M

LI. AVARICE.

ONEY, thou bane of blifs, and fource of woe,
Whence comeft thou, that thou art fo fresh

and fine?

I know thy parentage is base and low : Man found thee poor and dirty in a mine.

Sure thou didft fo little contribute

To this great kingdom, which thou now haft got, That he was fain, when thou waft deftitute, To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.

Then forcing thee, by fire he made thee bright:
Nay, thou haft got the face of man; for we
Have with our stamp and seal transferr❜d our right:
Thou art the man, and man but drofs to thee.

Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich; And while he digs out thee, falls in the ditch.

HOW the

OW well her name an ARMY doth prefent,

In whom the LORD OF HOSTS did pitch his tent!

LIII. TO ALL ANGELS AND SAINTS.

Og importh face of God, without a frown,

H glorious fpirits, who after all your bands

Or ftrict commands;

Where every one is king, and hath his crown,
If not upon his head, yet in his hands:

Not out of envy or maliciousness
Do I forbear to crave your special aid.
I would addrefs

My vows to thee moft gladly, blessed Maid,
And Mother of my God, in my diftrefs:

Thou art the holy mine, whence came the gold,
The great restorative for all decay

In young and old;
Thou art the cabinet where the jewel lay:
Chiefly to thee would I my foul unfold.

But now, alas! I dare not; for our King,
Whom we do all jointly adore and praise,
Bids no fuch thing:

And where his pleasure no injunction lays,
('Tis your own case) ye never move a wing.

All worship is prerogative, and a flower
Of his rich crown, from whom lies no appeal
At the laft hour:

Therefore we dare not from his garland steal,
To make a pofy for inferior

power.

Although then others court you, if ye know

What's done on earth, we shall not fare the worse,
Who do not fo;

Since we are ever ready to disburse,
If any one our Master's hand can show.

LIV. EMPLOYMENT.

E that is weary, let him fit.
My foul would stir

And trade in courtefies and wit,
Quitting the fur,

To cold complexions needing it.

Man is no ftar, but a quick coal
Of mortal fire:

Who blows it not, nor doth control
A faint defire,

Lets his own ashes choke his foul.

When the elements did for place contest
With him, whose will

Ordain'd the highest to be best:

The earth fat still,

And by the others is opprest.

Life is a business, not good cheer;

Ever in wars.

The fun ftill fhineth there or here,

Whereas the stars

Watch an advantage to appear.

Oh that I were an Orange-tree,

That bufy plant!

Then fhould I ever laden be,

And never want

Some fruit for him that dreffeth me.

But we are still too young or old;

The man is gone,

Then was my heart broken, as was my verse; My breast was full of fears

Both knees and heart, in crying night and day, Come, come, my God, O come,

But no hearing.

O thou that shouldst give dust a tongue
Το cry to thee,

And then not hear it crying! all day long
My heart was in my knee,
But no hearing.

Therefore my foul lay out of fight,
Untuned, unftrung:

My feeble spirit, unable to look right,
Like a nipt bloffom, hung
Discontented,

O cheer and tune my heartless breast,
Defer no time;

That so thy favours granting my request,
They and my mind may chime,

And mend my rhyme.

A

LVI. CHRISTMAS.

LL after pleasures as I rid one day,

My horfe and I, both tired, body and mind,

With full cry of affections, quite aftray;

I took up in the next inn I could find.

There when I came, whom found I but my dear,
My dearest Lord, expecting till the grief
Of pleasures brought me to him, ready there
To be all paffengers' moft fweet relief?