CORPUS sine CAPITE visibili, An Aenigmaticall EMBLEM; OR, A MODELL Of these distemper'd Times.
BEING An apparent BODY, well proportioned, upright and streight, but yet without any visible HEAD, in this Our most Unhappy Mereridian of LONDON.
Lately conceived in a Dredine or Slumber.
And now, Delineated, penned and produced, to the open view of the WORLD.
By I. M. Student of Exon. in Oxon.
This
Corporate CITY seems to want a
HEAD:
And that's the Cause all
Trading's growne so dead.
LONDON, Printed by Luke Norton, in the Yeare, 1642.
THE DESCRIPTION AND explanation of the precedent EMBLEM.
With some few Digressions not impertinent unto the Matter intended.
READER, This
Emblem here before thine eyes,
May seeme a Wonder full of Quiddities,
And if it should appeare so, at first view,
Yet thinke it not so strange, as it is true:
'Tis in a Christian manner meant and pen'd,
Conteining nothing good men to offend,
How-ever at some things Thou mayst admire,
Thy Love and gentle Censure I desire:
And if thou wouldst know more, observe it well,
The meaning in plaine Termes Ile breifly tell.
The DIADEM encompast with a
Wreath,
Doth show the
Crowne is safe though
Mars doth breath
Such furious, bitter blustering blasts abroade
As if an ARMY were in every Roade;
In every Way each Citty Towne and Village,
Ready to Murder Plunder spoile and Pillage.
The
SCEPTER seene within the Lawreat Band,
Shewes that the Regall Power most firme doth stand.
The
ANGELS that on either side support,
Doe shew that
GOD is our Defence and Fort;
Hee guards the
CROWNE and
SCEPTER with his Wing,
Though (for the present) wee can see no
KING:
[Page]His Grace (though strangely led, and like to fall,
Dwels yet i'th' hearts of his good Subjects all.
And though remote a while he doth remaine,
Hee'l in good time (I hope) returne againe.
The
LORD (I trust) will so illuminate
Our
SOVERAIGNS Eyes, that he may see the state
And sad Condition comming on us all,
Threatning as well
His Ruine as
Our Fall.
The little Sentence in the Wreath set downe,
Shewes Patience is a
Iewell, Vertues
CROWNE,
And our long patience waiting for our KING,
May prove a Comfort, though it seemes a Sting,
For in
His absence he the more may try
His flatterring
Foes, with all their Treachery:
And more he sees them troublous to the State,
The more their Projects hee'l detest and hate.
The Body well composed and well bent,
Portends a Wise Religious PARLIAMENT,
Wherein both Houses are so joyn'd together,
They startle at no
Storm's, They feare no Weather;
Come
Life come
Death, the full resolved are
To maintaine true
Religion, that's their Care;
Likewise the
Rights of KING and PARLIAMENT;
Good Ancient
Lawes to hold is their Intent;
They would make sure the
Subiects Libertie,
And with his
Freedome his Proprietie;
This is their
Ayme, that
Prince and People all
May live and love, rise up but never fall,
By
Strife or
Discord into vile contempt;
They would have all Contentions quite exempt:
And they desire for Truths sake which they loved
All Iealousies and Feares may be removed:
That no mis-prisions, nor strange mis-constructions
Should be produc
[...]d to worke our sad destructions.
This double BODY so upright is placed,
That 'tis not apt to swerve, nor be disgraced;
There's no deceipt invelop'd in the brest
Where Equity and Iustice sweetly rest.
The
POPE whereon this Body seemes to tread,
Shewes ROMES
Religion heere is almost dead;
The
Crosier Staffe and
Beades doe plainely point
Idolatry to bee thrust out of joint;
Romes Raggs and rusty
Reliques all must flie
Here's no permission now for POPERY.
[Page]The Wretch prophane, and vile Incendiary,
The
Rebels all may now no longer tarry;
Gods
Enemies begin their dolefull Song,
They must pack hence, they have beene here too long:
Truth treads on those that strives to domineere
The POPE, the REBEL, and the CAVALLIER.
The little
Motto comming from the
Pope
Shews whilst hee breaths he hath a Divelish hope,
To mount his Triple head againe; but see
He is so trampled downe it cannot bee;
And his
Adherents have beene queld of late
By Pillaging their Armes their Coine and Plate.
