Enochs Walk and Change, Poem 2 – Elegy 6
Upon the Death of ſo many Reverend MINISTERS of late.
STill we do finde black Cloth wears out the firſt;
And fruits that are the choiceſt, keep the worſt.
Such men? ſo many? and they die ſo faſt?
They're precious (Death) Oh do not make ſuch waſte.
Scarce have we dri'd our eyes for loſſe of one,
But in comes tidings that another's gone.
Oh that I had my former tears agen,
(All but thoſe few laid out upon my ſin)
Had I an Helicon in either eye,
I have occaſion now to verſe them dry.
Triumph (Licentious Age) lift up thy Song,
Presbytery ſha'n't trouble you e're long;
Thoſe that tormented you before your day,
Are now apace removing out o'th' way.
Yea rather, tremble (England) ſtand agaſt,
To ſee thy glorious Lamps go out ſo faſt;
When Death (like Sampſon) thus layes hold upon
The Pillars of the Church,—the Building's gone.
When we do ſee ſo many ſtars to fall,
Surely, it boads the worlds great Funeral.
London, look to't, and think what Heaven is doing.
Thy flames are coming, when thy Lots are going.
Well may we all feare God intendeth wars,
When he commands home his Ambaſſadours.
That venerable Synod, which of late
Was made the object of mens ſcorne and hate,
(For want of Copes and Miters, not of Graces,)
Are now call'd up (with Moſes) and their faces
When they return, ſhall ſhine; God ſees it fit,
Such an Aſſembly ſhould in glory ſit.
The learned Twiſſe went firſt, (it was his right)
Then holy Palmer, Borroughs, Love, Gouge, White,
Hill, Whitaker, grave Gataker, and Strong,
Perne, Marſhal, Robinſon, all gone along.
I have not nam'd them half: Their only ſtrife
Hath been (of late) who ſhould firſt part with life.
Thoſe few who yet ſurvive, ſick of this Age
Long to have done their parts, and leave the Stage.
Our Engliſh Luther, Vines, (whoſe death I weep)
Stole away (and ſaid nothing) in a ſleep:
Sweet (like a Swan) he preach't that day he went,
And for his Cordial took a Sacrament:
Had it but been ſuſpected,— he would die
His people ſure had ſtopt him with their Cry.
My blear-ey'd Muſe ('tis tears have made her ſo,)
Muſt waſh his Marble too, before ſhe go.
Upon the much to be lamented Death of the Reverend Mr. Vines.
ARt thou gone too (thou great and gallant minde)
And muſt ſuch Sneaks as I be left behinde?
If thus our Horſemen and Commanders die,
What can the Infantry do then but flie?
Oh divine Vines! Tell us, why would'ſt thou go,
Ʋnleſſe thou could'ſt have left thy parts below?
If there's a Metempſeuchoſis indeed,
Tell us where we may finde thee at our need?
Who hath thy Memory? thy Brain? thy Heart?
Whom didſt thou leave thy tongue? (for every part
Of thee can make a man) What if we finde,
(As I'le not ſwear this Age wo'nt change her minde)
Prelacy (though her lands are ſold) revive?
Or Independency (who hopes to thrive
No where ſuit's Trump) ſhould dare diſpute at length?
Where haſt thou left thy Presbyterian ſtrength,
With which thou got'ſt the Game, i'th' Iſle of Wight,
Where the King cri'd, that — Vines was in the right?
When Eſſex di'd (the Honour of our Nation)
Thou gav'ſt him a new life in thy Oration.
An expreſſion in Mr. Vines Sermon on my Lord of Eſſex.But when great Fairfax to his Fate ſhall yield,
Whom haſt thou left — to fetch from Naisby field
Th' Immortal Turfe, and dreſſe it with a ſtory,
That ſhall perpetuate his name and glory?
Where's thy rich Fancy (man)? To whom (beneath)
Did'ſt thou thy lofty and high ſtrain bequeath?
Tell us for thy own ſake; for none but he
That hath thy wit, can write thy Elegy.
Till he be found, let this ſuffice, which I
Leave on thy ſtone. — Here lies the Miniſtry.
R. Wylde, Miniſter of Aynhoe.
In obitum Viri Doctiſſimi, pariter & pientiſſimi, RICHARDI VINES,
Summi Theologi.
QUae tenerum (quondam) ſolita eſt, & inutile gramen
Et flores agri, carpere falce levi,
Robora, ſublimes CEDROS VITES que ſecuri
Fatal, Nunc Mors Improba ſternit humi.
Atque uno (ut miſeros, & per compendia reddat)
Ict u, Stravit totum hoc genus arboreum.
