Page:The Bible of Nature, and Substance of Virtue.djvu/33

Grows less; the streets by often treading wear.
Besides, none, not the sharpest eye, e'er sees
What parts to make things grow by just degrees
Nature doth add, nor what she takes away,
When age steals softly on, and things decay.
Though free from pores and solid, things appear,
Yet many reasons prove them to be rare:
For drops distil, and subtle moisture creeps
Through hardest rocks, and even marble weeps:
Juice drawn from food, unto the head doth climb,
Then falls to th' feet, and visits every limb:
Trees grow, and at due seasons yield their fruit,
Because the juice drawn by the laboring root
Doth rise i'th' trunk, and through the branches shoot.
Lastly, if from four elements all things rose,
And all again by death dissolv'd to those;
What reason we should rather fondly deem
Those principles of things, than things of them?
For they alternately are chang'd and show
Each other's figure, and their nature too.
Blind, wretched man! In what dark paths of strife
We walk this little journey of our life!
Whilst frugal Nature seeks for only ease,
A body free from pains, free from disease,
A mind from cares and jealousies at peace.
How little is required to maintain
The body sound in health and free from pain;
No delicates, but such as may supply
Contented Nature's thrifty luxury;
Yes, underneath a loving myrtle's shade,
Just by a purling stream supinely laid,
When spring with fragrant flowers the earth hath spread,
And sweetest roses grow around our head,
Envied by wealth and power, with small expense,
We may enjoy the sweet delights of sense.
Who ever heard a fever tamer grown
In clothes embroider'd o'er, and beds of down,
Than in coarse rags? Since, then, such toys as these
Contribute nothing to the body's ease,
As honor, wealth, and nobleness of blood;
'Tis plain, they likewise do our mind no good.