A Glance at the Glories Of SACRED FRIENDSHIP. By E. B. Esq  

THE ADDRESS.  

WHere 's friendship's Residence? To what unknown  
New Planet-World is That rare Phoenix flown?  
Great, and Good GOD! Who didst so low descend,  
As to become, even to Thy Foes, a FRIEND,  
My Genius so inspire, that what I sing,  
Glory to THEE, goodwill to Men may bring!  
So may these Lines the Depths of Friendship sound,  
As Love, being sunk, may rise more practised, more renowned.   

The World 's a Lott'ry, which does comprehend  
A thousand Blanks for One choice Prize— A FRIEND.    

THE poem.  

I.  
FRIENDSHIP! thy sacred Feet ne'er tread the Path  
Of vapouring Gallants, or the sons of Wrath:  
Nor sittest Thou throned in Beauties wanton Eyes;  
Such short-lived Page'antry as foundlings prize:  
(Thy inner Glory, virtues brighter Grace,  
Shines in the souls, not in the body's Face:)  
Nor on Thy nobler Score may be allowed  
Til' Inconstant, Envious, Covetous, or Proud;  
Nor the Suspicious: for, when such rude Swine  
Root up Thy thriving Fence, who'll trust them with love's Vine?   

II.  
SHould Friendship ask, or grant, or act what 's Ill,  
It would (like Saturn in Conjunction) still  
Sad Influence send: If Guile might plead love's Rites,  
It were The COVENANT then of Hypocrites.  
No; but its Way (like Innocence) should be  
The Via Lactea of sincerity.  
'T is so divine, as not to be expressed  
With what the brain produces, but the Breast:  
'T is such an Eminence of mind, as tends  
To Inexpressibles, even All that 's Good of Friends.   

III.  
IT is the Marriage of Affections, so  
Of Fortunes, Interests, and Counsels too.  
It is love's golden Chain, and doth imply  
Delight, Respect, Care, Prudence, Constancy.  
It is love's Unison, where Two agree  
In well-tuned minds, Angel-like harmony.  
It is infused by heaven, by virtue fed,  
Preserved by Merit, by sweet Nature spread.  
It is begun with judgement, does persever  
With Grace, and shall conclude with Glory; so, with Never.   

IV.  
DOwn from on High It's Radiations beam.  
'T is the reality of Jacobs' Dream:  
The Scale of intellectual heaven, which hath,  
For two chief Luminaries, Truth and Faith:  
Whose Orb is blessed with each benigner Star:  
Humility and Worth its Gemini are.  
As spheres in spheres, so harmonise, so move  
Hearts on (those Poles of Friendship) Peace & Love.  
To whose sweet Consort other music's flat.  
Think such a Thought as none but Friends can think; 't is That.   

V.  
GReat power of Friendship! with what active Fire  
Inflam'st Thou first, than crownest each high Desire?  
Were 't not for Thee, thick Darkness would be hurled,  
As a black veil, over the broad-faced World:  
For, if eclipsed were Thy gracious Light,  
Though thousand Suns did shine, it still were Night.  
As fragrant Fumes from coals of Incense rise;  
So, by ascending, Thou perfum'st Allies;  
That Thou mayst freely to thy Friends dispense  
Thy magazines of Wealth, Art, Nature, Excellence.   

VI.  
IN These Olympics 't is the main Contest,  
Who shall o'ercome by loving Most, and Best.  
Thou, when death's Harbinger accosts thy Friend,  
Thy Bodies and souls Faculties dost lend.  
Thus Turtles are, by friendship's Union,  
Although in Bodies two, in Love but one.  
Thus holy Fire, like That on Altars, should  
Perpetually be cherished, to uphold  
The sacred Flames of Friendship; which regards  
More to deserve, and give, than to receive Rewards.   

VII.  
Reciprocal Beneficence yet makes  
love's Helix, and a cheerful Giver takes  
With GOD and Men: Obligements give Extent  
To growing Zeal, and banish compliment.  
When from the warmer, or the temperate Zone,  
Bad Times may drive a Friend to th' frozen One;  
Then, one reviving Smile of Friendships Shine  
Makes that ice Water, and that Water Wine.  
Such sprightly Flavour of a sparkling mind  
Can sooner cease to be, than it can be unkind.   

