The Complete Works in Prose and Verse of Francis Quarles; Verse A feast for worms. Pentelogia. Hadassa. Job militant. Sion's elegies. Sion's sonets. ... Divine fancies. Notes and illustrations

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 Excerpt: ...editions. G. TO THE VNCORRVPTED LOVER OF ALL GOODNES, and my Honourable Friend, Sr Iames Fvllerton Knight, One of the Gentlemen of his Ma1ie« Bed-chamber, &c. Slr; THere be three sorts of Friends: The first is lihe a Torch, we meet in a darhe street: The second is lihe a Candle in a Lanthorn, that we overtahe: The third is lihe a Linhe, that offers it selfe to the stumbling Passenger: The met Torch is that sweet-lipt Friend, which lends us a flash of Complement for the time, but quichly leaves us to our former darhnesse: The overtahen Lanthorne is the true Friend; which, though it promise but a faint light, yet it goes along with us, as farre as it can, towards our Journie's end: The offered Linhe is the mercenary Friend; which, though it be ready enough to doe us service, yet that service hath a servile relation to our bountie. Sir; in the middle ranhe Ifindeyou, hating thefirst, and scorning the last; to whom, in the height of my undissembled affection, and unfiiined thanhfulnes, I commend my selfe, and this boohe, to receive an equall censure, from your uncorrupted judgement: jfn the Bud, it was yours; it blossomd, yours; and now, your favourable acceptance cenfirmes the fruit yours: All'J crave, is, that you would be pleased to interpret these my intentions to proceed from an ardent desire, that hath long beene in labour to expresse the true affections of him That holds it an honor to honor you Fra: Qvarles. To The Reader. THE tyranny of my Affaires was never yet so imperious, but I could steale some howers to my private Meditations; the fruits of which stolne time I here present thee with, in the History of Samson: Wherein, if thy extreme severity checke at any thing, which thou conceivest may not stand with the majesty of this sacred Subject;...