Date: 1718

"Black Guilt involves the World in horrid Night, / And clouds our Intellectual Sight."

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"The Soul is darker than the deepest Cave, / Hard as the Rock, and colder than the Grave"

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"Inmate Divine! Celestial Guest! / Who dost inhabit every pious Breast"

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"Vile Man becomes, when purify'd by Grace, / Thy Living Temple, and abiding Place."

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

" His Heart is made Thy Altar, whence / To Heav'n arise pure Flames of holy Fire"

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"O when shall my glad Soul releast / From these uneasy Chains of Clay, / To the bright Regions of the Blest / Wing with a Lover's Speed her Way?"

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

Reason may be "too Young to rule a Flame" (of love)

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"When first to Think your active Mind essay'd, / And young Ideas in your Fancy play'd, / While dawning Reason's unexperienc'd Ray / Drew a faint Scetch of Intellectual Day, / Your Parents, who the Laws of Heav'n revere, / And make Immortal Bliss their pious Care, / Assiduous strove by mild Instru...

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"Knowledge Divine they by degrees bestow'd, / And with blest Seed your Heart industrious sow'd, / Whence verdant Issues soon began to shoot; / A Bloom ensu'd, that promis'd generous Fruit."

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)

Date: 1718

"Drawn by their Pray'r, from Heav'n descending Dews / Cheer the fair Plant, and Heat Divine infuse: / While watchful they destroy'd the springing Weeds, / Baneful to Virtue, which our Bosom breeds, / Nature's spontaneous Growth, that no Assistant needs."

— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)