Who can but burst those moderne times to touch,
Whil'st bloudy hearts, and hands, can smooth their
breath?
[much
When some (though Christians) are commended
For suffering, no, even for inflicting death?
It may indeed be justly said of such,
They burne in zeale, worke wonders out of faith,
Who fire whole kingdomes for religion's love,
And to seeme holy, homicides will prove.
Next those great men whose fame so glorious flyes,
Who rag'd with fury, or for folly rav'd,
And bended up with pride, or slack't with lyes,
Idolatry, or murther, still conceiv'd,
A dastard troupe stands with dejected eyes,
Whose tainted life, world's shame, Heaven's judg-
ment crav'd:
[chase,
Heards of such hearts, Hell's hounds, with torrour
Who basely wicked, wickedly were base.
THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD'S IVDGMENT.
To vice abandon'd, those who basely liv'd,
And sold their soules to be the slaves of lust;
Blasphemers, drunkards, gluttons, all who striv'd
To pamper flesh, and did to frailty trust,
False iudges, witnesses, who fraud contriv'd,
or were in that which they profess'd, unjust:
All learned men who have their gifts abus'd;
But chiefly church-men are at last accus'd.
Loe, some whom Fortune like her selfe made blinde,
Who sacred greatnesse did most grosly staine,
Involv'd in vices, and of such a kinde,
That them to taxe, even Gentiles did attaine,
Though not thought sin, nor by no law declin'd,
Whose facts (as filthy) Nature did disdaine:
Who (following sense) from reason did rebell,
Long loath'd on th' Earth still tortur'd in the Hell.
Assyria's king (no king before depriv'd)
(Though others barbarous) first who beastly prov'd,
Who (faint for lust) effeminately liv'd,
Till by despaire to seeme couragious mov'd,
He (when he knew his ruine was contriv'd)
Did with himselfe burne all things which he lov'd:
This act was bad, yet praised for his best,
O who can thinke how hatefull were the rest!
Rome's ugly lord (power hatefull for his sake)
Whose vile desires could never be asswag'd,
Who (Nature's horrour) man to wife did take,
All whole to lust and gluttony engag'd,
Who did profusely feasts prodigious make,
A death disastrous (as his due) presag'd:
He it (though ill) all meanes prepar'd to grace,
Yet (alwaies foule) dy'd in a filthy place.
There stand world's great ones, who vaine joy enjoy'd,
While boundlesse lust still strange desires did breed,
Though gelded keepers jealously convoy'd
A female troupe, for fancy, not for need, [cloy'd,
Vast appetite, weake power, much wish'd, soone
A longing first, straight loathing did succeed:
That sinne so sweet, which nature most desires,
Doth here breed temporall, hence eternall fires.
The infant world great freedome did allow,
To those delights which people did the ground,
At least strict lawes did punish none as now,
For any fault that did not wedlocke wound,
And chastnesse then had beene a foolish vow,
When parents' praise a populous offspring crown'd.
Men then were forc'd with all degrees to wed,
Till some discents more lawfull limits bred.
That which God first in Eden did ordaine,
And with a wonder Christ confirmed too,
By which both sexes fortified remaine,
Two doubled ones, and a contracted two,
That sacred league who ever vow in vaine,
Although they thinke all secret what they doe:
It is a sinne which God so highly hates,
He markes it still with ruines, of estates.
Amongst the lewes where God most clearely wrought,
All women deem'd their husbands to deceive,
Straight by the priest to publicke tryall brought,
If guilty dyed, not guilty, did conceive; [thought,
Love and faith wrong'd, this crime so foule was
That when for sinne God would his people leave,
The prophets all adultery did name,
(lust bands dissolv'd) which did divorce with shame.
What raving madnesse doth enflame the minde
With curiousnesse, another's course to know?
When one the like by lawful meanes may finde,
Why should he seeke to steale what others owe?
Which is (when reach'd) not such as was design'd
By fond conceit's imaginary show: [woe ends,
What (had with care) feare keeps, shame checks,
Man wrong'd, God griev'd, damnation last attends.
Though by like law both sexes bounded be,
Yet to the stronger, lesse restraint was showne,
Who (others' wives not touch'd) did else seeme free,
Where for each scape, a woman was orethrowne :
And forward fame (too partiall) as we see, [knowne:
More damnes them, if suspect, then men when
He, this way stray'd, to some more gallant seemes,
Where her (once stayn'd) the world no more es-
From wives so farre their fellowes to preferre,
The generall judgement diverse reasons move;
If from their honour any way they erre,
Some may them use, though never truely love;
As him her fault, the husband's shames not her,
Whose treacherous part may more pernitious prove:
He but affords, and she receives disgrace,
He but augments, she falsifies the race.