En cui Robur erat QƲERCƲS, CEDRI que perennis
Durities, VIT IS Laetificae Bonitas,
Hunc celeri & caeco ſuccidit Vulnere. Caſum
Flebit Poſteritas. Nos ſatis haud fuimus.
In Engliſh thus.
DEath, that was wont the tender graſſe to mowe,
And crop with gentle Sithe, the flowers that growe
In broidered fields, now fells our ſtouteſt OAKES,
Tall CEDARS, CHOICEST VINES with fatal ſtroaks;
And to compleat our miſery, at one blow
ALL theſe in ONE fierce Death did overthrow.
For Him in whom the STRENGTH of OAKES did reſt,
BEAUTY of CEDARS, and of VINES the BEST:
By a ſwift ſecret ſtroke too, envious Death,
Out of our ſacred Grove removed hath.
Thus VINES cut down, and' cauſe we for his fall
Cannot lament enough, our children ſhall.
M.N.
Epitaphium, In Diſputatorem acutiſſimum, Concionatorem foeliciſſimum, Theologum Eximium, Dominum RICHARDƲM VINES.
QUo diſputante Nemo Nervoſior
Et foreign Strophas ſolvere
Atque foreign capiſtrare potis magè.
Quo perorante Nemo facundior,
Doctior aut, Coelum effundere in Mortaleis
Sinus, aut Mortalia in Coelum Pectora.
Quo vivente Nemo charior
Aut ſuis, aut Amicis veritatis.
Quo moriente, Ah —
Deſiderantur plurima.
Poſuit Mat. Newcomen.
Upon the much lamemed Death of that eminently accompliſhed Man of God, Mr. Richard Vines, late Paſtor of Lawrence-Jury, London.
Jer. 24.3.OF figs two baskets, and two ſorts of Vines,
Some good, ſome bad I reade; unlike their wines.
Deut. 32 32.The Vine of Sodom, poiſonous grapes which beares,
The Vine of Sibmah bleeding briny teares;
Eſa. 16 8. Jer 48.32. 2 Kings 4.39. Hoſ. 101. Job 15.33. Eſa. 5.2. Ezek. 17.6.7.The wilde Vine which the Prophets Pot did taint;
An empty Vine, the foule ſelf-ſeeking Saint;
A blaſted Vine, which unripe fruits did caſt;
A ſoure grap'd Vine, unpleaſing to the taſte;
A bending Vine, conſtant to no one ſide,
But changing Lords and Faiths with every tide.
Such were the old falſe prophets, curſed ſouies
Which poiſoned their times with Hell-brew'd Boules;
Such Hypocrites; ſuch the Apoſtate Race;
Foul Covenant-breakers. Men of no heart, All-face.
Ezek 17 15.None ſuch was this our Vines. A better kinde
Then thoſe forenam'd you do in Scripture finde.
Jer. 2.21. Gen. 49.11. Judg. 9.13. Pſal. 128.3. 1 Kings 4.25. Pſal. 80.15. Ezek 17.8. John 15.A noble Vine I meet with, a Vine choice;
A fruitful Vine, beſt Embleme of Increaſe;
A ſhady Vine, Enſigne of publike peace;
A Vine of Gods own planting; Goodly Vine;
Branches implanted in a Vine Divine.
Such was our Vines, whoſe noble fruit, choice ſhade
The gracious heart and ſpirit chearful made,
A Branch of the True Vine, ingraffed, dreſt;
By th' Fathers hand, purged, made fruitful, bleſt,
Joh. 15.1, 2, 5.With many Cluſters, full of ſuch rich wine,
As did Braines, Hearts, and Lives of men refine.
Oh Noble Plant! Oh Plant of much renown,
Loaden with ſo much fruit, as well might crown
A… many Miniſters, where ſuch variety
Of Learning, Wiſdom, Courage, Grace and Piety
Were manag'd with that skill, and ſo improved,
As made him honour'd, awed, reverend, loved.
England conſider! Thy Vineyard faſt declines,
Thy hedge is broke, wall fallen, thy choiceſt Vines
Tranſplanted are, now like an Heath forlorne
With ſtones thou cover'd art, o're-run with thorne,
Eſa. 5. Pſal. 80.13. Cant. 2.15. Pſal. 80.14.Peſter'd with briars; the Beaſt, Fox and wilde Bore
Do all aſſault thee, and will more and more.
But look down Lord from Heaven, and viſit thou
This Vineyard ('tis thine own) in danger now;
Eſa. 5.The ſtones and thornes pick out; the hedge and wall
Reſtore, tower build; but above all
Eſa. 27.3.Let thy eye be upon it night and day,
Whatever may it hurt chaſe thou away.