In every thing there naturally grows A Balfamum to keep it fresh and new, If 'twere not injur'd by extrinfique blows; Your youth and beauty are this balm in you. But, you of learning and religion, And virtue and fuch ingredients, have made A mithridate, whofe operation. Keeps off, or cures what can be done or faid. Though the following lines of Donne, on the last night of the year, have fomething in them too fcholaftick, they are not inelegant: E 3 This This twilight of two years, not past nor next, Some emblem is of me, or I of this,. Who meteor-like, of ftuff and form plext, per Whose what and where, in difputation is, If I fhould call me any thing,. fhould mifs. I fum the years and me, and find me not Debtor to th' old, nor creditor to th" new, That cannot fay, my thanks I have forgot,. Nor truft I this with hopes; and yet fcarce true This bravery is, fince thefe times fhew'd me you. DONNE. Yet Yet more abftrufe and profound is Donne's reflection upon Man as a Microcofm: If men be worlds, there is in every one Something to answer in fome proportion All the world's riches: and in good men,, this Virtue, our form's form, and our foul's foul is. OF thoughts fo far-fetched, as to be not only unexpected, but unnatural, all their books are full. To a Lady, who wrote poefies for rings. They, who above do various circles find, Say, like a ring th' equator heaven does bind.. E 4 When When heaven fhall be adorn'd by thee, (Which then more heav'n than 'tis, will be) "Tis thou must write the poefy there, For it wanteth one as yet, Tho' the fun pafs through't twice a year, The fun, which is efteem'd the god of Wit. COWLEY. The difficulties which have been raifed about identity in philofophy, are by Cowley, with ftill more perplexity applied to Love: Five years ago (fays ftory) I lov'd you, For which you call me moft inconstant now; Pardon Pardon me, madam, you mistake the man; For I am not the fame that I was then; No flesh is now the fame 'twas then in me, And that my mind is chang'd yourself may fee. The fame thoughts to retain ftill, and intents Were more inconftant far; for accidents Muft of all things moft ftrangely incon ftant prove, If from one fubject they t'another move: My members then, the father members were From whence thefe take their birth, which now are here. |