I go And leaue this fylthy world I wyll where thousand mischieues flowe Where fayth is none where godlinesse where iustice none doth dwell Where peace and quietnesse is fled where vices beare the bell Where brother sekes the brothers blud where sonne the father hates Where discorde euermore doth raigne and guile in maried mates No man there is at least but rare who if he can not steales Who robbeth not who doth not fayne and who not falsiy deales That well this world may now be calde of theeues a gaping den Loe Kings and Bishops proude besyde by name of Godly men The commons poore do powle and pyl and Citizens do shere And simple innocents destroy what should I recken here The horedomes great committed now all flowes with vice we see The naughty act do yong men vse and close misused be Who plants not hornes in neighbours heads the balde religious frye Who should be chast abrode with hores or close wyth boyes do lye To widdowes graue or tender maydes the holy priestes do crepe And some within their kinsfolkes bed haue great delight to slepe Some slaues w t bests themselues defile the fieldes and groue of tree And euery towne is now a stewes And harmes that instant be And daungers great that haps to men and labours great and sore And al the supersticious sorte of false religious lore What nede we subiectes now to be syth O the shameful state Unwytty and grosseheaded fooles and they that learning hate To whome the dice and Dogs to kepe with byrdes of rauening kinde And horses ryde with other toyes is all their chiledish minde Do Scepters holde and peoples guide and gouerne Cities strong Here of such errors vp do spring with folishnesse among Hereof so many vices breede if this thou callest to minde Thou shalt not feare this foolish worlde and nought to leaue behinde Yea thou wilt count it wel that once Calanus and his feares Did bring to passe who slewe theÌ„selues to scape these wretched yeares And staying death with hand did haste nor longer would preserue The dying Corps nor wretched flesh with labour long to serue And if religion sayd not nay and lawes of Plato hie And GOD himselfe I would persuade thee forthwith for to die And wicked chaunce and wretched earth to leaue as vayne and nought Not wine as wine desyred is but wine and good is sought So life as life is nothing worth if goodnesse lack we see If it be naught as wine corrupt let it despised be For life it selfe we nede not wysh nor fled it ought to be The worme the flye and euery stone and barke of euery tree And euery vile and little thing doth life in it possesse No kinde of thing desyred is where wanteth pleasauntnesse If it be not both life and good I see no cause whereby It should be wisht or may be loued Therefore who feares to dye Is but a foole since he desires such hurt and harme to byde Both of the body and the minde with labours long besyde Before he would al kinde of grieues with flesh from him expel And euer in tranquillity and perfect rest to dwell Or leauing members here behinde to liue for euermore Where he shal want no kinde of thing nor sorrow feele nor sore And with the saincts togither there about the world to flye More swift than al the windes that be beholding things on hye Except the dregs of vice him stay and force him styll to dwell Beneath in Corners deepe of earth amyd the raygne of Hell When thus this Lady fayre had sayd she rose and stode by me And on my head refusing I she put the Laurell tree And thence departing forth she flewe where shining starres we see ¶ Explicit media Pars. Libra The seauenth Booke MY muse a lofâ— raise vp thy self and vse a better flite MouÌ„t vp a hie think it scorn of base affayres to write More great renoune and glory more in hautye matters lyes Uiew thou y e Gods and take thy course thorowout the starrye Skyes Where spring time lastes for euermore where peace doth neuer quayle Where Sunne doth shine continuallye where Light doth neuer fayle Clowde causer Southwinde none there is nor boystrous Boreas blowes But mylder breaths y e Western windes where sweete Ambrozia growes Take thou thys way and yet somtimes downe falling fast from hye Now vp now downe wyth sundry sort of Gates aloft go flye And as some hawty place he seekes that couets farre to see The cause is fyrst before the effect the workman worke aboue The perfect thing bicause it doth eche parte in it containe And nothing lacks is stronger farre of greater force againe Therfore it makes coÌ„maunds moues and so by chalenge due The cause and Auctor eke of all it may be tearmed true But otherwyse thunperfect thing that maymde can not consist Is ouercome and moue it must euen as the perfyte list It doth obey and not commaunde and therfore must be named The effect and eke the framed worke and not the thing that framed So farre behinde it euer ought the perfect thing to goe For if vnperfite were the spring from whence all thing doe â—â—oe It were but vile and nothing wrought therof should perfect be As alwayes of thunperfect Arte vnperfect worke we se Wherfore beginnings more than one no reason forth can finde Bicause there is not to be knowne but one of perfect kinde From which the neuer fayling course and order of all things Doth come as from the Union fyrst eche other number springs Besydes it pure and syngle is that mixtures all hath made For nothing can compounded be but symples fyrst is had For fyrst it nedefull is alone the symples to be tryde And then in mixture all in one compounded to abyde Therfore no principall there is but one as I haue taught Which symple in degree we iudge and purest must be thought Whom if we think not for to liue in â—rror great wee fall If he liue not how liues the reasâ— synce by him lyue we all Doubtlesse he liâ—es and wisedome hath or else in order dewe How could he frame such goodly sightes except he all things knew Nor doubt we must but needes coÌ„fesse with mouth and eke with heart Him to be good Can he be ill of whom eche good is part Can bitter â—reames at any time from sweetest fountaine runne Or can the riuers pleasant be of bytter spring begunne For eyther nothing must be good or good must he be thought That is the spring of all the rest by whom the worlde was wrought Hym men doe call by diuers names but we that Latine wright Doe call him God and more we saye that Jupiter he hight Who fynce he is the first that was and maker of eche one Liues of himself both good and wyse receiuing state of none But all by him their states enioy who may lose that they haue Whensoeuer he lyst for to restraine the thing that fyrst
