What virtue breeds, iniquity devours: Or kills his life, or else his quality. O, Opportunity! thy guilt is great: "Tis thou that execut'st the traitor's treason; Thou set'st the wolf where he the lamb may get; Whoever plots the sin, thou 'point'st the season; "Tis thou that spurn'st at right, at law, at reason; And in thy shady cell, where none may spy him, Sits Sin, to seize the souls that wander by him. Thou mak'st the vestal violate her oath : Thou blow'st the fire when temperance is thaw'd; When wilt thou be the humble suppliant's friend, The patient dies while the physician sleeps; He gratis comes; and thou art well appay'd: Guilty thou art of murder and of theft; Mis-shapen Time, copesmate of ugly night, Poems. Base watch of woes, sin's pack-horse, virtue's snare; Thou nursest all, and murderest all, that are. Time's glory is to calm contending kings; And smear with dust their glittering golden towers; To blot old books, and alter their contents; To pluck the quills from ancient ravens' wings; One poor retiring minute in an age, Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends; Poems. Brave conquerors !-for so you are, That war against your own affections, 8-i. 1. 535 Every place a home to the wise. All places, that the eye of heaven visits, Are to a wise man ports and happy havens:* There is no virtue like necessity. 17-i. 3. 536 The proffered means of Heaven to be embraced. The means, that heaven yields, must be embraced, The proffer'd means of succour and redress. Better conquest never can'st thou make, Than arm thy constant and thy nobler parts Against those giddy loose suggestions. 538 17-iii. 2. 16-iii. 1. Acquaintanceship to be formed with caution. It is certain that either wise bearing, or ignorant carriage, is caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore, let men take heed of their company. * Tit. i. 15. 19-v. 1. 539 Sorrow not to be courted. In wooing sorrow let's be brief, Since, wedding it, there is such length in grief. The truth thou art unsure 17-v. 1. 541 To swear, swear* only not to be forsworn; Resignation to the will of God. 16-iii. 1. Heaven me such usage send, Not to pick bad from bad; but, by bad, mend! 37-iv. 3. 542 Knowledge to govern ourselves. Let's teach ourselves. Ah, honourable stop, 37-ii. 3. Anger to be controlled by reason. 543 Let your reason with your choler question 544 Sufferance. Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper 545 25-i. 1. 36-iii. 4. When right with right wars, who shall be most right! Let's take the instant by the forward top; Steals, ere we can effect them. * Old copy reads swears. 11-v. 3. 548 The encouragement to hope. What! we have many goodly days to see: Of ten-times-double gain of happiness. 549 Equanimity. Weigh thy value with an even hand. 24-iv. 4. 9-ii. 7. 6-iv. 1. Doubt not but success Will fashion the event in better shape Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty : Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood; 552 10-ii. 3. The effects of anger. So madly hot, that no discourse of reason, Can qualify the same? 26-ii. 2. You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. 554 28-ii. 3. The same. How long Shall tender duty make me suffer wrong? 17-ii. 1. Intemperance. 555 From mine own knowledge. Poison'd hours had bound me up 30-ii. 2. |