THE GLASSE OF TIME, IN THE FIRST AGE.
The Argument.
The Author first, doth Gods assistance craue,
Throughout the worke that he his helpe may haue;
The sacred Sabbaoth, Sathans enuious gall,
The Woman fram'd, and Mans most dismall fall;
The Tree of Life protected from the Brute,
The Tree of Knowledge with her fatall Fruit:
For feare the World should finally be ended,
Gods deerest Daughters downe in hast descended,
The flaming Sword the Tree of Life which garded,
The Cherubins vpon the walls that warded.
The Land of Eden is discrib'd at large,
Heauens iudgement iust to all men's future charge.
SInce true examples in Gods holy Booke,
Are found of those that in it loue to looke,
Of men whose Image, portraiture and soule,
Haue beene transform'd to monstrous shapes and foule.
[Page 2]According as their liues haue pleasing beene,
Gen. 19, 26
To him whose sight their secret thoughts hath seene,
And as his goodnesse sacred is that some,
Dan. 4. 30
Should be examples for these times to come:
His Church to comfort, Pagans to appall,
To teach to vs what did to them befall;
Within the stories of the new and old,
Rom. 15 4
Of many more then can by me be told.
And since that Ouid in a pleasing verse,
Doth pretty Tales and Metaphors rehearse,
Of men to birds, and then againe to beasts,
To make you parly at your welcome feasts:
Whose fabled fictions warbled in that age,
The infancy and sacred pupill-age
Of the Religion which we heare maintaine,
Vnder our Soueraignes thrice most happy raigne;
May seeme from Moses and the rest diuine,
In's Metaphors to trace them line by line;
In some I meane, and not in all his worke,
For pleasant folly couch't, therein may lurke,
Yet the allusion, and the meaning sure,
May reference haue vnto the Scripture pure,
And though it shines as Tytans westerne rayes,
By some 'tis held but wanton in our dayes.
But most of all the ripenesse of these times,
The heauenly works vp to the clouds that climes:
The enuious eye which ouerlookes our deeds,
When each mans taste on sundry dishes feedes:
[Page 3]The snarling cur at euery thing that bites:
The slandring Mome which no good worke endites:
The monster curst with his vile forked tongue,
That from Hels vault vp to the earth first sprung,
With Hidra heads, and Ianus double face,
To fawne before, then wound to our disgrace:
Hath made my Muse vnwilling heere to sing,
As loath her selfe vpon the stage to bring
To each mans view, and her owne painefull toyle,
But that the sight may many vices spoyle.
When sin we see vnmasked brought to light,
And damn'd offences naked to our sight:
Like lezabel that did the Clouds aspire,
1. Kin. 4. 18, 19 Chap. 19. 2 Cha. 21. 10, 23
In rusling silks and glorious braue atire,
Vnder a holy outward forme and rite,
Gods chosen flock are fleec't and murthered quite,
But once vnmask't, the Minions of her court
Hurle heri'th durt, pash out her braines in sport:
And as a foule mishapen painted monster,
2. Kin 9. 30, 33 35, 37.
Conceit of her as all the world doth conster:
Then is she seene disrob'd, disrank't of all,
The map of folly in her sudden fall,
Her cup with poyson, damned Enuy fills,
Her cursed eyes haue seene those seuen built hills,
Where all the Saints, Apostles, Martyrs stood,
With crimson colours all imbru'd in bloud.
O glorious God inspiror of my Muse,
Grant that thy Word my soule may dayly vse,
And that what learning painefully it got,
Still from the truth may neuer swerue a iot.
[Page 4]That in her spring, beginning, and her bud,
May sing thy glory to the Churches good,
And in foule folly none asleepe I rock,
Nor giue offence to any of thy flock:
But that my speech as generall to all,
May like a Sermon in the Pulpit fall:
And not to wade in curious questions deepe,
But feede thy flock, and edifie thy sheepe,
That none at all may haue a iust excuse,
By such examples as I shall produce-
And all that see their faults, their liues may mend,
That to thy glory I this Worke may end.
Then shall the world with admiration see,
Her face vnmask't to all eternitee;
The famous actions heeretofore lay dead,
Shall then be rouz'd out from obliuions bed.
And all the noblest kingdoms euer knowne,
Will be reuiu'd, within my verse be showne,
Their manners, customes, nature and their state,
Their end, beginning, fortune and their fate,
From Adam first throughout in euery age,
Shall heere be mustred on this publike Stage,
In Rurall Robes to giue the earth content,
How heeretofore the ages past weee spent.
O that my Muse might once but rest in peace,
Then would she sing diuinely, neuer cease,
But worke out Truth within her holy Rimes,
Glyding along descending to our times,
And deare Vrania Soueraigne of my verse,
Should heere the glory of this world rehearse,
[Page 5]Vnfoulding still to Gods immortall glory,
The heauenly sweetenesse of a sacred story.
What may we thinke of all the iudgements iust,
Of great Iehouah buried in the dust;
Beside all those in holy Scriptures pend,
Which humane wit as yet could neuer mend,
Nor all the Rabbies in their learned fame;
Could euer tell how to correct the same:
Shall we go on, and still be bold to thinke,
Hee'le punish them, and on vs alwayes winke;
For some of them the earth it selfe did gape,
How can we know that we are sure to scape,
The Angels which against the Lord did swell,
He quite casheer'd, and cast them downe to hell:
Where being bound eternally in chaines,
They feele the torments of ten thousand paines,
Farre more then can expressed be in inke,
And all the world, and sinfull man can thinke.
Adam what made thee, wilfully at first,
To leaue thy of-spring, to this day accurst;
So wicked, foule, and ouer growne with Sinne;
And in thy person all of it beginne?
That hadst thou stood in Innocenie fram'd,
Death, Sin, and Hell, the world and all thou hadst tam'd.
Then hadst thou beene a Monarch from thy birth;
Gods onely Darling both in heauen and earth:
The world and all at thy command to bend,
And all heauens creatures on thee t'attend.
The sweetest life that euer man could liue;
What couldst thou aske but God to thee did giue?
Protected kept thee like a faithfull Warden,
As thy companion in that pleasant Garden▪
[Page 6]No canckred mallice once thy heart did moue:
Free-will thou hadst endude from him aboue:
What couldst thou wish, all worlds content and more?
The best Diuine that ere the Earth yet bore,
Gods onely Sonne, the Prince of Peace except,
For thy sad fall how oft mine eyes haue wept.
Alas weakeman, hadst thou in honour stood
How heauenly blest, thrice happy beene thy blood?
And all thy aged issue to this day
Had liu'd secure, as in the Month of May.
What need had we, that any should haue dy'd
Vpon the Crosse, our sinfull soules reuiu'd?
And that Messias, God himselfe the Son,
Should here descend to put our nature on,
To liue deiected, poore, contemn'd, forlorn'd,
Derided, beate, tost vpside downe and scorn'd.
And more, to beare for this thy wofull fall,
Then euer man which liu'd vpon this ball.
Curst be that Diuell that first thy sence bely'd;
If thou hadst liu'd, then we had neuer dy'd.
Oh God! to purchase with that bloody cost,
Our soules redeem'd when they were fully lost.
Here is a loue which farre surmounts the skies,
My sences rapts, and dazles both mine eyes.
But tell me Adam, what might be the cause
That thou shouldst breake thy holy Makers lawes.
When of a thousand which might make vs weepe,
In all the world thou hadst but one to keepe,
And that but light? Alas couldst thou not see,
But touch and taste that one forbidden tree,
[Page 7]Which in the midst of all the garden grew,
An ill knowne tree to make thy ofspring rew?
What pleasant tast or relish had the same?
How were thy senses dim'd and much to blame,
That had the Garden sole at thy command,
And all the fruits within thy sight to stand:
Farre better, pure, more daintier euery way,
Then such an Apple painted like a gay:
Fit for a woman, or some lickorish foole,
A silly child, or one that goes to schoole.
Thy wilfull, foule, absurd, and grosse abuse,
Against thy God, admits no iust excuse,
Tis not the losse of one poore Apple mist,
That thou didst grapple in thy sinfull fist,
Could be the cause his anger to procure,
Fierce heauy wrath eternall to endure.
It was not that he did so much respect,
But thy foule error, wilfull, bad neglect:
Contempt of Him, rebellion, treason, pride;
And all the sinnes within the world beside,
That linked were within thy fault at first,
Chain'd to thy Act, and in thy folly nurst.
What may we thinke of that ambitious Pope,
Which dar'd to scoffe vnder heauens glorious Cope,
Against that God, that in his sacred frowne
Turns vp his heeles, and hurles his pride soone downe?
When hauing mist a simple childish toy,
A Peacocke bird which seem'd his onely ioy.
Distempered much began in heate to chide,
That few men could his holy presence bide.
And afterward asham'd of what was past,
To shew his choller not long time did last;
[Page 8]Excusde himselfe, that he might angry be,
As well for that, as was the Trinitie.
When discontented for an Apple lost,
Both Eue and Adam to their paine and cost,
From Paradise were thrust quite out and beaten,
And much disgrac't for one poore Apple eaten.
Now tell me Rome, that thinkst thy selfe the minion,
Christs onely Vicar in thine owne opinion?
And shouldst his sheepe still to this day haue fed:
Where was thy Church when Iulius was thy head?
Thy Papacy I may not here dispute,
As yet my tongue must of that thing be mute.
And backe to Adam whence I last digrest,
Too fortunate my Muse had beene and blest,
Had it but sung thy first estate and all,
And neuer knowne the horror of thy fall.
A greater loue on man was neuer showne,
Nor on the earth as yet was euer knowne,
Then all the world to be at thy command,
Still to this day to serue thy turne and stand:
All that againe, for this he did require,
To keepe the Garden that was his desire.
At other times to his immortall fame,
That thou shouldst praise his glorious holy Name.
Here was thy calling (Adam) naught; beside,
His owne example must thy actions guide.
Sixe dayes to worke, to till that holy ground;
And in the seuenth, thy Makers prayses sound.
For as at first, thou wast a body framde;
So time and place himselfe he hath ordainde,
[Page 9]Design'd, appointed for his seruice pure,
Not for a day, but euer to endure.
By this thou know'st that he thy person blest,
To giue thee then his holy sacred Rest,
And sanctifie the Sabaoth to thy good;
Aye to be kept in all thy future blood.
Those that refuse to keepe his Sabaoth holy,
Gods owne example may conuince of folly.
But soft, I heare some Laodicean make,
Reu. 3. sinon inuenter of the horse of Troy.
Euen Sinon like, the ground of all to shake.
To stay my pen with such a question strange,
As first from Rome, now ore the world doth range.
How God could Rest, which neuer wrought as yet,
For he that workes, his labour must be great
To frame a matter of so huge a worth,
As is the Fabrike of the spatious Earth,
The Sea and Heauens, the Firmaments and all,
Which euer yet within thy sight could fall.
Oh righteous God that sinfull man should make,
Within his mouth thy holy word to take:
And by the same thy sacred actions taxe,
To wring them now like to a Nose of Waxe.
simile.
Too make a doubt and question of that Rest,
Which to the world for euer thou hast blest.
Tis true, I know when God first fram'd the world,
The waters all within their limits curl'd,
The firmaments and euery liuing thing,
Out from the dust he then did Adam bring:
Made him a man, a demi-God in byrth,
Plac't him his Vice-roy here vpon the earth.
And by his power all sacred and diuine,
So fram'd the world as if he had wrought by line,
Set all in order working in their time,
Like to the wheeles within a clocke or chime,
To serue the turne of Adam and his race,
And all these made but full in sixe dayes space.
Then did he rest and sate him downe to view,
And to the heauens vp againe he flew:
And from the worke which by his word he wrought,
In sixe dayes space, and seeing none▪ was nought,
But from creating any further matter,
He onely ceast, and least the same might scatter,
And so returne to what it was at first,
His prouidence his works hath euer nurst:
Aye by his power, his wisedome, and his might,
The heauens and earth are gouerned aright.
He worketh still preseruing what was made,
Far more then can by any man be sayd:
His armes supporting all this weighty ball,
Else would the same dissolue againe and fall.
O God, thy Rest hath euer bin admired,
Seene of thy Saints, and of my soule desired!
The Pagan people to this day that slept
In ignorance, haue yet a Sabaoth kept.
Exod. 16. 23. 26. Num. 15. 32. Eze. 20. 13. 20. 24.
The Iew at first with Manna wondrous fed,
His Sabaoth kept by thy example led:
Though now in error great he snores and sleeps,
The Saterday his Sabaoth still he keepes.
