Of the horrible and wofull Destruction of,
Sodome and Gomora. To the Tune of the nine Muses.
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THe Scripture playne doth show and tell,
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How Lot in Sodome Towne did dwell
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Amongst the Sodomites vile:
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He did rebuke their noughty lives,
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Both yong and olde, both men & wives,
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Why do you yourselves defile?
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He oftentimes with watry eyes,
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their cause he did lament:
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He wept in Hart, in greevous wise,
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and bad them to repent,
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Desiring: and praying,
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From sinne they should refrayne,
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Least Body, and Soule bee,
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In everlastyng payne.
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God doth abhore that whorish Bed,
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Whiche thousands now therin are led,
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and therin styll doth dwell:
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They yeld their soules for Sacrifice,
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To filthy sinne in divers wise,
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Unto the paynes of Hell:
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You ravenyng needy men (quoth he)
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That Riches have in stoare,
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Geve to the poore I say to thee,
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The whiche coms to thy Doore:
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To Fatherlesse, and Wydowes too,
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To pyttie them take payne,
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You Surffetters: and Dronkardes now
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From this your Sinne refrayne.
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Then all in vayne, Lot preached styll.
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They all did folow their selfe wyll,
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For that was their desire:
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For his counsell good they passed small,
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In filthy sinne they wallowed all,
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As filthy Swyne in Myre:
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Then did the Lorde commaund that Lot,
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That he should soone depart:
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From amongst the Sodomites so whot,
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For they should feele great smart:
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The Angell then to hym he saide:
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Come Lot and haste awaye:
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For tyll the tyme that thou be gone,
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Nothynge be done there maye.
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The Angell said, looke you not backe,
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To see that wofull sight and wracke,
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Whiche on them now shall light:
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For you out of the Towne are brought,
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And are escaped from their wicked thoughts,
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Wherin they do delyght:
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Yet Lots wyfe she turnde backe agayne,
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As soone as she was gone,
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For her offence she turned was,
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Into a huge Salt Stone.
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Where she doth stande continually.
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By Goddes decreed Judgement:
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Because she brake, and did forsake,
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Goddes good Commaundement.
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The Gates of Heaven, God opened than,
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So Fyer and Brymstone from thence came,
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And on Sodome downe did rayne:
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Gomorra Towne they did excell,
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As thicke as Hayle, the Fyre it fell,
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And destroyed was every man:
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Both man and Beast were burnd to Mucke,
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And Babes in Mothers lap:
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And eke the Chyldren that did sucke
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On Mothers tender Pap:
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With Fier were they burned,
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O wofull grievous sight,
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They cryed, and shryked,
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To healpe no boote it might.
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The Damselles teare their costly guyse
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Their yelow lockes downe to their eyes,
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And their Heare like Silver Wyer:
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Their sownde did reach unto the Clowdes
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With bitter teares they cryed alowde,
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All burnynge in the fier:
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These Townes like Gold that shyned so bright
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With flamyng fier is consumed:
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The mighty God hath destroyed quite,
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And brought it to the grounde:
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That nought is left the Trueth to say
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But stinkynge Pooles and Welles:
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Which was a place of brave delyghtes,
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And eke of pleasant smelles.
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Thus were these Towns brought to decay
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Both all and som the trouth to say,
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savyng Lots Householde then:
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And Lot hymselfe was counted just,
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Tyll his Doughters tempted hym to lust,
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As the Story sheweth playne:
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Loe, wanton Girles whiche so doth burne,
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In Venus pleasant games.
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If that they may content their turnes,
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And eake their youthfull flames,
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They do desire their Fathers Bed,
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The cankred flesh to please:
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Alas that ye: so wanton been,
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That you wyll never cease.
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Thou mightie God that sittest on hie,
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O turne our Hartes for thy mercie,
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That now amend we may:
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O Lorde thou saydst, and it may so be,
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The Sodomits should witnes be,
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Against us at the latter day:
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O heavy sayng, yf that these men,
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Shall sooner mercy crave,
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Then we which know Gods sainges, then
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What judgement shall we have?
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O let us bewayle us:
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Our sinnes doth so abound,
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For in short space I feare the Lorde,
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In wrath wyll us confound.
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O England thou like Sodome art,
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In filthy sinne doth play thy part,
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What sinnes are found in thee?
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Thou dooest exceede Sodome in sinne,
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Thou carest not for Lots preaching:
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O these heavy newes wyll be,
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Ye be thou sure, and sure agayne:
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The stones that lieth in wall,
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Because we doo so sore offend,
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To God for plagues wyll call,
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Therefore let see, amends to be,
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And everyone amende:
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Good Lorde I say, graunt this all way,
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And thus I make an end.
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