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Emblems Divine, Moral, Natural and Historical

Expressed in Sculpture, and Applied to the several Ages, Occasions, and Conditions of the Life of Man. By a person of Quality

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EMBLEM XVII. The World's Vanity.
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33

EMBLEM XVII. The World's Vanity.

To the Temperate.
Enter not into the path of the wicked. prov: 4. 14
Heraclitus sits weeping: well he may;
Considering how poor mortals day by day
Fresh miseries encounter, till at last,
Worn out with woes, they off this stage are cast.
Democritus on th'other side laughs loud,
To think that men should be so vain and proud,
To heap up riches for their infant-elves,
Which oftentimes do die before themselves.
Who may not with the first of these bewail
Those horrid crimes which everywhere prevail,
Which oft-times do procure some sad event
Whereof the actors may too late repent?
Excess and riot body hurt, we finde;
Rancour and malice do disturb the minde:
All sins upon the conscience leave a stain,
Which flouds of tears can scarce wash off again.
Who may not likewise with the second laugh,
To see how men to day carouse and quaff,
Not thinking how that death, or pain, or sorrow,
May seize on them to night, before to-morrow?
Many are dead, were yesterday alive;
Many decay'd, that yesterday did thrive;
Many are sick, that yesterday were well;
Many then here on earth, are now in hell.