Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed.

About this Item

Title
Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed.
Author
Prynne, William, 1600-1669.
Publication
London :: printed by Tho. Cotes, for Michael Sparke Senior, and are to be sold by Peter Inch of Chester,
1641.
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Subject terms
Jesus Christ -- Poetry -- Early works to 1800.
Christian literature -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A91224.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Mount-Orgueil: or Divine and profitable meditations raised from the contemplation of these three leaves of natures volume, 1. Rockes, 2. Seas, 3. Gardens, digested into three distinct poems. To which is prefixed, a poeticall description, of Mount-Orgueil Castle in the Isle of Jersy. By VVilliam Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the sayd Castle. A poem of The soules complaint against the body; and Comfortable cordialls against the discomforts of imprisonment, &c. are hereto annexed." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A91224.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024.

Pages

Meditations of the fifth Sort.
AGaine, in Gardens we may view and find A lively map and picture of mankind; And day by day both in them read and see The story of our selves, and what we bee.
1.
For first thoseq 1.1 seeds, which we in gardens saw: And bury in their wombes that they may grow, And spring up thence: present unto our eyes Thatr 1.2 humane seede, from which we all arise, And sprout: at first sowne, planted in the wombe, And there inter'd, as in a Garden tombe,

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Till it be quickned formed and made fit To come into the World, and breake from it.
2.
Each seed, root, plant we see in Gardens spring, And peepe out of the earth, doth sweetly bring Unto our mindes, and shadowes to our eyes Mans birth into this world, in lively-wise: Whos 1.3 breakes, and creepes out from his mothers wombe, Like seede out of the earth, that he may come Into this wretched world, whose misery As soone as borne, still makes him weepe and cry.
3.
The weake young tender blades, and sprouts that grow, Up first from seeds, rootes, plants, doe lively, shew Unto our eyes and thoughts, mans infancie Whot 1.4 cannot stand or goe, but crawle and lye Ʋpon the ground, like blades, grasse, sprigs new thrust Out of the earth, which leane, lie on the dust.
4.
Their further growth in strength, height, breadth, each day; Mans* 1.5 daily growth in all these, well display; Untill his youth out-grows his infancie, By senselesse steps, and make him sprout up high.
5.
Their progresse till they blossome and forth bring Gay, goodly, lovely, sweet flowers in the spring,

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And Summer season, aptly typifie Our fresh, sweet* 1.6 flowring youth, which in each eye Makes us as comely, lovely, fresh, and gay, As garden-trees, flowres in the month of May; Though still asu 1.7 fading as the tendrest flowre, Oft cropt and withered in lesse than one houre.
6.
Their next succeeding fruits and seeds, expresse Our riper yeares, and age of fruitfulnesse; * 1.8 Fit for imployment, and the practicke part Of any science, calling, trade, skill, art, Or publicke office in the Church, or State: For which our youth's too soone, our age too late.
7.
Their full ripe Leaves, fruits seeds, which bend, and * 1.9 fall Ʋnto the earth at last; may mind us all Of mans old age, which will himx 1.10 bow, then cast, Or bring quite downe unto they 1.11 dust at last, From whence hee sprung, and useth toz 1.12 decay His strength, teeth, senses, parts, which fall away As leaves, seeds, fruits in autumne: and him make Like withered stalkes, which leaves, seedes, fruits forsake; Before his aged shriv'led Body dyes, Whilst it weake, bed-rid, senselesse, halfe-dead lyes.
8.
The* 1.13 falling of their withred stalks, trunkes, boughs, Unto the earth at last; most lively shewes,

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That oura 1.14 old age, it selfe will kill us all At last, and make us dead to earth to fall, Though neere so healthy, wealthy, mighty, strong: And that, if nought else kill us,b 1.15 living long Will doe it: a disease which none can cure: If others scape, old men to dye are sure.
9.
The buring of these old stalkes, leaves againe, When falne downe on the earth, shewes forth most plaine, Before our eyes, our funerals, when we Quite dead and withered, shallc 1.16 interred be, And shut close prisoners in our motherd 1.17 earths Darke wombe, from whence at first we had our births.
10.
Their rotting there, and turning into dust; Instructs us how the grave shall rot and rust Our corps, and turne them intoe 1.18 dust at last, Sith God such sentence hath against them past.
11.
The seedes which drop into the earth, and there f 1.19 Rot for a time, but yet againe appeare, And spring afresh, more glorious than before, And by their rising much increase their store: Demonstrate to us in most pregnant wise, How our dead rotten Corps againe shall rise Out of the dust, and graves wherein they lye, In greater vigour, glory, dignity.

