Behold, how Sodom swaggers in its Pride,
And Lust, and Gluttony! none is espied,
That thoughts of Heaven have; or bowe a knee:
But one poor Stranger, who adoreth me.
My servant Lot: Whose holy Soul they vex;
Because there's no distinction made of Sex
Nor age, but all promiscuously do go,
Like Goats and Leopards that all they may know
Each other.
[They demand that Lot give up the Angels.]
Sodomites:
Confounded Dog, bring forth thy handsome Guests
Or by our great God Priapus we swear,
That we thy Body will in pieces tear.
Lot:
. . . Neighbours be rul'd, this wickedness give o're.
And if your Beastly lust cannot refrain,
But that these strangers you with sin would stain,
See here two Maids of mine who Virgins be,
Use them at pleasure, and let them go free.
Sodomites:
Rogue, runagate, slave, think not that thou must,
Make such exchanges to restraine our Lust.
Who made thee a Judge? If we be rul'd by thee,
Then must we bid adieu to Buggary.
But hold, stand back, or we will break the Door.
[God punishes them.]
Oh Heav'ns! I'm choack'd with Smoak, I'm burn'd with fire,
Brimston, Brimston! Where shall we retire?
We dye, we dye, O may this be the last
Of Heav'ns dreadful Sentence on us past!
We're burn'd and damn'd, there is no remedy;
We would not hear Lot, when he bid us fly
From wrath to come. O how our Limbs crack
With fire! Our Conscience is upon the rack
For by-past Crimes; our beastly Lusts Torment
Us, as the pretious time that we have spent.
O wretched Nature, whither hast thou brought
Us fools, and made us sell our Souls for nought?
Luxurious Eyes, why wer ye so unkind
To dote on objects, who have made you blind?
And you Tenacious hands, why did you grasp
The Poyson of the Spider? Why from Wasp
Did you seek Honey? did not Heav'n bestow,
As upon Lot, so also upon you,
The Lawful helps, and remedies for lust?
Was not all this enough? but that you must
In spite of Heav'n, lay hold on all that came,
Although they man his members had or name.
Could not a lawful Wedlock satisfie
Thy burning flame, proud flesh? No, thou must cry
Bring out thy handsome Guests, them we must know,
Not knowing they were not from below:
Whose Just revenge doth make us miserable,
To bear these scorching flames we were not able.
And yet alas! our wo doth but begin,
The vengeance is Eternal that's for sin.
O that Lot's God would grant us a reprieve
But for one hour, that wretched we might live,
To wail our by-past sins; and beg his aid,
Who never yet to humble sinners said,
I scorn your plaints, but always graciously
Prepar'd a bottle for a melting Eye,
And piece-meal Pray'rs made whole with his own merit,
Sa'ing be comforted, 'tis you must inherit
My endless Joy; which sentence now doth pierce
Our Souls so much, that we cannot rehearse
Our woes, though Oh! alas! it is too late,
We must expect nought but Almightie's hate.
See how the Devils laugh, whom we have serv'd:
O cursed Spirits is't this we have deserv'd
From you, for all those things that we have done
At your Command?
And Lust, and Gluttony! none is espied,
That thoughts of Heaven have; or bowe a knee:
But one poor Stranger, who adoreth me.
My servant Lot: Whose holy Soul they vex;
Because there's no distinction made of Sex
Nor age, but all promiscuously do go,
Like Goats and Leopards that all they may know
Each other.
[They demand that Lot give up the Angels.]
Sodomites:
Confounded Dog, bring forth thy handsome Guests
Or by our great God Priapus we swear,
That we thy Body will in pieces tear.
Lot:
. . . Neighbours be rul'd, this wickedness give o're.
And if your Beastly lust cannot refrain,
But that these strangers you with sin would stain,
See here two Maids of mine who Virgins be,
Use them at pleasure, and let them go free.
Sodomites:
Rogue, runagate, slave, think not that thou must,
Make such exchanges to restraine our Lust.
Who made thee a Judge? If we be rul'd by thee,
Then must we bid adieu to Buggary.
But hold, stand back, or we will break the Door.
[God punishes them.]
Oh Heav'ns! I'm choack'd with Smoak, I'm burn'd with fire,
Brimston, Brimston! Where shall we retire?
We dye, we dye, O may this be the last
Of Heav'ns dreadful Sentence on us past!
We're burn'd and damn'd, there is no remedy;
We would not hear Lot, when he bid us fly
From wrath to come. O how our Limbs crack
With fire! Our Conscience is upon the rack
For by-past Crimes; our beastly Lusts Torment
Us, as the pretious time that we have spent.
O wretched Nature, whither hast thou brought
Us fools, and made us sell our Souls for nought?
Luxurious Eyes, why wer ye so unkind
To dote on objects, who have made you blind?
And you Tenacious hands, why did you grasp
The Poyson of the Spider? Why from Wasp
Did you seek Honey? did not Heav'n bestow,
As upon Lot, so also upon you,
The Lawful helps, and remedies for lust?
Was not all this enough? but that you must
In spite of Heav'n, lay hold on all that came,
Although they man his members had or name.
Could not a lawful Wedlock satisfie
Thy burning flame, proud flesh? No, thou must cry
Bring out thy handsome Guests, them we must know,
Not knowing they were not from below:
Whose Just revenge doth make us miserable,
To bear these scorching flames we were not able.
And yet alas! our wo doth but begin,
The vengeance is Eternal that's for sin.
O that Lot's God would grant us a reprieve
But for one hour, that wretched we might live,
To wail our by-past sins; and beg his aid,
Who never yet to humble sinners said,
I scorn your plaints, but always graciously
Prepar'd a bottle for a melting Eye,
And piece-meal Pray'rs made whole with his own merit,
Sa'ing be comforted, 'tis you must inherit
My endless Joy; which sentence now doth pierce
Our Souls so much, that we cannot rehearse
Our woes, though Oh! alas! it is too late,
We must expect nought but Almightie's hate.
See how the Devils laugh, whom we have serv'd:
O cursed Spirits is't this we have deserv'd
From you, for all those things that we have done
At your Command?