The poems of George Daniel ... From the original mss. in the British Museum: Hitherto unprinted. Edited, with introduction, notes, and illustrations, portrait, &c. By the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart: In four volumes |
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 | Chap. xxi. The poems of George Daniel |  |
XXI. Chap. xxi.
Hast thou beene thralléd to the bonds of Sin?
Quit thy Captivities; serve not agin
Soe hard a Bondage, but repent in Time
Which was mispent, that for thy former Crime
Thou maiest remitted be; fly, fly away
From Sin, as from a Serpent; if thou stay
Too neare, it will devoure thee as the Iawes
Of hungry Lyons, prompted by their Mawes;
Such are the Tooth of Sin, strong to devour
The Soules of Men, with an insatiate woure.
Sin is a two-Edg'd Sword, which gives a wound
Mortall to Death, and cannot be made sound.
Contention is a Canker which doth wast
The greatest store. The haughty shall not last
For ever glorious; but the poore man's Praier
Shall have accesse to the Eternall Eare;
He shall avenge his cause. Who doth despise
Reproofe or Councell standeth in his dies;
But he whose Soule is season'd wth a feare
Of holy Things, his Conscience shall be cleare
And vpright ever. The proud Orator
And Subtle-Tongu'd Man, may be knowne a-farre
Vpon his Tiptoes; but the truly Wise
Sees when he falleth. He whose buildings rise
From others' ruines, laboureth as doth he
Who gathers stones his sepulture to be.
Quit thy Captivities; serve not agin
Soe hard a Bondage, but repent in Time
Which was mispent, that for thy former Crime
Thou maiest remitted be; fly, fly away
From Sin, as from a Serpent; if thou stay
Too neare, it will devoure thee as the Iawes
Of hungry Lyons, prompted by their Mawes;
Such are the Tooth of Sin, strong to devour
The Soules of Men, with an insatiate woure.
Sin is a two-Edg'd Sword, which gives a wound
Mortall to Death, and cannot be made sound.
Contention is a Canker which doth wast
The greatest store. The haughty shall not last
For ever glorious; but the poore man's Praier
Shall have accesse to the Eternall Eare;
He shall avenge his cause. Who doth despise
Reproofe or Councell standeth in his dies;
But he whose Soule is season'd wth a feare
Of holy Things, his Conscience shall be cleare
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And Subtle-Tongu'd Man, may be knowne a-farre
Vpon his Tiptoes; but the truly Wise
Sees when he falleth. He whose buildings rise
From others' ruines, laboureth as doth he
Who gathers stones his sepulture to be.
The Assembly of the wicked are as flax
Wrappéd together; and their End shall wax
As an vnquenchéd fire. How plaine, how smooth
Seemeth the way of Sinners, as he doth
Repair it! but, alas, 'twill not prevaile!
'Twas but Hypocrisie; the End is Hell,
Horror, & Torment. He can governe best
His Life & Manners, who doth only rest
To the Eternall Word; for holy feare
Encreaseth Wisedome. He can never beare
The yoke of Discipline who is not wise.
There is an vntaught Wisedome whence shall rise
The gall of Bitternes: but he shall be
The truly wise, encreast aboundantlye
In Knowledges like swelling Torrents; and
His Councells permanent shall ever stand,
Like a pure Spring of Life; as an vnsound
And Leakeing vessell shall the foole be found;
Ev'n to his heart, vncapable and weake
To apprehend the sayings wife men Speake.
Wrappéd together; and their End shall wax
As an vnquenchéd fire. How plaine, how smooth
Seemeth the way of Sinners, as he doth
Repair it! but, alas, 'twill not prevaile!
'Twas but Hypocrisie; the End is Hell,
Horror, & Torment. He can governe best
His Life & Manners, who doth only rest
To the Eternall Word; for holy feare
Encreaseth Wisedome. He can never beare
The yoke of Discipline who is not wise.
