ADAMS Complaint.
THE Olde Worldes Tragedie.
Dauid and Bathsheba.
A Ioue Musa.
Imprinted at London by Richard Iohnes, at the Rose and Crowne next aboue Saint Andrewes Church in Holborne, 1596.
To the Right Reuerend Father, Richard by the Prouidence of God, Bishop of Peterborough, F. S. wisheth increase of temporall and spirituall blessings▪
LEarned
Mecoenas, fauorite of Muses,
Renowned Patron, hater of abuses:
Who sitting in
Religions golden Chaire,
Thou her, she thee adornes with vertues rare.
As
Phoebe from her
Phoebus borrowes light,
Wherwith againe she decketh him by night.
So likewise thou: She thee with swauity,
Thou grace
[...]t her with moderne grauitie.
Both I my selfe, and
Muse will now assay,
Our tributorie debt to thee to pay.
By dutie bound, vnbound I can be neuer,
Vow'd to your Lordships seruice now and euer.
Your Lordships at commandment. FRANCIS SABIE.
ADAMS Complaint.
NEw formed
Adam of the reddish earth,
Exilde from
Eden, Paradice of pleasure:
By Gods decree cast down to woes from mirth,
From lasting joyes to sorrowes out of measure:
Fetch'd many a sigh, comparing his estate
With happie blisse, which he forewent of late.
Rowse vp thy selfe (my Muse) a tale to tell,
A dolefull tale in sad and plaintiue verse:
How man in blisse from happinesse once fell,
Although not woont such horrors to rehearse.
Oh great
Iehouah, heauens great Architect,
In this sad worke my fainting Muse direct.
With pensiue heart he trac'd the earth new founded,
Wringing his hands in lamentable wise:
Earth neuer with ground-cleauing ploughshare wounded,
Now to the starry globe he cast his eyes,
And now to
Eden where he erst remained,
From which with fiery sword he was detained.
O haplesse
Adam (quoth he) vnkind father,
Vnnaturall Parent, childrens fatall foe:
From whence all mankind doe such curses gather:
Authour of death, first bringer in of woe.
No sooner fram'd of thine al-making God,
Then purchasing his sin-correcting rod.
Did not
Iehouah lend to thee his grace,
More plentifull then other liuing things:
Who hauing fram'd thee, did prouide a place,
Euen Paradice, the shadow of his winges.
Amongst a thousand sundry kindes of meat,
Forbidding thee one only fruit to eat.
Consider birds, beasts, fish, and other Creature,
Behold, they all looke groueling on the ground:
He vnto heauen erected hath thy feature,
That thou maist see his woonders, which abound.
Yet thou on whom most louingly he looked,
Hast first of all to anger him prouoked.
For thee he made heauens Azur-painted cou'ring,
Adorning it with starres, with Sunne, with Moone:
The blustring windes within the aire be hou'ring,
That thou his maruels mightst behold alone.
Yet thou his greatest fabricke, with thy sinne
To anger him didst first of all beginne.
For thee he fram'd earths euen-poysed globe,
Hanging it in the aire to humaine woonder:
And decked it with fruites, as with a robe,
Making the seas deuide the same in sunder.
The seas he dight with fish, the earth with beasts
For thee, yet thou hast broken his behests.
What didst thou want amid that pleasant plot,
Prepar'd for thee, by his all-working skill:
Thou canst not thinke, the thing thou haddest not,
Without all griefe thou liued'st, not knowing yll,
Pride, and desire of knowledge made thee taste
The fruite, which did indeed thy knowledge waste.
Had not thy God sayd, taste not of the tree,
The fruit perhaps had still remain'd vntouched:
Hencefoorth shall this enormity by thee
In minds of thy posterity be couched,
Burning desire of secrets which are hidden,
And fiery zeal of things which are forbidden.
What made thy wife the fruit so to desire,
The goodly hue and beautie of the same?
What did allure and set thy mind on fire?
The glozing words of thy seducing Dame,
Henceforth therfore will womens words & beautie
Seducers be of mankind from their dutie.
Blind
Euah, saw'st thou not as in a glasse,
How Sathan with his guiles did circumuent thee:
Beheldst thou not the brittle world alas,
How it with vading vanity did tempt thee.
Then how the flesh did combate with the Spirite,
And all of heauenly blisse thee to disherite.
O certaine type, true figure, perfect map
Of future euilles t'all mankind to fall:
These still with sleights, as in a subtill trap,
Will seeke to make all humaine ofspring thrall.
Whilst Sun remaines, & whilst Moon doth, endure,
These archfoes will their treason put in vre.
Wouldst thou in blisse not keep one little law?
How wilt thou now a multitude obserue,
When many thousand deuils thy mind withdraw,
To which thou canst not choose but needs must swerue?
And hauing sweru'd, thy conscience plainly saith,
That euery sin deserues a seuerall death.
Then viewed he the cerule-colored Pole,
With pitchy clouds which gan to be obscured,
Blacke foggie mists rose from earths lumpish mole,
Earths mole by plow-swaine neuer yet manured.
Ay me (quoth he) this may a token be,
That for my sinne my maker frownes on me.
Day-guiding
Sol with his bright-burning lampe,
Obscures his beames, in clowdes his glorie hiding:
Night-ruling
[...] waxeth pale and dampe,
Asham'd of me, my glory not abiding.
Star-bearing skies, with your earth-cou'ring valt,
For me it is, you frowne for my default.
Rain-sending clowdes, poure out your watry showers
On earth, vast Orbe, which from the seas yuo borrow:
Cold-causing frosts deface the fragrant flowers
With hoarie rymes, true types of future sorrow:
Adam now made, his maker hath offended,
To whom so many blessings he extended.
Ah how Dame
V
[...]r the ground with flowers spread,
Vauting her selfe amid that pleasant pallace:
Foure chrystal
[...] lakes distilled from one head:
Refreshing hearbs with humor, thee with sollace.
Thou didst not sow, no labour didst thou take,
The earth bore all things neuer toucht with rake.
See now how Sommers beauty-spoyling drought
Earth of her party-colloured vestments robs:
Transporting all the buds which
Ver had brought,
To fruitlesse hay, dry straw, and withered shrubs.
Then mystie Autumne with his raigne, boreaues
The earth of hearbes, the trees of parched leaues.
If any Vernall remnant yet be left:
By
Aestaes heat, and Autumns raine not spoyled:
The same by chil-cold Winter is bereft
Of vigor: and with hoary frosts de
[...]oyled.
Frost making earth a Chaos to resemble,
For mine offence, wheron to thinke I tremble.
The blewish skyes did only me protect,
I sought not for a stately brick-built Castle:
I needed not a sheltring roofe erect,
Against tempestuous windes and raine to wrastle.
The sturdie Oake in mountain tops did stand,
The stones lay still, I tooke them not in hand.
Now
Adam stir thee like the nimble pricket,
Pursu'd with houndes, ransacke thy Grandams bones,
Cut downe the massie Oke from grouie thicket,
To forge a tyled roofe for playned stones.
Forge thee a shelter, edifie an holde,
To shield thee from the rage of winde and colde.
As I was made, so liu'd I with my spouse,
Both naked were, yet knew it not (O rarenesse)
We felt no colde, yet liued in no house,
We blushed not one at anothers barenesse.
But (out alas) what shamefastnes we suffred.
When vgly sinne our nakednesse vncou'red.
Learne heer (O all posterities) the shrewdnesse
Of Sathan, and his treacherous assaultes:
VVho hauing once seduced man to lewdnesse,
Exaggerates the greatnesse of his faults,
Making him blush like
Adam in the garden.
Only to bring him in dispaire of pardon.
Ye winged birds, send out your wofull quips
In leauelesse trees, once glutting you with berries:
Cold winter now your tender bodies nips.
