here ar made through his almighty state For if the soule perceaues and knowes and vnderstandeth al We may not thinke it substance such as we may body cal Sych bodies moue not earth nor ayre not floud nor fyry flame Nor any thing that these haue made hath power as hath this same we neede not doubt but soule proceedes and doth from Joue discend And neuer dyes whome he permits the world to comprehend What if so be the Atoâ—â—yes that sundry wise men fayne The soule is rather thought to be than body to maintayne Al Bodies be of quantity and may deuided be But soule is vndiuidable and of no grosse degree And as a Center doth she seeme where many lynes do mete Which senses do conuey to hir as floudes to seas do flete Wherefore I maruel much at such as thinke a like decay And iudge the soule no more to be when body fades away For if so be it might be proued yet should it not be sayd Nor published to the common sort nor euery where displayed For many wicked men and yll there are which if they thought Their soules as nothing shall remayne when corse to graue is brought Nor that it feeles or suffers ought when it goeth hence away And that no punishment remaynes for prancks that here they play A thousand mischiefs would they doe take feare from them among And fall to euery villany confounding right wyth wrong Besydes a number now that thinke in blessed state to be When death hath them destroied hope the face of God to see And euermore wyth him to ioy and therfore vertuously Do seke to passe their present lyfe wych Godly modesty If they shall see that after death do no rewardes remaine Amased al their vertuous workes shall ceasse and perishe playne So many stately temples trimmed so many altares hie Wyth golde and marble garnished and decked sumptuously Besyde Religion Godly zeale honour and worshipping Of God shal come to nought if after death remayne nothing That men hope for if that the soule as winde doth passe away Of wilde and franticke common sorte Religion must be stay And feare of smart For mischieuous and full of fraude theyr brayne Is alwayes seene nor of themselues they well doe meane or plaine The common people vertue loath and euer more doe hate Religion is the comelinesse and glory of our state Which makes the Gods to fauour vs which we winne Heauen by No wyse nor good man therfore dare attempt here openly To teache y t soule shall come to naught and so corrupt the mindes Of rude vnskilfull common sort that wauer lyke the wyndes Now must we proue by reason good that soule doth neuer dye And free from sting or darte of death doth liue eternally As he that preacheth Christ declares and Greshop eater Jewe That for synnes vtterly despysed which God that all things knewe Would not haue made if he had thought it had bene nedelesse here And nations all with one consent account it to be clere And first the thing resembling most the mightyest Lorde of al Of longer lasting tyme we graunt and perfecter must call For that which doth not long endure but shortly doth decay That it should be vnperfecter who is that will say nay And therefore doe celesâ—iall things a greater whyle endure Bicause they are more perfecter and more diuine and pure But things that nerer are to earth and farthest of from skyes Unperfect since they are do fade and sonest euer dyes Shall then our soule synce it in lyfe and knowledge doth appere Most lyke vnto the state diuine be closed and shut vp here With body for to ende nor shall it here haue longer place Than fading fleshe or shall it liue more great nor larger space Besydes the soule can not decay thys reason wytnesse shal Bycause it is of syngle state and voyd of matter al. Adde this that when the body fades the force of minde doth growe As weake and aged fathers olde do more of councell knâ—w Than youthful blouds of yonger yeres and often lacks he wit That doth excel in strength and force For rare doth God permit To any one both strength and wyt Wherefore if force brought low By space and course of many yeares the minde doth stronger grow Of Body doth it not depend but of it selfe consist Another thing and after graue doth lyue and death resist Doth not besyde when fote doth ake the minde iudge thereof playne It is no doubt But how can griefe to towre of minde aâ—â—ayne Doth it ascend from lowest partes as smoke doth vpward flye No for many partes not foote alone if so should ake thereby Nor of the foote but of the parte that nerest is to minde The ache shuld grieue this shewes that soule is not of bodies kinde And so is free from death since it in distance needes no meane Adde this when wee would cal to minde the thing forgotten cleane Or else deuise some worthy fetche from minde the senses al It then behoues to gather vp whereby doth often fal That many better for to muse do shut and close their eyes Or else forsaking company some secret place deuise Or when the night with darksome cloud the earth doth ouerspred And creatures all wyth heauy sleepes do take their rest in bed They styll do watch and silent al vpon their beds do rest And light put out in darknesse wâ—et their minde wyth body oppresâ— For senses do the minde disturbe affections it destroyes Amasing it wyth dulnesse great and blindnesse it anoyes None otherwyse than cloudes do hyde the Sunne that clearly shynes If therfore when it doth remayne wythin his owne confines And flying farre from senses al and cares that body brings It wyser be then shal it knowe and vnderstand al things In better sort when it is free and from the flesh doth flye More perfect of it self it is and lyues continuallye Besyde when man as meane consystes the Saints and beastes betwixt Some parte wyth eche he coÌ„mon holdes wyth beastes his body mixt And wyth the saintes his minde agrees one of these partes doth dye Of the other Death can haue no power but liues continuallye Death therfore takes not al away for why his deadly dartes Doth neuer harme the soule a whâ—â— when it from body partes And more than thys I haue to say if nothing doe remaine Of vs when carcasse lyes in tombe God shall be called plaine Uniust and one that fauour shewes to such as naughtly lyue For such for terme of all their lyfe no sorrowes them doe grieue No riches lacke nor pleasures great but happily reioyce Exalted with promotions hye and wyth the Commons voice On the other syde the vertuous men a thousande griefes molest Now sore diseased now plagued w c nede in fine alwayes oppresâ— Therfore the soule liues after graue and feeles deserued paynes And if it haue done iustly here a Crowne of glory gaines By these and many other wayes I coulde declare no doubt That
the race of all their life in great prosperitye On the other syde we may beholde the iust opprest to be With spitefull chaunce a wretched lyfe and pyâ—ious prouertye Thus eyther God vnrighteous is that doth these things permit Or after death hath euery man as he deserueth it Or else he doth disoaine the deedes of mortall men to knowe Besides what gratious mind apperes in God what goodnesse doth he showe â–ª If this be all that he doth giue a lyfe so short and vaine That swyftly runneth to an ende and doth no time remaine The halfe wher of is spent in sleepe the rest in griefe and â—oyle And daungers great as fast doth fleete as riuers swyft in soyle Therfore go to O wretched men builde Gorgeous Churches hye And let with costly offrings great your altars pestred lye Set vp your ioyfull branche of bayes your sacred dores about with pompe of proude processyon passe let Hiâ—â—â—es be ratled out Spende frankconsenâ—e and let the nose of God be stretched wyde With pleasant smoke do this and addâ— more honour much besyde That he preserue your goodly lyfe wherin doth you torment Sometime great cold sometime heaâ— â—ow plague now famishement Now bloudy warres now sicknes great or chaunce to sorowe at Sometime the busye byting flye sometime the stynging â—nat The Chynâ—h and Flea Keioyce I saye that here you leade your lyfe With thousand painfull labours great in trauaile toyle and stryfe And after in a little space in paine you drop away And lompishe lye in lothsome vawlt to wormes a grateful praye O worthy lyfe O goodly gift of God man in this world is bredde Among the brutishe beastes and fooles and â—â—aues hys lyfe is ledde Wher stormes and flakey snowes yse and durt and dust and night And harmful ayre and cloudes mistes and windes wyth hellish syght And grief wailing raynes wher death besyde doth worke his feate Is this our goodly countrey here is this our happy seate For which we owe such seruice here vnto the Goddes aboue For which it seemeth mete wyth vowes the heauenly saynâ—ts to moue And if none other life we haue than this of body vayne So frayle and ful of fylthinesse when death hath carcasse stayne I see not why such prayses should of God resound in ayre Nor why we should such honour giue to hym in temples fayre That hath vs wretches framed here in this so wretched soyle That shall for euermore decay after so great a toyle Wherfore least God shall seeme vniust and ful of cruelnesse Shal well deseruing counted be we must of force confesse That death doth not destroy the soule but that it alwayes is None otherwise than sprite in ayre and sainct in heauen liues Both voyd of body sleepe and meate And more we must confesse That after death they liue in paynes or perfect blessednesse But let this reason thee suffise for if thou this do shewe Unto the wicked kinde they laugh no light the blinde doth knowe But thou beleue for euermore and know assuredly For ground of sauing health it is that soule doth neuer dye Exempted from the Sisters power and fatal destiny These things foretolde made euident let vs begin to tell The perfect life that makes vs like to saincts aboue that dwell By which the heauens we desyre But syth doth best appeare Contrary things when they be seene and ioyned something neere Wherfore it is conuenient first the bodies life to showe That drawes vs downe froÌ„ heauen hie to minde the earth below And makes vs like to brutish beastes contrary to the soule This life he liues though naught y t doth for stately honours prowle And