Yet can you never fixe yr thoughts on these, These cannot with your heavenly mind agree; These momentary objects cannot please,

Your winged spirit, which more aloft doth flee.

It only longs to learne and know the truth,
The truth of every thing, which never dies;
The nectar which præserves the soule in youth;
The manna which doth minds immortalize.

These noble studdies, more ennoble you,

And bring more honor to your race and name Than Hotspur's fier, which did the Scots subdew,

Then Brabant's scion, or great Charles his name.

Then to what spirit shall I these noates commend, But unto that which doth them best expresse ; Who will to them more kind protection lend,

Then Hee which did protect me in distresse?

Of Humane Knowledge.

WHY did my parents send me to the Schooles,

That I with knowledge might enrich my mind? Since the desire to know first made men fools, And did corrupt the root of all mankind:

For when God's hand had written in the hearts
Of the first Parents, all the rules of good,
So that their skill infusde did passe all arts
That euer were, before, or since the Flood;

And when their reason's eye was sharpe and cleere,
And (as an eagle can behold the sunne)
Could haue approcht th' Eternall Light as neere,
As the intellectuall angels could haue done:

Euen then to them the Spirit of Lyes suggests

That they were blind, because they saw not ill;

And breathes into their incorrupted brests
A curious wish, which did corrupt their will.

For that same ill they straight desir'd to know;
Which ill, being nought but a defect of good,
In1 all God's works the Diuell could not show
While Man their lord in his perfection stood.

So that themselues were first to doe the ill,

Ere they thereof the knowledge could attaine;
Like him that knew not poison's power to kill,
Vntill (by tasting it) himselfe was slaine.

Euen so by tasting of that fruite forbid,

Where they sought knowledge, they did error find;
Ill they desir'd to know, and ill they did;
And to giue Passion eyes, made Reason blind.

For then their minds did first in Passion see

Those wretched shapes of Miserie and Woe,
Of Nakednesse, of Shame, of Pouertie,

Which then their owne experience made them know.

But then grew Reason darke, that she no more,

Could the faire formes of Good 2 and Truth discern;

1 Misprinted 'and' in 1st edition and in 1608. G.

2 God' in 1st edition. G.

Battes they became, that eagles were before:
And this they got by their desire to learne.

But we their wretched of-spring, what doe we?
Doe not we still taste of the fruit forbid
Whiles with fonds fruitlesse curiositie,

In bookes prophane we seeke for knowledge hid?

What is this knowledge but the sky-stolne fire,

For which the thiefe still chain'd in ice doth sit?
And which the poore rude Satyre did admire,
And needs would kisse but burnt his lips with it.5

What is it? but the cloud of emptie raine,

Which when Toue's guest imbrac't, hee monsters got ?6 Or the false payles" which oft being fild with paine,8 Receiv'd the water, but retain'd it not!

Shortly, what is it but the firie coach

Which the Youth sought, and sought his death withal ??

3 Foolish. G.

* In 1st edition 'Thief' is misprinted 'shie' and Bp. Hacket writes here: Prometheus stole fire: qui in tulit in terram malum.' G. 5 Fable in Æsop [Babrius]. G. 6 Ixion. G.

7 Danaides. G.

8 Painstaking. G.

9 Phaethon.

Hacket.

B