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110

RIGHTS OF THE LIVING, AND THE DEAD:

Being, A proper Appendix to the precedent Meditations.

[110]

A Funerall Elegie,

on the death of the most vertuous, and no lesse louely, Mirs. Elizabeth Dutton; eldest Daughter of the Worthy, and generally beloued Sir Thomas Egerton Knight, eldest Sonne to the right Honorable, Thomas, Lord Elesmere, Lord Chancellor of England: which Elizabeth was, at the age of eleuen yeeres, married to Iohn Dutton, of the age of fifteene yeeres, Sonne and Heyre of Thomas Dutton, of Dutton, in the Countie of Chester Esquier: which Iohn, deceased about the age of seauenteene yeeres, and left the said Elizabeth a Virgin-Widow: who so liued till shee died the first of October, at the age of six-teene yeeres and a halfe, in Anno 1611.

111

A Virgin, Wife, and Widow, three that One
Held rarely perfect in like Vnion,
Incites my Muse; nay, more, doth her cōstrain
To empt my Pen of Praise, of Wit my Braine
In her deserued honor: she whose all
Was nought but good; yet so, as we may call
That good but nought (and iustly) if the same
Giue not her goodnesse glory more than fame!
A Maide, in whom Virginitie gaue place
(Though most exact) to Modestie and Grace.
A Wife (who like old Iosephs blessed Bride)
Though wedded, but vnbedded till she dide,
Yet from her came, on her by Grace begot,
Faith, Feare and Dutie, in a True-loue knot,
Till his decease, to whom these three she bare:
And after, for him, nurst them still with care.
She liu'd a Widow; but t'was hard to know
Whether she liu'd or dide when she was so:
Sith when she lost her Pheare, she lost her Breath;
For, Turtle-like, she mourn'd and droupt to death.
But while t'was losing she such Patience wanne
(By his Death mortifide) as she beganne
(Before her end) her Heau'n on Earth thereby,
In hope to liue with Him when Life should die.
So, in her Patience, she her Soule possest
Her God; in whom her Soule, with his, did rest;
Yet rested so, that still (vnseene) she mou'd
to both deuoutly, whom so much she lou'd!
Poets can shape of things that grace forsakes
Farre rarer things than grace or nature makes.
[111]

But let all Poets all their Arte vnite
To fable praise, the morall is her right.
Nature profusely had on her bestow'd
(Borrowing of grace) more grace then e'er she ow'd!
And grace (as enuying Natures Gifts, so rare)
Vnlockt the Heau'ns where all her Treasures are,
And showr'd them downe so on this deerest Maide,
As she for worth, an Angell should haue waide.
Wit for her worth can ne'er hiperbolize;
Much lesse a Poet in it Poetize;
Sith what or Wit or Poetry can praise
(With their best Arte) was found in her: then raise
Her vp my Muse, ere she be rais'd, at last;
And her enthrone in glory high as fast:
That when the Virgin, whom all Virgins blesse.,
Shall, for her graces, see her gloriousnesse
In Heau'n and Earth, she may (as worthy her)
Enbozome her, or fixe her in a Starre,
Whose Name and Fame while mortall Virgins liue,
To them, with hers, may Light and Vertue giue!
For this, her Soule still labour'd to be gone,
T'returne her Errand of Creation:
As fiery Matter working in a Cloud
Breakes through, for want of Matter it to shrowde:
So Soules, with stirring much, are said to fire
The best Complexions; and (so) home retire.
But, Sicknesse (ah too sweet-lipt) suckt her Bloud,
That she had none to fire in likelihood:
And so her vitall-flame, vnnourished;
Her Soule through coldnesse, left her body dead.
112

A short life made her Virgin, Widow, Wife,
But, well she liu'd, which is the Well of life.
This old World was vnworthy such a Iemme,
Therefore she shines in new Ierusalem!
I best can witnesse how her time she spent,
Who taught her hand to shew her hearts entent:
Then may I best renowne (for knowne desert)
The Pupill of my Hand that had my Heart.
Thou hadst my Heart (deare Pupill) sith in thee
Was all that might intirely master me.
And did my Pow'r but equall halfe my Will,
Laura should be thy Foile: for, I (by skill)
Would set thee so aboue her, that thy light
(With poynant Beames) should thrust through Earth and Night:
For, when Formositie and Vertue striue
In one sole Subiect for Prerogatiue,
That Subiects praise must raigne (all Tearmes aboue)
In height of Glory, Memory, and Loue!
The Grand-sire of thy Flesh in Earth's renown'd;
And thy spirits Grand-sire King of Heau'n is crown'd:
Thou liuing, then, as comming from such Sires,
Our Songs must answere the Celestiall Quires,
That chant the praise of Vertue in their King,
In whom thou art, then we on earth must sing
Thy praise in his, sith his all praise containes:
So thine in his, eternall glory gaines!
To thee then sing I, as I sing of Thee,
Who art sole Base of this high Harmony:
For, knowing Tombes haue ends as well as wasts,
And that strong Rime their ruine farre out-lasts,
[112]

My Muse shall labour on this ground of Fame,
To raise a Pile of Rime, whereon thy Name
Shall euer shine, through Wits Celestiall Flashes,
Vntill another Phœnix of the Ashes
Produced be; that when it eft shall burne
In those eternall flames, it eft may turne
To pristine plight; and by such alteration,
Liue Phœnix-like (still bright) in admiration!
We waile their want whose Liues our wants supplide,
Not weighing how they liu'd, but when they dide:
For, the best liuers here, doe liuing dye;
But after death they liue immortally.
Children and Fooles are angry still with those
That, to distill; disleaue the fairest Rose;
Not pond'ring how the sweetnesse in the Iuyce
Is so increast, and longer lasts for vse:
So, we that see this Rose (whose hue and breath
Celestiall were) diuided so by Death,
Though it for heau'nly purposes be done,
Yet still our thoughts but on the spoile doe runne.
But ô be't farre from vs, to thinke thee spoil'd
In liuing blest, and dying so vnsoil'd:
No: we thy Memory will celebrate;
Whose weale we waile not, but reioyce thereat.
If in this Paper Monument there be
One Ornament of Arte that's worthy thee,
Or any Worke of Wit that may retaine
Thy Memory; my Labour for my Paine
Is too great Meede; sith by the same I show
Times future, what will better them to know.
113

So, shall I in thy Praise include mine owne;
And making thee so knowne still, still be knowne:
For, if this Shrine chance to be visited
By any, that regard the worthy dead,
It may be they will thinke me worthy Loue,
That on this Pile did all my cunning proue.
Th'Egyptians with their Pirameds did striue
(Against the Heau'ns) to keepe such, dead, aliue:
And Artemisia with a matchlesse Tombe
Makes her Mausolus liue vntill the doome:
Though It be now demolished and gone;
Yet is he knowne by It, as It was knowne.
And Wit, but with meere Words, hath often rais'd
A Monument of Praise, farre longer prais'd.
Then may this Worke, which but weake words erect,
(Vpon so sure a Ground) worke like effect.
The Name of Egerton she doth renowne;
And

Dutton.

that by which she last of all was known:
Nay, had she had, by Fortune, all the Names
That Wit for Natures vilest Creatures frames,
Sh'had so much Grace consorting still her Bloud
As to haue made them all as great as good!
The Dayes of old did lay their Macchabes
Vnder Worlds-wonders, huge Piramides!
Semiramis, in her bright Polymite:
And Cyrus, in his Obelisk as bright.
In his Columna they Augustus shut:
And in his Mole-magno, Hadrian put.
Alaricus, the Gothe that ruinde Rome,
In his rich Rubico they did entombe.
[113]

Those, dead, yet liu'd by these: and these againe,
Liue yet by those, though nought of them remaine!
But, were I able, I my Saint would shrine
Within the mouthes of Angels most diuine;
Sith they out-last all Worlds, that Time doth end,
And haue (of creatures) best mouthes to commend!
But liue (sweet Saint) in mine immortall Rime
(Made by thy vertue such) past Tombes and Time:
For, if eternall Vertue cannot dye,
Then thou must liue, till She doth ruin'd lye.
Farewell, deare Maide (whose body (like a soule)
Had pow'r t'inflame the Loue it did controule)
Farewell while we, by thy deare losse fare ill;
That is; while griefes doe grow the Heart to fill:
For she that held all Hearts (by her deserts)
To her entire, her Death must breake all Hearts.
Ye Ladyes (that (aliue) doe inly loue
So much o'er-weening that doth mortall proue)
Looke not ascue, nor turne the Head aside
(As if you could no Praise but yours abide)
At these iust Praises (Relickes of the Dead)
But learne by them to be so honoured.
“Enuy doth leaue the Enui'd at the Graue;
That Fort from Enuy should the Vertuous saue:
Then (ô) exalt these Lauds, vnlesse you will
Be rather pittied, then enuide still.
Poets (I grant) haue libertie to giue
More height to Grace, then the Superlatiue:
So hath a Painter licence too, to paint
A Saint-like face, till it the Saint out saint.
114

But Truth (which now mine Art to shaddow striues)
Makes licence larger by the grace she giues.
But yet,
To say thou wast the Forme, (that is the soule)
Of all this All; I should thee misenroule
In Booke of Life; which (on the Earth) they keepe
That of Arts fountaines haue carowsed deepe.
Nay, so I should displease and wrong thee both:
For, vniust praise thou canst not chose but lothe,
That lothed'st it here; then there, more (past compare)
For, hee's the Soule of All by whom they are.
But I may say, (and none the same gainsayes)
Thou art the soule of this thy World of Praise!
Whose soule did animate thy small-world too
To be the soule of all that here I doe.
Oft haue I seene thee, (nay I see thee yet,
Whose face and manners I shall ne'er forget)
When as thine eares had heard, or eyes had seene
Ought that to Vertue had offensiue beene,
Thy face and brest with that faire blush o'erflow
Which Modestie (not Bashfulnesse) doth owe.
In these bold Times it's held a Tricke too fresh
Of vnbred Indians, so to paint the flesh
For any cause: but, this is but th'effect
Of Impudence, the Times soules chiefe affect.
No Parts (if laudable) at Court requir'd:
But they attir'd thee in thy state retir'd,
Yet thou so modestly didst act them still
As that the light'st seem'd graue against their will!
[114]

What shall I say? in thee was nought so small
That was not greatly prais'd and lou'd of All!
This shewes thy Mother true vnto thy Sire,
Whose worths, in loue, set all the World on fire!
Thou, his true Daughter, likewise dost the same,
While thou goest through Obliuion by the flame!
The Soule a two-fold action hath; that is,
Originall, and Instrumentall; this
By Nature doth the like produce; but that
(Meere Intellectual) doth not generate.
Though Nature yet, could not so high aspire,
Thou, in thy spirit, wast like thine honor'd Sire
By speciall grace of Heau'n; for, in your Birth
Such Planets met, as deckt and ioyde the Earth.
But ô! too soone the earth quite lost that Ioy;
And in that losse found infinite Annoy.
Such is the staylesse state of Things below,
That doe but vanish while they seeme to grow!
Beneath the Moone, all is but like the Moone,
Constant in nothing but in changing soone:
And so will be while they remaine beneath;
Resting from changing onely but in Death:
As when the Whirle-windes (in their wheeling play)
Pursue their Turnes, till, in their Center, they
Returne into themselues: so, Nature goes
On in her Course (which first from forme arose.)
Vntill this World of forme be dispossest,
And Nature in the Chaos, takes her rest.
That Time runs round, by this dark Riddle's bright;
A Father hath twelue sonnes halfe blacke, halfe white,
115

And eu'ry sonne hath thirty, which still liue;
And when their sires decease, they them reuiue:
So sire and sons still die, but die in vaine;
For, still the thirty them reuiue againe,
And yet these thirty eu'ry Month doe die;
Yet eu'ry Month they liue immortally!
Thus, by a Yeare (which euermore doth raise
Twelue months (like sons) and each month thirty dayes)
Time turnes o'er All, and All doth ouer-turne,
Till in the later day himselfe shall burne;
And then Eternitie shall take his Roome,
In which is nothing past, nor yet to come;
Wherein the subiect of my Song still is
A glorious Angell in the height of Blisse!
Atheist, stand farre from this her sacred shrine:
For, thou art foe to all that is diuine:
Thou dost beleeue where ere her Corpes consumes,
There perisheth her soule, which ne'er assumes
The same againe: but (ô her flesh shall rise
(As doth her fame) aboue both death and skies.
And why shoudlest thou the Resurrection doubt,
When Clouds of Proofes so compasse it about?
Some write that Swallowes drown'd are in the Deepe,
In Winter; and, in Summer, rise from sleepe,
The Fly in Winter, dyes; in Summer, liues;
And, being drown'd, warme Ashes her reuiues.
The Vrchin of the Sea, in pieces rent,
Re-water'd, ioynes, and liues incontenent!
Each Graine that rots before the same doth spring
Is a true figure of this reall thing.
[115]

Each Plant, which in the Winter (seeming) dyes,
And springs in Summer, shewes men, dead, shall rise.
Say a man famisht, into Aire were past,
Yet Aire shall yeeld what it receiues at last
As well as Earth, and Seas shall yeeld their dead;
Though on them (vanisht) Wormes or Fish haue fed.
At first, they gaue, what they did not receiue;
Then, what they take, shall they not rather giue?
He that, but with a Word, made Man of nought,
Can he not raise him, dead, now he is ought?
If no: his Arme wants wonted pow'r, and length;
Or else wants knowledge to imploy his strength.
But in th' Almighty none of these appeare,
That knew our smallest Portions ere they were.
If Nothing were the point from whence did rise
Creation, it may be the Point likewise
Of Resurrection; but it Something is
That shall be rais'd: the easier then is this.
Say Men eate Men, through some hard exigent,
And them conuerted haue to nutriment,
Yet shall their Excrement (how ere vnmeete)
At last yeeld vp their Relickes pure as sweet!
For, at that Day each man shall put on fresh
Flesh of his owne, and not anothers flesh.
And though he fed of others, that shall be
Restor'd the owner, be it he or she.
And Beasts of prey, that oft on Men doe feed,
Doe die; and of them Flies or Wormes doe breed.
Those Flies and Wormes are often food for Fish,
And they againe come often to our dish;
116

All this may be: and so a Man may goe
Through Beasts, Fish, Fowle, and Vermine too and fro,
And neuer rest, though he be dead, till he
From that base Progresse lastly raised be.
Yet he that well knew All ere ought was made,
Knowes where what ere created is, doth vade;
And, can, but with a thought re-gather it;
And make it in the proper figure knit!
For, if t'were worthy Gods Creation erst,
To make Man subiect to a fall at first;
It's farre more worthy for his powrefull hand
To raise him, dead, eternally to stand:
For, Death is but a sleepe: and as a Man
Can wake Men, sleeping: so, th'Almightie can,
Raise vp the dead so much more easily
As matchlesse Pow'r doth passe Infirmitie.
If Heau'n be iust, and there be Prouidence;
Then we shall rise when we are falne from hence:
For, if the good, in this Life, finde but Woes,
And no Ioy in the next, most curst are those.
Nay, most bruit Beasts more happie are than they
Who here doe most of all Watch, fast and pray.
The Rod of Moses turned to a Snake,
Shewes God of one thing, can another make.
And shall he not (so, faile vs in our trust)
Restore man to himselfe, when he is dust?
O Heaueus fore-fend, we should once so conceiue;
For, God can neither alter nor deceiue!
Our Bodies are his seede; Church-yards and Graues
Are all his Seed-plots, where his Seede he saues
[116]

By sowing to corrupt, to rise againe
Most incorrupt; and so, by losse, to gaine.
In the Cadauer, some haue thought some Bone
Retaines the Seede of Resurrection;
Which kept from rotting by th'Almighties force,
Should raise, at last, the Worme-consumed Corse!
Some say, that in the Teeth that Seede doth lie,
Sith Earth, Aire, Fire them hardly putrifie.
But we beleeue this Seed (and doe not doubt)
Is not within the Body, but without:
For, when the Trumpe shall sound, the dead shal peep
Out of their graues, as newly wakt from sleepe.
By that great Pow'r that, there, asleepe them laid:
Then in that Pow'r that Seede is solely staid.
But, some doe say, our Bodies cannot rise
From Earth to Heau'n, for that aboue the Skies
No nasty Body can remaine; because
Such to the Center Nature euer drawes.
Fond men! they know not, then our Flesh shall be
Not chang'd in Substance, but in Qualitie.
Our Bodies shall be Heau'nly; so they shall
Agree with any place Celestiall.
Our blessed Sauiours Body, once like ours,
(Saue that it could not sinne) those heau'nly Tow'rs;
Doe now enwall: then, in that Heau'n of blisse,
Why, by his Pow'r, may ours not stay with his?
That Water hangs in th'Aire who doth not know?
And by the Load-stone heauy Iron doth so.
If Nature can doe this; what can perswade
Gods Pow'r is lesse then Natures, which he made?
117

