In Vulponem

Qvod arte ausus es hic tuâ, Poeta,Si auderent hominum Deique jurisConsulti, veteres sequi aemularierque,O omnes saperemus ad salutem.His sed sunt veteres araneosi;Tam nemo veterum est sequutor, ut tuIllos quod sequeris novator audis.Fac tamen quod agis; tuique primâLibri canitie induantur horâ:Nam chartis pueritia est neganda,Nascanturque senes, oportet, illiLibri, queis dare vis perennitatem.Priscis, ingenium facit, laborqueTe parem; hos superes, ut et futuros,Ex nostrâ vitiositate sumas,Quâ priscos superamus, et futuros.

To Mr George Herbert, with one of mySeal(s), of the Anchor and Christ.

Qvi prius assuetus Serpentum fasce TabellasSignare, (haec nostrae symbola parva Domus)Adscitus domui Domini, patrioque relictoStemmate, nanciscor stemmata jure nova.Hinc mihi Crux primo quae fronti impressa lavacro,Finibus extensis, anchora facta patet.Anchorae in effigiem Crux tandem desinit ipsam,Anchora fit tandem Crux tolerata diu.Hoc tamen ut fiat, Christo vegetatur ab ipsoCrux, et ab Affixo, est Anchora facta, Iesu.Nec Natalitiis penitus serpentibus orbor,Non ita dat Deus, ut auferat ante data.Quâ sapiens, Dos est; Quâ terram lambit et ambit,Pestis; At in nostra fit Medicina Cruce,Serpens; fixa Cruci si sit Natura; CruciqueA fixo, nobis, Gratia tota fluat.Omnia cum Crux sint, Crux Anchora facta, sigillumNon tam dicendum hoc quam Catechismus erit.Mitto nec exigua, exiguâ sub imagine, dona,Pignora amicitiae, et munera; Vota, preces.Plura tibi accumulet, sanctus cognominis, IlleRegia qui flavo Dona sigillat Equo.

A Sheafe of Snakes used heretofore to beMy Seal, The Crest of our poore Family.Adopted in Gods Family, and soOur old Coat lost, unto new armes I go.The Crosse (my seal at Baptism) spred below,Does, by that form, into an Anchor grow.Crosses grow Anchors; Bear, as thou shouldst doThy Crosse, and that Crosse grows an Anchor too.But he that makes our Crosses Anchors thus,Is Christ, who there is crucifi'd for us.Yet may I, with this, my first Serpents hold,God gives new blessings, and yet leaves the old;The Serpent, may, as wise, my pattern be;My poison, as he feeds on dust, that's me.And as he rounds the Earth to murder sure,My death he is, but on the Crosse, my cure.Crucifie nature then, and then imploreAll Grace from him, crucified there before;When all is Crosse, and that Crosse Anchor grown,This Seal's a Catechism, not a Seal alone.Under that little Seal great gifts I send,<Wishes,> and prayers, pawns, and fruits of a friend.And may that Saint which rides in our great Seal,To you, who bear his name, great bounties deal.

(1658), in all of which and in all subsequent editions exceptGrolier the first two lines are printed as a title, Waltonbracketing them:--

Oh may that Saint that rides on our great Seal,To you that bear his name large bounty deal.

God grant thee thine own wish, and grant thee mine,Thou, who dost, best friend, in best things outshine;May thy soul, ever chearfull, nere know cares,Nor thy life, ever lively, know gray haires.Nor thy hand, ever open, know base holds,Nor thy purse, ever plump, know pleits, or folds.Nor thy tongue, ever true, know a false thing,Nor thy word, ever mild, know quarrelling.Nor thy works, ever equall, know disguise,Nor thy fame, ever pure, know contumelies.Nor thy prayers, know low objects, still Divine;God grant thee thine own wish, and grant thee mine.