University of Virginia Library

A Paradox in praise of Warre.

Peace thou Corrupter of Mortalitie,
Mother of shame and base securitie.
Whose beggerd wombe so many Bastards brings,
Three parts must starue, the rest like demie Kings,
Raigne ore their Brothers, all maligne their byrth,
To haue one Father, yet are Slaues on Earth.
Aide mee ye powers, whose influence got you Fame,
To rippe the wombe of peace, and shewe her shame.
Peace makes a faire showe, but tis fowle within,
Peace like to Riuers, feedes a Sea of sinne.
Let Warre in Forraine Lands hunt drowzie Peace.
And in a iust cause mans renowne increase.
T'is wholsome Warre dissolues the course of sinne,
Men best repent, when dangers neere beginne
To shew their Faces'; but whiles peace doth hold,
Our strength is weake, and our Deuotion cold.
Safety from worldly danger makes men thinke,
They that stand fast on earth shall neuer sinke.
The Countrey-Myser that his gold preserues,
To feede him fatte whiles many thousand starues,
Is thus occasiond by this slothfull peace,
Which lessens vertue to make vice increase.
T'is fearelesse Peace makes pleasure mans chiefe God,
We want both sight and feeling of Warres rodde.
That Land more happie is that Warre doth nourish,
Causing the world in better state to flourish.
For danger makes vs feare a sudden ende,
Feare saddes the soule because it did offend.
The feare of danger makes each man prepard,
And of his ill past life to haue regard.
Danger calls Conscience to a strict account,
Repentance makes a heauie soule to Mount.
Tis soft securitie lulls men in sinne,
That onely couet but Earths ioyes to winne.
Tis idle Peace that breedes in vs such faction
As kills at home, for want of Forraine action.
The Valiant man doth hence his Fame increase,
Maintaines himselfe by warres, growes poore by peace!
Hence flowes the fountaines of detected vice,
Sloath, Lust, Deceipt, and filthie Auarice.
Extortion, Usurie, and gaines Excesse,
Gryping the Liuing of the Fatherlesse.
So they by vse or fraude their bagges may fil.
In show of goodnes they'l commit all ill.
Cheat their owne Brother to gaine worldly drosse,
And make them poore by Law, that such dares crosse.
For this all-wishing-Golde is of that force,
As muffles Iustice, and exiles Remorce.
Golde in these times can turne the wheele of Fate,
And make them best belou'd deserues most hate.
Golde can make peace ioyne hands of deadly Foes,
Gold can make warre again wound peace with blowes:
T'is peace that makes this Indian Golde ador'd
This golden Calfe Idolatrizde, abhor'd.
Golde in the soule breedes such an alteration,
As men desire it more then their saluation.
Some cut mens throats for Golde, commit all euils,
Gold makes them Gods on Earth, and in Hell Diuels.
T'is pursie Peace that makes it of such price,
And is the Mother of all sinne and vice.
Making vs prone to all securitie,
Which thus proceedes through times securitie.
Peace makes Religion faint, and not regarded,
Uertue a Beggar, Learning vnrewarded.
Strange new Damnations, drowzie Peace beginnes,
And now the world well knowes the worst of sinnes,
Which through securitie doe so increase,
As endlesse plagues are matched still with Peace.