I yet Lord to the East Nor hope for helpe where I am will'd Nor as I ought haue arm'd my breast But rust in sloth and naked come to field 4. And therefore hath the host of starres Now left me that before I led Arm'd Angels tooke my pay in waâ—res FroÌ„ whose height falne all leaue me here for dead 5. In falling I discern'd how sleight My footing was on those blest towres I lookt to earth and her base height And so lost heauen and all his aidfull powres 6. Now broke on earth my bodie lies Where theeues insult on my sad fall Spoyle me of many a daintie prise That farre I fetcht t' enrich my soule withall 7. Nor ceasse they but deforme me too With wounds that make me all engor'd And in the desart leaue me so Halfe dead all naked and of all abhorr'd 8. My head and bosome they transfixt But in my torne affections rag'd Wounds there with blood and matter mixt Corrupt and leaue my very soule engag'd 9. There Lord my life doth most misgiue There quickly thy white hand bestow Thou liu'st and in thee I may liue Thy fount of life doth euer ouerflow 10. All this from heauen thy eyes explore Yet silent sitst and sufferst all Since all I well deserue and more And must confesse me wilfull in my fall 11. And hence t is that thou letst me bleed Mak'st all men shun and skorne my life That all my workes such enuie breed And my disgrace giues food to all mens strife 12. But this since Goodnesse oft doth cause And t is Goods grace to heare his ill Since t is a chiefe point in his lawes No thought without our powre to make our wil. 13. Still let the greene seas of their gall Against this rocke with rage be borne And from their height still let me fall Them stand and laugh me lie still and scorne 14. But Lord my fall from thee ô raise And giue my fainting life thy breath Sound keepe me euer in thy waies Thou mightie art and setst downe lawes to death 15. Driue thou from this my ruines rape These theeues that make thy Phane their den And let my innocence escape The cunning malice of vngodly men All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME VII Cogitabam stare 1. WHile I was falne I thought to rise And stand presuming on my thies But thighes and knees were too much broken My haire stood vp to see such bane Depresse presumption so prophane I tremble but to heare it spoken 2. Yet in my strength my hope was such Since I conceiu'd thou vow'dst as much I fain'd dreames and reioyc't to faine them But weighing awake thy vowes profound Their depth my lead came short to sound And now aye me my teares containe them 3. For calmes I into stormes did stere And look't through clouds to see things cleare Thy waies shew'd crook't like speares in water When mine went trauerse and no Snake Could winde with that course I did take No Courtier could so grosly flatter 4. But which way I soeuer bend Thou meet'st me euer in the end Thy finger strikes my ioynts with terrors Yet no more strikes then points the way Which weighing weeping straight I stay And with my teares cleanse feete and errors 5. But of my selfe when I beleeue To make my steps thy waies atchieue I turne head and am treading mazes I feele sinnes ambush and am â—ext To be in error so perplext Nor yet can finde rests holy places 6. I loath my selfe and all my deeds Like Rubarbe taste or Colche in weedâ— I flie them with their throwes vpon me In each new purpose customes old So checke it that the stone I rold Neuer so oft againe fals on me 7. No step in mans trust should be trod Vnlesse in mans as his in God Of which trust make good life the founder Without which trust no forme nor art Faiths loadstarre is a guiltlesse heart Good life is truths most learn'd expounder 8. With which Lord euer rule my skill In which as I ioyne powre with will So let me trust my truth in learning To such minds thou all truth setst opeâ— The rest are rapt with stormes past hopes The lesse for more deepe arts discerning 9. Blesse Lord who thus their arts employ Their sure truth celebrate with ioy And teare the maskes from others faces That make thy Name a cloake for sinne Learning but termes to iangle in And so disgrace thy best of Graces 10. Whereof since I haue onely this That learnes me what thy true will is Which thou in comforts still concludest My poore Muse still shall sit and sing In that sweete shadow of thy wing Which thou to all earths state obtrudest 11. As oft as I my fraile foote moue From this pure fortresse of thy loue So oft let my glad foes deride me I know my weakenesse yet and feare By triall to build comforts there It doth so like a ruine hide me 12. My worth is all but shade I finde And like a fume before the winde I gaspe