A GODLY DREAM, COMPILED BY ELIZABETH MELVIL, LADY CULROSSE younger.  
At the Request of a FRIEND.  
Introito per angustam portam, nam lata est via quae ducit ad interitum.  
Printed in the Year 1686.   

A GODLY DREAM.  

UPon a day as I did mournful sore,  
For sundry things wherewith my soul w●●● gri●●  
My grid increased and grew more and ma●●  
I comfort fled and could not be relieved.  
With heaviness my heart was sore mischieved,  
I loathed my life, I could not eat nor drink,  
I might not speak, nor look to none that lived  
But mused alone and divers things did think.   

2  
This wretched world did so molest my mind  
I thought upon this false and iron age:  
And how our hearts are so to vice inclined,  
That Satan seemed most fearfully to rage:  
Nothing on earth my sorrow could assuage,  
I felt my sin so strongly to increase:  
I grieved the Spirit was wont to be my pledge;  
My soul was plunged into most deep distress,   

3  
All merriness did aggravate my pain,  
And earthly joys did still increase my woe:  
In company I could no ways remain,  
But fled resort, and so alone did go;  
My silly soul was tossed to and fro.  
With sundry thoughts which troubled me full sore  
I pressed to pray, but sighs oreset me so,  
I could do nought, but groan, and say no more.   

4  
The trickling tears abundantly ran down,  
My heart was eased when I had mourned my fill.  
Then I began my lamentation,  
And said, O Lord, how long is it thy will,  
That thy poor saints shall be afflicted still  
Alas how long shall subtle Satan rage,  
Make haste O Lord thy promise to fulfil,  
Make haste to end our painful pilgrimage,   

5  
The silly Saints are tossed to and fro,  
Awake, O Lord, why sleepest thou so long  
We have no strength against our cruel foe,  
In sighs and sobs now changed is our song:  
●●e world prevails our enemies are strong  
●●e wicked rage, but we are poor and weak;  
●hen thyself with speed; revenge thy wrong,  
●●ke short these days, even for thy chosens sake;   

6  
Lord Jesus come and save thine own Elect,  
●●r Satan seeks our silly souls to slay:  
●he wicked world doth strongly us insect;  
●ost wondrous sins increase do day by day,  
●ur love grows cold, our zeal is worn away;  
●ur faith is failed, and we are like to fall:  
●●e Lion roars, to catch us as a prey  
●●ke haste, O Lord, before we perish all   

7  
These are the days which thou so long foretold  
●●uld come before this wretched world should end.  
●●w vice abounds and charity grows cold,  
●●d even thine own most strangely do oflend.  
●●e Devil prevails, his forces he doth bend,  
〈◊〉 could be, to wrack thy children dear:  
〈◊〉 we are thine, therefore some succour send,  
●●lieve our souls, we weary wand'ring here.   

8  
What can we do? we clogged are with sin,  
filthy vice our sensleffe souls are drowned,  
●●ough we resolve we never can begin,  
amend our lives, but sin doth still abound,  
●●en wilt thou come? when shall thy trumpet sound?  
●hen shall we see that great and glorious day?  
●ave us Lord out of that pit profound  
〈◊〉 reave us from that loathsome lump of clay.  
●hou knows our hearts, thou sees our whole desire  
〈◊〉 secret thoughts they are not hid from thee:  
●●…ugh we offend, thou knows we strangely tire,  
bear this weight, our spirit would fain be free,   

〈◊〉 O Lord, what pleasure can it be,  
●ive in sin, that sore doth preffe us down.  
give us wings, that we aloft my flee  
〈◊〉 end the fight that we may wear the crown.  
Before the Lord when I had thus complained  
My mind grew calm, my heart was then at rest,  
Though I was faint, from food I yet refraind,  
And went to bed, because I thought it best.  
With heaviness my spirit was sore oppressed,  
I fell on sleep, and so again me thought,  
I made my moan, and so my grief increased,  
And from the Lord with tears I secure sought.   