No Christian state is so vnciuill rude,
But keeps thy Rest as thou hast him endude:
[Page 11]With grace and goodnesse from the Prince of peace,
The Sunday he from all worlds works doth cease,
Lead thereunto by that all rising Son,
On Easter day, that rose againe and won
The eternall crowne in Paradise first lost,
A bloody prize to his great paine and cost.
Besides the examples of thy deerest Saints,
Thine institution and the holy plaints,
Of all th' Apostles, famous men and Martyrs,
In all the world within her vtmost quarters:
Which euer vsde to preach thy word and pray,
And sanctifie the sacred Sabaoth day.
The Ethiopian, least he should offend
To breake thy Rest in superstition pend,
The Saterday and Sunday both he keeps,
And in those dayes he often prayes and weeps,
That thou wouldst pardon all his former sins,
There is his Rest, his happinesse begins:
In childish toyes, in gaming, sports and playes,
He spends small time but keeps his Sabaoths dayes.
Their royall Queene which came so many miles,
(With cunning questions, witty speeches, wiles)
1. Kin. 10. 1. to the 11. 2. Chr. 9. 1.
To tempt, to heare and see the courtly guise,
The wit and words of Solomon the wise,
May rise in iudgement at that dradfull hower,
When Christ may also on our faces lower,
That more respect our pleasures worke and play,
Then him to serue vpon his sacred day.
What shall we thinke when Christ the Lord of life,
Luk. 11. 31.
Which shed his bloud to end our mortall strife?
[Page 10]Shall speake these words out of his holy lips,
And not a word as yet that euer slips:
But still hath beene most weighty powerfull round,
One iot thereof hath neuer fell to th'ground.
When he himselfe shall thus picke out their Prince,
To warne vs all our follyes to conuince,
May we not thinke aswell he meant her land,
Now at this day as it is knowne to stand,
Shall like wise rise at his last trumpe and call,
To staine our liues and shame our actions all.
Father of Lights, which dwellest in a Light,
That farre exceeds our Owely bleared sight:
What will become of all our learned wit,
When Iesus Christ at thy right hand shall sit,
[Page 13]To make our peace and step twixt thee and vs,
And we in Vice to run our course on thus,
To anger thee so good and iust a God,
Not once afrayd of thy reuenging Rod:
But in the day that thou didst early rise,
Of death and hell to get th'immortall prize,
In which we were partakers of thy blood
And body both vnto our soueraigne good.
And when we should repent vs of our sins,
By true contrition, which thy mercy wins:
Engrafted made the members of that head,
Whose precious bloud our soules but then hath fed,
Relieue the poore, examine well our fall,
In meditation spend the day and all,
And when we should thy sacred prayses sing,
To make thy people all the while to ring,
Whilst we at Bowles shall sometimes curse and fret,
And all for threepence which we cannot get,
And shall maintaine our sinfull deedes in Churches,
And run our selues to gather vp the Lurches:
Those that behold vs with repentant eyes,
We call them fooles and Puritants precise;
And when the best our companie do shun,
Home to their house we send for them and run.
Pardon vs Lord, forgiue our great misdeedes,
Cull out thy Wheate, and pluck out all the weedes,
Which wrong thy people by their ill example,
The truth neglectin vgly vice to trample:
Though our Religion we may seeme to halue,
Like to the Iewes which made the golden calue:
simile. Exod. 32. 4. 5, 6, 10.
In Aarons time, and on their holy day,
Did eate and drinke, and rose againe to play,
[Page 14]If these men by their rude vnciuill sport,
Thy Maiesty did anger in such sort,
That had not Moses knowing of their fall,
In zeale besought them they had perish't all,
His great desire thy fury could not stay,
But that three thousand fell within one day,
Their guerdon iust no liuing man can tell,
But very like they had gone downe to hell,
All quick aliue amongst the damned bad,
The punishment which after Korah had,
Num. 16. 32.
We see (alas) both grace and goodnesse lurkes,
scal. & li. 5.
Within the hearts of fierce and crewell Turkes,
Of Sarazens and Pagan people rude,
Which with thy truth were neuer yet indude,
Before such time as their seducer nurst,
By Sergius helpe most dangerously at first,
A banefull poyson to infect their bloud,
O'reflowes the earth much like to Noahs floud:
Yet these alone by thy example led,
Or by the light of Nature in them bred,
Haue euer kept the Fryday in that worth,
Long time before the most vntimely birth,
Of Mahomet that Antechrist indeede,
Who found it so and left it to their seede.
Besides a world of other people more,
That heere I could produce in ample store,
Which euer kept a holy resting day,
Abstayning then from all rude workes and play,
The Indian people haue a rest alow'd,
Ind. Hist. gasp. Balb. guin. dis. [...] [...]d. [...]cot.
And those of Iaua that to Idols bowd,
The Negro black and rich Peguan left,
Haue each of them a seuerall Sabaoth kept,
[Page 15]The sacred Sibils, with their frantike mother,
Haue still prefer'd one day before another.
We haue great God that which these neuer knew,
Thine owne example and the scriptures true,
Thy all diuine and holy morrall law,
Ex. 20. 8, 9. 10 Cha. 31. 14, 15 Cha. 34. 1. 21.
Which these as yet haue neuer heard or saw,
Ingrost in Sinah writ twice by thy hand,
To shew the same for euermore should stand▪
Both in the Law and in the Gospells light,
To come to Church and praise thy name aright,
Els how should we thy glorious worth extoll,
But like to Swine liue all at home and loll:
And neuer thinke how thou at first didst take,
A little earth and so our bodyes make,
Our soules infuse in Paradise vs plaste
Till for our sins we soone from thence were cast,
'Gau'st vs this world Christ Iesus sent besides,
Which wrought our life out from his bleeding sides.
But soft I heere that some vpon this clause,
Haue ventur'd farre to abbrogate the lawes,
The holy rest a Iewish Sabaoth call,
Haue vs liue free, tide to no law at all:
But then (alas) what would become of vs,
That sift Gods actions, tempt his highnesse thus,
Of all the lawes that to the Iewes he gaue,
But ten of them in all the world we haue,
And those reduc'st for feare they may be lost,
May be compil'd but into two at most:
These farre more weighty ponderous then the rest,
Were by his glorious sacred mouth exprest,
And Christ himselfe that death and hell did tame,
Hath not abolish't but confirm'd the same;
[Page 16]Else what meant he when oftentimes he said,
The heauens and earth, the sea and all shall fade,
Before such time that Gods eternall Word,
One iot or tittle shall thereof be stird,
Did this his coming breede a doubt and flaw,
Still to destroy, and not fullfill the law?
Haue not the Prophets told long since before,
Of this our Sabaoth which we now adore?
Tis true that some euen in our christian Law,
Which haue the arts and learned Muses saw,
Yet haue alledg'd as their assertion,
Vpon this place anticipation,
Affirming Moses when those words were writ,
In Genesis and still are extant yet,
Gen. 2. 3.
Then knew the rest and Sabaoth of the Iewes,
But this to me seemes rather vncouth newes:
For can we thinke that Moses did intend,
When first of all that Genesis was pend,
These should forgoe and be incerted best,
As an introduction to the Sabaoths rest,
That the command cannot be firme and strong,
Vnlesse these words did guide it all along,
Vpon this place still trained vp and nurst,
As grounding it on Gods example first.
What can they say to all the ancient men,
The Patriarkes and holy fathers then,
Before the law which liued long and blest,
Yet euer kept a sacred seemely rest,
To serue their God to giue him thanks and pray,
That late preseru'd them from that lowring day,
[Page 17]In which the world and all therein was found,
Besides the Arke were washt away and droun'd.
And to the Iewes that were with Manna fed,
Ouer the mountaines forty yeeres were led:
Which in the Arabian vasty desarts weare,
Tipe of our Church that God himselfe did reare,
Out of affliction, hunger, heate and cold,
O're hils and dales and highest mountaines rold,
Vntill at length with wandring hither, thither,
Like sheepe dispearst fould all at last together.
When oft they murmur'd, much repin'd and grieu'd,
Vntill their God their bodies had releeu'd,
By sending Quailes more thick then any haile,
Vpon their fields quite ouer hill and dale:
And showring downe a pearely dew at neede,
In shew much like to Coriander seede,
Sixe dayes together did this Manna fall,
And in the seauenth was sent them none at all:
But in the day before the Sabaoths Rest,
Full twice so much as other dayes at least,
They gathred vp, and till the morrow kept,
In which they eat, and prayd to God (and wept)
To pardon those which on that sacred day
Durst seeke the fields to finde the same and play.
But yet admit the holy Law be past,
And that in Christ the same away be washt:
Yet the Apostles instituted sure,
A sacred day, a holy Rest and pure:
The Church of God they planted well and watred,
And but the day they onely chang'd and altred,
[Page 18]In which the flocke they traind along and fed them,
As God aboue in's holy Spirit led them.
And euer since the Christians kept that day,
To heare the word, to come to Church and pray:
For God is good, and wilbe mockt of none,
His glorious face the Saints behold alone.
Paul the Apostle that was after cald,
When Iesus Christ was in th' heauens instald:
1. Cor. 16. 13. Heb. 4. 9.
Both with the word and holy Spirit annointed,
The Christian Sabaoth in Gods Church appointed:
To meete together, heare his voyce diuine,
The Scriptures search, to trace them line by line;
To preach and pray, to lay vp for the poore,
For all the Saints to open wide the doore.
That sweete Disciple whom the Lord of life
Ioh. 21. 7. 20. 33.
More dearely loued, then any faithfull wife
(Which euer yet vpon the earth was bred)
Could seeme to shew vnto her spouse and head.
The last of all more louing then the rest,
Which lean'd at suppervpon Christ his brest,
And stayd behind his holy Church to guide:
His fellowes thought he should haue neuer dide.
When by Domitians spightfull cruell word,
Vit. Sanct.
Ore all the world hot persecution stir'd:
Though often times before he had scap'd the pawes,
Of barbarous Tyrants, and their cursed Lawes.
Liu'd still secure, as not afraid of fire,
Sword, famine, murder, in their diuellish ire.
Yet at the length, at his most damn'd command,
Againe he's caught, subiected to their hand;
[Page 19]And in a Tun of hot and scalding Oyle,
He hurles his body ore the fire to boyle.
But seeing that could do no good at all,
Worse then a Diuell, most treacherously doth fall
To stratagems, inhumane actions vile,
To banish him in Pathmos wandring Ile,
Mongst sauage beasts which lurke in euery bowre,
With open mouth his body to deuoure.
Where solitary in that vnked place,
Christ Iesus shewd his glorious burnisht face,
Reu. 1. 9. 10. 11. 13. 14.
Whose feete like Brasse, and eyes as flames of fire;
Rauisht Iohns spirit, made his soule admire
To see the Lord, which for our sins late dy'd.
His Christian Sabaoth from the Iewes diuide,
By that all powerfull sharpe two edged sword,
His glorious holy milde Maiesticke word:
His owne example to th' Apostles all,
That on this day was euer seene to call,
To come amongst them, and to shew his face,
To distribute his goodnes and his grace.
This great Apostle to heauens potent Prince,
The Lords day he hath cald it euer since.
Tis writ i' th' Hebrews if the law be ceast,
That to Gods people there remaines a Rest,
Heb. 4 9.
From sin to cease his holy name to praise,
Together flocke, our meditations raise
Aboue the clouds, to that commanding king,
Which out of darknes did our sences bring.
Disperst the Truth, and by his sacred might
Plac'd all our thoughts w'thin the Gospels light.
[Page 20]O let it neuer sinke within my brest,
That to Gods people should remaine no Rest:
But toyle and trauell painfull worke alway,
And Hoddy Loddy, Topsie Turuy play.
Tis true they say, that Constantine the Great,
First Emperour of all the Christian Seate:
A learned, wise, religious Councell cald,
First Nicene Counsell.
Himselfe amongst them in his Robes instald,
An Order set, abuses foule corrected:
Reform'd the Church which Arrians infected,
Establisht Peace, ador'd the Royall Law;
Made Penalties to keepe them more in awe.
Iam. 2. 8.
And by his power as head of all the Earth,
Christs gouernment was now but in her birth:
According to the word and Scriptures pure,
Confirm'd our Sabaoth euer to endure.
In euery Age since first the world was made,
God shew'd his iudgements on those men which wade
Beyond the Truth, prophanely still deuise
To breake his Rest, and publish wicked lies.
As for example, though I could produce
A multitude, that none might plead excuse
(Before his Iustice) at that dreadfull barre,
For leading others in a maze so farre.
And yet of them, but three in all Ile cite,
As fitting to the times wherein I write:
To shew how God hath euer hated, curst,
The very place that Sabaoth breakers nurst.
The ancient Iewes which in Arabia walked
Exod. 13. 16.