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Then ever they enjoy'd; and gaine farre more By rising, than by death they lost before. O let this arme us against all the feare Of death or grave, and still us joy and cheare.
12.
When wee behold someg 1.20 tender bud or blade, Nipt with the frost, winds, stormes, to fall and fade So soone as shot forth: wee may learne thereby How men oft times even in theirh 1.21 infancie As soone as borne, yea sometimes in the wombe Are nipt and cropt by death, and to their Tombe Depart from hence so soone, so suddainly, As if they were borne onely for to dye. Let younglings then, as well as old prepare For death, from whichi 1.22 none un-exempted are.
13.
When as we view thek 1.23 bravest, fairest flowers Cropt, blasted, withred, vanisht in few houres: We may therefrom contemplate, how that wee By suddaine death oft blasted, withred be, Cropt off, consumed in few minutes space, Even in the flowre, prime, pride, choyce, vigour, grace Of all our dayes, whenl 1.24 death from us did seeme The farthest off, and we did not once dreame Of its approach. A truth we daily see, Which should teach youth, for death prepard to be.
14,
The ripe fruits, seedes which wee in gardens view, Pluckt off, and gathered; clearly to us shew

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Howm 1.25 men of ripe yeares, are most commonly, Pul'd off by death, and so should looke to dye, At least as soone as ripe, if not before, Sith then they stand neere unto grim deaths doore, Whom if he spare to pull or shake downe, they Will of themselves in short space fall away, And drop into his mouth. Let then all such Standn 1.26 still prepar'd for death, who doth them touch.
15.
Each seed, fruits, leafe, flowre, blossome we see fall, Fade, rot within our Gardenso 1.27 shew how all Mankinde must fade, fall, rot, and dye like these Each in his time, and perish by degrees; And that no age, sexe, calling, state is free From death, to which they ever subject be: And so should teach all top 1.28 account each day Their last, wherein they looke to passe away.
16.
Each Garden in the yeares foure seasons paints Forth to our eyes, and us full well acquaints With mans foure ages, which doe comprehend The whole race of his life, untill it end. Inq 1.29 spring time they depaint our infancie, And younger yeares: in summer they descry Our youthfull flowring age. In Autumne they Our riper yeares, and drooping age display; Inr 1.30 winter when they shriveled, naked are, And all amort, decayd: they then declare Our old decrepid, withred, dying yeares, When, all within us, dead, nought fresh appeares, Wee can no time then in our gardens be, But wee our selves may there read, know, view, see,

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By contemplation, in more compleat wise Than in all pictures painters can devise. O let us view our selves in this bright glasse Each day, ands 1.31 see there how our ages passe, And slit away, untill wee wither, dye; Tot 1.32 mind us still of our mortality:
17.
Besides, by meditation we may hence Behold, mind, know our state of innocence Before our fall: since God didu 1.33 Adam place In Edens garden, in a state of Grace, And Innocence, it both to keepe and dresse, Where he not long enjoy'd this happinesse.
18.
Yea, in our Gardens we may read and eye Our fall and state of sinne and misery, Sith we inx 1.34 Edens Garden caught that fall Through Adams sinne, which did undoe us all, Andy 1.35 plunge us into such a woefull state Of sinne, and vice, as makes God us to hate; And dailyz 1.36 spurres us unto all excesse Of horrid sinnes, and monstrous wickednesse; Whicha 1.37 cast us headlong into hell, and make Ʋs nought but fuell for that fiery Lake, A dismall state indeed, whose thought should rent Our stony hearts, and cause them to relent.
19.
But not dispaire, sith in this very place Christ hath restored us to a state of grace,

