Innocentia & Politia. Veritas & Panurgia

WHen that Astrea took her flight from hence,
To find in Heav'n a better residence,
Dame Innocentia wanting her protection
Was scorn'd of all: And Pollicy's infection
Spreading th'row Cities, Courts, and such great places
Expos'd that Dame to thousands of disgraces.
Sly Subtlety the Merchant entertains,
Deceit the Trades-man, to encrease his gains,
The Great man Honor; that vain puf'd-up Pride,
With covetousnesse of every one; beside
Protean Policy, whose great resort,
Is in the City, and the Prince's Court,
Wherein Deceit so often doth frequent,
That Dame's inseparable accident:
But Innocence, of all men was discarded,
Her nackednesse laugh'd at and disregarded.
At last a Country-man, whose smoother brow
Ne'r entertain'd Deceit; nor's mouth knew how
With flatt'ring words to speak; with Court intent
To utter that thing which his Heart ne'r meant,
But being taught of Truth his words to spell,
His Heart, and Tongue rann ever parallel:
He 'Spies this naked Dame's distresse with ruth,
Invites her with him to go dwell with Truth:
She soon consenting, thankes him for his pity,
And bids adiew both to the Court and City.
The stately buildings of the Court she shuns,
Thence swifter than the Eastern-wind she runs,
Far from the City, and th' infections Court
She finds where Truth is wonted to resort:
Met, they as Sisters joyn, delighting so
That never since they would assunder goe,
Their cottage low (free from all Courtly state)
Strong built on holy ground is Scituate:
Two moats surrounding mak't an Amnick Isle,
The better to keep forth Deceit and Guile,
A strong-built Wall doth it defend, whose Gate,
Like that of heav'n is made angust and strait,
That every one who is admitted there
Mayn't enter if Deceitfull cloaths they were;
For Truth gives entrance unto none, but those
Who'r naked like her self; or else whose cloathes
Prove tegments for to hide Truths parts divine,
From the perverting Eyes of muzling Swine.
Within the closure of Truth's cottage wall
No high Ambition that aspires (a fall)
No twy-fac'd Guile, no Discord, and no Pride,
Are by these Dames permitted to reside:
But Love and Meeknesse, and such Heav'nly Graces
Cohabit still in those serener places.
The Shadowic Groves with a perpetual spring,
Sweet Philomel makeing the woods to ring,
With other birds peirch'd on the tender sprays,
Whose notes from warbling Throats salute the Days
Approach; whose trebles to the murm'ring water
According, make sweet Musick to their Maker,
Maketh as if the Earth in Heav'n were plac'd
Or Heav'n descended Earth with's Joys had grac'd,
Such is the state, (and far more full of bliss)
Where truth conjoyn'd to Innocency is.
Thus dwell these Nymps enriched with the Treasures
Of rurall joyes, and of Celestial Pleasures,
Useing to travel all the Country round,
'Till the strange ecchoes of the Trumpets sound,
'Till Mars with blood bedy'd, and horror fell,
Affrighted them back to their closer cell:
Deceit, and Guile, and Policy then flew,
With speedy feet about the Country too
Where they increased so their Progenie,
That never Since the country could be free,
So that pure Truth, and Innocentia fair,
Unto some secret place, confined are.
But now when Hyem's frosty snow-beard swelld
With chilling cold; and neveous mantles held
The World enwrapt; and Mountain tops did show
Their losty Heads encircl'd round with snow,
Dame Innocentia cloathed all in White,
Her usual Badg, Steals from her secret site;
Leaving the Countrey to the Court she goes,
To view the Quarters of her bitter foes.
B'ing thither come, the first she met was Guile,
Whose clothing made that spotlesse Dame to smile,
For like to her in every thing she seem'd,
So that most men her Innocentia deem'd:
Look what she wore Guile ever wore the same,
And counterfeited still that purer dame.
In pure White Garments was she dec't, the snow
Could not than she a colour purer show:
But she whose eyes peirc'd her base covering,
Saw her all bloached with foul spots within,
And th'row her plaster'd White, and painted face
Saw that with all men she usurp'd her place.
The next she met with was Dame Policie,
Who with a thousand shapes deludes the eye,
Her cloaths were changeable, and her disguise
To ev'ry colour would Camelionize,
Her shapes so divers and her forms so many
That none could truly say that she had any.
Her hand-maid Guile who still attends upon her
Bowing her Head full low unto her Honor
Held up her train, when that she neer was come
She thus salutes her, Dame we have no roome
To lodge you here, our bedds are all impletc,
Nor may this court, for you become a seat,
For your carbasious regment, which doth vie
For whitenesse with the snow, cannot come high
Our sullied garments, but it shews our stains
And Truths perspective shews to all our blains,
Our albeous Garments seem as white as thine,
Our Laws seem holy, our decrees divine,
If thou art absent; but if thou art by
Our white shews black, our seeming truth's a lye,
Our Laws deceitfull, and it doth appear,
Our Kingdom falls if thou remainest here.
My neece Ambition cannot be displac'd,
Her Sister flatt'ry 'ld think her self disgrac'd,
Should I dislodge them for your sake, they'd snuff,
And pride would think you were not fine enough:
But adulation who her words can change
T'as various shapes as there are humours strange
Shall entertain you, and with Speeches fair
Shall fill you full, if you'l be fill'd with air.
We two are inconsonant; we cann't agree,
I you oppose, you'r opposite to me,
And 'tis as hard for us to joyn (it clear is)
As pale fac'd Famine to conjoyn with Ceres,
I am not wont apertly thus to speak,
However now my mind I truly break
To you, and tell you, se'ing we cann't agree,
That you must hence, and leave this place for me.
Contraries cann't conjoyn, we here no room
Have, therefore pray depart from whence you come.
Dame Innocentia soon perceiv'd, the place
Nothing afforded to her but disgrace,
And scorn, therefore lest thence she should be thrust
And her white garments spoyled with the dust,
And stains of sin, the court unto her foes
She leaves with speed (while Guile dirt at her throws)
And to truths cottage, where she was before
Returns; and vows to see the Court no more.