Before the Law, when God with Moses talked,
[Page 21]And bad him warne the people all, that none
Should dare to gather (euery one alone)
More then a Omer of that blessed food
Which fell from heauen vnto their soueraigne good.
And in the day before the Sabaoths rest,
Two Omers full (as is before exprest)
Should then be gathered, rosted, bak'd and sod,
But in the rest minde nothing else but God.
How hath that food releeu'd the lingring mind,
Of those his people, whom true loue did bind
In awfull feare, diuinely wondrous fed,
And onely in the light of nature led?
Those which abusde his sacred Rest and grace,
How did it then infect the aire and place
With putrifaction, loathsome, deadly, ranke,
In noy some manner ore the earth it stanke,
Vntill such time that God aboue did please,
To cleare the aire and send them better ease:
Causde all that was so lewd prophanely got,
To wast, dissolue, consume away and rot.
The next example, of his iudgements great,
Was in those daies that Babylon did beate
The chosen people, and the holy Nation,
Ier. 17: 21. to the last.
With such a scourge, as since the worlds foundation,
Was neuer heard as yet in any land;
To feele the weight of his most heauy hand:
For prophanation of his sacred Day,
In carrying burdens, toyling worke, and play
In reuell rout, and such phantasticke sport;
Eu'n from the greater to the meaner sort.
All run from Church to damn'd offences foule,
Neglecting still the danger of their soule.
But God aboue although he often mand,
Their chosen Hoast by his victorious hand,
Brought them from Aegypt through the red seas waue▪
When mighty Neptune fomes aloft and raues:
And in despight of enuious Fortunes fate,
Great powerfull riuals and their deadly hate,
Led them at length with al their ventrous hoast,
And plast their feete vpon the promist coast.
Yet for their foule abusing of his rest,
In all those things which are aboue exprest,
He sends the Plague, pale Famine, Sword and Fire,
Ier. 52. 67
Fowre furious foes to execute his Ire,
Raz'd downe their walls their temple desolated,
Their City sack't and Land depopulated:
That for the space of threescore yeeres and ten,
It lay vntild, and had her rest as then.
O holy God, was euer thing more plaine
Then these thy iudgements on thy flock againe,
2. Chr. 36. 21
Vpon thy land? what stony heart but feares,
To giue them now a Sabbaoth iust of yeares,
For all their foule abuses, wicked, lewd,
As in my worke shall more at large be shew'd.
The third example of his wrathfull frowne,
Was lately shew'd vpon Geneua towne:
The Imperiall goodly Christian City chast,
R▪ Iohnson
Within the Duke of Sauoyes country plast,
Whose people wise, religious, sober, true,
Not giuen to wine with drunken Bacchus crue:
Nor to those foule abuses which abounds,
Within our land, and ore the earth now sounds;
But euer beene of ciuill chast behauiour▪
Neate in attire, and of a comely fauour:
[Page 23]Soe decent in the actions which they wrought,
That euery man which saw their citty thought,
Ierusalem before it was abated,
Had beene deuinely to that place translated.
And yet these men which haue the rest outstript,
In one thing still themselues haue ouerslipt,
Vpon Gods rest, his sacred Sabbaoth Day,
To shoote in Guns about the fields and play;
Vntill a custome in a lawfull pleasure,
Vpon that day grew far beyond all measure:
So that their Churchmen, reuerent Preachers graue,
Let them alone carelesse their soules to saue.
But God aboue to shew his anger iust,
Vpon these people for their lawlesse lust,
In violating of his sacred rest,
A fury sent their country to moiest:
Fierce horrid warre now thunders on their land,
The Pope, the Spaniard, and the French King stand,
All link't alike, to vndermine her wall,
Expecting thus a conquest by her fall.
Alas (Geneua) how art thou beset,
With three such foes as in Europa yèt,
Were neuer knowne so strongly to combine,
To sack a towne, extracted from their line?
What can thy shooting in those Guns auaile,
If God for sakes thee, how thy foes preuaile?
Weakens thy strength, abateth much thy store,
Mewes vp thy Campe, and makes thee extreame poore,
Ransackes thy Country all thy land belurches,
And brings thee now to be relieu'd in Churches.
[Page 24]These eyes of ours haue seene the worst and best,
And iudgement past for breaking of his rest.
That Antechrist which in the scriptures pure,
Is propheci'd to come amongst vs sure,
Began to shew his cursed face on earth,
Sixe hundred yeeres after the glorious birth,
Of that sweete Babe the Man, God, Christ and King,
Which came on earth, our soules to Heauen to bring,
By the Alcoran on his Sabbaoth day:
Discardeth quite all gaming, sports and play,
Denounceth Iudgement on the heads of all;
Which on that day in those offences fall:
And brands the Diuell an actor in all games,
Voyd of Religion yet such sports he blames,
As good for litle but to sweare, and cup,
Fit Instruments to bring new quarrels vp.
The parrable of Christ vpon the earth,
Is of such weight, and glorious heauenly worth,
Mat▪ 13▪ 3. to 44.
Which by the sea to multitudes he spake,
What liuing man but at the same must wake,
To see how God like to a husbandman,
Works vp his ground as well as e're he can,
Winnowes the seede, and sifteth euery graine,
In hope at haruest by the same to gaine,
But that the Diuelli'th instant followes hard,
Whose cursed seede the goodly field hath mard;
Throwes round about as much as in him dares,
In euery place to sowe his wicked tares.
How can we thinke to scape Gods Iudgementiust,
Fond men (alas) that are but earthly dust:
[Page 25]Weake silly wormes when he shall on vs lowre,
Then are we but a Winters withered flowre,
That such conceits within our hearts should lurke,
To tempt his loue, examine thus his worke,
And what himselfe from heauen aboue hath taught,
To sleight it ore, and hold it idle naught.
Although most true in Paradise at first,
His owne example hath the Sabaoth nurst,
The Patriarcks and all the holy men,
Before the law obseru'd their Restas then:
And his command to keepe vs more from sinning,
Hath a Memento in the first beginning,
The heathen men euen from the worst to best,
In euery age still kept a seemely Rest,
And all the Saints, Apostles, men, and Martyrs,
Throughout the world, in all her vtmost quarters,
The generall counsells, learned fathers graue,
Those God aboue elected hath to saue,
The greatest Kings, and noblest personages,
Throughout the world, in all her former ages,
The fearefull iudgements, on that holy Land,
Which he did plant against all foes to stand,
The Lord of life, Christ Iesus on the earth,
(Then all before we prize him better worth,)
Ordain'd himselfe our Rest vpon this day,
To come to Church, to heare the Word and pray,
Yet we contemne and not respect the least,
But others leade to breake the Sabaoths rest.
Grant heauenly God that euer more my heart,
May vpright be, and from thee neuer start,
But that my soule the purest of my thought,
May be with loue, like to an Anuill wrought,
[Page 30]To make a conscience of thy sacred day,
To reade thy word, within the Church to pray,
That all my life vntill my glasse be run:
Be not offensiue to thy deerest Son,
Which sits triumphant farre aboue the skies,
Grant that I may behold him with mine eyes,
And when I shall appeare before thy face,
Then may I find thy mercy goodnes, grace,
And not thy Iustice for offenses past,
But let thy Loue be euer on me cast:
Euen in the day that some men dreame of least,
Place him betwixr vs, giue my soule her Rest.
And yet great God, thou hast not so restraind
Our liberty, but that thou hast ordaind,
1▪ Cor. 10. 31. 1. Pet▪ 4. 11.
At vacant times from serious meditations,
To ease our selues in honest recreations,
Such that all others to no vice allure,
Nor in our minds shall adde a thought impure:
But that our sports, our actions, and our playes,
May prayse thy name the Rest of all our dayes.
The Puritant, he is againe as nice
As these vnciuill in their clamorous vice,
1. Cor. 6. 12. 2. Cor. 3. 13. 17 Gal. 3. 11. Gal. 2. 14. 16. 17.
That all the weeke with superstition fed,
To good conceits of others scarce are led:
Adopted sons, elected brethren wise,
To thinke all damn'd beside their sect precise:
Pure hypocrite vnder a formall cloke,
That on Gods Rest must draw the Iewish yoke,
And walke to Church as if his steps he told,
To make no fire but sup his broath vp cold:
And many things which if I here should tell:
I might too long vpon the matter dwell.
But whither is my Muse transported now,
Beyond her compasse farre away▪ and how
Comes it to passe that she hath rambled thus
About the earth these questions to discusse,
In euery Age her sacred holy Rimes,
To walke along descending to our times,
And taxe the world of vnbeseeming playes,
To reprehend the abuses of these dayes.
And all this while is Adam still alone
In Paradise, and company hath none,
Vnlesse somtimes God comes himselfe, and sallies?
Before his eyes within those pleasant Allies.
Simile.
Then is he glad, his heart doth leape for ioy,
He runs and skips much like a little boy
That goes to schoole, al weary at his booke,
Is glad to peeke in euery bush and looke
(With those his fellowes) for some bird or nest,
Their company his mind still pleaseth best.
So art thou Adam when thou art all alone,
Then dost thou grieue, complaine, and make thy mone
Vnto the Earth, the Aire, the Winds and trees,
But God aboue thy present want that sees,
Comes downe himselfe to giue thee all content,
One of thy ribs out of thy body rent,
And made a creature of such wondrous fame,
That heauen and earth haue since admird the same.
To be thy sollace in his absence pure,
And glad thy heart, binding thy loue more sure,
To him at first without thine owne direction,
Gaue thee a Phenix of such rare perfection.
Simile.
So sweete an eye, and pretty pleasing looke,
Like Adamant and glittring sugred hooke.
[Page 28]She drawes thy loue to mind her speeches more,
Then God himselfe that gaue thee her in store.
Now art thou compleat (Adam) all beside
May not compare to this thy louely bride,
Whose radiant tresse in siluer rayes to waue,
Before thy face so sweet a choyce to haue,
Of so diuine and admirable mould,
More daintier farre then is the purest gold,
And all the Iewels on the earth are borne,
With those rich treasures which this world adorne.
Though God at first this earth for thee hath made,
The creatures all at thy command to trade:
The Sunne and Moone ordaind to be thy light,
The Stars and all vnto their vtmost might,
The world it selfe and Paradise the place,
Where still his loue hath euer giuen thee grace:
Yet all of them compar'd in euery part,
Cannot content and satisfie thy heart,
Vntill thy God euen with his sacred Rest,
Had giuen thee this to make thee perfect blest.
For presuppose as then thou stoodst before,
Though all the world thou hadst in ample store,
Plenty of wealth and gold at thy command,
And all the creatures in the earth to stand,
Before thy face subiected to thy will,
And thou the Lord of Paradise yet still.
No man besides which dare oppose thy power,
Hem'd in with Angels in that sacred tower,
And God himselfe within that holy place,
Vnmaskt his browes to shew his glorious face:
[Page 29]Yet at the best that euer wit can scan,
Thou leadst thy life but like a single man.
But now thy God hath perfect made thy state,
Linck't thee in marriage with so choyce a mate,
Himselfe the Priest which brought her to thy hand,
And knit the knot that euer more must stand,
Ring'd her with vertue, glorious beauty chaste,
Vpon thy selfe and no man else to waste,
Made her the Tipe our sences all to rouse,
Of Christ himselfe, and of the Church his Spouse:
And charg'd the Angels for thy fence and guard,
Of nothing now, but one thing thou art bard.
As the two lights within the Firmament,
simile.
So hath thy God his glory to thee lent,
Compoz'd thy body exquisite and rare,
That all his works cannot to thee compare,
Like his owne Image, drawne thy shape diuine,
With curious Pencill shadowed forth thy line:
Within thy Nosthrils blowne his holy breath,
Impal'd thy head with that inspiring wreath,
Which binds thy front, and eleuates thine eyes,
To mount his throne aboue the lofty skyes,
Summons his Angels in their winged order,
About thy browes to be a sacred border:
Giues them in charge to honour this his frame,
All to admire, and wonder at the same.
But Lucifer that soard aboue the skye,
And thought himselfe to equall God on high,
Enuies thy fortune, and thy glorious birth,
Wis. 2. 24.
In being fram'd but of the basest earth,
[Page 30]Himselfe compacted of pesteferous fire,
Assumes a Snake to execute his ire,
Windes him within that winding crawling beast,
And enters first whereas thy strength was least.
Damn'd wicked Diuell what made thee thus to spight,
Our grandame Eue and holy Adams Right,
What hurt haue they or either of them said,
That thou a trap and secret snare hast laid?
To bane their youth and vndermine their wall,
To gaine a curse vpon their wofull fall:
Thy false proceedings in thy actions best,
How doth the world thy cunning sleights detest?
