THE CHECK.

EACE, peace! I blush to hear thee; when thou art

A dusty story,

A speechlesse heap, and in the midst my heart
In the same livery drest

Lyes tame as all the rest;

When six years thence digg'd up, some youthfull eie
Seeks there for symmetry,

But finding none, shall leave thee to the wind,
Or the next foot to crush,

Scatt'ring thy kind,1

And humble dust,-tell then, dear flesh,
Where is thy glory?

2.

As he that in the midst of day expects

The hideous night,

Sleeps not, but shaking off sloth, and neglects,

That-for

Paying the day its debts;

repose and darknes, bound-he might Rest from the fears i'th' night;

1 Punctuated in original "kind and humble dust", but

query, is kind=kin? I think so, G.

So should we too. All things teach us to die,
And point us out the way;
While we passe by

And mind it not play not away
Thy glimpse of light:

3.

View thy fore-runners: Creatures, giv'n to be

Thy youth's companions,

Take their leave, and die: birds, beasts, each tree, All that have growth, or breath

Have one large language, death!

O then play not! but strive to Him, who can
Make these sad shades pure sun,

Turning their mists to beams, their damps to day;
Whose pow'r doth so excell

As to make clay

A spirit, and true glory dwell
In dust and stones.

4.

Heark, how He doth invite thee! with what voice
Of love and sorrow

He begs and calls! O that in these thy days
Thou knew'st but thy own good!'

Shall not the crys of bloud,

Of God's own bloud awake thee? He bids beware

Of drunk'nes, surfeits, care;

But thou sleep'st on; wher's now thy protesta

tion,

Thy lines,' thy love? Away!

Redeem the day;

The day that gives no observation
Perhaps to morrow.

AWA

DISORDER AND FRAILTY.

HEN first Thou didst even from the grave

And womb of darknes, becken out

My brutish soul, and to Thy slave

Becam'st Thy self both guide, and scout;
Even from that hour

Thou got'st my heart; and though here tost
By winds, and bit with frost,
I pine and shrink,

Breaking the link

"Twixt Thee, and me; and oftimes creep

Into th' old silence, and dead sleep,

Quitting the way

All the long day;

Yet, sure, my God! I love Thee most.
Alas, Thy love!

1 = written vows or covenant. G.

2.

I threaten heaven, and from my cell
Of clay and frailty, break and bud,
Touch'd by Thy fire and breath; Thy bloud
Too is my dew, and springing wel.
But while I grow

And stretch to Thee, ayming at all
Thy stars, and spangled hall,
Each fly doth tast,
Poyson, and blast

My yielding leaves; sometimes a showr
Beats them quite off; and in an hour
Not one poor shoot,

But the bare root

Hid under ground survives the fall.

Alas, frail weed!

3.

Thus like some sleeping exhalation,

-Which, wak'd by heat, and beams, makes up

Unto that comforter, the sun,

And soars, and shines; but e'r we sup

And walk two steps,

Cool'd by the damps of night, descends,

And, whence it sprung, there ends,

Doth my weak fire

Pine, and retire;

H

And-after all my hight of flames

In sickly expirations tames,

Leaving me dead

On first bed,

my

Untill Thy sun again ascends.
Poor, falling star!

4.

O, yes but give wings to my fire,
And hatch my soul, untill it fly

Up where Thou art, amongst Thy tire2
Of stars, above infirmity;

Let not perverse,

And foolish thoughts adde to my bil

Of forward sins, and kil

That seed, which Thou

In me didst sow;

But dresse, and water with Thy grace

Together with the seed, the place;

And for His sake

Who died to stake

His life for mine, tune to Thy will
My heart, my verse.

1 Misprinted 'O is'. G. 2 tiara, as elsewhere. G.