Microcosmos :: :: University of Virginia Library

Microcosmos

The Discovery of the Little World, with the government thereof. By Iohn Davies

Davies, John (1565?-1618)

[section]

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

MICROCOSMOS.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE LITTLE VVORLD, VVITH the government thereof.

Sith that thou hast so soundly slept my Muse,
Dreaming on that which thou before had'st dōe
Being awake againe, thy Spirits rowze,
To make an end of what thou hast begun:
Be'ng rest-refresht therefore, now forwards run
With bright

Christ the true God of Wisedome, & the onelie Sunne in-lightning our Intelligence.

Apollo; (pray him be thy guide)
Vntill thou touch the Tropicke of Reason
Where VVisdome puts Plus vltra, there abide,
For past that point to passe, is passing pride.

For our VVill's Baiard blind, yet bold, and free,
And, had she way made in hir maine Carreere,
sh'would runne into that Light that none can see
Saue light of Lights, to feele the secrets there,
Which Angells wonder at, yet not come neere:
But Reas'ns conduct is nothing safe

The secrets of the highest Heaven are farre aboue the reach of humane Reason:

herein,
Therefore the VVill hath too iust cause of feare
Lest shee should runne into presumptuous sinne,
For which divinest Angells damn'd haue bin.

For since our Proto-parents lowest fall,
Our wisdoms highest pitch (God wot) is low:
But had they stood Hee had infus'd in all
His VVord, (selfe-VVisdome) which alone to know
Is to know all that VVisdomes selfe can showe:
But since, the state of things is so vnstay'd
That humane vvisedome stands it wotts not howe;
Vnsure in all; for Iudgment's oft betrai'd
In that which proofe before had well

Every knowledge hath its beginning of the senses, which are often deceiu'd. Therefore all sciēces which are deriu'd & fast rooted in the senses are vncertaine, & deceiptfull.

assai'd.

But having toucht the Braine, the Soule, the VVill,
(All which (saue of the soule) can brooke no touch)
It rests that Reasons heasts wee doe fulfil,
To prosecute much more, or more then much,
That VVitt for VVill wil willingly avouch:
Th'al-giving Giver giveth al that liue
(His Creatures) such desires, and Natures such;
As for their good with good wil stil should striue,
And shun what ere should them of it depriue.

Beasts more thē Men (the more Beasts mē the while)
Pursue that good that doth their natures fitt.
To them for that (though they be nere so vile)
Is highest knowledge giv'n, and they vse it,
Thereby condemning both mans VVill, and VVitt:
And yet hath Man a (synn-peruerted) will
To seeke that good he knowes most 'requizit,
Who knowes & loues the good, yet takes the ill
Oft for the good, but for the evill stil.

Yet as he was ordain'd to greater good,
So greater knowledge was in him infus'd;
With no lesse will, (were it not sinn withstood)
To seeke that Good; yet the will witt-abus'd
When it hath found it, is oft witt

The vnderstanding abused by the misreport of the inferior senses diverts the will from embracing good obiected to hir.

refus'd:
Vnhallowed sense, drown'd in that damned iuyce,
(Synnes Syder) from Eaues fatall: Apple bruiz'd,
(Be'ing deadly drunck) makes stil the worser choise,
Wherein (like Sow in mire) it doth reioyce.

Among the hoast of Natures creatures, bee
Three kindes of Appetites, (there ay consorts)

3. Kinds of Appetites in all creatures.

Naturall, sensitive, and Voluntarie.
The first divided is into two sortes;

One found in all that to the VVorld resortes:
That's inclination voide of Sense or Soule,
To doe what the owne nature most importes:

The naturall apetite two-folde.

As light things mount, and heavy downwards roule,
Which nature, Natures selfe cannot controule.

The other with this vertue action haue,
Which nerthelesse proceedeth not from sense;
To Vegetatiue Soules this, Nature gaue,

Soules Vegetatiue.

Which in Trees, Plants, and Grasse hath residence;
Who doe desire to sucke that influence
That feedes them, and avoides the contrary;
A plant will thirst for moistures confluence;
And draw to it all kinde humidity,
Retayning that it liues and prospers by.

The like in our owne members we obserue,
Who wanting nutriment doe sucke the vaines;
The vaines doe sucke the bloud themselues to serue;
Thus each attracteth foode when neede constraines,
And all things living seeke the same with paines:
Hence we devide this naturall desire

The natural desire how divided.

Into two kindes, the one, each plant retaines,
The other, things which life doth sense-inspire,
As Man, and Beast, and what doth els respire.

The Seate of this desire stands on two feete,
Which fixt are in two places; That's to say
The liver, and the Stomacke; there doe meete
The forces of this Appetite to slay
With famine, or with foode fraile life to stay:
The sensitiue desire is two-fold too,
From sense the first, the last comes not that way,

The sensitiue apetite two-fold.

The first, to ioy and griefe is fixed so,
That no force can it from the same vndoe.

For in the sinewes (Feelings instruments)
This pow'r is plac'd, or in the Synewy skin;
And that the Synewes ioyes, or discontents,
That wel, or ill, affecteth them within:
By heate, or cold, they paine, or pleasure wyn,
As they to them are wel, or ill applied.
For sense and motion synewes made haue bin
That by them paine or pleasure should be tride,
And make our Bodies moue on ev'ry side.

Nor doe these Appetites wait on the will,
Ne from the Phantazie doe they proceede,
For wil we, nil we, we shal hunger stil,
Whē food's with-drawn, that should our Bodies feed;
And we shal feele what sense affects with speede,
How ere the will or Phantazy impung;
We may abstaine from nurrishment in deede,
But then thereby much more for it we long,
And Flesh wil pine with paine, if hunger-stung.

But th'other Appetites bredd without touch,
Are forged by the thoughts or Phantazie;
These, discreete Nature in the hart doth couch,
Which be Affectes that lurke in secresie,
Be'ng motions of the hartes Hart properlie:
These wait on witt, and choose or else reiect
What it holds deerest, or doth most defie;
So VVitt's the cause, and they are the effect,
That loue, or loath, as witt doth them direct.

This vvitt, and vvill, the Beasts doe not possesse,
For their most knowledge is most sensuall;
Guided by Nature in their Brutishnesse,
Onely by inclination naturall,

Which moues their sense vn-intellectual,
Or this, or that way, without Reasons

Though Beasts haue much more perfect outward senses then Men, yet can they not imploy them reasonably as Men doo.

sway;
The vvitt and vvill their sense wee cannot cal,
Though sensuall will and witt we cal it may:
For man alone hath both to guide his way.

The Voluntary Appetite we finde
Is gott by Reason, and produc'd by vvill,
By it we are to good or ill inclin'd,
As Reason doomes of them by Iudgments skill:
Two actions hath the vvill in reason still,
By which we good embrace, and ill refuse,
Reason revealing what is good or ill,
Who rules hir not as though will could not choose,
But as one teaching Hir hir pow'r to vse.

As in the Vnderstanding and the Minde
Of Men, and Angells, God hath fixt his forme,
So to Mannes will

Free-will is not avoided by grace but established: because grace healeth the Wall that is, giveth vs a will to righteousnes. Aug. de spiritu & littera. Cap. 30.

his loue was no lesse kinde,
That to Gods wil he might his vvill conforme:
Ah woe! that sinne should since the same deforme
VVithout constraint! for Hee Her freedome gaue,
And did with vnderstanding her informe,
That voluntarie

That we doe will well God worketh of himself without vs, and when we will so well that we doe accordingly, God worketh togither with vs. August De gratia & libero arbitrio. Cap. 17.

service hee might haue;
As that, his nature most doth loue and crave.

For, as himselfe doth nothing by constraint,
So he constraines

God draweth vnto him, but he draweth none but the willing.

not those that him obay;
Lest that their vvil might haue cause of complaint,
For want of libertie it selfe to sway:
Those praiers please him not, Constraint doth say,
But true obedience flowing from the

God giues regenerate Men free will to do well but the reprobate haue free-will onely to doe evill. Musculus cōmō places.

vvill;
Then vvill should force her selfe (for so shee may)
His gratious good will freely to fulfill,
Sith good he made hir loue, and loath the Ill.

Then Iustice would that God mans will should doe
When Man doth Gods vvill,

Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that to come. When Man pleaseth God God wil please Man. All is to be given to God who prepareth the good-will of Man to bee holpen, and helpeth i being prepared. Aug Enchir. ad Laurent. Cap. 22.

this exchang is iust;
And Gods free-wil must needes subscribe thereto,
Sith it is free to doe that needes it must,
VVhich cannot doe the thing that is vniust;
For that were bondage free, or freedome bound;
Sith ro doe evill but to haue a lust
VVere Vassallage to Sathan that Hel-hound,
VVhich fredome to doe good would quite confound.

But yet the vvill hath many motions else,
Diverse degrees therein doe plaine appeare;
Some haue such open harts and wilful vvills
As that they loue and hate through passion meere:
So, Reason their Mindes Sterne in vaine doth steere,
For sense they serve, and have no patience
The seemeing neerest pleasure to

These are Beasts in humane shape, whereof the World's too full.

forbeare
For further good; but forth-with please their sense,
As sensuall appetite doth them incense.

But vvill in others, so hir selfe commaunds,
And those Pow'rs to her pow'r subordinate,
That (being free) shee bindeth both in bands
And vnto Reason all doth captivate:
As, many Dropsy-drie forbeare to drincke,
Because they know their ill t'would aggravate;
So, vvill herein from her owne selfe doth shrinke,
And cleaves to that, that Reason best doth thinke.

The Heau'ns, and Earth, and all the Elements,
(And what besides Man, is of them compos'd)
Doo GOD obay in his commaundements,
For, as Hee wils, so are they al dispos'd;

Yet never he himselfe to them disclos'd:
Then not from knowledge their obedience springes,
But from the nature in their kinds inclos'd;
Yet Men he made to know and doe the things
That be of him, which grace and Knowledge bringes.

And that he should with more heede doe the same,
A VVill he giues him ioyn'd with griefe and

Griefe & Ioy are alwaies Consociates of our will.

Ioy;
Which vvill might ioy when she doth passion tame,
And in the contrary might feele annoy,
All as shee doth her natiue powres imploy.
Here hence we know the odds twixt Ioy and Griefe,
For in extreames they comfort or destroy
Such as leade here a good, or evil life,
Both flowing from the vvill, their fountaine chiefe.

This pow'r hath highest vertue of Desire,
And Cæsarizeth ore each Appetite;
Shee rules (being taught) with libertie intire,
VVhose actions are to vvill and nill aright;
VVhose Obiect's real good or so in sight:
In nature shee hates ill in deede, or show,
And in the true, or false good, doth delight;
If ill for good shee choose, hence it doth gro
Because ill seeming good, shee takes it so.

Shee nought can loue but hath some show of good;
Nor ought can

The will naturally cannot desite that which in nature is evill.

loath but hath like show of ill;
Desire of good by her may be with-stoode,
But it shee cannot loath, or leave it still:
So may shee choose to execute her will,
VVhen ill is tendred her indeede, or sho,
But cannot loaue it, or her wil fulfill,
Because to ill shee is a mortall foe,
And lothes it as sole worker of her woe.

Then must shee needs be ever vnconstrain'd,
Sith her Creators Wil would haue it so;
Shee could not be her selfe, were shee restrain'd,
And though shee waites on Reason to, and fro,

Will makes Reason to attend her.

Yet shee makes Reason waite her will to kno:
For, touching her, her Lord confines his powre,
Which cannot take that he did once besto,
Namely, arbiterment, (her richest dowre)
Except Not-beeing, should her quite devoure.

The Wil may obiect, or not obiect what shee will to the Minde.

For shee hath powre, to obiect to the Minde
What pleaseth her, or not the same obiect;
And while the Thoughts the same do turne & winde,
Shee may oreturne those Thoughts or them neglect,
And turne the Minde to what shee shal direct:
Yea when as Iudgments final doome is giv'n,
Shee may, or may refuse the same t'effect;
For Men are not as Beasts by Nature driv'n,
Vnlesse of Reason they are quite bereav'n.

The vnderstāding straineth out of the secret & hid causes of thinges that which to wisdōe is incident. Wil exacting the sāe.

About shee goes when Iudgements doome is past,
And re-examines what it hath decreed;
Which done, perhaps the same shee will distast,
(Although the sentence be direct indeede)
And runnes another course, lesse right, with speed:
Which second

The Wil refuseth Good being found, not for being good; but not being so good as it willingly would haue. I'l spirits may provoke our fātasies & wil.

search yet aimes at greater right,
Though shee mistakes the same for want of heede,
Which want proceeds frō Sins extreame dispight,
That blindes our Mindes eies in extreamest light.

Wherefore it vs behoues Grace to invoke,
Whereby wit vprightly may weld the will;
For as ill Sprites our fantazies provoke,
So on our wils they may the like fulfill,

And make her scorne to rule by Reasons skill:
For, shee's ambitious and delights to raigne
Without controle, how euer well, or ill;
And beeing free shee runneth on amaine,
To ioy if wel, if otherwise, to paine.

This liberty of Monarchizing thus
Shee deemeth good, what ill so ere ensues;

It is a kind of bondage to haue powre, wil, and liberty to doe ill.

Which libertie, is bondage base to vs,
And free we were, if our will could not chuse
But vse His will, that gaue vs wils to vse:
Whose only service, only freedome is,
And only they are Slaues that it refuse;
Sith they are Sathans servants (if not his)
Which please him most, when they do most amisse.

For in this great commerce of terrene things,
The bad where of exceeding so the good,
And that so fast the one to other clings
That twixt them both there is great likelyhood,
Hardly by will can they be vnderstood:
And sith Men Bodies haue aswel as Soules,
Things bodily best like the bodies moode,
Which often so the Minde and VVill controules,
That as it lusts it rules and over-rules.

Herehence it is, some mortall life doe prize

Whosoever seekes felicity where it is not shall finde infelicity where it is.

Aboue eternal, and their guts aboue
The highest God, that doth their guts suffize;
And though the will herein may rigor proue;
Yea, may be forc'd to leaue what it doth loue,
Yet nought can her resistlesse powre constraine,
For nothing can desire from her remoue,
Although shee cannot doe what she would faine:
So maugre force, shee freedome doth retaine.

Reason and mans desires shoulde be in continuall league.

Sith Reason then the VVils desires should sway,
And bring th' Affections to obedience,
Its requisite they should accorde alway
To mainetaine warres against rebelling Sense;
Which is the rule of Reasons consequence:
Wherefore we may wel iudge of Reasons rule,
By the Affections and VVils continence;
As a good Prince or Master of a Schoole,
Make them they governe, hate, and shun misrule.

The Hart and Minde beeing at Vnity procure the tranquility of the Affections.

And, for th' Affections from the hart proceede
(Which is the Seate of loue to God and Men)
If then the hart and Minde be wel agreed,
The hart with flames of lasting loue will bren,
And fire out froward Passions from their den:
Then wil the Tongue from harts aboundance speake
Gods highest laudes till they report agen;
Then loue twixt Tongue & Hart shal marriage make,
To bring forth naked Truth, which loue doth seeke.

Wherefore the Providence divine did place
The lunges (the voices Organs) next the Hart;
(As the Mindes instruments the Braines embrace)
That they may neere at hand, soone vse their Art;
As Orators of Princes play their part
Neere to their Sov'raignes; And wert not for sinne,

The Braines and Hart are the Seates of Reason and the Affectiōs. Sin is nothing because it was made without him, without whō nothing was made that was made.

The VVill, from Reasons rule should never start,
And twixt the Hart, & Braine there should haue bin
A lasting league, as beeing neere of kin.

Sin, noughty Nothing that mak'st all things nought,
(Except the Thing of Things that made thē good)
Thou wast vnmade thy selfe, yet ill haste wrought;
Whereby thou haste so perverst Flesh, and Bloud,

That now by it all goodnesse is with-stood:
Damn'd Nothing that hast such a some-thing stride,
How wast begot? by whom? and in what moode?
Through lust; By Eaue and Adam; In their pride:
Now

Sinne.

Error speakes what

The scriptur

Truth hath iustifide.

For wit, will, Anger, and Concupiscence,
Are fowre powres of the soule, wherein should lie
Fowre vertues, taking thus their residence:
VVisedome in wit, in will Integritie:
Valor in Ire, and in lust, Temprancie:
But wit with ignorance, and will, with wronge,
Anger with Feare, and lust, with libertie
Are so pervers'd, that they themselues impunge,
Except preventing grace be mixt amonge.

The totall frame of mans divinest part,
By light divine we see is out of frame;
Th'antipathie betwixt the

That is, betweene Reason and the Affections.

Minde and Hart,
Giues but too good assurance of the same:
And though the minde in all her limbes be lame,
Yet in our little world shee raignes as Queene,
And seekes wilde passions of the Hart to tame,
That in her selfe there might bee ever seene,
Soule-pleasing ioy and peace to flourish greene.

For shee's the mancion of Felicitie,
Contrived so, that there its safe confin'd;
To which there is no way nor entery,
But through th' Affections, servants of the Minde:
Yet they too oft disloial prooue by kinde,
Who liers, and sinne-soothing claw-backes are,
Whereby our iudgments eies they (Traitors) blinde,
That it erres mortallie ere it beware,
If reason of their treason haue not care.

Reason, Concupiscence, & Ire, 3. speciall powres of the Soule.

For three Powres speciall in the Soule reside,
Reason, Concupiscence, and ardent Ire,
The first, to Truthes obscure abiding guides;
The second, good-things gladly doth desire;
The third, doth from the contrarie retire:
In bowels of the first the VVits are bred;
Th' Affectes are forg'd in both the others fire;
In nomber fowre, Ioy, Hope, Sorow, and Dread,
Which from the last powres spring, as frō their head.

First, from the first Powre, Ioy and Hope proceedes,
(For what we covet, wee ioy in with hope)
And Ire, the last powre, Dread and sorow breedes;
For, hate to dreade and sorow lies wide ope;
Griefe in hates hell the way to dreade doth grope.
From these Affects (as from their fountaine) floes
All vice and vertue which in Man doth cope,
For vice and vertue ay are mortall foes,
And as Reas'n rules, so either overthroes.

Anima.

The soul's call'd Anima our flesh containes,
While shee the same with vitall fire filleth;

Mens.

Mens, while shee mindeth, or shee Minde retaines,

Animus.

And Animus, while shee hath VVill or willeth;

Ratio.

Shees Ratio, whilst shee iudgement iust fulfilleth:

Spiritus.

Then, spiritus shee hight, when shee respires.
From all which, science to the soule distilleth,

Scientia.

So, call'd scientia; thus her names doe change,
As shee her qualities doth interchange.

The outward senses outward parts possesse,
As th'inward to the soule are knit by kinde:
And, for the soule her powre doth most expresse
In that whereto her soule is most inclinde,

Here-hence it is, men mortified in minde

The soule vseth not the ministry of the outward senses when shee is swallowed vp with divine meditations.

Whose spirits powres on things divine are bent
Fare, as they were sometimes, deafe, dombe, & blind,
Their contemplations are so violent:
But, Vulgars outwarde sense is excellent.

But while the soule can take a strict survay
Of all the instruments which shee doth vse,
So long the owner of that soule may say
He hath a iudgement sound, and perfect Muse:
But if those instruments that Man misvse,
Or ruine them, the soule straight seeing it,
Her ruin'd Iaile shee striues then to refuse:
Which strife the senses frame doth so vnknit
That it confounds it, or distracts the VVit.

And in this moode (though we esteeme it madd)
Men prophesie, and truely things foretell,

The soule being divine works divinely, if shee bee not hindred by, her Clog, the body.

Speake diuerse Tongues, which erst they never had,
And in Artes which they knew not, they excell.
Thus whilst the soule doth hold her house an Hell,
Striving to be enlarg'd, becomes more free,
Then workes shee like her selfe (exceeding well)
That wonder tis, the same to heare and see:
O sacred soule (but God) who's like to thee!

Now, for the Hart fraile life first intertaines,
And is the last part that from it departes,
(Without which, dull were reason, dead the braines)
It's taken for the part which powre impartes
To VVit and VVill, whereby they play their partes;
So as it's held the Mirrour of the minde:

The Hart the Mirror of the Minde.

For, when the Minde vnto herselfe converts,
The Hart is interposd, where shee doth finde
Her feature fowle, or faire, cleere-eied, or blinde.

Then, for the Hart is such a powreful thing,
My hart desires to touch it feelingly:

A cleane Hart and a cleane soule are convertible.

And, for the Hart doth paine or pleasure, bring,
The paine is pleasure, when Head properlie
Makes hand discribe the Hartes hart handsomly.
Earst Mans internal partes we did devide
Into three VVombes, the Braines, the Brest, & Belly:
About the Braines (before) our skill we tride,
And now by it, the Brest must be discride.

Which is the Shoppe of al the Instruments
Wherewith the vitall Vertue operates;
The Hart, the Lunges, with al Lifes incidents
In region of the Brest, doe hold their States,
Whose Bulke them Bulwarkes frō what ruynates:
The Midriff parteth them from partes that feede
(Which the third VVombe, (the Belly) circulates)
It being a Muscle made for Natures neede,
Assisting in the Breathing Acte and Deede.

And next, there is a Tunicle, or Skin,
That over-spreads the Concaue of the Brest,
Much like a Spiders webbe, subtile, and thin;
Wherout two others grow to part the rest,
Because two places should be breath-possest:
So that, if one (being hurt) could not respire
The other might one halfe retaine (at least)
To keepe

Natures providence for Manns good, should lift vp his minde to the consideration of the loue of a greater Good.

Lifes breath (at point to part) intire,
And blowe the sparkes that kindle vitall fire.

These Felmes (like to a Nett with fruite repleat)
Together hold what ere the Brest doth bound,
They line the Ribbes, that whē the Lunges doe beate
They might performe their office whole and sound,

Without being bone-bruiz'd, which might thē confound.
So likewise in a Caule the Hart's inclos'd,
Call'd Pericardion, being Ovall round,
Or like a Flame for forme, and so dispos'd;
To shew that vitall fire is there repos'd.

There, in the Hart's the fountaine whence doth flow

The Hart is the fountaine of naturall heate.

Naturall heate, and by the Artires sends
It al abroade to make the Members grow,
And keepe them growne, in plight to doe their ends.
And though each Instrument of breath attends
And serves the Voice, yet were they chiefely made
For the Hartes vse, (that Lifes-fire comprehends)
That by their service that fire might not vade,
VVhich vnkinde coldnesse else might overlade.

Wherfore the Lunges (breaths-forge) is preordain'd
First to receaue the Aire that cooles the Hart,
VVho doe prepare it (being intertain'd)
And so prepared, doe the same impart
(As Nature wills) to that Life-giving part.
The Lunges therfore, are Spūgy, soft, & light,
That Aire might enter, and from thē depart,
VVhich guard the Hart (on left side and the right)
From bordring Bones, that else annoy it might.

VVhich hath a double motion; One, when it
It selfe dilates, the other, it restraines.

The Hartes motion is double.

VVhen it goes out, in goes Aire requisit:
And when it shrinketh in, then out it straines
All smoky Excrements procuring paines.
This motion's kinde, proceeding frō its kinde
(Not as the Muscles moved by the Braines)
For which it hath fitt filaments assign'd,
VVherby it selfe, it selfe may turne & wynd.

This double motion hath two double vses,
(A two fold vse whereof we mention'd haue)
The next to draw in bloud; and then, by Sluces
To send it to the Lunges, for foode they craue
At the Harts hands, sith they the Hart doe saue.
Thus gratefully they kindnesse interchange,
To teach vs how we should our selves

A motiue to brotherly loue taken from the disposition of the Members.

behaue;
For when we disagree, it is as strange
As Hart and Lūges should cease to make this chāge.

Thus, this subordinate Lord of Mannes life
(The Hart) resides in his wel-fenced fort;
And, though with it al vitall force be rife,
And members keepes from being al-amort,
Yet should it die, if their helps were cut short.
Hence Kings may learne, that though they Monarchize
Yet doe they, whom they rule, maintaine their port,
Which should induce them, not to tyranize,
But, like good Hartes, lifes-pow'r to exercize.

The flesh of the Hart is the firmest flesh of any part of the Body.

The flesh whereof is firmer, then the flesh
Of all the parts the Body hath besides:
So, Kinges should be most firme, for, being nesh,
Their Subiects might be woūded through their sids.
Such be the People stil as be their Guides.
The Hart with Passion, passion may each part,
VVhich Ioy or Sorrowe with the Hart abides:
So, Kinges their praise and People may subvert,
If Passion over-rule their ruling Art.

And in the Bulke it is so situate
As that its Base is Center of the Brest;
The end whereof (where greatnesse doth abate)
Leanes to the left-side more then al the rest;

(So Kings, where they frō

Iniustice makes great Kinges lesse, then Fame can take notice of.

Right decline, are least.)
Yet leanes the Hart so, for two causes great;
One, that the Brest-bone should it not infest,
The other, that it should the left-side heate,
Sith on the right, the Liver doth that feate.

And though the Hartes left part more heavy bee,
Because its hard and greater then the right,
Yet Nature hath so ballanc'd it, that shee
Makes it to hange (by admirable sleight)
As if the both sides were of equal weight:
For in the left part (heaviest) shee putts
The vitall Spirit, of its nature light;
And in the right part (lightest) loe, shee shutts
The waightie Bloud, wherwith that part shee glutts.

Lo, thus the Highest holy vpright hand
By even counterpoise hath hang'd the Heart
In the Brests Center, (like as th'Earth doth stand

The Hart is hang'd in the Brest by even counterpoise.

In Center of the Heau'ns) by matchlesse Art:
Hence we may learne the duty of this part,
Which should be vpright in Affects, and vvill,
And never from the rules of Vertue start
To right hand, or to left, for good or Ill,
But come life or come death, be vpright stil:

This part likewise hath two Concavities,
On left side one, the other on the right:
And for this vse, are these capacities;
The right receaves the bloud (be'ng boild aright)
That from the Liver runnes, to give it might
To feede the Lunges, and vitall spirits breede,
Bred of pur'st bloud in the left Concaue dight,
Like sweate that frō the right one doth proceede,
Which sweate with vitall Spirits it doth feede.

That is the furnace, wherein still doth flame
The vitall Sp'rit, resplendent, quicke, and cleere,
Like the celestiall Nature, for the same
Both heate, and life to all the whole doth beare;
This Primum mobile that All doth steere:

Many good complexions are ill in conditions.

These concaues thus are made commodiously;
But now (alas) most harts all hollow are,
That Bloud and Spirits therein confused lie,
So as no Art can one from other spie.

In this left concaue where the Hart doth trie
His chiefest skill, the vitall sp'rits to make,
There is the roote of that great Artery
From whom the Artires their beginning take:
Which neere the Hart doth so it selfe forsake,
That part ascends, and part thereof descends
To carrie vitall fire to parts that lacke;
These are the pipes whereby the kinde Hart sends
His cordiall comfortes to th'extreamest ends.

And, for the Veines and Artires neede each other,
And that their succors should be neere at hand,
They meete, and (for the most part) goe togither,
Thereby to vigorize the vitall Band
Which the Harts vertue wholy doth command:
For, th' Artires being lincked with the Vaines,
Lend Aire and Spirit, least their bloud should stand;
And frō the Veines some bloud each artire draines,
Which to disperse, the vitall spirit constraines.

Mutual loue is to be learned from the mutuall assistāce of the partes of the body.

Betweene the Hart and Lunges the like is seene
(As erst was said) to learne vs mutuall loue;
For, certaine Pipes doe passe these parts betweene,
By which, each others kindnesse they doe proue:

The hart from his right side doth bloud remoue
Vnto the Lunges by the Arteriall Veine,
The Lunges through veyny-artire, aire doth shoue
Vnto the hart, it to refresh againe,
Whose side sinister doth it entertaine.

The hart (besides) hath many members more,
Which are distinguisht by Anatomists:
The right, and left side hath a little dore,
And many a pipe so small therein subsists,
That scarce mans eie can see how each exists;
Yet all haue vse; for, when the hart doth seeke
Such bloud as without which no hart consists,
The meanes wherewith it draws it, should not break,
But that the strong therein might helpe the weake.

And, that the Aire might enter in thereby
More mildly, and for Nature, more concinne,
Therefore, the hart doth not immediately
Draw from the Mouth the aire it draweth in,
But through those passages it first doth rin,
Lest be'ng too cold t'would coole the hart too much;
For all extreames, saue extreame good, are sinne,
And Nature Vertue in the Meane doth couch,

Vertues Throne is erected iust betweene extreames.

Shewing, that our desires should still be such.

That God, whose powre no power can resist,
Resists all powers that are too violent,
And ever doth the moderate assist;
From whose hand (only) comes the Thunder-dent,
To plague the prowde, and wound th'incontinent:
For, should his Creatures powre b'immoderate,
Then should not his owne bee so eminent:
So, if they it affect, he them doth hate,
And with a thundring vengeance ends their date.

Thus having sleightly toucht this render part,
(Touching his substance, proper place, and frame)
It now remaines that we doe proue our Arte
Touching another motion of the same,
Belonging to our soules affections lame,
Lam'd by our Flesh too lustie, yet too fraile,
Too lustie in desire of its owne shame,
But fraile in that wherein it should prevaile,
Yet when its weak'st, the Soule doth most assaile.

It not suffiz'd that nere-suffized Loue
That al things made, to make Man only Bee,
But to Be vvell, as wel some men doe proue,
VVho though of Beeing, they desirous be,
Yet not being wel, they

Murder themselues.

end ill, sith they see
Their being VVell, and Being disagree:
Then

The Soule Vegetatiue desires to Be, The Sensitiue to be well, The reasonable to be best, and therfore it never rests till it be ioyned to the best.

Being, was not Manns creations end,
But to be happy in a high degree:
And therfore al men al their forces bend,
T'inioy that Good, that Beeing doth cōmend.

Which good desire of Good, in Man is knitt
To a detesting of the contrary;
But, for that sinne hood-wincks Mans Eie of VVitt
He gropes for Good, but feeles the

Evill cleaves to each worldly Good, as Canker doth to Silver.

Evill by:
From this desire of Good, th'affections flie;
Which with their motion swift draw that desire
Heere, there, and where soere they please to hy,
In pursute of that Good which they require,
To which (though base they bee) they would aspire.

Yet they were good, & kindly lov'd their like;
But they are ill, and loue Ill seeming good;
Yet they by Natures instinct Ill dislike;
And yet by nature evil is their moode.

Basely obaying the sinne-soiled Blood:
At first they were Truthes other selfe, for friends;
Yet now by them shee's too too much with stoode,
Adhering to her foe, while shee pretends
To blesse the Sense, though to accursed endes.

The motiues of the Soule these motions are,
Whose other names are called the Affects;
By foll'wing good, and flying ill, they ARE;
Consisting so of these two good Effects;
Though Syn their sense with error oft infects:
Some vsher Iudgment, some on her attend,
The later, take or leaue as shee directs;
The Former, naturally cannot offend,
For they desire but Nature to defend.

As when the Body (Nature to suffize)
Desires to eate, or drinke, (as neede requires)
Or when good happe or ill doth it surprize,
Then

Ioy and sorrow (as Plato affirmes) are the Ropes wherewith we are drawne to the embracing or avoiding of euery action.

Ioy or sorrow moueth our desire:
These stil fore-run our Iudgment, & conspire
With Nature, to vsurpe her highest Throne;
For nature runneth on, or doth retire,
As shee is mov'd by iudgment of her owne,
And so doe these that Nature wait vpon.

But those Affects that follow Iudgmēts Traine
Wait hard, as long as Hart is wel dispos'd;
Then lasts the League betweene the Hart & Braine,
For, al their iarres by Reason are compos'd:
But when the Hart against the Brain's oppos'd,
(Which oft proceeds of too much pampering)
Out flie th'Affections that were erst repos'd,
And from their neckes the Raines of Reason fling,
Impatient of slow Iudgments rarrying.

Yet true it is that Hart cannot be mov'd,
Ere Iudgment doomes what's good or badd for it;
Then Hartes desires by her must be approv'd,
Or els the Hart cannot desire a whit:
For what

Iudgement foregoes the Affections.

she holds vnmeet, it thinks vnfitt.
But for the motions of the Minde are free,
And neede not stay, as it is requisit,
So before Iudgment doe they seeme to Bee,
Although they follow her as bond and free.

But though th'Affections cannot moue at all
If Iudgment wing them not and make them flee,
Yet sound advice (which heere we Iudgment call)

The Affections may work without soūd advisement.

May be at rest when they too busy bee,
Mov'd by the iudgment of the Fantazee:
This Iudgment's blinde, yet is it most mens Guide,
And no lesse rash, yet ruleth each degree;
This makes th'Affects from Rights straight Pathes to slide,
For Fantazy doth fancie waies too wide.

This skipp-braine Fancy, moves these easie Movers
To loue what ere hath but a glimpse of good;
Then straight she makes thē (like vnconstant lovers)
To chāge their Loues, as she doth change her moode,
VVhich swimmeth with the current of the Bloud:
For as the body's well or ill compos'd,
(VVhich followes oft the nature of its foode)
So Fancy and these Fondlings are dispos'd,
Though in the Soule, and Minde they be inclos'd.

And yet the body's but the Instrument
VVheron the

The Soule worketh by motion, and the Body by Action.

soule doth play what she doth please;
But if the stringes thereof doe not concent,
The harmony doth but the soule displease;

Then tune the body Soule, or playing cease:
And when a String is out, straight put it in
With Phisickes

Phisicke can extenuate the Humors that make the Body vnapt to execute the workes of Vertue.

helpe, which Passion may appease,
By humbling that which hath too lowd a dyn,
And put the Parts on a Soule-pleasing Pyn.

These Partes though many, yet of three consist,
That's, Humors, Elements, and Qualities;
Which three, doc of fow'r partes, a part subsist,
For from Earth, VVater, Aire, and Fire doth rise
All that the Heav'nly Cope doth circulize:
These are the Elements from whom proceede
The

Humors be the children of the Elements.

Humors with their foresaid qualities;
For, Bloud, Flegme, Choller, Melancholy breede
Hott, Cold, Moist, Dry, a fowr-fold vital Seede.

An Element is the most simple part

An Element, what.

VVhereof a thing is made, and in its wracke
Is last resolved; And in Phisicks Art
There are but tvvo, which two of those doe lack
That al the Elemental bodies make:
These two, are tearmed Simples, & Cōpounds,

2. Elements in Phisick-Arte.

The first, is borne on Speculations back;
The last, is bredd by Practize, which cōfoūds
Two or moe Simples in each others bounds.

The Elements of Natures famelies
Produce the Elementals temprament,
VVhich is a mixture of the Qualities
Or composition of each Element:
(As these doe bend, so are their bodies bent)
VVhich we Complexion cal; wherof are two,

Complexion what.

VVell, and ill tempred; And the Aliment
That feeds the Body, herein much can doe,
For that can make & marre Complexion too.

Wel tempred Complexion, what.

VVell-tempred, is an equal counterpoise
Of th' Elements fore-mention'd qualities;
Whereof ther's but one thing of Natures choise
VVherein shee made the mixture thus precise:
(As Galens tract of Tempers testifies:)
VVhich, of each hand, is the interior skin:
And hence we may thus fitly moralize;
That Nature to the Hand so good hath bin,
That it might temper what the Mouth takes in.

Il Cōplexion, what.

Ill tempred's that where some one Element
Hath more dominion then it ought to haue;
For they rule ill that haue more regiment
Then nature, wisdome, right, or reason gaue:
So doth this Element it selfe behaue:
Yet each ill temper doth not so exceede,
As that it spils what better tempers saue;
For some surpasse the temperate in deede,
In some small ods, whereof no harmes succeede.

The Bodies temper is fiue waies discerned.

Fiue waies the Bodies temperature is knowne,
By Constitution, Operation, Clime,
Coulor, and Age, by these the same is showne,
As Dials by an Index shew the time.
The Body fat is cold, for fat doth clime
By cold degrees; and that, full-flesht is hot,
For heate proceedes from bloud, as doth my rime
From braines; where no heate were, if bloud were not,
And bee'ing too cold they would my sense besot.

By Operation too, the temper's found,
For when a creature, (Man, Beast, Hearbe, or Plant)
Doth that which they by right of kinde are bound,
Then no good temprature those bodies want:

The Clyme in shewing this is nothing skant;
For South-ward, Men are cruell, moody, madd,
Hot, blacke, leane, leapers, lustfull, vsd to vant,
Yet wise in action, sober, fearefull, sad,
If good, most good, if bad exceeding bad.

The Northen Nations are more moist, and cold,
Lesse wicked and deceiptfull, faithfull, iust,
More ample, strong, couragious, martiall, bold,
And, for their bloud is colder, lesse they lust:
Then cold bloud being thicke, it follow must
They are lesse witty, and more barberous;
And for they inwardly are more adust,

A natural reason for the gurmādizing, and quassing of the Flemmings.

They meate and drinke devoure as ravenous,
The panch and pot esteeming precious.

Yet are they most laborious, loving Artes;
Whose soules are in their fingers (as its sed;)
For, all our best hand-workes come from those parts,
As from the hotter Climes, workes of the bed:
And those that twixt the South, and North are bred
(As France and Italy, Spaine, and the like)
Of hot and cold, are ev'nly tempered;
Therefore they are not made so apt to strike;
But warre with VVisdome, rather then the Pike.

The coulor likewise shewes the temprament;

The Coulor shews the bodies temper.

For Sanguin's red: and yellow's Cholericke:
The Melancholy is to blacknesse bent:
The white or whitish, is the Phlegmaticke:
The white, and blacke, are cold and rhewmaticke:
The Red, and yellow, hot by course of kinde:
To this consents each skilfull Empericke,
Who by experience of their practise finde
That coulor shewes the temper, notes the minde.