Depriuing earth of hearbs, and trees of Cheries:
Your euerlasting Spring abridged is,
And all for
Adam who hath done amisse.
Four-footed beasts inhabitants of field,
Poure out your plaints among the rurall brambles,
Now must your hides mans corps from weather shield,
Your carkasses hang vp on bloody shambles.
Diue in the deep, ye water-hanting Fishes,
Now must ye serue to nourish man in dishes.
Help to lament, ye water-flowing Fountaines,
Congealing Frosts your passages will hinder:
Keep in your buds, y
[...] Gote-frequented mountaines.
Receiuers of the hoarie frosts of winter.
Woods, hearbs, and trees, all terrene things bewayle,
Teares ease the mind, though little doe preuaile.
Proud
Adam not content with thy condition,
Blessed estate, and ten times happie calling:
Sought'st to atchieue more glory, whose ambition
Hath wrought thy fatall ouethrow in falling.
Aspiring to the knowledge of thy maker,
hast lost that blisse wherof thou wert partaker.
This roote of pride (this neuer-withering weed)
Prouoker first of mankind vnto follie:
Will still attaint and cleaue vnto thy seed,
As twinding Yuie on the tender Hollie.
Imbracing it, till it hath suck'd it drie,
And wanting sap, they both together die.
This noysome root in euery ground will spring,
The meanest man in thought will still aspire:
The Potentate will seeke to be a King,
The King to be an Emperour will desire,
And he to be more higher in degree,
Will also striue, if higher he may bee.
I sought moe dainties hauing ouer manie,
From hence shall come desire of varietie:
Contentment seldome will be found in anie,
Loth some contempt will wait vpon satietie.
All men from me will this infection plucke,
As Spyders doe from flowers poyson sucke.
Fond wretches, who in sinfull follie blinde,
Did thinke to hide you from
I
[...]houahs face:
As doth the purblind Hare, or fearfull Hind,
VVhom yelping hounds doe still pursue in chace.
Ah no, ye cannot, his all-seeing eie
VVill find you out, where euer you doe lie.
Take I to me the south-windes ayrie winges,
And in the vtmost coast of earth conuay mee:
Take I to me the Dolphins watery finnes,
And in the seas vnsounded-bottom lay mee:
Let earth into her secret wombe me swallow,
Yet will his glorious eie-beams still me follow.
My guilty conscience sayd, I had offended,
VVhat
[...]ting on earth more hellish can we find,
A sore it is which cannot be amended,
A worme which alwayes gnawes vpon the mind.
Run where I will, into all lands betake me,
Yet will a wounded conscience ne'r forsake me.
O thundring sayings: terrifying wordes,
Heart-taming speaches, cleauing rockes in sunder:
Proceeding from the supreame Lord of Lords:
VVhich in mine eares resounded like a thunder,
Words causing earth an Aspen leafe resemble,
Which at the breath of euerie wind doth tremble.
VVhere art thou
Adam? shamest thou my Deitie,
Ay me, needs must I my sinne display:
Supposing earst my vicious impietie,
That euery shaking bramble would bewray.
Thus shall it also fare with all my seede,
Committing any detestable deed.
How faine would I my guiltie mind haue cleared,
Alleadging
Eue was causer of mine euill:
She to excuse her selfe, as then appeared.
Laid all the fault vpon the subtill Deuill.
Like clowds which pour their rain vpon hie-waies,
They into riuers, riuers into seas,
This sayd; he turn'd him to the vntill'd field,
VVhere vncoth weeds, and fruitlesse brambles breed,
The earth which earst most fragrant hearbs did yeeld,
VVith thornes and thistles now was ouer-spread.
Oh see (quoth he) the earth for mine yll deeds,
Rob'd o
[...] braue robes, and clad in baser weedes.
Deare Grandam earth, thy fountaine heads set open,
Like Chrystall teares, my sorrowes to discouer:
Now must thy mole with deluing share be broken:
A crooked rake thy tilled field passe ouer.
For me these shrubs and prickling thorns thou bearest
For me these yl-beseeming weeds thou rearest.
The heifar now in fields must not be idle,
The seruile Asse must beare an heauy packe:
The Courser braue restrained with a bridle,
The silly sheep his woolly fleece must lacke.
Horse, sheepe, Asse, heifar help me all to mone,
I causer am of all your woes alone.
Still thought he on this string to tune his woes,
And forward went, but loe, three horned Cattle
Neer vnto him amid proud bearing Does,
With frowning gesture menaced a battle.
At length not able to forbeare him longer,
Two weaker ones ran both against the stronger▪
Th'encountred beast receiuing others stroke,
With like assault the one of them requighted,
Assault resounding like a falling Oke,
Which threw th'one backe, the other fled affrighted.
And left his friend distrest, his foe inulted,
The victorer triumphantly insulted.
Ah see (he sayth) see heer a world of woe,
An heap of euils vnto thy seed ensuing:
What maladies from lewd desires doe growe,
As beasts, so men with sauagenesse induing.
Ay me, what dolors, euils, and deeds vnjust
Shall not arise to man through sinfull lust.
Heer maist thou haue a president of warres,
Tumultuous discord, horrible dissention,
Blood-shedding horror, disagreeing jarres,
Inhumaine murthers, pitifull contention:
The mightiest shall be viewed on of all,
The poore dispis'd, the weaker thrust to wall.
Whilst things go well friends wil be alwayes neer thee
Prosperity will loued be of many:
But falling downe, thy dearest friends will feare thee,
Aduersity not holpen vp of any.
The fawning beast doth this presignifie,
Who quite forsooke his friend in misery.
The small shall subject be vnto the greater,
Nobility through strength shall make his entrie:
The welthyer will thinke himselfe the bett
[...]r,
For couetousnesse will spring, the root of Gentry.
Though all sprong from one father and one mother,
Yet euery one will striue t'excell his brother.
See how the Eagle with his bloody clawes
Doth massacre the house-frequenting Sparrow:
The lordly Lyon with his murthering jawes,
Doth rend the Hind as earth is rent of harrow.
The fearfull Whale, that monster in the deep
The lesser fish doth in his bellie keepe.
Whale, Eagle, Lyon, fitly ye presage
Blood-sucking tyrants and inhumaine murtherers,
Which will the weaker sort oppresse with rage,
Arch-foes to vertue, and to vices furtherers.
Blush
Adam, blush to name these dreadful terrors,
First causer of all maladies and errors.
The pleasant Larke delights to mount on hie,
The li
[...]tle wren neer to the earth below:
The greedy Gleyd betwixt them both doth flie,
The Doue in course is swift, the Lapwing slowe.
The shew mens sundry callings and conditions,
These note mens diuers minds and dispositions.
The ayerie-winged blasts as euer mutable,
And neuer in one certaine place abide:
So mans condition shall be euer changeable,
No ground so firme in which he shall not slide.
What seat so strong or what so sure estate
which shall not subject be to frowning fate.
O happie wight, ten times shall he be blest,
VVho with the wren dare not presume to mount:
VVith meane estate contented who doth rest,
And blisse in sole tranquility doth count,
Considering that great things are view'd of all,
And highest things are soonest like to fall:
That highest things are soonest like to fall,
The reaching Pine on mountaines doth betoken,
which sooner then the shrub or bramble small,
with raging blastes of hoysting windes are broken.
VVhat mortall things hencefoorth on earth ensuing
Shall not be subject to times fatall ruin.
Times ruin shall so dyre obliuion breed
In men, that noting their so frayle variety,
Forgetting me, the cause thereof, my seed
Shall faine to Fate an euer-changing deity.
Proportraying her vpon a round wheele dancing,
Euerting some, and other some aduancing.
