Strength is counted vaine Beauty deceitfull wit affords no gaine Art 's little usefull Learning 's lesse regarded Thus things most good becomes most ill rewarded And all because the Authours hand doth place them Where wealth affords not countenance to grace them Oh precious riches whatsoere men say Wealth is the chiefest earthly god beares sway Concludes most cases of the wise approv'd Of most desired and is best belov'd All this is true and yet for my part know I take no care to gaine such riches though My sublime thoughts fly higher and have wings Which carry my desires above such things And in my heart I count such doters vaine As for such trifles doe molest their braine As earthly riches which are gain'd with care And being gotten are possest in feare The sad imployments of such fretting cares Are much unfitting for my tender yeares And quite against my nature which I finde Is unto sweeter liberty inclin'd My Parents they their youthfull time have spent And in their youth tooke part of youths content But now growne staid and wanton thoughts supprest More weighty studyes doe become them best Let them take care for getting gaine not I Their saving wisedome must my want supply The elder for the younger doth provide As by a Law in Nature strictly ty'd Especiall the Parent for the Childe It is the care of creatures bruite and wilde To feede and foster up their young but then Much more the care of reasonable men And afterward if I a Parent be I le doe for mine as Parents doe for me I le then be carefull of these outward things And slip no meanes that show of profit brings But count it duty as it is indeed To make provision for my tender seed The meane time Parents will I hope be won To give me lēave to doe as they have done To seeke to fit my selfe unto the time And like to all things flourish in my prime Now in my youth be youthfully inclin'd With youthfull pleasures satisfie my minde And take those freedomes due unto my state Youth justly pleades its liberties are great Which if my Parents labour to restraine Injustice will appeare therein so plaine That Parents shall be pleased to give way Or I excus'd if I doe not obey Discretion BUt stay mad Passion whether dost thou run Fond and mistaken sense what hast thou done By what illusions hast thou showne thy skill To make my reason subject to my will Thy motives and thy Rhetoricke are such As may perswade and doe perswade too much But soothing Passion whatsoere is past I now resolve to answer thee at last All things created doe observe their time And doe by nature flourish in their prime From whence thou labourst to infer for truth That I by nature should rejoyce in youth All which in part I doe acknowledge true And Nature seemes to challenge it as due And therefore may not be deny'd by me In ought where sense with reason doth agree But if my nature would beare all the sway And make my reason to my sense obey I doe in reason no such justice see To let my reason so subjected be Besides I doe my youthfull nature finde So much unto the worlds delights inclin'd That my estate in this respect requires The greatest care to bridle my desires Then restlesse Passion keepe thy selfe retir'd I with thy Fury need not be inspir'd Nor will I if I can the same prevent I trust without thee to reape best content Come then Oh! come then be advis'd by reason Mine owne deare selfe this is the onely season The fruitfull earth doth afterward make knowne What seed was in it in the Spring time sowne The stocke with what t is grafted in the Spring Such fruite doth forth for ever after bring And with what scent the vessell first is fild The savour of it is not soone expeld Such is thy apt and youthfull nature know What now is sowne in thee is like to grow What habite now is got will prove the strongest What custome now is learn'd will last the longest And therefore it doth now concerne thee sure To have most care to keepe thy selfe secure To seeke content where reason doth admit To settle thy desires in what is fit That thou hereafter maist not cry in vaine I learn'd what now I would unlearne againe Thou then my selfe whose safety is mine owne And favour mine that unto thee is showne As thou hast a respect unto Discretion I doe advise thee to be ware of Passion And labour to discover those deceites Whose gall lyes hidden in most pleasant baites Yea though most neare and deare unto thee seated In thine owne bosome let them be defeated If thine owne heart which is to the most deare Would fall in love with any creature here Before thou dar'st to render thy consent Thou must take heed there be no danger in 't Or if that any more inferiour part Of body or of mind would plead