Divine raptvres or piety in poesie Digested Into a Queint Diversity of sacred fancies. Composed by Tho. Iordan |
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THE WORLDES METAMORPHOSIS. |
 | Divine raptvres or piety in poesie |  |
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THE WORLDES METAMORPHOSIS.
Before all time; when every thing did lye,Wrapt in a Chaos of deformity,
When all things nothing were, and could present
No comely frame, no heaven, no element,
No earth, no water, fire or ayre alone
But all as twere compounded all in one,
Then with a word our Tri-une Iove did bring,
This nothing Chaos into every thing;
Yea then our great Iehovah did present
A severall region to each element,
Then Time, his houres began to measure out,
And he most nimbly garison'd about,
This new created Orbe: he tooke his flight
And hurried restlesse on both day and night,
His motion was so quicke, that scarce twas ey'd,
He for ten thousand worlds won't squint aside,
Nor once turne backe his head; by chance I viewd
His flight, his wings I thought were then renewd,
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Swiftly, as if they never flew before,
As when the Thracians from their snaky bow
Did make there featherd darts so swiftly goe,
That they out ranne all sight, so time did flie,
As if he strove with winged Mercurie;
No weapon all this while for his defence
He bore, he dealt with none but innocence,
And now those foggy mists that so did lye,
Cloyster'd together from eternity
Were all dispersd; yea now twas very bright
And darkenesse was unfetter'd from the light;
When this was done, our great Iehovah lent
The world (as yet scarce made) a firmament,
He separated waters wondrous well,
Then Seas with surging billowes ganne to swell,
And tossed to and fro with every wave,
As if the fretfull region would out brave
Her owne Creator; they were not content
With their but now appointed regiment,
Their watry mountaines did so oft aspire
To Heaven, as if they would be placed higher,
But now great Iove lookt on they did not dare
Surpasse their stations, nay, nor once impaire
Their bounds, he quickly queld their lusty prankes,
And causd the waves to crouch within their bankes,
When he had conquerd this unruly stran,
Within two dayes he crownes Leviathan,
King of the liquid region, and doth give
Ten thousand thousand more with him to live,
Then fruitfull earth which is the Ocean barres
Appeares, and heavens bespangled all with starres,
The Sunne begins his beauty
And proudly danceth up the Orient,
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But gallop from the orientall deepe,
He rid so fast that in few houres was spide
All bravely wrapt in his meridian pride,
But when he clamber'd to the highest brinke,
He view'd the fabricke, then began to sinke,
And all the way as hee did homewards goe,
He laughed, to see so brave a frame below,
Still whipping on his Iades, untill his head
Was safely laid into his Westerne bed.
Silver Lucina as yet did not enter,
But lay immured within the reeking center,
Whilst he had mounted on his flaming seate,
And viewd a glorious orbe, wondrous, compleate,
With that the purple Lady straight prepares,
Attended with ten thousand thousand starres,
Shee clambers up in this her rich aray,
And viewes the goodly building all the way,
Sweete smiles shee cast from her admiring eye,
Whilst all her little babes stood twinkling by,
Playing the wantons by their mothers side,
As if they were inamour'd with the pride
Of such a Fabricke: to expresse their mirth,
Some shot from heaven, as though they'd live on Earth,
This done, sweete Phœbe soone beganne to drop
Her borrowed beames into her brothers lap,
And eversince to see this glorious sight
One laughes at day; the other smiles at night.
And can you blame them? earth is spread with bowres,
And trees, and proudly deckt with sundry flowers,
Shee that ere while in dunghill Chaos lay,
Is now with Vi'lets purp'ld every day,
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With sweeter herbes then ever Ceres had,
Her fruitfull wombe brings forth most dainty cates,
And lovely fruites, these are her comely brattes,
No rusticke Plowman now doth take the paines
To peirce her entrailes, or to squeeze her veines,
But heaven and shee unites, they scorne to see
A bastard weede, disgrace their pedigree,
Shee's overspread with pinkes and Daffadillies,
Carnations, Roses, and the whitest Lilies,
Those fondlings lolling in her armes doe lye,
Shaking their heads, and in her bosome dye;
These in their mothers sides doe take their rest,
Till they doe drop their leaves into her brest,
And now the little birds doe every day,
Sit singing in the boughs, and chirpe, and play,
The Phesant and the Partridge slowly flye,
Vndaunted even before the Faulcons eye,
Now comes Behemoth with his Lordly gate,
Gazing, as if he stood admiring at
So rich a frame, first having fixt his sight
On glorious earth, he alwayes tooke delight
In viewing that; and would not looke on high,
Nay all the glorious spangles of the skye
Could not entice him, ever from his birth
He spent his time in looking on the earth.
