George Wither

“ That, from your Glasse of life, which is to run,
There's but one step to Death; and, that you tread
At once, among the Living, and, the Dead.
In whatsoever Land, we live or die,
God is the same; And, Heav'n is, there, as nigh
As in that place, wherein, we most desire
Our Soules, with our last breathing, to expire.
Which things, well heeding; let us not delay
Our Iourney, when we summon'd are away,
(As those inforced Pilgrims use to doe,
That know not whither, nor, how farre they goe)
Nor let us dreame that we in Time, or Place,
Are farre from ending our uncertaine Race. ”

“ Of more sweetness than all art
Or inventions can impart;
Thoughts too deep to be expressed,
And too strong to be suppressed. . . .
. . . What pearls, what rubies can
Seem so lovely fair to man,
As her lips whom he doth love
When in sweet discourse they move:
Or her lovelier teeth, the while
She doth bless him with a smile!
Stars indeed fair creatures be;
Yet amongst us where is he
Joys not more the whilst he lies
Sunning in his mistress' eyes,
Than in all the glimmering light
Of a starry winter's night? ”

“ From a Satire written to King James I
Did I not know a great man's power and might
In spite of innocence can smother right,
Colour his villainies to get esteem,
And make the honest man the villain seem? ”

“ No other meanes so well to passe can bring,
As Love and Gentlenesse, which we neglect.
But, let this Emblem teach us to regard
What Way of Working, to each Worke pertaines:
So, though some Portion of our Hopes be barr'd,
We shall not, altogether, lose our paines.
Some things are strong, and, othersome are weake;
With Labour, some; and, some with Ease be wrought:
Although the Reed will bend, the Kexe will breake;
And, what mends one thing, makes another naught.
Marke this; And, when much Haste will marre thy Speed,
That, then, thou take good Leisure; take thou Heed. ”

“ Though they as a trifle leave thee
Whose dull thoughts cannot conceive thee,
Though thou be to them a scorn
That to nought but earth are born
Let my life no longer be
Than I am in love with thee. ”

“ Mists of envy, fogs of spite,
'Twixt men's judgments and her light;
But so much her power may do,
That she can dissolve them too.
If thy verse do bravely tower,
As she makes wing she gets power ”

“ WHen I behold the Havocke and the Spoyle,
Which (ev'n within the compasse of my Dayes)
Is made through every quarter of this Ile,
In Woods and Groves (which were this Kingdomes praise)
And, when I minde with how much greedinesse,
We seeke the present Gaine, in every thing;
Not caring (so our Lust we may possesse)
What Dammage to Posterity we bring:
They doe, me-thinkes, as if they did foresee,
That, some of those, whom they have cause to hate,
Should come in Future-times, their Heires to be:
Or else, why should they such things perpetrate?
For, if they thinke their Children shall succeed ”

“ And evermore be merry.
Now every lad is wondrous trim,
And no man minds his labour;
Our lasses have provided them
A bag-pipe and a tabor;
Young men and maids, and girls and boys,
Give life to one another's joys ”

“ And free access unto that sweet lip lies
⁠From whence I long the rosy breath to draw.
Methinks no wrong it were if I should steal,
⁠From those two melting rubies, one poor kiss.
None sees the theft that would the thief reveal,
⁠Nor rob I her of aught which she can miss. ”

“ Thy Vertues he may wrong, that sayes
Thou spend'st thy selfe, in wanton wayes;
But, some have thought, and sayd of late,
That, those thou lov'st, consume thy state:
Yet, spare nor Time, nor Substance, tho,
Where, them, thou oughtest to bestow;
But, to thine Emblem turne, and, see
When Life, and Wealth, well ventur'd bee.
See, Emb. XV. 16
Though Troubles, you may have (or had)
Enough, to make some others mad;
Yet, be content: for, they, that are
As weake, have had as much to beare;
And, that, which Malice did contrive,
To make them poore, hath made them thrive. ”

“ I have favours where you want,
⁠That would buy respect with treasure.
⁠You have lands lie here and there,
⁠But my wealth is everywhere;
⁠And this addeth to my store—
⁠Fortune cannot make me poor. ”

“ Remember Death: and, minde, I thee beseech,
How soone, these Fowles may at thy window screech;
Or, call thee (as the common people deeme)
To dwell in Graves, and Sepulchers, by them,
Where nothing else, but Bats, and Owles, appeare;
Or, Goblins, form'd by Fancies, and, by Feare.
If thou shalt be advis'd, to meditate
Thy latter end, before it be too late,
(And, whil'st thy friends, thy strength, and wits may bee
In likely case, to help and comfort thee)
There may be courses taken, to divert
Those Frights, which, else, would terrifie thy heart,
When Death drawes neare ”

