He hates shunnes and alwayes doth such wanton mates detest But no man can a Uirgin be but he whom God hath blest And doth assyst Thys gratious gyft doth from the skye descende Of higher state than man can get or man can comprehende No perfite wyseman can be had except in thys degree It semeth also good to knowe if it conuenient be For wysemen dreadfull weapons fieret of raging Mars to trye And for to bathe their hands in bloud of mortall enimie And to themselues by fight to get an euerlasting name For many iudge no greater vertue glory prayse or fame Can be than gotten is by warres O wretched beastes O blinde Why think you wars more worth than peace or of a better kinde For nothing is more vile than thys nor nothing can be found That farther from mans reasoÌ„ seemes to differ or to sound For if that lawes and reason shoulde in euery place beare sway Then peace shuld rayne in proper force and warres shuld quite away In tyme of battayle lawes do ceasse and ouerthrowen do lye Then fury raynes and vice doth rage abrode at liberty Then wicked men holde vp the head and shake their weapons than And scotfree thence they kyl and stryke and take from euery man And fearing no decree of iudge defile eche thing they finde More mete is peace for mortal man and warres for brutish kinde To tosse the blades mad men loue and he desires to fyght That pore and lazy labour hates and hath a great delight To liue a lusty vicious state though purse do not agree And therfore sells his lyfe for gayne and runnes in ieopardie Then conquerour he triumph may with that that others got And carry thence the spoyle and pray vnto his natiue plot But he that substance hath at home and can sufficiently Him self and his defend and keepe wyth any faculty Doth peace aboue the rest esteeme and from the sword abstayne Except he be of franticke minde and fond disposed brayne But thou wylt say great Kings dukes in deedes of armes delight And trayne themselues to follow Mars wyth al their foâ—â—e and might What then are noâ— gret Kings dukes oft times in dotage brought And flow w t vice by whose fond mindes great cities come to nought And though they great reuene we haue and Kingdomes many one Yet more they alwayes seeke to haue and more they heape thereon The couetous man though he possesse as much of golden Myne As Tagus hath yet pore he is and liues in neede and pyne And thus therfore with this mad minde are Dukes and Princes great Compelde to ioyne the bloudy campes wyth rage of Martial heate Enlarging their dominions much with heapes of Misers slayne But though that wars be nought vile to be abhorred playne Yet bring they some commodity for false and crafty men Expert in fraud and vsury do heape vp al thing then When peace doth rain but wheÌ„ y e wars do rage the Souldiour strong The euil gotten goods doth spoyle that he hath raked long Then iustly doth the rage of Wolues on Foxes vengeance take And due rewardes the mighty sort vnto the subtile make And lyke for lyke they shew Thus time doth all things alter so Besydes the kings w t thousande crafts and thousande powlings mo In time of peace their subiectes fleese and coyne in Coffers poure Wherby both Golde and Siluer all the Checker would deuoure If battaile should not bring abrode that hydden lay in peace Distributing to many men one priuate mans encrease Now last of all in number not a fewe there is a kinde Both voide of learning welth Arte of lasey stouthfull minde To mischiefe giuen prone to vice and stoute and full of cryme Such men or rather shadowes vaine at one appointed tyme Doth God a warfare sende wyth death of cruell kinde to dye And thus he purgeth mortall state whereby liue merily Long time the rest that doe remaine thys mischiefe ouerthrowne Tyll that againe such wicked weedes anewe be sprong and growne That must be rooted out with warres and cut with weapon grimme Then Iupiter beginnes againe hys pottes vncleane to skimme And sending forth the furyes vile doth sweepe the filth away This is the order of the worlde that neuer shall decay Thys course the destinies themselues decreede long tyme agone When as Promotheus stale the fyre the hawtie heauens from And when Deucalion with hys wife dame Pyrrha made to spring So many thousande persons with the stones that they did fling Wherfore a wyseman it becomes to follow reasons grace And chiefly peace to loue and peace with all hys minde to embrace Except perchauÌ„ce sometyme coÌ„strainde he for his countrey fyght And for defence of him and his then is the quarrel right Then fights he voyd of any blame for lawes of euery srate Do suffer force with force to dawnt and guile with guile to mate As due deseries to recompence conuenient is and meete Now