VIII.  
HOw rarely Brethren to This Height ascend!  
More, than in Brother, is employed in Friend:  
fraternity but in Cognation lies  
Of Bodies; Friendship hath sublimer ties:  
Which, by their innate energy, bring forth  
Seed, Buds, and Fruit of Soul-inriching Worth:  
As free from all Antipodes of Love,  
As is the Lamb from Guile, from Gall the Dove.  
Thus can the bosom of a Friend afford  
A fruitful Paradise, without a flaming Sword.   

Ix..  
SEcurely placed, on High, to view below  
How the cross Thunders of a battle go;  
Or, from a Promontory, to behold  
Storm-lab'ring Ships, by Neptune's Trident rolled,  
May please rough minds: Such bitter-sweets are toys,  
Balanced with wel-fixt Amicitiall joys.  
Brave Jonathan was Master in love's Art,  
(By Ovid's wanton Muse profaned) each Part  
He Princely taught, who prized before his own  
The welfare of his Friend; That Friend before a Throne.   

X.  
PHoenix of Princes! Thou didst Friendship keep  
Inviolate, when the King his Wrath did steep  
In gall against Thee, and the fatal stars  
Signed thy Friends Rise in Peace, thy Fall in wars.  
Thy Second-self Thee 'bove Himself did raise:  
His Tears proclaimed Thy Love, his Tongue Thy Praise.  
Twin-Souls! Who, like two glorious Cones of Light,  
Rose up, and pointed in One, high, and bright.  
O blessed Conjunction This, where Spirits blend,  
And Each is breathed into his Other-Self, his Friend!   

XI.  
BEst pair! what Union, what Communion, still,  
With Eminence of Worth, and Strength of Will,  
Were in the centre of Endearments met,  
To make your Faith more firm, your Fame more great?  
Like Needles touched by the magnetic Stone,  
Both jointly moved at the Remove of One.  
Such Love-Sweets, raised on virtue's Interest,  
Were Ante-past to heavens' eternal Feast.  
An Height, like This, no State of Mortals knows:  
The world's Stage, than such Friends, more Kings, more Emperors shows.   

XII.  
PSalms, flow, when GRACE tunes nature's Harp, which hath  
Intrinsic Quintessence, in-heau'ned by Faith.  
Angels bless GOD, because not only He  
Crowns Them with Glory to eternity;  
But, being the Source of Goodness, to Their KING  
They Halleluiah, hallelujahs sing!  
His Greatness, wisdom, Power, their Wonders be;  
His GRATIOUSNESS wings Loves activity:  
Their Wills to Each Above are clear, and even:  
Love 's the Resplendency of friendship's Region, heaven.   

XIII.  
FRiendship, the Sun in our Horizon, flies  
Still through the zodiac of the Good, and Wise;  
Who have espoused their Eagle-Thoughts to high  
Engagements, and above what's mortal fly:  
Who, when Aurora rides curled, brightly dressed,  
Perfumed from her Star-Chamber in the East,  
Spreading her beams, her Glories, round the air;  
Their Souls then, twining Flames, court heaven in Prayer.  
O, may We thus unload each burdened soul  
Of every Grief, & break our minds to keep them whole!   

XIV.  
SArza the Liver opens, Steel the Spleen,  
Sulphur the Lungs, Castoreum's virtue's seen  
So on the brain; but no receipt we find,  
Like a true Friend, for an obstructed mind.  
Crush into One all Sweets, receiving Birth  
From the exhaustless teeming Womb of Earth:  
Which done, extract, and oft distil from thence  
It 's most refined Spirit, and Quintessence;  
Which turn to Nectar:— All 's but wormwood's juice,  
Compared with what Soul-feeding Friendships Fruits produce.   

XV.  
THen, could I, with That Belgic flood, drink Towns;  
Make the Earth tremble, rend imperial crowns  
From their just Owners Heads; proclaim bold wars  
With half the World, and tumble Emperors  
Down to the State of Slaves;— Yet I, and This  
Were more outdone by one rare SAINT, that is  
Still faithful to his Soul, his Friend, his Time,  
(A highly humble State, low and sublime)  
Who cheerfully can share a Cross with me,  
And swell the Womb of each new-breeding jubilee.   

XVI.  
IN virtue's glorious Chariot Friendship rides,  
With all the shining Graces by her Sides:  
Who, though exalted in This high-winged Race,  
Gives to the lowest Consort highest Place.  
Thus, her attractive Power by secret Cause,  
heaven down to Earth, Earth up to Heaven draws.  
This proves It Sweets Elixir; loftiest Pitch  
Nature can mount to; 't is the Shrine in which  
Blessings are treasured; That which Angels strive  
To amplify; joys Haven; heaven in Perspective!   

