out of fashion worne Men point at them and in dirision hisse Is all their state and pleasure come to this These are the fruits goodfellowship affoords With other bitter and disdainefull words See then deare selfe the issue of excesse That in thy selfe thou mayst the same expresse That thou hereafter be'st not forc'd to grant Most vainly did I wast what now I want Unhappy man I counted counsell vaine But now my pride 's requited with disdaine My dearest friends did sorrow for my part But now my selfe do justly feele the smart Thus mine owne heart it often comes about With headstrong youth it fals thus hardly out Then though the idle censure of our daies To youth most wanton gives the greatest praise Yet sith thou see'st their pleasures are but vaine Whiles men enjoy them whiles they do remaine Which out of question cannot long be had But quickly vanish and their end is bad What needst thou at thine owne condition grutch Or thinke their vaine felicity too much Their pleasures are but shaddowes of delight Their day but a fore-runner of their night Their sun shine doth but signifie a storme Their soundest joy but a deceiving charme Then let not these deluding shews betray thee Nor yet the censure of the world dismay thee The proffers of the one are not to trust The scandall of the other is unjust And therefore surely neither of them fit To be thy guide though they may teach thee wit Come then deare selfe forsake these shadows meere And let some substance give direction here Let Reason now give answer in thy Youth That is indeed an Oracle of Truth That will not wrong thy tender yeares for gaine Nor count thy care of moderation vaine But rather tell thee it adornes thee best Thou canst not in a richer tyre be drest Nor for thy Young and tender age more meet For moderation is a vertue sweet Wherein doth fully lye confin'd and pent All the rich treasures of allowd content But that which doth in any kind exceed Is doubtlesse vaine because t is more than need Passion GOod and wise counsell t is indeed and fit For men of age and gravity but yet For me which am but in my Youth and weake How can I doe what others can but speake Thus of my freedome to become debar'd Which is a taske for older men too hard Severest Stoickes Passion most refraining Cato and Plato pleasures most restraining These in their youth were youthfull though grown old These out of envy must have youth contrould And should I seeke as very few have done To Canonize my selfe a Saint so soone I should be fitter as it doth appeare By ten degrees to live in heav'n then here Here men are men and must be so inclin'd Or else they doe degenerate from kind And if I meane to build upon this frame I must conforme my selfe unto the same I must not sadly sit alone and sleepe When other Youth doe pleasant revells keepe Besides now Nature doth most sweetly move With most delight to be belov'd and love Affection now is powerfull in my brest It sets before me undetermin'd rest Shewes me a creature in whose face doth shine Most rare perfections morall and Divine And will not leave me till I give consent To gaine this object of such deep content And shall I goe about to quench this flame To dash these fortunes ere I taste the same And loose this Price this infinite of treasure By being sad which might be gain'd by pleasure Or shall I be so ignorantly wise My love with shewes of hatred to disguise And what I most desire thinke best to gaine By foolish fained tokens of disdaine And thereupon as with despaire possest Refuse all meanes that proffer my request As if my fortunes warranted the same But I refuse as one deboyst for shame Or when that I with merriment should wooe Shall I then sigh and say what shall I doe And when the opportunity is gone Then bind my selfe to sadly live alone And do my penance for my ouersight In some dejected silly habit dyte As if that shews of misery thus great Might move my love to pitty my estate Were this a subtile pollicy in me Were this a practise fit for my degree No surely no this were but a conceite These have no substance these are of no weight Such cold weake motions are not like to move Within the ardent glowing brest of love But if I would enjoy my love as wone Which in my youth is fittest to be done I must take all occasions that conduce Unto that happy heart contenting use And prosecure the same without delay In spight of greatest danger in the way I must be free and generous of minde I must be unto youths delights inclin'd I must be ever jovell with the rest I must be in a compleat habit drest And fit my selfe to fed my loves desire Not onely in my talke but my attire For whatsoever's inwardly ye know It is the outside that doth make the show And as affection by the eye is bred So for the most part by the eye t is fed From whence its flames are ever the more cleare The fairer that its object doth appeare For this is certaine love hath most delight On fairest flowers to feed its appitite Then farewell all severity as cruell Which in my heat of love would quench this fuell And through precisenesse keepe me so confind To loose my love the treasure of my minde I see and smile to see my love begin To smile on me may I not smile therein Come then deare love this kindnesse pleads desert This courtesie incourageth my heart Yea though thou shouldst no other passage ope This should alone give maintenance to hope Henceforth I vow my service to thee then And whatsoever formerly hath beene To do thee a pleasure now shall be my care Thy livery for colours I shall weare And looke what fashion shall content thee best That will I alwayes weare above the rest If my proportion answer not thy will My Taylor shall amend it by his skill Or if that cannot thy displeasure scape Then Protus like I le seeke to change my shape And be created or be form'd a new If not in substance yet at least in shew Yea so my love may take delight in me I care not what it cost nor what I be Some fooles may count this my affection vaine But I must hold their malice in disdaine My dearest friends may worke upon my minde In hope to make it otherwise inclin'd Yea urge and threat the greatest punishment Yea seeke with teares to alter my intent Yet all their water cannot quench this fire But rather serves to kindle more desire For true affection yeelds so fierce a flame Resistance proves but bellowes to the same Discretion OH grosse rebellion how dost thou breake out What fearefull treach'ry dost thou goe about What heinous and intollerable treason Against thy Prince and lawfull Soveraigne reason Deare selfe what
