Though some (perhaps) have tried the same and
Yet wise men still do winde them as they list.
As by example, from Noahs happy choyce,
This world of ours may ever just rejoyce,
To have a mother without blurre or staine,
When all were lost to store the Earth againe.
But what make wee (deare Muse) with Noahs wife,
Chaste matron, grave preserver of our life?
Whose fame deserves heavens azurd richest gowne,
A garland deckt and lawrell wreathed crowne,
And in her lap the frame of all to hold,
If all were made of solid beaten gold,
What if she be derived from the race,
Of cursed Caine, yet hath she better face?
A conscience cleane, Religion in her brest,
Within whose soul, heavens dearest gifts do rest,
Tipe of the Church now to perfection wrought,
Which was at first but out of darknesse brought.
175.
Looke back againe, and post not one too fast,
For feare thou beest beyond thy compasse cast:
Tell what befell to Adams issue left,
What misdemeanors all his ofspring kept,
Ech man his neighbour deadly hates and wou: ds,
Sin overflowes (in every place) abounds,
The greater still devouring up the small,
That in the end th' oppressed blood doth call
For Vengeance just unto the God of Powre,
Who doth descend, and on the world doth lowre,
Repents himselfe that ere he did begin,
To frame the same thus poysoned all with sin,
Whose true repentance from his eyes did draw,
That stream of tears which wofully they saw,
When all the Earth could scarce support, containe
The innundation of his furious raine;
But sunke, shranke in, under the water dives,
As loath to save the wicked treacherous lives,
Of hateful men that never lived at rest,
But when they bloud spilt on her (crimson) brest.
This was the cause which made the clouds to drop Sad sudden showres (downe) from Dame Natures shop,
And all the fountaines of the greatest deepe
To be broke up o're all the earth to creepe, Heavens windows ope, the ratling air to sound, With fearful storms like to a chaos drown'd, Rumbling and tumbling, jumbling all together, As we have seene in sudden sulphery weather, Gods voyce to teare (Heavens curtaine) to our wonder
Out from a darke black horrid dreadful thunder. 177.
But yet before God doth to judgement passe,
He meditates, and sees that man's but grasse,
Like to a flower that in the morning cut
Is yet ere night with their dead bodies put,
Into the grave, and so consume together,
Even in a moment changed hither thither,
Dried up to nothing by Heavens altring time,
When (yesterday) they flourisht in their prime.
God reascends, and lets the world alone,
Takes Enoch up that liv'd therein to mone,
Waile, grieve, lament, the abuses which he saw
Committed were against the conscience law,
Of noble nature in that sinful age,
Small hope to mend when all could not asswage,
The furious current of their streame and tide,
Too good (sweet Saint) with these foul men to
bide.
The Angels bright, and all the powers divine,
Before thy face in glittring Robes do shine,
Their number more than are the stars and sands,
With golden censors in their pure white hands,
Winged with Fame to mount the highest heavens,
Ranck't all in order mustring just by sevens,
Descending sweetly on thy lovely brest,
To bring both soul and body to their rest,
By safe conveyance in a Chariot fram'd,
Of burnisht gold, the Horse with love inflam'd;
Mount up the air with stately stomack fierce, And at the last the brazen wall doth pierce : Where like a Prince that Paradise had gain'd, Of Eve and Adam thou art entertain'd,
With farre more love within so brave a field, Than all the world and all therein can yield, There thou dost live when they are wrapt in dust, The seventh from them, Tipe of our Sabaoth just.
Now thou art gone what can be heere expected,
But Envy, Hate, with all good deedes neglected,
Pride, Cruelty, Extortion, over-rules;
Making the Earth vermilion dyde with gules,
And sable shewes of foule inveterate spleene,
Hatch't in Hels vaults whose like was never seene,
Before this time so strongly to abound,
And overflow the universal round,
As that small hope there is all to mend,
Till God to Justice shall from Heaven descend,
And view the world not as he made it first,
But as it is polluted, staind, accurst,
Contagious, vile in Caines adulterous race,
And overspread with all damn'd actions base,
When what we should not in our pawes we get,
As bad and worse as ere I told you yet.
