Classic Poem

T H us having toucht th' Affections most humane
That humane nature doe consociate;
Now follow those that are most inhumane,
Bred by Opinion of Ill which wee hate
Which make vs savage or in worse estate:
The vnrest of our soules , the while they rest
Within our Bodies , and predominate,
Proceedes from fowre chiefe causes of vnrest,
Which thus by Nature's searchers are exprest

Desire, Feare, Griefe, Ioy all immoderate
(Which perturbations be) from these proceede
Al Passions which the soule excruciate,
Which the Minde's ignorance doth (fatting) feede;
As knowing not what 's good or Ill indeede
Desire and Ioie those goods accompany
Which be not good , further then Nature's neede.
And that a little (God wot) doth supply
For, overmuch doth her soone mortifie.

Aske peace and plenty what fell fights they haue
With these three Monsters, Pride, Strife , & Excesse
Hardly themselues, if they at all, doe saue,
From their fell force , they eas'ly wil confesse
Yet, God with Peace and Plentie , Man doth blesse,
That Man might blesse God both in word and deede ,
Not take occasion from thence to transgresse:
But from these Fountaines pure doe oft proceede
(By their abuse) Abuses which exceede.

For sinne in peace and plentie , is so arm'd
With all that may allure the simple sense ,
That sense by those allurements is so charm'd,
That soone it yeeldes to sinne obedience,
As it were forc'd by some Omnipotence:
When sinne so sweetly doth intreate and pray ,
And promise Flesh, Heav'n in Incontinence ,
(To which prosperity doth Flesh betray)
How can fraile Flesh and Bloud say sweet sinne nay?

If Tast would tast, what might her Pallate please,
Sinne offers Manna, Nectar , and what not?
Would touching feele? sinne opens pleasure's Seas
To plunge the sense therein, it to besot.
The smell shee ioies with sents as sweete , as hot .
The eare shee tickles with such wordes and Notes ;
That Hearing (ravisht) hath her selfe forgot
With eie -bewitching Faires the eie shee dotes:
And thus each sense in pleasure's seas shee flotes.

These senses thus bewitch'd, Fancie allures
To share the sweetnesse which they say they finde:
Fancie consents; and Iudgement soone procures
T'approue their pleasure , which betraies the Minde ,
(Betrai'd and quite misled by Iudgement blind)
Thus in prosperitie sinne domineers,
Who with strong cordes of Vanity doth binde
The soule and body , as it wel appeeres
By those whom welfare to the world endeeres.

O Flesh! didst thou but know how suger -sweete
The pleasures were proceeding from the Crosse ,
Th'wouldst runne amaine, the comming crosse to meet
And count al gaine saue that alone, but losse:
All sensual Ioies doe thee but turne and tosse
With restlesse proofes of false felicitie ,
Which Ioies retaile, but vtter griefes in grosse,
For, corp'rall pleasure in extremitie
The center is of endlesse miserie .

Now Griefe and Feare , though they accompany
These evil goods ( goods evil by abuse)
Yet they respect all kinde of misery
Which we conceiue, when wee haue not their use
Through want whereof, as through an open sluce
Flow all vexations , and annoies of minde ,
Into the emptie soule , which they reduce
To their obedience in rebellious kinde;
For Reason they in rage doe rudely binde.

The Body hereby (puling) pines away
(Like to a Bladder whose winde is out strain'd)
By such degrees, as it doth by the way
A whyning make as if the same were pain'd:
So, fares the Body , by the Minde constrain'd
Til she be breathles, she breathes out but mone ,
For want of Goodes but fain'd, her griefes vnfain'd
Doe drie vp quite the Marrow of the Bone ,
As if shee were in wretched plight alone.

For as al good Affections doe proceede
From the opinion which we haue of Good ,
So doth th' opinion of evill breede
All ill Affections and each evil moode,
For ill Conceipt, conceaues this cursed Broode.
Now the first touch of ill , is call'd Offence ,
From whence (if it contynewe) foorth do budd
Griefe, Envy, Hate , and fell Impatience ,
As Loue proceeds from true Good's residence.

