Carmen Elegiacum, ENGLANDS ELEGIE, OR Lamentation.
Zion stretcheth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous Woman in the midst of them.
Lam. 1.17.
Alas! Alas!
They have heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble, they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like me.
Verse 21.
By N. C. ⟨Aprill 28. 1643⟩
Whereunto is added a reasonable Motion, and lamentation, in the behalfe of such of the Clergie, as are questioned in the Parliament, for their places, &c,
Put me (I pray thee) into one of the Priests Offices, that I may eate a piece of bread.
CARMEN ELEGJACVM. ENGLANDS ELEGIE OR LAMENTATION.
ALL yee my Sons that True and faithfull be,
Come and lament my wofull miserie,
Lift up your voyce with me and cry amain▪
Stand for your lives, or all is but in vaine;
In vaine yee hope for to enjoy sweet peace,
[...] that from Thrall your selves you'll not release;
Both I your Mother, you my Sons and all,
Are sold for slaves, for to be kept in thrall,
By Papists proud, in cursed insolent
Episcopapacy for ever to relent;
In chaines of horrid darkth and ignorance,
To loose sweet freedom this shall be your chance,
Freedom that is Ghostly, freedom corporall,
And whatsoever deare or neare you call;
Your Lands, Estates, confiscate all shall be,
None buy nor sell without a Patentee;
And all you Farmers that are rich in Land,
Shall have ten pound
per annum in your hand;
If your Land be worth five hundred
li. a yeare,
None must enjoy it but a Popish Peere:
O cursed time when this to passe shall come,
That I and mine back to the See of
Rome,
Should captivated be! alack this is not all,
The blood of my deare Children first must fall
Unto the ground: and famous
London that
Must even with the ground be layed flat;
My chiefest Garland and my darling deare,
They're bent to spoyle, and that without all fear
O pittie me all yee that be my friends,
O helpe, deliver me from cursed gins—
Of these blood-suckers, from their dire intents,
And from their fury yeeld me some defence:
Is this matter small all yee that posse along?
Have yee no eyes to weep? my young men stron
[...]
In streets do fall amaine, the Countrey's stroy'd,
And I am left as desolate and voyd:
O that my Children had bin wise indeed,
To have prevented this distresse and need,
O that they yet were wise to understand
And minde the good of me their Mother, and
Also of themselves and their Posteritee,
Which after times and future age shall see,
And that they would unanimously agree,
To keepe themselves and me their Mother free
O what will come upon the following race,
Of these my Sons inhabiting this place;
If that curst cure of Hell-hounds should prevai
[...]
And cause my true borne Sonnes of life to faile
[...]
But senselesse blocks a many of them are,
That seeke their own Ruth and destruction da
[...]
Of pitteous men now on how few there be,
Amongst an hundred one or two or three;
I look't for some that should have pittie taken,
But loe my seeming friends have me forsaken.
[...]
[...]
[Page 2]
[...]ay they that should preserve me from the harm
Of cursed Caterpillers which do swarme
[...]n every place: they cruelly are bent,
For to subvert me, and to circumvent
My Sons, and utterly to overthrow
Mine honour, and to bring me down full low:
Much wrong I have already suffered▪
[...] haue bin forc't to drinke the blo
[...]d
[...], s
[...]ed,
With such injustice that He nere forget
[...]ill blood of th'authors shall my garments w
[...]t.
[...]ill vengeance from great
Iupiter shall f
[...]l
[...]pon their pates and eke consume them
[...].
What wrong have I to these Malignants done.
That they in me this mischiefe have begun?
[...] alwaies of their welfare have bin tender,
[...]hough they in thankfulnesse are very slender;
[...]nd where have I bin slack in any thing,
[...]hat might conduce for to content the King?
Who is my eldest in order and degree:
[...]nd whom would I advanced have but hee?