A woman's worth, which Nature deckes, not art,
Opinion values, favour doth procure,
Whose glory is the conquest of a heart,
Which vertue doth, not vanity allure,
Where beauty, wit, and each respected part,
Are sham'd by her, but honour not a whore:
When false, or faint, men are disgrac'd two wayes,
A woman onely when from fame she strayes.
They who (all burning with voluptuous fires)
Did dandle lust as a delightfull guest,
And (making beauty bawd to base desires)
Did buy their colour so to sell the rest,
Loe, painted, false, or stolne, face, minde, attires,
All is beli'd, and badnesse is their best;
Deare proves the pleasure, bitter is the gaine,
Which black disgrace upbraides with endlesse paine.
There, beautie's goddesse with these dainty Greekes,
Who did endeere the treasure of a face,
And (fond of that which idle fancy seekes)
Would kisse like doves, like ivie did embrace,
Red lippes, white hands, black eyes, curl'd haires,
smooth cheekes,
[grace;
Which flattering smiles, and flaming lookes did
That once forc'd favour, but now hatred moves:
Then for Adonis greater griefe she proves.
With daughters two love's Leda weepes in vaine,
(One by base sport transported for a space)
Who kill'd her husband, by her sonne was slaine:
Next, that great beauty which the Greekes would
But by more lustre doe betray a staine,
Troy's fatall plague, the fable of each place,
Much courted once, she now detested stands,
(As kill'd for her) accus'd by murmuring bands.
Lascivious Lais much in Corinth knowne,
Who sold deare pleasure, pretious but by price; That dame of goods ill gain'd for franknesse showne, Whom Rome made goddesse that way never nice, Brave chiefes for whores who thousands have ore
Though striking hearts with horrour of that vice; Lust breeds a plague of late which all doe loath, As which still shame, death sometime, oft yeelds both.
That pompous queene admir'd so much for state,
When daunting them whose fame did hostes appall,
(World's conquerours conquer'd) who (then both
Made Cesar flie, and Antony to fall, [more great)
Rare courage! rais'd with a declining fate,
Who di'd triumphing, when design'd a thrall;
But for these faults which numbers did confound,
Then aspickes gave, shee feeles a deeper wound.
Rome's wanton dame doth thrust amid'st this throng,
(Soe sparkling lust empoison'd had her heart)
Who from the stewes when exercised long,
Made weary oft, not satisfi'd did part;
Yet match'd with Silius (made the vulgar song)
She forc'd grosse Claudius drowsily to start;
Who though that hee had cause to take her life,
Yet (strangely stupid) asked for his wife.
You who below have forfeited your fame,
And from their God so many doe divorce,
Who scarce can blush, though but a badge of shame,
Loe, what is all that you so much enforce!
A little flash, an extasie, a dreame, [morse:
Which loath'd when done, doth quickly leave re-
What fooles are these who for a fact so foule,
Lose fame and goods, the body and the soule ?
To force them further who were else their owne,
(Things faire when neare, fall foule when once they
touch)
More love nor reason, but no favour showne,
Some loos'd just int'rest urging it too much;
Lot's daughters this, and Tamar's rape hath showne,
locasta, Myrrha, Canace, and such;
Incestuous matches make a monstrous brood,
Loath'd are they now who tainted thus their blood.
O fatall ill, which man-kinde may bemone!
Must things unlawfull most affected be?
All Eden's fruits were freely given save one,
Yet Evah long'd for the forbidden tree,
Man ore all creatures plac'd (as in a throne)
Hath thrall'd himselfe, and in a base degree;
Vaine appetites, and an enormous lust,
Have brought him back more low then to the dust.
The Stygian tyrant nothing can asswage,
When ravishers upbraid th' intended wrong;
There Tereus, Nessus, all shall have their wage;
These guests ingrate, who for the bride did throng:
Then Shechem, Amnon, Tarquin, by lust's rage,
Who were to force infortunately strong;
Euen in this world wrath did all those confound.
