Divine Meditations Raised from Three Leaves of Nature, Epigraph – To the reader 1
LOe here's the Authors Shadow, paſſe it by;
Theſe Lines his Subſtance, will in Part deſcry.
Gaze not upon his Shade unleſſe to ſee,
And learne thereby, that all Men Shadowes be.
All fleſh is Graſs, the best men vanity;
This, but a ſhadow, here before thine eye,
Of him, whoſe wondrous changes clearly show,
That GOD, not men, ſwayes all things here below
MOVNT-ORGVEIL: OR DIVINE AND PROFITABLE MEDITATIONS, RAISED FROM The Contemplation of theſe three Leaves of Natures Volume, 1. ROCKES, 2. SEAS, 3. GARDENS, digeſted into three diſtinct Poems.
To which is Prefixed, a Poeticall Deſcription, of Mount-Orgueil Caſtle in the Iſle of Jerſy.
BY VVILLIAM PRYNNE, Late Exile, and Cloſe Priſoner in the ſayd Caſtle.
A Poem of The Soules Complaint against the Body; and Comfortable Cordialls againſt the Diſcomforts of Impriſonment, &c. are hereto annexed.
Pſalme 19. 14.
Let the Words of my mouth, and the MEDITATION of my Heart, he acceptable in thy ſight, O Lord my Strength, and my Redeemer.
Pſalme 143. 5.
I remember the dayes of Old; I MEDITATE on all thy Workes; I muſe on the Worke of thy hands.
LONDON, Printed by Tho. Cotes, for Michael Sparke Senior, and are to be ſold by Peter Inch of Chester. 1641.
TO The Right Worſhipfull his ever Honoured worthy Friend, Sir PHILIP CARTERET Knight, Lieutenant Governour and Bayliffe of the Iſle of Jerſy.
SIR, Your great Favour and Humanity
To Me whiles Exile, Priſner in Jerſy,
Wholy ſecluded from all Friends acceſſe,
Under the angry Frownes of their Greatneſſe
Who ſent Me thither, to deprive me quite
Of worldly Comforts; challenge a juſt Right
To theſe rude Meditations, which there grew,
And ſo in Juſtice are your proper Due.
Accept them than, as a ſmall Pledge of my
Thankes unto You, till Oportunity
And better Dayes, enable me to finde,
Some other meanes to pay all that's behinde.
Your Eternally Obliged Friend and Servant WILLIAM PRYNNE.
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER,
SHut up Cloſe-Priſner in Mount-Orgueil Pile,
A lofty Caſtle, within Jerſie Iſle,
Remote from Friends,*I arrived in Ierſy, Ianuary the 17. 1637. and received the Tydings of myenlargement thence by warrant from the Parliament November 17. 1640. the ſame day of the MonethMonth, I there firſt landed. neere three yeares ſpace, where I
Had Rockes, Seas, Gardens dayly in mine Eye,
Which I oft viewed with no ſmall delight,
Theſe pleaſing Objects did at laſt invite
Me, to contemplate in more ſolemne wiſe,
What uſefull Meditations might ariſe
From each of them, my ſoule to warme, feaſt, cheare,
And unto God, Chriſt, Heaven mount more neare.
In which purſuite, I found ſuch inward Joyes,
Such Cordiall Comforts, as did over-poiſe
My heavieſt Croſſes, Loſſes, and ſupply
The want of all, Foes did me then deny;
Give me aſſurance of a ſweete Returne
Both from my Exile, Priſon, and mine Urne:
Revive my cold dead Muſe, and it inſpire
Though not with brighteſt, yet with Sacred fire:
Some Sparkes whereof rakt up in Aſhes then,
I layd aſide, for want of Inke and Pen:
But now enlarged by the mighty hand
Of that ſweete God, who both by*Iſa 43. 2. Pſa. 66. 12. Pſ. 139. 9. 10. Joſh. 1. 5. 9. Sea and Land▪
In ſundry Priſons, Countries, kept me ſo
In health and comfort, that I met with no
One day of Sickeneſſe, Sadneſſe, Diſcontent,
In *I was firſt committed Priſoner to the Towre of London, Feb. 1. 1632. where after two removals to the Fleete for a ſhort ſpace, I remained Priſoner till July the 27. 1637. & was then removed to Carnarvan Caſtle in Northwales, where I arrived Auguſt the 5. and was there kept cloſe Priſoner till I was by ſpecial warrant ſhipped & ſent cloſe Priſoner for Jerſy, Octob. the 10. 1637. where I arrived not till January the 17. following. From whence I departed by Warrant from the Parliament, Novemb. 19. 1640. and landed at Dartmouth Novem. 22. came into London Novemb. 28. was preſented to the Commons Houſe Novem. 30 where my Petition was read Decem. 3.eight yeares Troubles, and Impriſonment:
(Which I relate, that all may bleſſe his Name
For his great Mercy, and expect the ſame
Support and Preſence of our God in all
Thoſe ſharpe Afflictions which may them befall,
As I have found, by ſweete experiment
To my ſurpaſſing Solace, and Content:)
I have blowne up theſe buried Sparkes a new,
And here preſent them to thy Chriſtian view,
(Kinde Reader) to the end that thou mayſt be
Refreſht with thoſe Thoughts, which refreſhed me,
And Steele thy Soule with Faith, Hope, Confidence,
Againſt all Carnall feares and diffidence,
With that which made Me to expect with joy,
That bleſt Enlargement I doe now enjoy.
From my long Durance, Cenſures, Baniſhment,
Which God hath made a freſh, ſweete Monument
Of his Almighty power, that all thereby
In all their Troubles and Adverſitie,
May learne with Faith, Hope, comfort to depend
On God, who in due time Releaſe will ſend.
Thy Comfort, Profit is all I deſire,
Next to Gods glory; Lord, let the ſweete fire
Of thy good Spirit by theſe Lines convoy
Such Flames of Love, zeale, Comfort, Grace, & Joy
Into each Readers ſoule, that he may ſee
Theſe Meditations were inſpir'd by Thee.
If any profit, fruit, thou from them gaine,
O pray for him, who ever ſhall remaine
Thy Unfained Chriſtian Friend WILLIAM PRYNNE.