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Of which it minds us, all sad hearts to cheare, And us from our collapsed state helpe reare. For as Christ in ab 1.38 Garden was betrayd, And dead, there in a new sepulcher laid, So did he there from death rise up againe, And thereby rais'd up all his chosen traine, From their lost, lapsed, to a blessed state Of grace and glory. O then celebrate, And ever blesse, praise, love, serve Christ, who thus Hath rais'd, redeem'd, restor'd, exalted us: And let each Garden put us still in mind Of these three states belonging to mankind, Without whose perfect knowledge, view, and sight, We cannot know God, nor our selves aright.
20.
Each weed which wee in gardens see to grow, Our sinfull state, and seedes of vice us shew, Both fromc 1.39 mans fall in Eden first did spring, And sighs,d 1.40 groanes, teares, should from our hard hearts wring,
21.
We see the fattest Garden ground still breeds The largest, rankest bryers,* 1.41 nettles, weedes: So greatest sinnes, crimes, vices usually, In men of greatest parts, wit, dignity, And in the richest persons, Natures grow, Not in the vulgar meaner sort below. The pregnant wits, best Natures voyd of grace, Are greatest sinnes, crimes, vices common place. O trust not then toe 1.42 Nature, parts or wit, Which if true grace controll not, are but fit

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To breed those rankest weedes, which overgrow Them in short space, and worke their overthrow.
22.
Thatf 1.43 fruitfulnesse and great variety Of good and usefull fruits, plants, herbes we eye In Gardens: minds us of thatg 1.44 fruitfulnesse, Those usefull vertues, graces they expresse, Which should still grow, and flourish in mankind, In whom, alas, we them most rarely find. What? shall our gardens, fruitfull, usefull be, Stor'd with all good fruits, herbes, rootes? and yet wee Be barren, fruitlesse, void of vertue, grace, And nought but lust, vice, weeds in us have place? O shame! O sinne! let gardens teach us then, Now to prove fertile, good and gracious men.
23.
Each Gardensh 1.45 glorious lustre in the spring, And Summer time: sets forth mensi 1.46 flourishing, Gay, prosperous worldly State, which carnall eyes, And hearts, most part, doe over love and prize, Without good reason, sithk 1.47 within one howre It oft-times fades, and withers like a flowre. How many see wee great, rich, in good plight, At morning; base, poore, wretched, dead, ere night? In thrones to day, adorned with a Crowne; In chaines ere morning, slaine, or quite put downe? All times and stories seale this truth; be wise Then now, and learn this worlds pompe to despise.

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24.
The suddaine blasts and winters which befall Our Gardens, andl 1.48 decay or strip of all Their lustre, beauty, flowers, fruits, represent Unto our eyes and minds; that discontent, Diseases, crosses, losses, which oft blast Decay, consume, dry up, spoyle, and lay wast Mens bodies, fortunes, states, and in short space Leave them weake,m 1.49 naked, in most wretched case. A truth we daily see. Let none then blesse Himselfe, or trust in worldly happinesse, Which every crosse, storme, sicknesse will decay; And when our winter comes will fade away.
25.
The Garden flowers wee see, each yeare to dye Andn 1.50 last not many Months:o 1.51 the brevity Of mans fraile, life, demonstrates to our sight In lively sort, and should each day and night, Fit, andp 1.52 prepare us for our dying day, And all vaine thoughts of long life chase away. Hence holy men did place theirq 1.53 Tombes of old, Within their garden, where they did behold So many pictures of mortality, From day to day, and sommons still to dye; For feare their Garden pleasures and delights, Should chace away death from their thoughts or sights. And should instruct us in ther 1.54 midst of all Our pleasures, pastimes death to mind to call. But chiefly when we in our Gardens walke, Where we still view him in each leafe, flowre, stalke, That fades, falls, withers. So that we are blind, Yea sottish, if we there death doe not mind.

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26.
The new fresh garden flowers,s 1.55 herbes, plants wee see Spring up in place of those that withred be, From their seedes, rootes; most sweetly to us shew, The newt 1.56 successions in mankind, which grow, Out of the seed and loynes of those who dye, Whose vacant places they fill and supply.
27.
When wee behold those garden flowers, herbes, trees, Which seem'd quite dead in winter, by degrees When spring-time comes,u 1.57 revive, sprout up on high, And flourish more than they did formerly: It sweetly shewes, minds, learnes us, when as wee With sicknesse, crosses, losses, withred be, And all amort,x 1.58 that if with patience, Faith, prayer, hope and stedfast confidence We waite on God, we shall revive, grow, spring, In his due time, and gaine a flourishing, Farre better state, than we enjoyd before; As Job with others have done heretofore. Be then our crosses, cases what they will, Past hope past helpe in carnall eyes: yety 1.59 still, Let us with chearfull, joyfull hearts relye, And wait on God for helpe; who certainly Will in best time, our winter season end, And us a joyfull Spring and Summer send: Wherein we shall revive, grow, flourish more, And happier be than ever heretofore God, who our fields and gardens makes to spring, Will much more cause us toz 1.60 sprout, grow, shout, sing:

