A Treasury of Divine Raptures, Title page 1 – Errata
A TREASURY OF DIVINE RAPTƲRES. Conſiſting of Serious Obſervations, Pious Ejaculations, Select Epigrams. Alphabetically rank'd and fil'd by a Private Chaplain to the Illuſtrious and Renowned Lady URANIA The Divine and Heavenly MUSE. THE FIRST PART.
LONDON, Printed by T. J. for Thomas Parkhurſt at the golden Bible upon London Bridge. 1667.
Θεσαυρο-Φυλακιον: OR, A TREASURY OF DIVINE RAPTƲRES. Conſiſting of Serious Obſervations, Pious Ejaculations, Select Epigrams. Alphabetically rank'd and fil'd by a Private Chaplain to the Illuſtrious and Renowned Lady URANIA The Divine and Heavenly MUSE. THE FIRST PART.
LONDON, Printed for the Author, in the Year, 1667.
TO THE
READER REader, if over-critical thou be,
ENter not in; go where is better cheer:
ANd if thou art ingenious and free,
DRaw nigh, I bid thee kindly welcome here
EAt freely, and bleſs God, if thou doſt find
REfreſhing pleaſure, with true profit joyn'd
Here thou haſt choice variety of Diſhes,
That they were better cook'd, the Author wiſhes.
TO THE Truly Honorable and Religious, The Lady MARY VAƲGHAN, Vertuous Conſort to the Right Worſhipful Sir HENRY VAƲGHAN, &c. And my very good Lady; All health and happineſs.
MAdam, theſe ſacred Poems which enſue,
Intended were to follow that which I
Once tendred to your honorable view,
Excuſe me that I cannot gratifie
Your full deſires; the Stationer thought beſt
To print theſe firſt, next (if theſe take) the reſt;
Madam, till then accept of what is preſt.
Nov. 5. 1666. Your Ladyſhips moſt humble and obliged Servant, to command, Nich. Billingſley.
TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR EDWARD HARLEY KNIGHT OF THE BATH REnowned Sir, your piety, and Known
Integrity, GIves to my geN'rous Muſe
Great hopes, youR Worſhip will Incline to own
Her DivinE Iſſue, brougGht forth for your uſe
Take, read and juDge, if ſome deliHt you take
Herein, I Wiſh them beTter for your ſake.
Overlook all their fAults; recall tO mind.
Nothing on EaRth, can truly perFect be,
Our joyes run Dregs; Honor is like The wind,
Unconſtant; RicHes (having wings) tHey flee.
Reſign your All to God; lEt things above
(Always DeſeRving) have your noBleſt love.
Be ever zealous, Let your converſAtion,
Light others in thE way that leads To reſt.
Expect ſome trYals; ſuch ſhall Have ſalvation
Who ſtick cloſe to the truth they have profeſt.
Go on (good Sir) Heav'n raiſe up more like you
To give to Caeſar, and to God their due:
And at that grace which heretofore did reſt
In old Sir Robert, beameth in your breſt;
So may the World, when you from it are gone,
See your bright vertues ſhining in your ſon.
So humbly prays Your Honors devoted Servant, N. B.
TO THE
RIGHT WORSHIPFULL Sr TREVIR WILLIAMES KNIGT AND BARRONET RIght worthy Sr, your brave hercick ſpirit
Is fam'd abroad buT ſith beyoNd my merit
Great love your WoRſhip ſhew'd to me I do
Here ſend a mEan acknowledGement to you,
This poor MinerVs wch my brain broughT forth,
Wiſhing that It were equAl to your worth
Oh! how raRe is it for a maN to find
Renown, and Worldly wealth wth gooDneſs joyn'd.
So as they are In you! who wouldBe crown'd
He muſt be hoLy, in good works Abound;
Iuſtice deLights to have you cleaR her Laws,
Poor men reIoyce to have you heaR their cauſe
For you hAve help'd (vengeance tO God belongs)
Unto their right, theM that ſuſtaiNed wrongs;
Live long bEloved, much happinEſs attended
Long life, ChriSt Jeſus crown you in The end.
Sir, I am Your very humble Servant, N. B.
The Invocation.
I.
O Lord,
Who only art
The Greateſt and the Beſt,
An ever over-flowing Fount
Whence Grace & Glory, & all Goodneſs ſprings:
Afford
Thy Spirit; Impart
Thy gracious aid; deveſt
My ſoul of ſin, that ſhe may mount
To thee, and live above terreſtrial things.
