From 'a Feast For Wormes' Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDD E BCEEEEEEFGHHIIBCJJKL MMNNOOJJHHNNPPNNOONN EEPPOOOO E EE Q EEEOOJJOOEEEEOOMMEEE EJJRJJJEEOONNOONNOOE ENNEEJJEESSEEThe Argument | A |
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The Ninivites beleeve the word | B |
Their hearts retiu'ne mito the Lord | C |
In him they put their onely trust | D |
They niourne in sackcloth and in dust | D |
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SECTION IX | E |
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So said the Ninivites beleev'd the word | B |
Beleeved Jonas and beleev'd the Lord | C |
They made no pause nor jested at the newes | E |
Nor slighted it because it was a Jew's | E |
Denouncement no nor did their gazing eyes | E |
As taken captive with such novelties | E |
Admire the stranger's garb so quaint to theirs | E |
No idle chat possest their itching eares | E |
The whilst he spake nor were their tongues on fier | F |
To raile upon or interrupt the cryer | G |
Nor did they question whether true the message | H |
Or fals the prophet were that brought th' embassage | H |
But they gave faith to what he said relented | I |
And changing their miswandred wayes repented | I |
Before the searching ayre could coole his word | B |
Their hearts returned and beleev'd the Lord | C |
And they whose dainty lips were cloy'd while ere | J |
With cates and viands and with wanton cheare | J |
Doe now enjoyne their palats not to taste | K |
The offal bread for they proclaim'd a fast | L |
And they wliose looser bodies once did lie | M |
Wrapt up in robes and silkes of princely dye | M |
Loe now instead of robes in rags they mourne | N |
And all their silks doe into sackcloth turne | N |
They reade themselves sad lectures on the ground | O |
Learning to want as well as to abound | O |
The prince was not exempted nor the peere | J |
Nor yet the richest nor the poorest there | J |
The old man was not freed whose hoary age | H |
Had even almost outronne his pilgrimage | H |
Nor yet the young whose glasse but new begun | N |
By course of nature had an age to runne | N |
For when that fatall word came to the king | P |
ConvayM with speed upon the nimble wing | P |
Of flitting fame he straight dismounts his throne | N |
Forsakes his chaire of state he sate upon | N |
Disrob'd his body and his head discrown'd | O |
In dust and ashes grov'ling on the ground | O |
And when he rear'd his trembling corps againe | N |
His haire all filthy with the dust he lay in | N |
He clad in pensive sackcloth did depose | E |
Himself from state imperiall and chose | E |
To live a vassall or a baser thing | P |
Than to usurpe the scepter of a king | P |
Respectlesse of his pompe he quite forgate | O |
He was a monarch mindelesse of his state | O |
He neither sought to rule or be obay'd | O |
Nor with the sword nor with the scepter sway'd | O |
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MEDITA IX | E |
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Is fasting then the thing that God requires | E |
Can fasting expiate or slake those fires | E |
That sinne hath blowne to such a mightie flame ' | - |
Can sackcloth clothe a fault or hide a shame | Q |
Can ashes cleanse thy blot or purge thy offence ' | - |
Or doe thy hands make heaven a recompence | E |
By strowing dust upon thy briny face | E |
Are these the tricks to purchase heavenly grace | E |
No though thou pine thyself with willing want | O |
Or face looke thinne or carkas nere so gaunt | O |
Although thou worser weeds than sackcloth weare | J |
Or naked goe or sleep in shirts of haire | J |
Or though thou chuse an ash tub for thy bed | O |
Or make a daily dunghill on thy head | O |
Thy labour is not poys'd with equal gaines | E |
For thou hast nought but labour for thy paines | E |
Such holy madnesse God rejects and loathes | E |
That sinks no deeper than the skin or clothes | E |
'Tis not thine eyes which taught to weepe by art | O |
Look red with teares not guilty of thy heart | O |
'Tis not the holding of thy hands so high | M |
Nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye | M |
'Tis not your mimick mouthes your antick faces | E |
Your scripture phrases or affected graces | E |
Nor prodigall upbanding of thine eyes | E |
Whose gashfuU bals doe seeme to pelt the skies | E |
'Tis not the strickt reforming of your haire | J |
So close that all the neighbour skull is bare | J |
'Tis not the drooping of thy head so low | R |
Nor yet the low'ring of thy sullen brow | J |
Nor wolvish howling that disturbs the aire | J |
Nor repetitions or your tedious prayer | J |
No no 'tis none of this that God regards | E |
Such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards | E |
Such puppet plaies to heaven are strange and quaint | O |
Their service is unsweet and foully taint | O |
Their words fall fruitlesse from their idle braine | N |
But true repentance runnes in other straine | N |
Where sad contrition harbours there the heart | O |
Is truely acquainted with the secret smart | O |
Of past offences hates the bosome sin | N |
The most which most the soul took pleasure in | N |
No crime unsifted no sinne unpresented | O |
Can lurke unseene and scene none unlamented | O |
The trouble soule's amazed witli dire aspects | E |
Of lesser sinnes committed and detects | E |
The wounded conscience it cries amaine | N |
For mercy mercy cries and cries againe | N |
It sadly grieves and soberly laments | E |
It yernes for grace reformes returnes repents | E |
I this is incense whose accepted favour | J |
Mounts up the heavenly throne and findeth favour | J |
I this is it whose valour never failes | E |
With God it stoutly wrestles and prevailes | E |
I this is it that pearces heaven above | S |
Never returning home like Noah's dove | S |
But brings an olive leafe or some increase | E |
That workes salvation and etemall peace | E |
Francis Quarles
(1)
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