The Sentence o're the
Pope describeth plaine
We should shunne superstition which is vaine;
Nay worse then vaine, for those that live therein
Presse downe their Soules with ponderous loads of Sin,
Into the very Pit of horrid Hell,
Where all the wicked shall for ever dwell.
The Sacred Booke wherein lies Gods Command,
Implies both
Houses for the Truth doe stand;
And by its lying open, you may spie
It is not clasped to the LAYETY:
It is a
Well, where all may quench their thirst,
Where all should drink, but none untill they burst,
As many doe, who are so full oth'
Spirrit
They dare Preach any thing, whoever heare it,
Non-sence or Blasphemy, no matter what;
Some are brave Fellowes if they can but chat
And babble much in these our purer Dayes,
Wherein
Mechanicks shew Divines new wayes.
The
Ploughman when into a Cart hee climbes
Exceedes the learned
Doctors of our Times,
The Turner. Cooper, and the Souter may,
(For ought we know) preach twice on every day:
Nay more, they can with their old working Tooles
Prove all the Ancient
Fathers to bee Fooles;
Austine profound,
Bernard and
Chrisostome,
They'l quickly make into subjection come;
Grave
Nazianzen, Ambrose, Gregorie,
They will confute and that
Extemporie,
If any man of common sence or wit
Would give but credit to each Foole in's Fit.
The Sentence which upon the Booke is written
Saith
GODS Word still shall last, though Envy-bitten,
[Page]The other
Latine Sentence doth unfold
That we our true
Religion fast should hold.
The
Sword that's drawne, denoteth in some sense,
A love to
Peace; yet Posture of
Defence;
One of the
Motto's there prescribeth plaine,
No Man but by his owne Default is slaine:
Th'other averres, If
GOD be on our side,
We need not care for Papall power or pride;
If great IEHOVAH doe but take our parts,
What earthly
Potentate can wound our hearts?
When
David was but young, of growth but small,
He slew
Goliah that was great and tall.
The
Purse and
flaming Heart doe both expresse
The
Coine and
Plate that's brought with cheerfulnesse,
To maintaine Armes with State, with hand and heart,
If Warre must be 'gainst the malignant part.
The words
Thesaurus populi doe show,
These bounteous presents from the people flow:
The Rich, the Poore, the Widdow wth her Miite;
All bring in what they can in open sight;
That all the world may notice take and see,
Their guifts come from them with alacritie.
From high to low, from aged unto youth,
All good men know 'tis to support the truth;
Yea such a Truth; that wer't extinct and gone,
Our wretched soules are utterly undone:
But we doe yet enjoy't, let's hold our owne,
Lets stand up for the Gospell and the Crowne:
Gods Word is on our side, and he I hope
Will make us able to confound the Pope.
Thus farre have I unfolded what is meant
By this darke Emblem of our Parliament:
The Reasons also I have signifi'de
Of all the Adjuncts to be seene beside.
But Oh, the chiefe where I should first begun,
Invisible doth seeme, the lesse is done;
Things doe not goe so forward as they might,
If one that's wanting dayly were in sight.
This Head not seene into your minds may bring
The grievous absence of our gracious King.
That Cloud which will not let us see our Sun,
Hath beene the cause of all our woes begun;
Of all our troubles, and of Irelands sorrowes,
Whose every day griefe of the next still borrowes.
[Page]Lord looke upon them in their great distresse,
Send them a speedy and a quick redresse;
And grant good God (oh heare our fervent prayers)
That our case here may nere be like to theirs.
And gracious God (if so it be thy will)
Keep not our discontented Soveraigne still
From out our sight; that misty Cloud remove,
Streame downe on him and us thy Rayes of love.
Lord take away those feares and jealousies,
Which have beene cause our sad miseries:
Let King and Parliament be all as one
Let all mistakings be forgot and gone,
Let CHARLES come to us Lord, and with him bring
A branch of Olive as a peacefull King,
Let Iudah come and sit in his owne Throne
Let Subjects all injoy and know their owne,
Let peace and plentie dwell amongst us heere
That wee noe homebred nor out-foes may feare,
Let King and People bee no more affrighted
But let them all in love bee re-united,
Then may we all rejoyce, untill which time
I have small list to write in Prose or Rime.
The end of the Explanation of the precedent EMBLEM.
The distinction betwixt Peace and VVarre, with the Authors propitious Wish.