farther must we search if that it be for wisemen feete To exercise some faculty wherwith al times he may Relieue himself if that misse happes do bring him to decay If froward Fortune any time send needy pouerty Depriuing him of all his goodes and substance violently Least that he begge and suffer oft both colde and hunger to There are for truth some kinde of thing that wisemen wel may do Wherby himself he succour may if pouerty constrayne Let him a good Phisitian be this gets sufficient gayne And driues away diseases quite Olde Phebus vsed this same And Phebus sonne by this they both deserude a famous name And this Sir Chirons pupil learnde though of the stock he was Of auncient Aeacus and Thetis sprong by this did Paeon pas Machaon and Hippocrates by this gat honour great What should I call to memory al such as by this feate Got long agoe both pens and prayse and fame when they were dead A good eâ—pert Physitian shal neuer begge his bread Adde more to this it ful besides of priuy knowledge flowes And both of floure hearb and stone doth secretes playne disclose And whatsoeuer earth doth here within hir bowels hide Doth well perceiue and natures force to open doth prouide Eche part within the body of man it doth consyder well And turnes againe a number that were almost gone to hell What thing than this more requisite for wyse men can we finde That not alone the wiseman may with counsell heale the minde But also get the body helth and so both partes redresse Thus may a wyseman all preserue in perfect quietnesse But now when as dame Lachesis the latest yeare doth spinne And hoary whitenesse doth defyle both head and bearded chinne Then meete it is for him to rest and then himselfe to stay And longer not to roue about in countreys farre away But finde some certaine dwelling place and searche for hys auaile Such things as nedefull are for lyfe least foode in age doe fayle And in the meane whyle to
Which were to great absurditie for he doth all things spye That eche thing makes nor ought from him can hyd in secret lye Though some doe say that if so be that heauenly minde shoulde knowe The base estate of mortall kinde it should lesse worthy growe But they are much deceiued for none is ill bycause that hee Doth ill things know nor vile y t knowes the things that vilest bee Nor any man is changed white that white can well define Nor worser is the Sunne as oft as it on knaues doth shine Nor if with beames it hap to blase in place be durtyed much It foule doth seeme nor light defylde that filthy things doth touche So if the minde perceiue the thing that vylest may be thought It is not worse to knowe ill than good but ill to doe is naught Thus God of nothing ignorant all things that are doth knowe What hath bene done in alder tymes and what shall after growe Which if they be not surely â—ixt confesse we must them needes Not to be knowne for knowledge styll of things assurde proceedes The Prophetes also when they speake of things that happen shall The certaine dayes do playnly appoint and proper names of all Which would not be but that al thyngs are fyxed certaine so That are to come or present be or passed long ago Yet many things doe seeme by chaunce amongst vs for to lyght As when a tyle by tempest torne from house a man doth smyte Or when a man in deluing deepe doth store of treasure finde Such things by chauÌ„ce to hap doth synk in common peoples minde But thys my minde doth not alowe for though vnlooked for Such things doe hap shall we therein admit a chaunce therfore Our knowledge nor our ignorance to alter things hath might For fyre hath not his flaming heate nor Snow therfore is whyte Nor SuÌ„ne doth yeld hys glistering beames bicause we knowe the thing For of the matters that consyst our knowledge here doth spring Therfore we knowe it thus to be bicause the thing is so And minde may often seeme to erre the thing can not so do Now of the thing I speake and aske if chaunce therein doe lye For whether we doe knowe thereof or no regarde not I. The chaunce therefore in vs doth lye not in the things that be Such things we thinke to fall by chauÌ„câ— wherof no cause we see As knowne alone vnto the Gods all things are certaine tho For with one sort of mouing rounde the heauens alwayes go Lyke seede like fruite and elaments in auncient order rayne And keepe their kinde wonted course the yeare doth styll retaine For after spring the somer hoat himselfe hath strayghtwayes placde And after him with Apples thyck and Grapes doth haruest hast Next after that his nipping frosres the wynter bringeth in And wyth his Isye northern blastes all things to droupe begin No herbe doth euer change hys force all creatures doe retaine Their olde