Suffolks Tears, Part 1 – Part 2
AN Acroſticke Elegie on my ever Honoured Friend Sir Nathaniel Barnardiſton, who faithfully in all imployments ſerved his Country, was renowned for Piety, and exemplary in Religion, dyed the 25. of July, 1653.
SHal ſuch Friends dye, and my Muſe idle bee?
Is't poſſible? can ſuch ſtupidity
Remaine in me, and I not dead with thee?
Nature don't give, but lend its life to men,
And at its pleaſure cals it back agen.
The image grav'd on man, Gods right doth ſhew,
His image 'tis; let Caeſar have his due.
And in this Microcoſme we plainly ſee
No leſſe then part of Gods Divinity,
In ſmaller letters; for the Soul's a ſparke
Even of his kindling, and (though in the dark
Lodg'd in the grave, the body ſeems to be)
Let's hope, and we ſhal find re-unity.
Body and Soul ſhal joyn by heaven's great power
As once they were, before the parting hour:
Rally the Atomes ſhal, and then each part
Not looſing ought, by Gods Almighty Art
Attaine ſhal to its juſt and proper due,
Returning to each corps its former hue;
Deſcend then ſhal the Soul, and with a kiſſe
Its ancient friend awake to perfect bliſs:
So theſe new married couple joyfully
To heaven aſcend, and match eternity.
Oheavenly Muſick! endleſſe harmony!
None can deſire to live, that's fit to dye.
So ſlept our former Patriots (when they
Had ſerv'd their country) in a bed of clay;
Fleſh may incinerate, when Man doth dye,
The body in the grave may ſleeping lye;
But there's a ſpark remaines, which ſhal return,
And re-inform thoſe aſhes in their urn,
VVhichWhich when the laſt days morning ſhal draw nigh,
Shal raiſe its flame by heav'nly Chymiſtry:
So ſprings the Phoenix, from which Riſe
She's ever cal'd the Bird of Paradiſe.
Si quis; qui bonus, & pius eſt? inquirit; Iëſus
Reſpondet, verus Nomine Nathaniel.
Inquire whoſe good? Chriſt wil thee tel,
It is a true Nathaniel.
WILLIAM SPRING Barronet.
An Elegie containing a Dialogue between the Author and his Muſe, and between Death and an Angel.
MAke haſt my Muſe,The Author to his Muſe. lay off thy brighter plume,
The ſable wings of darkeſt Night aſſume,
Cover thy head with blackneſs, do not faile
Thy brow with mournful ſhadow now to vaile;
Thine eyes now cloud, which may pour down apace,
A ſhowre of briniſh tears upon thy face.
Fill up thy breaſt with ſighs, and ſaddeſt grief,
With Rachels ſorrows, that refu'd relief;
Now let a living Spring thy ſorrow feed,
That may ſupply, with running ſtreams, thy need:
The depth in ſilence paſs, noyſe not the ſame
Leſt Nature hear, and do diſſolve her frame;
Attire thy ſelf in ſaddeſt mourning weed,
Put on thy tragick Buskins, haſte with ſpeed
Unto the place where grieſly Death doth dwel,The houſe of death.
Within the ground in loweſt darkeſt cel;
Pale kercher'd ſickneſs lyeth at the door,
To him the Porter openeth every hour.
About, above, the Monuments remaine,
Of old and young whom direfull death hath ſlaine:
There the worlds Victor vanquiſhed doth lye,
There Caeſar, Croeſus, and grave Cato by;
There David, Jedidiah, Daniel,
And there with theſe our true Nathaniel.
Of doleful Ebony the Portal's made,
The roof of fatal diſmal Ewe is laid,
The pillars of black polliſht Marble be,
That may endure til time you ended ſee;
The wals intire of Adamantine rock,
The two-leav'd gates of Steel, ſo key and lock.
The chambers there with Coffins plancherd ſure,
Corruptions ſap wil not let long indure;
Theſe worn and torn, in time renew'd again,
The coſt of future Funerals maintain:
The lower floor's of earth, moſt rooms be ful,
Loe here the dead mens bones, and there the skul.