No, no, his Pow'r, that doth all pow'r comprise,
Can flesh refine, t'inhabite (so) the Skies!
By which high Pow'r and his diuinest Grace
There rests my Saint, as in her proper place.
Her Soule there rests; and in those heauenly Bowres
Her Body shall, when it shall rise with ours.
Which while (too short a while) it soiourn'd here,
It did celestiall to all Eyes appeare.
Then, may a little mending make it fit
For Heau'n, that was so heau'nly out of it!
Thou wast (rare Maide) aliue,s' Angelicall,
That, dead, thy dust is Metaphisicall.
If some shall muse why I contemplate Thee
Among his Praises that most praisefull be,
Let it suffice them, t'was of purpose done,
To praise thee, Starre, for light had of this Sunne,
Within the Volume that includes his praise
(That nought includes) so his in thine to raise:
As when we laud the light the Sunne doth giue
We praise the Giuer in the Gift; and striue
(When most we praise the Taker) to renowne
The Giuers praise, for gracing so his owne:
So, and none otherwise, I praise the Grace
Appearing in the Soule, Limbes, Eyes, and Face
Of Natures Maister-piece this goodly Maide;
Of whom all good, can neuer ill be said.
If so much heau'nly Grace, and Gifts of Nature
(As Vertue, Beautie, rarest Forme and Stature)
Should not be grac'd by them they good; then I
May say, the better'd are the worse thereby:
[117]

For, still th'ungratefull for a Benefit,
(Though bound) are free from Honestie and Wit.
And though the vertuous, for their Vertues sake,
Looke not for praise; but striue it to forsake,
(To keepe them humble) yet each vertuous Wit
Should honour Vertue for selfe-benefit.
And sith Posteritie doth light receiue
To runne to Honor by the Lines we leaue
From Vertue drawne; we should be drawing still
The Lines that (drawing) lead vp Honors Hill.
The Highest Pow'r and Grace, by oath, hath vow'd
To honour them (among the multitude
Of Men and Angels) that are good; then she
That was so good, of both must honour'd be!
Celestiall Maide, if from the heau'nly Spheare,
What Mortals doe, thou canst or see, or heare,
Be not displeas'd that my vntutor'd Penne
Should teach thy praise, to teach all Maides and Men
The way to Honor: nor, that in its Mouth
(That oft doth fable) it should take this Truth.
I was thy Teacher, though (vnworthy) I
Might (old) learne of thee (young) to liue and die.
Yet sith it is th'Oblation of my Zeale,
Which I doe offer for the Common-weale
In thy deare Memory; thou wilt (I hope)
Acquite me from Presumption; sith my scope
Was but thy glory, and the Peoples good,
Which in great light, goe right in likelihood.
I must confesse a Priest of Phebus, late,
Vpon like Text so well did meditate,
118

That with a sinlesse Enuy I doe runne
In his Soules Progresse, till it all be DONNE.
But, he hath got the start in setting forth
Before me, in the Trauell of that WORTH:
And me out-gone in Knowledge eu'ry way
Of the Soules Progresse to her finall stay.
But his sweet Saint did vsher mine therein;
(Most blest in that) so, he must needs beginne;
And read vpon the rude Anatomy
Of this dead World; that, now, doth putrifie.
Yet greater Will, to this great Enterprise
(Which in great Matters solely doth suffice)
He cannot bring than I: nor, can (much lesse)
Renowne more Worth than is in WORTHINES!
Such were they both: for, such a worthy PAIRE
(Of louely vertuous Maides, as good as faire)
Selfe-Worthinesse can scarse produce, sith they
Liu'd like Celestiall Spirits, immur'd in Clay!
And if all-powerfull Loue can All performe,
That in it hath rare Matter, or like Forme,
Then should my Lines haue both so'accomplished,
As from the Graue to Heauen should draw the Dead:
Or, with her Taper pointed-beaming Name,
Naile her to Heau'n, and in Heau'n clench the same!
Hold Muse, no more: (thou hast too large a scope,
To proue thy Pinnions: for, the Heau'nly Coape
Infolds no more) and take thy leaue anon
Of Her thou ne'er shalt leaue to muse vpon.
Thou maist be tir'd; but ne'er canst flye about
The Inside of her praise, much lesse the out.
[118]

Then stouping here, with reuerence, griefe and loue,
Bid her adue; and, with that bidding, moue
Thy selfe to teares; but, if thou canst not so,
Shew thy selfe willing by the dryest woe:
For, neuer had I greater cause of griefe;
Sith while she liu'd, I ioy'd, in painefull life:
But now, am left all solitary-sad
To waile her death, whose life made Sorrow glad!
O! had it pleas'd the Heau'ns, by their Decree,
T'haue made my Pupill learn'd t'haue dide of mee,
(And mine example) I had beene at rest,
And she liue blessed long, to dye as blest.
I, like a wither'd Pine, no fruit produce;
Of whom there is no Care, no hope, no vse.
I burden but the Earth, and keepe a place
Of one (perhaps) that should haue greater grace:
Opprest with Cares that quite crush out the Sappe
That feeds my Life; now throwne off Natures Lappe.
I solely sit, and tell the saddest houres,
That euer yet impeached vitall powres.
Obscur'd by Fate, yet made a Marke by fame;
Whereat fooles, often, shoote their Bolts, in game.
Yet, liue as buried (that I learn'd of thee
Deare Pupill) while the World goes ouer mee.
Praying for patience still to vnder-ly
The heauie waight of this Worlds iniurie.
Oft haue I beene enbozomed by Lords;
But all the warmth I found there, was but Words.
And though I scarse did moue, yet scarse they would
There let me lie, though there I lay acold;
119

But, as I had some biting Vermine bin,
Out must I, mou'd I but for warmth therein.
Or els so lie, as I were better out;
Sith there I lay as dead, yet liu'd in doubt:
In doubt I should haue nothing but a place
In th'outward Roome but of their Idle Grace.
In doubt black mouths should blot me in their Bookes
That make few Schollers; and in doubt my Hookes
Would hold no longer to hang on (ô Griefe!)
This hanging's worse then hanging of a Theefe!
An Halter soone abridgeth bale and breath;
But hanging on mens sleeues, is double death.
To hang in hope of that which doubt doth stay
Is worse then hanging till the later-DAY.
Doubt stayes that meede that merit hopes for, oft,
Lest Meede should but make Merit looke aloft;
Or, quite leaue working, sith it hath no neede;
Therefore the great doe still with-hold this Meede:
For, to themselues they say; If we should fill
The well-deseruing-empty (working still)
They would but rest: than, well wee'l them intreat
Yet keepe them hungry still to worke for meat.
Fate, but to State this priuiledge affords;
And but the meane, without meanes, worke for words.
Yet worke they must, sith Aire the great doe giue:
For, if they haue their hate they cannot liue.
Their Loue doth little boote; but ô their breath
Blowes downe, in hate, a poore Relict to death.
These miseries I ranne through, and did trye
These deare Conclusions but in miserie;
[119]

Hoping for that which but my hopes deceiu'd;
And me of hope and life, almost, bereau'd.
Till I (to stand) from these was faine to fall
To serue two Lords that serue me, now, withall:
The one immortall, th'other mortall is;
Who serue my turne for what my life doth misse:
Which, for it's still amisse, still misseth that
Which makes men gracious, and (so) fortunate:
But he, who knowes all, knowes (perhaps) it's best
For me to liue with little, in vnrest:
For, neuer since I first could moue, had I
A better life than those that (liuing) dye.
I neuer yet possest one day of ioy
That was not lin'd or hem'd with some annoy.
The Kingly Preacher in his weale found woe;
But I in thwarts, for those alone I know.
These made me old in youth: for, Sol had runne
Scarse thirty yeeres before my dayes were done;
And to his course ere fiue more added were,
Blacke Daies (like Nights) in gray had dide my Haire.
Yet neuer Crosse on me so sad did sit
As this deare losse; whereof this benefit
To me acrewes, that (now) each pressing woe
Stands farre without this, and this keepes them so.
I say I greatly grieue; yet seeme to faine:
For, great griefes neuer greatly could complaine:
That is, when Sorrowes floud the Banckes doth fill,
It noiselesse runnes, and smoothly glideth still:
But if the Current once the Brimmes get o'er,
Twill roughly runne; or, stopt, will rage and rore.
120

But, ô, that tyrant Time will silence me
Before my griefes are vtter'd as they be:
Farewell then, my griefes Cause, who wast th'effect
Of all the ioy my life did well elect:
Farewell, in Him, on whom who fares is well;
And, while I liue, Ile be the leading-Bell
That shall thy lowdest Peales of prayses ring
Which in the Clouds shall ne'er leaue ecchoing!
Or, be the Trumpet of thy Fame to fill
Th'Ætheriall Lofts with Straines more lofty still!
That when Times wings his Funerall flame consumes
Thy Fame shall soare with faire vnsinged Plumes!

An Epitaph on the death of the right vertuous Lady Liegh;

sole Daughter of the same right Honourable, Lord Elesmere, Lord Chancellor of England: which Lady deceased the third day of Aprill, Anno Dom. 1612.

Here dead shee lies; who while aliue she was,
was Graces Inne; Wits Home, and Vertues Rest:
Whose WORTH was of true Worthinesse a Masse:
yet well proportion'd for her humble Brest.
[120]

A Wife and Mother! as it's hard to say,
whose losse was great'st, her childrens, or her pheares:
To eyther wisely kinde; to each a stay;
that made one, loue; the other, loue and feare.
To her all-honour'd Sire, she was as deare,
as she was vertuous; which was as the bloud
In his Hearts Center; which to him is neare;
yet dearer held his flesh in one so good!
Who dide (as liue she did) in grace and peace,
more laden with good-deeds then idle-dayes:
Leauing her worth (for worthinesse increase)
for Wiues vnborne, to imitate and praise.
Who had at once, two Husbands; yet she liu'd
of Wifely truth a constant Paragon:
One Husband heauenly was; who hath depriu'd
the Earthly of her, for himselfe alone.
Yet, yer he had her, bought her with his Bloud:
But, with her, bought a World of Womanhood!
Then, maugre Time, & Death these Lines, tho weake,
May leade all Times all good of her to speake!
Here Muse, now close the Paper-tombes of these
Two vertuous Soules, and Bodyes; Aunt and Neece.

with this,
A good Name is better then a good Ointment: and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.

Eccles. 7. 3.
121

The Picture of an happy Man.

How blest is he (though euer crost)
that can all Crosses Blessings make;
That findes himselfe ere he be lost;
and, lose that found for Vertues sake.
Yea, blest is he in life and death,
that feares not Death, nor loues this Life;
That sets his Will his Wit beneath;
and hath continuall peace in strife.
That striueth but with fraile-Desire;
desiring nothing that is ill;
That rules his Soule by Reasons Squire;
and workes by Wisedomes Compasse still.
That nought obserues, but what preserues
his minde and body from offence:
That neyther Courts nor Seasons serues:
and learnes without experience.
That hath a Name as free from blot
as Vertues Brow; or, as his life
Is from the least suspect or spot,
although he liues without a Wife.
[121]

That doth (in spight of all debate)
possesse his Soule in Patience;
And pray, in loue for all that hate;
and hate but what doth giue Offence.
Whose Soule is like a Sea, too still,
that rests, though mou'd; yet, mou'd (at least)
With loue and hate of good and ill,
to whaft the Minde the more to Rest.
That singly doth, and doubles not;
but is the same he seemes; and is
Still, simply so, and yet no Sot;
but yet not knowing ought amisse.
That neuer Sinne concealed keepes;
but shewes the same to God, or moe;
Then euer for it sighes and weepes;
and ioyes, in Soule, for grieuing so.
That, by himselfe, doth others mete;
and, of himselfe, still meekely deemes;
That neuer sate in Scorners Seate;
but, as himselfe, the worst esteemes.
That loues his body for his Soule;
Soule, for his Minde; his Minde for God;
God, for himselfe; and doth controule
CONTENT, if It with him be odde.
122

That to his Soule, his Sense subdues;
his Soule, to Reas'n; and Reas'n to Faith:
That Vice in Vertues shape eschewes;
and both, by Wisedome, rightly waigt'h.
That rests in action, acting nought
but what is good in deed and shew;
That seekes but God within his thought,
and thinkes but God to loue and know.
That all vnseene, sees All, (like Him)
and makes good vse of what he sees;
That notes the tracts and trickes of Time,
and flees with th'one, the other flees.
That liues too low for Enuies lookes;
and yet too high for loth'd Contempt;
Who makes his Friends Good-men, and Bookes,
and nought without them doth attempt.
That liues as dying; liuing yet
in death, for life he hath in hope:
As far from State, as sinne, and debt;
of happie life the meanes and scope.
That feares no frownes, nor cares for fawnes
of Fortunes fauorits, or foes,
That neither checkes with Kings, nor Pawnes;
and yet still winnes what Checkers lose.
[122]

That euer liues a light to All,
(though oft obscured) like the Sunne:
And though his Fortunes be but small,
yet Fortune doth not seeke nor shunne.
That neuer lookes but grace to finde;
“nor seekes for knowledge to be knowne:
That makes a Kingdome of his Minde,
wherein, with God, the raignes alone.
This Man is great with little state,
Lord of the World Epitomiz'd:
Who, with staid Front, out-faceth Fate;
and, being emptie, is suffic'd:
Or, is suffic'd with little; sith (at least)
He makes his Conscience a continuall Feast.

This Life is but Death.

Thogh Fire by warmth cheers life; great heat brings death;
though good Aire life detaines; bad, life defines:
Though Water stayes our thirst, it stops our breath;
though fruitfull Earth doth feede; the barren, pines.
Too-much o'er-fils; too-little, feebles life:
Wealth wants not Cares; & Want, wants all but Cares:
123

Solenesse, brings sadnesse; Company, but strife;
and sodaine Ioyes doe kill, as well as feares.
Meane mirth, is rationall; extreame, is mad;
no good so good, but here it's mixt with ill:
Nay, too much goodnesse is exceeding bad;
yea, bad, if blinde it be, is true Good-will:
And, saue the High'st, our highest gaine is losse;
Then, life's but death where al things are so crosse.

True Wealth.

That Grace that neyther wonders, grieues, nor ioyes
at Fortunes vtmost, seeking but to finde
What Bounty (still in action) best imployes;
nor wailes the want that beggers not the Minde:
That neyther, grieuing, sighes; nor, ioying, sings:
that shines most glorious, in most gloomy dayes;
Pleas'd with the state her owne endeuour brings;
that droupes not with defame; nor swels with praise:
That scornes Disdaine, disdaining nought but vice;
and Greatnesse rates by Goodnesse: doing nought
But good for ill; and that for auarice
of goodnesse onely; by her onely sought:
That Time and Wealth well spent, doth not deplore:
This is that Wealth, without which Wealth is poore.
[123]

An Angel-like Man.

He which (prouokt) endures, as borne to beare;
and lookes alike in greatest weale and woe;
That so loues good, that ill he nought doth feare;
and ebbes in Minde when Fortunes most doe flow.
That bounds Desire with lesse than he enioyes:
(for, onely nothing's lesse then Nature needes)
That holds all Vertues deare; all else but toyes;
and, meekely, scowres Prides rust, from his bright deeds.
That's better than hee seemes, yet seemes the best:
but, without scandall, seekes to seeme the worst:
That, quell'd with Crosses, thinkes him highly blest;
and, for the Blisse of all, would dye accurst:
In summe: that would doe all that All should do
For loue of All: this Man's an Angell too.
124

A sicke Mindes Potion for all in Tribulation in Body: or for the sauing of their Soule.

