Classic Poem

So Learned men, in controuersies spend
(Of tongues, and tearmes, readings, and labours pend)
Their whole liues studies; Glorie, Riches, Place,
In full crie, with the vulgare giuing Chace;
And neuer, with their learnings true vse striue
To bridle strifes within them; and to liue
Like men of Peace, whome Art of Peace begat:
But, as their deedes, are most adulterate,
And showe them false Sons, to their Peacefull Mother,
In those warres; so their Arts, are prov'd no other.
And let the best of them, a search impose
Vpon his Art: for all the things shee knowes
(All being referd, to all, to her vnknowne)
They will obtaine the same proportion
That doth a little brooke that neuer ran
Through Summers Sunne; compar'd with th'Ocean.
But, could he Oracles speake; and wright to charme
A wilde of Sauadges; take Natures Arme,
And plucke into his search, the Circuit
Of Earth, and Heauen; the Seas space, and the spirit
Of euerie Starre: the Powers of Herbs, and Stones;
Yet touch not, at his perturbations;
Nor giue them Rule, and temper to obay
Imperiall Reason; in whose Soueraigne sway,
Learning is wholly vs'd, and dignified;
To what end serues he? is his learning tryed
That comforting, and that creating Fire
That fashions men? or that which doth inspire
Citties with ciuile conflagrations,
Countries, and kingdomes? That Art that attones
All opposition to good life, is all;
Liue well ye Learned; and all men ye enthrall.
Alas they are discourag'd in their courses;
And (like surpris'd Forts) beaten from their forces.
Bodies, on Rights of Soules did neuer growe
With ruder Rage, then barbarous Torrents flowe
Ouer their sacred Pastures; bringing in
Weedes, and all rapine; Temples now begin
To suffer second deluge; Sinne-drownde Beasts,
Making their Altars crack; and the filde Nests
Of vulturous Fowles, filling their holy places;
For wonted Ornaments, and Religious graces.
The chiefe cause is, since they themselues betraie;
Take their Foes baites, for some particular swaie
T'inuert their vniuersall; and this still,
Is cause of all ills else; their liuing ill.
Alas! that men should striue for others swaie;
But first to rule themselues: And that being waie
To all mens Bliss; why is it trod by none?
And why are rules so dully lookt vpon
That teach that liuely Rule?
O horrid thing!
Tis Custome powres into your common spring
Such poyson of Example, in things vaine;
That Reason nor Religion can constraine
Mens sights of serious things; and th'onely cause
That neither humane nor celestiall lawes
Drawe man more compasse; is his owne slacke bent
T'intend no more his proper Regiment,
Where; if your Actiue men (or men of action)
Their Policie, Auarice, Ambition, Faction,
Would turne to making strong, their rule of Passion,
To search, and settle them, in Approbation
Of what they are, and shalbe (which may be
By Reason, in despight of Policie)
And in one true course, couch their whole Affaires
To one true blisse, worth all the spawne of theirs;
If halfe the idle speech, men Passiue spend,
At sensuall meetings, when they recommend
Their sanguine Soules, in laughters, to their Peace,
Were spent in Counsailes how they might decrease
That frantique humour of ridiculous blood
(Which addes, they vainely thinke, to their liues flood)
And so conuerted, in true humane mirth,
To speech, what they shall be (dissolv'd from Earth)
In bridling it in flesh; with all the scope
Of their owne knowledge here; and future hope:
If (last of all) your Intellectiue men
Would mixe the streames of euery iarring Penne
In one calme Current; that like land flouds, now
Make all Zeales bounded Riuers ouer-flowe;
Firme Truth, with question, euery howre pursue;
And yet will have no question, all is true:
Search in that troubled Ocean, for a Ford
That by it selfe runnes; and must beare accord
In each mans self; by banishing falshood there,
Wrath, lust, pride, earthy thoughts; before elsewhere.
