Ask me no more, if east or west, And in your fragrant bosom dies. 88. Robert Herrick, 1591-1674. (Handbook, par. 149.) His poems are like his life, a strange mixture. When the ore is pure,' says Campbell, 'it is of great value. 89. Dr. Henry King, 1591-1669. (Handbook, par. 163.) The Dirge. What is the existence of man's life, And never feels a perfect peace Till Death's cold hand signs his release? .. It is a flower-which buds and grows Then shrinks into that fatal mould It is a weary interlude ... Which doth short joys, long woes include; Out of six stanzas. 90. Francis Quarles, 1592-1644. (Handbook, par. 162.) Is one of the metaphysical' poets, and is rich in religious feeling. Pope satirises him in the Dunciad, and says that the pictures for the page atone:' but there is often real beauty in both. Delight in God only. I love (and have some cause to love) the earth; She is my Maker's creature, therefore good; h; She is my mother, for she gave me birth But what's a creature, Lord, compared with thee? I love the air; her dainty sweets refresh But what's the air or all the sweets that she But what is heaven, great God, compared to thee? What's earth, or sea, or air, or heaven to me? O that Thou wouldst hide Me in the Grave, that Thou woulds keep Me in secret until Thy wrath be past. Ah! whither shall I fly? what path untrod Nor sea, nor shade, nor shield, nor rock, nor cave, What flame-eyed Fury means to smite, can save. "Tis vain to flee, till gentle Mercy show "Tis thou, that strik'st the stroke, must guard the blow. His Enchiridion (1641) is one of the best collections of maxims in our language. Dost thou want things necessary? Grumble not: perchance it was a necessary thing thou shouldst want. Endeavour lawfully to supply it; if God blesse not thy endeavour, blesse him that knoweth what is fittest for thee. Thou art God's patient; prescribe not thy physitian. Enchiridion, cent. iv. 34. Use law and physicke only for necessity: they that use them otherwise, abuse themselves into weake bodies and light purses: they are good remedies, bad businesses, and worse recreations. Ib., cent. iii. 19. The two knowledges, of God and thy selfe, are the high way to thy saivation; that breeds in thee a filiall love; this a filiall feare. The ignorance of thy selfe is the beginning of all sinne; and the ignorance of God is the perfection of all evill. Faithful unto Death. Ib., cent. iv. 26. 'Be faithful'-Lord, what's that? You that always are bestowing In a work she hath to do, Out of five stanzas. O, the sad, the frail condition Of the pride of Nature's glory! When his riot doth impair his care Adds more ruin by repair. Hieroglyphickes of the Life of Man, Hier. iv. Out of seven stanzas. Ah me! There is no rest; Our time is always fleeting. What rein can curb our headstrong hours; And this hath ceast What is, is only ours: To be. How short a time have we! Hier. xii 91. Izaak Walton, 1593-1683. (Handbook, par. 361.) Thankful Content. I will, as we walk in the cool shade of this sweet honeysuckle hedge, mention to you some of the thoughts and joys which have possessed my soul since we two met together. And these thoughts shall be told you, that you also may join with me in thankfulness to the Giver of every good and perfect gift for our happiness. And that our present happiness may appear to be the greater, and we the more thankful for it, I will beg you to consider with me how many do even at this very time lie under the torment of diseases that we are free from. And every misery that I miss is a new mercy; and therefore let us be thankful. There have been, since we met, others that have met disasters of broken limbs; some have been blasted, others thunderstricken; and we have been freed from these, and all those other miseries that threaten human nature: let us therefore rejoice and be thankful. Nay, which is a far greater mercy, we are freed from the insupportable burthen of an accusing tormenting conscience; a misery that none can bear: and therefore let us praise Him for his preventing grace, and say, every misery that I miss is a new mercy. Nay, let me tell you, there be many that have forty times our estate, that would give the greatest part of it to be healthful and cheerful like us. I have a rich neighbour who is always so busy that he has no leisure to |