he is crown'd Or make the bloodie field the Souldiors tombe Or in the Seas cause thousands to be drown'd Why presentlie what will the people say Their Time was come thus Time beares blame awaie Death If this be all let it not greeue thy hart To heare thy selfe abused now and then But I le reuenge I vow it with my dart Time I marry wilt thou but I preethy when Death To soone by many daies I le meet with some If thou but say strike for their Time is come Time I that 's another matter now you speake By my glasse all thy tragedies are acted The prison of mans soule thou canst not breake With wals of flesh and blood and bones compacted Nor giue the same enlargement to go free Before my hand to thy commission be Thou knowst Time is Gods agent in affaires And hath bin so euer since the creation Thou knowst he seateth Monarchs in their chairs Admitting kings vnto their corronation If long they raigne Time giues their yeares the length If short they rule Time cutteth off their strength The ornaments of heauen sun and Moone With al the glittering brauery of stars Are taught by me their morning night and noone I order them which else disorder mars Their motions reuolutions and aspects Time with his iust proportion due directs Death Why what a bragging and a coile do'st keepe Best take my dart be Time be Death and al I le into graues and there go lie and sleepe And answere thou when Gods affaires do cal Be Lord of Coffin Pickaxe Sheet and spade And do my worke with those in ground are laid Thou art for kings and thou dost this and that And without thee ther 's nothing to be done To crowne depose and do I know not what Nay thou art busie with the Moone and Sunne Thou hast an ore in e'ry bodies boate Vpon my conscience thou begin'st to dote I haue bin Death almost six thousand yeares Yer neuer heard thee vaunt so vaine before Thou coun'st thy selfe my better it appeares But if thou doest thy aime is wide a score I tell thee Time thou doest insence me now Knowing my selfe a better man then thou At least thy selfe knowes I am full as good Being Gods steward sinnes reward to pay He that denies it I will see his blood Be he the greatest Monarch liues this day If he were Caesar of the earths whole Globe I le make him poorer then the Deuill made Iob. The mony-bag whose Idols in his chest Whose Gods his gold whose golds his prisoner Whose thoughts are euer haunted with vnrest And loues that best becomes his murderer I take him sodaine from huge heapes of treasure The slaue was scraping all his life times leisure Wounds hart and blood that wil not sell his swearing To him would giue him forty pound a yeare That vowes a tale is dull and harsh in hearing Vnlesse by oaths the matter be made cleare Oft when the tempter chiefely doth prouoke-him His mouth being fil'd with bitter oaths I choake him The swaggering Ruffian in his heady braules Whose hand is euer on his ponyard hilt That bloody fraies his recreation cals Chiefely delighted with foule murders guilt Whose thoughts are onely for the stab pretence I haue a tricke for him and all his fence The quaintly suted Courtier in attyre Whose lookes are fixt no lower then the sky Is crost by me in height of his desire And vnder ground I make his carrion lie He scorn'd the earth and that I make his bed Wrapt in a rotten sheet from foot to head And wheresoeuer or what ere he be For countenance for credit and condition Dignity calling office or degree Pessant or prince patient or els Phisition Euen from the Crowne and scepter to the plow I make all looke as I my selfe do now Perhaps thou think'st because thy beard is gray I owe officious reuerence to thine age And must beleeue whatsoeuer thou say Applauding thee chiefe actor on earths stage I le neuer do it Time expect it not For at my hand ther 's nothing to be got But prethee tell me what is he feares Time Not one vpon my life that doth expect thee For all the sinful brood of Adams slime Do euery day and euery hower neglect thee To vse time well who is not slow and slacke But with their euils al men loade thy backe Pyrats and theeues take Time to fit their turne Time must assist them ere they can preuaile The fawning flatterer doth Time subborne To give him leisure for his lying tale The lustfull Letcher borrowes thee by night And makes Time pandor to his sinnes delight The scatter good in Time consumes the wealth That might sustaine both him and his successor The drunkard takes his Time to pledge a health Till