And rais’d chast Ioseph to so high estate.
He whose iust hand plagu’d Egypt for your sake,
That Pharaohs power so did mock,
Way for his people through the Sea did make,
Gaue food from Heauen, and water from the Rock.
Whilst Moses now in this cloud-couered hill,
Full forty dayes his pure aboade did make,
Whilst that great God in his almighty will,
With him of all his Ordinances brake.
The Decalogue from which Religion tooke
The being: sinne and righteousnesse began
The different knowledge: and the certaine booke
Of testimony betwixt God and man.
The Ceremoniall as Iudicious lawes,
From his high wisdome that receiu’d their ground,
Not to be altred in the smallest clause,
But as their Maker wondrously profound.
The composition of that sacred phane,
Which as a Symbol curiously did shew,
What all his six dayes workmanship containe,
Whose perfect modell his owne finger drew.
Whose absence thence gaue leasure to their lust,
Oppugning Aaron, Idols them to frame,
And by their power still strengthen this disgust,
In him denouncing the Almighties name.
A gold-made God how durst you euer name.
For him so long had led you from the Skie,
In sight of Sina crowned with a flame,
His glory thence in your eye?
Such things might melt mortality to see,
That euen the very Elements did fright,
He that in Egypt had perform’d for thee,
What made the world amazed at his might.
Thy soule ne’r before thou felt’st,
But like a Quarry’t euen claue thy breast,
Comming from Sina when as thou breast,
Th’elected Israel kneeling to a Beast,
Him sence for sooke, his strengthlesse are,
He came so much amazed there-withall,
The stony Tables slip’d him vnaware,
That with their owne weight brake them in the fall.
Downe this proud lump ambitiously he flung
Into base dust dissoluing it-with fire,
That since they for variety did long,
They should thereby euen surfet their desire.
And sent the minerall through their hatefull throats,
late those horrid blasphemies did flie
On bestiall figures when they fell to doate
In prostitution to idolatrie.
Now when this potion that they tooke,
This Chymick medicine (their deserued sare)
Vpon their beards, and on their bosome stooke,
He doth their slaughter presently prepare.
What’s he himselfe to Leuis could allie
Before this Calfe not sinfully did fall,
Girds not his broad blade to his sinewie thie,
When he heares Moyses vnto Armes to call?
Killing not him appointed he should slay,
Though they had slep’d in eythers armes before,
Though in one wombe they at one burthen lay.
Yea when this dead, though that could be no more?
You whom not Egypts tyranic could wound,
Nor Seas, nor Rockes could any thing denie,
That till this day no terrour might astound
On the sharpe points of your owne swords to die?
When Moyses now those Tables to renew
Of that essentiall Deitie doth merit,
(Which from his hands he dissolutely threw
In the deepe anguish of his grecued spirit.
When forty dayes without all nat’rall food)
He on mount Sina fixed his abode,
Retayning strength and feruour in his blood,
Rap’d with the presence of that glorious God.
Who in his high estate whilst he passed by
In the cleft rocke that holy man did hide,
Lest he should perish by his radiant eye,
When Moyses seeing but his glorious side
Celesliall brightnesse ceazed on his face,
That did the wondring Israelites amaze,
When he returned from that souereigne place,
His browes encireled with splendidious rayes.
That their weake sight beholding of the same,
He after couer’d from the common eyes,
Lest when for answer vnto him they came,
The lusting people should idolatrize.
Might we those mustred Israclites admire
From plaines of Sina mighty Moyses led,
Or else to view that opulence desire,
To that rich Arke so freely offered.
The meruailous modell of that rarest peece
Th’ingrauings, caruings, and embroderies tell,
The cunning worke and excellent deuice
Of neat Aholiah, and Bexaliell.
But we our Moyses seriously pursue,
And our strong nerues to his high praise applie,
That through this maze shall guide vs as a Clue,
And may his vertues absolutely trie.
Whose charge being weary of their mighty Armes,
And much offended they had march’d so long,
As oft disturbed with their sterne Alarmes,
Suppose by Moyses to haue suffered wrong.
When with the luggage such as lagd behinde,
And that were set the Cariages to keepe,
Gainst God and Moyses repinde,
Wanting a little sustinance and sleepe.
Who with their murm’ring moued in his ire,
That they so soone his prouidence mistrust,
Downe from his full hand flung that forcefull fire,
Which in a moment brus’d their bones to dust.
Other the muti’ring among
When now to hauing come so farre
For flesh, fish, sallads, and for fruites doe long,
Manna (they say) is not for men of
Their glut’nous stomackes loath that heau’nly bread,
That with full Chargers hunger heere releeues,
As by the belly when they strongly fed
On harty Garlicke and the flesh of Beeues?
