Attain'd perhaps an hundred yeares or more But tell us now how much from that great store Thy Creditor hath got thy Mistris Friend Thy Clients or the Iarre that hath no end Betweene thy wife and thee how much is spent In chastising thy Slaves in Complement And Visits through the towne adde here the cure Of maladies thou didst thy selfe procure Time lost in doing nothing and behold Thou hast farre fewer yeares then thou hast told Consider well what day hath beene imploy'd As thou determin'st how thou hast enioy'd Thy selfe or hast beene constant to thy ends Kept thy mind right what good thine age pretends T' have ever done how many have bereav'd Thee of thy life when thou hast not perceiv'd When foolish ioy vaine hope greedy desire And flattering company their shares require But a small part will to thy selfe belong And then thou must confesse thou dyest yong Cha. 4 BVt what 's the cause we live as if for ever We were to live minding our frailties never We husband not our time but let it fly As if we had a Store-house to supply When as perhaps that day set to be past Vpon that thing or man will be our last As Mortall all things sordidly we feare And as Immortall our Ambitions reare At fifty Yeares some say they will retire And at threescore beleeve they shall desire To quit their offices but who can give Assurance that we shall to that time live T' effect our purpose what vain thought us driues To give our selves the Reliques of our lives And that time onely unto goodnesse lend That otherwise we know not how to spend That man hath certainly too late begun To live that onely lives when life is done What madnesse is it to defer our rest Till fifty ' or threescore yeares and thinke it best Then to begin our life when onely some And perhaps few will unto that age come The greatest Princes oft have words let fall Wherein they wish commend prefer 'bove all A quiet life and might it safely bee Would be content to quit their dignity For though no outward danger should assaile Yet fortune will against her selfe prevaile Chap. DIvine Augustus t' whom the Gods gave more Then any mortall man would oft deplore The misery that waites upon a Crowne And still desire to lay the burthen downe His chiefe discourse to this did ever tend That in a privat life his cares should end This hope though vaine did sweete contentment give That at the length he to Himselfe should live In an Epistle to the Senate sent Where he desir'd to let them know hee ment That his so often mentioned retreat Should be with reservation of his state Such words I find But these things rather ought Be done then said yet so farre hath the thought Of that wisht time prevaild that though the glad Fruition of the thing hee yet not had Yet I in the discourse I thereof make Doe in the meane time no small pleasure take So did he value rest that when he could Not compasse it in deede in thought he would He that saw all depend upon his will And unto men and Nations good or ill Gave as he list thought gladly on that day Wherein his greatnesse he should put away He found what secret cares and how much sweat Such farre-renowned Honour did beget When first by Citizens by Collegues next And lastly by his Kindred deepely vext He was compeld so powerfully withstood By land and Sea to try it out with blood Through Macedonia Aegypt Cicily Through Asia Syria and the coast thereby He led his Armies forth to forraigne warrs Weari'd with slaughter in our Roman iarres While he the Alpes appeas'd did such reduce As in the Empire liv'd in doubtfull truce While beyond Rhene Danubius Euphrates He did his bounds remove in midst of these Great acts in Rome it selfe did Lepidus Muraena Caepio and Egnatius Whet all their Swords against him and before This threatning danger he had well past ore His daughter with so many Nobles bound B'Adultry as by vow sought to confound His yet unbroken age that once more hee Might feare a woman with her Anthony And though these ulcers with the members two He quite cut off yet others quickly grew So bodies still breake out that are opprest With too much blood he therefore sought for rest There dwelt his thoughts to that his hopes aspir'd That could give others all that they desir'd When Cicero by the malitious fewde Of Catalines and Clodians persude By Pompey and Crassus greiv'd those foes profest These doubtfull friends could not find any rest In the perplexed State which he desir'd To save from ruine he at length retir'd No lesse inconstant in adversity Then he was active in prosperity His Consulship that he did so commend Though not without a cause yet without end How did he then detest what heavinesse Writing to Atticus did he expresse Old Pompey vanquisht and his Sonne in Spaine His broken troopes now gathering up againe Dost thou demand what I doe heere quoth hee In Tusculanum I remaine halfe free He further addes where he bewailes time past Condemnes the present and despaires at last Of what 's to come did Cicero but call Himselfe halfe free a Wise man never shall Descend so low but halfe he cannot be Vnbound intirely himselfe hee 's wholy free For being above fortune nothing can Be ever thought to be above that man Cha. 6 WHen Livius Drusus one of a bold spirit Did strive the Grachi's mischiefe to inherit And to obtrud new Lawes followed by all