Alas, no sooner night-expelling morning,
Al.-hyding heauen from her blacke rug exempteth:
But viewing me, and mine offences scorning,
Her snowie cheekes with rednes she besprenteth,
Disdaining
Sols bright beams should long behold me
In Sable night bright
Hesperus doth fold me.
Vile Couetousnes in me first tooke his roote,
For moe things thirsting, when no thing I wanted:
Still shall it hold my children by the foote,
And in the hearts of all my seed be planted.
Now shall rush in the greedy zeale of mony,
which men will labour for, as Bees for hony.
Now shall rush in the fiery thirst of gaine,
And golde in bowels of the earth inclosed:
Which men by toyle and labour will obtaine,
And coffer vp from his darke dungeon losed.
By mortall wightes rare mettals will be knocked,
Which earth in her close treasure-house had locked▪
Now shall be found the hurtfull mine of Iron,
For which men wil into earths bellie enter:
The glittering steele besieged foes t'enuiron,
They now will into swords and Lances temper.
What mortall thing so hard? or what so geason,
Wil not be done and found by humaine reason?
The lofty Pine which mountaine top affoords,
Cut downe, shall now into a Mast be squa
[...]ed:
The yellow bras
[...]e nayled to Firre-tree boords,
Shall cut the seas, as earth with plough is ared.
Sea-Porposses and Dolphins huge shall woonder,
To see their Cerule waters cleft in sunder,
The ruddie Diamond and the Saphir faire,
In th'vtmost coast of earth shall now be sought,
The bright Smaragd▪ the Pearl, and Onix rare,
Fetch'd from the East, full dearly shall be bought,
O into what so deepe and huge an hell,
Will not the thirst of riches men compell?
This sayd, on earth his glowring eyes he fastned,
There saw an Ant, a little creeping el
[...]e,
Who dragg'd with her a Barley graine, and hastned
Home to her caue, graine bigger then her selfe:
O learne he cries, learne
Adam of this Ant,
To worke in youth, least afterward thou want.
Behold the Bee, a silly painfull creature,
How wittily shee laboreth in Sommer:
Reposing food, she only taught by nature,
Least barraine winters penurie
[...]hould numb her,
Her industrie giues to thee an example,
how thou shouldst liue, & in what waies to trample.
Now
Adam must thou labour, ditch and delue,
Graft, plant, walke, run, hedge, fence, plow, harrow, sowe
Pluck downe, reare vp, set munifie, build shelue,
VVeep, laugh, striue, wrastle, bind vp, gather, mowe,
Thresh, cary out▪ grind, bake, brue, spin and card,
Knock, beat, wash, dry, buy, sell, sleep, watch and ward
In sweat of browes and horrible vexation,
To get my liuing shall I be constrained:
VVhat shall man see but dolefull tribulation,
Vnto his death from time that he is wained.
Nought shall his race be but a vale of sinning,
Fond, sinfull, fraile, in end, midst and beginning.
How vaine is wordly pompe? how fraile and bri
[...]le?
How soon is man of earthlie things bereft:
His pleasures passe as swiftly as a shittle
Cast from the weauers right hand to the lest:
His orient hue as vading as a flower,
VVhich floorisheth and dyeth in an hower.
O wretched man! O life most transitorie!
Deceiptfull world, foule sinke of filthy errors:
Eye-pleasing shades of vaine delightfull glorie
Deepe gulfe of sinne, vast dungeon of terrors,
Receptacle of woful tribulations
Grand treasure-house of all abhominations.
O sea of sorrowes, laborinth of woes,
Vale full of cares: abysse of imbecilitie:
Thief-harbouring house, field full of armed foes,
Stil-turning orb, true map of muta
[...]ility.
Affoording man as many false yl-willers
As woods haue trees, as trees haue Caterpillers.
Of lumpish earth
I
[...]houah me created,
To th'end I should not glorie in my feature:
And I againe to earth must be translated
By Gods iust doo me▪ the end of euery creatu
[...]e:
Then wherto should I trust on earth abiding,
Sith for my fault all earthly things are sliding,
When first of all man draweth virall breath
And spirite, he to die beginneth then:
No worldly thing more certaine then is death,
Nor more vncertaine then the hower when.
O lend me then a font of springing teares,
To weep my fill for mans vnconstant yeares.
Ah weladay, me thinks for mine offences,
My God sayth still I must to earth againe:
O how the thought of death appales my sences,
Though end it be of all mans woe and paine.
So likewise shall all my postoritie
Feare it, though end of all calamity.
O great
Iehouah, woonderfull in might,
How wisely hast thou wrought all things, concealing
The certaine houre of death from mortal wight,
Yet certaintie thereof to him reuealing.
Done surely by thy skilfull prouidence,
That man should feare and learne obedience.
Me thinks I see (O let me yet diuine)
How many of my sonnes will goe astray,
Erecting houses, raysing buildings fine,
As though they were inthroniz'd here for ay.
O let them know that for my foule offence,
by Gods just doome all flesh must wander hence.
Not he that shall on earth the longest dwel,
Not he that shall in prowesse be the rarest▪
Not he that shall in wisedome most excel,
Not he that shall in visage be the fairest.
With wisedome, beautie, age or courage fell
Shall able be impartiall death t'expell.
O wretched
Euah, mankinds deadlie Foe,
Accursed Grandame, most vngentle mother,
Sin-causing woman, bringer of mans woe,
Woe to thy selfe, and woe vnto all other.
Thy mighty maker in his iust displeasure
Hath multipli'd thy sorrowes out of measure.
In paine shalt thou thy seed conceiue and beare,
In peril shalt thou of it be discharged:
Thou shalt it foster vp with tender care,
A thousand wayes thy griefs shal be enlarged:
Thou shalt be guided by thy mans direction,
He as a Lord shall haue thee in subjection.
O cursed worme, O exerable serpent:
Blisse-hating Dragon: most abhorred creatu
[...]e:
Infectious Adder: venom▪ breathing verment,
The food of enuie, sdeignfull scorneof Nature:
Fals-hearted traitor, harbourer of euill:
Darke den of spight, foule cabbin of the Deuill.
Most lothsome be thou of
Iehouahs worke,
Enuyed both of man and feeding cattell:
In vnfrequented valleyes shalt thou lurke,
And with thy stinging tongue still menace battell.
Man seeing thee, shall feare and seeke thy bane,
As instrumentall author of his paine.
For want of feet: through woods and deserts thicke
Vpon thy griesllie belly shalt thou slide:
And for thy food dust of the earth shalt licke,
Such plagues shall thee (O lothsome worme) betide,
Such woes on thee
Iehouah hath disbursed,
Pronouncing thee of all his workes most cursed.
The husband-man among the rurall bushes,
VVill start, and thinke each moouing twig a foe:
Still fearing-least among the marshy rushes
Thou lying hid, shouldst worke his second woe.
Thy deadly sting, and golden speckled hew,
In false pretence thy glosing words doe shew
But thou (O Sathan) proud infernall deuill,
Chiefe actor in this dolefull tragedie:
Lord of ambition, maister of all euill,
Thy fatall fall behold I prophecie:
From out the woman shall an issue spring,
VVhich will preuayle against thy deadly sting.
Between her seed and thee (O fearfull fiend)
Shall be continuall enmity and fight:
Thou shalt but pricke her heele, she in the end
Shall conquer thee, and ouerthrow thy might.
Then man reioyce, O
Adam cease to waile,
Thy conquer or shall now no whit preuaile.
O woondrous pittie, vndeserued kindnesse,
Of earths-sole founder to the worke he made:
Who seeing man cast downe in sinne and blindnesse,
So speedily him promisd help and ayd.
Ayd, certaine ayd his arch-foe to repell,
To conquer death, and conquer conquering hel.