accustomed shape and in theyr wonted guise remaine Ne must we thinke that monsters here of chaunce or errors growe When cause of them assertaynde is ill tydings to foreshowe And therof fyrst did take theyr name wherfore their wonders hyght Which nature willingly doth make who often doth delight To brede some â—ond ylfauoâ—red things As paynter oft doth ioy Though he haue cunning great besyde to paint some testing toy As pycture crooked or saddelbackd wyth nose of largest syse And blabber lypt a worthy syght and fit for clownishe eyes Synce all things thus in order good and measure lyke doe fall Unstable chaunce within the world shall beare no swynge at all whom chiefest prouidence of God and wysedome great doth draw That he may easely vnderstande with what a wondrous lawe The worlde with euerlasting course is framed here and gracde How euery creature hath his lymmes and members aptly placde well seruing to their vses all agreing fayre the same How God or nature neuer thyng in vaine did make or frame who ponders this shal think not chance but reason beares the sway And al things done as God commauÌ„ds wyll deeme and playnely say But whether fortune guideth all as many doe persuade A thing both meete and worthy is in knowledge to be had Let vs bende all our wyts to thys but fyrst we must well knowe What kinde of thing thys fortune is and whence hir grace doth growe In auncient tyme they worshipt hir and Goddesse hir did call And thought she bare no little sway in Heauen and earth and all And alters vnto hir they built and offred sacrifyce But I thinke hir not God to be nor any sainct in skyes Is eyther male or female sure in kinde they not delight No byrth they haue nor dying day as some of olde doe wryte Who thinke the Gods lyke vs to be O fonde and foolishe mindes O heads for to be healed with iuice of greatest purging kindes Judge you the Gods of our estate that wyth theyr Ladies fayre Embracing many times they lye theyr kinde for to repayre Let rather vs therfore account a certaine God to be Whose nature differs farre from Gods a Ghost of lowe degre And therfore guides the kingdomes vile of earth and waters rounde Wheras so many haynous factes such griefes and plagues are founde Where as no kinde of thing is safe where no estate is free where craftes and wyles doe swarme so thick where such deceiuings be The Prince of all the worlde thys God is named of Christ and Paule Whom Pluto and syr Dites black the Poets vse to call who fauours fooles and wicked men and vertuous men molest This house thys seate this courte doth seme for such a tyrant best whom commonly we fortune call for eche ill thing doth raine Beneath the Mone as darksome night and stormes and tempest mayne Wyth colde and heate and teasty age dame neede of beggars hall And labour griefe and wretchednesse and death that endeth all Aboue the Mone continual light wyth peace and ioy remayne No tyme nor error death nor age nor any thing is vayne O blest and double blest agayne that in so pleasaunt place So fayre so beautifull to liue of God obtayneth grace Some thinke the world to be fulfylde wyth other Gods besyde Whereof the most do leade their lyfe in ayry places wyde whom Greekes cal sprytes more to theÌ„ the chiefest rule they giue Of creatures al that on the earth or on the sea do liue Affirming that both good and euyl as most their mindes doth please They send as honours ioyes wealth and contraries to these wherefore it very needeful is to please them often tymes which may be done by seruing them by charmes or by diuines As many thinke and like wyse say that they will straight appere To vs if they be ryghtly calde and helpe vs praying here And that no better thing can be here in this life to man Than for to haue their company and see them now and than which I
tymes of olde He knewe me straight for oft he had hys mothers hestes me tolde And when eche other greted was he much things asked of me And after brought me to a towne of hugest quantitie The loftye walles of Diamonde strong were raysed hye and framde The bulwarks built of Carbuncle that all as fiery flamde O Lorde what gorgeous houses there and goodly syghtes I saw As Temples fayre and Theaters and streetes and seares of lawe Al framed of syluer gold and stone and more of goodly kinde I there beheld but cannot now beare al away in minde And though I could remembre al yet God doth not allowe That coÌ„mon peoples heads shuld know the state of all and how I wondred at the number great that through the city so Al clad in white by thousands thick amyd the streates to go Their heads beset wyth garlands fayre in hand the Lillies white They ioyful beare Menarchus guyde of Cynthyus kingdome bright Remembring