All the vvorkes of Iohn Taylor the water-poet Beeing sixty and three in number. Collected into one volume by the author: vvith sundry new additions corrected, reuised, and newly imprinted, 1630.

Against Swearing.

THou that these lines dost either heare or read, Consider with thy selfe, and take good heed. Reade them, and let them neuer be forgot, They doe concerne thy soule, then slight them not. Thea 1.1 Fiends of Hell beleeue there is a God, And feare and tremble at his angry Rod: They doe confesse his glorious Excellence, And his Almighty powers Omnipotence. But Man his choisest and his chiefest Creature, Is so rebellious against God and Nature, That hee 'gainst Heau'n dare both blaspheme and sweare, And (worse then Fiends) they not beleeue or feare: So that the Earth doth breed, feed, and retaine Worse Monsters then there doth in Hell remaine. If men beleeu'd the Word that God hath spoke, They would belieue that Word shuld ne'er be broke. In His enacted Lawb 1.2 is one Decree, That all who take his Name in vaine, shall be Accounted guilty, and his fearefull wrath Will hold them guilty of eternall death. Againe 'tis said, Let thec 1.3 Blasphemer dye, Let him be stoned for his blasphemy; And euill tongues, who dare to curse aduenter, Shall into Heauensd 1.4 blessednesse not enter. And Christ (when on the Earth he liued heere) Forbade vs that ate 1.5 all we should not sweare. And in th'leuenth of Deutoronomy againe, We are commanded not to sweare in vaine.

Thef 1.6 Heathen to blaspheme their gods abhorr'd, Yet Christians wilfully blaspheme the Lord. Who-euer to reuile the gods were knowne, In Rome, were from the Rock Tarpeius throwne, Th'Egyptians Law was, he should lose his head, 'Mongst Scythians, life and goods were forfeited. These grieuous punishments did Pagant vse Against all them that did their gods abuse. King Donald's Law in Scotland's not forgot, Who burnt them through the lips with irons hot. And when King Edmund here had Regall State, All Swearers he did excommunicate. And Philip King of France (a Prince renown'd) Ordain'd that Blasphemers should be drown'd. The Emperour Maximilian did decree, That all vaine Swearers should beheaded be. The Earle of Flanders, Philip, did ordaine, Their losse of life and goods that swore in vaine. Saint Lewis the King of France enacted there, That for the first time any one did sweare, Into imprisonment one month was cast, And stand within the Pillory at last. But if the second time againe they swore, One with an iron hot their tongues did bore.

And who the third time in that fault did slip, Were likewise boared through the vnder-lip. For the fourth time most gricuous paines belongs, He caus'd to be cut off their lips and tongues. Henry the fift of England, that good King, His Court to such conformity did bring, That euery Duke should forty shillings pay For euery Oath he swore, without delay. Each Baron twenty, Knights or Squires offence Paid tenne: and euery Yeoman twenty pence. The Boyes and Pages all were whipt most fine, That durst abuse the Maiestie diuine.

Thus Pagan Princes with sharp lawes withstood Profaning of their Gods, of stone, or wood. And Christian Kings and Rulers formerly, Haue most seuerely punisht blasphemy. And shall a Heathen, or an Infidell, That knowes no ioyes of Heauen, or paines of Hell, More reuerence to his deuillish Idols show, Then we doe to the true God whom we know? If we remembred well but what we were, And what we are, we would not dare to sweare. Poore trunks of earth fill'd with vncertaine breath, By nature heires to euerlasting death: Most miserable wretches, most ingrate 'Gainst God, that did elect vs, and create. Redeem'd, conseru'd, preseru'd, and sanctifi'd, And giues vs hope we shall be glorifi'd. H'hath giuen vs being, life, sense, reason, wit, Wealth, and all things his Prouidence thinkes fit: And for requitall, (we quite voyde of grace) Curse, sweare, and doe blaspheme him to his face. Oh the supernall patience of our God, That beares with Man (a sin polluted clod) When halfe such treasons 'gainst an earthly King, Would many a Traytor to confusion bring!