Rejoyce then earth, cease frowning heauens to glower,
Now broken are hels euer-lasting barres,
From whence man tooke by Gods almighty power,
Shall mount aloft aboue the twinkling starres:
There with the womans seed which promis'd is,
For euermore to raigne in heauenly blisse.
Ye chirping birds, whose partie colloured plumes
With gentle sound the whistling aire doe trouble:
In shady dales send foorth your dolefull tunes,
Let Ecchoes shrill your dulcid notes redouble.
Ada
[...] your Lord exil'd from
Eden garden▪
By faith and mercy hath obtayned pardon.
Ha
[...]monious Larke, let neue blushing morning
See dankish earth, but mount thou from the ground:
And blewish skies with pleasant notes adorning.
For mans redemption signes of mirth resound:
Sweet
Philomene, let neuer
Hesper shine
Ere thou haue tun'd a thousand ditties fine.
Mild
Eurus raigne in blustering
Boreas place,
Leap sportiue fish aboue the Chrystall riuer:
Man reconciled to his God by grace,
Shall now in heauenly blisse abide for euer.
For
these[?] glad tydings, frolike tender lambes,
In pastures pleasant with your merie dammes.
And lastly,
Adam, sith it is decreed,
That thou must fight ere thou canst win the fort:
Fight manfully, trust in the promisd seed,
And be most sure thou shalt arriue the port,
Port full of joy and heauenly blessednes.
Free from all cares, and worldly wretchednes.
FINIS.
The old Worlds Tragedie.
I Sing of horrors sad and dreadfull rage,
Of stratagems wrought in the former age,
Contagious vice, and in conclusion,
Of massacres, death and confusion:
Vouchsafe my muse, my dolefulst muse to tell
What made the King of heauen to be so fell:
Sole Architect of earth and earthly landes,
So furiously the fabricke of his handes
To bring to ruine: can
Iehouah then
Poure out such fearfull threats on mortall men,
Full sixteen h
[...]ndred years from worlds creation,
And fifty sixe by sacred computation:
When liuing things replenished the ground.
And earth with mortall wights did first abound:
A dolefull Tragedie was brought to passe,
Earth was the stage whereon it acted was▪
Vpon the stage first came impietie,
Vaunting her selfe against the Deity.
She in short time began to growe to hed,
And all the earth at length she captiue led.
Then came in foule desire and lothsome lust,
She in short time seduced euen the just:
Who gazing on the beautie of the wicked,
Began with lewd concupiscence be pricked▪
In mattimony to their daughters linking
Their sonnes, and at sinnes detestable winking.
[Page]The Host was ofttimes slaine by lodged stranger,
Guest of his hoste stood many times in danger.
Vile Auarice all mortall hearts possessed,
The weaker lay in euery street oppressed:
Men
[...]ought by cruell bloodshed gaine to gather,
The sonne for riches sought to slay his father:
The brother mixed poyson for his brother,
She for her daughter: daughter for her mother.
Pale enuie left her Adder-haunted den,
And rul'd on earth as supreame Queene of men▪
Aspiring pride with weapons in her hand,
To warre against humility did stand,
Wherewith in fight she killed her at last,
And from the stage all massacred her cast.
Then dreadfull wrath met patience at the field,
And shortly she compelled her to yeeld.
Fals-hearted treason like a faithfull louer,
His woluish backe with sheepish skin did couer:
And meeting with true friends
[...]ip s
[...]retely,
Gaue her the stab (O monstrous villanie)
Fidelity lay slaine by treacherie,
Pure chastitie by lothsome letcherie.
Here lay the seruant by the master killled,
There masters blood lay by the seruant spilled.
Then might you see man-murthring falshood f
[...]ight
With verity, and ouercome her quite:
Religion by A
[...]heisme proud was banisht,
And she forth with to heauenly kingdomes vanisht:
As soone as ere good Conscience shew'd her head,
By disobedience she was stroken dead.
Then Gluttony vpon the stage made entrance
Prodigiously who slew dame Temperance.
[Page]Excesse appear'd with strange varietie,
And fiercelie put to flight Sobriety.
Enuious Anger vehementlie assailed
Dame Patience, and in the end preuayled.
Then mou
[...]ted on the earth obliuious Sloth,
She Industrie and labor conquer'd both.
Iniustice lastlie with an hideous rout
Of hellish furies trac'd the stage abou
[...]:
Her visage sterne, her hands in blood imbrue
[...]
Her breast of Iron, vgly Toads she spued:
Her standerd-bearer was ambitious pride,
And next vnto her went Don Homicide,
Next vnto them a ranke of Enuies brood,
Begirt with Adders, se
[...]pents were their food:
Straight after them excesse and gluttonie,
Deformed Sloth, and impious Simphonie
A thousand other stygian hagges and moe,
Then with thei
[...] Queen imp
[...]etie did grow.
Whom just
Astrea seeing in this sort,
A sudden feare amaz'd her mean report,
And leauing earth with all that hideous crew,
Vnto the skies without delay
[...]he flew.
And now huge Gyants vpon earth remained,
with whose vile ofspring al the earth was stained
O
[...] them to Dam
[...]els faire committing seed,
A deuillish kind of people there did breed:
A People fierce and of exceeding stature
Pestifferous, and prone to sin by nature.
These tyranniz'd and liued at their pleasure,
Oppressing weaker people without measure.
With dreadfull rigor keeping them in awe,
Despising iustice, breaking Natures law.
[Page]These heaped sinne on sinn
[...], and fault on fault,
As high as
Pelion or
[...] vault:
As high as
Pindus or steep
Oss
[...] either,
Were
Pindus or steep
Oss
[...] clapt together,
When suddenly from his most glorious throne,
Whereon he sitting guides all things alone.
I
[...]ouah founder of the starrie pole,
Of waterie seas, and of the earthly mole,
Daign'd vpon earth his sacred e
[...]es to cast,
Eies seeing all things in the world so vast.
He saw how vice had growne vnto a head,
Injustice all the earth had ouerspread:
He saw how sinne and vile impietie
Vanted themselues against his Deitie.
The Adder-pawed gya
[...]ts, mounts of euill
Touching the skies, base children of the deuill.
His sacred head heerat he gan to shake,
Wherat the skies, the earth, and all did quake:
He sighed, and most sorrowfull he was,
That euer mortall man was brought to passe:
He grieu'd in heart th
[...]t euer he created
Man, who with sinne was so contaminated.
All things (quoth he) wherin remaineth breath,
I purpose to destroy
[...] sudden death:
This hand which
[...] all mortall things aliue
All earthlie things of life sh
[...]ll now depriue,
From man to beasts, from birds to things which creep,
All flesh shall taste of my displeasure deep.
The birds swift winges shall not his body saue▪
The Lyons for
[...], nor G
[...]ants courage braue▪
Thus am I minded; thus doe I intend,
All liuing creatures now shall haue an end.
[Page]But yet on earth one only man there dwelled
All other men in justice who excelled:
The third from
Enoch was he in discent,
Enoch who all his life vprightly spent:
Enoch of life who neuer was bereauen,
Enoch,
[...]ho liuiug was rapt into heauen.
Methushelah who all men did surpasse
In length of life, his Grandsire cleped was.
It was just
N
[...]ah, Lamec
[...]s sonne vpright:
Three sonnes he had,
Sh
[...]m, Ham &
Iaphet hight
He loued vertue, vice he did eschew,
Iehouah therfore
[...]auour did him shew.
Againe Earths founder his all seeing eyes
Cast on the world from top of Cerule skies.
Againe he saw all wickednes abound,
In all the earth no justice could be found.
The children bathed in their fathers blood,
All nought he saw, and nothing that was good
Vast fields of sin, Abysses fraught with lewdnes
Realmes full of errors, mountaines huge of shrewdnes.
