ON Bugbear Black-Monday, March 29. 1652. OR, The LONDON-Fright at the Eclipse proceeding from a Natural Cause.  Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them. Jer. 10. 2. 
WHy gaze ye brainsick People on the sky?  
To seek in Heaven some uncouth prodigy?  
Is your Religion from the Chaldee ta'en?  
Or traffic you Divine things for profane?  
What frantic Prophet is amongst you sprung  
To cheat your understanding with his Tongue?  
Or what Magician has bewitched Men  
With unknown-Characters of's horrid Pen?  
And why (ye frighted Women!) do ye shake?  
Must an Eclipse needs make the Earth to quake?  
The Heavens their order, and due motion keep.  
Why you disordered? startle? sigh? and weep?  
Why load ye Coaches and forsake the place?  
As ye confessed, its sin were even past grace?  
And that a seldom-vengeance needs must come  
In sudden wrath preventing Day of doom?  
Less-hearted men! why drink ye saffroned Wine?  
And hide from Air? In Clubs of Fate ye join.  
Your foolish fears in part were causes, why  
The Women tremble, and the Children cry.  
Where is your Faith in Him, that All things made?  
Mu wisdom's Providence become a Trade?  
Or must ye pull against so High Command  
The reins of All out of th' Almightie's Hand?  
Must such Skie-mountebanks with squibs and cracks  
Fright you from Bibles into almanacs?  
Was't Laurence Price's Shepherd's Gnostication  
With cunning Will's wise Astrologization,  
That put ye in distemper, and such fits,  
As if their folly practised on your wits?  
Must Luke the twenty third the forty five  
Cause Blasphemies from Holy Text derive?  
Must your Salvation's means from senses drive?  
Abhor a masked face, if this must be?  
For that's Eclipsed Beauty. Peep! and See!  
Isaiah's forty seventh let any read,  
And it will fetch to life th' enchanted dead.  
But did the Sun put on a Vizard-look?  
Or were ye scared with bugbears, that ye shook?  
Or why forbore ye Market country Sots?  
Were ye afraid of subterraneous Plots?  
Or that the Stars were turned to London's Sharks?  
Or watched ye sky to fall to catch your Larks?  
Black-Munday (quotha?) made the Town look pale,  
And yet the sunbeams smiled at the Tale,  
Which was conceived by Conj'ring, Dreams, and Ale.  
Erect a Figure, and then let me know;  
Whence the wind comes and whither it does go?  
Canst tell me, where the Treasure's under ground?  
If so: be rich. Since thou hast riches found;  
Can all your Art tell certain for a year,  
What fair or foul shall in each day appear?  
If not: your high prognostics Ganzaes' fail,  
That from your fancies to the orbs do sail.  
And, if you know not, who did foul your Door?  
How know you secrets of the Stars? or more?  
What Preamble of Doomsday have ye blown  
In foolish heads, and seeds of whimsies sown?  
That every Action now must pass your Scale  
To weigh, what's done, even from the head to tail?  
No Marriage, bargain, Journey, physic, Fact,  
But Stars in every Scene are dressed to Act.  
And when ye most do Cant 'bove common Sense,  
Pretend they act by high Intelligence:  
As if your Scouts they were, which you have laid;  
For whose Intelligence you will be paid.  
Return, fond Citizens! at length be wise!  
See with your own, and not with others eyes!  
He, that made Heaven, did cause it this Day smile,  
And wizards did in their Black Art beguile.  
What if Eclipse so great? It was no more,  
Then has been seen and told some years before.  
Of only One 'tis best to stand in awe;  
To steer his Course, and to obey his Law.  
God is the Guide, His Son, our Way, our Light,  
Till He was once eclipsed, w' had cause of Fright.  
Fasten strong Faith on Him, and then ye build  
A Fortress 'gainst your Fears. He's Rock, & Shield.  
Sin interposed, as Moon, twixt Us and Grace  
Does strike the Eclipses horror on our Face.  

If Crosses, that are down, for Idols go;  
Be'ned Stars and Figures, used thus, Witchcraft, trow?