Thou that dost ioy or grieue beneath the waight
of his deare Crosse, who dide on't for thy sake,
View and reuiew these Lines with more delight
then Patients doe the Potions which they take:
How ere they sense displease, they wholesome be;
So wholesome, as they often whole doe make:
So may this Potion worke the like in thee:
My Muse desires to make it griefe expell;
And, all shee seekes, is but to take it well.
Yet this I doe as oft the sicke doe talke
of Health; not for they haue, but would haue it;
So, I exhort to Patience, though I balke
her Way; and onely wish the same to hit:
Yet, as a sicke Physitian soone may finde
a Potion for anothers Passion fit:
So may a sicke Minde cure a sicker Minde:
No Mind more sicke then mine; yet well I know
What's good for Mindes so ill; and, that I show.
The Soule that sins, vnplagu'd, wilde quickly growes,
as Trees vnprun'd; and, but sowre fruit produce;
[124]

The heau'nly Planter then, no cost bestowes,
but it abandons as vnfit for vse.
Why weep'st thou then, sad soule? what thou endur'st
a blessing is, no beating for abuse:
Or, if it be, sith it thy selfe procur'st,
Thy patient bearing this thy Sourge (or Crosse)
Doth make it score lesse; nay, thy Score doth crosse
Regard not then thine anguish, in the Rod;
but, in thy Fathers Will what place thou hast:
If thou wilt share the pleasures of thy God,
then, of his Cup thou must, with pleasure, taste.
The Oxe assign'd for slaughter well is fed,
and lies at ease; while others labour fast,
And still are yokt, tyr'd, prickt, and punished.
“Not all that stroke are friends, nor foes that strike;
“but strokes that maime from eyther, we mislike.
The Wounds, a friend doth giue, are sweeter farre
than suger'dst Kisses of a fraudfull foe:
The first, oft make; the last, more often marre;
for, Surgions Bands doe pinch, to solder so:
Who bindes the Mad, or wakes the Lethargicke,
how ere he seemes, thereby, t'awake their woe;
Yet, he to both's a friendly Empericke.
“Seueritie is Mercy oftentimes,
“And Mildnesse cruell, that increaseth Crimes.
To weane vs from this World, an vnkinde Nurse,
God (onely good and wise) annoints her Teates
125

With Gall of troubles, spights, and what is worse;
and as a Mother well her Childe entreates;
But makes her Seruants vse it ill; that so
finding of all, saue her, but blowes and threates,
It may to her, the much more willing, goe:
So, God permits that All should vs molest,
That we may flye to Him, and loue him best.
The flatt'rings of the World, the Flesh, the Fiend,
are but the kisses of worst Enemies;
And though the Fiend to Heau'n seemes to ascend,
like Ioues owne Bird that nestles in the Skies;
Yet is he but a greedy Bird that towres
to Heau'n, while on the Earth he nearely pryes,
To watch his Prey, whereon forthwith he poures:
For, he but seemes in Vertue to excell;
And flyes to Heau'n, to beare his Prey to Hell.
Out of close-Prison, and much closer Chaines
many doe trauell; but, their Iourneyes end
An endlesse Kingdome is; whose greatest Paines
are endlesse Ioyes; these sincke, but to ascend,
Vnlike the Fiend that mounts, to fall more low;
and, ruine that, on which he doth descend;
But, low these stoupe, to shunne an Ouer-throw:
“To beare high Sailes in Tempests, is to haue
“Our Keele turn'd vp with eu'ry Gust and Waue.
If Crosses heauie be; ô yet (at least)
they make the Soule as sober as discreet:
[125]

If we be fellowes of our Lords vnrest,
we shall be of his rest and comforts sweete:
He wounds; but his are wounds but of a Friend,
that in no fortune once from vs will fleete;
And lanceth but to cure, and make vs mend:
“It is a Payne, that's free from all annoy,
“To die with torment still to liue in ioy.
He that had seene iust Ioseph in his Chaynes;
in Sackcloth Mordocheus (his Iybet nie)
Susanna going to her mortall Paines,
would haue bewail'd their infortunitie:
But, had he knowne that Ioseph should be rid
from Giues to Rule; and Mardochs ieopardy
Conclude in Honor, as Sasannaes did,
He would haue though them blest in great mishap,
sith so great Comfort was the after-clap.
So much the Fiend shall tempt, when thou dost doat.
as shall enforce thy minde to minde her misse:
If Christ we serue, Affliction is our Coate;
his Crosse, our Badge, to make vs knowne for his:
His nakednesse, how we should cloath vs, shewes;
his Gall, how we should feed on Agonies:
B'his hanging on the Crosse, how to repose:
And by his Death (wherein all paines were rife)
How to esteeme the pleasures of this life.
Worlds-weale's our woe; and yet we will not see't:
young Toby walkt securely in the Mire:
126

But at the Riuer when he washt his Feete,
a Fish was like to swallow him entire.
He that, on paine of life, must watch the Foe,
wakes best when he is neer'st Afflictions fire;
But, on the Bed of ease he doth not so:
In this Worlds hell, if ease be good for ought,
It's Poësie; yet too much makes it nought.
Besides, the better minde, the worse is tempted:
Pirats to charge the emptie Ship, forbeare,
But richly laden, and from feare exempted,
they charge it home, and giue it cause of feare:
Euen so the Fiend, while we are void of Grace,
lets not our Voyage, but our Helme doth steare:
But when we take in truest Goods apace,
With Stormes of troubles then he seekes to reaue
Vs of our fraight; and, o'er Bourd vs to heaue.
Of Ioseph, Beniamin was loued best;
in his Sacke, therefore, Iosephs Cup was found:
So doth the Cup Christ dranke of, euer rest
with those to whom his loue doth still abound:
On Beds of Roses lyes Lasciuiousnesse,
which Vertue hates, sith she corrupts the sound;
But Vertue liues, too oft; in all distresse:
For, she respects not Fortune; nor disdaines
To lie with those, that often lye in Chaines.
When God had praised Iob, the Fiend straight praid
that he might proue him with Affliction:
[126]

And when the heau'nly Voyce, of Christ, had said;
This is my deare, and wel-beloued Sonne,
He, in the Desert, was, soone after, tride.
“They finde most Lets that most aright doe runne;
“And they lest Rubs that most doe runne aside:
“But, straight to runne, dispight each spightfull Let,
“Doth Glory gaine, while Shame the rest doe get.
When holy Dauid did his People count,
a great Mortalitie his Coasts did scowre:
But when Augustus did this Sinne surmount,
taxing the World (by his vsurped Pow'r)
He ne'er was with least Punishment annoid:
So, Ionas, fly'ing, a Whale did him deuoure,
While Pagan-Passengers a Calme enioy'd:
But, though the Whale did Ionas (so) enioy,
He swallow'd, but to saue, and not destroy.
And as a Searre a Sonne takes in the Face
in his Sires quarrell, though the Face it marres;
Yet it procures the Fathers loue and grace,
and so gets glory by such gracelesse scarres:
So, God desirous more to haue vs kinde
than comely Children, thrusts vs in his Warres,
As we were but to fire and sword assign'd:
He takes more pleasure in the great'st annoyes
We haue for him, then in our ghostly ioyes.
Each Danger, for our Mistresse, vnder-tane,
seemes most secure; and pleasant, deadli'st paine:
127

The Wounds both for & from her (though but bane)
seeme honied-sweet; and losse, for her, is gaine:
The colours that she likes; we most doe loue:
her words, meere Oracles; her spot, no staine;
Her actions, Patternes, ours to shape and proue:
All her perfections past Superlatiues;
And imperfections, least Diminutiues.
And shall we doe and thinke all this, and more,
but for a shade of Beautie; and endure
Nothing for Beauties Substance? nor adore
the CREATOR but in the Creäture?
O! tis a shame that Reas'n should be so mad
in men of minde: for loue (if it be true)
Will most affect what's rarest to be had.
“The Obiect of true Loue is greatest GOOD;
“If lesse she loues, it ill is vnderstood.
With our Soules Eye, if Christ, our peace be view'd,
true loue shall see a Soule-afflicting sight;
His head with bloud (that thornes do broach) imbrude;
his Eares, with Blasphemies; his Eyes, with Spight:
His Mouth, with gall; his Members all, with wounds;
his Heart, with griefe; and all in all vnright:
Yea, so vnright, as Iustice quite confounds:
Yet, mans Ingratitude doth griue him more
Then all these Plagues, as manifold as sore.
And, ô, for whom doth he the same endure?
for Man, begot in filth; in darkenesse, form'd;
[127]

With throwes, brought forth; & brought forth most vnpure,
whose child-hood's but a dreame, with pains enorm'd,
His youth, but rage; his man-hood, ceaselesse fight;
his Age, meere sicknesse, all his life vnsure:
And, worst of all, his death is full of fright.
This, this is he, for whom Heau'ns God endures
All shame and paine, that paine and shame procures.
W'are no where safe, where we may fall to sinne;
in Heau'n, nor Paradise; with men much lesse:
In Heau'n fell Angels; Paradise within,
the first man fell, throgh whom, all men transgresse:
In the World Iudas, from his Lord did fall:
so no place can defend from Wretchednesse,
But he that place confines, and holds vp All:
For who from worse to better fals, he may
From better fall to worse, without his stay.
If Crosses trauerse not our Comforts, then
we ought to crosse our selues as many did
That were Men Angel-like; or, Gods with men;
who hardly liu'd, in Dens and Deserts hid:
Fed little, and slept lesse; in Sacke-cloth clad;
to minde them that to mourne they here were bid;
So, chose food, place, and suite as suites the sad:
To sing in Babilon, being Abrahams Seede,
Is to forget our Bondage and our Creede.
Heau'n is our natiue Home, our Canaan;
Earth's but the shade of Death, or vale of Teares:
128

Then mirth in place of moane, but kils a man:
at point of Death hee's mad that Musicke heares:
Therefore those Saints, (discreete, sad, sober Soules)
reiected all that Sense to Life endeeres;
And liue (as buried quicke in Caues) like Moles.
“If Weapons lefte doe wound then sharpest praise,
“Lesse hurts lamenting, then the Syrens layes.
And as Men longing, at Noone-day to see
the Lamps of Heau'n, descend into a Well
As deepe as darke that so their sight may be
the more contracted, smallest Stars to tell:
So, pious men, that faine would fixe their Eyes,
still on the Stars (the Saints in Heauen that dwell)
Descend (in Earth) to low'st Obscurities:
“For, to a louing Soule all labour's sweet
“That tends (although in Hell) her Loue to meet.
Low is our Way; but, our Home most sublime:
if home we would, then this low Way is best,
Which yet, growes steepe somewhere, and hard to climbe;
yet, Loue o'ercomes it, & eternall Rest:
Vaine pleasures are like Gold throwne in our Way;
and, while to gather it, we stoupe, at least,
It let's vs, and our Iudgements doth betray:
But if on Heau'n our mindes be altogether,
Nothing shall let our Bodyes going thither.
Which way goe you saith Christ to those that stray?
I am the WAY: and whither will you wend?
[128]

I am the TRVTH: or else where will you stay?
I am the LIFE: that is, your Iournyes end.
Now if this Way doe lead o'er steepes and plaines,
If this Truth teach vs, rising, to descend,
If this Life be not got but with our paines,
Then, wo to them that laugh, sith weepe should al;
And blessed they that weepe; for, laugh they shall.
We should be, therefore, like th'Egytian Dogs,
that drinke of Nilus running, lest they should
By staying much, to drinke like greedy Hogs,
the Crocodile might haue them, so, in hold:
Nature doth teach them, reas'nlesse, what to doe:
then, shall not grace worke much more manifold
With humane Creatures, that diuine are too?
It should: then, we are mad, or reason lacke,
to quench our thirst of hauing with our wracke.
What is't to haue much more than Nature needes;
but, to haue more then Nature well can beare:
Like one that's deadly drunke, or ouer-feedes,
whose excesse makes his Death excessiue cheare!
Enough, then, should be better then a feast,
sith more is mortall, howsoeuer deare;
For, Nature cannot well so much digest.
“Much lesse then little (onely) makes her grutch;
“Enough maintaines her better than too much.
Besides; in vs, Sinne is more odious growne,
then in the Diuell: for, his was but one sinne:
129

Ours, numberlesse: his, yer Reuenge was knowne;
ours, when we knew it; and might fauor winne:
In Innocence created, sinned he;
but we, when to't we had restored bin:
In malice he, of God forsooke; but we
when God recall'd vs to his sauing-Grace:
He damn'd, we sau'd: yet were in worser Case.
For we were sau'd in possibilitie;
but he condemn'd; so, could not saued be:
He sinn'd gainst one that him did straitly tye;
but we (worse fiends) gainst one that made vs free:
Against one he, that doom'd him second-death;
but, we gainst one that dide for vs so, he
Sinn'd lesse than we; which Hope quite banisheth,
Did not the time we liue in, stirre vs (thrals)
To call for Grace, that comes, if griefe but cals.
He that of Sinne, doth know the large extent
and Hell of Hels the Soule incurres thereby,
Shall little feele his Bodyes punishment,
though he, in life, a thousand deathes should dye:
Which borne with Patience, for his Sauiours loue,
quite abrogate his pass'd impietie:
And future sinnes and paines from him, doth shoue:
“Immortall paines, extreame in qualitie,
“Annihilate all mortals quantitie!
Our Faith, in the beginning, thinne was sowne
in the afflicti'on, shame, and death of Christ:
[129]

And then with Martyrs Bloud t'was ouer-flowne;
nor, can it grow (or prosper) to the high'st
Without showres, ceaslesse, gushing from their wounds:
then, what art thou, that soone thy Faith deni'st
For feare of death, that but thy Iudge confounds?
O! I am he, the frail'st of flesh and bloud,
That liues for ill, and feares to die for good!
Yet for Christ t'is more glory to be crost,
then of him to be crown'd an earthly King:
The last may be, by chance or Treason, lost:
but, from the Crosse, immortall Crownes doe spring:
To be in glory may proceede of Grace
without the glorifide his meriting:
But well-borne Crosses alter (quite) the case.
“Vertue consists in doing hardest things;
“And, vicious Fooles haue too too oft beene Kings.
Who suffers straight, hath but one victorie;
but, he that alwayes doth encounter paine,
And yet o'er-throwes the strong'st Extremitie,
is crowned eu'ry day, and still shall raigne:
And what is Death but our best earthly friend,
which kils our Flesh, our deadliest enemy?
So, friendly is both to and in the end.
Then Crauen, why doe I so flye his force,
That saues me when he makes my corps a corse!
For, if the pining of the body be
the pampring of the Soule; than, must this friend,
130

That, with his paines makes vertuous Soules to flye
where they are pamper'd without meane or end)
Be still embrac'd, not fled: but, ô fraile flesh
this dying-doctrine doth but thee offend,
That hold'st it most erronious, fond, and fresh:
Thou canst not poise these treasures of the Sp'rit;
for, they are waighty: and, thou art too light!
Thou must haue all that may thy Senses charme
with sweete, as most effeminate, delights;
And fly'st from Death to honied pleasures swarme;
yea, follow'st them in their vnconstant flights:
Austeritie, nor canst, nor wilt thou brooke,
sith it quite mortifies thy liuely sp'rits;
And, for thy life, still put'st thee to thy Booke:
But, thou dost long for all that makes thee light,
As well within, as (gawdy still) in sight.
Mean while thou burn'st to nought with flames of sin:
for, as the Lightnings flash, although it spares
The painted sheath, it melts the Blade within;
(which is the thing more worthy) so it fares
With sinnes pernitious fire-flash: for, it leaues
the goods and body sound: but, vnawares,
The Soule, more pretious, it of life bereaues:
“But, who to spare a Thing of nought, will spend
“Gods Coape (his Soule) hee's mad, & cannot mend
Many (though Princes) poore, are in their store;
in Honors, abiect; malecontent, in mirth:
[130]

Their flesh, selfe-frailtie; their spirits, basely poore;
their Soule's the sincke of all the sinnes on Earth;
The Moths of Man-kinde sores of Sou'raigntie;
vnhappily-happie in their base-high Birth;
Who liue like Monsters, and like Diuels dye:
“The rich, possesse; the meeke, the Earth enioy:
“For they haue most, that haue the lest annoy.
Looke in the Graues, suruey the Emperours,
Kings, Dukes, and Worthies of the Ages past;
Then looke on those whom life and death obscures;
(poore Beggers) tell me then, who's first, who last;
Who rich, who poore, who faire, foule, high, or low:
but, if thou canst when burnt be diuers Woods,
Their Ashes well distinguish; then, maist thou
distinguish of their bodyes, states, and blouds.
Then wherefore waigh we so our Flesh (missed)
That's light as vanitie aliue, and dead?
And life, at best, is but a golden sleepe,
lin'd but with siluer, or more earthly dreames;
Or else a Tragedie (that moues to weepe)
of ceaselesse troubles, and most dire Extreames;
A passing but from life is life; for, still
in stay'ing, it goes; yet vnlike Water-streames,
That, running, stay alike, by Natures skill:
Streames, running, rest the same, and not the same;
But, still vnlike, doth burne our vitall-flame.
Things future, are beginning endlesly;
Things present, euer ending; and Things past
131

Quite dead or done: for, while we liue, we dye;
and, dead, we liue: so life is first and last.
Then, better dye to life, than liue to death;
for, mortall-life (in Death) but time doth waste:
And Death doth gaine of time he shorteneth:
Who, for our good, our bodyes still assailes;
And frees our Soules by ruining their Iayles.
It is but Natures necessary wracke:
then let vs make it voluntarie, that
Is necessary; and still bowe our Backe
vnder the burden of our common state
With all alacritie; and giue to God
his owne; which were most damn'd to alienate,
Sith he, or Dolors, paid for it, his lode.
Then, it were Sacriledge not to restore
That which he made & lent, and bought, and more!
Death's dreadfull but to those that know him not;
to those that know him well, hee is not so:
The Old, before their faces him haue got;
the young, behinde; while he doth all o'erthrow:
Acquaintance with the Warres, estrangeth feare;
they dread not waues at Sea, though high they goe,
that vs'd are to them, (though they all orebeare)
And with them fight in front, or in the reare:
Then, not to feare Death, is with him to be
Familiar made; and, bring Sense vnder lee.
The Pilot, while he is his Ship to guide,
sits at the Stearne; for, there he most preuailes:
[131]

And, so the vertuous (maugre winde and Tyde)
when through this stormy Sea of life he sailes,
Sits at the Stearne; that is, lifes hinder-piece;
where he, in Tempests (bearing lowest Sailes)
Conducts it safely to the Port of Peace:
“To beare high sailes, and still forbeare the helme,
“Is Ship, and Fraight (so) quite to ouer-whelme.
Death is the doore, whereby we must goe out
of straitest Bonds to freest Libertie;
Then as the Pris'ner that of Death doth doubt,
yet waites the while for his deliuery,
Most ioyes in sitting at the Prison dore,
that, when it's op'ned, he may instantly
Get out, t'enioy his freedome, as before:
So should our Thoughts be fixt on lifes last steppe,
To which we soone may iump, but not o'er-leape.
Thoughts mortifide the ashes are, wherein
the fire of Vertue, being rak'd vp close,
The longer lasts, and greater heate doth winne,
to kindle courage in our cold dispose,
That when Death comes, and those shall be vnrak't
we may reioyce our flame so freely goes
Vnto her Spheare; then should it not be slack't
In Chimney of our flesh, where it doth lye,
Like to be quencht with our iniquitie.
And, as a floud that from a mountaines top,
doth (rowling) run, with strange, as ceaslesse, noise;
132

