[Page] MISCHEEFES MYSTERIE: OR, Treasons Master-peece, The Powder-plot. Inuented by hellish Malice, preuented by heauenly Mercy: truely related. And from the Latine of the learned and reuerend Doctour HERRING translated, and very much dilated. By IOHN VICARS.
The gallant Eagle, soaring vp on high:
Beares in his beake, Treasons discouery.
MOVNT, noble EAGLE, with thy happy prey,
And thy rich Prize to th' King with speed conuay.
LONDON, Printed by E. GRIFFIN, dwelling in the Little Olde Bayly neere the signe of the Kings-head. 1617.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, Sr. IOHN LEMMON Knight, Lord Maior of the most famous City of London, and to the Right Worshipfull Sr. William Crauen Knight, Alderman of London, and President of Christs Hospitall, with the Worshipfull Mr. Richard Heath TREASVRER, together with all the Right Worshipfull and Worshipfull Gouernours thereof, IOHN VICARS wisheth all externall happinesse, and internall peace of conscience in this life, and eternall beatitude in the life to come.
AS diuers causes (Right Honourable, Right Worshipfull, & my most worthy Patrones) do produce diuers effects: so diuers motiues do necessarily incite & stimulate all men to diuers actions & intentions. Now therfore there be 3. especiall motiues which do at this time induce, nay compell mee to dedicate these my poore Labours rather to your Honour and Worships, then to any others, to whom indeed the History it selfe might seeme more peculiarly to appertaine. First, because as this deluge of destruction intended by the barbarous butchers of Rome, had beene (indeed Catholike and) vniuersall to the whole kingdom: So your Honor and Worships being the high-topt Cedars of Lebanon, chiefe Magistrates of this famous City of London, especially beeing pious professors of Christs verity, should also haue had no small part, yea too too great and insupportable a portion [Page] and ponderous burthen of sorrow and lamentation in this vnparaleld proiect of the Pouder-treason. The second Motiue is that since I amongest many hundred poore Orphanes fostered in that blessed house of Piety, Pitty, and Charity, that Sanctuary of your Cities safeguard, yea that Blocke-house of defence (as so I may terme it) against Heauens iustly deserued iudgements, which but for the due and daily prayers elsewhere, and thence forcibly and (no doubt) effectually ascending, we might expect to fall vpon vs: I meane Christs Hospitall whereof your Honour and Worships are principall Patrones, and most godly Gouernours, Et ô faelicia saecula, quae vos tales genuere Parentes. I, I say (as to Gods glory, your endles credit, and my no lesse comfort, I doe most thankefully acknowledge, and ingenuously confesse) hauing suckt from the brests of your Charity, etiam ab origine prima, euen from mine infancy, the sweet milke of comfortable education and pious institution, must thereby iustly also confesse that whatsoeuer is mine, is most properly yours, as being deriued from the ouer-flowing streames and radiant Sunbeames of your bounty and benignity to mee exhibited. Therefore as acceptam refero is the Moones motto: so Quod recepi retribui, must with no lesse reciprocall due be mine: At, at, ô si, dignas persoluere grates opis esset meae, but alas, it is not (ô would to God it were) in my power condignely to remunerate your deserued merites. The third and last motiue or motion to this my dedication is, that since this translated Poeme is my first Essay and assay of what my weak faculty could effect, being indeed better meant then made, and finished with much defect & feeblenesse, defect I say of Rhetoricall flourishes, and feeblenes, in regard I haue beene but a meane proficient, if not a meere Trewant in the Schoole of the Muses, hauing e're cropt few or none of those odoriferous fragrant flowers [Page] which grow vpon, and most gorgeously doe garnish the pleasant banks of Parnassus, nor scarcely euer sipt of the aurifluous and mellifluous streames of Vrania's learned fountaine, hauing beene (oh too too soone) wained from the brests of my sacred Mother the most famous Vniuersity of Oxford, and therefore like a weakling so feebly walking, as scarce able to goe alone without your Honourable and Worshipfull protection, yet in regard it is the Primitiae of that meane Talent which the Lord by you his most blessed instruments hath lent vnto mee, which (whatsoeuer it is, as indeede it is but small) rather then I would hide it in the ground of ingratitude, I haue beene bould, embouldned by these considerations, but especially by the experimentall proofe of your Lordships and Worships wonted fauours, and most courteous dispositions in all humility to offer the same to your Honours and Worships pious Patronage and pervse, most submissely intreating you (Right Honourable, Right Worshipfull, and my most worthy Mecaenaces) that as, ex paruis magna, ex vngue Leonem, & ex pede Herculem: A man may see day light through a small creuice: so you would bee pleased fauourably to accept this small present as a pledge of mine obliged duty, and as a Symbole of my seruice, which is, and euer shall be wholly at your Lordships and Worships command. Which your courteous acceptation I desire, not so much for mine owne sake, as for the History it selfe, and that not so much for the manner as the matter, et res ipsa loquatur, let the matter it selfe speake for it selfe, num ruminari & recordari cordibus piorū omniū per vniuersam Britannie regionem, Whether all true hearted English protestants haue not iust cause to ruminate & record to all succeeding ages, the memory of this matchles Machination, & plotted Pouder-treason, wherof if I should heere enter into a copious discourse, it would [Page] administer such an Ocean of ouerflowing turbulent waues of destruction, such a world of wonder and admired accidents, and such a map of misery and mischiefe, yea such an endlesse boundlesse extent of greeuous aggrauations, that I might with the sorrowfull Troian Prince, Infandos renouare dolores, & totos vos in lachrymas resoluere, Tell you such a wofull tale as might with the Prophet Ieremy turne your heads into fountaines of teares: for Quis talia fando (nisi Papista crudelis) temperet a lachrymis, none doubtlesse but the Pharaonicall hard-hearted Papist could choose but be exceedingly sorrowfull thereat; yea and heereby I might rather write a large Volume, than a short Epistle, for my part I cannot but horrescere referens, euen tremble at the relation thereof. But not to wrong your Lordships and Worships patience with too much prolixity in this Epistle, lest thereby I seem to set a great paire of Gates to a little City, I will conclude of it, as a certaine graue Senator did of a former ancient Treason, farre inferiour to this, Repertum esse facinus, quod nec Poetae fingere, nec Histrio sonare, nec mimus imitari poterit, that by Heauens prouidence such a trecherous villany is discouered, as neuer any Poet could faine the like, no Stage-player euer Act the like, nor Mimus euer imitate the like, which since it is so difficult to describe, I will heerein imitate, though my selfe most vnskilfull, the skilfull Painter Timanthes of whom it is recorded, that being to describe and paint out the wofull Tragedy of Iphigema sacrificed to Diana, that when he was to portray & set out her Father Agamemnons most compassionate passion, and wofull countenance for her, that he confessing his Art insufficient to set him out deseruedly in his liuely lamentation, was faine to paint a vaile couering Agamemnons face, that so hee might leaue the extremity of his sorrow to the iudgement and [Page] consideration of the behoulders: So I, vnskilfull I, confessing my selfe (vnles I had the faculty of Maro or Meonides) altogether vnable with hart or hand, with voice or vers to discouer the atrocrity & ineffable horror of this Romish barbarity, yea more than Scythian, Thracian inhumanity; will couer the description therof with the vaile of Silence, and leaue it to the consideration of all that euer knew or heard of the endlesse extent thereof: Most humbly desiring your Lordship and Worships with wonted protecting paternall fauour and courteous disposition, to vouchsafe your gentle acceptance of this plaine Poeme, the poore mite which my thankefull heart and dutifull hand, doe with all obliged gratitude offer vnto you, most submissiuely commending and committing the same to your worthy name & Patronage, your examples of Piety and charity, to the memory and imitation of posterity, and your selues and soules to Gods all-sauing Grace, and all-sufficient Tuition in this life, neuer ceasing to pray for the blessing of Zaccheus on you and yours, euen eternall saluation in the life to come; which he grant that hath with the high price of his most precious bloud redeemed vs, Christ Iesus the righteous, Amen.
Your Lordships and Worships most obsequious daily Orator duely and dutifully prest in all seruice to bee commanded: IOHN VICARS.
To all the Loyall harted Protestants of England, which sincerely loue the purity of Christs Gospell, and Zealously detest the damnable doctrine of Antichrist, I. V. wisheth the blessings of Gods right hand, and of his left, the blessings of this life & the life to come.
THe richest, rarest mercies daily sent
(Right Christian brethren) to vs of this Land,
From Gods o're flowing Grace, all-filling hand,
May be compar'd to th' Sunne i'th firmament.
Whose glorious Raies, all creatures hearts reuiue,
Whose light enlight'ns all the world throughout:
Whose heat doth cherish plants that spring and sprout,
Whose shine to want, doth vs of ioy depriue.
Yet, since so daily Man doth it enioy,
Who is't almost that valew's it aright?
Who yeelds due praise to heau'n, for heau'ns sweet light?
Oh, few or none: Aboundance doth vs cloy.
From hence we therefore iustly may conclude
That Gods rich mercies which we oft possesse,
Wherewith be daily, hourely doth vs blesse,
We all receiue with great ingratitude.
I need not stand t'exemplifie the same,
It is a fault too frequent, too ranke growne:
And yet to God more odious ther's not one,
Which vnto christians brings more shame, more blame:
Of blessings spirituall, our blest Saluation
Wrought by our Sauiour, bought with 's precious bloud,
Was most Diuine, gaue man his cheefest good,
Was more admired then the Worlds Creation.
But of all Temporall blessings wee enioy'd
Since God did forme the Earth, and Heau'ns high frame,
To our deliuerance, neuer greater came,
When Rome by Powder would haue vs destroyd.
How thankfull for the first to God we are,
I'le tax nones conscience, but examine mine;
[Page] But for the second, how wee doe decline
From giuing thankes to God, I may not spare,
To tell you all my Christian Brethren deere
That, which if I should silence, sencelesse stones
Tis to be fear'd would sound with mournefull groanes,
Englands Ingratitude is too too cleers.
And for this cause, I thus haue tooke in hand
To sing, (though simply sung) to Heau'ns high glory,
In this meane Poeme, Englands happy story
How powerfully God to his Church did stand.
'Gainst which though some Athenian, Cretian mind
May scoffe and scorne at this my good intention,
Though from Romes fauourites nought but reprehension
And taunting termes I shall vniustly finde;
Though Rome doe curse me with Bell, Booke, & Candle,
And like a gauld-backt Iade doe kicke and winch:
Yet I their soares haue laboured so to pinch,
As in their Nature iustly them to handle.
But if to you (my Brethren deere) I may
For my poore Labours kindly be respected:
And from Calumniators fangs protected,
I shall acknowledge this a rich repay.
If I heereby may moue and stimulate
Your Christian hearts to zealous detestation,
Of Romes most impious foule abhomination.
And heau'ns rich mercies oft to ruminate,
Chiefly the great miraculous defence
From this Nefarious Powder-plot of Rome:
Wherein our King and Kingdomes they did doome,
To dire destruction, fatall pestilence.
Then happy I, maugre all Romes despight
That God heereby may haue due thankes and praise,
That this occasion may mens hearts incite
This fact with thankes to memorize alwaies:
Read then (Kind Readers) what's amisse excuse,
And kindly censure my vntrimmed Muse.
Thine in the Lord Iesus, IO: VICARS.
A Friend at a stand, at his Friends worke.
VVHo reades this worke, areade my wonder; tell
What skill to verse a Fact so ill, so well.
Vnresolued of nothing in your Loue but this.
Alias The Placet of his Friends Essay.
OThers thy zeale and vowes, I praise thy skill
So well to lay the Plott, Rome layde so ill.
Another. Arts Pyramides, from Treasons Pouder-Fire.
WHat all fire hath, hath thine, blacke smoke, bright flame,
The flame thy Verse: the smoke the Traitors name:
Who can, decide; in which most time to spend
Or damne their smoke, or thy bright flame commend.
Himselfe not yet determined, THO: SALISBVRY, Mr. in Arts Camb.
To my good Friend Master IOHN VICARS.
THy loue to Truth I loue, thy hate of Errors,
Thine Honesty, thine Industry, thy zeale
For God, the King, the Church, and Common-Weale
Against the rage of Romes intended terrors:
I like thy loathing of those Treason-stirrers,
That for APOLLYON in these plots doe deale
With ghastly, ghostly Fathers that conceale,
(Or rather counsaile) so inhumane horrors.
I praise thine Anthors, and thine owne desire
To haue recorded vnto all Posterity,
Th' Ignatian Furies, ignominious fire,
Flaming from Hell against the heau'nly verity:
In Fauks, Grants, Garuets, Winters, Catesbies, Percies,
Let others praise thy vowes: I praise thy verses.
IOSVAH SYLVESTER.
In Authorem.
THe Pope to patronize his hellish trickes
Makes Cardinals of his most deerest friends,
An English
An Englishman turning Iesuite was made Cardinall.
Parsons playes the Iade and kickesGainst Country, Kingdome, and to Rome he wends;
But now an English Uicars playes his part,
And at such Popish Parsons casts his dart.
Long may thy worke be Vsher to thy name,
And thou a Master in this English straine,
That if from Thames to Tyber flies thy fame;
Still may thy Muse reserue to thee this vaine,
That if more Parsons in Romes dregs be drown'd,
New Vicars still may rise, them to confound.
R. P.
In viri mihi fratris Vice, Iohannis Vicarij dignissimos Labores, [...].
MIttor Apollineos Ego paruulus inter Alumnos, vt tibi pro Libro Laurea serta feram.
Ne metuas Romae
Iesuitas.
laruas, lemuresuè sequaces: nec criticos, criticâ qui grauitate valent.Est liber ille tuus scelerato crimine Liber perge (igitur) Libro prela subire tuo.
Idem ad eundem.
THou carping Momus poyson of good witts,
I call not thee to giue the Author praise:
Silence I tell thee better thee befits
Because Detraction is thy common phrase:
Thou canst not come and mend, yet must commend,
This worke so neately by the Author pend.
THOMAS BRACLEY.
To my louing frend Mr. Iohn Vicars, in praise of his praise-worthy labours, encouraging him to discourage our enemies.
I Saw thy worke, should I not laud the same,
With Traitor thou might'st iustly brand my name.
I saw thy worke, and from my soule I vowe:
I thinke none honest will it disallow,
I saw't, or who els sees't? without commend,
He is a Traitor, or a Traitors friend.
I saw, and praise thy worke, in spight of Rome:
Hell and the Pope, I say t'is sweetly done,
I saw thy worke, though thee I doe not know:
But figs (l'me sure) on Thistles neuer grow.
[Page] Courage (braue spirit) thou hast done so well,
Thou need'st not feare Romes candle, booke, or bell:
Thou hast a Master (in whom's all our hopes)
That will support thee gainst a thousand Popes.
Shew it thy Master, then his censure past,
Let others blow, regard not thou their blast.
But tell them, I, and tell them to their face,
He is a Traitor, which doth Treason grace,
Your friend vnknowne NATHANIEL CHAMBER. of Grayes Inne.
In Authorem.
LEt Rome with Bell, Booke, Candle, curse thy name,
Thy hand, thy pen, the broacher of her shame,
Passe not, if good accept, though Bad refuse:
Religious hearts bid welcome to thy Muse.
It may be some condemne thee, what's the Reason?
They hate thy worke because they loue the Treason.
W. C.
In Commendation of the Authors worthy Worke.
TO shew my Loue, as forward as the best,
My Infant Muse, as one among the rest
Hath daign'd to write: not as thou art my friend
To praise thy worke; that will it selfe commend.
Good Wine no signe at any time doth need:
Thy Worke doth Loue, thy selfe doth Laurell meede,
T' adorne thy head, as one of Phoebus brood,
But, thy pure Loue to God, the Church, thy King,
I truely praise, which (maugre Enuies sting,
In detestation of that Roman Whore)
Vnto the World dorh blazon forth, the store
Of Soule-polluting crimes, Rome doth maintaine
That them, and Her, all good men may refraine.
This is the thing praise-worthy I approue,
Which shewes to God thy zeale, to All thy Loue.
Thomas Knight.
To his most kind friend, Mr. Iohn Vicar, in praise of his translated and largely dilated Poeme.
THough Romish shauelings rage with execrations,
And downe-right damne thee and thy causeles book,
Feare not: but take as blessings such damnations,
For sure the Lord nere turnes his gracious looke
From those that deigne Religions cause to cherish,
In heart detest all Traitors, wish them perish.
I cannot but commend th' industrious care
Thou tak'st to raise from blacke Oliuions Den,
The memory of that deliuerance rare
And wonderfull, much taxing thankelesse men:
Who can so soone forget to giue God glory,
For that whereof, like nere was found in storie.
N. B.
The names of the cheefe Traytors that plotted and endeauoured this Powder-Treason.
- Iesuite-Priests.
- Henry Garnet.
- Iohn Gerrard.
- Osw. Tesmond.
- Edw: Hall.
- —Hamon.
- Wil: Baldwin.
- Sr Euerard Digby.
- Robert Winter.
- Thomas Winter.
- Guydo Fanks.
- Iohn Grant.
- Ambrose Rookwood
- Robert Keyes.
- Tho: Bates.
- Henry Morgan.
- Tho: Abington.
- Sr. Edm: Bainham.
- Sr. W: Stanley.
- Hugh Owen.
Catesby, Piercy, Iohn Wright, and Christopher Wright were slaine in Rebellious fight, the former two with a Gunne: the other two with Halberts. Francis Trefham murthered himselfe in Prison.
To Momus or the carping Catholike.
LEt Zoilus barke and Momus carpe.
Let Masse-Priests mumble and mutter:
Let Romish Iesuites raile and rage,
And all their venome vtter;
Yea though they should with enuy swell,
And Toade-like burst in sunder:
Yet Truth will shine and Error pine,
To Babels woe and wonder.
- Curses and Excom̄unications
- Falsification of Scriptures
- Opposing the Thruth
- Recusancy and Rebellion
- Envy and malice.
- Blasphemies and Lies.
- Daggors Daggs Poison kill all.
- The Armado in 88.
FRVSTRA.
Enclos'd with Clouds of Ignorance and Error,
Rome, Hell and Spaine, do threaten Englands terror:
The Card'nall, Legate, Iesuite, impious Fryers
Homebred Recusant, Britaines bane desires;
Each puffs and snuffs with enuy, all in vaine,
At Christs pure Gospell, which shall still remaine.
Mischeefes Mystery, OR, Treasons Master-peece.
RIse (ô my Muse) mournefull Melpomene,
Vouchsafe thine ayde, to thy weake Orator,
Distill sweet streames from thy rare Deity,
Erst, too too long by him vnasked for:
Vrania, take thy lute, hung vp too long,
Lest posts & stones sound out my tragique song.
O that I could, in sacred Helicon,
Or precious Nectar of Parnassus Muse,
Dip my dull pen: or from faire Citheron,
Vrania's sacred skill and power could vse:
T'anatomize and paint to publike view,
A stratagem most horrid, strange and true.
Than which, did Phoebus faire resplendent face,
A more prodigious proiect, nere behold,
On Marble-pillers worthy to take place,
Engrauen in letters of bright Indian gold:
Thou then (Heau'ns King) whose grace vs safe preseru'd,
Grant I may sing thy praise so well deseru'd.
GReat Pluto, Prince of darknes Tartars King,
Became enamour'd of Romes Strumpet faire,
His lustfull pleasure then to passe to bring,
From Hell to Rome, sends for his whore so rare,
Whom Charon rowes o're black Auernus flood,
And brings to Styx, where Pluto's palace stood.
[Page 2] Then, to his presence, soone Shee had accesse,
Where they enioy'd infernall copulation:
Whose hideous act did from her wombe expresse,
A monstrous birth exceeding admiration,
A more then Centaure strange, strong, fierce and fell
Mishapen cruell, cursed fiend of Hell.
To Lerna's poole this purple Strumpets doome
Was to returne, where Shee this fiend brought forth,
And with th'infectious milke of faithlesse Rome,
It fearefully was fostered to full growth,
There, there, I say, did this fierce Hydra liue,
There to this Monster Shee did vigour giue.
No sooner was this off-spring of the Diuell,
This impious Impe of Hell, this Viper vile,
Fraught with Thessalian spels, pride, mischeefe, euill,
With serpentine deceipt prompt to beguile,
Compleatly furnisht with each Stygian Art:
With vnheard impudence to act his part.
But that, his damned
The Pope.
Dam obseru'd the same,Perceiu'd his Genius vile, his wit, his will,
With dulcide language cals him by his name:
With most pernicious councell doth him fill.
Wrath boyles within, reuenge and furies fire,
And thus t'her Sonne, Sh'vnfolds her foule desire.
Mongst all the Kingdomes of Europa faire,
None euer bore more hatred vnto me.
The Whore of Rome makes her complaint to her first begotten Sonne Treason.
(Thy Mother deere) none ere sought to impaire
Thy Parents well-fare and prosperitie:
As those damn'd Heretickes of Britanes nation,
Endeuouring daily our dire extirpation.
Alas (deere Sonne) 'tis wofull to declare.
The many mischeeues, iniuries and wrong;
Which Peters holy Kingdome sacred Chaire,
Hath beene constrain'd to suffer too too long:
Yea, more and more they daily worke our woe,
Hoping t'effect our finall ouerthrow.
[Page 3] Aye me, I greeue to thinke on our great losse,
What rich reuenues daily we possest:
What summes we did into our coffers tosse:
What great deuotion to our See exprest
In them we daily found, strange to be spoke,
How bounteously they made our chimnies smoke,
Whose zeale indeede (sweet Sonne) I must confesse,
Did farre exceede all others of their dayes:
What swarmes of Friers and Nuns euen numberlesse,
By them were fostered to their lasting praise?
By them our holy Masse great Pluto's lore,
Was gorgeously bedight him to adore.
What stately Monasteries with turrets high,
Did they then spare most sumptuously to build?
What Temples faire whose tops euen toucht the skie?
With reliques richly garnished and fild:
For holy Votaries and Virgins chaste,
Whom we mongst Saints & Angels blest haue plac't.
In euery City each faire wealthy seat,
In euery Countrey each most fertile soile,
Hath beene possessed by our Champions great,
On them conferred without cost or coyle.