XVII.  
THen, were I Monarch of more Worlds than ere  
This World had Men; and to possess Them, were  
Men in each World, for Number, more than all  
The sins committed since the first man's Fall;  
Yet, if in These I should not find a Friend,  
Surmounting all those Worlds, more in the End  
Would be my Grief, than His, who triumphed o'er  
This World, and wept, because there were no more.  
For, none is at the End of 's Actions blessed,  
But He, whose End speaks not the Greatest, but the Best.   

XVIII.  
OR, were I such an alchemist, as could,  
With one rare Stone, convert all Stones to Gold:  
My first Essay might be on Egypt's Spires,  
Which now, though Piles of Stone, the World admires;  
And, then, what Arguses, to view That Prize  
Must plow the Seas with Cargazones of Eyes?  
Next, all the Rocks around the spacious Shore  
My Midas sovereign Touch should turn to Ore.  
Yet, even the shadow of a real Friend,  
As heaven does Earth, would all their Gallantry transcend.   

XIX.  
MIght I dispose of All in nature's Hand,  
And cause the whole world's atoms to disband;  
And should those atoms swell, and swell, till all  
Were Tenariffs of Diamonds, and so tall  
That their stupendious rising brows might even  
The Regions pass, pierce ●kyes, ascend to heaven:  
Yet, Those amazing splendours dim would prove  
To' a Friends unparalleled Soul-beaming Love.  
Under the heavens' there 's not a Name (but HIS  
Whose Fiat was His Act) keeps up the Rate with This.   

XX.  
PRoud Pyramids may reel, huge mountains roll  
From their old seats; earth's centre, yea the whole  
Expansed Frame of Nature may forsake  
It 's Form, and into it 's first Chaos shake:  
(At the Worlds Household-stuff-removing Day  
Rivers shall stand, and mountains sneak away.)  
Nor Winter-Thunders, nor Sky-Prodigies  
May scare Him who on friendship's Height relies:  
For, fixed in love's celestial Orb, my FRIEND  
A Constellation is of virtues, to   
THE END.   

L'ENVOY.  
WHere 's He that can express the spheres swift Turn?  
Or paint the Phoenix in her flaming Urn?  
By That rare Master's Hand may be designed  
Your furnished Head, free Heart, unpatterned mind;  
Who, being so richly good, so wisely dear  
Of precious Time, make●May of all the year.  
Blessed in The Glories of your Friendship, thus,  
I have The BEST of FRIENDS, You have  
BENEVOLUS.  
Here, as in Globes, is All from Pole to Pole,  
A sum of friendship's Universe— YOUR soul.   

READERS,  
Expect (be 't friendly, or unfriendly viewed) FRIENDSHIPS ANTIPODES, INGRATITUDE.   

