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S. AUGUST.

In the world, not to be grieved, not to be afflicted, not to be in danger, is impossible.

Ibidem.

Behold, the world is full of trouble, yet beloved: what if it were a pleasing world? how wouldst thou delight in her calms, that canst so well endure her storms?

EPIG. 3.

Art thou consum'd with soul-afflicting crosses ?
Disturb'd with grief? annoy'd with worldly losses ?
Hold up thy head: the taper, lifted high,
Will brook the wind; when lower tapers die.

MAT

MATTHEW ix. 12.

The whole need not the physician.

1.

LWAYS pruning, always cropping?
Is her brightness still obscur'd?

Ever dressing, ever topping?
Always curing, never cur'd?

Too much snuffing makes a waste ;
When the spirits spend too fast,
They will shrink at ev'ry blast.

2.

You that always are bestowing
Costly pains in life repairing,
Are but always overthrowing
Nature's work by over-caring:

Nature, meeting with her foe,
In a work she hath to do,
Takes a pride to overthrow.

3.

Nature knows her own perfection,
And her pride disdains a tutor ;
Cannot stoop to art's correction,
And she scorns a co-adjutor.

Saucy art should not appear,
Till she whisper in her ear:
Hagar flees, if Sarah bear.

4.

Nature worketh for the better,
If not hinder'd that she cannot ;
Art stands by as her abetter,
Ending nothing she began not;

If distemper chance to seize
(Nature foil'd with the disease),
Art may help her if she please.

But

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5.

But to make a trade of trying
Drugs and doses, always pruning,
Is to die for fear of dying;
He's untun'd, that's always tuning.
He that often loves to lack

Dear-bought drugs, hath found a knack
To foil the man, and feed the quack.

.6

O the sad, the frail condition

Of the pride of nature's glory!
How infirm his composition,
And, at best, how transitory!

When this riot doth impair
Nature's weakness, then his care
Adds more ruin by repair.

7.

Hold thy hand, health's dear maintainer,
Life, perchance, may burn the stronger :
Having substance to sustain her,

She, untouch'd, may last the longer :
When the artist goes about

To redress her flame, I doubt,
Oftentimes he snuffs it out.

NICO.

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