No More Learning

In this you'have made the Court the Antipodes, 25
And will'd your Delegate, the vulgar Sunne,
To doe profane autumnall offices,
Whilst here to you, wee sacrificers runne;
And whether Priests, or Organs, you wee'obey,
We sound your influence, and your Dictates say. 30

Yet to that Deity which dwels in you,
Your vertuous Soule, I now not sacrifice;
These are _Petitions_ and not _Hymnes_; they sue
But that I may survay the edifice.
In all Religions as much care hath bin 35
Of Temples frames, and beauty,'as Rites within.

As all which goe to Rome, doe not thereby
Esteeme religions, and hold fast the best,
But serve discourse, and curiosity,
With that which doth religion but invest, 40
And shunne th'entangling laborinths of Schooles,
And make it wit, to thinke the wiser fooles:

So in this pilgrimage I would behold
You as you'are vertues temple, not as shee,
What walls of tender christall her enfold, 45
What eyes, hands, bosome, her pure Altars bee;
And after this survay, oppose to all
Bablers of Chappels, you th'Escuriall.

Yet not as consecrate, but merely'as faire,
On these I cast a lay and country eye. 50
Of past and future stories, which are rare,
I finde you all record, and prophecie.
Purge but the booke of Fate, that it admit
No sad nor guilty legends, you are it.

If good and lovely were not one, of both 55
You were the transcript, and originall,
The Elements, the Parent, and the Growth,
And every peece of you, is both their All:
So'intire are all your deeds, and you, that you
Must do the same thinge still; you cannot two. 60

But these (as nice thinne Schoole divinity
Serves heresie to furder or represse)
Tast of Poetique rage, or flattery,
And need not, where all hearts one truth professe;
Oft from new proofes, and new phrase, new doubts grow, 65
As strange attire aliens the men wee know.

Leaving then busie praise, and all appeale
To higher Courts, senses decree is true,
The Mine, the Magazine, the Commonweale,
The story of beauty,'in Twicknam is, and you. 70
Who hath seene one, would both; As, who had bin
In Paradise, would seeke the Cherubin.


[the Countesse of Bedford. _1633-69:_ _similarly or with
no title_, _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_,
_TCD_]

[2 (Vertue, . . .
Fortune,)] _brackets Ed:_ Fortune, _1633:_
Fortune; _1635-69_, _Grolier:_ Fortune. _Chambers_. _See
note_]

[5 ne're] nere _1633_]

[6 and] or _1669_]

[8-9 _1633 begins to bracket_ (Where . . . not show) _but does
not finish, putting a colon after_ show: _the others drop the
larger brackets, retaining the smaller_ (as . . . mee)]

[9 be] see _1669_

show] show: _1633-54:_ show. _1669_]

[11 notes: there some _1633-54:_ notes some: there _1669_]

[17 enshrines; _1719:_ enshrines _1633-69_]

[20 computations so; _1633-69:_ computations; so, _Chambers_]

[42 fooles:] fooles. _1633_]

[48 Bablers _1633:_ Babblers _1635-54:_ Builders _1669_]

[49 faire, _Ed:_ faire; _1633-69_]

[50 eye. ] eye, _1633_]

[52 and prophecie] all prophecye _B_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec_, _N_,
_O'F_, _TCD_ prophecie. ] prophecie, _1633 some copies_]

[57 Parent] Parents _1669_ Growth, _1669:_ Growth _1633-54_]

[58 both _1633 and MSS. :_ worth _1635-69_, _O'F_ All: _Ed:_
All, _1633-69_]

[60 thinge _B_, _Cy_, _D_, _H40_, _H49_, _N_, _O'F:_ things
_1633-69_, _Lec_]

[61 nice thinne _1633-54:_ nicest _1669_]

[66 aliens _1633_, _1669 and MSS. :_ alters _1635-54_, _O'F_]

[67 and] end _1669_, _not_ lend _as in Chambers' note_

appeale _Ed:_ appeale, _1633-69_]

[68 true, _1633:_ true. _1635-69_]

[71 had bin _1633-35:_ hath bin _1639-69_.