The man-mouse taken in a trap

What? Is it not lawful for my (learned) friend
To improve his Reason to its greatest end?
Or shall we envy him, because he has more
Of Nature's favors set upon his account? original: "Score"
Tell me in earnest, do you think it is fit
To believe all that Aristotle wrote?
Though he was blinded, yet Experience can
Sever the clouds, and make a clearer man.
If Digby original: "Digbie" — Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665), a philosopher and scientist who attempted to combine alchemy and atomism. once but views your railing vein,
He will think you are atoms, not yet formed into a brain;
Then to the pot you go: Oh, there is the loss!
There is no elixir in you; you are all dross.
Then sing another song, you who control
Our metempsychosis metempsychosis: the transmigration of souls, or the belief that souls move from one body to another after death. of bodied souls:
Yet a Platonist you are, but cannot tell
Where these mysterious spirits have their cell.
Thus Ambrose original: "Ambrose" — Likely referring to a story where a Church Father (usually Jerome, though attributed here to Ambrose) threw away the works of the poet Persius because he found them too obscure to understand. flung dark Persius original: "Persius" — A Roman satirist known for his extremely difficult and dense poetic style. on the ground,
A blind contempt! Because he was profound.
Look closer, man; can you not distinguish yet
Between the highest and the lowest wit?
When Cynthia original: "Cynthia" — A poetic name for the Moon. hies to the watery Tethys original: "Tethys" — A Greek sea goddess; the imagery depicts the moon setting into the ocean.,
We know not there what treasures she espies,
What pearls original: "Margarits" — derived from the Latin 'margarita'. in crystal streams; she sends
Only to us her influence, and lends
A kind, large light. But you poor, trapped raccoon! original: "Rattoon" — an early English term for a raccoon, here used as an insult.
Like Scythian dogs, you bark against the moon.
Great, rare Eugenius! Do not you delay
Your course, because his dirt lies in your way.
Stain your white skin for once, and be you not
Surprised like ermines In folklore, ermines were said to value their white fur so much that they would choose to die rather than cross through mud and stain it. by the daubing plot.
Mount to your full meridian; let your star
Create a rubric original: "Rubric" — A red-letter entry in a church calendar marking a special feast day. to our calendar,
And we will offer anthems to your shrine
So long as time can give a name to dates. original: "So long as Date can give a Name to Time."

P.B. Master of Arts, Oxford. original: "P.B. A.M. Oxoniens." — Artium Magister Oxoniensis.