And ouer many craggy Lets doth hop,
till in the Vale beneath, it rest enioyes:
So, fares it with our life; which we beginne
with ceaslesse out-cryes, for our felt annoyes;
Then downe Times houres we run, through lets & sin,
Till in the end we rest in vale of Death,
To which we blow our selues by spending breath.
Then Death's our rest, for, since the same hath past
through lifes pure Veynes, or rather Lords of life,
Of the least bitternesse it hath no taste;
but, freshest sweetnesse therein still is rife:
It is the vertuous peacefull Paradise;
but, to the vicious, tis a World of strife:
For, nought is plagu'd in Death, but mortall Vice:
Then he may well be stil'd a Martyrs Peere,
That vertuous Death doth rather seeke than feare.
Death to a Thiefs's compar'd; who, if he findes
the Man, he meanes to rob, vpon his guard,
He speakes him faire; else him he bindes and blindes:
so, Death is kinde to those for him prepar'd:
But, curst to them, that, carelesse, spend their breath:
for, all that watch for him, he doth reward
With endlesse Life; the rest, with double death:
But, they that dye for Vertue or good note,
Though he o'er-throw them, yet they cut his throate!
And why should his worst looke more irke, or feare
a Man resolu'd that he can dye but once:
[132]

Goliah bought a little Stone as deare
as Sampson did the House that chrusht his bones:
And, from a Chaire to fall, the Necke can breake
as well as falling high, as Thunder-stones:
And, all is but one Death, (bee't strong or weake)
Deaths sharpest sting, the Heart but enters in,
Which dyes with that, and so t'will with a pinne.
Why grudge we then, t'endure for endlesse life
that, for vaine-glory, freely we endure?
Repine we not to dye in damned strife,
and, grudge to dye to make our life secure?
Is Death so sweete, when it the Diu'll commands;
and when God wils it, is the same so sow'r?
What manhood's this, whereon; now, manhood stands?
O ougly valor (if it valor be)
To flee to death; yet, fearing, life to flee.
Liue well, and, so, dye well, perhaps, we may;
but liue still, and not dye, we neuer can:
Life is not short, that, soone, goes well away;
and, longest life Truth calleth but a spanne:
He dyeth old (though young) that well doth die;
and Life well lost is better then ill wanne;
For, so to winne we lose eternally:
Then, what can counteruaile eternall losse?
Nothing that is; no Patience beares that crosse.
If we for vertue doe our life forgoe
our Pitcher's broken o'er the fountaine-head,
133

From whence, what fill'd it, came; and, where doth flow
the Aqua vitæ, that reuiues the dead:
Our liquor is not lost, but runne into
the proper Fount, by Nature thither lead,
And heau'nly Grace assisting Nature too:
Our life's a war, where patience guards from losse:
Our Captaine, Christ; our Standard is his Crosse!
But, seemes God long, thy labours to content;
the more forborne, the more will be thy meede:
He takes on Intrest what before he lent:
and, takes delight t'o'er-guerdon each good-deed:
If in our Vs'ry, then, we wish delay;
feare we the Lord of All should fall to neede,
That, on his Bond, we dare not giue him Day?
And, shall we trust a Merchant, that may breake;
More than that King, of whom all Kings do seeke?
Admit thou should'st be rackt to straine the Truth,
(though Racks are made the truth to gaine not strain)
Yet, if thou her beleeue, let ne'er thy mouth
deny it for the cracking of a veyne:
We owe so much to Truth as should we pay
the reall debt, to vs should nought remaine;
No, not our liues, which must, for her, away:
For, God and Truth are Relatiues. Not so:
For, God is Truth; then, for him All must goe.
If Truth-pretending Turkes or Infidels
should on our Plagues, which we for her endure,
[133]

Triumph; and make our Paines so many Hels,
alas! (poore Soules!) they (so) doe but procure
Their owne perdition: for, that God we serue
is God of vengeance; and the same will poure
On Good-pretenders that so ill deserue:
“To be for truth reprocht; yea, plagu'd, or slaine,
“Is to be glorious, free from Death and paine.
The red-hot It'n into the Water throwne,
thunders therein, as if it did it harme,
Yet, so, the force of burning's ouer-throwne;
the while the Water, cold before, is warme:
Like Thundrings Tyrants vse, in eu'ry Age,
who, though against the Truth themselues they arme;
And with the bloud of Martyrs quench their Rage,
Yet all their triumph's nothing but the noise
Of their owne quenching, and the Martyrs Ioyes,
Then, if they shew vs Honors, Gold, or Iemmes,
t'intice vs to their Faith; they shall but shew
The Lion Chaffe, which (chasing) he contemnes:
and if with Torments then, they vs pursue;
The Salamander they but threat with fire;
which makes her rather to reioyce then rue:
So, that the worst they can doe, we desire:
Then, through the Red-sea of our bloud, thus shed,
Vnto Heau'ns Holy-Land we soon'st are led.
Saints on the Earth resemble Babes dead borne;
that are no sooner borne, but borne they be
134

Vnto their graues; so, straight to Ashes turne:
but Tyrants (Viper-like) doe liue to see
Their owne Confusion; and the death of those
which they haue martyr'd: so, from death, made free;
And, manumiz'd from this Worlds mortall woes.
The first, are borne to dye, to liue in ioy;
The last, to liue, to dye in all annoy.
When Theeues an house doe breake, to rob by night;
(sith tis a Worke of darknesse) first, they will
(That they may not be knowne) put out the light;
and so the good are handled by the ill
Lights of the World the Good are said to be;
but bad-men (Sonnes of darknesse) put out still
Those lights, lest men their darkest deedes should see;
For, all that euill doe, the Light doe lothe:
So, loue they darknesse; and, doe darkly both.
Vnto the light it's no reproch at all
though Bats and Owles abhorre it; nor, is it
Disgrace to Wisedome, if but Ideots shall
condemne the same for Polly: they want Wit
To iudge of Wisedome, which is too too bright
for men to looke on that in darknesse sit;
To iudge of coulors, blinde-men haue no light:
The fault's not in the coulors they are so;
But in their Eyes that can no colours know.
Farre sweeter are the Teares of them that mourne,
then is their laughter that in mirth are lost:
[134]

All crosses by the vertuous so are borne,
that most they ioy in that which grieueth most:
Like Roses mong the Thornes, their pleasures are
most sweete, when as they are most sharply crost;
And, being at the worst, they best doe-fare!
But, put the least crosse on a sensuall Soule,
And twil (blaspheming) grudge, nay, cry, & houle.
The greater Oxe the yokes worst part doth beare,
(that is, the heauiest) Christ (that is, thy God)
Thy yokes most heauy part with thee doth weare,
that so thou maist, with him, the lighter plod
Through thicke and thinne: for him thou canst not do
that he did for thee; hee feeles the Rod,
Yet he doth all in vs, and for vs too:
“Mates in afflictions, make Affliction lesse:
Then, if Christ beare, with vs, nought can oppresse!
This life is but a lye; true life's not here;
it seemes, but is not: so, it is not true:
Than, for a lie, or what doth false appeare,
let vs not lie to God, or breake our vow
We made in Baptisme; but to cleaue to him,
although for it, it might (perhaps) ensue
That we to him, in our owne Bloud should swimme:
That water's strong; it will not let vs sincke,
And, to engrosse sure Deedes, the onely Incke!
The life of Dauid was but Teares and moane;
but Salomons was ioy and Mirth through-out:
135

Yet Dauid (sure) is sau'd: but, Salomon
whether he be, or no, Beleeuers doubt.
Poore Lazarus liu'd here in dying-plight:
Diues in all that reueld with the Rowt
Of honied Pleasures, and extreame delight:
But he that liu'd in death, in ioy now liues;
And he that ioy'd in life, in death now grieues.
As sweetest Wine doth soonest boile our bloud:
so, this Worlds fauour workes vs most annoy:
The Water of Detraction then, is good
to mingle with it, lest we should be coy:
For, being gratious in the great Ones sight:
when Cunning clawing makes vs doate, with ioy,
W'are best remembred by the tongue of Spight:
“So, foes do oft make those, that friends doe marre;
“As many liue most warily in Warre.
He that should passe a Foord, that swift doth glide,
(so to preuent his giddinesse of Braine)
Should fixe his sight vpon the further side;
not on the Water, and himselfe sustaine
By one more strong, that, as his guide, should goe,
lest that the Current, running so amaine,
Should ouer-whelme him by an Ouer-throw:
Then, rest on Christ, and fixe thine Eyes on blesse,
while thou go'st through all Torrents of distresse.
Through fire and water we must passe, before
we can arriue where nothing can distresse:
[135]

Our flesh in both should purg'd be more and more;
for, in the pur'st it's full of filthinesse
In double kinde: and, makes cleane Soules the while
to lothe their Lodge, so full of slutishnesse,
Consorted with all vices that defile:
“Pride, Enuy, Wrath, Lust, Hate, with all amisse,
“The Species are, and Flesh the Genus is.
For, flesh is earth; so, in our soules it sets
foule thoughts: (as earthly, as voluptuous)
The World as vaine as curious thoughts begets;
the Fiend, maditious thoughts and enuious:
Who on the flesh for help doth much rely,
sith houshold enemies may soonest hurt,
She being here freedeniz'd specially;
and we in bondage toiling here in durt:
Then, doth the World relye vpon the Diuell
To make flesh loue the World: and, so, all euill.
So these procure vs Worlds of Enemies:
if Auarice be quail'd; Lust, seconds her:
If Lust be foil'd; Ambition straight doth rise:
If she be downe; then Anger wageth Warre:
If it be cool'd, Pride, Enuy and the like
giue fresh encounters in this mortall Iarre;
And all, with all their might, our ruine seeke:
Then, where the fight's so fell and ceaslesse too,
Wert not for grace, most would themselues misdo.
136

Then, if we waigh our flesh how fraile it is,
how full of all disease, in life, how dead!
In Death, how foule! (as nought so foule as this)
how then can we be light with so much Lead?
Or how can we be pleas'd such filth to feede
as in our Nature naturally is bred;
And, whence so many Prodigies proceede?
Then if we may be ridde from such annoy,
But with one death, it is the life of Ioy!
And what is Honor but a lie, like life?
for, as a Ship at Sea, with swelling Sailes,
By windes, that for her peace are still at strife,
dauncing vpon the Waues with merry Gales
Allureth eu'ry Eye her pride to praise:
but when to th'Hauen she comes with her auailes,
Shee's by the Searcher sackt, or Custome paies:
So they, in life, that are most honored,
Are often most dishonour'd being dead.
And likewise, while some saile on Surges high
of puft-vp vanities; and still ensue
The Tyde of Times, arm'd with Authoritie,
are prais'd, and follow'd of the worldly Crue:
But if, by grace, they doe themselues withdraw
into a vertuous life: then, straight their due
Is search'd or sackt, by Custome, or by Law:
O then how blest are they that most are curst
(For their so blest retiring) of the worst.
[136]

The Libard beares to man such mortall hate,
that in his face he flyes when him he sees:
Therefore they vse a man to figurate,
and shew it him, at which forthwith he flees,
And piece-meale teares it; so, his wrath t'asswage.
shewing thereby how ill with man he agrees:
So Sathan and his Members being too weake
To teare our God, to spoile his Pictures seeke.
As Grapes vnto the Wine-presse all doe come,
that come to Vertue in Faiths outward House:
They shall be crusht with many an heauy doome
of Iustice nam'd, but most iniurious:
But, though their Pressures squize out all their bloud,
yet in Gods Seller shall it finde a Roome,
And there made Rose of Sollace, sweete and good:
Then, let vs still be prest so prest to be;
For, running loose, we soone runne to our lee.
The more huge Billowes beate vpon a Rocke,
the more they breake; and so, to froth are turn'd;
The while the breaker seemes their spight to mocke,
that hurt themselues, not him, that so they spurn'd:
So, let the spightfull spurne vs while they will,
our Rocke stands sure, while they are ouerturn'd,
Whose blowes, for vs, Christ beares, or breaketh still!
So, hurt themselues they may, but neuer vs;
Sith still, in him, we are victorious.
137

Yet tis too true, some wise and wicked too
(if possible the wicked may be wise)
May if a King will doe what they bid doe,
vndoe a Realme with Legall Tyrannies;
And all the guilt thereof shall still be gilt
with guilefull glosse of Conscience, most precise;
Till all be as they would, though all be spilt:
“For, that's but spilt that stands but on the fall
“Of sacred Vertue, that vpholdeth all.
To carry Pagan hearts in Christian breasts,
is no new thing, though many (new) doe vse it:
“On fair'st pretence the foulest purpose rests:
yet Beautie's good; but foulely some abuse it:
The heart of man so many windings hath,
that for a Maze of skill none can refuse it;
Sith hard it is to turne to eu'ry path.
O Christ! wert thou on Earth as once thou wert,
How would'st thou, now, behypocrit mans hart?
Such faire pretences we may well compare
t'Egyptian Temples; faire, but most prophane:
Garnisht with Gold, and Columnes, rich as rare,
in th'outward Roomes: but, if a view be tane
Of th'inward, where their God is still confinde,
some lothed Viper, full of deadly Bane,
Or Snake or Cockatrice, we there shall finde:
So, in such faire Pretence we (often) see
The Diuell himselfe, as God, ador'd to be.
[137]

With Christs plain Coate to hide vice (which enormes)
is to disgrace the Owner: or it is
The Diuels vertue, that himselfe transformes
t'an Angell bright, to doe the more amisse:
But, eu'ry Age hath groan'd with this Disease;
yet neuer Age, for that, was eas'd of this,
Groane while we will, it will vs still displease:
Then make w'a vertue of necessitie;
And, what we needs must beare, beare willingly.
For, these, and like afflictions, still must proue,
and purge our manners from the drosse of blame;
From Earth to weane, to God t'increase our Loue;
like Smithes Forge-water that augments the flame:
And, pleasure is most pleasant vnto those,
that haue beene least acquainted with the same;
As heauenly Ioyes are after earthly woes:
And, Griefes grow senselesse in a vertuous Will,
Or rather sensuall; for, they rauish still!
If in our foote, much more if in our Head,
a thorne be thrust, our Heart, nay, Soule will grieue:
Then flye we pleasures, as they vs haue fled;
and rather wish for paines that ease might giue:
Then sith our HEAD is thorned ouer all,
if we his Members be, shall we be fed
With honied pleasures while he tastes but Gall?
God shield we should: then let vs onely ioy
In his sowre-sweetest Crosse, and his annoy.
138

Moses did see him in the midst of fire,
and fiery Thornes: and in the mount among
Lightnings and Thundrings: Daniel did aspire,
to see his Throne, which fiery wheeles did throng:
Then shall we looke for more Prerogatiue,
than had these friends of God? then him we wrong
T'expect what he, in Iustice, cannot giue:
For, we must see him as the others did;
Else may we seeke him, but he will be hid.
For, as the Sires delight to haue their Sonnes
resemble them in fauour: so it ioyes
Our heauenly Sire, to see vs (wayward Ones)
like him, in patient bearing all Annoyes,
Which, for our good, his grace on vs inflicts:
for, when we beare what beautie quite destroyes,
(The wemmes and wounds of all his sore conflicts)
In his faire Eyes we are most louely, then;
And foul'st, when fair'st but in the Eyes of men.
We see a Dogge, that but with crusts we feede,
will in our quarrell fight while he can moue:
And Seruants which we hire for little Meede,
will ne'erthelesse die often for our loue:
Then shall we Christians be lesse kinde then Beasts,
or thankfull lesse, than those we hire for neede
To him that giues vs all that Faith requests?
O no: no, no, it were too great a blame
The dignitie of Manhood so to shame!
[138]

The Flow'r of Iesse did most sweetly smell,
and came to perfect growth vpon the Crosse:
The fruit of life could not be gather'd well
without sharpe Thornes that stooke vnto it close:
And Gall was tasted, in a deadly fit,
by the best Taster; who, by his lifes losse,
Wanne Life to all that dye in him, and it;
And, till he rose from Death, he did not eate
The Hony-combe; but, fed on sower meate.
The Waters of Affliction are the streames
whereat our heau'nly Gedeon still doth try
Who are fit Souldiers for his Warres Extreames;
and seuers such as on their Bellies lie,
To drinke as thirsting that they, full, may rise;
from those that, for their meere necessitie,
Reach out their Hands to take what doth suffice:
“Great Wealth and Vertue no agreement haue,
“Sith Vertue makes it serue her as a Slaue.
Though Prisons, of themselues, be Sathans folds,
wherein, for slaughter, his best Sheepe he keepes:
Yet may the Cause make them the safest Holds,
(yea, Heau'ns of Saints) for, tho the Linnet peepes
(When shee's encag'd) at eu'ry loope and Chincke,
as longing to be gone, and often weepes
That shee's restrain'd; yea, leaues her meat & drinke;
Yet in the Cage she is from danger sure
Of Fowlers Snares, and Kites that would deuoure.
139