And sith ther 's nought that doth to Earth belonge
In which both Good and Ill in deede, or sho
Are not (like Phisick-Potions ) mixte amonge;
Therfore from thence may be drawne Weale or Woe
As they are tane, sith both from thence doe flo:
For that which likes some, some doth most displease;
According to the humors which they owe,
Some take repose, in that which most disease,
And some delight in Warre , but most in Peace .

And the more inly that offences touch,
So much the more they doe thereby offend;
The inward'st is the better part by much;
Then that which thereto doth annoyance send
To the tormenting of the Whole doth tend:
Offences done to the externall Sense
Are not so grievous, as those which doe wend
To the internall; Nor is Witt's offence
So sore, as that which doth the Will incense

Nay, if our Will be not offended we
Can suffer, what not? without al offence;
In which respect we willingly agree,
That Friends' reproofs should proue our patience
When with our Foes we would not so dispence;
Likewise our selues of our selves so may speake,
That others speaking so would vs incense,
And make vs mortally revenge to seek:
Thus Will bee'ng pleas'd nought can our patience breake.

Then sith Offence most grieves the tender st. Sense
Therefore are they offended soon'st of all,
Whose Mindes and Bodies haue most excellence ,
And are most delicate and speciall,
Bee it by accident , or naturall :
And mong the Hoast of Nature's Creatures, Man
Is hard'st to please, and most to Anger thrall;
For he with nought will beare, nor suffer can,
Yet al haue cause this wayward Waspe to ban.

If therefore One it be so hard to please,
How much more hard to please an Hoast of Men?
What can be saide or done so wel, but these
Will all , or some of all , speake thereagen?
They care not against whom , nor where , nor when
Aske Generalls if this be true or no,
Who though they make their Purs -strings cracke agen
To please the Presse , yet they shal not doe so,
But some will murmur, and speake broadly to.

For, some are so invred fault to finde,
That they offended are without offence ,
Nothing they heare or see , but irkes their minde ,
So all offendes them without difference:
And, to be thought of tall intelligence
Their Tongues dispraise, what their Thoughts highly praise;
Because they weene great praise proceeds from thence:
For he (thinke they) that sees what to dispraise,
Sees and knowes how t' amend it many waies .

How many may we heare and see of these,
Who with bent- brow , scue- looke , and mouth awry
Sleightly survaie the workes that wise- men please
Protesting them to be but poore: And whie?
Because they proue their Witt's base povertie:
They faine would faine to haue vnfained sill
In ev'ry thing wherein they faults espie,
And by depraving Witt t' haue witt at will,
When all 's but fain'd , and strain'd and passing ill.

When Men adore their owne sufficiencie ,
And weene their excellence doth check the Skies,
What marvel is't, if al beneath the Skie
They check; and through their selfe-conceite dispise?
(Who, but to see their owne woorth , haue no Eyes )
These Men are inly mov'd with much offence,
When they another see by Vertue rise,
Because high State (they weene) should recompence
No other's , but their onely excellence .

Bee they most poore , yet be they much more proude ,
Exclaiming on the tymes wherein they live:
For Men of woorth (say they) with parts indow'd
The tymes doe not respect, nor wil relive,
But wholly vnto partlesse Spirits giue:
Thus doe they melt awaie in Envie's fire;
And whilst hart-burnings them of rest deprive,
They them bestirre to part that is intire ,
And Common-wealthes orethrow, so to aspire

These vnwise wittie Mal-contents are they
That egge on Men vnwise, and violent,
T' attempt the over-sway of Princes' Sway,
Or rather to confound their government ,
That so they might be made preheminent:
For, sly Vlysses must point out the place
Gainst which the force of Aiax must be bent,
And Men made desp'rate hold it no disgrace
To be directed in a desp'rate case .

These waspish over-weening idle Drones ,
Are mortal plagues to ev'ry Publike-weale :
Right anti-Kesars vndermyning Thrones ,
Yet Princes hardly shal their motions feele
Vntil their States and Seates begin to reele:
And then too late (perhapps) seeke fast to sitt
When they must rest vpon the pointed Steele :
These are th' effects of mal-contented Witt ,
Which not lookt to, wil haue a madding fitt.

