priests Devout his Temple enter in
The morning being bright, but at the thing
They and his Altar soon are smitten down
By Lightning. The Day is darke, doth frown
And is so darkned that without delay
The People from the City fly away.

The Mountain Atlas then in Philips reign
A Traveller as some assert became.

Gallus the Cockerill that did so crow
Over Christ Chickens and bespur them so,
His Comb is cut, his Empire also's made
Tribute to pay unto the Scythick blade
His Souldiers Spurs he feels; they him Reject
This fighting Cock lies in the Cock pit neckt,
And in his day a dreadfull Plague began
To rage and in all Quarters raging ran
All o're the Empire for full ten years Space
Or fifteen years, that somewhat stopt their pace
Of Persecution. But Valerian
The part of Satan plai'd and not the man,
Now hath his points unti'de and scourged is
With War against the Persians (Oh short bliss)
His Golden dayes are done. He's Captive led
The Persian King Sapores poles his head,
Makes him his horseblock, worse than laughing stock,
Romes Emperour doth bow his back as block
Whereon Sapores when he mounts doth tread
And mount. This fine Christ set upon his head.
And at the last Sapores doth him skin
Alive, and Corn with Salt (O cruell thing)
And Claudius, Valerians President
The Divell did surprize (and now he's shent)
And when his tongue was shread to little bits
Hee Choake this Wretched man for all his tricks.
Galienus then Valerians son alone
His father being Captive, keeps the Throne
With much adoe, for thirty Tyrants rise
And make the Empire to them pay Excise
As many Kings at once, as Emperours
Have been till now from Cesar Dictator.
Nay and Sapores from him tooke away
Cilicia, Syria, Cappodocia.
The Almans vexing France, storm Italy,
The Goths did sack Pontus and Asia stroy,
With Macedon and Greece. The Quades also
And Sauromates possess Pannonia do.
The Germans breake on Tarracon in Spain.
These blemishes attend Galienus reign,
Now Direfull Prodigies also appeare
In ery nation. Now many dayes there were
That mantled up the Earth with darkness black
The noyse of thunders from the Earth did crack
Which fell a ballowing like bulls, hence rose
Amazing Earth Quakes and soon over throws
And by the Earth that opend swollowd were
Cities together with their people there.
Asia doth suffer much, Rome shaken is
And Lybea trembles too, Vast gapings yes
In many places are in earth, the sea
Sweeps many Seaports suddenly away.
And Galienus by the guile was slain
Of Aureol the tyrant at Millain.
Aurelianus Justice takes to do
And for his sin did bring his overthrow.