HUGO Lib. de Anima.

In vain he lifteth up the eye of his heart to behold his God, who is not first rightly advised to behold himself: first thou must see the visible things of thyself, before thou canst be prepared to know the invisible things of God; for if thou canst not apprehend the things within thee, thou canst not comprehend the things above thee: the best looking-glass, wherein to see thy God, is, perfectly to see thyself.

EPIG. 6.

Be not deceiv'd, great fool: there is no loss
In being small; great bulks but swell with dross.
Man is Heav'n's master-piece: if it appear
More great, the value's less; if less, more dear.

VII.

DEUTERONOMY XXX. 19.

I have set before thee life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore chuse life, that thou and thy seed may live.

འ.

TH

HE world's a floor, whose swelling heaps retain
The mingled wages of the plowman's toil;
The world's a heap, whose yet unwinnowed grain
Is lodg'd with chaff, and bury'd in her soil :
All things are mixt, the useful with the vain;
The good with bad, the noble with the vile :

The world's an ark, wherein things pure and gross
Present their lossful gain, and gainful loss,

Where ev'ry dram of gold contains a pound of dross.

2.

This furnish'd ark presents the greedy view
With all that earth can give, or Heav'n can add;
Here lasting joys; here pleasure's hourly new,
And hourly fading may be wish'd and had :
All points of honour, counterfeit and true,
Salute thy soul, and wealth both good and bad:
Here may'st thou open wide the two leav'd door
Of all thy wishes, to receive that store,
Which being empty most, does overflow the more.

3.

Come then, my soul, approach this royal burse,
And see what wares our great exchange retains;
Come, come; here's that shall make a firm divorce
Betwixt thy wants and thee, if want complains;

No

Hic pefsima Hic optima fervat.

This takes the Worst, and that the Best features:
That must be Best which evermore endures.

1

P

No need to sit in council with thy purse,

Here's nothing good shail cost more price than pains; But, O my soul, take heed; if thou rely

Upon thy faithless optics, thou wilt buy Too blind a bargain: know, fools only trade by th' eye.

4.

The worldly wisdom of the foolish man

Is like a sieve, that does alone retain

The grosser substance of the worthless bran :
But thou, my soul, let thy brave thoughts disdain
So coarse a purchase; O be thou a fan

To purge the chaff, and keep the winnow'd grain : Make clean thy thoughts, and dress thy mixt desires: Thou art Heav'n's tasker ; and thy God requires The purest of thy flour, as well as of thy fires.

'5

Let grace conduct thee to the paths of peace,
And wisdom bless the soul's unblemish'd ways;
No matter, then how short or long's the lease,
Whose date determines thy self-number'd days:
No need to care for wealth's or fame's increase,
Nor Mars his palm, nor high Apollo's bays.
Lord, if thy gracious bounty please to fill
The floor of my desires, and teach me skill

To dress and chuse the corn, take those the chaff that

[will.

S. AU