Divine poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Forthwith the scribes were summon'd to appear;
To ev'ry Province, and to ev'ry Shire
Letters they wrote (as Mordecai directed)
To all the Iewes, (the Iewes so much dejected)
To all Liev-tenants, Captains of the Band,
To all the States, and Princes of the Land,
According to the phrase, and divers fashion
Of Dialect, and speech of ev'ry Nation;
All which was stiled in the name of King,
Sign'd with his hand, seal'd with his Royall Ring;
Loe here the tenour of the Kings Commission;

Whereas of late, (at Hamans urg'd petition,)

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Decrees were sent, and spred throughout the Land,
To spoile the Iewes, and with impartiall hand,
(Vpon a day prefixt) to kill and slay;
We likewise grant upon that very day,
Full power to the Jewes, to make defence,
And quit their lives, and for a Recompence,
To take the spoiles of those they shall suppresse,
Shewing like mercy to the mercilesse.
By posts, as swift as Time, was this Decree
Commanded forth; As fast as Day they flee,
Spurr'd on, and hast'ned with the Kings Command
Which straight was noys'd, & publisht through the Land
As warning to the Iewes, to make provision
To entertaine so great an opposition.

So Mordecai (disburthned of his griefe,
Which now found hopefull tokens of reliefe)
Departs the presence of the King, addrest
In royall Robes, and on his lofty Crest
He bore a Crowne of Gold, his body spred
With Lawne, and Purple deepely coloured:
Fill'd were the Iewes with triumphs, & with noise,
(The common Heralds to proclaime true joyes:)
Like as a prisner muffled at the tree,
Whose life's remov'd from death scarce one degree
His last pray'r said, and hearts confession made,
(His eyes possessing deaths eternall shade)
At last unlook'd for comes a slow Reprieve,
And makes him (even as dead) once more alive:
Amaz'd, he rends deaths muffler from his eyes,
And (over-joy'd) knowes not he lives, or dyes;
So joy'd the Iewes, whose lives, this new Decree
Had quit from death and danger, and set free
Their gasping soules, and (like a blazing light)
Disperst the darknesse of the approaching night;

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So joy'd the Iewes: and with their solemne Feasts
They chas'd dull sorrow from their pensive brests:
Meane while the people (startled at the newes)
Some griev'd, some envi'd, some (for feare) turn'd Iewes.

Meditat. 16.

Among the noble Greekes, it was no shame
To lose a Sword; It but deserv'd the name
Of warres disastrous fortune; but to yeeld
The right and safe possession of the Shield,
Was foule reproach, and manlesse cowardize,
Farre worse than death to him that scorn'd to prize
His life before his Honour; Honour's wonne
Most in a just defence; Defence is gone,
The Shield once lost, the wounded Theban cry'd,
How fares my Shield? which safe, he smil'd, & dy'd:
True honour bides at home, and takes delight
In keeping, not in gaining of a Right;
Scornes usurpation, nor seekes she blood,
And thirsts to make her name not great, as good:
God gives a Right to man; To man, defence
To guard it giv'n; but when a false pretence
Shall ground her title on a greater Might,
What doth he else but warre with heav'n, and fight
With Providence? God sets the Princely Crowne
On heads of Kings, Who then may take it downe?
No juster quarrell, or more noble Fight,
Than to maintaine, where God hath giv'n a Right;
There's no despaire of Conquest in that warre,
Where God's the Leader; Policy's no barre
To his designes; no Power can withstand
His high exploits; within whose mighty Hand

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Are all the corners of the earth; the hills
His fensive bulwarks are, which when he wills,
His lesser breath can bandy up and downe,
And crush the world, and with a winke, can drowne
The spacious Vniverse in suds of Clay;
Where heav'n is Leader, heav'n must win the day:
God reapes his honour hence; That combat's safe,
Where hee's a Combatant, and ventures halfe:
Right's not impair'd with weaknesse, but prevailes
In spight of strength, whē strength & power failes:
Fraile is the trust repos'd on Troops of Horse;
Truth in a handfull, findes a greater force.

Lord maile my heart with faith, and be my shield,
And if a world confront me I'le not yeeld.