The vanity of the worldThe vanity of the vvorld

And indeed if we strip all these admired nothings to their naked principles, we shall find them as base and sordid as the meanest of those things which we spurn and despise; only Art or Nature put new shapes upon them, and fancy a price upon those shapes. ^aWhat are Gold and Silver, but diversified Earth, hard and shining Clay? ⟨p. 28⟩The very place where they are bred, the entrails of the Earth, upbraids us for accounting them precious. The best and richest perfumes, what are they but the clammy sweat of Trees, or the mucous froth of Beasts? The softer Silks are but the Excrement of a vile Worm. The most racy and generous Wines, are nothing else but puddle water strained through a Vine. Our choicest delicates are but dirt, cooked and served up to us in various forms. The very same things which we contemn under one shape, we admire in another; and with this, Fancy and Custom have conspired together to cheat us.

And indeed if we strip all these admired nothings to their naked principles, we shall find them as base and sordid as the meanest of those things which we spurn and despise; onely Art or Nature put new shapes upon them, and phancy a price upon those shapes. ^aWhat are Gold and Silver, but divercyfied Earth, hard and shining Clay? ⟨p. 28⟩The very place where they are bred, the entrails of the Earth, upbraids us for accounting them pretious. The best and richest perfumes, what are they but the clammy sweat of Trees, or the mucous froth of Beasts? The softer Silks are but the Excrement of a vile Worm. The most racy and generous Wines, are nothing else but puddle water strain'd through a Vine. Our choicest delicates are but dirt, cookt and serv'd up to us in various forms. The very same things which we contemn under one shape, we admire in another; and with this, Phancy and Custome have conspired together to cheat us.

1. a[Greek or Hebrew] M. Anto. de s•iosa l. 6. S. 10. Edit. Cas. [Greek or Hebrew]. Id. l. 9. S. 30. 6.