Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
By Ben Jonson (1573?1647)The Fortress of Mansoul
NOT to know vice at all, and keep true state, | |
Is virtue and not fate: | |
Next to that virtue is to know vice well, | |
And her black spite repel. | |
Which to effect (since no breast is so sure, | 5 |
Or safe, but she’ll procure | |
Some way of entrance), we must plant a guard | |
Of thoughts to watch and ward | |
At th’ eye and ear, the ports unto the mind, | |
That no strange or unkind | 10 |
Object arrive there, but the heart, our spy, | |
Give knowledge instantly | |
To wakeful reason, our affections’ king: | |
Who in th’ examining | |
Will quickly taste the treason, and commit | 15 |
Close the true cause of it. | |
’Tis the securest policy we have | |
To make our sense our slave. | |
But this true course is not embraced by many; | |
By many? scarce by any. | 20 |
For either our affections do rebel, | |
Or else the sentinel, | |
That should ring ’larum to the heart, doth sleep, | |
Or some great thought doth keep | |
Back the intelligence, and falsely swears | 25 |
They’re base and idle fears | |
Whereof the loyal conscience so complains. | |
Thus by these subtle trains | |
Do several passions invade the mind | |
And strike our reason blind. | 30 |