The Sanguin's frolicke, free, ingenious,
Couragious, kinde, to women over-kinde;
True Iovialists, by nature generous;
And hot and humid they are by their kinde:
The Chollericke is hasty, and inclinde
To Envie, pride, and prodigalitie;

The reason why men cholericke of cōplexion are soone angry.

As Herc'les-hardy, though with anger blinde;
And in its temper it is hot and drie,
Which is the cause it is so angery.

The Phlegmaticke are idle, sleepie, dull,
Whose temper's cold and moist, which drownes the wit:
The Melancholy's mestiue; and too full
Of fearefull thoughts, and cares vnrequisit;
Who loue (as loathing men) alone to sit:
In temper cold and drie too like the dust,
(Dust of the earth, ere God life-breathed it,
Where hence we came, and wherevnto we must)
Which flies (as fearefull) from a little Gust.

These are the humors, whereof Man consists,

A humor, what.

Which is a substaunce thin, to which our foode
The Stomackes heate by nature first disgests,
And hath dominion chiefly in our bloode:
These like the Elements moue in their moode:
For bloud is hot, and humid, like the aire:
Flegm's cold, and moist, in VVaters likelyhood:
Then Melancholy's like Earth, cold and dry'r:
And hot, and drie is Choler, like the Fire.

Howe the meates are changed to Humors.

And, that the meates to humors should be chang'd
They must be thrice concocted thorowly:
First, in the Stomacke they are interchang'd
And made that Chyle wherein potentially

The Humors (Chaos-like) at first doe lie:
Next, in the Liver the Masse Sanguiner
Of Chyle composed is, successiuely:
The third, and last's through al the bodie, where
Humors are made, that Meate and Chyle first were.

These raigne by turnes, vntill their tearmes be done:
Bloud, in the spring, from three till nine each Morne:

How the Humors raigne in mans body

Choler, from thence, till three in th'after noone
In sommer-season: Then Flegme in his turne
From thence till nine at night doth rule the sterne
In Autumne: then sad Melancholy thence
Till three next Morne, when VVinter doth returne:
Thus in their turnes they haue preheminence,
Till Time turne vs, and them with vs from hence.

And as these humors haue their turnes in time,

How, & when the Planets rule in mans body.

So rule the Planets in like consequence:
For, by the Moone is governed our Prime
That's hot and moist, but the preheminence
The moisture hath; So our Adolescence
Is swaid by VVit-infusing Mercury
Being hot and moist, yet doth more heate dispense,
Which tunes the voices Organes erst too hy,
Making them speake with more profundity.

Thē, youth (our third age) Loues Queene, Venus swaies
Bee'ng hot and dry, but yet more hot, then drie;
In this we VVantons play, in Venus plaies
And offer Incense to a rowling eie:
Bright Sol (the gloriou'st Planet in the sky)
Doth rule our Manhoode which is temperate:
Hee Author is of race and gravity;
Of haplesse life this is the happi'st state,
Which they hold long'st that are most moderate.

And lastly old age being cold, and dry,
By al-wise Iupiter is governed,
Author of Councell, Craft, and Policy:
VVhich Age againe in two's distinguished,
The first yonge old age may be Christened:
The last Decrepit is, and so is call'd;
Which Saturn rules with Scepter of dul lead:
This Age to Life like Death, is stil enthrall'd,
Thus in our life the Planetts are enstall'd.

Precise dates assigned to severall changes of mans age in his life.

And to these Ages, dates precize we giue;
As Child-hood from our Birth till thirteene yeares:
Adolescēce, frō thēce to twēty fiue:
And youth frō thēce til fiue, & thirty weares;
Frō whēce, til fiftie Mannes-estate apperes:
And to the rest old-age we doe assigne;
But one his yeares thē other better beares,
As time their temprature doth enterteigne,
Therfore the temprature should age designe.

For al men cold & dry are old, though yonge,

Psal. 31. 11.

Some yong at sixtie, some at forty old;
In growing old the youthful Sanguin's lōge,
For it doth store of heate, and moisture hold:
The Melancholy, being dry and cold,
Is aged soone: So women more then men
Soone meete with age, which makes some be so bold
(As vnder

Paint the face.

Coulor that they are wo-men)
To keepe off Age till they be

Bis puer.

yong agen.

The Aire wee breath may hastē our age.

The Aire we breath doth beare an Ore herein,
And being subtil moves the simple Minde;
For, never yet was foole a Florentine,
(As by the wise hath well observed byn)

So subtill is the Aire hee draweth in:
The influences of malignant Starres,

Causes of the Aiers putrification & consequently of grosse witte.

Vales, Caves, Stanckes, Moores, and Lakes that never ryn
Carion, and filth, all such the Aier marres,
Which killes the Corpes, and vvitts Carreër barres.

From Regions, VVinds, & stāding of the place
Where we abide, come the Aires qualities;
Vnder the Poles (the Sun nere showing face
But as a stranger) the Aire so doth freeze
That whosoever breathes it, starving dies:
And in the Torrid Zone it is so hott
That flesh and Bloud (like flaming fire) it fries,
And with a Cole-blacke beautie it doth blott,
Curling the Haires vpon a vvyry knott.

The winds, though Aire, yet Aire do turne & wind;

The passions of the Aier do affect our Minds.

VVhich Passions of the Aire, our sp'rits affect;
These by the Nose and Mouth a waie doe finde
To Braines, and Hart, and there their kindes effect,
And as they are, make them, in some respect:
For, where the VVindes be cold and violent,
(As where rough Boreas doth his Throne erect)
There are the People stronge, and turbulent,
Rending the Sterne of civill government.

The situation of the place likewise

The situation of the Place makes the Aier good or badde.

The Aire therein doth wel or ill dispose;
If to the Sea, or Southerne winde it lies,
It's humid, putrifactiue, & too close:
So fares it in fatt grounds (Slouthes chiefe repose)
The Sandy grounds doe make it hott and dry;
As cold, and moist it is, that Fennes inclose,
But cleere & piercing on the Mountaines hy;
Thus Place with Aire doth chāg our quality.

Foode good or badd, helpes or hinders Witte.

Of no lesse vertue are our Alements,
Which VVinde, & Aire, vnto our sp'rits prepare,
VVho are conformed to those Condimentes;
Then fine they be, if most fine be our fare:
The Goodnesse, Quality, and Time of yeare,
Vse, Order, Appetite, and Quantity,
The Howre and Age, these nyne require our care
If we desire to liue heere healthfully,
And make the Soule aboue her soule to fly.

The soone concocted Cates good iuyce affoording
And but few excrements, are those alone
That make the mind to boord, when Bodi's boording,
If temp'ratly the stomacke take each one:
These in the Braines base witts doe oft enthrone:
For, these the Mouth prepareth for the Maw,
VVhere be'ng concocted, to the Liver runne;
From whence, a sanguine tincture they doe draw,
Then to the Soules Courts hie by Natures lawe.

The Hart's the lower house, the

The Hart & Brayne.

head the hie;
(The Roomes whereof we did discribe whil-ere)
Where once appearing they are wing'd to fly,
And in their flight the Soule and Body steere
With motion such as both Cœlestiall were:
What mervell is it then, though Geese some be
For want of Capons, that would Cocks appeare
(Cocks of the Game) and chaunt melodiouslee,
If with their kinde, their Commons did agree.

How subtill doth a simple cupp of VVine
Make the Soules faculties, and their effects?
It makes their divine natures more divine,
And with a world of Ioy the Hart affects

Which, Sorrow though in panges of Death reiects:
Hence comes it that some Captaines doe carrowse
When they must

Wine moderatly taken cheeres the Hart & spirits.

Combate with contrary Sects,
To heate the cold bloud and the spirits rowse,
And so make Courage, most couragious.

But here (as erst was saide) some over drinke,
While they desire in fight to over-doe;
On nought but woūds, & bloud, they speake, & think,
While Healthes goe roūd, & braines goe roūder too;
VVyne-making Bloud to VVine & Bloud them wooe.
But Nequid nimis, is the List wherein
Courage should combate, and the Barre whereto
Valor should venter, what is more is sinne,
Which by the wise and Valiant damn'd hath bin.

Drincke hath three; offices, the first assists

3. Offices of Drinke.

Concoction, for in it is boil'd the meate:
The next, to mixe the foode the first disgests:
The Last, to bring it to the Livers heate,
There to be made redd-hott, & apt to fleete:
Now when the Current is too violent,
It beares awaie (vntimely) small, and greate,
So crossing Nature in her kinde intent,
She back

Yomitte.

retires not knowing what she mēt.

Then meate must soak, not in the Stomacke swimme,
If Nature duely we desire to please;
For, when the Stomack's

Gluttony & Drunkenesse are he horrible sepultures of mans reason & iudgment.

full aboue the brimme,
Tyde tarries none, how ere it may disease
And Nature drowne in those vnruly Seas:
Breath most corrupt, behaviour more then most,
And Mind much more then most, is made by these;
Then how corrupt are they that of it boast?
So much corrupt they may infect an Hoast.

Its said of one, that did help to behead
The mounting Monastries that deckt this land,
That he (at last) lost his all-wittie Head
For words he spake, to which he could not stand,
Nor stand to speake, VVine having vpperhand:
Who vsd (as Fame reports) his wits t'refine,
To let them often rest at VVines commande;
But wit abused, by abuse of VVine
Abusd One that forc'd Law to force his fine.

Now as a moderation in these things
With Iudgements choise in their varieties,

Temperate exercise available to minde and bodie.

To Soule, and Body, health, and glorie brings;
So both are bound to temp'rate exercise
For helping them to vse their faculties:
For without health the same were hindered,
And health from hence as from an helpe doth rise;
For holesome labour breakes those humors head
By which the enemies of health are led.

Natural heate

It helpes the heate that helpeth all the parts;
The Spirits it quickens, and puts ope the pores;
Whereby each loathsome excrement departs
As at so many straight wide-open dores:
Our limbes it strengthens and our breath restores:
The morning walkes to the intestines send
The first digestions filth (which kinde abhorres)
And make the seconds to the bladder wend,
So labour lets our sicknesse, so, our end.

All travell tendes to rest, and rest to ease;
Then must the bodie travell to this end:

The Sons of Adam, borne to labour.

The Spirits travell hath respect to these;
For idle Spirits that actiue Sp'rit offend

That for such ease a world of woe doth send:
Yet naught was made that was not made to rest;
But nought was made to rest vntill the end:
For Heau'n, Earth, Man, Beast, Fish, Fowle, & the rest
Doe travell, in fine to be rest-possest.

Yet Nature hath ordained a repose
Which we call rest for Man, which rest is sleepe;
The cause whereof from the Braines cheefly floes,
When mounting vapors in their moisture steepe
Doe humors wax, and in the Nerves doe creepe;
And so their conducts close, which shuts the eies;
Then rests the corpes in death-like darknesse deepe,
And Spirits animal Rest doth surprise:
So, are they said to rest vntill they rise.

This makes the head so heavy after meate,
The fumes ascending make the head descend;
For they like hammers on the braines doe beate,
Til they haue hammerd humors in the end,
The weight whereof doth cause the head to bend:
Yet sober sleepes, in place, and season fit
Doe comfort Nature, and her hurts amend;
The Spirits it quickens, and awakes the wit,
For hart must sleepe, when the head wanteth it.

Dead sleepe, Deathes other name and Image true,
Doth quiet Passion, calme Griefe, Time deceiue;
Who pay'ng the debt that is to Nature due
(Like death) in quittance thereof doth receiue
Supply of powres, that her of powre bereaue:
So sleepe her foes wants friendly doth supply,
And in her wombe doth wakefull thoughts conceiue,
Making the Minde beyond it selfe to spie,

Divinity oft in dreames

For, doubtlesse Dreames haue some divinitie.

For, as the influence of Heavens leames
Frames diverse formes in matter corporall:

A natural reason, for the divinity of Dreames.

So of like influence visions and Dreames
Are printed in the powre fantasticall;
The which power being instrumental,
By Heav'n disposd to bring forth some effect,
Hath greatest vigor in our sleepes extreames;
For when our mindes doe corporall cares neglect
That influence doth freely them affect,
And so our Dreames oft future haps proiect.

VVatching oremuch, oremuch doth Nature wrong,
It blunts the braines, and sense debilitates;
Dulleth the Spirits, breedes crudities among;
Makes the head heavie, Body it abates,

Over much watching debilitates our wittes.

And kindely heate it cooles, or dissipates:
Yet thorny cares, or stings of ceaslesse Smart,
May keepe out sleepe without the senses Gates,
(By pricking them as it were, to the hart)
Till vitall Sp'rits from senses quite depart.

Those Chieftaines, on whose cares depend the crowns
(The waighty crownes, on their as waighty cares)
Of mighty Monarches, and their owne renownes,
Two burdens which in one who ever beares,

This waking care breaketh the sleepe, as a great sickenesse breakes the sleepe. Eccle 31 2.

Must night, and day, vse hands, legs, eies, and eares:
These watch, yea sleeping wake for in their sleepes
The point on which their harts are fixt, appeares,
And through their closed eies their minds eie peeps,
To looke to that which them from slumber keepes.

Their sleepes are short, but were they short, & sweet,

Care enemy to sleepe and sleepe cōforter of Care.

Nature would longer sweetly life support:
But in their sleepes with wakfull thoughts they meete;
That make their sleepes vnsweet, and yet as short;

Which must perforce make Nature all amort:

Care a Cāker to Minde and Body.

Yet as they were all Minde, and Body none,
That had noe feeling of the Bodies hurt,
That Minde (all mind) though Corpes the while doth grone,
Makes flesh all hardnesse brooke, as it were Stone.

Such force hath worldly glory (though but vaine)
To make men, for her love, themselues to hate,
Who for desire of her, their strength doe straine
Farre, farre aboue the pitch of mortall state,
And paine in sense, to sense doe captivate:
Though pains wake sēse, yet sense doth waking sleep,
Dreaming on Glory in the lapp of Fate;
So paine frō sense, doth paine with pleasure keepe,
While sense is moūting Honors Mountaine steepe.

VVhere Glory sitts enthron'd (Cœlestial Dame)
Surrounded with a Ring of Diadems,
VVith face (whose beaming-beautie seemes to flāe)
Darting in simling wise those blissefull beames
On those that for her

The laboure of like Bodies be not a like painfull. For glory in a Prince makes the laboure lighter then that of a Pesant, because he wotes it wil be notable.

loue brooke all extreames:
VVhat Sense hath sense being so beheavened,
And carried from it selfe on pleasures Streames?
But as entranc'd with ioy, it must seeme deade,
And feele no paine in Minde or Body bredd.

If then Vaine-glories loue shall so subdue
The sense to sense that feeling all annoy,
Its arm'd to brooke the same by glories view,
And the more griefe is felt, the greater ioy;
(Yea though the grife the sēse doth quight destroy)
VVhat shall the loue of Glory infinite
Make sense endure, if sense her powers imploie
To apprehend it, as its requisite?
Such love should hold the paines of Hell too light.

When vnconceaved Ioy dilates the Hart
To th'vtmost reach of his capacitie,
When sense no leasure hath to thinke on smart,
Being so busied with felicity
That soule, and sense are ravished thereby;
What marvell then though fire doth comfort such,
(Although with quēchlesse flames their flesh it fry)
Sith that much

Inward ioy annihilates outward paine.

pain their ioy makes more thē much
And paine, that sense can feele, no sense can touch.

This made a woodden

Esay the Prophet so martired.

Sawe sweete to the flesh
wherewith it sundred was in savage wise:
This makes the burning

S. Lawrence.

Grediorne flesh refresh
That on the same in hellish manner fries,
This makes paine pleasure, and Hell Paradise.
Then give me, ô good giver of all good,
An Hart that may ore paine thus signiorize,
For thy deere love; then with my deerest blood
Ile wash the Earth, and make more Saints to budd.

When Stones (as thicke as haile) from hellish hands
Battr'd that blessed

S. Stephen. Act 7. 56, 58.

Proto-Martyres braine,
The sight he saw his senses so commands,
That, as the Stones did fal the sense to paine,
It deem'd that Grace on it did pleasure raine:
And that deere blood, like-worthlesse water shedd,
Did make the springing Church to sprout amaine;

One Martyr begets many.

For that no sooner was this Martyr dead
But many (as from him) came in his steede.

And that the Elements doe loose their force
(That by such losse their Lord might lovers win)
It wel appeares; for, did he not divorce
The heate from fire, which his deere Saints were in?

Some too wel knew that this perform'd hath bin:
For out it flew and brent their enemies,
And where it first began, it did begin
The powre thereof with powre to exercise,

Dan. 3. 22, 23.

To shew his powre, that loth'd their sacrifice.

Now, to retire from whence our Rimes doe range,
And touch the soule, & minds mind at the soule;
We see the bodies state the minde may change;
So may the minde the bodies state controule;
Thus they the state of one another rule:
The soules soule is the minde, and the mindes minde
Is that, where Reason doth her lawes enrowle:
Yet fuming Passions both of them may blinde,
When body, with them both are ill inclin'd.

Phillipides, that comedies compil'd
Orecoming one that with him did contend
In that light Art, (when hope was quite exil'd)

Sorrow doth occupie the the place of extreame ioy. Petrarch.

A suddaine ioy wrought his as suddaine end.
Like fate did one Diagoras attend,
Who, see'ng his three sonnes at Olimpus crown'd
For deedes there done (which All did much cōmend)

Extreme ioy (being suddaine) is enemy to nature.

He them embracing, straite fell dead to ground,
Because his ioy was more then hart could bound.

As extreame suddaine ioy doth kill the hart,
Leaving it bloudlesse which is ioies effect

Simil.

(For ioy sends bloud amaine to ev'ry part)
So, extreame griefe the hart may so affect
(Or suddaine feare) that life may it reiect;
For both revoke the sp'rites, bloud, and kind heate,
And to hartes Center doe the same direct,
Which place bee'ng little, and their throng so great,
Expels the Vitall spirits from their seate.

Marc Lepidus, divorced from his wife
Whom he intirely lou'd, with extreame griefe
(For it conceav'd) he quickly lost his life;
So loue rest life, that erst was lifes reliefe,
For loue of that his woe was fountaine chiefe.
So, with a suddaine feare haue many died
Which name I neede not, sith I would be briefe:
By it the haires haue suddainely bin died,
As by graue writers is exemplifide.

Of no lesse force (though lesse the reason be)
Is shamefastnesse, in some of mighty minde:

Shame may bring life to confusion in generous spirits.

One Diodorus died because that hee
Could not assoile a Question him assign'd:
The like of Homer we recorded finde;
Who died with shame for being so vnsound
Not to be able (like one double blinde)

Quod capio perdo, quod non capio mihi seruo.

To answere that, base Fishers did propound;
So sense of shame did sense and life confound.

These Passions are the suffrings of the soule,

Body & Soule

That make the Inne to suffer with the Ghest:
For, Perturbations both togither rowle
Here, there, and ev'ry where, as they thinke best;

Heate naturall

Kinde-heate they fire, or quench with their vnrest:
For, some (as all obserue) haue died with ioy;
And some with griefe, haue bin life-dispossest:
For in extreames, they Nature so annoy,
As (being suddaine) her they quite destroy.

Yet Mirth in measure, kindly warmes the bloud,
And spreads the Sp'rits, b'inlarging of the hart:
This mirth in measure is the only moode
That cuts the throat of Physicke, and her Art,

And makes her Captaines from her coulors start;

Phisitions.

It makes our yeares as many as our haires:

Mirth makes mans yeares as many as his haires.

Then, on earths stage who play a meery part,
Shall much more more thē much offend their heires
By overlong prolonging their desires.

Then, should I liue by Nature over long,
For I to mirth by nature am too prone;
But Accident in me doth nature wrong,
By whom vntimely shee'l be overthrone:
For Melancholy in my Soule inthrones
Herselfe gainst Nature, through crosse Accident,
Where shee vsurpeth, that is not her owne;
And Nature makes to pine with discontent
That shee should so be reft her regiment.

Thus as the Corpes the qualities compound,
So are th' Affections moist, dry, hot, and cold,

The Affectiōs follow the qualities of the Humors.

The last are humor'd as the first abound:
Ioy (hot and moist) the Sanguine most doth hold,
As sorrow (cold and dry) possesse the Olde.
Meane ioie's a meane to make men moist, and hot,
In which two qualities Health hath her Hold:
But griefe the heat consumes, and bloud doth rot,
Which health impaires, and cuts lifes Gordian knot.

And as meane mirth mans age maks most extreame;
So doth it cloth the bones with frolicke flesh:
For, to the partes it makes the bloud to streame,
Which makes them grow, & doth thē ioy-refresh;
This mirth the hart must haue when head is fresh,
For wyny mirth proceedeth from excesse;

Sicknesse is (as Seneca saith) the chastisement of intemperāce.

And all excesse doth but make nature nesh,
Vnable to endure times long processe,
How ere it may spend time in drunkennesse.

This correspondence then twixt flesh, and sp'rite,
Should make our Mouth the House of Temperance;
For the Corpes qualities will answere right
Her rule of Diet; Then intemperance,
The Head and Hart doth odiously entrance:

The Hares affects begett the Mindes

The Hartes affects, produce the Heades effects,
Which make the Soule and Bodies concordance:
Then sith the Bodie breeds the Soules affects,
The Soule should feede the same with right respects.

Respect of Health, respect of name, and fame,
Depending on our moderation,
Should be of force to make vs vse the same;
But, when the Bodies depravation
Toucheth the soule, and bothes damnation,
All these respectes should (being things so deere)

Deere are fatted but to be killed; So Epicures &c.

Inflame Desires immoderation
Coldly to vse hott wines & belly cheere,
For belly-gods are but the Divells Deere.

Sith sicknesse then in bodie, and in soule,
From tempers ill, and ill affections flo,
VVitt ought VVills appetites to over rule
VVhen they (to follow sense) frō Reason go;
And bring them to the bent of wisdoms Bo:
For, sith our soules by Knowledge things discerne,
From whence the will hath pow'r of willing too,

The power of The will is derived from Knowledge.

If Knowledge then be to them both a Sterne,
They should do nought but what of her they learne.

And so they doe, but their Guide being blinde
Of the right Eie, no mervel though they runne
Too much on the left hand from place assign'd,
Directed by Delight, the senses sunne:

But Cloudes of sinne our Knowledge over-runne,
Which make her run awrie in rightest vvaies,
Whereby our silly soules are oft vndunne,
VVhen as shee weenes to winne immortall praise,
And crowne her Craft with everlasting Baies.

Who learnes a trade, must haue a time to learne;
For without time an Habit is not gain'd:
So diverse skills the soule cannot discerne,

Practise the Mother of Habit.

Vntill they be by exercize obtain'd,
For by it onely Habittes are attain'd:
VVhich Habitts stretch not onely to our Deedes,
But to our suffrings, beeing wrong'd, or pain'd,
For Customes force another Nature breedes,
And pyning soule with patience it feedes.

Vnto a soule impatient (seldome crost)
Each Daie a yeare, each yeare an Age doth seeme;

The Soule is possest in patience, if shee possesse patience.

But a meeke soule with troubles often tost,
The time, though long, doth ordinarie deeme;
For Time and Troubles she doth light esteeme:
This well appeares in sicknesse, (though most ill)
At first we still doe worst of it misdeeme,
But staying long with vs, we make our vvill
Familiar with it, so endure it still.

Afflictions water cooles the heate of sinne,
And brings soule-health; But at the first like frost
It soule benummes, as it were starv'd therein,
And sense, and Life and sp'rit thereby were lost:
The Crosse doth quell to Hell the seldome crost:
Hence is it, Christ doth with his Crosse acquaint
Those that be his, whereof they glory'ng boast,
For that the Crosse wel borne creates the Saint,

Frst the crosse and then the Crowne.

As it to Fiendes transformeth them that faint.

Affliction, Ladie of the happy life,
(And Queene of mine, though my life happlesse be)
Give my Soule endlesse peace, in endlesse strife,
For thou hast powre to giue them both to me,
Because they both haue residence in thee:
Let me behold my best part in thine Eies,
That so I may mine imperfections see;
And seeing them I may my selfe despise,
For that selfe-love, doth from selfe-liking rise.

Enfold me in thine Armes, and with a kisse
Of coldest comfort, comfort thou my hart;
Breath to my Soule, that mortified is,
Immortall pleasure in most mortall Smart:
Be ieloues of me, play a Louers part:
Keepe Pleasure from my sense, with sense of paine,
And mixe the same with pleasure by thine Arte;
That so I may with ioy the griefe sustaine,
Which ioye in griefe by thy deere loue I gaine.

When from our selves we are estranged quite,
(Though it be strange, we so estrang'd should be)
Thou mak'st vs

Affliction being familier with vs, doth make vs most familier with our selues.

know our selves at the first sight
And bring'st vs to our selves, our selues to see;
So that we throughly know our selues by

As a man cānot know him selfe, if hee know not God so he cannot know God well if hee know not him selfe. So inseperable are these knowledges

thee:
But bright Voluptu'snesse doth blinde our Eyes
That we can nothing see, (and lesse foresee)
But what within her gaudy Bozome lies,
Being a Mappe of glorious miseries.

Pleasure, thou VVitch to this bewitching VVorld,
Eare-charming Siren, sold to sweetest Synne,
Wherwith our Hartes (as with Cords) is ensnarl'd,
That breake the Cords we cannot being in,

How blest had we bin, had'st thou never bin?
For hadst not thou bin, Griefe had nere had beeing,
Sith at thine end, all sorrow doth

The end of worldly pleasure is the beginning of Payne.

begin,
And it with thee hath too good ill agreeing:
That's leagu'd in ill, and in good disagreeing.

Observaunce, looke about with thy right Eye,
View this VVorlds Stage, and they that play thereon,
And see if thou canst any one espie,
That plaies the wanton being wo-begon;

Wealth makes men wanton.

Or in VVealth wall'wing, plaies not the VVanton:
See how deepe sighes pull in each panting syde
Of the first sort, in all their Action,
And how the second sort no where abide,
As standing on no ground through wanton pride.

The first, with downe-cast lookes stil eie the Mould,
As waying whence they came, & where they must:
The second, with high lookes the Cloudes behold,
To see how they for place and grace doe thrust,
Like these vngratious proude Oppressors iust:
Quiett and sadd the first doe still appeare,
The other

Ample fortunes, haue as ample passiōs.

madde with mirth, for

Prov. 13. 10.

quarells lust;
Affliction thus to God doth Soules indeere,
When welfare makes them to the Devill deere.

Revile mee vvorld, say I am Sincke of shame,
Nay worse then Ill it selfe, (if worse might be)
Thou dost not wrong me VVorld, for so I am,
Although I am the worse (dam'd VVorld) for thee:
Spitt out thy fame-confounding spight at me,
Make me so vile that I my selfe may

Our enemies will tell vs wherein wee are faulty which friends will forbeare, so may we profit by our foes.

hate,
That so I may to my Reformer flee;
And be'ng reform'd, I may still meditate
On that pure Minde, that mended my Minds state.

Then though Affliction be no welcome Ghest
Vnto the world (that loues nought but her weale)
Of me, therefore shee shalbe loved best,
Because to me shee doth the VVorld reveale,
Which worldly welfare would from me conceale:

Affliction is the best Tutresse to make vs know the World.

It is a gaineful skill the VVorld to know,
As they can tel that with the VVorld doe deale,
It cost them much ere proofe the same doth show,
Which knowledge frō Afflictiō streight doth flow.

And though the entrance into Vertues way
Be straite, so strait that few doe enter in,
Yet being entred, walke with ease we may,
For labour endes when vve doe but begin:
“Sweat before Vertue lacky-like doth rin
To ope the gate of Glory sempiterne,
That her triumphant coach might enter in;
So outward temp'ral toile 'gets blisse eterne
Vpon the corpes of Vertue most interne.

Custom is another nature. Custom is overcome by custome.

Sith Custome then is of such liuely force
As it hath powre it selfe to overcome,
How blest are they that doe themselues divorce
From Custome ill, by force of good custome:
And ten times blessed they that from the VVombe
Accustom'd are to Vertues straightest VVay,
For, such by Custome vertuous become,
Though powreful Nature doe her selfe say nay;
For Nature, Customes powre is forc'd t'obay.

When, the affections are called vertues or Vices.

When the Affections Acts are habits growne,
Then Vertues or els Vices are they nam'd;
A vicious Habit's hardly overthrowne,
For our Affection is therewith enflam'd,

As with the fire infernall are the damn'd:
Who though they would, and though they anguish haue,
Yet cannot that outragious mood be tam'd,
But still they raging sin, and cannot saue
Themselues from that, that makes their griefe their graue.

A vicious Habit is Hels surest Gin,
Wherewith a Man is sold to sinne, and shame,
Running from sinne to sinne, and nought but sinne,
As Rivers runne the same, and not the same.
Til the mindes Iointes, sinnes force doth so vnframe
That it becomes most loose and dissolute;
Neither regarding heav'n, hell, shame, nor fame,
But to liue loathsomly its resolute;
Thus Habits ill, make evill absolute.

But few there are in whom all vice concurres;
And fewer are they, that all faults doe want;
Vnto the worst, offences cling like Burres;
And to the best as to the Adamant
The Iron cleaues; for the Church militant
By nature is accompanied with sinne;
Yet the least force of faith partes them (I grant)

Sin inhabites, but is not habituall in the godly.

Because it cleaues but sleightly to the skinne,
But to the wickeds flesh its fastned in.

For as a burre the longer it abides

Simil.

Vpon a garment being cott'nd hy,
The more the VVooll windes in his hooked sides:
So sinne the longer it in Flesh doth ly,
The faster to the same its fixt thereby.
If Nature then sinne soone doth entertaine,
Vse violence to Nature by and by,
That it perforce may from the same refraine;
For what skill cannot, force may yet constraine.

Simil.

And as the Burre to VVoll so being fixt,
With skill, or force cannot be parted thence,
But that some part will with the VVooll be mixt:
So, sinne where it hath had long residence,

Simil.

Will leaue remaines there, maugre violence:
But Iron from the loadstone cleane will fall
With but a touch: and so wil sinnes offence
From those in whom its not habitual
With but a touch of Faith, though nere so small.

That I may touch the Subiect of my Rimes
More home, (though homely I the same doe touch)
And for, my travell'd Muse might breath somtimes,
And, that the Reader too might doe as much,
(Lest that prolixitie might make him grutch)
Here shall shee make a stande, and looke a-backe,

Simil.

As Riders rancke on Steepes haue customes such
To breath their bony-Nags, when winde they lacke,
And courage them againe like toile to take.

In knowing our soules, we know the wel head of al our Actions.

The knowledge of the Soule, and of her Powres,
Is the well-head of morrall VVisedomes flood:
Hence know we al (worth knowing) that is ours,
In body, or in Soule, that's ill or good:
And if these Powres be rightly vnderstoode,
We know the founts from whēce our Actions slow,
And from what cause proceedeth ev'ry moode,
Or good, or ill, and where that cause doth grow;
Al this and more, this knowledge makes vs know.

For in the Soule doth shine (though sinne-obscur'd)
By Natures light, great light of such science;
Whereby the Soule is made the more assur'd
In all her Actions, and Intelligence;

Though oft deceav'd by seeming goods pretence:
And for the Soule is to the body bound,
Affections therein haue their residence,
That, as with wings, the soule with thē might boūd,
Aboue her selfe from being bloud y drown'd.

Wherefore shee hath Affections of two kinds,

The Minde turns & winds the body by the Affections of the Hart.

The one eggs on, the other doe restraine,
By which the Minde the body turnes and windes,
As they the mind, and minde the Corpes constraine:
Yet whē these Curbs our head-strong nature paine,
It winceth with the Heele of willfull-will;
Orethrowing those Affects that doe it reigne,
And in extremities it runneth still,
Which is the Race of Ruine, Rest of Ill.

This comes to passe when as we overpasse
The bounds of Nature, by our Natures vice;
And in some one excesse we do surpasse,
Desiring more then Nature may suffice,
To which our corrupt natures vs intice:
For let the least Necessity appeere
A ken from vs, (though neere so smal of price)

Little suffiseth Nature, but nothing Opinion.

We hold what els we hold, (though nere so deere)
VVorthlesse, and for that want with woe we steere.

As a little Colloquintida doth marre a whole pot of pottage: so covetousnesse doth make all other vertues abhominable. The best vse of worldly things is to contemne worldly things. Plato.

Hence is it that with never-ceasing toile,
And no lesse care, we traverse all this All;
Nay, all that All we restleslie turmoile,
And bandy (as it were) this Earthie Ball
Past reasons reach, to win worlds wealth withal:
Desire of having thus still moiles the minde,
Though Nature be suffis'd with pittance small;
VVhich makes vs loose our selues when wee it finde,
Sith see our selues we cannot, being blinde.

It blinds our Eyes that seldom'st are deceav'd,
Eyes of our Soule, that make our Bodies see;
Then Soule and Bodie cannot be perceav'd,
By their owne vertue when they blinded be;
And mine and thine, doth sever mee, and thee:
Nought can content vs. Therefore the Affects
Are in the soule like windes (that nere agree)
Vpon the Sea, and worke the like effects,
Some great, some smal, yet like in most respects.

Beside the chiefe windes and Collaterall,
(Which are the VVindes indeede of chiefe regard)
Sea-men observe more, thirtie two in all,
Al which are pointed out vpon their Carde:
But our Minds Mapp, (though many may be spar'd)
Containeth many more Affects then these,
All which though sett our Minds Content to guard,
Yet sturr they vp (as VVindes doe on the Seas)
Vnquiet Passions which the Minde disease.

A simil.

When Zephire breathes on Thetis, she doth smile,
Shee entertaines that gale with such content;
But, if proude Boreas doe puffe the while,
Shee's madd with rage, and threates the Continent;
For those proud puffes her soule doe discontent:
So, some Affections our soules browes vnbend,
And other some doe sextiply each dent;
Some meanely please, some meanely doe offend,
And some doe make the Soule her Soule to rend.

Those that doe meanely moue, Affections hight;
The other Huff-snuffes

Affections move the Soule moderately, but Perturbations move her most violently.

Perturbations be;
These later rudely gainst their Guides doe fight,
And so enfume them that they cannot see,

Or make them from their Charge away to flee:
So that the soule being left without a Guide,
And tost with Passions that still disagree,
Doth like a Sternelesse Shippe at randon ride
On mightiest Seas, wrack-threatn'd on each syde.

A Simil.

For, if our Reasons iudgment blinded be,
Th' Affections needes must ever run

When Iudgmēt is betraid, the Affections are misguided.

awrie,
And draw with thē each sense tumultuoslee
To offer violence to lowe and hye;
That God, and Nature, tast their tyranny:
Let but the Hart bee loue-sicke, and the same
Will carry Iudgment where his Loue doth ly;
And there confine it, setting all on flame
That offers but resistance once to name.

The lower Iudgment in our blood is sunck
The lower is her reach in Reas'ns discourse;
For Iudgmēt with our blood may be so drūck,
That doome she cannot better frō the worse,
But (reeling too and fro) is reft of force.

Therfore moderate fasting feedes the Soule.

The higher therfore, she her selfe doth reare
Aboue base Flesh & Blood's declining course,
The more Affections basenesse wil forbeare,
And neerer draw to that that first they were.

For, Passions passing ore that break-neck Hill
Of Rashnesse, ledd by Ignorance their guide,
By false Opinions Hold of Good and Ill
Taking their course, at last with vs abide,
While frō our selves they make our selues to slide:
So that we seeke not that sole sov'raigne Good,
But many Goods we seeke; which being tride
Doe but torment the Minde with irefull

Ills takē for good, grieue the mind vpon triall.

moode,
Because they were by her mis-vnderstoode.

Had we the prudence of the brutish kinde,
We would prevēt these Passions Stormes with ease;
For, ere a Storme appeares they shelter finde;
Like providence haue Sea-men on the Seas,
VVho see them farre off, and provide for these:
So ought we, when we see a Passion

Passion is easiest extinguished when it begins to kindle.

rise
That may the Soule, and Body much disease,
VVith Moderations pow'r the same surprize,
Before it gather head to tyrannize.

But, so farre off are we from curbing Passion,
That wilfully we mount it, and so ride
On it a gallopp (spurr'd with Indignation)
To all Extreames, where Vices all abide;
The Divell being extreame Passions guide:
For once whē Reasons driven frō the Helme,
And we twixt Scylla and Charibdis glide,
Ther is no hope but one should overwhelme,
And send vs straight to the infernal Realme.

But with a prudent Man it fares not so,
He keeps himself without th' Affectiōs

A wise man rules, and is not ruled by his Affections.

sway;
He seekes no good, but he it wel doth kno,
And knowing it, seekes it the rightest way:
VVe say, and misse, because we mis-asay:
VVisdom chalks out the way her selfe to find,
So that Men cannot erre if it they waie,
Except they be (as many) wilfull blinde,
For it is straight, though strict in easie kinde.

VVisedome (the VVell of ev'ry perfect good)
Is that, which wise men onely (seeking) finde;
VVhich

Constancie holdes the Hart that holds wisdōe.

constant good they seeke in constāt moode,
And being found, most constant makes the Minde:

For to the same, it selfe, it selfe doth binde:
Heerehence it is, the clowds of Ignorance
That erst the same did naturally blinde
Away are chased, without tarriance;
For VVisedomes Sonne, himselfe doth there advance.

Thus good, and ill (as erst we said) procure
The Mindes Affects, or Moodes, (so cald by some)
VVhich good, or evill, pure, or most impure,
Is either past, or present, or to come,
To be attain'd, or not be overcome:
And, as we deeme the absence of good, ill:
So, absent Ill, wee deeme doth good become;

Ill is the privation of good.

Either of which affecteth so our VVill,
That by their meanes it is in motion still.

