Classic Poem

When Heaun and Earth, and al their Furniture,
Were made, their maker made Man last of al;
As being his Master-peece chiefe Creature,
For whom the rest were made: He, Generall
To whom such perfect Wisedom was assignd
That without Learning. He knew all that was:
And namd each Thing according to their kind,
Which Names, to vs (as we) from Him do passe.
Who being thus made (made I may double say,
Sith He was double made, made Man, and Great:
Great, like his God, Gods Creatures all to sway)
And, in an Earthly-Heaun, held his Seat:
Wheras He would, He liud, for, in his Will
Rested His life, or death, His Weale, or Wo:
And, while His Wil his Makers did fulfill
So long he knew but what he loyd to know.
Hee knew al that was made was perfect good.
But knew, saue God, nought vnmade, perfect Euill,
And so He knew not, or misvnderstood,
The name and nature of the craftie Diuel.
He liu'd as free from Want, as Wickednesse
As long as in his Good wil was no want:
Then Earth bare fruit, vntill'd, in blest excesse:
For God himselfe the same did sow and plant.
Riuers of Nectar ran on golden Sand
(With silner cleerenesse) through that Pardlee;
That, had he thirsted, Drinke was strait at hand,
And all that might him free from preiudice.
The Tree of Life (to keep off Age and Death,)
Ther stil did florish, in eternal springe:
So, like to Gods, immortall was His Breath:
For, all he Fedd on Health to Him, did bring,
So, his Flesh, health: His Spirit, tranquilitie
Enioyed, in height of highest excellence,
Which height came neere the high'st Felicitie:
For, with Him God still made his residence
Hee naked was, and yet Hee knew it not:
For Cold, or Heate could tell him no such thing;
Much lesse could Shame: for, Shame of Ill's begott;
And Ill hee knew not, nor whence It did spring
The Spring of joy (the High'st) did euer feede
His passing pleasures Streames, with fresh supply:
So, still hee was as farr (in show, as Deede)
From want of Ioy, as ioyes sacletie.
The Cause whereof, in Him wrought rare Effects,
Who, without Labour, his Lord 'Heasts could keepe:
Whose Heart burnd, like a Beacon, with Affects
That show'd, in Danger, he did neuer sleepe.
Who if hee stirr'd, and exercis'd his Limbes,
Twas not for neede, but them to recreate:
Which stirr'd not till in Pleasures Seas he swimms:
For, still he bathd therein, in restfull state!
And yet the more those boundlesse Seas to make
With new Spring. Tides of Ioy, [as yet vnfelt]
God, of his Ribb, asleepe, makes him a Make,
On whome, (awake) for ioy, his Hart doth Melt
And seeing Hir [for all he saw be Knew]
Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh (said he)
This Creature is: for in my selfe she grew,
And as my selfe Ile loue, hir while we Be.
This! nay (alas) This naught is to the Good
That He enioyed in that earthly Heaun,
Which by Mans Thought cannot be vnderstood
Whereof [alas] we through him are bereaun:
For, He was warn'd but one Tree not to touch,
The Tree of Knowledge, by which well he knew
He naked was, and sham'd to know so much:
For Shame doth Euil euermore ensue.
Then euil was it that he knew, and did,
When through his serpentine seducèd wife,
He tasted of The Tree which was forbidd:
So, Lost wee, with Him, Paradice, and life.
None otherwise then by our Lawes wee see
The Sons plagu'd for the Sires successiuely;
For if the Sire a prouèd Traitor be
Hees plagu'd him selfe, and his Posterity.
Which with highst Iustice, iust proportion holds;
So wills the Highst, whose Will giues Iustice forme
Whose Grace true Iustice euermore infolds,
Then neither can or will he It deforme.
Hence comes it that from Loue we fall to Lust
(Fowle Lust thats but the Excrement of Loue)
And hence it is we proue in both vniust
When Lust another Way our Mind doth moue
Thus was a Woman made the Instrument
Wherewith the Deuil did mans Eare allure
To heare the Syren Sins first Straines consent,
Which drue him on to Death, which we endure
And what but Women cause our Sonnetting
Wherein we show what languishnes we haue
Within our Soules for them, which often bring
Our Minds to naught, and Bodies to the Graue?
Whose Tongues drue vertue from the Tongue of Eue
(If it be Vertue which to Vice doth draw)
To make vs loue, then. What they List, belieue:
For, Lou's as free from Reason, as from Law.
O Wo-men (that were made, but for Mens sake
To helpe and comfort them in weale, and wo)
Why do your selues your selues their plaguers make
And Crosse the Cause of your creation so?
Do not, ô do not so degenerate:
From what ye should be, by creation:
You giue vs life, and life abbreuiate:
So make and mar our Generation:
But if you wil be like your Mother Eue
When you haue vs vndone, helpe vs to line.