with sloth thy waies applying Lie tumbling in corrupted blood Loue onely but can do no good Helpe Lord lest I amend not dying All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit The end of Petrarchs seuen Penitentiall Psalmes THE I. PSALME more strictly translated 1. O Me accurst since I haue set on me Incenst so sternely my so meeke Redeemer And haue bene proud in prides supreme degree Of his so serious law a sleight esteemer 2. I left the narrow right way with my will In bywaies brode and farre about transferred And euery way found toyle and euery ill Yet still in tracts more rough and steepe I erred 3. Where one or other of the brutish heard My feete encounterd yet more brute affected Euen to the dens of sauage beasts I err'd And there my manlesse mansion house erected 4. I haunted pleasure still where sorrow mournd My couch of ease in sharpest brambles making I hop't for rest where restlesse torment burnd In ruines bosome sleepes securely taking 5. Now then aye me what resteth to be done Where shall I turne me where such dangers treÌ„ble My youths faire flowres are altogether gone And now a wretched shipwracke I resemble 6. That all the merchandise and venture lost Swims naked forth with seas and tempests tost 7. Farre from my hauen I roue touch at no streme That any course to my saluation tenders But waies sinister rauish me with them I see a little which more grieuous renders 8. My inward conflict since my charges passe Vpon my selfe and my sad soule endanger Anger with sinne striues but so huge a masse Of cruell miseries oppresse mine anger 9. That
And let my couch still witnesse take In teares still steep't that I adore thee still My body I le make pay thee paines Hell iawes shall neuer need to ope Though all loues faile thine euer raignâ—â— Thou art my refuge last and onely hope All glorie to the Father c. PSALME III. Miserere Domine 1. STay now O Lord my bleeding woes The veine growes low and drie O now enough and too much flowes My sinne is swolne too hie 2. What rests for the abhorr'd euent Time wasts but not my woe Woes me poore man my life is spent In asking what to do 3. Pale Death stands fixt before mine eyes My graue gaspes and my knell Rings out in my cold eares the cryes and gnashed teerh of hell 4. How long shall this day mocke my hope With what the next will be When shall I once begin to ope My lockt vp way to thee 5. Ease Lord my still-increasing smart Salue not but cure my wounds Direct the counsels of my heart And giue my labours bounds 6. As in me thou hast skill infusd So will and action breath Lest chidden for thy gifts abusd I weepe and pine to death 7. See bound beneath the foe I lie Rapt to his blasted shore O claime thy right nor let me die Let him insult no more 8. Tell all the ransome I must giue Out of my hourely paines See how from all the world I liue To giue griefe all the raines 9. What is behind in this life aske And in these members sums Before the neuer ending taske And bedâ—id beggerie comes 10. Shew me thy way ere thy chiefe light Downe to the Ocean diues O now t is euening and the night Is chiefly friend to theeues 11. Compell me if thy Call shall faile To make thy straight way mine In any skorn'd state let me wayle So my poore soule be thine All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginningâ— were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME IIII. Recordari libet 1. ONce let me serue Lord my desire Thy gifts to me recounting and their prise That shame may set my cheekes on fire And iust confusion teare in teares mine eyes Since quite forgetting what I am Adorn'd so Godlike with thy grace I yet neglect to praise thy name And make thy image in me poore and base 2. Thou hast created euen for me The starres all heauen and all the turns of time For of what vse are these to thee Though euery one distinguisht by his clime Thou Sunne and Moone thou Nights and Dayes Thou Light and Darknesse hast disposd Wrapt earth in waters nimble wayes Her vales hils plains with founts floods seas enclosd 3. Her rich wombe thou hast fruitfull made With choyce of seeds that all wayes varied are And euery way our eyes inuade With formes and graces in being common rare In sweete greene herbes thou cloth'st her fields Distinguishest her hils with flowres Her woods thou mak'st her meadowes shields Adorn'd with branches leaues and odorous bowres 4. The wearie thou hast rest prepar'd The hote refreshest with coole shades of trees Which streames melodious enterlar'd For sweete retreats that none but thy eye sees The thirstie thou giu'st siluer springs The hungrie berries of all kinds Herbes wholesome and a