| |
| SHUN delayes, they breed remorse, | |
| Take thy time while time doth serve thee, | |
| Creeping snayles have weakest force, | |
| Flie their fault, lest thou repent thee. | |
| Good is best when soonest wrought, | 5 |
| Lingering labours come to nought. | |
| |
| Hoyse up sayle while gale doth last, | |
| Tide and winde stay no man’s pleasure; | |
| Seek not time when time is past, | |
| Sober speede is wisdome’s leasure. | 10 |
| After-wits are dearely bought, | |
| Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought. | |
| |
| Time weares all his locks before, | |
| Take thou hold upon his forehead; | |
| When he flies, he turnes no more, | 15 |
| And behind his scalpe is naked. | |
| Workes adjourned have many stayes, | |
| Long demurres breed new delayes. | |
| |
| Seeke thy salve while sore is greene, | |
| Festered wounds aske deeper launcing; | 20 |
| After-cures are seldome seene, | |
| Often sought, scarce ever chancing. | |
| Time and place gives best advice, | |
| Out of season, out of price. | |
| |
| Crush the serpent in the head, | 25 |
| Breake ill eggs ere they be hatchèd: | |
| Kill bad chickens in the tread; | |
| Fledged, they hardly can be catchèd: | |
| In the rising stifle ill, | |
| Lest it grow against thy will. | 30 |
| |
| Drops do pierce the stubborn flint, | |
| Not by force, but often falling; | |
| Custome kills with feeble dint, | |
| More by use than strength prevailing: | |
| Single sands have little weight, | 35 |
| Many make a drowning freight. | |
| |
| Tender twigs are bent with ease, | |
| Agèd trees do breake with bending; | |
| Young desires make little prease, | |
| Growth doth make them past amending. | 40 |
| Happie man that soon doth knocke, | |
| Babel’s babes against the rocke. | |
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