Theophila :: :: University of Virginia Library

Who would not flie that Broil, whence Blisse is flown;
Where, in Times dregs, Religion's grown
From Best, to All (flow Tears of Blood!) from All, to none.

VIII

Lord, guide thy Church, which Interests empair;
Who, without Knowledge, factious are,
They little mind the Flock, so they the Fleece may share.

IX

Why climb'd they else the Pulpit, as Lots Brother,
With Fire in one Hand, Knife i'th other?
'Twas vip'rous Nero slew his own indulgent Mother.

X

As Peace Heav'ns Blessing; so is War His Rod,
Man-hunting Beast, a Scourge from GOD,
Which doth unhinge the World; fierce Grapes in Wraths Press trod.

XI

Let me, in Griefs Prerogative, be bold
To question Such, as dare to hold
That they the Shepherd lov'd, when they forsook the Fold.

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XII

Such Scramblers at the Shearing Feasts, I shun;
Forgetting, and forgotten, run
To fraudlesse Swains. I have a Friend compliant won;

XIII

By his Example may my Life be penn'd,
May He read, like Himself, his Friend:
Souls in Conjunction should, like Stars, kind Influence send.

XIV

Us Sympathie, the Mindes true Priest, does joyn;
'Tis Grace makes Sociall Love, divine;
Tun'd Octaves Uni'sons are, Duos in One combine.

XV

When two enweav'd are in one high Desire,
They feel like Angels, mutuall Fire;
Flames Intellectiue liue, materiall Flames expire.

XVI

Vain World, thy Friends are Theeves of Time; Twice they
Are robb'd; for, Times Self steals away,
Leaving a dull December for a sportive May.

XVII

Fools Chat is built on Sand; But blest who hives
Discourse, that on Heav'ns Sweetnesse lives,
Such, as to raise the Fire to high-born Virtue strives.

XVIII

For Birds of Paradise the proper Fare
Is purest Vapour of the Aire;
Souls nourisht from the Influ'nce of Gods Spirit are.

XIX

Dew fattens Earth, the Earth yeelds Plants, and then
The Plants feed Beasts, the Beasts feed Men;
Man on His Word should feed, who gave him Origen.

222

XX

From Publike Roads, to private Joy's our Flight;
To view Gods Love, we leave Mans sight;
Rich in the Purchase of a Friend, who gilds Delight.

XXI

Thus go we, like the Heros of old Greece,
In Quest of more than Golden Fleece,
Retreating to sweet Shades, our shatter'd Thoughts we peece.

XXII

So, when the Sun, Commander of the Day,
Muffles with Clouds his glorious Ray,
He clearer afterwards doth his bright Face display.

XXIII

Kings, too much seen, grow mean. Renown does dawn
From Cotts, unsightly hang'd, and drawn
With Spider-woven Arras, and their Cobweb-Lawn.

XXIV

Victorious Charles the fift, who had acquir'd
Fame, Wealth, and what could be desir'd
By greatest Emperours, left All, to live retir'd.

XXV

That Sea-dividing Prince, whose Scepter'd Rod
Wrought Freedom to the Church of God,
Made in the Mount of Horeb fourty Dayes Abode.

XXVI

In Wildernesse the Baptist shin'd more clear,
In Lifes Night Starrie Souls appear:
They who Themselves eclips, are to Heav'ns Court more dear.

XXVII

But, now what need we cite Examples more,
This by our SAVIOUR heretofore
Was practiz'd, Who, whole Nights retir'd, did GOD implore.

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XXVIII

Examples are best Precepts. Sweet Secesse,
The Nurse to inbred Happinesse,
How dost Thou Intellects with fuller Knowledge blesse!

XXIX

Waft us, All-guiding Povv'r, from wild Resort,
By Cape of Hope, to Virtues Port,
Where Conscience, that strong Champion, safely guards the Fort.