What Nation did not our great name adore?
What people sought not our helpe to implore?
I tell thee Sonne, this onely Albions Isle,
Hath Romes reuenues mightily increast:
Through daily discord, variance, fraud and guile,
Which twixt them bred for bribes wee forth-with ceast:
Not France so great, nor spacious Germany,
Came neere to this for our vtility.
But to conclude, thou happily maist say
Tis strange I speake, but doubtles tis most true▪
The mighty summes they did vs yearely pay
Surmounted farre their Kings owne revenue.
And thinkst thou then I can with patience brooke
So rich a prey to be thus from mee tooke?
[Page 4] And onely by damn'd Luthers heresie,
That cursed Caitiffe, cause of all our woe:
Shall I put vp this great indignity,
And so giue way t'a greater ouerthrow?
No, no, irreuocable is my doome
Ile be reueng'd, not cease till they consume.
For since this wicked varlet from vs fled,
Renounc't our hests and Catholike profession,
With how sore tempests, stormes and direfull dred,
Haue we alas endur'd there great oppression?
Our kingdome shaken, and our Triple Crowne,
In hazard often to be smitten downe.
He, he, euen Luther that base Run-away.
To his encreasing errour hath allur'd,
The Germanes, English, yea I well may say,
Most of the French, too bad to bee endur'd:
All these and more this wretch deluded hath
To follow him, and leaue our Romish Faith.
Oft with my selfe, I to my selfe haue sayd,
I am a puissant Queene, most firme and stable,
My glorious prime shall neuer be decay'd,
A widdow desolate none shall be able
In future age to make me. Time shall see
Mee still to flourish like a faire Palme-tree.
But lest too long with needlesse ambages,
And vaine tautologie I should thee hold,
It now behooues vs foorth-with to appease
Their madnesse, and to tametheir courage bold,
Yea, now I see that our declining hope
Bids vs not linger, nor giue longer scope.
Bids vs aduised be and counsell take,
On Pluto's anuill strange wiles how to frame,
With vnheard craft, intricate snares to make,
And subtill stratagems to worke their shame,
All practises to prooue, no shifts to shunne,
Whereby our glorious well-fare may be wonne.
[Page 5] And now in thee (sweet Nourceling) doth consist
Of our desires the fortunate euent:
In thee, I say, our fortunes may be blist,
So apt thou art t'effect our great intent.
So exactly practiz'd in thy
The Diuell.
fathers skill,So well acquainted with thy
The Pope.
mothers will.Expert thou art a treason to contriue,
Though nere so hatefull, horrible and bloody,
Of life and liberty soone to depriue
A King or Kingdome without stop or study,
To sweare, forsweare, cozen and equiuocate,
By mine instruction rarely literate.
Then haste with speede (Alecto be thy guide)
To Albion great that proud presumptuous nation,
Bee't iust or vniust leaue no meanes vntride
Them to reduce t'our ancient domination.
Then Romes officious most pernicious Sonne,
Replyes but this, deere Mother count it done.
Then like swift Euphrates with fowle pretence,
And Vultures appetite he swiftly flies
To England, where for's first ingredience,
A Priest-like habite shapes his best disguise:
And maruell not, for thus the Diuell doth vse,
Like Angell bright Gods people to abuse.
And thus in Guydo Faukses faithlesse brest,
Fauks is not heere first mentioned as the Prime Author, but because hee was so inhumane as to be the fatall [...]ctor, for Catesby (as afterwards is shew [...]n) was the first Author of this Powder-Treason.
Hee harbour findes, and kindly's entertain'd,
A man to mischeefe prompt and ready prest,
Swift to shed blood; and soone with treason stain'd,
With enuy stuft and puft, slie, male-content,
Dissembling Sinon Double-diligent.
Whose name hee euer changeth with his place
Of residence, like Neptunes Proteus,
His name and shame equall in his disgrace,
Foster sometimes, Iohnson and
Or Browne.
Brunius,His name not nature, habit not his hart,
Hee takes, forsakes, as best befits his part.
But farther flings, sollicits others more,
Whose hearts already Babels Whore obayd,
With muttering Israel hungring very sore
For Aegypts flesh-pots and with deadly thurst,
To quaffe Romes poyson till their belly burst.
These doth he stirre with spurre of innouation,
With high built hopes, and thus striues to perswade them,
The day so long desir'd of Lamentation,
Your foes to foyle and boldly to inuade them,
Is now come on, wherein base Caluins rout,
And Beza's vassals you may cleane root out.
Romes wals to reare, and ruines to repaire,
Her enemies triumphantly to baine,
The splendor braue, and ancient beauty rare
Of Romes profession, strongly to maintaine.
And then to Sinons sugred words they vow
Theirs and themselues vnto his becke and bow.
This good successe addes fuell to the fire,
His Doctours hellish documents to broach,
To Court he comes with treacherous desire,
And into fauour there, hopes to encroach,
Where pious Iames our King, so good, so great,
Iustly enioy'd his Predecessours seat.
With maiesty and mildnesse compast round,
With Nobles, Princes, and maiesticke Peeres,
Whose happy raigne their ioynt applause resound,
Whose Peerelesse presence his true subiects cheeres,
Whose mildnesse (ô blest Prince) and clement mind,
His loyall subiects largely feele and find.
For thus he hop't his peoples hearts to winne,
(Best rule indeede for Regall gouernment)
But yet the vassals of that Man of Sinne,
To whom Truths rule is great disparagement,
The refractory Papists proud, disloyall,
Abuse his clemence, patience, and long triall.
[Page] These Tyger-like, their enuious bristles reare,
Mildnesse with Mischeefe, loue with hate repay,
Mercy with murther, freedome with great feare
They him remunerate, more brutish they,
Filling mens eares with tales and idle charmes,
With false pretence to stirre them vp to armes.
In which fowle rancke, Watson that vile rancke Traytor,
That impudent and insolent Baals Preist:
To ciuill broiles a treacherous animator,
Like Prophets like profession, heere thou seest:
Lancaster then and Wales their malice show,
From Romes false doctrines such effects doe grow.
But looke we backe where we did lately leaue,
Bi-lingued Sinon ramping in the Court,
Searching the man whom straight he did perceiue,
A wish't companion and most fit consort,
Percy infected, yea of treason confected,
And euen by nature thereunto addicted.
A gracelesse Guardian to his gracious King,
A most bold Bond-slaue to his holy Pope,
T'whom Fauks vnfoldeth each materiall thing,
Assures good lucke, feedes him with golden hope.
Who man and message presently embraceth,
And in his loue his confidence sonne placeth.
Then each to other they themselues fast tie,
Like Pilate and proud Herod, CHRIST to kill;
What neither had, Faith and Fidelitie,
They mutually doe promise to fulfill:
Then as their pledges each gaue hand to others,
And heere were made treasons cheefe sworn brothers.
O you great Peeres, whose power these wrongs may right,
A Caution to Courtiers.
Harbour not thus within you noble brest,
Permit not in your company nor sight,
These Anti-christian Idolists to rest:
For slaughtering Syrens and Echidnes traine,
Doe grossely, closely in their hearts remaine.
[Page] The poysonous Serpent lurkes in longest grasse,
If you it foster, 'twill ingrately foster,
Gall's in their heart, their golden glister's brasse:
With their intestine turmoiles they'll you pester,
For tetricke murthers, hellish poysons, treason
They practise more then piety and reason.
These are their studies studious exercise,
To all the world most palpably made knowne,
Most fit effects of Romes damn'd heresies,
With these they gape to get heauens glorious throne,
These are their workes of Supererogation,
Whereof they boast with wide-mouth'd ostentation.
Perfidious Fauks and Percy thus combinde,
His name being chang'd hee's tane for Percies man:
Fit opportunity they heereby finde,
Their proiect throughly to contriue and scan.
And being disguised in that vnknowen hew,
Securely do their rancorous poyson spew.
Heere now with Fauks and Percy, Catesby met,
An ancient Traytour and Recusant stout,
Whose head, heart, hands, and all to worke were set,
Some horrid treason how to bring about,
Some strange domesticke deluge to ordaine,
Since now their hopes were frustrated in Spaine.
For why, long since in sweet Eliza's raigne,
That Paragon of past and future age,
They had sent Winter to the King of Spaine,
To craue his ay de and hostile equipage.
Our Kingdome to inuade and to possesse,
Therein to plant Romes lawes, their wrongs redresse.
Assuring him, that in his powerfull ayde,
The Catholikes in England would all ioyne,
The King as then their proffer not gaine-said;
But promised to furnish them with coyne:
An hundreth thousand crownes he would bestow,
And being Victor them all fauour show.
[Page 9] This eke he prayd, that if it should so chance
Queene Eliza beth.
The Queene to dy, he might it foorthwith know:
For therupon he would his powers aduance,
With expedition to our ouerthrow:
Which was on both sides promis'd and concluded;
But Heau'n in mercy all their hopes deluded.
Then, then, I say, did Spaine intend our doome,
When as that miserable woman dide,
(For thus it pleas'd that proud High-Preist of Rome,
That gracious Queene to terme with impious pride)
O most nefarious Lier, how could Shee
Vnhappy, or so miserable bee.
Whom neither th'arrow which by day did flie,
I meane th'Armado mighty Spanish Saile;
Nor pestilence by night, to wit, your slie
And secret practiz'd treasons nere could quaile,
Or once come neere her gracious harmelesse life,
Neither by daggers, dags, or poysonous knife.
Who in herselfe and subiects ere was blest
With peace and plenty, Princely Royalty:
Whose Kingdome while shee liu'd, enioy'd sweet rest,
Whose people euer liu'd in loyalty
Vnto her Maiesty, whose power enstall'd
The King of Portugall.
A King in's Kingdome by proud foes enthrall'd.
Who raign'd in glory, liu'd Religions Tower,
And Fortresse strong, ayding her wronged friend:
Defended Nations by her puissant power,
And after made a most blest Christian end,
Know then thou foule-mouth'd slanderer we retort
Into thy throat this enuious false report.
We neede not wonder that without all shame,
You thus endeauour impiously to wrong
Her Peerelesse, spotlesse most renowned fame,
Since Sathan is in you so powerfull strong,
As that you dare Christ and his sacred writ,
Blasphemously abuse, as you thinke fit.
[Page 10] Who dare (oh tremble heart) tell Christ to's face,
That he hath taught you how to couzen and lie.
Oh impious equiuocating race!
If heau'ns great King, the God of Verity,
You thus doe dare so horribly to wrong,
Who then shall scape the poyson of your tongue?
But now behold, a wonder you shall heare,
It Heau'n so pleas'd our glorious Sunne went downe,
Soloccubuit nox nulla secuta est.
And yet no night did vnto vs appeare,
No clowd of darknesse did vpon vs frowne,
No losse appear'd, onely a change we had,
Which our neere-dying hearts reuiu'd, made glad.
For why, in our Horizon soone did rise
From her resplendent Iubar a bright Sun,
Our Kings comming into this Kingdome.
Whose gracious sight was obiect to the eyes
Of all good subiects, for in him begun
Our peacefull dayes againe to sprout and flourish,
And euer may this milke of peace vs nourish.
But male-content, malignant Catesbyes hart,
Together with his base confederates,
Being gall'd and greeu'd, to th'King of Spaine impart
These accidents, and that they thought th'estates
Of English Catholikes would now prooue worse,
Because King Iames held on the late Queenes course.
Therefore they of him did againe desire
His promised assistance for inuasion,
Protesting that their hearts were all on fire,
To serue him in this great negotiation:
But he being purpos'd then to treat of peace
With England, wisht them from that sute to cease.
Which vnexpected answer did them trouble,
And with infernall wrath their hearts did burne,
Their mischeeuous imaginations double,
What course to take, which way themselues to turne,
And when they saw all forraine force forsooke them,
Vnto this Powder-Treason they betooke them.
[Page 11] And now this furious fiery triplicity
Of Percy, Catesby, and false Fawkes being met,
Catesby cheefe Author of this treachery,
Did thus begin their malice on to whet,
Right trusty friends, since now we priuate are,
My minde to you I freely will declare.
My swelling Tympany of hate is such,
To see our Holy Father still neglected,
Which doth with greefe my very heart euen touch,
And how small hope to see him ere respected
Within this Kingdome, for I plainely see,
Thelate Queenes courses shall maintained bee.
I see, I see, and to our greefe we finde,
That this King Iames an hereticke will prooue,
Vs Catholiques to spare hee's not enclin'd,
Which we to him did most submissely mooue,
As before they impiously slandered Q. Elizabeth, so heere they doe grossely bely our Soueraigne King.
Wherein hee once to vs did condescend,But now breakes promise and our wracke intend,
Wherefore tis now high time to take aduice,
To plucke vp and supplant this growing weede;
To stop such dangers we must not be nice,
Nor with faint-hearted feare must we proceede,
But since the wound is now so putrified,
The sharper med'cines must thereto be plyed.
Foure strong inducements heereunto haue we,
Wherein both I and you are fully instructed,
First that the King and all his Subiects be
1
Vile Heretiques, the Catholiques excepted.
Also we know that our high Preist of Rome,
2
Them excommunicate and curs'd doth doome,
Another motiue to this sacred fact,
3
Is, that no Heretique ought to be King;
And lastly, that it is a lawfull act,
4
Yea, a most holy meritorious thing,
To extirpate, destroy and quite root out
This King and his hereticall baserout.
[Page 12] Oh then deere friends, why stand we to demurre?
Why feare we? faint we? doubt we to goe on?
Let this to vs be a sharpe goad and spurre,
T'ncourage vs with resolution:
Namely, that we in Romes rare Rubrickes shall
Our name eternize and our fame enstall.
That Rome, I say, will euer vs account
Re-edifiers of St. Peters rites,
By whom her glory did againe remount,
This hope, this hap, our valiant hearts encites,
To bee such Fosterers and such Fautours strong,
Thus to redeeme our selues, our Saints from wrong.
See heere, ô Christian, what strange course is tooke,
To set vp Romes religious adoration:
Coacta religio vix vera religio.
Whose most malignant spirits cannot brooke
Obedience, though with Lawes milde mittigation,
Oh must our blood be spilt? our King be slaine?
And many death-doore-knocking soules complaine?
O diuellish doctrine whence such workes doe flow,
O damned Doctours thus to preach and teach,
O miserable soules seduced so,
O bloudy thoughts beyond all humane reach:
If thus you hope to climbe to Heau'ns high throne,
Constantine to Ascesius, erige tibi scalam & incoelum solus ascende.
Then with Ascesius climbe to Heau'n alone.
Was Dauid being a man iust and vpright,
A man to Gods owne hart conform'd and made,
Great Iuda's ioy, and happy Israels light,
Was he, I say, to build Gods house gaine-sayd?
And all because his hands were full of blood,
Yea though his battailes were both iust and good.
And yet must Romes base Bond-slaues vndertake,
Not Gods but Belials temple to re'rect
With blood, yea, must they their oblation make
With blood of Gods annoynted Saints elect?
Romes faithlesse Synagogue to re-aduance,
Full stuft with errour and fowle ignorance.
[Page 13] Must they not onely touch but trample on
Gods pious Prophets? whose bloud in his sight
Is deere and precious, must confusion
Vpon Gods Church with such dire mischiefe light?
If this be th'way as diuellishly they hold,
Gods Church to plant, then I'le to say be bolde;
That cursed Caine may also hope to please
The Lord, by shedding Abels guitlesse bloud:
And Ieroboams Idols may appease
Gods wrath, and take away the marke which stood
Vpon his front, namely that he did cause
The Israelites to leaue Gods sacred Lawes.
O farre be this from each true Christians thought,
But rather let me with King Dauid say,
Psal. 83.
Woe to the worke which bloudily is wrought,
Woe vnto those which Sions ground-worke lay
By crying bloud, which build Ierusalem
By such a crafty cursed Stratagem.
But yet these Romish Absalons past grace,
Doe eyther thinke themselues to be more wise,
Then God himselfe, or else like Atheists base,
That ther's no God, they doe in heart surmise,
For instantly at Catesbyes vile oration
They vow reuenge with ardent protestation.
And thereupon being fil'd with hellish craft,
And poysonous hatred, they together clustre,
Counsell to take: each shoots his deadly shaft,
At Englands peace, and Gospels glorious lustre.
Some this way would their wills effect, some that,
But dire destruction each one aymeth at.
Ones vile opinion is, with sword, or knife
His guiltlesse King perfidiously to slay:
Another would depriue him of sweet life
By powerfull poyson, then a third doth say,
When he by hunting tyr'd to sleepe would lay him,
Pretending friendly harbour, we may slay him.
[Page 14] I quake to speake my tongue to tell doth tremble,
These Traitors impudence audacious heart,
With God and man thus foulely to dissemble
And most profanely fearelesse to subuert
Those holy rites of Harbour amiable,
Which euen the Turkes doe keep inuiolable.
Medusa's
Catesby.
Son was silent all this while,Heares their opinions, counteth all but shallow:
Pluto in's heart infused such a wile,
As in one gulfe a kingdome whole to swallow.
I meane that Caitiffe Catesby who at last,
From's poysonous stomacke thus this vomit cast,
True zealous Catholikes, Romes prooued friends,
Your loue you shew, but yet beleeue me this,
Rather to our then their destruction tends,
What you aduise, you paint the way amisse:
So small attempts bring danger, wee'le contriue,
To leaue nor boughes, nor branch, nor root aliue.
For what though we the King alone destroy,
Leaues he not after him a Princely heyre,
To sway his Scepter, and his Crowne t'enioy,
To take reuenge, as we may iustly feare,
A vertuous Prince, and of most pregnant hope,
Then let's not giue to Vengeance so great scope.
Doe we not see small seeds grow vp full high,
Doe we not see the slender tender Deere
Though weake at first, at last stalke sturdily,
With snaggy hornes loftily to appeare,
Great flames haue grown, and burnt down cities faire
Euen by small sparks left kindling without care.
This young Prince Henry to my minde doth call,
Reuolting Henry th'eight, who was the first,
That wrought our Holy Fathers chiefe downefall,
A deed most heynous, hatefull and accurst:
Whose hatefull name may ere be execrable,
And t'all good Catholikes abhominable.
[Page 15] Wherefore this is my minde and constant doome,
To race and vtterly to extirpate
This seede hereticall, to glorious Rome
Which beares such rancour and represselesse hate:
Now that this stratagem may prosperous be,
With patience tend and lend your eares to me.
An ancient house there is neere scituate
To Percies chamber, vnto which repaires,
In most magnificent and princely state,
To parle about the Kingdomes great affaires,
Englands cheefe Peeres, Nobles and Counsell wise,
Their reuerend Bishops our cheefe enemies.
Thither also, as custome doth maintaine,
The first day of the Parliament doth goe,
The King, the Queene, the Prince and Princely traine,
Most pompously making a glorious show,
In scarlet roabes glistring with pearle and gold,
Great multitudes assemble, it to behold.
Vnder this house we closely may prepare
An vndermined vault, wherein to hide
Great quantitie of Powder; which to th'aire
May, like a whirle-winde, cause the corps to glide
Of King and Counsellours, of Prince and Peere:
Your liking and consent now let me heare.
With ioynt consent and great content, they all
Laud and applaud this his most strange inuention:
Yea, Demoniacke Fauks, proud, cynicall,
Promptly perceiues the drift of this intention;
And thus thereof concludes. The house (quoth hee)
Which Rome hath ruin'd shall our vengeance see.
So we (quoth he) for our deere Catholike Truth,
Shall canonized be, and much renown'd,
So we our foes with horrour, greefe and ruth
Shall profligate, supplant and quite confound:
So those (I say) which gainst vs made sharpe lawes,
Shall griped be in dire destructions clawes.
[Page 16] And those which quondam vs'd to prosecute
Our sacred Priests, and stain'd their hands with blood
Of Ro [...]es deere Saints, whom they did persecute
With rigorous hatred and represlesse mood,
These, these (I say) made proud by our rich spoiles,
Shall tumble headlong int' our nets & toiles.
Now heereupon, to others they this breake:
Amongst the rest, to Gerrard Iesuite.
Gray-headed, but greene-heeded Garnet eke,
Superiour of the Iesuites, whose meere sight
Was a strong warrant, to confirme and proue
This enterprize, so much they priz'd his loue.
Without whose counsell nothing was effected,
And whose aduise confirmed all they did;
Whom as a Demi-god they all respected.
Did what he would, left what he should forbid.
Oh most Satanicall nefarious Doctors,
Antichrists Chaplaines, Lucifers Arch-Proctors.
Can yee for shame assume the sacred name
Of Iesus Christ, the Lambe of God most pure,
When by your barbarous actions you defame
Your selues, your names, your function, and inure
Your selues and followers, how to kill and slay
All such as doe Romes Iezabel gaine-say.
Can they, said I? yes that they can, nay more,
They'l brag and boast of such inhumane deedes,
And which is worst, dare aide and help implore
Of our high God, from whom none ill proceedes,
These, euen these holy Fathers of that Sect
Confirme this plot, aduise, instruct, direct.
From sacrilegious Gerrards hands they tooke,
Right Iudas-like their owne damnation:
First for their oath of secrecie a booke,
Whereon they swore firme resolution:
And to confirme it with a stronger band,
Receiu'd the Sacrament from Gerrards hand.
[Page 17] O heauens, ô earth, ô impious age and times,
The Oath. You shall swear by the blessed Trinity and by the Sacra [...]ent you [...] purpose to re [...]i [...]e, neuer to disclose directly or indirectly, by word or circumstance the matter that shall be proposed to you to keepe secret, nor desist from the execution thereof, vntill the rest shall giue you leaue.
O gracelesse, godlesse, more than diuellish fact▪
Were ere yet knowen such blasphemous fowle crimes,
So damnably t'abuse that heauenly act
Of mans terrestriall comfort, confirmation
Of faith, of grace, and of our blest saluation.
O who hath any sparke of true deuotion,
Or ardent zeale of Gods most sacred truth,
Who, which to piety hath but least motion,
Can heare Romes blasphemies without much ruth,
Those most apparent markes of Babels Whore
So truely, iustly prophetiz'd of yore.
