Classic Poem

O that some sacred labour would let in
The ocean through my womb, to clense my sin;
I, that belou'd of Heauen, as his true wife,
Was wont to bring forth a delightsome life
To all his creatures: and had vertues hand
To my deliuerance, decking euery land
(Where warre was banisht) with religious Temples,
Cloisters and monuments in admir'd examples
Of Christian pietie, and respect of soules,
Now drunke with Auarice and th'adulterous boules
Of the light Cyprian, and by Dis deflowr'd,
I bring forth seed, by which I am deuour'd:
Infectuous darknesse from my intrails flies,
That blasts Religion, breeds black heresies,
Strikes vertue bedrid, fame dumb, knowledge blind,
And for free bounties (like an Easterne wind)
Knits nets of Caterpillers, that all fruites
Of planting peace, catch with contentious suites.
And see (O heauen) a warre that inward breeds
Worse farre then Ciuill, where in brazen steeds,
Armes are let in vnseene, and fire and sword
Wound and consume men with the rauenous hord
Of priuate riches, like prickt pictures charm'd,
And hid in dunghils, where some one is arm'd
With armes of thousands; and in such small time,
(Euen out of nakednesse) that the dismall crime
Stickes in his blasing forehead like a starre,
Signall of rapine and spoile worse then warre,
These warres giue such slie poison for the spleene,
That men affect and studie for their teene,
That it recures the wolfe in auarice,
And makes him freely spend his golden thies:
Yet no one thought spends on poore Vertues peace.
Warres, that as peace abounds, do still increase.
Warres where in endlesse rout the kingdome erres,
Where misers mightie grow the mightie misers,
Where partiall Lucre Iustice sword doth draw:
Where Eris turnes into Eunomia,
And makes Mars weare the long robe, to performe
A fight more-blacke and cruell, with lesse storme,
To make for stratageme, a policie driuen
Euen to the conquest, ere th'alarme be giuen.
And for set battels where the quarrell dies,
Warres that make lanes through whole posterities,
Arachne wins from Pallas all good parts,
To take her part, and euery part conuerts
His honie into poison: abusde Peace
Is turn'd to fruitlesse and impostum'd ease,
For whom the dwarfe Contraction is at worke
In all professions; and makes heauen lurke
In corner pleasures: learning in the braine
Of a dull linguist, and all tight in gaine,
All rule in onely powre, all true zeale
In trustlesse auarice: all the commonweale
In few mens purses. Volumes fild with fame
Of deathlesse soules, in signing a large name;
Loue of all good in selfe loue: all deserts
In sole desert of hate. Thus Ease inuerts
My fruitfull labours, and swolne blind with lust,
Creepes from her selfe, trauailes in yeelding dust;
Euen reeking in her neuershifted bed:
Where with benumbd securitie she is fed:
Held vp in Ignorance, and Ambitions armes,
Lighted by Comets, sung to by blind charmes.
Behind whom Danger waites, subiection, spoyle,
Disease, and massacre, and vncrowned Toyle:
Earth sinkes beneath her, heauen fals: yet she deafe
Heares not their thundring ruines: nor one leafe
Of all her Aspen pleasures, euer stirres;
In such dead calmes her starke presumption erres.