11  
Lord Jesus come, said I and end my grief,  
My spirit is vexed, the captive would be free:  
All vice abounds, now send us some relief,  
I loathe to live, I wish dissolved to be.  
My spirit doth long and thirsteth after thee,  
As thirsty ground requires a shower of rain,  
My heart is dry, as fruitless barren tree,  
I feel myself, how can I here remain.   

12  
With sighs and sobs, as I did so lament,  
Into my dream, me thought there did appear,  
A sight most sweet which did me well content:  
An Angel bright, with visage shining clear.  
With loving looks, and with a smiling cheer,  
He asked me, why are thou thus so sad?  
Why groans thou so? what dost thou dwining here  
With careful cries in this thy bailful bed.   

13  
I hear thy sighs, I see thy trickling tears,  
Thou seems to be in some perplexity:  
What mean thy moans, what is the thing thou fear  
Whom would thou have? in what place would thou  
Faint not so fast in thy adversity.  
Mourn not so fore, sigh mourning may not mend,  
Life up thy heart, declare thy grief to me,  
Perchance thy pain brings pleasure in the end.   

14  
I, sighed again, and said alas for woe,  
My grief is great, I cannot it declare:  
Into this earth I wander to and fro,  
A pilgrim poor, consumed with sighing sore,  
My sins place, increase do more and more,  
I loathe my life, I weary wand'ring here:  
●ong for heaven, my heritage is there,  
●ong to live with my Redeemer dear.   

15  
Is this the cause, said he: life up anon,  
●nd follow me; and I shall be thy guide:  
●●e strain thy sighs, leave off thy heavy moan,  
●efrain from tears, and cast thy care aside.  
●rust in my strength, and in my word confide,  
●nd thou shalt have thine heavy hearts desire.  
●se up with speed, I may not long abide,  
●●eat diligence this matter doth require.   

16  
My soul rejoyeed to hear his words so sweet,  
●ooked up and saw his face so fair,  
●is countenance revived my weary spirit,  
〈◊〉 continent I cast aside my care,  
●ith humble heart I prayed him to declare,  
●hat was his Name: he answered me again  
〈◊〉 am thy God for whom thou sighs so sore,  
〈◊〉 now am come, thy tears are not in vain.   

17  
I am the Way, I am the Truth and Life,  
〈◊〉 am thy Spouse, that brings thee store of grace:  
〈◊〉 am thy Lord that soon will end thy strife,  
〈◊〉 am thy Love whom thou would fain embrace.  
〈◊〉 am thy Joy, I am thy rest and peace,  
●ile up anon and sollow after me:  
〈◊〉 shall thee lead into that dwelling place,  
〈◊〉 the land of rest thou longs so sore to see.   

18  
With joyful heart I thanked him again,  
●eady am I, said I, and well content  
● wordo follow thee, for here I live in pain,  
〈◊〉 wretch unworth, my days untimely spent;  
●ot one is just, but all are fiercely bend  
●o run to vice, I have no force to stand:  
●y sins increase, which make me sore lament  
●●ke haste, O Lord, I long to see that land,   

19  
Thy haste is great, he answered me again,  
●ou thinst thee there, thou art transported so;  
〈◊〉 pleasant place must purchased be with pain.  
The way is straight, and thou hast far to go.  
Art thou content to wander to and fro,  
Through great deserts, through water and through  
Through thorns and briers, and many dangers more  
What sayest thou, thy feeble flesh will tire.   

20  
Alace said I, although my flesh be weak,  
My Spirit is strong, and willing for to flee:  
O leave me not, but for thy mercy's sake  
Perform thy word, or else for dool I die.  
I feel no pain since I should follow thee,  
The way is long, yet bring me through at last:  
Thou answeredst well, I am content said he,  
To be thy guide, but see thou grip me fast.   

21  
Than up I risen and made no more delay,  
My feeble arms about his neck I cast:  
He went before, and still did guide the way,  
Though I was weak, my Spirit did follow fast,  
Through moss & mire, through ditches deep we●…  
Through pricking thorns, through water & through  
Through dreadful dens, he made my heart aghast,  
He bore me up when I began to tire.   