The height whereof vnto his throne ascended,
And with their stench his nostrils fore offended
Then vnto
Noah, L
[...]mechs sonne he spake,
An end of all things now I meane to make:
All flesh wherin remaineth liuing spirit,
Of vitall breath I purpose to disherit.
Ah how it grieues me now that I haue framed
Man, who wi
[...]h sin the earth hath so defamed.
Make thee an Arke of Pine trees verie strong,
Three hundred cubits shalt thou make it long.
Threescore in breadth, and thirty cubits hie,
Make rooms in it where seueral things may lie.
[Page]Three sundrie stories s
[...]lt thou in it frame,
And round about with pitch close vp the same:
For I vpon the earth a flood will bring,
Wherwith I will subuert ech liuing thing,
But vnto thee my couenant will I make,
My couenant which I neuer meane to breake;
Thou with thy wife, thy sons, & thy sons wiues
Shal in the arke be shut and saue your liues.
Of euery lining creature also twaine,
A male and female shall with thee remaine,
And lay vp food for thee and euery creature,
Euen seuerall food according to their nature.
The ark was made, & al things brought to passe
As God commanded, so it framed was.
Then spake
Iehouah vnto him, goe thou
Into the arke with all thy houshold now:
For seu'n dayes hence shall mighty rain abound
Wherwith I mean to couer al the ground.
Then
Noah with his family also
Iust eight persons into the arke did goe,
And now the hower was neer, the fatal hower
Wherin
Iehouah meant to shew his power:
Sixe times
Auror
[...] with her blushing hew
Had seene the earth all darke with hoary dew.
Now pitchie night six times gan dim the skies▪
Last night of sollace vnto mortall eyes:
O
Luna still detaine thy blackish horse,
Let neuer dismall
Tytan run his course,
Bright
Vesper still continue thou thy race.
Let neuer fatall day-star thee deface.
Who can alas, expresse the dole
[...]ull ruin,
And piteous horror of the day
[...]nsuin.
[Page]Now fro her chamber comes the scowling morning,
Her selfe still in a night-gowne blacke adorning:
Tytan arose, but yet his glorious head
With pitch-resembling cloudes was ouerspread,
Blacke foggie mystes rose from the earthly mole,
Ascending vp vnto the a
[...]ry pole.
Windes thronged foorth, and stroue in skies aloft,
As ciuill warres among them had been wrought,
As craggie hils had broken been by charmes,
As all
E
[...]lia had beene vp in armes.
Windes, ayre and cloudes, all meant the ayre to sacke,
O now or neuer goes the world to wracke,
Then thou (O woe) heauens Architect began
To poure thy feareful threats on mortall man:
The glowring skies re
[...]ounded like a thunder,
As though heauens sacred vault had cleft in sunder,
As though ten thousand Cannons huge discharged
Their roaring sounds with fall offorts enlarged.
His right hand shoke the earth, his left hand crushed.
The clouds, then raine in great aboundance rushed.
Raine poured foorth, yet not content, his anger
Enforced swelling tydes on earth to wander.
Then broken were the heads of watrie fountaines▪
They gushed from the feet of craggie mountaines▪
Seas lent them waues their courses to maintaine,
Earth made them passage to his vtter bane,
Now had the morne still clad in mourning weeds,
Thrise open'd gates to
Phaebus fiery steeds,
Steeds smoking wet, yet from his flaming carre,
No light did come, blacke mystes his light did scarre:
And now the three dayes raine and flowing flouds
Had spoyled quite green hearbs and pleasant buds:
[Page]And shortly did the husband man complaine,
That all his whole years trauell and his paine
Were brought to ruin, corne and goodly flowers
Were prostrate laid with ouer-flowing showers.
The sillie birds with violence of weather
In bushes thicke did
[...]hroud themselues together:
Beasts shrinking vnder grouie hedges stood
Halfe drown'd with wet, halfe dead for want of food.
By this time waters all the earth did couer,
The falling raine and rising flouds ran ouer
All champion countries, where men lately plowed
Now waters stood, and Scullers might haue rowed.
O then on earth was heard a piteous crie,
Men crying out, beasts roaring plaintiuely.
Then first of all began the Gyants sterne
To shake for feare, and flinty hearts to yerne.
Raine falling, and seas rising without pi
[...]tie,
Made entrance into euerie house and cittie:
As when a Fort or sacked citties walles,
With violence of
[...]ampir'd engines falles,
The furious foe runnes raging through the stree
[...]s,
With bloody weapons killing whom he meetes.
An hideous
[...]ry and
[...]ound arri
[...]eth then
Of maymed women and distressed men.
Men seeing weapons come to worke their bane,
Yet could not shun them: O what greater paine?
So fat'd it with the people of this time,
Some vpon roofes and turrets high did clime,
One takes the highest mountaine he can see,
Another sits a fishing in a tree.
One thrusts himselfe into a wherry boat,
And desperately vpon the waues doth floate.
For eurie one to shun the waters sought,
They saw the waters come to stop their b
[...]eath,
Yet could not shun't, O greater gri
[...]fe then death.
Their dollours might haue been compared well
To one that dying heares the passing bell.
Some were already drown'd, thus stood the case,
He liu'd the longest who had highest place:
And now were turrets high and mountaines couered,
And leauie trees which in the aire erst houered:
O lend me words the dollours to display,
The Fatall horrors of this dismall day.
There might you see how louingly the mother
With her sweet daughter kissed one the other:
One piteously requesting others help,
Yet neither of them knew to ayd himselfe.
The dying sonne now at the latest gaspe,
About his clasping f
[...]hers
[...]eck did clasp
[...].
And ready now to bid their l
[...]t farewell,
Were snatched both with seas and billows fel:
The Lord & seruant both at one time snatched,
One furiously hold on the other catched.
And still in surging waues together cleft,
Till both of breath together were bereft.
The tyrannizing Giants bodies grim
Now with the criples liuelesse corps did swim.
The subject with the
[...]cepter-bearing king,
The murthring billows spar'd no liuing thing.
Some might you see half dead and halfe aliue,
Like water-fowles now rise, & now to diue.
Some turning round, and violently borne
Al headlong downe, their lims in sund
[...]r torn.
[Page]The brisle-bearing bore, and gentle sheepe
Swam both together in the surging deep.
The silly Lambe was with the rauening Wolfe
Drown'd in the vast no-pitie taking gulfe.
The liuelesse Lyon in the deep did swim,
Nought did the Tygers courage profit him,
Nought booted it the Beare to roar and grind,
No profit by his swiftnesse got the Hind.
And hauing long time with exceeding paine
Flowne through the aire, disturbed still with raine,
The wearie bird not finding any ground,
Fals downe in seas, and at the last is drown'd.
And now the Arke where
Noah did abide,
Was hoisted vp with ouer-swelling tide.
One while all hidden to the earth it fell,
As though it would haue gone to visit hell.
One while againe it seemed to arrise,
And suddenly would mount vp to the skies:
No sterne it had, no mast, no sayle, no guide,
But caried was at pleasure of the tide.
Twise twenty dayes as blacke as any cole
The murthering raine distilled from the Pole.
The tallest mountaines in the world so wide,
Now couered were with ouer-swelling tide.
The ayrie Alpes and eke
Pernassus faire
Now hidden were with waues, a woonder rare,
Snow-bearing
Pindus and
Olympus steep,
Both at this time lay hidden in the deep.
Now first of all igniferous
Aetnas caues,
And Ciclops flames were quench'd with salt-sea waues,
Sweet-smelling
Ide and sacered
Ismarus,
Aspiring
Pelion and hard
Caucasus,
[Page]In
Scythian mounts, where murthering Tygres hanted:
Now vgly shapes of monstrous sea-fish vanted:
The Dolphins woonders vnder watrie floods,
To see faire turrets and thicke grouie woods.
