Solomon's recantation Intituled Ecclesiastes, paraphras'd. With A Soliloquy or Meditation Upon Every Chapter. By Francis Quarles |
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| I. |
| I. |
SOLILOQUY I.
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| II. |
| II. |
| III. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XII. |
 | CHAP. I. Solomon's recantation |  |
SOLILOQUY I.
How are the vain Desires of Flesh and Blood
Befoold in that mistaken thing call'd good!
How Travel seeks it! how unwearied Hearts
Make it the Object both of Arms and Arts!
How many certain obvious Ills attend
The Way to this uncertain Journeys End!
We tire the Night in Thought, the Day in Toyl,
Spare neither Sweat nor lucubrated Oil,
To seek the thing we cannot find; or found,
We cannot hold; or held, we cannot ground
So firm, as to resist the various Swings
Of fickle Fortune, or the Frowns of Kings.
Befoold in that mistaken thing call'd good!
How Travel seeks it! how unwearied Hearts
Make it the Object both of Arms and Arts!
How many certain obvious Ills attend
The Way to this uncertain Journeys End!
We tire the Night in Thought, the Day in Toyl,
Spare neither Sweat nor lucubrated Oil,
To seek the thing we cannot find; or found,
We cannot hold; or held, we cannot ground
So firm, as to resist the various Swings
Of fickle Fortune, or the Frowns of Kings.
Poor fruitless Labours of deluded Man!
How vainly are ye spent? How short a Span
Of seeming Pleasure serves ye to requite
Long Leagues of Travel? For one Drop's Delight
Of airy Froth, how are ye forc'd to borrow
Strong Gales of Hope, to sail through Seas of Sorrow?
How vainly are ye spent? How short a Span
Of seeming Pleasure serves ye to requite
Long Leagues of Travel? For one Drop's Delight
Of airy Froth, how are ye forc'd to borrow
Strong Gales of Hope, to sail through Seas of Sorrow?
6
Why do we thus afflict our lab'ring Souls
With Dregs of Wormwood, and carouse full Bowls
Of boyling Anguish? To what hopeful End
Droyl we our crazy Bodies, and expend
Our sorrow-wasted Spirits, to acquire
A Good, not worth a Breath of our Desire?
A Good, whose fulsome Sweetness clogs and cloys
The Soul, but neither lasts nor satisfies:
How poor an Object pleases! And how soon
That Pleasure finds an End! How quickly Noon!
How quickly Night! And what to day we prize
Above our Souls, to morrow we despise
Beneath a Trifle: What in former Times
We own'd as Virtue, now we tax as Crimes.
With Dregs of Wormwood, and carouse full Bowls
Of boyling Anguish? To what hopeful End
Droyl we our crazy Bodies, and expend
Our sorrow-wasted Spirits, to acquire
A Good, not worth a Breath of our Desire?
A Good, whose fulsome Sweetness clogs and cloys
The Soul, but neither lasts nor satisfies:
How poor an Object pleases! And how soon
That Pleasure finds an End! How quickly Noon!
How quickly Night! And what to day we prize
Above our Souls, to morrow we despise
Beneath a Trifle: What in former Times
We own'd as Virtue, now we tax as Crimes.
What is this World, but e'en a great Exchange
Of dear bought Penn'worths, all compos'd of Change?
Where frothy Honour may be bought and sold
With Heart-corrupting, Eye-beguiling Gold:
Where sullen Wealth, and Friend-betraying Treasure
May pass in Barter for repented Pleasure:
Where painted Sweetness (though a Grain too light)
Shall buy a Lord's Estate for one poor Night:
Where unstain'd Beauties Youth shall buy an old
Breath-tainted Churl, diseas'd with Gout and Gold:
Where Birth-rights, Blessings, nay and Souls to boot
(And yet not deem'd a Penn'worth under foot)
Shall pass for fond Delights: Where very Names
Without an Alias, (to lay after-Claims
To a poor Lordship) shall be swept away
For Clods of Earth, and those for one Nights Play.
Of dear bought Penn'worths, all compos'd of Change?