Which since that time in many ages past,
In euery corner of the earth are cast,
How hast thou mallist one that hurt thee not?
When all thy enuy vpon Iob was shot,
Transforming thus thy cursed scourge and rod,
Iob. 16.
Into the shape iust of the child of God.
At other times thy nimblenesse and slight,
Ephe. 2. 2. Rom. 12. 7. 9.
Aboue the clouds will be an Angell bright,
And through the aire close in a fiery Waggon,
Thoul't sometimes mount as monstrous as a Dragon,
And when thou list thou any shape canst take,
Euen from an Angell to an vgly Snake.
The fowre maine wheeles on which thy cart doth moue,
Are Rauin, Lust, and want of grace and loue,
The sable horses which thy charriot led,
Haue beene at Rome or else neere Tiber bred,
For first Ambition with a lofty pace,
Then cursed Enuy with a pale leane face,
[Page 31]And Cruelty that tramples best in bloud,
The next is Guile which neuer yet did good,
Appostacy that will his faith renounce,
A stony heart by all of these will bounce,
The Coachmen which do driue them with their rod,
Are treason oft and want of feare of God.
In these and such like shapes thou lyest in waight,
Mat. 4. 1 to the 12.
To gull the world as with a poysoned baight,
That being tane mans vitall life straight baines,
Infects his bloud, and runs through all his vaines,
And as thou art, dost cozen lye and lurch,
Transform'd sometimes into a man i'th Church,
Mar. 8. 33.
Vnder that holy habit, maske, and guise,
Thou setst abroach thy cancred venom'd lyes.
And thus thou camstvnto our grandame Eue,
Gen. 3. 1.
And as a Diuell into her thoughts dost diue,
Seeming a Serpent crawling on thy brest,
Much like a simple foule mishapen beast,
simile.
[Page 32]Iust in the midst of all the garden faire,
Thou singlest forth, the happy blessed paire.
And watching Time, when Adam stept aside,
Euen but a little from his louely Bride,
To pluck perhaps a Nut vpon the Trees,
Or get a combe amongst the hony Bees:
Or some such thing to giue his welcome Spouse,
Euen iust to Eue thou dostthy body rouse,
And questions with her, of much idle prattle,
As women they delight to talke and tattle,
What they may not, and what it is they eate,
And what is best, within that pleasing seate,
What Tree it is that was to them forbidden,
They dare not eate, for feare they may be chidden.
Then Eue againe, which thought no hurt at all,
Or once suspect the venome of thy gall,
As a kind woman full of pleasing loue,
Told thee indeede that God in heauen aboue,
Had licenst them to eate of euery Tree,
Beast fish and foule, with all that they can see,
Within the compasse of the spacious aire,
And that were liuing in the garden faire:
Only the tree that was before their eyes,
They might not touch and taste in any wise,
For in the day that they thereof should eate,
Their God in Heauen would both their bodies beate,
Plague them with paine, and punishment extreame,
Subiect to Sicknesse, Choller, Pangs, and Phleame,
Casheire them both out of that louely place,
To dye a deathin miserable case.
But thou againe that euer didst deuise,
In nothing else but execrable lies,
[Page 33]Straight told the woman that they need not feare,
To eate the fruite that pleasant tree did beare:
For in the day that they should thereof eate,
The Gods themselues they would indeed defeate.
Attaine much knowledge, farre aboue mans reach,
And all the Gods in many things would teach.
To thinke of death they need not feare at all,
For why, their eyes should opened be withall:
The goodly fruite would breed this wondrous ods,
Neuer to die, but euer liue as Gods.
O cursed, damned, execrable Diuell,
Delighting best in that thing which is euill!
What made thee now thy banefull speech to blow,
Out of that canckred venom'd mouth below?
Thus to entice by thy allurements working,
Within so slie an vgly creature lurking.
That Eue must reach, and in her hand to grapple
So faire a fatall curst bewitching Apple:
And not content herselfe thereof to eate,
But reacht another as a daintie meate;
And in her sweet delightfull louely hands,
Runs to her Lord, where all alone he stands
Plaining and grieuing that he her had mist,
Takes her in's armes, and both together kist.
Then she began (in smiling wanton sort)
To shew that Apple, which before in sport
She late had taken from that fatall tree,
The better now to make her eyes to see▪
And in the hands of her beloued Lord▪
The same she put, according to her word,
And milde perswasions, gentle speeches plaine,
In hope much knowledge by the same to gaine.
[Page 34]The gawdy lookes and curious pleasing sight,
She takes the same and so of it doth bite.
Oh curst, oh cruell, wofull, fearefull deed,
What hast thou done now Adam to thy seed?
Baind all thy of-spring in thy folly nurst,
And left them all still to this day accurst.
What canst thou be euen at thy very best,
But little better then the vilest beast?
How is thy sight (which thought to pierce the skies)
Dazl'd and dimd oft times in both thine eyes,
Before thou canst to fiftie yeares attaine,
Diseases, Rhumes, do in the same remaine?
Out of thy head such slimy stuffe doth fall,
That oftentimes thou canst not see at all.
What hath thy knowledge purchast to thy race?
Thy nakednesse thou feest before thy face.
The thorny Brambles all thy skin beschratches,
Now thou canst tell to make a woman breaches.
How hath the fruite yet to this day amaz'd
The wandring minds of curious men that gaz'd,
So farre aboue the top of that same tree,
That still the wood for trees they cannot see?
In euery corner of this spatious ball,
To name the tree that thus made Adam fall.
Alas, weakeman; what can it do thee good
To know the tree that thus hath baind thy blood?
What can the sight of that all dismall fruite,
But discontent, and make thee much more bruite?
Thou feest the world in wandring strange opinions,
And euery land within her owne dominions,
[Page 35]Still to this day maintaining errours plaine,
To tell the fruite that thus themselues did baine.
The Iewes this day, that Cabalists are cald,
Rich Epit. de Talmud.
The highest Rabbies in their art instald:
They still affirme, and for a truth do tell,
That Adams sinne (when first from God he fell)
Was nothing but the sweet delicious wine,
Extracted from the sprawling crawling Vine,
That all Eues faults and foule offensiue skapes,
Was nothing but the wringing forth of grapes:
Within her hand vnto her husband deere,
That supt it vp in stead of wholesome beere,
The which no sooner had the braines assaild,
But that his wit and memory both faild:
His senses drown'd with such a sottish feast,
God comes himselfe and finds him like a beast.
The Sarazens, and all the Turkes this day,
Bosk▪ ara coeli▪ lib. 5. c. 4. & Alcar [...]n.
From Mahomet in euery age do say,
The fruite that Eue and Adam both did eate,
Was but an Eare of perfect Indian Wheate,
Which Adam pluckt and rubd it in his hand,
Smiling on Euah that hard by did stand.
Two graines whereof he did vnto her giue,
Eate two himselfe to make him euer liue.
And that remaind which was but one in all,
Away he tooke out of the garden wall,
And farre in India where he rambled long,
The desert fields and sauage beasts among:
This as the cause (mayn obiect) of his shame,
He hid i'th'ground, and that brought forth the same.
The Southerne people, and the Indian Bold,
Do still affirme and oftentimes haue told,
That neere to Indus and braue Ganges streame,
Which yeeld all sorts of excellent fish and breame:
Is to be seene a gallant tree this day,
Vnder whose shade a thousand men may play.
The fruite thereof not very pleasant pure,
But as it is, it will long time endure,
Much like to Oliues both in shape and taste:
The Indian birds this famous figge doth waste,
That on this tree doth grow the very meate,
And onely foode which Eue and Adam eate.
The antient Iew and Arabian borne,
They still do thinke that Adam well might scorne
To taste the fruite that growes on Ganges shore,
The which but late I told you of before,
And that more like and probable it is:
If that their iudgements do not erre amis,
The dainty tree that in their country growes,
And twice a yeare his pleasant fruite that showes,
Yeelding a fragrant and a louely sent,
If but the same be either crusht or rent:
A Cucumber much like it is in shew,
Of pleasing tast, and sweet delightfull hew.
If with a knife the fruite in two you reaue,
A perfect crosse you shall therein perceaue:
The spatious leaues are full a fadome long▪
In breadth three spans, that I may do it wrong,
If in this place their errour I should blame,
But much admire and wonder at the same,
By which the Christians in those parts that dwell,
Perswaded are, and for a truth it tell:
[Page 37]That this indeed was that delitious fruite
Which Eue brought Adam: whose inticing suite,
The Opall colour and perfumed sent,
Made him do that which all of vs repent.
And other countryes in their rouing sits,
Their lofty, prowd, and high aspiring wits,
Haue labourd much vpon this point to write,
To shew the fruite that Adam ill did bite.
As though themselues in Paradise had beene,
And at the first the very tree had seene,
That bare this cursed euer dismall fruite,
Which make our soules still to this day to ruite:
Let them seeke still to find the same and mone,
Ile sit me downe and let them all alone.
And yet the place I must not thus forget,
Wherein at first our parents both were set:
Whose glorious worth and euer during fame,
Gen. 28.
These rurall lines can but obscure the same.
Oh Paradise, where is thy louely seate?
Whilome so famous, wondrous, rich, and neate;
That all the stately buildings, curious things,
And goodly prospects, of the greatest kings:
The pompe and pleasures various decking rare,
In all the world cannot to thee compare.
The Lords of these haue still in euery age,
As carryed in their holy furious rage,
Aduentured forth with admiration, grace,
But to behold thy ancient sacred face,
And none of them as yet haue euer found,
Or came in sight of thy most heauenly ground:
Which farre in Eden in the orient lies,
Vnfit for man to see with sinfull eyes.
Some men there be which are perswaded plaine,
Papistes Bellermine: and others.
That reall place doth to this day remaine:
Where holy Enoch, deare Elias pure,
And Iohn the Saint, shall till doomes day endure,
In far more pleasures then can be exprest,
Their bodies liuing with their soules at rest,
Transported safe within that sacred wall,
But in what climate of this spacious Ball,
The same should be, far in the aire haue gaz'd,
Their learning, knowledge, wits, and all amaz'd,
The goodly Region in the Sirian land,
Esay. 7 3. Iulian Tzet ad [...]uo pag. 100 Hier [...]com. in Eze. lib. 8
Is thought the place wherein the same did stand,
Where rich Damascus at this day is built,
And Habels bloud by Caine was after spilt:
The wondrous beauty of whose fruitfull ground,
The great content which some therein haue found,
The sweete encrease of that delightfull soile,
Yeelding a world with little care and toile,
The dammaske Roses, and the fragrant flowers,
The louely fields, and pleasant arbour'd bowers,
And euery thing that in aboundance breede,
Haue made some thinke this was the place indeede,
Where God at first did on the earth abide,
With holy Adam and his louely Bride.
And some there be that in the Orient waded,
Barbasa▪
Which to this day are certainely perswaded,
The goodly land that farre in India lies,
Whose rich renowne through all the world now flyes,
Vnder the Line and famous Zeilan call'd,
On euery side with mighty Neptune wal'd,
May be the place where first our Parents stai'd,
The earth it selfe with all heauens gifts arai'd.
Besides the treasures of that pleasant land,
Linschotten An Corsali▪
The fruitfull regions in the same which stand,
The goodly riuers and braue mounting hills,
Sweete temperate aire on euery side that fills,
The downy plaines with such a fragrant smell,
As winged fame vnto our eares doth tell:
The spicy Trees, and braue delightfull flowers,
The dainty walkes, and guilt aspiring towers,
And all things else that man can well desire,
Or discontent of nature may require:
Long life of dayes, plenty of cates and cheere,
All which she powers as on her daling deere,
Within her lap hath plaste a wonder strange,
For euery man which to that place shall range;
Perswading all that euer saw the same,
That Eue and Adam forth from thence first came.
Iust the midst of this delicious land,
Within the center of the same doth stand
A lofty mount, whose top doth pierce the skies,
And round about on euery side there lies
The goodliest plaine which euer man beheld▪
That foure foote deepe with water fresh is fild,
And eighteene miles in bredth the same is ouer,
Simile.
Much like the Sea, from Calis strand to Douer.
Vpon the top of this admired hill,
Maffrus. lib. 5.
Stands yet a Table fixed firmely still,
Of sollid stone that long time there hath beene,
In which the forme of Adams foote is seene,
The Mores beleeuing, that that stamp and print
Was first by him indented on the flint,
The mount it selfe Piramid like is built;
Vpon whose top are stately buildings guilt:
[Page 40]Plenty of wealth, of rarest iewels store,
The height thereof full twenty miles and more,
The people all on euery side which dwell,
Haue still affirm'd, and for a truth doe tell,
That this indeede was Paradise at first,
Whose fatall fruit made all of vs accurst.
