{"product_id":"2940148174653","title":"The Works of the Right Honourable John Earl of Rochester (Illustrated)","description":"Were I, who to my Cost already am,\u003cbr\u003eOne of those strange, prodigious Creatures Man,\u003cbr\u003eA Spirit free, to chuse for my own Share,\u003cbr\u003eWhat Sort of Flesh and Blood I pleas’d to wear,\u003cbr\u003eI’d be a Dog, a Monkey, or a Bear; \u003cbr\u003e⎫\u003cbr\u003e⎬\u003cbr\u003e⎭\u003cbr\u003eOr any thing, but that vain Animal,\u003cbr\u003eWho is so proud of being Rational.\u003cbr\u003eThe Senses are too gross; and he’ll contrive\u003cbr\u003eA sixth, to contradict the other five:[Pg 4]\u003cbr\u003eAnd before certain Instinct, will prefer\u003cbr\u003eReason, which fifty Times for one does err.\u003cbr\u003eReason, an Ignis Fatuus of the Mind,\u003cbr\u003eWhich leaves the Light of Nature, Sense, behind.\u003cbr\u003ePathless, and dang’rous, wand’ring Ways it takes,\u003cbr\u003eThro Error’s fenny Boggs, and thorny Brakes:\u003cbr\u003eWhilst the misguided Follower climbs with Pain\u003cbr\u003eMountains of Whimseys heapt in his own Brain;\u003cbr\u003eStumbling from Thought to Thought, falls headlong down\u003cbr\u003eInto Doubt’s boundless Sea, where like to drown,\u003cbr\u003eBooks bear him up a while, and make him try\u003cbr\u003eTo swim with Bladders of Philosophy:\u003cbr\u003eIn hopes still to o’ertake the skipping Light,\u003cbr\u003eThe Vapour dances in his dazzled Sight,\u003cbr\u003eTill spent, it leaves him to eternal Night. \u003cbr\u003e⎫\u003cbr\u003e⎬\u003cbr\u003e⎭\u003cbr\u003eThen old Age and Experience, Hand in Hand,\u003cbr\u003eLead him to Death, and make him understand,\u003cbr\u003eAfter a Search so painful, and so long,\u003cbr\u003eThat all his Life he has been in the wrong.\u003cbr\u003eHuddled in Dirt the reas’ning Engine lies,\u003cbr\u003eWho was so proud, so witty, and so wise:\u003cbr\u003ePride drew him in, as Cheats their Bubbles catch,\u003cbr\u003eAnd made him venture to be made a Wretch:\u003cbr\u003eHis Wisdom did his Happiness destroy,\u003cbr\u003eAiming to know the World he should enjoy.[Pg 5]\u003cbr\u003eAnd Wit was his vain frivolous Pretence,\u003cbr\u003eOf pleasing others at his own Expence.\u003cbr\u003eFor Wits are treated just like Common-Whores;\u003cbr\u003eFirst they’re enjoy’d, and then kick’d out of Doors.\u003cbr\u003eThe Pleasure past, a threat’ning Doubt remains,\u003cbr\u003eThat frights th’ Enjoyer with succeeding Pains.\u003cbr\u003eWomen, and Men of Wit are dang’rous Tools,\u003cbr\u003eAnd ever fatal to admiring Fools.\u003cbr\u003ePleasure allures, and when the Fops escape,\u003cbr\u003e’Tis not that they’re belov’d, but fortunate;\u003cbr\u003eAnd therefore what they fear, at Heart they hate. \u003cbr\u003e⎫\u003cbr\u003e⎬\u003cbr\u003e⎭\u003cbr\u003eBut now methinks some formal Band and Beard\u003cbr\u003eTakes me to Task, Come on, Sir, I am prepar’d:\u003cbr\u003eThen by your favour, any thing that’s writ\u003cbr\u003eAgainst this gibing, gingling Knack call’d Wit,\u003cbr\u003eLikes me abundantly; but you’ll take Care\u003cbr\u003eUpon this Point not to be too severe:\u003cbr\u003ePerhaps my Muse were fitter for this Part;\u003cbr\u003eFor I profess I can be very smart\u003cbr\u003eOn Wit, which I abhor with all my Heart. \u003cbr\u003e⎫\u003cbr\u003e⎬\u003cbr\u003e⎭\u003cbr\u003eI long to lash it in some sharp Essay,\u003cbr\u003eBut your grand Indiscretion bids me stay,\u003cbr\u003eAnd turns my Tide of Ink another Way. \u003cbr\u003e⎫\u003cbr\u003e⎬\u003cbr\u003e⎭\u003cbr\u003eWhat Rage ferments in your degen’rate Mind,\u003cbr\u003eTo make you rail at Reason and Mankind?[Pg 6]\u003cbr\u003eBlest glorious Man, to whom alone kind Heav’n\u003cbr\u003eAn everlasting Soul hath freely giv’n;\u003cbr\u003eWhom his great Maker took such Care to make,\u003cbr\u003eThat from himself he did the Image take;\u003cbr\u003eAnd this fair Frame in shining Reason drest,\u003cbr\u003eTo dignify his Nature above Beast.\u003cbr\u003eReason, by whose aspiring Influence,\u003cbr\u003eWe take a Flight beyond Material Sense,\u003cbr\u003eDive into Mysteries, then soaring pierce\u003cbr\u003eThe flaming Limits of the Universe;\u003cbr\u003eSearch Heav’n and Hell, find out what’s acted there,\u003cbr\u003eAnd give the World true Grounds of Hope and Fear.\u003cbr\u003eHold, mighty Man, I cry; all this we know\u003cbr\u003eFrom the pathetick Pen of Ingelo:\u003cbr\u003eFrom Patrick’s Pilgrim, Sibb’s Soliloquies,\u003cbr\u003eAnd ’tis this very Reason I despise;\u003cbr\u003eThis supernat’ral Gift, that makes a Mite\u003cbr\u003eThink he’s the Image of the Infinite;\u003cbr\u003eComparing his short Life, void of all Rest,\u003cbr\u003eTo the eternal and the ever-blest:\u003cbr\u003eThis busy, puzzling, Stirrer up of Doubt,\u003cbr\u003eThat frames deep Mysteries, then finds ’em out,[Pg 7]\u003cbr\u003eFilling with frantick Crouds of thinking Fools,\u003cbr\u003eThe rev’rend Bedlams, Colleges and Schools,\u003cbr\u003eBorn on whose Wings each heavy Sot can pierce\u003cbr\u003eThe Limits of the boundless Universe.\u003cbr\u003eSo charming Ointments make an old Witch fly,\u003cbr\u003eAnd bear a crippl’d Carcase thro’ the Sky.\u003cbr\u003e’Tis this exalted Pow’r whose Bus’ness lies\u003cbr\u003eIn Nonsense and Impossibilities:\u003cbr\u003eThis made a whimsical Philosopher,\u003cbr\u003eBefore the spacious World his Tub prefer:\u003cbr\u003eAnd we have many modern Coxcombs who\u003cbr\u003eRetire to think, ’cause they have nought to do.\u003cbr\u003eBut Thoughts were giv’n for Action’s Government;\u003cbr\u003eWhere Action ceases, Thought’s impertinent.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Lost Leaf Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47075256664304,"sku":"2940148174653","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940148174653_p0.jpg?v=1763698445","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940148174653","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}