22  
Sometimes we clamb on craigie mountain  
And sometimes stayed on ugly brays of sand:  
They were so stay that wonder was to see,  
But when I feared, he held me by the hand.  
Through thick & thin, through sea & eke through  
Through great deserts we wandered on our way,  
When I was weak and had no strength to stand,  
Yet with a look he did refresh me ay.   

23  
Through waters great we were compelled to●…  
Which was so steep that I was like to drown,  
Sometimes I sank, but yet my gracious guide,  
Did draw me up half dead, and in a swoon.  
In woods most wild, and far from any town,  
We thrusted through, the briers together sta●…  
I was so weak, their strength did beat me 〈◊〉  
That I was forced for fear to flee aback.   

24  
Courage said he, thou art midway and more,  
Thou must not tire, nor turn aback again:  
Hold fast thy grip, on me cast all thy care,  
Affay thy strength, thou shalt nor fight in vain;  
I told thee first that thou shalt suffer pain,  
The nearer heaven the harder is the way:  
Lift up thy heart, and let thy hope remain,  
Since I am guide, thou shalt not go astray.   

25  
Forward we passed on narrow bridge of tree,  
O'er waters great, which hideously did roar:  
There lay below, that fearful was to see,  
Most ugly beasts that gaped to devour.  
My head grew light, and troubled very sore,  
My heart did fear, my feet began to slide:  
But when I cried he heard me evermore,  
And helped me up, O blessed be my guide.   

26  
Weary I was, and thought to sit at rest,  
But he said nay: thou mayst not sit nor stand,  
Hold on thy course, and thou shall find it best,  
It thou desires to see that pleasant land.  
Though I was weak I risen at his commands  
And held him fast, at length he let me see  
That pleasant place that seemed to be at hand.  
Take courage now, for thou art near said he.   

27  
I looked up into that Castle fair,  
Glistering with gold and shining silver bright  
The stately tower did mount above the air,  
They blinded me, they cast so great a sight.  
My heart was glad to see that joyful fight,  
My voyage than I thought it not in vain:  
〈◊〉 him besought to guide me there aright,  
With many vows never to tire again.   

28  
Though thou be near the way is very hard,  
●aid he again, therefore thou must be stout:  
●aint not for fear, for towards are debarred  
●hat have no heart to go their voyage out.  
●luck up thine heart, and grip me fast about,  
Out through this trance together we must go:  
The way is straight, remember for to lout,  
If this were passed we have not many more.   

29  
I held him fast as he did give command,  
And through the trance together then we went:  
Where in the mids great pricks of iron did stand,  
Where with my feet were all betorn and rend.  
Take courage now, said he, and be content,  
To suffer this, the pleasure comes at last.  
I answered not, but ran incontinent  
Out through the fire, and then the pain was passed.   

30  
When this was done my heart did dance for  
I was so near, I thought my voyage ended:  
I ran before, and sought not his convoy,  
Nor asked the way, because I thought I knew it,  
On stately steps most stoutly I ascended;  
Without his help I thought to enter there:  
He followed fast and was right sore offended,  
And hastily did draw me down the stair.   

31  
What haste said he, why ran thou so before,  
Without mine help thinkest thou to climb too high,  
Come down again, thou yet must suffer more,  
If thou desires that dwelling place to see.  
This stately stair it was not made for thee,  
Hold'st thou the course, thou shalt be thrust aback  
Alace said I, long wand'ring wearied me,  
Which made me run, the nearest way to take.   

32  
Then he began to comfort me again,  
And said, my friend thou most not enter there:  
Lift up thy heart thou yet must suffer pain,  
The last assault of needs it must be sore.  
This goodly way although it seem so fair,  
It is too high, thou cannot climb to stay;  
But look below beneath a little stair,  
And thou shalt see another kind of way.   

33  
I looked down, and saw a pit most black,  
Most full of smoke, and flaming fire most fell;  
That ugly sight made me to He aback,  
I feared to hear so many shout and yell.  
I him besought that he the truth would tell,  
Is this said I the Papists purging place,  
Where they affirm that silly souls do dwell,  
To purge their sins, before they rest in peace.   

