ON Bugbear Black-Monday, March 29. 1652. OR, The LONDON-Fright at the Eclipse proceeding from a Natural Cause.
Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer. 10. 2.
WHy gaze ye brain-sick People on the Skie?
To seek in Heaven some uncouth Prodigie?
Is your Religion from the
Chaldee ta'ne?
Or traffique you Divine things for profane?
What frantick Prophet is amongst you sprung
To cheat your understanding with his Tongue?
Or what Magician has bewitched Men
With unknown-Characters of's horrid Pen?
And why (ye frighted Women!) do ye shake?
Must an Eclipse needs make the Earth to quake?
The Heavens their order, and due motion keep.
Why you disord'red? startle? sigh? and weep?
Why load ye Coaches and forsake the place?
As ye confest, its sin were ev'n past grace?
And that a
Sodome-vengeance needs must come
In suddain wrath preventing Day of Doome?
Less-hearted men! why drink ye Saffron'd Wine?
And hide from Air? In Clubs of Fate ye joyn.
Your foolish fears in part were causes, why
The Women tremble, and the Children cry.
Wher is your Faith in Him, that All things made?
Must VVisdom's Providence become a Trade?
Or must ye pull against so High Command
The Reines of All out of th' Almightie's Hand?
Must such Skie-mountebanks with squibs and cracks
Fright you from Bibles into Almanacks?
VVas't
Laurence Price's Shepherd's Gnostication
VVith cunning
Will's wise Astrologization,
That put ye in distemper, and such fits,
As if their folly practis'd on your wits?
Must
Luke the twenty third the fourty five
Cause Blasphemies from Holy Text derive?
Must your Salvation's means from senses drive?
Abhor a masked face, if this must be?
For that's Eclipsed Beauty. Peep! and See!
Isaiah's fourty seventh let any read,
And it will fetch to life th' enchanted dead.
But did the Sun put on a Vizard-look?
Or were ye scar'd with Bug-bears, that ye shook?
Or why forbore ye Market Countrey Sots?
Were ye affraid of subterraneous Plots?
Or that the Stars were turn'd to
Londons Sharks?
Or watcht ye Skie to fall to catch your Larks?
Black-Munday (quotha?) made the Town look pale,
And yet the Sun-beams smiled at the Tale,
Which was conceiv'd by Conj'ring, Dreams, and Ale.
Erect a Figure, and then let me know;
VVhence the wind comes and whither it does go?
Can'st tell me, where the Treasure's under ground?
If so: be rich. Since thou hast riches found;
Can all your Art tell certain for a year,
VVhat fair or foul shall in each day appear?
If not: your high Prognosticks Ganzaes fail,
That from your fancies to the Orbes do sail.
And, if you know not, who did foul your Door?
How know you secrets of the Stars? or more?
VVhat Preamble of Doomsday have ye blown
In foolish heads, and seeds of VVhimzies sown?
That every Action now must pass your Scale
To weigh, what's done, ev'n from the head to tail?
No Marriage, Bargaine, Journey, Physick, Fact,
But Stars in every Scene are drest to Act.
And when ye most do Cant 'bove common Sense,
Pretend they act by high Intelligence:
As if your Scouts they were, which you have laid;
For whose Intelligence you will be paid.
Return, fond Citizens! at length be wise!
See with your own, and not with others eyes!
He, that made Heaven, did cause it this Day smile,
And VVizards did in their Black Art beguile.
VVhat if Eclipse so great? It was no more,
Then has been seen and told some years before.
Of only One 'tis best to stand in aw;
To steer his Course, and to obey his Law.
God is the Guide, His Son, our Way, our Light,
Till He was once eclips'd, w' had cause of Fright.
Fasten strong Faith on Him, and then ye build
A Fortress 'gainst your Fears. He's Rock, & Shield.
Sin interpos'd, as Moon, 'twixt Us and Grace
Does srike the Eclipses horrour on our Face.
If Crosses, that are down, for Idols go;
Be'n't Stars and Figures, us'd thus, Witchcraft, trow?