"Be deaf to Flattery; it deludes the Mind, / And oft, when all Arts fail, doth entrance find. / But then's most Danger, we should to 't resign. / When't meets with that Arch-Flatterer within."
— Heyrick, Thomas (bap. 1649. d. 1694)
Place of Publication
Cambridge
Publisher
Printed by John Hayes for the Author, And are to be sold by Francis Hicks ... And by Thomas Basset ... and Samuel Heyrick
Date
1691
Metaphor
"Be deaf to Flattery; it deludes the Mind, / And oft, when all Arts fail, doth entrance find. / But then's most Danger, we should to 't resign. / When't meets with that Arch-Flatterer within."
Metaphor in Context
Your Yielding Mind let not vain presents bend,
Beware of Gifts an Enemy doth send:
They are the price they'd buy You at, and when
You are their own, the Gifts are theirs again.
Be deaf to Flattery; it deludes the Mind,
And oft, when all Arts fail, doth entrance find.
But then's most Danger, we should to 't resign.
When't meets with that Arch-Flatterer within.
Ne're dream, that Constancy in Man resides,
Who less i'th' Prize, then in the Conquest Prides.
In Love and in Ambition what Men have,
They slight, and for what they possess not, rave.
One Conquest got, another fills the Mind,
Nor can the greatest Treasures keep't confind.
Of Thoughts and of Desires no bounds are known,
Nor can the brightest Beauty fix Love down.
Nor will Preëminence more be You allow'd,
Once got, you're lost among the Common Crowd.
No greater Privilege will Your Beauty gain,
But in the Mass of things will Scorn'd remain,
Nor but for change be visited again.
The tasting Bee doth search the secret Bowers,
And rifles all the Beds of silver flowers:
Nor Rose, nor Lilly, can inforce his stay;
Fresh sweets the winged Chymist call away.
Untouch'd You'll th' object of their Worship be;
Yielding You do at their Discretion ly,
And when the Thief hath robb'd, he'll hate and fly.
Beware of Gifts an Enemy doth send:
They are the price they'd buy You at, and when
You are their own, the Gifts are theirs again.
Be deaf to Flattery; it deludes the Mind,
And oft, when all Arts fail, doth entrance find.
But then's most Danger, we should to 't resign.
When't meets with that Arch-Flatterer within.
Ne're dream, that Constancy in Man resides,
Who less i'th' Prize, then in the Conquest Prides.
In Love and in Ambition what Men have,
They slight, and for what they possess not, rave.
One Conquest got, another fills the Mind,
Nor can the greatest Treasures keep't confind.
Of Thoughts and of Desires no bounds are known,
Nor can the brightest Beauty fix Love down.
Nor will Preëminence more be You allow'd,
Once got, you're lost among the Common Crowd.
No greater Privilege will Your Beauty gain,
But in the Mass of things will Scorn'd remain,
Nor but for change be visited again.
The tasting Bee doth search the secret Bowers,
And rifles all the Beds of silver flowers:
Nor Rose, nor Lilly, can inforce his stay;
Fresh sweets the winged Chymist call away.
Untouch'd You'll th' object of their Worship be;
Yielding You do at their Discretion ly,
And when the Thief hath robb'd, he'll hate and fly.
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
02/06/2005
Date of Review
01/12/2012