Suppose a man should take a Whelp and breed him, And stroke him, & make much of him, & feed him, How will that curre loue him beyond all other? Neuer forsaking him to serue another? But if he should most disobediently, Into his Masters face or throat to fly, Sure euery man that liues vpon the ground, Would say a hanging's sit for such a hound. And worser then so many dogges are they That 'gainst their God with oathes do barke & bray. And if repentance doe not mercy win, They'll hang in Hell like Hell-hounds for that sin. Of all black crimes from Belzebubs damn'd treasure, This swearing sin no profit yeelds, or pleasure: Nor gaines the swearer here but earths vexation, With change of his saluation for damnation. It is a sinne that yeelds vs no excuse. (For what excuse can be for Gods abuse?) And though our other faults by death doe end, Yet Blasphemy doth after death extend, For to the damn'd in Hell this curse is giuen, They for their paines blaspheme the God of Heauen. Examples on the earth haue many beene, As late in sundry places haue beene seene. At Mantua two braue Russians in their games Swore and blasphem'd our blessed Sauiours name, Where Gods iust iudgement (full of feare & dread) Caus'd both their eyes to drop from out their head. In Rome, a childe but fiue yeeres old that swore, Was snatcht vp by the Deuill, and seene no more, And at Ragouse, a Mariner did sweare, As if he would Gods name in sunder teare; When falling ouer-boord, was drown'd and tost, And nothing but his tongue was onely lost. Remember this, you sinfull sonnes of men, Thinke how that Christ redeem'd you from Hells den His mercy he hath giu'n in magnitude, Requite him not with vile ingratitude. He made the Eares and Eye, and heares and sees The swearers execrable oathes and lyes. The Godhead of the Father they contemne: Against the Sonnes Redemption they blaspheme: The Holy Spirit grieuously they grieue, And headlong into Hell themselues they driue, It is in vaine for mortall men to thinke, Gods Iustice is asleepe, although it winke: Or that his arme is shortned in these times, That he cannot reach home to punish crimes. Oh thinke not so, 'tis but the Deuils illusion, To draw vs desperately to our confusion. Some say that 'tis their anger makes them sweare, And oathes are out before they are aware, But being crost with losses and perplex'd, They thinke no harme, but sweare as being vex'd: And some there are that sweare for complement, Make oathes their grace, and speeches ornament, Their sweete Rhetoricall fine eloquence, Their reputations onely excellence, Their valour, whom the Deuill doth inflame T'abuse their Makers and Redeemers Name. Thinke but on this, you that doe God forget, Your poore excuses cannot pay this debt: Remember that our sinfull soules did cost A price too great, to be by swearing lost.

And blessed was our last good Parliament, Who made an Act for swearers punishment, And blest shall be each Magistrates good name, That carefully doe execute the same. Those that are zealous for Gods glory here, (No doubt) in Heauen shall haue true glory there, Which that we may haue, humbly I implore Of Him that rules and raignes for euermore, Th'Eternall Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, Before whose Throne blest Saints and Angels sings, All power, praise, glory, Maiesty, thankesgiuing, Ascribed be to him that's euer liuing.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Iames.
• b 1.2

  Exodus 20.
• c 1.3

  Leuiticus 24.
• d 1.4

  1 Cot. 6.10.
• e 1.5

  Mat.6.
• f 1.6

  God himselfe complaineth that men blaspheme him. Esay, 52. 5. The names of blasphemy are writ vpon the 10. heads of Antichrist, Apoc 13. 1. Cursing i•• so bidd••n by the Apostle, when hee saith, Blesse, I say, and cursen••, Rom. 12. 14. Our Sauiour commandeth vs to blesse them that curse vs, Mat. 5. 44. Blesse them that curse you, and pray for them which hurt you, Luke 6. 28. Accustome not thy mouth to swearing, for in it are many falls, neither take vp for a custome the na∣ming of the holy One, for thou shalt not be vnpunished for such things Eocle. 23. 9. The Plague shall neuer goe forth from the house of the swearer, Id.m. Who so sweares falsely, calls the God of truth to witnesse a lie. Who so sweares as he thinks, may be deceiued. Who so sweares vnreuerendy, dishonou∣reth God. Whoso sweares deceitfully, abuseth Christian side••∣lity. Whoso sweares idlely, abuseth the credit of a faithfull oath. Whoso sweares accustomably, God will plague him, E'fred an English Earle, conspiring to put our K. Adelstancs eyes at Winebestes, forsware the treason in St. Peters Church at Ree•• and fell downe dead presently. Godwin murthered Prince A••••••, brother to King Edward Confessor, and being at dinner, the King charged him with the murther, then Godwin swore by bread, & prayed it might choak him, if he were guilty: and immediat∣ly it choaked him in the place: his lands also sunke into the sea, and are called Godwin sands. King Stephen forsware himselfe to King Henry 1. and liued in continuall trouble, and dyed in per∣plexity of minde Edward the 4. brake his oath made at Yorke, that he came not with intent to seaze the Kingdom., and brea∣king that oath, was punisht with a troublesome raigne, his bre∣thren and children all (except one) murthered and not any of his islue raigned after him. Roger M••••tuner a great Peere of this land, for breaking his oath to King Edward the II. was most ignomini••usly hanged, boweld and quartred. M. Fox in his booke of Martyrs declares of one Richard Long of Calice, that forsware himselfe, to accuse one Smith for eating flesh in Lentt after which oath Long went presently and drowned himselfe. One Gr••••wood at Hit••hant in Sussolke, forsware himselfe, and his bowels bu••st out. One Widdow Barues for the like sinne cast her∣selfe out of her window in Cornhill and brake her necke. Anne Auertis forsware herselfe in Woodstreet for six pounds of Towe, desiting God •••••• might sinke downe, which fearefully hapned. One L••a ••n Sunne-alley without Bishops-gate forsware himselfe, and after ript out his guts.