Nay will you yet heare more impiety,
And equall almost to the greatst of these;
Inhumane Catesbyes diuellish policy
Will'd him to cast in minde, how to appease
Ther discontent, if any should arise
About the warrant of this enterprise.
For why, he now considered in his minde,
The great and bloody slaughter they should make:
And that he could no meanes contriue or finde.
But that therein friends must with foes partake:
The lawfulnesse heereof since some might doubt,
And so perchance reuolt, or else stand out.
With haste he hies to his Achitophel,
Grand-Iesuite Garnet his aduice to haue,
That out-side Angell, in-side Diuell of hell,
To whom he knew they speciall credit gaue:
Whose answer if it to his minde did hit,
He knew all was cock-sure and firmely fit.
Then in this sort to Garnet he began,
O holy Sir, whose grauity and yeares,
Whose learning, wisdome, discreet counsell can
Resolue all doubts, dissolue heart-daunting feares,
In whom Romes sacro-sancted Oracles,
Are powerfull in effecting miracles.
High-Priest of England, sent heere to reduce,
To re-vnite into Romes fold, to gather
The wandring flocke, with-held thence by abuse
Of cursed Caluins, Beza's, Luthers Sect,
Which damnably their soules doe dayly infect.
O thou, I say, Vice-gerent to our Pope,
I much desire, gladly would impetrate,
Thy holy Counsell in a doubtfull hope,
In a great Action, which to perpetrate,
Many of vs deuoted Catholiques
Haue ioyn'd & sworne our selues 'gainst Heretiques.
Romes sacred zeale hath so enflam'd our harts,
To right her wrongs, her losses to restore,
To vulnerate with penetrating darts
Of dire destruction, those which heeretofore
Haue the braue lustre of Romes faith supprest,
And too too long oppos'd her holy Hest.
And now, I say, considering this great wrong,
And how 'tis likeliest worse and worse to grow:
We vow to worke our freedome er't be long,
To giue our foes one fatall finall blow:
Wherewith their soules and bodies shall be sent,
By Sulphur fierce to Pluto's regiment.
But herein, holy Sir, the doubt remaines,
Wherein your ghostly counsell we desire;
That time and place this action so constraines,
That all at once must perish in one fire,
The doubt therefore which in vs doth arise,
Is, whether friends may die with enemies.
Whether with Nocents, Innocents may die
(For in the destin'd place both mingled are)
We cannot, may not with security,
The one without the other saue or spare:
Yet on this acts effecting doth depend
Of Romes great wrongs the happy hopefull end.
Trauelling with iniquities conception,
Brought foorth the Impe of mischeefe: thus doth heale
Base Catesbyes sore. Heare now his strange direction,
Heare ô yee Heau'ns, hearken both God and Man,
How holily this Baals Priest began.
First with accurst salutes they oft embrace,
Hyena with the crafty Crocodile:
And then with poysonous heart and brazen face,
Hee vtters words most impious full of guile:
With greene deuice, not graue aduice thus spake
This holy Hell-hound, horrible Man-drake,
Oh thou deere darling of the Church of Rome,
Hopefull Protectour of St. Peters chaire,
Which so high honour dost to thee assume,
As by a fact so meritorious rare,
To be condignely saintified and graced,
And highest in Romes rubrickes to be placed.
Thou Atlas of our now succeeding ioyes,
Matchlesse Mecoenas of Romes doctrind rare,
Herculean chaser of our dire annoyes,
Perillus th'enginer may not compare
With skilfull Catesby Arts-Master of Treason:
For stratagems past humane reach and reason.
I cannot chuse but like and loue thee deerely,
Thou apt proficient in Romes document:
And yet much maruell thou couldst not see cleerely,
Of so rare enterprize so blest intent,
The strong inducements to perseuerance,
Not to desist for some ill petty-chance.
I see, thou art not yet so inly seene
Into the Doctrine of vs Iesuites:
Thy knowledge therein yet seemes raw and greene,
That makest monsters of such little mites.
That in smooth bull-rushes doest seeke a knot,
Like Questionists who aske they know not what.
[Page 20] This case is most apparant, cleere and plaine,
That since th'occasion, time and place require
Such expedition, and such precious gaine,
And great aduantage Rome shall hence acquire,
You may most iustly by the Lawes of Rome,
Some Innocents with Nocents vile consume.
And heerein thee most strongly to instruct,
And to repell all obiects in that kinde:
That none gainst this assertion may reluct,
That in thy Creede it may more credit finde:
Marke this comparison which thou shalt heare,
Wherein this truth shall cleere as Sunne appeare,
As in a City by fierce foes besieged,
Wherein some friends inhabit and abide,
T'whom those besiegers are in loue obliged,
Yet how to free them there's no meanes espide,
Delaies would breede dangers ineuitable,
The City also prooue vnuanquishable.
Should they not then from wise discretion swerue?
Should they not to their foes base dastards seeme?
Whiles in fond pitty few friends to preserue,
They a whole City lose for friends esteeme?
If then to th'Church great profit may redound,
You fearelesse may some friends with foes confound.
And as for me the best which I can doe,
Which is, my prayers and Orizons deuout,
That heauen may heerein blesse and fauour you,
I duely truely for you will powre out;
And all our Saints, and meritorious Martyrs
Implore, to ayde you and your zealous partners.
O most pernicious Preist, ô Scythian Sect,
Is this the charity you all professe?
Doe you with blood, your followers thus infect?
Your false conceiued wrongs thus to redresse?
Now how this Iesuites censure doth agree
With Iesus Doctrine, you shall plainely see.
[Page 21] When God with sinfull flesh vouchsaf't to talke,
Did he not vnto faithfull Abraham say?
That if in Sodom: he could finde ten folke
That vpright were: his vengeance he would stay,
And for their sakes on all hee'd mercy shew,
But ghostly Garnet was more wise then so.
Did not the heauenly Husbandman decree?
Considering how with wheat grew vp the tare,
How intricate a businesse then t'would be
The weede to plucke vp, and the Wheat to spare,
Therefore gaue charge to let them both alone
But of this Husbandry Garnet would none.
Doth not St. Paul, doth not all Scripture teach?
Non facienda sunt mala vt eueniant bona.
That none ill ought be done, though thence may rise
A greater good, but what though Paul thus preach?
Loiolae's Priests are now growne farre more wise:
For if that any good to th'Church may grow
They hold it lawfull to kill friend or foe.
Was it not Mercies Maiesty and ioy?
Wast not our blessed Sauiours comfort great?
That none of his did suffer least annoy,
Not one was lost, he all did well intreat:
Adding moreouer that he came to saue,
Not to destroy, whom God vnto him gaue.
If Christs blest kingdome of this world had beene,
Legions of Angells he might haue commanded;
But Anti Christ, great Babels Man of Sinne
Must here be Lord, and King, and richly landed:
Peter must not once strike in Christs defence,
But Popish-Priests may vse all violence.
O saith our Sauiour, Loue your enemies,
For Persecutors pray, blesse them that curse:
But you than Christ would seeme to be more wise,
Or rather than vnholy Pagans worse:
For Pagans loue their friends, you would vs slay
Which fauour you, and for your soules health pray.
[Page 22] You are so farre from praying for our good
(Such is your fiery burning charity)
That you had rather prey vpon our blood,
With more than Canibals barbarity,
Oh is it possible such wrath should rest,
In Romes vn-erring Popes most sacred brest?
Tantaene animis caelestibus ira?
But why of Christ and Scripture doe we talke?
To those Ignatian wicked Regicîdes,
Who (maugre all Truths arguments) will walke
In their owne bloudy paths what ere betides:
They'le hazard life, soule, body, goods and all,
To worke their wills most Diabolicall.
Oh what Religion call you this I pray?
Can any giue a proper Epithite?
Vnto this doctrine, or these Doctors gay,
Incarnate Diuels, seeming-Saints of light,
Who not themselues alone to Hell thus throw,
But many thousands cause with them to goe?
These doubtlesse are those latter daies foretold,
Of Satans raigne, and powerfull tyrannie:
Who lik'st himselfe, shall thus mens hearts euen mould
Into all formes of strangest villanie.
But Lord we pray thee, still preserue thy flocke,
And all Romes mischiefes, frustrate, thwart, & mocke.
Things thus contriu'd for Rome, Fauks priuily
Is shipt away: to th'Pope he hasts with speed:
To whom their labours he doth signifie
From first to last, how all things did proceed.
His Holines his treacherous Sonne commended,
Perswades perseuerance till all were ended.
Assures successe and fortunate conclusion:
And so dismist him with a bounteous gift,
More amply fraught with precepts of confusion
And rapid Tigris-like he flies full swift,
Visits his ancient friends and old acquaintance
I'th Duke of Austria's Court with welcom'd entrance
[Page 23] Whereas he meets with many Fugitiues,
Sir William Stanly & Master Owen. Sir Ed: Bainham, notorious traitors and fugitiues in the Low Countries.
And banisht shauelings of our English nation:
Questioning how each thing in England thriues,
Greedy to heare of change and alteration:
With sanguinary Nero who desire
Their Countries glory extinct with sword and fire.
Monsters of men like those which loue to angle
In riuers billowing by fierce Borea's blast,
Which loue to liue by discord, strife and wrangle,
This their best pastime, this their chiefe repast:
These, these I say, prickt forward him that ran,
And contribute to helpe what he began.
Furnishing him with counsell as with coyne,
His heart they fill with cunning, craft, and guile,
Brother [...] in mischiefe heads and hearts doe ioyne
His heart to hatch, his tongue to lye they file,
They teach him how with Demonologie
To hide the platforme of this treachery.
Like furious Hagge he home returnes with speed
And to his Mr. Piercy doth vnfould
His good successe, prayes that they might proceed
With expedition, and with courage bould.
For he was fil'd with all the Arts and Armes
That Rome could yeeld, or Acherontine charmes.
And now they hauing with blasphemous hearts
(As is foreshowne,) receiued the Sacrament,
And ta'ne an oath boldly to act their parts,
Which was done in a house behind St. Clements Church by the Strand.
To heere Plutonicke-Masse, incontinent
They them prepare, which done, they all desire
Now to proceed, to build this furious fire.
And hereupon some choyce men they elect
Whose charge should be, to digge and vndermine
The Parliament, who that they might neglect
No time, prouided bak't meats, beere and wine,
That so they might not oft goe in and out,
Fauks at the doore being Sentinell or scout.
[Page 24] Who still discouered all that passed by,
And as he saw occasion, warning gaue
Sometime to worke, sometime to lay it by,
And by their sides their Peeces charg'd they haue:
Resoluing there to die, if so it hapt,
That by discouerie they should be entrapt.
These Pioners through Piercies chamber brought
Th'exhausted earth, great baskets full of clay:
Thereby t'haue made a mighty concaue vau't,
And of the house the ground-worke tooke away:
But then at last an obstacle they finde,
Which to remoue proud Piercy casts in's mind.
This was the most happy chance that did or could fall out for the discouery of this plot, as afterward is most apparently seene and approued.
A thicke stone wall their passage then did let,
Whereby they could not finish their intent:
Then forthwith Piercy did a seller get,
Vnder that sacred house for yeerely rent:
Feigning to fill't with Char-coale, Wood and Beere
From all suspect themselues to cloake and cleere.
Heere now they did consider Catesbyes charge,
How all that while the cost on him had lyen:
Wherefore to shew their loue and bounty large,
For due effecting of this foule designe:
Sir Euerard Digby promised to bestow
Fiue hundred pounds, that all things well might goe.
Then traiterous Tressam his great zeale t'expresse,
Vnto this worke of Popish Piety
Two thousand pounds would haue in readinesse,
To be imployd in each necessity:
Percy to pierce the eye of this our state,
Doth also promise hee'le associate
And beare a part, in this so rare collection:
And from Northumberlands great rents would get
Foure thousand pounds at least with due direction
All things in order to dispose and set.
Others would Horse and Armour there prouide,
Others procure an Army gainst the tide.
[Page 25] Wherewith they might eradicate and stroy
With furie great, the Protestants suruiuing,
Yea all that would Christs verity enioy
Of liberty, of lands, of life depriuing:
Such was the hatred of this holy brood,
Such the effect of their nefarious mood.
Amongst them then was this obiection made,
That since as they all hop't the Prince would be
I'th Parliament: how best might be assaid
The next Heyre to suprize: but Percy hee
Soone freed them of this feare, and vndertooke,
With his bold mates to seaze on Charles then Duke.
Next how to get into their custodie
(O hellish Guardians) Lady Elizabeth:
Who at Lord Harringtons as then did lie,
Not being far remote from Dunchurch-Heath
Where they a Hunt would couertly pretend,
And friends there meeting, might that danger end.
Lastly, they all consult and take aduice
What English Lords and Noblemen to saue:
And then what forreine Prince they might intice,
Who of this Kingdome might possession haue:
Of these and all these circumstances they
Firmely resolu'd against the appointed day.
Each thing thus happning to their hearts desire,
The finall, fatall Act to Fauks committed,
Whom wee not Man, but Furie of hell fire
May euer terme, a title best befitted.
This gastly Ghost-like monster night by night
To th'Celler goes, all things to order right.
Then doe these damn'd disciples of deceit
Most wickedlie place in this hollow vau't
Small firkins, all with Gun-powder repleat,
Barrels and Hogsheads, all with Sulphur fraught:
Placing some heere, somethere, laying thereupon
Great Iron-bars right vnder the Kings throne.
[Page 26] And to preuent the danger of suspect.
This Carnifox with foule Medea's guile,
That none these Stygian engins might detect,
Great store of billets thereupon doth pile
And fagots, thus the barrels so to hide,
That they could not without great search be spide.
Now hauing fram'd this Chaos of confusion,
This seuenfold heated furnace of proud Rome:
The fift day of Nouember for conclusion,
They now expect, for Englands fatall doome:
And now this rau'ning,
Fauks.
Wolfe with hungry iawesGreedily gapes to gripe vs in his clawes.
Thus then he stands prepar'd to perpetrate
A more then barbarous most inhumane fact:
The like could neuer Catelines great hate
Gainst Rome attempt, with hot Cet [...]egus hackt.
Nor arrogant ambitious Hamans thought
Against the Hebrewes like despite haue wrought.
Inferiour farre to this transcendent treason
Was the Sicil [...]n wofull [...]uen song.
The Massacre at Paris with great reason
Comes farre behind this proiect. And among
The best Chronographers thou nere shalt finde
A fact so foule, so cruell and vnkinde.
Not barbarous Scythia, nor Tartaria wilde
Did euer heere, or see, or enterprize
A plot more impious, horrible and vilde
Then which a worse could Pluto ne're deuise,
Nor such a palpable Aegyption fogge
Haue rais'd, to reare Romes faithlesse Synagogus.
Wherein they hop't a Kingdome to deuoure
Like vn-resistible, remorselesse waues:
At once, with one blow, in lesse than one houre
To make i'th empty aire the tombes and grues
Of our dread King, the Queene, the Prince our ioy
And Princely Oliue branches thus to stroy.
Lycurgus Sonnes, our Iustices and Iudges,
The Sonnes of Leui, our most reuerend Cleargie,
To whom indeed our foes beare greatest grudges.
The flowre of Gentry, yea from Common-weale,
Death and destruction should all comfort steale.
The greatest part of our accomplisht Knights,
Our Common-wealths men, prudent Burgesses,
Each skilfull Clarke and Officer that writes
The Parliament important businesses:
Most of the soundest Lawyers in this Land,
Had altogether perisht out of hand.
Nay not these reasonable soules alone
Should in this roaring thundring plague haue dide,
Without all difference or distinction
Of meane, or mighty, flocke or princely guide,
Of Maiesty or Honour, Sexe or Age,
Such was the horror of Romes wrath and rage.
But many sencelesse creatures they had meant
To make partakers of this mischiefe great,
Our famous ancient house of Parliament,
Westminster-hall, faire Euglands iudgement seat:
The Church wherein Kings had their Coronation,
All turn'd to ashes by this conflagration.
The Church I say, wherein the Tombs most rare
Of former famous Kings and Princes high,
Were with most precious curious cost and care
From age to age erected gloriously,
As endlesse Trophies of triumphant raigne,
All these mustfall, and nought but dust remaine.
Yea all the markes of Britaines royall State,
The Crowne of England, Scepter, Sword and Mace,
Records and Charters which appropriate
To all their portion, honour, right and place:
O wofull, [...]uthfull, these had beene Romes prey,
In this Sulphurious, furious hells dooms-day.
[Page 28] So horrid and exorbitant a plot,
Doubtlesse the tongue of man did neuer tell,
Mans eyes did nere behold so foule a spot
Nor did like wrath in humane heart ere dwell,
Nay all the Furies of the infernall pit,
Could neuer such contagious poyson spit.
So rare a King, so rare a Queene to kill,
So rare a Prince, so rare a Progeny,
So rare a State, with so much ruth to fill,
So rare a Realme to bring to misery,
Whom all the World admires, belou'd of all
Whom none but Pope and Papist wish to fall.
If a meane man to slay be execrable,
If to shed bloud be call'd a crying sinne:
Oh then how much more odious detestable,
Had this most monstrous matchlesse murther beene?
This more than crying, yea this roaring Crime,
Vnparalel'd, vnpattern'd by all Time.
These thus destroy'd, what is the Realme but dead?
Without a head dismembred bodies die:
And as the silly Hare without all dread,
Securely thinkes within his Forme to lie,
Whom when the Countriman asleepe doth finde,
With his Plow-staffe he kills with eager minde.
Simile.
Euen so Romes cruell bloudy Dragon had
Obliterated Englands name and Nation,
Her glorious beauty, Babell would haue clad
In sable mourning, woe and lamentation:
So huge a throat had this foule monstr' of Rome,
Christs flocke at once to swallow and consume.
Who thus at one (indeed fierce Catholike blow)
Had Neroes most inhumane wish effected,
Namely that all our English heads might grow
Vpon one body, and who then expected
Not a whole yeare, a Month, weeke, day, but howre,
To strike off all those Heads with Romish power.
[Page 29] Yea, as it were with one lowd thunder-clap,
as with a Pettard fiercely to breake ope,
Our peacefull gate of Ianus, and to entrap,
Of all our Halcyon dayes of ioy, the Hope,
With more than Cambals blood-thirsty mood,
Deeming than mans-flesh nothing sweeter food.
Oh who is able to articulate?
The seuerall sorrowes of that dismall day,
Or who can liuely paint, or personate
These vile Neronians? vaunting in the pray,
Triumphing with the Trophies and the spoile
Of their destroyed Kingdome, natiue soile.
No though I had an hundred tongues and harts,
T'indite and tell th'extent of their intention,
Both heart and tongue would faile to doe their parts,
With Sense and Science of so strange inuention:
Yea learned Homer doubtlesse would refuse
A taske so great, so greeuous for to chuse.
For why? me thinks would then haue fresh been showne,
Distressed conquered Troy with flames a burning,
London, I meane, Great Britaines Princely throne,
Spoyl'd and abus'd, repleat with moane and mourning:
The wealthiest City Europe ere enioy'd,
With Aetnean furious flames burnt and destroy'd.
Her wals with rammed ruptures rent and torne,
Her stately Turrets, high Piramides,
Demolisht and beat downe, as quite forlorne,
Her streets with Souldiers fill'd, none them t'appease:
Then Mars vsurping milde Astrea's roome,
Their swords, not words, must giue the fatall doome.
In streets great streames of blood like riuers runne,
Through houses and through sanctified places:
Great screekes and cryes, help, help, we are vndone,
Women with blubbering teares bedrench their faces,
Wringing their hands, and running vp and downe,
Fearefully frighted with their F [...]-mens frowne.
[Page 30] Mothers into their armes their Infants taking,
With brinish teares kissing their tender cheekes:
Children in parents armes trembling and quaking,
Houses to ring with Damsels wofull screekes,
Aged men murthered, young men stricken dead,
Wiues widdowes made, chaste maidens rauished.
This corollary also let me adde,
Which greater cause of greefe might iustly bring:
That no man had beene left in mourning clad,
At Londons obsequies a knell to ring
Of Lamentation, to condole her fall,
Which was Great Britaines seat Emperiall.
For, this was doubtlesse their infernall drift,
The King (proh dolor) Counsellours and State,
Being (alas) confounded) they would shift
The blame and shame on those whom most they hate.
A Villai [...]e falsly should proclaime as truth,
That Puritans were authours of this ruth.
So that in euery Country, Towne and City,
(Oh most vnparalell'd, most wicked wile)
All that were godly giuen without all pitty,
Should be destroy'd, as male-factors vile:
Yea desperately they would with sword and fire,
All godly men confound with damned ire.
Doubtlesse this was a craft rak't out of Hell
By Diuellish Furies, framed not by men:
So fowle a crime, so falfly to repell
From guilty on the guiltlesse, and ô then
With periur'd marble hearts, and brazen face,
By impious lies Gods people to disgrace.
To glut themselues, like Anthropophagi,
With blood of men holy and innocent;
Our state to make a wofull Anarchy,
Their corrupt cankered mischeefe thus to vent:
If Diuels they were not, yet without all doubt,
This plot by diuellish men was brought about.
[Page 31] He that can number all the drops in showers,
Which from the Pleiades and moist Orion fell;
Or Bees of thousand swarmes which sucke May flowers,
In England then the teares had fallen might tell,
Beyond the Arcticke and Antarcticke Poles
May this fact flie, and stand in lasting roles.
But now behold, God most omnipotent,
Maker, maintainer of the circled Globe,
Whose seat's in heauen aboue the firmament,
With maiesty being cloth'd, as with a robe:
His Israels carefull Keeper, Shepheard great,
Who mans affaires beholds from heauenly seat.
Th'omniscient knowledge, and all-seeing eyes
Of whom, doth all things euery where fore know
What ere is done, vnder the starry skies,
In deepest Seas, or ponderous earth below:
Who knowes the closest and most secret deed,
Whose sight doth fained Lynxes farre exceed.
Who is the Seacher of the reines and hart,
To whom seditious slaughter of his Saints,
All craft and couzenage wrought by humane Art,
Are most apparant, and who heares the plants
Of his deere Sons, disperst, despis'd, forlorne,
Delighteth in the iust, th'vniust doth scorne.
