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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 | The poems of George Daniel |  |
205
Vpon an excellent Treatise Written by T: B: D: M: called Religio Medici
I have not seen, (let me speake modestlie,)
A finer Peice of Ingenuitie,
Then in these Leaves laide out. When I survay
This Bodie, I am rapt, and loose my way
With wonder and Delight; soe caught, soe tyed
I have noe Power to Change, to looke aside.
For who can fixe vpon a vulgar Face
To such a beautie? whose abundant Grace
Strikes each Beholder. In such Similies
Wee humor Sence, and raise but Fantasies.
A finer Peice of Ingenuitie,
Then in these Leaves laide out. When I survay
This Bodie, I am rapt, and loose my way
With wonder and Delight; soe caught, soe tyed
I have noe Power to Change, to looke aside.
For who can fixe vpon a vulgar Face
To such a beautie? whose abundant Grace
Strikes each Beholder. In such Similies
Wee humor Sence, and raise but Fantasies.
I now decline 'em here, and would not fill
This Page with varnish of a trifling Qvill;
But give a cleare round Sence; for 'twer in Mee
An Error sure (almost Impietye)
To be reserved; and that I may not blanch
My owne Conceptions (though with Ignorance
Perhaps Enough) take it in Short: I find
The livelie Image of a free-borne mind
Speake, in a Stile soe Cleare, a Sence soe full,
I hardlie know an Equall; nothing Dull,
But with a Spirrit, the same still; though in All
I cannot ioyne; but to the rationall
Exception, as each Genius intends
A severall way, and vnto severall Ends;
Let me but varie, to my owne, as hee
To his owne Reason bends, (and certainlie
Hee limitts noe man) and I cannot fall
For Distances in Some, to leave in All
This Authour; whom I honour much, and prise
His generous Attempt; who would make wise
Deluded Men, and from Infirmitie,
Erect a Structure of Abilitie.
This Page with varnish of a trifling Qvill;
But give a cleare round Sence; for 'twer in Mee
An Error sure (almost Impietye)
To be reserved; and that I may not blanch
My owne Conceptions (though with Ignorance
Perhaps Enough) take it in Short: I find
The livelie Image of a free-borne mind
206
I hardlie know an Equall; nothing Dull,
But with a Spirrit, the same still; though in All
I cannot ioyne; but to the rationall
Exception, as each Genius intends
A severall way, and vnto severall Ends;
Let me but varie, to my owne, as hee
To his owne Reason bends, (and certainlie
Hee limitts noe man) and I cannot fall
For Distances in Some, to leave in All
This Authour; whom I honour much, and prise
His generous Attempt; who would make wise
Deluded Men, and from Infirmitie,
Erect a Structure of Abilitie.
Who sees his wants is wise; Hee more, who can
Supplye his owne, and bring a Stocke to man;
Man-generall; from whence in full repaires
A Strong-built Edifice, Each man appears.
Supplye his owne, and bring a Stocke to man;
Man-generall; from whence in full repaires
A Strong-built Edifice, Each man appears.
These are the Fruits of his industrious Pen;
T' vnvaile himselfe and informe other men;
Soe naturallie plaine, so simply cleare,
I know him by his Booke, as were Hee here;
For it must bee Himselfe; and 'tis Enough
Reading this Booke, the Man himselfe to know;
To which great Character, what Man dares thinke
(Fondlie Audacious) to adde with Inke?
Hee is above the vanitie of Praise;
And what wee adde, below him manie waies.
T' vnvaile himselfe and informe other men;
Soe naturallie plaine, so simply cleare,
I know him by his Booke, as were Hee here;
For it must bee Himselfe; and 'tis Enough
Reading this Booke, the Man himselfe to know;
To which great Character, what Man dares thinke
(Fondlie Audacious) to adde with Inke?
Hee is above the vanitie of Praise;
And what wee adde, below him manie waies.
207
I know he has a Mind soe free, soe full,
Hee onlie writes Himselfe, and would not pull
Any of Force to follow in the Tracke
Hee paceth out; nor keeps Hee any backe;
But Each may move within his proper Sphere,
And bee with Him as free as Hee is here
With all the World. Then with enlargéd Minds,
Receive a worthie Gvest; but my Sence binds
Onlie my Selfe; and I should preiudice
You, (Equall Readers); all Capacities
May (to their Strengths) Iudge others witt; and none
Is limited by my Opinion,
Or by the Square I move by: I am free
To Truth, to Honour, and to Industrie;
And what I raise, is not to bring my owne
Name, as a Second or Intruder, on
Fame's Theatre; and more securelie sitt
Vnder the Pent-house of another's witt.
Hee onlie writes Himselfe, and would not pull
Any of Force to follow in the Tracke
Hee paceth out; nor keeps Hee any backe;
But Each may move within his proper Sphere,
And bee with Him as free as Hee is here
With all the World. Then with enlargéd Minds,
Receive a worthie Gvest; but my Sence binds
Onlie my Selfe; and I should preiudice
You, (Equall Readers); all Capacities
May (to their Strengths) Iudge others witt; and none
Is limited by my Opinion,
Or by the Square I move by: I am free
To Truth, to Honour, and to Industrie;
And what I raise, is not to bring my owne
Name, as a Second or Intruder, on
Fame's Theatre; and more securelie sitt
Vnder the Pent-house of another's witt.
I have noe End, noe Ayme, beyond the free
Acknowledgment, how it hath taken Mee.
And all I thinke on, is but what to Say
To such a Freind as I can never pay.
It is beyond my Stocke, and all I can
Alledge Excuse, is, I'me but a poor Man.
Is is Enough, I know, for that hee'le spare me;
I have it vnder's Hand within to cleare me.
'Tis time I make an End; Each, as he list
Pursue his Thoughts, and wander, in the mist
Of his Affections; I am pleased to looke
At men, in the cleare Mirror of this Booke.
Acknowledgment, how it hath taken Mee.
And all I thinke on, is but what to Say
To such a Freind as I can never pay.
It is beyond my Stocke, and all I can
Alledge Excuse, is, I'me but a poor Man.
Is is Enough, I know, for that hee'le spare me;
I have it vnder's Hand within to cleare me.
'Tis time I make an End; Each, as he list
Pursue his Thoughts, and wander, in the mist
208
At men, in the cleare Mirror of this Booke.
Augusti 1o Die: 1646.
| The poems of George Daniel | |