34  
The brain of man must warily did invent  
That purging place, he answered me again:  
For greediness together they consent;  
To say that souls in torment must remain,  
While gold and goods relieve them of their pain.  
O spiteful Spirits that do the same begin:  
O blinded beasts, your thoughts are all in vain,  
By blood alone our souls are cleansed from sin.   

35  
This pit is bell, where through thou now must go;  
There is the way that leads to the land:  
Then play the man, thou needs not tremble so,  
For I shall hold and help thee by the hand.  
Alace, said I, I have no force to stand,  
〈◊〉 fear I faint to see that ugly fight:  
How can I come amongst that bailful band,  
Oh help me now. I have no force to fight.   

36  
Of have I heard, that they that enter here,  
●n this great gull shall never come again;  
Courage said he, have I not bought thee dear,  
My precious blood it was not shed in vain,  
〈◊〉 saw this place, my soul did taste this pain,  
Ere ere I went into my Fathers glore;  
Through must thou go, but thou shalt not remain;  
Thou needs not fear, for I shall go before.   

37  
I am content to do thy whole command,  
●id I again, and did him fast embrace:  
●hen loving lie he held me by the hand;  
●nd in I went into that fearful place.  
●old fast thy grip, said he in any case,  
●et me not slip what ever thou shall see:  
●read not the death, but stoutly forward press,  
For death nor hell shall never vanquish thee.   

38  
His words so sweet did cheer my heavy heart  
Incontinent I cast my care aside.  
Courage said he, play not a coward's part,  
Though thou be weak, yet in my strength confide  
I thought me blest to have so good a guide,  
Though I was weak, I knew that he was strong  
Under his wings I thought me for to hid;  
If any there should press to do me wrong.   

39  
Into that pit when I did enter in,  
I saw a sight which made me sore aghast.  
Poor damned souls, tormented sore for sin,  
In flaming fire were frying very fast.  
And ugly Spirits. And as I had them past,  
My heart grew faint, and I began to tire:  
Ere I was ware, one gripped me full fast,  
And held me high above a flaming fire.   

40  
The fire was great, the heat did pierce me so  
My faith grew weak, my grip was very small.  
I trembled fast, my fear grew more and more,  
My hands did shake that I held him withal.  
At length they loosed, than I began to fall,  
And cried aloud, and cough him fast again:  
Lord Jesus come and rid me out of thrall,  
Courage said he, now art thou passed the pain.   

41  
With this great fear, I started and awoke,  
Crying aloud, Lord Jesus come again:  
But after that no kind of rest I took,  
I pressed to sleep, but it was all in vain.  
I would have dreamed of pleasure after pain,  
Because I knew I should it find at last,  
God grant my guide may still with me remain,  
It is to come that I believed was past.   

42  
This is a dream, and yet I thought it best,  
To write the same, and keep it still in mind:  
Because I knew there was no earthly rest  
Prepared for us that have our hearts inclined  
To seek the Lord: we must be purged and sinned,  
Our dross is great, the fire must try us sore:  
And yet our God is merciful and kind,  
He shall remain and help us evermore.   

43  
The way to heaven I see is very hard,  
My dream declares that we have far to go,  
We must be stout for cowards are debarred,  
Our flesh of force must suffer pain and woe,  
These dreary ways and dangers many more,  
Await for us, we cannot live in rest:  
But let us learn since we are warned so  
To cleave to Christ, for he can help us best.   

44  
O silly souls with care so sore oppressed;  
That love the Lord, and long for heaven so high,  
Change not your minds, for ye have chose the best,  
Prepare yourselves for troubled must ye be  
Faint not for fear in your adversity,  
It is the way that leads you unto life;  
Suffer a while and you shall shortly see  
The land of life, when ended is your strife.   

45  
In wilderness ye must be tried a while:  
Ye● forward press, and never flee aback:  
Like Pilgrims poor, and strangers in exile:  
Through fair and foul, your journey you must take:  
The devil, the world and all that they can make  
Will send their force to stop you in the way:  
Your flesh will faint, and sometimes will grow slack:  
Yet come to Christ and he shall help you ay.   