seekes with al his force the fruicte of praise and glory vayne Desiring only men to please with fonde vayne glorious brayne And he that wholly doth apply himself a wealth to get By right or wrong and hath his heart vpon his riches set A two leggde Mole that alwayes doth in earth enâ—ombed lye Not casting once his eyes aloft vnto the heauens hye And be that drownde in lecherie and surfeâ—s euer lyes Regarding only fleshly ioyes doth shamefastnesse despise Runnes headlong into whoredome vile and fattes himselfe with meate A foolish man that so the wormes may haue more foode to eate Al these same vile and fylthy kindes that I haue reckned here May wel be called fleshly men for loue to flesh they beare Whose life doth differ smal froÌ„ beastes But now on the other side He that doth prayse of men depise and pomp of worldly pride Doth liue with chast and Godly minde is calde a spiritual man Bicause his sprite the body rulde and lust subdued than Doth freely guide and hath his place in hiest part of brayne Therefore the Godly life is fyrst with bridle to restrayne Fond pleasure Gluttony and lust to conquer flesh with sprite For to neglect al worldly things and only set delight On heauen heauen most to wysh and chieâ—ly to regard There is the soyle for soules and seate for vertuous men preparde There to the body layd in graue the righteous soules do clime Most glorious soules that brightly doe with glorious vertue shine And feele in euer lasting light an euerlasting ioy But chiefly let the vertuous man his time and toyle employ In learning vsing styll to reade such bokes as do entreate Of God of soule and wretched state of this our dwelling seate Of death or other honest things and let him night and day Of these both often reade and talke and wel in minde them way But wanton workes wanton words let him with head eschew Alas how sore do such affayres a vertuous minde subdew For reading is the foode of minde which if it vertuous be Doth profyt much if it be yll doth hurt excedinglye None otherwise than euyll meate doth hurt the man that chawes These thinges though they muste all be kept yet nothing more withdrawes A man from loue of filthy flesh nor leades to God more nye Than oftentimes to ponder well of life the misery Which since it is so short and full of such calamitie Seemes rather death than life to me yea worse than death to be For who is it that doth not see who doth not playne perceaue That yrksome gall and bytternesse to euery parte do cleaue If euery thing thou wel doest sift nought perfect shalt thou fynde For nature poysoned hath the partes of all and euery kind Most things haue double face ful black within and outward white And with their colour do deceyue the iudgement of the sighte If ought there be here in this life both fayre and good besyde Like smoke and mist it flyes away and doth no time abide Time suffers nothing long on earth death maketh al things vayne And turnes and tumbles vnder foote of man the proud disdayne Alas how al this worldly pompe doth quickly passe away How wauering is renoume of man how sone doth it decay Much like the bubble swelling great amyd the
waters cleere Is sone destroyed and with a puffe of winde doth not appere For in a moment al the ioyes of man are fetcht away Then only doth the talk remaine wherein they thus do say Loe here he was loe this did he he fought and triumph wan He loued he raigned he conquerd realmes subdued many a man A goodly sorâ—e of bookes he wrote but now where shall we finde These things no where Himself where now both out of sight and minde What is he now Nothing Or whether did he himself conuay Loe fled from hence with windes he is and vanisht quite away Alas alas but trifles fond and fansies meere they be Whatsoeuer goodly thing on earth or wonderful we see What tell you me of Was or Did one Is more worth coumpt I Than Was a thousand times But fast this Is away doth flye And al our pompe with him he beares These things who wel doth way And vseth to consider oft shall quickly cast away This worldly loue and hating earth shal seeke the Skies to finde Especially if therewithal he vse to beare in minde How fylthy and how miserable mans body doth appere Of fading flesh and brittle bones with skinne encompast here Al flowing ful with dregges vncleane and bloud corrupt and vile Still durty soule and filthy lookes except it euery while Be washt and kept with daily care and so made fayre and white O dolefull hospitall of minde and vessell of the sprite By which such sycknesse great we feele by which such neede we haue O heauie garment pryson strong O quick and liuely graue That chokest here both minde sense and them in darkenesse hyde Wherby so great an ignorance in brest of man doth byde O earth to earth returning soone that in a smallest while In tombe shalt freshly feede y e wormes with foode of carcasse vile In what a wretched case liues he that ledde away with loue Of thee doth leaue the perfect lyfe and gift of God aboue While more than meate esteming thee thy pleasures here preparde He onely seekes and good and ryght 〈◊〉 smally doth regarde And thinkes there is no other lyfe than this that here we holde A foolishe Asse forgetfull of himselfe and countrey olde From whence into thys darksome dale and dolefull place he went That so a wretche he should become in wretched carcasse pent For euery soule that is enclosde with fleshe and members here Hath wretched lyfe tyll losed froÌ„ thence it flye to heauens clere Except the heauy waight of synne doe barre him of hys way And cause it in the lowest ayre or on the earth to stay For purest heauen neuer can a thing vncleane abyde Nor wicked men nor doltishe fooles may come where God doth guide These wordes while as the holy man in teaching mee had spent The Sunne almost had ended daye with Waine that weary went And night was nere at hande that thoe began abrode to cast Hir dreadfull darksome shade vpon the worlde approching fast I thence depart and towards Rome my way in hast I take And whyle with speede I passe the pathe that iorney new doth make Lo Cynthia shining compasse full did call the lightlesse night With syluer beames that dewe she cast to appere both fayre and bright Thus went I all alone and wyth my selfe in minde I wayde The Godly wordes that late to me the auncient Father sayde But lo thre men in company therwith I might beholde whom meeting thus by chauÌ„ce I askde which way they trauaile would To Rome they sayde and one of them lookde full vyon mee thoe And naming mee from wheÌ„ce quoth he what countrey comste thou froe I aunswerde him from that wyse man which in the part most hye Of fayre Apolloes stately hyll in lofty place doth lye Wherewith he smylde sayde O foole synkes it into thy minde That possyble on earth it is a wyse man here to finde He semeth wyse that is least foole the other sort among Although a dolt for wysedome doth to Gods alone belong Of number which we here are three for I am calde by name Sarracilus and Sathiell he Iaxa is thys same which though we walk in humain shape thus seeming men in face Yet Gods we be and nere the Moone we haue our dwelling place Whereas a number great of Gods of meanest sort doe lye That haue the guiding of the earth and Seas that ryse so hye This when I heard amasde I was and sore to dread began Yet seming bolde and voide of feare full lyke a pretye man â–ª I askde wherfore they went to Rome then aunswerde me the same A fellowe there of oures we haue that Ammon hath to name whom bounde to serue by Magike Arte a yong man there kepes straight Of Narni soyle that doth in court of Vrsin prelate wayght O what great power is graunted man the sprites he guides by line By this you well may vnderstande your soules to be diuine And voide of death For if no part of you should after raine If that your soule should dye as bodye here by death is slaine What power shoulde haue such foolishe beastes and trifling pyctures vaine Upon the sprites aboue And if no sacred thing remaine In you how should such Ghostes as we the force of man so waye Or vnto man of fading state in such a sort obaye Yea I my selfe was once Constrainde to serue a German wight Enclosde within a compast stone of Christall clere and height â–ª But at the length a bearded syre vnlosde me of these bandes And prison broken thence I fledde in hast from out his handes To Rome therefore we go with minde if that we may t'vntye From seruice straight a mate of oures that there doth captiue lye And so that downe to Hell we may conuaye this present night A sort of Romishe prelates proude that liue in great delight These words whyle as he spake a winde forthwith dyd pittling blowe Quoth Sathiell then O frendes froÌ„ Rome Remisses comes I knowe This winde that comes before declares nor herein did he lye For therwithall a fayre yong man Remisses stoode them bye They at hys comming all reioist and byd hym welcome there And aske what great affayres in Rome what newes doe there appere There all quoth he are bent to lust and Glotony doe minde With theft and guile all ours they be both man and womankinde But Clement there the Pope prepares an armye great in hast And seekes to haue the present state of Luther cleane defacde And Spanishe ensynes therfore kepes nor wyll he nowe dispute And him wyth scriptures ouerthrowe but with the sworde confute Away with counsaile now and hence with Luthers workes againe For Byshops now are battailes meete all other wayes are vaine Ne care they what the Apostles taught ne for the wordes of Christ But boast themselues as Lordes of all that may doe what they list They that haue power do feare no law law is with force opprest But we my mates doe
