●nglands Miraculous Preservation Emblematically Described, Erected for a perpetual monument to Posterity.  

Though England's Ark have furios storms jndurd By plots of foes and power of the sword Yet to this day by God's almighty hand The Ark's preserved and almost safe at land  
Earl of Essex   portrait 
Earl of Warwick   portrait 
Earl of Manchesester   portrait 
General Lasley   portrait 
Sr. tho. Fairfax   portrait 
Sr tho fairfaxleint gen. Cromwell   portrait 
House of Lord's  
House of Commons  
Assembly   depiction of ark  
THis Ark called Union hath not her Peer  
On Earth, & 's laden with a fraught so dear  
To her Almighty Pilo●, that no waves  
Of might or malice raised be infernal slaves  
Of human shape and lofty high estate,  
Nor yet their father that inveterate  
Old Serpent raging 'gainst this blessed Bark  
The Antitype of righteous Noah's Ark  
Can make to sink or split upon the rocks  
Of ruin, maugre all their furious knocks  
Of powdered balls, and force of armed steel  
By violence to make this Ark to feel  
Their wrathful open rage, when neither plots  
Nor treacheries fast tied with the knots  
Of vows, and Sacraments of miracles,  
Impostures, fachinations, and spells,  
Espoused interests of Potentates  
Foreign and homebred Soldiers, and Prelates;  
Threats, Promises, and Protestations,  
Aulick Libels, lies, and Defamations,  
Nor all the cunning, study, pains, and sweat  
Of all Malignant Foxes small, and great;  
In Court, and camp, City, and country,  
Nor in this Ark (if any lurking lie)  
Can break this church's Trinity of State  
Described here, nor make them violate  
That pious Covenant, which holds them fast,  
And is indeed that Vessels mainest Mast,  
By which she saileth through the troubled seas  
Of her affairs; and now hath found some case,  
Thanks be unto that heavenly Cynosure  
Above the Stars, which gives a light t' allure  
Her Mariners, and yet will give light more  
T' unfold the secrets of the Romish Whore,  
The hellish darkness of those mists and fogs  
Of blasphemies, and errors, which those frogs  
Or unclean Spirits from the Beast proceeding  
(Whose thoughts upon Reformers blood are feeding)  
Have now unboweled, and spread about  
To put the light of Reformation out,  
And with new Hydra-headed heresies  
(Like to that smoke) t' obscure the clearest skies  
Of sacred Truth (a devilish design  
More dangerous, then was the powder-mine)  
And raise tempestuous storms about this Ark,  
And now they cannot beat by force, they bark  
Belch, and disgorge their Stygian despite  
'Gainst the Protector of this Ark outright;  
And still their horrid rage doth more abound  
Because this Ark of Union is not drowned;  
But wait a while, and see this cursed crew  
Partake of that reward, that's here in view:  
For fix your eyes upon these Seas of ire  
Involving those, that did 'gainst th' Ark conspire:  
See here some headless floating in the waves  
Of direful death, some dead, and wanting graves:  
See all their warlike Engines, and their Forces,  
Now as feeble as their liveless corpses;  
See these bloody men and their Commission  
To kill Innocents brought to perdition;  
And they that living yet thought it no sin  
To leave this Ark, now wish they had kept in;  
But now they are the scorn of time, and fate,  
Who did this tossed Bark despise, and hate,  
Augmented more in that they did remove  
The Royal steersman, whom our Ark doth love.  
But see these noble Champions (lately fix)  
Guarding th' assaulted Union, and fix  
Themselves to courage, valour, care, and love  
To bring to rest this tossed turtledove.  
Their brave achievements Chronicles shall speak,  
And learned Volumes; but my pen's too weak  
To tell their worth, or their due praises spread,  
Whom great JEHOVAH hath so honoured.  
Draw near, kind Reader, do but view this piece,  
'Tis not of Jason, nor of his Golden fleece  
That here is emblemed, nor the high renown  
Of Hector's Acts ere Troy was battered down,  
That here we show you, but it doth presage  
A watery landscape of a weeping Age.  
The Ark that rideth here whose tender walls  
Contains in her our English Admirals,  
For Reformation swimming on the Main,  
'Gainst Superstition which so much did reign:  
Charge on, charge on, the guard of Pluto all,  
The Pope, the Bishop, and the Cardinal:  
But you had best retire, 'tis all but vain,  
For truth hath gotten higher, and she will reign.  
Here Reader pause, and judge our Land is free,  
A Chronicle for our posterity;  
For God hath brought them, lo their pride doth suage  
And we made happy in a peaceful Age.  
Had not the LORD been for us, they had won,  
And clothed this Land with red confusion;  
But now sail on you worthies through the Ocean  
Of sad distempers, let your winged Motion  
Out pace the flight of Eagles, that aspire  
Go take your Sensers filled with zealous fire:  
Let truth command the way, by her the Ark is guided,  
And let the Gospel sway, and Errors be avoided:  
Great God of wind & sea, who searchest through the dark  
Who didst command old Noah to enter in the Ark,  
Direct this ARK unto the Key of peace,  
Command deliverance that our Wars may cease.  

An Apostrophe to the Church.  
THen woman thou whose clothing is the Sun,  
Cease to complain, nor say thou art undone  
For thou hast suffered harder things of yore,  
Than now; weigh with the present times before.  
Seest thou not how thy sad and heavy night  
Of fears and sorrows now are vanished quite:  
Triumphing days thy late griefs do beguile,  
And Halcyon times begin again to smile.  
Behold how rugged Mars is posting hence,  
Seeing thee armed so with heaven's defence:  
Outward enmity shall not hurt a jot,  
If thine intestine Errors hurt thee not.  
Then wipe thy blubbered face, and lay aside  
Thy mourning weeds, and like a loving Bride  
With spirit mounted on a heavenly flame  
Spread abroad thy bridegroom's glorious fame;  
What tongue of mortal, men or Seraphim  
Can tell sufficiently the praise of him.  By John Leicester.   

LONDON, Printed for John Hancock, and are to be sold at his shop, at the entrance into Popes-head Ally. 1646.