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First seedes of every Creature are in Vs; What ere the world hath bad, or pretious, Mans bodie can produce; hence hath itt bene That Stones, Wormes, froggs, and snakes in Man are seene But who ere saw, though Nature can worke so, That Pearle, or Gold, or Corne in Man did growe? Wee haue added to the world Virginia, and sent Two new Starrs lately to the Firmament. Why grudge wee vs, not heaven the dignitie To increase with ours, those faire Soules Companie But I mvst end this letter: Though it doe Stand on two truthes, neither is true to yow; Vertue hath some perversnes; for shee will Neither beleeue her good, nor others ill. Even in yow, Vertues best Paradise, Vertue, hath some, but wise degrees of Vice. Too manie vertues, or too mvch of one Begetts in yow vniust Suspition; And ignorance of Vice, Makes Vertue lesse Quenchinge Compulsion of our wretchednesse. But these are Riddles: Some aspertion Of vice becomes well some Complexion. Statesmen purge vice, with Vice, and may Corrode The bad with bad, a Spider with A Toad. For so ill thralls not them, but they tame ill, And make her doe mvch good against her will: But in your Commonwealth, or world in yow. Vice hath no office, nor good worke to doe. Take then no vitious Purge, but bee content With Cordiall Vertue, your knowne nourishment| |
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