anger farre from thee away with pride that elfe Such kinde of men cannot be loued and alwayes shewe thy selfe Of gentyll minde and lowly eke so shalt thou all men please If any man thy hurt procure proue thou hym to appease Rather with wyt than furious mode to wit doth strength giue place She conqueresse doth all things tame the Tigres stout in pace And Lyons fierce by art are wonne and ships in seas doe swim And towers stronge by art doth beare the Oliphant on him By this the Bull doth beare the yoke and horse with spouting might By this constrained is to beare the bridle and the knight Wit all things rules with aide of force to threaten much wyth crackes Is cowardes guise womens strength to men belongeth factes The wyse man doth dissemble hurt the valeant prates no whitte But when he sees the time then dare he doe that shall seeme fytte First take good heede that none y u hurt and if by iniury Thou harmed art when thou seest time reuenge it rightfully If thou canst not let griefe a while within thy heart remaine Least that by foolishe bosting wordes thou maist more harme sustaine It is naughty playing with edged toles the wyse man will refraine And spie hys time and eke giue place his foe with wordes to traine That pleasant seme and fawnings eke till he him bring to snare So winnes the wilde vnrulye colte the witty horseman ware So on the Oxens necke the yokes the plowman putteth on So Lyons fierce the Charret drawes that Cibell syttes vpon So tigres wood you doe obey to Bachus bridell raines Great wit it is to conquer thus and hide the inwarde paines Tyll time conuenient come therefore this must be markt beside Whersoeuer thou remainest let not thy mouth be stretched to wide With laughings loude but wheÌ„ nede is then laugh thou moderately It doth declare a simple wit to laugh excessiuely And on the other side it is not fyt for any man Alwayes in dumpes to be therfore flie thou them both and than The middle kepe there vertue sits no gester would I thee And yet if that thou canst I would that pleasant thou shouldst bee Enough me thinkes I haue now said my message here doth ende For which to thee my mother mee from heauen hie did sende Now time coÌ„maundes to leaue y e earth and skies aboue to clime From whence I wonted am the earth to se full many a time Musing that it so little semes and rounde as any ball Amid the aire to see it hang hauing no stay at all Sustainde only with his poise the sea doth eke appere About the earth full serpent lyke to crangle heere and there And like a little brooke to runne here eke I doe beholde The Padus Tanais Ganges and that Histre waters colde As oft as showers do cause the dikes with wet to ouerflowe And when thy mouthes alofe I see O Nilus then I trowe They be though great in dede they are but seauen gutters small And hence I vewe the bloudy broyles with shining swordes that fall And fieldes be sprent with purple bloud And foolishe kings therby Who while they couet more to haue and neuer thinke to die With dire debate do battailes bring the giltlesse soules to kill And shew the Gods a gasing griefe repugnant to their will And there I se their places change both riuers springs and flouds Hils fall to dales and dales to hils and place where once grewe woods With coulter â—â—lde and wheras plowes before haue runne their race Theyr woodes to growe transformed cowns and al things changing place He blessed is that may the like prospect to this obtaine Where Asia and Affricke he may see and Europ eke againe That swels with wealth wepons eke and diuers nations strong That there do dwell whoÌ„ Cancer burns the Ethiops them among Cilicians fierce and Tartars turkes and men of Scithians grounde The shoting Parthes Arabians eke where franckinsence is founde The Thracians wylde and Arimaspes those valiant men in fight The french the Italian men of Spain the dreadfull Englishe wight As many people more beside on whom the sunne doth shine While he aboue or vnder goes the horisontall line Wouldes thou not hither wyll to come if it might lawfull bee For any mortall man to doe if body let not thee But this can hap to none but vs whose bodies framed were Of finest aire and not of earth a while therefore forbeare Till death thy soule shall lose froÌ„ bonds and tyll that time a dewe I go this said and aunswering I away from me he flewe In haste he flies wyth swifter course than windes themselues my thought And spreading winges abrode the skies wyth course againe he cought ¶ The fithe Booke entituled Leo. I Seeke not here Arabians wealth nor stones of value hie That redde seas breede ne golden sandes in Tagus streames that lie Nor people proude to gouerne here with sceptred hande and mace Such things my lucke hath me denyed nor once I waile the case That desteny hath not giuen me such so euen the nought as good May like obtaine to reape the golde of wealthy richesse floud Full oft we see rhunworthy heds of witlesse people crownde Whose bodies eke are trun bedeckt with robes of purple rownde Those things I woulde the Lorde of all on mee would here bestow Which neither fooles nor wicked men may euer hap to know That makes a perfect man in deede and nere to sainctes aboue O mighty Joue what is the cause or what should thee thus moue Wisedome to none or fewe to geue in euery place we see Both pleasant faire and lustye brutes and wealthy men to bee But vneth may the place be founde in all the worlde so wyde That bringeth forth such any one in whom doth wyt abide Dost thou perchaÌ„te more worthy think a guide of fooles to bee More noble is that power vnder the which more noble be For worthyer it is assertainly to rule by force of powers Both castels stronge and fortresses wyth large and ample towers Than Lorde of folde and flocke to be and droues of beastes to guide Perhaps thou dost it to that ende our doings to deride And makest man thy laughing stocke for nothing else to be The life of men on earth doth seme the staged comedie And as the Ape that counter feits to vs doth laughter moue So we like wyse doe cause and moue the sainctes to laugh aboue As oft as stately steps we treade with looke of proude disdaine As oft as richesse we to much doe crane or honors graine As oft as we like Saunder snuffe our selues doe bragge and boste What lesse is it what part is played when holding honors most With sceptred hande a crowned owle an Asse of stature faire Of them beholden is to syt a loft in stately chaire Despising euery other man though he be like in case Desiring yet to heare the sounde of God preserue your grace And to be
in others harme delight The brother scarce may brother trust eche man his friende must feare The father of hys sonne in doubt doth liue sure Hell is here The furies and the stinking flouds that lye in Lumbo lake The gaping grenning Helhound wood and all that Hell doth take Sleepe only peace to man doth bring amid his fleering life Nothing than this if dreames fray not more sweete or voide of strife For cares and labour it extles and with his pleasant wings The wretched body resting brodes and sweere estate him brings Yet nature seemes thys rest to hate and ordainde hath hereby The stinging Gnat and byting Flea to vexe continually With twinging prick this pleasant ioy whereby both night and day Might mischiefes euer present be More better farre away Therefore is death than picture hys For who so once the seas of lyfe in ioyfull bote hath past And in the quiet hauen fayre his Anker safe hath cast With mery heart doth laugh to scorne the blastes of raging wyndes With tempests black and Leucoths hed which floury Garlandes byndes Doth honor much and Melicâ—rt with giftes he doth salute And safe amid the shore he ioyes with playes of sundry sute Death endes al pain al bonds doth lose death causes feare to flie And daungers all by death are forede to rest eternally And as no griefe nor paine thee vext before thy Syre thee got So shalt thou feele no griefe nor paine when death hir dart hath shot Who can conceiue the times as yll he felt hys byrth before Or iudge of dayes he neuer saw or shall see neuer more Or who will once dispraise the night as wretched nought or yll Wherein possest of deadly sleepe he senselesse lay ful still For what is death continuall sleepe what sleepe for small time death But many thinke soules neuer die but after losse of breath The dead they say doe liue againe and fleshe forsaking quite As cockels from the shell outdrawne to Pluto take their flight And downwarde hedlong fast they run in kingdome blacke to sayle There faine they woods of Mirtel trees where wofull louers wayle There riuers run wyth flaming flouds and dreadfull Monsters bee That poysoÌ„ fome with gaping throtes theyr places may you see Of diuers forme where Infants crye and where the gilty Ghostes The furies fierce of Hell doe burne and whip fast lynckd to postes And where the pleasant fieldes doe lye with goodly greene arayed As due to blessed men that here their pagents wel haue playde But other now say otherwise and soules they graunt remayne But those that wel in earth haue liude with starres aboue shall rayne And they againe that lyke to beastes haue serude licencious minde And God neglect in forme of beastes to liue are all assinde In brutishe shape to wander long by iudgement iust are made Til time that purged front their crime they come to hyghest grade Which things in deede if they wer true death fearefull might be thought Or at the least a better lyfe and voide of sinne be sought For to the iust hereby is got the ioyes and pleasures true Wheras the wicked shall receiue their paines and merits due But whether that the deade doe liue or that they nothing bee And soule with body hath hys ende pertaineth not to mee For I mee thinks haue sayd ynough enquire of Sister mine Whom Grecians wysedome euer call these thoughtes she doth defyne And alwayes searcheth secrete things and verity doth showe Hir teaching well thou maist attaine the state of soules to knowe Except it serue to tell thee that death is not to be dred At least vnto the iust that here a righteous life haue led For eyther quiet rest they haue in sleepe that still doth last Or happy else they shall receiue rewardes for vertue past wherfore go to liue Godly now put vice from minde away So death shall seme but light to thee and graue thee not shall fray But now in minde these words reuolue both speake and think this thing What hurt shall death to mee procure what losse shall graue mee bring No whit for trouth what will it haue of richesse mee depriue But richesse then I shall not neede for nothing then I striue But