The foure Ages of Man. 1638
Are to be sould by [...]. S [...]
[...] in Cornhill [...]
With [...]h [...]ines scarfe feathers staffe wth posie garnisht
With silkes and sattin [...] laced faced uarnicht
for first preferment tis my dadies care
To make mee hinch boy to the shreive or may [...]
PASSION AND DISCRETION, IN YOVTH, AND AGE.
Here in a plaine, and most familiar kinde
You may behold a Combat in the Minde:
Mans differing motions are the jar in question.
The Combatants are Passion, and Discretion:
Each striving to be chiefe in the desire.
Or, if you please to straine in any higher,
Then here you, partly, may behold the strife
Betweene the Flesh, and Spirit in this Life.
LONDON, Printed by T. & R. Cotes, for Francis Grove, dwelling on Snow-hill, neere the Sarazens head, without New-gate. 1641.
[...]
Next place of office which I do attaine
is [...]washing whiffler wth my staff and ch [...]ine
In which hot office when J long haue binn
J swaggering leaue and to be stayd beginn
Passion and Discretion in Youth and Age.
WHen that arch light, which makes things made appeare,
Dame natures Nurse, bright Phoebus doth draw neare,
And from our Clymate, this times guider, Sol
Cals winter backe to the Autarticke Pole:
Then doth our late frost-bitten regions smile,
Our piercing ayre, cold winds and, fruitles soyle,
All suffer change, yea cheerished by the Sun
All things beneath rejoyce in what is done.
The earth puts on its rich, and sweet attyre,
Sweete to the sense, and rich to the desire.
Fish in the waters do both scip and flote:
Birds in the ayre tune a melodious note;
Beasts on the earth, yea Nature seemes to sing
By signes of joy to well-come in the spring.
How shall these creatures in subjection pent,
Declare such signes and tokens of content,
These sensles creatures glory in this measure,
And in their youth, the spring time take such pleasure;
And shall not I, who hitherto lay hid,
Like Natures pow'r, in winter time, as dead?
In this my spring time have a cheerefull voyce,
Now in my youth be merry and rejoyce?
[...][Page 40] But here lyes that which doth undoe us still,
That which, deare selfe, converts our good to ill;
God in his mercy having daign'd to give us
Innumerable good things to rel [...]eve us;
We out of weakenesse, either quite ref [...]se them,
Or in the using of them quite abuse them:
Which most prepost'rous custome to suppresse,
Let love and friendship be without excesse.
Passion in Age.
FOnd man what meant I? what was in my minde?
When I was Youthfull how was I inclind?
I then was heedlesse, ignorant, and nice,
And counted care of worldly gaine a vice:
Youths chiefe contentments, vaine delights & pleasure
Were all I sought for, they were then my treasure.
I held them muck wormes, and in much disdaine,
That did not value pleasure above gaine:
I felt no sorrow then for what I spent,
Because it purchas'd that which gave content.
But now I see my errour in the same,
How foolish I was, and how farre to blame,
How wanton pleasure did delude my minde,
And wrought upon my weaknesse in this kinde.
How many opportunities most fit,
Which both advice, and reason did admit,
Of gaine or profit did I then neglect,
Without all care in any such respect?
[...]N liuery gowne and hoode I now haue gott
[...] which in ranck and ffi [...]e to poules I trott
And swim in sholes to wesminster in barges
and to feed high spare nether cost nor charges
But if my ffeasting haue to lauish bin
I must be fforced to turne Child a gin
In stead of posie beare a burning tape [...].
[...] man begins in [...] in [...].
[...]
And therefore this shall be my highest pitch,
Onely to toyle, and study to be rich,
And this I will endeavour to expresse:
Though with my tongue, I doe not it confesse.
But if I must, for tender Natures sake,
Some further use of Recreation make,
My Liberary to my view presents
The sweet fruition of most choyce contents:
There I have certaine statute Bookes at hand,
Where I may view the Tenours of my Land:
There I have just Arethmatickes to count
Unto what summes my usuries amount:
And eke an Affamerides, which may
Shew me my other commings in each day.
And there to pleasure me, I may behold
My bonds, and bills, my silver, and my gold;
Which Jewels if I should but feele, I thinke,
It would refresh me more than meate and drinke.
Discretion in Age.
DEare selfe, what art thou all inclin'd to earth?
Is nothing else in thy account of worth?
Or, at the leastwise, nothing else that may
Here upon earth, be valu'd with this clay?
Earth is, indeed, the matter of thy frame,
And thou must sure, againe unto the same;
For things Created naturally run,
Into those elements where they begun)
This cannot be deny'd: that in this kind
Thou mayst be something to the earth inclin'd.
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