“ Which hath so ruthless torn, so racked, so tortured every vein,
All comfort comes too late to have it ever cured again.
My swimming head begins to dance death's giddy round;
A shuddering chillness doth each sense confound ”

“ We are all Travellers; and, all of us
Have many passages, as dangerous,
As Frozen-lakes; and, Slippery-wayes, we tread,
In which our Lives may soone be forfeited,
(With all our hopes of Life-eternall, too)
Unlesse, we well consider what we doe.
There is no private Way, or publicke Path,
But rubs, or holes, or slipp'rinesse it hath,
Whereby, wee shall with Mischiefes meet; unlesse,
Wee walke it, with a stedfast-warinesse.
The steps to Honour, are on Pinacles
Compos'd of melting Snow, and Isicles;
And, they who tread not nicely on their tops,
Shall on a suddaine slip from all their hopes. ”

“ While thus thy lullaby I sing,
⁠For thee great blessings ripening be;
Thine eldest brother is a King,
⁠And hath a kingdom bought for thee.
⁠Sweet baby, then forbear to weep;
⁠Be still, my babe; sweet baby, sleep. ”

“ With hopes, that better seasons may bee had.
There is nor trouble, sorrow, nor distresse,
But mitigation hath, or some release.
Long use, or time, the storme away will turne,
Else, Patience makes it better to be borne.
Yea, sorrowes lowring dayes, will come and goe,
As well as prosp'rous houres of Sunshine doe;
And, when 'tis past, the paine that went before,
Will make the following pleasure seeme the more.
For, hee, hath promis'd, whom we may beleeve,
His blessing, unto those that mourne and grieve;
And, that, though sorrow much dejects their head,
In ev'ry need, wee shall be comforted. ”

“ North-east, not far from this great pool, there lies
A tract of beechy mountains, that arise,
With leisurely ascending, to such height
As from their tops the warlike Isle of Wight
You in the ocean's bosom may espy,
Though near two furlongs thence it lie.
The pleasant way, as up those hills you climb,
Is strewed o'er with marjoram and thyme,
Which grows unset. The hedgerows do not want
The cowslip, violet, primrose, nor a plant
That freshly scents: as birch, both green and tall ”

“ Which doth appeare fast-linked therewithall,
The gifts of changing Fortune doth implye:
And, all those things together, signifie,
That, when by such like Vertues Men are guided,
Good Fortune cannot be from them divided.
If this be true (as true I this believe)
Why should wee murmure, why repine, or grieve,
As if our Studies, or our honest paines,
Deprived were of some deserved gaines?
Why should we thinke the world hath done us wrong,
Because wee are not register'd among
Those thriving men, who purse up evr'y day,
For twelve hours labour more then twelve months pay? ”

“ The Fiery-Tryall, which like Wood and Hay,
Consumes the Workes of ev'ry Wicked-one;
(And maketh all their Hopes to fume away)
Doth purifie what Faithfull-men have done.
They triumph in the Flames, and shall obtaine
The glorious Crowne of Endless-Happinesse,
When all that show of Blisse appeareth vaine,
Which Worldly men have seemed to possesse.
For, though some Sinnes and Follies, gilded are,
And shine like purest Gold, and Pretious-Stones ”

“ Shall I, wasting in despair,
Die, because a woman's fair?
Or make pale my cheeks with care
'Cause another's rosy are?
Be she fairer than the day,
Or the flow'ry meads in May;
⁠If she be not so to me,
⁠What care I how fair she be. ”

“ Before it will, for Herbes of Grace, be fit.
Our high conceit, must downe be broke in us;
Our heart is proud, and God must humble it.
Before good Seed, in us will rooting take,
Afflictions ploughes and harrowes, must prepare us:
And, that the truer levell, he may make,
When we are sunck too low, Gods hand must reare us.
Then, neither stormings of Adversitie,
Shall drowne the Seedes of Hope, which we have sowne;
Nor shall the Sunne-beames of Prosperitie,
Drie up their moisture, ere they ripe are growne.
Oh Lord, thou know'st the nature of my minde;
Thou know'st my bodyes tempers what they are ”

“ Or a well-disposèd nature
Joinèd with a lovely creature?
Be she meeker, kinder than
Turtle-dove or pelican:
⁠If she be not so to me,
⁠What care I how kind she be.
Shall a woman's virtues move
Me to perish for her love? ”

“ Nor take so much as heede themselves to save;
And yet are safe: A third sort, then, there are
Who neither want fit Meanes, nor yet neglect,
The painefull-Industrie, or honest Care,
Which Need requires; yet find small good effect. ”

