Said one among them—«Surely not in vain
My substance of the common Earth was ta'en
And to this Figure moulded, to be broke,
Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again.»
The sentiment of this quatrain is traceable in C. 293.
There is a cup which wisdom loud acclaims,
And for its beauty gives it a hundred kisses on the brow,
Such a sweet cup, this Potter of the World
Makes, and then shatters it upon the ground.
Ref.: C. 293, L. 456, B. 452, B. ii. 321, T. 194.—W. 290, V. 495.
Then said a Second—«Ne'er a peevish Boy
Would break the Bowl from which he drank in joy;
And he that with his hand the Vessel made
Will surely not in after Wrath destroy.»
The inspiration for this quatrain comes from O. 19.
The elements of a cup which he has put together,
Their breaking up a drinker cannot approve;[84]
All these heads and feet—with his finger-tips,
For love of whom did he make them?—for hate of whom did he break them?