New formed Adam of the reddish earth,
Exilde from Eden, Paradice of pleasure
By Gods decree cast down to woes from mirth,
From lasting joyes to sorrowes out of measure
Fetch’d many a sigh, comparing his estate
With happie blisse, which he forewent of late.
Rowse vp thy selfe (my Muse) a tale to tell,
A dolefull tale in sad and plaintiue verse
How man in blisse from happinesse once fell,
Although not woont such horrors to rehearse.
Oh great Iehouah, heauens great Architect,
In this sad worke my fainting Muse direct.
With pensiue heart he trac’d the earth new founded,
Wringing his hands in lamentable wise
Earth neuer with ground-cleauing ploughshare wounded,
Now to the starry globe he cast his eyes,
And now to Eden where he erst remained,
From which with fiery sword he was detained.
O haplesse Adam (quoth he) vnkind father,
Vnnaturall Parent, childrens fatall foe
From whence all mankind doe such curses gather
Authour of death, first bringer in of woe.
No sooner fram’d of thine al-making God,
Then purchasing his sin-correcting rod.
Did not Iehouah lend to thee his grace,
More plentifull then other liuing things
Who hauing fram’d thee, did prouide a place,
Euen Paradice, the shadow of his winges.
Amongst a thousand sundry kindes of meat,
Forbidding thee one only fruit to eat.
Consider birds, beasts, fish, and other Creature,
Behold, they all looke groueling on the ground
He vnto heauen erected hath thy feature,
That thou maist see his woonders, which abound.
Yet thou on whom most louingly he looked,
Hast first of all to anger him prouoked.
For thee he made heauens Azur-painted cou’ring,
Adorning it with starres, with Sunne, with Moone
The blustring windes within the aire be hou’ring,
That thou his maruels mightst behold alone.
Yet thou his greatest fabricke, with thy sinne
To anger him didst first of all beginne.
For thee he fram’d earths euen-poysed globe,
Hanging it in the aire to humaine woonder
And decked it with fruites, as with a robe,
Making the seas deuide the same in sunder.
The seas he dight with fish, the earth with beasts
For thee, yet thou hast broken his behests.
What didst thou want amid that pleasant plot,
Prepar’d for thee, by his all-working skill
Thou canst not thinke, the thing thou haddest not,
Without all griefe thou liued’st, not knowing yll,
Pride, and desire of knowledge made thee taste
The fruite, which did indeed thy knowledge waste.
Had not thy God sayd, taste not of the tree,
The fruit perhaps had still remain’d vntouched
Hencefoorth shall this enormity by thee
In minds of thy posterity be couched,
Burning desire of secrets which are hidden,
And fiery zeal of things which are forbidden.
What made thy wife the fruit so to desire,
The goodly hue and beautie of the same?
What did allure and set thy mind on fire?
The glozing words of thy seducing Dame.
Henceforth therfore will womens words & beautie
Seducers be of mankind from their dutie.
Blind Euah, saw’st thou not as in a glasse,
How Sathan with his guiles did circumuent thee
Beheldst thou not the brittle world alas,
How it with vading vanity did tempt thee.
Then how the flesh did combate with the Spirite,
And all of heauenly blisse thee to disherite.
O certaine type, true figure, perfect map
Of future euilles t’all mankind to fall
These still with sleights, as in a subtill trap,
Will seeke to make all humaine ofspring thrall.
Whilst Sun remaines, & whilst Moon doth endure,
These archfoes will their treason put in vre.
Wouldst thou in blisse not keep one little law?
How wilt thou now a multitude obserue,
When many thousand deuils thy mind withdraw,
To which thou canst not choose but needs must swerue?
And hauing sweru’d, thy conscience plainly saith,
That euery sin deserues a seuerall death.
Then viewed he the cerule-colored Pole,
With pitchy clouds which gan to be obscured,
Blacke foggie mists rose from earths lumpish mole,
Earths mole by plow-swaine neuer yet manured
Ay me (quoth he) this may a token be,
That for my sinne my maker frownes on me.
