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TREE OF KNOWLEDGE. THAT THERE IS NO KNOWLEDGE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The sacred tree 'midst the fair orchard grew
Last Line: Instead of mounting high, shall creep upon the dust.
Subject(s): Knowledge


1.

THE sacred Tree 'midst the fair Orchard grew,
The Phoenix Truth did on it rest,
And built his perfumed Nest.
That right Porphyrian Tree which did true Logick shew,
Each Leaf did learned Notions give,
And th' Apples were Demonstrative.
So clear their Colour, and divine,
The very shade they cast did other Lights out-shine.

2.

Taste not, said God; 'tis mine and Angels' meat;
A certain Death does sit,
Like an ill Worm, i' th' Core of it.
Ye cannot Know and Live, nor Live or Know and Eat.
Thus spoke God, yet Man did go
Ignorantly on to Know;
Grew so more Blinde, and she
Who tempted him to this, grew yet more Blinde then He.

3.

The only Science Man by this did get,
Was but to know he nothing knew:
He straight his Nakedness did view,
His ignorant poor estate, and was ashamed of it.
Yet searches Probabilities,
And Rhetorick, and Fallacies,
And seeks, by useless pride,
With slight and with'ring Leaves that Nakedness to hide.

4.

Henceforth, said God, the wretched Sons of earth
Shall sweat for food in vain,
That will not long sustain,
And bring with Labor forth each fond abortive Birth.
That Serpent too, their Pride,
Which aims at things deny'd,
That learn'd and eloquent Lust,
Instead of mounting high, shall creep upon the Dust.





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