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 finde

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.