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
that live What Glory dost thou to the mighty give Deare selfe then seeke to clime no otherwise Then Vertue teacheth if thou needs must rise But if thou wouldst be certaine not to fall The surest way is not to clime at all Passion and Discretion Passion COme sweet delights come let me taste you quicker Your Quintessence is Nectar Courtly lickor I tast your honey and I taste againe Yet unsuffic'd as if I drunke in vaine I drinke and drinke thereon and yet am dry Oh! have you fullnesse that can make supply Strange ever sucking and yet empty still Come let me taste you fully drinke my fill Discretion Fond man what mean'st dost hunger for delight To feed on that which feedeth Appitite Or wouldst thou drinke those liquours like the Seas To quench thy thirst which will thy thirst increase There thou indeed mayst drinke till thou dost burst Or thou dost drowne but never quench thy thirst Nor can that liquor satisfie at all Though taste like honey which converts to gall Passion Earth earth earth earth what is it voyd of sense Why have I feeling then who came from thence I call to earth for earth to ease my cares But why have I a tongue and earth no eares Unhappy man must I my case bemoane To move the earth and earth becomes a stone Let pitty then for ever cease to be Oh! give me earth or let the earth take me Discretion All-earth what ayl'st thou nothing but that mire Which thou wert made of suits with thy desire Is earth so sweet to taste on or to smell Be satisfi'd thou shalt have earth thy fill Thy gaping mouth and unsufficed throate With earth fill'd up shall make thee change thy note And in revenge the earth thou call'st so fast To feed on here shall eate up thee at last Passion You melting clouds which mourne above my head Let teares drop downe my dearest friend is dead Remorselesse death hath now untide that knot Most dead affection fasten'd or begot Departed Friend deare was thy presence to me Deep wounding death what vengeance dost thou show me Deare friend but must death sever's with his dart Life rather leave me too t is death to part Discretion Lamenting creature cease thy sobs forbeare Thy friends at rest then why art thou in care Death was but sent to free thy friend from strife Then blame not death nor rob thy selfe of life Life is but lent and so a debt indeed Which must be paid before the debtor's freed If freedome then by dying may be gain'd Thy friend is freed and thou thy selfe art chain'd Passion Faire yea most faire mistake not I the glasse Is there such beauty in a humane face Or more then humane very neere Divine If not meere heav'nly could it else so shine Heavens Master-piece or Natures rarest art Thy Sun-like beames attract my yeelding heart I gaze on thee and gazing lose my sight And yet the more I gaze the more delight Discretion Vaine Doter dost nay darst thou pry so neere Thy sight so weake this Sun so passing cleere Regard thy sight looke off a while its power Will faile anon it wither like a flower Beauty be comes a baite dost thou not know That Snakes doe hide where fairest flowers doe grow The pith of griest is in this barke of joy Faire Hellen caus'd the overthrow of Troy Passion Tush I have braines why stand I doubting still My wits will serve to answer for my will What need I tremble then or stand in awe When Logicke will defend why feare I law Come then Invention let us beat our braines Plot for our ends and give desire the reines Our secret Projects shall have good successe If otherwise our wits shall find redresse Discretion Proud Haman or Achitophel be wise Hee 's most a foole most on his wit relyes Seest thou not how they sinke or run a shore That make their Wit their Boat their Will their Oare Presume not then mans Policy is light Events are secret hiden from his sight He may the outside of things present find But in things secret or to come he 's blind Passion Woe woe why came I forth my Mothers wom be Why was not that Sepulcher still my Tom be There I had ease and rest but borne to strife Cryes did foretell the sorrowes of my life Sorrowes indeed tormented with such paine Which to conceive confounds conceit as vaine Can Natures wants by Art have no supply Oh! ease me ease me ease me or I dye Discretion I moane thee much but thou must be content Thy case is all mens comming by descent Adam did eate and surfet thou his sonne Art bound to suffer still the sore doth run Despaire not though but pacifie thy minde There is no sore but hath a salve assign'd If in the body Physicke there doth good If in the soule then her Physitions blood Passion What have I spent my time and Parents cost Ingaining Learning and my labour lost Is Learning now neglected yes become It seemes by me not worthy of a Roome Or if I be got in I am so pent The roome I have doth give me no content I know my worth and what the world doth owe me But purblind world will neither pay nor know me Discretion Have patience man the world doth place admit And Honour too to men deserving it Then rest content thou shalt have what thou would'st Be'st thou the same thou say'st if not why shouldst Thou may'st have learning great yet not allow'd Thou may'st have learning good yet making proud Thou may'st by learning shew the Truth most full Thou may'st by Learning most deceive and gull If Learning then can put such shapes upon her Let heavens give grace that Learning may give honor FINIS