VANITY. THE fleet Astronomer can bore And thread the spheres with his quick-piercing mind: To make a purchase there he sees their dances Both their full-eyed aspects, and secret glances. The nimble Diver with his side Cuts through the working waves, that he may fetch On purpose from the venturous wretch; Her own destruction and his danger wears. The subtle Chymic can divest And strip the creature naked, till he find There he imparts to them his mind, To ordinary suitors at the door. What hath not man sought out and found, But his dear God? who yet his glorious law Embosoms in us, mellowing the ground With showers and frosts, with love and awe; So that we need not say, Where's this command? Poor man thou searchest round To find out death, but missest life at hand. LENT. WELCOME, dear feast of Lent: who loves not thee, He loves not Temperance, or Authority, But is composed of passion. The Scriptures bid us fast; the Church says, Now: The humble soul, composed of love and fear, He says, In things which use hath justly got, True Christians should be glad of an occasion Unless Authority, which should increase Besides the cleanness of sweet abstinence, Whereas in fulness there are sluttish fumes, Then those same pendent profits, which the spring And Easter intimate, enlarge the thing, And goodness of the deed. Neither ought other men's abuse of Lent 'Tis true, we cannot reach Christ's fortieth day; We cannot reach our Saviour's purity; Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone, Perhaps my God, though he be far before, Yet, Lord, instruct us to improve our fast That every man may revel at his door, VIRTUE. SWEET Day, so cool, so calm, so bright, For thou must die. Sweet Rose, whose hue angry and brave Thy root is ever in its grave, And thou must die. Sweet Spring, full of sweet days and roses, My Music shows ye Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like season'd timber, never gives ; But though the whole world turn to coal, THE PEARL. MATT. XIII. I KNOW the ways of Learning; both the head Yet I love thee. I know the ways of Honour, what maintains In vies of favours whether party gains, I know the ways of Pleasure, the sweet strains, The propositions of hot blood and brains; What mirth and music mean; what love and wit I know the projects of unbridled store : I know all these, and have them in my hand: Both the main sale, and the commodities; To climb to thee. |