And to this day hath superstition led,
Vertoman▪ lib. 3. Chap. 4
A world of Pilgrims, with blind errour fed,
By Mahomet, that antechristian beast,
Which Paradise plaste in the radiant east,
Whose fond conceits of this religious place,
Made some men come three thousand miles apace:
With great deuotion, extreme labour, paine,
To wash their sins within this miry plaine,
Thinking the water in this vally lies,
Distil'd at first from Eue and Adams eyes;
When great with griefe, and far surcharg'd with teares,
They shed so much as all the ground heere beares:
In woe bewayling of their wilfull sins,
The ioyfull end where true content begins.
From sin first wash't, then vp the hill they clime,
With labours great, in prayers spend their time,
And sacrifize to Mauors God their fill,
Which plaste their feete vpon this holy hill,
Though their mistakings may be wail'd and blam'd,
Yet Adams hill, the lofty mount is nam'd.
And that which better may confirme their hope,
That this indeede vnder heauens starry cope,
Of all the earth may be the likeliest place,
Where Adam first receiu'd his great disgrace:
[Page 41]Not farre from hence is seene a flaming hill,
Of euery man cald Balananus still,
Which sends forth smoake and hideous brands of fire,
Threatning the clowds and elements to tire:
Much like the sword the tree of life did guard,
As if with heauen the earth and all it ward.
This makes them thinke confirmes their fancies more
Then all the rest I told you of before.
But if in India on this famous mount,
Adam at first receiued his sacred count,
And so from thence his fruitfull spawne at last,
Vpon the face of all the earth are cast.
What may we thinke of that renowned hill,
Whose matchlesse fame full all the world doth fill:
Within the midst of Ethiopia fram'd,
In Africa and Amara still man'd,
Where all the Gods may sit them downe and dine,
Iust in the East, and vnderneath the line.
Pomona, Ceres, Ʋenus, Iuno, chast,
And all the rest their eyes haue euer cast
Vpon this place so beautifull and neate,
Of all the earth to make it still their seate:
A christall riuer downe to Nilus purl'd,
Wonder of Nature, Glory of this world.
Deere Amara, thy amorous name doth cite
My lowly pen thy lofty prayse to write.
If all the world and all therein were mine,
All were to weake to match themselues with thine.
In all the earth, and all the rest to loose,
Thy seat to loue instead of all Ide choose.
There are the Temples couered all with guilt,
The Pallaces, and glorious buildings built,
A Library so famous rich and round,
As that the like on earth was neuer found.
There are the Muses and the learned Nymphes,
The royall issue, and the best borne Imppes:
The seed of kings vpon thy body nurst,
The Preet himselfe kept long within the first.
Admired mount, how hast thou in all ages
Beene still renownde for rarest personages,
Thy treasures rich beyond compare that lyes,
Within thy wals may dazle both mine eyes.
Two famous Queenes in Maiesty and grace,
With Lawrell boughs haue much adornd thy face,
As if themselues with Nature did combine,
To wreath thy browes with sacred worke diuine.
The first of those was faire Magueda cald,
Braue gallant Queene within thy towre instald:
1. King. 10. to 11.
That let the rest and wenther selfe to see,
2. Chro. 9. 1.
If Salomon could well compare with thee.
But when she saw, and glutted had her eye,
With sight of that which farre and wide did flye:
Alone she leaues his glorious Temple guilt,
His stately Court, and all that ere he built.
His pleasant land, and curious deckings fine,
As all not worth for to compare with thine.
And so returnes within short space againe,
Within thy wals a royall Queene to raigne:
Gods true Religion in those dayes profest,
Away she brought and plac't it in thy brest.
The other Queene that hath adornd thy browes,
With Lawrell crowne of sacred Christian bowes,
Act, 8. 27.
[Page 45]Was Candace great Empresse of such fame,
As Enuy still cannot obscure her name,
When Indica her loyall Eunuch went
To Iewry land vpon Ambassage sent:
Homewards returning on his weary way,
In Pilgrymage straight forced was to stay
By God himselfe, which by the faithfull bide,
And Philip sent to be his onely guide.
O matchlesse Queene, braue pearle of women kind,
Renowned fame shall thy chast temples bind,
Which by thy meanes as old Records yet sayth,
Conuerted all vnto the Christian faith:
Baptized thy selfe within that sacred fount,
Which stands still firme vpon thy holy mount:
And in that Church whereas the God of loue
Descended downe in shape of flaming Doue.
All sacred hill, how can I choose but wonder,
To see the God of lightning flames, and thunder,
That rends the rockes, and all to powder pashes
The sturdy mounts with sudden sulphery flashes!
Descend himselfe vpon thy glorious head,
When all thy Princes were baptiz'd and fed.
With that true Manna that from heauen was showred,
When Christ his bloud vpon thy browes was powred:
Within that Temple of immortall fame,
That till doomes dayes shall euer beare his name,
And which before his dearest bloud was spilt.
Vnto the Son was consecrate and built.
O Amara which thus hast beene beloued,
Still to this day thy foote was neuer moued:
[Page 44]But in the heat of most tempestuous warres,
God hem'd thee in with strong vnconquered barres.
Protected safe, and kept thy feet vpright,
Against the world, the flesh, and all to fight.
No maruell then since man at first was humbled
Vpon thy head hath falne himselfe and stumbled,
In admiration of thy gifts diuine,
When Nature, Arts the Gods and all combine,
To cull thee out in farre aboundant measure;
And on thy browes to showre their dearest treasure.
If in thy walls as some this day haue thought,
Adam and Eue by God himselfe were brought,
And plast secure in pleasures wondrous well,
Till from thy top for wilfull sinne they fell.
Some men againe more farre then these are wide,
Whose large conceits in Eden cannot bide:
Fond, franticke men the sacred truth to reach,
And Paradise ore all the world to streach.
Wolfangus. Wissenburg. Soropius. Vadianus.
The land of Eden of that spatious worth,
To thinke it went quite ouer all the earth.
The lofty wals which hem'd the same in round,
To be the Spheres that in their vtmost bound.
On euery side about the world do passe,
And seeme to vs much like a wall of Brasse.
The flaming Sword that guards the tree of life
From sinfull Adam and his likorish wife,
Haue presupposd in all the world alone,
To be the hot and horrid burning Zoane,
That mans exile by cursed enuious fate,
Was nothing but the changing of his state;
When at the first from God aboue he fell,
To be entombd within the graue and hell.
In ancient times when people were besotted,
Patricius van 10, lib. 20.
Not in that vice which some of vs vs call potted,
But in blind errour of the heauenly light,
Till God by Christ enlightned had their sight,
Perswaded were that Paradise at first,
In which old Eue and Adam both were nurst,
A reall place vpon this earth was set,
Vntill for sin the world it selfe was wet:
With such a shower on euery side and round,
That all therein were quite consum'd and drownd.
Then Paradise his owne peculiar seate,
Gen. 7. 1. To Thelaste.
A pleasant place, delightfull, sweete, and neate,
For feare the floud which o're the earth did flow,
When Noahs Arke did on the waters row,
Should ruinate the goodly sacred place,
And bring the walls iust in the selfe same ease,
That Henoch City in those dayes was found,
When all the world, and all therein was drown'd:
Transported it within a instant quite,
Far from the earth, and reach of this our sight,
And plaste the same euen in a moment soone,
Within the circle of the lofty Moone.
And some there be as far as Rome haue rambled,
The Manichees origen. Rom. familestes ad Renegaoes.
Which back againe, for want of meanes haue ambled,
Like vgly Bat the monster of his kind,
That vice can see, but yet to goodnesse blind;
Happy were we when first they ran from hence,
Casting a mist vpon the Scriptures sence,
To thinke the place where Adam first did fall,
Was but a tale, and no such place at all,
That holy Moses in his sacred worke,
Hath little true but only fictions lurke.
Damn'd wicked man, the child of vnbeliefe,
Esa. 33. 15, 16, 17.
The Word distrust, and thus to play the thiefe,
Gods Church to rob, his chosen flock to fleece,
The truth to blur, and heere to pick a peece;
Wringing the same▪ or as we vse to squeese,
A Sponge with water or such kind of Leese:
Simile.
The Scriptures true, and heauenly Hebrew Story,
Conuerting all into an allegory.
Thou soarest high, heere is thy lofty flight,
Gen. 2. 8. 2. King▪ 19. 12▪
False hearted Rome, which canst not see the light
That shineth cleere, within the Scripture lyes,
The truth it selfe hath bleared both thine eyes:
Like to the Bird thou beareth in thy crest,
That seldome times vpon the earth can rest,
But mounts aloft with proud aspiring wings.
Simile. The Eagle.
Till base desires downe to the ground him brings,
As if the light he could no more endure,
But falls and stoopes vnto a carrion lure.
The Sodomites which in the dayes of Lot,
About the walls where groaping very hot,
Gen. 19. 11.
To find the Angels that his house possest,
Till fearefull blindnesse stayd their course to rest,
Were beaten downe with horrid sulphery smoke,
That instantly their cursed breath did choke:
Transform'd their townes in lesse then halfe an houre,
When God but once vpon their vice did lowre;
With fire and brimstone strange vnwonted thunder,
Of all the world the sad and fearefull wonder,
Amazing all which at this day behold it:
To see how God hath vp to nothing rold it.
Made it a puddle and infectious sinke,
Not fir for man once of her source to drinke.
Euen so thy wilfull cursed vnbeliefe,
Prophane abusing of the scriptures chiefe,
Thy Sabaoth breaking, couetuousnesse and pride,
With all the sins within the world beside,
Haue made thee blind to find that louely place,
Where Adam first was in his greatest grace:
About the walls thou canst not find the dore,
To come withinland view the plenteous store;
Thy braines confuz'd as in a maze are led,
Darke vnbeliefe thy cloudy sence hath fed,
The heauenly light thou canst not well discerne,
From Sodome first to loose thy selfe dost learne,
In all the earth that euer eye did see,
How well these men we may compare to thee.
But stay; whilst they about the world are seeking,
Paradise discribed.
To find the Garden Adam had in keeping,
My sacred Muse with lofty nimble flight,
On Paradise the place it selfe doth light:
From Rome transported tyrant of the west:
To Nimrods Tower within the orient east,
Neere Eden plaste within Assiria land,
On Euphrates and Tygris goodly strand,
By Babilon first Empresse of the earth,
Mother of Arts most glorious in her birth,
Whose towring fame as Monarch of the world,
Where golden flouds in siluer streames haue purld;
My sences wrapt in admirations wonder,
To thinke how she hath all the world brought vnder,
Making her seate the glory of her time,
Franciscus. Iunius. Curtius. Plinui. Solinus.
Braue star of Fortune, subiect of my Rime.
Heere was the seate the likeliest place indeede,
Where Ene at first did of the Apple feede,
[Page 48]By learned iudgement of those worthy men,
Whose high desart, fames lofty quill doth pen,
Which far and neere about the world haue ventred,
And but at last within her walls haue entred.
O Paradise, that first our Parents stai'd,
Ptol Geor. lib 65. chap. 20 strabo lib. 16
Vntill such time Gods will they disobay'd;
How far my pen doth of thy worth come vnder,
Mirrour of earth, of all the world the wonder.
Where sacred Thetis from her louely lap,
Hath power'd her treasures, much inrich't thy hap,
Which Euphrates and Tigris hath combin'd,
Their Source deuided in foure parts, to winde
About thy borders, as heauens dearest worke,
Within thy bowels glide along and lurke;
Venting such Iewels as were neuer found,
A welcome tribute to thy holy ground.
Nature her selfe hath much impald thy head,
plin. lib. 2 Chap. 1 [...]6
And wreath'd thy browes as fortune hath her led,
With such a ridge of rocky mountaines small,
To hemme thee in as with a sacred wall,
Vpon the top toward the east still there stands,
A smoky hill which sends forth fiery brands,
Gfburning oyle, from hels infernall deepe,
Much like the sword the tree of life did keepe.
Deuinest land the sunne hath euer seene,
How fortunate thrice happy hast thou beene,
To haue that God which fram'd the world and all,
Frequent thy walkes before thy fearefull fall:
Yet as thou art and as thou dost remaine,
The totall earth on on euery side dost staine:
[Page 49]Where can a man in all this world below,
Find Bdelium that pleasant tree to grow,
Whose fragrant branches, sweet delightfull fruite,
And lofty height hath made my sences mute,
The Onix stone and other things to bide,
In all the earth scarce in one place beside.
