Discerne, by daring to contemplate you, That there may be degrees of faire, great, good, Through your light, largenesse, vertue understood: If in this sacrifice of mine, be showne 35 Any small sparke of these, call it your owne. And if things like these, have been said by mee Of others; call not that Idolatrie. For had God made man first, and man had seene The third daies fruits, and flowers, and various greene, 40 He might have said the best that he could say Of those faire creatures, which were made that day; And when next day he had admir'd the birth Of Sun, Moone, Stars, fairer then late-prais'd earth, Hee might have said the best that he could say, 45 And not be chid for praising yesterday; So though some things are not together true, As, that another is worthiest, and, that you: Yet, to say so, doth not condemne a man, If when he spoke them, they were both true than. 50 How faire a proofe of this, in our soule growes? Wee first have soules of growth, and sense, and those, When our last soule, our soule immortall came, Were swallowed into it, and have no name. Nor doth he injure those soules, which doth cast 55 The power and praise of both them, on the last; No more doe I wrong any; I adore The same things now, which I ador'd before, The subject chang'd, and measure; the same thing In a low constable, and in the King 60 I reverence; His power to work on mee: So did I humbly reverence each degree Of faire, great, good; but more, now I am come From having found their _walkes_, to find their _home_. And as I owe my first soules thankes, that they 65 For my last soule did fit and mould my clay, So am I debtor unto them, whose worth, Enabled me to profit, and take forth This new great lesson, thus to study you; Which none, not reading others, first, could doe. 70 Nor lacke I light to read this booke, though I In a darke Cave, yea in a Grave doe lie; For as your fellow Angells, so you doe Illustrate them who come to study you. The first whom we in Histories doe finde 75 To have profest all Arts, was one borne blinde: He lackt those eyes beasts have as well as wee, Not those, by which Angels are seene and see; So, though I'am borne without those eyes to live, Which fortune, who hath none her selfe, doth give, 80 Which are, fit meanes to see bright courts and you, Yet may I see you thus, as now I doe; I shall by that, all goodnesse have discern'd, And though I burne my librarie, be learn'd. [To the Countesse _&c._ _1633-69_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ To the Countess of Salisbury. _O'F:_ To the Countess of S. _N_, _TCD_] [2 and what _1633_, _1669_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ what _1635-54_, _N_, _O'F_, _TCD_] [16 Court,] Courts, _1669_]