Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
By Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)Man
| WEIGHING the steadfastness and state | |
| Of some mean things which here below reside, | |
| Where birds like watchful clocks the noiseless date | |
| And intercourse of times divide, | |
| Where bees at night get home and hive, and flow’rs, | 5 |
| Early as well as late, | |
| Rise with the sun, and set in the same bow’rs, | |
| I would, said I, my God would give | |
| The staidness of these things to man! for these | |
| To His divine appointments ever cleave, | 10 |
| And no new business breaks their peace; | |
| The birds nor sow nor reap, yet sup and dine, | |
| The flow’rs without clothes live, | |
| Yet Solomon was never drest so fine. | |
| Man hath still either toys or care; | 15 |
| He hath no root, nor to one place is tied, | |
| But ever restless and irregular | |
| About this earth doth run and ride. | |
| He knows he hath a home, but scarce knows where; | |
| He says it is so far, | 20 |
| That he hath quite forgot how to go there. | |
| He knocks at all doors, strays and roams: | |
| Nay, hath not so much wit as some stones have, | |
| Which in the darkest nights point to their homes | |
| By some hid sense their Maker gave; | 25 |
| Man is the shuttle, to whose winding quest | |
| And passage through these looms | |
| God order’d motion, but ordain’d no rest. | |