All which proceedeth meerely of Offence ,
Conceav'd by hateful natures hard to please;
Which, mischiefe and great inconvenience
Bring to a State , and neither Land nor Seas
Can possibly be priviledg'd from these.
Who still doe feare, their mis-imploied time
Will bring vpon them that which wil displease;
Which to prevent they seeke aloft to clime,
Which to effect, make conscience of no crime .

For, feare of evill (though of ill to come)
Doth grieue the minde , as if it present were;
Cold feare and griefe then Reason so benumme,
That it feeles nothing but cold griefe and feare .
This colde made hot by Ire , which it doth steere
Becomes hell fire , which like a quenchlesse flame
Consumeth all it toucheth or comes neere,
And leaues nought els behinde but lasting blame
So, Feare turn'd Fury, Man doth all vnframe.

For, as in nature, things that are most cold
Made hot , are most extreame hot , like the Fire .
So Feare , most cold by kind, yet if it should
Bee chas'd vncessantly with Hate and Ire ,
T'would be more hot , then all fires made intire.
For, Man is more out-ragious, wilde, and wood
In Passion's heate, then Passion can desire;
No Beast is halfe so fell, in maddest moode,
As Man , when Furie sets on fire his bloud .

From which fire flie out Sparkles through his eies ,
Who stare, as if they would their holdes inlarge;
The Cheekes with boiling Choler burning rise,
The mouth doth thundring ( Canon -like) discharge
The fire which doth the Stomacke overcharge:
The teeth doe (grating) one another grind;
The fists are fast, in motion to giue charge ,
The Limbes doe tremble, feete no footing find
But stampe, or stand vnconstant as the Winde .

Which hellish Passion from Offence proceedes,
But all offence proceedes not to the same;
Offence the Mother is that Anger breedes,
But not it selfe in nature nor in name ,
Ne can they bee confounded without blame:
For thinges offend vs oft which haue no sense ,
With which we cannot angrie be for shame;
For, that must haue (like vs) Intelligence
Which can to Ire provoke our patience .

For, Ire's a vehment motion of the Hart ,
Stirr'd vp by trespasse, scorne , or such like ill
Offred vnto vs, wholie or in part ,
Which in the high'st degree offends our will ,
For which, we would revenge in hast fulfill:
For, each one rates himselfe by the Assise
Of selfe-conceipt , by him conceaved still,
From that great good which, he weenes, in him lies
Which none (as he supposeth) should despise.

The more therefore a Man himselfe esteemes,
The more and sooner he to Ire is mou'd;
Because that so great worth's despis'd he deemes,
For which hee rageth, as from wit remov'd;
Then, Rage to Rancor easily is shou'd;
Which is an Anger most inveterate,
By Charitie and Reason most reprou'd,
And God and good-men mortallie doe hate;
Therefore to bee eschu'd as reprobate .

For, Rancor is so fell and violent,
That ioint by ioint, the Soule it rudely rends.
Forgetting Iustice , and the Innocent ,
God, man, sex, age, good, bad , or foes , or friends ,
For, this all these indiff'rently offends:
Then who consults with such a Councellor ,
That Argumentes with tooth and naile defends,
Shall bee of all (but Fiendes ) an iniurer;
For sure the Div'l's in such a Coniurer .

Whose furie is inflam'd so with desire
To wreake it selfe on that which it enflames,
That on it selfe it brings confusion dire,
And oft with suddaine death her subiect shames;
Heav'n, Earth , and Hell , and all therein shee blames,
Nay railes against, if they wreake not her wronge ,
And for her selfe an Hell on Earth shee frames,
To wreake it on her selfe, if shee be long
Barr'd from Revenge , for which her Soule doth long.

Which is a motion of the Hart , then which
None can be more immane, or violent,
Which turnes from that which doth it roughly tuch
And seekes to quell the same incontinent,
Or on the cause to inflict punishment:
Here-hence it is some irefull men are pale,
Because the bloud returnes from whence it went,
Whose harts haught-courage so doth ore exhale,
That they dare doe what not? come Blisse or Bale .

