The time indeed when Eve the fruite did gripe,
The tree of life was not then fully ripe,
But long time after in his glorious birth,
Just in the midst and centre of the Earth,
It flourisht greene on sacred Sion sat
Till 'twas cut down by cursed envious fate.
Now winged Time Gods speedy messenger,
A nimble hasty posting passenger,
That hard by stood recording what was past,
Up to the skies his eyes i' th' instant cast,
Spied Eve and Adam standing in the place,
Thus cloathed both before the Almighties face:
When but commission from that sacred lip,
He had obtain❜d, lets no advantage slip,
But mild and gently takes them by the hand,
Shewes them the gate that to the east doth stand,
Leads them along lamenting of their fall,
For all their cryes, sets them without the wall;
Bars up the dore with such an iron lever,
As none alive that once can enter ever.
(Alas poore Adam) now thou feel'st thy hurt, The air all cold doth make thy body smart, Weakens thy limbs, benummeth much thy strength,
And makes thee glad to fall to work at length.
Thy wandering first, and losing of thy wife,
Thy pennance then and toiling weary life,
With all the rest that did to thee befall,
Before thy sad and sacred funerall:
Within this place I must forbeare to tell,
For fear my booke would to a volume swell,
And prove more bigge than 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 love before their time to wade,
How long it was in innocency first
That Adam liv'd before he grew accurst,
How many weeks, yeares, months, or count of dayes
Were past before Eve fell to foolish gays:
And how long after that they were detected
They stay'd in Eden all with sin infected.
Some men there be which are of this opinion,
Even in our days within our own Dominion:
That in the day when Adam was created,
The Devil in th' instant straight his fortune hated:
Envied his glory, sought his ruin more,
As in my work 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 western seas his weary coursers duckt,
And heavens wide curtaine o'er the Earth was
pluck't.
It may be true that he might fall againe,
And be expulst out of that scared plaine:
For some there be that heretofore did say,
Man never stai'd in honor yet a day.
Others there be that cannot thinke it true,
Their punishment did instantly insue:
But that long time they lived in the place,
Enjoying favor, countenance and grace
That God himself did some times descend,
To Eden land, like to a loving friend.
After the man had lived long alone,
He framed the woman of his left side bone:
Brought them together, as before you heard,
Whose foul offence the godly garden mard.
O heavenly God! why should we here below Trouble ourselves thy secrets past to know: When thy dread word which thou from heaven hath sent,
The world and all can give us scarce content,
But still we strive, and at thy secrets aim,
Till thou our reason in our Sense doth maime
Here is the glory of the Eternal Crowne,
Mans earthly wisdome utterly throwes downe:
Though in Gods booke we love to pry and
In things divine some times we are to seeke.
But Time againe to God himself retiring,
Where all his daughters were with joy admiring,
To see the Devil damn'd to the lowest Hell,
Adam expulst, themselves contented well.
After a gentle kinde respectful awe,
Before his eyes that all mens actions saw,
Takes sacred justice by her reverent hand,
That nobly, grave, within that place did stand,
Leads her along in mild majestick state,
Plact bothe her feete upon the Eastern gate.
In scarlet robes down to her anckles trailing,
A crowne of gold her browes all chaste impaling,
Her hands are clean, not carried with a tale,
Her modest eyes are covered with a vaile,
Out from her mouth as heavens eternal cryer,
There streames a blade of purest burnisht fire,
A sword (which shakes) that upwards, down-
wards curld,
Like blazing stars amazing all the world.
Just by her side (at her right hand) Time places
The goodliest Dame mongst all the Nymphs and
Graces.
The sweet born mayd, and noblest cherubim,
That ever Nature at her best could lim:
Brave peerelesse Queene, most angel-like thy face,
The Saints in heaven thy very name imbrace.
There thou dost stand by Justice reverent side,
Till all be ended thou by her must bide
And she againe at Gods divinest word,
Doth guard thy person with her flaming sword.
Not long before (if you remember well)
When Adam first with Eve his darling fell,
And both all naked justly for it blam'd
Loves bashful Lady was thereof asham'd:
And so offended in that sacred place,
Mounts up the clouds with discontented face,
Bewails mans fall with teares bedews her cheeks,
Most lovely looks, and round about she seekes,
If she can find with all her toil a friend,
To set all right, and past offences mend.
When she had past to silver Cinthia faire
Through the cold region of the liquid aire,
And crost the way that Phaeton begun,
With his proud teame about the world to run,
Above the stars and fiery regions hot,
With extreame labour paine and travell got
On every side through dangers great had ventred,
Yet at the last within heavens walls she entred,
Where she beheld a goodly glorious sight,
Ten thousand candles all the world to light,
Carried in course about the earth to reele,
And nature nobly turning of their wheele.
After those kind imbraces ever used
Twixt ladies faire, dame Nature smiling mused
To see her sister with her lovely face
Thus rapt alone within that sacred place,
To pass the clouds and fiery frozen aire
The Earth to leave, unto her to repair;
Even in an instant at that happy time
What heaven so high, but love divine will climb?
Scale up the throne of God himself above,
Thrice noble Lady full of grace and love.
Nature amazed as wondering what it meant,
To see thy looks betray a discontent.
Enquires the cause that makes thy face so sad,
The newes below she thinks is worse than bad.
158.
But when she heard and understood the cause,
That Eve 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 foul offence,
Would not be pleas'd unless she went from thence.
Not staying now to heare the matter scand,
She takes her lovely sister by the hand.
Descending both in all their rich attire,
Downe the hot region of heavens burnisht fire,
Through the cold air beneath the moone they
And at the last in Paradise arrived.
Here she stood by and saw Gods judgement past,
And oftentimes forth from her eyes she cast
A sea of salt and burning briny tears,
Her love alas was ever full of feares,
To make her venture in the heat and cold
And mount the skies, as even but late I told :
Bring nature downe in speedy post apace,
To appease Gods Justice in that sacred place.
Time spies her forth, and takes her by the hand,
Which lovely there within that place did stand:
And as before he us'd each other Sister,
So now this Lady first of all he kist her.
Then leads her forth much like a lovely Queene,
Spangled in jewels, wrought with gold in greene:
Brings her to Justice, plact her by her side,
In future ages ever more to bide.
That till this world by power divine shall stand
These sisters both should be on either hand,
To guide the Earth and keepe her feet upright,
And govern all under the Prince of might:
When mercy, justice both from love do flow,
The scarlet garment seemes as white as snow.
Time back retires as heretofore he did,
When now the place was of the Lady rid,
And on a Dame of noble birth doth light,
Cald Truth his daughter cloathed all in white:
He takes her gently by her lilly hand,
Wherein Gods booke did at that instant stand.
Brought her along (as all the rest before)
Over the gate upon the sacred dore,
In all her robes with comely pompe and grace,
And plact her right before Dame Justice face,
O heavenly God, may I not well resemble
The flaming sword which made the Earth to tremble,
When all the world thy sacred justice saw,
To dear Elias living in the law,
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