desert As if they were some excellence allow'd Which vainely might induce thee to be proud Here it behooves thee to have speciall care To arme thy selfe against this inbred snare This bosome brat which will not be excluded That by thy selfe thou be'st not selfe-deluded It as in Youth it often comes to passe Thy wanton eye views beauty in thy glasse Whose beames reflecting would thy thoughts inflame With any admiration of the same Trust not thine eye nor yet thy glasse too farre They both deceitfull both uncertaine are But say thy beauty be the same indeed That it appeares yea though it doth exceed Yet weigh the honey of it with the gall And thou shalt see the vantage of it small It gaines much savour and is most alluring T is true but favour gain'd by its procuring Is sometimes such as yeelds a present friend But seldome chaste and constant to the end For looke as beauty fades and weares away So doth such friendship vanish and decay It tis alluring t is indeed but how To that which modest vertue doth allow Sure no the nature of it doth intice In humaine faces rather unto vice Againe t is beauty that doth beare the praise And oft doth unto much preferment raise Indeed t is so upon the sudden oft It from the dunghill doth draw up a loft But what this Sun-shine doth exhale like raine Falls for the most part in a cloud againe And for the praise and vertue on 't suspition So often brings the truth of it in question That all the comfort which doth in it lye As it appeares is but to feed the eye Whiles it doth glister whiles it doth indure Which every little shaddow doth obscure But if thou wouldst give beauty an excuse Then of thy beauty strive to make this use That as thy Youthfull face is faire as cleere Thy vertues may unto the world appeare That so thy face this outward grace assign'd May shew the inward beauties of thy mind Or hast thou strength and in thy bosome
glowing A resolution of thy courage showing This is in youth so farre from being blam'd That it deserveth rather to be fam'd Provided still that reason be thy guide In thy attempts to have thy manhood tryd What lively youth with noble courage fraught To Martiall feats and Descipling well taught It doth deserve the highest commendation It is the pride and safety of a Nation Nay which is more where Mars is thus obey'd It makes the very enemy afraid All this may be admitted this I grant But all this gives thee no such cause to vant Mine owne fraile flesh yea fraile and weake indeed As to presume or bost on such a reed On such a tottering such a feeble stay And which remaines so subject to decay That the most silly creature can be thought May in a moment bring thy strength to nought Or art indu'd with any other part Which would induce to boast of thy desert As wit as knowledge learning Art or such These are indeed to be esteemed much Yea these same pow'rs and faculties of minde I do confesse are of the highest kinde And do deserve the highest commendation Yet these remaine so subject unto passion That these in many do become most vaine Where pow'r is wanting passion to restraine And so much lifts up their conceits therein That they almost forget that they are men This mine owne selfe too often comes to passe Men are deluded looking in this glasse Then let not this which should be all thy stay From thine owne selfe thus steale thy selfe away But rather as the further thou dost learne The further still thou dost thy wants descerne So from the sight of what thou hast not gain'd All pride of what thou hast may be restrayn'd Or hast thou wealth which makes the greatest boast And is the onely thing desir'd of most And that full oft whose radient golden rayes Makes Youth appeare so glorious in our dayes Hast thou I say this worlds deluding grace Which hath almost thurst vertue out of place Yet let it of no such dominion be No such effect mine owne deare heart in thee What though thou hast the meanes which is thy gold To make thee to be wanton vaine and bold Yet Nature in thy face sits so demure That modestie becomes thee better sure What though thou peradventure mayst despence Thy stat 's so great with any small offence Yet do not so offend though not for feare Yet for the love thou dost to vertue beare For vertue in thy brest now seene to blome Will fore-tell friuts of fame in time to come Yea what although thy wealth were of that worth That it could yeeld thee all delights on earth Yet wisedome would advise thee to take heed For moderations sake not to exceed For to be moderate will grace thee more In this thy youth then all thy earthly store And in thy pleasures yeeld thee that content Which grosse excesse could never tast of in 't Besides excesse