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23. On the Alchymist.
The patient Alchymist, whose vaine desire,By Art, is to dissemble natures Fyre,
Imployes his labour, to transmute the old,
And baser substance into perfect Gold:
He laughs at unbeleevers, scornes and flouts
Illiterate Counsell; neither cares, nor doubts:
122
Hee's brought most poore, in seeking to be rich:
Such is the Civill man; that by his even
And levell actions hopes to merit Heaven;
He thinks, by help of Nature, to acquire,
At least to counterfeit the Sacred Fire
Of saving Grace, to purge and to refresh
His base desires, and change his stone, to flesh:
He spurnes at Counsell; He derides and ierks
Those whining Spirits that renounce their works;
Till, too much trusting to their doing well,
In seeking Heav'n, they find the flames of Hell.
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