How is thy ground exceeding rich and faire▪
A region seasoned with a temperate aire,
Thy channels crawling full of golden Ore,
The fruitful'st soile that e're the earth yet bore:
Neptune himselfe with foure great riuers greeing,
To deck the bosome which gaue Adam being,
Vpon thy temples all their treasures powr'd,
And all their wealth at once vpon thee showr'd.
After the floud when all the world was kild,
In Noahs time there man began to build,
When hauing rambled in the sacred keele,
About the world, on euery side did feele
Thy fragrant scent so pleasing rich and neate,
Of all the earth, to make thy Throne their seate.
Heere was religion planted in her prime,
The golden age and infancy of time,
When mans worst actions like the Turtle Doue,
In all the world was little else but loue:
Deere Paradise, how famous was thy name?
When God himselfe crected first thy frame,
Endude thy Land with such things in it set,
As time for euer neuer can forget.
The fabling Prayses of Elizium fields,
The Turkes, Eutopia nothing to it yeelds,
[Page 50]The Paradise of Romes fantastike braine,
Is but a iest a little wealth to gaine,
And Aladeules with his place of pleasure,
Comes far behind and still is short of measure,
Worth honor, grace, when brought into compar [...]
With this so rich and glorious garden rare.
The persian fancies of their heauenly land,
In sight of this not able is to stand,
The world it selfe and all that is therein,
I could forsake that very place to win,
And all the greatest Kingdomes euer found,
But dung and trash to that most holy ground.
The lofty walls were all of lasper built,
Lin'd thick with gould, and couered rich with gui
Like a quadrangle seated on a hill,
With twelue braue gates the curious eye to fill,
The sacred luster as the glistring Zoane,
And euery gate fram'd of a seuerall stone:
On stately columes reared by that hand,
Which grau'd, the world and all that in it stand;
The Chalsedony, and the Iacinth pure,
The Emrald greene, which euer will endure,
The Sardonix, and purple Amethist,
The Azurd burnish't Saphire is not mist,
The Chrisolite, most glorious to behold,
And Tophaze stone, which shines as beaten gold,
The Chrisophrasus of admired worth,
The Sardius, Berill seldome found on earth,
The dores thereof of siluer'd Pearle most white,
Do shew that none by wrong oppression might
Be crost, by cunning, wringing, wresting guile,
By wicked plodding in all actions vile,
[Page 51]By foule offences like base enuy faste,
Can passe the dores but those are pure and chaste.
That sweete Disciple which the Gospell wrate,
Reu. 21. 10. to ihe 6. verse of the 22. chap.
And lent at supper, (when Christ lesus sate)
Vpon the bosome of his Lord and King,
He from the heauens this Paradise did bring,
Perus'd the walls, and view'd the same within,
Describ'd it largely all our loues to win.
The christall riuer with the Tree of Life,
Gods deerest lamb, and sacred Spouse his wife,
The various fruits that in the garden growes,
And all things else which in aboundance flowes:
Hath rapt my sence to thinke how God at first,
Fram'd all for Adam and his of-spring curst.
To come within how can we but admire,
Why should our minds to view the same a spire,
It being sacred tipe of heauen it selfe,
Our sinfull thoughts worse then the vilest pelfe,
That all diuine by God himselfe first wrought,
Aboue the Cloudes, and then by Angels brought,
Simile.
Like to an Infant in his timely birth,
Into the Church, and plaste vpon this earth:
The midwife there which did attend the same,
Was deare Vrania that braue noble Dame,
Whose glorious worth my weakenesse can't rehearse,
Queene of the Muses, Soueraigne of my verse.
But yet Vrania be not bold to pry,
Into the secrets of this treasury,
Lock't vp from vs and bard from all to enter,
Where none but thee may without danger venter,
[Page 52]Least thy great God thou tracest in thy step,
Should from the Heauens downe on a sudden leap,
As if from sleepe he had beene rowz'd and waked,
And find thy selfe like Eue and Adam naked.
Adam, what made thee fearefully to hide?
Entangled in the allurement of thy bride,
Thy selfe from God, who by his sacred voyce,
Amongst the Trees within the garden choyse;
Repayred now as oftentimes before,
To recreate and view the various store,
Euen in the coole and dawning of the day,
The winds before him vshering of his way,
Thinking to find as heeretofore he found,
Thine innocency vpright, perfect, sound;
But contrary, thou lurkest in a bush,
Vntill thy God did neere vnto thee rush,
And starting of thee as thou then wast loth,
He takes thy spouse and thee all naked both.
Adam (quoth God) why dost thou hide thy face?
What is the cause thou art so poore and base?
That thou shouldst thus with simple shifts begin,
Asham'd of me to couer now thy skin,
How hast thou knowne in lesse then halfe an howre,
To lurke so close within this secret bower,
And sew those leaues to patch them so together,
To hide thy shame and keepe thee from the weather?
The Tree of Knowledge in this pleasant seate,
I do beleeue that thou thereof didst eate,
Which▪I commanded on deaths dismall paine,
Thou shouldst not touch the iewce thereof to gaine,
Hast thou now eate of that delicious fruite.
I am afraid thy of-spring all will rue it.
O heauenly God (then Adam answered straite)
Gen▪ 3. 12.
I was intrapt with such a pleasing baite,
That made my reason, sense, and all to yeeld;
My strength but weake within so strong a field:
For why, the woman which thou gauest me,
A helpe most meete and comfort sweet to be.
Shee of that tree did plucke but one in all,
And brought it to me as a sacred ball:
The sight whereof by her perswasion moued,
Whom more then gold and all the world I loued.
Straight in my armes began for to embrace,
And she intreating with her smiling face,
Gaue me that Apple in her louely hand,
Which makes me thus before thy sight to stand,
All naked, poore, lamenting of my fall,
As loath to speake when thou at first didst call.
She, she it was which gaue me of that meate,
By her intisements onely I did eate.
If I haue broke thy holy heauenly lawes,
Blame her (not me) for being first the cause?
Then God (againe) vnto the woman sayd,
Why hast thou thus most treacherously betrayd
Thy louing husband and thy darling deare,
Whom to displease thou oughtst in conscience feare?
He is thy head, thy Soueraigne, Lord, and King,
Why dost thou thus his feete in bondage bring,
Insnaring him, thy selfe and Issue all,
In wofull danger of your soules to fall?
Sweet God (quoth she) a foule mishapen beast,
The vgly Serpent crawling on his breast,
When but a little that I stept a side,
From my deare husbands best beloued side:
[Page 54]A goodly fruite presented to my view,
That in the midst of all the garden grew:
Perswaded much the onely taste of it,
Would farre increase my simple womans wit:
The touch thereof would sight and knowledge giue,
Neuer to die, but still as Gods to liue▪
By which inticements snared in his trap,
He shakt the tree, and vp I held my lap:
That Plumme alone which fell into the same,
I kept it safe, and to my husband came.
But yet before his presence well I saw,
Not thinking once of thine eternall Law.
By fresh allurement of that Snaky wite,
I viewd the same, and so of it did bite.
The which when as that I the deed had done,
Away he crawles, and leaues me all alone:
Mine eyes i'th'instant wofully did see
The murraine Elfe had first beguiled me.
Like to a Mouse not farre off from her muse,
So is a woman sild without exscuse.
Simile▪
When on a sudden God himselfe descends,
The winged clowds on euery side he rends:
All foggy mists of darkesome errours quite,
He doth disperse and brings the Truth to light.
That all the world his Wisedome may admire,
To see how soone he finds the diuell a lyer.
Iustice her selfe with grim and frowning eyes,
Iustitiae descriptio.
Descendeth downe beneath the lofty skyes:
That euer lowres and holdeth in her hand
A paire of Scales to weigh both sea and land▪
[Page 55]The secret actions infinite to name,
Which euer yet were hatcht vpon the same.
But at her backe there oftentimes attends,
Misericordiae discriptio▪
A noble Dame to many a one that bends:
Of smiling cheere and sweet delightfull face,
Borne of the Muses in their royall Race.
Whose siluer tresses as heauens glorious Queene,
The goodliest creature euer eye hath seene:
In all her robes she sits at Gods right hand,
Descends to some, but by his side doth stand.
In secret corners of the heart she lurkes,
Gods Mercies great are farre beyond his Workes:
In heauen and earth, and all that in them are,
None may come neere, much lesse to her compare.
Alone she sits, and sendeth Iustice downe
To God himselfe, that in a sacred frowne
Summons the Serpent to appeare in place,
Whose accusation layd before his face,
Without demurre and wresting of the Law,
His heinous crime before his eyes he saw,
And standeth mute without exscuse at all,
When God aboue to iudgement once doth fall.
Accursed diuell, thrise damn'd is all thy race,
Thy wicked plots and secret actions base:
Gen. 3. 14.
What made thee winde within this winding Snake,
The shape of Serpent in thy mind to take?
Why hast thou sat on Adams sacred skirt,
To harme a man which neuer did thee hurt:
And wrong a woman with mischieuous guile,
By enuious plodding in a deed so vile?
Could it not serue that first thou wentest about
To scale my throane, from heauen to shut me out?
But this my worke▪ which more I did admire
Then all the Angels fram'd of burnisht fire:
The heauenly lights and all that euer were,
Within the compasse of the spatious aire.
The man himselfe in whom I tooke delight;
Plac't him in Eden by my powerfull might.
That thou shoulst thus with all the diuels combine,
In spight to me his person vndermine.
To creepe to Eue as if she were thy Ant,
And fawne on others like a Puritant.
What hast thou got for all thy villany?
A beast thou liu'st, worse then a beast thou'lt dye.
And yet not die, for euerduring paine,
(For this thy treason) shalt be sure to gaine.
The fire of my iust wrath will make thee gurne,
As burning Brasse thy bowels scorcht shall burne.
Simile.
The worme of Conscience shall torment thee euer,
And like a Vulture▪ feed vpon thy Liuer.
Simile▪
That still in death, a horrid fearefull smart,
Shalt dying liue, to ouerloade thy heart.
Grinde all to powder thy damn'd wicked rout,
With coales of fire, which neuer shall go out.
Thy tongue shall be a sure and certaine token,
How false to woman thy curst mouth hath spoken;
For in the same a forked sting shall be,
That after times may still thy enuy see:
And all her race shall thee torment and vexe,
And thou againe shalt skare her fearefull Sexe,
Lurking in dens and secret holes obscure,
To trap the iust with banefull breath impure.
Thy hide bepainted with a peckled varnish,
Thy venom'd carkasse in thy pride shall barnish:
An vgly creature shalt thou be vncouth,
Thy teeth all blacke within thy lying mouth.
Out of that hollow irkesome vast abisse,
Vpon thy belly shalt thou crawle and hisse.
Dust shalt thou eate, and canckred be thy skin,
Thy body swolne with poyson all within.
Thy viperous seed in vgly enuy borne,
To all the world shall be the hatefull scorne.
In euery path, and out of euery hedge,
Their poyson fell in humane flesh shall wedge:
That when they time and place to purpose feele,
Their venom'd tongue shall bite them by the heele.
Thus till the earth shall mould away and fall,
Where men least thinke there shall they lie and crawle.
The Womans seed in iust reuenge againe,
Thy head shall breake, and cursed actions baine,
When that sweet Babe shall to the world be borne,
That heauen and earth with glory shall adorne.
Then shall he trample on thy cursed hide,
And on the clowds▪ with winged fame shall ride.
Before his face shall ratling cracks of thunder,
Amaze thy sense, and reasons false bring vnder.
To see when he shall on the earth descend,
How thou in chaines and fetters shalt be pend:
Tormented in those paines no tongue can tell,
Scorcht all to cinders with dam'd diuels in hell.
Curst is thy life, thrice cursed is thy race,
Voyde of all goodnes, mercy, loue, and grace:
Here is thy doome vpon thy Snakie head▪
That others with thee hast to sinne misse-lead.
Scarse these last words were spake by God himselfe,
Of his sad iudgement gainst this cursed Elfe:
And but beginning of Eues dismall speech,
When suddenly she gan to cry and screech:
When in the instant from the lofty skyes,
Miscricordia.
Mercy comes downe and into Eden hies;
Prostrated falls vpon her bended knees,
But God himselfe his daughter deare that sees,
With weeping eyes before his face to craue,
That but on Eue he would compassion haue:
Began to stay his minde, to alter cleane,
And to the woman now began to leane:
But that hard by stood Iustice in the place,
And vrg'd him much to prosecute the case:
When all the reason Mercy well could render,
Was that her selfe was of the female gender.
Whilest both of these each other do oppose,
Iustitia & Misericordia.
Loath each of them their humble suite to lose:
Contending still as aduocates at Barre,
Or combatants in furious fearefull Warre:
And altogether iudgement speedy feares,
Natura.