But those in Patience that their Soules possesse,
(while they, in bonds, doe Tyrants wrath asswage)
The sweeter sing, the sowrer their distresse,
Irke well-taught Lynnets vsed to the Cage,
There learne they sweeter Notes than Nature gaue,
when they abroad were in their Pilgrimage;
New exercise of Vertue, there they haue:
Where may we sing with Quires of Angels then,
More free, then when most fast from mortal men?
Then out of Prison goe we, when we be
put into Prison, so the cause be good:
For, Libertie is but Captiuitie;
that (lightly) makes more loose fraile flesh & bloud;
Kings Courts; yea, Heau'n it self must yeeld, with awe,
t'a Prisons glory (though defil'd with Mud)
That keepes Gods Seruants safely for his Law.
“A Princes Presence makes a Cote a Court;
“And, that Pris'n's Heau'n, where Saints & Angels sport.
The Coriander-seede, in pieces cut,
each piece brings forth as much as all would doe:
And so a Martyr into Prison put,
and there first bruiz'd, then, cut in pieces too,
No drop of bloud, no piece (though turn'd to mould)
but it hath force the Diuell to vndoe;
And workes more (often) then the Owner could:
For, if in priuate Iarres effused Gore
For vengeance cries; his can doe that, and more!
[139]

Of all parts of a Tree the Roote seemes worst:
for, it's deform'd, and most offends the sight:
Yet, all trees vertue thence proceedeth first,
stemme, branch, & leaues, flow'rs, fruit; yea, life, & might
The Roote alone may challenge as her owne:
for, by the same they are both borne and nurst,
Which in the Roote (as in the wombe) was sowne:
So some like Rootes, be'ing ragged in the Eye,
Dying for Christ, makes Christians multiplie.
Some Trees there are, that, if their Rinde be rent,
cut, prickt, or bruiz'd, a precious Balme it bleeds,
In sight and sauour faire and redolent:
but neither yeelds, till outward it proceedes:
So, Martyrs when their Flesh is gasht or torne,
out flowes the Balme that cures their own misdeeds,
And others heales, that (so) to Vertue turne:
This balme's so sweet that it the World perfumes,
Whereby the Pagan Christs sweet Name assumes.
The Roses sweetnesse, if vntoucht it be,
soone with the leaues doth wither quite away;
But by the Fire when it is still'd, we see
it yeeld sweet Iuyce that hardly will decay:
Nay, more; the Leaues so bak'd into a Cake,
doe long make sweet both where they lye, or lay;
And all that neighbors them, most sweet doe make:
The leaues, so parcht, delighting still the Nose,
Immortall makes the Sweetnesse of the Rose.
140

So, Martyrs sweetly liue, with Brambles keene,
sith in their conuersation they are pure;
Yet few can see it, sith they liue vnseene:
but still from worldly Comforts make them sure,
Bolt them, nay, bray or burne them if you will
then will their vertue sweetly all allure:
And Heau'n and Earth with diuine sauour fill:
Had they, by Nature, dide, their leafe nor iuce
Had not beene halfe so sweete, nor meet for vse.
Darke is the Water in the Airy Clouds,
yet that, the Rose and Lilly brings to light,
Mantling the Earth with all that Nature shrowds
within her bowels yer the Waters light:
What are these Clouds (of which the Psalmist sings)
but Clouds of Witnesses (as blacke as bright?)
Graue Martyrs that giue Truth true witnessings:
Their Bloud the Water: and when out it poures
The Time lookes blacke, but Saints spring with the showres.
With bloud the Churches Bud came forth at first,
as earnest of the fruits she was to beare;
Who was no sooner 'spoused vnto Christ,
but in their bloud her Infants drowned were,
To shew her future throwes in bearing young:
your yeers (sweet Lambs) could not beleeue nor feare;
But yet your flesh could dye to right Faiths wrong:
Thus did the Church as soone as shee was wed,
With chastest bloud forgoe her Virgin-hed.
[140]

Then to our bloud the Gates of Heau'n flye ope;
and, with our bloud Hell-fire's extinguished:
Our Bodies bloud doth scowre our Soules like Sope;
and with our bloud our Bodie's honored:
The Diuell shamed, and God glorifide:
for when, in Truths defence, the same is shed,
It makes our deedes most glorious in it dide:
The seed of Vertue, and the bane of Vice
Is bloud so shed: “No price to' a bloudy PRICE!
The resurrection of Truth, Faith and Fame,
did slowrish most when soakt in Martyrs Bloud:
Whose Palms with waight grow higher, & their flame
doth waxe more strong, the more it is with-stood:
Their Spice, by pounding, yeeldeth sweeter sent,
and Lets to Truth are borne downe with this floud:
Which let abroad, doth grow more violent;
And, while it runnes, it rores, and after cryes
For vengeance on their Foes, Truths Enemies.
With Tyrants Thundrings, Errours Cloud is crackt,
th'inclosed light of Truth's disclosed so;
And showres of bloud (that then for Truth are wrackt)
makes Martyrs more and more on Earth to grow:
For, still their Side by God, himselfe, is backt;
they (Sampsons) with their Death, do quell the foe,
And most torment him, when they most are rackt:
then, good Crosse (blessed sheep-crooke) Saints stil keep
to Christ, whose Hooke thou art, to catch his Sheepe.
141

For, as a feate Embroderer, that hath
a piece of Veluet brackt, t'embroder on,
So drawes his Worke, that he, to hide the scath,
embroders richliest in that place alone:
So; God vpon the Veluet of our flesh,
all torne in time of Persecution,
Couers the Bracks with Beautie faire, as fresh:
So, that the other Parts are beautifide
By those rent parts, by God so glorifide!
And as the Paper-mill, of rotten Raggs
tane from the Dung-hill, by still mauling it,
Makes so white Paper, as the filthy Iagges
may now infold the purest part of Wit,
Or purest things that come from Heart, or Hand:
so, we by Martyrdome, are made most fit
(How euer base) in glory still to stand:
And made more apt (diuinely) to comprise
Gods glorious Graces, and his Rarities.
Thogh th'vpper heau'n doth turne (by violent sway)
the lower, out of course, from East to West;
Yet, of themselues, they wheele the other way:
(for, they, by Nature, turne from West to East)
So, thogh from th'East, where Truth begins to shine,
her Foes would force our Faith, or course, at least,
To Errors West, where Truth doth still decline;
Yet must we stirre, as Grace and Nature moues
Vnto the East, where God our course approues.
[141]

A Martyr's like a Dye, which though it fall
this or that way, it fals no way amisse;
It flat will lye, or cannot lye at all;
so, Martyrs lye with Truth, where ere she is:
They will lye leuell with the Earth; nay, more,
In, or aboue it lye, or stand for this;
Hange, burne, or starue, all's one; they feele no sore:
Then when God throwes at all, with them, to win,
At eu'ry throw, he drawes some others in.
Abel he cannot be that is not taught
true patience by the malice of a Caine:
And happy he that like a Cole is caught
out of Afflictions fire with God to raigne
While he is bright, and glowes with Charitie:
for, whether to be white or red, in graine,
The Church were best, is vncouth to discry:
The Churches flowres the Rose nor Lilly want,
But both adorne, and make her triumphant.
The martyr'd Body of our Lord and God
is the main Rock from whence his Saints are hewne:
For, from his flesh they rent are with the Rod;
and by the rentings of the Rod are knowne
To be true flesh of his torne Flesh, and so
to be his Types, by which him selfe is shewne
To Heathen-folke, that him desire to know:
“O! tis a glory past the height of FAME,
“To be like Christ in suffrings as in name.
142

The antient Romaines vs'd, their force to trye,
t'incounter Beares and Lyons; and the Scarres
That came by sauage Tuskes, they valued hye;
and piercings of their Pawes so many Starres:
If in vaine-glory they such Dents endur'd;
what should we doe in Christ, our Captaines, Warres,
Be'ing of true glory, for our fight, assur'd?
We should (with Patience arm'd) encounter death;
And, for that gaine, with torment, lose our breath.
Shall Saints feare Men, whom Angels ought to feare;
for, Saints shall iudge the Angels; and, the Fiend
Hath cause to feare them; for, they rule doe beare,
ouer his Legions; yea, his Forces rend:
The World should likewise feare them sith the Saints
shall, with heau'ns Vmpier, iudge it in the end;
Than hee that at his threates, or torments, faints
Can be no Saint; but must be Iudg'd of them
(A Coward) to foule shame, and paines extreame.
Elias must not feare, nor feare disguize,
to let the Mantle of his flesh to fall,
To flye in Coach, flame-wing'd, to Paradise:
Gedeon must breake his earthly Pots, sith all
Their Light's so seene to put his foes to flight:
Ioseph must leaue his Cloake, or else he shall
Be mou'd to wrong his Maister in his right:
“Life leads to Care; but, Death to Comfort leads:
“Then Death, in Syons cause, in Sion treads.
[142]

At Sea, decayes the Sailer; in his Tent,
the ventrous Souldier; in the Court decayes
The vertuous Courtier; Iustice, in Iudgement;
true Faith, in Friendship; Skill, in Arts Assaies;
In Manners, Discipline: so, we, alone,
(that, dying, liue in these too nightly dayes)
Vnder the ruines of the World doe grone:
All is quite orderlesse; which doth portend
The World, with vs, is euen at an end.
And ô what should I say, when Courage makes
the Cause nor good nor bad; for, Falshoods Friends
Haue dide in Errors cause, at flaming Stakes,
as stout as Martyrs in their constant ends?
Witnesse that Legate, sent from Pow'rs beneath,
who late in Smith-field, Error so defends,
That he out-fac'd Truth, men, flames, dread & death:
And Anabaptists there for Error stood,
As stout as those that, for truth, lost their bloud.
But, Legate, though thou canst no answere yeeld,
yet let me question thee as many doe
Question the dead for Error which they held;
tell me, who gaue thy false Faith Courage too,
That thou for Error should'st so stoutly burne,
for Error that must needs thy Soule vndoe,
If, on the Coales from it, shee did not turne?
Can Sathan counterfet our God so nye
In's Gifts, that men, for him, should stoutly dye?
143

But thou might'st answere; Faith, though false it be,
yet, if the Soule perswaded be it's true,
Vpon the Heart it worketh morrally,
as Faith doth, which to Heau'nly Truth is due:
This made the Priests of Baal their flesh to wound;
and many Indians sense of paine subdue;
Yea, burne with those, whose Faith, they hope, was sound:
Then not to suffer much; nor Constancy
Proues Error, Truth, which fire's too cold to trye.
Then Truth must trye her selfe by Reas'n and Faith;
but, where Faith bids beleeue, Reas'n still must be
Obedient to beleeue what ere she saith;
though she say, Three are One, and One is Three:
A Maid's a Mother, that a Man had wiu'd:
true God, vnmade, made true Man, really:
And that the Dead shall rise, as here they liu'd:
All this, and more, of Faith, must Reas'n beleeue;
But God (the Fount of Reas'n) this Faith must giue.
Death is the worst of Ils, yet best to those
that dye for Faith well tryde: and who they be
The Conscience of the Dyers neuer knowes,
if with the Rules of Faith they disagree:
Then God knowes who are his: and Men may know
that all are his, his freest Spirit doth free
From life, by death bee't violent quicke or slow:
A Saint as Man, may feare and faint in death,
As Christ did (dying) yer he yeelded Breath.
[143]

Let this Cup passe, was Terrours proper voyce,
yet vtter'd by our Sauiours sacred Tongue:
Our flesh (he tooke) annoi'd, did make that noise,
fore-feeling it should be with Torments stunge.
My God, my God, why hast forsaken me?
vnto our Flesh intirely did belong;
Then may true Martyrs in Death drouping be
With sense of pain; but God, that gaue them strength
To stand to him, through him, preuailes at length.
For, tis not hard when Gods soft comforts cheere
our Soule to suffer, torments to endure;
But when such fauours are turn'd all to feare,
and in distresse of Minde to hold vs sure
To God, and for him all annoyes to beare;
that is a Miracle perform'd by Grace,
Past Natures best performance; and is deere
Vnto the Doner; then, who doth the same
Goes straight to glory through Afflictions flame:
For, Works of Iustice we should rather doe
than those of Grace: now Iustice wils that we
In Truths defence should dye, with torment too,
though Grace, to vs, a stranger seeme to be:
“Obedience farre excelleth Sacrifice;
the first, is duty, in the high'st degree;
The other, in our Wils Deuotion lies;
Then courage in our Death is no true Signe
Of life else-where, without the Cause diuine.
144

For, through Vaine-glory some in Death haue seem'd
as brauely resolute, as Saints haue bin:
Nay, oft the first haue beene the better deem'd
by outward-sight, that seeth nought within:
Leæna being but a Curtezan:
tyring her Tortures, though she dide for sinne,
Spat out her Tongue, that to accuse beganne:
And many more, of like sute, so haue dide:
Then, by braue dy'ing, plain Truth's not iustifide.
But dye they how they can that dye for Truth,
they stoutly dye, sith they dye willingly;
But much more they that dye in sportfull youth;
& though Deaths ougliest face may daunt their eye
When they behold him; yet, if they endure
that feare, and paine, which after they must try,
They stoutly dye, though faint be all their pow'r;
Nay, more they doe, sith they so little can;
“Flesh is but mire, the Minde doth make the Man.
But see what ends the Tyrants erst haue made,
that of Gods Saints made ceaselesse Butchery:
Nero, the chiefe, that first did them inuade,
in his owne bloud his murdring hands did dye,
And while he bled his last, he (crying) said;
Foulely I liu'd, and dye more filthily:
Thus, for his paines, in paining, he was paide:
Domitian, by his Seruants being slaine,
For doing like, the like reward did gaine.
[144]

Fell Maximinus, with his Sonnes, was brought
to selfe same issue: Decius, with his Frye,
Incurr'd the like: Valerianus, caught
by him that swaid the Persian Monarchy,
Was cag'd in Iron more fast then Lyons are,
who, in the end, being flaid, dide wretchedly;
But Dioclesian worst of all did fare:
For, he fell mad; so, made himselfe away,
While fire from Heau'n his House did leuell lay.
So of the like, in life, and their Degrees,
I' might count many dire and awfull deaths;
All dranke Gods vengeance Vials to the lees:
&, in their bloud o'erwhelm'd, they lost their breaths
For, God vnstings such angry Waspes and Bees,
sith each their Stings in Saints too often sheathes:
“God burnes his Rods when he hath paid his fees:
Yet Stings of spight, in th' Head of Pow'r, with wit,
Can sting the World to death, if Heau'n permit.
But howsoe'r th' Almighty throwes his Rods
into the fire, when he his Ire doth cease;
Yet, oft the scurged fall to greater ods
with Goodnesse, than before: The Churches peace
Makes her more loose then when shee's bound to fight
(vncessantly) with foes that her disease;
“For, they liue wrong that rest to much in Right,
“Mettall (though Siluer) resting long vnscowr'd,
“Will canker; or, with filth, be quite obscur'd.
145

For (ah) this Witch (the World) with pleasing charmes
so lullabies our Sense in soft delights,
That though we be, vpon our guard, in armes,
yet we are taken in our Appetites;
And made to serue the Diuell, and our Flesh
in strictest Bondage; while their Parasits,
Sinne-soothing Pleasures, doe our Sense refresh,
To serue them with the more alacritie;
So, Glee lets Grace our Sense to mortifie.

A Parable.

Wee' are like a Man chast by a raged Bull,
who in his flight into a Well doth fall;
And, in the fall (by chance) he lighteth full
vpon a Tree, that there growes in the Wall:
And, resting there, there sets his Soules delight:
but looking better on the place, withall,
He spies two Mice, one blacke, the other White,
Who still the Roote of this his rest doe gnaw,
And more and more asunder it doe saw.
Then, vnderneath he lookes, and there espies
a gaping Dragon threatning to deuoure him:
And at his feete foure striuing Serpents rise;
yet, looking vp, he spies (what doth allure him;
And makes him deeme, he is from dangers free)
a little Honie (which he euer tryes)
Cleaues to a branch of that vntrusty Tree:
[145]

For which, these dangers he neglects; and still
That Hony sicks, yet ne'er can licke his fill.

The Morall.

The Bull, is Death; the World, the Well; the Tree,
our time of life; the white Mowse and the blacke,
The Day and night: the striuing Adders be
the Elements, that striue vs still to wracke:
The Diuell, the Dragon: and, the Honie is
our whitest Pleasures, that are lin'd with blacke;
And, blacke within, for losse of Glories Blisse:
Who, therefore, would not deeme that man were mad
That in such dreadfull dangers can be glad?
What comfort can we haue then, in a place
that's by the Prince of darknesse gouerned?
Where eu'ry thing is in a cursed case;
and, by Gods foes and good-mens, peoplëd:
Where Paines be rife, extreame, and infinite;
but Pleasures few, and false, fraile, dull, and dead,
Which, at the best, at least, doe vexe the sp'rit:
Where Plentie's full of perill; Want, of woes;
And (in a word) where all, that ill is, flowes.
Then, cast we off these pleasures, that but cast
a mist before our Eyes, and mocke our Sense:
But let vs hugge those paines, and hold them fast,
that bring eternall ioyes for recompence:
146

Now, if this Potion worke not in sicke-mindes,
at point of death is their Intelligence;
Nay, Death the pow'r of all their forces bindes:
In few: Great things by greatest mindes are sought:
The small but seeke for shades, the shels of Nought.

To attaine a quiet Life.

