"This made Impression on some easie Minds, / Whom or good Nature, or false Pity blinds."
— Pordage, Samuel (bap. 1633, d. c. 1691)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Charles Lee
Date
1682
Metaphor
"This made Impression on some easie Minds, / Whom or good Nature, or false Pity blinds."
Metaphor in Context
Thus on a sure Foundation, as they thought,
They had their Structure to Perfection wrought
When God, who shews regard to Sacred Kings,
The Plot and Plotters to Confusion brings,
And in a moment down their Babel flings.
A Levite, who had Baalite turn'd, and bin
One of the Order of the Chemarim,
Who in the Plot had deeply been concern'd,
And all their horrid Practices had learn'd;
Smote in his Conscience with a true Remorse,
From King and Land diverts the threat'ning Curse.
Libni, I think they call'd the Levite's Name,
Which in Judea still will be of Fame;
Since following Heaven's Impulse and high Command,
He prov'd a Glorious Saviour of the Land.
By him the deep Conspiracy's o'rethrown,
The Treason, and the Traytors all made known:
For which from Baalites he had Curses store;
But by the Jews loaded with Blessings more.
The Hellish Plotters were then seiz'd upon,
And into Goals and Iron Fetters thrown;
From whence to Lawful Tryals they were born,
Condemn'd for Traytors, and hang'd up with Scorn:
Yet Chemarims with matchless Impudence,
With dying Breath avow'd their Innocence:
So careful of their Order they still were,
Lest Treason in them Scandal should appear,
That Treason they with Perjury pursue,
Having their Arch-priest's Licence so to do.
They fear'd not to go perjur'd to the Grave,
Believing their Arch-priest their Souls could save:
For all God's Power they do on him bestow,
And call him their Almighty God below.
To whom they say three powerful Keys are given,
Of Hell, of Purgatory, and of Heav'n.
No wonder then if Baalites this believe,
They should, with their false Oaths try to deceive,
And gull the People with their Dying Breath,
Denying all their Treason at their Death.
This made Impression on some easie Minds,
Whom or good Nature, or false Pity blinds;
Mov'd their Compassion, and stirr'd up their Grief,
And of their dying Oaths caus'd a Belief.
This did effect what the curs'd Traytors sought,
The Plots Belief into Discredit brought,
Of it at first, some Doubts they only rais'd,
And with their Impudence the World amaz'd:
Tho' Azyad's Murder did the Jews convince,
Who was a man most Loyal to his Prince,
And by the Bloody Chemarims did fall,
Because he seiz'd the Trayt'rous Priests of Baal:
Tho' Gedaliah's Letters made all plain,
Who was their Scribe, and of a ready Brain:
A Levite's Son, but turn'd a Baalite,
Who for the King's own Brother then did write,
And Correspondence kept i'th' Egyptian Court,
To whom the Traytors for Advice resort;
Who like a zealous, trayt'rous Baalite dy'd,
And at the Fatal Tree the Plot deny'd.
Tho' Amazia did at first believe,
And to the Hellish Plot did Credit give;
Tho' the Great Council of the Sanhedrim,
Among the Jews always of grèat Esteem,
Declar'd to all the World this Plot to be,
An Hellish, and a curs'd Conspiracy,
To kill the King, Religion to o'rethrow,
And cause the Jews their Righteous Laws foregoe;
To make the People to dumb Idols fall,
And in the place of God, to set up Baal:
Tho' all the People saw it, and believ'd;
Tho' Courts of Justice, hard to be deceiv'd,
Had added to the rest their Evidence,
Yet with a strange unheard of Impudence,
The Baalites all so stoutly had deny'd
Their Hellish Plot, with Vows and Oaths beside,
And with such Diligence themselves apply'd.
They at the last, their sought for point had got,
And artfully in doubt had brought their Plot.
A thousand cunning Shams and Tricks they us'd,
Whereby the simple Vulgar were abus'd;
And some o'th' Edomitish Evidence,
Who Mammon worship'd, were brought off with pence.
Libni, for whom, before their Harps they strung,
Who was the Subject of each Hebrew's Song,
Was villify'd by every Rascall's Tongue.
