Yet are not peoples errors, euer free
From guilt of wounds they suffer by the warre;
"Neuer did any publike misery
Rise of it selfe; Gods plagues still grounded are
On common staines of our humanity :

And to the flame, which ruineth mankind,
Man giues the matter, or at least giues wind."

Nor are these people carried into blood
Onely, and still with violent giddy passion,
But in our nature, rightly vnderstood,
Rebellion liues, still striuing to disfashion
Order, authority, lawes, any good,

That should restraine our liberty of pleasure,
Bound our designes, or giue desire a measure.

So that in man the humour radicall
Of violence, is a swelling of desire;
To get that freedome, captiu'd by his fall;
Which yet falls more by striuing to clime higher :
"Men would be tyrants, tyrants would be gods,
Thus they become our scourges, we their rods."

Now this conclusion, from these grounds we take, That by our fall, wee did Gods image leaue, Whose power and nature is to saue and make; And from the deuils image, we receiue

"This spirit, which stirres mankind with man to

warre

Which deuils doe not; wherein worse we are."

For proofe; this very spirit of the deuill,
Makes men more prompt, ingenious, earnest, free,
In all the workes of ruine, with the euill;
Then they in sauing with the goodnesse be;

"Criticks vpon all writers, there are many;
Planters of truth, or knowledges not any.'

How much more precious is the satyr pen,
Momus or Mimus, than the Lyricke vaine,
Or Epicke image to the hearts of men?
And as in learning, so in life againe,

"Of crafty tyrants store, wise kings scarce one, Law-breakers many, and law-makers none."

Yea euen in warre, the perfect type of hell; See we not much more politicke celerity,

Must rise and fall, waxe old, and not renew, Some by disease, that from without deuour, Others euen by disorders in them bred,

Seene onely, and discouer'd in the dead.

Among which are included secret hates,
Reuolts, displeasure, discord, ciuill warre;
All haue their growing, and declining states,
Which with time, place, occasion bounded are:

"So as all crownes now hope for that in vaine, Which Rome (the queen of crowns) could not attaine."

This change by warre, enioyes her changing doome;
Irus grows rich, and Croesus must wax poore,
One from a king shall schoolemaster become,
And he made king, that wrought in potters oare;
They who commanded erst must now obey,
And fame, euen grow infamous in a day.

That by vicissitude of these translations,
And change of place, corruption, and excesse ;
Craft ouerbuilding all degenerations;
Might be reduced to the first addresse

Of natures lawes, and truths simplicity;
These planting worth, and worth authority.

All which best root, and spring in new foundations,
Of states, or kingdomes; and againe in age,
Or height of pride, and power feele declination,
Mortality is changes proper stage:

States haue degrees, as humane bodies haue,
Springs, summer, autumne, winter and the graue.

God then sends war, commotion, tumult, strife,
"Like windes, and stormes, to purge the ayre and
earth;"

Disperse corruption; giue the world new life,
In the vicissitude of creatures birth,

Which could not flourish, nor yeeld fruit againe,
Without returnes of heate, cold, drought and raine.

But further now the eternall Wisedome showes,
That though God doe preserue thus for a time,
This equilibrium, wherein Nature goes,
By peasing humours, not to ouerclime,

Yet he both by the cure, and the disease,
Proues dissolution; all at length must cease.

For surely, if it had beene God's intent
To giue man here eternally possession,
Earth had beene free from all misgouernment,
Warre, malice, could then haue had progression,
"Man (as at first) had bin mans nursing brother,
And not, as since, one wolfe unto another."

For onely this antipathy of minde
Hath euer bin the bellowes of sedition;

Where each man kindling one, inflames mankind,
Till on the publike, they inflict perdition,

"And as man vnto man, so state to state: Inspired is, with venime of this hate."

And what doe all these mutinies include,
But dissolution first of gouernment?
Then a dispeopling of the earth by feud,
As if our Maker to destroy vs meant?

For states are made of men, and men of dust,
The moulds are fraile, disease consume them must.

Now as the warres proue mans mortality,
So doe the oppositions here below,

Of elements, the contrariety;

Of constellations, which aboue doe show, Of qualities in flesh, will in the spirits; Principles of discord, not of concord made, All proue God meant not man should here inherit, A time-made world, which with time should not fade; [and plain, "But as Noes flood once drown'd woods, hils, So should the fire of Christ waste all againe."

Thus see we both the causes and effects
Of warre, and how these attributes to hap,
Councels of men, power, fame, which all affect,
Lye close reseru'd within th' Almighties lap:
Where fashion'd, order'd, and dispos'd they be,
To accomplish his infallible decree.

And from these grounds concluding as we doe, Warres causes diuerse; so by consequence, Diuerse we must conclude their natures too; For warre proceeding from the Omnipotence, No doubt is holy, wise, and without error, The sword of iustice, and of sinne the terror,

But warres of men, if we examine these

By piercing rules, of that steepe narrow way, [raise Which Christian soules must walke, that hope to Their bodies from the earth another day:

"Their life is death, their warre obedience,
Of crowns, fame, wrongs, they haue no other sense."