46  
The thorny cares of this deceitful life,  
Will rend you hearts, and make your souls to bleed:  
Your flesh and spirit will be at deadly strife;  
Your cruel foe will hold you still in dread,  
And throw you down: yet rise again with speed,  
And though you fall, yet lie not loitering still:  
But call on Christ to help you in your need,  
Who will not fail his promise to fulfil.   

47  
In floods of woe, when ye are like to drown,  
For climb to Christ, and grip him very fast:  
●●d though ye sink, and in the deep fall down,  
yet cry aloud, and he will hear at last.  
Dread not the death, nor be not sore aghast,  
Though all the earth against you shall conspire,  
Christ is your guide, and when your pain is past,  
You shall have joy above your hearts desire.   

48  
Though in this earth you shall exalted be,  
Fear shall be left to humble you withal:  
For if you climb on tops of mountains high,  
The higher up the nearer is your fall.  
Your honey sweet shall mixed be with gall,  
Your short delight shall end with pain and grief,  
Yet trust in God, for his assistance call,  
And he shall help and send you soon relief.   

49  
Though waters great do campasse you about,  
Though tyrants threat, though Lion's rage and roar  
Defy them all, and fear not to win out,  
Your guide is near to help you evermore.  
Though pricks of iron do prick you very sore,  
A noisome lusts that seek your soul to slay:  
Yet cry on Christ, and he shall go before,  
The nearer heaven the harder is the way.   

50  
Run out your race, you must not faint nor ty●●  
Nor sit, nor stand, nor turn aback again:  
If ye intent to have your hearts desire,  
Press forward still, although it were with pain,  
No rest for you so long as you remain  
As pilgrims poor into this loathsome life:  
Fight on your fight; it shall not be in vain;  
Your rich reward is worth a greater strife.   

51  
If after tears, I live a while in joy,  
And get a razed of that eternal glore:  
Be not secure: nor slip not your convoy,  
For if ye do, ye shall repent it sore.  
He knows the way, and he shall go before;  
Climb ye alone: ye shall not miss a fall:  
●our filthy flesh it must be troubled more,  
〈◊〉 ye forget upon your God to call.   

52  
If Christ be gone, although you seem to flee,  
With golden wings above the firmament:  
Some down again, ye shall not better be,  
That pride of yours ye shall right fore repent.  
Then hold him fast with humble heart and bent,  
To follow him although through hell and death:  
He went before, his soul was torn and rend.  
For your deserts he felt his father's wrath.   

53  
Though in the end ye suffer torments fell,  
Cleave fast to him that felt the same before:  
The way to heaven must be through death and hell,  
The last assault must trouble you full fore.  
The Lion than most cruelly will roar,  
His time is short, his forces he will bend,  
The greater strife, the greater is your glore,  
Your pain is short, your joy will never end.   

54  
Rejoice in God, let not your courage fail,  
Ye chosen Saints that are afflicted here,  
Though Satan rage, he never shall prevail,  
Fight in the end, and stoutly persevere:  
Your God is true, your blood to him is dear,  
●ear not the way, since Christ is your convoy,  
When clouds are past, the weather will grow clear,  
Ye sow in tears, but ye shall reap in joy.   

55  
But death and hell have lost their cruel sting,  
Your Captain Christ hath made them all to yield:  
Lift up your hearts and praises to him sing;  
Triumph for joy, your enemies are killed.  
The Lord of Host, he is your strength and shield,  
The Serpent's head hath stoutly trodden down:  
Trust in his strength, pass forward in the field:  
●v'rcome in fight, and ye shall wear the crown,   

56  
The King of kings if he be on our side,  
●e need not fear who dare against us stand:  
●o the field may we not boldly bide,  
Forcline ma● help us with his mighty hand.  
●●no sits above and rules both Sea and Land,  
Who with his breath doth make the bills to shake,  
The host, of heaven are armed at his command  
To fight the field when we appear most weak.   

