George Wither

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ When thy Desires have good successe,
Thine owne Endeavors, thou dost blesse;
But, seldome unto God thou giv'st
Due thanks, for that, which thou receiv'st.
Thine Emblem, therefore, tells from whom
The fruits of good Endeavours, come:
And, shewes (if thou to thrive intend)
On whom, thou, alwayes, must depend.
See, Emb. VI. 7
It may bee, thou art one of those,
Whose Faith, more bold, than fruitfull growes;
And (building on some false Decree)
Disheartnest those, that Workers be
To gaine (with awfull-joy) that PriZe,
Which, unto no man, God denies,
That workes in Hope; and, lives by Faith. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ But, when of Kingdomes, any gayne the Sway,
To Generalls of Fleets, we liken these.
Each hath his proper Course to him assign'd,
His Card, his Compasse, his due Tacklings, too;
And, if their Businesse, as they ought, they mind,
They may accomplish all they have to doe.
But, most Men leave the Care of their owne Course,
To judge or follow others, in their wayes;
And, when their Follies make their Fortunes worse,
They curse the Destiny, which they should prayse. ”

“ What light soe're about him bee.
Illvstr. XLV. Book. 4
IT is by some supposed, that our Owles,
By Day-time, are no perfect-sighted Fowles;
And, that, the more you doe augment the light,
The more you shall deprive them of their sight.
Nor Candles, Torches, nor the Sunne at noone,
Nor Spectacles, nor all of these in one
Can make an Owlet in the day-time see,
Though none, by night, hath better eyes than shee.
This Emblem, therefore, sets their blindnesse forth,
Who cannot see, when an apparant worth
Illustrates vertuous Men; yet, seeme to spie
Those faults, wherewith ill-willers them belie. ”

“ She windes men oft, before they be aware;
And, when they dreame of most Prosperitie,
Downe, headlong, throwes them lower then they were.
You, then, that seeke a more assur'd estate,
On good, and honest Objects, fixe your Minde,
And follow Vertue, that you may a Fate
Exempt from feare of Change, or Dangers, finde.
For, he that's Vertuous, whether high or low
His Fortune seemes (or whether foule or faire
His Path he findes) or whether friend, or foe,
The World doth prove; regards it not a haire.
His Losse is Gaine; his Poverty is Wealth ”