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Divine Fancies

Digested into Epigrammes, Meditations, and Observations. By Fra: Quarles
  
  
  

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18. On the life of Man.

Ovr Life's the Modell of a Winters Day;
Our Soule's the Sun, whose faint and feeble Ray
Gives our Earth light; a light but weak, at strongest,
But low, at highest; very short, at longest:
The childish Teares, that from our eyes doe passe,
Is like the Dew that pearls the morning grasse:
When as our Sun is but an hower high,
We goe to Schoole, to learne; are whip't, and cry:
We truant up and downe; we make a spoyle
Of precious Time, and sport in our owne Toyle:

11

Our Bed's the quiet Graue; wherein we lay
Our weary Bodyes, tyred with the Day:
The early Trumpet, like the Morning Bell,
Calls to account; where they that have learnd well
Shall find Reward; And such as have mis-spent
Their Time, shall reape an earned punishment:
No wonder, then, to see the Sluggards eyes,
So loath to goe to Bed; so loth to rise.