WHen
Adam with his fairest
Eve was plac'd,
In
Eden, then the world with peace was grac'd,
But when the subtile Serpent did begin,
To bring in hatred, then began our Sin,
He taught our Parents disobedience first:
He drew them on till we were all accurst:
They both excluded were from Paradice,
And we were made Co-heires of their Vice.
Then
Caine his onely Brother
Abell slew:
When he should nere have more for ought he knew:
Contention, strife and malice doe not care,
Whom first they kill, nor Friends nor Foes they'l spare:
Mars and
Bellona still are hath'd in blood,
And very seldome have done any good:
But heav'nly Peace is held the thing of things,
The chiefest Darling of the King of Kings:
Peace was King
JAMES his choise, God grant that he,
To
CHARLES his Sonne a President may be:
And grant, O Lord, (if 't be thy blessed will)
That we may have true peace and keepe it still.
An Emphaticall Dreame.
WHen glorious
Phoebus had run out his Course,
Whirling his
Chariot from the
East to th'
West,
And
Cinthia bright had took a kind remorse,
Of Mortalls, lighting them unto their rest;
I laid me downe my heart full sore opprest:
And long I had not beene upon my Bed,
But many Whimsies came into my Head.
My wearied Eyes would faine have had some sleepe,
My vexed Cogitations long'd for Peace,
My troubled Fancie such a quoile did keepe;
As if my Cares begun would never cease;
My Soule each minute pray'd for her release:
All sublunary things, seene, heard, or read,
In my Conceipt seem'd then to want a Head.
At length I fell into a DREAME or Slumber,
You must conceive I was perplexed much,
My Thoughts disturb'd so then, I now can't number;
Yet part thereof, I briefly here will touch,
If in few Lines one may great Matters couch:
What e're I saw, seem'd then without a Head,
Which was the cause the World is growne so dead.
Me thought I was transported from the Vale
Of darke Obscurity, where long I'd liv'd;
Industry put her curious Workes to sale;
Her dainty Pieces wittily contriv'd,
[Page]All shew'd, few bought; so few or none there thriv'd:
And still me thought all things did want a Head,
And that's the cause the World is growne so dead.
Thousands of Objects came before mine eyes,
All in good earnest nothing in dirision,
Horrour mine intellectuals did surprize;
Amazement seizd my senses of each Vision;
All things distracted seemed with division:
Bad Newes both farre and neere was hourely spread,
Which is the cause the World is growne so dead.
Me thought I saw whole Houses, Families,
All full of sorrow, paler then the Moone,
Some wrung their hands, and some with watry eyes,
Cry'd out no Takings! We are all undone;
No monies to be had 'twixt Sun and Sunne:
All Trades (but for
Militia) now are fled,
Which is the cause the World is growne so dead.
Me thought I saw each Village, and each Towne
All in an uproare struggling for the best,
Some standing for, and some against the Crowne,
Tumults from North to South, from East to West,
All Voluntiers of either side, none prest:
This Land hath long been sick, now pain'd i'th Head,
Which is the cause her Trading's growne so dead.
Me thoughts I saw each County, Shire, and City,
Weltring in blood, or wearied with turmoiles,
Brave houses plundred, which to see was pitty,
And
Cavalliers even glutted with rich Spoyles,
No place quite free from these outragious broyles:
Rumours of Wars through every Coast were spread,
Which is the cause the World is growne so dead.
Me thought I saw full many a Corporation,
Without a Magistrate, a Maior, or Guide,
Whereat a neere approaching Desolation,
Threatned their ruine, to pluck downe their pride,
Grave
Senators I saw much vilifide:
Upon Authority each Boy would tread,
Whence now 'tis come, the World is grown so dead.
Me thought I saw a Kingdome all in Armes,
And (which is strange) divided in it selfe,
Guns shooting off, Drums beating up Allarmes,
The Rich most ready to produce their Pelfe;
And some that had but two Spoons on their shelfe:
But all that while opprest with care and dread,
Which is the cause the World is grown so dead.
Me thought I saw both Vniversities,
Distracted quash't, and strucken with amaze,
Religion minced with Diversities
Of strange opinions, makes the vulgar gaze,
At
Academians and their shame t' emblaze:
Schollers are scoft and scorn'd, Schools want their Head,
The Arts may sleepe, for Learning now is dead.
