TO Love thy neighbour as thy self, will prove The Summ of Virtue; yet Selflove The total is of Vice. Unhappy riddle this, That thine own Rule should perfect be To all the World besides, but not to thee. 2 When self-conceited Lucifer so high Did soar on wings of Philauty, The foolish Gallant fell As low as lowest hell. Corrupted Good's the worst of Evil: As God is Love himself, Selflove's a Devil. 3 No Hate's so dangerous as Selflove, by which We ask our own selvs to death bewitch. Ask but Narcissus what Inchanted him to that Dainty, but deadly fate, & He Will answer, 'Twas Selflove which drowned Me. 4 Do's not thy sober indignation rise Against false-hearted Flatteries Which only tickle thee Into a Fallacie? How dar'st thou then take such delight In being thine own constant Parasite? 5 Would'st love thyself indeed? come then & throw Thy hate at what thou lovest now. 'Tis not thy Self, but thy Passions & Lusts which ly In thy loves arms; all other Foes God bids thee love, I grant, but never those. 6 Thy Soule's thy Self, & what thy God did make; Not what thy Sinns: Mend that Mistake, And then Selflove will be Ev'n Virtues self to thee. Thy riddle then will cease, and thou By Self-loves rule mayst charity bestow. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...HEART'S-EASE by WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR TO HIS COY MISTRESS by ANDREW MARVELL SONG OF SHERWOOD by ALFRED NOYES THE SUN IS DOWN by JOANNA BAILLIE S. BARTHOLOMEW by JOSEPH BEAUMONT GRISELDA: CHAPTER 3 by WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT ON THE DEATH OF AN OLD TOWNSMAN by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD |