ON (Spenser) NE day, nigh weary of the irksome way, Did ever mortal eye behold such heavenly grace? It fortunèd, out of the thickest wood A ramping lion rushèd suddenly, Hunting full greedy after salvage blood: Soon as the royal virgin he did spy, With gaping mouth at her ran greedily, To have at once devour'd the tender corpse : Instead thereof he kiss'd her weary feet, And lick'd her lily hands with fawning tongue, As he her wrongèd innocence did weet. O how can beauty master the most strong, Whose yielded pride and proud submission, "The lion, lord of every beast in field," Quoth she, "his princely puissance doth abate, Her, that him loved, and ever most adored As the god of my life? why hath he me abhorr'd?" Redounding tears did choke th' end of her plaint, And, sad to see her sorrowful constraint, The kingly beast upon her gazing stood; With pity calm'd, down fell his angry mood. At last, in close heart shutting up her pain, Arose the virgin born of heavenly brood, And to her snowy palfry got again, To seek her strayèd champion if she might attain. The lion would not leave her desolate, But with her went along as a strong guard Of her chaste person, and a faithful mate Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard: Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward; And when she waked, he waited diligent, With humble service to her will prepared : From her fair eyes he took commandément, THE END OF KNOWLEDGE. (Bacon.) HE mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge, is the greatest error of all the rest. For, men have entered into a desire of learning and knowledge, sometimes upon a natural curiosity and inquisitive appetite; sometimes to entertain their minds with variety and delight; sometimes for ornament and reputation; and sometimes to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction; and most times for lucre and profession;-but seldom sincerely to give a true account of their gift of reason, to the benefit and use of men: as if there were sought in knowledge a couch whereupon to rest a searching and restless spirit; or a terrace for a wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with a fair prospect; or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise itself upon; or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention; or a shop for profit or sale;-and not a rich store-house for the glory of the Creator and the relief of man's estate. ET Is of all these the gentlier-mightiest. When thy gold breath is misting in the West, She unobservéd steals unto her throne, And there she sits most meek and most alone; As if she had not pomp subservient ; As if thine eye, high Poet! was not bent O Moon! the oldest shades 'mong oldest trees Feel palpitations when thou lookest in: O Moon! old boughs lisp forth a holier din |