When any good's propounded to the soule,
Shee notes, shee likes, and lastly it doth loue,
But in her Mouth shee often it doth rowle,
That so her Pallate may thereof approue,
Before it can her Soules affection moue:
This motion of possessed good is Ioy;
But good to come (which we doe long to proue)
Is call'd Desire, which loue doth still imploy

Good is the obiect of loue and Desire.

To seeke that good which it would faine enioie.

If Ill proposed be, its call'd Offence,
Because the soule offended is thereby;
If it abides, Hate doth her soule incense;
For shee a lasting ill hates mortally,
As that which most her soule doth damnisie:
And, as from present Ill, Griefe doth aspire:
So, Feare proceedes from Ill farre off or ny:
The moode gainst present Ill is sinnelesse Ire,

To bee angry with evill, is good.

And Faith, and Hope, gainst future Ill conspire.

All which Affects haue others vnder them;
For Rev'rence, Pitty, and Benevolence,
Spring out of Loue, (as Braunches from the Stemme)
From Ioy, Delight; Dislike, from sorrowes sense;
And in Desire, Hope hath her residence:

Pride is a mōster compounded of many Affections.

But Prid's a Monster, for shee is compos'd
Of Self-conceit, Desire, Ioy, Impudence;
These, and such like in Pride are oft disclos'd,
For in her wombe they restlesse are repos'd.

And, as Affections one another breede,
By one another so are they restrain'd:
Ioy woundeth Griefe, & Griefe makes Ioy to bleede;
And so the rest are by the rest refrain'd,
As by the Stronge the vveaker are constrain'd:

A Simil.

As when curst Thetis chiding knitts the Brow,
Her Billowes proud, that eithers pride disdaine,
Thrusts out each other: So, when Passions flow,
The greater doe the lesser overthrow.

A Simil.

And oft it fares in our Mindes Common-weale,
As in a Civill-warre the case doth stande;
Where no mann's careful of his Countries heale,
Or who of right should al the rest commaund,
But follow him that hath the strongest hand:
So, in Affections fight ther's no respect
To the Mindes good, or how it should be scand,
But (inconsiderate) they both reiect,
And doe as strongest Passion doth

Where Passion raignes Reason obayeth.

direct.

The Hart, the Hold where these Pow'res are inclos'd,
Heereby is vext; for, if it doe incline
To those Affections that are worst dispos'd,
Its inly griv'd, els Ioy the same doth line,

And with the same doth face the Face in fine;
But, if sadd sorrow doe the Hart surprise,
It doth deface the face and make it pyne;
Looking like Languishment through both the Eyes,
For through the

The Eie is the Index of the Minde.

Eyes, our Eye the Hart espies.

This direct Index of the Minde, the Eyes
Doth oft bewraie what Reason doth conceale;
For wil yee, nil yee, we shal see thereby
What's well, or ill, in the Mindes common-weale:

Eccl. 13. 25.

Our Lookes, our Falshoode truely doe reveale,
Whereby oft lives and liberties are lost;
Examin'd Theeves

Confounded looks bewray mēs, lewdnes.

confesse that they did steale
By their confused lookes, with horror tost:
Thus Count'naunce oft putts vs to double cost,

It Lyvings costs, to hold it beeing hy,
It costs our lives, when we it cannot hold;
We cannot hold it when through it we dye;
And two Proppes hold it high, Silver and Gold,
For which oure lives, and livinges oft are sold:
For too lowe State too false doth make the hands,
Which in the Countenance wee oft behold,
Through which we die; and State that highly stands
Lands must vphold; So, it costs life and lands.

Thus Ioy and Sorrowe send with equal pace
True tokens of their presence in the Hart,
(By Natures force conducted) to the Face;
Where they the powr's convince of Reasons Arte,
And in the

The countenāce showes how the Hart is affected.

Front with force they play their part:
If in the Hart, Griefe be predominant,
The browes wil bend as if they felt the smart;
If Ioy, the face wil seeme therefore to vant,
Then how Hart fares, Fooles are not ignorant.

That Man is truely wise as Man may bee,
That can beare weale, & woe, with like aspect;
There may be such, but, such I nere could see;
Yet good mens countenance I much respect,
But of their goodnes nere saw that effect:
Let Stoicks giue for præcepts what they list,
This vertue may (perhapps) be their defect;
For though Affections force they can resist,
Yet they'l prevaile whē Natures powres assist.

And weakling that I am, how apt am I
To martial al my Passions in my face;

Not to dissemble, is not to lyue.

I oft haue tride, and yet I doe but trie,
To keepe them in, in their conceaving place,
Dissembling so Discretions fowle disgrace:
But as I cannot colour my defects,
So, can I wel dissemble in no case;
Which is the cause of many badd effects,
For none (though nere so vaine) this vaine affects.

Teares are the Tokens of a Passion'd Soule,
That Hart for Loue somtimes sends to the Eies,
And oft they witnes there Ioy, Paine, or Dole,
But how so ere, from Passion strong they rise;
Which Passion in Compassion often lies:
Mine Eies are kyn (too neere of kyn) to these,
Which, though my Spirit doth it much despise,
Yet doe they turne mine Eyes too oft to

Teares quench the fire of immoderate Passiō.

Seas,
To drowne Harts Passion and to give it ease.

But blessed were I if mine Eyes could flowe
With Teares of Pittie seeing the distrest;
But much more blest, had I then to bestow
And franckly giue, then were I treble blest;

In Teares, in wealth, and in both so addrest:
My Secret to my selfe, I blesse Him ay
For being no worse, though badd I be at best;
The lesse I speake of what I feele that way,
The more I feele his grace my thoughts to sway.

He, Fount of goodnesse (holie be his name)
Was often seene (when he as man was seene)
To weepe, and seem'd delighted with the same,
Seeing the VVorld (through his Teares) stil oreseene,
That might by his example blest haue beene:
Who never was observ'd to laugh, or iest,
Either in Manhood, or when yeares were greene,
At merry-meetings, or at vveddings feast;
Showing thereby what moode fitts Vertue best.

If Ioy at any time had toucht his Soule,
(As when his words had made a Proselite)
He (only wise) would wisely it controule,
For that this moode with

Mirth is too light for the gravity of Maiestie.

Maiesty doth fight,
Which in his Person was enthron'd by right:
This we admire as that we cannot doe,
For, we in pleasures vaine so much delight,
That Ioy may make vs madd, and kill vs too:
For Ioy, or Griefe can our hart-stringes vndoe.

Thus when our Teares doe testifie our ruth,
We neede not rue, or of them be asham'd;
For, Vertue therein her owne selfe ensuth,
When with selfe-love her Soule is most inflam'd,
Which selfe loue burns the Soul yet nere is

Vertues self-loue alone is Vertuous.

blam'd:
Wherefore such Teares, and Teares effus'd for sinne,
Is wyne of Angels, so by Angells nam'd;
Then blessed are those Founts that never lyn
To send forth streames, that Angells glory in.

When sighes for sinne ascend Mercy descends,
And in the rise, their flight anticipates;
Grace centreth sighes that Mercy comprehends,
But sighes from sinne ascending Mercie hates;
Sighes for, and from sinne, are vnequall mates:
From sinne, none but sighes sinneful can arise;
But sighes for sinne high grace consociates,

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence; and the violent take it by force Mat. 11. 12.

And did not Mercie stay them in the rise,
They would with violence the Heav'ns surprise.

Two kindes of Ioy or Griefe the Hart conceaues,
For Good, or Ill, possessed, or future;

The Hart cōceaues two kindes of Ioy or Griefe.

The name of Hope, the later Ioy receaues,
Which of some good to come doth vs assure;
The latter Griefe doth Feare in vs procure
Of Ill to come, which we with Griefe expect:
So, Ioy, and Hope, or Griefe, and Feare in powre
Are much alike, their ods Time doth effect,
And take their names as they doe Time respect.

Hope time to come respects, bred by Desire,
Desire of good, wherein we Ioie by Hope;

Likelyhood is the life of hope touching mundane matters.

Hope hath no helpe of science but intire
Rests on coniecture, which to doubt lies ope,
And likelyhood giues her her vtmost scope:
Yet Hope that's fixt on that all-working VVord
That gaue Earth being, and the Heav'nly Cope,
Excludes Coniecture, and is so assur'd,
As if that hopt for, Time did straite afford.

Then no true Ioy can hope accompany,
That hath but likelyhood for her best stay;
For such hope, Posse evermore doth eie,
Which ere it comes to Esse, slides away:

For in each Possibilitie we may
Behold a possibilitie of faile;
Which must of force our hope sometimes dismay;
Then Feare a shaking hope must needes assaile,
And hope must shake, that crosse events may quaile.

Such is the VVickeds most assured hope,

The hope of the impious is full of feare.

Who Ancor it on transitorie Toyes;
They feare the cracking of that cable Rope
That holds them to their hopes expected ioies;
Contingencie their constan'st hope annoies;
Which ay is constant in vnconstancie:
And oft them with their groundlesse hope destroies;
Which fils their hopes with dire perplexity,
And lines their ioies with lasting miserie.

But hope that hath for obiect certaine things
(As those which Truthes nere-failing word assures)
In great'st distresse great consolation brings,
And like good sauce an appetite procures,
Griese to disgest, as long as life endures:
This hope makes harts to hold that els would breake;
And harts almost quite broken shee recures,
And when our foes by force our ruine seeke,

Innocencie dreades no danger.

She giues vs strēgth to weene their force too weake.

Shee holds the powres of hell in high contempt,
And makes a iest of temp'ral powre or paine;
From all annoy of both shee is exempt,
For in Griefes bowels shee doth ioie retaine;
As Ionas did in the VVhales intertaine:
The aire shee striketh with so strong a winge

Hopes winges are pennipotent.

That aire, or fire, the force cannot restraine,
But vp shee will through both, and ev'ry thing
That lets her from the place of her biding.

Nay, she with such resistlesse wings doth flie,
That shee her selfe her selfe doth oft surmount;

The Patriarck Abraham.

The Faithfuls Father made her so to stie,
And diverse other Saintes of lesse account;
Being on her VVings she, maugre force, wil mount,
Who, through the ten-fold heav'ns (though thick & hard)
Cā glide with ease, as Fish do through a foūt,
Nor by the high'st himselfe can shee be bard,

Gen. 32. 26. 28

But will prevaile, as it with Iacob far'd.

Thus Ioy, and Hope goe iointly hand in hand,
Like Twins got by Desire, by Fancie borne;
And as Hopes ioie, on future Good doth stand,
So, Fear's a griefe conceav'd for Ill vnborne
(Which we expect) wherewith the Soule is torne:
Then looke what ods there is twixt Hope and Ioy,
The like's twixt Feare, and griefe (in minds forlone)
A like they comfort, or the Minde annoy,
As they best know, that best or worst enioy.

Feare doth the Hart contract, (that Hope dilates)
And shut so close that vitall Sp'rits it pines;
Then Nature to prevent death (which shee hates)
Drawes bloud and Sp'rits from al the parts confines,
And to the Hart in haste the same assignes:
Then are the outward partes, as pale, as cold,
And quake as fearing their approaching fines;
Then pants the heart that labours life to hold,
Which ties the Tongue, womb loosing ere it should.

And as this sense-confounding Passion, Feare,
The hart with horror thus excruciates;
So, in the soule it such a swaie doth beare,
That it the Powres thereof quite dissipates;

And makes most abiects, of most mightie States:
How like an Idoll stands Feares servile Slaue?
Whose total senses Feare so captivates,

The Senses would dy, that feare might not liue.

That no one sense hath force it selfe to saue,
But Death desires to kill the feare they haue.

If this base Feare (harts hatefull hel) possesse
The hart, the hart doth then possesse the heele;
But most of all, when hart doth most transgresse,
And divine vengeance it (with feare) doth feele;
Then Strength may seeke to stay it, but, t'wil reele
In spight of morrall strength, that it should sway;
And, as starke drunke with fear, turne like the wheele
That wheeles the nether heauens without stay,
Let courage say the while, what courage may.

No harnesse (though by Vulcan forg'd) can make

Feare is vtterly hartlesse.

Feare to be hardy, or not hartlesse quite;
If Armors could from Art such tempers take,
The Artist should be king'd in Fortunes spight;
For many kings would crowne him for this sleight:
But he it is, whom heav'n, and hell doth feare,
Can take feare from, and arme vs with his might;
For he alone the faint-hart vp doth reare,
Or make the stowtest hart most faint appeare.

Wee must then armed be from Feare, by feare;

Gods feare expels feare.

Gods feare, that strong Vulcanian Armor, must
Guard such good Soules as doe regard it heere;
Because such feare is euer full of trust,

Eccle. 1. 12.

That feares no threate of any mortal thrust;
For, Hope in him, doth make the dareing hart,
Which hope no hart can haue that is vniust;
For Conscience prickes will make the same to start
When the least Leafe doth wagge, by winde, or Art:

The Belly becomes loose though force of Feare.

When therfore divine Iustice sinne wil scurge,
He doth dishart their harts, in whom it raignes,
In sort, that they themselves with horror

Iob. 41. 16.

purge,
When he on them his heavy vengeance raynes;
So that their feare exaggerates their paines.
The haughti'st Hart (erst swolne with Valours pride)
Feare striks stone-dead, whē he but vēgeance faines;
And greatest strength by vveakenesse is defide,
When as his pow'r in vveakenesse doth abide.

Courage comes from Hope.

Then, Courage comes from Hope, & Hope frō Heau'n,
The Donor is the highest Diety;
The praise is His, that is to prowesse giv'n,
For he alone the Minde doth magnifie:
Then praise him Lowe, if courage make you Hie;
And laude him High, if feare make yee not lowe;
Yea high and lowe praise Him alone, whereby
You gaine the praise that men on you bestowe,
From Whom (as frō the Fount) al praise doth flowe.

How is it then, that Divills in Mennes forme
swaggring

Six-penny Champions.

Man-quellers are so desperate?
Who with strong hand Gods Images deforme
Fearing no man, but give the checke or mate
To good and badd of whatsoever state:
This is not courage, but an hellish fire
That boiles their bloud, cal'd Ire, inflam'd by Hate,
And oft of Saints they (Fiendes) haue their desire;

Iob. 2. 7.

No otherwise then Iob felt Sathans ire.

Gen. 4 8.

So, cursed Caine slue Abell in that moode,
Abell, that Innocent the Highests belov'd;
Yet Caine had hart and hand to broach his blood:
The like, Men Angell-like haue oft approv'd

By those whome God in this life nere reprov'd.
This secret is obscure, but light to those
That take it light, and it abide vnmov'd;
Them Faith assures, He doth of all dispose;
In whome, come life or death, they hope repose.

If divine

God.

LOVE desires my Bodies death,
By soddaine death my Soule so straight to haue,
VVhat matters it, though he bereave my breath
By Div'll, or Angell, so my Soule he saue;
The

God is the Fountaine of all Power.

pow'r they both possesse, to them he gave,
Both are his Ministers to doe his will;
If Sathan then, my Corpes bring to the Grave,
To me it is so farre from being ill,
That Sathan doth me good, against his wil.

Me good said I? well may I call it good,
Sith it is good of goods, good all in all;
The fount, whereof all goodnesse is the floud,
That never yet was gag'd nor never shall
By Men, most wise, or spirits Angelicall:
It is th'Abysse of true Felicity,
VVhich some men, more then most fantastical,
Suppose they have, had they high dignity;
VVith pleasure fac'd, and lyn'd with Misery.

Thus Ioy, and Hope, were by th'all Giver giv'n
As sweete Conductors to his sweetest Sweete;
And Feare, and Griefe, from his wrath are deryv'n
To awe the Mind, (which first therwith doth meete)
And that which that Mind hath fore-done vnmeete,
should be thereto as

Sorrow remaines after sinne for sin, to make the Soule detest sinne.

Scourge and Scouger iust,
VVhich doe remaine, when sinnes sowre-Sweetes do fleete
To make the Mind abhorre her former lust;
For Griefe, and Feare, are iust to Mindes vniust.

100

Now the true pleasure which our Nature craues
The whiles the Soule remaines the Bodies Ghest,
Is the true rest some Good the Soule vouchsaves,
Which the Hart holdeth, and esteemeth best;
As Contemplation is Reasons rest:
Yet can there be no pleasure in that good
If it be greater then Hart can disgest;
For, if the Continent bound not the floud,
Confusion must ensue in likely-hood.

If Light (ioy of the Eye) be, as the Sunne,
Too great for the Eyes small capacity,
They may be dymmed so, if not vndunne:
Or if it be too small, they cannot see;
As they are strong or weake, so

Too great Light is as offensive to the Eye, as too little.

Light must bee:
The like of other senses may be sedd
Outward or inward, bound to forme, or free,
Who must with moderation still be fedd,
For excesse thē annoies, nay strikes thē dead.

As therfore God is most most infinite,
So hee's with ioy receaved of that part
That's likst himself, which is the Soul or sp'rit;
But for that he cannot himselfe impart
(being Immense) to them by pow'r or arte,
(they being not so) he is to them applied
By

God is by Intelligence apprehended of vs.

Vnderstanding, yet but so in part;
If otherwise he should with them abide,
They would through glory be quite nullified.

Now, as a man takes pleasure by these partes,
So in that part he takes the most delight
That to his Flesh, or sp'rite, most ioy imparts;
And with those pleasures is he swallowed quight,

101

That doe affect that part with maine and might:
Therefore the brutish Vulgar, most are pleas'd
In things substantial which appeare to sight,
And things divine, which cannot so be seas'd,
They hold as vaine, and are therewith displeas'd.

Amonge the pleasures which are sensuall,
The vilst is that we feele, by that we touch;
Because it is the Earthli'st sense of all:
The Tast's of better temper, though not much:

Note which of the outward senses is the most supreme.

Smelling is light, and lightly more will grutch
At vnsweete Savors, then in sweete will ioye;
The Hearing is more worthie farre then such,
Sith its more Airey and doth lesse annoy,
Whereby we gaine the Faith which we enioy.

But Seeing, (Sov'raigne of each outward sense)
Holds most of Fire, which is in nature neere
To the

Seeing is the Soveraigne of the outward Sēses & why.

Celestiall Natures radience;
Therefore this sense to Nature is most deere,
As that which hath (by Natures right) no Peere.
Thus much for pleasures which these senses giue,
VVhereof the best must needs most base appeare
Compared to the worst our Soules receave,
Whose powres haue much more pow'r to take and give.

These are the Lures of lust, that never lyn
To draw the vvorld to be a pray to vvoe;
These make fraile flesh & Blood the founts of

The outward senses are the Dores where through Sin enters into our Soules.

sinne,
From whence all mortall miseries doe sloe,
Which flesh and blood doe groning vndergoe;
In these are Baites for Beggars, as for Kinges:
VVhich pleasures streames doe (swelling) overfloe,
That they are caught vnwares; so that these thinges
The VVorld to Hell, and Hell to horror bringes.

102

These are the windowes through which Sathan spies
The disposition of our better part:
Through these he hath a glimps of all that lies
Within the secret'st corners of our Hart,

The Divell knowes not the thoughts of Man.

Which wel to know belongs to heav'nly Art:
For loue of these, the Flesh the Sprite doth loth,
Who for their pleasure makes the same to smart,
And for their comfort soule and bodie both
With Care confusedly themselues doe cloth.

A Simil.

As when grim Night puts on a Sable weede,
Fac'd with infernal Apparitions,
That so the next daies comfort might exceede:
So, are the Minde and Bodies motions
Care-cloth'd for senses consolations.
Fraile senses (Seede-plots of impietie
Made for our Reasons recreations)
Die and bee damn'd, or liue to magnifie
Your makers Mercie, Might, and Maiestie.

And as in Pleasures false are true degrees,
Agreeing with these Organs of the sense,
Some base, some meane, some high, (for so are these)

The inferiorst interior sense cōceiues more pleasure then all the outward senses can.

(Yet all but base to pleasures excellence,
Whereof the soules low'st powre hath highest sense)
So are there like gradations in the ioies
Those Powres conceaue, as is their pre'minence;
The feeding Powre, in feeding powre imploies,
Which pleaseth Nature, but the soule annoies.

The pleasures of the minde doe far excell those of the body.

Those Ioies conceaved by th' Intelligence
As most supreame, doe most reioice the sp'rite;
For they belong to the supreamest sense,
VVherein the Minde conceaveth most delight

103

(Though Nature pine the while) by Natures right.
Thus then, if iudgement these degrees would way,
Shee would reiect ioie sensuall, as too light,
And not permit the same her to betray,
Which makes fraile sense the strongest Reason sway.

The Gluttons Gorge (Charibdis of Excesse)
Should (being disgorg'd) from surfetting forbeare:
Th'insatiate Leacher would that fire suppresse,
That Conscience and his secrets oft doth seare:
None would be Beasts that humane creatures were.
Then, sense of Touch or Tast, as vil'st they bee,
So doe they bring the ioies that soonest weare;
For those that come by that wee heare or see,
Doe longer last, and with vs more agree.

And the more base and brutish pleasures bee,

The more brutish the pleasures bee, the more paine is taken in their execution.

The more's the paine in their accomplishment;
And the more vs'd they are excessiuely,
The more's the soule and bodies dammagement;
VVitnesse the Leachers lothsome languishment,
The Drunkards dropsie, and the Gluttons Grease,
Each clogg'd with either, or worse punishment,
That health decreaseth with their corps increase,
And shame increaseth with their fames decrease.

Aske sensual-pleasure, in her greatest ruffe,
How little griefe will overthrow her quite
And giue her soule a deadly counter-buffe,
Shee wil (as forc'd) confesse, shee hath no might
VVhen Griefe, scarse sensible, but comes in sight.
VVe can brooke pleasures want with greater ease,

Griefes doe more annoy vs then Pleasures delight vs.

Then not feele griefes though they in pleasure bite;
For, absent good doth not so much displease,
As present ill our Soules soule doth disease.

104

For corporall pleasure being sensuall
Consists in some excesse, which stil doth tende
To the extreame subversion of our All;
The feare whereof must pleasure needs suspend,
And make her suffer pennance to the ende.
No Cōsciēce

Gods cōmādements mētioned in the Decalogue.

sear'd with Lusts Soul-scortching fire,
But feeles the Lawes sharpe-burning Iron to send
An hell of paine, where she is most intire;
For it doth death it selfe with life inspire.

Now as the pleasures of the eie surpasse
The rest that on the outward senses rest:
So Fancies pleasures all those pleasures passe,
Because Opinion esteemes them best;
Hence is it, wealth with pleasure is possest
For no inherent vertue, but because
Opinion holdeth the possessor blest;
This makes men (maugre God and Natures lawes)
To bite, and scrat for wealth, with Teeth and Pawse.

VVealth, state, and glorie, if they worldly be,
False wealth, fraile state, vaine-glory then they are;
Only held good by doting Fantasie,
Which wil no part thereof to Reason share,
Least shee should finde them false, and bid beware:
But Reasons pleasures are perpetuall,
They are all comforte, quitted from all Care,
They thrall the Minde to freedome spiritual,
That makes selfe Bondage, sweet selfe Freedoms thral.

Bodily pleasures are but paines cōpared to those of the minde.

No marvell then, though Men possessing these
Doe hold al other pleasures hels of paine;
That some their wealth haue throwne into the Seas,
That so they might this weale with ease retaine;

105

These made that

Eccles. 2.

King to hold all pleasures vaine
(Save these alone) that prov'd all vnder Sunne,
These haue made Princes quitt their princely Traine,
Train'd by these pleasures (which are never dunne)
Quite from their Scepters and themselues to runne.

These make the Mind and Sp'rite so Nectar-drūck
That they sleepe soundly in divine delight:
These make the Soule forsake the Bodies Trunck,
Leaving it Ioy-tranc'd whilst shee takes her flight
Through Natures workes to have her Makers sight:
These, these, & none but these are Heau'ns on Earth,
Because on Earth they see by Natures light
The highest Heavens Maiestie and Mirth,
And by his Sonnes light

God the Father, fatherless.

without Sire, their birth.

Among which pleasures, those which doe consist
In Contemplation, are the most divine;
By which this life and that to come are blist,
VVhich made Philosophers to it assigne
The Chiefe Beatitude, the Spirittes vvine.
If Mindes that never knew the Sov'raigne Good
Mount vp so high to make this Good their fine,
VVhat shame for those baptiz'd in Christ his blood,
If they (like Swine) doe place the same in mudd?

And as the Soule retaineth more or lesse
Of pristine purity, so will the same
In all hir Actions, lesse or more transgresse,
And to the best, or worst, her motions frame:
Therfore some place their pleasure in their fame
For knowledge, and seeke knowledge to be knowne;
Some in rare handy-works, and some in Game,
Some how a State may stand, or be orethrowne
VVhen it is little, or else overgrowne.

106

And of al skils that meerely are humane,

Civill Policie.

This skill is it that most commends the soule:
This can instruct the sword to make a lane
To Crownes, & teach the same Crownes to cōtroule,
And slaues in Catalogue of kings enroule.
For Policies long Arme can compasse pow'r,
Which ioin'd, at wil, the Earths huge Bowle cā roule
In Natures spight, if from th'ætheriall Towre,
A suddaine vengeance stay not humane powre.

If the swordes edge be set on Policie,
It wil slip through the Ioints of Monarchies;
And shaue the Crowne of Roiall Maiestie,
So be it stand in way of Tyranies,
That clime to Crownes by bloud and villanies.
The hand of Policie welding the sword,
Directs each Blow that wounds stil multiplies,

Crownes are purchased often vniustly by bloudy cōquests.

That slaues to Crownes through streams of bloud may ford;
For Crownes de Or, those sanguine streames afford.

Here Muse craue licence for a maine digresse,
Of those that shal thine Ambages survay;
Sith Policie compels thee to transgresse
The Rules of Order, her pow'r to display;
She (most importunate) wil haue no nay,
But thou must from thy proiect long desist
To blazon her high vertue by the way,
That sense may see wherein shee doth consist,
Wherein (being much) thou must the more insist.

But what I shall in this behalfe insert
Through my no skill and lesse experiment,
Comes from a Muse that can but speake of part,
Much lesse hath skill to teach al government;

107

Or if shee had, shee were too insolent
So to presume; sith Reason hath bin strain'd
To highest reach for Rules of Regiment;
Sufficeth me to touch it as constrain'd
By that I handle; els, would haue refrain'd.

Nor wil I iustifie all rules for right,
That Policie approveth for direct;
God, and Mans wisedome are repugnant quite;
Mans wisedome holdes for good a good effect
Caused by ill, which Gods doth stil reiect:
And to doe all that Policie doth will
Must needes the soule with mortal Sores infect;
Heare, what shee wils, then iudge, if well or ill;
And vse or els refuse it, as yee will.

Whose powre if it with puissance be conioin'd

Policy (vnder God) is the overruler of all vnder heavē.

Controules al powres, saue hellish or divine;
It glues together states, that VVarres vnioin'd,
And severs those that Concord did combine:
It makes or marres disposing Mine and Thine:
On Sov'raignes heads it makes Crownes close to sit,
That sooner shal their heads then Crownes decline;
It makes VVill law, when VVit thinkes Law vnfit,
Yet wils that Law should lincke with VVill and wit.

It tels the Statesman sitting at the Sterne,

To Princes wee must giue our reasons by waight, & our words by measure.

(Embozom'd by his sov'raigne) he must be
Carefull the humor of his Lige to learne,
And so apply himselfe thereto, that hee
May neither crosse nor with it stil agree:
Like Sol that with nor gainst the Heaven goes,

Similie.

But runnes ascue, by whose obliquitie,

All Policie ought to tend to publicke profite.

Each thing on Earth's conserv'd, and gayly groes;
So Councellors their councels shoulde dispose.

108

Simil.

And as the Moone reflects her borrowed light
Vnto the Sunne, that but lent her the same:
So statesmen should reflect (how ere vnright)
Their wel-deservings, and their brightest fame

Where the worde of the king is, there is power, and who shall say to him, what dost thou? Eccles 8 4. A Caveat for great subiects.

Vnto their Liege, as though from him it came.
For Princes may put shame of their oresights
Vpon their servants, who must beare the blame,
Applying praises of those mens foresights
Vnto themselues, as if they were their rights.

Great Subiects must beware of subiects loue,
And Sov'raignes hate the first oft breeds the last;
Kings wil their Brethren hate, if not reproue
For being too wel belov'd, who often tast
The evil speede that growes from that loues hast;

Men shoulde not bee divels to shun tēporall death, or to be Gods on earth. That which in privat persons is called Choler, in publike is called Fury & cruelly. Sal. Rigor often buyeth her pleasure with perill of life. Mercy & truth preserue the King: for his throne shalbe established with Mercie. Prover. 20. 28 He that is careles of his own life, is Lord of anothers. Sen.

Which makes great subiects (in great policie)
That would of King and subiect be embrac'd)
To mix their vertues deeds with villany,
T'avoide the plague of Popularitie.

With submisse voice it tels the Soveraigne,
Severity makes weake Authoritie,
If that too oft the Subiects it sustaine;
And smal faults punisht with great cruelty
Makes Feare and Hate desp'rate rebell'ouslie.
For, death of Patients Emprickes lesse defame,
Then Executions oft doe Sov'raignty,
And all that haue delighted in the same
Haue hate incurr'd, and often death with shame.

For Policie can hardly wel prevent
The purpose of true Hate made obstinate
With ceaslesse plagues, and extreame punishment:
For, when the weakest hand is desperate

109

It may confound a

Which mischief (though with extream difficulty prevented if at al avoided yet al the means to escape it are these, 4. Enquiry, Punishment, Innocēcie, Destenie.

Cæsar, so a state.
Who death desires, is Lord of others life:
He feares not hell that would be reprobate:
A calme Authoritie represseth strife,
When much severitie makes Rebels rife.

It's better

By reprehēsion which S. Basil cals the healing of the soule: Salomō an ornamēt of fine gold Pro. 25. and David a precious Balme, Psa. 41. Tacitus saith, every notorious execution of iustice hath some taste of iniustice therin, yet sith it wrings but some in particular it is amply recompēced in the cōmon good.

cure, then cut of members ill,
If it may be; and, if that wil not serue,
Yet cut them off as t'were against thy will:
For, Men hate not their members which they kerue
Or cleane cut off, the rest so to preserue:
For Cruelty sometimes is Clemencie;
Its mercy in the Prince (peace to conserue)
To cut off Rebels with severity,
Lest they prevailing make an Anarchie.

And, if in case a mighty Multitude
Of mighty Men for Treason were to dy,
Policie would not haue the sword imbrude
In bloud of them as t'were successiuely;
But all at once, let them al headlesse ly:
For oft

Iteration of revēg for one fault, is faulty. Punishmente is the companion of iniustice. Plato.

revenge with bloud to iterate,
The malice may suppresse of few too hy;
But stirres the harts of all to mortall hate,
Which may impeach the most secured state.

And therefore that which must be cut away
Away with it at once, quoth Policie:
And to the sores these

Salus for the sores growing from overmuch severity

plaisters ply straight way,
Doe some great good that argues Charity,
And pardon some to shew thy Clemencie:
To shedde the bloud of corrupt Maiestrates,
Doth not a little the paine qualifie:
The sacrifice of such hate expiates;
Thus bloud must heale what bloud exulcerates.

110

Intemp'rate Patients make Phisitions cruell,
And wayward Subiects make the Prince

Austere and iust Maiestrats are like the Ligatures of Chirurgions, which hurt them that bee wounded; for though those Bands be imployd to cure loose mēbers, yet they putt the Patient to much paine.

seveare:
Ceaselesse abuses of Ire is the fuell:
Can Sov'raignes beare, when Subiects nought

By the resistance of those that should obey, the lenitie of those that cōmand is diminished. Tacitus.

forbeare?
Such must be taught to loue through cause of feare:
For, oft a ijrke from a kinde Masters hand
Amōg much cockring, makes our loue more deere,
When as we know, it with our weale doth stand:
So short correction tends to long command.

Iudges corrupt and all Extortioners
Like Spunges must be vs'd, squiz'd being full,
And so must Iustice handle Vsurers;
They pull from

Vsurie is a sweete poison compounded vpon the ruines of good men.

Subiects, Kings from thē must pull,
And whē their fleece is grown, sheare off the wooll.
These are the Canker-wormes of Common weales,
They mortifie and make the Members dull,
Then when the Head thereof these Cankers feeles,
He needes must clense them, ere the Body heales.

For whosoever feares hate over much,
Knowes not as yet what Rules to Rule belong;
Let Subiects grutch without iust

A temperate dread suppresseth high and stout stomakes, feare in extremitie stirres men to presumption or desperate resolution, & provoks them to try conclusiōs dāgerous.

cause of grutch,
They will, whē they perceave the Prince they wrōg,
To right the same, continue Subiects long:
By Punishment, and by Reward a State
May be ore-aged beeing over yong;
In Mould of Love to melt the Commons hate,
Is to correct without respect of state.

From Piety and cleere-Eyde Providence
Authoritie derives resistlesse force;

Piety makes Authority most potent.

For Piety constraines Obedience,
Sith all beleeves the Heau'ns doe blesse her coorse:

111

And

The mother of a wary person knows not what belongs to Teares. Paul. Emil.

Providence subiection doth enforce,
For, it foresees where Riott may runne out,
And with strong Barres (which Barristers r'enforce)
Makes fast the Parke-pale there and round about,
That to goe through, no one wil goe about.

It teacheth Princes wisely to beware
How they exhaust their store for warre in peace
To maintaine

Superfluity in Bāquets & Aparrell are tokens of a diseased Cōmon-weale, or which is rather in dāger of death. Seneca.

Reuellings, and nothing spare
That tends to Sensualities increase,
Although therfore their Flocks they often fleece:
It ill beseemes (quoth Providence) the Prince,
His owne and publike

A kingdoms superabūdāce if it be managed by a lascivious & voluptuous Prince, is the cause of the subversiō thereof.

Treasures to decrease
For private satisfaction of the sense,
Which sincks the State with waight of vain expēce.

If there be factions for Sions cause,
So bee't they breake not bounds of Charitie,
Instruction sooner then

Feare & terror are slender bonds to bind loue. Tacitus. Simil.

Correction drawes
Such Discords to a perfect Vnity,
That yeelds a sweete Soule-pleasing harmony:
For, when a Violls strings doe not concent,
We doe not rend them straight, but leisurely
VVith

A gentle intreaty is of more force then an imperious cōmād. Claudian.

patience put in tune the Instrument;
So must it be in case of Government.

Its the least freedome Subiects can demaund
To haue but liberty to hold their peace;
Who keepe their errors close from being scand
Doe hurt none but themselves, in warre or peace:
If Freedome true Obedience release
It will

It is an easie matter to governe good men. Salust.

containe it selfe in liberty;
And Lenity Subiection doth encrease
Where strife desires publike tranquillity,
And still agrees t'obey Auctoritie.

112

Policy prompts the Prince, with voice scarse heard,
If any Subiects be growne over great,
By

O impious people, & accursed times, that doe constrain Princes to doe this for the safety of their States, & bodies, that is so perrillous touching the State of their Soules.

death their grandure must of force be barr'd;
But if by Lawe they cannot doe that feate,
Without the shaking of their State and Seate,
It must be done without Law by some Chance
That

Ere the Subiect be in Armes. A Subiect placed in high dignitie hath more adoo to hold it, then others to gett it. Brutus.

soddainly must fall (ere blood doe heate)
So shall their Throne be stablisht, (witnesse France)
And subiect onely to divine vengeance.

For it is sel'd, or rather never seene
That peace and powrfull men doe dwell

Tacit Hist: Abraham and Lott must part when their wealth is over growne.

togeather;
And ten times blessed is that King or Queene
Who make their Nobles live and loue each other;
Lyve like themselves, & like themselves love either:
This were the Quintenssens of Policie,
And

All Wisdome assisted both by nature and Arte, is little ynough to effect so great an Act by reasō of the perversnes of mās nature.

witte, that's seld derived from the Mother,
VVhich rather can be wisht then taught, for whie?
No pow'r from vvill can take vvills libertie.

A King may from his high erected Throne
VVith Eagles Eyes (for Kings such Eies should have)
Behold the Members of the State alone,
And what the humors are which them deprave;
So may he purge the partes the VVhole to saue:
But to attone the vvills perverst by pow'r,
As easie wer't the Ocian drie to lave;
Pow'r may cōstraine, but VVill may choose t'endure,
And they that wil be sicke, no skill can cure.

Great Minds like Horses that wil easly reare,
Are easli'st ruled with a gentle Bitt;
And rev'rence Princes should not gaine with

They ought to feare many whom many feare.

feare,
Nor Love with

Familiaritïe in Princes breedes contempt in Subiectes.

Lowlinesse, for State vnfitt,

113

For none of both with policy doth fitt:
This skill is very difficult, because
Vertues of diff'rent kindes must kindly knitt
Their powres in one, which VVitt togeather drawes,
And guards the Prince, no lesse thē Guards or Laws.

The Empires

Maiestie in a Prince is no lesse commendable then behooful.

Maiestie her state sustaines;
The Prince thereby security enioyes,
Free from Rebellions reach (that State disdaines)
And from contempt of Rule, that State annoies
Ingendring all misrule that state destroies:
The Scepter and the nuptial Bedd detests
To be

A Crowne devided vvill serue no kings head.

devided, or to share their ioyes;
Yet Sou'rainty in extreame perill rests
Of partnershippe, when it Contempt disgests.

Empires are Fortunes Obiects and Tymes Subiects,
Envy and

The Creator of all coupled Envy & a Kingdome together. Seneca.

Empire be inseparate,
Fortune doth often Monarches make of Abiects
And Envy Monarchy doth quite abate,
If it assisted be with vulgar

The Multitudes love is light & their hatred heavy.

hate:
For Monarches finde no meane betwixt the Ground
And the extreamest topp of their

To attain to Empire ïs a work humane but to retaine it being attayned is a grace divine. Innovation most dangerous to a state.

estate;
But if they fal, the fall doth them confound:
Therefore let them be sure of footing sound.