[...] have by all meanes alwaies sought his good,
[...]hough they for mine it seemes have little stood;
[...] did command my younger Sonnes also,
[...]hat they as one should serve the elder tho
[...]or to consult about his good estate,
[...]o put an end to difference and debate,
[...]hat so he might have had a happie Raigne,
[...]nd he and I have bin no longer Twaine,
[...]or though he be my eldst my life to me,
[...] precious is as any Sons can be;
[...]heir duty they to'th utmost have discharged,
[...]r which their honours ever be inlarged;
Mothers blessing shall upon them light
[...]hen Sons of
Beliall may not stand in sight
[...]fore the Judge, for that they have obey'd,
[...]ntring themselves for me being not dismaid
[...]ith great
Goliah; let them be renown'd
[...]r ever, and also their labour Crown'd
[...]ith glory, and although they can't prevaile
[...] Treaty with these Rebells, yet to quaile
[...]eir force and strength, they haply may be able,
[...]re all my children that love Truth but stable;
[...]w ever henceforth I resolv'd shall be,
[...]er to come in wilfull slaverie,
And though to stand it out I've slender means;
Ile fight and cry with such deplored threnes,
That great
Iehovah nere at rest shall be,
Till he accord justly to answer me;
And oh that my deare children were resolv'd,
To stand upon their own defence involv'd
In so much doubt and feare and jealousie,
Nay plainely desperate that your selves may see
Of rest and quiet peace there is no hope,
Unlesse you will consent to serve the Pope:
'Tis true, they make Apologie and defence,
And cover mischiefe with a fine pretence,
As it they onely stood for to uphold,
The same Religion which they had of old
Within their Fathers dayes: I'le tell them this,
A thing's well done where nothing is amisse;
What reason is there for me to account
That more Authenticke and more to surmount
In glory; which was wrought in Infancie
Or riper age of knowledge, pray judge yee:
But harke deare Children I will tell you true,
Give eare to me your Mother lest you rue,
Be not deceiv'd with these false forgeries,
Let not those murtherers slay you with their lies
For Queene
Elizabeths could not give content,
Nor were they pleas'd with
Iames his goveenment
In matters that are cal'd Ecclesiastick,
Witnesse the practise of those soule Fantasticke
Episco-puppies, who of lare would ha
New Service, Cannon-bookes,
Etcetera:
But this hath bin their manner aye to cover,
And palliate their Knav'rie and to smother
Their Treachery, with faire glossing words,
Which hath more mischiefe wrought then have
For my part I shall ever stand it out. (their swords
Against that cursed Diabolick rout,
And this hath bin my resolution aye,
And mine, and mine, let every true Son say.
But haply some ill members may object.
Let us have Peace, and Truth we not respect,
Alas poore soules you little do consider,
That Peace and Truth do alwaies go together;
Know this that they that basely seeke to save
Their lives, shall soon'st of all destruction have:
[Page 3]
[...] safe for me my selfe up for to yeeld
[...]o bondage, and for aie to loose the field
[...] hope, of comfort, and eke of redresse,
[...]nd still to lay in woe remedilesse?
[...] woe to you that ever you were borne,
[...]-come by that damn'd crue, of God forlorne;
[...] life that languisheth is worse then death,
Therefore my state and life Ile now bequeath
[...]o the hands of those True Sons that be,
[...]nd to all those else that shall pit
[...]ie me,
[...]an no longer beare the injury,
[...] bloody Tyrants cursed cruelty;
[...]
[...]ong have held my peace but now amaine,
[...] cry to
Iove till he replie againe.
[...]ood cries
Edge-hill, blood
Brainfords Innocents,
[...]lood cries in every place yet few relents.
[...]lack how few doe minde the sad condition.
Of
[...]romighoms and
Cicesters descission;
[...]ack how few there be that lay to heart,
[...]he great oppression on the Cities part,
[...]ow they beyond all measure are put to it,
[...]ow many poore men grievously do rue it?
[...]he charge and all the paines of Parliament,
Which they of pittie for my good have spent;
How little is't of many now regarded,
[...]nd with what slender thanks do they reward it:
[...]ll those injuries beside a thousand more,
[...]e put upon the Cavalier his score.
[...]he cryes of all the blood unjustly shed,
And all the wrong that in the land is bred,
Mounts up toth' eares of great
Iehove to see,
And seeke revenge from him and remedie,
Who Justice doth undoubtedly alway,
And vengeance to deserving men will pay;
And since it is my fate with Germanye,
And with my Hand-mayd
Ireland to be
In wofull plight, through cursed brood of hell,
And Divells birds in that most wicked spell,
Ile take the Cup undauntedly and drinke,
And from a righteous cause I'l never shrinke;
But yet in this I will not wanting be,
To tell my Sons of all my misery,
And to implore their helpe er't be too late,
That they may not buy Time at too deare rate;
It grieves me much to see how slow you are,
As if you were afraid or did not dare
For to resist your cruelst enemies,
That thinke too good the worst they can devise
Against you, stand upon your feet,
If ever you againe sweet Peace will greet;
If ere you'le seeke for to preserve the Land
If ere for right and Truth, and Peace you'l stand,
Now shew your selves couragious men indeed,
That will not flinsh nor shrink in time of need.
And valiant
Scotch-men to you a word I'le now
Speake: you your hand first put unto the Plow,
Don't suffer these your Brethrens hearts to faint,
But yeeld a willing eare to their complaint,
And lend your helpe and aid gratis one houre,
Against that Antichristian force and power;
Your weale and wealth in ours up is bound.
If we be lost, then where will yee be found.