Blood quenching lust,death venging honour's wound,
Such faults though great, match'd with more great, seeme lesse,
Those whom to pleasure weaknesse did betray,
They but the law, not nature did transgresse,
The sexe observ'd, in sort did onely stray:
Where some more vile then any can expresse,
Both God and Nature in such horrour have;
That if their sinne were not in scripture seene,
I should not thinke that it had ever beene.
That towne which was consum'd with showers of fire,
Where men first men, then angels striv'd to staine,
Of fearefull type of memorable ire !
Whose bounds still ugly like their sinne remaine,
Of which the world's great ludge shall now enquire,
And for the same appoint some speciall paine:
That fault too foule not fit to be but nam'd,
Let good men thinke that it cannot be dream'd.
Woe now to them who from all bounds did swerve,
And (still intemp'rate) liv'd like abject beasts,
As wholly given their appetites to serve,
Whose pleasure did depend upon their tasts,
And whil'st the poore (for famine faint) did sterve,
With food superfluous rioted in feasts:
With Dives now tormented they remaine,
And envy beggars whom they did disdaine.
That proud Chaldean banquetting in state,
As bragging of God's spoils, puff'd up in heart,
Who drunke in minde, and surfeiting of meat,
To serve his use church-vessels did convert;
Till this was seene his courage to abate, [part:
Lo, thou art weigh'd, found light, thy kingdomes
Who with his hand whil'st writing thus, did wound,
Must with his whole in judgement quite confound.
He with brave troups who bragg'd Bethulian walls,
Whose breast for bloud, or wine, still raging boil'd,
Drinke forcing his, his sword a number's falls,
Who men of lives, of honour women spoil'd;
He, then when threatning all the world as thralls,
Whil'st most secure, eternally was foil'd;
By sleep, by drink, by death, thrice senselesse made, | Power serves not now to countenance crimes with No wonder though a woman stole his head.
This filthy vice enfeebling nature's force,
Though other faults (foule in an high degree)
Make men like beasts, it onely makes them worse,
Since to be drunk beasts not so base can be;
From reason onely madnesse doth divorce
It both from sense, and reason, as we see:
A murtherer but procures the bodie's fall,
Where drunkennesse with it, soule's, fame's, and all.
When sinnes so much were cropt, this budded first,
And who stood safe on seas, by land made sinke,
The father scorn'd, the sonne became accurst,
Death's frighted remnant did for horrour shrinke;
He who was never mov'd with Sodome's worst,
When scap't from flames was all enflam'd with drinke,
And of those two so singular for grace,
Th' one lost a part, the other all his race.
That in this sort which made such men to fall,
Of piety though speciall patterns nam'd,
No doubt it cannot but confound them all,
Who in this kinde have such contentment dream'd,
That (to the same vow'd voluntary thrall)
They brag when fresh, where they should be asham'd,
Such onely when growne worst, least please the
Since then as dead, not able to do evill. [Devill,
Though to be drunke one did no sinne commit,
Yet it is grosse, and ugly every way,
As that which spoils the grace, the strength, the wit,
The feet made stumble, and the tongue to stray;
And where a vertue is, quite smothering it,
Each weakenesse that one hath doth straight betray;
What vice like this, which all ills else includes,
Since sinfull, shamefull, hurting health and goods?
That race of Satan, like himselfe in lyes,
Must then tell truth to him who all things knows,
Of circling fraud who soone the centre tryes,
And doth perceive all their deceiving shows,
Whose promises (like spiders' webs for flyes)
A subtle snare the better sort ore-throws.
Who vainly vaunt amid'st their flying joyes,
That men with oaths, and babes are trap'd with toyes.
O now they spie how ill they play'd their parts,
When they revive abandonding the dust!
Plaine and transparant are their hollow hearts,
Which did delude the world, betraying trust ;
Though subtle thought, then simple prove these arts,
Which onely serve to circumvent the just:
Such (ventring soules) base trifles bent to gaine,
Were first to shame, and last expos'd to paine.
As many meane men muster in this band,
By avarice made false, or forc'd by want,
There others are who kingdomes did command,
And save themselves striv'd every thing to daunt;
To rise ambitious, jealous how to stand,
By policy who thousands did supplant,
And all the world imbrac'd within their minde,
Till at the last by some few foots confin'd.