Three things (saith Policy) doe stablish Rule,
That it be Constant, Severe, and Restraind;
Constant: for innovation breeds misrule;
Severe: for oft by Lenity vnfain'd
Nought but Contempt (orethrow of Rule) is gain'd:
Impunity breeds lawlesse

Over much pittie bringes overmuch perill to Soveraignes.

Libertie;
For hope of scape (when Iustice is but fain'd)
Drawes on bold Vice to doe al villany
Vnder the Nose of mild Auctority.

114

For who is aw'd by him, whose Sword doth lie
Fast sheath'd with rust, that it wil not come out?
Who by remisnesse, not by clemencie
Makes th'edge of his pow'r (dull'd) to turne about:

An ynch of liberty more then ought, maks the Cōmons much more loose then they should.

This King the Commons wil command and flout,
Who are contain'd with feare and not with shame,
And nere abstaine from Riot or from Rout
For badnesse of them, but for feare of blame,
And punishment inflicted for the same.

Thirdly, Authoritie should be restrain'd,
(As erst was said) and is as much to saie,

Whē the Rod is in the magistrats hand, he may correct, but if it be out hee may bee corrected.

That the chiefe strength from Kings shoulde stil bee drain'd,
And stay with them, to be to them a stay;
Lest Treason should their trust and them betray:
They may dissolue the force of Emperie,
When they make Kings of those that should obay;
For Slaues endu'd with Kings authoritie
Make Kings but slaues, through Kings infirmity.

Yet Policie doth not forbid the Prince
To honor Subiects high, of high desert
With highest honor of Obedience,
And though obeying, rule an ample part:

It is a sure guarde of thy principality, if thou doe not suffer great commaundemēt to indure long. Livie. 4. Hardly cā mē keepe a mean in dignities surmounttng mediocritye.

So be't the honor which they thus imparte
Bee short and sweete, chiefly Lieuetenancie;
For it, if long, with pride affectes the Hart,
Which makes the same affect sole Monarchie;
So put the King and state in ieobardie.

For Men are Men how ever Angell-like;
The highest Angels were ambitious:
Its death to ample fortunes, Saile to strike;
Nay Death to them is farre lesse dolorous:

115

“For vse of Rule makes mindes imperious.

Wee read but of one Scilla that having gottē absolute empiry, gaue it over voluntarily.

Great Persons haue great Passions; state is stiffe,
Vnapt to bow, how ever curtuous:
And when great Sp'rits haue tasted but a whiffe
Of praise for rule, they (drunke) would rule in chiefe.

For as the Man orecome with powrefull wine
(Although a Beggar cloathed like a king)

Simil.

When some in mock'ry made him halfe divine
With Lauds, and Legs, stil rising and bowing,
Perswaded was, he was no other thing:
So Sp'rites that are made druncke with vulgar praise

Not to bee overcome with praises & acclamations of people is incident to God only.

For their dexteritie in governing,
Doe weene all true that vulgar vapor saies,
And thinke themselues alone the rest should raise.

When too great subiectes doe too well agree,
Suspitious Policie them out doth set:
For like as stones, which in firme Arches bee

Simil.

Would fall, but that they one another let,
By meanes wherof the Arch more strength doth get:

We ought to endevor even by laws to hinder strife and partakings among nobles. Ari. 5. Pol. c. 8.

So fares it with a state or Monarchie,
Whose perill might (perhaps) be over-great
By ore-much concorde of the over-hie;
Then ods twixt them still mainetaines vnity.

But among other rules of policie
That are vnruly (if by that

Scripture.

rule squar'd
That al should rule) It sov'raignes learnes to ly,
Dissemble, and deceaue; if it regard
The common good of thē they ought to guard:
But to doe ill, that good thereof may come,
By better

Divinity.

Rules and more assur'd, is bard;
Then how it should a sou'raigns state become
To ly at all, to this I answere mum.

116

Kings shoulde bee so framed as they may be altogither good or halfe good, and not altogither wicked, but halfe wicked. Ari.5. Pol.c.11.

But this I say from those that wel did trie
What tis to rule, and ruling long to raigne:
If Kings make conscience of a little lie,
When it may good the state and Soveraigne,
Ill may ensue, that good so to refraine:
Yet when wee knowe all harts are in his hands,
That harts and all doth rule and sole sustaine,
We muse at Policies so crosse commaunds
When as we know, all by the

The divine Precepts.

other stands.

We haue two eies, two eares, and but one Tongue
Which with the teeth and lippes is eake inclos'd,
And is the senses Organs plac'd among
Eies, Eares, and Nose, by Nature so dispos'd
That nothing by the Tongue should be disclos'd,
Before it hath tane councell of each sense,
That are to falshoode evermore oppos'd,

The Soule is the true lover of Truth.

Lest they should misinforme th'Intelligence,
Which haynously procures the Soules offence.

Proverb. 17.

Excellent talke becommeth not a foole,
Nor lying lips the King; so saith that Prince
That rul'd in peace, and did his enemies coole
With truth and equity; but that's long since,

These are the last, and therfore the worst daies.

And twixt the times there may be difference:
Yet if we may not for Gods glory ly,
Much lesse for matters of lesse consequence:
Kings should be Patterns of all pietie,
VVhich doth consist in truth and equitie.

But pious Augustine (canonized
For piety) saith there are certaine lies
VVhereof no great offence is borne or bred,

Aug. in Psal. 5.

Yet are not faultlesse; in which leasings lies

117

That lie, which Kings for common good devise:
Hence may we see, how much deprav'd we are,
VVhen Kings sometimes must faine and temporise

A Kingdome is a schoole of deceipt. Sen. Thy est.

For their estate and common-wealthes welfare,
VVhich would fare ill, if they should it forbeare.

VVho note withall, It breedeth small regard
To bee too lavish of their presence, when
Among the commons it might well be spar'd;
For Maiestis like Deity in Men,
VVhen wee it see, as farre as wee can ken:

We bear most reverence to Maiesty a far off.

Yet policie (the proppe of waightie States)
VVould haue them present with all now and then,
As well to comforte, as to cease debates,
Both which their harts to true loue captivates.

It tels them other Documents among,
That who so bridles their felicitie

It is a great felicity not to be overcome of great felicity.

Shall better governe it, and hold it long;
For Temp'raunce ioined with Authoritie,
Makes it resemble sacred Deitie:
It bids them loue the learned with effect,
VVho can with lines their liues historifie
That ay shall last, and their renownes erect

Poets & Historiographers haue powre to giue immortality.

As high as Heav'n, maugre humane defect.

And here I cannot wonder (though I would)
Sufficiently at these guilt times of ours,

The Golden Worlds returned frō exile.

VVherein great Men are so to money sold,
That Iupiter himselfe in golden Showres
Wil basely stand, to gather while it powres.
Mars scornes Minerva, gibes at Mercury,
He better likes Venerian Paramoures:

Yet learning and Armes should bee in league by the law of nature.

Greatnesse regards not Prose, or Poesie,
But weenes an Angell hath more Maiesty.

118

Artes perish wanting praise and due support;
And when want swaies the Senses Common-weale,
VVitts vitall faculties wax al

Yet if some mens wittes were measured by their wealth, they would be accounted Salomons that are nothing else but money-baggs, ïn whō there is nothing but money.

amort:
The Minde, constrain'd the Bodies want to feele,
Makes Salves of Earth the Bodies hurt to heale,
Which doe the Mind bemire with thoughts vnfitt;
Hēce come those dull Conceipts sharp witts reveale,
Which nice Eares deeme to come frō want of witt,
When want of wealth (indeede) is cause of it.

As poore as a Poet.

How many Poets, like Anatomies,
(As leane as Death for lacke of sustenance)
Complaine (poore Staruelings) in sadd Elegies
Of those whom Learning onely did advaunce,
That of their wants haue no considerance.
What Guift to Greatnesse can lesse welcome be
Then Poems, though by Homer pend perchaunce?
It lookes on them as if it could not see,
Or from them, as from Snakes, away wil flee.

What's this to me (thinkes he) I did not this?
How then to me should praise thereof pertaine?
Thou hitt'st the Marke (deere Sir) & yet dost misse;
For, though no praise for penning it thou gaine,
Yet praise thou gett'st, if thou that Pen

It is good to doe well, so it is also to support well doing.

sustaine,
That can

But Poets lie open to a mischiefe; for as Alchimists are suspected for coyning: so are Poets for libelling.

eternize thee in Deathes despight,
And through it selfe thy grossest humors straine,
So make them pure (at least most pure in sight)
Which to Posterity may be a light.

In common policy, great Lords should give,
That so, they may (though great) much more receaue:
The more like God, the more they doe relive;
And, the more VVriters they aloft doe heave,

119

The more renowne they to their Race doe leaue:
For, with a droppe of ynke their Penns haue pow'r

Good and ill renowme are immortal and prevaile even over the remembrance of Tyme, which Poets have powre to give. When Poets cōmend mens names to monument they neede no Tombes.

Life to restore (being lost) or life bereave,
Who can devour Time that doth all devoure,
And goe beyonde Tyme, in lesse then an how'r.

Where had Achilles fame bin longe ere this,
Had not blind Homer made it see the vvay
(In Parchas) spight) to all eternities?
It had with him (long since) bin clos'd in Clay.
Where had Æneas name found place of stay,
Had Virgills verse of it no mention made?
It had ere this bin drown'd in deepe decay:
For, without memory, Names needes must vade;
And memory is ay the Muses Trade.

But how can these Daughters of Memory
Remember those of whom they are dispis'd?
They are not Stocks that feele no iniurie,
But sprightly, quicke, and wondrous wel adviz'd;
Who, though with

Lascivious, obscene, &c.

loose Lines they are oft disguis'd
Yet when they list, they make immortal lynes,
And, whosoere by those lines are surpriz'd,
Are made eternal, they, and their Assignes,
Or wel, or ill, as Poesy defines.

Leaue we to vrge poore Poets iust

As good no compleyning as complayning for no good.

complaint
(Sith they are deafe that should redresse the same)
That Policy we may yet better paint,
And consecrate more lines vnto her name,
That learnes our Pen her laudes by lines to frame.
Shee would that Government should never dy,
Which is the Rodd of Circes, which doth tame
Both Man, and Beast, (if ledd by Policy)
And tends to perfect Mans Societie.

120

The putting vp of one iniurie begettes another.

Shee teacheth Kinges to giue and take no vvrong,
One gettes Revenge, Contempt the other gaines:
All gainfull Leagues she would haue lengthn'd long,
And not to warre vntill iust cause constraines;
For, Iustice prospers VVarres and Thrones sustaines:
No Secrets, nor no publike governments
To

They that possesse all thinges want nothing but a man that will speake the truth. Seneca.

Clawbacks, or to those that scrach for gaines,
Shee would have shar'd; for badd are all their bents,
And evermore doe ruyne governments.

In such is neither truth to God, or King:
Therefore shee would have such aloofe to stand,
As farre (at least) as a

Prov. 25. 23. The further Flatterers and Avaritious persons stand frō the Soveraign the surer hee stands. Take away the wicked frō the King and his Throne shalbe established in righteousnes. Prov. 25. 5.

bent brow can fling
Them from the Sov'raigne, or a straight command:
These bitter baneful weeds doe spil the Land.
But to the tried trusty, she would haue
The Sov'raignes favoure constantlie to stand;
For, with their losse they seeke the whole to saue,
To whome, like Fathers, they themselues behaue.

Shee tells the Kinge that Treason gathers strength
Extreamly in his

The Frogs (in AEsop) insulted vpon the Logg and held it in scorne.

weakenesse; and requires
That it be cut short ere it gathers length,
And level that, that out of course aspires:
Shee chargeth Kinges to quench their vaine desires
Of vaine expence, without the Commons charge,
Lest it enflame Rebellions quenchlesse fires,
Which oft, such large expence doth much inlarge;
Who, oft the same vpon the King discharge.

Shee wils that holsome Lawes should be ordain'd,
Bereaving Kings of

Not to be able to do evill is great power. It is an excellent necessity not to bee suffered to do evill.

pow'r t'infringe the same:
For, if their Crownes are by the Lavves sustain'd,
They should not breake the

God governs that common weale that is governed by a written law. Aristot.

Props, lest al the Frame

111

Should fal, to their confusion and shame:

Statute of Reteyners. It is an Aphorisme amonge the Lawes of the 12. Tables Let the protection of the People be the chiefest Law.

That, of Reteyners shee would have obseru'd,
Else most Ignobles, in a Nobles name,
Wil let Lawes course, which should be safe reseru'd,
And wrack the Poore which law would haue cōserv'd.

And as the Law should governe Maiestrates;
So should the Maiestrates the People sway.
The Governours are living Lavves in States:
And a dumbe Maiestrate the Lavve is ay.
As Bodies, Reason and the Soule obay;
So States should Law and Maiestrates by right;
For, Law is Reason, keeping all in Ray,
By which the wise themselues doe guide aright;
And Vulgares have it from Law-givers light.

She

Civill Policy

bidds the Sou'raigne take heede how he heares,
Much lesse embrace th'advice of selfe

Ouer-weening a pestilēt disease of the Mind, most familiar with Fooles.

Conceipt:
For, such Conceipt hath neither Eyes, nor Eares,
To heare, or see another, but doth waite
Vpon her selfe, admiring her owne height.
In cases doubtfull it is dangerous
T'admitte light

Take coūcell of thine owne hart for there is no mā more faithfull to thee then it Eccles. 37. 13.

Councells; for, for want of weight
T'wil make the case to be more ponderous,
The whilst such

He is more discreete with whom provident councels (that carry reason with them) do prevaile, thē prosperous deliberations which happen by chaunce. Tacit 2. An. Treasons prevaile on the sodaine, good Councells gather force by leisure. Tacitus Hist.

Councells prove Aëreous.

For its oft seene that Publike Policie
Occurrs with matters of such consequence,
Wherein there is such depth of Misterie
That it wil blunt the sharpest Senses sence
Of the acut'st, and swift'st Intelligence;
Ne shall Deliberation be assur'd
Of their effect, vntill their evidence
Tyme doth produce; or triall hath procur'd,
Wherein rash Iudgment must not be endur'd.

122

The heav'nlyest Hav'ns, m'haue Hellish entries:
Therefore, wise Pilots keepe them in the Maine,
And rather brooke rough Tempests miseries,
Then by vnknowen perrils rest to gaine:
They shunne the flats by their experience plaine;
For, in all perils such experience
Must guide the course, els perillous is paine;
Nay, death may follow double

The faster mē run being out of the way the further they are out of the way. Experience is the eie of humane wisdom.

diligence
Not set on worke by single Sapience.

Experience is the guide of Policie,
Whose nere-deceaved eie sees all in all;
Shee can make light the darkest mistery,
Then, her at all assaies to councell call,
Especially in matters mysticall:
Realmes haue a world of crannies, where doe lurke
Ten thousand mysteries from view of eie,
VVhich nerethelesse vncessantly doe worke,
And often giue the state a deadly Iurke

Shee would haue Kings to haue such Councellors

A Prince ought to bestowe more in getting a wise coūceller, thē in achiueing a cōquest Quintus Curtius. Wher no coūcel is the people fall: but where manie coūcellors are ther is health. Prover. 11. 14 Simil.

That might be learn'd in state-Philosophies;
For Kingdomes govern'd by Philosophers
No Constellations feare, nor Destinies:
They know what should the Soveraigne suffice
And what the Subiect; bending al their might
T'accomplish both their long felicities
By seeing that each one may haue his right,
Preventing forraine, and domesticke spight.

As when a Shippe, that liues vpon the Downes
Of Neptune (mightie Monarch of those Plaines)
Is neere at point to perish (if hee frownes,)
Without a sterne and one that it sustaines:

123

(For maine is perill els vpon those Maines:)
So fares that state that hath nor Lordes nor Lawes,
Wherewith the Liege the State from ruine raines
In stormes of troubles, and Contentions flawes,
VVherein wise Councels calme effectes doe cause.

They are the VVatch-men that stand Sentinell

A good councellor is an Argus to the Cōmō-weale.

T'examine all that may impeach the state;
They make the Common-wealth a Paralell
To that of Rome when shee was fortunate,
And Cæsar make of a meane Magistrate:
VVho Baracado vp with Lawes strong Barres
All that lies ope for Vice to ruinate,
And stoppe the Passages of Civill VVarres
VVith martiall law, which Male-contents deterres.

Nor neede the Statesman gage Philosophie
Deeper, then well to know how well to liue
In Peace, and VVealth, (this worldes felicitie)
And Rules of Life, to that effect to giue;
They diue too deepe, if they doe deeper diue:
VVhat is the knowledge of the Transcendents
To him that learnes men onlie how to thriue?
Though he nere red such wilde

They will distracte his thoughts, and government requires the whole man.

Artes Rudiments,
Hee's fitter farre for civill governments.

The Mathematickes, and the Metaphysickes,
Haue no necessitie in government;
But Ethickes, Politickes, and Oeconomicks,
These to good Governours are incident,
VVhere morrall vertue sitteth President:
To bee well red in all good Historie

To bee well seene in history necessarye in a Magistrat.

(VVhich makes the sp'rite much more intelligent)
Doth stand with state and perfit policie,
And maketh dexterous Authoritie.

124

Salomō knew all in all. 1 King. 3. 12.

The boundes of knowledge are the highest spheares,
For, all is knowne in their circumference;
And what soere this Nurse of Earthlings beares?

Eccles. 1. 16.

Is subiect to humane intelligence:
Then knowledge is vnknowne by consequence:
In which respect Men doe their wits apply
To this or that Arte with all diligence,
Vnable to know al Philosophie,
Because it stands not with mortality.

In all things (as its sedd) are three degrees,
To weet, Greate, Small, and the Indifferent;
And that which doth participate of these
Is in perfection held most excellent,

The Councellor should bee vertuous, for hee supplieth vertues place, which is in the middest.

Which is the Councellor in government:
For, hee twixt Prince and People beeing plac'd,
Best sees what is for both convenient;
And for his vertue, is of both embrac'd;
For vertue from the midst is nere displac'd.

If any one supply that vertuous place
And is not vertuous, he a Monster is;
For, in the midst can nothing sit that's base,
Sith Vertue there (as in her Heav'n of blisse)
Her selfe enthrones to all eternities.
Physitions labour, aimes at nought but health;
Sailors, good passage; Captaines, victories;
So Councellors should for the Common-wealth,
Which iustly to her limbes her dowry dealth.

Those whom the king will know shal bee to wel known, but those hee looks strange vpon, no man wil know thē.

He had neede be more then honest, yea much more
Then vertuous (that is, vertuous past compare)
Who whē his King's with-drawn, may ope the dore
And in a Closet diue into his eare,
To put into his Head how all things are:

125

This if ill Sp'rits perceiue, and hee will bee
Corrupted with pure gold, or what soere,
Some Fiend will say, all this wil I giue thee
(Shewing him VVorldes) if thou wilt honor mee.

Then how behouefull tis for Kinge and state,
To make such Minnions (if he must haue such)
That in their Soules corruption deadly hate,
And having much, desire not overmuch;
But to finde such an one, were more then much:

A man maye light a candle at noone and seek amōgst a multitude, yet misse to sinde, such an one.

For to be neere, and deere vnto a Kinge,
Fils hart with pride, and pride doth empt the pouch;
Thē for supply (sowre

Minions are for the most part so.

sweete) a sweete-sowre thing
(Which may the Sov'raign wrest, the subiect wring)
Call'd Lieges-loue abus'd, the same must bring.

But where shall Princes then, bestow their loue
(Sith loue they must, and ought, where it is due?)
On any one that still his grace wil moue
For Common-good, and private doth ensue
But for that good; This Minion in a Mew

It is dāgerous ventering abroade the Aire is so infectious.

Had neede be kept; for, if he flie abrode
Divels-incarnate will him still pursue
Till they haue made a Divell of a God,
Or if hee scape, tis with temptations lode.

An Hart that's truely humbled and is dead
(For loue of Heav'n) to all the earth holds deere,
Yet serpents wisedome hath, in his doues head,
And from all spots of pride is purged cleere,
And stil would fast to make the rest good-cheere:
This were a Minion for a God, or King,
Worthy to weld the VVorld; and who drawes neere
In nature to this Man, or divine Thing,
A Prince should vse, with all deere cherishing.

126

For,

Maximilian the Emperour answered one that desired his letters pattents to ennoble him, I am able (quoth he) to make thee rich, but Vertue onelie must make thee noble.

Vertue onely makes good Councellors,
Who in great wisedome hold the State vpright;
No Halles orehang'd with Armes of Ancestors
Haue in their right creation any might;
But if they haue them too, they are most right:
Yet Vertue found not Tully

It is better to bring honour to a mans house then to diffame it being there already.

nobly borne,
But made him Noble by his wisedomes weight;
“Vertue respects not fortune, nor doth scorne
“To dwell with those whose fortunes are forlorne.

Kinges come from slaues, and slaues frō Kings descēd:
Bloud's but the water wat'ring Fleshes dust;
Which by its nature ever doth descend,
And makes fraile Flesh to fall to things vniust:
For, tis but

Act. 17. 26. The higher the Sunne is, the lesse shaddow he maks, & the greater a mans vertue is, the lesse glory he seekes.

Blood in the vniust and iust:
And al alike it is in high and lowe;
Not halfe so ful of life, as ful of lust,
Making vs rather abiect, then to growe
To high accoumpt, for ought that from it flowes.

Yet some times evil men make Rulers good,
As good Musitions, oft in life are badd;
These last make discords ioyne in pleasant moode;
The first the like in Common-weales have made:
So either may be vertuous in his Trade,
How ever vitious in their lives they are:
But Policy the Prince doth still disswade
From making such too great, for they wil pare
The Prince, and polle the Commons

They will make sale of the Princes favour to the preiudice of his people

without care.

For Slaves (though Kinges) in disposition
Are most vnmeete to manage Kingdomes states;
And so are Men of base condition
Vnfitt to make inferior

Eccl. 38. 33.

Maiestrates:

127

The Floures of Crownes fitt not Mechanick

They are, as the feete, necessary members, nor could a common-wealth stand without them, howbeit they are as the feete furthest remoued from the head being Reasōs Seate.

Pates,
No more then costly plumes doe Asses heads;
They are call'd Crafts-men, quasi craftie mates,
Let these rule

Crafts-men.

such (if they must governe needes)
For they at best are nought but holsome vveedes.

But some as voide of honestie as Arte,
Advance themselues by

Had men no other fault yet are they therfore vnfit for government, because so desirous to governe. Authority should be denied to such as seeke it, & given to those that (like wise mē) refuse it.

wealth (the Nurse of Vice)
And with good gifts supply want of desert;
Good-giftes, that Givers of Commands entice
To part with them though they be nere so nice:
These (seing wealth hath giv'n them Vertues meede)
Doe make port-sale of Vertue, and Iustice
T'enrich themselues to clymbe thereby with speed;
From whence the wracks of Cōmon-weales proceed.

Did they but good themselues by some mens harme,
It might be borne, although it heavy were:
But

Example of rich men doth much good or hurt in the cōmon-weale.

they hereby make all themselues to arme
With gold, that seeke authoritie to beare,
Because they see its gotten by such geare:
When Vertue's thus neglected and dispis'd,
Then Vice perforce doth in her place appeare;
And where dam'd Vice hath Vertues place surpris'd,
A Common-woe, with Common-wealth's disguis'd.

That must be deerely sold that's deerely

Alexander Severus caused such to be deposed, and severely punished, that bought their Offices, saying they sold deerer in retaile then they bought in the grosse.

bought;
And whereas Iudgments thus are bought and sold,
There, by iust Iudgment al goes stil to nought:
Yet Iustice and iust Iudgments States vphold,
Whose want wrappes them in mis'ries manifold.
The Iudgments of that Iust orewhelme that Land
That armes Oppression (gainst the Lawes) with Gold;
For where its so, there VVill for Law must stand,
And Law goes with Confusion hand in hand.

128

Intelligence (supreme pow'r of the Soule)
Wherein alone w'are like the

The Philosopher saith, God is an infinite actuall Vnderstāding

Deity,
Is that alone which makes vs meete to rule;
For Natures lawes, and Reas'ns authority
Requires that such should haue high'st dignity,
That by their vertue, and their high estate,
They might conserve men in prosperity:
For right it is they should be rais'd to State,
That make the state of all most fortunate.

For Honor is high Vertues sole

Honor is the Prize for which Vertue endureth what not?

Reward,
For which all vertuous Men all paine endure:
If then such men from Honor should be barr'd,
All to be vicious it would soone procure;
For Vice doth raigne where Vertue hath no pow'r:
Where Honors are bestow'd without respect
On good and badd, as cloudes bestowe their shower,
There must of force ensue but badd effect
For who'l be good, if Grace the good neglect.

Honors given to vertue in former times.

In ancient Common-weales they wonted were
Statues of mettall, Arches triumphal,
With Publike Sepulture, and praises cleere,
These, and such like, they did bestow on all
That to their Common-weales were as a VVall:
For they that watch whilst others sound doe sleepe
To stay the State, that else perhapps might fall,
And laboure stil the Lambes from VVolves to keepe;
Such Shepherds should be honor'd of the Sheepe.

Simil.

For to give Rule to none but Midasses,
Is ev'n as if a Shippe were rendered
In greatest Tempests and VVindes outrages,
To richest Marchants to be governed,

129

Not to the skillful'st to be mastered:
Whereof ensues the wracke of shippe and freight,
From which in Stormes it is delivered
By skilful Pilotts which haue gott the sleight
by their experience to direct her right.

Themistocles is iustly famoused,
For that by Valor and great Policie
He did reduce th' Athenians beastly bredd
To live by Lawes in great

From whom the liberty of disorder is taken away he is over-ruled for his owne benefit.

civility;
But Solon's prais'd more meritoriously,
Who finding Athens at the point to fall
With shocke of Civill warre, he readily
Did staie the same, and reestablish't all
The Lawes & Maiestrats, driv'n to the wall.

Nor did Camillus that repulst the Galls
And Rome preserved from their furies flame
Deserve lesse, (if not more) memorialls,
Thē the two

Romulus & Remus.

Brethrē that first built the same:
Nor yet can Cæsars or great Pompeies fame
(Though they Romes Empire stretcht from East to VVest)
Be so renowned, as his glorious name
That found it neere by Haniball

Scipio Affricanus.

possest,
Yet rescu'd it, and gaue it roome and rest.

Then Rule should not be given to the rich,
If with their wealth they were but fooles vniust:
The Common-wealth would

The oath of xpiān Kinges is. I will minister Lawe, iustice and protection aright to every one. It behoues thē thē to see that their vnder-Maiestrates make a cōscience of th er owne oathes & the Kinges.

private be to such,
For they would rule by Lawes squar'd by their Lust;
And for their gaine stil buy and sell the Iust:
VVisedome and Iustice, with wealth competent
Should be in Rulers: such the Prince might trust
With greatest charge (next them) in government;
For each will rule as Vertues President.

130

For how ist possible men should perswade
Others to vertue and to keepe the Lawes,
If they them-selues them-selues there frō

To mak laws for others & trāsgresse thē our selus, is to teach others to trāsgres thē

disswade,
And by their lewdnesse, others lewdnesse cause?
“A Rulers Vice to vice the People drawes:
Sylla might wel be laught to scorne, when hee
Perswaded Temperance to all; because
He liv'd himselfe (none more) licenciouslee,
For none lesse loved mediocritee.

Lisander was no lesse to blame, for hee
Allow'd those Vices in the Multitude,
Frō which himselfe refrain'd

They that favor sin are a: worthye of death as they that cōmit the sin Rom 1. 31. The way by precepts is obscure & long, but by example; shorte & plaine. Senec.

religiouslee:
For, if by Princes, vices bee alowd,
It is alone, as if they vice ensude.
But iust Licurgus nere did ought forbid,
But by himselfe the same should be eschude
Whose subiects did no more thē himself did,
Such Legislators should bee deifide.

Such Prince or Priest, such people,

Princes and Priests ought to be the Exchequers of Gods inestimable Graces.

saith the Saw;
Examples more then Lawes make men liue wel:
Doe Priests liue so? their liues like Loadstones

Good works ar much more perswasiue to good life thē good wordes.

draw
The people to the same: And doe compel
Sans-force t'obedience such as would rebel:
Then weigh what good or ill your

Good life is the effect and glory of the church militāt & of the good Pastors there. of. Blessed is the Prince & Priest whose liues serue for vnwritten law.

liues doe cause
Ye Prophets Sonnes, that should in grace excel;
Is your life il? its double ill, because
It hurts your selues, and to vice others drawes.

And where Vice raignes, Rebellion oft doth rule
That diff-vnites the best vnited state:
Which growes from Governors vice or

Mis-government for the most parte is cause of rebellion; an argument of the goodnes of ours.

mis-rule
That makes the Commons (with no common hate)

131

Watch al advantage, to abridge their date.
The forraine Foe, then findes domesticke aide,
Aide that assists all that wil innovate;
So by their Subiects Sov'raignes are betraide,
VVhen their mis-rule makes them be disobaide.

And here my Muse leads me as by the hand
Out of the way (as it were) by the way,
To view the liues of Princes of this Land,
Since first the Norman did the Scepter sway

Williā Duke of Normandy.

And scanne their vndertakings as I may:
For by th'event of Actions past, wee shall
The present, and future, the better sway;

Others harme teach vs to shū what caused them.

Which is the vse of storie, for they fal
Seldome or nere, that haue light to see All.

VVilliam the Norman, surnam'd Conquerer,
By his succesful sworde having subdude
This compound Nation (weake through civil war)

Brittan, Saxon, Dane.

The Conquest hee so thorowly pursude
As that an admirable peace ensude:
This fierce Invader with resistlesse force

It is a glorious matter to cōquer, but a much more glorious to vse the Conquest well.

Dissolu'd the state and made the Multitude
To liue by Lawes, which Lawyers yet enforce,
Which, of all former lawes did crosse the course.

Hee pull'd vp all that might pul downe his state,
Supplanting, or transplanting ev'rie plant

The way to establish a state purchased with the sword

That might proue poison to his frolicke fate;
And planting in their place (ere Plants did want)
Such as were holsome, or lesse discrepant:
So that no Brittaine, Saxon, Dane, or all,

A consequent of removing great ones in a newe-conquered kingdome.

Could to this day his Ofspring here supplant,
But they haue, doe, and still continue shall,
Vntill this Kingdome from her selfe doth fall.

132

It was no little worke, nor wisedome lesse,
From so smal wealth, and powre which he possest,
Not onely such a people to suppresse,
But erst at ods, to make them liue in rest

20 And odde descentes of Kings and Queens since the conquest.

For ten descents twice tolde and more at least;
Not as a Nation mixt, but most intire,
And with new Lordes, new Lawes the land invest,
Which straight extinguish might seditions fire,
And keepe Ambition downe that would aspire.

For vvho so reacheth vvith his sworde a Crowne,

As this of this Conqueror.

If head, and hand, vse not like government,
The reeling Crowne may soone be overthrowne,
Though it (perhaps) be propt by Parliment:

France.

VVitnesse our Conquests in the Continent:
That vvere more glorious, then commodious,
Because we made the sword the instrument
Onely to make our selues victorious,

Our glory & shame.

But not to keepe vvhat made vs glorious.

From VVilliam, vnto Edward, Longshancks nam'd,
Turmoiles, and Brals, to that state incident,
That is not throughly staide, the Land inflam'd;
For no peace is so sure or permanent,

Avarice and Pride the perverters of Peace. It is meer madnes to trust the Crown in their handes that long to put it on their owne heads. Rich. i taken prisoner in Austria.

But Avarice or Pride makes turbulent.
Richard the first, transported by desire
To helpe to conquere Iurie, thether went;
And made his brother Iohn, Regent intire;
Who did vsurpe the Crowne ere his retire.

In which returne, hee vvas tane Prisoner
In Austria, from whence b'ing ransomed,
Hee repossest his Crowne; but in the warre
He made (when he his Crowne recovered)

133

Vpon his foes, he life surrendered.

The sincerest minds may be tēpted aboue their strength by the glitering glosse of a crown lying within reach.

The end of Kings thus causing their owne griefe
To leaue their crownes so neere anothers Head;
A pleasant pray enticeth many a Theefe,
And who'l bee second, when he may be chiefe.

Neither did Iohn escape the heavie hand
Of iust Revenge, to all Vsurpers due;
In whose dire Raigne, two curses crost the Land,

The Pope interdicted the land.

Gods, and the churches, which made all to rue,
For ceaslesse Troubles did thereon ensue:
And in conclusion his life hee lost;

By poison as some saie.

For vengeance to the ende did him pursue;
So, al his life hee beeing turn'd and tost,
Before his time gaue vp his tired Ghost.

But to descend to Longshanckes, in whose time

Edward 1.

The common-wealth (fast rooted) gan to sprout,
And by this Piller to high state did clime,
For he was prudent, painefull, valiant, stout,
And dextrously his bus'nesse brought about:
He wisely waide how incommodiously

All kings that thought so thrived the better.

The Conquests stoode atchiv'd the Land without,
Therefore he bent his powre, and industry,
It to reduce into a

Wā Scotlād.

Monarchie.

On VVales and Scotland he that powre imploide,

That which is got ē with the Sword must so bee mainetained, which little instrument can remooue Obstacles bee they never so great, or keep them downe that wold rise without permission.

Reducing both to his obedience;
And long might one the other haue enioy'd
Without hart-burning inbred difference:
If hee had vs'd King VVilliams dilligence:
Prosperous he was abroade, and iust at home,
And lesse vertuous, then a valiant Prince,
Leaving his Sonne (that next supplide his rome)
A demonstration what doth kings become.

134

Edward his Sonne, succeeded him in Rule,
But not in

To rule is as much as to amend that which is amisse or awry.

Rules, by which he rul'd aright,
Who being seduc'd by Masters of Misrule,
Referr'd the government to their oresight,
Who, all oresaw, but what advance them might:
Vntill their rapine, and ambition,
The loue of all from their

A Prince once in obloquie, doe hee wel, or ill, al is ill taken of his subiects Tacitus Hist. Simil.

Liege parted quight;
So that the Sire assail'd was by the Sonne,
And being subdu'd, was murth'red in Prison.

A direfull end to Kinges misguided, due;
Who like to figg-Trees growing on the side
Of some steepe Rocke, doe feede none but a crue
Of Crowes and

Claw-backs, and Sinn-soothers.

Kites, which on their Toppes do ride,
And plume on them (base Birds) on ev'ry side:
A States abundance, if it manag'd be
By a lascivious King, which Slaves misguide,
Subverts the

The more wealth, the more woo, if evil imployed. Edward 3.

State which Kinges cannot foresee,
When they are compast with ill Companee.

Edward the third, was most victorious,
In all attempts and Actions fortunate,
No lesse iudicious then valorous,
Yet were his Conquests hurtfull to his State,
For they the same did but debilitate:
So that when through his ages feeble plight,
And this ore-racked Realmes most poore estate,
The Synnewes of the warre were cracked quight,
His wonted fortunes then plaide least in sight.

His Fathers blood with never-ceasing cries
Filling Th'almighties iust al-hearing Eares,
Importunes Vengeance, which with Argus Eyes
VVatcheth his shaking house for many

The divine Vengeance sleepes not though it wincks.

yeares,

135

And to his Sonnes Sonne fearefully appeares:
Disastrous

Richard of Burdeux.

Richard second of that name,
Pestred with plagues, and ceaselesse cause of feares,
(Through his misrule) can well averre the same,
VVho did the forme of this State quite vnframe.

He, like his Grandsire great, great troubles rais'd
Through his more great oppressions, and excesse:
He lov'd and praised none that vertue prais'd;
Liv'd like his Grandsire great, with like

One evil corrupteth another and evill put to evill is cause of mutuall destructiō.

successe,
VVho, blest a few, that few or none did blesse:
Edward, and Richard, second of their names,
(The last, the first did second in distresse)
Both over-ruled were by base past-shames,
So Both alike, lost Kingdome, Life, and fames.

And if there be wrench in this Paralell,
It is in that one had a sory Sonne,
The other a like Cousin to compell
Him yeeld his Crowne, before his Daies were done,
VVhich were abridg'd (as Edwards) in Prison:
But, if this King had not so childish bin
VVhen Mowbray peacht th'Vsurper of Treason,
He might haue bin secure from al his Kin:
But blinded Iudgment is the hire of Sinne.

Thus fares it with weake Kings, and Cousins stronge;
Richard, lies naked clothed with his

God executes his owne iustice by the iniustice of others.

gore,
Exposed to the view of old and yonge,
A woefull Spectacle, if not much more
For Kinges that live, as he had liv'd before:
But though Examples (freshly bleeding yet)
Doe Gaue crie, (or rather lowde doe rore,)
Yet Kings thus clawde, where they doe ytche, forgett
The future paine, on present

Present pleasures take away the thought of future paine.

pleasure sett.

136

Henry 4.

Henry the fourth, which thus vsurpt the Crowne,
Of all Vsurpers had the best successe.
For, he was provident to hold his owne,
And for the Common-wealth he was no lesse:
In Field, and Towne, he would direct the Presse;
Chiefe Captaine, and chiefe Councellor was

A Kinge should be able to councell as chiefe councellor and direct as chiefe Captaine.

he
Who rul'd in height of VVisedome, and Prowesse;
Into obscurest Treasons he could see,
And if they VVere, soone cause them not to Bee.

This held him Kinge as long as life he held,
Which was as longe as Nature gaue him leave;
And courage gaue the Scepter wel to weld
Vnto his Sonne to whome he both did leave,
Who, did accordingly the same receave:

Henry 5.