The chiefe and perfect good is God and who so him possest May called be of euery man the happiest man and blest But who can him obtayne to haue for ethe thing had as yet Is farre more vile than he that hath obtayned it to get And euery kind of thing possesr is eke of value lesse Than is the owner of the same that then doth it possesse For euen as sone thou mayst contayne the Occean sea as wet Wythin the compasse of a did or of an Oyster shel O candle set before the windes O subiect dust to graue Than Lord of such a mighty power by any meanes to haue Alone God al things doth possesse and hath himselfe alone He only hath the happy life besyde him blest is none A rertayne chiefest good there is besyde this same foresayd Which euery creature may obtayns yet like to them denayd For diuers natures all they haue some one thing this doth please Some other thing doth seeme agayne to be the others ease Al thing therfore may well obtayne a certayne happinesse If not so perfectly a God himself doth it possesse But by some meanes and for a 〈◊〉 while things that doth agree Wyth nature best he can obtayne ne feeles aduersitie But al things past now time requires that we should speake of man Who hath the chiefest good in hand and counted happy than When seeming vnto nature good he all things doth possesse And feeles in all his life no harme nor kinde of bytternesse This may be counted chiefest good that all good things contaynes That giues all kinde of pleasant things that puts away al paynes For only pseasure doth not make nor vertue yet doth giue The happy life as some do write in ground of Grece that liue Sith many goods of greater worth than fewe are counted playne As is the bushel counted more than one pore seely grayne One good thing giues not happinesse though it be chiefe and best But one in all that makes the lyfe compact in all the rest So can not only one that rules a towne procure to stand So can not of a thombe be framde a full and perfect hand And syth that of two partes we are the body and the minde Then happinesse the happy man in both these partes must finde He must be whole and sound in Corps and of a lusty might He must be fayre he must be fresh and of a liuely spright He must be good wise learnd discrete and gifts of both retayne Pore life not know nor hurtful chauÌ„ce and if he not remayne In long estate of happy yeares yet blest can he not be Though al the same commodities foresayd to him agree For happy life that doth not last almost is worth nothing As well haue certayne sayd before not one day makes the spring Ne bringeth it on Swallowes swaps But at his latest day With easy death and smallest payne must he depart away And passe with ioy the Stygian lakes resoulde from mortal dayes Nor in his life time glory wantes nor at his death his prayse But may there any one be found with vs that mortal are Which hath al these things in his time I think him very rare To whome nothing disyrde is lackt nor doleful chaunce doth light In al his time and yeares who liues and dyes in happy plight This is the very Phaenix byrd whome dust the Grecian fayne The Grecian of a foolish head and of a frantick brayne Who thought of one might yssue come and bones consumde that be To ashes colde a byrd to breede which neuer men could see But so that she may wonders sing this nation not esteames The truth to say a nation whole addict to toyes and dreames At whose example Latines dote the happy man therfore Is rare as Phaenix byrd But we are al both lesse and more In wretched case although yet some than some more misers be Bicause that like estate to al is not nor like degree He that therfore doth most good things and euil least sustayne May counted be a happy man but he whome cares do payne And fewe good things at al possesse may called be ful wel A wretched man syth none therfore is happy we must tel How least vnhappy we may be and how in better case Our liues to leade in greater ioy and with more pleasaunt grace And to begin I not beleue it true that al men prase How Bishops great and mighty Kings do liue in best estate For as in euery other thing extremity is thought But il to be the meane as good so here excesse is nought In riches for to much of eche doth hurt who hath therfore Most riches hath no better life than he that most is pore With euils like they vered be â—o he that is to fatte And hath his pauÌ„ch wyth guts bumbast not lighter is for that Nor soner moues than doth the wretch whose skinne doth leannesse fret The one doth feblenesse forbid the other fatnesse let And as the Seas with greater floudes and foming force doth yell And casts himselfe in mountaynes hie while he discouers Hell Amid the deapth the tempest roares and yet doth least appere Is moued most with raging windes but now the shoare ful nere The shallow Seas with louder noyse doth bounce vpon the sand So Kings that haue the power and rule of realmes in hand With greater cares tormented are and greater griefes of minde Although the common people yet these wouÌ„ds doe neuer finde For secretly within their heartes their torments they do hide Adde this thereto they alwayes haue a mischeus mate beside That vexeth them and feare it is suspecting euery twigge Here of sometime do treasons breede sometyme a Spanish figge They dare not walke alone nor eate except it tasted be More deare than any kinde of price O worthy libertie The chiefest Gem and Jewel fayre which taken once away Be swete and pleasant vnto men nothing inuented may And death it is alyue to be The pore and seely soule Where as he list both night and day in safety may go proule Eyther wythin the Cities wall their places fayre to see And playes beholde or view the signes of olde antiquity Or if his pleasure rather be without the wall to walke In Orchards fayre and gardens gay amyd the floures to stalke Or if desire of countrey sight remayne within his hart Nothing him lets but may alone when he seeth tyme depart He needes no shuffling sorte of men nor croude of clientes thicke As oft besyde as he doth thirst or hunger doth him pricke Apace he falles there to nor feare of poyson doth him let For baser foode the byrdes abrode in woods had rather get And greater pleasure farre they take in pecking seedes wyth payne Than if a cage of pearle and gold their bodies should contayne And there be fed with daynty meates Full oft a king therefore May liue in wretched case no doubt nor makes him happy more Beleue me now his regal crowne But on the
