Silex scintillans, or, Sacred poems and priuate eiaculations by Henry Vaughan ...

The World.

I Saw Eternity the other night Like a great Ring of pure and endless light, All calm, as it was bright, And round beneath it, Time in hours, days, years Driv'n by the spheres Like a vast shadow mov'd, In which the world And all her train were hurl'd; The doting Lover in his queintest strain Did their Complain, Neer him, his Lute, his fancy, and his flights, Wits so our delights, With gloves, and knots the silly snares of pleasure Yet his dear Treasure All scatter'd lay, while he his eys did pour Upon a flowr.

2.

The darksome States-man hung with weights and woe Like a thick midnight-fog mov'd there so slow He did nor stay, nor go; Condemning thoughts (like sad Ecclipses) scowl Upon his soul, And Clouds of crying witnesses without Pursued him with one shout. Yet dig'd the Mole, and lest his ways be found Workt under ground, Where he did Clutch his prey, but one did see That policie, Churches and altars fed him, Perjuries Were gnats and flies, It rain'd about him bloud and tears, but he Drank them as free.

3.

The fearfull miser on a heap of rust Sate pining all his life there, did scarce trust His own hands with the dust, Yet would not place one peece above, but lives In feare of theeves. Thousands there were as frantick as himself And hug 'd each one his pelf, The down-right Epicure plac'd heav'n in sense And scornd pretence While others slipt into a wide Excesse Said little lesse; The weaker sort slight, triviall wares Inslave Who think them brave, And poor, despised truth sate Counting by Their victory.

4.

Yet some, who all this while did weep and sing, And sing, and weep, soar'd up into the Ring, But most would use no wing. O fools (said I,) thus to prefer dark night Before true light, To live in grots, and caves, and hate the day Because it shews the way, The way which from this dead and dark abode Leads up to God, A way where you might tread the Sun, and be More bright than he. But as I did their madnes so discusse One whisper'd thus, This Ring the Bride-groome did for none provide But for his bride.

John Cap. 2. ver. 16, 17.

All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the Eys, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.