But cease deere Muse for thou at large hast layd, Their sins wide ope and all their spight betrayed, Unmaskt the browes of all that wicked rout, Which div'd to Hell to bring their plots about, The rest preserv'd I meane those children deare, That live in love and worshipt God in feare Whose bloud ascended, mounted up the skye, And for just Vengence at his Throne did cry.
God heares their moane and re-descends againe,
And sees that sin the totall Earth did staine,
Instead of flowers and wholesome pleasing fruit,
He finds but weedes and barbarous actions bruite,
The weake poore man still by the greater cast,
In far worse case than when he view'd it last;
Now crualty doth grinde the Infants face,
To swallow all with griping projects base,
Corruption, bribes, the world itselfe doth fill, From Sodoms vale to Sions sacred hill, Comes neere the Church to enter in her walls, To fill it full of deadly poysoned galls.
But one man living on this spacious Round, From Sols first sight till where his teame is drown'd
In all the Earth large goodly plentious scope,
From Colmogro unto the cape of Hope,
That God could find to have an upright heart,
Which from his love could not be drawn to start,
By ill examples of that froward race,
Which overswarm'd (the world) in every place,
With Guile, Oppression, Crualty and Hate
As in this worke I told you of but late.
Him God selects and (graciously) culs out,
From the rude Rabble of that murdering Rout,
As in the dayes when Sodom was destroyed,
Just righteous Lot was not at all annoy'd,
But well brought forth by Angels safe and sure,
Preserved was from their curst hands impure,
The harmlesse man may suffer extreme wrong,
Amongst those men that are (perchance) too
strong,
In Wealth, Friends, Kindred, Combination, coate,
To draw slye oaths to cut the poore mans throate:
Yet this may be a comfort to his soule,
For all their tricks and treacherous actions foul,
Damn'd Pollicies unto their utmost might,
Although he fall, he shall not perish quight.
So art thou just in all thy works O God,
When the world feels the burden of thy rod,
And heavy weight of thy all powerful hands,
The upright man still (at thy mercy) stands,
Although sometimes thou shewst thy hinder part,
To let him taste that which his mind thinks tart,
Yet as thy word in many places saith,
Thou dost but try to prove his utmost faith,
And when (oft times) his courage failes and sinkes As brought neere to their dangerous pits and brinkes;
Then dost thou keepe him from their murdering
Base, crual, curst, devouring, griping jawes, And full of Love, compassion, pitty, grace, Unvailst thy Browes to shew thy glorious face.
(Ah dearest God) even whilst my Muse was working.
Upon this Place, how were my foes all lurking
About my house, to undermine my state,
With secret traines, close to my dores and gate,
But thou didst wake when I was fast asleepe,
To make me know that thou dost alwayes keepe,
Thy sheepe from danger of a Wolfe most fierce,
Which in my bloud (next to my state) would
pierce,
Then didst thou give me at that instant howre,
A vision strange to shew thy secret powre,
That in a dreame when once my body wak't,
My inward thoughts and all my senses shak't;
But reason guides and swayes me downe her
streame,
To make me prize it bove an usual dreame.
Whereat I went, lockt up my dores most sure,
To keepe me safe from treacherous pawes impure,
Which never yet in all my life was done,
The hateful lawes of cruell foes to shun;
But (heavenly God) when least I knew of harme,
How did they then about my house all swarme
On every side, with raving speeches hot,
Like Sodomites about the walls of Lot,
Till thou protectedst broughst me safely out,
From the curst fury of that griping rout;
Stroke them with blindnesse all like Tygers lay;
While thou conveydst my body sure away,
To sound thy prayse, and blaze thy glorious name,
To end (this worke) to thy renowned fame.
So dost thou now to make us all admire,
Thy favour shewde unto our reverent sire,
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