And thus I leave my cause with God and you
And spreading forth my hands for helpe I sue.
A Reasonable Motion. In the behalfe of such of the CLERGIE as are now questioned in PARLIAMENT for their places.
VOuchsafe (GREAT LORDS) with patience for to heare,
Our just request, which we present you here.
'Tis said abroad, that you the Church would free,
Of sundry faults, which in the same there be.
But that it's fear'd, and you perhaps conceive,
A change of things, we Priests will not receive.
But will stand out for things we former had,
And doe them still, though you shall thinke them bad.
But we doe hope, by this to make it cleare,
That no such thing▪ of us you need to feare.
For we (like Scots) will not such things put by,
As are impos'd by Soveraigne Majesty.
Nor are we like the Puritanish Sects,
Who'll doe no more then what the Word directs.
We never yet have shew'd our selves so ill,
But what the State injoyn'd we did it still.
And that your Honours may be sure of this,
We can produce the Ages past for us.
You know
King Edward did the Masse put downe,
And set the Service Booke up in the Roome.
We then the
Clergie of the Land throughout,
Forsook the old and tooke the newer up.
When he was dead and
Mary had the Crowne,
Then up goes Masse, and Service it comes down.
Yet we Sir Priests as men of quiet Spirits,
Obey'd the Prince and turn'd unto our vomits.
Some few Yeares after
Mary being dead,
The Crown is set upon Her
Sisters Head.
Now Shee againe puts downe the Idoll Masse,
And hath the Service as before it was.
To this our Father Priests did then submit.
Though most perhaps did mind it was not fit.
[Page 5] Yet what the Stare did thinke for to be best;
They question not but do't and therein rest.
What they have done, we meane the like to doe,
Conforme our selves, to things confirm'd by you.
If you put down our Bishops from their Chaire,
Their Lyturgie, and Courts, and other geere.
What next by you, shall be enacted then;
Shall be observ'd by us, the Clergie Men.
But if you please to have them yet stand still,
We are content, and yeeld to them we will.
For Government and Worship what care we,
Or Rites and Orders what in Church there be.
Our care is onely, for to keepe from wants;
For Conscience here, we leave to Puritants.
And this we judge to be no wise Mans case,
To deeme his Conscience better then his place.
The Canons late, which were on us impos'd,
By you are thought not fit for to be us'd.
Yet we (Sir Priests) did stand so much in awe,
As that we meant to yeeld unto their Law.
And ere that we will leave our gainefull-Trade;
We'le stoope to all what er'e by man is made.
Therefore brave Lords as you in Courts now fit:
So let Religion be, as you thinke fit.
We take no thought this way about Gods will,
But how to keep our Benefices still.
And hope we doe, although the better part,
To cast us out, can find it in their heart.
Yet there are some will speake for poore Sir
Johns;
Eor lazy Dogs, old Priests, and idle Drones.
For Pluralists, Nonresdents and such Men,
The
Clergie now consisting most of them.
And cause there is, the matter should be so,
For if turn'd out (alas) what shall we doe.
It's now so long, since we forsooke the trade,
Of Cobling, Weaving, Thatching, and the Spade.
That for to worke our bodies are unfit:
Nor can we bring our hearts at all to it.
[Page 6] If we therefore, must let our Priesthood fall:
This then we beg most humbly of you all.
That still we may enjoy our belly cheare;
And idely live, without all worke or care.
And if your Honours, will but grant us this,
We are content, if you will us dismisse.
For we came to the place for conscience sake,
As to be fed, and labour none to take.
But yet we thinke, much better will it be.
That in a Priesthood, left alone be we,
For if the Puritants, the onely men,
Who wish us out, that so they may come in,
Doe get but once into our place and Roome,
They will not doe, as we (poore fooles) have done.
They are (Forsooth) so scruplous in their wayes,
That if it be against Gods holy Lawes,
They will dot doe it, no although it be,
A thing required of his Majestie.
But as for us, our carriage is not so,
If State command, we never say it no.
And this we dare affirme there is no where,
A more time-serving Clergie then is here.
When our sweet Bishops, had by Act obtain'd:
To have Gods holy Day with Sports prophan'd.
Although the purer sort, against it taught,
Yet we confirm'd, although we knew't was naught.
What ever
Land devis'd and on us cast,
We did the same, to hold our livings fast.
And we fore-saw what further was his hope,
To bring us all in service to the
Pope.
Which things if he had once but brought to passe;
To yeeld thereto our full intentment was.
And thus we have your Honours made to see,
Why in the Priest-hood we should suffer'd bee.
Namely for this, and nothing else at all,
There's nought so bad, but yeeld thereto we shall.
—Quid rides? mutato nemine de te Fabula narratur.
FINIS.