XXX

Here, Liberty, ev'n from Suspition free,
Does terminate our Fears; by Thee
We conquer Lusts: Each Sense wears Reasons Livery.

XXXI

With Thee, like cloyster'd Snails, is better State,
Than to be Lions in a Grate:
The World hers, coopt like Bajazet, does captivate.

XXXII

But, here (the Type of ever-smiling Joyes,
Without disturbing Fears, or Noise)
We bright-ey'd Faith, with quick-ey'd Art, in Truths Scale poize.

XXXIII

Religious Maries Leisure we above
Encombred Marthas Cares approve;
Uncloystred, we this Course beyond Courts Splendor love.

XXXIV

Seated in safe Repose (when circling Earth
Suffers by Rage of War, and Dearth)
Secure from Plagues and angry Seas, we manage Mirth.

XXXV

The low-built Fortune harbours Peace, when as
Ambitious high-rooft Babels passe
Through Storms; Content with Thankfulnesse each Blessing has.

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XXXVI

So fragrant Vi'lets, blushing Strawberies
Close shrouded lurk from lofty Eyes,
The Emblem of sweet Blisse, which low and hidden lies.

XXXVII

No masked Fraud, no Tempest of black Woes,
No flaunting Pride, no Rage of Foes,
Bends hitherward, but soon is laid, or over-blows.

XXXVIII

We rule our conquer'd Selves; what need we more?
To gadding Sense we shut the Door;
Rich in our Mind alone. Who wants himself, is Poor.

XXXIX

Slaunder is stingless, Envie toothless here;
The Russet is well lin'd we wear;
Let Citts make Chains the Ensignes of their Pomp appear.

XL

Faith linkt with Truth, and Love with Quiet too,
Ore pleasant Lawns securely goe;
The golden Age, like Jordans Stream, does here reflow.

XLI

For Fields of Combate, Fields of Corn are here,
For Trooping-Ranks, Tree-ranks appear;
War steels the heart, but here we melt Heart, Eye, and Ear.

XLII

O, might a sacred Muse Earths Frenzie calm!
On That we'd pour such suppling Balm,
As might vain Trophies turn to an unfading Palm.

XLIII

Then should each He, who wears the Face of Man,
Discern their Emptinesse, and span
The Vulgars triviall Idols, and their Follies scan.

225

XLIV

Though in rough shels our Bodies kerneld are,
Our Roof is neat, and sweet our Fare,
Banisht are noysom Vapours to the pent-up Air.

XLV

No subtle Poyson in our Cup we fear,
Goblets of Gold such Horrors bear;
No Palace Furies haunt, ô rich Content! thy Chear.

XLVI

How Great are Those who use, like Gold, their Clay;
And who like Clay, Gold, Great are they;
To Grandeur, slighted Titles are the ready Way.

XLVII

Courts amplest Shine nor addes, nor takes from Mindes
That pierce the World, true Merit bindes
Bright Souls unto It, whil'st a Fog th'ignoble blindes.

XLVIII

Humble, not slav'd; without Discomfort sad;
Tim'rous, without despair; and glad,
Without wild Freaks we are. The World's or Fool, or Mad.

XLIX

From Taurus when Sols Influence descends,
And Earth with verdant Robe befriends,
And richer Showres, then fell on Danaes Lap, dispends;

L

When early Phosphor lights from Eastern Bed
The gray-ey'd Morn, with Blushes red;
When Opal-Colours prank the Orient Tulips Head:

LI

Then walk we forth, where twinkling Spangles shew,
Entinseling like Stars the Dew,
Where Buds, like Pearls, and where we Leaves, like Em'ralds, view:

226

LII

Birds by Grovets in feather'd Garments sing
New Ditties to the non-ag'd Spring;
O, how those tracelesse Minstrels chear up every Thing!

LIII

To hear quaint Nightingales, the Lutes o'th' Wood,
And Turtle-Doves, by their Mates woo'd,
And smelling Vio'let sweets, how do These chear the Blood!