drinke to wit and fence be an oppressor Nay not an euill since the world begun But Time was accessary till t was done Time Well preethy slander on I le heare thee out And thy vntruths with truth I will confute Touching the wronging me thou goest about Thou art not able for thy life dispute Death th' art a lying fellow in this case I scorne thee I for vsing Time so base Death What Father gray-beard doth your choler rise Can you so ill digest to heare your crimes Time Why goodman bone-face with your vaulty eies What i' st to me if men abuse their Times Where learnd your dry and empty pate the skil That Time should answere for mens doings il Man is ordaind by th' almighty maker To spend his Time of earthly pilgrims state So holy that he proue foule sinnes forsaker And with faire vertue finish out his date I being the Time and limmit for that vse My il imployment is the worlds abuse What simple reason hath thy braine in store That dost all sence so vtterly forget Shal I be charg'd to answere sinners score That neuer past my word to pay their debt Proue that and let all that is good detest me Th' art a leane knaue Take witnes and arest me Death By my darts point I swore not so this yeare I le fight with thee next time we meet in field Time Why if thou hast a stomacke try it heere I feare thee not my sith is newly steeld And take this warning ere the fray begins Looke to your legs I le cracke those rotten shins My shins you whorson vglie prating slaue Death Sirrha I le keepe you at the point aloofe For dotard know ther 's not a bone I haue But t is compos'd of stuffe full cannon proofe Laie on my legs an houre by thy glasse Al 's one to hew a pillar made of brasse Time Peace bragging foole I laugh thy vaunts to scorne Thy tongue inclines to much vnto thy lying Feare children with thy force but newly borne And terrifie the sicke that lie a dying I know the houre when God did first begin thee Thy mold and making and how much is in thee Thy office is to murder and to
kill Stabbing of men is solace to thy hart Thou goest about and carriest with thee stil A Spade and Pickaxe Hower-glasse and Dart VVith one toole thou dost giue a cowards wound Vnseene and with tother turne men vnder ground Thou lookest like the inside of a tombe All rotten bones with sinnews bound togither Thy guts are gone for they lacke belly roome And al thy flesh is lighter then a feather Thy head is like an empty drie oile iarre VVhere neather teeth nor nose nor eies there are From eare to eare thou hast a mouth vnshut With armes and hands like to a Gardners rake Thy ribs shew like a leather Ierkin cut Thy voice resembles hissing of a snake Thy legs appeare a paire of Crane-stilts right And al thy formes more vgly then a sprite Thy picture stands vpon the Ale-house wall Not in the credit of an ancient story But when the old wiues guests begin to braule She points and bids them read Memento mori Looke looke saies she what fellow standeth there As women do when crying Babes they feare No memory of worth to thee belongs To call thee famous is condemned error And though sometime th' art baletted in songs Thy names imploide vnto no vse but terror Thy companie both rich and poore defie Loathsome to eare most vgly to the eie Death Time I perceiue thou art dispos'd to raile So am not I my head is not so vaine Thy tearmes are very base most scuruy stale And th' art a testie old foole for thy paine What needst thou vse this speeches vnto me A man so hansome thou wilt neuer be Best shapen forme by natures powerfulnesse And sweetest face on which loues eies do fawn The chiefest stature prais'd for comlinesse Are but my picture when the Curtaines drawne Remoue the veile of flesh and blood away T is Death's true picture all the world wil say But what art thou a foule mishapen monster Behind all bald a locke elle long before With clouen feet whereby a man may conster Caron from hell hath brought thee late a shore Which if he did thy swiftnes doth declare Thou ranst away and neuer paid his fare Actaeons feet I would thou hads his hornes Wing'd like an Owle a Cat hath lent thee eies A fugitiue that neuer backe returnes One that will run with Titans horse in skies Neuer to be intreated stopt or staid For whom repose and rest was neuer made And dost thou thinke I le pocket vp disgrace Of such a paltry rusticke peasant boore Nay rather I defie thee to thy face Thou knowst me honest though thou knowst me poor I care for no man all that liue feare me