world of things To nurse our bodies and informe our mindâ— 5. Now let me cast mine eye and see With what choice creatures strangely form'd and faire All seas and lands are fil'd by thee And all the round spread tracts of yeelding aire Whose names or numbers who can reach With all earths powre yet in thy span All which thy boundlesse bounties preach All laide O glorie at the foote of man 6. Whose body past all creatures shines Such wondrous orders of his parts thou mak'st Whose countenance state and loue combines In him vnmou'd when all the world thou shak'st Whose soule thou giu'st powre euen of thee Ordaining it to leaue the earth All heauen in her discourse to see And note how great a wombe went to her birth 7. Vnnumberd arts thou add'st in him To make his life more queint and more exact His eye eternesse cannot dim Whose state he mounts to with a mind infract Thou shew'st him all the milke-white way Op'st all thy Tabernacles doâ—es Learn'st how to praise thee how to pray To shun and chuse what likes and what abhorres 8. To keepe him in which hallowed path As his companions and perpetuall guides Prayre thou ordainst thy word and faith And loue that all his soule offences hides And to each step his footâ— shall take Thy couenants stand like wals of brasse Which from thy watch towre good to make Thou add'st thine eye for his securer passe 9. All this deare Lord I apprehend Thy Spirit euen partially inspiring me Which to consort me to my end With endlesse thanks I le strew my way to thee Confessing falling thou hast staid Confirm'd me fainting prostrate raisd With comforts rapt me quite dismaid And dead hast quickn'd me to see thee praisd All glorie to the Father bâ— And to the Sonne c. PSALME V. Noctes mea in moerore transeunt 1. YEt Lord vnquiet sinne is stirring My long nights longer grow like euening shades In which woe lost is all waies erring And varied terror euery step inuades Wayes made in teares shut as they ope My lodestarre I can no way see Lame is my faith blind loue and hope And Lord t is passing ill with me 2. My sleepe like glasse in dreames is broken No quiet yeelding but affright and care Signes that my poore life is forspoken Lord couâ—be the ill and good in place prepare No more delay my spent desire T is now full time for thee to heare Thy loue hath set my soule on fire My heart quite broke twixt hope and feare 3. No outward light my life hath graced My mind hath euer bene my onely Sunne And that so farre hath enuie chaced That all in clouds her hated head is runne And while she hides immortall cares Consume the soule that sense inspires Since outward she sets eyes and eares And other ioyes spend her desires 4. She musters both without and in me Troubles and tumults she 's my houshold theefe Opes all my doores to lust and enuie And all my persecutors lends releefe Bind her Lord and my true soule free Preferre the gift thy hand hath giuen Thy image in her crowne in me And make vs here free as in heauen All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne c. PSALME VI. Circumuallarunt me inimici 1. MY foes haue girt me in with armes And earthquakes tost vp all my ioynts No flesh can answer their alarmes Each speare they manage hath so many points 2. Death arm'd in all his horrors leades Whom more I charge the lesse he yeelds Affections with an hundred heads Conspire with them turne on me their shields 3. Nor looke
of brasse To keepe prophane feete off do not thou In wounds and anguish euer ouerflow And suffer such in ease and sensualitie Dare to reiect thy rules of humble life The minds true peace turne their zeales to strife For obiects earthly and corporeall A tricke of humblesse now they practise all Confesse their no deserts habilities none Professe all frailties and amend not one As if a priuiledge they meant to claime In sinning by acknowledging the maime Sinne gaue in Adam Nor the surplussage Of thy redemption seeme to put in gage For his transgression that thy vertuous paines Deare Lord haue eate out all their former staines That thy most mightie innocence had powre To cleanse their guilts that the vnualued dowre Thou mad'st the Church thy spouse in pietie And to endure paines impious constancie Will and alacratie if they inuoke To beare the sweete lode and the easie yoke Of thy iniunctions in diffusing these In thy perfection through her faculties In euery fiuer suffering to her vse And perfecting the forme thou didst infuse In mans creation made him cleare as then Of all the frailties since defiling men And as a runner at th' Olympian games With all the luggage he can lay on frames His whole powres to y â— race bags