Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A02166
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The repentance of Robert Greene Maister of Artes. Wherein by himselfe is laid open his loose life, with the manner of his death
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Greene, Robert, 1558?-1592.
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1592
(1592)
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STC 12306; ESTC S119749
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13,805
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32
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so harde but the drops of raine will hollowe so there is no heart so voide of grace or giuen ouer to wilfull follie but the mercifull fauour of God can mollifie An instance of the like chaunced to my selfe being a man wholy addicted to all gracelesse indeuors giuen from my youth to wantonnes brought vp in riot who as I grew in yeares so I waxed more ripe in vngodlines that I was the mirrour of mischiefe and the very patterne of all preiudiciall actions for I neither had care to take any good course of life nor yet to listen to the friendly perswasions of my parents I seemed as one of no religion but rather as a meere Atheist contemning the holy precepts vttered by any learned preather I would smile at such as would frequent the Church or such place of godly exercise would scoffe at any that would checke mee with any wholesome or good admonition so that herein I seemed a meere reprobate the child of Sathan one wipt out of the booke of life and as an outcast from the face and fauor of God I was giuen ouer to drunkennes so that I lightly accounted of that company that would not intertaine my inordinate quaffing And to this beastly sinne of gluttotonie I added that detestable vice of swearing taking a felicitie in blaspeming prophaning the name of God confirming nothing idlely but with such solemne oths that it amazed euen my companions to heare mee And that I might seeme to heape one sinne vpon another I was so rooted therein that whatsoeuer I got I stil consumed the same in drunkennes Liuing thus a long time God who suffereth sinners to heape coles of fire vpon their owne heads and to bee fed fat with sinne against the day of vengeance suffered me to go forward in my loose life many warninges I had to draw me from my detestable kind of life and diuers crosses to contrary my actions but all in vaine for though I were sundry times afflicted with many foule and greeuous diseases and thereby scourged with the rod of Gods wrath yet when by the great labor frendship of sundry honest persons they had though to their great charges sought procured my recouery I did with the Dog Redire in vomitum I went again with the Sow to wallow in the mire and fell to my former follies as frankly as if I had not tasted any iot of want or neuer been scourged for them Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati my daily custome in sinne had cleane taken away the feeling of my sinne for I was so giuen to these vices aforesaide that I counted them rather veniall scapes faults of nature than any great and greeuous offences neither did I care for death but held it onely as the end of life For comming one day into Aldersgate street to a welwillers house of mine hee with other of his friendes perswaded mee to leaue my bad course of life which at length would bring mee to vtter destruction whereupon I scoffingly made them this answer Tush what better is he that dies in his bed than he that endes his life at Tyburne all owe God a death if I may haue my desire while I liue I am satisfied let me shift after death as I may My friends hearing these words greatly greeued at my gracelesse resolution made this reply If you feare not death in this world nor the paines of the body in this life yet doubt the second death the losse of your soule which without hearty repentance must rest in hell fire for euer and euer Hell quoth I what talke you of hell to me I know if I once come there I shal haue the company of better men than my selfe I shal also meete with some madde knaues in that place so long as I shall not sit there alone my care is the lesse But you are mad folks quoth I for if I feared the Iudges of the bench no more than I dread the iudgements of God I would before I slept diue into one Carles bagges or other and make merrie with the shelles I found in them so long as they would last And though some in this company were Fryers of mine owne fraternitie to whom I spake the wordes yet were they so amazed at my prophane speeches that they wisht themselues foorth of my company Whereby appeareth that my continuall delight was in sinne and that I made my selfe drunke with the dregges of mischiefe But beeing departed thence vnto my lodging and now grown to the full I was checked by the mightie hand of God for Sicknes the messenger of death attached me and tolde me my time was but short and that I had not long to liue whereupon I was vexed in mind and grew very heauy As thus I sate solempuly thinking of my end and feeling my selfe waxe sicker and sicker I fell into a great passion and was wonderfully perplexed yet no way discouered my agony but sate still calling to mind the lewdnes of my former life at what time sodainly taking the booke of Resolution in my hand I light vpon a chapter therein which discouered vnto mee the miserable state of the reprobate what Hell was what the worme of Conscience was what tormentes there was appointed for the damned soules what vnspeakable miseries what vnquenchable flames what intollerable agonies what incomprehensible griefs that there was nothing but feare horrour veration of mind depriuation from the sight and fauour of God weeping and gnashing of teeth and that al those tortures were not termined or dated within any compasse of yeares but euerlasting world without end concluding all in this of the Psalmes Ab inferis nulla est redemptio After that I had with deepe consideration pondered vpon these points such a terrour stroke into my conscience that for very anguish of minde my teeth did beate in my head my lookes waxed pale and wan and fetching a great sigh I cried vnto God and said If all this be true oh what shall become of me If the rewarde of sinne be death and hell how many deaths and hels do I deserue that haue beene a most miserable sinner If damnation be the meed for wickednes then am I damned for in all the world there neuer liued a man of worser life Oh what shall I doe I cannot call to God for mercie for my faultes are beyond the compasse of his fauour the punishment of the body hath an ende by death but the paines of the soule by death are made euerlasting Then what a miserable case am I in if I die yet if my death might redeeme my offences wash away my sinnes oh might I suffer euery day twentie deathes while seuen yeares lasteth it were nothing but when I shall end a contempt to the world I shal enioy the disdaine of men the displeasure of God my soule that immortall creature shall euerlastingly bee damned Oh woe is mee why doe I liue nay rather why was I borne Cursed