Who would in quiet spend his life,
must shunne the Cause of strifes Effect;
And yet with Vice still liue in strife:
so, Strife retaine, and it reiect.
1 Hold no Conceit 'gainst that Conceit
the King maintaines; vnlesse it be
Against that Faith, whose forme and waight
with TRVTH, well tride, doth still agree.
2 Finde neuer Fault, but when the same
concernes the Honor of the High'st:
Or else the Kings; to heare whose blame,
is blame which oft to Death is nigh'st.
3 No Wager lay: for, that but stirres
the Losers heart to hate and ire;
[146]

Which oft enflameth Ciuill-warres:
then, giue no Fuell to this Fire.
4 Nor make Comparison: for it
is odious; and, workes like effect:
Why should thy Will, t'aduance thy Wit,
anothers Wit or Worth deiect.
To praise thy selfe, is but Dispraise,
vnlesse Spight wrongs thine Honor (knowne)
If others Shame thy Glory raise,
let their Shame raise it, not thine owne:
For, tis but Shame, to glory in
anothers Shame, because we yet
Are free from blot: but Praise we winne
by hiding both our praise and it.
This is the way to earthly Peace;
Without which growes all strifes encrease.

A Cordiall to cheare the Heart vnder the Crosse of Confinement: written to a great Lord, once a perpetuall Prisoner.

While yet thou lyëst in Afflictions fire,
more bright to make thee, and increase thy worth,
147

From mine Inuentions Mud, I send this Mire,
to cast vpon the flames, if they breake forth.
Then, deigne t'accept (vnhappy-happy Lord)
this Muddy Stuffe, my creeping Muses Meate;
The rather, sith some ease it may afford
in plaistring Patience if it scorch with Heate:
For, greatest Spirits doe greatest Passion feele
in bearing Crosses, though but small they be;
But vnder great, great Men doe weakly reele,
though greatest Men from weaknesse should be free.
But thou (to thy true glory be it said)
dost crosse expectance, bearing so thy Crosse,
As those that are by Hands of Angels staid;
so, draw'st much winning out of little losse!
For, Libertie to lose, or terrene trash,
(the Minde being free) is better lost than found;
Which oft, on Waues of Weale, their Owners dash
on Rockes vnseene, which eyther part confound.
Now be'ing thus staid, thou canst not rise to fall,
Fortune hath bruiz'd thee, but on Safeties Base;
That now thou canst no longer be her Ball,
to strike thee in Lifes Hazard, for her Chase.
Now maist thou sit securely where thou art,
and see (vnseene) the Worlds Reuoluings still;
[147]

And how men liue by industry, or Art;
and what euents ensue the greatest skill.
So sitting, bound to Safeties Shore, at ease,
thou maist with ioyfull-Sorrow freely see
How other Folke are tost on Dangers Seas,
as they that beare the highest Sailes still be.
Now on the top of some proud Billow borne
as high as Heau'n (while Billow-like they swell)
Then, by a Crosse-Sea is that Billow torne
be'ing at the high'st; so, straight they sincke to Hell.
And they that haue the Winde and Tyde at will,
each Moment feare the Winde may turne about;
And so their good is neuer free from ill,
because their Hopes are euer bound to doubt.
But now thy Will (familiar with thy Crosse,
all Stormes of Passions being ouer-blowne)
Hath euer Calmes that neuer threaten Losse,
that more then now, thou ne'er didst hold thine owne.
Now Mischiefe cannot see thee, though she would
looke ne'er so narrowly to glance at thee:
For, thou art hid in Brittaines strongest HOLD,
where safe thou holdst thy selfe and thy degree.
And some that Life immurde, would haue to chose,
although, as Monarches, they might all controule:
148

As greatest Charles his Empire did refuse,
and shut his Body vp, t'enlarge his Soule.
For, that great Priest of Hyppo held but right;
who rather out of Hell his God would see,
Than be in highest Heau'n, and misse that sight;
then Bondage, with that Sight's diuinely free!
And long I wish (great Lord) thou maist be so;
(though short I wish thy Troubles) and that God
That hath perhaps t'vplift thee, brought thee low,
will make a Staffe of that that was thy Rod.
The Hearts of all, in his all-holding HAND,
he wields at will, and Patience will requite;
Then, thy Commanders Heart he may command,
(in time) Sunne-like, to fill thy Moone with light.
Then, when thou hast regain'd this Comforts Sunne,
thou will maist say (as some haue said of yore)
“Th'hadst beene vndone, badst thou not beene vndone
sith then thy Moone shines fuller then before.
For, eu'n as when the Moone is at the full,
she from the Sunne is most remote we see:
So, in thy Wane (perhaps) this Sunne may pull
thee to him neere, to light thy Heart, and thee.
That so it may Ile pray; and pray that thou
maist Grace attract by vertue of thy Grace;
[148]

Meeke Patience can the Heart of Highnesse bowe,
and make selfe Wrath to shew a chearefull Face.
For, when our liues doe please the Lord of Life,
hee'l make our greatest Foes our greatest Friends:
Then shall our Troubles cut the Throate of Strife,
and make our peace to make our paines amends.
Long life is promis'd those that liue aright,
then maist thou all disfauours ouerliue:
“Patience o'er-comes what nought o'ercomes by might,
eu'n God himself, & makes him to forgiue.
But say the worst should hap (which hap's the best)
that thou shouldst liue and die in state confinde,
Thy state's most blessed, sith so little blest
with Freedome, that to Earth enthrals the Minde.
Yet Libertie thou hast as large and free
as highest Vertue (Angel-like) doth craue;
For Men like Angels loue with Christ to be
in's bloudy-sweat alone, or in his Graue.
And, if that fellowes in Affliction make
affliction lesse, thou hast thy fellow-Peeres
In worser plight, whom Death did eu'n forsake,
that they might liue with thee to ease thy Cares.
“A good-mans state scornes Pitie howsoe'er:
for, though it be engulph'd in deep'st distresse,
149

Yet his high Vertue him aloft doth reare,
that no Calamitie can him oppresse.
And though he be coupt vp in Little ease,
his spacious Minde to him a Kingdome is;
Wherein he wanders Worlds that most doe please:
for, Heau'n and Earth holds that great Mind of his!
While in his Conscience Theater is plaid
the Comedie twixt his Soules Spouse and her,
How can his Soule but wander all vnstaid
through worlds of ioy, although he cannot stirre!
When as a Cæsar (in all libertie)
bathing in Pleasures, or more sanguine Streames,
Vpon the Racke of Conscience bound, doth dye
extreamest Deaths, in midst of Sports extreames!
O didst thou know some poore spirits Rauishments,
when as (entranc'd) they feele vnbounded Blisse,
Crownes thou wouldst lothe, as crossing those contents,
and let the Crosse quite breake thy Backe for this!
It is not; no, it is not high estate
hath highest Pleasure; but it's onely those,
That, for those Pleasures, fading pleasures hate:
“but they in Hell, no other Heau'n suppose.
While outward Comforts compasse vs about
in Griefes pursuite, we to those Comforts flye;
[149]

But when they breake the Ring, we straight run out,
to finde more fixed ioyes, or (ioylesse) dye.
Then is that sowre Affliction highly blest
that more Perfection brings (like Ligatures,
That hurt to heale, and wring but for our rest)
so, they are blest whom Wals from wracke immures
We Pris'ners are within Heau'ns outward Wals,
and are, by Nature, all condemn'd to die;
To Death we must, when Death (our Heads-man) cals,
some to dye gently; some, more violently.
And though our Prison be as wish we would,
and may, perhaps, therein goe where we will,
Yet (like the strucken Fish) we are in hold;
and are in hold to him that sure will kill.
But here's the ods; those in close-prison pend,
are there with Death much more familiar made;
So that, in fauor, he their griefes doth end
for endlesse ioyes and peace which cannot fade!
But, those that (loosely) haue the World at will,
doe take their swinge, as Fish (if hang'd) desire,
Till they be tirde with Pleasure, paining still,
then gently come to Hand; so, to the Fire.
And see how those that (care consum'd) doe climbe
at Sternes of State (still menac'd to be riu'n)
150

How publicke Toyles engrosse their priuate time,
that they can scarse a Moment spare for Heau'n.
And publicke Persons (if they mightie be)
the publicke state, and theirs, they still must eye:
So, to their Soules they scarse haue time to soe;
which, so neglected, oft vnwares doe dye.
Then (noble Lord) if in thy selfe confinde,
thou art most happy thus confinde to be:
And sith our Bodyes doe but Jaile our Minde,
while we haue Bodyes, we can ne'er be free.
Then, if thou weigh'st the volubilitie,
of Time, or Fauour, Fortune, or this ALL,
Thou wilt but lothe their loose vncertaintie:
for, hardly Ought doth rise, but soone to fall.
Who rul'd this Realme three thousand yeeres agone?
so many rul'd it since, that none doth know.
“A Flow-mans bloud, in time, ascends a Throne;
“And Royall Bloud descends vnto the Plow.
Yet, that King knowes not from the Cart he came;
much lesse that Carter knowes he came from Kings:
“But Times vicissitude is Fortunes game,
whose Rest puts vp and downe all earthly Things!
Then if wee looke on Life; how fraile is that?
resembled to a shadow of a Dreame;
[150]

To smoake, t'a thought, to nought, t'I wot not what,
farre lesse then nought, that can so much as seeme!
A Grape-seede one, an Haire another spils:
some Smoak doth choake; meer neesing some destroy:
Some other Choler; and, some laughter kils:
some feare; & (which is strange) some die with ioy!
So that when our last Graine, is running out,
no Graine so small but turnes our flesh to dust;
Be we as Giants, strong; as Lyons, stout;
all's lesse then nothing, then to nought we must.
The Graue (too like a Ierfe) doth nought but fill
his greedy Panch, & straight out-straines the same:
Then fill againe, then straine; then fill it still,
till it all Flesh consumes that Nature frames.
One rots therein to giue another place;
a second to a third, and so, forth on:
Till Earth yeeld vp her dead; and she embrace,
her funerall flame to leaue Corruption.
Then, sith that Life and Flesh so soone decay,
why should our flesh with life be long in loue?
This world is but an Inne; this Life, a Way;
(a wrackfull way) that Wisedome lothes to proue.
Which hath, of yore, made Kings to quit their Crownes
the lighter, so, the Way of life to runne:
151

Directed, by the Crosse (o'er Dales and Downes)
in priuate Pathes, the publike Toyles to shunne.
We (like to Fooles or Babes) for Bables long,
wherewith we hurt our selues and others oft;
Yet straight we whyne if they from vs be wroong,
our Natures, towards Folly, are so soft.
But our all-wise-celestiall-louing Sire
takes, or keepes from his Children which he loues,
All that may harme them, though they it desire,
but giues, though it displease them, what behoues.
Some long for State, and what is that but strife,
more full of trouble, then it is of State;
(With dangers mixt) a simple Hell of life;
which none doe loue, but those that rest doe hate?
Some loue to beare the most imbrued Swords
before the Maiestie of Victory;
And what are they but Butchers made of Lords,
that (like fiends) Lord it o'er Calamitie?
Some hidden Artes doe openly desire
and seeke for knowledge onely to be knowne;
But knowledge such, is light but of Hell-fire,
to see (with Eue) such Prides confusion.
Some fame affect, and for it venter farre,
seeking by Sea and Land the same finde;
[151]

“But Fame most followes those that flee from her;
and, oft who meets her, she o'erthrowes with wind.
In summe, both all and some (ô strangest Case!)
haue hurtfull humours, which (if not restrain'd
By him that is the Lord of pow'r, and Grace)
all would to nought, where Grace should ne'er be gain'd
Then, if our Flesh and Sinne-corrupted Blouds
could rightly feele, they well might see that Hand
That made vs, will not marre vs with his goods;
vnlesse our selues his powerfull Grace with-stand.
Our dearest Sense is Sight; yet if the same
offend that Grace, we must pull out our Eyes:
Then must we Limbes, of lesse account, vnframe,
much more Things lesse, if they against It rise.
“The greatest Crosse is neuer to be crost;
“the Way to Heau'n is by the Ports of Hell;
“The Waters most corrupt, that least are tost;
“and their account exceedes, who most excell!
Hee's rich enough for Vertues choisest friend,
that neither needes to flatter, nor to borrow:
To lade our Backes with Baggage till they bend
(wandring in stumbling-wayes) augments our sorrow
“Abundance is a Burden to the Soule,
and strongest Soules can hardly it abide:
152

For, Men that, being meane, could Pride controule,
be'ing mightie made, are most controul'd by Pride.
Nature's suffiz'd with Nothing, in respect
of that our Wolfe-like Appetites require;
And they as Naturals great-men reiect,
whose Soules haue not the pow'r of great Desire.
“But greatest Men haue not still greatest Grace;
(ah would they had, then shouldst thou soone be free
From thy restraint) and all desires are base
of Greatnesse, that with Goodnesse disagree.
I wade too farre (perhaps) in Dangers Deepes,
that may o'erwhelme the rash, though ne'er so tall;
But Truth's my Guide; and, Care my Footing keepes
on double Duties Ground, and firme in all!
Yet wot how ill it stands with Policie,
to fancy those whom Times disfauour most;
Sith Fancies such, acquire but Ielousie
(if not much worse) of those that rule the Roste.
For, Wise-men shift their Sailes as Winde doth shift,
and, but whom Fortune fauours, fauour none:
For, if Kings haue with Fortune beene at shrift,
they leaue them to their Penance post alone.
But I conceiue it a prodigious Sinne,
(like that of Iudas (Peters I would say)
[152]

Who left his Lord when trouble he was in,
which (in effect) is meerely to betray.
I feare not Iustice, sith shee doth command,
that we should loue our friends in spight of Fate;
And, to the Alter, with them goe or stand,
though we might (therefore) be o'erthrowne with hate.
Then Iustice warrants me in what I doe;
and I will doe but what selfe-Iustice would:
That's loue my Liege, obey and serue him too;
yet loue that Lord that likes me as I should.
Let him haue neuer friend that leaues his friend,
in shew of sound affection, in distresse:
And let high'st Wit to lowest Hell descend,
that weighs ought more then some friends heauines.
Let those that waite on Fortune weigh the Times
in Scoles of greatest Sculs, I, little i,
Doe little weigh the wayes how other climbes,
sith I would liue as longing well to dye.
Beyond my Birth, hath Fortune beene my foe,
she neuer yet so much as smiled on me;
No force, sith I my selfe the better know;
and see the World while me it doth not see.
Feare they her frowns, that care but for her fawnes;
I feare, nor care for neyther: (being white
153

With Cares and Feares) for my Graue open yawnes
to swallow me to saue me, from her spight.
Enough (great Lord) my Proheme is a Feast,
whereat my Muse doth surfet with sowre-sweetes;
Hard to receiue, and harder to digest,
where loue and rashnesse, Rime and Reason meetes;
But if they meet with Griefe that meets with thee,
I grieue with ioy: for, thou art fast and free.

A Dumpe, or Swans-song.

All in a gloomy shade of Sicamour,
that did his leaues extend (like Shields) to beare,
The Beames of Phebus, darted in his pow'r,
at those that vnderneath them shrowded were)
I me reposed, while my Thoughts did range
here, there, & eu'ry wher, wher thoghts might roame;
So, by their change at last, my latest change
became their Subiect, with my latest Home.
And when, with Trauell, they themselues had tyr'd,
I likewise tir'd with life (that stirr'd them) too,
Thus flasht I out, (with sacred fury fir'd)
and my thoughts Bottome thus did I vndoe.
[153]

Why long I longer here to liue in death?
for life, if mortall, dyeth all the while:
Be'ing but a puffe, but of the weakest Breath;
yet, blowes me (Weakenesse) into strong Exile.
As soone as borne, was I condemn'd to dye;
since when, Time hath but executed me;
Yet life prolongs in dying misery;
so, yet I am as those that dying be.
To him that gaue me life, a death I owe;
which, sith I can, I must, and shall repay:
His Powr's as great to take as to bestow;
then will I pay him, though I quite decay.
I, dead in Sinne, his onely Sonne he slew,
to please his Iustice, and to make me liue:
Sith me he bought, Ile giue him then his due;
which had, I haue much more then that I giue.
Death soone will rid me from this lifes annoyes,
(Annoyes that nought can rid, saue death, from life)
And put me in possession of those Ioyes,
that are as farre from end, as free from strife!
And wer't not madnesse to repine, that I
had not had life when Eue did Adam wiue?
Then, tis but all alike to liue, and dye;
as tis, Not to haue liu'd, and not to liue.
154

Then, life IS not, that not immortall is;
for, mortall life is but Deaths other name:
Nor is that Blisse, that is not fearelesse Blisse;
nor glory, that is subiect still to shame.
The Dayes of Heau'n are datelesse; sith the Sunne
that makes them such, doth neither set nor rise;
But stands (as it shall, doth, and still hath done)
fixt in the Noone-stead of ETERNITIES.
Here one's the ruine of another Day,
while (like a ne'er-suffized Graue) the Night,
Doth bury both in silence; yet, doth prey
vpon them both, till both play least in sight.
“Death is the dore of life: so, would I liue?
then, through this dore to life, I needes must goe:
For, through this dore Death, LIFE it selfe did driue:
then, sith LIFE dide for life, I must doe so.
Two onely had the priuiledge to wend
another way to life that mortals were,
But twas in firy-Charets, to this end,
that Fire should flesh refine, yer it came there!
There, where all ioyes, vnited, are of force
(for, force vnited, stronger makes the same)
The spirit and flesh (both rauisht) to diuorce,
and melt their pow'rs in loues eternall flame.
[154]

