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Quote by Francis Quarles

“The worldly wisdom of the foolish man Is like a sieve, that does alone retain The grosser substance of the worthless bran: But thou, my soul, let thy brave thoughts disdain So coarse a purchase: O be thou a fan To purge the chaff, and keep the winnow'd grain: Make clean thy thoughts, and dress thy mixt desires: Thou art Heav'n's tasker, and thy God requires The purest of thy flow'r, as well as of thy fires.”

Quote by Francis Quarles

Work

The Poetical Works of Richard Crashaw and Quarles' Emblems

The Poetical Works of Richard Crashaw and Quarles' Emblems is a compilation featuring the writings of two 17th-century English poets. It encompasses the works of Richard Crashaw, known for his metaphysical poetry, and Thomas Quarles, recognized for his emblematic verse. The collection offers readers a glimpse into the rich literary tradition of the period, showcasing Crashaw's intricate metaphysical explorations and Quarles' emblematic narratives. more

Author

Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles

Francis Quarles, a renowned English poet, was born on May 8, 1592, and died on September 8, 1644. His poetry focused on religious and moral themes, deeply influenced by Puritan thought. more

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“God is alpha and omega in the great world: endeavor to make him so in the little world; make him thy evening epilogue and thy morning prologue; practice to make him thy last thought at night when thou sleepest, and thy first thought in the morning when thou awakest; so shall thy fancy be sanctified in the night, and thy understanding rectified in the day; so shall thy rest be peaceful, thy labors prosperous, thy life pious, and thy death glorious.”

“See how the world (whose chaste and pregnant womb Of late conceiv'd, and brought forth nothing ill) Is now degenerated, and become A base adult'ress, whose false births do fill The earth with monsters, monsters that do roam And rage about, and make a trade to kill: Now glutt'ny paunches, and avarice a pawn; Pale envy pines, pride swells, and sloth begins to yawn.”

“It is a most just punishment, that man should lose that freedom, which man could not use, yet had power to keep, if he would; and that he who had knowledge to do what was right, and did not should be deprived of the knowledge of what was right; and that he who would not do righteously, when he had the power, should lose the power to do it, when he had the will.”

“Alas! fond child, How are thy thoughts beguil'd To hope for honey from a nest of wasps? Thou may'st as well Go seek for ease in hell, Or sprightly nectar from the mouths of asps. The world's a hive, From whence thou canst derive No good, but what thy soul's vexation brings: But case thou meet Some petty-petty sweet, Each drop is guarded with a thousand stings.”