He rul'd as did his Sire, in VVisedomes strength,
And heigth of Valor, which he eke did give;
Who caught fast hold on fleeting France at length,
“But weak arms loose, what ere the strōg arme geint'h.

And now as rowsed from a tedious Sleepe,
(After this Kinge with glorie was interr'd)
The Divine Vengeance gan againe to

Vengeance attends the 3. and 4 generation of mercilesse māquellers. Henry 6.

peepe
Vpon his Sonne, that longe had bin deferr'd;
The Cries of Richards blood now well are heard:
And silly Henry (though a Saint he bee)
Must beare the plagues his Grandsires guilt incurr'd,
When he imbrude his hands, or did agree
To have his Sov'raignes bloud shedd savaglee.

His Vncles (more like Fathers) first he looseth,
Then by a woman most improvident
He is ore rul'd, for shee of all disposeth,
Till Hate and Factions ore-grew government.

137

Then Richard Duke of Yorke in Parliment

Rich. Duke of York claimed the crowne in Parliament.

Claimed the Scepter, (being so ill swai'd)
Where was examin'd his claime, and descent,
And then gaue waie to it, when all was wai'd;
So, silly Henry was by law betrai'd.

The title of Duke Richard thus admitted,
But an Vsurper needes must make the King;
Yet t'was decreed that he should bee permitted
For life to hold the Crowne which death doth bring
When as the Crowne is held as no such

No king, if but halfe one.

thing:
Making the Duke by Act of Parliament
His Heire apparant, without altering,
Which for them both was most malevolent,
For hardly can one Crowne, two Kings content.

This was a fond conspiring Parliment

The fruites springing frō the powre of Parliaméts to make Kings in England.

Against their Liege directlie, and the Lawes;
No lesse disloiall, then improvident,
And of effectes most bloudie was the cause;
For, now the King his Friendes together drawes,
VVho, for his safetie straight began to lay,
VVhich could not be without the fearefull Pawse
Of Yorke (that Lion) cleane were

Germanicus, because one or two in the Army had only a purpose to salute him by the name of Emperor, was never wel brooked til by his own death he had paide the price of other mēs rashnes. Tac Hist.

cut away,
Downe must his Den, his Howse must haue no stay.

VVho like him selfe (beeing truely Leonine)
Stood on his strength, so to defeate his foes;
And having wisedome truelie serpentine
Still compassing about the crowne he goes,
Whom Henry tripping in his course

No wisdome prevailes against Gods decree. Edward 4.

orethroes:
But his Sonne Edward kept the claime a foote
Vntill that civill bloud the Land oreflowes;
Who, in conclusion, pull'd vp by the roote
All Lets, & got th'imbrued crowne with mickle boot.

138

Whilst this was doing, the Realme was vndunne,
The Common-wealth, became a Common-woe;
Iustice, and government by Rogues ore runne,
The Ministers whereof tost too and fro
Like foote-balls over which al men may

The effects of civil warre: for looke how much Peace is better then warr, so much is forraine invasion better then civill dissention.

goe:
All was quite out of square, by squaring thus;
The Ground did grone enforc'd to vndergoe,
Continued Armies (most contentious)
That made the State poore, as prodigious.

This Claime was wel examin'd, and admitted,
Here was Succession wel established,
What villanie was not thereby committed?
What vertue was not quite abolished?
And who so high that were not drown'd in dreade?
Yonge, olde, rich, poore, and Babes vnborne,

Civill warre tendes to the preiudice of the yet vnborne.

or borne,
Beasts, & things senselesse had cause Teares to shedd,
For all hereby away perforce were worne,
And far'd at least, as Creatures most forlorne.

Woe woorth such vip'rous

Kings houses yeeld many such Vermine.

Cousins that wil rend
Their Mothers-wombe (the Cōmon-wealth) to raigne;
From such apparant-Heires God vs defend,
That care not who doe lose so they may gaine:
And long may Hee in peace the Crowne sustaine,
That for our peace, & his, such Heires hath brought;
We all of late for such did stil complaine;
Then now sith we haue such, and cost vs nought,
Lett's thankfull be and know them as we ought.

As Pow'r doth want, so Claimes, & Factions

For a poore and hungry Army cannot observe military disciplin. Casiodorus.

cease;
Might Right orecomes, chiefly in Kingdoms claimes;
Pow'r Titles stirrs, and Conquest makes their peace:
The Sword the Law (how firme soever) maymes,

139

Which at a Conquest (though vnlawful) aymes:
Though Prince, and Peeres, provide for future rule,
Ambition hardly her estate disclaimes,
Though for a time the Lawes her over-rule,
Yet when time serues, the Law shee wil

Ambition vpon the least opportunitie setts vpō what so ere hinders hir rising

misrule.

Our State stands not on Armes as others doe;
Our force lies most dispersed at the Plow,
Vnready, rude, and oft rebellious

More cōmon weales are ruined for want of good obayers, thē good commanders.

too,
Whose Sun-burnt Necks oft rather breake thē bow,
Not caring whom, ne what they doe alow:
These and such like enduced our late Prince
Such motions vtterly to disalowe,
For this, and many an inconvenience,
Whereof all Times affoord experience.

This made this careful Queene as knowing well,
(By fortie fiue yeares proofe, and her sharpe sight
Into events, whereof al Stories tell)
How safe to rule, and keepe the State vpright,
For her rights sake, right close to keepe this

Iealously is glued to loue and to a Crowne.

right:
Better (she thought) such Hëires two daies old
Then two yeares, and as strong in Law, and Fight:
So, lou'd her States life, and her owne to hold,
And made her Hart that Heires securest Hold.

But sith shee did conclude this great affaire,
Both Law, and Conscience, doe conclude the State;
And who resists (by birth) that lawful Heire,
Resists the lawful Sov'raigne Maiestrate,
Made both by birth and Law from iust estate:
Monarchicall-inheritance resides
In him from her,

Birth, Bequest, Laws of God, Nature, Nations, and Reasō, togeather with all kingly worthines makes good our now kings possession.

then, who doth violate
Obedience to him wounds the tender sides
Of Law and Conscience, and al good besides.

140

Edward the fourth thus hauing caught the Crown,
The weake Lancastrians drave to the wall,
And spared none, till all were overthrowne
That might lie in his waie to make him fall:
His

Neerenesse of blood doth oft put hatres furthest a sunder, in Kingdomes cases.

Brother Clarence (ô Crime Capitall!)
He did rebaptize in a Butt of VVine,
Being ielous of him (how soere Loiall)
A Turkish providence most indivine;
Yet Crownes wil rest on such, ere thei'le decline.

Besides, a sliding and new-fangled Nation
Ful of Rebellion and Disloyaltie,
May cause a Prince for his securer station
To stand vpon the like extremitie
VVhere Vertue hath no place of certenty.
VVhat Prince (if providēt) wil stick to straine
Both Law and Conscience in secresy
To cutt one Mēber

The Lawe it selfe will rather admitt a mischiefe thē an inconvenience.

off, that letts his raigne,
VVhich the states Body doth in health maintaine?

The more perfection and Heroick worth
Such Heires, great Cousines, or great Subiects haue,
The more the Multitude wil sett them

He alwaies shal be suspected & hated of the Prince in possession whō men doe account worthy or like to be Prince in succession. Tacitus Hist. The Valor & fierce courage of the great Cousin, displeaseth the iealous Soveraigne. Tacit.

foorth
And more and more their rule they seeke and craue;
Then must we lose a part the vvhole to saue:
These haue Achitophells to egge them on
And make them much more restlesse then a wave,
Vntil their Soveraignes they sett vpon
To make them yeeld vp their Dominion.

Manie a busie-Head by VVords and Deeds
Put in their Heads how they may cōpasse

All crafty & Achitophell-like councels, are in showe pleasant, in execution hard, and in event deadly dangerous.

Crownes,
That Crownes at last may compasse so their Heads
And sitt victoriously on steedfast Thrones:

141

All these like humming Bees ensue those Drones;
To gather Hony if they chance to rest,
And store themselues with sweete

A Bākerours peace is in civill discord, & his discord is in peace.

provisions,
VVhilst the Crown-greedy Cousine in vnrest
Lives but for them with feares and cares opprest.

Now though King Edward (like a wary Prince)
To remoue Obstacles bent all his might;
Yet could no skill or humane providence
Protect his Sonnes from their Protectors spight:
VVho as he seru'd King Henry, seru'd them right.
The blood of Innocents on Innocents
VVith heavy vengeance mixte, amaine doth light:
Thus, Innocents are plagu'd for the Nocents
Such are the High'sts inscrutable

Gods Iudgments are inscrutable but none vniust.

Iudgments.

And as He murdred Henrie for his Crowne;
So for their Crowne were his Sonnes

Iustice equal in quality, & quantity for Henry 6. and his Sonne were murdered &c.

murdered,
By hardest Harts in softest Bedd of Downe
They were (deere Harts) at once quite smothered,
VVhich some ignoble Nobles

Man ought not to vse mā prodigally. Seneca. Richard 3.

furthered:
And, rather then they should not die by force,
Or want a VVant-grace to performe the Deede,
Their Vncle and Protector must perforce
Their Crowne from Head, and Head frō Life divorce.

Now vp is Richard, (Monster, not a Man)
Vpon the Royal Throne that reeling stood;
Now Rule doth

Vnder this King, to do ill was not alwaies safe & alwaies vnsafe to doc well, as Tacitus reports of Neros raigne. Princes that tyrannously governe their people haue greater cause to feare good men then thē that bee evill.

end, when he to rule began,
VVho being perfect ill, destroi'd the Good,
And like an Horseleech liv'd by sucking blood.
Now as desire of Rule more bloody was
In Yorke then Lancaster, so did the flud
Of Divine Vengeance more in Yorke surpasse:
For to maine Seas of blood, Blood-Brookes repasse.

142

They which cōtēn: peace and covet honour, doe lose both peace & honor.

Bloud-sucking Richard (swolue with sucking Bloud)
When Horsleech-like he had his bloody pray,
Away fals hee in bloud bemir'd with Mud,
Making his Nephewes vsher him the way.
For from his crowne the crowne was cut away.

A good cause in publike war (like the Cape Bong spei) cōducts to the lād of triumph

Henrie the sevenths keene-edg'd victorious Sword
Slipt twixt both Crownes vnto his Crownes decay,
And got the Crowne that was much more assur'd
VVhich hee to his, and his to theirs affoord.

God amongst Men, no King but demi-God

Hen. 7.

Henrie the seventh the Scepter takes in hand,
Who with it (as with Moises powrefull Rod)
Turn'd streames of civill bloud that soakt this land

A good prince make war that hee may haue peace, and endures labor in hope of rest. Salust.

To silver streames, that ran on Golden sand:
He turned Swords to Mattockes, Speares to Spades,
And bound vp all vnbound, in peaces Band,
Who draue the erst long idle to their Trades,
And chang'd iniurious Swords, to Iustice-Blades.

No more Plantagenet, but Thewdor now
Sits in the Kingdomes late vnstable Seate:

Eccles. 5. 8.

Plow-men praise God, and God doth

Where God is praised mēs endevors are blessed.

speed the Plow,
For such a King that makes their Crops compleate,
And multiplies their heardes of sheepe and Neate:
Vpon Ambitions Necke hee sets his foote
Keeping her vnder;

Two things doe establish the Throns of kings prudēce & pietie, the one apearing in their Actions, the other in their manners.

And amongst the VVheate
He puls vp Darnell dulie by the roote,
And nought neglects that may his Kingdome boote.

This Salomon lookt into High and Low,
And knew all from the Cedar to the shrub;
He bare the sworde that gaue a bitter blow

1. King. 3. 12.

Aswell to Cedars, as the lowest stub

144

That in the course of Iustice prou'd a Rub:

Homer faineth all the Gods to sleep except Iupiter implying ther by the care of a good King for his subiects

VVisedome and Prowesse did exalt his Throne,
Iustice and Mercie propt it, which did curb
Those that would shake it, so that he alone
Did rule the Roast that all did liue vpon.

He, (vertuous King) still fear'd the King of Kings
With louing feare, that made him Lion-bold.
He ordred things as pleas'd the Thing of Things,

Princes ought to measure their Actions by the standerd of their Laws; as this did.

Like David, that of him his Crowne did hold,
That on his Throne his Ofspring doth vphold:
Laden with happinesse, and blessed daies,
His Realme repleat with blessings manifold;
This prosp'rous Prince (to his immortall praise)
Left Life, Realme, Children, all at happy staies.

Then no lesse fear'd, then famous Henry,

Hen. 8.

(That had a sacred Cæsar in his pay)

His sword was so successefull as made his neighbours glad of his friendship, & feareful of his indignation.

With some-what more then mortall Maiestie,
Sits on the Throne (that hands divine did stay)
As Heire apparant, and the state doth sway:
He weilds the sword with his victorious hands
That the whole Continent doth sore affray,
Wherewith he makes to crouch the Neighbor lands
Which in a manner lie at his commands.

Hee was as circumspect, as provident,
And by his Fathers observation

Mercie may haue her excesse in humā things.

Did right well know, what kinde of government
Was fitt'st for this vnkinde revolting Nation:

Clemency is most daungerous where & whē soft quiet dealing draweth on more evil then severity.

Well knew hee how to part a Combination
That stood not with the state, or his availe;
And if he were severe for reformation,
T'was Emperik-like, that knew what it did aile,
So, kill the cause lest all the VVhole should faile.

144

His forraine VVarres, and famous Victories
More glorious were then for our Contrie good:
For, such VVars haue these inconveniences,
They make vs spend our Treasures with our bloud,
Where both are cast

Forrain Cōquestes were costly in achiving costly in holding, & oft no lesse costly then dishonorable in forgoing

away in likelyhood,
When wars abroad drinke vp our wealth at home,
The fire must out, when spent is all the wood;
And if nought from without come in the wombe
The Body needes must die by Natures dombe.

The wealth hee prest from Monastries supprest
VVith the Revennues which to them pertain'd,

In liberal larges to his friends & servants.

The Crowne possest, but hee it dispossest
With open Hand; which, had they, still remain'd
T'had bin aloft; for lesse hath Crownes sustain'd.
Lone, Reliefe, Subsedie, and such as these
Might (for the subiects ease) haue bin refrain'd:
The crownes Revennues such might well release,
And haue maintain'd the state in warre and peace.

If these had still bin adiuncts of the crowne,
And all that hold them hold as of the same;

Our Kinges might haue had a double intrest in their subiectes.

Our Kings might warre with Tenants of their owne,
Who would vnprest haue yet bin prest for shame
To follow their Liege-land-lords by that name.
The Crowne then, like a Condite neuer dry,
Stil might haue stream'd (to th'owners endles fame)
Rivers of Riches vnto Low and hy
That well deserv'd of King or Contery.

Those harts, whose life their Liege should thus maintain
(No lesse then bodies to their souls are bound)
Should haue bin tied vnto their Soveraigne
To goe with him at ev'ry needfull Sound,

145

And in their service bin most faithful found.
But that, that shalbe, shalbe. That high hand
That all disposeth, thus did it

The hearts of Kings are in his hands that disposeth all things to effect his inevitable decrees.

confound
For purposes which hardly can be scand,
But for the Crowne ill, how ere for the Land.

Hee, Cæsar-like in's fortunes confident,
Ere first he crost the Seas to warre with France,
The Marquesse of Exceter made Regent
And Heire apparant; but no ill by chance
Ensu'd till he did him quite

Beheaded him

disadvance:
Hee had forgot the direfull Tragedie
Of the sixth Henry, and like heires apparance:
But more advis'd, he held it policie

He knew it was not the speach of a wise man to say, who woulde haue thought it?

To spare that heire till more necessitie.

When he had cleer'd the coast, and clensd the waie,
Of all that lay in either to molest,
And having put the state in perfect staie,
He with his Fathers laid him downe to rest,
And left a Sonne in whom the Land was blest:

Edw. 6.

VVho being yong, could not yet stirre the sterne,
But rul'd by those his sire esteemed best;
And while the vertuous King to rule did learne,
His Realme (misrul'd) in vp-rore did discerne.

Heere raign'd Ambition, like Obedience clad,
There rul'd Sedition, in Concordes coate;
And here and there Rebellion rag'd as mad,

Simil.

And ev'ry where the Common-wealth did floate
Like to an halfe-suncke tempest-beaten Boate:
Each for him selfe, no one for King or Sate,
Vpon the VVedge of Gold the best did doate,
All stood as falling still in each estate,
Knights giving Earles, Earles giving Dukes the Mate.

146

Many a Demas then forsooke poore Paule;
In Summe, the Summe of all was out of square,
And yet (strange Paradox) at square was all,
None Compasse kept, yet

For private good.

compassing they are,
And Circumvention held discretions care:
Thus whilst the Sov'raign's in minoritie,
Each would be sov'raigne that about him were;
The smal in grace strave for maiority,
And Youth with Age for Seniority.

Disorder thus dividing the whole

Disorder mother of Confusion.

State,
And subdividing those divisions;
The Lord of Love, to show his vrged Hate,
Tooke the wrong'd Kinge from his Dominions,
And left the Land fir'd with

Sedition the plague of perversnesse.

seditions:
By Angells hands this Kinge Angelicall,
(As one of high Iehovahs Minions)
Was borne from this Nation vnnaturall,
That vengeance on it, so, might freely fall.

No sooner had the Heavens scis'd his Soule,
But a left hand began to seize the Crowne;
Which seisure a right hand did soone controule,
And VVrong that would aspire, Right straight putts

Fortune oftē reserveth to the hardest chance them whō she advāceth to the greatest dignity. The fortunate cannot doe ill if they would.

downe;
Which fatally in fine was overthrone:
Yet was that VVronge made Right by their consents
That were to see that each one had his owne;
But Heau'n disposeth Earth and her intents,
And Earth gainst Heav'n oppos'd, too late

He is made wise too late that is made wise by his owne harme and irrecoverable losse.

repents.

Who trusts in Men in whome was never

Depart from thine enemies and beware of thy friendes. Eccle. 6. 13.

trust
(Except they were at warre with VVealth and State)
Few Statesmen such) shal see how much distrust
Doth Men advantage, and prolongs their date;

147

Treason's in Trust; Repentance comes to late:
When Powr's deriv'd from those that are but weake
(VVeake ev'ry way) it stands in desprate state:
Frailty sticks not fidelity to

Frailty is full of falshood.

breake
VVhen it doth favoure, and advantage seeke.

In case of Crownes (when it our Crownes may cost,
If we misse holding when at them we catch)
It's deadly dangerous at al to trust,
Much more to trust

There is nothing more profitable to mortall men then distrust. Euripides.

all that advantage watch
By thy losse, from losse themselves to dispatch:
Religion cannot dwell in double

They that stand with all worldes will stand with no world if the world stand not with thē. Queen Mary.

harts;
Such Harts haue All that with al states doe match:
Then where Religion slideth, promise starts,
And feare of perill, worldly frendshippe parts.

Queene Mary (for, she was that which shee was,
Namely our Queene, and neere to our late Queene)
Her faults in silence we will

Love covers the multitude of sins in our neighboure what should it doe thē in our Soveraignes that haue more meanes & inducemēts to sin thē private persons.

overpasse;
Let them be buried with her, sith I weene
Sh'hath bin well taxt whose memorie is greene:
Shee now is Crown'd, and Crown'd to others cost;
VVith Spaine shee matches, being overseene,
Her Kinge forsakes her, Calis quite is lost,
All goes awry, which makes her yeeld the Ghost.

Now sacred

Queene Elizabeth.

Cynthia girt with silver Orbe
From out Cimerian Clouds of Prisonment,
(Faire Queene of Chastity) appear'd to curbe
Contention, which oreranne this Continent;
And ioyn'd the same with peacefull government,
VVhich we doe yet enioy, and long may wee
The cause of it

All that vnderstand the worth of blessed Peace will say Amen to a praier for Peace. God will rather heare the Orisons of thē that pray for Peace, thē the Trūpets that proclaime warres

possesse in all Content;
Amen say I, and all that peacefull bee
In him that saith Amen when all agree.

148

Pray for thy King (ble'st Ile) lest that a Change
A five-fold change, to Desolation tend;
Or thou made subiect to a Subiect strange,
Which may thy publike-weale in peeces rend,
And make it private onely to the frend:
Gods Mill grindes slowly, but small meale it

So often wee play with Gods iudgmēts because we feele not the force therof, that at length (like the Fly in the flame) we are consumed of them.

makes.
Then praise him for thy peace and lesse offend;
Be not as one that stil occasion takes
To sin the more, the more he peace pertakes.

Farre be it from Religion, to pretend
Obedience whil'st it aymes at Princes spoile;
Its not Religion Soveraignty to end,
That Servitude thereby may keepe

Civill warre is farre worse then Tyranny or vniust iudgmēt plutarch. in Bruto.

a coile,
And for her freedome covett Freedoms foile.
If Kings Commands do crosse the Divine will,
In their discharge Religion must recoile,
But not confound the Charger, for its ill;
And ill can never good

Gods commandements. A Recapitulation of what hath bin discoursed touching the Kings of England & their governments. William Conqueror.

Commands fulfill.

Now, brifly t'recollect what we haue sedd
Touching the Actiōs of these Potētates:
In VVilliam Conquerer's considered
How soone are conquered devided States;
“For force disioyned, small force

Vis vnita fortior.

ruinates.
He, being desirous to reteyne the Pray
His Sword had purchas'd, it quite dissipates;
And like a Chaos at his feete it lay,
To forme it as he listed ev'ry way.

New Lords, new Lawes.

With the new Kinge, he gaue new Lords and Laws,
Which curb'd the Head-strōg, & did yoke the VVild,
Till Disobedience with obedience drawes,
And all as one to one and all did yeeld,

149

That with and for that One did winne the field:
VVho, finding his possession to bee sure
Did ease the thralldome wherein they were held,
And that which erst he wounded, he did

To hurt and heale for more health is holsome.

cure;
And ev'ry waie their loves did then alure.

Now are the Kinge and the Nobility
True freinds, and fathers to the Common-weale;
The Commons now obay

Blessed is the affliction that procures greater perfection.

vnfeynedly:
The Victors and the Vanquished doe feele
How much these Corsiues deadly hatred heale:
Now all, being whole and sound, are made intire,
And all aboute, their Liege doth Larges deale,
By meanes whereof he hath his harts desire,
Whilst with his love, he thus setts Harts on sire.

If he to mercy had the Peeres receav'd,
Or trusted to their Oathes (true Fallacies)
And so departed when hee had perceav'd
The State well settled leaving Deputies,
H'had lost the value of his

Soone ripe, soone rotten.

Victories:
Ne had the Land bin free from vvarrs and woes,
That doe consort divided Monarchies;
Ireland a woefull wittnesse is of those,
That for a Conquests want, wracks Friends and Foes.

Omitting other Princes, to descend

Edward 1. Longshancks.

To the first Edward, that did first refine
This Common-weale, and made the same ascend
VVhen through mis-swaying it seem'd to decline:
In whom we see the Providence divine
VVorke by his VVisedome, Valor, Industrie,
Glorious effects, which in the State doe shine;
For Hee it made an intire Monarchie,
Which now remaines so to Posteritie.

150

Edw. 2. Rich. 2.

Edward and Richard, second of their names,

Hen. 6. Edw. 5.

VVith the sixth Henry, and the Infant King,
By these (bee't spoken not without their blames)
Is seene the dire and diverse altering
Of kingly state, through evill managing.
These beeing childish, fraile, improvident,
Laie open to

Ambition gathers resistles strength in a Kings weakenes.

Ambitions canvasing;
VVho (spying time) vsurpt their government
Making them Mirrors for Kings negligent.

The faults fore-mention'd in these haplesse Kings,
The vniust rule of those that ruled them,

Maiesty without magnanimity is vnassured. Livie. 2.

The subiects strength which Sov'raignes weaknesse brings,
A fatall Potion made for King and Realme,
Whereof they dranke a deadly draught extreme:
Kings must be Kings indeede and not in show,
Like as the Sunne is Actiue with his Beame;
For if they suffer Subiects, Kings to grow,
Kings must bee slaues, and to their Subiects

I haue seene servāts on horses, & Princes walking like servāts on the ground. Eccl. 10. 7.

bow.

Edw. 3 Hen 4.

Edward the third and Henrie Bullenbrooke,

Hen. 5. Edw 4.

Henry the fift, and the fourth Edward,
These Princes were of Fortune nere forsooke,
Because they governed with due regard;
And whilst they watcht, they made the rest towarde:
By others errors they did rule aright,

Loving feare a sure guarde to Soveraigns

Who made their subiects loving feare their guarde:
Ambition durst be dam'd ere come in sight,
Or but once moue her head to looke vpright.

No kingdome free frō Ambition. Kingdoms the obiects of fortune & Envy.

Kings cannot safely raigne without mistrust,
Because no state without Ambition is,
Which ever hath her Traine (for so shee must)
To helpe to guide her, when shee guids amisse;

151

For shee is blind, and oft the way doth misse,
Impatient of delay in her desire,
Now running that waie and streight trying this;
Like to a restlesse ventlesse Flame of fire,

Simil.

That faine would finde the way streight to aspire.

Ther's

Perfectiō humane

no perfection without some defect,
Yet may't be cur'd, or tolerable made;
Onely Ambition doth all cure reiect,
VVealth doth augment it, want makes it not fade;

Ambitiō a sore of the minde incurable.

And into deepes vnknowne in both t'will wade:
In doing well it is most insolent,
And no lesse impudent in doing bad,
Too wil'd to tame, and violently bent
With Tooth and Naile to catch at government.

The Conquests which these Kings in France obtain'd
(As those in Scotland) were by others lost:
“(For Vice will lose what is by vertue gain'd.)
Their keeping put the state to ceaslesse

An inevitable incōvenience

cost,
VVhich lost the Commons (rag'd) being racked most;
And with their losse, the King lost many frends,
VVhich were as Fortes to guard his Kingdoms coast;
“But ill beginnings haue vnlucky ends,
And worse proceeding, worse in fine offends.

In the last Richard may be 'liuely seene

Richard. 3.

Ambition really annatomiz'd;
VVhich orelookes all, and yet is overseene,
Advising all, yet none more vnadvis'd,
Destroying all till shee be sacrifiz'd:
Shee,

Ambition would destroy al to be aboue all.

Faith, Sex, Age, Bloud, State, and Contery,
Divine and humane lawes (immortaliz'd)
Respects not, in respect of Empery,
All which appeer'd in this King copiouslie.

152

Men. .7

In his Successor (Englands Salomon)
Are diverse things well worth the imitation
In our states policie: for he alone
Bent all his powres to benefit this Nation:
He saw our forraine Conquests ill probation,
And that for Islanders it was vnmeete
To spend their wealth for forraine domination,
Which was no sooner fixed, but did fleete,
And did this state with ill Salutes regreete.

He thought it losse to purchase

Vnlust peace is to be preferred before iust warre Livie. Yet open war is more secure thē suspitious peace. Tac. 4. Hist.

warre and hate,
Where loue and Traficke might be helde with gaine;
He well remembred, how each Runnagate
And wandring Nation, here ran in amaine,
Making their profit of this Nations paine:
He saw the safetie, and

Great heapes are made of many litle thīgs in peace, & brought to nothinge in warre.

weale of this state
Rested in wealth and peace, and quiet raigne,
And not in forraine Conquests, and debate;
VVhich haue as short, as most vncertaine date.

Through Peace and perfect government this Land
May in her rich

Peace & good government the Parents of Prosperity.

Commodities abound,
Which may cōfirme the Neighbor-friendships band,
And intertrafficke with them, tunne for pound,
So make the Landes adiacent, to her bound:
Thus God is pleasd, and King and Contrey eas'd,
The Tradsmen

God selleth vs riches for the price of labor.

thriue, that dearth & wars cōfound,
The People are (as with great profit) pleas'd,
And none, but those that liue by spoile, displeas'd.

This prudent Prince perceav'd this Common-weale
To be by Trafficke strong made in the

We are said to be well backt when wee are no worse frended

backe;
So, as an head that Members wants doth feele,
He leagu'd him, where might be suppli'd their lacke,

153

Or be as walls to keepe the Realme from wrack:
He seeing that (which he did often trie)
The

Gold makes al things pregnable.

Money-Sacke, best kept the Land from

Money is the very sinewes of a State. Mucian.

sack;
Therefore the Angells which from him did fly
Had but short wings, and lighted but hard by.

Among the things which he did least regard,
His Belly and his Backe were more then least;
He fared wel, when so his

The good of the Subiects is the obiect of the good Prince.

Commons far'd,
(Although his commons were not of the best)
Yet fared like a Kinge without a feast;
He rather chose to haue Exchequers

Money (saith Thucidides) makes weapōs forcible and profitable.

rich
Then wealthy VVardropps; yet would well be drest
When it his Maiestie and State did touch;
Yet held, save Common-wealth, all wealth too

Cyrus was wont to say, he heaped great treasures whē he enriched his friends & Subiects.

much.

Where Kings be not in ceasselesse guard of Armes
(Like these of ours) the State lying open so
T'invasion and Rebellions soddaine harmes,
Let not the Kinge looke Friends should foile the Foe
At their owne charge, for feare of overthro:
And in tumultuous times to breake their backs
Will make them from their Necks the yoke to thro,
And to be freed from such tormenting Racks
Wil ruine all, though them with al, it wracks.

Such great improvidence

Let Kinges that desire to live in peace, provide in time thinges necessary for warre.

and want of heede
vnseasonable Taxing (Tempting rather)
Hath made the Soveraigne with the Subiect bleede;
Witnesse the two last Richards among other,
That knew how greevous then it was to gather.
Store is no Sore (they say) except of

Tiberius of Constantinople accounted that for counterfet coyne, that was levied with Teares and cryings of the people.

Sores,
Yet tis sore

The bitings of enraged necessitie are most dangerous Portius latro.

store with hate to heape togither;
Hate havocks in each hole in al vprores,
As VVater havocks life through all the Pores.

154

This spectacle of Kingly providence
Nere cloi'd the subiect with too great estate,
Nor would he of a Pesaunt make a Prince;
His best belov'd he held in sober state,
That he might liue with them without debate.

Hen. 7. a true Patterne of a wise and vertuous Prince.

Of all the Kings that ere this Land possest,
For government discreete and temperate,
This King deseruedly is deemed best,
And to be imitated worthiest.

In his Triumphant most victorious Son

Hen. 8.

Henry the last in name, and first in fame,
Is to be seene great wisedome, vsd to shun
Crosse Accidents and courage in the same:
Yet some suppose, that he incurred blame

Bounty doeth cover manie faults, & Avarice obscureth many vertues.

For be'ng too open-handed in expence
And giftes excessiue; but it is a shame
For Kings not roially to recompence
The rich desert of any Excellence.

Ingratitude in all's most monsterous,
But most of all in roiall Maiestie,
Wherein its more then most prodigious:
Munificence makes great, Authoritie;

Guiftes doe superinduce the heart to loue.

And standes with Greatnesse in great policie:
The force of Guifts doth offer violence
Even to savage Inhumanity,
Forcing therefrom such loues obedience,
As singlie workes with double diligence.

He more respected honor then profit.

His forraine Conquests much more famous were
Then any way commodious to this state,
Yet them his actiue sp'rite could not forbeare;
For Cæsar-like he would predominate

155

VVhere he had least iust coulor of estate:
In raising lowest shrubs to Cedars hie
He from his sage Sire did degenerate;
Yet vertue though it nere so low doth lie,
Is vvorthy of high praise and dignitie.

In the last Edwards and Queene Maries raigne

Edward 6. Q Marie.

Is seene, what to those states is incident
VVhere subiects doe not feare their Soveraigne,
But striue to liue beside their Regiment,
Contemning so their too-weake government:

Contempt in subiects is the confusion of government.

This made the Rebell rise in strength and pride,
From Sov'raignes weaknesse taking couragement,
T'assault their Gates, led by a feeble Guide,
Shaking their Thrones a while from side to side.

In our Queenes no lesse long then peacefull reigne

Q Elizabeth.

Blest (as appeer'd) by that blest Prince of Peace,
VVas seene much more then wisedome feminine,
If wee respect how soone shee made to cease
The olde Religion for the oldes increase:
That suddaine change that did the soule acquite
Of olde devotion (which none will release
Vpon the suddaine) still to stand in might,
May make a Newter deeme sh'was in the right.

Act. 5. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.

And now descend yee spirites Angelicall,
That, chargde, doe guard th'Anointed of your Lorde;
Crowne my Liege Lord with crowne imperiall,
And put into his hand the awfull Sword
Of Iustice; so, the good shall bee assur'd,
And so may yee bee freed from your charge,
VVhereby the good are evermore secur'd;
For, hee that office will for you discharge,
Sith Iustice goodmens surance doth inlarge.

156

Blesse him ô ever-blessed Vnion,
Making a no lesse blessed Trinitie;
Blesse him as thou hast never blessed one
That ever did possesse this Monarchy:
Showre downe thy blessings on his family:
The blessings of the womb giue to his Queene,
And let them as the Sea-sand multiplie;
That frō their roiall loines may still be seene
Heires, as the starres of heau'n, for store, and sheene.

Thus haue I breath'd my Muse in Policie,
Or rather runne her out of breath therein;
That so shee may with more facility
Runne ore the rest lesse difficult, vvherein
Shee hath much more then much delighted bin.
But Policie is but abus'd by me,
I doe but mangle her, and make her sinne:
But were shee whollie seene as shee should be,
Sh'would seeme no daughter of Mortalitee!

Returne my Muse frō whence thou hast digrest,
(To toile thy selfe in states deepe misteries)
And now directly prosecute the rest
Touching the soules yet vntoucht faculties:
VVee varied, where we toucht varieties
Of dispositions of the soule and sp'rite;
In touching which, vvee toucht these Policies
Wherein the worldlie wise so much delight,
Because they tend to rule the VVorld aright.

The Mindes pleasurs much more pleasant thē corporal delightes.

The pleasures of the Minde (as erst vvas said)
As farre surmount all pleasures corporall,
As the Minde doth the Bodie, which is swai'd
But by the Minde, with svvaie Monarchicall;

157

Yet some base bodies keepe the Minde in thrall:
VVho doe s'extremely doate on fleshly ioies,
That they doe wish they had no minde at all,
That so they might not feele the Mindes annoies,
For those delights which Flesh and Sprite destroies.

These Men-beastes are as if they never were,

Sensuall persons are vselesse, burdens to the earth.

They burden but the Earth, yet are too light,
VVho liue to lust, yet streight away they weare,
(Like Dew against the sunne in highest height)
With flesh-consuming fleshly fraile delight.
These senslesse spunges of Improbity
Are full of pleasure, but it is vnright;
For Gods hand squizeth out their iollitie,
And fils their Mindes with reall miserie.

The Minde, her pleasures needs not intermit

The senses soone weery of their pleasures.

And then retake them, as the senses must:
But changeth them as shee thinkes requisit,
(Sometimes the iust, for pleasures most vniust,
So changing Loue too oft to lothsome Lust)
Except the powre, from whence the motion springs
Be hindred by (and so betrai'd in trust)
Some let in th'Organs, vsd in her workings,

Wine & sicknes 2. Obstacles that lets the mindes actions. Simil.

Which VVines excesse, and sicknesse often brings.

But those impediments bee'ng tane away,
Shee, like a River, keepes her wonted course
In motion still, till shee bee at a stay
By some strong Damme; yet doth her selfe enforce
(Stil gath'ring strength, & courage from her Sourse)
To breake away through all Impediments,

Wee ought to propose nothing to the minde vnworthy of her.

That so shee may imploy her wonted force
Vpon the pleasures, which her most contents,
Be they vaine Ioies, or divine ravishments.

158

It then behoves vs to be wel advis'd
What matter we propose vnto our minde;
Or good, or ill, or ill with good disguiz'd:
For if shee should therein a liking finde,
Shee will thereto be evermore inclin'de:

Simil.

Like some pure virgins, that nere knew the sport
That men doe yeeld them, in the kindest kinde,
Having once tasted it, are all amort
But when (though damn'd) they are at that disport.

If then we would cheere this ay-moving mind,
We must haue care, that that be perfect good
Which shee doth chew (how different e're in kynd)
For, corrupt Aliments breede corrupt blood;
And blood corrupted is Confusions flood:
But sensuall pleasures cannot please the Sense
Without being cloied, though they change their mood;

Sense must awhile forbear pleasures to make them more pleasāt.

For Sēse sometimes must hold thē in suspēce,
To sett an edge the while on her dull'd sence.

Likewise, the pleasures which we doe receave
From

The pleasurs which sense receiues from natural things are more pleasant thē those frō Artificiall.

Natures works haue much more force, then those
That we from Artificiall things conceaue:
For lett all Artes vnto our view expose
What Arte it selfe in each kinde can disclose,
They bring satiety soone with the sight;
But who is cloi'd to see a flowred Close,
Hills, Dales, Brooks, Meads, VVoods, Groues, all daintie dight,
Sunne, Moone, and Starrs, & al in perfect plight?

For we, being naturall, doe best agree
With things in nature no lesse naturall;
Yet, to confesse a wel-know'n veritee,
Our often seeing these faire Creatures all

159

Doth make the pleasure much lesse

Nothing vnder the Sūne long cōtents: therefore wee should seeke contentment aboue the Sunne.

Cordial,
Herehence it is, that we doe lesse admire
The pow'r of that Hand supernaturall,
Which did this al with al these Faires attire;
And so not praise him, as his workes require.

Yet if a Child, confin'de t'a Dungeon deepe
Vntil he had attained Manhoods yeares,
Should on a Sōmers-day frō some high steepe
Vpon a suddaine see these glorious Fayres,
His Eyes would ravisht be, how ere his Eares;
For Eares should solac'd be, aswell as Eyes,
With the melodious

Birdes.

nimble-winged Quiers;
Nay I suppose such ioy would him surprise,
As he were plung'd in ioyes of Paradize.