Day-guiding Sol with his bright-burning lampe,
Obscures his beames, in clowdes his glorie hiding
Night-ruling Luna waxeth pale and dampe,
Asham’d of me, my glory not abiding.
Star-bearing skies, with your earth-cou’ring valt,
For me it is, you frowne for my default.
Rain-sending clowdes, poure out your watry showers
On earth, vast Orbe, which from the seas you borrow
Cold-causing frosts deface the fragrant flowers
With hoarie rymes, true types of future sorrow
Adam now made, his maker hath offended,
To whom so many blessings he extended.
Ah how Dame Ver the ground with flowers spread,
Vauting her selfe amid that pleasant pallace
Foure chrystall lakes distilled from one head
Refreshing hearbs with humor, thee with sollace.
Thou didst not sow, no labour didst thou take,
The earth bore all things neuer toucht with rake.
See now how Sommers beauty-spoyling drought
Earth of her party-colloured vestments robs
Transporting all the buds which Ver had brought,
To fruitlesse hay, dry straw, and withered shrubs.
Then mystie Autumne with his raigne, bereaues
The earth of hearbes, the trees of parched leaues.
If any Vernall remnant yet be left
By Aestaes heat, and Autumns raine not spoyled
The same by chil-cold Winter is bereft
Of vigor and with hoary frosts defoyled.
Frost making earth a Chaos to resemble,
For mine offence, wheron to thinke I tremble.
The blewish skyes did only me protect,
I sought not for a stately brick-built Castle
I needed not a sheltring roofe erect,
Against tempestuous windes and raine to wrastle.
The sturdie Oake in mountain tops did stand,
The stones lay still, I tooke them not in hand.
Now Adam stir thee like the nimble pricket,
Pursu’d with houndes, ransacke thy Grandams bones,
Cut downe the massie Oke from grouie thicket,
To forge a tyled roofe for playned stones.
Forge thee a shelter, edifie an holde,
To shield thee from the rage of winde and colde.
As I was made, so liu’d I with my spouse,
Both naked were, yet knew it not (O rarenesse)
We felt no colde, yet liued in no house,
We blushed not one at anothers barenesse.
But (out alas) what shamefastnes we suffred.
When vgly sinne our nakednesse vncou’red.
Learne heer (O all posterities) the shrewdnesse
Of Sathan, and his treacherous assaultes
VVho hauing once seduced man to lewdnesse,
Exaggerates the greatnesse of his faults,
Making him blush like Adam in the garden.
Only to bring him in dispaire of pardon.
Ye winged birds, send out your wofull quips
In leauelesse trees, once glutting you with berries
Cold winter now your tender bodies nips.
Depriuing earth of hearbs, and trees of Cheries
Your euerlasting Spring abridged is,
And all for Adam who hath done amisse.
Four-footed beasts inhabitants of field,
Poure out your plaints among the rurall brambles,
Now must your hides mans corps from weather shield,
Your carkasses hang vp on bloody shambles.
Diue in the deep, ye water-hanting Fishes,
Now must ye serue to nourish man in dishes.
Help to lament, ye water-flowing Fountaines,
Congealing Frosts your passages will hinder
Keep in your buds, ye Gote-frequented mountaines.
Receiuers of the hoarie frosts of winter.
Woods, hearbs, and trees, all terrene things bewayle,
Teares ease the mind, though little doe preuaile.
Proud Adam not content with thy condition,
Blessed estate, and ten times happie calling
Sought’st to atchieue more glory, whose ambition
Hath wrought thy fatall ouethrow in falling.
Aspiring to the knowledge of thy maker,
hast lost that blisse wherof thou wert partaker.
This roote of pride (this neuer-withering weed)
Prouoker first of mankind vnto follie
Will still attaint and cleaue vnto thy seed,
As twinding Yuie on the tender Hollie.
Imbracing it, till it hath suck’d it drie,
And wanting sap, they both together die.