He, he, I say, in mercy did behold
From his supernall and tribunall seat,
The miseries and mischeefes manifold,
Wherewith Great Britaines King his foes did threat:
Thus to his glorious Angell with sweet voyce,
His will vnfolds, which they to doe reioyce.
You (saith Iehoub) now shall vnderstand,
How that the crafty Hunter Sathan, proud
With Cholcos spels and spight, hath tane in hand
Great Britaines spoile to spoile, yea and hath vow'd
To root out of the earth the English Nation,
Who to our Name performetrue adoration,
[Page 32] Which, If he should accordingly atchiue,
The monstrous
Antichrist.
Beast would salue her deadly sore:Babel would her dead hopes againe reuiue,
And re-erect a stews for her great Whore:
Then Rome the Mistresse of enormity,
Would baske her selfe in Sins deformity.
Then also would the Prophesies of old
Seeme (and that iustly) cleane annihilated:
Which of Romes downefall formerly haue told,
And that this
Antichrist.
Beast should sure be captiuated:All these (I say) might heereby frustrate seeme,
And thus my people me forgetfull deeme.
Wherefore I purpose with all expedition,
This hasty hatefull enterprize to stop,
To promulgate and thwart this their ambition,
Of this rancke rising weed the flowers to crop:
And though my wrath Englands great sinnes deserue,
Yet for my names sake I will them preserue.
Although (I say) Englands ingratitude,
Doth my rich mercies carelesly abuse,
Deseruing thereby paines amaritude:
Yet will I not permit this Beast to vse
My sword of power, nor giue those
Traytours.
Imps my right;But speedily in wrath their pride Ile smite.
This God of mercy, iust mans consolation,
To shew to vs his loue and bounty large,
With most ineffable commiseration,
A heauenly Angell foorthwith giues in charge,
To Albions Kingdome with swift course to flie;
And in his sleepe the King to certifie.
How many dangers hee's inuolu'd into,
How many infectious Snakes in's Court doe lurke:
Which him and's peacefull Kingdome would vn doe,
And to that end what snares and gins they worke:
Wish him be circumspect, the
The Parliament house.
place refraine,Where Iulius Caesar treacherously was slaine.
[Page 33] Like Sampsons house they purpose to pull downe
His Kingdome, all at once about his eares:
Their impious plotted Protasis doth frowne,
And their Epitasis intend great feares:
But both of these he ioyfully shall see
Transmuted to a blest Catastrophè.
Then to the Lord Mounteagle haste with speede,
To whom these Traytours haue a caution sent
In friendly sort, to monish him take heede,
That from this Senate he himselfe absent:
For why (say they) both God and Man agree,
By a fierce blast their foes destroy'd to see.
And that hee should into the Countrey hie,
And there that woefull spectacle expect:
And for his safety and securitie,
That none the danger might see or suspect,
They wisht him hauing read, the Letter burne,
That so it might not to his danger turne.
Him thou shalt warne his duty to performe,
His King and Countries weale and heale to further:
And of this perill his dread King t'informe,
That he may scape this direfull dreadfull murther,
Which that same Letter mystically ment
Without a name but not a blest euent.
Then from great Ioue doth wing'd Minerua flie,
And ere bright Titan on th'Iberian flood
Had banisht Cynthia from the spangled skie,
This blessed Messenger, with message good,
Arriu'd vpon the coasts of Britaine faire,
His charge to discharge duely doth prepare.
Who noble Morleyes heart doth first enflame
With honest care, and diligent desire
Of his deere King and Countreyes health and fame
And doth the Kings heart graciously inspire
With iudgement most profound, the knot t'vntie
(Like Oedipus) of this Aenigma high,
[Page 34] For thus the Lord in's all protecting grace,
Ten dayes before the Parliament began,
Ordain'd, that one of that most trayterous race,
Did meet the Lord Mounteagles Seruing-man,
Who about seuen a clocke at night was sent
Vpon some errand, and as thus he went,
Crossing the street a fellow to him came,
A man to him vnknowen, of personage tall,
In's hand a Letter, and he gaue the same
Vnto this Seruing-man, and therewithall
Did strictly charge him to take speciall heede,
To giue it into's Masters hand with speede.
The Foot-man home vnto his Lord did hie,
Gaue him the Letter, told him how t'was brought,
Which soone he opens, but could not espie,
Or date, or name subscrib'd, the hand but naught,
And hardly legible, wherefore his man
He cals to helpe him read, which thus began.
THE LETTER.
MY Lord,
out of the loue I beare to some of your friends; I haue a care of your preseruation, therfore I would aduise you, as you tender your life, to deuise some excuse to shift off your attendence at this Parliament. For God and Man haue concurred to punish the wickednesse of this time, and thinke not slightly of this aduertisement, but retire your selfe into your Countrey, where you may expect the euent in safety. For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receiue a Terrible Blow this Parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them. This counsell is not to be contemned, because it may doe you good, and can doe you no harme, for the danger is past so soone as you haue burnt the Letter. And I hope God will giue you the grace to make vse of it: To whose holy protection I commend you.
A thousand cogitations hence arise:
What fact? what friend? what this Aenigma ment?
What my sticke danger these words might disguise?
Or whether t'were some addle idle braine,
That this had writ, to cause him thence refraine.
If it should prooue a fond fantasticke toy,
To stirre therein would turne to his disgrace:
But if it should include some dire annoy
Vnto his person, or that sacred place
Of Parliament, he then might prooue disloyall,
Hee's loth, and yet desires to make a triall.
Wherefore, at last, as is fore-specified,
Gods sacred Angell Messenger of grace,
To his perplexed thoughts this cure applied,
And will'd him this occasion to embrace,
And in his heart kindled a zealous flame,
Not to conceale, but to reueale the same.
Thrice noble Morley (quoth this Angell bright)
Whom Heau'n hath vouched worthy this great honor,
That thou shouldst be the man shall bring to light,
Thy King and Countreyes threatned woe and horror;
By that vsurping whorish Beast of Rome,
Who Albions Island hopes now to consume.
O stand not doubting, pondring in thy minde,
Whether this be a toy or true report,
A truth, a happy truth, thou heere shalt finde
Of woe and wracke, to Countrey and to Court.
If thou it hide, a world of woes ensue,
If thou reueale it, honour be thy due.
And though this Letter seemeth most obscure,
Like great Apollo's Delphean Mysterie,
Yet I a Ioseph, Daniel will procure,
T'vntwine the twist of its obscurity:
Since in thy hands then lies both weale and woe,
Haste, haste with speede, in Court this Letter show.
[Page 36] This happy motion driues out former doubt,
In this right noble Lord Mount eagles hart:
Who now resolues t'examine and finde out
The truth heereof, and foorthwith to depart:
And though it were both dirty, darke and late,
Yet he the time will not procrastinate.
But like a noble Eagle hauing catcht
A rich, a princely prey, aloft he sores,
Hee's not at quiet till hee haue dispatcht
This great affaires: He Heau'ns great ayde implores,
To auspicate and grant a blissefull end,
To this most anxious act he did intend.
And thus with loyall heart away he goes,
Thereto resolu'd what euer should betide:
To th' Court he went this matter to disclose,
To th'Earle of Salsb'ryes chamber soone he hide,
Whither heauens finger doubtlesse him directed,
As the best meanes to haue this fact detected.
To this Vlysses he the Letter showes,
He th'other Counsell, they in doubtfull wise
Possesse the King therewith, who straight-way goes
Together with them thereof to take aduise:
Each one propounds his iudgement seuerally,
As in a case of great anxiety.
One thinkes it was some idle vaine conceipt,
Another he is of the selfe same minde,
Others doe iudge it did some danger threat,
None could the right way of this Lab'rinth finde:
Not one of them could diue to th'depth & ground,
None could this obscure my sticke riddle expound.
At last our prudent King, Apollo's Sonne,
Faire Englands Ioseph, waighing with discretion
Each circumstance, vnto them thus begunne,
Our iudgements must take yet more deep impression,
This is no triuiall worke or fantasie,
But must be sifted with great scrutinie.
[Page 37] I well remember, and you all doe know,
That little smoake being at first deprest
Doth mighty fiers (though hid) at length forth show;
And in this grasse some Serpent foule doth rest,
Or else I am deceiu'd: for to my minde
Now comes that
Magna licet nunquam n [...]cuit cautela Monarchis.
rumor of the Romists blind.Whose Genius guided by Erynnis vile
Neuer pull downe the blacke flag of dissention,
But what with threats, poysons, deceit and guile,
They practise to effect their foule intention,
Plodding and plotting as a most iust thing,
By Iesuites principles to kill their King.
No doubt but here is fram'd some Engine strange,
Some second Troian horse, or traiterous traine?
Or else about vs doth some Iesuite range,
Who would his hands in our deere heart-blood staine:
Some monstrous Machination (credit me)
Is in this letter couched priuilie.
Tis not the froth of fickle, brittle, braine,
But Hierogliphicke of blacke treachery:
In that he prayes his friend thus to refraine
From comming thither: and in hast to flye,
Yea farther, he great danger menaceth,
A suddaine, terrible, fierce stroke of death.
Which with great Wonder, like a thunder-clap
Should on their foes precipitately fall:
Vnlesse by Gun-powder this thing may hap,
Nought else so likely I to mind can call:
And't may be they'le abuse that hellish Art,
To our great ruine and ensuing smart.
Therefore most loyall Sirs I much desire
To be resolu'd, and truely t'vnderstand
Who the adiacent houses hould or hire
To our great Capitoll, what cellers and
What arched vaults there are vnder the ground,
Let secret search be made, the truth out found.
[Page 38] Then straight Lord Chamberlaine with others moe,
Makes carefull inquisition of each thing:
What houses, who them held, what cellers low,
Of each particular resolues the King:
Percy (saith he) dwell's there and hath a vaut,
With wood and char-coale plentifully fraught.
Hence presently, greater suspicion growes,
And Wise Sir Thomas Kneuet that good Knight,
Was giuen in charge the matter to disclose,
Who on the fourth day of Nouembr ith night
Perlustrated each doubtfull part and place,
And did each thing vncouer and vncase.
And least hereby suspition might haue growne,
They feign'd to seeke out stollen vestiments:
Where first hee findeth Guido Fauks alone
Diuell of that Den, ord'ring his instruments,
Booted and spur'd then standing at the doore,
Hauing dispatcht his taske little before.
Hauing as then, I say, in order placed
His all-disordering fuming Aetnaes pit:
Which should his causelesse country quite haue raced,
And all her stately towers in sunder split.
He apprehends him, graspes and clasps his hands,
With hempen cords, and then no longer stands.
But quickly enter; this infernall Cell,
And trustily puls downe the piles of wood,
But sodaine fright this Knight did daunt and quell,
For why, his seruants as he searching stood,
Crye out, alas, this wood doth pouder hide,
For I two hogsheads full haue here espid'e.
Let vs search further, for we more shall finde
Among'st these billets placed priuilie:
Oh treason past the reach of mortall minde,
Oh hatefull, vnheard, strange conspiracie:
Then more and more they speedily finde out,
And thereby proue the truth of former doubt.
[Page 39] Then thirty barrels more with Sulphur fill'd,
And two great hogsheads ere they ceas't they found,
Now Fauks to search he his attendants will'd,
Which did his trecherous heart with enuy wound:
For from his necke a Crucifix they snatch,
A shirt of haire he wore his skin to scratch.
From forth his pocket then the Match they tooke
Which should haue rais'd Chimera's Mino-taures,
From hell to earth, yea and with horrid-looke station,
The Gorgons, Hags, Alecto's, Semitaures:
Which would haue brought Vulcan from's hellish
To worke in Aetna dolefull desolation.
Wherewith, he vow'd to stroy and cleane put out,
Th'illustrious fame of famous Albion:
Whose peace and plenty, strength and valor stout
In faire Europa will giue place to none:
This glorious Realme i'th twinkling of an eye,
He would haue rob'd of all her royalty.
Yea with such vn-heard craft they did contriue
This treason, and conceal'd so secretly,
That but poore twelue houres-England should suruiue
From this fierce blow, whose ecchoing roare would flie
Louder then Nyle rushing from rockie coombe,
Or than Encelade when he shakes his toombe.
The proiect crost, their flower of hope thus cropt,
The Traitors selfe the fact confest, but said
He greeued most to see his will so stopt,
And that but this, nought should his hand haue stai'd.
O heart more hard than Iudas, Pharaohs, Caines,
O curst religion which mans soule so banes.
They hearing this, doe thus in griefe burst out,
Heere ô ye heauens, tremble ô earth below,
Was euer seene or knowne the world about
A deed so strange, prodigious? nay we know,
That euen the heart of Turkie or Barbarie
Like monstrous mischiefe neuer did descry.
[Page 40] To which the bloudy butchery in France,
By Popish Edomites made on Christs flocke
Is vnequiualent, giues but a glance
(Respecting this) of Romes rebellious stocke:
Whose memory much dim's each former slaughter,
Disgrace of this, and of all age hereafter.
The vnheard horror whereof may appeare
An aggrauation from the incomparable cruelty of the fact.
In these sixe circumstances which heere follow:
First, if they had adiudged vs to beare
By reasonable creatures, deaths great sorrow,
If men by men should haue beene deaths fierce fuell,
1
The fact had beene more humane, farre lesse cruell.
For why? there had beene hope by force or fence,
By teares or treates some pitty to obtaine:
Yea mittigation of their violence:
Euen in the Act their fury to restraine:
As to heau'ns glory our dread King did finde
In Gowries treason cruell and vnkinde.
The Armed mā in the closet which was set to kill his Maiestie.
Or, if by any other brutish Animalls
Though they then men are farre more pittilesse,
Inexorable, at our wofull calls
2
Would vs deuoure with beast like greedinesse:
This kind of death indeed had beene more fierce,
Yet heere were hope Deaths sentence to reuerse.
For why by force, or pleasurable cause,
There may euasion, mercy oft be found:
To scape the furious fangs▪ and crushing clawes
Of fiercest Lyons penetrating wound.
Daniel i'th Den, the
Androdus
Romane in the Caue,Sampson,
Richard the first, surnamed Cor de Lion.
Ring Richard ore them conquest haue.Againe, which is most cruell of the three
By things insensible, inanimate,
To which all groanes all moanes must frustrate be,
3
Being sencelesse of themselues, most of our state:
By these (alasse) to perish and decay,
No hope, no helpe, nought can their fury stay.
[Page 41] Besides obserue, that of all sencelesse things,
Those two fierce Elements, Water and Fire
Are most deuouring, great'st confusion brings,
By their represselesse and resistlesse ire:
Whose inundations, all-confounaing flames,
Orewhelms whole Realms, makes dust of rarest frames.
Adde yet this one materiall obseruation,
Which to this purpose heere may noted be;
Farther t' extend this endlesse aggrauation,
That all men may their hellish mischiefe see:
Of these two all-quick-eating elements,
By fire we haue most grieuous detriments.
For, though the Waters hugely ouerflow,
Drowne man and beasts, and all things in their source:
Yet when into their bounds they backward goe,
All things remaine in substance little worse:
Although the life and beauty be quite lost,
Yet lifelesse most things bide within their coast.
But when or wheresoeuer the fires fierce rage
Takes hold on houses, Pallaces or Places,
On Shepheards cottage, or rich heritage,
Of gold, or treasure, all it quite out-races:
Cartell and Corne, all together thrust,
Are all consum'd, nought left but drosse and dust.
Therefore that we by fire should be consum'd,
Yea and of fires the fiercest most outragious,
By puffing powder vnto death thus doom'd,
A death so desperate, bloudy, and contagious:
O speake (alas) what hope was of redemption
From this so mortall mischieuous consumption?
No teares (alas) could heere a iot preuaile,
For why (ô woe) no time for teares was giuen:
No strength was able, no power to assaile,
With such strange violence they had beene driuen:
No mortall might, might stay this mortall blow,
No power protect vs from this monstrous woe.
[Page 42] No meanes I say lesse then a miracle,
And that immediately from Gods owne hand:
Such as is mention'd in the Oracle
Of sacred Scriptures, when heauen did command
That Babilonian fiery furnace power,
That it could not once touch, much lesse deuoure.
That rare pare-royall of true Piety,
Sweet Shedrach, Mesach, and Abednago:
True worshippers of Heauens Deity
In whom the Lord did such a wonder show:
And certainly such was to vs Gods grace,
And we well nigh in as like dangerous case.
But blessed, ô thrice blessed Trin-one Lord,
Our powerfull, and most pittifull protector,
Thine endlesse praise we euer shall record;
O our most holy, glorious, iust director:
The gracious smiles of thy preuenting pitty,
Makes blest Hosanna be our ioyfull ditty.
Heere may we not omit this obseruation:
Namely, the great impossibility
Of hope, of this strange treasons publication
Another aggrauation from the impossibility of discouering the fact.
By all the reach of humane pollicy:
And therefore that God onely did vs saue,
And hereunto fiue reasons more we haue.
First to keepe secret and performe th'intent
They bound themselues by oath, firme, deepe & strong.
1
Then heereupon receiu'd the Sacrament,
Oh horrid fact, ô most blasphemous wrong.
2
They also tutred were by Iosuites,
To vse all couzening trickes, deluding slights.
3
Namely on Oath, yea euen on their saluation,
(That none the truth might from them ere get out)
To vse that tricke of false Equiuocation,
Mens senses so to circumuent and flout:
As that we might haue proou'd vaine questionists
Deluded by these impious Idolists.
[Page 43] Moreouer though t'is granted that that Letter
4
Was the first instrument of our blest peace:
Yet certainely little t'had beene the better,
If God had not so caus'd that worke to cease
Of vnderming that great Capitoll,
By reason of the thicke and stony wall.
Which so should crosse what they did first intend,
As that they must the Powder-Celler hire,
Whereinto they their hellish stuffe did send
To set our King and Senate all on fire:
Which had it beene of those things voyd and free,
Where might it haue been thought that stuffe to be?
If when the powder being with Charcoale hid
Though found at first, was not at all suspected:
Oh had not God that Mining-worke forbid,
How could the vault in time haue beene detected?
Since no man thereof euer dreamt or thought;
Nor till the Traitors selues confest, 'twas sought.
The last, not least thing which we note herein,
5.
That God did mooue the King still to reioine
The time he should the Parliament begin,
Which also fitted best the Traitors turne:
But cheefly vnto vs it fell out best,
Heauens King be euer therefore prais'd and blest.
Now through both Court and Country speedily,
Through Towne and City, street, and euery place,
Through all the kingdome doth the rumour flie
Of this deliuerance, Gods preuenting Grace:
Annoy is turn'd to ioy and sweet content,
Mens hands, and hearts, and knees to prayer bent.
O thou the great commander of Heauen high,
Th' Almighty ruler of the earth below,
Which by thy Thunder dost all terrifie,
In promise iust, to anger very slow:
Oh how can we sufficiently recount
Thy condigne praise which doe the heauens surmount?
[...]
[...]
[Page 44] Thou didst vs saue from slaughtering sword and fire,
From miserable Massacre and death:
From those which 'gainst thy Lawes, our liues conspire,
Thou onely Sions Sauiour gau'st vs breath:
And as from teeth of greedy Sauage Beares,
Didst vs recouer, and redeeme from feares.
And like Cephèan faire Andromadeè
Whom Perseus guarded from the gaping Whale;
So we being bound to boundlesse miserie
By thee more powerfull Perseus doe preuaile:
By thy great bounty and benignity
Are we set free, from grim aduersity.
Thou, onely thou, by power of thy right hand,
Hast our poore silly sinfull soules preseru'd:
Vnworthy, most vnworthy for to stand
Before thy presence, hauing from thee sweru'd.
We though thy foes, yet doe thy mercies finde,
Thou wast most courteous when we were vnkinde.
Though we (alas) daily delight in sinne,
Quenching thy Spirit in vs, fostring the flesh,
Endangering Heauens losse, our Lust to winne:
Like dogges to vomit, sinning still afresh,
Contemning thy behests and holy name,
Vsing thy Saints with scornefull scoffes and shame.
Choosing the wrong, forsaking the right way,
Labouring to please our selues, though displease thee,
Blindly persisting when we goe astray:
Thinking to liue like Saints in vanity,
As hee which raues not with the franticke mad,
Being amongst them is esteem'd as bad.
Great are thy workes, greater thy mercies are,
Thy meekenesse, mildnesse, patience, infinite:
Who in thy Loue (oh our good God) didst care
For vs, of our selues carelesse: Day and night
Neglecting thee and thine, preferring more
Our profit, pleasure, thy sweet grace before.
And turne our eyes into a flood of teares:
Oh let vs not still liue, as dead aliue,
Sleeping in Sin, fearelesse of Sins great feares:
O giue vs grace the Old-man to forsake,
And with true faith, firme hold on Christ to take.
Illuminate the blindnesse of our hart,
That we may see the ill which we haue done:
And grant (ô father) though not our desart,
With teares it seene we may desire to shun,
And with incessant sighes and groaning greefe,
Giue grace to waile our wants and finde releefe.
Yea feede vs Lord with heauenly Manna sweet,
Thy sacred Word, to which terrestriall treasure
Is but dry mosse, or drosse; oh guide our feet,
To tread the paths which lead to lasting pleasure:
That as Christs name with tongue we doe professe:
So by our workes we may our faith expresse.
The yeere precedent was most fatall found,
For the yeere before this Powder-plot was the great plague in England.
To many thousands of our brethren deere:
Whom the great plague infectiously did wound,
And now this Powder-plague we scap't full neere:
But thy strong hand, ô Lord, the slaughtering blade
Hath backe retorted, and our foes dismaide.
These things, ô Lord, doe plainely testifie,
Our greeuous sins t'haue highly thee displeased:
Yet we may see, by this thy clemency,
How quickely thou from wrath wilt be appeased:
Thou shew'st thy rod, and mildely do'st it shake,
That we may see thy grace and sinne forsake.
And as a Mother chastizing her childe,
Lothly lifts vp her hand, soone lets it fall:
So with like loue euen of a father milde,
Thou vs thy children labourest to recall:
But if nor words, nor warning may reclaime vs,
Thy punishments, ô Lord, will iustly tame vs.
