| |
| WITH 1 prouidence reflect thy looke | |
| Into thy liue’s accounting booke; | |
| And thou shalt see how time destroyes | |
| Thy youth, thy friends, thy foolish ioyes: | |
| Which pleasures, mocking all desires, | 5 |
| Shew them but seruants vnto liers. | |
| And looke on this with eies of minde, | |
| With which men see when they are blinde. | |
| None euer had such ioy a day, | |
| That from them did not slide away; | 10 |
| For that soone turneth into was 2 | |
| Which sprung of late as tender grasse. | |
| With ioy let none himselfe deceiue, | |
| For euery lust will take his leaue. | |
| Rich miserie is great men’s share, | 15 |
| Pompous distresse and glittering care, | |
| With which they toile as troubles lent, | |
| Till death exact of them their rent. | |
| Still in thy pleasure beare in minde | |
| That sorrow is not far behinde. | 20 |
| Rivers present our image plaine, | |
| Which passing neuer turne againe. | |
| Such is this world when it is best, | |
| That each degree finds little rest: | |
| He that is highest in his pride, | 25 |
| His fortune changeth as the tide. | |
| All signifies a fading flower, | |
| Rust, time, and wormes, will all devoure. | |
| Life, ioy, and euery pleasant weede, | |
| Scarce hangeth by a slender threede. | 30 |
| To all, this period fate doth doome, | |
| That all must vnto nothing come. | |
| As child in nurse’s arms, by Death | |
| Included, here we draw our breath, | |
| Where all our solace is vnstable, | 35 |
| Our death vnknown, ineuitable: | |
| Which none by strength alleuiate may, | |
| Riches, or birth, or other way; | |
| And earth is promiser of rest, | |
| Which is not as it seem’d possesst. | 40 |
| None have contentment at their call, | |
| And smalest sweet abounds in gall. | |
| When we think surest for to stand, | |
| Then greatest slidings are at hand: | |
| One danger seldome comes alone, | 45 |
| But moe proceed ere that be gone. | |
| The castels which repulse a foe | |
| Cannot demand a man from woe; | |
| Wherefore old Solon did commend | |
| To call none happy till their end; | 50 |
| And Dyon gaue this sentence rare, | |
| “The shorter life, the lesser care.” | |
| From birth to prison we ascend | |
| On earth, as stage to take our end. | |
| And here a life enui’d we haue, | 55 |
| And no true rest vntill our graue. | |
| Wherefore, fooles’ heauen, but wise men’s hell, | |
Vaine earth, I bid thy ioyes farewell.
THE END. | |