(For, as in one man, is the world inclosde,
So to forme one, it should be all disposde:)
If all these would concurre to this one end,
It would aske all their powres; and all would spend
Life with that reall sweetnesse, which they dreame
Comes in with obiects that are meere extreame:
And make them outward pleasures still apply
Which neuer can come in, but by that key;
Others aduancements, others Fames desiring;
Thirsting, exploring, praysing, and admiring;
Like lewd adulterers, that their owne wiues scorne,
And other mens, with all their wealth, adorne.
Why, in all outraying, varied ioyes, and courses,
That in these errant times, tire all mens forces,
Is this so common wonder of our dayes?
That in poore foretimes, such a fewe could raise
So many wealthy Temples, and these none?
All were deuout then; all deuotions one;
And to one end conuerted; and when men
Giue vp themselues to God; all theirs goes then:
A few well-giuen, are worth a world of ill;
And worlds of Powre, not worth one poore good-will.
And what's the cause, that (being but one Truth ) spreds
About the world so manie thousand heads,
Of false Opinions, all self-lov'd as true?
Onely affection, to things more then due:
One Error kist, begetteth infinite.
How can men finde truth, in waies opposite?
And with what force, they must take opposite wayes
When all haue opposite obiects? Truth displaies
One colourd ensigne; and the world pursues
Ten thousand colours: see (to iudge, who vse
Truth in their Arts;) what light their liues doe giue:
For wherefore doe they study, but to liue?
See I Eternities streight milke-white waie,
And One, in this lifes crooked vanities straie;
And, shall I thinke he knowes Truth, following Error?
This; onely this; is the infallible myrror,
To showe, why Ignorants, with learn'd men vaunt,
And why your learn'd men, are so ignorant,
Why euery Youth, in one howre will be old
In euery knowledge; and why Age doth mould.
Then; As in Rules of true Philosophie
There must be euer due Analogie
Betwixt the Powre that knowes, and that is knowne,
So surely ioynde that they are euer one;
The vnderstanding part transcending still
To that it vnderstands, that, to his skill;
All, offering to the Soule, the Soule to God;
(By which do all things make their Period
In his high Powre; and make him, All in All;
So, to ascend, the high-heauen-reaching Skale
Of mans true Peace; and make his Art entire,
By calming all his Errors in desire;
(Which must preceede, that higher happinesse)
Proportion still, must trauerse her accesse
Betwixt his powre, and will; his Sense and Soule;
And euermore th'exorbitance controule
Of all forms, passing through the bodies Powre,
Till in the soule they rest, as in their Towre.
But; as Earths grosse and elementall fire,
Cannot maintaine it selfe; but doth require
Fresh matter still, to giue it heate, and light;
And, when it is enflam'd; mounts not vpright;
But struggles in his lame impure ascent;
Now this waie works, and then is that waie bent,
Not able, straight, t'aspire to his true Sphere
Where burns the fire, eternall, and sincere;
So, best soules here; with heartiest zeales enflam'd
In their high flight for heauen; earth-broos'd and lam'd)
Make many faint approches; and are faine,
With much vnworthy matter, to sustaine
Their holiest fire; and with sick feathers, driuen,
And broken Pinions, flutter towards heauen.
The cause is, that you neuer will bestowe
Your best, t'enclose your liues, twixt God, and you;
To count the worlds Loue, Fame, Ioy, Honour, nothing;
But life, (with all your loue to it) betrothing
To his loue; his recomfort; his rewarde;
Since no good thought calls to him, but is heard.
Nor neede you, thinke this strange; since he is there,
Present: within you; euer, euerywhere
Where good thoughts are; for Good hath no estate
Without him; nor himselfe is, without That:
If then, this Commerce stand twixt you entire;
Trie, if he either, grant not each desire;
Or so conforme it, to his will, in staie;
That you shall finde him, there, in the delaie,
As well as th'instant grant; And so prooue, right
How easie, his deare yoke is; and how light
His equall burthen: whether this Commerce
Twixt God and man, be so hard, so peruerse
(In composition); as, the Raritie,
Or no-where-patterne of it, doth implie?