pockets greaues Stuft full of sand he weares which when he leaues And doth his other weightie weeds vncouer With which halfe smotherd he is wrapt all ouer Then seemes he light and fresh as morning aire Guirds him with silkes swaddles with roulers faire His lightsome body and away he scoures So swift and light he scarce treads down the flowrs So to our game proposde of endlesse ioy Before thy deare death when we did employ Our tainted powres we felt them clogd and chain'd With sinne and bondage which did rust and raign'd In our most mortall bodiâ—â— but when thou Strip'dst vs of these bands and from foote to brow Guirt â—old and trimd vs vp in thy deserts Free were our feete and handâ— and spritely hearts Leapt in our bosoms and ascribing still All to thy merits both our powre and will To euery thought of goodnesse wrought by thee That diuine scarlet in which thou didst die Our cleansd consistens lasting still in powre T' enable acts in vs as the next howre To thy most sauing glorious sufferance We may make all our manly powres aduance Vp to thy Image and these formes of earth Beauties and mockeries match in beastly birth We may despise with still aspiring spirits To thy high graces in thy still fresh merits Not â—ouching at this base and spongie mould For â—â—y springs of lust or mines of gold For else milde Sauiour pardon me to speake How did thy foote the Serpents forhead breake How hath the Nectar of thy vertuous blood The sinke of Adams forfeit oueâ—flow'd How doth it set vs free if we still stand For all thy sufferings bound both foote and hand Vassals to Sathan Didst thou onely die Thine owne diuine deserts to glorifie And shew thou couldst do this O were not those Giuen to our vse in powre If we shall lose By damn'd relapse grace to enact that powre And basely giue vp our redemptions towre Before we trie our strengths built all on thine And with a humblesse false and Asinine Flattering our senses lay vpon our soules The burthens of their conquests and like Moules Grouell in earth still being aduanc't to heauen Cowes that we arre in heards how are we driuen To Sathans shambles Wherein stand we for Thy heauenly image Hels great Conqueror Didst thou not offer to restore our fall Thy sacrifice full once and one for all If we be still downe how then can we rise Againe with thee and seeke crownes in the skies But we excuse this saying We are but men And must erre must fall what thou didst sustaine To free our beastly frailties neuer can With all thy grace by any powre in man Make good thy Rise to vs O blasphemie In hypocriticall humilitie As we are men we death and hell controule Since thou createdst man a liuing soule As euerie houre we sinne we do like beasts Needlesse and wilfull murthering in our breasts Thy saued image out of which one cals Our humane soules mortall celestials When casting off a good lifes godlike grace We fall from God and then make good our place When we returne to him and â—o are said To liue when life like his true forme we leade And die as much as an immortall creature Not that we vtterly can ceasse to be But that we fall from lifes best qualitie But we are tost out of our humane Throne By pied and Protean opinion We vouch thee onely for pretext and fashion And are not inward with thy death and passion We slauishly renounce the royaltie With which thou crownst vs in thy victorie Spend all our manhood in the fiends defence And drowne thy right in beastly negligence God neuer is deceiu'd so to respect His shade in Angels beauties to neglect His owne most cleare and rapting louelinesse Nor Angels dote so on the species And grace giuen to our soule which is their shade That therefore they will let their owne formes fade And yet our soule which most deserues our woe And that from which our whole mishap doth flow So softn'd is and rapt as with a storme With flatteries of our base corporeall forme Which is her shadow that she quite forsakes Her proper noblesse and for nothing takes The beauties that for her loue thou putst on In torments rarefied farre past the Sunne Hence came the cruell fate that Orpheus Sings of Narcissus who being amorous Of his shade in the water which denotes Beautie in bodies that like water flotes Despisd himselfe his soule and so let fade His substance for a neuer-purchast shade Since soules of their vse ignorant are still With this vile bodies vse men neuer fill And as the Suns light in streames ne're so faire Is but a shadow to his light in aire His splendor that in aire we so admire Is but a shadow to his beames in fire In fire his brightnesâ—e but a shadow is To radiance fir'd in that pure brest of his