richest then I may be calde for welthyest is the wight Not that doth most possesse but he that lacketh least in syght Gold siluer precious stones and lands with sumptuous fyne aray With other lyke I will despise as things that I not way Nor pleasure past shall greue me then no more than greueth beastes Swete plesant sparkling wines to lack or Custards fyne in feastes The thinges that no man doth desyre what if they not be had But friends children sweete to leaue wil make thou sayest men sad why shuld this thing me greue so much were it not hurtful more If in my life my frends should dye and I lament therfore Continually as some do write how for Antilochus Syr Nestor wept as for his sonne whome slewe the King Turnus While he the Troians armies helpt Euandre liude in woe I go before and what for this they all shall after goe When God appoynted hath their time and me agayne shall see If soules be ought as we beleue as Christ declares they be Well whatsoeuer that it is death yll I may not call Bycause it riches takes away and pleasaunt ioyes wythall For vnto vs these are but lent the vse doth nature giue And not the thing it selfe she deales to mortal men that liue Sith nothing then to me belongs to death I wyl resigne Al other things that here I haue as nothing sure of mine What if I others goods do leaue wherfore should I lament If nature nowe do aske agayne the things that she me lent I naked came into this world and naked wil I out For this world is an Inne where hostes of men a wondrous roure Who for a time do vse the foode that layes before their face Their hoste and therewithal doth say syrs take and eate apace Not for desertes of you we giue these things but of good wyll These pleasant dishes here we set therewith your selues to fyll Untill such time as I thinke good to byd you hence departe And say from vp my table rise now ease with ioyfull harte But when the houre last shal come wherein I byd you go With willing minde obey me then and place resigne you thoe To other gests that here shal syt let them reioyce a while wyth dishes these who wyll repine except he be to vile Lack wyt or else vnthanckfull be hearing these wordes to go From others dores or else wyll syt while he commaundeth so But he shal cry come forth you Knaue and thrust him out by the eares And yll apayd he forwardes goes wyth woful weping teares Wherfore should I if he do call that all things here doth guide â—epine to go from hence or seeke in wretched life to byde As many do nor fyt it is nay willing hence
soule of man doth neuer dye and body liues without But thys ynough time biddes me ende nor ignoraunt am I That soule of many although vnapt is termde a melodye And as of sundry voices moued an harmony proceedes Of sundry compoundes medeyne made which force of healyng brcedes So of the ioyned elaments by certayne meane and way Created of the heauens eke the soule to be some say A part wherof in body dwels and part abrode doth lye As syght doth spring of outwarde lyght and vertue of the eye For Heauen is the chiefest cause from which all things doe spring wythout whose ayde y e earth coulde not nor seas breede any thing But thys opinion is not true for if it should be so The soule with flesh should neuer striue nor once against it go But euermore in one agree As euery powre doth showe That wonted are of myâ—ed things by sprite diuine to growe As in the kinde of hearbs apperes and in the precious stone Some think the soule doth not remaine when fleshe is from it gone Bicause that heauy sluggishe sleepe the nerest thing that may Resemble death doth seeme to take both sense and minde away Or for bycause they see the minde wyth sycknesse diuersly So vext and harmde that it can not the place it hath supply And with the body to encrease wyth which it eke decayes As well apperes in children yong and men of elder dayes Fonde is the childe the man discrete the olde man doteth styll For weake vnweldy wythered age doth minde and body spyll And more say they if that the soule of substance be diuine And seured from these fleshly lyms may leade a lyfe more fine Then why should it in wretched fleshe so seeke it selfe to place By whose defect so many yls and mischiefe it deface But fonde she is therfore if that she doe this willingly And if perforce she be compelde in carcasse caued to lye who doth coÌ„straine Doth God himself then hir he naught esteemes Nay which in prison vile he puts to hate he rather seemes More of it selfe except it learne synce it doth nothing knowe And oftentimes forgetfulnesse the minde doth ouerthrowe Therefore they iudge it nothing is when body here doth dye For learne it cannot senses deade which it knowes all things by Some other say that soule there is in all the worlde but one Which giueth lyfe to euery thing as Sunne but one alone There is that makes all eyes to see eternall think they this Though bodyes dye as eyes put out the Sunne eternall is These trifles fonde it is not harde wyth reason to disproue But here I longer am I feare than it doth me behoue There shal not want that such demauÌ„de shall aunswere once at full And all the doubtes therin assoyle and knots asunder pull O man of sharpe and pregnant wyt thy prayse shall liue with mine Our labours doubt not shall coÌ„mende the men of later time They famous worke attempt seedes of Heauen on earth go sowe This one thing will I more put to that euery man may knowe The soule immortall for to be and sprong of heauenly grace If senses and affections all he will restraine a space If that dispisyng worldly ioyes and earthly thoughtes resynde wyth dayly labour he attempt to God to lyfte hys minde Then perfect wisedome shall he haue and things to come foretell Awake or else in heuye sleepes perceiue the same as well In thys sort did the Prophetes olde the things to come declare The sober minde therefore doth come more nere to heauenly fare The farther from the fleshe it flyes and from the earthly care But lyke to beastes the greatest sort doe liue as sense doth wyll And thinke none other good to be but fleshe to haue hys fill Hereof 〈◊〉 comes that many think the soule with body dyes Bicause they see not things diuine with weake and fleshly eyes But of the soule thys shall suffise let vs returne againe To him that made the world whom we conclude for to remaine Of body voide and thousandes more that body line without As thick as in the woodes the leaues doe cluster trees about And if they bodyes haue at all so purely are they finde That sense of ours cannot perceiue but onely seene of mynde But thou my Muse be silent here and when hys wyll shall be And pleasure eke who moues my lips then shalt thou searche with me The cause of things that vnderueath the cyrcle of the Moone We see to passe if they by chaunce or fatall force be done And whylst while as the Sunne y e backe of Lyon flaming fryes And doubling oft hir creaking voyce the Greshop chyrping cryes Encompast with the shadowing grasse let vs finde out in shade Of Lawrell or sweete Mirtle tree where hushing noyse is made Of streames that flowes from Parnas springs a quiet resting place For rest doth well refreshe the minde and calles againe the grace And straight when as wyth quietnesse our strength is come againe I wyll if thou wilt fauour me and me wyth grace mayntayne Attempt to touch the stately tunes and if the almighty King with countenance sweete do graunt me ayde my labour long pitying And pouerty driue farre from me and bytter cares expel Al wholly wyl I liue wyth thee and alwayes wyth thee dwel This onely shal be my delight my selfe then shal I fyll Wyth pleasant Aganippaes streames and syng on Cirphâ—s hyll Scorpius the eyght Boke THe cause why mortal state doth pas such croked coÌ„trary wayes Some sort in honour happily do spend their ioyfull dayes And other some in myserie oppressed continually Wyth dayly moyling vexed sore in fame obscure do lye Fayre Muse declare for vnto thee it lawful is to knowe The councels of the Goddes aboue and secrets for to showe Some men by blinde disordred chaunce thinke all things done to be Nor world by reason to be ruled bycause they most things see Wyth vndeserued goods adourned and most things plagued agayne Uniustly vext wyth noysome ils and difference none to rayne The iust and vertuous men opprest and Rake helles hiely placed And vice than vertue more esteemed and Churches al defaced Wyth fyry flame of thunder cracks and most men for to gayne By synfull vsage of themselues and craft of subtyle brayne Such when they see to come to passe the greatest parte surmyse Eyther no Gods at al to be or else that they dispise The base affayres of mortal men And only heauens minde therfore they rash and blindely say Uncertayne chaunce in euery thing doth beare the chiefest sway But Fortune some to thee do giue the gouernance ouer al And thee Lady chiefe of euery thing on earth do cal And that thou holdst the scepters here wyth browes that sowrely frowne And wyth thy false vnstable wheele turnst al things vpsyde downe To thee the olde deceyued age dyd buyld their altares hye And often tymes before thy face their sacrifice dyd lye Some are besides that do