is counted plaine of death the liuely portrature Wherfore if thou shalt search the truthe with well aduised minde Thou shalt a smallest sort among so many thousande finde That with free wil do guide themselues and libertie doe vse The fault of age I ouerpasse and childrens yeares excuse And vnto those that sleeping lye I licence also giue Or them whom feuers rage doth rost or sycknesse sharpe doth grieue Of which a number great there be but greater farre away And worser eke whose fylthy minde doth vices foule aray And fonde affections makes to faint wythdrawing it with strife From reason farre and from the path of ryght and vertuous lyfe May these be counted for to haue free wyll and libertye A doubtfull thing it surely is and many it denye Wherfore thou well must vnderstande that he alone is free Whom reason rules that with payne will neuer conquerd bee Nor when the stormy tempests rage to rocks is euer thrall But stoutly sticking to the sterne doth with the hauen fall So truely earst haue certaine sayde but wisemen none we finde Whom reason ruling can correct the affections of the minde The other sort can not doe so why hath not God them delt Free wyll whych euer may be founde where reason may be felt For these are alwayes coupled styll So beastes of nature wylde Syth reason they are thought to lack are iudgde from wyll exylde But all men reason doe receiue and therfore haue free wyll For reason is the guide of minde that choseth good from ill Descerning eke the naughty facts from such as honest be And called is the syght and eye wherwith the minde doth se Such eye perhaps as Poliphaem the Poets gaue to thee Wherwyth the lymmes of thy beloued in seas thou oft didst see But naught alas and all to naught who such to shunne hath might Vlisses wyth a fiery post hath it bereft of syght And face the face that fyrst was fayre of beauty spoyled quite Or such an eye as Lynceus had that sawe in darkest night Thys eye therefore to euery man Prometheus wysedome delt But fewe it vse a very fewe that grace of loue haue felt Hereof the spring of errours doth and wickednesse aryse For if the steps of reason all should treade in nerest wyse Then peace on earthe shoulde alwayes dwell and Mars hys bloudy hande Such slaughters nor such cryes shoulde cause townes walles shuld stand And weapons framed fyrst in hell by fiendyshe furyes wrought Should tille y e field with good exchange to share and cultre brought Then Bees and Cattel swarming thick and riches of the fielde Unto the happy husbandman a great increase should yelde The golden world should then returne and eke one place containe Both man God who would vouchsafe before our eyes to raine The cause why fewe doe reason vse and wayes forbydden knowe And voide of freewill liue like beastes I wyll assay to showe A certaine part diuine in vs that minde and reason hyght There is which nature in the head hath placed a loft in syght And seruants vnto it appoints the senses that there be By meanes whereof the Skies Earth and al things it may see An other fading force there is wythin the breast enclosde By meanes wherof we moue and grow wyth helpe of heate disposde Thus hath it pleased God this straynes molests and grieues the minde And to this part a number great of seruaunts is assinde As fond delight wrath griefe and feare wyth great desire to gayne Ambition hauty harmfull thing wyth fumes that vex the brayne Wyth these his lusty souldiours he giues battayle to the minde These mates attempted Joue to vexe of fiercest giants kinde As Giges strong Iapetus and Tiphoeus monstrous sprite Enceladus yll worker and Briareus dredful wight Wyth worldly thoughtes hie heapt they vexe the part diuine aboue Except that grace from heauen hye like lightning them remoue As when the raynes are once let lose the Chariot headlong dryues And swiftly runnes to stay the course in vaine the Carter stryues The fyrst beginnings must be stopped whyle sparke but kindling lies When fyre hath rought the lofty partes and flames approch the skies Especially when Boreas blastes from Northerne Pole doth fall And rageth fierce in vayne alas for water then they call As when from top of hawty rocke some wayghty stone downe trowles What force can it of course restrayne al things wyth it it rowles Asunder crackes the mighty trees that on the mountayne springs Which at the fyrst might well be stayed wyth force of smallest things Euen so the affections of the minde if that wyth all their sway The minde opprest they do inuade them scarce can reason stay And helme and al forsaken quite wyth streame dame Reason driues In raging windes and yeldes to foe a captiue kept in gyues Therefore while vices yet be yong let them oppressed be And voyd the cause ere they waxe strong then minde and wyl is free Then conquerour thou shalt be crownd wyth Palme of Idumay But if the assault be now begonne and siege the foe doth lay And shakes wyth battrey great y e walles except beleue me well Some God wyth better grace defend Reason doth byd farewell And cannot byde so sore a brunt May we not playnly see What harmes the minde doth there sustayne where Bacchus blessings be What madnesse ofte doth spring when wine to much in stomack raynes Tell where freewyl kepes residence when drinke doth vex the braynes The sober and the fasting man of freewil is possest And doth what so euer Reason byds Againe the dronken gest The thing that he ne would ne knowes he alwayes doth the same Which deedes he sobre doth repent and sorroweth eke wyth shame So wyth affections minde is dronke and in none otherwyse Than wine that topsey turnes the brayn when it doth vpward ryse It troubled is and darkd in mystes Thus he and none besides Hath freedome and his minde at wyl whome reason only guides Who all affections ouercommes and wholly doth restrayne He that from youth doth vertue vse may well to this attaine Such force hath vse nothing more strōg The other sorte are wayde In manner like to brutish beasts as true the Poet sayd Eche man his owne delight doth drawe Freewyll in many opprest And hindred is wherefore who list Freewyl for to possesse Let hym resyst while yong they be thaffections of the minde And them to reason subiect make and brydie vse in kinde For flesh agaynst the sprite rebels and wyth continuall warres Doth it molest The soule most pure doth couet styll thestarres But lumpish flesh doth shunne the skies and earthly things desyres For earth it onely is and into earth at length expyres Thus two so farre contrary things hath God compact in one Admit thou art wyse and onely rulde by reasons force alone And freewyll perfectly enioyest shall destnie then beare sway Yea more to Fates thou subiect arte and more shalt it