Kings joyn'd with subjects to be judg'd come in ;
No deputies in person all compeere, [sinne;
No greatnesse guilds their guilt, no guards guard
No majestie save one breeds reverence here;
For treacherous treaties they in vaine begin,
By blam'd ambassadours themselves to cleare:
Nor policy to cloake their course with slight,
That gorgeous king who kill'd Cassander's sonne,
By him prevented onely by one day,
With mutuall feasts, and curtesies begun,
Both faining love, when purpos'd to betray:
These finde withall who have such courses runne,
That generous plainnesse proves the better way;
No men more wretched then some greatest kings,
Both for omitting, and committing things.
They at this time not onely are accus'd,
For all which they directly did affect,
But even for others cannot be excus'd,
Whom they did raise, approve, or not correct;
Save greater torment when not rightly us'd,
Now soveraigne power doth purchase no respect:
"Of high imployments great accounts are crav'd,
And they must render most, who most receiv'd."
Faith (if once broke) doth so displease each minde,
That it not kept (even to an Ethnicke king)
The last in Iuda's throne (his crowne resign'd)
All charg'd with chaines to bondage base did bring;
Who saw his sonnes first kill'd, then was made blinde,
What more mishap a heart with griefe could sting?
He wretched was, not that his eyes were reft,
But to see ill that they too long were left.
Pale stand they now, who took God's name in vaine,
And have their soules for trifling ends forsworne;
Who hearts still straight, as simple did disdaine,
Whose wit could glose on vice, and vertue scorne,
Who thund'ring oaths the very ayre did staine;
O how they curse the houre that they were borne!
Such oft the Devill have call'd and God refus'd,
With imprecations, execrations us'd.
Of all these false ones which this time doth try,
With greatest wrath the Lord doth them pursue,
Who (forcing faith) were bold to sell a lye,
Affirming freely what they never knew:
With these vile hirelings which made Nabal dye,
A number more damn'd for this fault I view,
Which witnesses to try, no witnesse needs,
Their guilty conscience large confession breeds.
Troups which for spite durst urge a false com-
plaint,
That tyrants might the saints of God commit,
With palenesse now their faces feare doth paint,
To witnesse wrong who did extend their wit:
Whilst they behold those whom they striv'd to taint,
With angels rank'd (in judging them) to sit :
The great accuser doth against them plead,
Whom once he pleas'd, that he them thence may
leade.
Loe, as their bodies, naked are their minds,
(That maske remov'd which did them long disguise)
Whose vows, and oaths, but breath, went with the
winds,
Not to secure, given onely to entice,
These nets of fraud, weav'd in so many kinds,
Whence poys'nous snakes did (hid with flowers)sur-
prise,
All at an instant now is brought to light,
Which deep dissemblers had wrapt up in night.
The chiefe of such whom here abhorr'd I view,
Is he whose words as oracles were thought;
Who by two councells did his king pursue,
Whose shame the one, whose life the other sought,
Not wise, though wittie, false whil'st speaking true
When all his plots were to confusion brought:
Who witnesse, partie, judge, and hangman too,
Damn'd by himselfe, left now the lesse to doe.
That great arch-patron of such cunning parts,
Is back'd by many drawne from southerne climes,
Who first to tongues driv'd honestie from hearts,
And bent to prosper car'd not by what crimes,
The Florentine made famous by these arts,
Hath tainted numbers even of moderne times:
Till subtilty is to such credit rais'd,
That falshood (when call'd policy) is prais'd.
Ah! this of zeale the sacred ardour cools,
And doth of atheists great abundance make,
Philosophers, physitians, lights of schools,
First causes hunting, do the second take,
By learning ignorant, by wit made fools,
O how their knowledge makes them now to quake!
Who wrong'd God's glory, and provok'd his wrath,
By forcing reason, and neglecting faith.
Who (nature's slaves, no grounds save hers would
touch)
[cerne,
Still studying th' Earth, not what did Heaven con-
They wish they had knowne more, else not so much,
Had had no light, else judgment to discerne,
Diagoras, Democritus, and such
Voluptuous epicures, and stoicks sterne :
He sought his wreake who came the world to save,
What greater crime could all Hell's hosts conceive?
They who of late did at poore suiters grudge,
Yet for more rich men reasons could contrive,
(Though there were hope that gifts could calme this
They naked are, and nothing have to give, [judge)
O what strange furies in their bosomes lodge!
Who wish to dye, and yet of force must live:
These who from others' plaints had barr'd their ears,
Smoke sighs in vaine, and raine downe flouds of teares.