in any thing 's unfit Though otherwise men do the thing admit Then what mayst thou expect shall be thy gaine If thou exceedst in any thing is vaine As for the most part all the pleasures here Are as abus'd hows'ever they appeare How much so ever they mens tastes delight How beautifull so ever to mens sight Or what content so ever they pretend They are both vaine and failing in the end This is most true though youth may answer no But aske old age and it will say t is so Well grounded age whose horry head is fraught With much experience many yeares have taught And therefore surely mine owne selfe t is meet Though youthfull pleasures for a time be sweet That thou doest alwayes labour to fore-see What may the issue of thy pleasures be That when the pleasures of thy youth be past Repentance brings not sorrow at the last And makes thee in thy age confesse this truth Most idle are the fond delights of youth Passion BUt must I be thus heedfull thus precise Thus in my youth set age before my eyes And through that pale-fac'd object thus be brought To spend my youthfull dayes in carefull thought As if my yeares no pleasure were allow'd Or that my Fate were shaddow'd by a cloud From whence my fortunes most obscure became And I borne onely to bewaile the same Is this my wofull bondage surely no I may take greater liberty then so Youth may be youthfull t is in reason fit Both Law and Nature doth give way to it Then wherefore should I thus my selfe debar Those youthfull pleasures thus admitted are Be Metamorphis'd thus in youth turne old In heate of Nature dry and dull and cold Besides example the contrary teacheth And through the world the practice of it preacheth Youth doth enjoy delights in greatest measure And is besides most capable of pleasure And through the fitnesse of its nature known Delights in youth are to a custome grown Which custome is become the onely praise Of youthfull yeares in these our wanton dayes And therefore he that keepes himselfe retyr'd And shuns those merriments of youth desir'd The world accounts him but a home-bred scrub One crept out of Diogenes his tub Or one whose ingenuitie is small His wit as little breeding none at all And thereupon doth hold him in such scorne As if that he were such a Monster borne As were to nursing nature a disgrace And to the world a blemish in his place This is the censure which the world doth give Of youth which most disconsolately live As knowing their defects to hide the same They keepe themselves from company for shame Now were it wisedome in me do you thinke Whiles I may safely float a loft to sinke Whiles I may swimme in pleasure and in joy To drowne my selfe in sorrow and annoy No doubtlesse this were vaine in me indeed To take such thought in youth were more than need To vexe my selfe I need not go about For sorrowes will come fast enough without I in my way shall meet with griefe and woe Although I seeke not for them as I goe Besides t is certaine if I live till age I then must change my tyre upon the stage And act the part of sorrow in despight Of all my former pleasure and delight T is thus deare selfe what answer dost thou make I now or never must my pleasure take Resolve me therefore make the meaning plaine Shall I abandon all delights as vaine Shall I no more be ravesh'd with delight In courting beauty drest in red and white Must I forsake all recreations past My hawkes my hounds my musicke and the rest And which is most unto the pleasant crew Of my companions must I say adiue Shun all the sweete society of men Hannting with beasts some solitary den And like a carefull object of despaire In stead of scarlet clod my selfe in haire What sayst thou tell me must I mine own heart Become thus chang'd thus alter'd in each part Me thinks I feele thee
and evidently seene That goods which have unjustly gotten beene As they were badly gotten by as vaine Or sordid meanes they doe consume againe For t is a Maxime with a full consent Goods badly gotten will be badly spent As if the father did the child constraine To spend in vice what he in vice did gaine Which is a curse though children judge amisse The largest portion is the greatest blisse And thinke them fooles that thinke there is a curse That children may inherit from the purse Or from the portion that their Parents give them So it be large or great enough they leave them Although experience teacheth the conclusion Of goods ill got is ruine and confusion Deare selfe then doe not thou thy selfe this wrong Nor those that doe unto thy selfe belong Torment not thou thy body and thy minde To heape up store of riches in this kinde What idle madnesse is it or as vaine To lye downe late and early