The second part of The nights search, discovering the condition of the various fowles of night, or, The second great mystery of iniquity exactly revealed with the projects of these times : in a poem / by Humphrey Mill, author of The nights search.

SECT. IV.

A Lord, his traine, the beastly slaves, The midwifes faults, the catchfull knaves, One bed-rid lyes, that lost his whore, The house of sin, made fit for more, A convert found, his sonder elfe Doth read his lines, and hang her selfe. Of Iustice Had-bin once, the nurse, The spotted dame, Fogs empty purse.

The vapours that were summond by the sun Into the sire, before the night begun, Within the cloudie mantles, swell, till they Break prison in the darke, and force away To vent their watry humours, to disgrace The swarme that buz about, whose blacker face Exceeds black night her selfe; now forc'd with fears To turne to drops, and then dissolve to tears:

(Not flatter'd into pearles) they fall downe right, Which do lament the whoredome of the night. My babes got refuge, where they had releefe, I sought for ease, which did encrease my griefe: For, in a troubled slumber, I did find Strange fearfull visions brought unto my mind, All tragicall, which did my senses take; Me thought I saw, as though I had been awake, A Lord (so call'd) his Traine with worsted Lace Dawb'd verie thick; his Pimp found out a place To buy another hell, he's guarded in, * 1.1 (He having took possession of his sin) His Honour is no Knave, his queane no whore. He being a Lord, she's but his Paramour: His Lordships bare of coyne, but those may have Protection gratis that bespeak his grave: With cap and knee, my Lord, at ev'rie word; His Pander's his Buffoone, which can afford To break a jest, to make his Lordship merrie; He's like to those whom trust did make so wearie, Till they deceiv'd it. Shortly he'l take pet, Because he cannot run no more in debt, For cloth, for lace, for beavours, and for silk, For capons, herbs, for butchers meat and milk, And other things: my Lord will saile away, Must Pesants haunt him? let'em seek their pay.

A Mid wife, and a Keeper, that did use To keep all close, belonging to the stewes, * 1.2 Which had their fees, and would convey the fact Into a sink, or els translate the Act.

Then came a Farmer with his Bearish Cubs, Made such a smell and ratling with his tubs, That night was much in feare; such noyse they made, Their language was much fowler than their trade: With postures suting, this polluted trash, By filthinesse, do here escape the lash.

What, Bailiffs walk by night? your Guard is strong: Do no man right, I pray, but all men wrong * 1.3 With whom you deale: Come, make the Plaintiffe pay For waiting times; the night exceeds the day. If the Defendant come within your power, Pray, make him pay an Angell for an hower. Or you'll degenerate: how's truth abus'd! Such roguing Catch-polls should be ever us'd.

A weakling taken with a harlots voyce, And fawning looks, neglects his former choyce, To cleave to her, who with her venom'd breath, Divides his heart alive: but at her death This Sot falls sick, his senses do decay, And now his filth breaks out another way: For he lyes bed-rid, vext, and he doth rave, All his delights are buried in the grave.

With that, me thought, I saw, and heard a Bawd, The situation, and her house applaud, Which stands entire; a fob made under ground, To hide her Cattell, where a catch turnes round, To let'em in and out: a slie back doore, Where any bash full knave, or modest whore, May come and go unseen; besides, the leads, Where they may hide, if they should search the beds.

Iron boks to ev'rie door, and the staires made So cunningly, that I can drive my trade Vnknowne to all: with wanton pictures trim'd My rooms are all, some painted, and some limb'd. Like to the paler vermine, whose renowne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to creep up, and nest upon the Crowne, The height of their ambition can no higher, They with such bawdes must downe into the fire.

A man whose passion had engag'd his heart To one whose lust had ty'd to act her part, With him: being lawlesse she her time will spend, With what's most precious, so to have her end.

But he began to have an inward eye, And having drawne the streames of pleasures dry, The gravell fills his mouth. Thus he complains Vnto himselfe, I must expect the pains * 1.4 Which follow sinfull sweets; which are at strife To seale disgrace upon, then take my life.

Lust steales the name of love: I must abide Reproach among my friends, on ev'ry fide My sores break out, my childrens cries breed griefe; My 'state's consum'd, I cannot give relief To serve their wants. Diseases which I have, Will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 piece-meale to the grave.

What helps to make me wearie of my life, The constant barking of a froward wife, * 1.5 Who us'd to vex me, where she did me find, And spread my same, yet could not change my mind.

But most of all, my soule a bleeding lies, Fearing to be releas'd; from him it flyes

That must give help (if any comes at all) Or to the burning deep I downe must fall; VVhere hypocrites must dwell, who are misled, That seek for living fruits among the dead. She muses, hee so long from her did stay, And sends these lines to hasten him away.