Th' Italian rout scarce weighing what might fall Finding no hope to compasse his designe Which he with safety could not then decline He curs'd his life who as he oft would say Was th' onely boy that nere had leave to play He durst presume though yet but one of those That wore the Robe of Youth to interpose For guilty men and in such earnest sort That he did many sentences extort What would not that ambition undergoe Such forward impudence brings certaine woe Private and publique therefore he too late Complain'd of want of play-daies whom the state And Iustice from a boy pernitious found Some thought he slew himselfe for of a wound Peircing his Groyne he dyde the means unknown But the act thought unseasonable by none T were vaine to speake of more whom vulgar fame Hath happy call'd since selfe-convincing shame Their whole life past hath taught them to condem But these complaints nor others chang'd nor them For though such words brak from them yet the wil And the affections have remained still A Life so led although a thousand yeares Seemes to best raightned much and short appeares Such things devoure an Age though nature run Her course lengthned by Art yet life 's soone done For men observe not nor give timely stay To what 's most swift but let it passe away As needlesse or to be regain'd at pleasure I name those first that can afford no
leasure To any thing but Wine and Lust such time Is vildly spent Others although they climbe With a vaine glorious hope more brauely ' offend The Couetous the Wrathfull they that bend Their actions to uniust revenge or warre Have more pretence Their crimes more manly are The sins of Lust are base doe thou suruay The actions of most men they spend the day Onely in counting money plotting still How to deceive or fearing the like ill Giving or taking favours waging law Or making feasts which custome now doth draw As duties on them betweene good and bad They 're so turmoyl'd no breathing can be had And 't is confest by all that they that dwell In too much businesse can doe nothing well Nor Eloquence nor liberall Arts can find Any admittance when the busied mind Not able to looke up with care is cloyd They that continually are so imployd Doe nothing lesse then live a thing discernd By very few and hardly to bee learnd Of other Sciences professors are In every place yea boyes have prou'd so rare They have beene teachers but we must apply Even all our life to live nay all to dye Which many Wise men quitting both their treasures Their worldly affairs their offices their pleasures And ready to depart hence have profest Not yet to know how short then are the rest We may beleeve me truely thinke a man Rais'd above humane errour when he can So keepe his time that it be shard by none Life then is long when it is all our owne No part will to the owner uselesse be Nor subiect to an others will for he That knowes to husband time think 's nothing fit Nor worthy heere to be exchang'd for it He therefore hath enough while they that spend It on the people quickly find an end Nor can we therefore thinke from hence that such Know not their losse how many with too much Felicity opprest amidst the Rout Of Suitors their law cases or about Some other honest misery have cride That time to live was unto them denide Which we may well beleeve since all that make Vse of thy helpe doe something from thee take How much hath he whom thou defend'st or hee That by thy helpe expects some dignity Or that old Woman that with clamour fils Thine eares with proving many Husbands wills How much hath hee that sicknesses doth faigne And by deluding others hopes makes gaine Or that great friend by whom th' art onely sure To be regarded as his Furniture Recount I say thy daies and thou shalt find Onely the reffuse to thy selfe assign'd This gets the Consulship so much desir'd And then askes when the yeare will be expir'd That provids publique sports obtain'd with large Expence and straight growes weary of the charge This Lawyer hurried to every barre By troupes of Suiters with more causes farre Then can be heard growne weary doth pretend That he could wish the Terme were at an end They their owne Lives precipitate that both Desire things future and the present loath While he that suffers none his time to borrow But makes each present day his life the morrow Nor feares nor wishes for what houre can bring New ioy to him that knowing every thing Hath Master'd all his thoughts let Fortune vse Her pleasure he his constant life persues Something may added be perchance although Nothing diminished but yet added so As Meate to a full stomacke neither sought Nor yet digested Let none then be thought Old for their wrinckles or gray-hairs 't were wrong To say hee liv'd hee onely hath beene long We cannot truely say that Ship hath saild On which fierce stormes have from the port prevaild And driving too and fro the voyage crost That hath not sayled much but beene much tost I oft have wondred with my selfe to heare Some demand time and others not forbeare To grant it straight both looke upon the cause Why it is ask'd the thing from neither drawes Regard but as nothing were sought or given That which should be in most esteeme is even A trifle made the errour hence doth spring Because it is an incorporeall thing Not subiect to the sence t is therefore brought Into contempt or rather nothing thought Our Great men yearly New-yeares Gifts receive For which they give by way of contract leave To use their labour diligence and paines That which costs onely time is counted gaines But if such once be sick and think Death neare How are Physitians hugg'd or if they feare To loose their lives for some notorious crime What bounteous offers are then made for time So various are their thoughts could men but tell The number of their yeares to come as well As what are past how would they then both make Spare of the one and at the other quake What certaine is though small we may devide We must more wary be of what may slide So suddainly from us nor can we suppose They know not what a precious thing they loose Because when they their loves would most expresse Part of their yeares to give they will professe They give t is true but so that what they leave Others to whom they give doe not receive Nor they themselves take notice of the losse A hidden damage seemes an easie crosse But none thy yeares will render none restore Thee to thy selfe what order'd was before Must be continued in the course begun Time gives no warning but doth flyly run Nor peoples favour nor the Princes power Can alter lengthen or retard one houre Thou busy'd art life hastneth away Death comes at length and thou must needs obay Cha. 9 CAn any that to Wisedome would pretend Be better busy'd then to learne to mend His present life it is a vaine pretence To thinke to order time with times expence And to defer our purpose when we know Life's greatest damage from delay doth grow Th' expectance of an other daies event Is nothing but a present detriment For to omit a day is to dispose Of what is fortunes and our owne to lose Why stay'st thou then whereon dost thou relye No future thing is sure live presently Heare how the Poet in a Rapture cries Each best day first from wretched Mortalls flyes Let 's not deferre said he for if wee stay 'T is gone though we lay hold it runs away We therefore of swift time swift use should make And as it were from a quicke Torrent take And to reprove our thoughts he doth not say The best Yeare soonest flyes but the best day Why are we then so slow in such a Flight Of time as if we could pretend a Right To Moneths or Yeares or to the longest date That our vast minds could ere desire of fate He speakes but of a day now fleeting then Why marvaile we if wretched mortall men That is such as be buside ever find Their best daies soonest gon whose childish mind Age undiscern'd invades for no man keepes Any accompt by what degrees that creepes As they whom some
Theophrastus Court With other Authors of good Learning they Bid all men welcome sending them away Not empty but more pleas'd more happy farre They day and night at equall leasure are They 'll not compell but teach us how to dye They 'll not consume our yeares but will supply Ours with their owne their Friendship is to us Not costly their discourse not dangerous Cha. 15 FRom these men we may carry what wee will And having gotten much may get more still What happines what Reverend Age shall hee Obtaine that is of their societie There hath he those with whom he may advise What he should doe when any doubts arise There he the truth without Reproach shall heare And being prais'd no flattery needes feare By their Example he his life may frame And strive like them to gaine a vertuous name The choyce of our owne Parents did not lie In our owne Power Chance gave them but hereby We may be borne as we our selves shall please The Families of Noble wits are these Choose then in which thou wilt thy Race advance And bee intitled to th' inheritance Not the bare name to wealth that must not be Hoorded up basely or malitiously But bountifully spent men grow not poore By such expence those goods increase the more These shall thy way t'Eternity prepare And fixe thee there from whence none can or dare Thinke to remove thee they alone can teach Mortality Immortalitie to reach Great Honours Monuments or what beside In strength of Law or structure is by pride Devis'd shall soone decay time doth invade That soonest which the World hath Sacred made Onely true Vertue can resist the rage Of present and of future time by Age That gaines esteeme things neere them men enuy But on remote looke with Impartiall eye A Wisemans life is therefore large not bound To those strict tearmes that Nature doth propound To others Lawes which mankind doth deplore All Ages like a God doe him adore He in the thought to time past takes content Makes use of what is now and doth prevent That which shall be thus ioyning all in one His constant life can shortned be by none Whereas their time must short and sad appeare Who all these three forget neglect or feare And when death commeth they too late begin To know how idly they imploy'd have bin Cha. 16 NOr is this any Argument at all That they live long because for death they call Their Folly workes on their affections so That they on what they feare themselves do throw Thus they seeke death because they feare the same Nor yet can we from hence a reason frame Because the day seemes sometimes long for they Repine that houres so slowly passe away Ere it be Supper time if they remaine But a short while unbusy'd they complaine