All other beasts their greedy eyes did fling
On lovely earth, as did their crowned King:
Yea now the Lion with the Lambe did goe,
And knew not whether blood were sweete or no,
The little Kids to shew their wanton pride,
Came dancing by the loving Tigers side,
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Would give a sporting touch, and so away,
And then returne, being willing to be found,
And take his turne to chace the wanton Hound.
The busie Mice sat sporting all the day,
Meane while the Cat did smile to see them play.
The Foxe stands still, to see the Geese asleepe,
The harmelesse Wolfe now grazeth with the Sheepe,
Here was no raping, but all beasts did lye
As link'd in one, O Heavenly Sympathy!
The goodly Pastures springing from the Clay,
Did wooe their mouthes to banquet, all the way
Was spread with dainty herbes, and as they found
Occasion, they would oft salute the ground,
Those uncontrouled creatures then begunne
To sport, and all lay basking in the Sunne,
No creature was their Lord, gaine said by none,
As if that Heaven and earth were all their owne.
Thus when this mighty builder did inrobe
Himselfe with night, and Chaos to a globe
Convert, of this he tooke a serious view,
And did as twere create it all anew,
He made a little Orbe, cald man; the same,
Onely compacted in a lesser frame,
For what is all this all, that man in one
Doth not enjoy. A man thats onely blowne
With heavens breath, a man that doth present
Life, Spirit, sense, and every element:
Yea in this little world great Iove did place
His glorious Image, and this miry face
Was heavens picture, twas this face alone
That still lookt up to his Creators throne,
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Surely twas heaven it selfe had then conspir'd,
To finde it out,) a garden sweetly blowne,
With pleasant fruite, and man's exempt from none,
Of all these plants, except a middle tree,
And what can one among a thousand bee!
O glorious place, that God doth now provide
For durty clay! the earth in all her pride,
He tramples on: and heav'n that's so beset
With spangles and each glistring Chrysolet
Doth give attendance, yea it serves to be
A covering for his head, his Canopie.
Thus man of heaven and earth is all possest,
This span of durt, is Lord of all the rest,
Me think's I see how all the Creatures bring
Their severall Congies to their new made King,
Behemoth which ere while did range about
Vncheckt, and tossing up his bony snowt,
Feard none: now having cast his rowling eyes
Vpon his Lord, see how he crouching lyes,
Behind a sheltring bush, he seemes to be,
Imploring aide of every spreading tree,
The Lyon which ere while was in his pride,
Squinting by chance his gogle-eyes aside,
Espies his King, he dares not stay for haste,
Spues out his meate halfe chaw'd, and will not taste
Of his intended food; but sneakes away,
Counting his life to be his chiefest prey,
It was but now the raven was espide,
Sporting her wings upon the Tigars hide,
But now, O how her feather'd sayles doe soare,
As if shee vowd to touch the earth no more!
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Of highest mountaines, and the Conies drop
Into their holes, see how the Roebucke flings
himselfe, almost exchanging legs for wings.
Why? what's the matter, that ye haste away,
Ye that ere while, were sporting all the day?
Tell me yee Creatures, say, what fearefull sight
Hath put you to this unexpected flight?
Speake, speake thou giddy lambe, wer't not thou spide
At play but now? why then dost skip aside?
What? is it man that frights you? can his face
Stretch out your legs unto their swiftest pace?
Can one looke daunt you all? what neede this bee?
Are ye not made of Clay, as well as hee?
Have ye not one Creator? are ye not
His elder Brothers, and the first begot?
Why start ye then? is it not strange to see
One weake-one make ten thousand strong ones flee?
But ah I neede not aske, I know it now,
You spied your makers image in his brow.
T'was even so indeed, no time to stay,
Your Lord was comming, fit, he should have way.
And thus these Creatures dares not come in sight;
Surely t'was heavens Idea, causd the fright.