Gods eldest daughter in the place appeares.
Nature diuine, like to Aurora fac't,
A noble Lady, beautifull and chast:
Simile. Naturae descriptio.
Braue famous Queene, a royall person borne,
Whom heauen and earth and all therein adorne.
Her haire disheueld, trailing to the ground,
And in the same the rarest secrets bound,
Without all art in curious manner curld,
And in her hand the Globe of all the world:
Ten thousand colours in her gowne are seene,
Wrought by her selfe vpon a ground of greene.
In all her iewels of admired gaine,
With fower braue Ladies bearing vp her traine:
The Elements
She sober enters in that sacred place,
And downe she fals before the Almighties face.
Father, sayd she, deare Father here behold,
Oratio.
Giue me but leaue to be a little bold,
Finding my sisters iarring neuer cease,
To reconcile and set them both at Peace:
A holy worke which thou hast euer loued,
My selfe thereto by charity first moued.
One of my deare affected sisters sweete,
That from this place to heauen did lately fleete,
Brought me such newes when at the first we met,
Till all dissolue I neuer shall forget.
And like it is this massie weighty ball
Which hangs so euen iust in the midst of all:
Would soone returne to what it was at first,
If all thereon for this one fault were curst.
Behold this Fabricke here within my hand,
The mighty Gloabe of all the world doth stand:
What will become of all thy Noble workes,
This goodly frame, and all that euer lurkes
Within the compasse of the heauen and earth,
If now destroyd within their prime and birth,
All will consume and vnterly decay,
If Iustice once thy Mercy ouersway.
Iustice I know doth vrge thy sacred word,
Which from the Truth as yet hath neuer stird:
Thy penalty on Adam and his Race,
For foule offending in this holy place.
The execution of thy Law diuine,
In the least tittle of each Statute line:
Which hath ordaind that in that dismall day,
In which the woman did the diuell obay;
To taste the fruite and sucke it with her breath,
That both of them should die a fearefull death.
Mercy againe as being full of Loue,
Pittie, compassion from thy throane aboue
Presents her selfe before thy sacred face,
Imploring Goodnes, Maiestie, and Grace:
To be a meanes to mediate a peace,
And that for once all further iudgement cease,
When by the Enuie of a viperous tong,
Hatcht by the diuell this cursed malice sprung:
And their offence to take it at the worst,
By Iustice weigh'd will yet be found the first.
O then deare Father let me speake my minde,
Be lust and Louing, Mercifull and Kinde:
Punish all sinne according to thy word,
The Truth preserue, that none at Iustice gird:
But yet let Mercy at thy right hand sit,
Thy noble workes in sacred holy writ,
Shall then be blaz'd vnto their vtmost worth,
And thou be knowne a God vpon this earth.
Then shall large volumes with thy prayses swell.
Thy Mercy drop to infant soules in hell,
Which neuer haue offended much thy minde,
But borne in sinne and neuer knowne vnkinde,
Whose cursed parents crost thy heauenly will,
The sperme of those that liue in errour still.
Thy sentence past cannot againe be call'd,
And truth must stand before thy face instal'd,
That very day according to thy word,
In which the tree of Knowledge first was stird,
By Eue and Adams wilfull treachery,
Both of them then a cruell death should dye:
If mercy now had not come downe in hast,
And at thy feete her humble sute had cast;
Before this time that iudgement had beene giuen,
Both of their liues might well haue beene beriuen.
O then what would become of all this frame,
And all thereon, too infinite to name,
The famous actions by thy spirit nurst,
All must returne to what it was at first.
One day with thee is as a thousand yeeres,
The hower of death Incertaine full of feares.
First saue the seede and let them liue in awe,
Then dye a death for breaking of thy Law;
So is thy word confirm'd, my sisters pleaz'd,
The world remaine and iudgement somewhat eaz'd,
Then shall thy creatures in all ages stand,
The worke diuine of thy all powerfull hand,
And euery thing that on the earth is bred,
Shall shew thy glory both aliue and dead:
That all may stand to all eternity,
Thy only Son offers himselfe to dye.
But silenc'st once by Gods commanding Word,
The iarring sisters neuer after stird,
But satisfied, and resting well content,
They spent the time in haplesse merriment,
And God aboue to iudgement doth proceede,
With fearefull Evah and her timerous seede,
[Page 62]Her naked husband that himselfe excuz'd,
And said his wife his loue had much abuz'd.
O silly woman to be thus beguil'd,
Gods iudgement on Euah.
In sorrow now that shalt bring forth thy child,
A hard conception with an extreme paine,
Sick loathsome vomits at my hands shall gaine,
Thy husband now shall ouerrule thee still,
Thy fond desires bee subiect to his will:
A constant loue shall▪ hardly once be found,
Within the brest of any on this ground,
And from this day the most of all vnkind,
Fickle, vncertaine as the wauering wind;
Tost too and fro with euery blast that blowes,
Entangled straight with gawdy curious shewes,
That most of you your husbands will forsake,
A golden bribe or licorish thing to take.
Heauens glorious iudge to Adam also said,
Gods iudgement on Adam
Because thy wife thou hast an I doll made,
To trace her steps which leade to deadly sin,
Thou dost but now to feele thy woe begin,
Curst is the earth, and curst is for thy sake,
The fruite thereof accursed will I make;
In great vexation, extreme labour paine,
Toyle, sweate and dust, thou shalt much sorrow gaine,
The earth henceforth shall now no more endure,
Vnlesse thou till, and much her sides manure,
And when thou think'st thy barnes top full to fill,
Thy Vintage stor'd with plenty at thy will,
In monstrous Mows to pile a wondrous heape,
Then thistles, thornes instead thereof thou'lt reape,
Much like the beast which on his belly feedes,
Soe shalt thou liue by hearbs and garden seedes,
[Page 63]Till thou returne vnto the earth againe,
And that therein thy limbs all cold be laine,
This is the mother that thy body nurst,
Out from the same thou taken wast at first,
Sorrow and sicknesse shall thy body burne,
For dust thou art, to dust thou shalt returne.
O heauenly God, heere is a iudgement past,
Throughout this world eternally to last,
No writ of errour can the same reuoke,
When as the words by thine owne mouth are spoke:
Heere is a sentence with a sacred seale,
No inhibition can thy law repeale,
Nor all the tricks, deuises subtill shifts,
Of greedy Lawyers with their bribes and gifts,
Can once dissolue a knot so surely knit,
With all their braines and cunning peeuish wit▪
But that the same for euermore must stand,
A iust decree by heauens diuinest hand,
Drawne vp aboue in Eden ratified,
With all the Angels in the world beside,
And all the powers of firmament and all,
To this decree consented at thy call;
Heauens deerest Babe whose fame shall perish neuer,
Hath with his bloud confirm'd the same for euer.
The Register that vp this order drew,
Tempus & veritas ear▪ descriptio.
Was Time it selfe clad all in Azure blew,
Wing'd like an Angel, shadowed with a vaile,
And Truth his Daughter bearing vp his traile,
Nobly attended with a Lady kind,
More quick and nimble then the swift foote hinde.
Within his mouth a lofty Trumpe doth stand,
And a sharpe sith or sickle in his hand.
[Page 68]A glasse of sand continually that runs,
Within his way no liuing thing he shuns,
Lock't long before his head, behind all bald,
To shew whats past can neuer be recal'd.
O Time, preseruer of all ages past,
How are mens eyes on all thy actions cast,
Thou shouldst be true and constant in thy course,
Why should base gold thy mind to ill inforce,
Allure thy sence and reasons temporize,
Alter an order daube vp both thine eyes,
When God the King and all the Lords decree,
A Iudgement iust to all eternitee,
In open court pronounce the same at large,
Commit it safe to thy sole care and charge;
Yet for a bribe within thy griping fist,
Thoul't ad, substract and set downe what thou list.
Princes and peeres, graue Iudges of the Land,
Let euer Iustice in your actions stand,
Looke well to time, for time it selfe doth call,
It may deceiue and goe beyond you all:
Dispatch the poore▪ and heare the widdowes cause,
Let not the Orphant perish by your lawes,
The Innocent is oftentimes vndone,
But in defending of a sute begun:
By mighty foes that ouer dares his youth,
And lies suggest instead of naked truth,
Then is he posted too and froin hast,
His life, lands, liuing, all he hath to wast:
And neuer left so long as worth a groate,
His weary limbs oft times in prison rot,
All by delayes when golden angels houer,
Within the fist of euery seruile louer,
[Page 61]That but attends and comes before your face,
By bribing liues vnto your foule disgrace,
O to be sway'd with euery glistring fee:
This is iniustice in the worst degree.
But you are wise, to you a word is more,
Then all the workes to this day kept in store,
Can be to those that little vnderstand,
And more respect, some feeling in their hand.
Trace that great God in all your actions out,
Let him be still to bring the day about:
Your only starre sole leuell and your square,
The seuerall frames of all your works to reare,
But you are men your memories may faile,
Let not your seruants set your worth to saile;
Iustice and Mercy, Time and all for gold,
'Gainst Natures lawes outright are bought and sold,
And why should man thus to base bribing fall,
There is a God which takes account of all?
And oftentimes what by the diuill is got,
Vnder his feete he treades it till it rot.
And yet what reason haue we to complaine,
When England thou hast got the richest gaine,
Iacobus Rex▪
The deerest treasure and the welcom'st fee,
That euer any land attain'd but thee,
A royall King deriued from the race,
Of Edens Monarch in her greatest grace,
Within whose face true Maiesty doth shine,
Iustice and Mercy in his browes combine,
His temples chast with lawrell boughes are wreathed,
The sacred Muses in his brest haue breathed,
Vpon his head three famous crownes do stand,
Gods deerest booke is euer in his hand.
Whose Angels still his person hath protected,
And all his daughters him for King elected,
Too weake (alas) I must my selfe confesse,
O that my Muse could but his worth expresse,
Though in this place I doe but giue a glance,
Of that which after in my worke may chance,
His fame renowne shall euer flourish greene,
Sire to a Prince, and father to a Queene.
So shall the fame of his illustrious sonne,
Carolus Princeps.
Mount vp the aire, in Phoebus chariot run,
About the earth on euery side shall sound,
As far as Eden and the Indian ground,
And still his Glory all the world shall passe,
And be ingrauen in monuments of brasse,
That Time for euer shall his worth adorne,
The greatest prince that euer yet was borne.
Braue Prince of peace from heauen it selfe descended,
How hath this land beene by thy birth befriended,
To haue a spirit of such noble wit,
heereafter sway within her lap to sit,
When England thou maist ioy, delight and court thee,
Vnder his wings maist sit thee downe and sport thee,
Sollace thy labours with a glad content,
And giue God thankes that him to thee hath lent:
Whilst other lands haue not so rich a pawne,
About succeession out their sword is drawne,
Nothing but bloud, confusion, shreikes and skars,
As late was seene within thy ciuill wars.
Heere could I stay and sit me downe and pause,
Nobilitas.
And view thy court and all thy reuerent lawes,
Admiring all the nobles of thy Lands,
How with deuotion all their seruice stands,
[Page 71]Prone euer prest to reattend thy will,
To run and goe as thou command'st them still,
Whose worth and merrit, euery one in order,
Should all be ranck't within this sacred border:
But that to Adam I must post apace,
And tell what fell vpon his fowle disgrace,
Meane while when Time shall worke vnto my mind,
Then shall my Muse their seuerall vertues find.
Adam no sooner had his Iudgement past,
But God his Mercy on his darlings cast,
As one that neuer both of them forsakes,
For one sole fault but mild compassion takes,
Pitties their want, and wailes their fowle abuse,
Tenders their good admits a weake excuse:
Like to a father of a louing heart,
Simile.
Loath with his son and daughter both to part,
Though much prouoked by their folly meere,
Still cloathes them well & makes them of't good cheere:
So God aboue whose loue doth farre surpasse,
The greatest loue as yet that euer was,
For all their faults and fowle enormious sins,
Yet cloathes them warme, in well furd coates of skins.
Gen. 3. 2. 1.
And thus attir'd as in a mantle curld,
Simile:
From Eden now they come into this world,
For Iustice vrg'd vnto their sinfull face,
They might not stay within that sacred place,
For feare that Adam and his longing wife,
Should take and eate but of the tree of Life,
And so for euer both of them should liue,
To thinke the fruit did life vnto them giue:
Like to a man when publikly detected,
Simile.
But for one fault is still of more suspected.
O Holy God, heere is a mistery,
The Tree of life what it doth signifie,
But that deare Lambe out of whose bleeding heart,
Our soules were held much to his paine and smart.
