Thy sighs, like incense* pleasing to the Lord,
Have been peace-offerings for thy former pride:
Rejoice, and praise his name that gave thee peace.
And you, fair nymphs, ye lovely Ninevites,
Since you have wept and fasted 'for[e] the Lord,
He graciously hath + temper'd his revenge:
Beware henceforth to tempt him any more:
Let not the niceness of your beauteous looks
Engraft in you a high-presuming mind;
For those that climb he casteth to the ground,
And they that humble be he lifts aloft.

Rasni. Lowly I bend, with awful bent of

That play with gentle winds in summer-tide; Like olive-branches let your children spread, And as the pines in lofty Lebanon,

Or as the kids that feed on Lepher ** plains, So be the seed and offspring++ of your loins!

incense] The 4tos. "imence."

thath] The three first 4tos. "haue."

with awful bent of eye] So Milton;

"And kings sat still with awful eye," &c.
Hymn, St. iv., in Ode of the Nativity.

§ hosts] The 4tos. "hoste."

a] The 4to. of 1598 "thy."

A will to practise, &c.] The 4to. of 1594;

"A will to practise goodnesse vertuous."

The other 4tos. ;

"I will thou practise goodnesse and vertuousnesse." ** Lepher] Qy. "Sepher"? (which the Vulgate gives in Numbers, xxxiii. 23-4, while our version has "Shapher": but "Sepher," or "Shapher," is described as a mountain.) tt offspring] The 4to, of 1598 "offsprings."

Enter the Usurer, THRASYBULUS, and ALCON.

Usurer. Come forth, my friends, whom wit tingly I wrong'd:

Before this man of God receive your due;
Before our king I mean to make my peace.-
Jonas, behold, in sign of my remorse,

I here restore into these poor men's hands
Their goods which I unjustly have detain'd;*
And may the heavens so pardon my misdeeds
As I am penitent for my offence !

Thras. And what through want from others I purloin'd,

Behold, O king, I proffer 'fore + thy throne,
To be restor'd to such as owe the same.

Jonas. A virtuous deed, pleasing to God and

man.

Would God, all cities drownèd in like shame
Would take example of these Ninevites!

Rasni. Such be the fruits of Nineveh's re

pent;

And such for ever may our dealings be,
That he that call'd us home in height of sin
May smile to see our hearty penitence.-
Viceroys, proclaim a fast unto the Lord;
Let Israel's God be honour'd in our land;
Let all occasion of corruption die,

For who shall fault therein shall suffer death:-
Bear witness, God, of my unfeignèd zeal.—
Come, holy man, as thou shalt counsel me,
My court and city shall reformèd be.
Jonas. Wend on in peace, and prosecute this
[Exeunt all except JONAS.
You islanders, on whom the milder air
Doth sweetly breathe the balm of kind increase,
Whose lands are fatten'd with the dew of
heaven,

course.

And made more fruitful than Actæan plains;
You whom delicious pleasures dandle soft,
Whose eyes are blinded with security,
Unmask yourselves, cast error clean aside.
O London, maiden of the mistress-isle,
Wrapt in the folds and swathing-clouts of shame,
In thee more sins than Nineveh contains !
Contempt of God, despite of reverend age,
Neglect of law, desire to wrong the poor,
Corruption, whoredom, drunkenness, and pride.
Swoln are thy brows with impudence and
shame,

O proud adulterous glory of the west!

*detain'd] The 4to. of 1598 "retain'd."

t fore] The 4to. of 1598 "forth." towel i. o. own.