LIV

While teeming Earth flow'rd Satten wears, embost
VVith Trees, with Bushes shagg'd, with most
Clear Riv'lets edg'd, by rocking Windes each gently tost;

LV

The branching Standarts of the chirping Grove,
With rustling Boughs, and Streams that move
In murm'ring Rage, seem Natures Consort, tun'd by Love.

LVI

VVee to their hoarse Laments lend listning Ears;
And sympathize with them in Tears,
Sadly remembring British Sions acted Fears!

LVII

Then, our sad Hearts are prickt, whence spring forth Cries;
From those, drain'd through the bruis'd Soul, rise
Faith-fumes, by Heav'ns Fire drawn, which drop through melting Eyes!

LVIII

'Cause hungry Swords devour'd Mans Flesh, like Food,
And thirsty Spears were drunk with Blood:
Lord, how thy Spouse turns mummy'd Earth! her Gore a Floud!

LIX

Edge-hill with Bones lookt white, with Blood lookt red,
Maz'd at the Number of the Dead:
A Theam for Tears in unborn Eyes to be still shed!

227

LX

How many bound with Iron, who did scape
The Steel! and Death commits a Rape
On them in Jayls, who Her defy'd in warlike Shape!

LXI

Cross-biasnesse to Grace our Ruine spinn'd!
Harrow'd with VVoes, be Heav'n our Friend!
Sodome 'gainst Nature, We 'gainst Light of Truth have sinn'd!

LXII

This draws Eye-tribute from Compunctions Den;
Grace, guard thy prostrate Suppliant then,
VVho am the Chief of Sinners, and the Worst of Men!

LXIII

My Guilt before thy Mercy-Seat I lay,
For His sake save me, who gave way
To dye for Sinners! Ah, Sin kills Him every Day!

LXIV

Sin n'ere departs, till humbled in deep Fears,
Embalm'd in Pray'rs, and drown'd in Tears,
The fragrant Araby breathes no Perfume like Theirs.

LXV

More fruitfull Those, unwitnessed, appear;
Gems are too cheap for every Tear:
Deep Sorrow from It-Self doth its high Comfort rear.

LXVI

Salt Tears, the pious Converts sweetest Sport,
To hopefull Joyes the entring Port,
Ye waft blest Mariners to Sions glorious Court.

LXVII

But whether stray'st thou, Grief? Pearld Dew arraies
As yet the Virgin-Meads, whose Gaies
Unbarb'd, perk up to prank the curled Stream that plaies.

228

LXVIII

By rushy-fringed Banks with purling Rill,
Meandring underneath the Hill:
Thus, Stream-like, glides our Life to Deaths broad Ocean still.

LXIX

The pleasant Grove triumphs with blooming May,
While Melancholy scuds away;
The painted Quire on motly Banks sweet Notes display.

LXX

Earths flow'r-wov'n Damask doth us gently woo,
On her embroyder'd Mantle to
Repose, where various Gems, like Constellations, shew.

LXXI

Our selves here steal we from our selues, by Qualms
Of Pleasure, rais'd from new-coyn'd Psalms,
When Skies are blew, Earth green, and Meadows flow with Balms.

LXXII

We there, on grassie tufted Tapistries,
In guiltlesse Shades, by full-hair'd Trees,
Leaning unpillow'd Heads, view Natures Ants, & Bees.

LXXIII

Justly admiring more those agile Ants,
Than Castle-bearing Elephants;
Where Industrie, epitomiz'd, no Vigour wants.

