University of Virginia Library

Gods Reply.

Thou skelleton of baseness, hie thee hence,
Disturb me not; return, I say, from whence
Thou cam'st at first; thou shalt as soon remove
A mountain, as my mind: I cannot love,
No nor I will not, nothing shall intreat
My resolutions, for my fury's great.
Begone, proud Rebel, do not think thy prayers,
Thy vows, thy groans, thy sighs, thy sobs, thy tears

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Shall make my brest their receptacle; No:
How can I be a friend to such a foe?
Surcease thy importunities, let fall
Thy high desires, I will not hear thee call,
Thy sins have barr'd my ears; I'le not be won
With thy base airy words, for thou hast spun
The thread of thy destruction, therefore wear
What thou hast labour'd for, and so forbear
T'intrench upon my patience; 'tis in vain
To seek for that which thou shalt not obtain.
And is it thus, that Heav'n will not regard
My cries? Ah me! and must my groans be heard
With disrespect by him, whose tongue affords
Nothing but grief, involv'd with bitter words?
Alas, alas! what greater woe can crowd
Into a brest then to be disavow'd
By Gods high Voyce, whose most enraged breath
Darts forth the arrows of eternal death?
What shall I doe? Oh, whither shall I run
To hide my selfe, until the glorious Sun
Of his affections usher in the day
Of welcom Joy? Oh, whither shall I stray?
If I am silent, then my silence turns
My thoughts to fire; If speak my speech returns
Trebbl'd with wo, into the brazen Tower
Of my sad heart, my language has no power

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To work upon his ears, my words (like balls
[illeg.]nded, and thrown against th'obdurate walls
Unyielding brest) bounds back againe, and breaks
[illeg.]to my heart, and every sorrow speaks
[illeg.] volume at a word; yet, yet must I
Return unheard; 'tis misery to dye,
And pain to live; thus in despair I draw
The loathsom air: Destruction knows no Law.
Grief rains a flood of doubt into my Soul;
[illeg.] me! I can do nothing but condole:
[illeg.]m despis'd; and if I bend the force
Of my desires to him, he will divorce
All thoughts of pity, and with rage re-double
Th'unsum'd up sums of my infringing trouble.
[illeg.] sail into the Straits, both wind and tyde
Prevail against me, and I have no guide
To Pilot me unto the long'd-for Port
Of pleasing happiness; I am a sport
To threating Ruine, whose presumptuous waves
Out-dares my Soul, whilst every blast enslaves
My reeling Pinnace: If I strive to go
Towards Scylla, Scylla will contemn my wo.
[illeg.]as in vain I can expect relief,
Scylla will bark at my unbridled grief;
[illeg.]r if my head-long vessel chance to hit
Against Charybdis; I am torn and split

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Into ten thousand pieces; Oh hard hap!
Thus am I tossed in Destructions lap.
Where shall I find a heart that will advise
My friendless Soul, and audiate my cries?
I will not thus desist, I must implore,
He that's lost once, sure can be lost no more.