Divine poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Vpon a time, to Persias Royall Court,
A forraigne Stranger used to resort,
He was the issue of a royall breed,
The off-cast off-spring of the cursed seed
Of Amelck, from him descended right,
That sold his birth-right for his Appetite:
Haman his name; His fortunes did improve,
Increast by favour of the Princes love:
Full great he grew, preferd to high command,
And plac'd before the Princes of the Land:
And since that honour, and due reverence
Belong where Princes give preeminence;
The King commands the servants of his State,
To suit respect to Hamans high estate,
And doe him honour, fitting his degree,
With vailed bonnet; and low bended knee:
They all observ'd; but aged Mordecai
(Whose stubborne joynts neglected to obey
The seed which Heaven with infamy had branded)
Stoutly refused what the King commanded;
Which when the servants of the King had seene,
Their fell disdaine mixtwith an envious spleene,

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Inflam'd; They question'd how he durst withstand
The just performance of the Kings Command:
Daily they checkt him for his high disdaine,
And hee their checks did daily entertaine
With silent slight behaviour, which did prove
As full of care, as their rebukes of love.

Since then their hearts (not able to abide
A longer sufferance of his peevish pride)
(Whose scorching fires, passion did augment,)
Must either breake, or finde a speedy vent:
To Haman they th'unwelcome newes related,
And what they said, their malice aggravated.
Envie did ope her Snake-devouring Iawes,
Foam'd frothy blood, and bent her unked Pawes
Her hollow eyes did cast out sudden flame,
And pale as ashes look't this angry Dame,
And thus bespake! Art thou that man of might,
That Impe of Glory? Times great Favorite?
Hath thy deserved worth restor'd againe
The blemisht honour of thy Princely straine?
Art thou that Wonder, which the Persian State
Stands gazing at so much, and poynting at?
Filling all wondring eyes with Admiration,
And every loyall heart with Adoration?
Art thou that mighty He? How haps it then
That wretched Mordecai, the worst of men,
A captive slave, a superstitious Iew,
Slights thee, and robs thee of thy righfull due?
Nor was his sault disguis'd with Ignorance,
(The unfee'd Advocate of sinne) or Chance,
But backt with Arrogance and soule Despite:
Rise up, and doe thy suffring honour right.

Vp (like his deepe Revenge) rose Haman then,
And like a sleeping Lion from his Den,

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Rouz'd his relentlesse Rage; But when his eye
Confirm'd the newes Report did testifie,
His Reason straight was heav'd from off his henge,
And Fury rounded in his eare, Revenge,
And (like a rash Adviser) thus began:

There's nothing (Haman) is more deare to man,
And cooles his boyling veines with sweeter pleasure,
Than quicke revenge; for to revenge by leisure,
Is but like feeding, when the stomacke's past,
Pleasing nor eager appetite, nor taste:
Yet when delay returnes Revenge the greater,
Like poynant sauce, it makes the meate the sweeter:
It fits not th'honour of thy personage,
Nor stands it with thy Greatnesse, to ingage
Thy noble thoughts, to make Revenge so poore,
To be reveng'd on one alone: thy sore
Needs many plaisters: make thy honour good,
Not with a drop, but with a world of blood:
Borrow the Sythe of Time, and let thy Passion
Mowe downe thy Iewish Foe, with all his Nation.

Medita. 7.

Fights God for cursed Amalek? That hand
That once did curse, doth now the curse withstand:
Is God unjust? Is Iustice fled from heaven;
Or are the righteous Ballances uneven?
Is this that Iust Iehova's sacred Word,
Firmely inroll'd within the Lawes Record,
Ile fight with Amalek, destroy his Nation,
And from remembrance blurre his Generation?
What, shall his curse to Amalek be void?
And with those plagues shall Isr'el be destroyd:

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Ah, sooner shall the sprightfull flames of fire
Descend and moysten; and dull earth, aspire,
And with her drinesse quench faire Titans heate,
Then shall thy words, and just Decrees retreat:
The Day, (as wery of his burden) tyres;
The Yeare (full laden with her months) expires:
The heav'ns (growne great with age) must soon decay,
The pondrous earth in time shall passe away;
But yet thy sacred words shall alway flourish,
Though daies, & years, & heavē, & earth do perish:

How perkes proud Haman then? What prosp'rous fate
Exalts his Pagan head? How fortunate
Hath favour crown'd his times? Hath God decreed
No other Curse upon that cursed seed?

The mortall eye of man can but perceive
Things present; when his heart cannot conceive,
Hee's either by his outward senses guided,
Or, like a Quere, leaves it undecided:
The fleshly eye that lends a feeble sight,
Failes in extent, and hath no further might
Than to attaine the object: and there ends
His office; and of what it apprehends,
Acquaints the understanding, which conceives,
And descants on that thing the sight perceives,
Or good, or bad; unable to project
The just occasion, or the true effect:
Man sees like man, and can but comprehend,
Things as they present are, not as they end;
God sees a Kings heart in a shepheards brest,
And in a mighty King, he sees a Beast:
'Tis not the spring tyde of an high estate
Creates a man (though seeming) Fortunate:
The blaze of Honour, Fortunes sweet excesse,
Doe undeserve the name of Happinesse:

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The frownes of indisposed Fortune makes
Man poore, but not unhappy. He that takes
Her checks with patience, leaves the name of poor,
And lets in Fortune at a backer doore.

Lord, let my fortunes be or rich, or poore:
If small, the lesse account; if great, the more.