Then till to these God plainely hath exprest,
By prophets, sawes, wonder, and angels sound,
That his church-rebels hee will haue supprest;
Or giue his people other peoples ground;

"They must preserue his temples, not shed blood, But where the mouer makes the motion good." Nay, euen these warres though built on piety, They lawlesse hold, vnlesse by lawfull might They vndertaken, and performed be; "For natures order, euery creatures right,

Hath vnto peace ordain'd, that princes should, Of warre the grounds, and execution mould."

Besides, the manner must haue charity,
First offering peace, which if disease distaste,
Yet wisdome guides the cure, not cruelty;
Art prunes the earth, confusion leaues it waste:

God would not haue men spoil what they may eat,
It feeds the warre, and leaues a ground to treat.

What warrant then for all our warres of glory,
Where power and wit, do multiply their right,
By acts recorded, both in fame and story,
Are there not due prerogatiues of might?

Or shall we by their dreames examine these,
That lose the world, they know not what to please?

Is not euen age due oddes to euery father,
From whence, we children owe them reuerence?
If he that hath, haue latitude to gather,
"Must he not yeeld, that cannot make defence?
Haue subiects lawes, to rectifie oppression?
And princes wrongs no law but intercession ?"

"Are there by nature lords, and seruants too? Was this world made indifferent to man?

Doe power and honour follow them that doe?
And yet are kings restrain'd from what they can?
Gaue nature other bounds of habitation,
Than strength, or weakenesse vnto euery nation?"

Haue we not both of policy, and might
Pregnant examples, euen in Israels seed?
First, how the younger got the elders right,
At easie rates, by well-obseruing need;

Then of his heauenly blessing him bereau'd,
Wherein the man, not God, that Eue deceiu'd.

Let vs then thus conclude, that onely they Whose end in this world, is the world to come, Whose hearts desire is, that their desires may Measure themselues, by truths eternall doome,

Can in the war find nothing that they prise, Who in the world, would not be great, or wise.

With these I say, warre, conquest, honour, fame,
Stand (as the world) neglected, or forsaken;
"Like errors cobwebs, in whose curious frame,"
She onely ioyes and mournes: takes, and is taken :
“ In which these dying, that to God liue thus,
Endure our conquests, would not conquer vs."

Where all states else that stand on power, not grace,
And gage desire by no such spirituall measure,
Make it their end to raigne in euery place:
To warre for honour, for reuenge, and pleasure ;
"Thinking the strong should keepe the weake in

awe,

And euery inequalitie giue law."

These serue the world to rule her by her arts,
Raise mortall trophies vpon mortall passion;
Their wealth, strength, glory, growing from those
hearts,

Which to their ends, they ruine and disfashion;

"The more remote from God, the lesse remorse; Which stil giues honor power, occasion force."

These make the sword their iudge of wrong, and right,

Their story fame, their laws but power and wit;
Their endlesse mine, all vanities of might,
Rewards and paiues the mystery of it,

And in this spheare, this wildernesse of euils,
None prosper highly, but the perfect diuels.

The Turkish empire, thus grew vnto height,
Which, first in vnity, past others farre,
Their church was meere collusion, and deceit,
Their court a campe, their discipline a warre;
With martiall hopes, and feares, and shows diuine,
To hazard onely they did man refine.

Vpon the Christians hereby they preuail'd,
For they diuided stood, in schisme and sect,
Among themselues (assailing or assail'd)
Their vndertakings mixed with neglect:

، Their doctrine peace, yet their ambition war, For to their own true church they strangers are."

God and the world they worship still together,
Draw not their lawes to him, but his to theirs,
Vntrue to both, so prosperous in neither,
Amid their owne desires still raising feares:
، Vnwise, as all distracted powers be;
Strangers to God, fooles in humanitie."

For in those golden days, with Nature's chains Both king and people seem'd conjoyn'd in one, Both nurst alike, with mutual feeding veins Transcendency of either side unknown,

Princes with men using no other arts
But by good dealing to obtain good hearts.
Power then maintaind it self even by those arts
By which it grew, as justice, labor, love ;
Reserved sweetness did it self impart
Even unto slaves, yet kept it self above,

And by a meek descending to the least,
Enviless swayd, and govern'd all the rest.

Order there equal was, time courts ordain'd
To hear, to judge, to execute, and make
Few and good rules, for all griefs that complain'd,
Such care did princes of their people take

Before this art of power allay'd the truth:
So glorious of mans greatness is the youth.
What wonder was it then if those thrones found
Thanks as exorbitant, as was their merit,
Wit to give highest tributes being bound,
And wound up by a princely ruling spirit

To worship them for their gods after death
Who in their life exceeded humane faith?

And shall it error, nay impiety

In heathen souls be thought to recompence
The absent with immortal memory,
Goodness with praise, and benefit with sence?
Or rather such a golden natur'd vein

As in the world might golden days maintain.

For where should thankful ingenuity
Think the fear-thundring scepter fit to rest,
With knowledge, vertue, and felicity,
But in mild Jupiter's well-doing brest?

Or where but in Olympus, heaven to be?
Which was his dwelling place in Thessaly.

