| Andrew Macphail, comp. The Book of Sorrow. 1916. | | | I. Serenity
Life and Death | | By Sir William Davenant (1606–1668) |
| | | FRAIL Life! in which, through mists of human breath, | |
| We grope for truth, and make our progress slow, | |
| Because by passion blinded; till, by death | |
| Our passions ending, we begin to know. | |
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| O reverend Death! whose looks can soon advise | 5 |
| E’en scornful youth, whilst priests their doctrine waste; | |
| Yet mocks us too; for he does make us wise, | |
| When by his coming our affairs are past. | |
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| O harmless Death! whom still the valiant brave, | |
| The wise expect, the sorrowful invite, | 10 |
| And all the good embrace, who know the grave | |
| A short dark passage to eternal light. | | | | |
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