De SACRA AMICITIA.  
AD AMICITIAE Culmen anhelaturo, necesse est ut per Electionem, Probationem, Admissionem, & Rerum humanarum divinarumque cum summâ Benevolentiâ Consensionem ascendat. Morum enim Studiorumque reciproca Similitudo arctissimo inter Bonos consolidat AMICITIAM Caemento. Ratio nimirum Affectui desponsata, Amorem ex Ratione illibatum generat; &, Affectionis Sale conditum, perpetuò conservat. Quatuor etiamad Hoc in AMICO (Fidelitas, Intentio, Discretio, Patientia) postulantur. Fidelitas, ut AMICI Tutelae, fortissimo quasi Propugnaculo, seipsum & sua committat. Intentio, ut nihil ex AMICITIA, nisi Pietatis Proventus, & Errolumentum mutuum, deducatur. Discretio, quid AMICO sit dandum, quid ab Eo expetendum, novisse; ut nil quod indecens sit postuletur, quod dedeceat tribuatur: quando sympatheticè dolendum, gaudendum, admonendum, erige●dum, nec Tempus nec Modum nescire. Patientia denique, ut placidè admonitus, Monenti non morosè repugnet. Ethoc Regimine praecedat in Fronte, tanquam Ductrix, AMICITIA; ponè sequatur, prout Pedissequa, Vtilitas. He●oica enim Mens sinceram, sine faeculento recularum in infimitate parvitatis constitutarum Lucro, AMICITIAM profit●tur, & Seculi hujus Mores increpat, ubi Adulatio— in Quaestu pro Meretrice sedet. In Electione prudens, in Dilectione stab●lis, Sustinet, Abstinet: Necessitatibus Amici occurrit, & incommune Bonum, seipsum, Lychni more, consumendo intabe●cit: Nihil in Voce fictum, in Vultu fucosum, in Vita factiosum praetendit. AMICITIA, hoc pacto ordinata, felicissimè coalescit; quia inter Bonos oritur, inter Meliores prog●editur, inter Perfectos perficitur; Quam Prudentia dirigit, Iustitia regit, Fortitudo custodit, Temperantia moderatur: intentionis quippe habet Puritatem, Rationis Magisterium, & Temperantiae Fraenum. Prae sancto hoc AFFECTU nihl sub Sole, mellitissimum licet, appetendum; nihil utilius quaerendum; difficilius inveniendum; charius conservandum. Omnium enim Charismatum est Centrum, omnium Encyclopaedia Gratiarum: Vitia Radiis fulgentissimis confodit, delectat Domi, juvat foris, Adversa temperat, Prospera componit. In laetis itaque & tristibus, amaris & jucundis, aequum se praebet, pari aspiciens oculo Pauperem & Divitem, Fortem & Debilem; nam nihil in Amico quod extra ejus est Animum int●etur. Tali in AMICITIA Humilitas & Suavitas, Sublimitas & Felicitas in Secula triumphant: Et quanta quidem Felicit●s est CONSORTEM habere, quocum, ac si cum Teipso, ratiocineris; & Cui Cordis arcaniora committes; & Cui confiteri non timeas, si quid deliqueris; & Cui revelare non erubescas, si quid profeceris; ad Quem, velut ad Asylum, confugias; & quem in dubiis, tanquam Oraculum, consu●as! Obsecro vos, qui estis Amici, per DEUM IMMORTALEM, quicquamnè felicius, quàm ita unire Animum Alterius, ut ex Duobus Cor efficiatur unum; ut nec Simultas timeatur, nec Suspicio simuletur, nec Adulatio Veritati praeferatur?  
Summarum summa est consummatissima summum  
Semper amare BONUM-summa est AMICITIA, summa BEATITUDO. Hoc à CHRISTO inchoatur, per CHRISTUM conservatur, in CHRISTUM consummatur; Hoc deorsum est Paucorum, sursum est Omnium, ubi OMNES SANCTI. A sacra igitur Amicitia, quâ Amicus complectitur Amicúm, ad supremum AMOREM, quo Anima beata amplectitur JESUM, conscendentes, Aeternum BEATITUDINIS Praemium, CHRISTI Gratia, obtineamus! Qui possidet DEUM, possidetur ab EO. Simus ergo Nos facti DEI Possessio, & efficietur Nobis Possessio DEUS.   

AMICO.  
BEnevoli Conjunctio Animi arctissima est Cognatio.— Elegi Te, è Millibus unum, Pro Vitae consort meae— Cujus in Sermone Affabilitas, in Moribus Suavitas, in Vultu Serenitas, in Consiliis Communio, in Studiis Conformatio, in Spiritualibus est Consensio. AMICITIA enim me Tibi (Disciplinis omnibus instituto, imbuto, ornato, consummato) similem, etsi non invenerit, efficiat. Quàm capax in Te emicat Ingenium, quàm sagax Iudicium, quàm tenax Memoria, quàm ardens Veritatis Studium, quàm indefefla Sedulitas, quàm singularis Modestia cum PIETATE exornata! Haec Omnia in Te & admiror, & piè aemulor. Praevenisti me, mi AMICE, Ornamentis; Praeveniam Te Officiis. Verùm non Magna loquamur, sed Vivamus;— Spectemur Agendo. Cunctatio absit, Assiduitas adsit; AMICITIA enim est Constantiae Virtus. Inter Nos dehinc idem sit velle, idem nolle; nihil velle quod dedeceat, nihil nolle quod expediat. De AMICI Felicitate potiùs quàm de propriâ laetemur, & aegrius CONSORTIS quàm propriam feramus Injuriam. Breviter; quicquid est Amoris, Honoris, Opis, vel Opum, ALTERUTRI impertiamus.  
Pectoris ob Meritum Ratio quem suadet amandum, Hunc nec Morositas inquietet, nec Instabilitas dividat, nec Garrulitas à debita Gravitate dissolvat, nec Simultas sacram AMICITIAM confringat. Eia age, mi ANGELECUSTOS, (Job 33.23.) extricemus Nos ab Involucris Mundi, & à Coelesti Satellitio circumvallati, & Spiritualibus Deliciis adimpleti, sereniorem Tranquillitatis Senectam placidissimo Secessu peragamus. Animae eteni● sapientiores fiunt quiescendo.  

