Things
precious
are least numerous: men are prone
To do ten bad for one good action.
To do ten bad for one good action.
Robert Herrick
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.
[Illustration]
LONDON
Printed for _John Williams_, and _Francis Eglesfield_.
1647.
HIS NOBLE NUMBERS:
OR,
HIS PIOUS PIECES.
1. HIS CONFESSION.
Look how our foul days do exceed our fair;
And as our bad, more than our good works are,
E'en so those lines, pen'd by my wanton wit,
Treble the number of these good I've writ.
Things precious are least numerous: men are prone
To do ten bad for one good action.
2. HIS PRAYER FOR ABSOLUTION.
For those my unbaptised rhymes,
Writ in my wild unhallowed times;
For every sentence, clause, and word,
That's not inlaid with Thee, my Lord,
Forgive me, God, and blot each line
Out of my book that is not Thine.
But if, 'mongst all, thou find'st here one
Worthy Thy benediction;
That one of all the rest shall be
The glory of my work and me.
3. TO FIND GOD.
Weigh me the fire; or canst thou find
A way to measure out the wind;
Distinguish all those floods that are
Mix'd in that watery theatre;
And taste thou them as saltless there
As in their channel first they were.
Tell me the people that do keep
Within the kingdoms of the deep;
Or fetch me back that cloud again
Beshiver'd into seeds of rain;
Tell me the motes, dust, sands, and spears
Of corn, when summer shakes his ears;
Show me that world of stars, and whence
They noiseless spill their influence:
This if thou canst, then show me Him
That rides the glorious cherubim.
_Keep_, abide.
4. WHAT GOD IS.
God is above the sphere of our esteem,
And is the best known, not defining Him.
5. UPON GOD.
God is not only said to be
An Ens, but Supraentity.
[Illustration]
LONDON
Printed for _John Williams_, and _Francis Eglesfield_.
1647.
HIS NOBLE NUMBERS:
OR,
HIS PIOUS PIECES.
1. HIS CONFESSION.
Look how our foul days do exceed our fair;
And as our bad, more than our good works are,
E'en so those lines, pen'd by my wanton wit,
Treble the number of these good I've writ.
Things precious are least numerous: men are prone
To do ten bad for one good action.
2. HIS PRAYER FOR ABSOLUTION.
For those my unbaptised rhymes,
Writ in my wild unhallowed times;
For every sentence, clause, and word,
That's not inlaid with Thee, my Lord,
Forgive me, God, and blot each line
Out of my book that is not Thine.
But if, 'mongst all, thou find'st here one
Worthy Thy benediction;
That one of all the rest shall be
The glory of my work and me.
3. TO FIND GOD.
Weigh me the fire; or canst thou find
A way to measure out the wind;
Distinguish all those floods that are
Mix'd in that watery theatre;
And taste thou them as saltless there
As in their channel first they were.
Tell me the people that do keep
Within the kingdoms of the deep;
Or fetch me back that cloud again
Beshiver'd into seeds of rain;
Tell me the motes, dust, sands, and spears
Of corn, when summer shakes his ears;
Show me that world of stars, and whence
They noiseless spill their influence:
This if thou canst, then show me Him
That rides the glorious cherubim.
_Keep_, abide.
4. WHAT GOD IS.
God is above the sphere of our esteem,
And is the best known, not defining Him.
5. UPON GOD.
God is not only said to be
An Ens, but Supraentity.
