The Presentment of Bushell's Rock (Royal Entertainment at Enstone) · chunk 1 of 2
Jordan, Thomas / Bushell, Thomas (mining entrepreneur) · published 1636 · first performed or written 1636 [Aug 23] (Annals) entertainment; royal entertainment or entry · before the Court T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.75 · 584 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
WITH bended knees thus humbly do I pray, You blessed powers, that glorify this day, And to my frozen lips have utterance given, Speak, O speak the Commands you bring from heaven! For by times Emblem that since Noah's flood, I thus have grasped, my soul hath understood, The world no farther journey hath to sail Then is betwixt this Serpent's head, and tail. If then before the Earth's great funeral, Most glorious SIR, you hither come to call The Inmates of this solitary place To strict account, for Heaven's sake deign the grace To lend your patience, and a gentle ear To what I ought to speak, and you may hear: A Prodigal profuse in vast expense, That nothing studied, but to please his sense, Trimming a glorious outside, whilst within He cherished nought, but propagating sin, That multiplied so fast, there was no place Allowed for virtue, or for saving grace; God of his mercy pleased was at last A gracious Eye upon his soul to cast, Which being so near a final rack as now His only care, his study is, but how He may redeem the years he lost in sin And live as he to live did now begin. What followed next must be conceived of course, Confession, contrition, and remorse, These guides to heaven he happily pursued, Viewed his past life, and that again reviewed: And to that end he purchased at a price This field, then sterile, now his Paradise; Where he as man of old, by God being bound With Adam, wrought, and digged, and dressed the ground. Here are no Rivers such as Eden had, Nor were these banks with trees or flowers clad T' invite a stay, the Owl, not Philomel Within this solitary place did dwell. And I, the Genius of this obscure Cave Since the great deluge, lived as in a grave, Chained to this ROCK, my Toumb-stone in despair Of freedom, or to view such beams, as are Shot from your Virtues: All my days were night, Until the humble Owner brought to light These eyes of mine, and forced great nature show This masterpiece, a grace she did not owe To any age before, and sooth to say, I think it was created 'gainst this day. If then you be the God of Britain's earth, And rule this I'll, (as sure you are by birth) Vouchsafe a blessing, such a one as may, Preserve this ROCK, my mansion from decay. For envy would expel me from my home, And sink me in the ruins of my own. But let the true Possessor, to whom heaven For pure devotion-sake this place hath given, Let him in peace enjoy it, that he may Build Altars here, and daily offerings pay For his preservers health grant this, and then I that lived long with stones, will live with men: And think the golden age is now begun, In which no injuries are meant or done: Such Innocents' as yet remain with us That do inhabit here, and humbly thus We mean to live, having no other fare Then uncurst water, uncorrupted air. Vouchsafe to enter, and you here shall find Nothing but what may please a displeased mind. My bold Commission's done, and I return Down to my humble grave, my peaceful urn. I charge thee answer me to what I ask, Echo: ask Hath aught presented to these Princes pleased? Echo: pleased Pleased? O gentle Echo speak that word again, Echo: again
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
WITH bended knees thus humbly doe I pray, You bleſſed powers, that glorifie this day, And to my frozen lipps haue vtterance giuen, Speak, O ſpeak the Commands you bring from heauen! For by times Embleme that ſince Noahs flood, I thus haue graſp'd, my ſoule hath vnderſtood, The world no farther Iorney hath to ſaile Then is betwixt this Serpents head, and taile. If then before the Earths great funerall, Moſt glorious SIR, you hither come to call The Inmates of this ſolitarie place To ſtrict accoumpt, for Heauens ſake daigne the grace To lend your patience, and a gentle eare To what I ought to ſpeak, and you may heare: A Prodigall profuſe in vaſt expence, That nothing ſtudied, but to pleaſe his ſenſe, Trimming a glorious outſide, whil'ſt within He cheriſht nought, but propagating ſinne, That multiplied ſo faſt, there was no place Allow'd for virtue, or for ſauing grace; God of his mercy pleaſed was at laſt A gratious Eye vpon his ſoule to caſt, Which being ſo neere a finall rack as now His only care, his ſtudie is, but how He may redeeme the yeares he loſt in ſinne And liue as he to liue did now beginne. What followed next muſt be conceau'd of courſe, Confeſſion, contrition, and remorſe, Theſe guides to heauen he happily perſu'd, View'd his paſt life, and that againe review'd: And to that end he purchas'd at a price This field, then ſterill, now his Paradiſe; Where he as man of old, by God being bound With Adam, wrought, and dig'd, and dreſt the ground. Here are no Riuers ſuch as Eden had, Nor were theſe banks with trees or flowers clad T' invite a ſtay, the Owle, not Philomell Within this ſolitarie place did dwell. And I, the Genius of this obſcure Caue Since the great deluge, liu'd as in a graue, Chain'd to this ROCK, my Toumb-ſtone in diſpaire Of freedome, or to view ſuch beames, as are Shot from your Virtues: All my dayes were night, Vntill the humble Owner brought to light Theſe eyes of mine, and forc'd great nature ſhow This maſter-peece, a grace ſhe did not owe To any age before, and ſooth to ſay, I thinke it was created 'gainſt this day. If then you be the God of Brittaines earth, And rule this Ile, (as ſure you are by birth) Vouchſafe a bleſſing, ſuch a one as may, Preſerue this ROCK, my manſion from decay. For envie would expell me from my home, And ſinck me in the ruines of my owne. But let the true Poſſeſſor, to whom heauen For pure devotion-ſake this place hath giuen, Let him in peace enioy it, that he may Build Altars here, and daily offerings pay For his preſeruers health grant this, and then I that liu'd long with ſtones, will liue with men: And thinke the golden age is now begunne, In which no injuries are meant or done: Such Innocents as yet remaine with vs That doe inhabit here, and humbly thus We meane to liue, having no other fare Then uncurſt water, uncorrupted aire. Vouchſafe to enter, and you here ſhall find Nothing but what may pleaſe a diſpleas'd mind. My bold Commiſſion's done, and I returne Downe to my humble graue, my peacefull urne. I charge thee anſwere me to what I aske, Echo: aske Hath ought preſented to theſe Princes pleas'd? Echo: pleas'd Pleas'd? O gentle Eccho ſpeak that word againe, Echo: againe