with heauenly showers O light of mankinde here O perâ—ite way of sauing helth defence and comfort clere Both entry dore and guide of lyfe O peace and salue of minde O blessed worthy sanâ—tuary O wysedome swetest kynde That Nectar doest excell in tast to whom art thou now dere who followes thee what place hast thou on earth what honours there In Temples wast thou wont to raine in schooles and proches lowe In Councelles and in courts of kings now no man doth thee knowe But Poets dreames and tryfles fonde for thee in place doe raine what â—earnes 〈◊〉 scholler now in scholes what knowledge doth he gaine But â—ansyes vaine or baudy tales be holde in seate full hye The Master syâ—tes wich booke before that open wyde doth lye And spitting oft he well doth viewe hys great assembled crowde And when hee sees them bent to heare wyth lofty voice and lowde He then expoundes some dreadful ghost of dolefull tragedie Or else some harlots trickes declares in wanton Comedie Or doting lones of auncient time or else to light doth bring Some monstrous or some cruell fact or lamentable thing O brayne deseruing to be pâ—rged doest thou these wayes instruct The tender mindes and ignorant bring vp with such a fruiâ—t Is this the salt wher of the age so yong is made to say Is it not shame wyth â—ryfles such to passe the time away By thys so many naughty knaues and villaines doe appere By thys the groue of vices thick vp springeth euery where When as no vertuous bringing vp of Children can be founde O you that youth do not correct but rather them confounde Learne fyrst your selues to liue vpright and then to others showe A vertuous trade least lyke to beastes you liue and nothing knowe But thou Stellatus harken well to thee I will expresse which way thou shalt apply thy minde to perfecte vertuousnesse Fyrst oft in minde remember well one God alone to be Eâ—ernall best omnipotent and of most hye degre Who heauen and the golden Starres that shine throughout al the skye The rest of things that may be seene or not be seene wyth eye Of nothing with hys beck alone before all tymes hath made And framde theÌ„ kepes gouernes here with euerlasting trade Hym worship honor feare and prayse and often to hym praye Both nights dayes when SuÌ„ne doth ryse and Sunne doth fall away And when from both in equall space his Globe doth distant glowe For vertue chiefe and wysedome chiefe it is the king to knowe Of sainctes aboue and father of men to loue with heart entire To prayse him alwayes and to dread and humbly him desire Without thys same all vertues else think nothing worth to be For almost thys and nothing else sufficient is for thee Therfore haue alwayes God in heart and often in thy minde And call to him nothing than thys more vertnous canst thou finde Thys is to all the vertues else the open doore and plaine For without grace and ayde of God no man can them obtaine Nor able be to flye from vice Besydes the saynâ—ts aboue that dwell and hostes of messangers And seruants of the chiefest Lorde and holy Ministers Fulfilling the commaundement of hys Maiestie deuine That alwayes stand before hys face in skyes full cleare that shine With holy minde remember oft in humble sort to praye That they may helpe thee in thy neede and daungers dryue awaye And thee vnto the Lorde commende for truely Aungels can And often vse to profite much the earnest praying man Nor be not thou beware therof amongst such sort a mate That think that nature neuer made a thing of hygher state Than man mad men y t when they see so plaine before their eye Both seas and lande of Creatures full doe thinke that in the skye And in the Starres no dwellers be and indge the ample space Of blessed heauen for to be a voide and desert place O crabde and crookde vntoward soules O mindes in darkenesse drounde Mans sense can not all things perceiue for many things are founde That often tymes deceiue the eyes which yet the minde doth see Therfore what reason moues in minde must rather followed bee Which teacheth that there is a God and dwellers in the skye Wherfore y e Starres are eyther Gods Or Temples where they lye These grounde workes layde w t all thy heart embrace thou righteousnesse And let no iniury of thine be any mans distresse By wordes or deedes no man can hurt nor deale thou so wyth men As thou wouldst not be delt withall but alwayes doe to them As thou wouldst they should do ro thee thus nature doth decree Which if thou straightly dost not keeps giue credit vnto mee Thou neuer canst be fauoured of that maiestie deuine Nor after death vnhappy man thou shalt the heauens clime An others honor fame or state harme not in any case When vile desyre doth moue or wrathe or enuye comes in place But rather helpe such as thou knowest to be of vertuous minde With all thy force and pleasure doe to men of wycked kinde Sometimes that so they hurt thee not or seldomer thee harme And let not brybes nor loue nor hate thy minde from iustice charme For these are three especiall things that dasell sore the syght Of minde and driue men euer more from doing well and right But styll haue God in memory and death to come in minde Then fâ—ye the enticements of the flesh and byts of sharpest kinde On pleasure put For nothing doth to man more mischiefe bring Than yll delight to vertue sure a most contrary thing For vertue laboures euermore the heauens hye to clyme But pleasure ennimy to the skies doth downeward styll decline And groueling gaseth on the earth as beastes do commonly Destroying strength of body here and force of minde wherby It breedes a dull and slouthful sense and sharp dyseases makes This is that Circes that Syren and hooke of Stygian lakes With this same snare a nuÌ„ber great of soules the Diuell takes And suffers not them after death their countrey Skyes to see But wyly wrappeth them in mystes of Hel his mates to be These bayts therfore thys poison swete of fylthy fiendish foe Wyth al thy might auoyd them well and warely from them go Lest that when greater yeres do come in vayne thou dost repent Thy selfe thy substance fame and wit so lost and fondly spent Then shalt thou say as many do O goodly tymes in minde How vilely haue I you abused where now should I you finde Unhappy man If God would graunt agayne my former tyme And once againe the Samian branch I might assay to clyme Thereto I would where as the earth his horne forth doth stretch Though that the way be strayt steepe the top there of to retch No kinde of thing doth vertue passe which alwayes doth remayne Which honor giues and hie estate and glory great doth gayne Preserues the life and doth augment the goods that here you
