I am about my Act, my Strange Act, my Work, my Strange Work, that whosoever hears of it both his Ears shall tingle.

 

Chapter V.

The author's strange and lofty carriage towards great ones, and his most lowly carriage towards beggars, rogues and gypsies, together with a large declaration what glory shall rise up from under all this ashes. The most strange, secret, terrible, yet most glorious design of God in choosing base things to confounds things that are, and how a most terrible vial poured out upon the well-favour'd harlot,and how the Lord is bringing into contempt not only honourable persons with a vengeance, but all honourable, holy things also. Wholesome advice, with a terrible threat to the Formalists. How base things have been a fiery chariot to mount the author up into divine glory &c. And how his wife is and his life is in that beauty which makes all visible beauty seem mere deformity.

1.

And because I am found of those that sought me not
and because some say

wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us
that thou dost so?

wherefore waving my charging so many coaches
so many hundreds of men and women of the greater rank
in the open streets
with my hand stretched out
my hat cock'd up
staring on them as if I would look through them
gnashing with my teeth at some of them
and day and night
with a huge loud voice 
proclaiming the day of the Lord throughout London and Southwark
and leaving divers other exploits
&c

it is my good will and pleasure

(only)

to single out the former story
with its parallels

2.

(viz)

in clipping 
hugging
embracing
kissing
a poor deformed wretch in London
who had no more nose on his face
than I have on the back of my hand

(but only two little holes
in the place where the nose use to stand)

and no more eyes to be seen
than on the back of my hand

and afterwards
running back to him in a strange manner
with my money 
giving it to him
to the joy of some
to the affrightment 
and wonderment
of other spectators

3.

As also in falling down
flat upon the ground
before rogues
beggars
cripples
halt
maimed
blind
&c
kissing 
the feet of many
rising up again
and giving them money

&c

besides that notorious business
with the gypsies and gaolbirds

(mine own brethren and sisters
flesh of my flesh
and as good as the greatest lord in England)
at the prison in Southwark
near St George's church

now that which rises up
from under this heap of ashes
will fire both heaven and earth
the one's ashamed and blushes already
the other reels to and fro
like a drunken man

4.

Wherefore
thus saith the Lord

hear o heavens
and hearken o earth
I'll overturn
overturn
overturn
I am now astining
the pride of all glory
and bringing into contempt
all the honourable of the earth

Esa. 23.9

not only honourable persons

(who shall come down with a vengeance
if they bow not to universal love
the eternal God
whose service is perfect freedom)

but honourable things
as elderships
pastorships
fellowships
churches
ordinances
prayers
&c
holinesses
righteousnesses
religions of all sorts
of the highest strains
yea
mysterians and spiritualists
who scorn carnal ordinances
etc

I am about my act
my strange act
my work
my strange work
that whosoever hears of it
both his ears shall tingle

5.

I am confounding
plaguing
tormenting
nice
demure
barren Mical
with David's unseemly carriage
by skipping
leaping
dancing
like one of the fools
vile
base fellows
shamelessly
basely
and uncovered too
before handmaids

which thing
was St Paul's tutor
or else it prompted him to write
Gof has chosen BASE things
and things that are despised
to confound

the things
are

well!
family duties are no base things
they are things that ARE

churches
ordinances
&c
are no BASE things
though indeed 
Presbyterian churches 
begun to live i'th' womb
but died there
and rot and stink there
to the death of the mother and child
amen

not by the Devil
but

(by God)

it's true

grace before meat and after meat
are no BASE things
there are things that ARE
but how long
Lord
holy and true
&c

fasting for strife and debate
and to smite with the fist of wickedness

(and not for taking off heavy burdens
breaking every yoke
Esa. 58)

and thanksgiving days
for killing of men for money
are no BASE things
these are things that ARE

☛ starting
up into the notion of spirituals scorning history
speaking nothing but mystery
crying down carnal ordinances
&c
is a fine thing among many
it's no base thing

(nowadays)

though it be a cloak for covetousness
yea, though it be to maintain pride and pomp
these are no base things

6.

these are things that ARE
and must be confounded 
by BASE things
which St Paul saith not God connived at
winked at
permitted
tolerated
but God has CHOSEN
&c
BASE things

what base things?

why Mical took David for a base fellow
and thought he had chosen BASE things
in dancing shamelessly uncovered before handmaids

and barren
demure Mical thinks

(for I know her heart
saith the Lord)

that I chose base things
when I sat down
and eat and drank
around on the ground
with Gypsies
and clip't
hug'd
and 
kiss'd
them
putting my hand in their bosoms
loving the she-Gypsies dearly

o base
saith mincing Mical
the least spark of modesty
would be as red as crimson or scarlet
to hear this

I warrant me Mical could better have borne this
if I had done it to ladies
so I can for a need
if it be my will
and that in the height of honour and majesty
without sin
but at that time
when I was hugging the Gypsies
I abhorred the thoughts of ladies
their beauty could not bewitch mine eyes
or snare my lips
or entangle my hands in their bosoms

yet I can
if it be my will
kiss and hug ladies
and love my neighbour's wife 
as myself
without sin

7.