Now see how flattering earth doth strive alone
To please this Lord; each tree presents a done,
See how the fruite hangs with a comely grace,
And wooes his hands to rent them from their place,
O how they bow, and would not have him bring
His hands to them, they bend unto their King,
But if by chance he will not plucke and taste,
They breake the boughes, and so for griefe they waste.
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Their Lord, doe Curtsy as he passeth by,
The wanton Dazies shake their leavy heads,
The purple Vilets startle from their beds,
The Primrose sweete and every flowre that growes,
Bestrowes his way with odours as he goes;
Thus did the herbes, the trees, the pleasant flowres
Welcome their Lord into his Eden bowres.
But all this while, the earth with all her pride,
Shee nor her store could not aford a bride
Fitting for man, no, no, to end the strife
The man himselfe must yeeld himselfe a wife,
It was not meete for him to be alone.
Then did our one-in-three our three-in-one
Cast him into a sleepe, and did divide
His ribbes, and brought a woman from his side.
When this was done, the devill did entice
The wife from Gods, unto his Paradice,
See how the lying serpent maketh choise
Of the forbidden tree: a tacite voice
It hath indeede most lovely to the eye,
Presents it to her, and shee by and by
Forsooth must taste: and so must Adam too.
What cannot women by entreaties doe!
God he intends a wife for mans reliefe,
But oftentimes shee prooves the greatest griefe.
Was there but one forbid? and must shee bee
So base a wretch to taste of such a tree?
Must Adam too? Ah see how shee pluckes downe
Her husbands glory, and kickes off his crowne!
O see how angry God himselfe comes downe,
To curse these wretches! heaven begins to frowne,
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Transformed Adam crouch behind a tree,
T'is time to runne when once God doth reject him,
Tis not his leavy armour can protect him,
Heaven and hell with all the spight they can
Strive for revenge against this monster man.
O how the Creatures frowne, and bend their brow,
As if they all conspir'd and tooke a vow
Against this caytive, hearke how earth complaines
That shee by man is barrd of mod'rate raines,
Shees now become a strumpet, fruitfull seedes,
And dainty flowers, are turn'd to bastard weedes,
Disrob'd of all her glory, lost her pride,
The creatures now lie starving by her side,
O how shee sighes, and sends up hideous cryes,
To see poore cattell fall before her eyes,
For want of foode: they rip their mothers wombe
For meate, but finding none, doe makt their tombe,
Harke how the buls and angry Lyons roare
To heaven, and tell how man decreast their store,
Heare how the little Lambes which yesterday
Did honour to their King, and gave him way,
O how they begge for vengeance to come downe
On man, and dispossesse him of his Crowne,
See, see what raping and what cruell thrall
Is us'd: tis man alone that murders all,
The Lion mild ere while for want of foode,
Doth fill his paunch with unaccustom'd blood,
The wolfe which lately was more apt to keepe
The tender lambes, now prosecutes the sheepe,
Surely the ravenous beasts (did not they spye
The glimpse of heaven within mans purblind eye,)
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Come downe and smooth her fathers wrinkled brow:
The earth would scorne to beare him, but divide
Her selfe, and make this Dathan sincke in pride;
The earth would not indure the plough to passe
Into her iron sides, the heavens as brasse
Would soone become, and both doe what they can
To starve up this deformed monster man.
See how this Caytife causeth discontent,
And raiseth discord in each element,
How often have I seene the raging fire
Vnto the top of highest Towres aspire,
And clamber mighty buildings? tis unbound,
Surely t'would burne the fabricke to the ground,
Did not our God looke from his mercy seat,
And make the watry sister quell the heate.
How is the ayre poysned with misty fogges,
And churlish vapours; onely such that clogs
The Corps with deadly humours, such that brings
The Pestilence, yea such that quickely flings
Loathsome diseases alwayes tipt with death,
Did not Iove fanne it with his mighty breath.
Harke how the impatient seas beginne to thunder,
As if they'd rent their prison walls in sunder;
See how the mounting waves doe swiftly flye
To heaven, as if they meant to tell the skye
How basely man hath dealt: O how they roare,
Beating their foming waves against the shore,
Chiding their sister earth that dares to beare
So base a wretch; see how the waves doe teare
Her bowels, and with all the spight they can
Strive for to drowne this wretched Caytife man.
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