The Repentance of Robert Greene Maister of Artes. Wherein by himselfe is laid open his loose life with the manner of his death AT LONDON Printed for Cutbert Burbie and are to be sold at the middle shop in the Poultry vnder Saint Mildreds Church 1592. The Printer to the Gentlemen Readers GEntlemen I know you ar not vnacquainted with the death of Robert Greene whose pen in his life time pleased you as well on the Stage as in the Stationers shops And to speake truth although his loose life was odious to God and offensiue to men yet forasmuch as at his last end he found it most grieuous to himselfe as appeareth by this his repentant discourse I doubt not but he shall for the same deserue fauour both of God and men And considering Gentlemen that Venus hath her charmes to inchaunt that Fancie is a Sorceresse bewitching the Senses and follie the onely enemie to all vertuous actions And forasmuch as the purest glasse is the most brickle the finest Lawne the soonest staind the highest Oake most subiect to the wind and the quickest wit the more easily woone to folly I doubt not but you will with regarde forget his follies and like to the Bee gather hony out of the good counsels of him who was wise learned and polliticke had not his lasciuious life withdrawen him from those studies which had been far more profitable to him For herein appeareth that he was a man giuen ouer to the lust of his owne heart forsaking all godlines one that daily delighted in all manner of wickednes Since other therefore haue forerun him in the like faults and haue been forgiuen both of God and men I trust hee shall bee the better accepted that by the working of Gods holy spirit returnes with such a resolued Repentance being a thing acceptable both to God and men To conclude forasmuch as I found this discourse very passionate and of woonderfull effect to withdraw the wicked from their vngodly waies I thoght good to publish the same and the rather for that by his repentance they may as in a glasse see their owne follie and thereby in time resolue that it is better to die repentant than to liue dishonest Yours C.B. To all the wanton youths of England Robert Greene wisheth reformation of wilfulnes WHen I consider kinde Cuntrimen that youth is like to the spring time of mans age readie in the bloome to be nipped with euerie misfortune and that a yong man is like to a tender plant apt to be wrested by nurture either to good or euill as his friendes like good Gardeners shall with care indeuour his education seeing in the prime of our yeares vice is most ready to creepe in and that want of experience committeth sundrie wanton desires I thoght good to lay before you a president of such preiudiciall inconueniences which at the first seeming sweete vnto youth at the last growe into fruits of bitter repentance For a yong man led on by selfe will hauing the raines of libertie in his owne hand foreseeth not the ruth of follie but aimeth at present pleasures for he giues himselfe vp to delight and thinketh euerie thing good honest lawfull and vertuous that fitteth for the content of his lasciuious humour hee foreseeth not that such as clime hastely fall sodainely that Bees haue stings as well as honie that vices haue ill endes as well as sweete beginnings and whereof growes this heedles life but of selfe conceit thinking the good counsell of age is dotage that the aduice of friends proceeds of enuie and not of loue that when their fathers correct them for their faults they hate them whereas when the blacke Oxe hath trod on their feete and the Crowes foote is seene in their eies then toucht with the feeling of their owne follie they sigh out had I wist when repentance commeth too late Or like as waxe is ready to receiue euerie newe fourme that is stamped into it so is youth apt to admit of euery vice that is obiected vnto it and in young yeares wanton desires is cheefely predominate especiallie the two Ringleaders of all other mischiefes namely pride and whoredome these are the Syrens that with their inchanting melodies drawe them on to vtter confusion for after a young man hath suckt in that sinne of pride hee groweth into contempt and as he increaseth prowde in his attyre so he is scornfull in his lookes and disdaines the wholsome admonition of his honest freends whose aduice he supposeth to be doone of malice and therefore esteemeth his owne waies best and had rather hazard his life than to loose an intch of his credit Pride is like to fier that will die and goe out if it bee not maintained with fewell and yet lay on neuer so bigge logges it consumes them all to ashes so pride craues maintenance or els it will fade and had a young man neuer so great reuenues pride at last will reduce it to begger you for it is such a sinne as once got into the boane it will step into the flesh he that once ietteth in his brauerie if he haue no meanes to maintaine it it will leaue no bad course of life vnattempted but hee will haue corners to vphold his follie Heereof growes coossenages thefts murthers and a thousand other pettie mischiefes and causes many proper persons to bee trust vp at the gallowes purchasing thereby infamy to themselues and hart breaking sorrow to their friends and parents for euer Companion to this vice is lust and lecherie which is the viper whose venome is incurable and the onely sinne that in this life leadeth vnto shame and after death vnto hell fire for he that giueth himselfe ouer to harlots selleth his soule to destruction and maketh his bodie subiect to all incurable diseases These two vices do not onlie waste a mans substance but also consumeth his bodie and soule and maketh him attempt to do any mischiefe for his maintenance therein If happely the young man hath any grace and is loth to take any vnlawfull wayes the ordinary course of his copesmates is straight to call him coward and cast him out of their fauour or els by svveete persvvasions and flattering vvordes make him forsake God and all good meanes of life vvhatsoeuer this is the manner life and course of such as vvill not listen to the graue aduice of their parents but seeke therby to bring their graie haires vvith greefe vnto theyr graues This ensuing discourse gentle Reader dooth lay open the graceles endeuours of my selfe vvho although I vvere for a long time giuen ouer to the lust of my ovvn hart yet in the end Gods grace did so fauourablie worke in me that I trust heerein thou shalt perceiue my true and vnfained repentance Accept it in good part and if it may profit anie I haue my desire Farewell R. G. The Repentance of Robert Greene Maister of Arts. AS there is no steele so stiffe but the stamp will pierce no flint