George Withers' Emblemes

Whereftrong Defires are entertain dy
The Heart 'typixt Hope, and Feare, z> pain 'd.
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I
lLLVSTR. XXXIX. Book. I.
Troubled Minde, ore-charged with Defires,
** Betweene great Hopes, and no IcflTe Fures opprefr,
And payned inwardly with fecret Fires t
Was thus, by fome, in former times expreft.
A Smoking Hem, they placed juft betwixt
A Fafined Anchor, and a Bended Bow ȳ
To which a Barbed- Arrow fecmed fixr,
And, ready from xheStrayned-String to goc.
The Smoke doth Sighcs, the Anchor doth declare
That Hope, wh ch keepes us from Dcfpairing quite 5
The bowe and Arrow, fionific that Feare,
Wfvch doth, perpetually, the Soule affright.
And, by this Emblem, it appcares to me
Tharthcy which are with ftrong Defires oppreft,
("Though good or bad the Ohj*. d of them be)
In f. eking i'leafures, findc no (mall unrcft:
For, they are not by Feares, alone, difturbed,
Rut, as the Wtfeman faith y ev'n Hepe-Delayd
Torments the Heart
5
and, when Dcfirc is curbed,
The Soule becommcth fad, and ill-apayd.
A Croundleffe-Hope, makes en-ranee for Defpaire^
And with Deceiving fliowes the Heart betrayes :
A CaujelcJJe- Feare, doth Reafor.s force impairc,
And, terrific s the Soule, in doubtfull wayes.
Yet, quite negled them not • For, ffnpc repel Is
TintCricfe fomctimes, which would our Hearts opprciTe.
And, Feare is otherwhilethe UcnumH
Which vouzcth us from dang'rous Cartlesmjfe.
Thus, Both arc good : bur, Both arc Plagues to fuch,
Who either Fondly feare, \,x Hope too m
Tfofe