A figge for the whole world A rush for thee Time Well art thou now reueng'd preethy haue done Thou striu'st to haue the last word I dare sweare it Death Why should I not as long as you begun Fie fie I am asham'd that any man should heare it Time For were it knowne we two were at contention The world would laugh and terme it Mad discention Death Giue me thy hand imbrace let choler passe For my part I do beare thee no ill-will Time Take heed good Death thy bones will crack my glasse Death I would be loath to do thee so much ill Lay downe thy sith as I lay downe my dart Shake hands and so be friends before we part Time Where goest thou now Marry harke in thine eare Death I haue a Lady presently to kill One that 's at dice and doth no daunger feare But haue at al she saies come set me stil She is at passage passing sound and wel And little thinketh on the passing-bel And then I go to baile an honest man Lies in the Counter for a little debt Whom's creditor in most extreames he can Doth deale withal now he is in the net He sweares hee le keepe him there this dozen yeare Yet the knaue lies this night I le set him cleare And then I go to see two fellowes fight With whome there is no reason to be had About a cup of wine they dranke last night One swore t was good and tother vowd t was bad I le giue one that no Chirurgeon's like to heale And with the tother let the hangman deale And hundreds more come Time with speed along About our busines we haue stood heere now Till Priest and Clarke and Sexton haue the wrong More dead worke for their profit le ts alow My dart is dry ther 's no fresh blood thereon VVe suffer sicke to ly too long and grone Harke a monstrous rich fellow a Cittizen Time VVee le take him with vs euen in the way Preethy be thou a quiet man a while Some hower by my glasse he hath to stay Before the date be come of his exile And then in such a hole he shal be plac'st He is not like be seene againe in hast The villains rich exceeding rich indeed And loues a bag of gold most dearely well His wife is of a proud and dainty breed And for imbrasing fashions doth excell She married him for pure loue to his wealth But hath a friend for tother thing by stealth His children long as misers children do To be a sharing ery months a yeare They hope hee le dy their minds consent thereto And then their gallant humors wil appeare The angels kept in darknes by his might Shalby their power approach and come to light Vintners make welcomes ready for they come Let them not want I praie Potato pies And Cheaters with false dice looke out for some No little profit to your snares will rise But Bawds and whores haue you a special care To fit them penni-worths with your pocky ware As the oppresser got it wicked in The prodigal wil send it vainly out One wickednes requites anothers sin If vengeance haue a plague to bring about For what is got by rapine and by wrong The Deuil wil be doer in 't ere long Let them haue Lord-ships and be Lords of Towns Let them inioy the world at wit and wil Let them bequâ—ath fiue hundred mourning gownes And prosper al their daies in doing il Giue backe their goods when life is almost spent As Iudas when to hange himselfe he went VVhat of al this it warrants not from hel The wicked getting is not iustifyed Because the rich disposeth riches wel Wrong gotten and wel giuen when he died For t is like him steales from anothers store And of that coine giues almes vnto the poore The vsurer whom God forbids as plaine Take any intrest as the theife from stealing And yet wil venter soule for mony gaine Opressing al that vndergo his dealing Thinks it inough to make an honest wil How ere he got his goods that shal not skil Thus men delude deeeiue beguile betray Themselues their sowles their hope their happines Running the common beaten passage way That leads to hel the haunt of al distresse And like the foolish Virgins knocke too late When ther 's no entrance in at heauens gate One builds a house and titles that his owne Giues it his name to keep his name in sound When presently a graue with one square stone Wil serue his bodies turne to ly in ground Ten thousand pounds his costly house requires A coffin of a crowne 's al death desires Another fals to purchasing of land Hee le haue it out of Orchard field and wood And onely with his humor it doth stand To get much in his hand and do no good This Mole that in the earth is moiling thus With six foot ground is satisfied by vs. Death No more away looke heere my glasse is out Thou art to tedious Time in telling tales Our bloody businesse let vs go about Thousands are now at point of death breath failes To worke to worke and lay about thee man Let 's kil as fast as for our liues vve can Harke listen Time I pray giue eare What bell is that a towling there FINIS