What Lets shall let me then, from Paradise?
Mountaines of Gold, and Rockes of rarest stone,
Crossing my Way, I (trampling) will dispise,
if thither Hope but goe with me alone.
This WORLD's a Vale that ceaseles teares do spoile;
and make it so a Bog, or lothsome Lake:
Then who but Swine (that pleasure take in Soile)
will here (if they can choose) abiding make?
Heau'n is my Home; the HIGH'ST, my Father is;
his SONNE, my Brother; Angels, are my Friends:
Then while from Them I am, I am amisse;
and, lightly, misse the Meanes to so good Ends.
My Body's but the Prison of my Soule;
which straits her more, the more that Prison's free:
Time's but the Rocke that vp my Life doth rowle;
and Earth the Place where Heau'n spinnes it & me.
Here must I fight till Death for endlesse Life;
“The Chariot of my Triumph then, is Death:
Then (as I would be free from endlesse strife)
to mount this Chariot I must spend my Breath.
The ground whereon I tread's the ground of Griefe;
so that each step doth grieue me: for it is
A Sanguine-field, that beareth Hurts, in chiefe,
crost with sinister-bends; and All amisse.
155

Then here to bee, amisse is to be borne
in Dolors Field, to eu'ry foule Disgrace:
O Death then help my Soules house to adorne;
and let thine Armes be mine; for, lifes are base.
Am I not durt and dust? then, maruell is't
if I, but with a thought, be that or this?
A shadow by some substance, doth subsist:
but, all my substance, but a shadow is.
The Sunne doth rise and set; the Moone doth hold
a constant course in most vnconstant state:
The Earth now quick with heate, then dead with cold,
doth shew their plight that It preambulate.
Then ô yee Saints (whose Bellies being rife
with Waters both of life and grace) be yee
Pure Aquaducts, by, life, to bring me life
from the Well-head, that fill may you and mee.
The Graue (though wide it gape) dismayes me not,
sith tis the Gate of glory, rest, and peace:
And though therein my mortall Part must rot,
yet thence it springs with much more faire encrease.
If the last breath we call our Bodyes death,
then may we call the other Breathings deaths;
Sith Life and death doe come and goe with Breath,
we haue as many deaths, as we haue breaths.
[155]

Yet, twixt this life, and that we death doe call;
this ods there is; while life doth last, we dye:
But when Death comes, we die no more; but shall
by dying well, liue well immortally.
O then, looke how the Labourer for Night;
the Pilot, for the Port; and for the Inne
The Poast doth long: so doth my tired spright
(by death) still long for Life, and rest therein.
Death is my Hope: than feare not I his knife;
Feare is his Sting; but, Hope hath puld it out;
The mortall'st Wounds, immortall make my life:
then, better dye in Hope, then liue in Doubt.
If Death be painfull; then, is paine sustain'd
before, or, at the Article of Death:
But not before: for then, but thought is pain'd;
and at the instant it's but rest of breath.
So that in Death, is rest without disease:
then Death be kinde, and rest my life in thee:
While others, (that doe cast such summes as these)
these Cyphers summe, decyph'ring thee and mee.
And, Cyphers cast lifes Cyphers to, and fro,
that I their number (seene) may multiply:
Take nought from Nought, & nought remaines; & so,
the summe of All is lesse then vanitie.
156

Cyphers (not Numbers) call I them, because
they runne (sans number) roundly to the Graue:
At which my Muse, being now arriu'd, shall pause;
referring these to those that Science haue
To cast vp lifes accompt; and to fore-cast
the stricktnesse of Lifes great accompt at last.

ESSAIES.

The Foole hath said in his heart, there is no God.

Psal. 14. 1.
That God IS, no Man euer made a doubt;
if doubt some did, they did it not as Men:
For, faithlesse men, by meere sense, God finde out:
what are these senselesse God-deniers then?
They are not Fiends; for, they haue humane Soules;
and Fiends confesse, with feare, there is a God:
Much lesse, not Angels, Beasts, nor Fish, nor Fowles,
for, these praise God! What then? Eu'n their owne Rod.
Who doe themselues, tormentingly, confound;
hardning their Hearts; and, so, plague Sinne by Sinne:
[156]

Yet ioy in that which doth their Conscience wound:
is't possible such Creatures ere haue bin?
It's possible, for, such there be, God wot,
That know not God, because God knowes them not.

No pleasure to the pleasure of the Spirit.

Two Ioyes there are, whereof, the one is not;
of Flesh the one, that other of the Spirit:
The Spirits ioy is reall, actiue, hot;
but, that of flesh, is vaine, cold, dull and light.
How then can they be two, if but one Be?
one is; but is, but meerely in Conceit:
Which in Conceit, is forgde by Fantazie;
and whatsoe'er is forgde, is but deceit.
Yet in this meere deceit, most men conceiue
most pleasure to consist; and, it to buy,
They most essentiall perfect pleasures giue:
so, make their Iudgement giue their Sense the lye:
For, Sense could neuer tell, by her Receit,
That such Ioy Is, that is but in conceit.
157

Uanitie of Vanities, all is but Vanitie.

Eccles. 1. 2.
A mortall Eye can see but mortall Things;
and whatsoe'er is mortall, is but vaine:
Then all we see is vaine, though Crownes, or Kings;
yet Men will lose themselues, the same to gaine.
And yet, thy weene, they winne by so great losse;
ô corrupt Iudgement! Men made to be lost:
Who will all Vices (hatcht in Hell) engrosse,
them to retaile, to get but Care, with Cost.
It's said, Light gaine doth make an heauy Purse;
but, this light gaine doth make an heauy Heart:
To gaine all blessings, with Gods heauie Curse,
is too light gaine for such an heauy Thwart:
For, who doth purchase All at such a Price,
Doth buy but extreame Vanitie with Vice.

Fly vaine Pleasures, as Paines intollerable.

If Vanitie be All, and All be vaine,
how scapes he from this All, that's All in All?
[157]

It is, because He euer doth remaine,
the Cause of Causes metaphisicall.
Sith fiends immortall are, not vaine they are:
for Vanitie is but the Instrument
Wherewith, in sport, they doe this All ensnare,
to bring the same to Be as they are bent.
And, so, vnbend their being, and, distort
the euen Compasse that became their Forme:
So Vanitie them backward bends, in sport;
and, Sathan still, in sport, doth them deforme:
O then let All that would be bent aright,
Beware these sports, that doe distort them quite.

To the good, the Worst fals out for the Best.

The Crosse and Crowne, on Earth, our value try;
as Crownes alone, in Heau'n, our vertue crowne:
In Earth, if crown'd, we swell in Heart too hie,
and, vnder Crosses we lie basely downe.
But yet, if Grace doe Nature ouer-sway,
and that a Crosse, or Crowne, alike we beare,
A pride of Grace, our Nature, will bewray;
so, in our Nature, Sinne, though dead, doth steere.
158

And yet this Pride doth humble vs the more;
for when we mind it, griefe doth vs pursue:
So, is our Sore still cured by our Sore;
for, still we heale as we our griefe renew:
This, is a Worke of Nature; that of Grace;
And this and that, runnes with vs all our Race.

To the Lady Anne Glemmam, vpon the death of her noble Father.

To lye downe vnder Crosses, is to lye
in our Confusion: for, that's Cowardize;
And hath no taste of true Humilitie:
then, such prostration is an abiect Vice.
Nor is't the Way from Crosses to be free
to sinke beneath the Crosse, which weighes the more
The more we, vnder it, so, humbled be;
but HEE that bore your Sinnes It stoutly bore.
Yet is the Crosse impos'd to humble vs;
nor, is't remou'd, till we be humble made;
How much more low, so much more glorious;
(so as the Crosse doth vs not ouer-lade)
Then if we meeke be made, we winne by losse;
And cut a Crowne of Glory from the Crosse.
[158]

That to sinne finally malitiously, is irremissible.

The oftner Sinne, the more griefe, showes a Saint;
the oftner Sinne, the lesse griefe, notes a Fiend:
But to sinne oft, with griefe the Soule doth taint;
and, oft to sinne with Ioy, the Soule doth rend.
To sinne, on Hope, is Sinne most full of feare;
to sinne of malice, is the Diuels Sinne:
One is, that Christ may greater Burthen beare;
the other, that his Death might still beginne.
To sinne, of frailtie is a sinne; but, weake:
to sinne, in strength, the stronger makes the blame:
The first, the Reede, Christ bare, hath pow'r to break;
the last, his Thorny Crowne, can scarse vnframe:
But, finally, to sinne malitiously,
Reede, Crowne, nor Crosse hath pow'r to crucifie!

That mortall Life is a mortall Plague.

This Life, of ours, is call'd Life most amisse;
which may be tearm'd, more truely, lifes disease;
159

Whose perfect'st Pleasures are oppos'd to Blisse,
and, greatest paines grow from her greatest ease.
One, hath the Plague, we say, and he will dye,
that yet may liue; then much more may we say,
That One hath Life, and Death he cannot flye:
for, Life's a Sicknesse mortall eu'ry way.
Doth mortall life, then, bring the mortall'st death?
then, no Disease so mortall as it is:
A Plague of Plagues then, is our mortall breath;
yet mortall Men would still be plagu'd with this:
Though Life be Plague of Plagues, yet this desire,
Is the high'st Plague, whereto no Plagues aspire.

Too much Honie breakes the Belly.

Sweet honied Life, thinkes one, that Honie draines
from bloomes of Helebore (this vaine Worlds-wealth)
Which, though It breakes his Belly, yet his paines
seeme, to his Appetite, true Signes of Health.
O bewitcht iudgement! Senses rest of Sense!
deeme yee that sweet, that yeelds Effects so sowre?
That spoiles the Will and soiles th' Intelligence?
and Soule and Body, quite, in dung, deuoure?
[159]

Yet, those whose Spirits are turn'd to grossest flesh,
nay, those whose flesh seemes turn'd to purest sp'rit
Are thus bewitcht; which Sweetes their Sense refresh;
who sting like Waspes, if them they lose by might:
If thus they fare by whom the World is led,
What meruell though in sweete Sinne It be dead?

The Foole makes a mocke of Sinne.

Pro. 14.9.
Who laughes at Sin; for Sin can hardly weepe:
who jests thereat, is mad, or misbeleeues:
Then, sith the World still laughes at Debt so deepe,
it showes it madly sinnes; and neuer grieues.
Sinne is a Stinger; and who feeles it not
is mortifide, not to, but in fowle Sinnes:
Then, doth the World, in Sinne, but stincke and rot;
for, it feeles not when Sinne ends, or beginnes.
If it doe stincke, what Nose can it abide?
if it doe rot, what Eye, or Taste, or Touch
Can be content by them it should be tride?
Then onely Hearing heares it without grutch:
And that's because the Dead, in silence, cry
Cave to those, that, liuing, are to dye:
Then they that loue it, in such lothsome plight,
Haue neither Sense, nor Reason, Flesh, nor Spright.
160

The World is in a desperate plight, for which Christ refused to pray.

Bvt if the World be dead, God owes it not;
for of the liuing, He is God alone:
And, if not Gods, it is the Diuels Lot;
which bounded is with the chiefe Corner-STONE.
From that Stone vpwards, all to God belongs;
and from it, downewards, all the Diuels is:
For, God, being iust, the Diuell neuer wrongs;
but; lets him haue his due; as He hath His.
Then, to be Gods, is still to rest thereon:
but who can rest there, that God doth not stay?
Then, sith the World refus'd this Corner Stone,
God, for the World, refused but to pray:
O wofull World, how canst thou merry be,
That so forsook'st him, that so leaueth thee?
[160]

That all Heresies are grounded on the infallible Scriptures erroniously interpreted.

Each Bible-bearing Sectarie will say
hee's in the Truth; and proues it by her Word:
Thus, is the Word of Truth wrencht eu'ry way;
and made a Text that Falshood doth afford.
Yet, Truth's but one, though Falshood's manifold;
and when Truths Saints, with her Word, do conspire
To finde her out; that Truth embrace we should,
though we should mount to her in Coach of fire.
No Exposition of the Truth is true,
but what Truth makes her friends, alone, to make:
Who know Her best, and what to Her is due;
but, fooles, wise in their owne Eyes, both mistake:
For many Eagles Eyes haue better sight
Then one blinde Bats, that hardly see the light.
161

That the Eye is Sinnnes Burning-glasse, working vpon the Heart and Soule.

As Sinne's most conuersant with outward Sense;
so is she most familiar with the Eye:
For, shee sits in the eyes Concupiscence
as in her Throne of greatest Maiestie.
From eyes, to eyes, Sinne doth, in triumph, Tilt:
(a firie Serpent, clad in siluer Rayes:)
The end of whose Carreere is, where her guilt
makes blacke the Soule with Dolor and Dispraise.
Heuah first sinn'd: but, ere her Heart, her Eye
did Sinne commit; and all the lustfull Crue
Melt in that Sunne, like Yee, vntill they dye:
yet, like dead Flies, those Rayes, their liues renue:
Then, sith this Sunne exhales such Humours ill,
We must with Sorrowes Clouds, eclipse It still.

To take is to giue; for a Gift, Liberty.

Ovr Mouthes runne o'er with false Superlatiues,
in praising him, though bad, that did vs good;
[161]

Which are nought else, but true demonstratiues
of the Corruption of our basest bloud.
For, Pride can giue as much as Charitie:
and Tyranny as much as Mercy can:
But, who applauds or Pride or Tyranny,
doe Monsters praise, the Minde doth make the Man.
Then shall we take no good gifts of the lad?
I say not so: and yet, I say, who will
Take Kingdomes of the Diu'll, are worse than mad;
for He doth good to no man, but for ill:
Then sith, for Gifts, Men giue their Libertie,
Such Gifts binde Takers oft to villanie.

Againe, of the same.

And yet blinde Iustice sees her Sword to sheath,
if any offer her a Sheath of Gold;
Nay, high and hardy Hands oft sincke beneath
the abiect Gift and Giuer, to vphold.
There's nought more free than gift: yet nought more ties
the Hand, that takes them, to the Giuers will:
And yet (ah woe therefore) some godly-wise,
take Gifts, as good: and giue, as gifts were ill.
Were I a Diuell, yet were I liberall,
(in this damn'd Age) I would be seru'd with Saints:
162

For, if I sent bright Angels to them all,
they would adore me, maugre all restraints:
But, were I God, if Gold were not my Friend,
Pure Saints, in shew, would lothe me like a Fiend.

To him that hath, shall be giuer; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away, that which it seemes he hath.

Mat. 25. 29.
His Word is Truth, that said, to him that hath,
shall still be giuen; and, from him that lackes
Shall be withdrawne that which he holds, with scath;
so, this World makes men, made; & marr'd men, wracks.
Who least doth lacke, hath most bestow'd on him;
for God and Men giue richest gifts to Kings:
So, he that doth in all abundance swimme,
each Hand to him much more Abundance brings.
What meanes this Mysterie so mysticall!
what! World, begin'st thou now, with Age, to dote,
That Thou dost giue some All; some, nought at all:
and, sinck'st some, sincking, to make swimmers flote?
I know now what this meanes; but, this I know,
Tis too much to be loth'd, to be too low.
[162]

Of the Neglect of Arte and Vertue. To mine ingenious, deere, and well-accomplish'd Friend, Mr. Iohn Sandford, of Magdalen-Colledge in Oxford.

Goe, forlorne Vertue, into Eden goe;
and, with Leaues, hide thine outward nakednes:
Though tis their shame, not thine, that made thee so;
there make Worke for the Presse, far from the Presse.
Tell Times to come, how much these Times neglect Thee,
in Lines as far from death, as free from dread:
And, make their Ofsprings blush that doe reiect Thee;
yea, liue in shame when their Shames Cause is dead.
With open Hand to All, thy Largesse throw;
though All are too straite-handed, vnto Thee:
Make them, them selues, and thee, aright, to know;
that in thy shining Lines they, both, may see:
But, if they will be blinde, and both still wrong,
Eden still keepe, and sing a Sion Song.
163

Yee haue made a mocke of the counsell of the Poore.

Psal. 14. 10.
The Wisedome of the Poore, is still mispriz'd,
sith by their Wealth, Mens Wits are valued:
Speake he like Salomon, hee's ill aduis'd,
say some, that vnderstood not what he said.
But if he be an Isis-bearing Asse,
and speake what he himselfe, nor none conceiues,
His Praise shall, as his Folly doth, surpasse;
and speakes, as he no place for answere leaues.
Yet had some Kings, some Beggers in a place,
where he might not be seene, to vse their Wit,
(If it were Soueraigne, though his state were base)
this Sou'raigne would, of him, perhaps, beg It:
Which when He vents, the Peoples voyce is than,
This is the voyce of God, and not of Man!

Against Fortune-tellers, commonly called, Wise-men.

Sith all our Knowledge from our Senses comes,
which oft mistake, then must our Wisedome needs
[163]

Mistake, as oft as Error ouer-comes
our Knowledge, that from erring Sense proceedes.
Then all our Wisedome must be most vnsure,
as are the grounds from whence the same doth grow;
Yet some great Wise men hardly can endure
that God should know that, which they do not know.
And, sith they know, they know not as they ought;
more then they ought they seeme to know, at least;
These are the Wise-men that by Fooles are sought,
to shew euents to come to giue them rest:
On whom they doe bestow a Wise-mans see,
Which these wise Seers, onely, doe fore-see.

Sinfull Curiositie had rather be acquainted with the Diuell, then with God, or his Saints.

