A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne
A
COLLECTION
OF
EMBLEMES,
ANCIENT AND
MODERNE:
Quickened
With METRICALL ILLUSTRATIONS, both
Morall and Divine: And disposed into
LOTTERIES,
That Instruction, and Good Counsell, may bee furthered
by an Honest and Pleasant Recreation.
By GEORGE WITHER.
The First Booke.
LONDON,
Printed by A.M. for John Grismond, and are to be sold at the signe of the Gunne in Ivie-Lane. MDCXXXV.
PUBLISHED BY A.M.
PUBLISHED FOR John Grismond
1635
1.
[Page 251]
1.1. God, by their Names, the Stars doth call;
And, hee is Ruler of them all.
1.2. ILLUSTR. XLIII. Book. 4
Some say, (and many men doe these commend)
That, all our deeds, and Fortunes doe depend
Upon the motions of celestiall Sphere<s>;
And, on the constellations of the S<tarr>es.
If this were true, the Starres, alone, have bin
Prime cause of all that's good, and of all sinne.
And, 'twere (me thinkes) injustice to condemne,
Or, give rewards to any, but to them.
For, if they made mee sinne, why for that ill,
Should I be damn'd, and they shine brightly, still?
If they inforc'd my goodnesse, why should I
Bee glorified for their Pietie?
And, if they neither good nor ill constraine,
Why then, should wee of Destinie complaine?
For, if it bee (as tis) absurd to say,
The starres enforce us (since they still obay
Their just Commander) 'twere absurder, farre,
To say, or thinke, that God's Decree it were,
Which did necessitate the very same,
For which, we thinke the starres might merit blame.
Hee made the starres to bee an ayd unto us,
Not (as is fondly dream'd) to helpe undoe us:
(Much lesse, without our fault, to ruinate,
By doome of irrecoverable Fate)
And, if our good Endeavors, use wee will,
Those glorious creatures will be helpfull still
In all our honest wayes: For, they doe stand
To helpe, not hinder us, in God's command;
And, hee not onely rules them by his pow'rs,
But, makes their Glory, servant unto o<urs>.