Ye judges, ye who with a little breath
Carr ruine fortunes, and disgrace inflict,
Yea, sit securely (whil'st denouncing death)
In lives (though pretious) as but toyes, not strict;
Ye must be judg'd, and in a time of wrath,
When Christ himselfe to justice doth addict:
To rigour fierce then give not rashly place,
For if you scape, it onely is by grace.
All those whom power doth arme and glory decke,
Not onely are for their owne faults disprov'd,
But for all theirs whom they were bound to checke,
Yet where they ow'd just hate, not loath'd but lov'd:
His sonnes both kill'd, old Eli broke his necke,
Whom he (though tax'd) not mended, nor re-
mov'd.
"Who punish may, and yet comport with sinne,
They lose themselves where they should others
winne."
Some who would mocke the world, appearing pure,
This narrow search which all their soules must sift, So with fraile colours frailty to disguise,
No subtle wit by sophistry can shift.
Though to all those whom sinne hath made to sinke,
(If pale repentance not by teares do purge)
This court yeelds feares, even more then men can thinke,
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Of all his laws when God a count doth urge,
Yet chiefly they whose doomes made others shrinke,
If once accus'd, they cannot scape a scourge ;
Of such below who should his place supplie,
The Lord (as jealous) all the wayes doth try.
They who were judges judgment must attend,
Whose hearts with conscience have no longer truce,
Whom bribes, hate, love, or other partiall end,
Did buy, wrest, bow, or any way seduce;
No law, nor practick can them now defend;
There is no hope this processe to reduce:
His sentences whose words are all of weight,
(Whence scarce pronounc'd) are executed straight.
He who to death did damne the Lord of life,
Vnhappy man how hatefull is his part!
When griev'd in minde, and warned by his wife,
He wash'd bis hands, but would not purge his heart,
Yet for lesse paine with some he stands at strife,
Who give wrong doomes, yet not so much as smart:
But men to please since he the Lord contemn'd,
He must be judg'd by him whom he condemn'd.
One's monstrous crimes with torments how to match,
The devils do all concurre for vengeance great,
Who (when at sacred food) did mischiefe hatch,
A traitor, theefe, apostate, and ingrate,
Who made (when he his Lord to trap did watch)
A kisse(though love's chiefe signe) the badge of hate;
Whil'st privately some person they procure
To execute the ill that they devise,
Though (shadow'd thus) they dreame themselves
Whil'st gaine to them, to others hate doth rise:
Who indirectly thus a fault commit,
Are found more guilty by dissembling it.
That Edomite in Hell's black depths involv'd,
Whil'st he revenge, else guerdon did attend,
Who even in church, the priests ore-throw resolv'd,
And at devotion mischiefe did intend:
(With Heaven and Earth at once all bands dissolv'd)
Vile Doeg, dogge, both false to God, and friend:
Though true his words, the sense was wrong annex'd,
And now he finds what glose betrai'd the text.
Those base informers who (by envy led)
Three Hebrews' ruine did with fraud conspire,
Then was the fornace when with flames made red,
More fierce they finde the rage of sparkling ire,
And (neare that forme by which their eyes were fed)
They enter must, not be consum'd with fire:
Yet differ thus, these scap't, not touch'd againe,
Where they must alwayes burne with endlesse paine.
These leacherous iudges, infamie of age,
Who (for Susanna in an ambush plac'd)
Did runne (enflam'd with a voluptuous rage)
And living snows (all freez'd with feare) embrac'd,
Which treason did 'twixt two great straits engage,
To sinne in secret, or to dye disgrac'd ;
They curse their course which so impetuous prov'd,
Twixt passions toss'd whil'st hating whom they lov'd.
That froth of envy, bubble of base pride,
Who for one's cause a nation would ore-throw,
His whole in hazard, or he would abide
The triviall want of an externall show;
Yet had what he for others did provide,
A rare example of vaine height brought low;
Who of the man whom he did most disdaine,
The bridle led, most abject of the traine.
When sometime match'd by emulating strife,
Black calumnie (swolne hate and envie's childe)
Damnes him with others (false records are rife)
By whom Apelles was from men exil'd,
Who (animating colours) colour'd life,
Till (by their eyes) men joy'd to be beguil'd:
Whil'st drawn by him an admirable peece,
It (as a treasure) was engross'd in Greece.
No vice below fraughts Pluto with more spoils
Than avarice, which nothing can controule;
(The heart with cares, the body tyr'd with toils)
Whil'st it (a tyrant) doth oppresse the soule,
And all the buds of rising vertue foils,
Too grosly base, and miserably foule;
Then it can never scape a generall hate,
Which one to found would ruine every state.