And not well knowing how the time to spend Their thoughts to some new Vanity they bend How tedious seemes that time when they expect Some Sword-play or some Masque that they affect And yet how short is that they like and short Because they like not long but still resort To new delights so that their daies become Not long at all but rather wearisome Those Nights seeme ever quickly at an end That men in drinking or with Harlots spend Hence Poets in their Raptutes to disguise And cherish humane errours did devise That Iupiter to lengthen the delight He with Alcmena tooke doubled the night But what can this be else but vice t'enflame To make the Gods the Authors of the same And to Divinity ascribe th' excesse Of Mortall mens Licentious wickednes How can those nights seeme short that cost so deare They lose the day that wish the night were neare And lose the night with a desire of day So much their feares their pleasures doe dismay The thought of these two slender words How long Can turne all mirth into a mournefull song From this affection Kings their Powre lament And in their Greatnes find but small content As being Frighted often with this thought That it must one day to an end be brought When that proud Persian King o're vast Fields spred His spacious Army not then numbered But in the view admir'd He there shed teares To thinke that but within on hundred Yeares Not any one thereof should be alive When he that wept soone after did deprive By Sea and Land by Fight and Flight all those Of Life which he with greife did then suppose Would dye within one hundred Yeares Cha. 17 How then Comes it to passe that feare possesseth men In mid'st of Ioy because their Ioyes rely On nothing but the selfe same vanity That gave them being what may we then gesse Of that which to be wretched they confesse When the felicity through which they beare And lift their thoughts so high is not sincere Great fortunes are accompany'd with care And of all others least assured are They stand in neede of other Happines To keepe their Happines new successe To guard their old all things that come from Chaunce Vnstable are yea that which doth advance It selfe the Highest soonest falls to Ground Then what true Pleasure can therein be found Needs must their Life both short and wretched be VVhen what they get with so much Misery They keepe with more and doubtfully maintaine VVhat formerly acquired was with Paine In the meane while but small account is made Of unrecouer'd time new things invade The old hope stirres up hope desire desire They change the matter not the end require Doe we our selves cease to be Candidate VVee give our suffrages to others streight If we give over our owne suites we then Are hir'd to follow suites for other men No sooner doe we leave of to accuse But to be Iudges instantly we choose Hath Marius left the VVarres He shall receive The Consulship did Quintius strive to leave The charge of the Dictatourship he now Shall bee againe call'd to it from the Plough Scipio too yong for so great things shall goe Against the Carthaginians and o're-throw Hanniball and Antiochus subdue The glory of our Consuls and the true Pledge of his Brothers Honour who unlesse Himselfe gaine-say it shall with Iove poâ—esse An equall place and when all this is done He the preserver with sedition Shall be provok'd and having quight refus'd Such Honour as unto the Gods is us'd He at the length growne old shall take content To goe into a willfull Banishment Thus happy or unhappy causes will Be never wanting to breede trouble still Variety of busines hindereth rest A thing desir'd by all by few possest Cha. 18 EXempt thy selfe then from the multitude My deare Paulinus having beene pursude By stormes which might more years then thine require Into a quiet Harbour now retire Thinke but what privat blasts thou hast endur'd What Publique tempests to thy selfe procur'd Thy Vertue hath sufficiently bin try'd In Rough Affaires now let it be apply'd To Calmer Waies the most at least the best Part of
tale told or serious thought Deceiving to their Iournies end are brought Before they thinke them neere so we that make This speedy Iourney ' of Life both while we wake And sleepe by reason of our too much care Doe find it done before we be aware Cha. 10 SHould I in parts devide what I propose I easily then might prove the lives of those That so much mind the World to be most short Old Fabianus none of that odde sort Of Chaire-philosophers but Morrall grave Was wont to say that vices must not have A slight encounter the' are quoth he our Swords That must repell such Enemies not words Yet that men may their errours more refraine ' Ti better to instruct then to complaine These three degrees of time make up lifes summe What is what was and what is yet to come The present transient is and cannot last The future doubtfull onely what is past Is certaine fortune heere all right doth lose Not any other can thereof dispose This Worldly men have lost nor can they find Leasure enough their former deedes to mind Or if they could 't were an unpleasant thing To thinke of that which must repentance bring Men care not to looke backe on time ill spent For that remembrance needes must represent The shame when they shall truely ponder it Of what they tooke such pleasure to commit Such onely