worthinesse before the rest as in a battayle mayne Lieuetenants are and Captaines stout the rest of common traine These causes chiefe aboue the rest in wondrous sort assignes Thalmighty Lord that guides aboue the Starres the starry sygnes Who lyues in euerlasting lyght aboue the Heauens hye That at hys beck doth cause to turne the motions of the skye To euery cause assigning force and whereto they shall tende With certaine boundes encloseth them the which may none transcende And synce he wysely all things made of force it followe must That euery thyng continuallye keepe course and order iust For things that once are rightly framed and fault doe none receaue Ought not in tract of any times their wonted course to leaue The order thus of euery thing can neuer altred be Bicause thalmighty Lorde hath made all things in iuste degre If then the sprite that guides the earth be naught or worke amisse It is bicause the basest cause and farthest of is this From causer fyrst and lyght remoued a large and ample space And therefore vnto darknesse blynde the nerer hath hys place And onely shadowe shewes of truth which God doth so permit Bicause the state of all the world and order asketh it For as the daye determinde is by darknesse of the night And things contrary ended are by force of others might So sort and course of causes good as reason doth require In vyle and wicked cause must ende and fynally expyre which wycked kingdomes gouerne shal and mischiefes vile shall guide Hence discorde euermore proceedes wyth brawles and minde to chide Strong battailes frayes false diseyt with fyres and slaughters great Theftes wyles with nede robberies and plagues with raging heate Great earthquakes stormes tempests great of sycknesses such store So great a sort of perilles vile and daungers euermore And finally what harmes to hap in any place we knowe From thys so wretched cause Prince of all the earth doth flowe Full truely earst alas did say the famous Hermes wyse This world a heape of harms doth seme where euery mischiefe lyes Bicause the diuell that on earth the chiefest stroke doth smite Is mischieuous and euermore in cruelty doth delight For as the first of causes is the spring of all good things So is the last the fountayne chiefe from whence all mischiefe springs Wherefore if lecherours on earth beare al the rule and sway If Asses sxt in seate as Kings in pompe of proud aray If charge of sheepe commytted is to wolues of rauening kinde If Harâ—ots in the Churches dwel and men of monstrous minde If that the holy rytes of Christ the hands vnpure doth fyle If Heauen and purging place Sir John doth sell wyth greedy guile More if vnpunnished such crimes are styll before our eyes The fault not in thalmighty Lord but in this Diuell lies Whome fortune commonly we name and Pluto oft we call But vnto him an apter name Sarcotheus fyt doth fall For vnto him the power of flesh and guiding is assinde Him serues all such as loue them selues â—o much wyth fleshly minde Of him the bodies are therefore in synne they alwayes driue And to the soules as enimies contrary styl do stryue For of the heauens commes the soule and from the starry Skyes But earthly are the bodies here and heauens do despyse This same Sarcotheus thoe that guydes the lowest partes of all Such holy men as do despise the â—oyes â—errestrâ—all To vertue bent and Godly life he hates and styl pursues And vexeth grieueth them molests as commonly doth vse The naughty Prince and cruel King alwayes for to oppresse The wysest men and such as do ercell in vertuousnesse For vertue of the wicked men is euermore enuied Al things their enimies hate and feare and shunne from them asyde Therefore the Diuel many harmes prouâ—deth for the meeke And them whose mindes do mouÌ„t aloft and hearts do heauen seke Ne would he haue his malice seene for if he should be knowne Al men would him detest as head from whom al ylles haue flowne And bloudy butcher of our kinde him al should iustly hate And cursing cal him cruel beast deceyuer of our state Therefore he craftely lies hydde and from the wyse man flies Least he be knowne ne feares he Moles but leapes from Linceus eyes So theues do vse and wicked men alwayes the light to flye And in the darkest tyme reioyce that none their mischiefe spye Hereof it commes as often as men feele aduersity Al ignorant wyth blindnesse and of minde oppressed be For ignorance is causer chiefe of errors al that fal Thinking with anger and complaynt the guyde of goodnesse al Doth vex theÌ„ so they straightway curse his hâ—e and holy name The wicked Diuel daunceth then and grinneth at the same And ioyes to see himself vnknowne and mischiefe close to lye And that he thus hath power to hurt and no man could it spye A foe vnto â—halmighty God he is and ennimy By whome from heauen tumbled down in chaynes he here doth lye Enclosde betwene the earth and Mone and there he holdes his rayne Wherfore O wretched mortal men at length apply your brayne To know the cause of al your griefes from whence such ylles do flowe And heauy harmful things do hay your butcher learne to know For this Sarcotheus this is he that plagues you in such sorte That of your harmes greuous grefes doth make his chiefest sport None otherwise than Mars his child great realmes in thraldome brought Wyth death of wretâ—hed men or beastes a pleaâ—ant pastyme sought The Noble men the Gentlemen the commons all syt styll In diuers roomes assigned them as Othaâ—s lawes doth wyll Then enters in before them all the cutters for to fyght Or else some other yeldes hys lymmes to beastes thereon to byte The Lion or the Tiger stout or else some fierâ—â—r kinde Should at this play present himselfe to please the peoples minde Wyth death mangled much w t wound from whence the bloud doth flow Oft vnto some of others smart a great delight doth grow Wherefore they do most wickedly that rayling thus do brawle And dare blaspheme thalmighty Lorde the cause of goodnesse all From whome as from himself no yll can any tyme proceede Except contingently as Sunne doth darcknesse euer breede As oft as vnder earth it slydes and absent fyre we see Encreaseth colde yet cloud in Sunne nor colde in Fyre can be Wherfore I maruel much that some whose Learning is not smal Do say that he offended is or wrathful him do cal And that he plagueth vs as oft as we do him offend That milde and Lord of mercies is that goodnesse al doth send And that from him doth warres begin wyth plague and famine sore If that our deedes could him offend what thing vnhappier more Than he in al the world were found â–ª for euery day and houre We crimes commit and blasphemies out of our mouthes we poure Then surely should he neuer ioy nor
y t their kinde doth come froÌ„ skyes and spring from God begynne Nor of theyr owne and proper wyll their natures can be nought Since God them made who neuer thing of euill state hath wrought But many other causes be that into dongeon vile Of hel do downwards thrust these souls and them with vice defile And chiefe of them the body is wherein the soule lyes bounde As in a pryson strong whose bondes doth iudgement quite confounde No otherwyse than fyre is hydde wythin an earthen pot And misty cloudes doe darke the syght of flaming Phebus hot Then all things doth the soule forget And Lethes streames doth taste And lyke apperes to papers blankt wherin no worde is placde Thus captiue closed in fading fleshe a thousande mischiefes ill A thousande Monsters hir assault and alwayes seeke to spill Lyke as the Goldefinch whyle in cage hir dolefull desteny wyth sundry fortes of pleasaunt tune doth seeke to pacify To whom all close and couertly the crafty Cat comes neare And driues molesting sore the wretche on euery syde to feare The Cat a bane to symple byrdes of Myce the finder out She fearing sore the spoylers pawe doth slutter rounde about The Cage and saues hir selfe by flight when present doth appeare An other foe with furye lyke the selly wretche to feare Who thrusting in hir Tallons sharpe doth take hir cleane away And feedes thereon with wonted noyse as on accustomed pray So 〈◊〉 â–ª and thore with diuers foes th' vnhappy soule is tost And flying farre the ginnes of some is in the others lost White incloâ—de in carcasse here it li 〈…〉 It knowes not what to do 〈◊〉 daunger here for to beware or what to cleaue vnto And with the showe of good deceiued much like the dronken wyght It stackring standes Whereby if that by some that teache aryght Or by their ayde that warning giue it be not ledde or brought From darkenes blinde vnto the lyght it runneth styll to nought And better things doth aye refuse of soule the chiefest staye Contagion fyrst and chiefest ill that through the fleshe doth rayne Is ignoraunce of truth and good from whence out springeth than False iudgement as the greatest plague that happens vnto man Wherof two monsters are begot folly and wickednesse From these two euery 〈◊〉 proceedes that man can here expresse For all men sinne eyther bicause the goodes here counterfeat â—hey most esteeme as folly leades or else that mischiefe great â—oth prick them forth to wicked de 〈…〉 Wherfore we iustly may Count him a foole or wicked man that doth from reason stray But in that part of soule that lustes there syttes dame follyes grace And there she pytched hath hir tents and chose hir dwelling place In the other part all bent to wrathe there mischiefe hath his holde With force and Craft poyson strong most dreadfull to be tolde These two for truth are mighty kings and armyes great behinde They leade and both destroy the state of mortall kinde They both are ygnorant of truth and framed false iudgement by As earst was tolde the soules that in the careasse buryed lye Unmindefull of their owne estate and voide of light withall Into three lakes of Hell and death they leade and downe let fall Of which the first Limosum hight therein doth pleasure rayne Spinosum is the other calde where vile desyre to gaine And couetousnes doth rule the thyrde Fulmosum hath to name Where pride beares sway y t thristeth still for honours hye and fame In these three lakes the greatest part doe perishe euery daye Of all the soules within the worlde this is the chiefe decay For such as slyde into these pooles them euermore distroyes The lust of fleshe and gredy minde of fonde and fading ioyes Ne of themselues they knowledge haue nor of the heauens bright Nor other lyfe they thinke to be than this in present syght O fylthy fonde and doltishe mindes from heauen turned quite Not minding hye or worthy things but still in brutishe plite Respecting only here the earth Besydes are causes mo wherby the soules infected are and often plaged so For where the clouds are thronged thick and showres of raine proceede And windes w t dreadful meeting sounde doe flashe of lightnings breede There is the place of vglye sprites by whom doe plagues aryse With battailes fierce raging stormes through seas and lande that flyes By craft and by the tempting force of them and their deceit The symple sort of men doe fall to euery mischiefe great Hereby both right and honesty they quite cast from their minde But now bicause these temptours here and fiendes of deuilishe kinde Fewe can obtaine wyth eyes to se therfore but fewe beleue That any such things doe remaine nor credit wyll they gene Nay rather many doe account it but an ydle fame And as at dreames of folkes diseased so laugh they at the same But thou driue from thy minde away thys foolishe heresy And giue good credite to my wordes of greatest certainty And for bicause thou shalt perceiue I teache not trifles vaine I wyll procure that thou shalt see all thyngs before thee plaine But fyrst it needefull is wyth prayers Dame Rainebowe for to trye Who wonted was to beare the hestes of Iuno through the skye That she with winde disperse y e cloudes and make the skyes looke fayre Least that thy syght be hyndered by dymnesse of the ayre Then humbly in thys wyse I praide O thou Thaumatis hye Of sundry colour to beholde a beauty to the skye That stretchest forth in misty cloudes thy great and myghty bowe And Phebus shining bright his beames in thee doest beare and showe And flouds vp suckt vnto the cloudes dost bring and carry farre O Rainebowe wondrous syght to men and Iunoes Messanger And truely got of Thaumas olde the daughter passyng fayre Graunt I thee pray all darknesse fledde a cleare and Crystall ayre Shut vp in caues of Eolus the south windes cause of rayne And sende abrode the northerne blastes to make fayre dayes againe Immediately vpon these wordes from out the northerne syde Did Boreas blowe and with hys blast clearde all both rounde and wyde Then sprinkling in mine eyes a iuyce my guide beholde quoth he Now shall the secrets of the worlde reueled be to thee Now open wyde your springs playne your caues abrode displaye You Systers of Parnasus hyll beset about wyth baye And vnto me for neede it is a hundred tongues in verse Sende out that I these ayrie kings and people may rehearse Deceiuers great of men and guides of vice which all that liue Doe styll molest and by their craft mans soule to hell doe giue Here fyrst whereas in chariot red Aurora fayre doth ryse And bright from out the Occean seas appeares to mortal eyes And chaseth hence the Hellish night wyth blushing beauty fayre A mighty King I might discerne placde hie in lofty chayre Hys haire wyth fyry garland dockt puft vp in fiendish
with heauenly showers O light of mankinde here O perâ—ite way of sauing helth defence and comfort clere Both entry dore and guide of lyfe O peace and salue of minde O blessed worthy sanâ—tuary O wysedome swetest kynde That Nectar doest excell in tast to whom art thou now dere who followes thee what place hast thou on earth what honours there In Temples wast thou wont to raine in schooles and proches lowe In Councelles and in courts of kings now no man doth thee knowe But Poets dreames and tryfles fonde for thee in place doe raine what â—earnes 〈◊〉 scholler now in scholes what knowledge doth he gaine But â—ansyes vaine or baudy tales be holde in seate full hye The Master syâ—tes wich booke before that open wyde doth lye And spitting oft he well doth viewe hys great assembled crowde And when hee sees them bent to heare wyth lofty voice and lowde He then expoundes some dreadful ghost of dolefull tragedie Or else some harlots trickes declares in wanton Comedie Or doting lones of auncient time or else to light doth bring Some monstrous or some cruell fact or lamentable thing O brayne deseruing to be pâ—rged doest thou these wayes instruct The tender mindes and ignorant bring vp with such a fruiâ—t Is this the salt wher of the age so yong is made to say Is it not shame wyth â—ryfles such to passe the time away By thys so many naughty knaues and villaines doe appere By thys the groue of vices thick vp springeth euery where When as no vertuous bringing vp of Children can be founde O you that youth do not correct but rather them confounde Learne fyrst your selues to liue vpright and then to others showe A vertuous trade least lyke to beastes you liue and nothing knowe But thou Stellatus harken well to thee I will expresse which way thou shalt apply thy minde to perfecte vertuousnesse Fyrst oft in minde remember well one God alone to be Eâ—ernall best omnipotent and of most hye degre Who heauen and the golden Starres that shine throughout al the skye The rest of things that may be seene or not be seene wyth eye Of nothing with hys beck alone before all tymes hath made And framde theÌ„ kepes gouernes here with euerlasting trade Hym worship honor feare and prayse and often to hym praye Both nights dayes when SuÌ„ne doth ryse and Sunne doth fall away And when from both in equall space his Globe doth distant glowe For vertue chiefe and wysedome chiefe it is the king to knowe Of sainctes aboue and father of men to loue with heart entire To prayse him alwayes and to dread and humbly him desire Without thys same all vertues else think nothing worth to be For almost thys and nothing else sufficient is for thee Therfore haue alwayes God in heart and often in thy minde And call to him nothing than thys more vertnous canst thou finde Thys is to all the vertues else the open doore and plaine For without grace and ayde of God no man can them obtaine Nor able be to flye from vice Besydes the saynâ—ts aboue that dwell and hostes of messangers And seruants of the chiefest Lorde and holy Ministers Fulfilling the commaundement of hys Maiestie deuine That alwayes stand before hys face in skyes full cleare that shine With holy minde remember oft in humble sort to praye That they may helpe thee in thy neede and daungers dryue awaye And thee vnto the Lorde commende for truely Aungels can And often vse to profite much the earnest praying man Nor be not thou beware therof amongst such sort a mate That think that nature neuer made a thing of hygher state Than man mad men y t when they see so plaine before their eye Both seas and lande of Creatures full doe thinke that in the skye And in the Starres no dwellers be and indge the ample space Of blessed heauen for to be a voide and desert place O crabde and crookde vntoward soules O mindes in darkenesse drounde Mans sense can not all things perceiue for many things are founde That often tymes deceiue the eyes which yet the minde doth see Therfore what reason moues in minde must rather followed bee Which teacheth that there is a God and dwellers in the skye Wherfore y e Starres are eyther Gods Or Temples where they lye These grounde workes layde w t all thy heart embrace thou righteousnesse And let no iniury of thine be any mans distresse By wordes or deedes no man can hurt nor deale thou so wyth men As thou wouldst not be delt withall but alwayes doe to them As thou wouldst they should do ro thee thus nature doth decree Which if thou straightly dost not keeps giue credit vnto mee Thou neuer canst be fauoured of that maiestie deuine Nor after death vnhappy man thou shalt the heauens clime An others honor fame or state harme not in any case When vile desyre doth moue or wrathe or enuye comes in place But rather helpe such as thou knowest to be of vertuous minde With all thy force and pleasure doe to men of wycked kinde Sometimes that so they hurt thee not or seldomer thee harme And let not brybes nor loue nor hate thy minde from iustice charme For these are three especiall things that dasell sore the syght Of minde and driue men euer more from doing well and right But styll haue God in memory and death to come in minde Then fâ—ye the enticements of the flesh and byts of sharpest kinde On pleasure put For nothing doth to man more mischiefe bring Than yll delight to vertue sure a most contrary thing For vertue laboures euermore the heauens hye to clyme But pleasure ennimy to the skies doth downeward styll decline And groueling gaseth on the earth as beastes do commonly Destroying strength of body here and force of minde wherby It breedes a dull and slouthful sense and sharp dyseases makes This is that Circes that Syren and hooke of Stygian lakes With this same snare a nuÌ„ber great of soules the Diuell takes And suffers not them after death their countrey Skyes to see But wyly wrappeth them in mystes of Hel his mates to be These bayts therfore thys poison swete of fylthy fiendish foe Wyth al thy might auoyd them well and warely from them go Lest that when greater yeres do come in vayne thou dost repent Thy selfe thy substance fame and wit so lost and fondly spent Then shalt thou say as many do O goodly tymes in minde How vilely haue I you abused where now should I you finde Unhappy man If God would graunt agayne my former tyme And once againe the Samian branch I might assay to clyme Thereto I would where as the earth his horne forth doth stretch Though that the way be strayt steepe the top there of to retch No kinde of thing doth vertue passe which alwayes doth remayne Which honor giues and hie estate and glory great doth gayne Preserues the life and doth augment the goods that here you
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
more to get Than iust deserts y e law a brybing craft for golde a fyshing nette Eche kinde of handy craft corrupt by guile of workmens wyll The theefe to fee the Inkeper his gests thereby to kyll Besydes I many might beholde enricht by theft and guyle Though naughty beastes more meeter far to weare a rope a whyle Yet praysde to be and worshipped and feared very much The vnworthy placde in regal seate and honours dealt to such As haue but only shape of men Besyde religion fled By conetousnesse and Priests bent al to foode and Harlots bed And vnder cloke of holinesse seke priuily to gayne And pick the common peoples purse by meanes of wyly trayne While as they open heauen wyde and barre the hellish way And while they bost that they can soules where as they list conuay And wyth their Portas force the saincts to do as they are bent By this occasion left I al and from the townes I wene Accoumpting it more safe for me to liue in desert place And in this hyll to runne the rest of al my ranging race This hil whereas the altare stands of Syluester the saint Where as the Shrine and monuments of him his prayses paynt Which place though it seme rough and rude not meere to dwel vpon Yet fitte it is for saincts and such as liue in peace alone And wholly do apply their mindes the Lord to feare and loue And alwayes seeke to ioyne themselues with saincts in Skies aboue But hard perchaunce it seemes to thee and straunge it doth appere That I can liue in desert such and stony places here Where seldome any man doth come where wanting seemes to be Most things that should sustaine the life of man at libertie Yet is it not so hard in deede nor straunge it seemeth than If that the holy Ghost enspire the heart of any man Descending downe from heauens hye of God the sacred sprighte That purifies the heart from sinne and rayseth soules to light That ouerwhelmde in flesh do lye as Mercury sublimde By force of fyer is and takes a colour white ful finde This holy sprite adournes the minde and heart doth vpward moue This cutts away the worldly cares and breadeth heauenly loue Wherwith the minde inflamed once all things doth easye seeme Though neuer so sore for he that loues doth labour light esteeme Especially if any hope there be rewarde to holde For hope loue are two stroÌ„g pricks that makes vs alway bolde And not to care for any toyle wherfore continually Our daily prayers must wee make to hym that guides the skye That so thys holy sprite vouchsafe into our heartes to fall That he may plant a Godly hope and Godly loue withall Wherwith y e minde inspirde may mouÌ„t aboue the starry skye Despising much the world and ioyes that vaine doe please the eye And striue to ioyne it selfe to God with all the force and might No maruell then it is all if ayded of this sprite I here can dwell and leade a lyfe full harde so paciently Upon this stiepe and desert rocke and stony mountaine hye Yet neuer lackt I meate nor clothes vpon this loftye spyre As much as nature doth content not wanton fonde desyre A little thing doth nature serue a small thing doth content Such one as loues none ouerplus a man to vertue bent That rather seekes celestiall lyfe than fleshly fading dayes For lyfe least thou be ignorant is double in hir wayes One wherwithall the bodye lyues still followed and pursude Is thys of all the route of fooles and common people rude The people fonde that nothing knowe of any worthinesse But stouthful beasts do make their God of filthy fonde excesse This lyfe is proper vnto beastes of wilde and sauage kinde The other vnto God aboue and men of godly minde That for their great and worthy deedes doe well deserue the name Of perfect men and holly sainctes of euerlasting fame But such hye minded vertuous Impes the earth doth seldome broode The earth a mother to the naught and stepdame to the good Agui se falta vn Renglon por ligereza But now bicause I see thee bent to giue attentâ—uâ— eare Some things of this celestiall lyfe I will declare thee here Which ought well vnderstoode to please the minde of any wight Fyrst man consystes not only of fleshe but also of the spright This giueth lyfe to them that line by this we feele and moue This giues vs mind y e worthyest thing by which men wondrous proue But many doubt if that the soule doe liue the body dead Or whether it doe finishe â—o when as the lyfe is stedde Assaredly the worser sort that to the fleshe doe cleaue And bent to vice despising God doe wishe and eke beleue The soule to haue a dying day â—icause alas they feare The cruell forments for the sinnes that they committed here And therefore will alowe no hell nor Diuels for to be And so they doe persuade themselues to scape with mischiefe free An other better sort of men that synfull lyfe doe hate Prouoked with the Godly loue of vertues goodly â—iate Doe thinke the soule doth alwayes lyue and not to dye with graue Bicause they hope a glorious Crowne for their good workes to haue And make accompt of perfect blisse when death hath shot hys dart And of a better promisde lyfe for to enioy their part Of these two sortes who iudgeth best â–ª who is but the iust For euermore in doubtfull things the opinion must we trust That pleaseth best the better sort and that which follow most Such men as vertuous be and such as haue the holy Ghost More safe it is to cleaue vnto the vertuous and the iust Than fansyes of the wycked men to credite or to trust Ne must we note their number great that any thing haue sayde But in what sort they leade theyr lyfe must well of vs â—e wayde Wherefore it better is with fewe of vertuous sort to say That soules doe lyue continually and haue no dying day Than with a number of the lewde against it to replye Contending that there are no spriâ—â—s and that the soule doth dye But more bâ—cause thou shalt beleue I will declare to thee By reason good the state of soule immortall for to bee For if that God in better things doth cunning still expresse As wysedome telles and as the good and vertuous must confesse Then doubtlesse must we iudge he gauâ— the soules no time to dye Since better farre it is for them to liue continuallye Than with the fleshe to be extinct and feele a full decaye Which thus I proue if death doe take from vs the soule away If that we haue no other lyfe but in thys body here Then God may be accounted ill and shall vniust appere For thousandes euery day we seâ— that florishe prosproustye In richesse substance and renoume in raignes and Empyres hye Yet ydle lubbers vnlearnde naughâ— that synne at liberâ—ye And runne
thy worthy name Use not the loue of boyes take heede such loue is synfull shame For children haue no loue ne wit no reason faith nor trust A vengeance light on hym I wishe that ioyes in such a luâ—â— If that the pleasaunt portrature of maydes doe thee delyght Go take a wife thou nedest not lack a â—ormouse for the night What hadst thou rather foole to wyshe and hope for things denayde When as with easier medicine thou mayst haue thy griefe alayde Perchaunce for thys yet riches are to be desyred plaine Whereby a man may sooner so to vertue hye attaine If voide of money cleane thou arte no man will take the paines Thee to enstruct for teachers sure require no little gaines Nor little price will thee suffice thy selfe with bookes to store Whereby thou maist apply thy selfe to Lady learnings lore Lest pouertie with other cares doth occupy thy head And so from learning draw thy minde with other busines lead O lorde howe harde a thing it is how fewe doth God permit To flye from base and poore estate in honours hye to sit How seldome doth the sely soule ascende to honours hye And more besydes what is his lyfe to death and eke how nye How much to be despysed tho when pleasure none his minde Doth ease amongst his trauailes great when he no ioyes can finde When neuer cares absentes themselfes with griefes when all habounde Yet better passe the Stigian lake and feede the gredy hounde And mixed be wyth shrikyng soules then neuer ioy to finde â—n happye things when neuer mirâ—he shall glad thy wretched minde For to this wretche what ioy at all or pleasure can remaine That lackes both meate drink full ofâ— sometime his bedde againe Sometime he lacketh coâ—ee and cloke and oft his toâ—s be spyde From out his clouted shâ—es to pepe where seames sitte gaâ—ing wyde With paine drawes on hys drudging lyfe much lesse he able is Those things to haunt y e here dâ—â— bring a mortall man to blisse But he that haâ—â— the golden mines in hym these things doe â—â—owe And euery thing he straight obtaines wherat he bendes hys howe Such rule and swaye hath money nowâ— such force in euery place That nothing long she wyll permit for to resist her grace From hie she raceth hilles adowne and valleys vp doth hoyse If that therefore with swifty course of dogges he doth reioyse To take the Harte the Goate or Wolfe the flighty flying Hares If birdes to take or fish deceaue wyth hookes and nettes or snares If for to serue in Uenus court if meate or drinke delight If quiet rest if Luâ—e or Harpe him please or songes to shright All these the rich man doth possesse through mighty moneyes might New hark agayne what I shal say â—o thys in contrary If any man desire â—o learne he shall iâ— soone come by So that his minde â—e constant thoe and feareth not to tread The sharp and crabbed thorny wayes to vertue that do lead If money lacke what then perforce let houshold stuffe be solde With house and all and meddowe to how may my life then holde Then shall I be constraynd to begge and walleâ— vp to take Farre better wretch it is to begge when learning shall thee make Like to the heauen sainctes aboue than if thou shouldst possesse The Persians herds droues of beasts with all their welthinesse Beleue not thou the iudgement blinde of rude and common sorte No more who can than beasts discerne the truth or it reporte If thou be wise mark what I saye in mind and print it sure Excepting vet tue nothing is that here may long endure For riches fade and forme and strength and honour eke doth fall And vertue onely doth remayne in strength and euer shall Which neuer fortune may suppresse nor age can take away I neuer saw it yet nor thoe beleue it well I may The vertuous man for hunger â—â—eruâ—â— or left to begge his bread Though fortune sometyme doth assay him for to ouertread Yet veertue hasteth fast anone and learning doth defende His clients nor doth suffer them their yeares in care to spende But offers them a boorde to help when sayle and shippe is loste Whereby they may the shore attayne from waues of Seas ytost Who followeth vertue may go see tharabian desertes fell The Ethiops black the rugged getes the Indes in health and well For only vertue of her force wyll fortune false wythstand And oft with hir in doubtfull matche doth striue with fighting hand For costes thou oughtest not to spare nor doubt the landes to sell Wherby thou vertue mayst obtayne yf fortune be so fell That nought to sell at all thou haste let goodnesse then remayne In thee If learnde thou canst not be wyth learnde thy selfe retayne With eares atteÌ„tiue mark their words sometyme and question finde The rest to God do thou commit and wyth a lowly minde Receaue th appointed fates from hie if ioyes thou doest frequente And hurtfull pleasure