oft w t Himnes they syng and swete agreing layes Menarchus name they oft rehearse Menarch wyth Psalme they prayse Menarchus name did Eccho lowde resounding oft send out He vanquished in happy fielde th' Arcadian giants stout As then Timalphes tolde to me wyth wordes that were not vayne Once was quoth he Arcadia voyd of hylles and al lay playne There dreadful giants kingdome held as Maenalos the hye And Pholoe and Lyceus great that ioyed in woods to lye And Erymanth whose shoulders bare the backes of sauage swine Cyllenes eke that boylde wyth spyte agaynst the powers diuine Who fyrst before the rest presuming al of force and might Durst giue ill language to the Moone wyth wordes of canckred spite That they before hir long were borne and of more noble race And so that they deserue the names of Gods and higher place Besydes in rage a towre they built amyd the skies to looke O Nemroth larger farre than thine and wyth an yron hooke Attempted thrice from place to pluck this Goddesse where she standes Bloud red for feare to see hir selfe so nere to wretches hands Menarchus gaue them thrice repulse wyth valeant force and might And thrice the iuice out prest from gras of olde Saturnus spright Among them â—ast the poyson runnes straight wayes through al their bones Wyth chyâ—ling colde consumed w t payn they leaue their liues at once And vggly soules they cleane forsake which hel below receaues Wher as with paynes they plagued are that neuer after leaues But now their bodies quite destroyde by force of venome late Their carcasse turnde to lofty hilles kepes name wyth chaunged state Whereby this deede and triumph great in minde the Moone men heare And celebrate wyth solemne pompe this feast from yeare to yeare And to their king they worship make with great and ioyful cheare Thus passing forth we found a tower that all of Gold did shine Al wrought set wyth precious stones of sundry colours fine Here quoth my guyde no mortal man may euer set his feete We stayde therfore and by the space of large and ample streete On euery syde we might beholde approching soules at hand And there before the seate and place of iudgement for to stand Which placed was agaynst the towre and wrought right cunningly Three sonnes of Ioue and fayth begot syt there in seaâ—es ful hye To iudge the soules regarding wel of al their sinnes the store And vertuous deedes that euery man hath done in earth before Telescopus and Dorophon Philorthus frend alway To iustice these desertes and faultes in perfect balance way And by their iudgements very fewe to heauen did ascend But thousands of the same agayne to earth did downe descend And many also in the Moone they did commaund to stay Astonished long wyth gasyng syght at length I gan to say Declare to me good guyde quoth I if Hell beneath doth lye In deepest dongeon of the earth and to the Center nye And soules thereto conueyde they say the corse clapt vnder hearce Olde Aeacus and Minos there and Radamanthus fearce Do euer iudge and giue rewardes or else deserued payne How chaunceth it I here beholde the like thing done agayne Mannes mind quoth he in pryson dark of carcasse shut doth lye And forced by fault and ignorance is led by wayes awry By this is man to dreames and toyes of nature prone and bent And from the truth he wanders farre if grace do not preuent No maruel thoe if many things your Poets false haue song Bycause to treade the steppes of truth lies not in euery tong But thou haue alwayes well in minde these mysteries I tell All things are good and neuer fade aboue the Moone that dwell Nor griefe can vexe those sacred states But all that nature framed beneath the Moone is nought and ill And lawe seuere of death doth feele and force of time to spyll These places doth the middle spheare of Moone in twaine deuide Placde equally betwixt the worlde doth boundes to heauen bide Thus when that lyfe is fledde all soules are brought vnto thys place And here pleade gilty or vngilty before the iudges face By whose awarde to certaine roomes according to their deedes They straight are sent receiuing there for their desertes their meedes And euery one the henyer they with heapes of vice are made The deeper they descende the pyt of darke infernall shade Agayne the better that they be and farther of from crime So much they higher mounting vp more nye the heauens clime But they whose ylles do counterpease the vertues of their minde For to remaine about the Moonâ— are many yeares assinde Tyl eyther falling fresh to vice when many yeares are spent They turne to earth or purged wel are into heauen sent Loe thus he sayd But then agayne what is the cause quoth I That soules so fewe the starres approch and gayne the heauens hie