[Page 46] And doubtlesse though the Lord to wrath be slow,
Yet if too farre prouok't, his ire will burne:
His vials of destruction he will throw
Vpon th'vngodlyes head, which will not turne
From vanity: like stubble in the field
They shall consume, and to his iudgements yeild.
Then let vs, oh let vs with speciall care
Learne, by the Lords so frequent exhortation,
To loue and feare him, yea let vs declare
The Gospells fruits in our liues reformation,
And let vs hate Babel the iust mans foe,
The seat of Anti-Christ where sinne doth flow.
The very Basis of impiety,
And Cage of vncleane birds loathsomely fould,
Of which I may affirme most faithfully:
That though thou hadst Alcides courage bould,
Thou couldst not clense Romes sin-proud shining hals,
More foule by farre then fowle Angea's stals.
But that of ancient Prophets the prediction
of Babels bane, this age to passe may bring,
To see both Rome, & Romes proud Whores conuiction,
This conquest great Lord grant vnto our King:
Whose life as tis most precious in thy sight,
So let thy glory shine in his great might.
To propagate, and further to extend,
The glorious Sunne-shine of thy Gospell pure:
His foes to see, and shun, his power to bend
To punish and pull downe the euill doer:
To loue the good, the haughty to suppresse,
To maintaine vertue, beat downe wickednesse.
That Iustice like a riuer with swift source,
Through all the Kingdome to all people may
Extend her streames, and vncorrupted course,
And that he so this noble Realme may sway,
As that heere liuing he may liue in peace,
And after death his fame may neuer cease.
The most illustrious Senate of this Land,
Whose hearts this thy great love and mercy cheeres,
May feare thy name, and Gospels foes withstand,
That till their end of daies and liues last hower,
They may adore thy Maiesty and power.
And for so great, so good deserts of thine,
So blest deliuerance, life and liberty,
Grant from that sacred
Of Parliament.
house such Lawes diuineMay be establisht, with seuerity,
As may redownd to th'honour, ioy and health,
Of King and Subiects, Church and Common-wealth.
That these most cruell cursed Canaanites,
The props and pillers of that shamelesse Whore,
These sons of Edome, Churches Ismaelites,
Who (euen as Sheepe to die) had markt vs ore,
May be cut off from mongst vs, which so long
Haue wrought & sought our peace to break & wrong.
Which like inhumane barbarous Paricides,
Would cut the throat of their sweet Parents deere,
I meane their Countrey, ô vile Homicides,
With one fierce blow to make their passage cleere,
Inferiour nought to Nero's fowle desire,
Who wisht to see his Countrey all on fire.
Who plot and practize guiltlesse blood to spill,
A breefe recapitulation of Romes enormities.
Delighting most in rapine, thefts and lies,
Teaching as most true doctrine, Kings to kill,
Forbidding Marriage, not Adulteries,
Yea, incest and such other sins of shame
They slight esteeme, which Christians should not name.
Whose Pope, and holy Priest-hood, for their gaine
And filthy lucre, thinke it not a shame,
Their odious Stewes in publike to maintaine;
And yeerely tribute for this cause to claime:
Whose practize is, to couzen and dissemble,
Whose blasphemies would cause the godly tremble.
[Page 48] Who doe by grounds of their Religion hold
(That which no Heretiques or Sect whats'ere,
No not the Turke, the Iew, nor Pagan bold,
Nor those of Calicut which serue and feare
The Diuell) to kill their King, (ô most notorious)
For Conscience sake, and say 'tis meritorious.
Who mingle with Gods word, and to preferre
Their owne traditions, doe esteeme most iust:
With strong delusions causing men to erre,
Vsing, abusing Scriptures to their lust,
Teaching for truth the
For the Popes East India, I meane Purgatory, was first occasioned by Frier Ioachim who dreampt of such a thing.
dreames of idle Friers,Slandring Gods truth like most nefarious Liers.
Who both the Lawes of God and Man abuse,
Breaking the bands of blest humanity,
The Turkes prophane such vilenessenere did vse,
Nor sauage Indians like barbarity,
Nay impious Assyria neuer saw,
Th'impieties, which Rome maintaines by Law.
O why then foster we these poysonous Snakes?
These monstrous Hydra's with vs to abide:
With whom what People, Kingdome long partakes
In which Romes furious fangs are not descride?
But if we will persist them still to spare,
Lets blame our selues if we fall in their snare.
Then leaue we them and all their slie delusions,
And as tis fit, let vs with feruent zeale
Renounce their loue, repell their false intrusions,
Nor ere in ought with them commerce or deale:
For though in shew they silly Lambs would seeme,
Yet who so tries them, will them woolues esteeme.
Thou then the God of our inheritance,
Our part, our portion, buckler, staffe and stay.
Thy Sions Sauiour, strong deliuerance,
Vnder thy wings preserue vs still we pray:
Make voyd and frustrate Babels hatefull pride,
The cause is thine (ô Lord) stand on our side.
[Page 49] Resist their rage, for gainst thy Church they raue,
Reuenge the blood of thy distressed Saints,
And let thy people thy protection haue,
And when they greeue, releeue their sad complaints:
O Lord we pray thee blesse and dresse thy Vine:
Thy Loue, thy Doue, this little Flocke of thine.
Yea Lord at all times in extreamest straights
Thy helpe is present, and thy presence sweet:
Thy sacred arme our secret armies waites,
To foyle our foes and cast them at our feet:
Thou Lord do'st cause the fell Monocerote,
To beare on's brow a soueraigne Antidote.
Wherefore (ô Lord) this wonderous worke of thine,
Our voyce and verse for euer shall record:
To sing thy praise our hearts we will encline,
Thy name and fame, ô our coelestiall Lord,
In euery House, Shire, Citty, Street and Temple,
And teach our children this by our ensample.
Throughout this Kingdome we thy fame will raise,
And tell thy workes vnto each forraine nation:
While vitall breath from death prolongs our dayes,
While Sunne and Moone shine in their clowdy station,
Our Singers shall sing Psalmes to thee on high,
Oh blessed, blessed, blessed Trinity.
Omnis gloria solius est Domini.
FINIS.
[Page] MISCHEEFES MYSTERIE: OR, Treasons Master-peece. The second Part.
Infernall Fauks with Daemoniacke hart,
Being ready now to act his Hellish part,
Booted and spurr'd, with Lanthorne in his hand,
And match in's pocket, at the doore doth stand;
But, wise Lord Kneuet by Diuine Direction
Him apprehends: and findes the Plots detection.
LONDON, Printed by E. GRIFFIN, dwelling in the Little Olde Bayly neere the signe of the Kings-head. 1617.
TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull, Mr. Henry Iay Alderman of London, and one of the principall Gouernours of Christs Hospitall, to whom I. V. wisheth a full measure of Grace in this life, and the fulnes of Glorie in the life to come.
IT is as easie as ridiculous
(Right Wordhipfull) for men officious
By fauours bound: to promise very faire,
But to performe and pay is all the care.
Heer's all the labour, this the onely stop.
This doth the flower of frequent promise crop.
Since then to promise much, and nought to pay,
Is the chiefe badge vaine-glory to display:
And with fond Ciclicus to promise faire,
Is vainely to build castles in the Ayre;
How then should I without deseru'd disgrace
Presume to promise? knowing my weake case:
For as both I and my deere fostered Brother
Haue both of vs Christs-Hospitall our Mother.
And he in you doth finde Paternall care;
And you of that blest-House a Patron are,
A principall and pious Gouernour,
Religions friend, and Learnings fauourer.
Therefore I must ingenuously agnize
That I, with him, am bound to you likewise:
Both for the good which he in you doth finde,
Whereof I doe partake by ioy in minde:
As also that your Worship ruling there
[Page] Whereas I now doe a poore office beare,
Therefore I say, I owe vnto you more,
And am obliged in so large a score,
As my poore Talent neuer will suffice
To pay the debt, or ere to equalize
The merit, of your manifold desart
By other reall signe, than thankefull Heart.
Yet, rather then I would so brutish be,
Ingratefully my duety thus to flee:
Because not able to pay what I owe,
Promise and payment rudely to fore-slow.
I haue beene bould, embouldned by your fauours,
To giue this second part of my poore labours:
To dedicate this Mite of my Good-will
To your Good Worship: but not to fulfill
Or fully satisfie the boundlesse bond,
Wherein obliged vnto you I stand.
But onely thus to shew, and to expresse,
My best and prest desire of thankfulnesse:
Which with my prayers for your prosperity,
Shall neuer cease t'implore Heau'ns Deity.
Accept therefore (Right Worshipfull) I pray
This Symbole of my seruice, first Essay.
Regard not (Worthy Sir) the Quantity
Of this poore present, but the Quality.
The gift but meane, the giuers heart sincere,
Thus some small part of my great debt to cleere:
Which, hoping your good Worship will respect,
Heaun's Grace and Goodnes you and yours protect.
Your worships in his best endeuours to be commanded: IOHN VICARS.
The Mystery of Mischiefe OR, Treasons Master-Peece. The second Part.
NOW looke we backe, whereas we lately left:
Incarcerate Fauks that curst incarnate Deuill,
Whose heart was cleane of Piety bereft,
And strangely hardned with infernall euill:
So that a second Scoenola most bold,
In this audacious wretch might all behold.
For why? he durst most shamelesly proclaime
This hatefull fact, to be an holy deed:
And that the zeale of Romes Faith did enflame
His cursed heart, with boldnesse to proceed;
And that he grieu'd for nothing more than this,
That of the Workes conclusion he did misse.
Adding moreouer, with strange impudence,
That if he had beene in the Cellar ta'ne
As t'was abroad, he being new come thence:
He would haue set on fire the powder-traine,
And both himselfe, with those that had him catcht,
Would then haue blowne vp, and of life dispatch't.
He stood, to be examined and tride,
Most scornefully he did himselfe behaue,
And oftentimes would seeme euen to deride
What was demanded, so small grace he had:
So hard a heart, his conscience was so bad.
Nay more, there were those which did surely heare
Vile Robert Winter, Winter impudent,
In whom the very Autumne did appeare,
And fruitlesse Wintr of an impenitent:
Who being in the Tower a time did finde.
To speake to Fauks, and thus to vtter's mind.
Thou know'st (friend Fauks quoth Winter to his mate,)
That Catesby and myselfe haue children left:
And Boyes will once grow vp to Mans estate,
Then are we not of comfort quite bereft:
For why I hope they'l then reuenge our wrong,
And for our sakes our Foes once lay along.
Yea, though we had no children of our owne,
Yet God to Abraham can children raise
Euen from the fiery flint, the sterile stone,
And I much maruell no man in our praise
For this most zealous Action doth indite
And an Apologie for vs doth write.
But howesoe're, let's vow and here protest,
When we before the people are to die
To maintaine our iust cause, and manifest
Our ardent zeale for Romes supremacy.
Content quoth Fauks, for this I doe suppose,
The Diuell not God did this our fact disclose.
Oh monstrous men, ô hard hearts, brazen faces,
Pastgrace, past goodnesse, void of feare or shame:
To offer God and man these foule disgrace,
Our good, heau'ns God, thus foulely to defame
Farre worse then Iulian that Apostata,
Of Ecebolius, worse than these I say.
[Page 57] For though proud Iulian with blasphemous words
And tyrannous attempts gainst Christ did fight,
Slaying the Christians with his murthering swords,
Scorning and scoffing at Truths glorious light:
Yet ere he di'd, he did confesse and cry,
Thou, Galilean, hast the victory.
So Ecebolius a Philosopher,
Who also liu'd in wicked Iulians time,
Remorse of Conscience forcing him so farre,
At the Church dore fell downe, confest his crime,
And wofully to th' Christians thus did say,
On me vnsauory salt, tread, tread, I pray.
But this remorselesse, gracelesse, godlesse brood
Calcate me salem insipidum.
Of rammish Romists most vnsauory salt:
Are not asham'd, afraid, with impious mood,
Not onely not to grieue for this great fault,
But, most impenitent, auouch and ioy,
This hellish plot, their country to destroy.
So impenitent and impudent are they,
So farre from impious Iulians forc't confession:
So farre from Ecebolius, as to say
With heart relenting, and with true contrition:
O Truth, ô Truth, thou hast the vpper hand,
O no, to th'death against Truth these will stand.
And, to this strange impenitence, I may
Heere adde the Traitor Tressam's periury:
As most apparant markes thus to display
This Whore of Babell, and her blasphemy:
And let no Romish Rabsheca be moou'd,
To say th'are false, for both were iustly proou'd.
This Tressam to the Counsell had confest
That oft with Garnet he had conference
About this Treason, yea he did protest
That Garnet knew and had intelligence
Of that inuasion by the King of Spaine,
Which greedily they gapt for, but in vaine.
[Page 58] This also being proou'd to Garnets face:
Yet Tressam ere he dy'd did take his oath
And on his soules saluation (voyd of grace)
Vilely recanted, falsly forswore them both,
And said that sixteene yeeres at least were past
Since he did see or talke with Garnet last.
O what a wretched state liue these men in?
Who haue indulgence for such damn'd attempts,
Who hold it but a triuiall veniall sinne
To wrest and iest with oathes and Sacraments:
But desperate Iudas-like did Tressam dye,
Murthering himselfe in prison cruelly.
O who so Stoicke-like, so sencelesse stocke?
Cannot be moued with deepe admiration
Of Babels strong delusions, which thus mocke
Nay which bewitch with hellish incantation,
The silly vassals of that Mitred whore,
I'th Reuelation spoken of long before.
Whose Cup full fraught with Circes poysonous spell,
They hauing drunke, haue Metamorphoz'd beene
Into the shapes of Swine, or Haggs of hell;
No sparkes of humane Nature left within,
Their shamelesse face with steele enameled,
Their flinty hearts with Marble hardened.
Put case our gracious King had greeued you:
Wherein had braue Prince Henry you offended?
What on sweet Charles your churlish hatred drew?
Why to Eliza was such spight pretended?
What gain'st the Nobles did your malice moue?
Why to the State did you so vnkinde proue?
Nay tell me what degenerous vnknowne passion,
So much o're sway'd your furious hatefull heart?
That eu'n your louing friends without exception:
With Heretiques being mingled must take part:
Both friends and foes must all of one cup drinke,
And into th' pit of fierce confusion sinke.
[Page 59] But to omit digression and proceed,
Let's heere leaue Fauks fast lock't in Londons Tower:
And briefly wee'l relate each scelerous deed
Which did and should succeed that fatall houre,
In which discourse, each godly wise shall see
By truth and reason all confirm'd to be.
There was a Gentleman religious, wise,
Vnto our foes the Papists knowne full well:
With whom one of these Traitors did deuise
A swift pac't horse to buy, which then to sell
He moou'd this Gentleman, and straight way gaue
The horse to Fauks, himselfe by flight to saue.
That when the furious flamei'th ayre should blaze,
Hee might take horse, and swiftly hast away:
Glutting his diuellish eyes, fearelesse to gaze
On his deere countries downe-fall and decay:
But then the Diuell and they had thus decreed,
To pay him home with his deserued meed.
He hop't for Honour, they would pay't with Horrour,
Hee gap't for Gould, they would it turne to Gall:
His dignity should be his death and dolour,
And when he hop't to rise, he downe should fall:
Thus euen thus it turnes to their perdition
Which hope to raise their happ by proud Ambition.
For why these cunning Crafts-men vs'd this wretch
But as an instrument, the fact t' effect
To serue their turne, and this was then their fetch
To cure all care and danger of suspect.
With gould they had procur'd most diuellishly,
A rout of Rascalls in the woods to pry.
Who like so many Currs should heere and there
Lye lurking to surprize in his returne
This rauening Wolfe: being then secure from feare
Saue that in's Conscience which like fire did burne;
Of life and coyne, these should with desperate mood
Him reaue and leaue his corps for Rauens food.
[Page 60] These Demoniacke Furies hop't heereby
Closely to lay the guilt and guerdion,
Of this atrocious fact foule treachery
Vpon the guiltles, as before was showne:
And publikely would publish without shame,
Puritans authors of this woe and blame.
That wretched Fauks being by those slaues thus slaine,
None could the truth or Traitors manifest:
But search being made, the horse brought back againe,
His owner might be speedily exprest:
And that good Gentleman of whom t'was bought,
Plotter of this foule Treason should be thought.
Hence, hence I say had rufully beene rais'd
Clamours of men, clattering of sword and speare,
With thundring drums and guns mens hearts amaz'd;
Death-threatning warres, on all sides then to reare.
Oh English Protestants, why stand you still?
As 'twere afraid, to curbe their cursed will.
Hast, hast, take armes, let not vnpunish't goe
So monstrous mischiefe, let your slaughtering sword
Repay into the bosome of your foe,
The measure which they would to vs afford:
O most inhumane manners, O strange age:
Wherein like brute-beasts, brutish men thus rage.
But why alas doe I in vaine complaine?
My tongue cleaues to my mouth, I wholly tremble,
My heart and soule deprest with pining paine,
As though these monstrous men did right resemble
And personate, vnto my present view,
Foule Hidra's manifold and fearefull hew.
Methinks their blasphemous wide gaping throat,
Their bloudy hands and heart treason to inuent,
Is like blacke Pluto's Curs loud triple note:
The foule Harpeian-birds doe represent,
Yea euen the hideous Gorgons rightly are
To their pernicious liues of least compare.
[Page 61] And though three hundred mouthes and tongues full cleere
I did enioy: with Stentors sounding voyce,
My brest then oake more strong, this taske to beare,
And Argos or bright Lynxes eyes at choyce:
Romes diuellish couzenage to perceiue and tell,
As it deserues, 'twould farre this power excell.
For these impieties doe plaine portend
This age to be those sterile latter dayes,
Wherein sweet vertue languisheth to'r end,
And faith as at deaths doore mongst men decaies:
Enuy, dishonesty, too fast doe flow,
And euen at heauen darts of defiance throw.
And as the Ocean doth all streames containe,
So doth this age embrace each ancient Sin,
Whereby a deadlier deluge flowes amaine,
Then that of ancient time, that Noe liu'd in:
That did the body, this the soule destroy,
That liuing they still die with worse annoy.
Who then this sinnefull, most fowle Angea's stall,
Strong Hercules being dead can cleanse or cleere?
Nay none (vnlesse we could from death recall,
And cause the Ghost of Virgil to appeare.)
Could liuely purtract Romes degenerous brood,
Their malice, mischeefe, pride and diuellish mood.
Now let vs heere, as if the fact were done,
Imagine Fauks well mounted on his beast:
His hellish hope of ioy, euen now begunne,
His gaping for reward in's speede exprest:
Puft vp with pride of prosperous successe,
Hasting to's Mates with most strange nimblenesse.
But as with fiery Phaeton he flings,
With haire-brain'd fury, false-conceiued ioy,
Hoping for honour and to sit with Kings,
Those Slaues prepar'd his cursed life to stroy
Encountred him, and his swift passage stayd,
And with like bloody purpose to him sayd.
[Page 62] Stay, stay, fierce Boare, why foam'st thou out of breath?
We know thee well, whither so fast do'st flie?
Turne, turne, thy way thou'st lost, weele soon by death
Send thee the right way to blacke Tartarie,
To Pluto's Court, who hath thee long expected,
Wherethy reward shall be no whit neglected.
For since by his direction and decree,
Thou hast effected a damn'd villanie:
Thy cursed soule to hell shall swiftly flee,
Of thy proceeding him to certifie;
And Charon hels fowle Ferry-man doth waite,
To row thy soule to blacke Auerniu gate.
Yea hels grim Porter vgly Cerberus,
(For why, there neuer came nor neuer will,
A soule to Pluto's selfe more gracious)
With hideous noyse will barke most lowd and shrill
For ioy of thine approach, and without stay
To hels blacke palace will thee leade the way.
Where as Tartarean Dis doth rule and raigne,
Who from his fiery throne will soone descend,
With hellish ioy thy soule to entertaine,
And run to meet thee as his deerest friend:
With damned conioyes to congratulate,
Thy wisht approach and fact so fortunate.
Yea then thou shalt at his right hand be placed,
And there receiue those damned dignities,
Wherewith great Pluto's friends are alwayes graced,
For matchlesse mischeeues and strange villanies:
Then in our name sollicite hels great King,
To grant vs his assistance in this thing.
Namely, that heele be pleas'd from hell to send
Th'infernall Furies and most hideous Hags:
Who heere in England may their powers bend
In our assistance, to erect the flags
And ensignes of destruction and blood shed,
Which through this Kingdome shall be spilt & spred.
[Page 63] Now then base Traytour know for certainty,
That we are of Lysanders stamp and straine,
To loue foule treasons, but to hate and fly
The Traytours, which the fact haue vndertane:
Wherefore false Sinon take thy iust desart,
And with these words, their swords do peirce his hart.
O Nemesis of vengeance the iust God!
Which in thy hands do'st equall ballance beare:
Wherein to waigh mens faults, and with thy rod
Their soules to strike and stroy, which will not feare,
Nor loue thy treats and threats, on such, I say,
Thou soone or late thy heauy hand wilt lay.
O then you franticke Atheists tell mee why?
Why (as in prison) thinke y'in heau'n to locke
Gods ternall and eternall Maiesty?
Behold your folly, thinke not God to mocke:
Learne to discerne his iustice, be aduis'd;
Let not your soules by Sathan be surprised.
What, see you not Gods wrath the sinner wounding?
Like billowing waues, resistlesse vengeance great
The heat of pride and sinner proud confounding,
Quite to quench out sins fire and fiery heat:
Oh fooles, perceiue you not that God aboue
Guards and regards his Flocke, his Loue, his Doue,
Nay which is more, doe you not plainely see,
Gods iust reuenge, with like for like repayd?
An homicide his deaths man for to bee,
That had by murther Pluto's hests obayd:
Most strange it is, that you iuch deedes commit,
And at these iust plagues are not moou'd a whit.
By this first Scene we easily may ghesse
The greeuous progresse of this Tragedy.
Oh how much blood? what slaughters numberlesse?
What scuffling ruffling noyse tumultuously
Euery where rais'd? what wofull sights and showes
England had then beheld, no creature knowes?
Then made a tragique stage for neighboring Nations,
On this side France from vs a peece would pull,
On th'other side proud Spaines hatefull inuasions:
Heere would the Germanes, there the Irish wilde,
Not spare to proule and pill what might be spoyld.