There is an vntaught Wisedome whence shall rise
The gall of Bitternes: but he shall be
The truly wise, encreast aboundantlye
In Knowledges like swelling Torrents; and
His Councells permanent shall ever stand,
Like a pure Spring of Life; as an vnsound
And Leakeing vessell shall the foole be found;
Ev'n to his heart, vncapable and weake
To apprehend the sayings wife men Speake.
A wise Man will allow another's word
Of Truth & wisedome; praise it, & afford
What ere he can t' encrease it; but the foole,
He values nought, detracts, and gives a Scoule,
In Scorne of Wisedome; he allowes nought good
But what he Spoke, & Noe Man vnderstood.
Of Truth & wisedome; praise it, & afford
What ere he can t' encrease it; but the foole,
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In Scorne of Wisedome; he allowes nought good
But what he Spoke, & Noe Man vnderstood.
How tedious is the Tongue of Ignorance,
And hard to bear! but there is Excellence
In what the wise man vtters; how intent
The People are! how throng they to frequent
The place where he shall Speake! & treasure all
He spoken has, that not a word shall fall.
As is a house laied in her Ruines low,
Wisedome vnto a foole is ev'n soe;
And what he knowes, (if he know ought at all)
He vtters without order, as 't shall fall.
And hard to bear! but there is Excellence
In what the wise man vtters; how intent
The People are! how throng they to frequent
The place where he shall Speake! & treasure all
He spoken has, that not a word shall fall.
As is a house laied in her Ruines low,
Wisedome vnto a foole is ev'n soe;
And what he knowes, (if he know ought at all)
He vtters without order, as 't shall fall.
As fetters to the feet, or stricter bonds,
Clapt furiously, & Ioynted to the hands,
Soe to a foole Instruction is; a foole
Will stretch his Lungs, & let his Passion roule
In the rude garbe of Laughter, when he Speaks;
But the Wise Man discoursing, hardly breaks
A Simile in Secret. Learning doth adorne
A wise Man more then all the Iewells worne
By Princes at a Tryvmph. The rash foot
Of folly presses in to Strangers, but
A wise man knowes to visit, and will be
Strict to his honour; the vntaught will see
At every Chink or Crannie to the house,
But the well educate will not doe thus.
Illiterate folly listens at the doore,
But the wise Man will scorne soe poore
An Act, foe worthles of him; he will be
Troubled to thinke of such Indignitye.
A forward tongue will please to vtter things
Impertinent, but (loe) the Wise Man brings
His words to purpose. In their Mouth the heart
Of fooles is ever, but a Wise Man's Art
Ioynes to heart his Mouth. Vngodly Men,
When they Curse Satan, vtter it agen
To their owne Soules. The Mouth of bitternes
And black detraction spitteth filthines
Vpon his owne Soule, lives Contemn'd by all,
And curséd to himselfe; But he who shall
Be slow to Speak, & of a perfect Mind,
Hee shall be praiséd; He shall honour find.
Clapt furiously, & Ioynted to the hands,
Soe to a foole Instruction is; a foole
Will stretch his Lungs, & let his Passion roule
In the rude garbe of Laughter, when he Speaks;
But the Wise Man discoursing, hardly breaks
A Simile in Secret. Learning doth adorne
A wise Man more then all the Iewells worne
By Princes at a Tryvmph. The rash foot
Of folly presses in to Strangers, but
A wise man knowes to visit, and will be
Strict to his honour; the vntaught will see
At every Chink or Crannie to the house,
But the well educate will not doe thus.
Illiterate folly listens at the doore,
But the wise Man will scorne soe poore
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Troubled to thinke of such Indignitye.
A forward tongue will please to vtter things
Impertinent, but (loe) the Wise Man brings
His words to purpose. In their Mouth the heart
Of fooles is ever, but a Wise Man's Art
Ioynes to heart his Mouth. Vngodly Men,
When they Curse Satan, vtter it agen
To their owne Soules. The Mouth of bitternes
And black detraction spitteth filthines
Vpon his owne Soule, lives Contemn'd by all,
And curséd to himselfe; But he who shall
Be slow to Speak, & of a perfect Mind,
Hee shall be praiséd; He shall honour find.
| Chap. xxi. The poems of George Daniel | |