First, the two eyes that haue the seeing power,
Stand as one watchman, spy, or sentinell;
Being plac'd aloft, within the head's high tower;
And though both see, yet both but one thing tell.
These mirrors take into their little space
The formes of moone and sun, and euery starre;
Of euery body and of euery place,
Which with the World's wide armes embracèd are:
Yet their best obiect, and their noblest vse,
Hereafter in another World will be;
When God in them shall heauenly light infuse,
That face to face they may their Maker see.
Here are they guides, which doe the body lead,
Which else would stumble in eternal night;
Here in this world they do much knowledge read,
And are the casements which admit most light:
They are her farthest reaching instrument,
Yet they no beames vnto their obiects send;
But all the rays are from their obiects sent,
And in the eyes with pointed angles end:
If th' obiects be farre off, the rayes doe meet
In a sharpe point, and so things seeme but small;
If they be neere, their rayes doe spread and fleet,
And make broad points, that things seeme great withall.
Lastly, nine things to Sight requirèd are;
The power to see, the light, the visible thing,
Being not too small, too thin, too nigh, too farre,
Cleare space, and time, the forme distinct to bring.
Thus we see how the Soule doth vse the eyes,
As instruments of her quicke power of sight;
Hence do th' Arts opticke and faire painting rise:
Painting, which doth all gentle minds delight.
HEARING.
Now let vs heare how she the Eares imployes:
Their office is the troubled ayre to take,
Which in their mazes formes a sound or noyse,
Whereof her selfe doth true distinction make.
These wickets of the Soule are plac't on hie
Because all sounds doe lightly mount aloft;
And that they may not pierce too violently,
They are delaied with turnes, and windings oft.
For should the voice directly strike the braine,
It would astonish and confuse it much;
Therfore these plaits and folds the sound restraine,
That it the organ may more gently touch.
As streames, which with their winding banks doe play,
Stopt by their creeks, run softly through the plaine;
So in th' Eares' labyrinth the voice doth stray,
And doth with easie motion touch the braine.
It is the slowest, yet the daintiest sense;
For euen the Eares of such as haue no skill,
Perceiue a discord, and conceiue offence;
And knowing not what is good, yet find the ill.
And though this sense first gentle Musicke found,
Her proper obiect is the speech of men;
But that speech chiefely which God's heraulds sound,
When their tongs vtter what His Spirit did pen.
Our Eyes haue lids, our Eares still ope we see,
Quickly to heare how euery tale is proouèd;
Our Eyes still moue, our Eares vnmouèd bee,
That though we hear quick we be not quickly mouèd.
Thus by the organs of the Eye and Eare,
The Soule with knowledge doth her selfe endue;
"Thus she her prison, may with pleasure beare,
"Hauing such prospects, all the world to view.
These conduit-pipes of knowledge feed the Mind,
But th' other three attend the Body still;
For by their seruices the Soule doth find,
What things are to the body, good or ill.
TASTE.
The bodie's life with meats and ayre is fed,
Therefore the soule doth vse the tasting power,
In veines, which through the tongue and palate spred,
Distinguish euery relish, sweet and sower.
This is the bodie's nurse; but since man's wit
Found th' art of cookery, to delight his sense;
More bodies are consum'd and kild with it,
Then with the sword, famine, or pestilence.
SMELLING.
Next, in the nosthrils she doth vse the smell:
As God the breath of life in them did giue,
So makes He now this power in them to dwell,
To iudge all ayres, whereby we breath and liue.
This sense is also mistresse of an Art,
Which to soft people sweete perfumes doth sell;
Though this deare Art doth little good impart,
"Sith they smell best, that doe of nothing smell.
And yet good sents doe purifie the braine,
Awake the fancie, and the wits refine;
Hence old Deuotion, incense did ordaine
To make mens' spirits apt for thoughts diuine.