Me thought I saw the severall Inns of Court,
Looke red for anger of a long Vacation:
Places of Justice had but small resort,
No Clyents, but a few for recreation,
'Cause Lawyers smel't so of Equivocation:
Their Judges faile, Courts want their cheifest Head,
Which is the cause our Lawes doe seeme so dead.
Me thought I saw a Diocesan CHVRCH,
A stately PALLACE, and a Bishoppricke,
All stand forlorne, the
Deanes and
Chapters lurch,
[Page]The Metropolitan touch'd to the quick,
The
Surrogates and
Proctors all were sick:
Their
head-strong Humors have brought low their Head,
Which is the cause their Calling is so dead.
Me thought I saw a second Heaven on Earth,
A
Parliament of noble Peeres and Commons,
All which according to their States and Birth,
Came and attended at their severall Summons,
Such Men, for Wisedome never were the
Romanes:
They cheerfully begun first with their Head,
But now hee's gone, their joyfull Hopes are dead.
Me thought they had a world of discontent,
Feares, Doubts and Iealousies did oft arise,
Betweene the absent King, and 's
Parliament,
The grounds few knew, though they were nere so wise,
Unhappy those good Councell doe despise:
This great Assembly wanting thus their Head,
May judge his absence makes the World so dead.
Neverthelesse, me thought they did proceed,
With such alacrity and cheerefulnesse,
As if they'd felt poore
Irelands vvounds to bleed,
And sympathized in Our great Distresse,
They've done their best our griefes all to redresse:
But ô their King, their Soveraigne and their Head,
His absence makes their living hopes halfe dead.
Me thought I saw huge Regiments of men,
Striving their Soveraigne dayly to subvert,
With sugred Words, and with deceitfull Pen,
With Vaunts, and Brags, and with alluring Art.
They've captivated, and seduc'd his Heart:
By these our King hath strongly bin mis-led,
Which is the cause the World is growne so dead.
Papists, and others Popishly affected,
Monopolists, Projectours, Cavalliers,
Such of the CLERGIE as are dis-affected
Unto the King and State, increase our feares;
Bankrupts, and Rascals hourely send us Ieares:
Our present Troubles farre and neere are spread,
Which is the cause the World is growne so dead.
These are the Shavers that have bred these Warres,
These have our King from's
Parliament divided,
These have occasion'd all our Strifes and Iarres,
By these GODS Children dayly are derided,
Good Remedies (I hope) will be provided:
But now such heavy Newes of Warres is spread,
That all the World, all Trades, all Things are dead.
The King (seduced) needs must be disturb'd,
The Subject and the Kingdome are distracted,
The
Cavalliers may suddenly bee curb'd,
Good Statutes may be acted, and transacted,
Their Plots confounded that have long compacted:
Then will Our Hopes with Happinesse bee fed,
Meane while I grieve to see the World thus dead.
These were my
Dreames, or this my DREAME at least,
Which much perplex't my
trembling Thoughts with feare,
At length I wak'd, and found my DREAME no jest,
As by these Times may very well appeare,
Let's therefore pray to GOD Our Father deare:
That every Thing may have it's proper Head,
And then all Trades will cease to be so dead.
God blesse Our King, his Royall Consort blesse,
Lord teach them both to know and keepe thy Word,
Blesse all their Off-spring, sheild them from distresse,
[Page]Thine holy Spirit unto them affoord,
And keep us all from Famine, Plague, and Sword:
And if thou please to be our Generall Head,
We then shall live for aye, and ne're be dead.
Blesse likewise Lord our hopefull
Parliament,
Blesse both the Houses, Peeres, and Commons all;
Give them their full desire, their hearts content,
That Truth may raised be, and Falshood fall;
And prosper their Designes both great and small:
Grant them the sweet fruition of their Head,
That these our Times may be no more so dead.
Blesse also Lord, brave
Essex that great Earle,
Blesse his Lieutenants, Captaines, and Commanders,
Blesse all his Souldiers, give us Peace (that Pearle,)
Reduce all such as erre, each one that wanders
In any by-pathes, keep us all from slaunders:
For his sake that his blood for us hath shed,
And grant our Faith and Hope may ne're bee dead.
And grant that our thrice noble Earle may bring
The joyfull Ensignes of Triumph, and Honour,
That we may see the Person of our King,
That Peace may be display'd in every Banner;
As for the VVhore of
Babell out upon her:
Let Vnity throughout great Brittaine spread,
And then all Trades will be no more so dead.
FJNJS.