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A book for boys and girls

or, Country Rhimes for Children. By J. B. [John Bunyan]
Bunyan, John (1628-1688)

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[section]
  
TO THE READER.
 I. 
I. Upon the Ten Commandments.
 II. 
II The awakened Childs Lamentation.
 III. 
III Meditations upon an Egg.
 IV. 
IV. Upon the Lord's Prayer.
 V. 
V Meditation upon Peep of day.
 VI. 
VI. Upon the Flint in the Water.
 VII. 
VII. Upon the Fish in the Water.
 VIII. 
VIII. Upon the Swallow.
 IX. 
IX. Upon the Bee.
 X. 
X. Upon the Creed.
 XI. 
XI. Upon a low'ring Morning.
 XII. 
XII. Upon over-much Niceness.
 XII. 
XII. Meditations upon the Candle.
 XIV. 
XIV. Upon the Sacraments.
 XV. 
XV. Upon the Suns Reflection upon the Clouds in a fair Morning.
 XVI. 
XVI. Upon Apparel.
 XVII. 
XVII. The Sinner and the Spider.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. Meditatiens upon day before Sun-rising,
 XIX. 
XIX. Of the Mole in the Ground.
 XX. 
XX. Of the Cuckow.
 XXI. 
XXI. Of the Boy and Butter-Fly.
expand sectionXXII. 
XXII. Of the Fly at the Candle.
expand sectionXXIII. 
XXIII. Upon the Lark and the Fowler
expand sectionXXIV. 
XXIV. Of the fatted Swine.
 XXV. 
XXV. On the rising of the Sun.
expand sectionXXVI. 
XXVI. Upon the promising Fruitfulness of a Tree.
expand sectionXXVII. 
XXVII. On the Post-boy.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. Upon the Horse in the Mill.
expand sectionXXIX. 
XXIX. Upon a Ring of Bells.
 XXX. 
XXX. Upon the Thief.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. Of the Child with the Bird at the Bush.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. Of Moses and his Wife.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. Upon the barren Fig-tree in God's Vineyard
 XXXIIII. 
XXXIIII. Of the Rose-bush.
expand sectionXXXV. 
XXXV. Of the going down of the Sun.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. Upon the Frog.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. Upon the whipping of a Top.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. Upon the Pismire.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. Upon the Beggar.
 XL. 
XL. Upon an Instrument of Musick in an unskilful Hand.
 XLI. 
XLI. Upon the Horse and his Rider.
 XLII. 
XLII. Upon the Sight of a Pound of Candles falling to the Ground.
expand sectionXLIII. 
XLIII. Of Fowls flying in the Air.
 XLIV. 
XLIV. Upon a Penny Loaf.
 XLV. 
XLV. Upon the Vine-tree.
expand sectionXLVI. 
XLVI. The Boy and Watch-maker.
 XLVII. 
XLVII. Upon the Boy and his Paper of Plumbs.
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII. Upon a Looking-glass.
 XLIX. 
XLIX. Upon a Lanthorn.
 L. 
L. Of the Love of Christ.
 LI. 
LI. Of the Horse and Drum.
 LII. 
LII. On the Kackling of a Hen.
 LIII. 
LIII. Upon an Hour-Glass.
 LIV. 
LIV. Upon the Chalk-stone.
 LV. 
LV. Upon a Stinking Breath.
 LVI. 
LVI. Upon Death.
 LVII. 
LVII. Upon the Snail.
 LVIII. 
LVIII. Of the Spouse of Christ.
 LIX. 
LIX. Upon a Skilful Player on an Instrument.
 LX. 
LX. Upon Fly-blows.
 LXI. 
LXI. Of Man by Nature
expand sectionLXII. 
LXII. Of Physick.
 LXIII. 
LXIII. Upon a Pair of Spectacles.
 LXIV. 
LXIV. Upon our being so afraid of small Creatures.
 LXV. 
LXV. Upon our being afraid of the Apparition of Evil Spirits.
 LXVI. 
LXVI. Upon the Disobedient Child.
 LXVII. 
LXVII. Upon the Boy on his Hobby-horse.
 LXVIII. 
LXVIII Upon the Image in the Eye.
 LXIX. 
LXIX. Upon the Weather cock.
expand sectionLXX. 
LXX. Upon a Sheet of white Paper.
 LXXI. 
LXXI. Upon the Boy dull at his Book.
 LXXII. 
LXXII. Upon Time and Eternity.
 LXXIII. 
LXXIII. Upon Fire.
 LXXIV. 
LXXIV. Of Beauty.

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XXXIIII. Of the Rose-bush.

This homely Bush doth to mine eyes expose,
A very fair, yea comely, ruddy, Rose.
This Rose doth also bow its head to me,
Saying, come, pluck me, I thy Rose will be.
Yet offer I to gather Rose or Bud,
Ten to one but the Bush will have my Blood.
This looks like a Trappan, or a Decoy,
To offer, and yet snap who would enjoy.
Yea, the more eager on't, the more in danger,
Be he the Master of it, or a Stranger.
Bush, why dost bear a Rose? If none must have it,
Why dost expose it, yet claw those that crave it?
45

Art become freakish? Dost the Wanton play,
Or doth thy testy humour tend this way?

Comparison.

This Rose God's Son is, with his ruddy Looks.
But what's the Bush? Whose pricks, like Tenterhooks,
Do scratch and claw the finest Ladies hands,
Or rent her Cloths, if she too near it stands.
This Bush an Emblem is of Adam's race
Of which Christ came, when he his Father's Grace
Commended to us in his crimson Blood,
While he in Sinners stead and Nature stood.
Thus Adam's Race did bear this dainty Rose,
And doth the same to Adam's Race expose:
But those of Adam's Race which at it catch,
Adam's Race will them prick and claw and scratch.
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