University of Virginia Library

A Rash Man.

Is like a Ship mis-guided on a Shelf:
Un-naturally Out-law'd by Himself;
He's Reason's Renegado; one with whom
The word Consider, is too troublesome:
That doth obey his Passion and Affection;
Whose Cogitation, is the Childe of Action;
He Loves, and Hates, but is too quick in Both,
Accounting Contemplation, a cold Sloth:
He Doth, and then Disputes, he is a Man
Milde as a Brook, Wilde as an Ocean:
Fierce as a Lion, Loving as a Lamb;
In whom the least proportion (that a Dram
Conteins) of Choller, shall beget more spoil,
Than Flame and Flax (incorporate with Oyl)
Makes in a Magazine, that is oblig'd
To the Destruction of a Town besieg'd;
He's Folly's Fire, and fickle Fortune's Frantick,
Passion's Petar, Love's Blast, and Angers Antick:
His Brain is Flint, Heart Steel, his wilde Desire
Is Tindar: he that Crosses him, strikes Fire:
With all his Undertakings he goes on,
At the same Minute they are thought upon,
He sayes, Consideration is a Crime
Fetter'd with Lazinesse, it loseth Time;
And therefore (like a forward Man) will be
Always before his Opportunity;
But by that kinde of Care, he findes the Fate
That coming Early onely, makes him Late:
Men of profundity, that dare own VVit,
Know it is two things, to be First, and Fit
In some Imployments; He whose sad Condition
Upon the Scaffold, doth attend Remission;
May in the Book of his reviving Fate,
Record in Gold, that Time he stay'd so late;
Then to be First in some such Enterprize,
Is Ruine, by the Rule of Contraries:
So are a Rash Man's Actions, that refuse
All Counsel, but what Will, and Passion chuse:
He thinks that Temperance, and Patience,
Are onely Words, that want Intelligence:
And where he sees their pure Effects arise,
He calls it Idlenesse, and Cowardise:
His Ear is open, as his Hand is quick,
To any Sycophant, that comes to pick
Thanks, for some ill-brought News, which (in his Fury)
He Credits more than ever Judge did Jury:
Another Mad-man's Challenge hath the power,
To call him (at a Sacramental hower)
From the high Altar, when the pious Priest
Communicates the holy Eucharist:
With him, no Season is unfit to Fight,
By Day, or Night; Moon-shine, or Candle-light;
Delay (he doubts) in such a Case as this,
Concludes him Coward, So indeed He is:
For perfect valour, rightly understood,
Submits not to the Ebbing or the Floud
Of a hot Gall, but wisely dares advance
His towring head, invest with Temperance;
At such a season, when the Deed alone
Shall be both Act and Vindication;
And cannot need that Penitence upon it
The tother has; I would I had not done it,
Pray pardon me, Let my Repentance wash
The thought on't from you, I was much too rash;
Ile make amends; And such tame words as wou'd
Cause a cold Winter in the flowing Bloud
Of a high heart; but 'tis an equal Sentence,
That sudden Rashness should meet swift Repentance:
For, commonly, to him he doth out-brave
This Day, to morrow he becomes a Slave:
He is a wilde, head-strong, unbroken Colt,
A Wise man's Warning-piece, and the Fools Bolt;
The Coward's onely Terrour, Natures Bubble;
The Mad man's Disputant, the Milde man's Trouble;
The Drunkard's Ape, the Virgins Over-throw;
The Devil's dearest Friend, and his own Foe.
But, now I think on't, how shall all my Wit
Secure me, should he Reade what I have Writ?
Ile ask his Pardon, and Ile vow withall,
When I write next to mak him Rash-on-all.