VII.

O Goddess of the brave and wise!
Where'er thy radiant seat is plac'd
Beneath mild Britain's temper'd skies,
Or in the cold Sarmatian waste,
There still, as in their native air,
The nobler virtues flourish fair.
Firm constancy, unwearied zeal,
Courage that spurns degrading fear,

I.

S WEET Muse, to whose protecting shrine,
Driv'n by the spectre Care, I flee,
When oft, at busy days decline,
I sigh for leisure and for thee;
Say, in earth's habitable round,
Can perfect happiness be found,
Proportion'd to the craving soul?
If still beneath the solar road

Meditation V

1

This Meditation
Mine heart hath comforted;
That he who feeds the Dogs with crumbs,
Will give his Children Bread.
By Bread I mean both that
Which our frail Body feeds,
And also that which doth relieve
Our Spiritual wants and needs.

2

That's Bread of Life indeed,
Which never doth decay:

Meditation IV

1

O Man of little faith!
Behold the winged Fowls,
The Ravens, Crows, and Cormorants
The Kites, the Hawks, the Owls,
Also the numerous Doves
Whose flocks make dark the Air:
And tell me who for all this Crew
Doth kindly food prepare.

2

The Heavenly Father's wise
And wondrous Providence

Meditation III

A Dialogue, the Speakers being Faith and Unbelief.

Unbelief.

1

Thou speakest sleighty now
Of all these outward things:
But what, when Poverty thee wounds
With all her Pois'ned Stings?
What if thy Weaknesses
Bring on distressing wants?
How wilt thou then behave thy self?
Or live without complaints?

Faith

2

Meditation I

1

What means this Paradox?
How can the Rich be poor?
Or Poor men Rich? What is their Wealth?
Or where is all their store?
I know thy Poverty,
Saith Christ, yet thou art Rich,
To Smyma's undefiled Church:
Thou seest there may be such

2

But to Laodicea ;
Thou say'st that I am rich,

1

Why say'st thou Jacob , and,
O Israel spoken hast,
My way is hidden from the Lord,
My judgment from him past?
Hast thou not known nor heard,
Th'Eternal God, the Lord
Who hath the Ends of all the Earth
Created by his Word.

2

He never waxeth faint,
No wearied is he:
His understanding is so deep

A Dialogue wherein the Speakers are Troubled Conscience and Rectified Judgment.

Troub. Consc.

1

Oh, but my weakness brings
Unserviceableness,
And takes me off from Christ's sweet works:
Who can this grief express?
When as the Body fails
The Soul, and hindereth it
In all its motions, like a clog;
I am for nothing fit

Rect Judgm.

2

1

And now for want of strength
And weakness Bodily,
I could say much; For few, I think,
Have felt it more then I
I have been many years
So impotent and weak
As none are able to conceive
That onely hear me speak.

2

And when I find most strength
And thereupon assay
To serve the Lord with all my heart

1

Men's Strength meer Weakness is,
As frail as Venice Glass:
And all his Excellency like
The flower upon the grass
Adam in Paradise,
And in his perfect state,
When left of God unto himself,
Could soon degenerate.

2

He that was strong at first
Immediately grew weak;
And let the stock of Grace run out,