rise againe To eate the bread of carefullnesse and thinke The dregges of pleasure good enough to drinke And all to gaine a little goods which got T were ten times better that thou hadst them not But hadst beene to thy happinesse more wise Both for thy selfe and for thy seed likewise For thee because thy gaine will prove thy shame For thine because deluded by the same Deluded yea most grossely too deluded It can not sure be otherwise concluded For what can more deceitfull be than this A curse should be intended for a blisse A child which on his portion doth relye Should when he hath it be undone thereby Undone indeed because it can not stay But as 't was got in hast it must away And when t is vanish'd out of sight and gone How is that child deluded that alone Rely'd thereon is he not quite undone Yes certainely most wretched is that Sonne Whose haplesse Father or unhappy fate Provided for him such a failing state Had not his Father by delusion guided Such a deluding state for him provided He should not then have on that meanes rely'd As onely to that meanes of living ty'd But should have in his tender yeares as fit Instructed beene to exercise his wit To gaine such knowledge in some honest way As might have yeelded meanes another day Some lawfull Art or Science which are sure When other portions vanish to indure When he that wholly is without such aide Whose meanes or patrimony is decay'd Whiles he on most inconstant fortune waites Is urg'd to meanes unlawfull or to straites Mine owne deare selfe this is a certaine Truth Which still hath beene most incident to Youth Then if thou wouldst not have thy name defil'd Or if thou hast respect unto thy Child Then scrape not for him such uncertaine gaine But rather teach him that which will remaine That so the portion that thou dost provide May to thy credit with thy child abide What though the portion that thou giv'st be smal Yet if it hath that blessing there withall That it was justly gain'd and when injoy'd As justly and as piously imploy'd It doubtlesse shall be for their comfort more That shall injoy thy riches or thy store Then if it had beene ten times more and got By meanes unjust which Truth admitteth not Foundations sound which like the Rockes lye low Are better farre to build upon you know Then hugest mountaines that are heapes of sand Or hollow caves where buildings cannot stand Even so that well got substance which is sound Although it lyes but levell with the ground Is very little Yet t is better sure To build upon and longer will indure Then that estate which by deceit did rise Although it threates to reach unto the Skies But being windy hovering and light One blast from heav'n doth overthrow it quite And by this ever sad event insuing Brings building and the builder both to ruine But if deare selfe thy seed by thy intent Should be the better for thee by descent Then thou must labour to be here the same That may hereafter yeeld thee a good name That so that pretious jewell it may live When thou art dead and to thy issue give That true bred worth or credit which I know The richest worldling hath not to bestow If this then thou canst purchase up in store To leave behind thee though thou leav'st no more This is alone a patrimony great The comfort of which portion or estate With thy example may provoke thy seed When thou art hence departed to take heed To be to their succeeding race so kind To leave them this inheritance behind That as it in them by descent tooke place It may be still descending in their race That so they to their issue may restore What from their parents they receiv'd before Which is a debt or rather duty laid On men by Conscience should be duly paid A Postscript VVHat shall I here conclude Oh yes t is time Fond Hypocrites can not indure this rime T is idle t is Phantasticall they say And altogether fruitlesse what are they Sure had my verse no more true meaning in 't Then they have it should never come in Print But can men make no Musicke on the Viall Because some make a noyse confus'd in tryall Yes hypocrites though it like you be hollow Yet strain'd by art the notes are sweet that follow So verse or rather Poesie if it meetes With Art is like a Posie full of sweetes Though some like Apes to imitate the same Doe spue out rimes distastfull to their shame BUt harke what voyce is this that answers mine Me thinkes I heare malicious envy grine As if it were in malice with my quill And tells me that I boast upon my skill When I of knowledge am as farre to seeke As he that knowes not Grammar is of Greeke Fond Hagge take heed I have not done thee wrong By an usurping thy invenum'd tongue Nor borrow'd Language thereby to make knowne