SIc praeliantes Aequore turbido  
Ventos, reducto Montis in angulo,  
Miratur, & gaudet Procellâ  
Terribili procul esse PASTOR.   

SIc Coelum penetret Fides ab Arâ  
Nostri Pectoris. Huc ades, fer Aram,  
Thus, Ignem, Fidei, Spei, Favoris.   

SIc me semper aims, Sic Te patiaris amari;  
Sic Charis una beet, Sic Domus una Duos!   

Secessus, Animae Templum.  
TV mihi Thema, Quies Animae, sanctusque Recessus;  
Rores dum saturant me, DEUS alme, tui.  
Vera Quies, Paucos nosti, notissima Paucis:  
Dum fugio Plures, Te peto, vera Quies.  
Carmina Secessum? Potiùs Devotio quaerit:  
Sic quadrant Modulis Pectora sancta suis.  
Turbat Apollineas clamosa Molestia Musas;  
Christicolae Modulos sed magìs illa gravat.  
Sit procul urbs, prope Vota mihi; mihi reddar; & intus  
Plena Fide perstet Mens mea, plena DEO!  
Hoc Nemus est Templum, patuli Laquearia Rami;  
Fit sacrae Truncus quisque Columna Domûs:  
Pervia Sylva patens est Porta, Cacumina Pinnae;  
Baptismi Pignus Rivulus omnis habet:  
Dat Mensam Collis sacram mihi Cespite tectus;  
Pectoris Ara Fides, Zelus Amorque Focus.  
Si quis Baptistes in Eremo praedicet, Ecce  
Pulpita, in arboreâ Sede locata, patent.  
Hìc licet elatâ dare Verba precantia Voce;  
Et sine Teste, Deo nec nisi Teste, loqui.  
Ipsa monent tremulas quatientia Flamina frondes,  
Per nos fundendas Corde trement Preces.  
Antevolansque cavo Suspiria nostra Susurro,  
Dum gemit Aura levis, Tu geme, Cultor, ait.  
Voce DEUM celebro? Concordes sponte Choristae,  
Sunt Praecentores, dum modulantur, Aves.  
Amen subjicio? dat Amen, quasi Clericus, Echo.  
Sylva placet, Luxus perfidiose, Vale.   

CUlmen Potestatis est Tempestas Mentis: Splendorem habet Titulo, Cruciatum Animo; desuntque Inopiae multa, Avaritiae omnia. Ne petas igitur, devota Anima, esse qualis in Anglia Dux Buckingamiae, in Aula Caesarea Princeps ab Eggenberg, in Hispania Comes D'Olivares, & in Imperio Ottomanico Mustapha Bassa fuere; nec tibi magis arrideant cerussatae Laudes, & calamistrata Encomia, quàm sincerae & sacrosanctae Amoris Anhelationes. Seculi delectatiunculas devita, & Coelorum Jubilo recreaberis. Delicatula nimis es, si velis gaudere cum Mundo, & postea regnare cum CHRISTO: Amarescat Mundus, ut dulcescat DEUS. Quamdiù est in te Aegypti Farina, Manna coeleste non gustabis. Gustat DEUM, cui Libido Seculi Nauseam parit. Exinanitio nostra Plenitudinis Coeli capaces reddit. Si vis frui Sole, verte dorsum Umbrae. Nec amaris à Mundo, nisi à CHRISTO repulsa; nec à CHRISTO, nisi à Mundo spreta. Dejicit se de Culmine Majestatis qui à DEO ad Consolatiunculas Creaturulae confugit. O quàm contempta recula est homo, nisi supra humana se erexerit! Beatum nil facit Hominem, nisi Qui fecit Hominem; minimum enim DEI omnis Orbis Magnitudine est magnificentius. Paucis; nec tibi ignominiosum sit pati quod passus est CHRISTUS, nec gloriosum facere quod fecit Judas. Morere Mundo, ut vivas DEO. Quicunque cum DEO habet Amicitiam, Felicitatis tenet Fastigium. Haec unica Laus, hic Apex Sapientiae est, ea viventem appetere, quae morienti forent appetenda. Mortis ergò Meditationi, & AETERNITATIS Contemplationi Lucernulae nostrae Oleum impendamus.  
Sit DEO Gloria!     

LONDON, Printed by R. D. for Humphrey Mosely, at the Prince's arms in St. Paul's churchyard. Anno 1657.