So as the subiect on which thy grace shines Is thicke or cleare to earth or heauen inclines So that truths light showes so thy passion takes With which who inward is and thy breast makes Bulwarke to his breast against all the darts The foe stâ—l shoots more more his late blow smarts And sea-like raues most where t is most withstood He tasts the strength and vertue of thy blood He knows that when flesh is most sooth'd grac't Admir'd and magnified ador'd and plac't In height of all the blouds Idolatry And fed with all the spirits of Luxury One thought of ioy in any soule that knowes Her owne true strength and thereon doth repose Bringing her bodies organs to attend Chiefly her powres to her eternall end Makes all
things outward and the sweetest sin That rauisheth the beastly flesh within All but a fiend prankt in an Angels plume A shade a fraud before the wind a fume Hayle then diuine Redeemer still all â—aile All glorie gratitude and all auaile Be giuen thy all deseruing agonie Whose vineger thou Nectar mak'st in me Whose goodnesse freely all my ill turnes good Since y u being crusht straind throgh flesh blood Each nerue and artire needs must tast of thee What odour burn'd in ayres that â—oisome be Leaues not his sent there O then how much more Must thou whose sweetnesse swet eternall odour Stick where it breath'd for whoÌ„ thy sweet breath Thou freely gau'st vp to reuine his death Let those that shrink then as their conscience lodes That fight in Sathans right and faint in Gods Still count them slaues to Sathan I am none Thy fight hath freed me thine y u mak'st mine owne O then my sweetest and my onely life Confirme this comfort purchast with thy griefe And my despisde soule of the world loue thou No thought to any other ioy I vow Order these last steps of my abiect state Straite on the marke a man should leuell at And grant that while I striue to forme in me Thy sacred image no aduersitie May make me draw one limme or line amisse Let no vile fashion wrest my faculties From what becomes that Image Quiet so My bodies powres that neither weale nor wo May stirre one thought vp gainst thy freest will Grant that in me my mindes waues may be still The world for no extreme may vse her voice Nor Fortune treading reeds make any noise Amen Complaine not whatsoeuer Need inuades But heaâ—iest fortunes beare as lightest shades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poems VIRGILS EPIGRAM of a good man A Good and wise man such as hardly one Of millions could be found out by the Sun Is Iudge himselfe of what stufâ—e he is wrought And doth explore his whole man to a thought What ere great men do what their sawcie bawdes What vulgar censure barks at or applauds His cariage still is chearfull and secure He in himselfe worldlike full round and sure Lest through his polisht parts the slendrest staine Of things without in him should sit and raigne To whatsoeuer length the fierie Sunne Burning in Cancer doth the day light runne How faire soeuer Night shall stretch her shades When Phoebus gloomie Capricorne inuades He studies still and with the equall beame His ballance turnes himselfe weighs to th' extreme Lest any crannie gaspe or angle swell Through his strict forme and that he may compell His equall parts to meete in such asphere That with a compasse tried it shall not erre What euer subiect is is solide still Wound him and with your violent fingers feele All parts within him you shall neuer find An emptie corner or an abiect mind He neuer lets his watchfull lights descend To those sweet sleepes that all iust men attend Till all the acts the long day doth beget With thought on thought laid he doth oft repeate Examines what hath past him as forgot What deed or word was vsde in time what not Why this deed of Decorum felt defect Of reason that What left I by neglect Why set I this opinion downe for true That had bene better chang'd Why did I rue Need in one poore so that I felt my mind To breach of her free powres with griefe declin'd Why will'd I what was better not to will Why wicked that I was preferr'd I still Profite to honestie Why any one Gaue I a foule word or but lookt vpon With count'nance churlish Why should nature draw More my affects then manly reasons law Through all this thoughts words works thus making way And all reuoluing froÌ„ the Euen till Day Angrie with what amisse abusde the light Palme and reward he giues to what was right A great Man A Great and politicke man which I oppose To good and wise is neuer as he showes Neuer explores himselfe to find his faults But cloaking them before his conscience halts Flatters himselfe and others flatteries