Or if, in worthy contemplation
It do not tempt, beyond comparison
Of all things worldly? Sensualitie,
Nothing so easie; all Earths Companie,
(Like Rubarb, or the drugges of Thessalie)
Compar'd, in taste with that sweet? O trie then
If, that contradiction (by the God of men)
Of all the lawe, and Prophets, layd vpon
The tempting Lawyer; were a lode, that None
Had powre to stand beneath? If Gods deare loue,
Thy Conscience do not, at first sight approue
Deare, aboue all things? And, so passe this shelfe;
To loue (withall) thy Neighbour as thy selfe?
Not, loue as much; but as thy selfe; in this,
To let it be as free, as thine owne is;
Without respect of profit, or reward,
Deceipt, or flatterie; politique regard,
Or anie thing, but naked Charitie.
I call, euen God, himselfe; to testifie
(For men, I know but fewe) that farre aboue
All to be here desir'd; I rate his loue.
Thanks to his still-kist-hand, that hath so fram'd
My poore, and abiect life; and so, inflam'd
My soule with his sweete, all-want-seasoning loue;
In studying to supply, though not remoue,
My desert fortunes, and vnworthinesse,
With some wisht grace from him; that might expresse
His presence with me; and so dignifie,
My life, to creepe on earth; behold the skie,
And giue it meanes enough, for this lowe plight;
Though, hitherto, with no one houres delight,
Heartie or worthie; but in him alone;
Who, like a carefull guide, hath hal'd me on;
And (euery minute, sinking) made me swimme,
To this calme Shore; hid, with his Sonne, in him:
And here, ay me! (as trembling, I looke back)
I fall againe, and, in my hauen, wracke;
Still being perswaded (by the shamelesse light)
That these are dreames, of my retired Night;
That, all my Reading; Writing; all my paines
Are serious trifles; and the idle vaines
Of an vnthriftie Angell, that deludes
My simple fancie; and, by Fate, extendes
My Birth-accurst life, from the blisse of men:
And then; my hands I wring; my bosome, then
Beate, and could breake ope; fill th'inraged Ayre;
And knock at heauen, with sighs; inuoke Despaire,
At once, to free the tyr'd Earth of my lode;
That these recoiles, (that, Reason doth explode;
Religion damns; and my arm'd Soule defies;
Wrastles with Angels; telling Heauen it lies,
If it denie the truth, his Spirit hath writ,
Grauen, in my soule, and there eternisde it)
Should beat me from that rest; and that is this;
That these prodigious Securities
That all men snore-in (drowning in vile liues
The Soules of men, because the bodie thriues)
Are Witch-crafts damnable; That all learnings are
Foolish, and false, that with those vile liues square;
That these sowre wizzards, that so grauely scorne
Learning with good life; kinde gainst kinde suborne;
And are no more wise, then their shades, are men;
Which (as my finger, can goe to my Penne)
I can demonstrate; that our knowledges,
(Which we must learne, if euer we professe
Knowledge of God; or haue one Notion true)
Are those, which first, and most we should pursue;
That, in their searches, all mens actiue liues,
Are so farre short of their contemplatiues;
As Bodies are of Soules; This life, of Next:
And, so much doth the Forme, and whole Context
Of matter, seruing one; exceede the other;
That Heauen, our Father is; as Earth our Mother.
And therefore; in resemblance to approue,
Who are the true bredde; fatherd by his loue;
As Heauen it selfe, doth only, virtually
Mix with the Earth; his Course still keeping hie,
And Substance, vndisparag'd; (though his Beames
Are dround in many dung-hils; and their Steames,
(To vs) obscure him; yet he euer shines:)
So though our soules beames, digge in bodies Mines,
To finde them rich discourses, through their Senses;
And meet with many myddins of offences,
Whose Vapours choke their Organes; yet should they
Disperse them by degrees; because their swaie
(In Powre) is absolute; And (in that Powre) shine
As firme as heauen; heauen, nothing so divine.