LXXIV

More than at Tusks of Bores we wonder at
This Moths strange Teeth! Legs of this Gnat
Passe large-limm'd Gryphons; Then on Bees we musing sat;

LXXV

How Colonies, Realms Hope, they breed; Proclaim
Their King; how Nectar-Courts they frame;
How they in waxen Cels record their Princes Fame:

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LXXVI

How Kings amidst their Bands in Armour shine;
And great Souls in small Breasts confine;
How under strictest Laws they keep up Discipline;

LXXVII

How All agree, while their King lives, in one;
But dead, the publike Faith's o'rethrown,
Their State becomes a Spoil, which was so plenteous grown.

LXXVIII

Abstruser Depths! here Aristotles Eye
(That Ipse of Philosophie,
Natures Professor) purblinde was, to search so high.

LXXIX

Thinking, which Some deem Idlenesse, to me
It seems Lifes Heav'n on Earth to be;
By Observation GOD is seen in all wee see.

LXXX

Our Books are Heav'n above us, Aire and Sea
Around, Earth under; Faith's our Stay,
And Grace our Guide, the Word our Light, & Christ our Way.

LXXXI

Friend, view that Rock, and think from Rocks green Wound
How thirst-expelling Streams did bound:
View Streams, and think how Jordan did become dry Ground.

LXXXII

View Seas, & think how Waves, like Walls of Glass,
Stood fixt, while Hebrew Troops did pass;
But clos'd the Pharian Host in one confused Mass.

LXXXIII

These Flow'rs, we see to Day, like Beauty, brave,
At Ev'n will be shut up, and have
Next Week their Death, then buried soon in Stalks, their Grave.

230

LXXXIV

Beautie's a Flow'r, Fame Puff, high State a Gaze,
Pleasure a Dance, and Gold a Blaze,
Greatnesse a Load: These soon are lost in Times short Maze!

LXXXV

As solemn Statesmen sleight meer childish toyl,
Framing Card-structures: Angels smile,
And pitty so, when Life strait flits, Mans tearing Broyl.

LXXXVI

Search Empires Dawn, unwinde Times Ball again,
Unreel through Ages its snarl'd Skain;
Run back, like Sol on Ahaz Diall; See-All's vain.

LXXXVII

This did I from Theophila descry,
(Not her fair-feather'd Speech could fly
To Ground, but my Ears Pitfall caught it instantly;

LXXXVIII

Though her informing Voice be parted hence,
Tides of impressive Notions thence
Flow, soft as Shours on Balm, & sweet as Frankincense.)

LXXXIX

The Conqueror who wades in Bloud for Pow'r,
Cannot ensure th' ensuing Houre;
Death soon may his Ovations sweetest Nectar sowre.

XC

All's vain. Th' Assyrian Lion, Persian Bear,
Greek Leopard, Roman Eagle-where?
Where is fam'd Troy, that did so proudly domineer?

XCI

Troy's gone, yet Simois stayes. O, Fortunes Play!
That which was fixt is fled away,
And only what was ever-flitting still does stay!

231

XCII

Vast Pyramids uprear'd t'interre the Dead,
Themselves, like Men, are sepulchred;
Ambitious Obelisks, Ostents of Pride, Dust wed.

XCIII

Heav'n sees the crumbling Fabrick of Earths Ball,
That Dust is Mans Original;
To Him All Nature is as wither'd Leaves that fall:

XCIV

Terrestrials transient are. Kings fight for Clods;
Heav'ns Heire is mightier Prince by odds,
Ev'n All is His, and He is Christs, & Christ is Gods.

XCV

Thoughts, dwell on This. Let's be our own Deaths-Head.
The glorious Martyr lives, though dead,
Sweet Rose, in his own fadelesse Leaves enveloped:

XCVI

Heav'n was his Watch, whose starrie Circles winde
All Ages up; the Hand that sign'd
Those Figures, guides them; World, thy Clocks are false & blinde.

XCVII

Time in Eternities immense Book is
But as a short Parenthesis;
Mans Life, a point; GODS Day is never-setting Bliss.

XCVIII

Could Man summe up all Times, so, as if there
A Moment not remaning were;
Yet all those close-throng'd Figures seem but Cyphers here.