buyes Seemes made of truth and is a forge of lies Breeds bawdes and sycophants and traitors makes To betray traitors playes and keepes the stakes Is iudge and iuror goes on life and death And damns before the fault hath any breath Weighs faith in falsehoods ballance iustice does To cloake oppression taile-like downward groes Earth his whole end is heauen he mockes and hell And thinkes that is not that in him doth dwell Good with Gods right hand giueÌ„ his left takes t'euil When holy most he seemes he most is euill Ill vpon ill he layes th'embroderie Wrought on his state is like a leprosie The whiter still the fouler What his like What ill in all the bodie politike Thriues in and most is curst his most blisse fires And of two ils still to the worst aspires When his thrift feeds iustice and mercie feare him And Wolf-like fed he gnars at all men nere him Neuer is chearefull but when flatterie trailes On squatting profite or when Policie vailes Some vile corruption that lookes red with anguish Like wauing reeds his windshook coÌ„forts languish Paies neuer debt but what he should not ow Is sure and swift to hurt yet thinks him slow His bountie is most rare but when it comes T is most superfluous and with strook-vp drums Lest any true good pierce him with such good As ill breeds in him Mortar made with blood Heapes stone-wals in his heart to keepe it out His sensuall faith his soules truth keepes in doubt And like a rude vnlearn'd Plebeian Without him seekes his whole insulting man Nor can endure as a most deare prospect To looke into his owne life and reflect Reason vpon it like a Sunne still shining To giue it comfort ripening and refining But his blacke soule being so deformd with sinne He still abhorres with all things hid within And forth he wanders with the outward fashion Feeding and fatting vp his reprobation Disorderly he sets foorth euerie deed Good neuer doing but where is no need If any ill he does and hunts through blood For shame ruth right religion be withstood The markt withstander his race kin least friend That neuer did in least degree offend He prosecutes with hiâ—'d intelligence To fate defying God and conscience And to the vtmost mite he rauisheth All they can yeeld him rackt past life and death In all his acts he this doth verifie The greater man the lesse humanitie While Phebus runs his course through all the signes He neuer studies but he vndermines Blowes vp and ruines with pretext to saue Plots treason and lies hid in th' actors graue Vast crannies gaspe in him as wide as hell And angles gibbet-like about him swell Yet seemes he smooth and polisht but no more Solide within then is a Medlars
mind is sure to grieue Feed on faint hopes neuer his ends atcheeue Fall into that he shuns and neuer rest But bad esteeme his state when t is at best Serue but thy mind with obiects fit for her And for things outward thou shalt neuer care Obtaine but her true and particular vse And obtaine all things Nor let doubt abuse Thy will to winne her as being coy enclind Nought is so pliant as a humane mind And what shall I obtaine obtaining her Not wishing all but some particular What wouldst thou wish for her dowre more then these To make thee pleasant of one hard to please To make thee modest of one impudent Temperate and chast of one incontinent Faithfull being faithlesse Fit not these thy will Affect'st thou greater What thou dost do still I giue thee ouer doing all I can Th' art past recure with all that God giues man To yong imaginaries in knowledge NEuer for common signes dispraise or praise Nor arâ— nor want of aâ—t for what he saies Ascribe to any Men may both waies make In forme speech a mans quicke doome mistake All then that stand in any ranke of Art Certaine decrees haue how they shall impart That which is in them which decrees because They are within men making there the lawes To all their actions hardly shew without And till their ensignes are displaid make doubt To go against or with them nor will they So well in words as in their deeds display Decrees are not degrees If thou shalt giue Titles of learning to such men as liue Like rude Plebeians since they haue degrees Thou shalt do like Plebeians He that sees A man held learn'd do rudely rather may Take for that deed his learned name away Then giu 't him for his name True learnings act And speciall object is so to compact The will and euery actiue powre in man That more then men illiterate he can Keepe all his actions in the narrow way To God and goodnesse and there force their stay As in charm'd circles Termes tongs reading all That can within a man cald learned fall Whose life is