haue And doth remaine when death hath cast the fading corse in graue But me vnhappy wretch alas did pleasure swete deâ—eaue And fled away doth me in briars and many mischienes leaue For whilst that I in youthful yeares the â—â—ewes do oft frequent And while to feeding slepe and play my dolâ—â—sh minde was bent Nought would I lerne hating bokes did study much despise And learning scorne but now alas I see before my eyes My selfe vnlearnde of yll report in beggarly aray My strength decayde my minde appald my senses worne away Al this tyme haue I liued as he that lyes a sleepe in dreames Doth think him self awake to be deceyued by such meanes Like wordes to these doth vtter ofâ— the sâ—outhfull sâ—uggish man When age the neighbor nexte to death doth count to late as than His life led yll in youthfull yeares The greatest sort do shut the dore when Steede is stollen away And wyse they are when as to late their wittes they do assay And for Physitians faâ—â— they seeke when hope of health is gone O wretches whilst you here haue tyme looke wel thys tyme vpon For fast away the houre â—â—yes and fled can not reâ—ouâ—ne No teares can help the corse in graue nor sobbes for him to mourne That medcine only is of force which is in time applyed Therfore must vertue be embracde when youth is fyrst in pryde And then it nedeful is to to treade the perfect path of lyfe And vertuous workes to take in hand then reason must be ryfe And minde wyth councel must be rulde while yet but yong it is Least that with fonde delight deceyude it he adlong runne amysse Who so is wyse let hym in tyme wyth wisedome wel prouide For after wyttes are euermore to folly next alied And out of tyme it bringeth griefe be wayling al in vayne A hurt or losse that neuer can be brought or got agayne Besyde the wicked thirst of wealth and vile desyre of golde Must thou eschew for where a place this couetousnesse doth holde There rayne almost eche other vice as shameful periuries Ungoolinesse theft and disceyt wyth open robberies Guyles treasons and conspyracies wyth frayes and murders vile What needes it for to shew them all nothing besyde more vile Nor worse than is the couetous man that drownde in earth belowe Doth like the Mole no kinde of thing desyre loue or know Saue only riches of the earth for which he doth not feare Eche yll to work nor other God he doth acknowledge here But purse and pens his chiefe delight nor sees the vnhappy best How short the lyfe of man is here how frayle how sone deceast And how that from his bending bow death euermore doth cast His deadly shaftes that pearceth hearts of mortall men so fast And neyther spares the yong nor lernd nor yet the wealthy wyght But euery man wythout respect wyth bloudy blow doth smyte And oftentimes is neerest then when furthest of he showes And sodaine tumults then doth cause when no man of hym knowes But thou regarde not ryches here nor goods that subiect be To blinded chaunce nor let no care of such things tro 〈…〉 thee For proper vnto no man are the things which as she lykes Doth fortune giue and takes away when she vnconstant strykes Or passing doth wyth lyfe away to diuers men descend Nay other riches shalt thou seke that neuer shal haue ende On which no chauÌ„ce nor kinde of death shall euer powre obtayne These riches labour thou to get both dayes and nightes with payne For that thou shalt be truely rich and truely blest by that The others that the common sorte like fooles do wonder at And wish to haue if thou enioyest as money house and land Them vse and occupy at wyll who doth agaynst it stand But iustly yet and modestly and when thou maist or can Haue pity on the pouerty despise no needy man By this meanes shalt y e wyn thee praise and health for euer more And for this earthly baggage here the Skies aboue shalt gayne No man is he but sure a wolfe that doth not mercy showe That is not moued to see the state of others ouerthrowe But if of poore estate thou arte then beare it paciently And in good part sustayne the lotte of this thy pouerty For greater ouerthrowes hath he and greater griefe and care Whome Fortune most enriched hath and giuen the greater share And so much ouerlayd he is wyth wayght of substance great That by no meanes he can beholde the hie celestial seate For light and voyde of earthly dregges it him behoues to be That wil with minde ascend the place where as the heauens be For more a man seekes earthly state more falles he from the Skye And from the euer lasting light he farther of doth flye And eke in place where as a man his treasure vp doth hyde There lies his heart and there his mind doth euermore abyde Thus prouertie helpes many men vnburdning them therby That so wyth swifter wyngs they may vnto the heauens flye In lyke sort pride thou must auoyde the spring of stryfe and hate That with discention many times destroyes a common state wyth thys disease in auncient time was Rome nere ouerthrowne Opprest wyth rage of fury fierce that ciuill warres had blowne Flye thou thys fiende of hell if thou desyrest for to bee A friende of Gods and after death the Heauens elere to see No proude man loues the Gods aboue nor is beloued of them For God estemes the humble sort and lowly minded men And well he lykes the gentle mindes where no ambition lyes Thrustes downe y e proude suffers not to dwell with him in skyes wherfore you proude disdainful swarme what doth your pryde you gaine What helpes your great renoumed names and princely titles vaine which death in shortest time doth spoile and in the streame hath dronde Of Lethes flouds where synking lowe they neuer can be founde You seeke to please the common sort and of them praysde to hee Tell what distretion hath that state the truth of things to see They count you here as Gods to be and what doth follow then When Asses here in deede you are with outwarde signe of men Th vnskilfull sort you doe deceiue but not the Gods aboue But rather them to laughter oft and oft to wrath you moue For all your prety prankes they marke and priuie deedes they see But you O blinded Asses thinke no Gods at all to bee Nor yet beleue the Corse in graue the soule shall ryse to dome And therfore seke these present ioyes and scorne the lyfe to come A number great of beastes aliue in shape of men doe straye Hence springeth vp your errour great and cause of your decaye That with your grosse capacitie no other thing you see but bodyes grosse nor true things know but such as shaddowes bee The greatest sort delight in smoke and full with smoke they flowe O fooles what lighter thing thaÌ„ smoke what
