A Collection of Emblemes Ancient and Moderne: Quickened VVith Metricall Illvstrations, both Morall and Divine: And disposed into Lotteries, That Instruction, and Good Counsell, may bee furthered by an Honest and Pleasant Recreation. By George Wither |
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 | A Collection of Emblemes |  |
69
Illvstr. VII.
[Ixions wheele, and he himselfe thereon]
By Guiltines, Death entred in,
And, Mischiefe still pursueth Sinne.
And, Mischiefe still pursueth Sinne.
Ixions
wheele, and he himselfe thereon
Is figur'd, and (by way of Emblem) here,
Set forth, for Guilty men to looke upon;
That, they, their wicked Courses might forbeare.
To gaine a lawlesse favour he desired,
And, in his wicked hopes beguiled was:
For, when to claspe with Iuno, he aspired,
In stead of her, a Clowd, he did embrace.
He, likewise, did incurre a dreadfull Doome,
(Which well befitted his presumptuous Crime)
A terror, and, a warning, to become,
For wicked men, through all succeeding time.
Is figur'd, and (by way of Emblem) here,
Set forth, for Guilty men to looke upon;
That, they, their wicked Courses might forbeare.
To gaine a lawlesse favour he desired,
And, in his wicked hopes beguiled was:
For, when to claspe with Iuno, he aspired,
In stead of her, a Clowd, he did embrace.
He, likewise, did incurre a dreadfull Doome,
(Which well befitted his presumptuous Crime)
A terror, and, a warning, to become,
For wicked men, through all succeeding time.
As did his longings, and his after Paine,
So, theirs affecteth, nor effecteth ought,
But, that, which proveth either false or vaine;
And, their false Pleasures, are as dearely, bought:
Yea, that, whereon they build their truest Hope,
May, bring them (in conclusion of the deed),
To clime the Gallowes, and to stretch a Rope;
Or, send them thither, where farre worse they speed:
Ev'n thither, where, the never-standing-Wheele
Of everlasting-Tortures, turneth round,
And, racks the Conscience, till the soule doth feele
All Paines, that are in Sense, and Reason found.
For, neither doth black Night, more swiftly follow,
Declining Day-light: Nor, with Nimbler Motion
Can waves, each other, downe their Channell follow,
From high-rais'd Mountaines, to the bigg-womb'd Ocean,
Then, Iustice will, when she doth once begin,
To prosecute, an Vnrepented-Sin.
So, theirs affecteth, nor effecteth ought,
But, that, which proveth either false or vaine;
And, their false Pleasures, are as dearely, bought:
Yea, that, whereon they build their truest Hope,
May, bring them (in conclusion of the deed),
To clime the Gallowes, and to stretch a Rope;
Or, send them thither, where farre worse they speed:
Ev'n thither, where, the never-standing-Wheele
Of everlasting-Tortures, turneth round,
And, racks the Conscience, till the soule doth feele
All Paines, that are in Sense, and Reason found.
For, neither doth black Night, more swiftly follow,
Declining Day-light: Nor, with Nimbler Motion
Can waves, each other, downe their Channell follow,
From high-rais'd Mountaines, to the bigg-womb'd Ocean,
Then, Iustice will, when she doth once begin,
To prosecute, an Vnrepented-Sin.
| A Collection of Emblemes | |