The skill of other men and not mine owne Though it perhaps doth often come to passe An English Foole becomes a Latine Asse But looke what herein hath beene my endeavour T is all mine owne how ignorant soever And I perhaps may reach a higher straine Though here I cease till I begin againe To his Most Noble and much Reverenced Friend and Kinsman Master JOHN STRVT Sir I Doe so far presume of your favor as to shelter these insuing Lines under the shadow of your Protection J indeed acknowledge my boldnesse in thus intruding upon your worth to defend my weakenesse Notwithstanding J am herein incouraged in part to presume of your Pardon The slender subject here presented to your view consists of two parts Passion and Discretion The first part which is Passion that is absolutely mine owne an inheritance discending from most auncient Parentage The other which is Discretion is yours by Possession and due by Desert in which J doe but bring the shadow to your Sight of that which you have the substance in your selfe
wanted of his store Or had a purpose to be understood A Benefactor to the common good Yet if he wanted meanes unto his minde And had not where withall to be thus kinde His purpose would be to no purpose lost Because his will thus by his want was crost And his good meanings dye with his devotion For want of gold to give them life and motion Oh gold most pretious what can more be said If vertue thus depends upon thy ayde And can not fly unlesse thou giv'st it wings But lyes and dyes as well as other things The greatest Monarch never so much sway'd As to become of all the world obey'd Nor fairest creature most alluring made Like thee could ever all the world perswade But thou dost sway a Scepter in thy hand Which doth the worlds whole Monarchy command And like the Sun such rayes doe from thee flow As doe attract the love of all below Who is so great or stately to disdaine To be a suiter for thy pretious gaine Or who so wise so holy or upright As truely scornes to yeeld unto thy might The Noblest and the bravest Spirit quailes When thy sweet genious or familiar failes And eke againe the most deboyst that lives Revives his Soule when thou assistance gives Come then deare gold my hearts content and stay Who will not if thou dost command obey Thy powers are so attractive I should feele Some motion of them though my heart were steele As t is full hard but yet not such a flint But that it hath some feeling of thee in 't And if thy greatnesse might not it disdaine I would be more familiar with thee faine For I account thy pleasures farre above All youthfull beauty or delights of love Or any thing if any thing abides Of more contentment in the world besides Discretion BVt stay deare selfe what art thou all in gold These are extreames some moderation hold Gold is a stately habit I confesse And is accounted in the world no lesse But gold it may be is not thy attire But gold is in thy bosome thy desire And so it bearing sway within thy brest Thou art by it not it by thee possest And thou become a servant and inthrall To that should doe thee service most of all Which is indeed that misery of minde Wherein men miserable are most blinde But mine owne heart be thou discerning here And make it knowne thy understanding's cleere And is not dazled by those golden rayes Which doe eclipse the brightnesse of our dayes I doe acknowledge earthly goods a blessing And be they wanting many things are missing Yet where they are and doe exceed t is plaine They are as bad or dangerous againe For where these earthly riches doe exceed The measure that a sober man doth need They there leave off their nature of content And take the nature of a punishment And with the endlesse care of boundlesse pelfe Torments the mind as much as hell it selfe This is most true although we sometimes see Men seeme at ease that thus tormented be Who like the Salamander in the fire Delight to live thus tortur'd in desire Besides although we manifestly finde Things earthly pleasing to an earthly minde Yet vertue that which maketh truely rich That we see alwayes flyes a higher pitch As Heaven the seat of happinesse we know Is furthest distant from earths center low So doubtlesse heav'n and things that heavenly be Can worst with earth and earthly things agree The spacious space betweene them put is such As serves alone to signifie as much That too much riches doe appeare a curse Againe too little is accounted worse These are extreames and can not be the best Because extreames they can afford no rest What then deare selfe why certainely betweene These two extreames there still abides a meane Which golden meane is of a higher rate Then almost all men value