A Terrible Battell betweene the two consumers of the whole World TIME and DEATH By Samuell Rowlands Printed at London for Iohn Deane and are to be sold at his shop 〈…〉 To the wise and well accomplisht Gent M. George Gaywood health and happinesse SIR the great and good report which my beloued friend the bearer hereof hath giuen of you hath made me more then halfe in loue with you which makes me thinke in some sort as the rude and rusticke phrase is to scratch acquaintance of you But sir beleeue it to be thus for you shall finde it so that this is not done of purpose to draw from you any bounty or rewarde to me for my Penne neuer was nor neuer shal be God saying Amen Mercinarie but to let you know that the bringer hereof who doth acknowledge himselfe to be more indebted to you then his poore estate or deiected life can make satisfaction for hath some friends that will in some measure giue you thankes for the more then fatherly kindnesse you haue shewed to him This vnspeakable loue and kindnesse of yours extended to him hath made me to dedicate this sillie work vnto you which by the generall report of your worthinesse I thinke vnworthie your acceptance But if it please you to call back againe some of the loue which you haue heretofore borne him and withall to consider that this is sent to you but as a gratulation from me for him then I make no doubt but you will accept it for his sake if not yet still I will rest your friende and Wel-willer made so by my friends report S. R A bloudy Battell betwixt Time and Death Time DRead potent Monster mighty froÌ„ thy birth Gyant of strength against al mortal power Gods great Earle Marshall ouer al the earth Taking account of each mans dying houre Landlord of Graues and Toombs of Marble stones Lord Treasurer of rotten dead-mens bones Victorious consort Slautering Caualier Mated with me to combat all aliue Know worthy Champion I haue met thee here Only to vnderstand how matters thriue As our affayres alike in nature be So let vs loue conferre and kind agree Great Regester of all things vnder Sunne Gods speedy poast that euer runs and flyes Ender of all that euer was begun That hast the Mappe of life before thine eyes And of all Creatures since the worlds creation Hast seene the finall dusty consumation Death Let me entreat thee pardon me a while Because my businesse now is very great I must go trauayle many a thousand mile To looke with care that Wormes do lacke no meat There 's many crawling feeders I maintaine I may not let those Cannibals complaine I must send murtherers with speed to Hell That there with horror they may make abode I must shew Atheysts where the Deuils dwell To let them feele there is a powerfull God I must invyte the Glutton and the Lyer Vnto a banquet made of flambes of fire I must bring PRIDE where Fashions are inuented You ydle headed Women quake and feare Your toyish fooleries will be preuented A shute of crawling Serpents you shall weare You that endeuor onely to go braue What Hel affoords you shal be sure to haue I haue the swagring Ruffian to dispatch That moth and canker of the common wealth The graceles Theefe that on the pray doth watch The dronkard a carrowsing of his health And of all sinners such a damned rowt As full of worke as Death can stir about Time This lawfull bus'nes I do well allow But in my absence how wilt thou proceede I must be present too as well as thou Before Time come thou canst not doe the deed· My Sythe cuts downe vpon thy dart they die Thou hast an houre glasse and so haue I. Looke my kinde Death here is some sand to run What do I bid thee look that hast no eies Let 's suffer their last minute to be don Some man repents the instant when he dies As one example I remember chiefe Of him that died a Saint and liu'd a Theefe Death Thou speak'st it true that penitent indeede Had neuer happy houre till his last But of like second sinner who can read From such a hellish life to heauen past But one to keepe pore sinners from dispaire And from presumption one and he most rare Thou knowst all flesh that is of woman borne Corruptly vnto sin giues full consent Seruing the Diuell with the finest