This noysome root in euery ground will spring,
The meanest man in thought will still aspire
The Potentate will seeke to be a King,
The King to be an Emperour will desire,
And he to be more higher in degree,
Will also striue, if higher he may bee.
I sought moe dainties hauing ouer manie,
From hence shall come desire of varietie
Contentment seldome will be found in anie,
Lothsome contempt will wait vpon satietie.
All men from me will this infection plucke,
As Spyders doe from flowers poyson sucke.
Fond wretches, who in sinfull follie blinde,
Did thinke to hide you from Iehouahs face
As doth the purblind Hare, or fearfull Hind,
VVhom yelping hounds doe still pursue in chace.
Ah no, ye cannot, his all-seeing eie
VVill find you out, where euer you doe lie.
Take I to me the south-windes ayrie winges,
And in the vtmost coast of earth conuay mee
Take I to me the Dolphins watery sinnes,
And in the seas vnsounded-bottom lay mee
Let earth into her secret wombe me swallow,
Yet will his glorious eie-beams still me follow.
My guilty conscience sayd, I had offended,
VVhat sting on earth more hellish can we find,
A sore it is which cannot be amended,
A worme which alwayes gnawes vpon the mind.
Run where I will, into all lands betake me,
Yet will a wounded conscience ne’r forsake me.
O thundring sayings terrifying wordes,
Heart-taming speaches, cleauing rockes in sunder
Proceeding from the supreame Lord of Lords
VVhich in mine eares resounded like a thunder,
Words causing earth an Aspen leafe resemble,
Which at the breath of euerie wind doth tremble.
VVhere art thou Adam? shamest thou my Deitie,
Ay me, needs must I my sinne display
Supposing earst my vicious impietie,
That euery shaking bramble would bewray.
Thus shall it also fare with all my seede,
Committing any detestable deed.
How faine would I my guiltie mind haue cleared,
Alleadging Eue was causer of mine euill
She to excuse her selfe, as then appeared.
Laid all the fault vpon the subtill Deuill.
Like clowds which pour their rain vpon hie-waies,
They into riuers, riuers into seas,
This sayd; he turn’d him to the vntill’d field,
VVhere vncoth weeds, and fruitlesse brambles breed,
The earth which earst most fragrant hearbs did yeeld,
VVith thornes and thistles now was ouer-spread.
Oh see (quoth he) the earth for mine yll deeds,
Rob’d of braue robes, and clad in baser weedes.
Deare Grandam earth, thy fountaine heads set open,
Like Chrystall teares, my sorrowes to discouer
Now must thy mole with deluing share be broken
A crooked rake thy tilled field passe ouer.
For me these shrubs and prickling thorns thou bearest
For me these yl-beseeming weeds thou rearest.
The heifar now in fields must not be idle,
The seruile Asse must beare an heauy packe
The Courser braue restrained with a bridle,
The silly sheep his woolly fleece must lacke.
Horse, sheepe, Asse, heifar help me all to mone,
I causer am of all your woes alone.
Still thought he on this string to tune his woes,
And forward went, but loe, three-horned Cattle
Neer vnto him amid proud bearing Does,
With frowning gesture menaced a battle.
At length not able to forbeare him longer,
Two weaker ones ran both against the stronger.
Th’encountred beast receiuing others stroke,
With like assault the one of them requighted,
Assault resounding like a falling Oke,
Which threw th’one backe, the other fled affrighted.
And left his friend distrest, his foe inulted,
The victorer triumphantly insulted.
Ah see (he sayth) see heer a world of woe,
An heap of euils vnto thy seed ensuing
What maladies from lewd desires doe growe,
As beasts, so men with sauagenesse induing.
Ay me, what dolors, euils, and deeds vnjust
Shall not arise to man through sinfull lust.
Heer maist thou haue a president of warres,
Tumultuous discord, horrible dissention,
Blood-shedding horror, disagreeing jarres,
Inhumaine murthers, pitifull contention
The mightiest shall be viewed on of all,
The poore dispis’d, the weaker thrust to wall.