depart and shunne the common sort Contenting hym with fellowes fewe and wyth a slender port And solitary oftentimes to God both night and daye The mind wel purgde of naughty thou ghtes in feruent sprite to praye And wholly to addict himselfe the heauenly state to finde And all the cares that fleshe doth giue to banishe from his minde Then shall the Gods appere though he in valley lowe doe lye Or on the hylles or shadowy woodes or on the mountaines hye In cottage small do place himselfe it is not safe nor well With many for to liue or in the townes of fooles to dwell And in the company of theeues of slaues and couetous And cuthrote brawling swering mates or men ambitious But let the wyseman flye the croude of rude and common sort For of the common people is enuied the wysemans port Bycause of their contrary deedes contraries euermore Do one the other striue agaynst and let and hinder sore Here of haue many wisemen dyed bycause they would not spare When any naughty thing they saw the truth for to declare And to rebuke the mindes of Fooles which sith it could not beare Nor suffer such abuse of Fooles they slayne and punnisht were Wherefore least that the wiseman see such store of synful syght And least he fall in daunger by defending truth and right Let him wythdraw himselfe forthwith from common company And secret liue with two or three that good and learned be Though seldome shal he be without the Gods that guide the sky For Gods do often pleasure take in wisemens company Oft doth the wiseman heare them speak and seeth them oft with eyes They fil his heart with comfort greate in wondrous sorte and wise The wiseman blessed is on earth and blest aboue in Skies Go then O blinded mortal men go heape vp money than And fyll your caskets full of Golde by al the meanes you can Beset with rings your fyngers thick and let the Jewels round In gorgeous linekes of golde about your gracelesse neckes be wound Now ruffie in your sylkes abrode and brag it through the streete Go go I say you blinded fooles both Crownes and Scepter sweete And al that Fortune rash can giue to you with al your power Go seke yet all these goodly things shal vanish in an houre Al these things are but dreames toyes and haue but little stay Which quickly chaunce doth from you take or death doth snatch away Which sone doe vanish hēce like smoke and neuer turne agayne Go go O wretches seke to get these mystes and shaddowes vayne But when the dying day shal come and latest houre shal fall Then then when all your follies past in vayne to minde you call You shall perceyue that you did dote and stept from truth awry And mourne to late Alas in tyme your errour learne to spy O mischieuous vntoward soules O heartes of canckred kinde Why gaze you styll vpon he earth like beastes of brutish minde Why cast you not your eyes aloft vnto the starry Skies There there y e truest world doth stande there life most perfect lies For such as feare aad worship God there neyther chaunce hath place Nor churlish death can there the state wyth deadly darte deface There is the assured treasure found there lies the chiefe delight That God almighty hath preparde for them that serue him right Which neuer curse of fretting time hath power to ouerthrowe To this apply your mindes while states permit and life below Beholde you not of fading life the slender holde and stay Do not you see how all things here in shortest time decay And lyke to smoke in subtile ayre doth vanish quite away Where finde you now the stately kings in pomp of proud aray That heretofore haue bene or where do you esteme to be The Prelates chief that thought thēselues Gods fellowes in degree Their rotten bones entombed close in fylthy caues do dwell And for their soules perhaps they do kepe Christmasse now in Hell Farre banishde from the happy place wherto the good are brought And there they suffer payne for pryde and mischiefe that they wrought O Lord how gladly would they nowe if in their power it lay Enclose themselues in flesh agayne and take their olde aray That not esteming riches here and kingdomes leauing cleane They might liue Godly here on earth in pore estate and meane And by their righteous lyfe make hym their frende that guides the Skie And after death possesse a place aboue the heauens hie But he that shewes his wit to late his wisdome shewes in vayne Let euery man seeke God to please and worldly wealth disdayne And trauayle for the heauenly state of him example take Which of this worldly fading ioyes a small accompt doth make But only hopes in time to come the perfect ioyes to feale Which wel he knowes for God to hym such things doth oft reueale And such a wiseman late there liued since I remember may That with a fewe vpon the top of hye Soractis lay Full leane he was and bearded wel his house was smal and neate All clad he was in russet robes a man of learning great And comely countnance to be holde he had his dwelling place In wildernesse where round about the woods did him embrace Whose heauenly mind when as he lyst of things to come could tel And aunswers gaue such as for truth did Delphis not excel I moued and prouoked thus with fame that of him ran By paynfull iourneys long vnto this sacred hill I came And foūd the olde man sitting there in warme and Sunny caue Who after that I had receiude the like God Deane I gaue He wyllde me there to take my rest so downe by him I syt And therewithall I askde him thus what is the cause of it Quoth I that here you choose to lyue vpon this mountaine steepe Where almost euery thing doth lack that life of man should kepe Then aunswering me this holy man on this sorte there began My great delight was heretofore to liue in cities whan Both yong and ignoraunt I thought nought else to be requirde But riches here and such delight as life of man desirde Following y e example and the fault of rude and common sort Then ioyed I for to leade my life wyth great and much resort And with the rest for company I fell into the floud Of vayne delightes with colour false deceyude of trouth and good But when that greater age began wyth fading yeares to show And wisedome more in tract of time within my head to growe I then began to note and marke the partes that men do play And sundry sorte of liues they leade as God gaue grace to way Then many fylthy things I sawe there done and ful of shame And nothing else of iustice left but vayne and ydle name Th'vngilty to be punnished the gylty scaping free The vertue hydde in vice and vice in vertue hid to be The poore in euery place opprest and fauour