Not onely wretches all the world would wrong,
But even themselves defraud of what is due;
From all their treasures travell'd for so long,
Which they but owe, not use, not owe, but view,
Them fortune oft, death still to part is strong,
Who of all sinners have most cause to rue: [gaine,
They lose themselves that doubtfull heires may
The pleasures want of sinne, have but the paine.
By misery to finde his folly mov'd,
When fortune's dreames were vanish'd all away,
That Lydian king who Solon's speech approv'd,
Did clearly tell how greatnesse did betray,
And highly loath'd what he too much had lov'd;
Thoughts which for treasures, no, for trifles stray:
What even when pleasant he did then disdaine,
O how he hates it now when cause of paine!
That Roman who but such did rich esteeme,
As furnish might an hoast, yet want not feare,
When his sonne's head (whose hopes so great did
seeme)
With horrour crown'd a bragging Parthian's speare,
Then all his wealth could not himselfe redeeme,
Kill'd oft ere dead, barbarians scoffes to beare;
Thus he who long below so rich did dwell,
Rob'd fortune, fame, and life, went poore to Hell.
She whose base mind they whom it pleas'd did scorne,
(Vile avarice so poison'd had her heart) [borne,
Whilst charg'd with all which foes left armes had
Did nothing get, yet they too much impart,
The words were kept, but not the sence was sworne, The which, (though their deceit) was her desart; But though that monstrous weight bruis'd all her A greater now doth crush her all at once. [bones,
Of him whose touch made gold, when rich at will, That ancient tale each miser's state hath showne, Who steale from others, rob themselves poore still, As borne to envy wealth, though even their owne; Gold did his chests, but not his stomack fill, Starv'd by abundance, by his wish ore-throwne; VOL. V.
He but in eares, such always asses be, Since still in toile from burdens never free.
Then avarice that painefull guide to paine,
With greater troupes no sinne triumphes in Hell,
What fettered captives charg'd with guilty gaine;
Prey of their prey, their wreake by winning tell?
That glue of soules must them from Heaven re-
straine,
Who ti'd to it, on th' Earth would always dwell:
Such jealous fooles, they not enjoy, though match,
But build a nest where others are to hatch.
Of all those hearts which this curst hag doth stitch,
Though by the world they are detasted most,
Who are like him whom stealing did bewitch,
With gold, and garments, tainting Iosua's host,
Yet many are by farre worse meanes made rich,
Who more doe sinne, yet of their sinne dare boast;
Theeves oft (like him with Christ) get life by death,
Where such are onely kept for endlesse wrath.
They by their place who should all faults redresse,
And guard the weake against encroaching wrong,
If of their greatnesse they the ground transgresse,
(As for inflicting harme made only strong)
Though they a space by power the poore oppresse,
O! they shall find with griefe ere it be long,
How much it had imported to their state,
That they had striv'd to be more good then great.
Thou who rais'd high, should'st helpe the humble sort,
Yet, whilst thy pride all law and reason foiles, The entrailes, yea, their marrow dost extort, Bath'd by their sweat, annointed with their toiles, Dost urge more then they owe, or can support, Deare is thy state when purchas'd by such spoiles; Though theft be much detasted at this time, Oppression then shall prove the greater crime.
He who inferiours thus to ruine brings,
Who neither may resist nor dare complaine,
Though lawes approve, and custome cloke such
things,
His course at last doth all unmask'd remaine;
Who late were lords, and kept a court like kings,
Of them whome once they rul'd no vantage gaine;
No bragges, nor bribes, no care nor friendship aides.
The judge in wrath with frownes their faults up-
braids.
Though lofty tyrants first much mischiefe breed,
Their ravenous course whilst nothing can appease,
Yet others are who on their fall doe feed,
Whom so to humble it the Lord doth please,
Whose summes for interest principalls exceed,
A cosening favour, ruining with ease;
But Christ at last a iubilee doth sound,
His free from bands, who did them bind, are bound.
Then robbers, theeves, oppressours, usurers there,
One sort at least the Lord farre more doth hate,
His temple spoiling, who himselfe not spare,
Take what zeale gave, the fat of offerings eate,
What was allow'd the Levites for their share,
Prophanely us'd to found a private state:
They must thinke God lesse then the Devill to be,
Who thousands kill'd to keepe his altars free.
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