A30125:357
A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhymes for childrenA book for boys and girls, or, Country rhimes for children
A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhymes for children by J.B.A book for boys and girls, or, Country rhimes for children by J.B.
London: printed for N.P., 1686
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A BOOK FOR Boys and Girls, &c. › Poem 57: LVII. Upon the Snail.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
LVII. Upon the Snail.
She goes but softly, but she goeth sure, She stumbles not, as stronger Creatures do: Her Journeys shorter, so she may endure, Better than they which do much further go. She makes no noise, but stilly seizeth on The Flower or Herb, appointed for her food; The which she quietly doth feed upon, While others range, and gare, but find no good. ⟨p. 64⟩And tho she doth but very softly go, How ever 'tis not fast, nor slow, but sure; And certainly they that do travel so, The prize they do aim at, they do procure.
SHe goes but softly, but she goeth sure, She stumbles not, as stronger Creatures do: Her Journeys shorter, so she may endure, Better than they which do much further go. She makes no noise, but stilly seizeth on The Flow'r or Herb, appointed for her food; The which she quietly doth feed upon, While others range, and gare, but find no good. ⟨p. 64⟩And tho she doth but very softly go, How ever 'tis not fast, nor slow, but sure; And certainly they that do travel so, The prize they do aim at, they do procure.
Comparison. Although they seem not much to stir, less go, For Christ that hunger, or from Wrath, that flee; Yet what they seek for, quickly thy come to, Tho it doth seem the farthest off to be. One Act of Faith doth bring them to that Flower, They so long for, that they may eat and live; Which to attain is not in others Power Tho for it a King's Ransom they would give. Then let none faint, nor be at all dismayed, That Life by Christ do seek, they shall not fail To have it, let them nothing be afraid; The Herb, and Flower is eaten by the Snail.