Vnhappy Albion this most glorious Realme,
A prize, a prey to each insulting foe,
Like pasture which the Sea doth ouerwhelme,
Or like Leander tossed too and fro
In tumide Hellespont, by Boreas blast,
Vntill his soule ith'waues had breath'd its last.
Now, let vs heere suppose our foes in field,
With clattering armes and battering engins strong,
Amazed Citizens ready to yeeld,
Yet run to armes with strange promiscuous throng:
As though a second conquering Hannibal,
The gates had entred, and had scal'd the wall.
Lowd sounding noyse of drums and trumpets high,
Filling the empty aire with Cannon-thunder,
The earth therewith to quake, and furiously
Base pesants ransaking with woe and wonder
Each worthy, wealthy place, with greedy minde
Committing rapes and rapines most vnkinde.
The holy Leuites Englands Prophets good,
As they to prayer doe goe with sighes and sobs,
By Demi-deuils of Rome offring their blood,
Before Gods altar, drawne foorth by the stabs
Of barbarous Butchers, who without all pitty,
Would Christs true worship chase from shire & city.
A fearefull famine then would t'Albion chance
A greeuous change, a farre more wofull case,
By enormious errour and blinde Ignorance,
Mens soules to pine and perish in each place:
O then alas those lamps of light thus lost,
Oceans of blood, Gods Martyrs 'twould haue cost.
[Page 65] Then ruthfull Rachel full of groanes and greefe,
Her children slaine, all comfort would refuse:
Then feare would call to faintnesse for releefe,
While proud oppressours poore distrest abuse,
Then bloudy Nero voyd of grace and feare,
His mothers wombe with sword would rip and teare.
Then mercilesly should the infant tender,
Be lugg'd and tugg'd from wofull mothers brest:
And tostvp into th'aire, on pikes so slender,
Before the face of parents most opprest:
Yea vnborne babes in mothers wombe lie slaine,
Whose birth euen in their birth slaues would restrain.
But whither would my pen me lead, if I
Should heere commemorate, each stately towne,
Each fertile field, destroy'd, made barren dry,
Each gallant architecture cleane pull'd downe:
Consuming fires, and flashing flames by night,
The aire like lightning glistering with the light.
The famous riuer Thamisis likewise,
The adiacent shoares to Neptunes watery region
Strucke with amazement of these miseries,
A stonisht at this strange confusion:
More mercy Androde in his Lyon meets,
Than then would haue beene found in Englands streets.
Oh if I should proceede, heere to recite
All other bloody slaughters, hostile woes,
The dearth, the famine, and each fearefull sight,
The miserable plagues threatned by foes:
Who rouing, robbing, spoyling euery thing,
On sicke and whole a world of woes 'twould bring.
Easier 'twere, for any man to count
The leaues in Autumne, from trees falling fast:
The sands of Lybean shores, which doe surmount,
Cast vp by Boreas lowd-clowd-chasing blast:
Or twinckling starres which nightly brightly rowle
On sabled circles of the whirling Pole.
[...]
[Page 68] And doubtlesse had not heauens great King of might,
More prudent farre then Phrygian Priamus,
Extinguisht this fierce brands encreasing light:
It soone had flam'd and growen most dangerous,
And thou, ô Catesby, to thy Parents horrour,
Than that of Paris, hadst wrought greater terrour.
For why, within the wals o'th' Parliament,
The mighty monstrous Horse thou hadst brought in,
Not stuft with Greekes, but Powder violent,
With Grecian craft thy conquest thus to win:
And as a Whore was cause of all Troyes woe,
So Babels Whore had caus'd my ouerthrow.
Henceforth therefore, I thee renounce, refuse,
Thou hast a Step-dame, nay a Strumpet mother,
And since thou do'st her fornications vse,
And in obliuion all my fauours smother,
Accurst be thou rebellious Absolon,
Accurst be thou proud Whore of Babylon.
And happy doubtlesse I the man will call,
Which her re-plagues, as she to plague me thought,
Who beats her childrens braines against the wall,
My iust reuenge thus on her to be wrought,
And as shee cry'd, downe, downe with Israels Citty,
So let her fall without remorce or pitty.
Hate them, oh England, hate them I thee pray,
Which thus doe hate Christ and his worshippers:
Yea curse them with the curse Maran-atha,
Thus 'blessed Paul, thus Dauid thy zeale stirres:
Hate I not them (saith he) which God molest,
Yea them with deadly hatred I detest.
O then shall fauour, friendship so preuaile?
Shall kindred, profit, feare, cause vs to shroud
These? which but onely watch a time t'assaile,
Which gain'd, they'd soone lift vp their hornes most proud,
Impunity doth nought but cause them bide
S [...]ill thornes to th'eyes, and goads vnto our side.
[Page 69] But now to passe to that which doth remaine
Of this succinct and most authenticke story,
Further to view this traiterous hatefull traine,
The more to magnifie heau'ns praise and glory.
Heere then what Satans Pseudopostles did,
(Shall be declar'd) after all was vnhid.
These bould Competitors, these traitors base,
Perceiuing that by heau'ns most iust decree
Their treason was made knowne: Like Beares in chase
Their prey being lost, in hast with furie flee.
Their hearts began to ake and quake with feare,
Like dogs they grin, curse, ban, rage, sweat & sweare.
To horse they hast and swiftly post away,
(Like Zephirus blowne by angry Eolus;)
To Dun-Church: where their complices did stay,
For they their place of meeting pointed thus:
And in those fields did Digby falsly faine
His holy-Hunt, a fatte Bucke to be slaine.
Twas such a Hunt as that of Nimrod proud,
The traiterous Catholiques Holy Hunt.
Who liued in our ancient Fathers daies:
Their villany thus cunningly to shroud,
By rumour of this Hunt which they did raise:
And as in word, so to auoid suspicion
Ofall things for this Hunt they made prouision.
Their toiles and nets they place with ioyfull cheere,
Their hounds whose barking noyse shold pierce the ayre
They ready made, to chase the fearefull Deere,
The sturdy Stag, the tripping skipping Hare,
Hauing made choyce of a large Champeon ground,
A fitter for their turne could not be found.
With bramble bushes set conueniently,
And heere and there planted a lofty tree:
Most fit with swift Careers their horse to try,
And their fierce dogs chasing the Bucke to see:
Yea t'was a plaine so spacious that they might
An army place, in battell-ray to fight.
Of his attendants, first doth passe along:
Whom traiterous Tressam followed amaine,
And after him a mighty thrust and throng,
Inhabiting i'th villages about,
To know the cause of this vncustom'd rout.
Then forthwith all the Gallants and best choice
Of Gentlemen, and youths fit to endure,
To ride, to run, to hollow with loud voyce
He doth elect; and to his sports allure:
And euery village scituate thereby,
Doth thither flocke together speedily.
The woods about with snares and haies they fill,
Some with their swords cut boughes, some nets doe lay,
Others doe blow their hornes both loud and shrill,
Yea all prepare them to their sport and play,
And from their hounds the collers they vntie,
Who to their game do run most eagerlie.
At whose loud opening, and huge yelping noyse,
The Deere which fearefully lay hid i'th bushes,
Now suddenly to their content and ioyes,
Out of the thickers mongst them nimbly rushes:
And from them all doth swiftly run and scud,
Whom men and dogs pursue as they were wood.
But, in the midst of this their hasty pace,
By chance an honest countri-man doth keepe
By th'side of one of this most traiterous race,
And as he leaped ore a ditch most deepe,
A clattering armour perfectly did heare,
Which vnder's cloaths that traitor then did weare.
And that which in him more suspicion bred,
The winde as then did somewhat blustr' and blow,
That vp and downe his coat oft houered,
Whereby the harnesse he might see and know,
This sight did him amaze, and secretly
He thus did whisper to one standing by.
[Page 71] Good neighbour tell me what you thinke of this?
I know not, but this mighty company
In these our fields I iudge is much amisse:
Being vnusuall, and yet vnknowne why.
I heartily could wish their hunting were
Bent onely gainst these Foxes, Hares, and Deere.
No, no, I doubt they gape for greater things:
Themselues being fiercest Wolues thogh sheepe-like clad,
These subtill Serpents doubtlesse hide their stings,
This hunt is not alone for bruit-beasts had:
But worser mischiefe in their bosome lies,
Not beasts to kill, but mens liues to surprise.
Lord keepe the King, and Princely Progeny,
And noble Counsell of this kingdome faire:
From being caught and trapt in treachery,
By these audacious Hunters subtillsnare:
My mind presageth some great villany,
And yet I wish my iudgement false may be.
For, otherwise why should they armour weare
Vnder their Cloathes? a furniture vnfit
For such a sport; besides all of them are
Vassals to th' Pope of Rome who oft did spit
His enuious poyson, gainst Queene El'zabeth
Whose Fame as in her life liues after death.
They are I say, the props and pillars all
Of Romes religion, Anti-Christs hirelings,
Who sends his bellowing Buls, whose roaring brall
Disposeth Realmes, Deposeth lawfull Kings,
Which he composeth of false couched treason,
Beyond the bounds of Piety and reason.
Wherewith he stroue that blessed Queene t'abuse,
To worke and win by this his damned Art,
Her subiects to relinquish and refuse
Their duty and Allegeance in their heart:
Hoping thereby of life, Kingdome and crowne,
Thus to bereaue that Queene of bless'd remowne.
Cullen and Williams that rare Queene to kil:
Absolu'd them both, gaue them the Eucharist,
Which they in vaine attempted to fulfill:
Walpoole the Iesuite did false Squine incite,
This Queene to kill, by poysons fatall might.
Yea that base peasant Iaques Frauncis, he
Himselfe being but a Laundresses proud brat,
Said Englands state so firme would setled be,
If Mistresse El'zabeth were not aym'd at
With a fierce Deaths-dart, thus this slaue durst call
That all-admir'd Princesse Angelicall.
Then Lopez, rather Lupus hither came,
With poysonous heart, a poysoning part to play,
Campion that Popish Champion of such fame,
With Romish holinesse came her to slay.
Babbington and his consorts, Romes deere friends,
Parry and moe, assay'd like treacherous ends.
But though they did this oftentimes attempt,
Yet heauens protection did her still preserue:
And though they oft of mischiefe gainst her dreampt,
God was her shield, nor did she from him swerue:
He made her the more glorious mongst all Kings,
And of their diuellish hope still clipt the wings.
Doubtlesse this most viperious generation
Both euer was, and so continue still
Disloyall, thirsting after innouation
The cunning Craftes-masters of fraud and ill:
The foes to our felicity and peace,
But heer's more need of swords then words: I'le cease
I'le for my selfe prouide as best I may,
And hie with hast from this so dangerous crew,
And with these words his staffe on's necke did lay,
And without answer he himselfe withdrew.
By chance also as they thus hunting were,
A friend of traiterous Winters, this did feare.
[Page 73] And therefore he thus vnto Winter said,
I pray thee tell me Winter, whats the reason?
Of this so great concourse of people made
Amongst vs, at this vnbefitting season:
What winde hath blowne our Catholikes together?
I prethee tell me, wherefore come they hither?
To whom thus Winter in his eare replide,
To tell the truth to you, my louing friend:
This hunt of beasts is but a sconce to hide
A holy hunt, which forthwith we intend:
And to be breefe we hunt Religion:
Religionem venamu [...].
Which into holes, as into woods was flowne.
Againe now to regaine our freedome lost,
And to Romes fold the wandring flocke t'reduce,
To repossesse our liuings and great cost,
Which we endur'd by wrong and foule abuse
We hope to hunt these Wolues hereticall.
From our too long enioy'd possessions all.
And in these few daies this will be effected,
Then be aduis'd, remember what I say:
And that thou maist not be with them reiected,
Hold on our side, it is the wisest way.
But now the night drawes on, our sport must end,
And with these words he parted from his friend.
The huntsmen then their hornes aloud did blow,
To make their retrograde backe to repayre:
Both hounds and hunters to their homes doe goe,
And by the way their passed sport declare,
When being hous'd, their Host had set on boord,
Such viands as the time would best affoord.
Great fires were made, themselues to warme and heate,
A Parlour faire to sup in, ready drest,
Their Tables spred with linnen cleane and neat,
And gould and siluer goblets of the best:
Then Digby being chiefest ofthem all,
Puts off his armes, and for his gowne doth call.
Amidst his cursed consorts, traiterous traine,
Prescribes them statutes, answers, askes in state:
His brest no triuiall trifles doth retaine,
His heart and head negotiate Princely affaires
He vnto each his place of honour shares.
So insolent and confident is hee
Of prosperous successe, and wish't euent,
That he euen loades his mates with dignitie,
And this being done, they all to supper went,
Where was no want of mirth and dainty cheere,
As in their quaft carouses did appeare.
In drinking health's and wishing good successe
To their companions, which neere London staid:
Whose comming they expect with greedines,
Thinking each hower ten, till they were made
Partakers of their tidings, but meane while,
With mirth and musicke they the time beguile.
But while they sate as twere o'rewhelm'd in ioyes,
Glutting themselues with dainties and delight,
In scornfull verses, scoffs, flouts, iesting toyes
On those whom they terme Pure in scorne and spight,
On whom they breaking iests in great disdaine,
Would hoot and hollow, laughing out amaine.
As thus I say they ieyuing, iesting sat,
Newes was brought in that Purcy and Catesby
Were at the doore, to whom in hast they gat
Them for to meet, distracted diuersly:
Whom Digby first with speedy pace doth meet,
And 'bout the middle doth them kindly greet.
Often demanding what good newes they brought,
Who with deiected face, abiected plight,
As briefe as full of greefe, said All is naught:
At which they all were suddenly affright.
(Srange alteration) like to ghosts they stand:
As if not able to stirre foot or hand.
[Page 75] Such numbnesse, dumbnesse seem'd in them to be,
A chilling cold possest their trembling bones,
Their bodies quake and quiuer, you might see
Within their face disgrace and shamefull moanes:
Their countenance cast downe, they stare and gaze,
Their fainting hearts halfe dead at that amaze.
And thus, ô thus, the Lord conuerts the ioy
Of vniust men, i'th twinckling of an eye,
Into lamenting griefe, and dire annoy,
Their pleasure turnes to paine and penury:
A while they flourish like a pleasant Bay:
But quickly they doe wither like drie hay.
Percy at length all feare doth from him cast,
And dissolutely resolute began
His friends to comfort, who thus stood agast,
Vttering these words befitting such a man:
Take courage friends, doe not all hope neglect,
The first attempts doe seldome take effect.
If thus t' had far'd with Caesar in the field
Of Thessalie, where he his battell fought
Pompey being Victor, would haue made him yeeld,
And Caesar had beene slaine past feare or doubt:
And with his life his Empire he had lost,
Each enterprize at first great paines doth cost.
Yea commonly great dangers doe attend
The noblest acts: life's but a chance at dice:
The Gamester first doth lose, yet ere he end
He wins as much at once, as lost at thrice,
Though for the time a little losse he suffer,
Great heapes of coyne he doth at length recouer.
Beleeue me (noble friends) vertue best shines
In troublesome and intricate affaires:
This time requires bould spirits, strong medicines
Cure the disease, which cowardise impaires:
Fortune's a friend to the couragious wight:
But dastard feare declares the pesant right.
[Page 76] What, are we not all of vs Catholikes?
Is not our warre religious, iust, and right?
Doth not our High-Priest curse these Heretiques
And pray for vs? Valiantly then let's fight.
This Pluto's orator scarce made an end,
When they to armes themselues did fiercely bend.
Then forthwith Catesby, and his traiterous mates
Consult among themselues, what first to doe:
Who with a Letter sendeth his man Bates
To Garnet, this their ill successe to shew:
Who was at Coughton-towne in Warwickeshire,
And all Recusants Rendeuous was heere.
And by this Letter, Catesby him desired
With all conuenient expedition,
(For so their ominous estate required)
To stirre vp Wales vnto Rebellion,
And else whereas he could, all Papists slout
To stimulate and moue, to fight it out.
Now Garnet, being with Greenewell there that time
And surely certified, that all was knowne:
Considering they were deepely in the Crime
That his vile Sect, would (sure) be ouerthrowne,
Did seemeto Prophetize. Which Lord we pray
With speed to grant, hasten that happy day.
But, hot spur'd Greenewell being more resolute,
And fiery-spirited away doth post:
To raise to armes Recusants dissolute,
Hither and thither roames about the coast.
Then at the house of Abbington he meetes
With Hall the Iesuite, whom he kindly greetes.
And after salutations, him doth pray
To worke as many as hee could to rise:
But Hall as in a dump a while did stay,
Doubting both what to say or enterprise,
As fearing, of such rash attempts the end,
And that thereby they'd soone him apprehend.
[Page 77] To whom, so doubting, Greenwell thus began:
Why how now man, what art thou now affright?
Betwixt a flegmaticke faint-hearted man,
(Such as thou art) I see the difference right,
And mee, who am more chollericke and hot,
Why man? it mooues not, feares not me a iot.
And wilt thou now a milke-sop-dastard proue?
And hide thy head now when we want most ayde?
Fie, fie, for shame take heart, and with me moue
As many as thy canst, our foes t'inuade;
With martiall might these Heretiques to slay,
Nor must we now to pause, the time delay.
And thus away he flies like Northerne winde,
And as he past through euery Towne and Citty,
This lie hee made and publisht most vnkinde:
That Catholiques that night without all pitty,
By Protestants should all haue murthered bin,
Hoping heereby rebellion to begin.
Wishing them all take heede and soone prouide
To saue themselues and make resistance strong:
If they desir'd in freedome to abide,
To saue from graue their wiues and children young,
And if they would their liues and goods possesse,
And cleere themselues of imminent distresse.
Yea, if they hop't the ancient faith of Rome
To re-establish, too too long deprest:
Or would enioy the sentence, lawes and doome
Of Peters Chaire, most ancient blest and best:
That then they should take armes against their foe,
And with him ioyne, no time they must fore-slow.
Then Hall the Iesuite meeting after this
With Littleton, who vrg'd him very much,
That since this action fell out thus amisse,
It could not chuse, but neere their conscience touch,
And that the Lord was doubtlesse much offended
With such a course, as so much blood intended.
As simple Doues as Iesuites, would appeare,
As harmelesse holy Lambs as th'are esteem'd,
Now doffs the maske which he before did weare,
The violent and virulent hearts gall
He now declares euen of the Iesuites all.
For why, in steede of humble acknowledgement,
And of contrite confession of his fault,
Whereof he seem'd before him to repent,
When Greenwell him to stirre vp rebels wrought,
He diuellishly began to iustifie
Their most atrocious vicious villanie.
And thus he answer'd Littletons great doubt:
Iudge not (quoth he) the cause by th'ill euent,
For why the eleuen Tribes, which two battels fought
'Gainst Beniamin at Gods commandement,
In both the conflicts those Tribes had the worst,
Shall we therefore affirme their cause accurst?
So when as Lewis King of France did fight
Against the Turkes, himselfe o'th' plague did die,
And all his hoast by Turkes were put to flight.
The Christians eke defending valiantly
Their Towne of Rhodes 'gainst Pagans, lost the same,
Must we the cause then by th'euent heere blame?
No, good Sir, no, be sure our cause was good,
How ere the euent hath proou'd and fallen out crosse,
Then for Religion, thus to spend our blood
What greater cause to hazard greatest losse?
Thus, thus, this bloody Iehuite did perswade
This Papist, who was therewith well appaide.
Doubtlesse great Lucifer could neuer finde.
'Mongst all his hellish Hags, more flinty harts,
Nor apter instruments to please his minde,
To act his most infernall tragique parts:
Than these inhumane Iesuites Satans Sect,
These most pernicious props which Rome protect.
Where that rancke Iesuite Father Hammond, hee
To shew his zeale to this fowle worke of shame,
Gaue to these Traytours absolution free:
Euen then when they were in rebellion hot,
After the blest discouery of the plot.
This holy Father of that Hell-spawn'd Sect,
Bad these rebellious Traytours courage take,
For why, their High-Priest highly did respect
Their zeale, and would them Saints and Martyrs make.
These pious words Ignatians Imp did vtter,
When the Steed is stolne, shut the stable doore.
Shewing the Popes great pardon seal'd with Butter.
Hell being now broke loose, though but a while,
Sends forth more Hell-hounds, Blood-hounds fierce and fell,
Grant, whose fowle hopes heauen also did beguile,
Whom none did yet of this discouery tell:
For why, he kept his house and stirr'd not out,
Till he suppos'd all now past feare and doubt.
For he resolu'd not to stirre foorth of's house,
Vntill the next day that th'attempt were ended,
Then like a Tyger fierce himselfe doth rouse
And all his power to mischeefe now he bended:
But he which makes his reck'ning and his price
Without his Host, must make his reckning twice.
And as those forty Iewes which vow'd and swore,
That in their ambush they S. Paul would kill:
So Grant what he had sworne to long before,
Now hopest' effect his most accursed will:
And with his rabble of Recusants stout,
Perfidious Papists, now he issueth out.
He then by night to Warwicke Castle went,
Where diuers Nobles dwelling thereabout,
In time of peace, wars danger to preuent,
Fed and bred vp great horses strong and stout:
Which he did steale, and to their Camp conuay,
Their owners to confront, repulse and slay.
[Page 80] This most audacious fact, bred such suspicion
In Sr. Fulke Greuill th'elder, who was then
Of Warwick Shire Lieutenant. This th'ambition
And robbery of these bolder rebellious men,
Caus'd him (I say) most like a worthy Knight,
To gather vp munition for a fight.
And with all speede he fortifi'd those parts,
And all the cheefest Gentle-men there dwelling
Hee heereunto exhorts, and wins their harts,
Fearing (as 'twas indeed) some strange rebelling:
And wise directions he sent vp and downe
Into each village, place and neighbouring towne.
So that as these vile Traytours roam'd about,
A Smith gaue Winter such a sudden blow,
As had he not been rescued by their rout,
He had beene caught ere they did further goe:
But at that time the Townes-men sixteene tooke,
The rest in haste their captiu'd Mates forsooke.