But thou Prescian
by what name or title
soever dignified
or distinguished
do but blow a kiss
to thy neighbour's wife 
or dare to think of darting one glance
of one of thine eyes
towards her
if thou dar'st
it's meat and drink to an angel

(who knows none evil
no sin)

to swear a full mouth'd oath

Rev. 10.6

it's joy to Nehemiah
to come in like a mad man
and pluck folk's hair off their heads
and curse like a devil

and make them swear by God

Nehem. 13

do thou
o holy man

(who knows evil)

lift up thy finger
against a Jew
a church member
call thy brother fool
and with a pea's cod on him
or swear 
I saith
if thou dar'st
if thou dost
thou shalt howl in hell for it
and I will laugh at thy calamity
&c

8.

But once more hear
o heavens
hearken
o earth

thus saith
the Lord

I have chosen
such base things
to confound things that are
that the ears of those

(who scorn to be below Independents
yea, the ears of many who scorn to be
so low as carnal ordinances
&c)

that hear thereof
shall tingle

9.

Hear one word more

(whom it hitteth
it hits)

give over thy base nasty 
stinking
formal grace before meat
and after meat

(I call it so
though thou hast rebaptised it)

give over
thy stinking family duties
and thy gospel ordinances
as thou calls them
for under them all there lies
snapping
snarling
biting
besides covetousness
horrid hypocrisy
envy
malice
evil surmising

10.

Give over
give over
or if nothing else will do it
I'll at a time
when thou least of all thinks of it
make thine own child 
the fruit of thy loins
in whom thy soul delighted
lie with a whore
before thine eyes

that
that plaguey holiness and righteousness of thine
might be confounded by that base thing
and thou be plagued back again into thy mother's womb
the womb of eternity
that thou may become a little child
and let the Mother Eternity
Almightiness
who is Universal Love
and whose service is perfect freedom
dress thee and undress thee
swaddle, unswaddle 
bind, loose
lay thee down
take thee up
&c

and to such a little child
undressing is as good as dressing
foul clothes as good as fair clothes

he knows no evil
&c
and shall see evil no more

but he must first lose all his righteousness
every bit of his holiness
and every crumb of his religion
and be plagued
and confounded

(by base things)

into
nothing

by base things which God and I have chosen

11.

And yet I show you a more excellent way
when you have past this

in a word
my plaguey
filthy
nasty holiness
has been confounded 
by base things

and then

(I behold
I show you a mystery
and put forth a riddle to you)

by base things
base things so-called
have been confounded also
and thereby have I been confounded
into eternal majesty
unspeakable glory
my life
myself

12.

There's my riddle
but because neither all the lords of the Philistines
no, nor my Delilah herself can read it
I'll read it myself
I'll

(only)

hint it thus

kisses are numbered amongst transgressors

base things

well!
by base hellish swearing
and cursing

(as I have accounted it
in the time of my fleshly holiness)

and by base impudent kisses

(as I then accounted them)

my plaguey holiness
has been confounded
and thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone

and then again
by wanton kisses
kissing hath been confounded
and external kisses
have been made the fiery chariots
to mount me swiftly into the bosom of him
whom my soul loves

(his excellent majesty
the king of glory)

where I have been
where I have been
where I have been
hug'd
embraced
and kiss'd of his mouth
whose loves are better than wine
and have been utterly overcome
therewith
beyond expression
beyond admiration

13.

Again
lust is numbered amongst transgressors

a base thing

now fair objects attract spectators' eyes
and beauty is the father of lust or love

well!
I have gone along the streets
impregnant with that child

(lust)

which a particular beauty had begot
but coming to the place
where I expected to have been delivered
I have providentially met there
a company of devils in appearance,
though angels with golden vials in reality
pouring out full vials
of such odious, abominable words
that are not lawful to be uttered
words enough to deafen the ears
of plaguey holiness
and such horrid, abominable actions
the sight whereof
were enough to put out holy man's eyes
and to strike him stark dead
&c

these base things

(I say)

words and actions
have confounded and plagued to death
the child in the womb
that I was so big of

14.

And by
and through these
BASE things

(as upon the wings
of the wind)

have I been carried up
into the arms of my love
which is invisible glory
eternal majesty
purity itself
unspotted beauty
even that beauty 
which makes all other beauty
but mere ugliness
when set against it
&c

yea, could you imagine
that the quintessence of all visible beauty
should be extracted and made up into one huge beauty
it would appear to be mere deformity to that beauty
which through BASE things I have been lifted up into

which transcendent
unspeakable
unspotted beauty
is my crown and joy
my life and love
and though I have chosen
and cannot be without BASE things
to confound some in mercy
some in judgement
though also I have concubines
without number
which I cannot be without
yet this is my spouse
my love
my dove
my fair one

now I proceed to that which follows