Epistolæ Ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by James Howell.

IV. To Sir J. S. Knight, at Rouer.

SIR,

OF all the blessings that ever dropt down from Heaven upon Man, that of his Redemption may be call'd the Blessing-para∣mount; And of all those comforts, and exercises of devotion which attend that blessing, the Eucharist or holy Sacrament may claim the prime place; but as ther is Devotion, so ther is Danger in't, and that in the highest degree, 'tis rank poison to som, though a most soveraign cordiall to others ad modum recipientis, as the Schoolmen say, whether they take panem Dominum, as the Roman Catholic, or panem Domini, as the Reformed Churches; The Bee and the Spider suck honey and poison out of one Flower: This, Sir, you have divinely express'd in the Poem you pleas'd to send me upon this subject; and wheras you seem to wooe my Muse to such a task,

somthing you may see she hath don in pure obedience only to your commands.

Vpon the Holy Sacrament.

1.

Hail Holy Sacrament, The Worlds great Wonderment, Mysterious Banquet, much more rare Than Manna, or the Angels fare; Each crumm, though Sinners on Thee feed, Doth Cleopatra's Perl exceed: Oh how my soul doth hunger, thirst, and pine After these Cates so precious, so divine.

2.

Shee need not bring her stool As sone unbidden fool, The Master of this heavenly Feast Invites and woos her for his Guest, Though deaf and lame, forlorn and blind, Yet welcom heer shee's sure to find, So that she bring a Vestment for the day, And her old tatterd rags throw quite away.

3.

This is Bethsaida's Pool That can both clense and cool Poor leprous and d•…•…seased souls, An Angel heer keeps and co•…•…trouls, Descending gently from the Heavens above To stir the Waters, may He also move My mind, and rockie heart so strike and rend, That tears may thence gush out with them to blend.

This Morning Fancy drew on another towards the Evening as followeth.

As to the Pole the Lilly bends In a Sea-compas, and still tends By a Magnetic Mystery, Unto the Artic point in sky, Wherby the wandring Piloteer His cours in gloomy nights doth steer▪

So the small Needle of my heart Mov's to her Maker, who doth dart Atomes of love, and so attracks All my Affections which like Sparks Fly up, and guid my soul by this To the tru centre of her bliss.

As one Taper lightneth another, so were my spirits enlightned and heated by your late Meditations in this kind, and well fa•…•…e your soul with all her faculties for them, I find you have a great care of her, and of the main chance, Prae quo quisquiliae caetera. You shall hear further from me within a few days, in the interim be pleas'd to reserve still in your thoughts som little room for

Your most entirely affectionat Servitor, J. H.

From the Fleet, 10 of Decemb, 1647.