Why runne they hedlong so to vice and Misers vertue flye Why more esteme they dark than light and rather synne to apply Than vertue pure where of to them doth so great madnesse rise What will so fond doth them beguile what fansy bleares their eyes Then aunswered thus Aretes sonne both I do it desire And mete it is that I disclose the things thou dost require And many other things besyde which thou thy selfe shalt say Are worthy to be learned here and to be borne away Since here wythout the power of God I know thou canst not come Who list such things to thee to shewe before the gates of whome No man aliue may once approch except by him assinde Then now giue eare and what I say beare wel away in minde But nedeful fyrst it is for vs a little hence to walke We went and in a lofty tower we both syt downe to talke From whence both seas land ful plain we might beholde and see Then thus from sacred brest this voice he vttred out to me As of them selues the soules can not be yll nor bent to synne Since
state of destiny commaundeth to be had God Pluto then tell me quoth I why syâ—ste thou here so sad So sad quoth he doest thou not thinke to great a wrong I byde When you possesse so great a space of heauen large and wyde When as but fewe you are and when scarce three when all is done Or little more in greatest space and tract of tyme do come And I to be enclosde within a kingdome here so small Where out of number mortal men continually do fall The Jewes and al the Turkish broode not all the Christian bend I graunt but sure the greatest parte do here do here descend And hither to my parkes they runne why come they more to me Or why doth not my brother there that Skies doth ouersee These Friers Priests Monks at lest take vp to heauen hye And them in blessed place wyth him preserue continually Is is not shame these men that in the Church so swetely sing And day by day in sacred towers the restlesse bells do ring That spend such store of Franconcense and many Hores relieue That pardon others and can not their owne mysdeedes forgiue That play the parts of paryshe Clerke the Corse to bring to graue And beautify the Church of God with Tombs and Pictures braue Is it not shame these men to sende to Hell with paynes therfore As thirsty Appulia neuer bred of Flyes a greater store Nor once the chiefest Bishops he doth dread or more forbeare But rather wylls that they do feele extreamest torments heere Thus in the deepest pyt of Hel enclosde they lye in chaynes And plaged are aboue the rest with grieuous kinde of paynes Wherfore Cyllenius when thou comste the Starres aboue vnto I pray thee shew my brother there that al things I wyl do With willing minde as he coÌ„maundes But yet in any wise Let him respect my poore estate and kingdome not despise And either take some soules from hence or else make Hel more wyde This sayd I wyll quoth I and then from thence in haste I hied And now to Heauen I retourne nor longer can I stay Forget not me thy client poore go blessed sainct away Thou Muse remembre well to thewe to me thy verses fine For paper lowe at hand and pen and leysure good and tyme Beginne and teache me in what sorte a wyse man should be wrought Fyrst vnderneath a happy starre he must to light be brought That after shall be wyse or blest for greatly matter makes Under what signe or what aspect a man his byrthday takes As they affirme that know the names and force and motions hye Of Starres and cast natiuities and tell the destiny O Lord how great and wonderous doth heauens force appeare Wythout whose help the earth nor seas could euer creature beare The Skye the Occean representes the father here of all And stars the syster Nimphs by name full aptly may we call FroÌ„ whence procedes al good on earth therfore can no man liue As wise and blest whoÌ„ starres in byrth an yll aspect do giue Beside of great effect doth seeme their parents state and kinde Of whome the infant nourced is and who doth guide the minde For as the childe in tender yeares himself at fyrst doth trayne Such custome shal in graâ—er age within his heart remayne Long time that nature doth endure and long in minde doth lye That in our childish age at fyrst our senses did apply Therefore the master needes must be both wyse and learned well That guides the childe and also must to vertue him compell And like the horsman good now here now there must winde and wreste The vntamed head and now with byâ—â—e and now wyth spurre molest Nor only him with words persuade but with examples teache For what if life be contrary auayleth it to preach And fyrst be dilligent to kepe him from the vicious kinde Ill company doth oft corrupt a good and vertuous minde This poyson many hath destroyed