Prison-Pietie or, Meditations Divine and Moral. Digested into Poetical Heads, On Mixt and Various Subjects. Whereunto is added A Panegyrick to The Right Reverend, and most Nobly descended, Henry, Lord Bishop of London. By Samuel Speed, Prisoner in Ludgate, London |
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On Shame. |
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On Shame.
The age is impudent in which we live;Men seem asham'd to be asham'd of blame;
And to their Errours such a licence give,
That they delight to glory in their shame.
They have a specious Cloak for each offence,
And study how to palliate their Vice.
The Covetous hath Husbandry's pretence;
The Prodigal is free, perhaps at Dice.
The Lecher shrouds his sin i'th' mask of Love;
The Drunkard to good fellowship pretends;
The Cheat doth for his Family improve
Ill-gotten goods; each have their private ends.
They blush not at the fact, yet will not own
The Title; by the which we may conclude
The sense of shame, when to perfection grown,
Restrains from sins, can hide a multitude.
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Lets loose the Reins of his suborned will,
Goes hand in hand with Satan, till at last
Madness and Mischief are his joy and skill.
The World says to him, Take thy pleasure, swim
In Lust and Liquor: Heart, the Minde, and Eye
Are lively, merry, careless, and so trim,
He doth not care though God's his enemie.
Fools shew their folly as it sutes their name,
But prudent men will be asham'd of Shame.
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