But while he's Dungeon'd, let the expert'st Tonge
(That able were to create Living wordes)
Paint out the Earth with quicke-words, great with yonge,
And though that Fry againe like Spawne affords,
And ev'ry one had pow'r to pierce like Swords
Into the nature of these Rarities,
To make him comprehēd the highest Lords
Inferior'st workes, he could not well cōprize
The thousādth part of grace which in thē lies.

As when a Man (though with an Angells tongue)

Simil.

Whilst we are Dungeon'd in this VVorld of vvo,
Tels vs of Heau'n, and all that doth belonge
Vnto the state of those that thither' go,
With words that from a well of VVisdome flo,
Yet tells he not the hundred thousandth part
Of that rare blisse which none on Earth can kno;
As good Soules wel perceave, whē hēce they

None know it but they that feele it.

part;
VVhich farr surmoūts the highest thoughts of Hart.

160

But herein's faulty this Comparison:
To Mundane things is fixt satiety,
But those blest Things that are aboue the Sun
Are priviledg'd from such deficiency;
For they are ful of all

The propertie of true felicity is alwaies to cōcent the desire and exclude feare.

felicity:
The more they are beheld the more they may,
For they content Desires best-sighted Eye,
And please the more, because that still they stay;
“For true ioyes are compleate by their delay.

Aske that same third-Heau'n-rapt

St. Paule.

Saint, what hee saw
Or what he heard, when he was ravisht so;
Hee'l tell you (though most learn'd in sacred Law
And no lesse learn'd each way) he doth not kno,
The ioye thereof his Sense did so oreflo.
If then so great a Clark, so pure a Saint,
Being but in the Heau'n, two lofts belo,
Wants words the ioye thereof aright to paint,
Who can the highest Heavens blisse depaint?

Thus the Affects of ioy and Griefe, are giv'n
By him, that giues all onely to one end,
To weet, his Glorie, and desire of Heau'n;
Ioye to alure, and Griefe th'Affects to bend
From that which doth to Griefe and Horror tend.
Now then, to runne through other strong Affects,
And to descend to Love, (that doth

Loue doth descend not ascend.

descend)
Which is a Passion powrefull in effects
And chiefely the chief good by kinde respects.

When Iudgment hath alow'd a thing for good,
Shee foorth-with tenders it vnto the VVill,
Which doth embrace the same in ioyful moode,
Because it doth hir Soules desire fulfill:

161

And when that ioy (conceav'd) doth tarry still
Its called Loue, which doth the wil incline

How love is bredd.

To simple good, or good scarce toucht with ill:
Thus Loue is bredd or humane or divine,
Which in the soule like a faire Flame doth shine.

But Loue, that hath respect to any thing
Besides the goodnes of the thing belov'd,
Is rather doating, which doth loathing bring

Doating brings loathing.

Whē things therby desir'd are wel approv'd:
If God himselfe bee for his bounty lov'd
And onely therefore, who doth loue him so
Doth loue him for his goodnes, by him prov'd,
Yea for that goodnes which to him doth flo,
Not for that good which he cannot forego.

Who loveth vs for his owne goodnesse sake,
And for no good in vs, (for we have none)
We should loue him, not for he did vs

God should simply be loved for his own goodnes.

make,
But for his goodnesse onely and alone,
And loue al goodnesse, for, and in that One:
A father loues his sonne, not in regard
Of any gaine, but for he is his owne;
Nor should a Sonne, his Sire loue for reward,
But for he is his Sire in Nature dear'd.

For, if we loue ought for the good we have
From it, we loue our selves more then the same,
Or loue it for our selves, our selues to save
From want of that which from it to vs came:
So such loue is selfe-loue, which Love doth blame:

It is selfe-loue to love God for his bounty towards vs onely.

But we must loue the Lord of Love for love;
Nay, though he hate vs, we must love his name,
Sith to make man

Loue made vs to loue.

Loue onely did him move
But to loue him againe for Mannes behove.

162

If then we weigh, by vvhat degrees wee mount
To him from vvhom our soules did first descend,
We finde that as through loue (which doth surmoūt)
They came from him, so to him they ascende

God is mans beginning & his end.

The selfe-same way, as to their proper end.
For comming from him, they must know him needs;
And knowing him, they needes must to him tend,
But so they cannot, but by loues good-deedes;
For what is not of loue, from sinne proceedes.

The order of loues progres

The order then, of the degrees to loue
Is, first vvee at things corporall beginne;
For, our birth to that Steppe vs streight doth moue;
Vnto our outward senses then wee rinne,
To Fancie next, and so wee never linne
Till through Reas'n, Iudgement, Contemplation,
VVe come to loue, and so wee rest therein:
But to descend by the selfe same gradation,
And there to rest, descendeth to damnation.

For, to dismount from true loues loftie pitch
(Loue of the High'st,) so lowe as to self-loue,
Is, Sow-like, to lie mired in the ditch
Of lowest Hell, where we all Sorowes proue,
And cannot for our soules from thence remoue
Without kinde heav'nly loues all-helping hand;

He workes in vs both the will and the deede.

Which onely and alone hath powre to moue
Our Mindes from Earth vnto the Livings Land,
And breake the linckes of selfe-loues mortall Band.

Loue makes an Vnion of Diversitie;
If then wee loue God, hee and wee are One,
One (although diverse) through true amitie;
VVee loue him and our selues for him alone:

163

So may we loue our selues, as wee loue none.

Selfe-loue is iustifiable whē we loue our selues for god only.

Likenesse breedes loue, which makes him loue vs so
Who made vs to his Image; and his Sonne
Assum'd our shape, which makes his loue the mo:
Then, by like reason, wee should loue him to.

The more his Image is renew'd in vs,
The more he loues vs, and wee loue the more;
Then to deforme the same's most odious,
And he detesteth vs alone therefore,
VVhich makes vs likewise loath him and his lore:
All which proceedes from dissimilitude,
For, God and Beliall are foes evermore;
Then sith wee are with his faire Forme indu'd,
Let it by vs bee euermore renew'd.

For, Beauty is an vrgent cause of Loue;

Beauty is a speciall cause of loue.

If so, wee should embrace the fairest Faire
With loue that should be farre all loue aboue,
Yea, die for loue, that Loue might life repaire,
And glorifie the same as Beauties Heire:
See wee an hue that mortall beauty staines
(As doth the Sunne the Moone by his repaire)
This sov'raigne Beauty all the glorie gaines,

God the Foūt of all Beauty.

Sith but a sparke thereof the same sustaines.

Then Beauty blush to glorie in thy Blaze,
And much more blush to blaze thy glorie vaine
With coulors fresh, to make fraile eies to gaze,

Painting the face.

And such as cannot iudge of coulors, faine;
No coulor hast thou so thy selfe to staine:
The best is too too bad, and bad's the Best,
That without

Without coulor of Reason.

coulor doe their face ingraine:
In earnest such (I thinke) doe loue to Iest,
As Chaucer, but my, Muse will owe the rest.

164

But out ward beauty loue procures, because

Outward argues inwarde beauty.

It argues th'inward beauty of the Minde;
For goodnes is th'effect, Beauty the Cause,
And both togither commonly we finde;
For Nature both togither stil doth binde.
A good Complexions disposition
Is, for the most part, vertuously inclinde;
But VVeomens beauty by permission
Being often tempted breedes suspition.

Sinne is conceived in the wombe of concupiscence.

For hardly is that kept, that many craues,
And chastitie with beautie's stil at strife;
For, much more beautiful are Frailties slaues
Thē (for the most part) they of vertuous life:
And, aske a man, that hath a beautious wife,
How much he fears the fowle fal of his faire,
Because that nothing in the world's more rife
Then at faire beauties byding mens repaire;
And where they haūt, they do not stil

They rather ruine then repaire the tender honors of women.

repaire.

But this by accident is rather thus,
Then any waie to beauty naturall;
For it, by Nature, is most vertuous,

A well tēpred body makes a like tempered mind ordinarily.

Sith Tempers good, to Ill are seldome thrall:
For, bodies meerely are Organicall,
Wheron the mind doth play al parts in one,
If then they be in tune, most cordiall
Their motiōs must be needs, sith there is none
That moues thē but the minde or God alone.

But for that beauty stil alures the eie,

An vnchaste eie loues to looke vpon a light eie.

The eie the hart, the hart the soule & Sp'rite
Of those, that on the same do chance to pry,
Because it doth beheau'n them with delight:

165

This makes them instantly the same incite
To yeeld to loue, or lust, and their desire;
Then being subiect thus to restlesse fight.
It oft enflames, and is enflam'd with fire,
That Flesh and Sprite makes but one flame intire.

How many may wee see distracted quight,
Or pyning liue, or rather dy with paine?
Yea some to spill themselues (with all despight)
For others beautie which they cannot gaine?

Beauty figniorizeth the sense. The beauty of a Womā cheereth the face, and a man loues nothing better. Eccl. 36. 22.

If beauty then so ore fraile sense doth raigne,
Sense, being subiect to her sov'raigntie
Doth sue and serue, her favour to obtaine,
VVith most impetuous importunitie,
Till shee as subiect, to her Subiect lie.

And never times (except the times of old
For whose corruption al the world was drown'd)
But these curst times of ours, durst be so bold,
To make it common with estates renown'd
To court bright beauty

Maried.

match'd, as t'were unbound:
Call yee it Courtshippe? cal it what yee please
(Though it be in request) it was not found
In chaster times; for oft it doth disease
The head with swellings which nought can appease.

Mee thinkes I see, (as I haue often seene)
A well-made Male, as male-content to stand
(In silke or silver clad right well-beseene)
VVringing a match'd faire Female by the hand,

Adultery Luxury, wantonnesse, slouth, Pride, &c. are sins in Specie, the Genus to all these is Caro.

VVhil'st, in her eare, he lets her vnderstand
How much shee ought to loue him for his loue;
Meane while hard by stands Patience the Husband,
And lets Temptation his weake vessell proue,
VVhich in his sight her vnseene Spright doth moue.

166

Its prettie pastime so to passe the time,
It savoures of good breeding, and good VVitt:
The Howres are made more pleasant by this Chime,
Who would not stil to here the same stil sitt,
Although a man transformed were by it?
O tis a iolly matter to give eare,
Nay to give leaue to Musicke in her fitt:
He is a Beast that wil not then forbeare
Though he thereby be made a Beast to beare.

4. Kindes of divine furie.

Foure kinds of divine fury are obseru'd,

The first (and first by right) Propheticall,
Which by Apollo is rul'd, and conserv'd;

The next by Bacchus, called Misticall;

The third by Muses, hight Poeticall;

The fourth and last, by Venus governed,
Is call'd the Fury Amatoriall;
Which doe inferre, that Love is borne and bredd
Without the breach of Natures Maidenhedd.

What force it hath, is better felt then showne,

Loues force is vnvtterable.

For VVords cannot expresse the force of loue;
Call we it Love or Lust, it is well known
It hath the force of both, the Heart to move;
Which these can testifie that it did prove:
Semiramis (whose Vertue past compare)
This furious Passion her did so remoue
From that shee was; that lusting to reshare
Hir Sonne, her Sonne her Threed of Life did share.

The Macedonian Philipps peerelesse

Alexander Mag.

Sonne,
That over-ranne the VVorld with Sword and Fire,
This flaming fury yet did so ore runne,
That for his Thais (that kindled his desire)

167

He burnt

Plutar. in Alexand.

Persepolis, sans cause of ire:
Yea, did not onely that fowle fact command,
But with his Hands he lab'red (as for hire)
To burne the buildings which as yet did stand,
Till he had laid al level with the Land.

A VVonder worthy of all wonderment,
That he that foil'd what ere his force withstood,
Should bee thus foil'd, and made a President
Of Lusts fell force, which so enflam'd his Blood
That made his Flesh Wild-Fire in likelyhood:
A Man by woman, a King by a Queane
To be so overcome through Lustfull moode,
(Being so effeminate and most obscene)
Argues, in Loue and Lust there is no meane.

Loue is lawles

Strange are th'effects of Lust. For, Men with Men
Nay, Man with Beast: A Sinne not to be toucht
So much as with the Tongue, much lesse with Pen,
And least of all with that too oft bewitcht,
With loue of that which is by Nature grutcht:
Lust is so blinde that it cannot discerne
A Man from Beast, (how ever beastly coucht)
But doth a Man-beast moue (though Nature yerne)
The tricks of Beasts, with lothsome Beasts to learne.

Graue Xenephon lov'd Clinias in this kinde;
So as hee crav'd of Ioue when Clinias di'de,
That (if he might see him, and still be blinde,
Or not see him, and still be perfect Eyde)
He rather mought the want of sight abide
To see him once, then still to haue his sight
And not see him; See see how blinde a Guide
Is lothsome Lust, that leades men so vnright,

Lust is blinde.

As for her pleasure so themselues to spight.

168

Semiramis an Horse (ô brutish Lust!)
Did lust to haue (ô mōstrous Mare humane!)
Pasiphaë long'd for a Bull to thrust
Her from a woman to a Cow vncleane:
And Cyparissus made an Hynde the meane
To coole his courage; Aristomachus
A silly Bee would haue to be his Queane.
Lust whither wilt? wilt be so monstrous
To long for Bees that be but moates to vs?

Publius Pilatus fell in lusting loue
With Hellens Image; and Pigmalion

Such lovers are as sensles as the stones which they loue.

For his owne Picture did like passion prove.
Damn'd Lust what pleasure provd'st thou in a stone
That's cold by kind, as Snow on Libanon?
To tell the Mischiefes, Spoiles, & Masacres,
By hate effected, though through loue begun,
Were but to tell the number of the Starrs;
For Lust and Mischeife are ioynt-passengers.

Troy might (perhappes) haue stoode vnto this Age,
Had Lust not laid it levell with the plaines;
And seas of Blood spent in that ten yeares Siege
Might still haue kept the Chanells of the Vaynes:

Lust is most willfull.

But lewde Lust is so loose that shee restraines
Her will in nought, though it bringes all to nought:
Shee pleasure takes in pleasure causing paines;
For by her painfull pleasures such are wrought,
Yet on such pleasures shee doth fixe her thought.

Shee will not let the Thoughts so much as prie
A minutes space, on ought, but what shee loues;
Shee (Tirant) captivates the Fantasy,
So that it cannot stirre till shee it moves:

169

Or if it doe shee forth-with it removes.
My Fancies Mistris, saith some slaue to Lust,
Is my Thoughts Heau'n: So swallowed with his Loues
Are all his Thoughts; and though as dry as Dust
He lusts to please his loue with loue vniust.

For this, al that pertaines, must be in print,
VVeeds, VVords, Lookes, Loks, in print, not one awry,
Whose Motions must be currant for the Mynt;
His glances must keepe iust time with her Eye,

O toile intollerable!

And seeme to die, se'ng her rich beauties dye:
Yet with a carefull carelessenesse, he must
Avoide the hate which too much loue doth buy,
And loue no more then may provoke to lust;
These are their loue-tricks, trickes of loue vniust.

One makes an Idoll of his Mistris Glove,
And offers (thrice a day at least) a Kisse
Vnto each finger, so to show his loue;
Another her Haire-Bracelett makes his blisse,
And Night and Day t'adore it wil not misse.
These Fancies, fancie doe with kindnes cloy,
VVitt nere, in loue, taught Pupill so of his,
(As saith the Book) but doth his powres imploy
With kindnesse coy, to winne his witty Toy.

Whist Muse, be mute; wilt thou like Naso proue,

Quoth Speculation.

And interlace thy Lynes with levity?
Wilt thou add Precepts to the Arte of Loue,
And show thy vertue in such vanity?
So to polute thy purer Poesy!
No more, no more, ynough, (if not too much)
Is sedd already of this Mistery;
My Conscience at the same doth (grieving) grutch,
But let it goe this once, with but this Touch.

170

Beauty promiseth more honesty then deformity.

And how-soere Beauty may bee abus'd,
It promiseth more good then shapelesnesse:
If it proue otherwise, its thus excus'd;
The High'st to shew that good-guifts (more or lesse)
Proceede from him, and not from Natures largesse,
Lets beauty fal, and soile it selfe with sinne,
VVhich is more dam'd if beauty it doth blesse,
As Vertue is most faire, that blest hath bin
VVith beauty being resident therein.

But loue, that Beautie breedeth, is threefold,
According to three obiects of that loue,
All faire, some good, which thus we may vnfold;

3. Causes of loue viz Pleasant, profitable, & honest.

The Pleasant, and the Profitable mooue
As doth the Honest, true loue, which vve proue:
The first concerneth things that please the Sense,

As beautie, and at what the sense doth roue;

The second hath to welfare reference;

The third and last to Iustice and Prudence.

The first and second kinds of lust or loue,
Among the Perturbations may be put,
Sith they so many ill affections moue
That make mans life to be in Sorrow shut,
VVhich like a Razor off the same doth cut:
But loue of honest things is vertuous,
And from mans praises takes away the But;
It shows the Minde is right magnanimous;
‘For that's most great, that is most gracious.

Perfect loue.

This loue is kindled by that heav'nly Flame
That like fine Gold, doth purifie the Sp'rite;
And like it selfe (transmuted) maks the same
Good, gratious, holy, wise, iust, clear, & bright,

171

Glory'ng in him that makes her glory right:

God, the Exchequer of Beauty.

This is the loue of beauty most extreame
VVherein celestial soules doe most delight;
Of loue that feedes the Sp'rite it is the creame
Infus'd by Iustice Sonnes inlightning Beame.

This loue resembles that of Seraphins,
VVho burne in loue of the extremest Good;
And makes Men like the sacred Cherubins
Still priviledg'd from outward charge; whose moode
Is stil t'attend on LOVES Trin-vnion-hood.
This loue, this beauty, (Loue of vertuous things
Whose beauty flowes from divine beauties Flud)
Doth make Men Gods among the mighti'st Kings,
And Kings with highest God, in high'st dwellings.

Goodnesse is Beauties Mother, and true Loues;

Goodnesse is mother to loue & beauty

Beauty and loue are both bred in one VVombe:
Then loue and beautie stil it much behoues
To tend to Goodnesse, as vnto the Tombe
That must at last for ever them enwombe.
But there are diverse loues, and beauties mo,
According to the creatures all or some
Proceeding from that LOVE and BEAVTY, who
Sheds both on things aboue, and things belo.

Fowre special beauties, Goodnesse hath created;

Goodneshath made 4 especiall beauties.

The first is that, whereby the Minde and sp'rite
Hath VVit and Vnderstanding in them seated:

The second, them adornes with Knowledge bright

That mounts the Minde to Contemplations height;
The third, in seede preserving mortall things;

The last in corp'rall things that sense delight:

Science the Soule to Contemplation brings,
But her to things materiall Fancie flings.

172

Yet, did the soule but weigh hovv shee is bound
To her Creator, for his matchlesse loue;
Shee would from thence (by Reason) soone rebound,

The little consideration we haue of Gods goodnesse towards vs, is the cause of our coldnesse in loue to him

And wholy stil contemplate things aboue:
For this, his loue requitlesse doth approue;
He gaue her beeing, meerely of free grace
Before shee VVas, or could his mercie moue;
Then if shee loue him, her loue is but base
Compar'd with his that made her what shee was.

VVho giues a Guift much more affection shoes
Then the Receaver for it can bewray;
The giver giues, beeing free to giue or choose,
But the Receaver's bound to loue alway:
Yet, if the giver giues to th'end to pray,
Its not of Loue, but Lucre, (loth'd of Loue;)
GOD cannot giue so, in whom all doth stay:
But Men giue thanks for Blessings which they proue,
And God thereby to giue them more doe moue.

The loue that is bought is stark nought.

Such loue in giver and receiver both
Is meerely merc'nary corrupt, and base,
VVhich hatefull loue the Lord of loue doth loth,
And from such lovers turnes his loving face,
As from false Hypocrites, abusing grace:
But true loves scope, is (in a gracious moode)
To loue all those that Mercie shoulde embrace,
Respecting nought, but to streame foorth the flud
Of goodnesse, which it hath for others good.

For loue is free, and freely would be lov'd;
Its actiue, like a Flame in operation;
Saue that, like fire it is not vpwardes mou'd,
But doth descende by Reasons computation,

173

For such descent on Reason hath foundation:
The Sire doth loue the Sonne, more then the Sonne
Doth loue the Sire, because by generation
Part of the Sire into the Sonne doth runne,

A natural reason why loue descendeth.

But no part of the Sonne in Sire doth wonne.

Sith loue in nature stil doth thus descende,
God loues man more then Man his God can loue;
For Man proceedes from God who is his ende;
But God from Man likewise cannot remoue,

In him we liue move, & haue our being.

For Man is finite, and in God doth moue:
This made him loue Men when they were his foes,
And for their loues a world of woe did proue:
Therefore hee's Fount of Loue whence all loue floes
Which loues for hate, and hate doth loue-dispose.

Now, how to loue this VVell of loue the more
Loue doth direct, by kindling the Desire
Truely to know and minde it evermore;

To know gods loue is the way to make Man loue.

Both which so sets the soules frame all on fire,
That it is made one flame of loue intire:
The more wee know it, it the more wee minde;
The more wee minde it, it wee more require;
The more we seeke, the more wee it doe finde,
And being found, it quite doth lose the Minde.

For then the Mindes no more that which it was,
For to this loue it's transubstantiate,
To weete as neere as loue can bring to passe
Its ev'n the selfe-same thing immaculate,
And like this LOVE, this loue doth contemplate;
Reiecting all that would inveagle it
To loue ought els, and stil doth meditate
To loue nought els, and bends all powres of wit
To make it selfe for this Loue onely fit.

174

Thus Sinners may turne Seraphins by

All true loue is either Amor Cœlior amor Seculi, this of our neighboure, that, of God. As there is no loue without faith, so there is no faith without loue.

Loue,
wounding with Loue-shafts Gods hart (pure alone;)
So, as the ones hart so the others moue
As twixt them al there were no Hart but one:
This is to lye next the chiefe Corner-stone
In the Church-militant, (Triumphant rather,)
For God and man this Loue doth to attone
As doth, nay more then loue doth Sonne and Father;
For loue makes both intire still altogether.

Loue, of all humane Affections is, the most puisant & passionate.

For Loue doth graue (though in an Hart of Brasse)
The forme of the Beloued in the Hart,
So that a Lovers Hart is like a Glasse
Where the Belou'd is seene in ev'ry part;
So, in Gods Hart w'are graven by Loves Arte,
And in our harts Loue doth his forme ingrave;
Thus interchang'd we eithers forme impart
To others liking by the

Loue is the Bond that vnites God & man.

Loue we have,
And make the Hart the Lodge it to receave.

The ende or scope of loue is to vnite;
The faster therefore it conglutinates
Two harts, or of them makes an vnion right,
So much the more her vertue shee elates,
And perfectly her kinde effectuates:
Then, Loue in God (in whom Love perfect is)
His vertue so to man participates,
That they become

Brothers by redemption ought to be more neere & deere to each other, thē Brothers by creation.

one through that loue of his;
For Man partakes his Image and his Blisse.

But man (meere Chaos of extreame Defect)
Doth loue, but loveth onely in desire:
He longs (perhapps) to loue with al effect,
That God and he thereby might be intire,

175

Whereto his leaden loue would faine aspire;
From which desire proceeds a pleasant paine,
Pleasant, in that it setts the soule on fire
With loue so good; And paine it breeds again,

In good desires there is pleasure and paine.

For that it hath not, what it would haue fain.

But what is lacking in Mans loue, the same
God doth supply out of his boundlesse loue;
And makes Mās loue therby a working flame,
Which to presse through al Pressures stil doth prove,
And towards God (her Spheare) doth ever move:
This Flame doth melt the marrow of the Sp'rite
Making it liquid sooner to remove
In't Mercies Mould, where its reform'd aright,
And made intire with

God.

LOVE, true loues delight.

For when the lover loues himselfe no more,
But the Beloved in whom he abides,
Or, if he loue himselfe, it is therefore
To weet, for that he in his loue resides;
Then Loue is pure, & at high'st pitch besides.

When loue is in the height of perfection.

But such high Raptures are too rarely found,
In fraile humanity, that on Earth bides;
Though loue the Soule therfore perhaps may wound
Yet stil t'wil be to the owne Body bound.

How shal I end with everlasting Loue,
To ease my Reader tir'd with heavy lines?
Vnto this Labarinth of Loue (I prove)
The Author (LOVE) no comming out assignes;
Yet rest I may, though it my Muse confines:
As Zeuxis drue a vaile (with curious skill)
Ore that, hee wanted skill t'expresse by Lines;
So I the like in Loue must now fulfill,
And leave the Reader to thinke what he will.

176

Now may we range next to the Ranke of loue
Other Affections, and to doe it right
We must place Favoure there, by which w'approve
Of some thing wherein we conceave delight,
For that it's good in deede or so in sight:
Herein Loues obligation doth commence;
Yet favoure may haue force where loue lacks might,
But without Favoure, Loue is a non ENS;
For, Favoure waites vpon Loves excellence.

Howe favoure is bredd.

Then Reverence with Favour we may Ranke,
Bredd by comparing some high Dignitie
With some inferior State (that Fortune sanck)
Which then is in it's right especially,
When extreame feare and Hatred come not ny:
For though in Rev'rence, Feare and Shamefastnesse,
VVith moderation doe obscurely lye;
Yet Feare (by some Ill caus'd) Good doth suppresse,
Still seene in that which breedes our humblenesse.

True rev'rence therefore beare we vnto God
Who is all good, as he almightie is;
For, fear'd we nought but his revenging Rodd,
Our Rev'rence, would be turn'd to hate by this:

Reverence springs from powre and goodnesse.

Then Rev'rence growes from pow'r and grace of his;
And, whosoere with them he most endowes,
Of Rev'rence from lesse Rev'rend cannot misse:
For Rev'rence Pow'r and Goodnesse still ensues,
And the lesse worthie to the better bowes.

For when we eie the vertue, pow'r, and grace,
Of the most Noble, (truely called so)
And looke vpon our selves, and weigh how base
VVe are compar'd with them, then bend we lo

177

As vnto them that vs in Good out-go.
For, as selfe-liking doth enlarge the Hart,

Simil.

Or puffe it vp (like Bladders which we blo)
So it contracts it selfe in ev'ry part,
When we see others passe vs in desart.

Then as we rev'rence God for goodnesse more,

We reverence God more for his goodnesse then for his powre.

Then for his might, and awfull Maiesty;
So, if we would be rev'renc't of the Low'r,
We must surmount them in that ex'lency
That makes vs most resemble Dëity:
For whereas Goodnesse doth associate Might,
There the most Insolent, most rev'rently
(Though otherwise repleat with al Dispight)
VVill doe their Homage freely with delight.

For homage, fealty, and honor, are
To sacred Vertue due by Natures Law:
Honor we owe to Vertue (though but bare)
And Vertue matcht with might doth Rev'rence draw.
Then Honor, Reverence, and loving awe

To whom honor and reverence are due vpon Earth

Are due to Maiestie; and that is due
To Magistrats that Men frō Vice with-draw,
And make them Vertue eagerly ensue,
Themselues therin be'ng Leaders of the Crue.

The last Affects to Love subordinate
Are Mercy and Compassion; These are they

Mercy and compassion, Affectes flowing from loue

VVhich make vs (like God) to commiserate
The miseries of those that still decay,
Or are at point to perish without stay.
These, these, bewraie that we are Members quick
Of that same Bodie, whose Head doth bewray
That they are Members mortifide, or sick
VVhich feele no paines, that fellow-members prick.

178

These make vs make the hand of the distrest
Our Mucke and Earthly Mammons continent,
Yea make vs make the Orphanes home our Brest,
And our right Arme the VVeedowes Sustinent;

Loue hath nothing in private.

And all that want, our All them to content.
O that these were more frequent then they are
With those that doe our Churches so frequent!
For damn'ds Devotion that will nothing spare,
But for selfe-comfort altogither care.

These, Colledges and Hospitals erect,
And both endow with copious maintenance;
These are so prevalent in their effect,
That they vnto the Heav'ns doe

Man made of earth.

Earth advance,
Wherein there is no want or sufferance:
These doe forgiue, as gladly as they giue,
Vnto their foes miscarried by Mischance;
These good and bad (like God) in lacke relieue,
“For Mercies Bowels melt when anie grieue.

These Bridges builde ore Rivers (semi-Seas)
And turne deepe VVaies (though endlesse in extent)
To Cawseis firme, for Man and Beasts more ease,

Compassiō extendeth her vertue to man and beast.

And ev'ry waie provide for bothes content,
Through fellow-feeling of their dryriment:
These make their VVaredrops and the Needies, one,
And their owne Limbes, limbes of the impotent;
Ioy with the ioiefull, mone with them that mone
And sigh in soule, when they in Bodie grone.

O that my soule could (as it gladly would)
It selfe infuse into each worde or line
That tendes to Mercies glorie, then it should
(So as it ought) at least like Phœbus shine,

179

If not at most, bee more then most divine:

Mercy & Iustice are gods almightie Armes.

For, Mercie and Iustice are Gods mightie Armes,
But he most might to Mercie doth assigne
As bee'ng the right Arme, holding all from harmes
Though All do fall through Frailties least Alarmes.

Mercie's the true Idea of Gods Soule,
Wherein his matchlesse glorie glitters most;
Which is of force his Iustice to controule:
For when in Iustice all that are, were lost,
Then Mercie them redeem'd, to Iustice cost;
The Lord of Iustice was vniustly slaine,
That Mercie might triumph, and iustly boast:

Gods Mercie triumpheth over his Iustice towards Man.

As Loue first made, so Mercie made againe
Man-kind, that sin had marr'd with monstrous stain.

Sith Mercie then is of so high account,
Shee should bee most familier with the Hy:

Princes and Maiestrates.

For, God in mercy doth himselfe surmount,
That is, it doth himselfe most glorify:
So they that eie the Poore with Pitties eie,
And haue most mercie seated in their soule,
Draw neer'st the nature of his Dëity;
Whose names engrossed are in his Check-role.
And next him ought the VNIVERS to rule.

Thus having toucht th' Affections most humane
That humane nature doe consociate;
Now follow those that are most inhumane,

Inhumane affections howe bred.

Bred by Opinion of Ill, which wee hate
Which make vs savage or in worse estate:
The vnrest of our soules, the while they rest
Within our Bodies, and predominate,
Proceedes from fowre chiefe causes of vnrest,
Which thus by Natures searchers are exprest.

180

Perturbations frō whō do flow al immoderate passions of the soule.

Desire, Feare, Griefe, Ioy, all immoderate
(Which perturbations be) from these proceede
Al Passions which the soule excruciate,
Which the Mindes ignorance doth (fatting) feede;
As knowing not what's good or Ill indeede.
Desire and Ioie those goods accompany
Which be not good, further then Natures neede,
And that a little (God wot) doth supply
For, overmuch doth her soone mortifie.

Aske peace and plenty what fell fights they haue
With these three Monsters, Pride, Strife, & Excesse,
Hardly themselues, if they at all, doe saue,
From their fell force, they eas'ly wil confesse.

Wherefore God doth blesse man with abundance.

Yet, God with Peace and Plentie, Man doth blesse,
That Man might blesse God both in word and deede,
Not take occasion from thence to transgresse:
But from these Fountaines pure doe oft proceede
(By their abuse) Abuses which exceede.

There is no greater temptation thē never to be tēpted, & no sorer punishmēt then of God never to bee punished.

For, sinne in peace and plentie, is so arm'd
VVith all that may allure the simple sense,
That sense by those allurements is so charm'd,
That soone it yeeldes to sinne obedience,
As it were forc'd by some Omnipotence:
When sinne so sweetly doth intreate and pray,
And promise Flesh, Heav'n in Incontinence,
(To which prosperity doth Flesh betray)
How can fraile Flesh and Bloud say sweet sinne nay?

If Tast would tast, what might her Pallate please,

Sinne offers the senses their severall satisfactions.

Sinne offers Manna, Nectar, and what not?
VVould touching feele? sinne opens pleasures Seas
To plunge the sense therein, it to besot.

181

The smell shee ioies with sents as sweete, as hot.
The eare shee tickles with such wordes and Notes,
That Hearing (ravisht) hath her selfe forgot.
With eie bewitching Faires the eie shee dotes:
And thus each sense in pleasures seas shee flotes.

These senses thus bewitch'd, Fancie allures
To share the sweetnesse which they say they finde:
Fancie consents; and Iudgement soone procures
T'approue their pleasure, which betraies the Minde,
(Betrai'd and quite misled by Iudgement blind)
Thus in prosperitie sinne domineers,

Vertue without adversitie withereth and loseth her forte.

VVho vvith strong cordes of Vanity doth biude
The soule and body, as it vvel appeeres
By those whom welfare to the world endeeres.

O Flesh! didst thou but know how suger-svveete
The pleasures vvere proceeding from the Crosse;

There is no other passage to heaven thē through the fire of Afflictions.

Th'wouldst runne amaine, the cōming crosse to meet
And count al gaine, saue that alone, but losse:
All sensual Ioies doe thee but turne and tosse
With restlesse proofes of false felicitie,
Which Ioies retaile, but vtter griefes in grosse,
For, corp'rall pleasure in extremitie
The center is, of endlesse miserie.

Now Griefe and Feare, though they accompany

Griefe & fear accompanie transitory riches.

These evil goods (goods evil by abuse)
Yet they respect all kinde of misery
VVhich we conceiue, vvhen wee haue not their vse:
Through vvant vvhereof, as through an open sluce
Flow all vexations, and annoies of minde,
Into the emptie soule, which they reduce
To their obedience in rebellious kinde;
For Reason they in rage doe rudely binde.

182

The Body hereby (puling') pines away

Simil.

(Like to a Bladder whose winde is out strain'd)
By such degrees, as it doth by the way
A whyning make as if the same were pain'd:
So, fares the Body, by the Minde constrain'd,
Till she be breathles, she breathes out but mone,
For want of Goodes but fain'd, her griefes vnfain'd
Doe drie vp quite the Marrow of the Bone,
As if shee were in wretched plight alone.

Good Affects proceede frō the opinion of good, and evill, frō evill.

For as al good Affections doe proceede
From the opinion which we haue of Good;
So doth th'opinion of evill breede
All ill Affections and each evil moode;
For ill Conceipt, conceaues this cursed Broode.

Offēce, what.

Now the first touch of ill, is call'd Offence,
Frō whence (if it contynewe) foorth do budd
Griefe, Envy, Hate, and fell Impatience,
As Loue proceeds from true Goods residence.

And sith ther's nought that doth to Earth belonge
In which both Good and Ill in deede, or sho
Are not (like Phisick-Potions) mixte amonge;

All mundane things are as they are takē.

Therfore frō thence may be drawne VVeale or VVoe
As they are tane, sith both from thence doe flo:
For that which likes some, some doth most displease;
According to the humors which they owe,
Some take repose, in that which most disease,
As some delight in VVarre, but most in Peace.

And the more inly that offences touch,
So much the more they doe thereby offend:
The inward'st is the better part by much;
Then that which thereto doth annoyance send,

183

To the tormenting of the VVhole doth tend:

Offenses against the outward Senses are much lesse offensiue then those against the inward.

Offences done to the externall Sense
Are not so grievous, as those which doe wend
To the internall; Nor is VVitts offence
So sore, as that which doth the VVill incense.

Nay, if our VVill be not offended, we
Can suffer, what not? without al offence;
In which respect we willingly agree,
That Friēds reproofs should proue our patience,
When with our Foes we would not so dispence:
Likewise our selues of our selves so may speake,
That others speaking so would vs incense,
And make vs mortally revenge to seek:
Thus VVill bee'ng pleas'd nought can our

Nothing moues our patience that moves not our will.

patience breake.

Then sith Offence most grieves the tender'st Sense,
Therefore are they offended soon'st of all,
Whose Mindes and Bodies haue most excellence,
And are most delicate and speciall,
Bee it by accident, or naturall:
And mong the Hoast of Natures Creatures, Man
Is hard'st to please, and most to Anger thrall;
For he with nought will beare, nor suffer can,

Man of all creatures hardest to please.

Yet al haue cause this wayward VVaspe to ban.

If therefore One it be so hard to please,
How much more hard to please an Hoast of Men?
What can be saide or done so wel, but these
Will

Who so pleaseth all doth more then he that made all.

all, or some of all, speake there agen?
They care not against whom, nor where, nor when.
Aske Generalls if this be true or no,
Who though they make their Purs-strings cracke agen
To please the Presse, yet they shal not doe so,
But some will murmur, and speake broadly to.

184

Some, to bee thought more iudicious are most censorious.

For, some are so invred fault to finde,
That they offended are without offence,
Nothing they heare or see, but irkes their minde,
So all offendes them without difference:
And, to be thought of tall intelligence
Their Tongues dispraise, what their Thoughts highly praise;
Because they weene great praise proceeds frō thēce:
For he (thinke they) that sees what to dispraise,
Sees and knowes how t'amend it many waies.

Criticks of these times.

How many may we heare and see of these,
Who with bent-brow, scue-looke, and mouth awry
Sleightly survaie the workes that wise-men please
Protesting them to be but poore; And whie?
Because they proue their VVitts base povertie:
They faine would faine to haue vnfained skill
In ev'rything wherein they faults espie,

A Foole may make the wise ridiculous to Fooles.

And by depraving VVitt t'haue witt at will,
When all's but fain'd, and strain'd and passing ill.

When Men adore their owne sufficiencie,
And weene their excellence doth check the Skies,
What marvel ist, if al beneath the Skie
They check; and through their selfe-conceite dispise?
(Who, but to see their owne woorth, haue no Eyes)

These be men of partes that would have al whollie.