“ Those may love me for myself,
⁠That regard you for your fortune.
⁠Rich or born of high degree,
⁠Fools as well as you may be;
⁠But that peace in which I live
⁠No descent nor wealth can give.
If you boast that you may gain
⁠The respect of high-born beauties ”

“ For, as the Valiant (when the Coward swounds)
With gladnesse lets the Surgion search his Wounds;
And, though they smart, yet cheerefully indures
The Plaisters, and, the Probe, in hope of Cures:
So, Men, assured that Afflictions paine
Comes not for vengeance to them, nor in vaine;
But, to prepare, and fit them for the place,
To which, they willingly direct their pace;
In Troubles, are so farre from being sad,
That, of their Suffring, they are truely glad.
What ever others thinke, I thus beleeve;
And, therefore, joy, when they suppose I grieve.
[233]
All is not Gold, which makes a show ”

“ The more contrary Windes doe blow,
The greater Vertues praise will grow.
Illvstr. XXXV. Book. 2
OBserve the nature of that Fiery-flame,
Which on the Mountaines top so brightly showes;
The Windes from every quarter, blow the same,
Yea, and to blow it out, their fury blowes;
But, lo; the more they storme, the more it shineth;
At every Blast, the Flame ascendeth higher;
And, till the Fuells want, that rage confineth,
It, will be, still, a great, and glorious Fire. ”

“ Till from the Straw, the Flaile, the Corne doth beat;
Vntill the Chaffe, be purged from the Wheat,
Yea, till the Mill, the Graines in pieces teare,
The richnesse of the Flowre, will scarce appeare.
So, till mens persons great Afflictions touch
(If worth be found) their worth is not so much,
Because, like Wheat, in Straw, they have nor, yet,
That value, which in threshing, they may get.
For, till the bruising Flailes of God's Corrections,
Have threshed out of us our vaine Affections;
Till those Corruptions, which doe misbecome us,
Are by thy Sacred-spirit, winnowed from us ”

“ For, he that soweth Vanitie, shall finde,
At reaping-time, no better fruit then Winde.
Your houres, in serions matters, if you spend,
Or, such, as to a lasting purpose tend,
The purchase of your paines will ever last;
And, bring you Pleasure, when the Labour's past.
Yea, though in teares, your Seed-time, you imploy,
Your Harvest shall be fetched home, with ioy.
If much be wrought, much profit will ensue;
If little, but a little meede is due.
Of nothing, nothing comes: On evill deedes
An evill conscience, and, ill fame succeedes:
An honest-life, still findes prepared for't,
Sweet Hopes in Death ”

“ Whose wealth is all upon his backe,
If what thou hast, bee all thine owne,
God, hath enough on thee bestowne. [118]
A Princes ransome, wee may beare,
In Iewells, which most precious are;
And, yet, to many men may seeme,
To carry nothing worth esteeme.
Therefore, though small thy substance be,
Thine Emblem, somewhat comforts thee.
See, Emb. XXIV. 25
By this your Emblem, wee discerne,
That, you are yet of age to learne;
And, that, when elder you shall grow,
There, will be more for you to know:
Presume not, therefore of your wit,
But, strive that you may benefit. ”

“ The Morall, which this Emblem doth inferre,
Is overtrue; and, seemeth to imply,
The World to bee so full of Treacherie,
As, that, no corner of it, found can be,
In which, from Falshoods Engines, wee are free.
I have observ'd the Citie; and, I finde
The Citizens, are civill, grave and kinde;
Yet, many are deluded by their showes,
And, cheated, when they trust in them repose.
I have been oft at Court; where I have spent,
Some idle time, to heare them Complement:
But, I have seene in Courtiers, such deceit,
That, for their Favours, I could never wait.
I doe frequent the Church ”

“ Detraction, Envie, Mischief, and Despight,
One Partie make, and watchfully attend
To catch us when we rise to any Height;
Lest we above their hatred should ascend.
Good-Fortune, Praises, Hopes, and Industries,
Doe side-together, and make Play to please us;
But, when by them we thinke more high to rise,
More great they make our Fall, and more disease us.
Yea, they that seeke our Losse, advance our Gaine ”

“ That, ev'ry one distinctly knew his owne;
And, many brawles, now rife, were then unknowne.
But, since neglected, sacred Bounders were,
Most men Incroachers, and Intruders are:
They grieve each other, and their Dues they steale,
From Prince, from Parent, and from Common-weale.
Nay, more; these bold Vsurpers are so rude,
That, they, on Christ's Inheritance intrude.
But, that will be aveng'd; and (on his right)
Though such incroach, he will not lose it quite:
For, hee's that Bounder, and that Corner-stone,
Who all confines, and is confin'd, of none. ”