To his much and worthily esteemed friend, the Author (John Stephens)

Who takes thy volume to his virtuous hand,
Must be intended still to understand:
Who bluntly doth but look upon the same,
May ask, what author would conceal his name?
Who reads may rove, and call the passage dark,
Yet may as blind men sometimes hit the mark.
Who reads, who roves, who hopes to understand,
May take thy volume to his virtuous hand:
Who cannot read, but only doth desire
To understand, he may at length admire.