57  
Pluck up your hearts ye are not left alone,  
The Lamb of God shall lead you in the way,  
The Lord of Hosts that reigns in royal throne,  
Against your foes his banner will display.  
The Angels bright shall stand in good array  
To hold you up, you need not fear to fall,  
Your enemies shall flee and be your prey,  
Ye shall triumph, and they shall perish all.   

58  
The joys of heaven are worth a moment's pa●●  
Take courage then, lift up your heart on high:  
To judge the earth when he shall come again,  
Above the clouds ye shall exalted be.  
A crown of joy and true felicity  
Awaits for you, when finished is your fight:  
Suffer a while and you shall shortly see,  
A glore most great and infinite of weight.   

59  
Prepare yourselves, the valiant men of war,  
And thrust with force out through the narrow way,  
Hold on your course, and shrink not back for fear,  
Christ is your guide you shall not go astray,  
The time is near, be sober, watch and pray,  
He sees our tears, and he hath laid in store  
A rich reward, which in that joyful day  
Ye shall receive, and reign for evermore.   

60  
Now to the King that create all of nought,  
The Lord of lords, that rules both land and sea:  
That saved our souls, and with his blood us bought  
And vanquished death triumphing on a tree.  
Unto the great and glorious Trinity,  
That saves the poor, and doth his own defend,  
Be laud and glore, honour and Majesty,  
〈◊〉 and praise: Amen, World without end.    

A GODLY BALLAD.  

COme sweet Love, let sorrow cease,  
come Jesus Christ, come comfort me,  
●●me give me thy spirit of grace,  
in all my troubles to support me.   

For I have lived most foolishly,  
●●rough kind-repinde, my mind-inclined  
to every sin and vanity.  
●●m lewd by nature born,  
a sinful wretch by death appointed:  
●●d my fathers me before,  
and dead in sin, yet thine Anointed   

Thou hast sent down of thy free grace,  
〈◊〉 me to die that he might be  
The Mediator of my peace.  
●●th came by the first ADAM,  
for sin where through his God he grieved:  
●hrist our second Adam came,  
and he brought life and him relieved   

From death and everlasting pain.  
●●at same ADAM that Lamb that came,  
his death hath given me life again.  
●●d for ADAM did prepare  
a Garden for his habitation:  
●●rist was in a Garden fair,  
〈◊〉 roubled in mind for my salvation.   

The cruel death him sore affears  
that combat, he great and swat  
in the Garden bloody tears.  
●●am in the Garden dwelled,  
and in the Garden disobeyed,  
●●rist into a Garden felt  
●he wrath of God, and was betrayed.   

The Jews by night with Judas came,  
●●ar of wear, with spear in gear,  
〈◊〉 take that most innocent Lamb.  
●●m in the Garden fled,  
and hide him when he had offended,  
Christ in a Garden bade,  
and in the Garden apprehended.   

Before the Priest brought and exemed  
Accused, misused, refused, they chused  
Barrabas, and Christ condemned.  
Adam sinned because because that he,  
eat of the fruit that was forbidden:  
Christ the fruit was of the tree,  
whereon he died, the God head hidden:   

Was crucified between two thiefs,  
Wherethrow Jesus saved you, that trow,  
and firmly in his blood believes.  
Adam banished from the Lord,  
and for fault for his foul offences:  
Our Adam hath us restored,  
for our faults made recompenses.   

And satisfied his Father's wrath,  
For all that fall, that call and shall  
repent, and seek to him by faith.  
It was only Jesus Christ,  
that suffered for thy sins and smarted:  
Neither Pope nor Popish Priest,  
the Virgin nor the Saints departed.   

But only Christ that holy one,  
Nought than in man, that wan or can  
save our souls but Christ alone.  
I conclude, and ends here than,  
it's only Christ our souls hath save't,  
Fie on merits and works of man,  
give Christ the praise, for he should have it.   

All Praise to God our King therefore:  
Which King us bring, to reign and sing,  
with him in his eternal glore.    
FINIS.