the race of all their life in great prosperitye On the other syde we may beholde the iust opprest to be With spitefull chaunce a wretched lyfe and pyâ—ious prouertye Thus eyther God vnrighteous is that doth these things permit Or after death hath euery man as he deserueth it Or else he doth disoaine the deedes of mortall men to knowe Besides what gratious mind apperes in God what goodnesse doth he showe â–ª If this be all that he doth giue a lyfe so short and vaine That swyftly runneth to an ende and doth no time remaine The halfe wher of is spent in sleepe the rest in griefe and â—oyle And daungers great as fast doth fleete as riuers swyft in soyle Therfore go to O wretched men builde Gorgeous Churches hye And let with costly offrings great your altars pestred lye Set vp your ioyfull branche of bayes your sacred dores about with pompe of proude processyon passe let Hiâ—â—â—es be ratled out Spende frankconsenâ—e and let the nose of God be stretched wyde With pleasant smoke do this and addâ— more honour much besyde That he preserue your goodly lyfe wherin doth you torment Sometime great cold sometime heaâ— â—ow plague now famishement Now bloudy warres now sicknes great or chaunce to sorowe at Sometime the busye byting flye sometime the stynging â—nat The Chynâ—h and Flea Keioyce I saye that here you leade your lyfe With thousand painfull labours great in trauaile toyle and stryfe And after in a little space in paine you drop away And lompishe lye in lothsome vawlt to wormes a grateful praye O worthy lyfe O goodly gift of God man in this world is bredde Among the brutishe beastes and fooles and â—â—aues hys lyfe is ledde Wher stormes and flakey snowes yse and durt and dust and night And harmful ayre and cloudes mistes and windes wyth hellish syght And grief wailing raynes wher death besyde doth worke his feate Is this our goodly countrey here is this our happy seate For which we owe such seruice here vnto the Goddes aboue For which it seemeth mete wyth vowes the heauenly saynâ—ts to moue And if none other life we haue than this of body vayne So frayle and ful of fylthinesse when death hath carcasse stayne I see not why such prayses should of God resound in ayre Nor why we should such honour giue to hym in temples fayre That hath vs wretches framed here in this so wretched soyle That shall for euermore decay after so great a toyle Wherfore least God shall seeme vniust and ful of cruelnesse Shal well deseruing counted be we must of force confesse That death doth not destroy the soule but that it alwayes is None otherwise than sprite in ayre and sainct in heauen liues Both voyd of body sleepe and meate And more we must confesse That after death they liue in paynes or perfect blessednesse But let this reason thee suffise for if thou this do shewe Unto the wicked kinde they laugh no light the blinde doth knowe But thou beleue for euermore and know assuredly For ground of sauing health it is that soule doth neuer dye Exempted from the Sisters power and fatal destiny These things foretolde made euident let vs begin to tell The perfect life that makes vs like to saincts aboue that dwell By which the heauens we desyre But syth doth best appeare Contrary things when they be seene and ioyned something neere Wherfore it is conuenient first the bodies life to showe That drawes vs downe froÌ„ heauen hie to minde the earth below And makes vs like to brutish beastes contrary to the soule This life he liues though naught y t doth for stately honours prowle And seekes with al his force the fruicte of praise and glory vayne Desiring only men to please with fonde vayne glorious brayne And he that wholly doth apply himself a wealth to get By right or wrong and hath his heart vpon his riches set A two leggde Mole that alwayes doth in earth enâ—ombed lye Not casting once his eyes aloft vnto the heauens hye And be that drownde in lecherie and surfeâ—s euer lyes Regarding only fleshly ioyes doth shamefastnesse despise Runnes headlong into whoredome vile and fattes himselfe with meate A foolish man that so the wormes may haue more foode to eate Al these same vile and fylthy kindes that I haue reckned here May wel be called fleshly men for loue to flesh they beare Whose life doth differ smal froÌ„ beastes But now on the other side He that doth prayse of men depise and pomp of worldly pride Doth liue with chast and Godly minde is calde a spiritual man Bicause his sprite the body rulde and lust subdued than Doth freely guide and hath his place in hiest part of brayne Therefore the Godly life is fyrst with bridle to restrayne Fond pleasure Gluttony and lust to conquer flesh with sprite For to neglect al worldly things and only set delight On heauen heauen most to wysh and chieâ—ly to regard There is the soyle for soules and seate for vertuous men preparde There to the body layd in graue the righteous soules do clime Most glorious soules that brightly doe with glorious vertue shine And feele in euer lasting light an euerlasting ioy But chiefly let the vertuous man his time and toyle employ In learning vsing styll to reade such bokes as do entreate Of God of soule and wretched state of this our dwelling seate Of death or other honest things and let him night and day Of these both often reade and talke and wel in minde them way But wanton workes wanton words let him with head eschew Alas how sore do such affayres a vertuous minde subdew For reading is the foode of minde which if it vertuous be Doth profyt much if it be yll doth hurt excedinglye None otherwise than euyll meate doth hurt the man that chawes These thinges though they muste all be kept yet nothing more withdrawes A man from loue of filthy flesh nor leades to God more nye Than oftentimes to ponder well of life the misery Which since it is so short and full of such calamitie Seemes rather death than life to me yea worse than death to be For who is it that doth not see who doth not playne perceaue That yrksome gall and bytternesse to euery parte do cleaue If euery thing thou wel doest sift nought perfect shalt thou fynde For nature poysoned hath the partes of all and euery kind Most things haue double face ful black within and outward white And with their colour do deceyue the iudgement of the sighte If ought there be here in this life both fayre and good besyde Like smoke and mist it flyes away and doth no time abide Time suffers nothing long on earth death maketh al things vayne And turnes and tumbles vnder foote of man the proud disdayne Alas how al this worldly pompe doth quickly passe away How wauering is renoume of man how sone doth it decay Much like the bubble swelling great amyd the
