BETHLEHEMS BEAUTY, LONDONS CHARITY, AND THE CITIES GLORY.
A Panegyrical Poem on that Magnificent Structure, lately Erected in
Moorfields, vulgarly called
New-Bedlam.
Humbly Addrest to the Honourable Master, Governours, and other Noble
Benefactors of that Splendid and most useful
Hospital.
Licensed
September 16. 1676.
Roger L'Strange.
STory no more shall
Antient Fabricks boast,
The mould'ring
Pyramids on
Egypts coast;
Sol's vast
Colossus, or those mighty Things
Which with
Mortality upbraided
Kings:
All these could but vain Ostentation yield,
Whilst we for
Ʋse and
Charity do
Build.
When
LONDON did in
Funeral Ashes lie
But Ten years since, The
Grief of every Eye,
VVhere
Desolation Triumph'd in each
Street,
Trampling our Stately'st Structures under Feet.
VVho durst
Predict, or hope so soon to see
Her thus
Rebuilt, with greater
Majestie?
Houses! whose height and strength seem to
Conspire,
To o'retop
Thunder, and defiance
Fire;
The
Sun beholds not a more Brave
Exchange,
Nor spacious Streets that in like order Range;
VVhose lofty Fronts harmoniously Advance,
As if (like
Thebs) their Building were a Dance:
Her
Publick Halls as
Pallaces appear,
And out-vie Princes
Courts somtimes for
Chear:
Her
Sacred Temples in a Decent State,
Teach us with
Awe and
Reverence to wait
There on our
Glorious Maker, at once free
From profane Filth, and gawdy Pageantree;
Nor doubt I, Aged
Pauls! Thy Reverend Pile
To see
Restor'd, The Glory of our Isle,
And for Rare
Works, as well as
Faith, become
Superior far to
Peters Fane at
Rome.
But to speak these Glories, needs an abler Muse,
Ours only dares a
Suburb Wonder chuse:
BEDLAM! That shall a lasting
Witness be
Of this great Cities generous
Piety:
Magnificent Foundation! such as shows
The greatness of their Souls by whom it Rose;
So
Brave, so
Neat, so
Sweet it does appear,
Makes one
Half-Madd to be a
Lodger there;
And those poor Souls, whose
Crazed Brains advance
Their
Roving Fancies to'th Extravagance
Of being
Princes, needs must think it True,
VVhen they shall such a Towering
Pallace View.
Since,
Strangers that Survey the
Galleries,
Find the
Vast Length wearies their Travelling eyes;
And some cry-out, "If such a Place befits
"Madmen, Henceforth who'le Study to be Wits?
A hundred Rooms in curious order stand
Each with its Bed and Furniture at hand.
Th' Approaching Air, in every gentle Breeze,
Is
Fan'd and
Winnow'd through the neighbouring
Trees,
And comes so
Pure, the
Spirits to Refine,
As if th' wise Governours had a Designe
That should alone, without
Physick Restore
Those whom
Gross Vapours discompos'd before;
But this
Conceit is stifled by their
Care,
The best of
Arts Assistance to prepare,
VVhat e're
Galenick or
Hermetick Skill
Offers in Natures Aid, is ready still.
Convenient
Diet's liberally bestow'd,
And all meet
Helps from time to time Allow'd:
Though many here their
Reason do Regain,
Yet none has ever
Reason to
Complain.
Here that mischeivous Hagg, black
Melancholly,
Mother of Discontent, and
Nurse of Folly
Circe's Transforming Magick strangely Apes,
And changes
Men into a Thousand shapes,
Some
Raving Wild, and some like
Statues fixt,
Democritus with
Heraclitus mixt.
One Fancies still his
Cruel Mistress by,
To'ther upbraids her Friends
Inconstancy,
He,
Weaves Straw-Bracelets, which he calls her
Hair,
And She, o'th'
Wall writes Letters to her
Dear,
Th' only
True Lovers, now adays are here.
One still makes
Almanacks, and those as True,
I dare engage, as most that
Print them, do.
Another Rails at
Rome, with as much
Sense
As some
abroad for
Conventicle Pence.
Thus do fond
Love, wild
Zeal, fierce jealousie,
Immod'rate
Studies, pinching
Poverty,
All Clubb to People this sad
Colony.
VVhat
Objects then more claim our
Charity,
Than these that know not their own
Misery;
And where such poor Distracted Souls are fed,
How fitly is it call'd,
The House of Bread.
Thrice
Noble Patriots, you have made it so,
Immortal
Thanks we to your
Bounty owe,
VVhose
Liberal Hands and
Contributions raise
This
Mighty Work, which the next Age must
praise,
Ours only can
Admire; may Heaven bless
Your
Brave Designs with suitable
Success.
May every
Wretch comes here his
Sense obtain,
To pay your
Costs with
Grateful Pray'rs again,
That when full Ripe with
Honour, and with
Years,
Your happy Dissolution day appears.
Perfuming Earth with your Exemplar
Fames,
Th'
Eternal Book may
Register your Names,
Free
Citizens o'th'
New Jerusalem,
To
Raign with
Him was Born in
Bethlehem.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Sear in Sweethins Ally near the Royal Exchange, 1676.