the estate For what true comfort can there be attain'd Which with a sweet contentment is not gain'd Againe what true content can be devis'd That is not also in the meane compris'd Sure double happy is he that atchieves The sweet conjunction of these relatives Which meeting are so readily inclin'd To make such heavenly harmony in minde What note more sweet than from the mean ariseth What strain 's more full than that which still sufficeth The meane all true contentment doth present And who more happy than the man content Sweet compitancy how rare doe we find Thee to the man of a contented mind What rest what peace what joy dost thou allow him And with what matchlesse comfort dost indow him Keep'st him secure and safe in all respects Preserv'st him from all turbulent effects And full sufficiency dost give him which Is ten times better than to have too much The man a loft may boast upon the same The man renown'd may glory in his fame The man ambitious may seeke to clime higher The man envious to have his desire The rich man may his insultations make And sooth himselfe for his abundance sake Yet neither high nor low nor rich nor poore Nor any other state on earth hath more True rest true peace true comfort and content Or sound and solid satisfaction in 't Then this containes than this affords to such As rightly doe imbrace it nor so much Deare selfe then herein set thy heart at rest The meane is it where vertue doth consist That if thou hast sufficience in store T is madnesse then to vexe thy selfe for more When adding more to that thou dost possesse Will make thy comfort in them both the lesse Or rather in this nature to speake right Will take away the comfort of them quite Besides the toyle the study and the feare In storing up these needlesse fruites of care Is such as may in reason well suffice To make a Creature rationall more wise And for the vulgar credit or applause Whereof these worldly riches are the cause If duely weigh'd and ponder'd as it ought It will appeare not halfe the thing t is thought For what is all the honour or the praise Bestow'd on greedy rich men now adayes But onely outward reverence and such As the bestowers inwardly doe grutch Because they know t is undeserv'd though feare Doth make them thus some reverence declare Nay he that is most earnest to obtaine These earthly goods the greediest of gaine The fame he aymes at turnes into disgrace And his endeavours are accounted base And men doe brand him in the stead of fame With most reproach full titles for the same As cruell earth-worme Usurper And more He alwayes is accursed of the poore Who in their hunger doe for vengeance call For him and such as he that eate up all Besides the earth he eateth up so fast It threates againe to eate up him at last And in the meane time earnestly doth groane That he should have so much of it alone And doe no good with it which the Creator Ordain'd should be a
necessary creature And therefore it to be reveng'd ere long Will witnesse beare how he hath done it wrong When as the Judge who doth in truth delight Will heare the case and do the creature right Deare selfe t is so then set not thou thy love On such a friend as if thou dost will prove Thy greatest foe and for thy kindnesse showne Unkindly plead to have thee overthrowne But if thou must as needs thou must indeed Make use of earth or earthly wealth at need Then labour to imploy it in that kinde Which by the Author of it was injoyn'd In doing good extending of thy store To pious uses and unto the poore And then unto thy comfort in the end Thy wealth in earnest will become thy friend And witnesse for thee when thy case is try'd How justly by thee it hath beene imploy'd This is deare selfe the onely sweet of all That may in wealth extracted be from gall For worldly riches are a sugred baite Wherein lyes poyson hidden by deceit Then be thou heedfull mine owne tender heart And in this nature shew thou hast some art Who like a skilfull Alchymist and try'd Can'st here the silver from the drosse divide Observe that rule which hath beene long forgot To use thy wealth as if thou us'd it not That so if such an accident should be As ere thou dy'st should part thy wealth and thee Thou mayst with patients free from discontent Restore the Owner what he freely lent Or at the least when death at last shall strike Thou mayst with joy doe willingly the like Passion MIne owne deare heart why tak'st thou not thy rest Why art thou thus disquieted in my brest As if I priz'd this world at such a rate That I were carelesse of my future state No feare it not it is not so I trust For I desire the portion of the Just And have a hope as well as a desire As to rise