corne Their pleasure youth and strength on him is spent And when the night of age brings painfull grones Then in Gods dish they cast their rotten bones Who would not censure him a foolish man To loyter out the spring and sommer tide And when another reapes make seede time than Expecting what the season had deni'de Yet such bad husbands hell affourds good-cheap Will vndertake to sow when others reape Some make my picture a most common thing As if I were continual in their thought A Deaths hâ—d seale vpon a great gold ring And round about Memento Mori wrought Which memory with gold cannot agree For he that hates the same best thinks on me I onely am a welcome frend to such As know by me they enter vnto rest And that no second death their soules can touch The peace of conscience harbors in their brest And with the diuell flesh and world still striue Vntill at Canaan they doe ariue But Time for tother thou shalt witnesse be How most vnwilling those same wretches die Their ends thou daily doest behold and see And can'st enforme the world I do not lie With horror griefe and anguish discontented In soule and body furiously tormented Time Surely they are their states cannot be told We apprehend but outward things in sight Most fearefull are those obiects to behold That curse their birth and time they saw the light Sinne hath no salue but mercy that they craue-not Repentance findeth grace and that they haue-not Death I came to kill a Vsurer of late And staying by his bed a while for thee His speech was all of mony-bags and plate But not a word of God nor thought of me Quicke fetch a scriuener let a bil be drawne Sirrha your day is broke I le keepe your pawne Intreat me not you should haue kept time better Thou shalt buy wit a foole must feele the smart Get me a Seriant to arest a debter And with that word my mace went through his heart Thus died the wretch with Mony Bond and Bill And if God haue him t' was against his will When this bad fellowes date was thus crost out I do remember we came to a place Where laye a Diues groning of the gowte Crying Lord Lord methought he ment for grace Vntill I heard the burden of his song Was Lord where may this Doctor stay so long Sir quoth his wife t were good haue a Diuine Thou art a foole said he I need him not I haue a hart as perfect sounde as thine What is there not a Doctor to
hee le tempt him to impatient mind To grudge and to repine at Gods correction Whereto with paine and griefe he seemes inclin'd But finding grace preuenteth that infection He seekes to draw him to a pride of hart To thinke himselfe a man of great desart And one in whome perfection doth abound That constantly aduersities can beare For his good workes deseruing to be crownd And that of sin he need not stand in feare If this cannot his sowle for hell prepare He labors then to driue him to despaire Compares Gods iudgements and his sins together And bids his conscience looke vpon the law Where damned soules remain he must go thither No mercy such a sinner euer saw It stands not with Gods iustice for to saue-him The Deuils come and onely he must haue-him Thus plots that foe and thus he oft preuailes And doth enlarge his kingdome wondrous thus Millions of sowles go hel-ward with these gales When men from memory do banish vs To count thee precious all men haue great reason To thinke on me is neuer out of season Time Death it is true but that same monster sin That brood of hell that Deuils eldest childe Which with the fall of Adam did begin And all his off-spring odious hath defil'd That Viper of the soule doth still appeare To all those sinners entertaine it heere Sinne the despising of Gods Maiesty And the contempt of his Eternall power The death of Vertue Graces enemy Canker of true felicities faire flower The obscure darkenes of mans vnderstanding Rebell to all the lawes of Gods commanding Sinne the director vnto all mishap The fetters of th' eternall vault of hell The tempters net he vseth to intrap The price wherewith the Deuils buy and sell The seed of Sathan daily by him sowne In those hard harts which are become his owne Sinne euerlasting poison curelesse killing The imitation of the evill sprites Folly of men to vvhich the world runs willing Pleasing destruction fil'd with loath'd delights Soules pestilence from darke infections Den The cause of all Gods plagues that light on men Hath ouer man such rule and Empire got And generally on earth beares such a sway That ther 's not one