The trophies of triumphant Death are there,
The rooms all hung with whited linnen are;
The corps intomb'd with juyce of Poppy ſmear'd,
There reſt and ſleep in duſt, no danger fear'd,
Till that theſe bodies, putrifactions prey,
Be raiſed up to life at the last Day.
The way is beaten to this houſe of Death,A deſcription of Death.
The fatal enemie of Mortals breath.
A raw-bon'd carcaſe, of his Head the haire
And fleſh is falne, and left the skul all bare;
His eyes no eyes, cannot be ſeen not ſee,
Worm-eaten noſe, one jaw, no teeth hath he:
Yet heaps of men he daily doth devour,
And hundreds fall before him in an hour.
Within his cruel breast he hath no heart,
Yet full of courage, and with deadly dart
He kils, yet neither arm he hath, nor hand,
He hath no feet, yet walks o're ſea and land.
Nor arteries, fleſh, nor ſinews (wonder)
Hath he, all his joynts they are aſunder;
His bones, there one, and here another lyes,
He ſmites, there one, and here another dyes;
Haſte thither, knock, call, know the cauſe, why thus
This leane ſtarv'd Heluo ſnatcht our joy from us.
Could ſacred Piety, The Muſes meſſage and complaint to Death, lamenting the death of this worthythat adorn'd his mind,
The grace of heart and life, no pitty finde?
Wilt thou thus wrong (oh death) the Publick weale?
And juſtice ſlay, extinguiſh fervent zeal!
Pull down the Temples pillar, quench the fire
That Heaven's ſent, and did to Heaven aſpire?
Could neither faith nor faithfulneſs find grace?
Nor friendly love keep off thy Serjeants Mace?
Could not integrity and truth him ſave
(With Hezekiah) from the greedy grave?
O Sun return, yet ſhine on Sions hil,
On Ahaz Dial keep the ſhadow ſtil.
Why fel he not upon Eliſha's herſe,
That could the dead againe to life reverſe?
Where is He now that Lazarus did raiſe?
Where is the widow of Sarepta's praiſe,
That might in flaming Chariot let him ride
With him to heaven? then he had not dy'd.
Shal I not once within this vale of tears?
(Or ſhal I hold my peace, not ſpeak my fears?)
Shal I not once again on earth behold
That countenance ſo grave, ſo brave, ſo bold,
Which with a look could daunt the face of ſin,
And make offence to hide it ſelfe with in?
Shal I not ſee his preſence? bleſſe the wals,
Wherein did ſound his frequent ſacred cals,
Of wife and children, and of all the reſt,
To waite on God; who is for ever bleſt,
And beams of bleſſing from this Sunt' expect
That bleſt theſe bleſsings, might on him reflect.
And as the Rivers to the Ocean pay
Their tribute ſtreams, that in their channel play;
So daily Prayer anſwerers re-aſcend
In praiſes might to God, and never end:
O never end your prayers and praiſes due,
To him that gave ſuch ſweet returns to you.
That you ſhould pray, and yet ſtil praiſe his name,
And walk in right before him without blame;
So did he walk, and ſo attended went
VVith all his traine: and in the Temple ſpent
Both hours and dayes, and of all dayes the beſt,
VVherein both Chriſt did riſe, and God did rest.
The time though divers, yet the precept's one,
Writ and ingrav'd by Gods own hand in ſtone,
In midſt of that his everlaſting Law,
VVhichWhich might at all time keep in dreadful awe
All hearts, and all induce, his voyce with feare,
And faithful care, and conſcience to heare.
Oh! ſhal I never more obſerve that eye,
Intently lifted up unto the skie?
And hands ſtretcht out unto the throne of grace,
And bended knees to fall before the place,
VVhere ſhadowing Cherub cover'd with his wing,
The Mercy-ſeat of heavens mighty King?
From Golden Altar did the incenſe fly
In clouds of ſmoke, and mounted up on high:
God ſmelt the ſavour, in his heart he ſaid,
Behold, it's done according as thou pray'd.
And now O death, can thee no prayer melt,
Wherein the higheſt God ſuch ſweetneſs ſmelt?
Releaſe thy Priſoner, and ſet o'pe thy gate,
Breake off thoſe fetters, free thy ſelfe from hate,
And let him riſe from off that fatall bed
VVhereon thou forc'd him to lay down his head:
VntoUnto the votes of high and low reſtore
Their joy, to be enjoyed as before.
