He could deep myfteries unriddle,

As eafily as thread a needle:
For as of vagabonds, we say,

500

That they are ne'er beside their way,
Whate'er men speak by this New-light,

Still they are fure to be i' th' right.

'Tis a dark-lantern of the Spirit,

5°5

Which none fee by but those that bear it;

To dive, like wild-fowl, for falvation,

And fish to catch regeneration.

This light infpires and plays upon
The nose of faint, like bag-pipe drone,
And speaks, through hollow empty foul,
As through a trunk, or whispering-hole,
Such language as no mortal ear

But fpirit'al eaves-droppers can hear :
So Phœbus, or fome friendly Muse,

515

520

Ver. 511.] Alluding to Ralpho's religion, who was,

probably, an Anabaptift or Dipper.

The ancient cup, or modern chair;
Spoke truth point blank, though unaware.
For mystic learning, wondrous able
In magic, talifman, and cabal,

Whose primitive tradition reaches
As far as Adam's firft green breeches;
Deep-fighted in intelligences,
Ideas, atoms, influences;
And much of Terra Incognita,

$30

538

When they cry Rope, and Walk, knave, walk,

He'd extract numbers out of matter,

And keep them in a glass, like water,

Ver. 546.] Alluding to the Philofopher's Stone.

Of

Of fovereign power to make men wife;
For, dropt in blear thick-fighted eyes,
'They'd make them fee in darkest night,
Like owls, though purblind in the light.
By help of thefe (as he profeft)
He had First Matter feen undrest:
He took her naked, all alone,

Before one rag of form was on.

The Chaos, too, he had defcry'd,

And feen quite through, or elfe he ly'd ;'
Not that of Pafteboard, which men fhew
For groats, at fair of Barthol'mew;,
But its great grandfire, firft o' th' name,
Whence that and Reformation came,
Both coufin-germans, and right able
T' inveigle and draw in the rabble:
But Reformation was, fome fay,
O' th' younger house to Puppet-play.
He could foretel whats'ever was
By confequence to come to país:

565

570

As

Ver. 573.] The rebellious clergy would in their prayers pretend to foretel things, to encourage people in their rebellion. I meet with the following inftance in the prayers of Mr. George Swathe, minifter of Denham in Suffolk: "O my good Lord God, I praife thee "for discovering the laft week, in the day-time, a vi"fion, that there were two great armies about York,

one of the malignant party about the King, the "other party Parliament and profeffors; and the bet"ter fide fhould have help from Heaven against the worlt;

As death of great men, alterations,

Diseases, battles, inundations:

All this without th' eclipfe of th' fun,

Or dreadful comet, he hath done

By inward light, a way as good,

575

And eafy to be understood :

580

But with more lucky hit than those

That use to make the stars depofe,

Like Knights o' th' Poft, and falfely charge

Upon themselves what others forge;

As if they were confenting to

585

All mischiefs in the world men do:

Or, like the devil, did tempt and fway 'em
To rogueries, and then betray 'em.
They'll fearch a planct's houfe, to know
Who broke and robb'd a house below;

590 Examine

"worft; about, or at which inftant of time, we heard "the foldiers at York had raised up a fconce against

Hull, intending to plant fifteen pieces against Hull; "against which fort Sir John Hotham, Keeper of "Hull, by a garrison, discharged four great ordnance, "and broke down their fconce, and killed divers Ca"valiers in it.-Lord, I praife thee for discovering this "victory, at the inftant of time that it was done, to *my wife, which did then prefently confirm her droop"ing heart, which the last week had been dejected "three or four days, and no arguments could comfort "her against the dangerous times approaching; but "when he had prayed to be established in faith in thee, "then presently thou didft, by this vifion, ftrongly poffefs her foul that thine and our enemies fhould be overcome."

Examine Venus, and the Moon,

Who ftole a thimble or a spoon;
And though they nothing will confefs,
Yet by their very looks can guess,
And tell what guilty aspect bodes,
Who ftole, and who receiv'd the goods:
They'll question Mars, and, by his look,
Detect who 'twas that nimm'd a cloke;
Make Mercury confess, and 'peach

595

Thofe thieves which he himfelf did teach.

600

They'll find, i' th' phyfiognomies

O' th' planets, all men's deftinies;

Like him that took the doctor's bill,
And swallow'd it instead o' th' pill,
Caft the nativity o' th' queftion,
And from pofitions to be guest on,
As fure as if they knew the moment

605

Of Native's birth, tell what will come on't.
They 'll feel the pulfes of the stars,

610

To find out agues, coughs, catarrhs,
And tell what crifis does divine
The rot in sheep, or mange in swine;
In men, what gives or cures the itch,

What makes them cuckolds, poor or rich;
What gains or lofes, hangs or faves;

What makes men great, what fools or knaves:

But not what wise, for only' of those

The stars (they say) cannot dispose,

No more than can the aftrologians :

There they fay right, and like true Trojans.

615

620