He could deep myfteries unriddle, As eafily as thread a needle: 500 That they are ne'er beside their way, 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 But fpirit'al eaves-droppers can hear : 515 520 Ver. 511.] Alluding to Ralpho's religion, who was, probably, an Anabaptift or Dipper. The ancient cup, or modern chair; Whose primitive tradition reaches $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; Before one rag of form was on. The Chaos, too, he had defcry'd, And feen quite through, or elfe he ly'd ;' 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 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; 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, 605 Of Native's birth, tell what will come on't. 610 To find out agues, coughs, catarrhs, What makes them cuckolds, poor or rich; 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 |