Apostacy Punish'd: OR, A New Poem on the Deserved Death OF JONAS ROWLAND, THE RENEGADO, Lately Executed at MOROCCO.
A Certain English-man, who did of late
Change his Religion and his Christian state,
Becoming of a Moor and a Pagan high,
To be an Object for sad Destiny;
A thing that's against the Rules of Nature,
To go about to destroy a Creature:
Since 'tis read, He that denies his Master here,
Will scarce find him when mounting through the ayr;
A case so very rare, and to so strange,
'Twill cause discourse upon the Old-Exchange:
That such a wretch in England should be born.
And to become each Man and Womans scorn.
Surely the Planets were at variance, when
That he was born one of the Sons of Men:
Not one of them owns him, but all do say,
It was his will that he did go astray.
Thus we see, and so understand again,
That Man is but poor, and but born in vain:
That of all things does not get mighty grace,
To run by that gay charm his humane Race;
Else the Beasts are in a better sort than he,
And are remov'd from pain for to be free;
While vicious Man his own ruine seeks,
And by no means any true vertue keeps:
The Fox when he's pursu'd avoids the Snare,
As doth the Coney and the timerous Hare;
And the Mole under earth near a Country Town,
VVon't be taken till Rustick knocks him down:
The Sparrow and the Lark, even they
The Fowlers Net and Gin they won't obey;
And the Horse too, by Natures potent force,
VVithout all danger moves on his wonted course.
Thus Birds and Beasts all of them discover,
From Duck to Drake, from Pheasant to the Plover;
How they avoid Ill, and so seek their Good,
By Natures light, and species of their Blood;
But only Man, that silly Creature, he
Seeks not by Reasons way for to be free.
But still pursues such courses as be sad,
And so the World does see he's only Mad:
An experienced thing which we do know,
Demonstrated by this the Renegado;
Who from his Master run, because did fear,
His Guilt might let him Blood when at Tangier:
His Soul did give him, the most high Alarms,
For all his Mistris, and her potent Charms;
Guilt like a Conjurer when his Spirit does raise,
Another Artist can't lay it by his ways:
So Vengeance did this Villain pursue,
To make the power of Heaven in all things true;
That it and it alone, has now of late,
Made him to dye a death Unfortunate:
I would not had him come to an untimely end,
'Twas the desire of every Man and Friend;
Yet it was much to be feared, soon or late,
That Fate would o're-take him in his Moorish state,
To make him an Example of, that all
May escape Heavens anger, great and small;
That men from their Religion may not turn,
But rather dye, or rather chuse to burn:
Heaven grant amidst all our Knowledge high,
May know thee so well, shall we live and dye?
Then let what will come, or what shew its face,
The Saint in Raggs is yet in Golden Lace:
And he only is the mighty happy Man,
That still continues a good Christian:
A Favourite to the Powers above and below,
As water by winds are tossed too and fro:
VVhile other men that their own ways pursue,
They have not conversation, nor things true;
But careless are, and that of their dear life,
And so move on in great and dayly strife,
In mighty pains and travels of the brain,
In very small esteem, and lesser fame,
Till Death he comes and sets the business right,
And draws the Curtain of the gloomy Night,
And plants them in Regions high and low,
For thither all mankind they still must go.
Thus have I drawn the story here at large,
By way of Figure, and from Natures charge,
That none of us such evils should commit,
Least to by Fate we also should be hit:
For if in Vice we do our Anchor cast,
The Pitcher will come broken home at last;
Then all is lost, and every Man undone
For ever and ever, beyond the brighter Sun:
Therefore let each man his Conscience keep clean,
Then will its Vision by the world be seen,
And he himself be happy while below,
Till that to Heaven and its joys does go.
FINIS.
Printed by T. H. for the Author. 1682.