Classic Poem

Y e glasse was at my lippe,
Clere spirit sparkling was;
I was about to sippe
When a voyce came from the glasse: —

" And would'st thou have a rosie nose —
A blotched face and vacant eye —
A shakey frame that feeblie goes —
A forme and feature alle awry —
A bodie rack'd with rheumie paine —
A burnt-up stomach, fever'd braine —
A muddie minde that cannot thinke?
Then drinke, drinke, drinke "

Thus spoke the voyce and fledde,
Nor any more did say;
But I thought on what it saide,
And threw the glasse away

Y e pipe was in my mouth,
Y e first cloude o'er me broke;
I was to blow another,
When a voyce came from the smoke!

Come, this must be a hoaxe!
Then I'll snuffe if I may not smoke; —
But a voyce came from the boxe!
And thus these voyces spoke: —

" And would'st thou have a swimmie hedde,
A smokie breath and blacken'd tooth?
And would'st thou have thy freshnesse fade,
And wrinkle up thy leafe of youthe?
Would'st have thy voyce to lose its tone —
Thy heavenly note a bag-pipe's drone? —
If thou would'st thy health's channels choke,
Then smoke, smoke, smoke;
Y e pipes of thy sweet musick stuffe,
Then snuffe, snuffe, snuffe! "

Thus spoke, and fledde they both —
Glasse! pipe! boxe! in a day
To lose them, was I loath;
Yet I threw them alle away.

O would we be alle healthe, alle lightnesse,
Alle youthe, alle sweetnesse, freshnesse, brightnesse —
Seeing through everythinge,
With mindes like the crystal springe: —
O would we be just right enoughe —
Not drinke — not smoke — not snuffe.

Then would our forwarde course
To the right be as naturall
As it is, withouten force,
For stones downwarde to falle.