Whilst things go well friends wil be alwayes neer thee
Prosperity will loued be of many
But falling downe, thy dearest friends will feare thee,
Aduersity not holpen vp of any.
The fawning beast doth this presignifie,
Who quite forsooke his friend in misery.
The small shall subject be vnto the greater,
Nobility through strength shall make his entrie
The welthyer will thinke himselfe the better,
For couetousnesse will spring, the root of Gentry.
Though all sprong from one father and one mother,
Yet euery one will striue t’excell his brother.
See how the Eagle with his bloody clawes
Doth massacre the house-frequenting Sparrow
The lordly Lyon with his murthering jawes,
Doth rend the Hind as earth is rent of harrow.
The fearfull Whale, that monster in the deep
The lesser fish doth in his bellie keepe.
Whale, Eagle, Lyon, fitly ye presage
Blood-sucking tyrants and inhumaine murtherers,
Which will the weaker sort oppresse with rage,
Arch-foes to vertue, and to vices furtherers.
Blush Adam, blush to name these dreadful terrors,
First causer of all maladies and errors.
The pleasant Larke delights to mount on hie,
The little wren neer to the earth below
The greedy Gleyd betwixt them both doth flie,
The Doue in course is swift, the Lapwing slowe.
The shew mens sundry callings and conditions,
These note mens diuers minds and dispositions.
The ayerie-winged blasts as euer mutable,
And neuer in one certaine place abide
So mans condition shall be euer changeable,
No ground so firme in which he shall not slide.
What seat so strong or what so sure estate
which shall not subject be to frowning fate.
O happie wight, ten times shall he be blest,
VVho with the wren dare not presume to mount
VVith meane estate contented who doth rest,
And blisse in sole tranquility doth count,
Considering that great things are view’d of all,
And highest things are soonest like to fall
That highest things are soonest like to fall,
The reaching Pine on mountaines doth betoken,
which sooner then the shrub or bramble small,
with raging blastes of hoysting windes are broken.
VVhat mortall things hencefoorth on earth ensuing
Shall not be subject to times fatall ruin.
Times ruin shall so dyre obliuion breed
In men, that noting their so frayle variety,
Forgetting me, the cause thereof, my seed
Shall faine to Fate an euer-changing deity.
Proportraying her vpon a round wheele dancing,
Euerting some, and other some aduancing.
Alas, no sooner night-expelling morning,
Al-hyding heauen from her blacke rug exempteth
But viewing me, and mine offences scorning,
Her snowie cheekes with rednes she besprenteth,
Disdaining Sols bright beams should long behold me
In Sable night bright Hesperus doth fold me.
Vile Couetousnes in me first tooke his roote,
For moe things thirsting, when no thing I wanted
Still shall it hold my children by the foote,
And in the hearts of all my seed be planted.
Now shall rush in the greedy zeale of mony,
which men will labour for, as Bees for hony.
Now shall rush in the fiery thirst of gaine,
And golde in bowels of the earth inclosed
Which men by toyle and labour will obtaine,
And coffer vp from his darke dungeon losed.
By mortall wightes rare mettals will be knocked,
Which earth in her close treasure-house had locked.
Now shall be found the hurtfull mine of Iron,
For which men wil into earths bellie enter
The glittering steele besieged foes t’enuiron,
They now will into swords and Lances temper.
What mortall thing so hard? or what so geason,
Wil not be done and found by humaine reason?
The lofty Pine which mountaine top affoords,
Cut downe, shall now into a Mast be squared
The yellow brasse nayled to Firre-tree boords,
Shall cut the seas, as earth with plough is ared.
Sea-Porposses and Dolphins huge shall woonder,
To see their Cerule waters cleft in sunder,
The ruddie Diamond and the Saphir faire,
In th’vtmost coast of earth shall now be sought,
The bright Smaragd, the Pearl, and Onix rare,
Fetch’d from the East, full dearly shall be bought,
O into-what so deepe and huge an hell,
Will not the thirst of riches men compell?
This sayd, on earth his glowring eyes he fastned,
There saw an Ant, a little creeping else,
Who dragg’d with her a Barley graine, and hastned
Home to her caue, graine bigger then her selfe
O learne he cries, learne Adam of this Ant,
To worke in youth, least afterward thou want.
Behold the Bee, a silly painfull creature,
How wittily shee laboreth in Sommer
Reposing food, she only taught by nature,
Least barraine winters penurie should numb her,
Her industrie giues to thee an example,
how thou shouldst liue, & in what waies to trample.
Now Adam must thou labour, ditch and delue,
Graft, plant, walke, run, hedge, fence, plow, harrow, sowe
Pluck downe, reare vp, set munifie, build shelue,
VVeep, laugh, striue, wrastle, bind vp, gather, mowe,
Thresh, cary out grind, bake, brue, spin and card,
Knock, beat, wash, dry, buy, sell, sleep, watch and ward
In sweat of browes and horrible vexation,
To get my liuing shall I be constrained
VVhat shall man see but dolefull tribulation,
Vnto his death from time that he is wained.
Nought shall his race be but a vale of sinning,
Fond, sinfull, fraile, in end, midst and beginning.
How vaine is wordly pompe? how fraile and brittle?
How soon is man of earthlie things bereft
His pleasures passe as swiftly as a shittle
Cast from the weauers right hand to the left
His orient hue as vading as a flower,
VVhich floorisheth and dyeth in an hower.
O wretched man! O life most transitorie!
Deceiptfull world, foule sinke of filthy errors
Eye-pleasing shades of vaine delightfull glorie
Deepe gulfe of sinne, vast dungeon of terrors,
Receptacle of woful tribulations
Grand treasure-house of all abhominations.
O sea of sorrowes, laborinth of woes,
Vale full of cares abysse of imbecilitie
Thief-harbouring house, field full of armed foes,
Stil-turning orb, true map of mutahility.
Affoording man as many false yl-willers
As woods haue trees, as trees haue Caterpillers.
Of lumpish earth Iehouah me created,
To th’ end I should not glorie in my feature
And I againe to earth must be translated
By Gods iust doome, the end of euery creature
Then wherto should I trust on earth abiding,
Sith for my fault all earthly things are sliding,
When first of all man draweth virall breath
And spirite, he to die beginneth then
No worldly thing more certaine then is death,
Nor more vncertaine then the hower when.
O lend me then a font of springing teares,
To weep my fill for mans vnconstant yeares.
Ah weladay, me thinks for mine offences,
My God sayth still I must to earth againe
O how the thought of death appales my sences,
Though end it be of all mans woe and paine.
So likewise shall all my posteritie
Feare it, though end of all calamity.
O great Iehouah, woonderfull in might,
How wisely hast thou wrought all things, concealing
The certaine houre of death from mortal wight,
Yet certaintie thereof to him reuealing.
Done surely by thy skilfull prouidence,
That man should feare and learne obedience.
Me thinks I see (O let me yet diuine)
How many of my sonnes will goe astray,
Erecting houses, raysing buildings fine,
As though they were inthroniz’d here for ay.
O let them know that for my foule offence,
by Gods just doome all flesh must wander hence.
Nor he that shall on earth the longest dwel,
Not he that shall in prowesse be the rarest,
Not he that shall in wisedome most excel,
Not he that shall in visage be the fairest.
With wisedome, beautie, age or courage fell
Shall able be impartiall death t’expell.
O wretched Euah, mankinds deadlie Foe,
Accursed Grandame, most vngentle mother,
Sin-causing woman, bringer of mans woe,
Woe to thy selfe, and woe vnto all other.
Thy mighty maker in his iust displeasure
Hath multipli’d thy sorrowes out of measure.
In paine shalt thou thy seed conceiue and beare,
In peril shalt thou of it be discharged
Thou shalt it softer vp with tender care,
A thousand wayes thy griefs shal be enlarged
Thou shalt be guided by thy mans direction,
He as a Lord shall haue thee in subjection.
O cursed worme, O exerable serpent
Blisse-hating Dragon most abhorred creature.