In steed of sacrifice on Altars faire
Sit seemly Marmaydes combing of their haire,
In Churches eke their Organists now wanting,
Melodious Odes and ditties now recanting.
The vglie dog-fish and deuouring Whales
Gainst pinacles did dash their shining skales:
And where the Goat was woont her food to swallow,
Foule Porposses and seaish monsters wallow.
Now from his glorious pallace heauens creator
Look'd downe, and saw the world a sea of water:
All was a sea yet wanted it a coast,
Then thought he on the Arke and
N
[...]ah tost:
Through all the world and earth, which manie a night
Hid vnder seas, had seen no cheerfull light.
Foorthwith he charg'd the foggie mysts to vanish,
Then all the windes tempestuous did he banish:
And
[...]hen retreyt vnto the water soundes,
Commanding it to keepe within his bounds:
Commanding it his fountaines to restraine,
And them to stop their springing heads againe.
Clouds foorthwith fled, and tempestes were appeased,
The seas return'd, and running fountaines ceased.
The scowling morne now left his mourning robe,
And smilinglie blush'd on the watery globe.
And shortly might you see meane turrets peepe,
And tops of Pine-trees from the flouds to creepe:
The fleeting arke which long had cleft in sunder
the vast deluge, both caried vp and vnder,
[Page]Now vnto East, and now vnto the west,
At length in mounts of
Ar
[...]y did rest.
Twise twentie times had Phoebus drencht his beames▪
And Car in graue
Ocean
[...]s his streames.
When as the framer of the subtill Barke,
A window did set open in th Arke.
And foorth he sent a Rauen thence, to know
If waters still the land did ouerflow.
Foorth flew she, but returned presently
So went and came vntill the earth was drie.
Againe, he sends a siluer-winged Doue,
To see if still the waters were aboue.
Out flies the Doue, & through the aire doth go
As swift as any arrow ftom a bowe.
Much aire she cuts, and in the earth not seeing
One liuing creature any where haue being.
Nor any ground wheron she might remaine,
With weary wings returnes to him againe.
Then rested he vntill the day-star bright
Seuen times remoou'd the canopie of night:
Then once againe the Doue he sendeth out,
She mounts aloft and flieth round about.
And finding much dry ground on earth, presumes
To fall theron, and rouse her ruffled plumes,
Now shakes her selfe, and with her bill them peckes,
Now layes them downe and orderly them deckes▪
And hauing long time frolik'd at her will,
Returned with a green leafe in her bill▪
By this knew Noah that the Flood decreased,
Yet other seuen dayes in the arke he rested:
And when bright
Vesper in the Welkin pale
Had thrise and foure times drawne the clowdy vale,
[Page]The third time forth againe he sends the Doue,
She swiftly in the aire her wings doth mooue:
And finding food her body to sustaine,
And ground to rest on, neuer came againe.
Yet rested
L
[...]chs osspring in the Arke,
Till seuen times againe in Welkin darke
B
[...]otes guider of the greater Beare,
Had showne himself, and then expelling feare
Sets ope the doore, and plainely did espie
Floods quite decreas'd, and face of earth all dry.
And then the lord commandment to him gaue
That he with all things els the Arke should leaue.
No stay they made, all things▪ man, bird aud beastes,
VVhom
Tita
[...] saw from either of his restes
Aliue on earth, came foorth with from the arke,
There stre
[...]ht their limmes, vnweldy yet and starke▪
There
Enochs ofspring to his God erected
An altar, who from Floods had him protected:
And theron for his preseruation
Did of
[...]er vp a just oblation:
The smell wherof vnto his throne arose,
And cast a pleasant odour to his nose.
Expelling quite that detestable stinke
VVhich erst ascended from worldes filthy sinke.
Delighted therfore in this pleasant
[...]uour,
He blest all mankind with his gracious fauour:
Hencefoorth (quo
[...]h he) no more my wrathfull
[...]urse
Vpon the world or man I will disburfe.
For all his thoughts with wickednes are stayned
Fuen from his birth, to time that he is wayned.
Hencefoorth in
[...]eason shall
[...]e plant and sow,
In season shall he after reape and mowe.
[Page]In his due course hot Sommer will I send
And winter, till the earth shall haue an end:
Increase aboundantly, bring foorth and breed▪
And earth againe replenish with your seed.
Beholde, your feare all creatures shall appall,
Rule thou as Lord and maister ouer all.
Whoso shall man bereaue of vitall breath,
His life shall be abridg'd with cruell death.
Blood will haue blood, whoso shall cut manslife,
His also shall be cut with blooudy knife.
Encrease aboundantly, bring foorth and breed,
The earth againe replenish with your seed.
Behold, with thee I make a couenant sure,
A couenant which for euer shall endure,
With earth, and all thinges which th
[...]reon remaine,
That I will neuer drowne the world againe,
And to confirme my promised decree,
A certaine seale therof I giue to thee.
This is the seale: a Bowe I meane to shrowde
Of diuers collours in a pitchie clowd.
This is the seale, and this shall be a token,
That this my league at no time shall be broken.
And when I shall all-hiding heauen cloake
With clouds, foorth-pouring mystie raine like smoke,
Then I in cloudes will place my certaine seale,
Mine euer-during promise to reueale.
With surging billowes and impartiall raine
That earth shall neuer be destroy'd againe.
And this a signe infallible shall be,
Of mine eternall-durable decree.
FINIS.
Dauid and Beersheba.
SVch time as
Tytan with his fiery beames
In highest degree, made duskish
Le
[...] sweat:
Field-tilling Swains driue home their toiling teams,
Out-wearied with ardencie of heat:
And country heards to seeke a shadie seate:
All mortall things from feruency of weather,
In s
[...]ing shades doe shroud themselues together.
[...] wife vnto
Vri
[...] stou
[...],
A Captaine vnder
I
[...]ab of renowne:
Whom princely
Dauid with a warring rout
Had sent to beat the pride of
A
[...]n downe.
And to besiege and ra
[...]sacke
Rabbah towne,
Betooke her selfe into a garden faire,
Inricht with flowers, which sent a pleasant ayre.
On euery side this garden was beset,
With choise of rare delights and Arbors geason:
The Lentisk, fig-tree, and Pomgranet great,
Grew there in order, far surpassing reason.
The ground was deckt with Gyl
[...]flowers fine,
Carnations sweet, and speckled sops, in wine.
There might you heare vpon the pleasant trees,
The little birds melodiously to sing:
Vpon the blossoms wrought the painfull Bees,
Neere was it to the pallace of the King,
Within it also was a pleasant spring.
Whose liquid humour moystened the same,
A garden worthy of so worthy dame.
Now gathereth she the sweetest of the sweet,
And pretilie from flower to flower trippeth▪
Soone after to the fountaine tu
[...]nes her feet,
Then daintily her hands of glo
[...]es she stiippeth,
And in the Chrystall waues her fingers dippeth.
She likes it well, and calles it passing coole,
And minds to bath her bodie in the poole.
Then nimbly castes she off her Damaske frocke,
Her Satten stole most curiously made:
Her Partlet needle-wrought, her Cambricke smocke,
And on a seat thereby them nicely
[...]aid.
And so to wash her in the well assayd▪
O shut thine eies
Narcissus come not neete,
Least in the well a burning fire appeare.
Sleep still King
Dauid in thy Princely bed,
Where now thou takst thine after-dinners nap:
O rouse not vp from sleep thy kingly head.
Least by mifchaunce thou fall into a
[...]rap,
See heere of mans fragilitie a map:
Thou canst not (
Da
[...]id) needs must thou vpstart,
Thy God will haue thee know how frayle thou art.