Milde man, what fearefull agony thee vex’d,
When thou thy God vnkindly didst vpbrayd?
How grceuously thy suffring soule perplex’d,
When thou repin’st the charge on thee was layd?
With God to reason why he should dispose
On thee that burthen heauy to sustaine,
As though he did his purposes enclose
Within the limits of mans shallow brayne.
To iudge so many marching euery dav,
That all the flesh of Forrest and of flood,
(When the wilde Desarts scarcely yeeld them way)
Should them suffice for competence of food.
That thou shouldst wish that hand so full of dread,
Thy lingring breath should sodainly expire,
Then that the clamorous multitude should spread,
These wicked slanders to incite his ire.
That God to punish whom he still did loue,
And in compassion of thy frailties feare,
The spirit he gaue thee lastly should remoue
To those thy burthen that should after beare.
O wondrous man! who parallel’d thee euer?
How large a portion diddest thou inherit?
That vnto seuentie he should it disseuer,
Yet all be Prophets only with thy Spirit?
When loe a Cloud comes sailing with the winde
Vnto these Rebels terrible to see,
That when they now some fearefull thing diuin’d,
A flight of Quailes perceiued it to be.
A full dayes iourney round about the host,
Two Cubits thicknes ouer all they flowe,
That when by Israel he was tempted most,
His glory then most notably to show.
The greedy people with the very sight
Are fill’d before they come thereof to taste,
That with such surfet gluts their appetite
Their queasie stomacks ready are to cast.
Those that for Beefe in Gluttonic did call
Those the high’st God his powerfulnes to trie,
Cloyes with the fowle that from the Heauens doe fall,
Vntill they stoffe their stomackes by the eye.
But whilst the flesh betwixt their teeth they chew,
And sucke the fat so delicately sweet,
(With too much plenty that euen fulsome grew
That lies so common troden with their feet.)
That God impartiall and so rightly iust,
When he had giuen them more then they desire,
Dulie to punish their insatiate lost,
Powres downe his plagues consuming as his fire.
And with a strong hand violently strake
Their blocd, distempred with luxurious diet,
That soone the sores in groynes and arme-pits brake,
Thus could the Lord scourge their rebellious riot.
Aron and Miriam, all too much it were
For griefe when Moyses ready is to die;
But you whom one wombe happily did beare
Gainst your milde Brother needs must mutinie.
O vnkinde Aaron when thou fondly fram’dst
That Beast-like Idoll bowing Israels knee,
He then thee beg’d, that thou so basely blam’dst,
And did diuert the iudgement due to thee.
Immodest Miriam when the hand of might
Left thee with lothsome leprosie defild,
Contemn’d and abiect in the vilest sight,
From the great host perpetually exil’d:
When thou hadst spet the vimost of thy spight,
And for thy sinne this plague on thee was throwne,
He not forsooke thee but in heauie plight
Kneeling to God obtain’d thee for his owne.
His wondrous patience euer was applide
To those on him that causelesly complaine,
Who did with comely carelesnesse deride
What happy men should euermore disdaine.
When now the Spials for the promis’d soyle,
For the twelue Tribes that twelue in number went,
Hauing discouered forty dayes with toyle,
Safely return’d as happily they went:
Bringing the Figs, Pomgranates, and the Grapes,
Whose verdurous clusters that with moisture swell,
Seeme by the taste and strangenesse of the shapes,
The place that bare them faithfully to tell.
That well express’d the nature of the earth,
So full of liquor and so wondrous great.
That from such wished fruitfulnesse in birth,
Suck’d sweet marrow of a plenteous teat.
But whilst they stand attentiuely to heare
The sundry soyles wherein they late had beene,
Telling what Giants did inhabit there,
What Townes of warre that walled they had seene.
Of Anacks of-spring when they come to tell,
And their huge stature when they let them see,
And of their shapes so terrible and fell,
Which were suppos’d the Titanois to bee.
Their hearts sunck downe, and though the fruits they saw
By their rare beauty might allure their eyes,
Yet this report their coward soules did awe,
And so much daunt the forward enterprise,
That they their God doe vtterly refuse,
Against iust Moses openly exclame,
And were in hand a Captaine them to chuse
To guide them back to Goshen whence they came.
Not all the dread of the Egyptian dayes,
What by milde Moses he to passe had brought,
Nor seene by him done at the purple Seas,
On their vile minds a higher temper
Whom when of God beg’d with bloody eyes,
And against Heauen did obstinatly striue,
Obtain’d so hardly their immunities,
Whose sinne seem’d greater then he could forgiue.
Caleb and Iosua you couragious men,
When bats and stones against your breasts were laid,
Oppose your selues against the other ten,
That expedition basely that disswade.