Infectious Adder venom-breathing verment,
The food of enuie, sdeignfull scorneof Nature
Fals-hearted traitor, harbourer of euill
Darke den of spight, foule cabbin of the Deuill.
Most lothsome be thou of Iehouahs worke,
Enuyed both of man and feeding cattell
In vnfrequented valleyes shalt thou lurke,
And with thy stinging tongue still menace battell.
Man seeing thee, shall feare and seeke thy bane,
As instrumentall author of his paine.
For want of feet through woods and deserts thicke
Vpon thy griesllie belly shalt thou slide
And for thy food dust of the earth shalt licke,
Such plagues shall thee (O lothsome worme) betide,
Such woes on thee Iehouah hath disbursed,
Pronouncing thee of all his workes most cursed.
The husband-man among the rurall bushes,
VVill start, and thinke each moouing twig a foe
Still fearing least among the marshy rushes
Thou lying hid, shouldst worke his second woe.
Thy deadly sting, and golden speckled hew,
In false pretence thy glosing words doe shew
But thou (O Sathan) proud infernall deuill,
Chiefe actor in this dolefull tragedie
Lord of ambition, maister of all euill,
Thy fatall fall behold I prophecie
From out the woman shall an issue spring,
VVhich will preuayle against thy deadly sting.
Between her seed and thee (O fearfull fiend)
Shall be continuall enmity and fight
Thou shalt but pricke her heele, she in the end
Shall conquer thee, and ouerthrow thy might.
Then man reioyce, O Adam cease to waile,
Thy conqueror shall now no whit preuaile.
O woondrous pittie, vndeserued kindnesse,
Of earths-sole founder to the worke he made
Who seeing man cast downe in sinne and blindnesse,
So speedily him promisd help and ayd.
Ayd, certaine ayd his arch-foe to repell,
To conquer death, and conquer conquering hel.
Rejoyce then earth, cease frowning heauens to glower,
Now broken are hels euer-lasting barres,
From whence man tooke by Gods almighty power,
Shall mount aloft aboue the twinkling starres
There with the womans seed which promis’d is,
For euermore to raigne in heauenly blisse.
Ye chirping birds, whose partie colloured plumes
With gentle sound the whistling aire doe trouble
In shady dales send foorth your dolefull tunes,
Let Ecchoes shrill your dulcid notes redouble.
Adam your Lord exil’d from Eden garden
By faith and mercy hath obtayned pardon.
Harmonious Larke, let neue blushing morning
See dankish earth, but mount thou from the ground
And blewish skies with pleasant notes adorning.
For mans redemption signes of mirth resound
Sweet Philomene, let neuer Hesper shine
Ere thou haue tun’d a thousand ditties fine.
Mild Eurus raigne in blustering Boreas place,
Leap sportiue fish aboue the Chrystall riuer
Man reconciled to his God by grace,
Shall now in heauenly blisse abide for euer.
For these glad tydings, frolike tender lambes,
In pastures pleasant with your merie dammes.
And lastly, Adam, sith it is decreed,
That thou must fight ere thou canst win the fort
Fight manfully, trust in the promisd seed,
And be most sure thou shalt arriue the port,
Port full of joy and heauenly blessednes.
Free from all cares, and worldly wretchednes.
(Francis Sabie)
More Poetry from Francis Sabie:
Francis Sabie Poems based on Topics: Kings & Queens, God, Desire, Man, Art, Sin, Fire, Reasoning, Pleasure, Place, Sleep- Dauid And Beersheba (Francis Sabie Poems)
- Davids Ode (Francis Sabie Poems)
- Glomie Winter Raign'd As King (Francis Sabie Poems)
- To The Right Reuerend Father, Richard By The Prouidence Of God, Bishop Of Peterborough, F. S. Wishet (Francis Sabie Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, World Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Time Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Nature Poems, War & Peace Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Youth PoemsBased on Keywords: bringer, thundring, inclosed, blinde, ouer, menaced, doome, chiefe, dolefull, moone, reddish