Now riseth he, and vp in haste he fli
[...],
Vpon the highest turret of his tow
[...]:
There standing, all the
[...] ouerpries
Her carued Bulwarkes, and ech goodly bower▪
But O vnlucky time, O dismall hower!
Stop
Ishas sonne thine eares, keep sayles on hie,
Least Syrens songs doe drawe thy mind awry.
Sur
[...]aying thus his towne, at length he cast
His eye-lids downe, and saw
Beersheba naked:
His princely heart, which neuer yet did tast
Of euill, stroke with burning feuer quaked:
A fire he caught, by no waues to be slaked.
And as he striues to quench this flaming fire,
Still kindles it with bellowes of desire.
Much better hadst thou kept within thy pallace,
There on thy harpet'aue fed thy mind with joy:
Or entertain'd some pretie pleasing sollace.
But are the godly subject to annoy?
Must they be ruled by a wanton boy?
His eie approou'd, his heart it gaue consent,
And both were spurres vnto his bad intent.
With washing waues her breast he saw her decke,
He cals it
Nectar, wherof Angels drinke:
With Iuory armes she rubs her milky necke,
White Doues which fall on snow he doth them thin
[...]
He wisheth he himselfe were at the brinke.
But with the candle whilst he thus doth play,
At last his wings were burned quite away,
And now begins the combatant assault,
Betweene the willing flesh and nilling spirit.
The flesh alluring him vnto the fault,
The spirit tels him of a dreadfull merit.
And in the end flesh conquered the spirit.
He sends, she came, he wooes, she gaue consent,
And did the deed, not fearing to be shent▪
What hast thou done, O Psalmist▪ blush for shame,
Thinkst thou thy sinne will neuer come to light.
No, no,
Iehoua
[...] will reueale the same,
Though thou hadst don't in silence of the night.
Yet would he bring it into open sight:
T'was he would put thy piety in triall,
To see if thou wouldst yeeld or make denyall.
Now three times
Cynthia in the Welkin bright
Her circle full vnto the earth did lend:
Thrise had she lost againe her borrowed light,
Since
Dauid with
Beersheba did offend,
And now began
[...]he feele her wombe extend.
What should she doe? her fault she could not couer,
Of many dayes she had not seen her louer.
And now shee mo
[...] her to the King, and sayes
In mournfull fort, shee feeles her selfe with child:
His guilty mind disturbed many wayes,
(Wit waites on feare) finds out a pretie wild,
Wherwith he hopes his maker to beguild.
But what? can Prophets then so grofly slide,
And from their God suppose their sinnes to hide?
He sendeth word to
Ioab presently,
His true estate in letters to expresse:
And therewith send
Vrias speedilie,
Vrias comes, he readeth their successe,
And bids him goe vnto his wife in peace.
But see. the more he labour'd to conceale it,
So much the more God labour'd to reueale it,
Vrias would not goe vnto his house,
But gathered strawe, and layd it in the yard,
And caring not to frolike with his spouse,
He laid him down to sleep amid the Gard.
As soone as
Dauid had these tydings hard,
He askes him why he rested not at home,
From toyling warres art thou not lately come?
No (quoth
Vrias) tis for me vnfit
To sleep within, whilst
Ioab is without:
Vnseemly tis to see the seruant
[...]it,
And let his maister toyle and run about:
What, lyeth not the Arke of God without?
I sweare by
Dauids crowne and princelie head,
Whilst things goethus, I will not come in bed.
And now is
Dauid vexed worse and worse,
And euery way is forc'd his wits to sift:
By this be hath deuis'd a second course,
And means to put in vre a pretie shift,
To make
Vrias diunken was his drift.
So thinkes he, hee'ill forget his dutie quite,
And mooued be therewith to some delight.
He charg'd his ser
[...]tes entertaine him well,
To giue him store of wine, and comfits daintie:
Before the King to banquetting they fell,
Sweet syrrops there they had, and wine great plentie:
He dranke to twentie, and he pledged twenty.
They quast off flagons full, and spared not,
The third fell alwayes to Vrias lot.
Heere, heer (saith one) I drinke vnto my brother,
Ile pledge him (quoth
Vrias) hees my friend:
I drinke to such a Captaine (quoth another)
And he to all a good carrouse would send:
Surcharg'd with wine, he staggerd in the end.
He walketh vp and downe the
[...]tately hall▪
But alwaies leanes, and cleaues vnto the wall.
Full glad was
Dauid now, and hop'd his plot
Would take effect, he almost was secure:
He heard the souldiour talke he knew not what,
He with
Beershebas name did him allure,
He thought that night would breed contentment s
[...]
But whatso ere he built, it could not stand,
For all his worke was built vpon the sand.
Now night was come, all
[...] went to rest,
Downe lay the Hitthite where he slept before:
King
Dauid with a sea of cares opprest,
Was driuen welnigh to dispaire his doore,
Yet still against the streame he labours more▪
Thus euermore sinne leadeth vnto sinne,
A lesler ends, and greater doth begin.
Stay sinfull King, looke backe, and askethy pardon,
It boots thee not alas thy selfe to hide:
So guiltie
Adam hid him in the garden,
So
Ionah fled vpon the surging tide.
Yet quickly had
Iehouah them espide.
Looke backe (I say) confesse it is much better,
To hide a lesser sinne doe not a greater.
And now againe hee's driuen to inuent,
And vp and downe for pollicies to roue:
Yet finds he nothing vnto his content,
At length the deuill a deadly plot doth moue,
And he thereof doth presently approue.
In errour blind still walkes the Letcher further,
And thinks to hide adultery with murther.
Obliuious Prophet, call to minde thine oth,
Thou vowdst to keep the cou
[...]nant of thy Lord:
More sweet shou saydst then combe or honey both,
More deare then Gems which
Tagus doth afford.
Thou brag'dst thou joyedst only in his word.
Chose he not thee his tender lambes to keepe?
And like a Wolfe wilt thou deuoure his sheep?
And now begins this deuilishnesse to bud,
He vnto
Ioab letters doth indite▪
O fearfull letters, messengers of bloud,
He wi
[...]s him place him foremost in the fight,
And let him die, whilst they escape by flight.
And by
Vrias sends he him away,
he guiltlesse beares a sword himselfe to slay.
He guiltlesse
[...] a sword himselfe to flay,
And harmlesse feares no
[...]reason to be wrought:
So doth the Cony fall i
[...]to the hay,
So is the
[...] vnto the Lyme-bush brought,
So on the hookethe nibling Fish is caught.
he to his Captaine doth his letters bring,
Who readeth them, and minds to doe the thing.
Soone after causd he them the towne to sacke,
Next to the walles Vrias preas
[...]'d amaine▪
The Rabbanits came out,
I
[...]b fled backe,
And many of his souldiours there were slaine,
Among the which Vrias caught his bane,
O joyfull tydings to th'offenders eares,
Now
[...]rolickes he, and no suspi
[...]ion feares▪
Securely now he layes him downe to
[...]leepe,
As he were blemisht with no sinfull spot,
As all his sinnes were drowned in the deepe,
Or
Let
[...]es waues, where all thinges be forgot,
As though
Ie
[...]ah wink'd and saw him not.
Till at the last vnto his vile disgrace,
Thus
[...] sent, reproou'd him to his face▪
Ah Churle (quoth he, and sadly tels the tale,)
Within a little cittie dwelling was:
Much cattell had he feeding in his pale,
And pastures faire, which yeelded h
[...]y and grasse,
None could be seene in riches him to passe.
Great store of golde he had, of Gems and treasu
[...]e,
He felt no want, but liued at his pleasure.
