Sect. 8.
The Argvment.
Vnto the King proud Haman sues,
For the destruction of the Iewes:
The King consents, and in his name
Decrees were sent t'effect the same.
Now when the year had turn'd his course about
And fully worne his weary howers out,
And left his circling travell to his heire,
That now sets onset to th'ensuing yeare,
Proud Haman (pain'd with travell in the birth,
Till after-time could bring his mischiefe forth)
Casts Lots, from month to month, from day to day,
To picke the choycest time, when Fortune may,
Be most propitious to his damned plot;
Till on the last month fell th'unwilling Lot:
So Haman guided by his Idoll Fate,
(Cloaking with publike good his private Hate)
In plaintiffe tearmes, where Reason forg'd a rellish
Vnto the King, his speech did thus imbellish:
Vpon the limits of this happy Nation,
There flotes a skumme, an off-cast Generation,
Disperst, despis'd, and noysome to the Land,
And Refractory to the Lawes, to thy Command.
Not stooping to thy Power, but despising
All Government, but of their owne devising,
Which stirs the glowing embers of division,
The hatefull mother of a States perdition,
The which (not soone redrest by Reformation)
Will ruine breed to thee, and to thy Nation,
Begetting Rebels, and seditious broyles,
And fill thy peacefull Land, with bloody spoyles:
Now therefore, if it please my gracious Lord,
To right this grievance with his Princely sword,
That Death, and equall Iustice may o'rewhelme
The secret Ruiners of thy sacred Realme,
Vnto the Royall Treasure of the King,
Ten thousand silver Talents will I bring.
Then gave the King, from off his heedlesse hand
His Ring to Haman, with that Ring command,
And said: Thy proffer'd wealth possesse,
Yet be thy just Petition ne'rthelesse
Entirely granted. Loe, before thy face
Thy vassals lye, with all their rebel race;
Thine be the people, and the power thine,
T'allot these Rebels their deserved Fine.
Forthwith the Scribes were summon'd to appeare,
Decrees were written, sent to every Shire;
To all Lieutenants, Captaines of the Band,
And all the Provinces throughout the Land,
Stil'd in the name and person of the King,
And made authentick with his Royall Ring;
By speedy Post men were the Letters sent;
And this the summe is of their sad content:
Assvervs Rex.
Let ev'ry Province in the Persian Land,
(Vpon the Day prefixt) prepare his hand,
To make the Channels flow with Rebels blood,
And from the earth to roote the Jewish brood:
And let the softnesse of no partiall heart,
Through melting pitie, love, or false desert,
Spare either young or old, or man, or woman,
But like their faults, so let their plagues be common.
Decreed, and signed by our Princely Grace,
And given at Sushan, from our Royall Place.
So Haman fill'd with joy (his fortunes blest
With faire successe of his so foule request)
Laid care aside to sleepe, and with the King,
Consum'd the time in jolly banquetting:
Meane while the Iewes, (the poore afflicted Iewes
Perplext, and startl'd with the new-bred newes)
With drooping heads, and selfe-imbracing armes,
Wept forth the Dirge of their ensuing harmes.
Medita. 8.
Of all diseases in a publike weale,
No one more dangerous, and hard to heale,
(Except a tyrant King) then when great might
Is trusted to the hands, that take delight
To bathe, and paddle in the blood of those,
Whon jealousies, and not just cause oppose:
For when as haughty power is conjoynd
Vnto the will of a distemper'd mind,
What ere it can, it will, and what it will,
It in itselfe, hath power to fulfill:
What mischiefe then can linger, unattemted?
What base attempts can happen, unprevented?
Statutes must breake, good Lawes must go to wrack
And (like a Bow that's overbent) must cracke:
Iustice (the life of Law) becomes so furious,
That (over-doing right) it proves injurious:
Mercy (the Steare of Iustice) flyes the City,
And falsly must be term'd a foolish Pity,
Meane while the gracious Princes tender brest
(Gently possest with nothing but the best
Of the disguis'd dissembler) is abus'd
And made the cloke, where with his fault's excus'd:
The radient beames that warme, & shine so bright,
Comfort this lower world with heat and light,
But drawne, and recollected in a glasse,
They burne, and their appointed limits passe:
Even so the power from the Princes hand,
Directs the subject with a sweet command,
But to perverse fantasticks if confer'd,
Whom wealth, or blinded Fortune hath prefer'd,
It spurres on wrong, and makes the right retire,
And sets the grumbling Common-wealth on fire:
Their foule intent, the Common good pretends,
And with that good they maske their private ends,
Their glorie's dimme, and cannot b'understood,
Vnlesse it shine in pride, or swimme in blood:
Their will's a Law, their mischiefe Policy,
Their frownes are Death, their power Tyranny:
Ill thrives the State that harbours such a man,
That can, what e're he wills; wills what he can.
May my ungarnisht quill presume so much,
To glorifie it selfe, and give a touch
Vpon the Iland of my Soveraigne Lord?
What language shall I use, what new-found word,
T'abridge the mighty volume of of his worth,
And keepe me blamelesse, from th'untimely birth
Of (false reputed) flattery? He lends
No cursed Haman pow'r, to worke his Ends
Vpon our ruine, but transferres his grace
On just desert, which in the ugly face
Of foule detraction, (untouch't) can dare,
And smile, till black-mouth'd Envy blush, and tare
Her Snaky fleece. Thus, thus in happy peace
He rules, to make our happinesse increase,
Directs with love, commands with Princely awe,
And in his brest he beares a living Law:
Defend us thou, and heavens thee defend,
And let proud Haman have proud Hamans end.