led yet like an ignorant mans Are but as tooles to goutie Artizans That cannot vse them or like childrens arts That out of habite and by rootes of hearts Construe and perce their lessons yet discerne Nought of the matter whose good words they learn Or like our Chimicke Magi that can call All termes of Art out but no gold at all And so are learn'd like them of whom none knows His Arts cleare truth but are meere Ciniflos But sacred learning men so much prophane That when they see a learn'd-accounted man Liue like a brute man they will neuer take His learn'd name from him for opinions sake But on that false gound brutishly conclude That learning profites not You beastly rude Know it morâ—s profites being exact and true Then all earths high waies chokt with herds of you But must degrees termes and time in schooles Needs make men learn'd in life being worse then fooles What other Art liues into happy aire That onely for his habite and his haire His false professors worth you will commend Are there not precepts matter and an end To euery science which not kept nor showne By vnderstanding vnderstanding knowne By fact the end by things to th' end directed What hap or hope haue they to be protected Yet find such greatest friends and such professe Most learning and will preasse for most accesse Into her presence and her priuiest state When they haue hardly knockt yet at her gate Externall circumscription neuer sâ—rues To proue vs men blood flesh nor bones nor nerues But that which all these vseth and doth guide Gods image in a soule eternifide Which he that shewes not in such acts as tend To that eternesse making that their end In this world nothing knowes uor after can But is more any creature then a man This rather were the way if thou wouldst be A true proficient in philosophie Dissemble what thou studiest till alone By thy impartiall conâ—eâ—tion Thou prou'st thee fit to do as to professe And if thou still professe it nor what lesse Is thy philosophie if in thy deeds Rather then signes and shadowes it proceedes Shew with what temper thou dost drinke and eate How farre from wrong thy deeds are angers heatâ— How thou sustainst and abstainst how farre gone In appetite and auersation To what account thou doest affections call Both naturall and adâ—entitiall That thou art faithfull pious humble kind Enemie to enuie of a chearefull mind Constant and dantlesse All this when men see Done with the learnedst them let censure thee But if so dull and blind of soule they are Not to acknowledge heauenly Mulciber To be a famous Artist by his deeds But they must see him in his working weeds What ill is it if thou art neuer knowne To men so poore of apprehension Are they within thee or so much with thee As thou thy selfe art Can their dull eyes see Thy thoughts at worke Or how like one that 's sworn To thy destruction all thy powres are borne T' entrap thy selfe whom thou dost hardlier please Then thou canst them Arme then thy mind w t these I haue decrees set downe twixt me and God I know his precepts I will beare his lode But what men throw vpon me I reiect No man shall let the freedome I elect I haue an owner that will challenge me Strong to defend enough to satisfie The rod of Mercurie will charme all these And make them neither strange nor hard to please And these decrees in houses constitute Friendship and loue in fields cause store of fruite In cities riches and in temples zeale And all the world would make one commonweale Shun braggart glorie seeke no place no name No shewes no company no laughing game No fashion nor no champion of thy praise As children sweete meates loue and holidaies Be knowing shamefastnesse thy grace and guard As others are with dores wals porters bard Liue close awhile so fruits grow so their seed Must in the earth a little time lie hid Spring by degrees and so be ripe at last But if the Eare be to the blades top past Before the ioynt amidst the blade be knit The corne is lanke and no Sunne ripens it Like which art thou yong Nouice florishing Before thy time winter shall burne thy spring The husbandman dislikes his fields faire birth When timelesse heate beates on vnreadie earth Grieues lest his fruits with aire should be too bold And not endure the likely-coming cold Comfort the roote then first then let appeare The blades ioynt knit and then produce the Eare So Natures selfe thou shalt constraine and be Blest with a wealthy crop in spite of thee Of Constancie in goodnesse Who feares disgrace for things wel done y e knows iâ— Wrong euer does most harme to him that does it Who more ioy takes that men his good aduance Then in the good it selfe