But commonly the bloud doth not returne
As to the Heart it doth in Griefe and Feare .
But in the face in furie it doth burne,
And all the Spirits it enflameth there,
As if no more within the Body were:
The bloud and sp'rits inflam'd, the braine ascend,
Which they (confusedly distracted) stere,
For howsoere heate may the Heart offend,
The Minde doth rest, if heate it not transcend.

No otherwise then as a man that drincks
More then a man , yet if it not ascendes
Vnto the braine , no man him druncken thinkes,
Nor is he drunke though drinke his belly rends:
So, though the heart , an hell of heate offendes,
Yet beeing still within the heart confin'd,
The soule within the braine her worke attendes
Without disturbing of the Wit or Minde ,
who wonted freedome in the braine doe finde.

But giue Men wit at will, nay wisedome too,
(If possibly men furious might be wise )
And put exceeding Anger therevnto,
All 's to no purpose, for all in it lies
As fat in fier , which to nothing fries;
Moue but their choller once, and all 's on flame
That should them coldly any way aduise:
For, when the soule by heate is out of frame,
Her Iudgement must be blinde, and Actions lame.

So that in true effect the furious Man
Is good for nought, (for nought is all as good)
But to blaspheme, and raue, and rayling ban,
And make good men amazed at his moode;
God sheild I should be any of this broode:
Yet must I (to my shame) for shame confesse,
Because it s'seene what humor haunts my bloud
That Anger to my heart hath oft accesse
Against my will , which faine would it suppresse.

He is mine arch- foe gainst whom still I fight,
And though I bee to weake, and he to strong;
Yet fight I will, and aie in his dispight
I will refraine my hands , much more my Tonge ,
Both which in wrath are apt to offer wronge:
Heav'n helpe me to subdue this hellish Ire .
And all that doth or shall to it belong,
So with the drops of grace quench out this fire ,
That to my heart it neuer more aspire.

Yet let me coldly speake in praise of Heate
Which be'ng temp'rate , yeeldes most sweete effects;
For, Choler makes the Witt and Courage great,
Yea, makes the Hart abound with kinde Affects ,
And abiect humors vtterly reiects:
In the best Natures commonly it 's plac'd
By Nature's finger, for these kinde respects
And if with fury it be not disgrac'd,
It should by al meanes , by all be embrac'd.

How like to liuelesse Logges some Dastards are,
Whose witt & Courage are quite drown'd in Fleame ,
Who, though wrongs prick their Harts , yet stil they fare
As they were either dead , or in a dreame ,
Nothing shal moue them, be it nere s' extreame:
Heare they their frends deprau'd (though nere so dear)
Nay heare they Fiends the Highest's name blaspheme;
They dare not speake a word for them for feare;
What vse of such that such base mindes doe beare?

For as a little fire when we are cold
Doth vs but little good, and be'ng too great
Doth warme vs otherwise then fier should;
But being moderate , it so doth heat
As neither letts vs coole , nor makes vs sweat .
So Choler if too little, little steeds,
And if too much, too much doth make vs fret;
But being meane , it many Vertues breeds,
And with an actiue warmth , the blood it feeds.

For to be angery and not to sinne,
Is an obligatorie Heast divine;
For whiles we are that holy anger in
(Not wholly angery) it is a signe
We flame with that which doth our soules refine:
For, in our Soules the iry pow'r it is
That makes vs at vnhallowed thoughts repine,
And sober soules are zealous made by this,
Then zealous soules can hardly Anger misse.

Thus Ire I pleade for thee, but thou hurt'st mee;
O be propitious therefore, hurt me not:
Then Volumes large, Ile write concerning thee
Which without blott of blame, I al wil blott
With blacke that shal thy bright , make bright as hott:
So, leaue I thee, and would thou me would'st leaue,
Yet leaue me not, as one thou hast forgott,
But mind me stil, when I should thee conceaue
Gainst ill that would my soule of good bereaue.

For so thou didst possesse God's patient Soule
When he as God and Man the Temple clear'd
(With Whipps ) of money-Changers , who did proule
For filthie Pelfe in place to him endear'd,
Where most of al he should be serv'd and fear'd:
So, be with me, deere Ire , till thou and I
Must part, or I by thee no further steer'd
Then may agree with perfect pietie ,
And well may stand with true felicitie .