Haue any made a Cou'nant with blacke Hell,
and are Familiar with infernall Sprights?
They shall be sought to, wheresoe'er they dwell;
for, many Soules desire to see those sights.
But liues Elias (most familiar
with God and Heau'n) where great ones most frequent,
He liues as in his firie Coach he were;
for, none comes neere so meere an Innocent.
164

Thus doth the Diuell Lord it o'er the Aire,
and those that most doe prize It; while his slaues
Are more sought to then Saints or Angels faire,
though such Fiends bideing be among the graues:
Then, what so senselesse, as the World, to take
Delight in Diu'ls, and in Hell, for their sake?

Againe, of the same.

Were Bacon, and that Vandermast aliue,
(if liue they did where Men might draw but Aire)
They, with a mischiefe, wold much more than thriue;
for, they would smothred be with Mens repaire.
Some Bladuds would inuest them with their Robes,
nay, Crowne them too, to learne them but to flye:
That so they might but glide about the Globes,
to be admir'd for Iack-dawes qualitie.
So much Men, singularitie affect,
that to be singular, (though but in Toyes)
They'l freely giue what they doe most respect;
so much their inward Man, loues outward Ioyes:
Nay, Men to Hell will creep from out the Croude,
Ere they'l be drowned in the Multitude.
[164]

That Persecutors of Truth, are their owne Tormentors.

If Vertues Sonnes be plagu'd with Vices Broode,
(sith they, by Nature, still doe disagree)
It's for the vicious plague, and vertuous good;
which both shall here, or else-where, shortly see.
If our good life, our Enemies encrease,
that bad encrease, in that great good, is drown'd;
Who fight against themselues, but for our Peace;
and, through our Weeds, their Hearts and Soules do wound!
Our Sauiour, through his Death, did Death subdue,
to make vs conquer by enduring strife:
Then, what though They, to Death, doe vs pursue,
when, through our Death, they dye to giue vs life?
But with such proofes, none but such Saints are prou'd
That of his Iudge, in death, was fear'd and lou'd.

The righteous, in Ioy or Griefe, Life, or Death, God keepes as his Treasure.

Fell Malice most of her owne Poison drinkes;
for them she plagues, doe sippe but of the toppe;
165

But she of that, which to the Bottome sinckes,
to worke in Her Perdition, without Hope.
Impietie and Plagues are of an age;
being burnt, not in the Hand, but in the Heart:
For, who against the good doe battaile wage,
shall perish through his pow'r that takes their part.
And, if, for vertue, Men are made away,
God takes for sacrifice, their sufferings:
But when, by course of Nature, they decay,
he then receiues them as Peace-offerings:
So that in life and death, the righteous rest,
As th'Apple of his Eye, as safe, as blest.

That mens Deuotions towards God and Goodnesse, are most mutable.

Nought in our Life endures so many Turnes,
as our Deuotion; off, on, in, and out;
Now, cold as Yee, and by and by It burnes,
scarse in one moode, while we can turne about.
If good we heare, perhaps we thinke thereon;
but be it ill, ill (past perhaps) we minde:
Thus, rowle we euer, like a thriftlesse stone,
till Death vs stay by force, or Course of kinde.
[165]

From Sinne to Sinne, as Flies from sore to sore,
we still doe shift; the best Men, Men are still;
The worst are worse than Beasts, to kill, or store;
for, they are leaue in good, but fat in ill:
Then blest are they, that neyther fat nor leaue,
Haue rowl'd to Rest, but with the Golden-meane.

To my most honored and approued best Friend, and Alye, Sr. Fran: Louell, Knight.

God takes the Will for the Deede.

Although we doe not all the good we loue,
but still, in loue, desire to doe the same;
Nor leaue the Sinnes we hate; but, bating, moue
our Soule and Bodyes Pow'rs their force to tame;
The good wee doe, God takes as done aright;
that we desire to doe, He takes as done:
The Sinne we shunne, He will with Grace requite;
and not impute the Sinne we seeke to shunne!
But good Desires produce no worser Deedes;
for, God doth both together (lightly) giue:
Because He knowes a righteous Man must needes
by Faith that workes by Loue, for euer liue:
then, to doe nought, but onely in desire,
Is Loue that burnes, but burnes like painted fire.
166

The Vertuous, liue well for Vertues sake; the Vicious, for feare of Punishment.

Three things, in Iudgement, haue obserued bin,
to work with wicked ones, shame, griefe, & feare:
And yet without shame, griefe, or feare, they sinne,
till Iudgement (strict) beginneth to appeare.
If Iudgement then, haue force t'extort these three;
they haue no Iudgement, that will not preuent
This sore Extortion, with an easie see;
that is, liue well; if not, then, well repent.
But are these two performed with such ease?
Gods Yeake is easie, and his burden light:
And such as cannot well away with these,
can neyther liue well, nor repent aright:
But it they cannot, much lesse can they beare,
What Iudgement wil extort, shame, griefe, & feare.

That there is no peace to the Wicked.

The Wickeds rest is like the raging Deepe,
whose smoothest Peace is rough intestine War:
[166]

With whose Alar'ms they often start in sleepe;
whose Heart-strings, with such fretting Stops, doe iarre
Yet as the Sea seemes calme, as other Brookes,
till Windes arise, wherewith they rage as mad;
So, oft the Wicked-man as smoothly lookes
in prosperous state, as he whom God doth glad.
And in this plight, he Saint it can aswell
(at least in shew) as can the holiest Saint:
Yea, can (for glory) in Good-workes excell;
and, Pietie in Word and Deed depaint:
But when Afflictions flawes beginne to blow,
He playes the Diuell both in Deed and Show.

That a vexed Conscience is the onely Hell on Earth.

The Bodies rest doth most disease the Soule,
that is diseased with Sinnes sorest Sting:
For then the Thoughts about that Pricke doe roule,
and to the Soule an Hell of Horror bring!
The Minde then looking into Fancies Mirrour,
sees nothing there but Sinne that sits a-Broode
On grimme Chimæraes, and sights full of horror,
so to confound the Minde, or mad her mood.
167

For, when Sinne onely fronts the Phantasie;
that Glasse reflects these horrid Formes, by kinde,
Then, when the body most alone doth lye,
these Monsters muster most about the Minde.
O! Plague of plagues, when Sense nor Reas'n can spye
A Reall Obiect from a Phantasie!

Phantasie a great Comforter, or Tormenter.

Giue me Iobs Botches, Naamans Leprosie,
nay, giue me All that plagues the outward sense,
Rather then Terrors of the Phantasie,
crawling from out an Hell of Conscience.
And giue me all the Hels the Damn'd endure,
(this Hell alone excepted) I will be
Able to make them Heau'ns, in Conscience pure,
through Operations of the Phantasie.
Asleepe, awake, in Company, alone,
past-vnderstanding Peace, and Ioyes past Ioy,
In our Mindes Kingdome, then, themselues enthrone,
to ouer-sway the Paines that Flesh annoy:
Then, is this Peace and War, true Heau'n & Hell,
Where Paine and Pleasure doe themselues excell.
[167]

A wounded Conscience, who can beare?

Salues , Sores doe cure; and Medicines, Maladies:
Friendship, Oppression; Wised me, poore Estate:
Fauour, Restraint; and Time, Captiuities;
Good life, Reproch; and louing Manners, Hate:
But, these, nor ought else, that are blest, or best,
(except the Highest grace) haue pow'r to cure
A wounded spirit (with Sadnesse still opprest)
but It doth Death out-liue, and Hell out dure.
Were our Meate, Manna, our Weedes, Salomons;
Monarchies. our Friends; and Eden, our Free-bold;
Our Guardes, Goliahs; our Seates, highst Thrones;
our Houses Siluer, hung with Pearle and Gold:
All these, and all what else can Sense delight
Doe rather kill, than cure a wounded Spirit.

Death makes Things appeare as they are.

Enuy and Anger haue some Wise-men kil'd;
(though in those Passions we hold no man wise)
61

As fauour and base flatt'ry Fooles haue spild;
for, with them both, we Fooles doe Nestorize.
But when these moodes are, with the Parties, dead,
then, were they Fooles, who wer so wise while-ere:
And, They most wise that Fooles were reckoned;
thus, Death doth make Things, as they are, appeare.
Flatt'ry adornes Mens Fortunes, not the Men;
and Enuy, not their Persons, but their Fames
Doth seeke to wound: so, it appeareth then,
that Wise nor Fooles haue here their proper Names:
But in the Fout of Death they doe receiue
Their naked Names which their true Natures giue.

God and Conscience tels truely what we are; and are not as we seeme.

What thou art, aske thine Hart, and it wil show;
or, aske a Foe, that Conscience makes to lie;
But aske thou not Selfe-loue which cannot know:
nor, aske a Friend, which can no fault espie.
If we could see our selues, then should we see
that we are nothing lesse then what we seeme;
Yet, some seeme farre worse than in Deed they be;
and therefore All; this Some doe not esteeme.
[61]

For, we know nothing wholy, but in part;
and, vnderstand but, what we know, by Sense:
We see the Face, but cannot see the Heart:
then showes betray our best Intelligence:
This makes all wise men, that such Secrets know,
To winne the World; a Shadow, with a Show.

That Truth, being One and still the same, is made by wicked men to countenance Falshood, which is manifold, and still vnlike

When Peace & Truth do iarre, Peace is not peace:
then, Peace, in Truth, is that we should ensue:
Now, for this Truth, what Warres and Iarres encrease,
these Times doe feele, and After-times may rue.
Yet, no Man's so vniust, that will auerre,
he fights for Falshood; but, for Truth and Right:
So, iust, some say, is eu'ry vniust Warre:
thus, Truth is made to countenance each Fight.
Who euer yet for Heresie hath dide,
but saith, for Truth he dies, and so beleeues?
Or, what Sect saith not, Truth is on their side?
so, Truth is made a Diuell, that deceiues:
But Truth is God, vnmade, who, in the end,
Will damne them all, that make him such a Fiend,
169

That we are naturally bent to Ill, but supernaturally to Goodnesse.

Twixt Sinne and Grace, I tost am to, and fro,
as mine Affections please to bandy me:
From Grace, to Sinne I flye; but, backe, I goe;
and yet I goe as one that faine would flee.
Nature doth moue the Wings of my Desire
to Sinne wards nimbly; but, not so to Grace:
For, then she limes them with my fleshes myre,
that I am forc'd to passe an heauy pace.
Yet still I stirre those Wings, and seeke to breake
faile fleshes Bands; too strong, for me (too fraile)
Who though, sometimes, I faile of what I seeke,
yet seeke I what I finde, and neuer faile:
For, none seekes Grace that hath not Grace in hold:
Then, Seekers find, though oft lesse then they would.

Abuse is familiar with humane Flesh and Bloud.

Minding this World, I muse at what I minde,
though It vnworthy be of Minde or Muse:
[169]

I muse that Men are to It so inclinde,
sith It mindes nought, but how Men to abuse.
From high to low Abuse doth proudly raigne;
from which the Preist, that leads all, is not free:
The Holy hold the Holy in disdaine,
if with their state, their states doe not agree.
Vertue, or Vice are held or good or ill,
as, in this World, they thriue or ill, or well:
For, Vice is honor'd more then Vertue still,
if Vices Mannors, Vertues doe excell:
If Manors good, doe what good Maners ought,
(That's make men great) great men are made of nought.

That it is farre better not Be, then to be Ill.

The World (the Wombe where all misdeeds are bred)
breedes in my little-World such great offence,
That my Soule, great with Sinne's deliuered
of Griefe, that gaules my bleeding Conscience:
The Mid-wife Flesh, that did the same produce,
giues it the Nurse, curst Nature, it to feede:
And fattens It with full-Breasts of Abuse;
so, Griefe growes great, with Natures grosse misdeeds.
170

O Nature, Nurse of my Soules foule Disgrace!
ô World, the Nurse of that Nurse (grounds of grief)
Why doe you giue me being, time, and place
sith you doe worse then kill me with reliefe?
For, that reliefe that doth but nourish Sinne,
Makes our Case worse, then if we ne'er had bin.

Sinne and Grace cannot dwell in one place.

If Faith beleeu'd that Creede that Essence giues her,
then would she giue the Soule what that doth giue:
Faith's made to know, and doe that which relieues her;
for, by her actiue knowledge she doth liue!
But oft the Soule (though Faith be still her Ghest)
makes Sinne her Steward to prouide her Foode:
How then can Faith such banefull Bits digest,
which but contaminate her vitall Bloud?
Can Faith and Sinne (if they be full in force)
dwell (as if friends they were) in one weake Heart?
No: one will other from the same diuorce;
for, Sou'raignes part with life, ere Lordship part:
Then, want of Faith, with grosse Sin is supplide;
For, Nature vacuum could ne'er abide.
[170]

In rainy-gloomy Weather.

This Weather's like my troubled Minde and Eyes:
the one, being sad; the other, full of Teares;
And, as Winde oft the often Showrings dryes:
so, Sighes my Teares dry vp, and kindle Cares.
Sighes please, and paine the displeas'd painfull Heart;
they please in giuing vent to Griefes vp-pent;
And yet the Heart, they ease, they cause to smart:
so, Griefes encrease as Sighes doe giue them vent.
But were my Minde thus sad but for my Crimes,
and mine Eyes turn'd to Teares for cause so deare;
Or, did my Heart for that sith often-times,
my Sighes, my Teares, my Sadnesse blessed were:
But tis, sith Hope, my Ship, through Fates crosse-waue,
Now grates vpon the Grauell of my Graue.

Our Wits are vnable to please our Wils.

This Life is but a Laborynth of Ils,
whose many Turnings so amaze our Mindes:
171

that out of Them our Wit no issue findes,
But what our Sense commands, our Wit fulfils.
Yet Sense (being tired with deceitfull Ioyes
that fleete as soone as felt) prouokes the Wit
to cast about those Turnes to pleasure it,
Which findes new Pleasures lin'd with old Annoyes.
So, that when Sense and Wit are at a Stand
in quest of Pleasures vaine variëty,
they are so cloid with their saciëtie,
That Will is wearyed with her owne Command:
Thus, in this Life, or Laborynth of Ils,
We toile our Wits in vaine, to please our Wils.

To my most deare, and no lesse worthily-beloued Friend and Pupill, Henry Mainwarring Esquier, with the truely-noble and venterous Knight Sr. Henry Thynne, accompanying, into Persia, the meritoriously-farre-renowmed Knight, Sr. Robert Sherley, Englishman; yet, Lord Ambassadour sent from the great Persian Potentate, to all Christian Princes, for the good of Christendome.

Heroicke Pupill, and most honor'd Friend,
to thee, as to my Moitie, I bequeath
Halfe th'other halfe; beginning, at mine end,
to make (I hope) me triumph ouer Death.
[171]

My Sonne (sole Sonne; and, all I euer had)
vnto thy Care and Seruice I commend;
So, make me Sonnelesse, till you make me glad
with your Returne from this Worlds further end.
The Absence of so deare a Sonne as thou,
must needes affect thine honor'd Sire with Griefe;
But, for thy good, he doth his Griefe subdue:
so, doe I mine, by his, sith his is chiefe:
Then, with my Sonne, take thou my Hart and these
Celestiall Charmes, in Stormes, to calme the Seas.

Rob not the Poore, because he is poore; neyther wrong him in Iudgement.

Pro. 22. 22.
Though Words with Wisedome richly be attirde,
yet, if their Speaker be not rich withall,
They will be rather scorned, then admir'd;
or thought, through Enuyes spight most criminall.
But Words pronounced by Authoritie,
(though no Authoritie doth them approue)
Are held for Oracles of Deitie;
and, quoted, as rich Scriptures, Truth to proue!
Thus Wisedome rare, without a Fortune rich,
is a rich Gift that gets but poore regard:
For, Wisedomes lowest voyce, or highest Pitch,
if her Pipe be but meane, can ne'er be heard:
172

For, the Worlds Eares, though wide, no voyce can heare
That comes not from a Pipe, as deare as cleare.

To my worthy, witty, long-approued, and beloued Friend, Mris Ioyce Ieffreies.

Let vs heare the end: Feare God, and keepe his Commandements: for this is the whole duty of man. Eccles. 12. 13.

Many a weary Winter haue I past
since first our eyes strange-lookes did interchange:
But now (deare Friend, that is; as kinde, as fast)
Time, in Lifes Reere, or vitall-Powres doth range.
My Layes of Loue, are now turn'd all to Psalmes
and Hymnes addrest to Heau'n; which my yong dayes
Did most offend: Then, now, I craue this Almes,
that thou, for me, on These, our God wilt praise.
When Time, and Thwarts haue taught the humbled-sp'rit
that all, saue loue and feare of God, is vaine;
By Grace and Nature we take most delight
in paines, which may preuent eternall paine:
Then, if thy Will doe match thy Wit (deare Friend)
On these Feete maist thou trauell to that END.
[172]

The Conclvsion.

Lo here an end of these our Muses Flights,
which aymed at Mans End, or chiefest GOOD;
But if too wilde shee were, in heau'nly Heights,
let her be made to know it, by the Whood.
If her Desire too high hath made her rise,
(though lesse than God contents not that Desire)
Of Christ, and of his Church she mercy cryes;
and, humbly, stoupes to what they doe require.
Yea, prostrate, she doth fall; nay, vailes her Necke
vnder his Spouse (the Church) her sacred Feete;
Submitting all her Soarings to her Checke;
and ready to reforme what shee thinkes meete:
If she hath rightly fled, God made that Flight:
If not, she prayes the Church to make it right.
But, knew I ought offensiue to her Eare,
My Teares should blot It, yer It mended were.
FINIS.
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