doth good and sinneth not The righteous falleth seuen times a day This is the cause the Lyon roares about And heauens narrow way is hard found out Death True time Well then we went with expedition Killing about some hundred by the way Vnto the mansion of a rare phisition That with my subiects bare a mighty sway Of sicke and lame and gowty cry sort Gaue all of him a wonderfull report Within his hand he held a vrinall Which after he had view'd a little space This party quoth he very shortly shall Be perfect well and in a healthy case There is no daunger do as I haue wild Yet that same person I had newly kild To many he gaue notes what they should take Some pill some potion others must let blood And diuers compounds some with speed must make And on his life this phisicke would do good Quoth I Phisitian cure thy selfe fond man Thou diest this howre preuent it if thou can About this time much worke I had to do As wofull London did both feele and see A dreadfull plague began six hundred two Which did continue out six hundred three The bloody busines I had then in hand Became a terror vnto all the land Deadly destruction was in e'ry street A daily mourning and a daily dying Great vse of Coffin and of winding Sheet From empty houses many hundreds flying Each faculty profession and degree Tooke counsell with their legs to run from me But how they sped experience can declare How many left their liues vpon the way Poore mortals in my hands are brittle ware Like Vapor Buble Flower wither'd Hay Where can they run but I am still behind-them Where can they liue secure but I will find-them The Cittizens that out of plague time euer Are entertain'd with welcomes in all Townes To shun like Serpents each man did endeuor Amongst the rusticke rude viâ—ciuill Clownes The name of Londoner that very breath Had power to terrifie as much as death Let him be friend or kinsman what he will Maister or seruant husband or the wife You must keepe out saies Iobson with his bill The plagu's about him neighbors on my life Heere is no meat and drinke for horse or man Starue if thou wilt or get it where thou can God which detested cruelty seeing this Gaue vs commission ouer all the land That flesh and blood might know the plague was his And he had power to strike or hold his hand Then we his officers to worke did go And make the Country tast of Citties wo. How could they shun their owne infection now That held the Londoners contagious foes What vertue can their worm-wood smels allow To charme the plague for comming neare their nose Angellica is but a rotten root Hearbe-grace in scorne I trample vnder-foot Vnicorns horn's not worth a marrow-bone Though men esteeme so precious of the dust Bugell is euen as good as Beazer stone If I but say Sirrha away you must Prepare thy soule repent the guilt of sin Coffin and sheete attend to take thee in I wonder what men thinke that daily see Their friends and kindered carried to the graue How they can count themselues secure to be That not an howers time of life-time haue That find they are but tenants heere at will Yet liue as they could liue free-holders still Where 's old Methuselah that long liu'd man Whers's al the fathers saw so many daies Their liues were but the length of Dauids span A vapor that most sodainly decaies Th' are borne grow strong wax old fall sicke and die So other do and others them supply Where 's that strong man that did so many kill And admirable things by valour did That carried Asah gates to Hebron hil And rent a Lyon like a tender Kyd Looke in the graue where this great man doth lie There 's no strength left to kil a silly flie Wher 's that most rare and comely shaped prince That would haue puld his Father from his throne Whose like no age hath seene for feature since Nor any age before his age had known Not a locke left of all his goodly haire Hundreds ago his scull was bald and bare Wher 's Hector gone and Hercules become What newes with Pompey and Achilles now Where marcheth Alexander with his drum To Caesars scepter who doth yeeld or bow Where are these great and mighty conquering ones Time shew an ounce of dust of all their bones Time Death preethy stay let this discourse stand by And make me answere vnto one request Some doubt and difference is twixt thee and I Which to resolue in my conceit were best And this it is The world exclaimes on me For diuers actions that are done by thee If thou stab children in their mothers wombe Or kill a king as soone as