Now as they fled, I meane Grant and his Mates,
At length with Catesby, Percy and the rest
He meets, and him with them associates,
To whom then Catesby their estate exprest:
Told Grant their enterprize was now descride,
And that they now th'euent thereof must bide.
Thus rs they altogether troop't in haste,
Sr. Richard Verney Sheriue of Warwicke-shire,
Forth of his confines these vile Rebels chac't,
And so they passed into Worster-shire,
Still hoping their rebellious troopet' augment,
But our good God their hopes did still preuent.
Meane while that they these tumults thus did raise,
The Honourable Harrington thereby,
Who to his glory and nere ending praise
Did educate, with loue and loyalty,
The Kings eldest Daughter Lady Elizabeth,
Whose feare and fright him greatly pittieth.
[Page 81] Hee then, I say, with this his Princely Iewell,
Whom he more deerely neerely tendered
Then his owne life: hearing of this most cruell
And trayterous vproare, he soone assembled,
And to him call'd his louing faithfull friends:
Whom all his gates to locke he straight-way sends.
And with a double watch he strongly pent
His house, being fortified 'gainst ingruent feare,
Their trayterous intentions to preuent,
But yet his heart doubted her safety there:
For, in his priuate house he thought not good
Her long to keepe, and thus in doubt he stood.
But taking counsell he most prudently
Doth thus resolue, her foorthwith to conuay
Vnto the stately Citty of Couentry:
Which from his house was distant no great way,
Whose duteous Citizens good gouernment,
Hath made this Citty famous, eminent.
Being also fenced with a strong built wall:
And thither comes this Peere and Princesse faire,
The Citizens with ioy assembled all,
With one consent they doe themselues prepare
This Princely Lady thereto entertaine,
In glistering armes her safety to maintaine.
The Citty Maior and all his Brethren graue,
In scarlet gownes, and massie chaines of golde,
With kindest salutations cry, God saue
Our gracious Princesse, whom when they beholde,
With feare oppressed in her tender minde,
All griefe they banish with these words most kinde.
Be comforted, sweet Princesse, we you pray,
For we with all our Citizens are prest,
In your defence the foe to foile and slay,
Our strength, our fortunes, nay, which is the best,
Our loyall hearts, liues, blood and valiant a [...]mes,
Ready to giue your foes most fierce alarmes.
[Page 74] Our golde, our goods, our loue and labours all
We will not spare (sweet Princesse) you to pleasure:
Yea whatsoere is ours, you yours may call,
Euen to the vtmost of our cheefest treasure:
These words the tender Ladies heart reioyce,
Whom they throughth' Citty lead with cheerefull voice.
Conducting her vnto a house prepar'd,
Most sumptuously set out, and richly dight:
Befitting her estate and great regard,
Where a strong guard was kept both day and night:
And watch and ward the Citty round about,
And carefull search whosoere went in or out.
Now all this while this band of Ban-dogs rage
And roue about, like wilde Boares in the chace
Sweating, entreating ayde and equipage,
For these affaires, but nothing could take place:
'Twas all in vaine, for none how bad soeuer
Would with them ioyne, but from them, themselues seuer.
Nay scarse a man of all their owne profession,
So vile a Catholique could they then finde,
In whom their plaints would make the least impression,
Or to their factious fact a whit enclinde:
Such was the hatred of this hellish deede;
Such loue of quietnesse sweet Peace did breede.
And when they had got all they could entreat,
Some foure-score persons was the most they had:
And yet doe what they could, pray, sweare or threat:
Euen their owne seruants shrunke away full glad,
Both fearefull of successe and conscience pricke,
Knowing 'gainst thornes it was in vaine to kicke.
But these religious Romists fondly thought,
And idly dreamt they were of nature right
Like little Snow-bals, which i'th' Snow being wrought
And rowled to and fro, grow of great height,
And hugely are encreast: These Traytours so,
Thought Rebels would like Riuers to them flow.
[Page 75] They surely thought that what they had begun
In this one part of England, would incite
All Catholiques to sympathize and run
To armes, with them to ioyne their power and might:
Which also though their lying Iesuites sought,
Yet heauen their hellish hopes did bring to nought.
Wherefore like vagrants straggling to and fro,
Through all those parts, hopelesse and cleane bereft
Of comfort, ayde, or counsell; as they go
Poore people gazing on them, neuer left
To prosecute with bitter execration
The diuellish actors of this innouation.
These miserable Miscreants then did enter
Into a mighty Wood, and thence they came
To Holbeach: where they boldly did aduenture
Into the house of Littleton by name:
Being most spacious, able to containe
These desperate diuels and their damned traine.
Heere then they pitcht their most nefarious camp,
Whose great despaire and worse disparagement
Strucke to their hearts such madnesse, wrath and damp,
As made them rage like Furies violent,
Like angry Beares, who when their whelps are slaine,
Runne vp and downe, ramp, rage and roare amaine.
The gates and doores some looke vp and fast barre,
Others their peeces charge with powd'r and shot,
Some whet their swords and fit them for the warre,
Others their armour scowre from rust or spot,
Their vaine and haire-braind labour was but lost,
And must them all their deerest heart-blood cost?
For now St. Richard Walsh the High-Sheriue came,
And did the house begirt with souldiers slout,
And sent to th' Rebels one, who should proclaime
His proferred mercy, if they stood not out:
By him he them intreats not to resist,
But peaceably from further harme desist.
[Page 84] Aduising them their weapons to forsake,
To yeeld vnto the mercy of their Prince;
But if they'ld not his gentle warning take,
He quickely would their stubborne hearts conuince:
That few by armes but of such clemence fail'd,
But many by submission haue preuail'd.
That potent Conqueronrs those to mercy take,
Which voluntarily to mercy yeild:
Therefore he promis'd, he would for their sake
In their behalfe, entreat the King most milde,
Their youthfull folly mildly to forgiue,
To grant their liues a better life to liue,
The Sum'ner in his Masters name thus saide:
But they, like mad-men, cruelly entreat
The messenger; and him this answer made,
Goe, tell thy Master we doe scorne his threat:
If he by dint of sword will force vs yeild,
He must bring greater forces to the field,
Wish him breake off from this his womans fight,
And vainely with vs to contend in words,
That silly syllables are too too slight,
To daunt our manlike hearts. Wee'le trust our swords:
But when this valiant Gentle-man did see
Himselfe and's counsell scorn'd, to armes did flee.
While things thus past, a most strange accident
Happened within, which did these Traytours fright,
A sore fore-runner of due punishment
From heauen was sent, their treachery to requite:
Namely, that by a fire of wood did lie
A bagge of powder, which they then did drie.
Not farre from which, close by the fire side,
A tray of gun-powder vncouered stood:
Into which tray a crackling sparke did glide,
Which flew from forth the fire, being made of wood,
And fired it, so that most furiously
It with fierce flames and smoke flew vp on high.
[Page 85] And with resistlesse rage like Aetna's flame,
The roofe o'th' house it reft and cleft in sunder:
And on the face of Catesby fiercely came,
To all his traiterous mates a maze and wonder:
Grants face it also scortch't, Rookwood also,
Did not in this great iudgement vntoucht goe.
But, like vnto the foule stigmaticke slaues
Of Dionysius, brended in their face
They marked were, their bodies seem'd the graues
Of heart and sences, in such wofull case
They stood astonish't, pale fac't, faint, affright,
Their haire did stare with horror bolt vpright.
Now, Robert Winter dreamt that he did see
(The day before this fearefull accident)
Steeples to stand awry, and as't might be,
Strange faces in those Churches: this euent
Caused him this his dreame to mind to call,
And thereof thus made him resolue withall.
That those strange faces whereof he then dreamt
And saw ith' Churches, were right like those same,
And did vnto him liuely represent
The Visms of these whom thus the powder flame
Had burn'd and scorcht, this him amazed much,
And did this traitors heart most deepely touch.
And then with guilty conscience they remember
Their Epidemick purpos'd treachery:
Confessing Christ to be a iust reuenger
Of such grosse wickednesse, great villany:
Their countries causlesse ruine they did minde,
The fiers they should haue kindled most vnkinde.
Yea then they seeme to see the great bloud-shed,
Which from their harmles brethrens corps should run,
Wherewith the ground should grieuously be spred,
And on their bended knees they now begun
To wring their hands, with teares their fault confessing
Beating their breasts, their grones & griefes expressing.
[Page 78] And now too late they doe lament their folly,
Acknowledging this iudgement to be iust:
And heau'ns iust wrath gainst them to be most holy,
Cursing the time they did such Counsell trust;
Read, O ye Atheists, read, and marke this well,
Which are perswaded there's no heauen nor hell.
Yea read, ô you, blind Iebusites of Rome,
Which thinke heau'n markes not, nor regards mens deeds,
And which to plucke God out of heau'n presume,
Esteeming lesse Hells flames, then crackling reeds.
Saying with Dauids foole, God sees vs not:
Th' Almighty slumbers, and hath vs forgot.
Oh, if within you any shame remaine,
Or if you haue not browes more hard then brasse,
If that your hearts lest tendernesse retaine;
Or if one sparke of grace may from you passe:
Then thinke, nay doubt not, but the Lord doth fight
For his afflicted flocke their wrong to right.
If Piety be not extinct, exil'd,
Or if y'haue not lesse reason then bruit beasts,
Then read Gods iudgements and his mercy mild,
And learne to reuerence and obserue his hests,
Know that the Lords inuincible strong arme,
The righteous and religious saues from harme.
By whom (oh impious Synagogue) you are,
By whose great power, you liue, moue, haue your being
Without whom you are naked, wretched, bare,
And without whom, your eyes are blind, though seeing:
Yea wanting him, you want true power to speake,
And sacrilegiously his lawes you breake.
Yea hee alone protects, props, propogates
Vs, and our actions, and intentions all:
Euen God it is who guides our states and fates,
Who sees and smiles at men phantasticall:
Hee'l soone lay hold on, catch at vnawares,
The proud malicious, in their nets and snares.
As doth this former president present
In that these Powder-plotters, which had wrought
By powder so great danger: first were brent
In their owne fire, for innocents prepar'd,
Gods iustice mongst them their own mischiefe shar'd.
And this like perill to Perillus fell,
That cunning Caruer, expert engin-maker:
Whose workemanship pleas'd Phallaris so well,
That of his mischiefe he was first partaker:
Oh let this therefore moue all traitors hearts,
That heau'n will surely pay them their desarts.
But to proceed, the hooded Hypocrite
A while may couzen, cogge, intreat, intrude,
But long it shall not last. God will off finite
Their impious vizard, wherewith they delude
The eyes of mortall man, and this abuse
The Lord will to their sorrow soone reduce.
For, presently their temporizing teares
Were dryed vp, their sorrow soone forsaken,
No Piety or shame in them appeares,
And their new vertues, old vices mistaken:
A sudden madnesse did all grace push out,
Op'ning their gates, they all being arm'd rush out.
And like madde dogs or Gaderens diuellish hogs,
They headlong run amongst their enemy,
Despairing with their conscience heauy clogs;
Smiting on all sides, heere, there, furiously:
Vowing and swearing, since such was their fate,
To sell their hatefull bloud at a deere rate.
The valiant fore-said high Sh'riff ceast to treat,
Seeing, as is declar'd t'was all in vaine:
And with a martiall spirit in furious heat
Them to entreated duty doth constraine:
Strongly they fight on both sides, these for fame,
The other fight with desperate feare and shame.
[...]
[...]
[Page 88] Then Thomas Winter vaunting in the Court,
Being shot i'th shoulder lost the vse of's arme,
And traiterous Rookwood one of this consort,
Was also shot, and had no little harme,
After that both the Wrights with shot were slaine,
Which much discourag'd their perfidious traine.
With cursed Catesby, Piercy pestilent
Doth ioyne himselfe, and so fight backe to backe:
Vnto whose sides the traitor Winter went
And thus this knot of Knaues doe hold them tacke,
Placing themselues in manner like a wedge,
They boldly fight it out with swords sharpe edge.
The traitors smite their foes with furious blowes
These doe themselues defend, their foes offend,
And as the fight of Bulls, as story showes,
Being by sturdy dogs on all sides pend
And sorely set vpon, they taile to taile
With their strong hornes the furious dogs assaile.
But, as Alcides, though most stout and strong,
Or Theseus braue, for all his courage bould,
'Gainst many foes could not continue long:
No more could these their enemies long hould,
For at them presently a gun was shot
Whose bullet both these traitors deadly smot.
Through Piercies and vile Catesbyes body straight
This bullet pierc't, when with a deepe fetcht groane,
Their feeble knees too weake to beare the waight
Of their declining bodies, both fell prone
Vpon the earth, strugling with pangs of death,
And quicky gasp't their last most hatefull breath.
And like two mighty Oakes, whose branches high
May seeme to touch the top of heauen faire;
But by a rapid whirlewind suddenly
Are blowne, and ouerturn'd, whose branches are
Laid low vpon the earth, the bowes being meate
For cattellin the field to brouse and eate.
It did directly happen, iustly fall:
Who had already swallowed vp in hope
Englands faire Realme and seate Emperiall:
Yea, in their most infernall fond conceit,
Th'had climb'd the top of high promotions seat.
But see with shame their high Pyramides
Of hatefull pride, shattered in peeces small:
Their odious flesh (for so it heauen did please)
Left for to feed foules, beasts and wormes withall,
But Rookwood, Winter, Grant, aliue were taken,
And all the rest of succour soone forsaken.
Heere Robert Winter hauing boldly fought,
His Cateline and hot Cethegus slaine:
Not able longer now to hold them out,
By his fiercefoes aliue was quickly ta'ne:
And with a pike i'th belly he receiu'd,
A dangerous wound, but not of life bereau'd.
The rest I say, being taken and disarm'd,
Were thus subiected vnto Iustice stroake:
By pricke of Conscience, then by death more harm'd:
Their fainting hearts confounded, wounded broke:
And as the custome is with hempen bands
They were fast bound behind, their backs their hands
Most deadly sicke was Catesby and his traine,
Of Achabs foule disease, his stomacke cloy'd
With Naeboths vineyard, none could ease his paine:
Till bloudy Iesabell her skill imploy'd
To giue him Physicke, with poore Naboths bloud,
But our vile Achabs case farre worser stood.
For why? although their greedy appetite
Old Achabs did exceed, and that proud Whoe,
This vpstart Iesabell of Romes great spight,
More mischeefe did deuise then she of yore:
Yet since they could nor kill nor yet possesse,
They were in farre more desperate wretchednesse.
[Page 90] And now by happy consequence to vs
It falleth out, that Percyes trecherous pate
Should stand as Sentinell pernicious,
Where he was Captaine Pioner of late:
And Lambeth to be Catesbies Horizon,
Which was his Arsenall till his hopes were gon.
And on the house of Parliament full high,
Their Crow-pickt sculs, plac't like a ships high mast,
(To vse the Prophets words) that passers by
May vnderstand, what end befell at last
Vnto those rouing, robbing Pirates vile.
Who hop't to rise by treason, theft, and guile.
Who by ambitious and pernicious wayes,
The Golden Fleece thus hoped to obtaine:
Not by stout Iasons merit and iust praise,
But by Medaeas so rceries: in vaine
They gap't toget their golden-fleece their prize,
This did they fondly in their hearts surmize.
Waspes heere we see make combes as well as Bees,
But, for sweet honey there we Powder finde:
Their hearts containe nought but the dregs and Lees
Of a most corrupt canckered treacherous mind:
See heere thou Pole-shorne Papist what's the end,
See what reward your treasons doe attend.
See, you Achitophels, you Iesuites all,
Th' end of your Counsell to your Absolon,
Malum consiliū consultori pessimum.
Bad councell still, to th' Authors worst doth fall,
A wofull end rash gests attend vpon.
And these who like great Consuls would haue raign'd,
As base Conspirators are now arraign'd.
And like as fond Empedocles did east
Himselfe, euen headlong into Aetna's flame;
Hoping, that if he could vnspide haue past,
T' haue been esteem'd a God with endlesse Fame:
But when the flames, his slippers did retort,
His haire-brain'd folly each one did report.
[Page 91] So these, which hop't, which fondly hop't to be
No lesse then Saints, by this their Aetnaes plot:
God, who in mercy did their mischiefe see,
And what strange folly did their minds besot:
The slippers of discouery did cause
To foolifie, their deifi'd applause.
And by this blest Catastrophe, to call
And iustly terme them, most notorious Traiters:
In stead of that vsurped name, they all
Hop't for, to wit, Romes meritorious Martyrs,
And curs'd be they which call such euill good,
Accurs'd Romes doctrine grounded thus on bloud.
Now then to London fast on horsebacke tyed
They were conuai'd, and people flocke to meet
These monsters of man-kind, whom being spied,
With execrable curses they doe greet:
Threatning, abiuring, hating in their heart
These which thus hop't to act so foule a part.
Whose mention, vnto after-times may be
Suppos'd a thing deuis'd, not enterpriz'd:
So much the credence and the veritie
Are different, by mans iudgement to be poys'd:
Thus as they past, I say, with much adoe
Men were restrain'd their present wrath to shew.
Some if they had their wils, aliue would teare
Their cursed corps, others in minde inuent▪
And wish strange death their damned soules to beare
From earth to Lucifer, who for them sent:
And thus to London being brought at last,
In pris'n with fetters they were locked fast.
Some few daies after was th'appointed day
For their arraignment, and as vse requir'd,
The Nobles and the Iudges in array
Vnto their iudgement came, where with admir'd
And learned eloquence deliberately
The Kings Atturney then did signifie.
[Page 92] And recapitulate, from first to last
The foulenesse of this execrable deed:
With euery most materiall fact which past,
And then to iudgement forthwith they proceed:
The conscience-pricked prisoners did confesse,
That what they did twas for Romes holinesse.
And that they had for their most firme direction,
The precepts of Romes Faith, and holy rite,
The zeale whereof was a most strong suggestion
To execute her will, with all their might,
Which precepts are, by force, fraud, or deceit,
By poysons, treasons, murther, curse or threat,
By iust, or vniust meanes, hows'ere to kill
The Hugonets, Caluinists, Lutherans,
Which doe oppose themselues to her great Will,
If Rome but send 'gainst them her Bulls and bans,
And all's most true (they teach) the Pope doth say,
Or charg [...] her children, for,
Alluding to Pope Ioane.
shee cannot stray.Hence we may note that Romes rebellious brood
All other malefactors farre transcend,
For though it cannot be gainsaid, with-stood,
But some in all professions doe offend
Eyther by murther, treason, whoredome, theft,
For which they iustly are of life bereft:
Yet when they are to die, they nere accuse
The doctrine or religion they professe
To be the cause, that they did so abuse
A very remarkable obseruation in the Romish Martyrs as they are falsly tearmed.
Themselues, their soules, with hart-stain'd guiltinesse:
But that their naturall bad inclination,
And want of grace, wrought that their desolation.
But, these besotted Eate-Gods voyd of shame,
These foule birds, thus their owne nests to beray,
Doe not their Natures, but Religion blame,
And if in ought, Heerein the truth they say:
But oh, oh misery beyond compare,
That with such woe they thus contented are.
[Page 93] Oh if the vnderstanding eie be blinde,
If once the Lord vnto our selues vs leaue,
How hard it is Truths perfect paths to finde:
How hard the Truth from errour to perceiue:
O woe to those which shut vp heau'ns gates,
Both from themselues and their seduced mates.
O strong delusions, as St. Paul doth call them,
Oh poisonous cup of Romish fornication:
How can it chuse but danger must befall them,
That are bewitcht with such strange incantation:
Oh if the blinde doe leade the blinde both stumble,
Nay both doe headlong into mischeefe tumble.
The Iudges graue pronounc't their iudgement iust,
And them and their religion damn'd to hell,
Which doth ptoduce such fruits, and in them trust,
And then that Scripture they remember well
My deere Disciples, goe, and teach each Nation,
Baptizing all men to regeneration,
Cleane contrary, this base childe of perdition
The Pope of Rome his blinde disciples teacheth
Saying, O my Sons receiue mine admonition
Which heere your Holy Father to you preacheth:
Goe extirpate, kill and confound each Nation
Which doth refuse our yoake and domination.
O! is not this a brood of Vipers vile?
Yea are not these the very Spawne of Hell?
And Plutoes Locusts full of fraud and guile,
The Furies of Auernus fierce and fell:
Satan their Fathers foot-steps t'imitate,
By sword and fire Vertue to ruinate?
From whose most damned counsell and deuise
They Spider-like this Stygian poyson suckt,
Which treacherous Fanks that vessell full of Vice,
To vs t' administer, they did instruct:
Doubtlesse the Diuell was not a little glad,
That he sorich a prey and purchase had.
[Page 94] For to his ancient friend doth Pluto say,
O Fanks thou seest th'effect of our intentions,
How I to thee did shew and open lay
Hels secrets, hidden counsell, strange inuentions,
Nor shall we without some consorts returne,
Vnto blacke Tartar where soules scorch and burne.
Indeede, I must confesse, we did expect
A greater haruest, farre more company:
But this shall now suffice, and wee'le erect
Vnto our selues trophies of victory
For this attempt, Fortune heereafter may
Grant vs a time, more mischeefe to display.
And to the full our counsell to contriue:
Yea all our new found stratagems to try,
Nor shall this fact Hels counsell quite depriue
Of future hopes: Hell is not yet drawen dry,
Our coffers are not empty; yet, indeede,
This last, did all our others farre exceede.
Yet many tuns of treachery remaine,
And deepe deceipt, which are not yet abroach,
Which future times shall taste of to their paine,
As fast as we in fauour can encroach,
With our choice friends in Court, Romes champions bold,
[...]os, ô Rex magne cau [...]t [...].
For these are they, which all our hopes vphold.
This sayd, to Iustice he doth leaue them all,
No other comfort then disconsolation
From Pluto they receiue: a thing vsuall
To subtill Sathan, who by's instigation
Doth cause men sinne, and when they are to die,
Note this.
Comfortlesse leaues them in most miserie.
Oh therefore, you, whose hearts and sences all
Are thus bewitcht by Circes poysonous potion:
With loue of Romes great Whore, recall, recall
Your vnderstanding, from this blinde deuotion:
A biure that doctrine, cease to call them blest,
In whom such maps of mischeefe are exprest.