And if departed souls must rise again
Severely to become examined,

And bide the judgement of reward or pain,
What chancelors seem fitter for the dead,

Then Rhadamanthus and stern Minos were,
True types of justice while they lived here?

Thus kings may see, while greatness did descend,
And care as far spread as authority,
Grace did restrain and disgrace did amend,
The vice was hateful and the majesty

Of justice held up for a common good,
A work by kings and men well understood.

Kings creatures then were no vain favorites
But guardians of the poor, eyes of the crown;
Lest height of place should oversee the right
And help the proud to pull the humble down;
All laws like cobwebs, catching little flies,
But never great ones without princes eyes.

But by decree of fate this corporation

Is alter'd since, and earths fair globe miscarried,
Mans craft, above these gods in estimation,
And by it wisdomes constant standard varied;
Whereby the sway of many years are gone
Since any godhead rul'd an earthly throne.

Whether it were mans false Pygmean wit,
Captiving envy, or the giant's pride,
Which forc't these worthies to abandon it,
I know not; but some disproportion'd tyde

Of times self-humours hath that commerce drownd,
To which this image shews those times were bound.

And when those golden days were once expired
Time straight claim'd her succession in the brass,
And to her ends new instruments inspired,
With narrow selfness staining all that was:
Power still affects more inequality

Which made mankind more curious to be free.

Divided thus, kings quit their fathers hand
In government, which men did earst adore,
People again by number sought to stand,
And scorn'd that power which earst they did implore.
Goodness goes from the earth, and greatness too,
In will, fear, craft, men forming all they do.

Hence these gods tir'd with neighborless deceit
Have rais'd their thrones above mortality
And chang'd their sweet aspects with sour retreat.
Whence all things blest before now blasted be
With tempests, earthquakes, fire, and thunders

terrors

Shewing and threatning mans corrupting errors.

By which strange plagues these gods do testify
Mankind to be of such a metal cast,

As neither fire can melt, air qualify,
Water dissolve, or stroke of hammer waste:
No native notion, law, or violence,
Fashion his hard heart to an humble sence.

But that he should still grudge at government,
Scorn mercy, yet rebel at tyranny,
Repine at discipline, rest discontent
Both with his equals, and authority;

As in whom pow'r might without goodness be,
And base subjection without loyalty.

In which confused state of declination
Left by these gods, mankind was forc't to trust
Those light thoughts which were molds of his pri-
And scorning equals, raise a soveraign must; [vation,
For frailty with it self grown discontent,
Wardlike must live in others government.

Man then repine not at the boundless kings,
Since you endure the fate of your fore-fathers,
To whom God did foretell, on humane wings
How inequality once rais'd still gathers,

Their choice offended him, please you it must,
Whose dregs still in you, on you, make it just.

Princes again, o'r-rack not your creation, Lest pow'r return to that whence it began, But keep up scepters by that reputation Which raised one to rule this world of man; Order makes us the body, you the head, And by disorder anarchy is bred.

Let each then know by equal estimation,
That in this frail freehold of flesh and blood,
Nature her self declines unto privation,
As mixt of real ill and seeming good;

And where mans best estate is such a strife,
Can order there be permanent in life?

Now, if consider'd simply, man be such,
Cast him into a throne or subjects mould,
The function cannot take away this touch;
Since neither what he ought, or can, or would,
Both king and man perplexed are in state,
Improve their ends, and set no other rate.

In which imperfect temper, expectation
Proves unto us a perverse enemy;

Whil'st pow'r with soveraign partial contemplation
Aims at ideas of authority

More absolute then God himself requires,
Who of us, onely what he gives, desires.

Again, while people do expect from kings
Such a protecting popularity

As gives, forgives, intends no other things
But in a crown a common slave to be,

Thus over-valuing each estate too farre
Makes both full of misprision as they are.

In judging other then let either know,
As they are men, they are a mean creation
Betwixt the heaven above and hell below,
Not more deserving hate, then adoration:

Equal in some things are the great'st and least;
One disproportion must not drown the rest.

The odds to be examined then is place,

What that doth challenge, what again it owes,
Not peazing these in dainty scales of grace,
Where pure simplicity for wisdom goes;
Or vain ideas formed in the air,
To self-imagination onely fair.

But in the world as thrones now moulded are
By chance, choice, practice, birth, or martial awe,
Where laws and custome doe prescribe how far
Either the king or subject ought to draw

These mutual ties of duty, love, or fear
To such a strain, as every man may bear.

Which place, what is it but of reverence
A throne rais'd on man's reason and affection,
Where that well happy mixt and confluence
Of earthly and celestial reflection

Should wear the publick, in the private good,
And to protect both, govern flesh and blood.

Yet, since election doth resign to birth,
True worth to chance, brave industry to blood,
Nature to art; and force command the earth,
That native commerce which wrought mutual good
'Twixt crowns and men, was soon exil'd from
hence,

And we like beasts left no right but in sence.

To fortify which confident rais'd throne
And keep mankind with it in unity,
The wit of pow'r cannot suffice alone,
Man is not strong to bind humanity;

Therefore above man, they that would man bound
Still sought some shews of everlasting ground.