Where frothy Honour may be bought and sold
With Heart-corrupting, Eye-beguiling Gold:
Where sullen Wealth, and Friend-betraying Treasure
May pass in Barter for repented Pleasure:
Where painted Sweetness (though a Grain too light)
Shall buy a Lord's Estate for one poor Night:
Where unstain'd Beauties Youth shall buy an old
Breath-tainted Churl, diseas'd with Gout and Gold:
Where Birth-rights, Blessings, nay and Souls to boot
(And yet not deem'd a Penn'worth under foot)
Shall pass for fond Delights: Where very Names
Without an Alias, (to lay after-Claims
To a poor Lordship) shall be swept away
For Clods of Earth, and those for one Nights Play.
Tell me, my puzled Soul, what wouldst thou buy?
Go in and cheapen: Let thy curious Eye
Make her own Choice: They will present thy View
With numerous Joys: Buy something that is new:
Alas! there's nothing new beneath the Skie.
Look further; further yet: Go please thine Eye,
Search, till the Object and thine Eye agrees:
Thine Eye's not satisfy'd with what it sees.
Buy something that will last; that will remain
To after-days: All's momentary, all's vain.
Ay, but my Soul, here's fairer Merchandise,
Wisdom and Knowledge: That, to make thee wise;
This, to instruct thee: Come, thou needst not fear
Too hard a Bargain: Go, and purchase there:
Alas! much Wisdom makes thy Grief but double;
Increase of Knowledge brings Increase of Trouble.
Go in and cheapen: Let thy curious Eye
Make her own Choice: They will present thy View
With numerous Joys: Buy something that is new:
Alas! there's nothing new beneath the Skie.
Look further; further yet: Go please thine Eye,
Search, till the Object and thine Eye agrees:
Thine Eye's not satisfy'd with what it sees.
7
To after-days: All's momentary, all's vain.
Ay, but my Soul, here's fairer Merchandise,
Wisdom and Knowledge: That, to make thee wise;
This, to instruct thee: Come, thou needst not fear
Too hard a Bargain: Go, and purchase there:
Alas! much Wisdom makes thy Grief but double;
Increase of Knowledge brings Increase of Trouble.
Ay, but my Soul, the gracious Eye of Heaven
Hath smil'd upon thee. His full Hand hath given
A large Addition to thy thriven Estate;
Thy Barns and Bags are fill'd; thy Servants wait
Upon thy Business, and their Shoulders bear
Thy fruitful Burdens; who, like Pilots, steer
Thy reeling Vessel: Thou art rich endow'd
With Knowledge, Wisdom, Judgment, and allow'd
Some Grains to make thee Weight: Methinks thy Heart,
So arm'd with strong Resolves, should never start
At threatning Ills: Methinks thy daring Eye,
(If all the crystal Rafters of the Skie
Should make one Ruin, and that Ruin fall
About thine Ears) should be unmov'd at all.
Hath smil'd upon thee. His full Hand hath given
A large Addition to thy thriven Estate;
Thy Barns and Bags are fill'd; thy Servants wait
Upon thy Business, and their Shoulders bear
Thy fruitful Burdens; who, like Pilots, steer
Thy reeling Vessel: Thou art rich endow'd
With Knowledge, Wisdom, Judgment, and allow'd
Some Grains to make thee Weight: Methinks thy Heart,
So arm'd with strong Resolves, should never start
At threatning Ills: Methinks thy daring Eye,
(If all the crystal Rafters of the Skie
Should make one Ruin, and that Ruin fall
About thine Ears) should be unmov'd at all.
No, no, my Soul, 'tis neither Barn nor Purse
Cram'd up with Coin or Corn, can baulk the Curse
Entail'd upon thy Sin: Nor Height of Blood,
Nor all that this mistaken Earth calls good:
Not very Knowledge, no nor Wisdom can
Exempt thee from the common Lot of Man.
The wisest Prince that ever blest a Nation,
Found all things vain, and when enjoy'd, Vexation.
Cram'd up with Coin or Corn, can baulk the Curse
Entail'd upon thy Sin: Nor Height of Blood,
Nor all that this mistaken Earth calls good:
Not very Knowledge, no nor Wisdom can
Exempt thee from the common Lot of Man.
The wisest Prince that ever blest a Nation,
Found all things vain, and when enjoy'd, Vexation.
| CHAP. I. Solomon's recantation | |