Romes subtill Syrens, iuggling Iebusites
Farre from you to repell, with speede depart
From Magogs cursed markes, meere Canaanites,
O take vnto you Christs Collyrium sweet,
And you shall see how they from truth doe fleet.
Yea, you shall then perspicuoufly perceiue,
That they true Faith doe impiously peruert:
And notwithstanding that, they will not leaue,
Gods Saints with malice on all sides to girt;
Afflicting them with dangers and despight,
Yet shall the iust preuaile and stand vpright.
For why, both Christ and all the heauenly hoast.
Yea euen the stars, according to their kinde,
Doe fight for them, whereof they well may boast,
Yea day and night, they heauens protection finde:
Oh why doth man then Christs true Church disturb?
Since Heauen resists him and his wrath doth curb.
Thee, thee, ô England, I may happy call,
Thou little Isle, whom father Neptunes waue
And mighty streames embrace, I most of all
May terme most fortunate, if thou couldst haue
A perfect knowledge of thy blest estate,
Or Heau'ns rich mercies wouldst commemorate.
If in the tables of a thankefull hart,
And registers of neuer ending dayes,
Thou wouldst imprint, impresse, to all impart
The endlesse, matchlesse due deserued praise
Of thy ereliuing, all-good-giuing King,
Which still doth fill thy heart with each good thing.
Oh say, how oft? and from what great assaults,
Hath Heau'ns protection safely thee protected?
Which were brought on thee for thy greeuous faults,
God in his mercy hauing thee respected:
And when thou wast in danger almost drown'd,
Thy proud presumptuous foes he did confound.
[Page 96] Witnesse that great assault in Eighty eight,
When as the faithlesse Spaniard, impious, proud,
Insulting and consulting with great hate,
Our fearefull, finall, fatall ruine vow'd,
And their great madnesse to this passe had brought,
That English Seas with Spanish ships were fraught.
So huge a Nauy had they then prouided,
Like that of Xerxes 'gainst th' Athenians bolde:
And by such bloody Champions strongly guided,
That had not God their cruelty controul'd,
And sent vs two Themistocles most stout,
Braue Englands lustre had beene cleane put out.
For stout Lord Howard and Sr. Francis Drake,
By heau'ns assistance, fought so valiantly:
That at the length they made their proud foes quake,
And (maugre all their power) to yeeld or dy:
And captiuated many Captaines great,
The rest the Seas deuour'd for fishes meat.
Great was the Lord, in this great victory;
And great his mercy, that time to thee showne,
In this great freedome thy blest liberty,
Calming vn-ciuill-ciuill discords growne:
Lopping their sprigs, cropping them in the flower,
That they could nere take root or raging power.
How often hath the Lord from thee with-held
His all-deuouring plague and pestilence?
Whose great mortalitie hath kill'd and quell'd
Men of the highest place and eminence:
Without respect of simple or of sage,
Of Cottage, or of Palace, sex or age,
Insteede of famines foule deformitie,
He hath in thee plac't riuers which doe flow
With mike and hony, the blest harmony
Of peace and plenty, yea this Land doth show
Like fertile [...]anaan, no Land ere did finde
Dame Natures bounty in like various kinde.
[Page 97] Yea thou, ô England, iustly seem'st to bee
Another world, all things afresh renude
A pleasant Paradise, wherein's the Tree
Of Knowledge, wherewith thou art richly indude:
Wherewith, I say, thou do'st all Nations passe,
As farre as Chrystall doth thicke spotted glasse.
And for to make thy glory more compleat,
Thy blisse and blessednesse more cleere to shine:
The Lord hath giuen thee Manna Angels meat,
The glorious Sun-shine of his Word diuine:
His euerlasting Gospell, light of Grace
Most precious pearle, which Wisdome doth purchase.
Whose most vnualuable estimation,
Doth more surpasse the gold and siluer faire,
The precious iewels, iems of Indies Nation,
Or wealthy treasure of Arabia rare:
Then doth bright Phoebus in his glorious light,
The brightnesse passe of twinckling starres by night.
Doe but compare this thy beatitude,
With other Nations want and wofull case,
Who are even pined with th'amaritude
Of foggy ignorance and errour base,
Liuing (alas) in beast-like wretchednesse,
As in the shade of death most comfortlesse.
Without the knowledge either of God or Christ,
Without whose knowledge all's but dirt and drosse:
And worshipping insteed of God the high'st,
Vnto their soules perdition, fearefull losse,
Dumbe Idols, rotten timber, mettals vile,
Which vnderfoot they should tread and defile.
And as i'th' daies of our fore-fathers deere,
In Aegypt, in the Land of Goshen small,
Gods loue to Israel cheefely did appeere:
So hath the Lord blest England most of all.
And farre before all others in thee placed
The light of Iustice, wherewith thou art graced.
[Page 98] Raigning downe showers of heauenly Nectar sweet,
Farre richer then Danaes rich golden shower:
Making his word a Lanthorne to thy feet,
Guarding thy soule with his celestiall power,
Giuing thee all things to thy hearts desire,
Needefull or necessary to require.
So that thou mayest, now freely thus confesse,
To heau'ns high honour, and thy hearts content:
That God to thee more mercy doth expresse,
Than t'any Nation in Earths continent:
Wherefore since thou heauens blessings thus do'st finde,
Proue not ingratefull, churlish or vnkinde.
Be not more blinde then earth-deuouring moles,
Nor more vnthankefull than the sluttish Swine,
Who feede on fruit, which from the tree downe roles,
Thither whence't fell, nere casting vp their eyne,
Not caring how they came by't, nor doe thou
Receiue Gods blessings, carelesse whence, or how.
Shake off, and shun such great impiety:
Such grosse ingratitude and brutishnesse,
And let your tongues to all posterity
With thankefull hearts acknowledge and confesse
The most admired least deserued fauour
Of thy so gracious God so sweet a Sauiour.
Who plenteously replenisheth and fills
Thy soule with blessings of his blest right hand:
Sweet drops of mercy daily he distills
Vpon thy head, who doth as Guardian stand,
And doth refell, repell the dangers great
Which furious foes doe menace, worke, or threat.
Snatching the prey from foorth their hungry iawes,
Thrusting them headlong into their owne pit:
Recouering it from their most bloody clawes,
And tearing teeth, wherewith they would haue bit,
Nay vtterly haue swallowed at one meale,
Our Kingdome, King, Peeres, Prophets, Common-weale.
[Page 99] Which hath thee blest with amiable Peace,
Euen such as our olde Ancestours nere knew:
Nor to our childrens childrens ioies encrease
Is likely to be seene, or ere ensue:
Yea God alone hath giuen vs this great rest,
And his great loue thus largely hath exprest.
That God (I say) whose maiesty and might,
Whose greatnesse, goodnesse, iustice, works of wonder,
The heau'ns, the earth, seas and each breathing wight,
Raine, haile, frost, snow, lowd-winds, lightning & thunder,
Doe mightily shew foorth, tell and declare,
What Heathen God, with thy God may compare?
He is thy Sauiour, Sheild and Buckler strong.
To him, both for thy being and blest estate,
Doth all thankesgiuing, praise and laud belong:
Whose tender mercy most compassionate,
Whose patience and whose power infinite,
To future times all people shall recite.
Oh let vs then, ô let vs neuer cease,
In heart and voyce his praises to record,
Yea on lowd trumpets let his praise increase,
In Hymnes and Psalmes, ô laud the liuing Lord:
Proclaime his fame to th' Hyperborean coasts,
To those whose clime continuall Summer rosts.
Let Phoebus first leaue off his annuall course,
And Phoebe want her monthly borrowed light:
Let Neptune stop the Oceans billowing source,
And Nature want in all things wonted might:
Yea Lord, then let vs cease to be, we pray:
When inobliuion we thy mercies lay.
But, doubtlesse, if this duty we neglect,
Like those ingratefull Lepers of King Saul,
The Lord most iustly will our sinnes correct,
And on our heads his heauy hands will fall:
Nothing the Lord can worse endure or hate,
Than thankelesse persons, and the minde vngrate.
[Page 100] The Husband-man, which plenteously doth sow,
The greater haruest iustly may expect:
The Land where nought but thornes and thistles grow,
Though well manur'd, no man doth much respect:
Since God hath giuen, he looketh to receiue:
Oh lets take heede how we our duty leaue.
Did God with greeuous punishments afflict
His holy off-spring, faithfull Abrahams seede?
When they themselues to folly did addict,
And him forget, that did them so long feede,
Abusing his most gracious clemency,
His patience, loue, and sweet facility.
If his peculiar people he not spar'd,
Who first his lawes and worship did enioy:
If thus for their ingratitude it far'd,
That they were smitten with such dire annoy:
Alas, what madnesse should the Gentile mooue?
To thinke that God doth him more highly approoue.
And since he hath cut downe his choisest vine,
Think'st thou the fruitlesse wilde oliue shall stand?
Oh no, it soone shall wither, rot and pine,
Like to our Sauiours fig-tree out of hand:
And thou whom God hath thus with graces blest:
If thankelesse, shalt with dangers be distrest.
Yea, multitudes of mischeefes will thee follow,
And troopes of bloody Traytours daily striue,
Thee in the iawes of treason vp to swallow,
Of life and liberty thee to depriue.
Wherefore, that thou (ô England) still mayst haue
Gods friendly fauour, thee from foes to saue:
Preach and proclaime, with heart, tongue, pen & voice,
With thankes and praise, each houre, month and yeare,
Yea, teach thy childrens children to reioyce,
For this so great deliuerance. And to beare
A deadly hatred, zealous detestation,
Of Romes false Doctrines, foule abhomination.
FINIS.
A Psalme of thankesgiuing for Englands most blessed deliuerance from the most horrible intended Powder-Treason practised by the Synagogue of Satan the Romish Babilonians.
Psal. 123.
- King DAVID against the Philistins.
- King IAMES against the Anti-christians.
NOW may England confesse, and say truely,
If that the Lord had not our cause maintain'd:
If that the Lord, had not our right sustain'd:
When Antichrist against vs furiously
Made his proud bragg, and said we should all die.
Not long agoe they had deuour'd vs all,
And swallowed quicke, for ought that we could deeme:
Such was their rage, as we might well esteemd:
And as the flouds, with mighty force doe fall:
So had they then our liues euen brought to thrall.
Our King and Queene, the Prince and Princely race,
Their Counsell graue, and cheefe Nobility:
With all the prudent Statesmen of this Land,
By Powder fierce, had perished out of hand.
The raging streames, of Rome with roaring noise,
Had with great woe ore-whelm'd vs in the deepe,
But blessed Lord, thou didst vs safely keepe:
From bloudy teeth, and their deuouring iawes:
Which as a prey, had griped vs in their clawes.
But, as a bird out of the Fowlers grin
Escapes away, right so it far'd with vs:
Broke were their nets, and we haue scaped thus:
God that made heau'n and earth, is our helpe then:
His mercy saued vs from these wicked men.
Oh let vs therefore, with all thanks and praise,
Sing ioyfully; to Christ our heau'nly King
Whose wisedome high, this fact to light did bring:
Grant then O Lord we do thee humbly pray,
Wee may accord, to praise thy name alway.
An Epigram against Iesuites, the Principall disturbers of Peace, the Authors and Firebrands of Sedition and Trechery throughout the World: OR, The Romish White Deuill.
THE Fatall Sisters Latine Poets call
Parcae, though Parcunt nulli they kill all:
Qui cum Iesu itis non itis cum Iesuitis.
And Latinists the thicke Wood Lueus write,
Ceu nunquam lucens wherein comes no light.
Bellum fierce warre, is by them vnderstood:
Ceu nunquam bonum as nere being good.
And by the same Antiphrasis, of late
The Iesuites to themselues appropriate
The sacred name of Iesus, though their workes
Declare their liues, to be farre worse than Turkes.
Heauens lightnesse, brightnesse differs not so great,
From drossie vaporous Earth: nor Southerne heat
To Northren chilling, killing frosts so farre
Are different: nor from Lara, th' Articke starre
Is more remote than this ranke of Make-shifts,
(Whose hatefull life, craft, practise, subtill drifts
To all men are apparent) are vnlike
To Christ, or Iesus doctrine: if y' outstrike
But euen their name, and doe their workes behould,
Their best part then, will proue but drosse to gould.
Or the hard Oake yeeld tender fruit? O noe.
The tree by's fruit may manifested be
On good trees good, on ill we bad fruit see.
The Iesuites doctrine, who to know doth list,
It doth of 5. Dees certainely consist:
5. Dees.
In Daunting subiects, and Dissimulation,
Depose, Disposing, Kings, Realmes, and Destruction.
Whether the Iesuites come more neere to those
Which beare the Armes of Christ, or Mars with blowes
It is a question, but with ease discided:
As thus, Christs souldiers euer are prouided
Of these blest weapons, Teares, Prayers, Patience,
These foile and spoile their foes with heau'nly fence.
But Daggers, Dags, keene Swords, Poysons, Deceit,
Close fawning, treasons, wiles, to couzen and cheate.
These are the Iesuites Armes, and with these Arts
The Pope to Deifie, they play their parts.
Nor Faith, nor Piety their followers haue,
They diuellishly against Truth rage and raue.
How fit those armes Loiolaes brats beseeme,
Britaine can witnesse, and the whole world deeme.
Ile passe by other sleights, all in this one,
In this great Powder-treason all were showne.
Blush, blush, (O Iesuites) England knowes too well,
Your Counsell furthered most this worke of Hell.
Yea, impious Garnet for the traitors pray'd,
Prickt and pusht forward those he might haue staid:
Being accessary to this damn'd intent,
Which with one word this Iesuite might preuent.
Such barbarous traitors, and strange treachery
To hide, and silence, is grosse villany:
But oh, with
Gencem anferte, &c.
Orizons, God to imploreTo grant successe, oh speake, was ere before
In all the world like wickednes ere knowne?
In any age such Monsters seene or showne?
Which, with religious showes shelter foule Crimes,
With Vertues cloake, hiding them oft, oft times,
[Page 115] And then, oh then, I tremble to declare,
Calling the Lord of Heau'n with them to share
In this foule fact: nor yet heerewith content,
To offer Heau'n this high disparagement:
But that they act more grosse impiety,
If any can be worse, t'Heauens Deity.
These sacrilegious trators falsly thinke,
No surer bands themselues to tye and linke
To secrecy, and resolution strong,
Than thereunto blasphemously to wrong,
Our Sauiours glorious body and bloud also,
To their eternall and infernall woe
And who so impious? so audacious bould?
In's wretched hand the Eucharist to hould,
Who was so godlesse, who so gracelesse trow?
So rich a Pearle vnto such Swines to throw:
Who? but a Priest, of this society,
Wouldst know his name? twas Gerard certainely.
Perswade your selues you holy Fathers all,
You haue no wrong, though you may say we braule,
For nought is spoken gainst you but most right,
Then blush for shame, and hide your selues from sight,
Oh heauens, oh earth, oh treacherous times & season
Degenerous minds, and hard hearts voyd of reason,
Truely tis doubtfull, difficult to tell;
Whether of these two mischiefes did excell:
At one blow bloodily so to confound,
The King and Queene, three Kingdomes so renown'd:
The Nobles, Senate, thus to strike and stroy,
By Powder them to spoyle with great annoy.
Or that Christs glorious, sacred, body and blood,
His holy, yea most holy Supper shou'd
By such damn'd vn-bidden-guests be taminated▪
And by this holy band conglutinated
And link't together, with such vchemence
To perpetrate that Stygian foule pretence.
The Pristine Poets vs'd in verse to sing
The noble gests, of euery Prince and King,
Wherein impiety and vice doe rage,
Yea and all too too little to declare
The hatefull times and crimes which most rise are.
Whose monstrousnes to paint to publique sight,
The true relation would passe credit quite.
For to these staines, worthy eternall shame
Adde this: which these good Fathers eke did frame:
I meane Equinocation, which they vse,
Mens vnderstanding neatly to abuse:
Tis doubtlesse Gyges ring, for, heereby they
Though captiuated, can themselues conuay:
And with a tricke which Iesuites vse to try,
They can delude, and none can them descry:
They'le smooth and sooth, and one thing to you say,
And yet their heart goes cleane another way.
This Ambiguity was Apollo's Art,
Vnder whose name the Diuell play'd his part:
Euen Tully, may these Popish Priests repr'end,
By whom such Lamb-skin Wolues are oft condemn'd:
Who, if he now liu'd, ô how's eloquence
Would thunder out Loiolaes impudence!
Satan that subtill Serpent did them teach,
This lying Art, they nere heard Christ so preach.
Are not these then Romes White-Deuils? fie for shame
Nought but bare out sides, their best part their name
Beleeue me, for Christs goulden rule most true
(If truth it be, as tis,) this truth doth shew.
Their inclination smells of a Fugitiue
Or Deuill rather, or l'me not aliue:
What was the Deuill? a Lyer, Homicide:
What's he? a slie Dissembler, Regicide.
And with best reason may this Iesuite Deuill
Most properly be called the Kings Euill.
If then, affinity of manners vile,
If iust proportion of like fraud and guile,
If deeds so consonant and disposition
To practise greeable, may with permission
[Page 117] Auaile to proue a truth: then (Magog) know,
These doe a great part of thy warfare show;
And palpably declare, to th'truely wise,
This off-spring did from thee their Father rise.
Auant you Locusts, hence you Spawne of Hell,
From whose blacke smoake you are deriu'd full well.
If still you will the name of Iesus take,
Let all men know, you doe it onely make
A Cloake to hide your knauery, for you are
But Gray Wolues bearing in your front a slarre.
In stead of Iesus take you Iudas name,
Your hatefullliues, will best befit the same:
For by your workes we perfectly doe finde,
No part with Christ is vnto you assign'd.
An Epitaph dedicated to the neuer-ending memory of that Illustrious second Alexander, Prince HENRIE, that glorious day-starre of Britaines comfort, too soone hid from vs by the cloud of Gods wrath: that most odoriferous flower of Englands Hope, too suddenly nipt by the chilling frost of Heauens high displeasure.
Ex Epic: Canta:
A Three fould Mother God thee gaue
O Princely Youth
A Royall Queene, the Church, the Graue
Which caus'd our Ruth.
The Graue in Clay thy Corps doth wrap in Princely Tombe
The Church thee made a heau'nly Saint a Prince the Queene
A Life-lesse Corps Earth doth depaint thee to be seene.
In Church eterniz'd is thy Name
The Queene.
SHEE doth deplore
Thy Losse. From Graue to Heauens high Frame, thou
Namely when the body as well as the soule, shall liue eternally in heauen.
once shalt soare.Another of the same.
Exeodem ad eundem.
HENRY the
As the fire or torch giue, heat and light to others, but consume themselues.
Heat of All, ah, his owne fire,HENRY braue Mars his Sonne, graue Arts sweet Sire,
HENRY Arts Nourceling, and great Mars his Master,
HENRY our Glory, but by Death, Disaster;
HENRY Romes Terrour, whole Worlds Admiration;
HENRY our Day-Starre, and Suns Deprauation,
HENRY the Glory of the Henries all;
HENRY, nought greeu'd vs, as thy Funerall;
HENRY the Ninth was Hee? nay Nine in One
In HENRY di'de, the more's our greefe and moane.
A succinct Memoriall of that matchlesse Mirrour of Princely Royalty, that Queene of Vertue, Patronesse of Christian Piety, and Parterne of most worthy imitable Vertues, and endowments of Grace and Goodnes, Angelicall ELIZABETH, late Queene of England.
Behold the Pourtract of faire Vertues Queene,
Rare Paragon of Time, by Fame still seene,
Sweet Nurse of Loue, graue Wisdomes Darling deere,
Religions Fortresse, Fortitudes cheefe Peere,
Chastities Lamp, Faiths Nourceling, Charitie,
Constancies Bulwarke, Gemme of Pietie:
Delights faire Arbour, Pleasures Palace rare,
Where subiects hearts were freed from woe and care:
The Flower whose top, fowle Enuy nere could crop,
The Tree whose boughes, Traytours could neuer lop.
A pious Deborah to ouerthrow
Proud Sisera of Rome, Christs mitred foe.
The Vine whose iuyce, t'hir subiects comfort gaue,
The Rose of England flourishing most braue.
To whom faire Venus deigneth to giue place,
As to the Mirrour of Perfections Grace.
Whose princely, Noble, and Heroick mind,
Bids bold Semiramis come farre behind.
Not chaste Diana with her Nymphs most faire,
With chaste Eliza dare attempt compare.
Whose learning, wit, and knowledge most profound,
Parnassus Nymphs with great applause resound.
Whose Amity, what King did not desire?
What potent Nation dreaded not her ire?
What puissant Keisar could her courage quell?
Who ere in ought Eliza could excell?
On whom as hand maids Peace and Plenty tended,
Whose life in glory led, in glory ended,
And though grim Death hath robd vs of this treasure,
And Shee an Angell in celestiall pleasure:
Yet still on earth her neuer-dying name
Shall propagated be by sounding fame.
An Aenigmaticall Riddle, which OEDIPVS himselfe can scarcely resolue.
A Bird of late,
When Birds could prate,
Sayd, black's the Crow.
The Crow replyde,
Tolde him he lyde,
And 'twas not so.
Mine eyes, quoth he,
Shall witnesse be,
That I am faire;
The Swan so white,
And Snow full bright,
Fowle to me are.
The Bird againe,
Laughing amaine,
Said, strange 'tis not.
For why, one's eye
Cannot espy
The staine and spot,
Which it owne face
Doth much disgrace,
And vilifie.
This matter straite
To arbitrate,
The Eagle high
Their King they mooue:
Who soone doth prooue
This folly great.
[Page 121] A Mirrour faire
Bids them prepare,
Both large and neat:
The Crow it tooke,
Therein to looke,
Whereon he gaz'd.
On's shape most true,
And proper hew,
Which he so prais'd.
Then with great shame,
He much did blame
His owne bleare eyes:
And all thereby,
Did laugh full high,
And's pride despise.
This Riddle, if thou canst resolue, thou shalt Apollo be,
Or else another Oedipus, faire Phyllis take't to thee,
Laus soli sit Domino.
FINIS.