eury man doth not aspire these mysteries to knowe A fewe them finde to whome the LORD aboue doth fauour showe And giues to them his light that they these things may playne beholde In fine there sprites and Angels are as many thousand folde As all the woods contayne in leaues or all the shores in sand Or all the Fishes in the seas or sâ—arres in Skie that stand Yea number none can them containe for since that GOD could frame Them numberlesse he sure so dyd the more to spread his name Especially since that the world doth voyd of li 〈…〉 s lye As is before declared playne and reason strong doth trye But since they voyd of body be and Matter all away Therfore they neuer chaunge in tyme nor age doth them decay No greese they feele nor sleeps nor foode at any time they craue Nor labour knowe but ioyfull youth continually they haue And freedome chiefe no bondage there no seruants in degree Nor none there are that there compels nor none compelled bee One onely Lord they do confesse the King and spring of all Him worship they and him they loue and serue in generall They willingly do him obey and serue in euery thing Reioycing all his laud and prayse and wondrous actes they sing Eche one doth there apply himselfe to please with goodly grace No fighting there no cancred spite nor enuy can haue place Continuall peace there florisheth great loue and concorde great Among them is suspicion none no craft nor false deceat In fine the goodliest parte it is of all the world beside And farre more worthy are the sprites that in this place abyde Than those that in the Skies do dwell and in the Starres do lye For looke as lower euery spheare doth come to earth more nye The meaner sprites it doth conâ—ayne and meaner goods doth giue And so much baser is the same whereby such things as liue Aboue the Skie as they most fayre and good and blessed show So those that in the bowels darke of earth do dwell below Are most ylfauoured vile and yll and there not all in vayne The stinking lakes and soyels of Hell to be did Poets fayne Of Hell where men do after death their paynes for michiefe take And vainely seeke for rest and peace in euer darkned lake But wherfore waste I words in winde and striuing all in vaine Doe seeke vnto such Buzzards blinde the trothe to open plaine So sore the state of mankinde dotes that it will neuer knowe That eyther Gods in Heauen be or sprites in Hell belowe But most men laugh if any man do tell them credibly That after death the soules doe liue and neuer more doe dye Hence springeth it that night and daye they richesse séeke to gaine This is their greatest carke and care their greatest toyle and paine That they in Golde and Jewels maye their neighbours farre excell Golde is the thing that all men seeke in golde their hope doth dwell For thys runnes into raging warres the Captaine stout of minde For thys his Children wyfe and house and countrey left behinde The Marchaunt cutting foming seas in shyp with sayles set out Assayes the blewe and dreadfull gulfes and coastes the worlde about Eche man doth practise craft and thefte this golde to keepe in sight Golde euery man desires and loues golde pleaseth euery wyght Ne feare they any kinde of paynes that after death is due O altogither earthly men else that onely in the viewe FroÌ„ beasts are knoweÌ„ CaÌ„ you nought than golde to knowledge call By which a wyse man from a foole doth differ nought at all Wherewith fonde fortune ill men oft habundantly doth feede Learne you that many things there are that golde doe farre exceede Which vnto fooles and wicked men of God not giuen be These are the vertues Godlinesse iustice and prudencye And wysedome passing farre the rest These goods who doth retaine A mortall God is and the same immortall man agayne That after death shall happy be but he that hath them not And staines himselfe with filthy sinnes when death his shaft hath shot shall headlong into Hell be cast These are not trifles tales or dreames but true and sure they be Yea most assurde beléeue it well you blinde beleeue you me Woe be to you if that you wyll not me herein beleeue For life shall quickly you forsake and then you shall perceyue That I sayd true euen then when as your soules in Hell shall lye You laugh but this your ioy shall chaÌ„ge to teares and greeuous cry The time shall come when many men that now in welthy pride Do beare the sway and scornefully both God and man deride All naked bare in miserie and wretched case shall lye And shall of others ayde require with pyteous wofull crye Wherfore O you that haue delight in good and Godly things Endewed with a better soule whose rootes from heauen springs These earthly Gods that as the cloudes away doe swifely flye Which fortune vnto fooles and knaues doth giue most commonlye And which a fewe yeares ended once doth death take cleane away Regarde not muche nor in such things your heape or treasure laye Seeke you no more than that which is for lyfe sufficient A small thing certes will suffise with little liue content But let your chiefe delight be in the sacred seates on hye Seeke heauenly things w t all your force to this your mindes applye In Heauen are the perfect goods that euermore remaine Which neuer foolishe dolt shall haue nor wicked man obtaine In earth whatsoeuer doth delight are trifles all and toyes Which fooles and beastly people seeke and count as chiefest ioyes For which a thousande hazardes great they rashely vndertake And offring vp their foolishe brestes to death they skirmishe make Of thys they bost the Bytle doth in dong reioyce to lye Things filthy filthy folkes doe loue and villaines villanie Leaue earthly things to earthly minds let swine in durt delight And let your only trauaile be to gaine the heauens bright The goodlyest things doe best become the men of best degree And valiant things most meetest are for them that valiant bee The earth is but a Chery fayre God hath to you assynde The heauens for your countrey swéete your countrey séeke to finde That when from bondes of body thou escaped art and gone And left your fleshe for dogges to féede or wormes to gnawe vpon You there may alwayes happy liue from fleshe vncleane exempt And lame and often weary limmes wherin whylest you were pent Remaining in the vale of teares and in the mortall rayne Both many harmes and sicknesses and griefes you did sustaine For so the earth may called bée which is the stable sure Of all the worlde the mother and the nurse of vice vnpure Wheras the raging Deuill dwels the king of sinfull kinde Wherfore it needefull is that you haue often death in minde And with your selues consider well how nere the dore he standes Still threatning with