VVhat ayleſt thou,Deaths anſwer… to the Muſe. O Muſe, bereft of mind?
VVhat mean theſe words, theſe empty puffes of wind?
VVil't change the Fates, and burn the ſacred rowl
Of Gods Decree, and make thy ſelfe a ſcroul;
There to deſigne each one to death or life,
And heaven and earth to ſet at diſmal ſtrife?
Shal brazen mountains with a blaſt remove?
Or ſhal the Sun run retrograde above?
Shal morning o'pe her purple door i'th VVeſt?
And Moon and Stars to rule the day be prest?
And night ſhine forth with Phoebus orient beams?
And at thy will all rivers change their ſtreams?
Then my Commiſsion I to thee Wil give,
The living ſhal not dye, the dead ſhal live;
And mortals all, immortal ſhal become,
And wither'd branch, with winter blaſt ſhal bloome;
And Adam ſhal with Eve to Eden go,
No fruit ſhal kil, no friend ſhal be a foe.
But if that Adam muſt no more return,
Why ſhould I break up Barnardiſtons urn?
His faith? ſo Abraham dy'd, yet did beleeve;
But Truth did Hezekiah once reprive,
And Lazarus did life againe inſpire,
And to his body did the ſoul retire:
But know'ſt thou not how theſe of death did taſte?
And back again unto my Palace haſte?
Nor Abrams faith, nor Iſaacks, Jacobs feare
Could ſheild them from deaths deadly piercing ſpeare;
So Joſeph, Joſhua, and Joſiah all,
By ſooner, later ſtroakes of death did fall.
And Job was patient under death's ſad blow,
And mighty Sampſon unto death did bow;
And David with his Worthies all did yeeld
To death, againſt his ſtroke they found no ſhield;
And John, Chriſts boſome friend, did hither hye,
And Christ himſelfe, the Son of God, did dye;
Eliah left his Mantle him behind,
They ſought him, but in no place could him find,
His change like death; and Enoch he is not,
Nor Rachels children, Death became their Lot.
And thou (O Muſe) ſhal be as one of theſe,
When Atropos thy thread to cut ſhal pleaſe.
O cruel Death! The Muſes reply to death.can nothing then aſſwage
Thy ſavage fury, and thy direful rage?
Muſt all (O Charon) thee thy ferriage pay?
And all take Boat, and all have over-lay?
Then come, and to our Lazarus let us go,
And as he dy'd, with him, let us do ſo.
As Joſeph went unto old Jacobs grave,
So ſhal this Saint, of us attendance have.
What mean'ſt (O Muſe) and whither doſt thou wend?The Angels meſſage to the Muſe.
When of thy pasſion wilt thou make an end?
Wilt thou preſume on Sion Mount to ſtand,
And Heavens ſcepter ſway in thy right hand?
The Lord by power and providence divine,
Did all unto their place and end aſſigne:
The Earth to Plants, in Seas the Fiſhes ſwim,
The Birds in th' air do wave their feathers trim;
Shal not the fixed Stars in heaven ſhine?
What God doth own, wilt thou detain as thine?
And why among the dead doſt thou enquire
For theſe that live?A deſcription of Heaven. lift up thy eye, look higher,
There is a place beyond that mount moſt bright,
Whence Phoebus chariot ſhines with flaming light;
The ſtately City new Jeruſalem,
Wherein doth dwel Jehovah, God of Shem.
Her glory doth as Jaſper ſtone appear,
Her light like to tranſparent Chryſtal clear;
Her battlements are high, her ſtreets are gold,
Her gates twelve glittering Pearls, their price untold,
Twelve holy Angels at the gate attend,
Whereon twelve names of Iſraels tribes are pend.
The gates, all nightleſs day, ſtand open wide,
That Saints in golden charriots in may ride.
Three where the Sun doth ſhed his orient beam,
Three ope where he doth looſe his fiery team,
Three from the North receive Chriſts holy train,
Three from the South that Saints do entertain.