These Men are inly mov'd with much offence,
When they another see by Vertue rise,
Because high State (they weene) should recōpence
No others, but their only excellence.

Bee they most poore, yet be they much more proude,
Exclaiming on the tymes wherein they live:

The cōplaint of base male-contents.

For Men of woorth (say they) with parts indow'd
The tymes doe not respect, nor wil relive,

185

But wholly

Without good partes.

vnto partlesse Spirits giue:
Thus doe they melt awaie in Envies fire;
And whilst hart-burnings thē of rest deprive,
They them bestirre to part that is intire,
And Commō-wealthes orethrow, so to aspire.

These vnwise wittie Mal-contents are they

Divells incarnate tempt mē desperate.

That egge on Men vnwise, and violent,
T'attempt the over-sway of Princes Sway,
Or rather to confound their government,
That so they might be made preheminent:
For, sly Vlysses must point out the place
Gainst which the force of Aiax must be bent,
And Men made desp'rate hold it no disgrace
To be directed in a desp'rate case.

These waspish over-weening idle Drones,
Are mortal

The Pestilēce which infects al that comes neere it.

plagues to ev'ry Publike-weale:
Right anti-Kesars vndermyning Thrones;
Yet Princes hardly shal their motions feele
Vntil their States and Seates begin to reele:
And then too late (perhapps) seeke fast to sitt
VVhē they must rest vpō the pointed Steele;
These are th'effects of mal-contented VVitt,
Which not lookt to, wil haue a madding sitt.

All which proceedeth meerely of Offence,
Cōceav'd by hateful natures hard to please;
VVhich, mischiefe and great inconvenience
Bring to a State, and neither Land nor Seas
Can possibly be priviledg'd from

They walke like Devills invisible.

these.
VVho still doe feare, their mis-imploied time
VVill bring vpō thē that which wil displease;
VVhich to prevent they seeke aloft to clime,
VVhich to effect, make cōsciēce of no crime:

186

For, feare of evill (though of ill to come)
Doth grieue the minde, as if it present vvere;
Cold feare and griefe then Reason so benumme,
That it feeles nothing but cold griefe and feare.

A natural reason of rebels civill fury.

This colde made hot by Ire, which it doth steere
Becomes hell fire, which like a quenchlesse flame
Consumeth all it toucheth or comes neere,
And leaues nought els behinde but lasting blame,
So, Feare turn'd Fury, Man doth all vnframe.

Simil.

For, as in nature, things that are most cold
Made hot, are most extreame hot, like the Fire:
So Feare, most cold by kind, yet if it should
Bee chas'd vncessantly with Hate and Ire,
T'would be more hot, then all fires made intire.
For, Man is more out-ragious, wilde, and wood
In Passions heate, then Passion can desire;

A man in fury more furious then a beast.

No Beast is halfe so fell, in maddest moode,
As Man, when Furie sets on fire his bloud.

A discription of an angry Man.

From which fire flie out Sparkles through his eies,
VVho stare, as if they would their holdes inlarge,
The Cheekes vvith boiling Choler burning rise,
The mouth doth thundring (Canon-like) discharge
The fire which doth the Stomacke overcharge:
The teeth doe (grating) one another grind;
The fists are fast, in motion to giue charge,
The Limbes doe tremble, feete no footing find
But stampe, or stand vnconstant as the VVinde.

All anger springs from offence but al offence grow not to Anger.

Which hellish Passion from Offence proceedes,
But all offence proceedes not to the same;
Offence the Mother is that Anger breedes,
But not it selfe in nature nor in name,

187

Ne can they bee confounded vvithout blame:
For thinges offend vs oft which haue no sense,
With vvhich vve cannot angrie befor shame;
For, that must haue (like vs) Intelligence
VVhich can to Ire provoke our patience.

For, Ire's a vehment motion of the Hart,

What āger is

Stirr'd vp by trespasse, scorne, or such like ill
Offred vnto vs, wbolie or in part,
Which in the high'st degree offends our will,
For which, we would revenge in hast fulfill:
For, each one rates himselfe by the Assise
Of selfe-conceipt, by him conceaved still,
From that great good which, he weenes, in him lies
Which none (as he supposeth) should despise.

The more therefore a Man himselfes esteemes,

The better a man thinkes of himself the sooner hee is moued to anger.

The more and sooner he to Ire is mou'd;
Because that so great worth's despis'd he deemes,
For which hee rageth, as from wit remov'd;
Then, Rage to Rancor easily is shou'd;
VVhich is an Anger most inveterate,

What Rancor is.

By Charitie and Reason most reprou'd,
And God and good-men mortallie doe hate;
Therefore to bee eschu'd as reprobate.

For, Rancor is so fell and violent,
That ioint by ioint, the Soule it rudely rends,
Forgetting Iustice, and the Innocent
God, man, sex, age, good, bad, or foes, or friends,

Rancor is indifferent to good & bad.

For, this all these indiff'rently offends:
Then who consults with such a Councellor,
That Argumentes with tooth and naile defends,
Shall bee of all (but Fiendes) an iniurer;
For sure the Div'l's in such a Coniurer.

188

Some call it honorable to revenge with the sworde all iniuries done against a mās honor. But how can that be honorable which God abhorreth & condemneth to eternall death. The quality of Rancor.

VVhose furie is inflam'd so with desire
To wreake it selfe on that which it enflames,
That on it selfe it brings confusion dire,
And oft with suddaine death her subiect shames;
Heav'n, Earth, and Hell, and all therein shee blames,
Nay railes against, if they wreake not her wronge,
And for her selfe an Hell on Earth shee frames,
To wreake it on herselfe, if shee be long
Barr'd from Revenge, for which her Scule doth long.

VVhich is a motion of the Hart, then vvhich
None can be more immane, or violent;
VVhich turnes frō that which doth it roughly tuch
And seekes to quell the same incontinent;
Or on the cause to inflict punishment:

A reason why angry men for the most part are pale.

Here-hence it is some iresull men are pale,
Because the bloud returnes from whence it went,
VVhose harts haught-courage so doth ore exhale,
That they dare doe what not? come Blisse or Bale.

But commonly the bloud doth not returne
As to the Heart it doth in Griefe and Feare,
But in the face in furie it doth burne,
And all the Spirits it enflameth there,
As if no more vvithin the Body vvere:
The bloud and sp'rits inflam'd, the braine ascend,
VVhich they (confusedly distracted) stere,
For how so ere heate may the Heart offend,

To the brains

The Minde doth rest, if heate it not transcend.

Simil.

No otherwise then as a man that drincks
More then a man, yet if it not ascendes
Vnto the braine, no man him druncken thinkes,
Nor is he drunke though drinke his belly rends:

189

So, though the heart, an hell of heate offendes,
Yet beeing still vvithin the heart confin'd,
The soule vvithin the braine her worke attendes
Without disturbing of the VVit or Minde,
Who wonted freedome in the braine doe finde.

But giue Men wit at vvill, nay vvisedome too,
(If possibly men furious

Salomon denies it. Eccl. Chap 7. 11.

might be vvise)
And put exceeding Anger therevnto,
All's to no purpose, for all in it lies
As fat in fier, which to nothing fries;
Moue but their choller once, and all's on flame
That should them coldly any vvay aduise:
For, when the soule by heate is out of frame,
Her Iudgement must be blinde, and Actions lame.

So that in true effect the furious Man
Is good for nought, (for nought is all as good)
But to blaspheme, and raue, and rayling ban,
And make good men amazed at his moode;
God sheild I should be any of this broode:

I know no mā worse thē my selfe, God helpe me the while.

Yet must I (to my shame) for shame confesse,
Because its seene what humor haunts my bloud,
That Anger to my heart hath oft accesse
Against my will, which faine would it suppresse.

He is mine arch foe gainst whom still I fight,
And though I bee to weake, and he to strong;
Yet fight I will, and aie in his dispight
I will refraine my hands, much more my Tonge,
Both vvhich in wrath are apt to

Instruments of revenge. The heate of the hart maks the fingers nimble.

offer wronge:
Heav'n helpe me to subdue this hellish Ire,
And all that doth or shall to it belong,
So with the drops of grace quench out this fire,
That to my heart it neuer more aspire.

190

Yet let me coldly speake in praise of Heate,
VVhich be'ng temp'rate, yeeldes most sweete effects;,

The praise of Choler.

For, Choler makes the VVitt and Courage great,
Yea, makes the Hart abound with kinde Affects,
And abiect

Anger is better thē laughter for by a sadd looke the hart is made better. Eccl. Cap. 7.5

humors vtterly reiects:
In the best Natures commonly its plac'd
By Natures finger, for these kinde respects,
And if with fury it be not disgrac'd,
It should by al meanes, by all be embrac'd.

How like to liuelesse Logges some Dastards are,
Whose witt & Courage are quite drown'd in Fleame;
VVho, though wrongs prick their Harts, yet stil they fare
As they vvere either dead, or in a dreame;
Nothing shal moue them, be it nere s'extreame:

A Coward cānot be truely honest.

Heare they their frēds deprau'd (though nere so dear)
Nay heare they Fiends the Highests name blasphēe;
They dare not speake a vvord for them for feare;
VVhat vse of such that such base-mindes doe beare?

Simil.

For as a little fire vvhen we are cold
Doth vs but little good, and be'ng too great
Doth warme vs otherwise then fier should;
But being moderate, it so doth heat
As neither letts vs coole, nor makes vs sweat:
So, Choler if too little, little steeds,
And if too much, too much doth make vs fret;
But being meane, it many Vertues breeds,
And with an actiue warmth, the blood it feeds.

For to be angery and not to sinne,
Is an obligatorie

Ephes. 4. 26.

Heast divine;
For whiles we are that holy anger in
(Not wholly angery) it is a signe

191

We flame with that which doth our soules refine:
For, in our Soules the iry-pow'r it is

Vertue cānot performe her functiōs without anger.

That makes vs at vnhallowed thoughts repine,
And sober soules are zealous made by this,
Then zealous soules can hardly Anger misse.

Thus Ire I pleade for thee, but thou hurt'st mee;
O be propitious therefore, hurt me not:
Then Volumes large, Ile write concerning thee
Which without blott of blame, I al wil blott
VVith blacke that shal thy

Glory laud.

bright, make bright as hott:
So, leaue I thee, and would thou me would'st leaue,
Yet leaue me not, as one thou hast forgott,
But mind me stil, when I should thee conceaue
Gainst ill that would my soule of good bereaue.

For so thou didst possesse Gods patient Soule,
When he as God and Man the Temple clear'd
(With VVhipps) of money-Changers, who did proule

Luke 19.25.

For filthie Pelse in place to him endear'd,
Where most of al he should be serv'd and fear'd:
So, be with me, deere Ire, till thou and I
Must part,, or I by thee no further steer'd,
Then may agree with perfect pietie
And well may stand with true felicitie.

Now from vnloving Ire doth Hatred spring,

Hatred is a child of Ire.

Which is more Hellish; for, its lasting Ire
As some suppose; which is a damned thing,
Like to the Devill her prodigious Sire,
VVho Loues to hate, as Loue hates that desire:
Sith God and Nature hath made Man in loue,
To loue God and his like with loue intire,
VVhat Vice can Vertue in man more reproue,
Then that which Man to misse his Ende doth move?

192

Yet Ire from Hatred must distinguisht be,

Ire & hatred distinguished.

For Ire proceeds frō some wrong done to vs,
But Hatred, is conceav'd as soone as we
Suppose a Creature to be odious;
Though to vs it were nere iniurious:
And Time can Ire aswage, but hardly Hate,
Ire would but vex, but Hatred's murderous,
Revenge cooles Ire, but cannot Hate abate,
Ires hart can melte, but Hates is obdurate.

Love linckes men togither, Hatred putts them a sunder

Loue is the Linck that lincks mā kind (by kind
Louing and kinde) in perfect Vnion;
This Statute (sans defesance) men doth bind
To succour one another woe-begon,
As if they were not diverse but al one:
But Hatred is the Hatchet, which doth cleeve
Mankinde to peeces in confusion;
Releefe refusing, and eake to releeve,
Yet giues more dāmage thē it would receave.

The proude and envious are like the Devill.

None harbreth Hatred, but men like the Devill,
(The Proud, & Envious, which are ful of hate)
These hateful Hell-hounds loue this lothsome Evill,
Because it seekes mankinde to ruinate:
VVhat can the Devill worse excogitate?
It is the Toade that swells with Venome such
That no force can resist, much lesse abate;
The Moath of Mā-kind, worse thē nought by much,
Yet most indiff'rent to the Poore and Rich.

A good vse of Hate.

But hate inhabits Man to good effect,
VVhen he loues nought, that is not perfect good;
For he through Hate doth Evill still reiect,
VVhich would corrupt his Nature, Mind, & Moode,

193

And make it (like it selfe) a Nihilhood:
Such hate is happie, holy, and divine,
By which the force of Ill is stil withstood;
This Hate we ought to loue, which doth repine

Hate, worthy of Loue.

At al which doth not Loue aright refine.

Then sacred Hate let my Loue thee embrace,
And, to an Habit grow'n, inhabit mee,
Sith thou flow'st from the Fountes of Loue, & Grace,
O let my love be ever backt by thee;
Then Ill from Loue (so backt) wil ever flee.

Sinfull Hate is hatefull but gratious hate is behoofull.

It is a feaver of the Minde to hate,
That's hate to Loue, but whē they both agree
They doe preserve the Soule in perfect state,
Whilst Ill of Ills they quite annihilate.

Thē hate (my Soule) that thou maist ever love
That which this Hate doth loue, with loue intire,
That is, al good below, much more aboue,
Wherto this hate through loue would faine aspire;
For perfect Love inflames iust Hates desire.
No otherwise then VVater hott or cold,

Simil.

Though in some sorte it doth oppung the fire,
Yet makes the flames thereof more manifold,
VVhen it is cast thereon, so as it should.

Thus Ire and Hatred may be good or ill

Envy is a branch of iniustice.

According to their obiects; And Envy
(Their aie-familier) doth follow still
Hatred and Ire, to make a Trinity;
Which may be vs'd well, ill, or neut'rally:

Ire & Hatred the Parents of Envy.

It is well vs'd for Gods foes good successe,
But ill, when it anothers good doth eye,
And neut'rally when it doth not transgresse
The boundes of Love, for loving more or lesse.

194

Envy is opposit to Mercy.

Shee is to Mercie alwaies opposit
In her true kinde; for Mercy stil doth grieue
At others harmes; but envi's glad of it,
And pines with paine, when others wel doe thriue,
Yea liues in death, when others liue to liue.

Some envy others gains, that hinder theirs;

Some, others weale, whē they cannot arriue

Vnto the like: some, other that aspires
To that they sought, but faild of their desires.

But some there are that envy others good,
Without respect of their owne benefit,
Only because they think their fate's withstoode
When others on the least good fortune hit,
Or doe the least good, getting praise for it:

The envy of the divel what

This is the envie, than which none is worse,
Ev'n that of Sathan, for Men most vnfit,
This is the envie that incurres his curse,
That from Heav'n for the like did Angels force.

It is safer to be conversant with a Tyrāt, then with the envious persō for the one takes away but life but the other honor and good name.

For envies eies pry most of al on praise,
The noblest goods, goods of the noblest Minde
They most envie; and stil themselues they raise
To highest vertue, where they (fixt) it finde;
Heereat the teeth of envie most doe grinde:
For looke how much the Minde the Corpes excels,
And the Mindes riches are of rarer kinde;
So much the more the hart of envie swels,
At those that haue these goods, then any els.

Shee is Prides second selfe, or other name,
Monsters distinct, yet vndiuiduall;
In heav'n and earth hath wel appeer'd the same,
For both made heau'nly Lucifer to fall;

195

So doe they Lucifers terrestrial:
Pride's more apparāt, for it needs must swel;

Envy is more obscure, then Pride.

But envy euer lines Prides Pectorall:
Pride's as the high'st, envie the lowest bell;
Worse Hags thē either, can in neither dwel.

Pride, before all desires to be preferr'd;
If anie therefore be preferr'd before,
Shee instantly is with fel envie stirr'd;
And the more rise, her envie is the more.
Though Meeknes mount, prids hart doth ake therfore:
For shee thinkes, only shee doth al excel,
Then others excellence her heart must gore:
As others heav'n on earth, is Envies hell;
So others rising makes Pride still to swell.

For, where there is no sunne, no shadow is;
And, where's no weale, or glory, envi's not:

Envy is as the shaddow of vertue.

Shee feedes on her owne hart, and others blisse,
Shee skornes to looke so low as to their lot
That are of Fortune, or the world forgot:
Therefore shee lurkes about the Courtes of Kings,

Envies natural home is in Kings Courts.

(Whose Crownes are ever subiect to her shot)
There like a Snake, that hisses not, shee stings,
And oft ere shee is seene Confusion bringes.

For, not without iust cause doe Poets faine
That shee (as one of the infernall broode)
Doth poison sucke, to vomit it againe,
And makes of Snakes her flesh-consuming foode;

Ovid. Met. l. 2. Simil.

Which makes her like a blind-worme, without bloud:
Who often creepeth like this abiect VVorme,
Not wotting which way, each way but the good:
And in Preferments way shee doth enorme
All feete shee meets with, which none can reforme.

196

Envie therefore the hart doth macerate,

The envious are ashamed to bewray their envie.

Because the Tongue dares not the griefe disclose,
That makes that griefe still on the hart to grate,
Which the leane looke alone in silence shoes;
Yet eies shrinke in (as loth to tell the woes)

Such lookes hath the envious.

And looke ascue, as if in looking straight
They might directly so discouer those,
All which makes woe to haue the greater waight
The soule and bodie so to over-fraight.

Bion.

One said, beholding one with envie pin'd,
I know not by thy lookes (which all doe loth)
If they fare well or thou ill; for thy Minde
Is vext alike, alike thou look'st for both:

Envy is as much grieued for others good as her owne hurt.

Which subtill speech included simple troth;
For, envi's griev'd no lesse for others good
Then for her proper ill; and is as wroth
For others praise, as if hers were with-stood,
And for both, sucks alike her Subiectes bloud.

Shee envies all to all, except envie,
And that shee envies to, if it exceede;
Like Argus, shee nere sleepes but when her eie
Is charm'd by Mercuries sweete sounding Reede;

Envy flattered sleepes for a while.

“For envie flattered is well agreed:
When all respect is had of her and hers,
And all neglected els, her All to feede,
No more, till shee neglected be, shee stirres;
Then as before her selfe shee straight bestirres.

The sunne at highest shee resembles right
(Though base shee be and darke as nether Hell)

Simil.

For as the sunne obscureth things most bright,
And makes the light of things obscure, excell:

197

So envie seeks men famous most to quell,

Before how many the more the envious person slandereth a man, the more high in glory hath he plac'd the crown of the slandered if he take it patiently.

And praiseth most, men least deserving praise,
Such as their deerest fame to shame doe sell;
All such (if any at all) shee most doth raise,
And all men els, doth most of all dispraise.

The more Men want of what they faine would bee,
The more their want with envie is supplide,
The lesse, if prowde, they are in their degree
The lesse they can their betters farre, abide;
“And horse prowd Beggars, they like Kings will ride.

Each Vice caries with it its own torment.

Now as each Vice doth in it beare about
An inbred plague: so in this doth reside
The plague of plagues; to weare it selfe quite out
With fretting gainst the rich or roiall Rowt.

The envious, privie to their owne defects,
Doe witnesse to themselues their small esteeme,
For which the VVorld, they see, them still reiects,
Through which they inly burst with griefe extreme,

The envious condemne themselues for most vnworthy men. No affection is lesse disclosed then envy

But dare not let the world them envious deeme.
For, no Affect is lesse disclos'd then this,
Because it makes men lesse then worthlesse seeme,
Therefore the much more dolorous it is;
“For griefes doe breake the heart if vent they misse.

What Common-weales, and mighty Monarchies,
What glorious Kings, and famous Generals,
Yea (which is strange) what heau'nly Hirarchies
Whose wretched state and miserable fals
(By envie wrought) remaine in Capitals!
Whence all may see, how actiue and how fell
This Furie is, who rests in Funerals:
Or when on earth Men rest in such an Hell,

Envies rest in funerals.

That to th'infernall may be Paralell.

198

Envie is the parent of Iealousie.

From Envy springs ay-watchful Iealousie,
(Ore-plus of Loue, as iealous Lovers would)
Which (worse then Hell) hates al Rivalitie,
And cannot brooke that any other should
Possesse that wee or ours would, or doe hold:
Yet some restraine it onely vnto Loue;
For being (as they say) more manifold,
It

Obtrectation is Iealousie in the largest Sense.

Obtrectation hight, which who doth prove
Shal finde the Minde vnlike it selfe to moue.

For, she can thinke of nought but that alone
That makes her iealous, and when shee's restrain'd
Of former freedome, shee is not her owne;
But like a Body bound t'a Racke, is pain'd,
And thinks of nought but paine be'ng so constrain'd:
This is the Linx in Loue that never sleepes,

Iealousie a Linx in loue.

And oft (too oft) by Lust is entertain'd,
Who through nine walles of Mudd, or Mettle peeps,
And so (like Argus) Loves beloved keepes.

Now, as the thinges belov'd are good or badd,

Iealousy good or bad according to her obiect.

So iealousie is good or badd thereby.
If Men be iealous of their thoughts that gadd
From the chiefe-Good, good is that iealousie;

How Iealousie is good.

And in a Prince tis no impiety,
When he suspects Ambition in his State;
Nor in the mari'd ist an Heresy,
If loving-iealousie without debate
Doe keepe each others Love from cause of hate.

Like may bee sedd of Parents, Kinne, and Frendes,
So longe as it aymes but at like respect,
An harmelesse iealousie, from harme defends
Those whom they governe, and by kinde affect:

199

Such ieal'usie doth in God our good effect;

Gods iealousy touching vs doth procure our good.

Which makes him watch vs, where wee wake or sleepe,
VVho in his loue thereby doth vs protect,
From al those vnseene ills that on vs creepe,
And by the same his honor safe doth keepe.

But iealousie conceau'd through cause vniust,

Evil Iealousie

Be it in VVeddlocke, Freindshippe, or where not,
Makes Loue a Languishment; for false mistrust
Is not by God, but by his Foe begott,
Which Loue with Lust doth evermore besott:
Hence come the Quarrells twixt the mari'd Paires,
When they through iealousie are overshott,
This makes Affraies too oft of great Affaires,

Quarrells raised through Suspitiō causlesse.

And ruynes that which loyal Love repaires.

The fell disturber of Loves sweete repose,

Iealousy, what.

Copesmate of Care, tormenter of the Minde,
The Canker of faire Venus sweetest Rose,
The Racke that over-racks the over-kinde,
The over-watchful Eye of Loue stil blinde:
The Hart of Caution wherein ay are bredd
The vital Sp'rites of Arte to State assign'd;
Soule of Regard, alive when it seemes deade,
All this is Iealousie that holds the Heade.

The Caucasus whereto Loues Hart is bound,

Prov. 6. 34.

The Vulture which the thoughts thereof devoures,
The Primum mobile which turneth round
The Braine, which to the rest vnrest procures,
A Sore which nought, that's good for ought, recures,
That's Mummy made of the meere Hart of Love,
A temp'rall Hell, whose torment still endures,
The Pennaunce of Mistrust, which Lovers proue,
All this is Iealousie which I reprove.

200

And now to ende (where we should haue begunne
When we began to touch corrupt Affects)
With Pride, because from her al Vice doth runne

Ecles. 10. 14. 19.

(As from the Fountaine) which the Soule infects;
Which may be thus describ'd by her effects:
A swelling of the Hart which doth proceede
From Selfe-conceite, that gainst the Soule reflects,

Pride what.

And showes more glorious then it is indeede,
Which makes vs thinke our gifts al mens exceede.

The proude person hates pride in all but in himself.

This Prodigie, this more then mounstrous Pride,
This Soules envenomn'd Botch, This Sourse of Sinne,
Can nothing lesse thē hir owne selfe abide,
When shee doth see her selfe another in:
If shee her selfe doth hate, what can shee wynne
But hate of all, that see her as shee is?
Still loth'd may shee be, for had shee not byn,
We stil had liv'd in earthly Heavens blisse,
And Lucifer held heav'nly Paradis.

Sith Man was made a creature sociable,
And that his liues-ioy should therein consist,
What vice in man is more detestable,
Then that which doth this ioy of life resist?
For Pride, as if shee were with nature blist

Pride holdes all in scorne but her selfe.

That farre surmounted more then half-divine,
Scornes al Humanity; if so, what ist
On Earth that shee thinks (be'ng so superfine)
Worthie to suite her, but alone to reigne?

Shee (swelling Toade) lookes with disdainful Eyes

If Humility be the mother of true piety, what is Pride, her contrary?

On highest things that are sublunarie,
And (Lunatick) aboue the Moone doth rise
In minde, though she mindes nought but villany,

201

So to aspire to highest Dignitie:
Therefore the most prowde are most ignorant
Of wisedomes hid in blest Theologie,
Because they meerely minde things miscreant,
As earthly pompe, and port extravagant.

If not impossible, yet hard it is,
For the most learn'd and lowly wel to know
Themselues in ev'ry part, and not to misse;
Then sith the Prowd doe never looke so low,
That skil nere comes but with their overthrow:

The proud are taught to know themselues by their proper overthrow.

For they by nature are most prone to pride
That know all but themselues; and yet doe show
They know themselues too wel, for, nought beside
They loue; which loue, that knowledge doth misguid.

For who so lookes with vvell-descerning eies
(If he be mortal, be he what he wil)
Into him selfe, he wil him selfe despise;
For in him selfe he findeth nought but ill,

He that knows himselfe best esteemes himselfe least.

Corrupting Soule and Body, Minde, and VVill:
The best shall finde but matter too too bad
To humble them, and so to keepe them still;
The worst shal see ynough to make them mad,
Seeing themselues through Ill, so ill-bestad.

Al vnder Heav'n mans pride hath made so vile,
So fraile, so ful of sorrow and vexation,

All vnder the Sunne is vanity and vexation of Spirit. Eccles. 1.

That should a Man possesse al, yet the while
He should possesse but temporall damnation;
And with it likely divine indignation.
Can Men be prowde then, of an earthly hell,
Affording nought but griefe and molestation?
Or can their harts with Pride and Sorrow swell
When one puffes vp, the other downe doth quel?

202

Proude men are senselesse in the strictest sense.

If so they can, it is for want of sense
To feele the griefes that are most sensible;
And senselesse Soules haue no preheminence
Of humane Nature; nor extensible
To brutish, which is not insensible:
Then what are proud Soules by this iust accounte
But either deade, or comprehensible
In that of Plants; which from Earth cannot mount,
But that a worthlesse VVren may them surmount.

The Eyes that Sunne-bright Robes, or smoke of praise
Doe dimme, are feeble-sighted, and such Eyes
Cannot themselues as high as Heaven raise,
Nor pierce to Hell which in their Owner

The proude haue Hell with the Prince thereof abiding in their hartes.

lies:
For if they would or could in any wise,
Pride could not possibly surprise their Hart,
For Heav'n they would admire, and Hell despise,
And from that Hell they would their Eyes convert,
To highest Heav'n, and from it nere divert.

Simil.

But as the Toade to venome turnes her foode
(How pure so ere it be) shee feedeth on:
So Pride turnes Vertue to her venom'd moode,
Then which no prid's more neere Damnation;

Spirituall pride God doth most detest.

For sp'ritual pride God hates as he doth none:
Which pride is Luciferian, and the fall
Of those, whose Soules are with it over gon,
Shal be like Lucifers, for no one shall

Over-weening, an odious Vice.

Be sav'd that weenes his vertue passeth all.

Pride is a winde that makes the Soule to swell,
And without Issue it the same wil rend:
Therefore the proude their owne perfections tell;
Yea, onely tell of what them most commend,

203

And with whom not, for praise they stil contend;

Prov. 13. 10.

Which if they misse, or others praised more,
Out goth that wind, (which they with thūdrings sēd)
Against al those that are preferr'd before,
And as distracted, raile, and rave, and rore.

Doth Pride a Tenent hold, it must be so,
Although it cutt the Throate of Reason quite;

The proude obstinate in their opiniō.

All her opinions can abide no No:
And though them to defend shee hath no might,
Yet to defend them shee wil rage and fight:
No time, no truth, nor no authoritie,
Shal putt Pride, if shee wrong be, in the right;
For shee desires to haue the masterie
In al, that al may give her dignitie.

Nothing so much shee dreades, as to be deem'd
Any's inferior in any thing;
This makes her loth to learne, sith shee hath seem'd
To know much more then al, by her learning:
She

Reproofs do enrage the proud, though for their good bestowed.

scornes reproofes that information bring;
Her Vices shee wil haue for Vertues tane,
Or like a Serpent shee wil hisse and sting,
Blaspheme and what not, for shee's most profane,
And if shee can, be her impugners bane.

The frendshippe is as dang'rous as vnsure,
Where

The proude mā the drūckard and the Coward are nought to make fiends. of; the proud will scorne thee if he our start thee in fortunes, the drūkard will in wine bewray thy secrts, for what is in the hart of the sober, is in the tongue of a drunkard, & the Coward dares not speake one word in defence of thy reputation though hee heare it slanderously depraved.

Pride hath any place in any frend,
Pride wil the downfall of a friend procure
If by such fall the proude friende may ascend,
For al his frenshippe to himselfe doth tend;
Comes good from him, to him must goe the praise,
As if good in him did begin and end;
So robbes God of his glorie many waies,
And faine aboue his God himselfe would raise.

204

If he with fained modestie doth vaile
His height of Pride, and doth himselfe dispraise,
Tis but the higher to advance the Saile
Of swelling Pride, which he to Cloudes doth raise,
Nay thūder-cracks the Clouds, that clouds his praise:
The highest Heau'ns (he weenes,) must giue it way
Vnto the Throne where perfect glorie staies,

Sith the Earth cannot hould her, Hell must and can.

And there sitt cheeke by Iowle with Glorie ay;
This, Pride desires, and those that her obay.

If shee associate Learning, shee wil leade
That Heav'nly Lady into Hellish waies;
Then shee misledd, each Soule must needes misleade
That on her seeming-wel-stai'd Iudgment staies;

Pride the Fountaine of all Heresies.

Hence spring al Heresies; which Pride doth raise:
For lett a Scholer famous for his skill
Maintaine dam'd Error, he for peevish praise
Wil ransacke Bookes and Braines to do it still,
Though he thereby his Soule with Millions spill.

For should we harrow al the Soules of those,
The Soules of al the Heades of Heresies,
We shal finde Pride did thereto them dispose,
That they might liue to al

If a man live Soule & Bodie in Hell to all eternities that his name may live in the mouthes of men to all posterities, he hath but an hellish purchase.

Posterities
In Mouthes of Men, though but for Blasphemies:
Knowledge puffes vp, and if the dewes of Grace
Swage not the swelling, it so high wil rise,
That Earth nor Heav'n shal hold it in that case,
Till Hell doth take it downe and it embrace.

The knowledge of the Best consists in

Each man seemes to know more then he doth.

show,
This Man is wise compar'd with one more fond;
Yet this great wise man nothing lesse doth know
Then he would seeme to know, and vnderstand:

205

Suffizeth him he beares the VVorld in hand
That he is wise and learned; Nothing lesse:
But wise in this, that can Mens thoughts command
To thinke him wise, when should he truth confesse,
His wisedome were but wel-cloakt foolishnesse.

Latine and Greeke are but Tongues naturall,
Which helpe, but not suffise to make men wise;
For the effect of speech is al in all,

Eccl. 39. 1. 2. 3

Sound Sentence, which from wise Collections rise
Of diverse Doctrines, which VVitt wel applies:
Then he that hath but Tongues (though all that are)

Not the tongs but the matter contained in thē make men learned.

And not the wisdomes which those Tongues cōprise,
May amongst fooles be held a Doctor rare,
But with the wise al Tongue, and nothing spare.

Giue me the Man that knowes more then a Man,
Yet thinkes he knoweth no more then a Beast:
Giue me him (quoth I) where is

Wee may light a Torch at none day & seeke such a one among a multitude & yet misse to finde him.

he? and who can
Give me that Gifte, sith such are al diceast,
Or if they bee, not to be found at least?
Sage Socrates is deade, and with him gon
His Pupills that knew more then al the rest,
Yet thought they knew farre lesse then ev'ry one,
But now al seeme to know, yet know doth none.

O! had a man al learning in his braine,
And were to heare or see the wondrous VVritt
Of some deepe Doctors, he should track them plaine
From place to place where they haue borrowed it,
And nought their owne (perhaps) but what's vnfitt:
Yet as if all were

As if wisdome and learning were buried in them. For they haue the name of wisedome, but there be but few that haue the knowledg of her Ec. 6. 22

theirs, they are admir'd,
As if their Sculls ensconst al skill and VVitt,
Or with some sacred furie were inspir'd,
When as (God wott) their VVitt is al-bemir'd.

206

Wee shall bee modest if wee take not that vpon vs which we haue not, and brag not of that which we haue.

Yet all take on, as if all were their owne,
So tis, all thinke, or few know otherwise,
Which few perhaps as well as they haue stolne,
(Borrow'd I would say) but yet they are wise
Not to detect each others pilferies:)
The greatest skill these present times affoord
Is others

If any where I haue followed our newe learning and Time in their fashion, Time and Learning ought the more to favor me, cōsidering how little I am beholding to them both

sayings cleanely to comprise
In ours: so that it be not word for word,
Which wit with moderne wisedome doth accorde.

But say a Man knew al, that Man can know,
Yet doth the

The Divels knowledge far exceedes mans.

Divell know more then that Man;
What cause of pride then can it be to show
Lesse knowledge and more pride then dam'd Sathan,
Who hath obseru'd all since the VVorld began;
Nor doe the Elementes repugnance marre
His wits; for he of Aire consists, and can
Command the same: But in

The warr of the Elements in man mars his wit.

Man so they warre
That he is taken Follies Prisoner.

Who knowes nought in the Cause but in th'effect;
The Divels knowledge to the cause extends,
Who enters Natures Brest, and doth select
All secrets of the same, to secret endes:
For he th' Abysse of Causes darke descendes,

The Divel can looke into all the hiddē causes of nature.

And with his Owles-eies (that see best in darke)
Those Causes to the Causer comprehendes,
And how they are togither linckt, doth marke;
Yet is lesse prowde of this, then some meane Clarke.

Yet he can wonders worke amusing all,
For having view'd the forces of all thinges,

How the Divell workes wonders.

VVhether celestiall or terrestriall,
And with most curious search their true workings,

207

Their forces he with sleight togither brings,
And actiue to their passiue powres doth binde,
Yea one another so togither minges,
That it brings foorth (by sympathie of kinde)
VVonders surmounting all conceite of minde.

No one excels him (but that Three in One)
In wondrous workes, which may amaze the wise;
But that same onely-wise Trin-vnion
Workes Miracles, wherein all wonder lies;
For Miracles aboue all VVonders rise,

The Divels wonders are Mira, non Miracula.

For Miracles aboue all VVonders rise,
Sith they are truely supernaturall;
But VVonders he to Natures Secrets ties:
Then wonders simplie are but naturall,
But Miracles meere Metaphysicall.

But be it that some

Elixer-makers, a golden yet beggarly corporation. for they are as poore as a Poet.

Begger can extract
By distillation or some other meane
The Quintessence of any thing; That Acte
Suffiseth him to be as prowde as meane:
And though the starueling be as lewd as leane,
Yet thinkes he Kings should feede and make him fat,
Nay, doe him homage: O base Thing vncleane!
Canst thou for this, thinke thou deservest that?
Or can a

The skill is Earthly and earth is the basest of Elements.

skill so base, thee so inflate?

What Brest coulde bound thy Heart then, if thou couldst
Make the Elixer, which so many marre?
It's past most probable, that then thou wouldst
Seeke to be Deifide, or els turne starre,
That Dull-heades might adore thee from afarre:
It is a

Because it tēds to the attainment of riches, which in this worlde are of most estimation.

skill indeede of rich esteeme,
And worthy of the rar'st Philosopher,
But could one doe the same, as many seeme,
Yet no great wise one he himselfe should deeme.

208

For al his wits to this should be restrain'd
(Sith to worke wonders the whole-man requires)
And though at length (perhaps) he it attain'd,
Yet should he bee to seeke that VVit desires,
In other matters, then these feates by fires.
Sage Salomon, whose wisedome wonder wan,
Knew al in all, which all in one admires,

Eccles. 1.

Yet knew that all was vaine, and he a man
Vainer then Vanitie, that nothing can.

Our knowledge is so slender, and so fraile,
That the least pride cannot depend thereon;
Pride breaks our Cōnings necke, which oft doth faile
To hold aright the nature of one Stone,
Much lesse to know the kindes of ev'ry one.
Compare the All we know, with the least part
Of that we know not, wee shall see, alone

God only and alone is wise.

That God is wise: And men are voide of Art,
And blinde in wit and will, in Minde, and Hart.

Be he a Pleader, and a wordie Man
(Whose VVinde the true Elixer is; for it
The Aire to

Sōe lawyers sell both their silence and speech. Immoderate desire of having, & honor be enemies, & can hold no cōgruency in one man togither. If it be an infallible token of health, whē the Physitions be poore, thē is it a true sign of contention (a states disease) when Lawyers bee rich.

Aurum transmute lightly can)
If once he gets a name for law-ful wit,
Hee thinkes high pride for him alone is fit:
Convoies of Angels, then must help the most
Vnto his speech; for he makes benefit
Of ev'ry word; for not one shal be lost,
Or if it be, the next shall quit that cost.

Vp goe his Babell-Towres of Pompe and Pride,
That to the High'st he may next neighbour be;
No neighbour neeres him, his grounds are so wide,
Then not a Nod without a treble fee,

209

An Angell (though most bright) he cannot see:

Verie manie laws are notes of a corrupte Cōmon weale Tacit.