The time indeede when Eue the fruite did gripe,
The tree of Life was not then fully ripe,
But long time after in his glorious birth,
Iust in the midst and center of the earth,
It flowrisht greene on sacred Sion sate,
Till twas cut downe by cursed enuious fate.
Now winged Time Gods speedy messenger,
Tempus.
A nimble hasty posting passenger,
That hard by stood recording what was past,
Vp to the skyes his eyes i'th instant cast,
Spide Eue and Adam standing in the place,
Thus cloathed both before the almighties face:
When but commission from that sacred lip,
He had obteyn'd, lets no aduantage slip,
But mild and gently takes them by the hand,
Shewes them the gate that to the east doth stand,
Leades them along lamenting of their fall,
For all their cryes, sets them without the wall;
Bars vp the dore with such an iron leuer,
As none aliue that once can enter euer.
(Alas poore Adam) now thou feel'st thy hurt,
The aire all cold doth make thy body smart,
Weakenes thy limbs, benummeth much thy strength,
And makes thee glad to fall to worke at length.
Thy wandring first, and losing of thy wife,
Thy pennance then and toyling weary life,
With all the rest that did to thee befall,
Before thy sad and sacred funerall:
[Page 63]Within this place I must forbeare to tell,
For feare my booke would to a volume swell,
And proue more bigge then any of the rest,
Like one great dish mongst many at a feast.
And yet a word (though Time againe do call)
To answer that which in my way doth fall:
Amongst some men there is a question made,
Of those that loue before their time to wade,
How long it was in innocency first.
That Adam liu'd before he grew accurst,
How many weeks, yeares, months, or count of dayes
Were past before Eue fell to foolish gayes:
And how long after that they were detected,
They stayd in Eden all with sin infected.
Some men there be which are of this opinion,
Euen in our dayes within our owne Dominion:
That in the day when Adam was created,
The diuelli'th instant straight his fortune hated:
Enuyde his glory, sought his ruine more,
As in my worke I told you of before.
Tis very like that when Aurora blusht,
The morning cleare, and all were calme and husht:
That Adam then and his sweet spouse were made,
But ere that Titan farre from home did wade,
In westerne Seas his weary coursers duckt,
And heauens wide curtaine ore the earth was pluckt.
It may be true that he might fall againe,
And be expulst out of that sacred plaine:
For some there be that heretofore did say,
Man neuer stayd in honor yet a day.
Others there be that cannot thinke it true,
Their punishment did instantly insue:
But that long time they liued in the place,
Enioying fauour, countenance and grace.
That God himselfe did oftentimes descend
To Eden land, like to a louing friend.
After the man had liued long alone,
He fram'd the woman of his left side bone:
Brought them together, as before you heard,
Whose foule offence the godly Garden mard.
O heauenly God! why should we heere below
Trouble our selues thy secrets past to know:
When thy drad word which thou from heauen hast sent,
The world and all can giue vs scarce content,
But still we striue, and at thy secrets ayme,
Till thou our Reason in our Sense dost maime.
Here is the glory of th'eternall Crowne,
Mans earthly wisedome vtterly throwne downe:
Though in Gods booke we loue to pry and peeke,
In things diuine sometimes we are to seeke.
But Time againe to God himselfe retiring,
Tempus.
Where all his daughters were with ioy admiring,
To see the diuell damn'd to the lowest hell,
Adam expulst, themselues contented well▪
After a gentle kinde respectfull awe,
Before his eyes that all mens actions saw,
Takes sacred Iustice by her reuerent hand,
That nobly, graue, within that place did stand,
Leads her along in milde maiesticke state,
Iustitia descrip.
Plac't both her feete vpon the Easterne gate.
In Scarlet roabes downe to her Anckles trayling,
A Crowne of gold her browes all chast impaling.
Her hands are cleane, not carryed with a tale,
Her modest eyes are couered with availe.
Out from her mouth as heauens eternall cryer,
There streames a blade of purest burnisht fire,
A Sword (which shakes) that vp wards down wards curld,
Like blazing stars amazing all the world.
Simile.
Iust by her side (at her right hand) Time places
The goodliest Dame mongst all the Nymphs and Graces
The sweet borne Mayd, and noblest Cherubim,
That euer Nature at her best could lim:
Braue peerelesse Queene, most Angel▪ like thy face,
Misericordia.
The Saints in heauen thy very name imbrace.
There thou dost stand by Iustice reuerent side,
Till all be ended thou by her must bide,
And she againe at Gods diuinest word,
Doth guard thy person with her flaming sword.
Not long before (if you remember well)
When Adam first with Eue his darling fell,
Charitas.
And both all naked iustly for it blam'd,
Loues bashfull Lady was thereof asham'd:
And as offended in that sacred place,
Mounts vp the clowds with discontented face,
Bewailes mans fall with teares, bedewes her cheeeks,
Most louely looks, and round about she seekes,
If she can find with all her toyle a friend,
To set all right, and past offences mend.
When she had past to siluer Cinthia fayre,
Through the cold Region of the liquid Aire,
And crost the way that Phaeton begun,
With his prowd Teame about the world to run,
Aboue the stars and fiery regions hot,
With extreame labour paine and trauell got.
On euery side through danges great had ventred,
Yet at the last within heauens wals she entred,
Where she beheld a goodly glorious sight,
Ten thousand candles all the world to light,
Carryed in course about the earth to reele,
And Nature nobly turning of their wheele.
After those kind imbraces euer vsde
Twixt Ladies faire, dame Nature smiling, musde
To see her sister with her louely face
Thus rapt alone within that sacred place,
To passe the clowds and firy frozen Ayre,
The earth to leaue, vnto her to repayre:
Euen in an instant at that happy time,
What heauen so high but loue diuine will clime?
Scale vp the throane of God himselfe aboue,
Thrise noble Lady full of grace and loue.
Nature amaz'd as wondring what it ment,
To see thy lookes bewray a discontent.
Enquires the cause that makes thy face so sad,
The newes below she thinks is worse then bad.
But when she heard and vnderstood the cause,
That Eue and Adam brake their Makers lawes,
Incurr'd a curse on all their future seed,
She thought the world and all therein would bleed,
And that Gods anger for so foule offence,
Would not be pleasde vnlesse she went from thence.
Not staying now to heare the matter scand,
She takes her sister by her louely hand,
Descending both in all their rich attire,
Downe the hot region of heauens burnisht fire,
Through the cold Aire beneath the Moone they diued,
And at the last in Paradise arriued.
Here she stood by and saw Gods iudgement past,
And oftentimes forth from her eyes she cast
A Sea of salt and driery briny teares.
Her loue (alas) was euer full of feares,
To make her venter in the heate and cold,
And mount the skies, as euen but late I told:
Bring Nature downe in speedy postapace,
To appease Gods Iustice in that sacred place.
Time spies her forth, and takes her by the hand,
Which louely there within that place did stand:
And as before he vsde each other Sister,
So now this Lady first of all he kist her.
Then leades her foorth much like a louely Queene,
Spangled in Iewels, wrought with gold in greene:
Brings her to Iustice, plac't her by her side,
In future ages euermore to bide.
That till this world by power diuine shall stand,
These sisters both should be on either hand,
To guide the earth and keepe her feete vpright,
And gouerne all vnder the Prince of might:
When Mercy, Iustice both from Loue do flow,
The Scarlet garment seemes as white as Snow.
Time backe retires as heretofore he did,
When now the place was of the Ladyesrid,
And on a Dame of Noble birth doth light,
Cald Truth his daughter cloathed all in white:
Veritas.
He takes her gently by her lilly hand,
Wherein Gods booke did at that instant stand.
Brought her along (as all the rest before)
Ouer the gate vpon the sacred dore,
In all her roabes with comely pompe and grace,
And plac't her right before dame Iustice face,
[Page 68]O heauenly God, may I not well resemble
Iusticia.
The flaming Sword which made the earth to tremble,
When all the world thy sacred Iustice saw,
To deare Elias liuing in the Law,
Rapt vp a liue within a flaming Cart,
His coate imblazde might be a bleeding heart.
2. Kin. 18. 40. 2. King. 1. 10. 2. Kiug. 2. 11.
When Iesabel the monster of her sexe,
His harmelesse soule vpon the earth did vexe:
Her Prophets false to Babylon that ran,
He quite consum'd, and scarcely left a man
To carry newes of that vn wonted fire,
Which fell vpon them at his iust desire.
That Cherubin vpon the right hand plac't,
Misericordia
Which time himselfe hath with his fauour grac't,
In all the world how well I may compare,
To aged Henoch walking in the Ayre,
Within whose dayes when God his body rapt
Aboue the clouds in innocency lapt,
Before such time as Moses Law was gaued,
By Mercy onely all the world was saued
The other damsell which my pen doth lim,
Charitas.
The sweetest fast and louelyest Cherubim,
That Time himselfe vpon the left hand set,
And which my Muse can neuer well forget.
If that we reade the holy sacred Booke,
How neare her person (all diuine) doth looke,
To that Disciple which the rest suruiu'd,
In Pathmos Ile into the heauens a riu'd:
Rauisht in spirit on a sacred day,
Within a coffin did his body lay,
And round about a light there shined bright,
The coffin caught quite out of all their sight.
The lesson still that he did euer preach,
Both in his life, and by example teach,
In all his workes like to the Turtle doue,
Throughout his bookes was little else but loue.
That Cherubin which stood before the face
Veritas.
Ofsacred Iustice in that reuerent place:
Like to an infant that his Nurse doth weane,
Whose face is smiling, fingers ends are cleane.
All full of Truth, not knowing how to faine,
Dissemble falsly all the world to gaine.
How well I may compare her setled looke,
To Gods eternall euer blessed booke.
These Cherubins all glorious to behold,
Surpassing farre the purest burnisht gold:
The radiant splendor of whose sacred rayes,
Resemble those ador'd within our dayes,
Iustice diuine, much like to God himselfe,
Iustitia.
That scorneth bribing and all ill got pelfe,
And shewes by iudgements fearefull past examples,
How all the world vnder his feete he tramples,
Mercy againe much like to Christ his son,
Miserecordia.
That hath the crowne of glory for vs won,
And from the heauens descended to the earth,
To make vs happy in his welcome birth,
Whose panting soule had neuer minutes rest,
Suffring those torments not to be exprest,
Surpassing farre the greatest learned wits,
To see how he at Gods right hand now sits,
Triumphing ouer sin, world, death and hell,
In ioyes eternall which no tongue can tell,
[Page 80]Thrice euer blessed be his glorious name,
It was his mercy made him do the same.
Then Charity much like the God of loue,
Charitas.
I meane no Cupids which to folly moue,
But that great spirit ere the world was made,
Vpon the waters through the deepe did wade,
Gen. 1. 2 Mat. 1. 13. 20.
By whom the Virgin happily conceiued,
To bring forth him that lustice wrath appeased,
When afterwards by Iordans siluer sides,
From Libanon to Sodoms lake that glides,
Along the plaines where Iesus was baptiz'd,
The holy Ghost in shape of Doue disguiz'd,
Mat. 3. 15, 16, 17.
Heauens windowes ope, thus speaketh in their sight,
This is my Sonne in whom I take delight.
When all was finish't, and to Heauen Christ went,
Then downe came he to giue vs all content:
As Iustice, Mercy, both with Loue are linck't,
Simile.
So God is one, the Persons three distinck't.
These altogether as the heauens decree'd,
Iustitia. Misrecordia. Charitas. Veritas.
The Tree of Life protect from Adams seede,
The World it selfe with wonderment they fill,
Their meate is knowne to do their fathers will,
Who all this while is with their sister sweete,
Natura.
His eldest daughter as 'twas euer meete.
When Time had done, discharged full his due,
Aboue the clouds vp to the Heauens God flew,
Where he remaines leauing the world and all,
Which euer yet was knowne vpon this ball;
To the protection of that noble Dame,
That to the earth with loue her sister came,
So well affected, labouring what she can,
That all her care is but for sinfull man,
[Page 81]Let him his mind to goodnesse alwayes bend,
And Nature euer is his louing friend.
Great God of Heauen, now is thy Iustice showne,
Thy Loue and Mercy with thy Nature knowne,
Time hath thy Face and glorious browes vnmask't,
And thus at first my Rurall Muse hath task't,
Heere brought forth Truth from her hath neuer sturd:
Reueal'd the same wrapt in thy holy Word,
Of Paradise the sacred curtaine drawne,
The Sabaoth shew'd, on no mans vice doth fawne,
Of all the world hath sung the first beginning,
Told Adams faults, and Eues offensiue sinning,
Their seede defac't in breaking of thy lawes,
And heere Ile stay, and sit me downe and pause.
The end of the first Age.