J. Cleaveland revived poems, orations, epistles, and other of his genuine incomparable pieces never before publisht : with some other exquisite remains of the most eminent wits ... that were his contemporaries.

On the May Pole.

THe mighty zeal which thou hast late put on, Neither by Prophet nor by Prophets son As yet prevented, doth transport me so Beyond my self, that though I ne're could go Far in a Verse, and have all times defi'd, Since Hopkins and good Thomas Sternhold di'd; Except it were the little pains I took, To please good people in a Prayer book: That I set forth, or so yet must I raise My spirits for thee, vvho shall in thy praise Gird up her loyns, and furiously run All kinde of feete, but Satans cloven one▪ Such is thy zeal, so vvell thou dost ex∣presse it, That vver't not like a Charme I'd sayd, God blesse it. I needs must say it is a spiritual thing To raile against the Bishop and the King:

But these are private quarrels, this doth fall Within the compasse of the General; Whether it be a pole painted, or wrought Farre otherwise then from the vvood 't was brought, VVhose head the Idol makers hand doth crop, VVhere a prophane birde towring on the top, Looks like the Calfe in Horeb, at vvhose root The unyoakt youth doth exercise his foot, Or vvhether it preserves its boughs befriend∣ed By neighbouring bushes, and by them attend∣ed. How canst thou chuse but seeing it, com∣plain That Baal's worship'd in the groves again? Tell me how curst an egging with a sting Of lust, do these unwily dances bring: The simple wretches say they mean no harm, They do'nt indeed, but yet these actions warm Our purer bloud the more: for Satan thus Tempts us the more that are more righte∣ous, Oft hath a brother most sincerely gone S••ifled with zeal and contemplation,

VVhere lighting on the place where such re∣paire He views the Nymph, and is clean out in's prayer. Oft hath a sister grounded in a truth, Seeing the jolly carriage of the youth, Beene tempted to the vvay that's broad and bad, And were't not for our private pleasures, had Renounc'd her little ruffe and goggle eye, And quit her self of the fraternity. What is the mirth? what is the melody That sets them in this Gentiles vanity? When in our Sinagogues we raile at sin, And tell men of the faults that they are in. With hand and voice so following our Theams, That we put out the sides-men in their•• dreams, Sounds not the Pulpit then which we bela∣bour Better, and holier then doth a Tabor; Yet such is unregenerate mans folly, He loves the wicked noise and hares the ho∣ly; If the sins sweet enticing and the bloud, VVhich now begins to boyl have thought it good To challenge liberty and recreation; Let it be done in holy contemplation;

Brother and sister in the field may walk, Beginning of the holy word to talk; Of David and Vriahs lovely wife, Of Thamar and her lustfull brothers strife, Then underneath the hedge that is the next, They may sit downe and so act out the Text, Nor do we want (how ere we live Austere) In VVinter Sabbath nights some lusty cheare, And though the Pastors grace which oft doth hold Halfe an houre long make the provision cold; VVee can bee merry, thinking nee're the worse, To mend the matter at the second course, Chapters are read, and Hymnes are sweetly sung, Joyntly commanded by the nose and tongue; Then on the word we diversly dilate, VVrangling indeed for heat of zeale not hate, VVhen at the length an unappeased doubt Fiercely comes in, and then the lights goe out; Darknesse thus makes our peace, and we con∣tain Our fiery spirits till we meet again:

Till then no voice is heard, no tongue do's go, Unlesse a tender sister shreek, or so. Such should be our delights, grave and de∣mure, Not so abominable and impure As those thou seek'st to hinder, but I fear Satan vvill be too strong, his Kingdom's there, Few are the righteous, nor do I know How we this Idol here shall overthrow, Since our sincerest Patron is deceas't, The number of the righteous is decreas't; But wee do hope these times will on▪ and breed A faction mighty for us, for indeed VVe labour all, and every sister joyns To have regenerate babes spring from our loyns, Besides, what many carefully have done, To get the unrighteous man a righteou•• son. Then stoutly on, let not thy flocks range lewd∣ly In their old vanities, thou Lampe of beaud∣ly, One thing I pray thee, doe not so much thirst After Idolatries last fall, but first

Follow thy suit more close, let it not go, Till it be thine as thou would'st have't, for so Thy successours upon the same entaile, Hereafter may take up the Whit sun Ale.