GILES FLETCHER.

PART I.

CHRIST'S VICTORY IN HEAVEN.

THE ARGUMENT.

The argument propounded in general. Our redemption by Christ.-The Author's invocation for the better handling of it.-Mercy dwelling in heaven, and pleading for men now guilty; with Justice described by her qualities.-Her retinue. Her subject.-Her accusation of man's sin.-And, 1st, of Adam's first sin. Then of his posterity's, in all kind of idolatry.-How hopeless any patronage of it,-all the creatures having disleagued themselves with him for his extreme unthankfulness, so that being destitute of all hope and remedy, he can look for nothing but a fearful sentence-The effect of Justice's speech: the inflammation of the heavenly powers appeased by Mercy, who is described by her cheerfulness to defend man.-Our inability to describe her. Her beauty, resembled by the creatures, which are all frail shadows of her essential perfection.-Her attendants. Her persuasive power. Her kind offices to man.-Her garments, wrought by her own hands, wherewith she clothes herself, composed of all the creatures.-The earth.-Sea.-Air.-The celestial bodies.The third heaven.-Her objects.-Repentance.-Faith.-Her deprecative speech for man; in which she translates the principal fault unto the devil; and, repeating Justice's aggravation of men's sin, mitigates it; 1st, By a contrary inference: 2d, By intercessing herself in the cause, and Christ,-that is as sufficient to satisfy, as man was impotent.-Whom she celebrates from the time of his nativity. From the effects of it in himself.-Egypt.-The angels and men.The effects of Mercy's speech. A transition to Christ's second victory.

THE birth of Him that no beginning knew,
Yet gives beginning to all that are born;
And how the Infinite far greater grew
By growing less; and how the rising morn,

That shot from heav'n, did back to heav'n return;

The obsequies of Him that could not die,
And death of life, end of eternity,

How worthily he died, that died unworthily ;

How God and man did both embrace each other,
Met in one person, heav'n and earth did kiss;
And how a virgin did become a mother,
And bare that Son, who the world's Father is
And maker of his mother; and how bliss
Descended from the bosom of the High,
To clothe himself in naked misery,

Sailing at length to heav'n, in earth, triumphantly

Is the first flame, wherewith my whiter muse
Doth burn in heav'nly love, such love to tell.
O Thou that didst this holy fire infuse,

And taught'st this breast-but late the grave of hell,
Wherein a blind and dead heart liv'd-to swell
With better thoughts, send down those lights
that lend

Knowledge, how to begin, and how to end The love, that never was, nor ever can be penn'd.

Ye sacred writings, in whose antique leaves
The memories of heav'n entreasur'd lie,

Say, what might be the cause that mercy heaves
The dust of sin above th' industrious sky,
And lets it not to dust and ashes fly?

Could Justice be of sin so overwoo'd,

Or so great ill be cause of so great good, That bloody man to save, man's Saviour shed his blood?

Or did the lips of Mercy drop soft speech
For trait'rous man, when at th' Eternal's throne

Incens'd Nemesis did Heav'n beseech

With thund'ring voice, that justice might be shown. Against the rebels, that from God were flown?

say, say how could mercy plead for those

That, scarcely made, against their Maker rose? Will any slay his friend that he may spare his foes?

There is a place beyond that flaming hill,
From whence the stars their thin appearance shed;
A place beyond all place, where never ill
Nor impure thought was ever harboured;
But saintly heroes are for ever said

To keep an everlasting sabbath's rest,

Still wishing that, of what they're still possess'd, Enjoying but one joy,-but one of all joys best.

Here, when the ruin of that beauteous frame,
Whose golden building shin'd with every star
Of excellence, deform'd with age became,
Mercy, rememb'ring peace in midst of war,
Lift up the music of her voice, to bar

Eternal fate, lest it should quite erase

That from the world, which was the world's first

grace,

And all again into their nothing-chaos-chase.

For what had all this all, which man in one
Did not unite? the earth, air, water, fire,
Life, sense, and spirit, nay, the pow'rful throne
Of the divinest Essence did retire,
And his own image into clay inspire:

So that this creature well might called be
Of the great world the small epitome-

Of the dead world, the life and quick anatomy.

But Justice had no sooner Mercy seen,
Smoothing the wrinkles of her Father's brow,
But up she starts, and throws herself between:
As when a vapour, from a moory slough,
Meeting with fresh Eous, that but now

Open'd the world, which all in darkness lay, Doth heaven's bright face of his rays disarray, And sads the smiling orient of the springing day.

She was a virgin of austere regard;

Not as the world esteems her, deaf and blind;
But as the eagle, that hath oft compar'd

Her eye with Heav'n's, so, and more brightly

shin'd

Her lamping sight; for she the same could wind Into the solid heart, and with her ears

The silence of the thought loud speaking hears, And in one hand a pair of even scales she wears.

No riot of affection revel kept.

Within her breast, but a still apathy
Possessed all her soul, which softly slept

Securely, without tempest-no sad cry
Awakes her pity, but wrong'd poverty,

Sending his eyes to heav'n, swimming in tears, With hideous clamours ever struck her ears, Whetting the blazing sword that in her hand she bears.

The winged lightning is her Mercury,

And round about her mighty thunders sound :
Impatient of himself lies pining by

Pale Sickness, with his kercher'd head upwound,

And thousand noisome plagues attend her round;