In Secret, and inglorious did remain,
And the Plot thought the Project of his Brain.
They had their Structure to Perfection wrought
When God, who shews regard to Sacred Kings,
The Plot and Plotters to Confusion brings,
And in a moment down their Babel flings.
A Levite, who had Baalite turn'd, and bin
One of the Order of the Chemarim,
Who in the Plot had deeply been concern'd,
And all their horrid Practices had learn'd;
Smote in his Conscience with a true Remorse,
From King and Land diverts the threat'ning Curse.
Libni, I think they call'd the Levite's Name,
Which in Judea still will be of Fame;
Since following Heaven's Impulse and high Command,
He prov'd a Glorious Saviour of the Land.
By him the deep Conspiracy's o'rethrown,
The Treason, and the Traytors all made known:
For which from Baalites he had Curses store;
But by the Jews loaded with Blessings more.
The Hellish Plotters were then seiz'd upon,
And into Goals and Iron Fetters thrown;
From whence to Lawful Tryals they were born,
Condemn'd for Traytors, and hang'd up with Scorn:
Yet Chemarims with matchless Impudence,
With dying Breath avow'd their Innocence:
So careful of their Order they still were,
Lest Treason in them Scandal should appear,
That Treason they with Perjury pursue,
Having their Arch-priest's Licence so to do.
They fear'd not to go perjur'd to the Grave,
Believing their Arch-priest their Souls could save:
For all God's Power they do on him bestow,
And call him their Almighty God below.
To whom they say three powerful Keys are given,
Of Hell, of Purgatory, and of Heav'n.
No wonder then if Baalites this believe,
They should, with their false Oaths try to deceive,
And gull the People with their Dying Breath,
Denying all their Treason at their Death.
This made Impression on some easie Minds,
Whom or good Nature, or false Pity blinds;
Mov'd their Compassion, and stirr'd up their Grief,
And of their dying Oaths caus'd a Belief.
This did effect what the curs'd Traytors sought,
The Plots Belief into Discredit brought,
Of it at first, some Doubts they only rais'd,
And with their Impudence the World amaz'd:
Tho' Azyad's Murder did the Jews convince,
Who was a man most Loyal to his Prince,
And by the Bloody Chemarims did fall,
Because he seiz'd the Trayt'rous Priests of Baal:
Tho' Gedaliah's Letters made all plain,
Who was their Scribe, and of a ready Brain:
A Levite's Son, but turn'd a Baalite,
Who for the King's own Brother then did write,
And Correspondence kept i'th' Egyptian Court,
To whom the Traytors for Advice resort;
Who like a zealous, trayt'rous Baalite dy'd,
And at the Fatal Tree the Plot deny'd.
Tho' Amazia did at first believe,
And to the Hellish Plot did Credit give;
Tho' the Great Council of the Sanhedrim,
Among the Jews always of grèat Esteem,
Declar'd to all the World this Plot to be,
An Hellish, and a curs'd Conspiracy,
To kill the King, Religion to o'rethrow,
And cause the Jews their Righteous Laws foregoe;
To make the People to dumb Idols fall,
And in the place of God, to set up Baal:
Tho' all the People saw it, and believ'd;
Tho' Courts of Justice, hard to be deceiv'd,
Had added to the rest their Evidence,
Yet with a strange unheard of Impudence,
The Baalites all so stoutly had deny'd
Their Hellish Plot, with Vows and Oaths beside,
And with such Diligence themselves apply'd.
They at the last, their sought for point had got,
And artfully in doubt had brought their Plot.
A thousand cunning Shams and Tricks they us'd,
Whereby the simple Vulgar were abus'd;
And some o'th' Edomitish Evidence,
Who Mammon worship'd, were brought off with pence.
Libni, for whom, before their Harps they strung,
Who was the Subject of each Hebrew's Song,
Was villify'd by every Rascall's Tongue.
In Secret, and inglorious did remain,
And the Plot thought the Project of his Brain.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "impression" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Samuel Pordage, Azaria and Hushai, A Poem (London: Printed for Charles Lee, 1682). <Link to EEBO><Link to Google Books>
Date of Entry
05/15/2005