II.
O Thou,
Who didſt inſpire
The Prophets, that did uſe
In ſacred Canto's heretofore
To celebrate thy great and glorious Name;
Fill now
With ſprightly fire
My Heav'n-deſcended Muſe,
And grant that ſhe may evermore
Thy deathleſs praiſes to the World proclaim.
To his much honored Friend JOHN BIRCH, Eſq; One of His Majeſties Juſtices of Peace for the County of Hereford, &c.
1.
GOod Sir,
Your noble favours to me ſhown
When poor, and wrong'd by the malevolent:
And ſince that I my Miniſtry lay down,
Ungrateful were I, ſhould I not reſent.
And oh, that I were able to expreſs,
Your living vertues, in a lively dreſs!
2.
A poor man in the hollow of his hand
Brought water to the Mycenean King;
So I, who have but little at command,
To you this ſlender Thank-oblation bring,
In hope it may the like acceptance find
From you, ſith given with a Noble mind.
3.
Poeſie is divine, 'tis not of man,
It's God that taught me Poems to compoſe;
And he may write in Verſe, who ſeldom can
Have opportunities to preach in Proſe.
Sir, take his mite, the height of whoſe endeavor,
Is to be humbly yours, and that forever.
From my ſtudy at Abergaveny Jan. 1. 1666. N. B.
To the Right Worſhipful, The Company of HABERDASHERS in LONDON, &c.
Worſhipful,
1.
WOnder you may, that I who am unknown
To any of you, ſhould preſume to ſend
So ſmall a preſent (as I ſcarce dare own)
To all of you, whoſe Deeds your Worth commend.
But having found you generouſly free,
This (I confeſs) humbly emboldned me.
2.
True; I was one of Levi's turn'd-out Tribe,
Who never durſt againſt my conſcience ſin,
Nor claw Church-livings with an unjuſt bribe,
And ſtoutly ſwear I honeſtly came in;
Your Preſentations are not bought nor ſold
With eye-bewitching heart-corrupting gold.
3.
If in the place whereto I have a call
From God and you, I any good may do,
As a weak Inſtrument, I truſt I ſhall,
Aſcribe it wholly unto God and you.
Heav'n crown you all, with all (excepting none)
The bleſſings of the Foot-ſtool and the Throne.
Which is the unfeigned deſire of
(Moſt Noble Patrons) Your moſt humble ſervant Nich. Billingſley. Awre, March 25. 1667.
Faults of greateſt moment corrected, the reſt are left to the Readers ingenuity to amend and pardon.
PAge 2. verſe 15. for with read of, p. 10. v. 2. for n… r. ever, p. 13. v. 10. inſert and, p. 28. v. 4. for do. r. g… ▪ p. 39. v. 12. for Alchmis r. Alch'my, p. 55. v. 1… ▪ for means r. b…ams, p. 58. v. 18. for ſtatute r. ſtatue, p. 59 l. 9. for men…um c. mentem, p. 60. v. 1. for Chr…ſt r. Chriſt's, v. 9▪ for and r. of, p. 61. v. 2. blour out to, p 66. v. 15. for ſ…o… r. ſprouts, p. 71. v. 18. for Abraham is r. Ab…aham's, p▪ 72. v. 1. for good r. God p. 75. v. 8. for no r. or, p. 85. v. 6 fo… I'…e r. I will, p 86. v. 10. for ſmoak r. ſoak, p. 102. v. 8. fo… high r. his, p 105. v. 26. for wills r. evils, p. 106. v 15. inſert never, p. 11… v. 19 inſe…t and▪ p. 114 v. 17 for ſince… ſia's p. 126. v. 15. for aſpi…e r. al…ine, p. 141. for but r. th… p. 157. v. 15. for ſafe r. ſelf, p 161. v. 10. inſert very, v. 11▪ inſert or, v. 15. 10… as r. is, p 103. v 13. for like r. loo…, p▪ 171. v. 15 inſert …, p 178 v. 16. for left r. f…lt, p. 182 v. 29. inſert ſpeak, p. 194. v 17. inſert the, p 203 v. 27. … witch r. wretch p. 205 v. 1. omit vain, p. 227. v. 10. for ſinners r. Saints, p. 229 v. 8. for ſhort r. ſhorteſt, p. 230. v. 14▪ for and r. A…e, p. 232. v. 10. for God r. Gods word.