Vanitie

The fleet Astronomer can bore And thread the spheres with his quick-piercing minde He views theirs stations, walks from doore to doore,     Surveys, as if he had design'd To make a purchase there: he sees their dances,             And knoweth long before,

Both their full-ey'd aspects, and secret glances.     The nimble Diver with his side Cuts through the working waves, that he may fetch His dearely-earned pearl, which God did hide     On purpose from the ventrous wretch;

That he might save his life, and also hers,             Who with excessive pride Her own destruction and his danger wears.     The subtil Chymick can devest And strip the creature naked, till he

The callow principles within their nest:     There he imparts to them his minde,

Admitted to their bed-chamber, before             They appeare trim and drest To ordinarie suitours at the doore.     What hath not man sought out and found,

But his deare God? who yet his glorious law Embosomes in us, mellowing the ground     With showres and frosts, with love and aw;

So that we need not say,

Where's this command?             Poore man! thou searchest round To finde out death, but missest life at hand.