Quoth they to conquer as he did before
No more than men, what praise his puisance yeelds,
But he whose force the very Rocks did gore,
Can with the same hand cleaue their brazen sheelds.
He that foresawe that this should be our seate,
And onely knew the goodnes of the same,
Possess’d the place with those that were so greate
For vs to keepe if safely till we came.
For which the Lord did vowe that not a man
At Sina mustred where such numbers were,
Should liue to come to fruitfull Canaan,
Onely those two so well themselues that beare.
And for the basenes of those erecreant Spies
Whose melting minds this impious slaunder bred,
And the vile peoples in credulities,
In that their God so strongly promised.
For fortie dayes discourie of the Land,
They fortie yeeres in wildetnes shall wast,
Consum’d with plagues from his impetuous hand,
Vntill that age be absolutely past.
Which scarsly spoke, but quickly tooke effect,
For those so colde, and cowardly before,
Hearing the censure of their base neglect,
To make his vengeance and their sinne the more.
Entring the Land which Moyses them denies,
Their desp’rate will no better can afford,
Offering those liues they did so lightly prize
Vnto the vengance of the Heath’nish sword.
And in the host new factions daylie grewe,
When Chores, Dathan, and Abiram rise,
Two hundred men of speciall note that drew,
Whose strength gaue power to their confed’racies.
But the vast earth incontinently claue,
And on the sodaine hurried them to hell
With the shrill screame the shrieking people gaue,
The fainting Hoast into a feauer fell:
The rest of the Conspirators were left
(From the first’s fall enforcing their retire,
Of all the succours of the host berest)
Consum’d to ashes with Heauens violentfire:
And those th’ abettors of this vile attempt
That did milde Moyses cruelly pursue,
From th’ others sinne that could not be exempt,
Them with the dreadfull pestilence he slew.
That had not Aaron when all hope was fled
With holy Incense their atonement wrought,
Thrusting himselfe twixt th’liuing and the dead,
All had to ruine vtterly beene brought.
Where fourteene thousand and seuen hundred sanke
Vnder the burden of their odious sinne,
Which now was wax’d s’insufferably ranke,
It was high time his vengeance should begin.
When after this so terrible a thing,
Now that triumphant and miraculous wand,
Brings forth ripe Almonds, strongly witnessing
In Leuies Tribe the Priesthood still to stand.
With leaues and blossomes brauely it doth
Some budding, some as instantly but blowne,
As when the same the naturallrynd did nourish,
For Moyses sake such Miracles w
ere showne.
Forward to Cadesh they their iourney cast,
Where the good Miriam makes her houre,
Miriam the faire, the excellent, the chast,
Miriam that was of womanhood the flowre,
Here bids her Brothers louingly adue,
Who at her parting kisse her closing eyes,
Whose wondrous losse sufficiently to rue,
More is the griefe that teares cannot suffice.
Moyst are their eyes, their lips are shrunk with heat,
Their griefe within, as outward it appeares,
Their want of water in that place as great,
As it to them is plentifull of teares.
They at one instant mutinie and mourne,
Sorrowes creepe forth confusedly together,
The teares for her incontinent they turne
To words gainst Moyses that did guide them thither:
Who from the rocke strooke water with the wand,
That man and beast might maintaine,
But he from rocks that fountaines can command,
Cannot yet stay the fountaines of his braine.
Much woe for Miriam these good men did make,
Whilst there weretwo, that might bewaile this one,
But two departing for their mutuall sake,
Moyses remaines to mourne himselfe alone.
Aaron the ancient’st of the Hebrew lino,
Repleate with naturall comelinesse and grace.
(God-like so farre as man might be diuine)
Endeth his dayes in this predest’ned place.
Which being forewarned to awaite his end,
And here the fate foretelling him to die,
That the good houre doth onely now attend,
Will’d to ascend the mountaine (being nie.)
With Eleazer his deare Childe he goes,
Led by milde Moyses as the Lord decreed,
To his lou’d Sonne his garments to dispose,
Him in the Priesthood pointed to succeed.
When turning backe to bid them all adue,
Who look’d as fast to bid this Lord farewell,
Fountaines of late so fast from rockes ne’r flewe,
As the salt drops downe their sad bosomes fell.
Not the obdurat’st, not the stoniest hearts,
That in deepe sorrow melting here forbeares,
Those to whom Nature not those drops imparts,
Spent what in sighes, the other did in teares.
Sated with sobs, but hungry with his sight,
Their watry eyes him earnestly pursue,
When to discerne him they no longer might
Where their sight ends, their sorrowes doe renue.
Com’n to the top, to the appointed place.
His Sonne in all his ornaments inuested,
Which the good Aaron meekely doth embrace,
And vnto him his offices bequested.
When they the time no longer could adiourne,
Michael Drayton- Collected Poetical Works Page 161