A very poore man neete vnto him dwell
[...]d,
O
[...]e little sheep, who fo
[...]tered at his manger▪
To which in loue he migh
[...]ily excelled
And in his bo
[...]ome shroude
[...] her from dang
[...]r▪
Now to this Misers house there came a stranger▪
And sparing all his owne, vnto the feast▪
He butchted vp, and eat the poore ma
[...]s beast.
Hereat was
Da
[...]id verie sore incenst,
He chaf
[...]d, and rag'd thereat exceedinglie:
Without reuenge his wrath could not be quench'd,
He swore the man that did the sinne should die,
Himselfe would see him tortur'd by and by.
Thou, thou (quoth
Nat
[...]an) art the man indeed
That hath commitred this detested deed.
Thus sayth thy God, thou wert a shepheards boy,
A seruile arte, and feddest sheep in field:
Then wert thou subject vnto much annoy,
A russet cloake did thee from weather shield.
And liuedst of the fruite thy flocke did yeeld.
A shepheards hooke vpon thy back thou borest,
A leth
[...]r scrip about thy necke thou worest.
Then ioyest thou to gather Filberds ripe,
To play at Barly-breake amongst the Swaines:
To tune rude Odes vpon an Oaten pipe,
Thy feeding heards to follow o
[...] the plaines,
And driue them backe againe, no little paines
From greedy Wo
[...]es to shield thy tender Lambes,
And meat to fetch vnto their blating Dams▪
And now thy title low I haue suborned,
Made thee my Prophet of a shepheard base:
And with a Regall Crowne thine head adorned,
I chaung'd thy sheep-hook to a ptincelie Mace:
What earthly man is now in higher place?
Thou hadst seuen brethren goodlier in blee.
Yet I refusing them, made choise of thee.
I ouerthrew
Golia
[...] with thy s
[...]ing,
Thou but a dw
[...]fe, and he a Gyant tall,
I ga
[...]e to thee the daughter of a King,
I sau'd the
[...] from the hands of murthring
[...],
I gaue thee wiues, and concubines and all▪
I made thee feed my pe
[...]ple Isra
[...]ll,
And all because I loued thee
[...]o well.
And if in heart thou hadst de
[...]ired mo
[...]e,
More also had I added to thy life▪
But thou of wiues although thou haddest store,
Hast taken vnto thee
Vrias wi
[...]e,
And caus'd him to be slaine by
Amm
[...]
[...] knife.
And walking still in this absurditie,
Think
[...]t to conceale this ha
[...]nous sin from me▪
Now whilst thou liu'st, for this whic
[...] thod ha
[...]
[...],
The sword shall ne
[...]er
[...]rom thy h
[...]use depart▪
And of thy
[...]eed thou
[...] bege
[...] a
[...],
Which shall
[...] a
[...] dart.
Now is the
[...]
[...]o th
[...]
[...] ▪
Thr
[...] su
[...]dry times
[...],
Three times he sob'd as t
[...]ough his heart wo
[...]ld br
[...]ak
And now at last begins he
[...] rel
[...],
A showre of teares
[...] srom
[...]is
[...]
His hea
[...]t is humbled, fearing to be
[...],
And lifting mind and hands vnto t
[...]e ski
[...]s,
Peecaui Deus, mani
[...]
[...]imes
[...]e cries▪
Rise vp (quoth
Nathan) God
[...]oth he
[...]re thy
[...]
Thy sin is pardo
[...]'d, bu
[...] thy
[...]hild s
[...]all di
[...] ▪
And then in heart as lowly as a childe,
Betakes him to his chamber all alone:
There weepeth he before his maker milde,
And oftimes sobbing, maketh piteous mone,
Complayning other help it he hath none.
Thus in the end distressed as he stood,
He tooke his harpe and warbled out this Ode.
DAVIDS ODE.
O Great Creator of
[...]he starrie Pole,
and heauenly things:
O mightie founder of the earthly mole,
chiefe king of Kings.
Whose gentle pardon euermore is nere,
To them which crie vnfaynedly with feare,
Distrest with sin,
I now begin,
To come to thee, O Lord giue eare,
O Lord look down frō thy chrystallin throne,
enuirond round,
With Seraphins, and Angels manie one,
thy praise who sound:
Such fauour Lord on me vouchsafe to send,
As on thy chosen flock thou doest extend.
To thee alone
I make my mone.
Some pittie father on me send.
Remember Lord, that it is more then need,
to send redresse▪
My
[...]ore will grow (vnlesse thou help with speed)
remedilesse.
Therfore in mercie looke down from aboue,
And visit me with thy heart-joying loue.
Alas, I see
No cause in me
Which vnto pi
[...]ie may thee moue.
With sinne I only haue of
[...]ended thee,
O Lord my God,
And therwithall I purchas'd haue to me
thine heauie rod:
The waight of it doth presse me verie sore,
And brings me wel nigh to dispaire his doore.
Alas I shame
To tell the sam
[...] ▪
It is before thee euermore.
And this is not first time I sinn'd alas,
by many▪moe:
Within the wombe in
[...]in conceiu'd I was,
Borne was I so.
And since that day I neueryet did cease,
From time to time thy highnesse to displea
[...]e▪
My life hath bin
A race of sin:
Me with thy comfort somewhat
[...]ase.
O why did I offend thy glorious Grace
so hainously?
Why fear'd I not the presence-of thy face
who stoodest by?
Because I should acknowledge-thee most just,
And in mine owne vprightnes shuld not trust:
Fraile is my fleshs
I must confesse,
And nought is it but sinne and dust.
If thou shalt me asperge with sprinkling grasse,
or Hysope greene:
As Chrystall pure, or as the shining glasse,
I shall be cleane,
And if thou wilt me wash with water cleare,
More white then Scythan snow I shall appeare
Then whitest snow
which wind doth blow
From place to place both farre and neere.
My mind O Lord, infectious and foule,
make cleane and pure:
Into thy hands I humbly giue my soule
to heale and cure.
Out of thy booke all mine offences blot,
And with thy blood quite take away my spot.
So shall my hart
Be free from smart,
And mine offences quite forgot.
Turn back thy face which al things doth behold
from heauens vault:
Least thou espie my trespasse manifold,
and hainous fault.
My faults, which are in number many more
Then little sands which are vpon the shore,
refraine thine ire,
[Page]I thee desire,
And also heale my deadly sore.
Within my breast (O Lord) an humble spirit.
do thou create:
And of thy comfort doe not me disherit,
I thee intreat.
Let me enjoy the sun-shine of thy face,
Take not from me the solace of thy grace,
The holy Ghost:
My comfort most.
Let me retaine in any case.
My tongue vntie, my lips (O Lord) resolue,
thou art the key:
So will my tongue thy mercie great reuolue,
from day to day-
Then shall the wicked learne by mine example,
To keep thy sta
[...]tes which be sweet and ample
And seeing me,
shall turne to thee,
And in the right way learne to trample.
Wouldst thou haue bin with sacrifice content,
much fat of Rammes,
Much incense sweet on thee wold I haue spent
and blood of Lambes:
But thou (O God) therto hast no respect,
A broken heart thou neuer wilt reject:
That sacrifice
Is of most price,
That onlie with thee takes effect.
Be gentle Lord to thy
Sionian towne,
bow downe thy face,
And on thy
Shalem send thy mercie downe,
and louing grace:
Reedifie her bulwarkes like to fall,
And vp againe build her decaying wall.
Then will I praise
Thy name alwayes.
And giue burnt offrings therewithall.
Thus did the Psalmist warble out his plaints,
And ceaseth not from day to day to mone,
His heart with anguish of his sorrowe faints.
And still he kneels before his makers throne.
At midnight sends he manie a grieuous grone.
So did his God in mercie on him looke.
And all his sinnes did race out of his booke.
F. S.
FINIS.