as by reasons rule direct Their actions can upon time-past reflect He that hath oft ambitiously desir'd Proudly contemn'd with insolence requir'd His captives thraldome he that hath deceiv'd Perfidiously extortingly bereav'd Or hath profusely spent can hardly be Content to have recourse to memory Whereas that onely is the Sacred time That doth above all power of fortune clime No sicknesse can disturbe nor feare nor want The firme fruition of the same supplant The present is but every single day Which passeth in a moment but we may At our owne pleasure all time past revive Whereof the busy'd doe themselves deprive It is the quiet mind that can revoke All parts of life whereas a heavy yoake Imposed is upon the labouring thought That to looke backe it hardly can be brought Such lives are swallow'd up and as t is vaine To seeke to fill what nothing can retaine So is it bootlesse store of time to give To them whose minds are like a leaking sive Time present is so short that 't is by some Thought nothing gone ere it be fully come And stoppes no more then the Celestiall speare Which never can its constant course forbeare Yet that to busy'd men is onely left Whereof they at the instant are bereft Cha. 11 BVt wouldst thou know how short a time they have Then doe but see how long a time they crave How earnestly doe old men begge t' obtaine Some yeares addition to their small remaine Who feigning themselves younger doe belye Their age and are deceiv'd so willingly As if the fates they also could delude But by some deadly sicknesse be'ng pursu'd How fearefully they draw their latest breath And goe not but are haled unto death Then they repent and vow if they recover Their health's their wonted courses to give over Finding their labour to small use imploy'd When what is gotten cannot be enioy'd Whereas a life from worldly troubles free Is long enough and cannot subiect be To Fortune Riot or an others will T is all our owne and turnes to profit still Though it be short it doth cententment find A Wise man dyes with an assured mind But thou purhaps wouldst be informed whom I meane by buside men not such as come Early into the Pleading place and stay So late that barking Dogges drive them away Nor those whom either their own Clients smother Bravely or else by following an other Contemptuously are trod on nor yet those That for base Lucre their Estates expose To sordid out-cries or whom flattery Drawes from their owne at others gates to lye Some mens repose is busines in their Beds And Houses of retirement are their Heads Still vainely troubled such cannot be said To be at rest but Idely busied Cha. 12 THink'st thou them quiet that with so much care Corinthian rusty Medalls will compare That from the false they may discerne the true Made pretious by the Folly of some few Or those that goe to see for loe we groane Not under Roman vices now alone Youths with Oil'd-bodies wrastle on the Stage Bred up on purpose of like shape and age Think'st thou Him quiet that spends halfe the day To have the tedious Barbour take away What grew the night before that time can spare To call a Councell upon every haire How it must lye what Choller will he vent If once the Barber seemes but negligent Who to displease him is as much afeard As if he cut the man and not his beard When by a Per'wigg th'haire's restor'd that 's shed Or growing thinne is o're the Fore-head spred Into what passion will he straight be put If any part of his Deare maine be cut Or if the same be discompos'd he frets If all be not reduc'd to Annulets May we not well beleeve he takes lesse care To have the State disordred then his haire Who rather to be spruce then honest strives Such are more curious of their lockes then lives Are they at rest who their whole time doe passe But onely with a Combe and Looking-glasse That Songs doe either make or sing or heare When as the voice that to the naturall eare In the plaine note sounds best is taught to run Wanton division with writh'd Faces done Who on their Fingers measure verses feet And though with serious or sad things they meet Yet are they ever warbling such as these In Lazie businesse live and not in ease Nor have they vacant time that feasts doe make Because we se what curious paines they take T' adorne with Plate their Cupboards and devise To put their Pages in quaint Liveries How carefull are they least the Cooke neglect To send the Bore in dress'd as they expect With what a quicknesse doe the servants fall Vnto their busines when they heare the call How neatly doth the Carver play his part In cutting up the fowle with so much art And after their full Cups spewing about How soone th' unhappy boyes will wipe it out In these respects they covet to be thought Magnificent and bounteous and are brought In every course of life to this condition They cannot eate or drinke but with ambition Nor have they quiet lives that up and downe Are born in Chairs and Litters through the towne For which they have their certain hours when they That are their Bearers dare not be away Who must by other men be put in mind To Bath to Swimme to Sup and are inclin'd To such a negligence that they scarce know Themselves whither they hungry be or no One of the nicer sort if so it be Nicenesse to loose humane society Lifted by men from forth a Bath all