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Which well digested, would us cheare and joy Amidst all crosses, which could us annoy: Yea banish all oura 1.61 feare of death or grave, From which we shall ab 1.62 resurrection have To endlesse glory, which each gardens spring, Unto our minds and eyes, with joy shall bring.
28.
The diverse sorts of herbes, flowers, plants, rootes, trees, Of different Natures, Qualities, Degrees, We see grow in our Garden, without jarre, Or discord, close together, or not farre Asunder: To us aptly represent, What sweetc 1.63 agreement, concord, love, consent There ought to be 'twixt men, although they be Of different natures, callings, minds, degree, When planted in one Country, City, place, Church, houshold, or dis-joyn'd some little space. And checkes alld 1.64 proud, malignant, turbulent, And greedy men, who are to discord bent; And never rest content with what they have, But otherse 1.65 Lands, goods, places, seeke and crave, Enduring none to live in quietnesse Neare them, that they alone might all possesse.
5.
When as wee see weeds Gardens overgrow, Deface, kill herbes, flowers, fruits that in them blow, Through meere neglect, and want of weeding; wee As in a map or glasse, may thereby see,

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How weeds off 1.66 sinne, lust, vice men over-grow, Disgrace, deturpate, kill, and overthrow, For want of timely weeding: and deface, Choake all their parts, wits, vertues, gifts of grace: And so should teach us with all care to weed Them out, as fast as they within us breed: Which, if neglected will in short time gaine Such roote, that they will in us still* 1.67 remaine, Ʋntill they over-runne, kill, quite decay Our vertues, parts, and cast our soules away.
30.
As Gardens are theg 1.68 richest, pleasantest Prime parts of all the Earth: Soh 1.69 mans the best, Chiefe, primate, Lord of all Gods workes: which high Advancement and surpassing dignity, Should make himi 1.70 thankefull, and strive to excell All else in goodnesse, graces, living well; There being nought sok 1.71 loathsome, vile or base As men devoyd of goodnesse, vertue, grace; The vilest toades, or creatures we behold Are better than such men ten thousand-fold. For shame then let our graces, lives, expresse, Grace, Crowne that state of honor, we possesse.
31.
The care men have tol 1.72 fence, weed, dung, prune, dresse, Those Gardens, Orchards which they here possesse To make them fruitfull, pleasant: should excite Us all with greater care, paines and delight, Our soules to fencem 1.73 weed, water, dung, prune, dresse, That they in fruits of grace, and pleasantnesse,

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May more abound; it being to no end Those, not our selves, to fence, soyle, dresse, & mend.
32.
When we behold small Gardens fraught with store Of rarest flowres, herbes, fruits, and yeelding more Of these than greatest Gardens, commonly Made more for pleasure, than commodity: We may contemplate, how some men of small And little stature, oft excell the tall, Great, vastest, men of bulke, in gifts, wit, parts, True valour, learning, wisedome, skill in Arts: And hown 1.74 mean men for birth, state, fortune, place Oft times transcend in wisedome, parts, arts, grace In rarest gifts, and vertues of each kind The Greatest Nobles, Peeres, in whom we find Too oft more shew than substance, lesse within Than in a russet coat, or courser skinne: It is not greatnesse, honour, wealth, place then That make us fruitfull, good, or better men Than others: but our goodnesse, vertue, grace, And fruitfull lives, without which all areo 1.75 base What ever he their births, states, dignities By them, not these, God will themp 1.76 judge and prise, The poorest men adorn'd with themq 1.77 excell The greatest Kings in whom they do not dwell.
33.
Lord, make each Garden, I shall henceforth see, A Christall looking-glasse, and booke to mee, Wherein I may mine owne Mortality And humane state so clearly view, descry, Read, and contemplate, as each day to mend My sinfull life, and fit mee for my end;

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Still walking worthy of that humane state Wherein thou mad'st mee, till thou shalt translate Mee to a better in the heavens high, Where I with thee shall live eternally.

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