XCIX

Could Calculators multiply times Glass
To Myriads more of Yeers; alas,
Those Sands, to This Duration, as a Minute passe.

232

C

Such mental Buds we from each Object take,
And, for Christs Spouse, of Them we make
Spiritual Wreaths, nor do we Her own Words forsake.

CI

Arise, ô, North, and thou, ô, South-winde, blow;
Let Scent of Flow'rs, and Spices flow,
That the Beloved may into his Garden goe.

CII

Whose Beauty Flow'rs, whose Height made lofty Trees,
Whose Permanence made Time, & These
Pay Tribute by Returns to Him, as Springs to Seas.

CIII

This steals our Soul from her thick Loom, t' aspire
To Canzons, tin'd with Enthean Fire;
Taking high Wing to soar up to the Angel-Quire.

CIV

By such like Speculations would we stie
To th' Sun of Righteousnesse! though I
A Star am lesse than least of all the Galaxie.

CV

The Burden to each Hymn is This. Thy Wayes,
Lord, are inscrutable! All Dayes,
All Tongues, are few, are weak, to sound thy endless Praise!

CVI

O, that a Voice more audible, and high'r
Than that shrill Trump, when All's on Fire,
Might all Mens Hearts & Tongues with thy Renown inspire!

CVII

Nature, blesse God, His Benefits be sung,
While that an Ear can hear a Tongue;
Commerce with Him is th' onely Trade, All else but Dung.

233

CVIII

But Dung—the wilde Inhabitant repeats
From her inhospitable Seats:
But, now 'tis Noon; prepare we for our costless Meats.

CIX

Lord of all grassie and all glassie Plains!
Whose mighty Hand doth wield Fates Reins,
Who dost embase the Hills, emboss the woody Veins.

CX

By Thee, the Pyrate, who by Nile being bred
Has Land for Table, Pool for Bed,
Camels, Arabias wandring Ships, by Thee are sed;

CXI

Thou with thy inexpressibly immense
Finger of active Providence,
The Worlds great Harbinger, dost All to Each dispence.

CXII

Strickt Temperance so cooks our Mess, that we
With no Brain-clouds eclipsed be:
The driest Cleernesse makes the brightest Ingenie.

CXIII

The Mount's our Table, Grass our Carpet, Well
Our Cellar, Trees our Banquet, Cell
Our Palace, Birds our Musick, and our Plate a Shell.

CXIV

Nature, payes all the Score. Next Fountain has
Bath, Drink, and Glass; but our Souls Glasse
Presents Religions Face. Our Meal's as short as Grace.

CXV

See, where the udderd Cattle finde us Food;
As, those Sheep Cloth; these Hedg-rowes Wood.
See, now a Present brought us from the Neighborhood:

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CXVI

Ev'n th' Herb that Cramp and Toothach drives away,
And bribes Ear-Minstrels not to play;
And from archt Roofs to spungie Bellows Dews dos stay;

CXVII

That makes quick Spirits and agile Fancie rove,
And genuine Warmth i'th' Brain do's move,
'Bove Furres or Fires; Whose Pipe's both Ventiduct, & Stove;

CXVIII

That mounts Invention with its active Smoke;
Draught of Promethean fir'd-Air took,
Renerves slack Joynts, and ransacks each Phlegmattick Nook.

CXIX

That Lust cloyes which Expectance swells; but, here
Are Dainties, that whet Taste and Ear;
Where all are cheer'd with Joy, and over-joy'd with Cheer.

CXX

But, having traverst more of Ground to Day,
Let us; for our Refreshment, stay,
And with next rising Sun, compleat next closing Lay.

Irati sævas Maris evitare Procellas
Quæ potuit, felix est nimìs illa Ratis;
Littoris optati Prospectu Navita gaudet;
Gratulor emensam nec minùs ipse Viam.

Animi Pabulum Contemplatio.