All this, I holde; and since, that all truth else,
That all else knowe, or can holde; staies and dwelles
On these grounds vses; and should all contend
(Knowing our birth here, serues but for this end
To make true meanes, and waies, t'our second life)
To plie those studies; and holde euery strife
To other ends (more then to amplifie,
Adorne, and sweeten these, deseruedly)
As balls cast in our Race; and but grasse knitt
From both sides of our Path; t'ensnare our wit:
And thus, because, the gaudie vulgar light
Burns vp my good thoughts, form'd in temperate Night,
Rising to see, the good Moone oftentimes
(Like the poore virtues of these vicious times)
Labour as much to lose her light; as when
She fills her waning horns; And how (like men
Raisd to high Places) Exhalations fall
That would be thought Starres; Ile retire from all
The hot glades of Ambition; Companie,
That (with their vainenesse) make this vanitie;
And coole to death, in shaddowes of this vale:
To which end, I will cast this Serpents skale;
This loade of life, in life; this fleshie stone;
This bond, and bundle of corruption;
This breathing Sepulcher; this spundge of griefe;
This smiling Enemie; this household-thiefe;
This glasse of ayre; broken with lesse then breath;
This Slaue, bound face to face, to death, till death;
And consecrate my life, to you, and yours:
In which obiection; if that Powre of Powers
That hath reliev'd me thus farre; with a hand
Direct, and most immediate; still will stand
Betwixt me, and the Rapines of the Earth;
And giue my poore paines, but such gratious birth,
As may sustaine me, in my desert Age,
With some powre, to my will; I still will wage
Warre with that false Peace, that exileth you;
And (in my prayd for freedome) euer vow,
Teares in these shades, for your teares; till mine eyes
Poure out my soule in better sacrifise.
Nor doubt (good friend) but God, to whom I see
Your friendlesse life conuerted; still will be
A rich supply for friends; And still be you
Sure Conuertite to him. This, this way rowe
All to their Countrie. Thinke how hee hath shew'd
You wayes, and by wayes; what to bee pursew'd,
And what auoyded. Still, in his hands be,
If you desire to liue, or safe, or free.
No longer dayes take; Nature doth exact
This resolution of thee, and this fact:
The Foe hayles on thy head; and in thy Face
Insults, and trenches; leaues thee, no worlds grace;
The walles; in which thou art besieged, shake.
Haue done; Resist no more: but if you take
Firme notice of our speech, and, what you see;
And will adde paines to write all; let it be
Divulged too. Perhappes, of all, some one
May finde some good: But might it touch vpon
Your gratious Princes liking; hee might doe
Good to himselfe, and all his kingdomes too:
So virtuous, a great Example is;
And that, hath thankt, as small a thing as this;
Here being stuffe, and forme, for all true Peace;
And so, of all mens perfect Happinesse.
To which, if hee shall lend his Princely eare,
And giue commandement (from your selfe) to heare
My state; tell him you know me; and that I,
That am the Crowne of Principalitie,
(Though thus cast off by Princes) euer vow
Attendance at his foote; till I may growe
Vp to his bosome; which (being deaw'd in time
With these my Teares) may to my comforts clyme:
Which (when all Pleasures, into Palseys turne,
And Sunne-like Pomp; in his own clowds shal mourne)
Will be acceptiue. Meane space I will pray,
That hee may turne, some toward thought this way;
While the round whirlewindes, of the earths delights
Dust betwixt him and me; and blinde the sights
Of all men rauisht with them; whose encrease
(You well may tell him) fashions not true Peace.
The Peace that they informe; learns but to squat,
While the slye legall foe (that leuels at
Warre, through those false lights) soudainly runs by
Betwixt you, and your strength; and while you lye,
Couching your eares; and flatting euerie lymme
So close to earth, that you would seeme to him
The Earth it selfe: yet hee knowes who you are;
And, in that vantage, poures on, ready warre.