wouldst thâ—n be glad to tell The nature iust of any man then marke his fellowes well For lyke to lyke doe euer goe and alwayes shalt thou finde That conuâ—rsant are such as be of one disposed minde Wherfore let both the schoolemaster and parents well beware Least him whom they doe thus instruct the naughty youth doe sâ—are And them with filthy crimes infect alas full sone we all Enclyned are vnto the worse and sone to vice we fall Besydes thys childe that here we â—ayne a wyse man for to make Let him in Greeke and latine bookes his daily trauaile take And giue good wyll and diligence in learning to procede Refusyng al vnhonest bookes let hym good auâ—thors reade For sâ—ldome is the vnlearned good for ignorance doth blinde And darkes with errours commonly the rude vnskilful minde But yet from to much study and toyle let him hys minde refraine Least he proue mad in searching thus thys wysedome to attaine Or fall into some great disease and so himselfe destroy To much of euery thing doth harme and long doth not enioye His sprites sometime to recreate and to refreshe his minde Let him absent him selfe and playe for rest in euery kinde Doth quicknesse bring and play in time doth former force repatre But though eche kindes of learning is both nedefull good and faire Yet chiefe among the rest are those and hyghest place obtaine That teacheth well y e Starres to know and nature opens plaine Let these our wyse men well apply with all hys force and might In grauer age and in these artes let him spende hys delight And therwithall as hath bene sayde the nurture of the minde Well put in vre both iust and good shal be and so shall winde About hys head two Lawrell twistes How goodly a thing is it A man both learned and good to bee to knowe and to haue wit A learned foole is to be fearde lyke as the â—urious braine With sworde in hande so is the learnde in whom doth vice remaine But yet suffyseth not alone the minde for to regarde And wyth good manners good artes to haue it thus preparde When as the state of body here we must not lightly way For if the body be diseased it neuer can obay The hesâ—es of minde y u doth commaund both worthy things and great Wherfore we must our selues apply to feede on holesome meate That may engender purest bloud for hurtfull humour springs Of ouâ—ll meates most commonly and such vnholsome things All dronkennesse must be eschewed and surfets must be fled For these the stomacke ouercharge and much anoye the head And rounde wyth fumes beset the brain by thys doth alwayes come The dull appalled sense and sprytâ— and sleepes of afternoone To exercise the body well in due conuenient time Is great commodity to health and makes the force more fyne By to much sâ—outh doth strength deâ—ay and by to long a rest The synowes faynt and all the lymmes by thys are quite opprest Besyde must colde extreme be shunde
depart and shunne the common sort Contenting hym with fellowes fewe and wyth a slender port And solitary oftentimes to God both night and daye The mind wel purgde of naughty thou ghtes in feruent sprite to praye And wholly to addict himselfe the heauenly state to finde And all the cares that fleshe doth giue to banishe from his minde Then shall the Gods appere though he in valley lowe doe lye Or on the hylles or shadowy woodes or on the mountaines hye In cottage small do place himselfe it is not safe nor well With many for to liue or in the townes of fooles to dwell And in the company of theeues of slaues and couetous And cuthrote brawling swering mates or men ambitious But let the wyseman flye the croude of rude and common sort For of the common people is enuied the wysemans port Bycause of their contrary deedes contraries euermore Do one the other striue agaynst and let and hinder sore Here of haue many wisemen dyed bycause they would not spare When any naughty thing they saw the truth for to declare And to rebuke the mindes of Fooles which sith it could not beare Nor suffer such abuse of Fooles they slayne and punnisht were Wherefore least that the wiseman see such store of synful syght And least he fall in daunger by defending truth and right Let him wythdraw himselfe forthwith from common company And secret liue with two or three that good and learned be Though seldome shal he be without the Gods that guide the sky For Gods do often pleasure take in wisemens company Oft doth the wiseman heare them speak and seeth them oft with eyes They fil his heart with comfort greate in wondrous sorte and wise The wiseman blessed is on earth and blest aboue in Skies Go then O blinded mortal men go heape vp money than And fyll your caskets full of Golde by al the meanes you can Beset with rings your fyngers thick and