here to rise hereafter higher And to that end I am in hope t is knowne My good endeavours to the world are showne My purse is still as ready as my minde To be a helpefull worker in this kind My part is alwayes call'd for as the chiefe When Charity is calling for reliefe And whatsoever idle spend goods prate I am much helpefull to uphold the state Thus whiles I live I doe my wealth imploy And have a resolution when I dye To be a further friend unto the poore They then may blesse me as they did before And if I thought he would these things report I then would well requite a Preacher for 't The meane time it must first be understood I must have wherewithall to doe this good And therefore things thus needfull I am ty'd In reason and in Conscience to provide Besides it is my duty and I finde A duty too that strictly is enjoyn'd That here I should be provident and wise And use all lawfull meanes I can devise That such as doe upon my ayde rely May feele no want of what I should supply But further yet I find within my brest A Law by oddes more powerfull than the rest Which is the Law of Nature in my minde Which doth by Nature move me to be kinde And carefull that my children which I grant Are neare and deare unto me may not want If Lightnings meteors threate to scorch the skies Straight as inrag'd distemper'd Thunder cryes Or any other neare united twaine If one fares ill the other doth complaine Mine owne deare children whom I tender much T is fit that my affection should be such What heart would not dissolve to see you misse What tender bowels would not burst at this Sweet Babes who like to Birds before they flye For food doe onely to the Old ones cry Me thinkes I heare you pittifully call Father be carefull of your Children small And as your substance did us substance give So of your substance Father let us live We are your off-spring issu'd from your loynes What nearenesse more respective care injoynes Let pitty move you to respect your owne Compassion fitly first at home is showne We wholly yet upon your hand are staid We onely doe relye upon your ayde If you have not a Fatherly respect If you deare Father doe our caseneglect What kindnesse or what comfort may we then Expect to finde from any other men Deare Father let affection then beare sway Prevent your Childrens ruine and decay And as our teares you doe in pitty tender Be as you are our Father our defender That so the tender seed that you have sowne May be preserv'd and flourish when t is growne These are the voyces which me thinkes I heare Unto which voyces who can but give eare What Father living can refraine from teares That thus his Children sad complaining heares But doubtlesse double cruell is that swine Which gives his child this reason to repine For my part as it is my duty so It shall be my endeavour thereunto Whiles with my children here I have my stay To doe my children all the good I may The working Pysmire and the labouring Bee As if they did insuing wants fore-see Doe aptly teach us in the time we may To get in store against another day Lest we or those that we are bound to feed Should stand in want in time of greatest-need Yea as t is said all Creatures teach the same Both Birds and Beasts then were it not a shame If I who should have reason for my guide Should not with prudence for mine owne provide Besides I seeing earthly wealth is such That nought else earthly is esteem'd so much And men without it are accounted base What other gifts soever doe them grace If I have any true desire to see My tender children here respected be Or when I shall surcease to be and leave them Would have the world respect and honour give them It doth behove me whiles I here remaine To heedfull be and slip no meanes of gaine But use my best endeavour in this kinde To leave them credite that I leave behinde That so when I shall cease or fall asleepe My wealth which then I shall no longer keepe May grace my issue which shall then survive That so my credit may be kept alive In my posterity in that my seed Shall live and flourish when I shall be dead When otherwise if I shall waste my store And through my folly leave my issue poore They shall be sure to feele the irksome want That doth attend the state where things are scant With the disdaine reproachfull titles shame And miseries that waite upon the same Besides my children shall have cause to curse Their fate if not their Father which is worse Their fate for frowning but their Father I Not for meere frowning but for cruelty Who when I ought and might have purchas'd here Hard heart was carelesse of my children deare Thus if I be not provident t is plaine Both I and mine whiles here I doe remaine Must