The King and the commons - 1869 Author:Henry Morley Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CONSTANCY. . HO is the honest man ? He that doth still and strongly good pursue, To God, his neighbour, and himself most true: Whom neither force nor fawning ... more »can Unpin, or wrench from giving all their due. Whose honesty is not So loose or easy, that a ruffling wind Can blow away, or glittering look it blind : Who rides his sure and even trot, While the world now rides by, now lags behind. Who, when great trials come, Nor seeks, nor shuns them; but doth calmly stay, Till he the thing and the example weigh: All being brought into a sum, What place or person calls for, he doth pay. Whom none can work or woo, To use in any thing a trick or sleight; For above all things he abhors deceit: His words and works and fashion too All of a piece, and all are clear and straight. Who never melts or thaws At close temptations : when the day is done, His goodness sets not, but in dark can run : The sun to others writeth laws, And is their virtue; virtue is his sun. Who, when he is to treat With sick folks, women, those whom passions sway, Allows for that, and keeps his constant way : Whom others' faults do not defeat; But though men fail him, yet his part doth play. chapter{Section 4Whom nothing can procure, When the wild world runs bias, from his will To writhe his limbs, and share, not mend the ill. This is the marksman, safe and sure, Who still is right, and prays to be so still. George Herbert. LOVING AND BELOVED. HERE never yet was honest man That ever drove the trade of love; It is impossible, nor can Integrity our ends promove: For kings and lovers are alike in this, That their chief art in reign dissembling is. Here we are loved, and there we love, Good nature now and passion strive Which of the two should be above, And laws unto...« less