let the Jewels round In gorgeous linekes of golde about your gracelesse neckes be wound Now ruffie in your sylkes abrode and brag it through the streete Go go I say you blinded fooles both Crownes and Scepter sweete And al that Fortune rash can giue to you with al your power Go seke yet all these goodly things shal vanish in an houre Al these things are but dreames toyes and haue but little stay Which quickly chaunce doth from you take or death doth snatch away Which sone doe vanish hēce like smoke and neuer turne agayne Go go O wretches seke to get these mystes and shaddowes vayne But when the dying day shal come and latest houre shal fall Then then when all your follies past in vayne to minde you call You shall perceyue that you did dote and stept from truth awry And mourne to late Alas in tyme your errour learne to spy O mischieuous vntoward soules O heartes of canckred kinde Why gaze you styll vpon he earth like beastes of brutish minde Why cast you not your eyes aloft vnto the starry Skies There there y e truest world doth stande there life most perfect lies For such as feare aad worship God there neyther chaunce hath place Nor churlish death can there the state wyth deadly darte deface There is the assured treasure found there lies the chiefe delight That God almighty hath preparde for them that serue him right Which neuer curse of fretting time hath power to ouerthrowe To this apply your mindes while states permit and life below Beholde you not of fading life the slender holde and stay Do not you see how all things here in shortest time decay And lyke to smoke in subtile ayre doth vanish quite away Where finde you now the stately kings in pomp of proud aray That heretofore haue bene or where do you esteme to be The Prelates chief that thought thēselues Gods fellowes in degree Their rotten bones entombed close in fylthy caues do dwell And for their soules perhaps they do kepe Christmasse now in Hell Farre banishde from the happy place wherto the good are brought And there they suffer payne for pryde and mischiefe that they wrought O Lord how gladly would they nowe if in their power it lay Enclose themselues in flesh agayne and take their olde aray That not esteming riches here and kingdomes leauing cleane They might liue Godly here on earth in pore estate and meane And by their righteous lyfe make hym their frende that guides the Skie And after death possesse a place aboue the heauens hie But he that shewes his wit to late his wisdome shewes in vayne Let euery man seeke God to please and worldly wealth disdayne And trauayle for the heauenly state of him example take Which of this worldly fading ioyes a small accompt doth make But only hopes in time to come the perfect ioyes to feale Which wel he knowes for God to hym such things doth oft reueale And such a wiseman late there liued since I remember may That with a fewe vpon the top of hye Soractis lay Full leane he was and bearded wel his house was smal and neate All clad he was in russet robes a man of learning great And comely countnance to be holde he had his dwelling place In wildernesse where round about the woods did him embrace Whose heauenly mind when as he lyst of things to come could tel And aunswers gaue such as for truth did Delphis not excel I moued and prouoked thus with fame that of him ran By paynfull iourneys long vnto this sacred hill I came And foūd the olde man sitting there in warme and Sunny caue Who after that I had receiude the like God Deane I gaue He wyllde me there to take my rest so downe by him I syt And therewithall I askde him thus what is the cause of it Quoth I that here you choose to lyue vpon this mountaine steepe Where almost euery thing doth lack that life of man should kepe Then aunswering me this holy man on this sorte there began My great delight was heretofore to liue in cities whan Both yong and ignoraunt I thought nought else to be requirde But riches here and such delight as life of man desirde Following y e example and the fault of rude and common sort Then ioyed I for to leade my life wyth great and much resort And with the rest for company I fell into the floud Of vayne delightes with colour false deceyude of trouth and good But when that greater age began wyth fading yeares to show And wisedome more in tract of time within my head to growe I then began to note and marke the partes that men do play And sundry sorte of liues they leade as God gaue grace to way Then many fylthy things I sawe there done and ful of shame And nothing else of iustice left but vayne and ydle name Th'vngilty to be punnished the gylty scaping free The vertue hydde in vice and vice in vertue hid to be The poore in euery place opprest and fauour