To the reader of Short Rvles of Good Life.185
Doe choose the wide, the broad,
The left-hand way and gate :
These Vice applauds, these Vertue loaths
And teacheth hers to hate.
Her waies are pleasant waies,
Vpon the right-hand side ;
And heauenly-happy is that soule
Takes Vertue for her guide.
A Preparatiue to Prayer.
When thou doest talke with God, by prayer I meane,[1]
Lift vp pure hands, lay downe all Lust's desires :
Fix thoughts on heauen, present a conscience cleane :
Such holy balme, to mercie's throne aspires.
Confesse faults' guilt, craue pardon for thy sinne ;
Tread holy paths, call grace to guide therein.
- ↑
Turnbull grossly misprints 'clear' for 'cleane,' notwithstanding the rhyme with 'meane,' line 3; and in st. iv. line 2, 'servant' for 'seruants.' I have corrected 'blame' (st. i. line 4) by 'balme,' which vindicates itself. st. iii. line 6, ' converts,' verb neut. reflective = turns, changes: st. iv. line 4, 'impeach' (Fr. empêcher) = hindrance, the literal and, in that day, common meaning: line 6 seems corrupted — qy. ‘salvation's hill on Mercie's wings’?
I am not sure that I do right in adhering to the divisions and separate headings of 1630 in what must have been meant by its Author to be one poem on prayer. In reading let these separate headings be ignored, and thereby the reader will be