And yet to know the Law, is but to know
How Men should liue, and without Law agree:
Which, Reason to the simplest Soule doth show;
Then pride is farre too high, for skill so low.

But though the Lawyer liues by others losse,
And hath no place in Platoes Common-weale,
Yet if he will not

Cato in Rome forbad al to be called to the Barre that were found eloquēt in a bad cause

crosse Law, for the crosse
That no Man hates, but all doe loue to feele;
Hee's worthy of the

Money. The duty of Lawes and Lawyers.

Crosse sweete Comforts Seale:
For Lawyers ought (like Lawes) to make Men good,
And who are in the wronge, or Right, reveale:
Then are they worthy of al liuelyhood,
That make men liue in perfect Brotherhood.

But, that a Petti-fogging prating patch,
That gropes the

Petty-foggers the grād disturbers of good mens quiet.

Law for nothing but for Galles,
Should be so prowde as if he had no match,
For tossing Lawes as they were Tennis-Bals,
This vexeth God and Good-men at the Galles:
Yet such there are, (too many such there are,)
Who are the Seedes-men of Litigious Bralls:
And are so prowde that by the Lawes they dare
Contend with Crassus, though they nought cāspare.

I graunt the Law to bee an holy thing,
Worthy of reverence and all regard;
But the abuse of

If hee ought to be punished which offereth to corrupt a Iudge with guiftes, howe much more ought he which goeth about to blind his iudgmēt with lies, or eloquence: because a vertuous Iudge wil not be corrupted with the first, but he may be deceived by the last.

Law (and so of King)
By such as will abuse both for reward,
Is dam'd; hard tearme! yet that course is more hard:
Can such finde patrones, such course to protect?
They can and doe, but would they might be barr'd
From Barres, or that ore Barres they might be peckt,
Els at Barres with as hard a doome be checkt.

210

Hine ille Lachrymæ! ô griefe of griefes!
My Muse be mute, defile not thine owne Nest:
O let the longest Largs be shortest Briefes
In this discordant Note, and turne the VVrest;
So that this

Pride in whō so ere is notable. for she wil be seene, being still overseene.

Note by thee bee nere exprest:
Canst thou my Muse? canst thou my cruel Muse
Make Men, the Muses Minions detest?
Forbeare, forbeare thy Soules loue to abuse,
Or touch that tenderly which thou dost vse.

Ist possible a Poet should bee proude,
That for the most part is past passing poore?
That can paint Vice with & without a Cloude,
And be'ng most vgly, make her vgly more,
Can he be proude? & only

Proud of a conning invectiue against pride.

proude therfore!
It cannot be in sense, and Poets are
Sense-masters subtilized by their Lore;
Yet tis too true that scarse one Poet rare
Is free frō Pride, though Back be leane as bare.

Poetry no skil humane.

I cannot but confesse the Skill's divine;
For, holy Raptures must the Head entrance,
Before the Hand can draw one lasting Line,
That can the glory of the Muse advance;
And sacred Furies with the thoughts must dance,
To leade them Measures of a stately kinde,
Or iocond Gigges: Then, if Pride with them prance
Shee wil be foremost, then shame comes behinde,
Both which disgrace the motions of the minde.

Wilt thou be lofty Muse? then scale the Mount
Where Ioues high-Alter

On the topp of Olimpus at the foote whereof runs Helicon.

stands; and on the same
Offer thou lowly, that which doth surmount
The reach of Vulgars, in no vulgar Flame:

211

There sacrifize to Ioue thy fairest fame
In lowest depth of high'st humilitie;
Humility that can advance thy name

Humility is the surest foundation for the highest glory.

To highest height of immortalitie,
Embosom'd by diuinest Dëitie.

Art great with yonge with numbers infinite
The least of which hath pow'r to peirce the Skie?
Yet lowly be, that the wombe of thy VVitt
That rare Conception may yeeld readilie,
Their mother so to glad and glorifie;
Thou art from Heav'n my Muse, thē be thou such,
As Heau'nly be, ful of humilitie;
Is thy skill much? be

Humility doth best become the highest knowledge. Extreame precisenes or affectation in words & stile doth quench the heate of our invention and bridleth the freedome of our witts. Wee must vse words as wee vse Coyne, that is, those that be cōmon and currant; It is dāgerous to coine without priviledg.

For Pride's most dam'd, that heav'nly thinges doth touch.

Plunge thee ore head and eares in Helicon,
Dyue to the Bottome of that famous Fludd,
Although it were as deepe as Acheron,
Thēce make thy fame vp-dive although withstood
With weeds of Ignorance, & Envies Mudd:
But though thy fame faire Sol should equalize
For height and glorie, yet let al thy good
Consist in that, If thou woul'st thou could'st rise,
But lou'st bum-basted mountings to dispise.

Yet let me giue this

Poesie is the Cæsar of Speech. Poesie more perdurable then Prose.

Cæsar but his due
(Cæsar of speech that monarchizeth Eares)
Sweete Poesie, that can al Soules subdue,
To Passions, causing ioy or forcing Teares,
And to it selfe each glorious sp'rite endeeres:
It is a speech of most maiestike state,
As by a wel-pen'd Poëm wel appeeres;
Thē Prose, more cleanely coucht & dilicate,
And if wel done, shal liue a longer Date.

212

For, it doth flow more fluent frō the Tonge,
In which respect it wel may tearmed be,
(Having a Cadence musicall among)
A speech melodious ful of harmonee,
Or Eare-enchanting matchlesse melodee:
Succinct it is, and easier to retaine
(Sith with our

Some Philosophers supposed our soules to be musicke, some others Number.

sp'rits it better doth agree)
Then, that which tedious ambage doth containe,
Albe't the VVitt therein did more then raigne.

Its deckt with Coulors fresh, and figures fine,
Which doth the Iudgment ay inveagle so
(Making the Eare to it of force incline)
That

Poesie inveagles the iudgment to assent to her assertions.

Iudgment often doth her selfe forgoe,
And like VVaxe, bends Opinion to and fro;
In Prose the speech is not so voluble,
Because the Tongue in numbers doth not flo,
Ne yet the accent halfe so tunable,
Then, to our spirites much lesse sutable.

And, for its ofter vs'd, it cloies the Eare
Be'ng not contriv'd with Measures musicall,
And not alow'd that beauty Verse doth beare,
Nor yet the Cadence so harmonicall,
Much lesse the

Relish, and double-relish words of arte incident to the Soule-inchāting Arte of musicke.

relish so Angelicall:
Its not adorn'd with choise of such sweete VVordes
(VVords that haue pow'r to sweeten bitter'st Gall)
Nor licence't that fine Phrase, Arte Verse affords,
Which makes huge Depthes, oft times, of shallow Foordes,

Therfore the Poets from the VVorlds first Age,
As best persuaders, whose sweete Eloquence
(They playing best partes on this Earthly Stage)
Was the first retorick borne of Sapience,

213

That glorie giues to VVisedomes influence:

Oracles delivered alwaies in Verse.

Herehence it came that divine Oracles
(Apollos speech of highest excellence)
Were stil exprest in measur'd Syllables,
The voice of VVisdomes truest Vocables.

In which respect, t'was meet'st to make Records
Of memorable Accidents of Time,
Of Princes liues and actions of great Lordes,
Which Poets first did Chronicle in Rime;
And farre aboue Chronography did clyme:
For they were first of al that did observe
(Though Poets now are neither flush nor Prime)
The workes of Nature for Mans vse to serve,
But now gainst Nature their works make thē

They give those mē fame that recompence them with famine.

sterve.

They searcht the causes of things generable,
VVith their effects and distinct properties,
And made them (by their skill) demonstrable,
Mounting from thence vnto the loftie skies,
To note their motions and what in them lies:
They first did finde the Heav'ns plurality,

Poets first found the distinctiō of the Spheares.

And how they did each other so comprise
That in their motion they made melody,
Caus'd by their closnesse and obduracy.

Yea, sought to finde each substance seperate,
And in their search they were most curious
Of divine Essenses to know the state,
VVhich having found, were most laborious
Them to expresse in Poems precious:
They were therefore the first Astronomers

Poets were the first Astronomers Metaphisicks, and Philosophers.

(That travell'd through the Heau'ns from house to house)
First Metaphisicks and Philosophers,
Vnfolding Heav'n & Earth, Sun, Moone, & Starres.

214

Thus much for Poets, and sweete Poesie,
In whose praise never can be said too much:
Yet Pride their praise may blemish vtterly,
For she defiles like pitch what she doth tuch:
And maks both heau'n & earth at it to grutch:
For no Perfection can be toucht with pride
But it wil looke as if it vvere not such,
Deform'd in fauour, which none can abide;
For Grace is base being thus double dide.

But that which grates my Galle, and mads my Muse,
Is (ah that ever such iust cause should Bee)

The stewes once stoode where now Play-houses stand.

To see a Player at the put-downe stewes
Put vp his Peacockes Taile for al to see,
And for his hellish voice, as prowde as hee;

The Peacock.

What Peacocke art thou prowd? Wherfore? because
Thou Parrat-like canst speake what is taught thee:
A Poet must teach thee from clause to clause,
Or thou wilt breake Pronunciations Lawes.

Lies al thy vertue in thy Tongue stil taught,
And yet art prowd? alas poore skum of pride
Peacocke, looke to thy legs and be not haught,
No patience can least pride in thee abide;

Neither delighteth he in any mās legs. Psal. 147. 10.

Looke not vpon thy Legs from side to side
To make thee prowder, though in Buskine fine,
Or silke in graine the same be beautifide;
For Painters though they haue no skil divine,
Can make as faire a legge, or limbe as thine.

Good God! that euer pride should stoope so low,
That is by nature so exceeding hie:
Base pride, didst thou thy selfe, or others know,
Wouldst thou in harts of Apish Actors lie,

215

That for a

Reproofes wher they are wel deserved, must bee well pared.

Cue wil sel their Qualitie?
Yet they through thy perswasion (being strong)
Doe vveene they merit immortality,
Onely because (forsooth) they vse their

Meant of those that haue nothing to commende them but affected acting, & offensiue mou thing.

Tongue,
To speake as they are taught, or right or wronge.

If pride ascende the stage (ô base ascent)
Al men may see her, for nought comes thereon
But to be seene, and where Vice should be shent,
Yea, made most odious to ev'ry one,
In blazing her by demonstration
Then pride that is more then most vicious,
Should there endure open damnation,
And so shee doth, for shee's most odious
In Men most base, that are ambitious.

Players, I loue yee, and your Qualitie,
As ye are Men, that pass time not abus'd:
And

W. S. R. B.

some I loue for

Simonides saith, that pain ting is a dumb Poesy, & Poesy a speaking painting.

painting, poesie,
And say fell Fortune cannot be excus'd,
That hath for better vses you refus'd:
VVit, Courage, good shape, good partes, and all good,
As long as al these goods are no worse vs'd,
And though the stage doth staine pure gentle bloud,
Yet

Roscius was said for his ex cellēcy in his quality, to be only worthie to come on the stage, and for his honesty to be more worthy thē to come theron.

generous yee are in minde and moode.

Your Qualitie, as farre as it reproues
The VVorld of Vice, and grosse incongruence
Is good; and good, the good by nature loues,
As

Ther is good vse of plaies & pastimes in a Cōmō-weale for thereby those that are most vncivill, prone to moue war and dissention, are by these recreations accustomed to loue peace & ease. Tac 14. An. Ca 6.

recreating in and outward sense;
And so deserving praise and recompence:
But if pride (otherwise then morally)
Be acted by you, you doe all incense
To mortal hate; if all hate mortally,
Princes, much more Players they vilifie.

216

But Pride hath skil to vvorke on baser Skils,
For each Bagg-piper, if expert he be,
Pride fils his Soule, as he his Bag-pipe fils,
For he supposeth he and none but hee
Should be advanc'd; For what? For Rogueree.
Hee can repine, and say that men of

Though these words be vnfit for his mouth yet he fits his mouth to these words

partes
Are not esteem'd; Goe base Drone, durtie Bee,
Rest thou in dung, too good for thy deserts;
For durt to durt should goe, and praise to Artes.

Though no man can more willingly commende
The Soule-reioycing sound of Musickes voice,
Faire figure of that blisse that nere shall end,
Which makes our sorrowing Soules (like it) reioice;

The ende of Artes giues thē their true valuation.

Yet at the best its but a pleasure choise
To make vs game, vvhen wee are vvoe-begon;
It is too light graue Artes to counterpoise,
Then no cause is there to bee prowde thereon
Albe't thou wert as good as Amphion.

Pride, vvilt thou still be subiect to my Muse?
Be subiect to her stil, and so to me:
But now shee should (if shee did well) refuse
Longer to haue to doe vvith cursed Thee;
For shee hath found thee in the low'st degree,
The Hangman sav'd, whose basenesse doth surpasse:
Yet he of London, that detested He

Gentlemen should hate Pride nowe, sith she is become the Hāgmās loue.

(Whose hart is made of Flint, and face of Brasse)
Of decollation brags, but let that passe.

Then pride farewel, base beastly pride farewel,
Or fare farre worse, then ill in worst degree,
Sith thou scorn'st not in such an hart to dwell,
That by the fruit liues of the Gallow tree:

217

Who wil not scorne now to be toucht by thee?
Sincke to Earthes Bowels from her burd'ned Brest,
(For on the Earth thou canst no lower bee)

Hell, the home of Pride.

Sith Hell's thy Spheare wher thou should'st ever rest,
For, on the Earth thou mov'st but to vnrest.

Thus having past these Passions of the Soule,
That areas founts from whence the lesser flow;
We are arrived (through faire waies and fowle)
Vnto the third VVombe situate below

The third wombe.

The Midrife; where the growing pow'r doth grow:
But for it is so farre remov'd from thence
From whence the Soule doth her arch-wonders show,
(Namely the Seate of the Intelligence)
Wee'l balke the same for its impertinence.

Referring it vnto Anatomists,
Who marke each Mortesse of the Bodies frame,
The Pynns, the Tenons, Beams, Bolts, VVindings, Iists,
All which they marke when they doe it vnframe:
To these Crafts-masters, I referre the same;
Suffizeth me to looke with my right

Of mine vnderstanding.

Eye
(Though it dimme sighted be and so to blame)
Into the Seate of each soules facultie,
Fixt to VVitts wonder-working Ingeny.

Yet as I could I haue the Soule exprest,
If not with proper Coulors, yet with such
As doe distinguish her kinde from the rest,
Which Kind, by kind, in Beasts & Plants doth couch:
But to paint her in each least part were much;
Philosophers haue beene to

All Philosophers have erred touching the Soule.

seeke heerein,
Although they sought but sleightly her to touch,
And haue through Error much abused bin,
VVhen her faire Picture they did but begin.

218

Crates.

For Crates said, there is no Soule at all,
But that by Nature, Bodies moued be:

Hipparchus & Leucippus.

Hipparchus, and Leucippus, Fire it call,
With whom (in sort) the Stöickes doe agree:

Democritus.

A firie Sp'rite betweene the Atomee

Diogenes.

Democritus wil haue it: and the Aire
Some say it is: the Barrell'd Cynick, hee
And with him others of another haire,
Doe thus depaint the soule, and file her faire.

The soule (say they) is Aire, the Mouth takes in,
Boil'd in the Lights, and temp'red in the Hart,
And so the body it throughout doth rin;
This is the soule (forsooth) made by their Art.

Hippias.

Hippias would haue it water, all or part:

Heliodorus

.Heliodorus held it earth confixt;
And Epicurus said it was a ( )
Namely, a Sp'rite of Fire and Aire commixt:
And Zenophontes, earth and water mixt.

A diametrical repugnancie of opinions, amōg the Philosophers touching the soul.

Thus (simple Soules!) they make the simple soule
Of simple Elements, or els compound:
Meane-while they make her (most faire creature) fowle,
And dimme her glorie which is most renownd,
Through mists of Ignorance, which them surround.
Others, of other substaunce weene it is,

Critias.

For Critias with bloud doth it confound,

Hippocrates

Hippocrates (that went as wide as this)
Said twas a thin sprite spred through our Bodis.

Some, Flesh would haue it with the senses vse;
Some the complexion of the Elements:

Galen.

And Galen doth not much the same refuse,
For to an hot Complexion he assents,

219

For so's the soule (saith he) and not repents:
Not that Complexion, (some say) but abides
In some point of it; and those Continents
They hold the Hart, or Braine, where it resides
As Queene enthron'd, and all the body guides.

Some Light would haue it, as Heraclitus;

Heraclitus.

Others, something tide to no certaine place,
But wholy present in each part of vs;
Which, whether sprong frō the Complexions grace,
Or made by God, yet they weene cleer's the case,
From Natures lap the same of force must fall.
Some others said a Quintessence it was:
Some, an vnquiet Nature moving all:
A number, some, that it selfe moues, it call.

The Caldees say it is a formelesse Force,
Which nerthelesse al forms doth apprehēd;
And Aristotle doth him selfe inforce

Aristotle.

To make the same vpon the Corpes depend;
For these his words do sort out to that end:
It is (saith he) an high perfection
Of bodie, that lifes powre doth comprehende,
Which vnderstanding giues it, sense, & motion;
This in effect is his description.

Plato (surnam'd divine) affirm'd, it is

Plato.

A divine substance which it selfe doth moue,
Indu'd with vnderstanding. He doth misse
Lesse then the rest, though Truth doth all reproue:
And Senec saith the soule is farre aboue

Seneca

The knowledge of the most intelligent;
Which speech of his Lactantius doth approue,
Thus doe they all about the soule dissent,
Aswell for substance, as where resident.

220

Hippocrates.

For in the braines Hippocrates it puts,

Strato.

And Strato, in the space betweene the eies;

Diogenes.

In the harts hollow veine the Dog it shuts,
That alwaies in a Tub enkenell'd lies:

Stoickes.

The Stoicks say, the Hart doth it comprise:

Democritus.

In al the body, saith Democritus:
In al the brest, say others as vnwise:

Hierophilus.

In the braines ventricles, saith Hierophilus:
Thus al in al were most erronious.

Empedocles.

Empedocles in bloud the same doth bound:

Galen.

Galen would haue each limb a soule to haue:
Renowned Galen, how wast thou renown'd,
That didst thy selfe so foolishly behaue!
Thus for the place they with each other straue,
And for the soules continuance no lesse.

Epicures.

The Epicure the bodie makes her Graue,
And dies and lies with it. But some confesse
Shee's capable of everlastingnesse.

Pythagoras.

Pythagoras, by transmigration
Wil haue it everlasting, or at least
As long as beasts shal haue creation;

Man is the Horizō between Angels and Beasts as far from Beasts as Angels.

For it doth passe (saith he) from Mā to beast:
What Foole could more ridiculously iest?
Yet he disciples had, and not a few,
That this grosse doctrine did with ease disgest;
Therefore no Beasts, these more beasts, euer slue
Sith they their frēds souls held, for ought they knew.

The Stoickes, held the meane tvvixt Epicures
And Pythagoreans: for that soule (they say)
That's vicious, vvhilst the body it immures,
Doth die, and vvith the bodie quite decaie:

221

But if it vertuous be, it liueth aie:
Some partes of it (as Aristotle holdes)

Aristotle.

That haue seates corp'ral, with them fal avvay:
But vnderstanding vvhich no Organ holdes,
(As free from filth) Æternitie infoldes.

Thus for their ending or continuance
Do they contend; & no lesse Christiās striue
For their beginning: some, the same advance

Christians differ touching the soules beginning.

To heav'n, and say they there did ever liue
Since Angels fel. And other some beleeue
That one soule doth another propagate:
Some others, their commencement do deriue
From time that first the Angels were create,
Which sacred Austine doth insinuate.

Others there be, who constantly affirme
That soules created are from day to day,
Which he of Aquine boldly doth confirme:

Thomas Aquinas his opinion touching the soules beginning.

For sith the soule doth forme the bodies clay,
It with the bodie must be made, they say.
Whereto agrees each moderne Schoole-divine:
So that these Men doe from each other stray
Touching the soules birth, which they mis-assigne,
“For they speake ill that cannot wel define.

And Epicures the same doe mortal make:
The Pythagoreans it doe transmigrate;
Some say, the heavens do the same retake:

Diverse opinions concerning the souls continuance.

Some put it into hell, in endlesse date:
Others would haue it earth perambulate.
Some say there's but one vniversal soule,
Whereof particulars participate;
Which saying Plato doth not much cōtrole,

Plato.

But that he would haue either to liue sole.

222

Some, make each Man two distinct soules to haue,
The Intellective, and the Sensitive,
And that the Sensitiue the parents gave,
But the Creator the Intellective:
Others, the soule doe of the same deprive,

Some make two distinct things of the Soule and vnderstanding.

For they the soule and Vnderstanding part.
Some make no difference, but doe beleeue
The Vnderstanding is the chiefest part;
Thus in Conceite they from each other start.

Some suppose that humane soules are por tions of the divine nature.

Some, held opiniō Soules are bred in Heav'n,
And of the divine Nature portions are,
Deckt with al vertue, by that Nature giv'n,
Togeather with al skill & knowledge cleare,
Which in that nature ever doe appeare:
From whence they did descend to animate
Mens bodies, which by nature filthie were;
Which did those pure Soules so cōtaminate,
That they those Skills & vertues quite forgat.

So that they could not vse thē further foorth
Then they were taught, which made thē to suppose
That what skill, vertue, or what other woorth

Our minds do remember Sci ences, not learne them. Plato.

The Soule bewrai'd, was but a minding those
It had in Heav'n, and so knowes al it knoes:
So that the portions of the divine fire
Be'ng wel neere quēcht by Blood, which thē orefloes,
Must be rekindled and made to aspire
By Doctrine, which the spirit doth desire.

Wheron they do cōclude, that sith the soule
By entring in the Body most vncleane
Is made prodigious, and extreamely fowle,
To Heav'n cānot

Truth it selfe faith, no vncleane thing can enter into the heavens. Galat. 5. 21.

returne be'ng so obscene,

223

Till it by Discipline, bee purged cleane;
And decked with the rights of her Birth-right,
Which to regaine, Instruction is the meane:
Or from the Body being parted quight,
They may be purg'd, some saie, though most vnright.

Now, when we ballance al these Arguments
In the sincere Scales of the Sanctuary,
Wee finde them viler then VVitts Excrements,
And lighter then the Skumme of Vanity:
For true it is The Blinde eates many a Fly.

A Proverb.

But that Man hath a Soule, none is so blinde,
But sees her almost with Eyes bodily:
And that shee's endlesse the dymst Eyes of Minde
By Natures dymest light, may lightly finde.

God is a sp'rite, the VVorld a Body is,

God and the world are epitomiz'd in man.

Both which in Man are plaine Epitomiz'd,
Of God hee's Abstract in that soule of his;
And in his Corps the VVorld is close cōpriz'd:
As if the divine VVisedome had devis'd
To bring into a Centers Center all
His greatnesse, that cannot be circuliz'd,
And the huge magnitude of the Earthes Ball;
For Microcosmos men Man fitly call.

Microcosmos.

Who in a Minute can the Earth surround,
And sincke vnto her Center, then ascend

The agilitie, subtilty, and capacity of the Soule.

And cōpasse, with a trice, the Heav'nly Roūd
Yea Heav'n & Earth at once doth cōprehend
Not touching either; But doth apprehend
A thousand places, without shifting place,
And in a moment ascend, and descend
To Heav'n & Hell, & each of them embrace;
It selfe being compast in a little space.

224

This, Man can doe without the Bodies aide,

Man is said to be man in respect of his humane Soule.

Then must doe it as a Man he is;
And in respect of his soule he is said
To be a Man, for by that Soule of his
And onely by that Soule, he acteth this:

When the Minde is busie the outward Senses be at rest.

Which seeth when the Bodies eyes be clos'd,
And when those Eyes bee ope, oft sight doth misse:
It travels whē the Body is repos'd,
And rests whē as the same by Toile's dispos'd.

Th'external senses may loose all their pow'r,
If but the Instruments of them decay,
Yet Life and Reason may continue sure;
But Senses stay not if Life doe not stay,

Life & Sense depend vpon the Soule.

And Life the soule doth stay or beare away:
The more the Corpes decaies, so much the more
The soule is strengthned; which sick-men bewray,
Who when their Bodies are most weake and poore,
Their Minds reveale most strength, and riches store.

The Soule is no Quality but a Substāce

Then its a substance and no Qualitee,
For Qualities in Substances subsist;
Thē that which makes another thing to Bee,
No Quality can be, but doth consist
In its owne substance, which doth sole exist:
Then sith a man's a man, that is to say
A lyving Creature with right Reason blist,
He hath a soule that forms, & him doth sway,
Else were he but a livelesse Lumpe of Clay.

Which soule is Bodilesse, else could it not

The Soule is of capacity to comprehend Heaven and Earth.

Containe so many Bodies smal and great,
By some of which it would be over-shott;
For al this All, were it much more cōpleate,

225

In it may sit, without place for a Seate.
Yet doth our bodie bound it, which is smal,
But wert a Corps it could not doe that feate;
For that which can containe Heav'n, earth, and all
Which they containe, cannot be corporall.

The more it hath, the more it vvill receiue,
The more it holdes, the more it doth desire,

The more the soule doth the more it may receiue.

The more things bee, it best doth them conceaue,
VVhether they be distinct or els intire;
All which at once may in the Soule retire
Without disturbing or annoying either:
All which t'effect doth such a Soule require,

The soule is in a sorte infinite.

That infinite had neede be altogither,
And in a sort the soule can bee no other.

We may in Minde conceaue anothers Minde;
Then, that which can conceaue things bodylesse
Can be no body (though pure as the winde)
But meerely Sp'rituall, which may haue egresse
Into each Sp'rite, and from thence make regresse,
Without those Sp'rites perceaving of the same:

We may enter into anothers minde with our mind

Then must the substance that makes such accesse
Bee immateriall in deede and name;
The soule therefore is of a sp'rituall frame.

Two formes at once of quite repugnant kinde
No Matter can receaue: but the soule can;

No matter cā hold 2. formes at one instant of contrary kindes.

Black, VVhite, Fire, Frost, Moist, Dry, these place doe finde
Without resistance in the soule of man;
Then soules wee see at Matter nere began:
Nay, sith the lesse with Matter we doe mell,

The lesse flesh the body hath the more wit the soule hath commonly.

The more we vnderstand: it followes than,
That nought can more against the soule rebell
Then matter, which the soule doth hate as Hell.

226

For, wer't Materiall, whereof ist made?
If of the Elements, how give they sense
That never Life since their creation had?
Much lesse then can they giue Intelligence,

That cannot give Sense: that is sēslesse, nor intelligence that is vnintellectual

In whom nor Life nor sense hath residence:
A Body's meerely Passive; But the Sp'rite
Is absolutely Active: And from thence
The Bodies Actions doe derive their might,
Or els no Limbe could stirr or wrōg, or right.

And that the soule is an immortall Minde
(Not mortall, like the Body) doth appeere,
That whereas Time in his turnes, vp doth winde
The Bodies substāce, which those turnes doe weare;

The Soule not subiect to Time.

Yet can those motions, the soule nothing steere;
But to more staidnesse, they the same doe turne,
And make her more immortall (as it were)
VVho (like the Pow'r divine) can Time adiorne,
Or make it stay, or it quite overturne.

The Time past, present, or to come, are all
(As to the soules sire) present to the soule,
VVhich makes her matterlesse and immortall;
For that which can stay Time, when he doth rowle,
Must be Divine, nought else can Time controule:

Time is the Soules subiect

Then Time is subiect to the soule (wee see)
VVhich as his Sov'raigne him doth over-rule,
And though in Time the soule was made to Bee,
Yet shee makes Times turnes to her tunes agree.

The Soules food (Truth) argues shee is immortall like her foode.

Beside, her Food doth her immortall make,
For mortall Creatures feede on mortall things,
As Beastes on Grasse, and Beasts mens hunger slake;
But shee doth feede on Truth, which truely bringes

227

Immortall state without al varyings:
For Truth's as free from al corruption,
As from Tymes Turnes & restlesse alterings,
Thē sith the Soule doth feede on Truth alone,
It needs must be immortall in Reason.

What soule can doubt her immortality,

The doubt of our Soules immortality, prooves their immortality.

But such as is immortal? for that doubt
Doth rise frō Reas'ns discourse ingeniously;
Then if by Reason shee brought that about
That souls are mortal: That soul's not without
The pow'r of Reason: & who hath that pow'r,
Must needs be of that rare Cœlestial Route,
Which Iron Teeth of Time cannot devoure:
For Reas'n made Time, and past Time doth endure.

God the Foun taine of Reason.

No Soule humane but covetts stil to Bee,
VVhich could not be if shee but mortal were:

The eternitie past, overwhelmes the Soule as being too great for her capacitie, but that which is to come she can and doth cōceave.

VVhen shee lookes backe Æternitie to see,
Shee sees she cannot past beginnings beare;
But be'ng begun would faine past Time appeere:
Then how is it that Men are al so faine
If Nature therevnto all doe not steere?
But how ist naturall if it be

Nature made nothing in vaine.

vaine?
And vaine it is, if it doe nought obtaine.

If ever thou resolved wer't to dye,
Consider how thy Soule discoursed then:
Coulde shee perswade her selfe that shee must fly

The Soule cānot possiblie perswade her selfe that shee is mortall.

(Sith shee was made of nought) to nought agen,
And as Beastes died, so did mortal Men?
Maugre thy soule while shee doth thus discourse,
Shee slipps from al Conclusions, and doth ren
Quite from her selfe by Natures proper force,
To weigh which way she wends, free'd frō her Corse.

228

The damned Epicurean-Libertine
At Deathes approach, (stirr'd vp by Natures might)
To Life immortall would his Soule resigne;

No Athist but would faine dye the death of the righteous.

And in his soule resistlesse reasons fight,
To proue the soule immortal by Birth-right:
Doe what he can his Thoughts to pacifie
Whiles they immortal striue to make his Spright,
He cannot for his soule them satisfie,
But they wil stil beleeve shee cannot die.

If one weake thought say thy soul's but a Blast,
That with thy Breath is vapored to nought;
A stronger thought saith it doth ever last,
For nought can mortal be, that hath that thought:

The Soule is taught by naturall reason, & by the light of nature that shee is immortall.

By Reason thus the soule is inly taught.
If wandring thoughts perswade that Soules depend
On that which Nature in the Bodie wrought,
Domestick thoughts against those thoughts contend,
And say, Soules Bodilesse can never end.

They came from God, to him themselues they lift,
They mount as high as they dismounted bee;

Simil.

Ev'n as a Fountaine doth her Current shift
As high, as it descended, naturallie:
So Soules doe mount to him of whome they Bee.
Beastes know no more but natures partes externe,
But our soules into Natures secrets see;
Nay stay not there, but they thereby doe learne
VVho gaue them sight such secrets to discerne.

Some say the Soule and Bodie are but one,
Because their outward Sense perceaues no more:
They might denie God too by like reason
Because they see him not: yet evermore

229

They see his deedes, for which we him adore.
Then let the actions of thy soule perswade

The actions of our Soules proue their immortalitie.

Thy thoughts thou hast a soule; & let the lore
Which God in her infus'd, whē he her made,
Teach thee to know that thy soul cānot fade.

The soule consists not by the outward

The Soule is not subiect to the impression of the Senses because she is of an incorporall nature.

sense,
But by the soule the outward sense consists:
The outward sense hath no Intelligence,
(VVhich in and by an Instrument subsists)
But as an Instrument sense her assists:
The sense can see a Fort, but if w'inferre,
Men made the same, and it the Foe resists,
This doth surmoūt the outward senses farre,
And doth conclude, our soules aboue thē are.

The Soules discourse surmountes the reach of the outward sense

Our Reason often giues our sense the lye,
Whē sense would misinforme th'Intelligēce:
For sense gaine-saies the Heav'ns pluralitie,
But Reason proues the same by consequence:
The Moone at full hath greatest light saith sense,

Our Reason doth oft correct our erring sense.

But Reason by cleere Demonstration
Doth proue her then to haue least radience:
Then Reason by this illustration
The soule, not sense, makes Her foundation.

The Sunn's one hundred sixtie six times more

The Sunnes magnitude.

Then the Earthes Globe in compasse; but the sense
VVith Tooth and Naile with-stands it evermore,
And saies, (nay sweares) ther's no lesse difference
Then twixt the Center and Circumference:
But Reason by right Rules them both doth meate,
VVhich shee hath made by her experience;
And findes the Sunne (as erst we said) more great
By

Demonstration is the Piller wheron al sciēce depēds.

Demonstration more then most compleate.

230

We by our soules conceaue (as erst was said)
VVisedome and knowledge bee'ng incorporal:
But outvvard sense is altogither stai'd,
On qualities of things meere corporall:
The soule, by reason, makes rules general

The Soule makes generall rules of many particulers: but sense insists vpon particulers.

Of things particuler: but sense doth goe
But to particulers material;
The soule by the effect the cause doth sho,
But sense no more but bare effectes doth kno.

The true essēce of things is vnknowne; and to man knowne by their accidēts and actions.

The proper essence of things is obscur'd,
And by themselues of vs cannot be knowne:
Therefore the knowledge of them is procur'd
By accidents and actions of their owne,
Which to the soule by wits discourse is showne;

Who vn-derstādeth his waies? and the storm that no man can see? for the most part of his works are hid Eccle. 16. 21.

For, she concludes by Reasons consequents
(Though of themselues they meerely are vnknown)
That thus they are; which high experiments
Lie farre aboue the reach of sense ascents.

In thē which wil not vnderstand true doctrine ignorance is sinne, and in them which cānot, it is the paine of sinne.

In them which wil not vnderstand this Truth,
Their ignorance is sinne most pestilent;
But they which cannot, (ah the more the ruth)
Their ignorance, of sinne's the punishment:
And who denies a Truth so evident,
Hath neither grace, nor sense; for all may see
The soul's immortal, and divinely bent,
And hath most force when shee from flesh is free,
Which proues her powre and immortalitee.

If soules and bodies then be so distinct,

The soule is free from sin as shee was made by God.

And that the soule, as she of God was made,
Is free from sinne, and by her owne instinct
Shee hates that sense that doth to sinne perswade,

231

How is it then that shee should be so bad?

Sinne deriues her force frō the soule. To God all things are law full that like him, and nothing likes him that is vnlawfull.

For from the soule, sinne doth her force deriue,
Which with her waight the body doth orelade;
Can shee both cause, and yet against sinne striue?
Shee may (quoth All) but few doe it beleeue.

This is a Gulffe that swallowes vp the soule,
And quite confounds her, if shee enters it:
This secret deepe, deepe wisedome did enroule,
In that still-closed booke of secrets, fit
For Her alone to know, not erring wit.
Therefore the more presumption we show
In search hereof, the more are we vnfit
A secret so vnknowne as this, to know:
For they know most thereof whose sp'rits are low.

The lesse sobrietie vve vse herein,
The more we

Some certaine things though true are not vttered of God without dāger whō we seem best to knowe when we confesse him and his councels to be incomprehensible.

erre in by-pathes of Offence;
And (giddy-headed) headlong fal to sinne,
From which we hardly rise by penitence;
For sinnes presumptuous, grace doe most incense.
Then let vs

In doubtfull matters wherin we may be ignorant without danger, it were better suspend out iudgements then offer occasion of contention Calv.

curbe our head-strong thoughts, when they
Would run beyond the reach of sapience;
And make them stop, where wisdome points a stay,
That is, to go no further then they

Warrantably.

may.

Many a curious Question hath bin mou'd
Touching this

Divine matters are ful of obscurity. Cat.

secret, and no fewer Iarres
Hath it procur'd; and all to be reprou'd;
Sith ev'ry one his owne conceite preferres,
Which to maintaine, stil maintaines wilful warres.

This secret must be lookt vnto not into.

Some so desire to know, that faine they would
Breake through the

Faithfull ignoraunce is better then rash knoweledge.

Bounde that humane knowledge barres
To pry into His brest which doth infold
Secrets vnknowne: These, strange opinions hold

232

But let it vs suffize thus much to know,
That though the soule cannot be soild with sinne
As God created her; yet sinne doth flow
From

Sinne flowes from Adam to the soule, and enters into her when she first giues motion to the body. The fault of Adam only infects the soule

Adam to the soule; and enters in
When shee the bodie doth to moue begin:
Nor must we make her sinnefull in respect
Shee with the Corpes is Cas'd, as soild therein,
But make the Fault of Adam her infect,
VVhich is, indeede, sole cause of that effect.

At large to proue her immortalitie,
I should (like her) well-neere be

It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profoūd deepnesse, who cā finde it? Eccl. 7. 26.

infinite;
For, if the Image of the Deity
Bee found in Man, in his soule it is right:
And though by Adam shee bee made vnright,
Yet by the second Adam (full of grace)
Shee is againe

Since the elementary & diuine partes of Mā are corrupted one by another and both from Adā, they must be borne againe, by elementary & divine meanes, by Water and the Spirit.

reform'd and made vpright,
Which makes her striue when sin would her deface,
To foile it, or at least not giue it place.

Inough my Muse of that, vvhich nere ynough
Can well be said, and let me (restlesse) rest;
For, I must ply my Penne which is my Plough,

Eccl. 25. 3.

Sith my lifes sunne is almost in the VVest,
And I provided yet but for vnrest:
Time flies avvay, these Numbers number time,
But goodes they number not: for their int'rest
Is nought but Aire, which though to heau'n it clime,
Is but meere Vapor rising but from slime.

There is no end in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearinesse of the Flesh. Eccles. 12. 12.

Yet this we doe, and pleasure take in toile
Although we doe but plow the barraine Soile.

FINIS.