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None that acknowledge God, or prouidence,
Their Soule's eternitie did euer doubt;
For all Religion takes her root from hence,
Which no poore naked nation liues without.

For sith the World for Man created was,
(For onely Man the vse thereof doth know)
If man doe perish like a withered grasse,
How doth God's Wisedom order things below?

And if that Wisedom still wise ends propound,
Why made He man, of other creatures King?
When (if he perish here) there is not found
In all the world so poor and vile a thing?

If death do quench vs quite, we haue great wrong,
Sith for our seruice all things else were wrought;
That dawes, and trees, and rocks, should last so long,
When we must in an instant passe to nought.

But blest be that Great Power, that hath vs blest With longer life then Heauen or Earth can haue; Which hath infus'd into our mortall breast

Immortall powers, not subiect to the graue.

For though the Soule doe seeme her graue to beare, And in this world is almost buried quick;

We haue no cause the bodie's death to feare,

For when the shell is broke, out comes a chick.

THREE KINDS OF LIFE ANSWERABLE TO THE THREE POWERS OF THE SOULE.

OR as the soule's essentiall powers are three,

FOR

The quickning power, the power of sense and reason; Three kinds of life to her designed bee,

Which perfect these three1 powers in their due season.

The first life, in the mother's wombe is spent,
Where she her nursing power doth onely vse;
Where, when she finds defect of nourishment,
Sh' expels her body, and this world she viewes.

This we call Birth; but if the child could speake,

He Death would call it; and of Nature plaine,2
That she would thrust him out naked and weake,
And in his passage pinch him with such paine.

Yet, out he comes, and in this world is plac't,
Where all his Senses in perfection bee;

1 Numeral '3,' as before, in 1622 edition. G.

Where he finds flowers to smell, and fruits to taste;

And sounds to heare, and sundry formes to see.

When he hath past some time vpon this stage,
His Reason then a litle seemes to wake;

Which, thogh she spring, when sense doth fade with

age,

Yet can she here no perfect practise make.

Then doth th' aspiring Soule the body leaue,

Which we call Death; but were it knowne to all,
What life our soules do by this death receiue,
Men would it birth or gaole 3 deliuery call.

In this third life, Reason will be so bright,

As that her sparke will like the sun-beames shine;
And shall of God enioy the reall sight.

Being still increast by influence diuine.

AN ACCLAMATION.

O IGNORANT poor man! what dost thou beare

Lockt vp within the casket of thy brest ?

Goale in 1608 edition. G.

What iewels, and what riches hast thou there!
What heauenly treasure in so weake a chest!

Looke in thy soule, and thou shalt beauties find,
Like those which drownd Narcissus in the flood: +
Honour and Pleasure both are in thy mind,

And all that in the world is counted Good.

Thinke of her worth, and think that God did meane, This worthy mind should worthy things imbrace ; Blot not her beauties with thy thoughts vnclean, Nor her dishonour with thy passions base;

Kill not her quickning power with surfettings,
Mar not her Sense with sensualitie;
Cast not her serious5 wit on idle things:
Make not her free-will, slaue to vanitie.

And when thou think'st of her eternitie,

Thinke not that Death against her nature is,
Thinke it a birth; and when thou goest to die,
Sing like a swan, as if thou went'st to blisse.6

* See Ovid, Met. 111., 341 et alibi, and Eustathius (ad Hom. p. 266). G.

Serious' dropped by Davies and Southey, as before. G. • Cf. Sir Thomas Browne: 'Vulgar Errors,' s.v. G.

And if thou, like a child, didst feare before,

Being in the darke, where thou didst nothing see; Now I haue broght thee torch-light, feare no more; Now when thou diest, thou canst not hud-winkt be.

And thou my Soule, which turn'st thy curious eye,
To view the beames of thine owne forme diuine ;
Know, that thou canst know nothing perfectly,
While thou art clouded with this flesh of mine.

Take heed of ouer-weening, and compare

Thy peacock's feet with thy gay peacock's traine;7
Study the best, and highest things that are,
But of thy selfe an humble thought retaine.

Cast downe thy selfe, and onely striue to raise
The glory of thy Maker's sacred Name;
Vse all thy powers, that Blessed Power to praise,
Which giues thee power to bee, and use the same.

7 More usually applied to the swan: as ancient WORSHIP puts it 'The whitest swanne hath a blacke foot:''Christian's Mourning Garment.'

G.

Finis.