The twelve foundations, each a precious ſtone,
The Jaſper, Saphir, and the Chalcedon,
The Sardonix of colour red and white,
The Sardius next, and golden Chryſolite,
The ſea-green Beril, and the Topaz rare,
Chryſopraſus as gold with green moſt faire;
The Jacynth then, and next to that is ſet
The Amethyſt like purple violet,
In thoſe the names of Chriſts, Apoſtles are,
That through the world the Goſpel ſpread ſo farre.
On thoſe an hundred fourty cubits height▪
And four, the wal ſo broad, of Jaſper bright.
Four ſquare the City, and the meaſur'd ground
With golden read a thouſand furlongs found;
The Angel ſo the length and breadth did take,
The height the ſame no Cannon great can ſhake
The wall, that doth this City compaſſe in,
VVhere none can enter, nor abide with ſin.
No need of Temple, Sun, The Saints glory and happineſs, and this Saint among them.or Moon there is,
VVhere dwels that Trine in one, in endleſs bliſs,
The Lamb his everlaſting light doth give
Unto it, there the Saints in glory lives
Upon their heads, they Crowns of glory wear,
Their faces like the radiant Sun appear.
They cloathed are in Linnen ſins and pure,
No Fuller ever made the like, 'tis ſure:
And Palms of victory in their hands they have,
Triumphant Trophies, on the wal moſt brave
Do hang the Monuments of conquer'd Hel,
VVith all the Fiends and Furies, there that dwel;
Their Crowns and Palms before the Lamb they caſt,
By whom the danger of the war they paſt;
They all bedight with glory, round about
The Lambe doe follow, going in and out,
Unto the tree of laſting life they haſte,
In midſt of Eden, and the fruit they taſte.
Thence to the Wel of Life they take their way,
VVhence living ſtreams do never ceaſe to play;
VVith Mannah eke, and ſweeteſt Nectar fed,
They, by the Lamb, into the Palace led;
The Song of Moſes and the Lamb doe ſing,
VVith ſweeteſt harmony to heavens King.
In cloſe hereof came Barnardiſton in,
VVho late the field from vertues foe did win:
A troop of Angels bleſt had been his guard,
Into the Palace, to a place prepar'd:
VVherein the Emerauld of virld hue,
For beauties honour ſtrives with Saphir blew:
And Topaz ſeeks to have away the fame
From Carbuncle, that ſhines with fiery flame.
There he arrayed in the robes of glory,
Had to the preſence Chamber, tels the ſtory,
How he in fight with Sin and Death had ſtood,
And overcame them by the Lamb, Chriſt's blood:
The Lamb my Captain was, I won the field,
Lo there his Word my Sword, his faith my ſhield.
The Angels then did all their Trumpets blow,
The Victor's bleſſed welcome there to ſhow;
The Lord commands a crown of golden Bayes,
VponUpon his head are ſet the Victors praiſe.
The Saints afreſh renew their happy joy,
Them neither ſin nor ſorrow doth annoy.
Moſes and Aaron, ſang the ſame that was
By Iſrael ſung, when they the Sea did paſſe;
And Miriam did on ſounding Timbrel play,
And David tuned to his Harp a Lay:
The reſt took hands, and danc'd a ſacred round,
The vaults of glory echoing did ſound,
There did I leave him, there in bliſs he lives,
VVith him, to Saints that grace and glory gives.
Go haſte, and tell all thoſe that did him love,
How he ſits on a golden Throne above;
On earth he in his hand a ſword did bear,
His hand in heaven doth a ſcepter rear:
There ſhal he always live, and never dye,
And there ſhal waite on highest Majeſty;
And waite to ſee his Wife and Children dear
Increaſe his joy, in this his glories ſphear.
The Lord we pray, there grant to them a place,
VVith their allyes, and to their budding race.
In eundem carmen funebre, comprehenſum
In Dialogo inter Muſam & Vitam.
Tene quid abripiet nobis?M. (mors improba!) mortem
Tu que premes, victam tu perimeſ que necem.
Vita fugis mortem? meditaris morte fugamne?
Vivas, ut mortem morte fugare queas.
Dum vixi,V. vitam viveham, ut perdere poſſem:
Dum morior mihimet, reddita vita mihi.
Chriſtopher. Burrell. Rec. Wratten Mag.