My love, I long to see thy face, Oh! come to me! I will imbrace Thy sweet bosome; let not me * 2.1 For want of thy sweet company Lye dipt in teares, is love growne cold? Or have those six dayes made thee old? Or has thy peevish brawling wife Made thee refrain so sweet a life? Be not dismaid! when fortune brings Me gold, with other gallant things, 'Tis all thine owne, to come make hast, And then the winter will be past. With all conditions, I can fit To humour thee, and heare thy wit: Thy absence makes my heart opprest Which lives in thine, and so I rest,

Thy friend or not for this world, H. E.

From my lodging in Lukeners-lane.

His Answer.

Though I was foolish, mad, and vain, To sell away my heart,

To buy a never-dying staine And cheapen lasting smart;

By thy temptations, I was drawne To fall in love with sin, To lay my soule, my life to pawne * 3.1 To fetch new torments in.

I now renounce my former deeds, And what I lov'd before I hate it; bitter griefe exceeds; Teares wash them off the score.

Vaine is thy suit, repent and turne, Thy former waies amend, Least wrath in thee doth ever burne, Where cursed pleasures end:

Thine once, but now his owne.

From Princes street.

Like to an Oxe, when she these lines had read, Which having felt the axe upon his head, * 3.2 Staggers a while, and gaines a little stay; Then tugs the roap, but cannot 'scape away. Or like the swine whose throat receives the knife, He runs about to loose his wearied life: She fumes with rage, and stares about for death, The knife's mislaid, she cannot get out breath; Without some warning: then a rope she got, And tide it to a beame, made fast the knot And stretcht her neck: so thus she ends her life, And changes mortall, for immortall strife.

Her Epitaph as she hangs.

This lump of clay, the heavens do disdaine, O're-matcht by hell, dy'd over-charg'd with sinne: Hangs in the aire whereas the Devills raigne, Earth brought her out, which scornes to take her in. Her soule's confin'd, within those blacke precincts, Which will not take her carkase, 'cause she stinks.

Sir Justice Had-been, prompting whores and theeves, Turn'd to the slime of shame: whom he releeves Must weare the badge of hell. A poor mans grief Being forc'd to lodge a punck, and keep a thief, At his command for nought: broke out so fast, That shame did blush to hear't, till at the last He told him, had he brought a — in hand He had been eas'd, for justice cannot stand With bare complaints. This tribe was lately shent, And routed too, pray thank the Parliament. Shame steeld with impudence! one brings his nurse That's gag'd for hell, to twist a double curse, And challenge vengeance: 'cause his wife lyes in, They'll have a chamber writ to charge their sin. A spotted fondling which begins to swagger, 'Cause she's indicted: here the codpiece-dagger, Receives it name, Fog, with a fierie face, As free from coyne, as he is bare of grace; (Yet stockt with knavetie) would adjourne this curse, His words are bribes, because his emptie purse Stands out-law'd, for the fact he did last night, Though he appears, that durst not come in sight.

Some are not ripe enough for death to pluck, Nor is their measure full; some others suck * 3.3 The poyson with their sins, untill they burst: All turning not are at the last accurst. Like Toads, or Traytours, being Male-contents, "That from faire day-light hide their foule intents," But spets 'em in the night. Here they do mind Their owne undoing, in another kind.

The Panther drawes men with his pleasing sent Into, or neare his den; when his intent Is to devoure'em. So the Devill drawes The sinners in, where with his sharper clawes He teares their flesh. Poore creature, that exceeds The second Devill in his cursed deeds! Who freely loves the sins, but hates the shames That follow close, nor will he owne those names.

The Devill lives a Batchelour, but he Is free from acting of adulterie, As from foule language; he was never drunk, Nor did he ere lye bed-rid for a Punk. Hee'll nere begin, nor pledge thy Masters health, Hee'd rather give, than steale a way mens wealth: Whom he arrests, they do not take it well; Yet ere hee'll hang himselfe, hee'll hang in hell: His sins are spirituall; to act such ill, He has nor flesh, nor bones; he wants no will.

Where wolves do prey upon the silly sheep, The Shepherd is unweapon'd, or asleep. When you neglect your soules, then lust destroyes, And ruines me on in a thousand wayes:

Those that do whip out time, in the event Will crosses find, where they expect content.

He that above doth place his love aright, Shall find true joy, in stead of base delight.

The greatest torment here lyes in the brest Of him that in his humours seeks for rest, With restlesse motion. After death he must Meet flaming hot, the second part of lust.

Notes

• * 1.1

  a Lord
• * 1.2

  A midwife
• * 1.3

  Bailiffs
• * 1.4

  A penitent
• * 1.5

  A froward wife
• * 2.1

  her Letter.
• * 3.1

  his Letter.
• * 3.2

  Similies.
• * 3.3

  Morall.