THE POPES PYRAMIDES.
Blasphemie.
Prophanes.
Pride.
Couetousnes.
Idlenes.
Enuie.
Cruelty.
Heresie.
H [...]pocrisie.
[...]
Sodomie.
Rebellion.
Ignorance.
The fruites of Rome, thou here protractur'd seest,
And sinnes begotten by her Antichrist;
Who like a Serpent with despightfull ire,
With poyson arm'd, with eies as red as fire,
With Triple crowne, and with his horned might,
In waite lies for, the children of the light:
Whose cursed broode, about their damme within,
Breathe out the venome of a seuerall sin.
The chiefe in order, horrid Blasphemie,
Their parent takes against the Deitie,
What is it else? when vs he makes beleeue,
Saluation at his pleasure he can giue?
In heauen, in hell, in purgato [...]y to
He can doe much, nay more then God can doe;
Rome's Temples built, for pure Religion,
Are all prophaned now (saith Mantuan,)
Base parasites her Church-reuenew feedes,
And sacred Altars serue but Ganimedes:
In Bull, in Pardons, Peters keies are sold,
With Christ himselfe, (to who'ule giue most) for gold:
Whiles that Christ's flocke, vnto his chardge assigned,
For want of foode, is cast away and pined,
Or naked left, as seely lambkins be,
To the world's mercie, or wolues cruelty,
As Heretiques, Gods children she doth hold,
And all that are not hem'd within her fold,
When she her selfe, the roote of errour is,
And hath maintain'd the grossest Heresies.
How many Popes doth Platina record,
Vile Heretiques, did whilome Rowe afford?
Of whome Monothelites, some Arrians were,
Some others Athe [...]sts, one a coniurer:
Of Holines thus doth she beare a show,
And with the Churche's title masked goe,
Depainted outward glorious to the ere,
When her devotion's but Hypocrisie:
They fasting teach, yet daintyest cates doe buy,
To please the tast, and serue their gluttony:
That here againe, should Epicurus liue,
He would the Palme vnto the Friers giue:
Sardanapalus, Nero, and the rest,
Whose very names, you chaster eares detest
Of Nature ner'e deserued greater blame,
Then Rome, for one thing, which I dare not name:
Rome, thou that Traitors their bad lessons teachest,
And great'st estates, t'aduance thy; ride impeachest:
Lo here the picture of thy Tyranny,
As Pasquill sent it to our Britany.
A Pyramis, of Serpents poysonous broode;
(Rome,) here behold, erected is on high
Vpon seauen hills, where once thy glory stood
Sad Monument of thy Impietie:
Which all the world infecteth, farre and nigh,
Like the Cerastes, threatning speedy death,
If vnawares we come within her breath.
About whose head, in knots, and wreathings strange,
Her cursed Impes, on euery side doe crall,
While she about her horned head doth raunge,
With poysoned spite, empeiring ouer all:
That Shéepeheard, nor his flocke hereafter shall
Be (Tyber,) with thy pleasaunt streames acquainted,
Which this foule Serpent with all sinne hath tainted.
VVhere once good Pastors Halleluiabs sang,
And sat, their snowy flocks in quiet tending,
That all thy bankes with heauenly Musick rang,
The Laurell groues, their friendly shadowes lending;
But now (alas) those happy daies haue ending,
And by thy shore, (as Sybill did foretell,)
This hatefull broode, of Antichrist doth dwell.
But loe exalted to the highest degree,
That Pride, or vaine Ambition could deuise;
Gods word (a double edged sword) we see
Doth deadly wound this Serpent from the skies;
That neuer feare him now, if you be wise:
But pray the Lord, that he his grace would send,
And in his Truth instruct you to the end.
LONDON Printed in Shoe-lane, at the signe of the Faulcon.