thee entrap and in hir ginnes thee hent And couet so thy youthfull dayes to passe in pleasaunt sport And therfore doest desire to beare a rich and wealthy port These things that reason doth thee tell peruse thou well in minde A greater yll and hurtfull more than pleasure none can finde It taketh counsell quite from vs and doth the minde oppresse Resisting vertues euermore encreaseth wickednesse It is the chiefest nource to vice enfebleth aye the strength With bitter ende and many hurtes procureth man at length But playnlier of this same anone we wil entreate and tell The poore man hath his ioyes also yf that thou markest well Not much perchaunce inferiour to for pleasauntest be such Obtayned ioyes that seldome happes and ioyfuller he much The pleasure is beleue me now that long hath bene absented And more desirde so meate is swete to him that is an hungred So rest to him that laboureth sore so drink is to the drye So flame vnto the friesing wight so colde when sunne is hye So long forborne is welcomer to Lady Uenus fayre For contraries by opposites their strength do eft repayre The rich man now will suffer nought but alwayes doth abound With deynties so that lothsomnesse in him may eft be founde Sometime he doth desire and much on earthy rootes to grash Sometyme on pescods fast he feedes sometime on other trash And royall fare wyth deynty dish abhorring nought esteemes Nothing so swete he then receiues but better loe it seemes And lykes him not if any tyme it chanceth to endure But chaunges new doth him delight and for to haue in vre Forbidden things are sweeter much such things be nought and yll That alwayes are at hande to haue so not the thing but wyll And iudgement of the minde doth cause a man to be content And worthy is to be imbrasde that pleaseth his intent What profits it vnto the sicke to offer deynty meate Whose tast away doth quite bereft the feruent feuers heate Or
destnye cause not payne Whose dartes the man that neuer felt doth senslesse styll remayne What beast might euer yet be found that felt not Cupides flame All creatures vile and base we see haue tasted of the same God willing so Wherfore who seekes this loue a thing deuine He seekes for if the king and Lorde of all the world should not All things created here retaine in loues assured knot The world should straight be at an end and the elements decay That eche man loues he keepes and it defendeth eke alway But no man seekes the thing to kepe that he sets nothing by Wherfore the order of all things shall last continually For euerlasting is the loue of God that all doth guide Though all things made do fal and fade the kindes yet neuer stide For those the blessed God doth loue but not the bodies so Wherof the cruell death hath power for no man suffreth tho The thing he loues to perishe quite if he can it defende But who denies God all thing can and he can them defende But be the bodies doth not loue wherefore he lettes them die But not the kindes he so permits from their estate to 〈◊〉 What doth the potter care if thys or that hys pot be burst Turning the wheele and chalke in hand despiseth now the first A newer sort of them he makes now ouer all this same The skye the grounde the seas and aire and raging fiers flame And eke in fine the worlde it selfe by loues enduring knot So many yeares doth stande and last for if thys loue were not The elaments altogither would with bursten bondes go fyght Nor downe to earth the Heauens would shewe forth theyr blissefull light And beames so warme no seede shoulde growe and eke the fiery flame This aire his neighbor would coÌ„sume he would but out of frame His shoures on earth y t aire put downe full bare would seeme eche soile The seas should quench the 〈…〉 er quite or rather fyre boyle And waste away the fyshy seas As once when Phaeton rulde not wel the fyry foming beasts I dreading sore the monsters hie his owne good fathers heastes Beleeuing not vnhappy wretch was drownd in his desyre Then al the world therewith began to burne with blasing fyre Tyll he by force of lightning smytte came tumbling headlong downe And in the flouds his flames did quench Loue breedes in euery towne Assured peace peace worthiest is of al things here we see In time of peace do al things growe and al things liuely be Then liue men safe in safety â—ke the trauayling wight he stands And takes his iourney voyd of harme and scapes the robbers handes Then buzzing Bees in hiues be kept by good aduise and care And beastes in pastures fat are fed the ground is torne wyth share And yeldeth farre encrease in tyme then plenty beares the sway In bread and mylke and noppy drinke then euery where they play The sounding shaume doth theÌ„ prouoke to daunce the Thiase round But idiotes none do enuy peace and couet Martiall ground Such times did flow when Saturn ruld his Empire here alone O worthy age more worth than Gold but now O griefe to mone All things doth discorde vile disturbe wyth raged mocion mad And filles and feareth euery place wyth broyling tumult sad Nowe fierce we forced are to be all lawes wyth sworde to slake The furies al of hel they swarme a thousand brondes they shake A thousand snakes wythal and moue the proud hie minded Kings And common people mad to be what good to you it brings O wretches mad your death to haste wyth battes and bylbowe blade To late when as she neuer commes but mischefe this hath made That plaguy pride and hunger mad dominion for to haue O dust what makes thee proud to be whose stinking guttes in graue The filthy wormes anone shall teare why sekest thou for golde Thinkste thou for euer here to lyue O wretch O wretch bi hold How vaine how short how fleeteth sone dur life before thine eyes A graue anone shall close contayne thy bones and shall sufficâ— And if so be that loue should knitte the heartes of men in one This would not be for euery man his frend would tend vpon And all men for their partes would ayde the frend that they holde deare Assuredly nothing more good nor sweater doth appeare Than truly while we here do liue of many loued to be A safe defence are alwayes frends agaynst aduersity The mind in deubtful things they ease and helpers seke to be Thy cares and losse they lighten much they wepe and wayle wyth thee But seldome perisheth the man that thus is rich in friendes When fortune laughes vpon thy lucke and happy chaunce thee sendes Wyth thee thy profyts they embrace wyth thee they ioyful bee Wyth frendship they thy haps increase and feast in mirth wyth thee Who list therefore to leade his life in safety and in ioy Great store of frends for to retayne let him his care employ By many meanes this thing is got which as I can I shall Declare but now to know is nedefull fyrst of all Which loue the people call of minde a motion for to be For wel to wyl it is the same that men call loue we see The mind alwayes it selfe desyres the good thing for to proue And seekes the euill for to shunne these 〈◊〉 alone her moue These two therfore the causes be and loues assured ground But good in three deuided is wherof one parte is found Delighting for to be the other honest eke appeares The third vtilitie So likewise yll in three we parte fyrst hurtfull we esteme The second vile deformed is the third doth greuous seme Who so that loues refusing these or else desiring those He loues loue diuers is like as the spring from whence it flowes Not worthy praysed like to be nor worthy like disprayse Nor only differ three foresayd in generall kinde alwayes But diuers speciall kindes himself doth eche of these contayne Which kindes when as they diuers be make diuers loues agayne What so euer aydes that profit is but is not yet as one Much goods vpon the body wayght and much the soule vpon Strength beauty health actiuity these foure the body oweth These things whatsoeuer creature giues from them the profit floweth Two goods agayne the soule contaynes as maners milde and Arte Like as the soule hath vertues two the will to whome the parte Of maners all belong and minde to whome the truth to know It proper is and from the mind like diuers goods do flow The learnings nine this minde adourn which Poets Muses call Equivalent to circles nine that roule aboue vs all The wyll doth diuers goods possesse of which these foure excell Wit iustice eke and vertue strong that conquers troubles fell With her that bridleth eke our mindes and modesty doth bring From these as from the fountayne first do al the other spring Which whosoeuer seekes to know
let him go tosse the boke Of Stagerite or if he liste in Platoes workes go loke Which two are lightes to all the world whatsoeuer then it be Such like to vs that giues that terme may profitable we As to the body medcine is and eke the phisick leach And to the minde the boke likewyse is mayster that doth teach But those that profiteth the soule more profitable be And better eke bycause it is of greater dignity As is the mayster than the man the shipman than the ship Than is the cart is he that holdes the clashing carters whip But by delay or out of hand doth profit vs eche thing As to the hungred man the golde and he that golde doth bring The coke and eke the fode it selfe the like I do declare Of pleasing goods in diuers partes deuided is their share Of which the body some do please and some the soule delight But yet the pleasures of the soule he alwayes more of might And common eke to Gods and vs whereas the bodies ioy As graunted vnto brutish beastes to them a proper roy Not lawfull vnto them it is wyth ioyes of soule to mell Nor haue they all the senses fiue and only knowe they well What tast and sense of featling meanes they musick nought esteme No swete perfumes wyth princely smel to them doth pleasant seme Regard they ought the paynted lines of fine Appelles hand Or muse they on the brasen plate of comly Corinthes land Or wonder they the sight to see of shooting Circus game If ought they smel if tune or syght them please it is the same That â—aste or feeling makes as when the Lion fierce doth spye In fieldes by chaunce a cowe he leapes and liftes his maine on hye And twines and twirls his twisting tast desrous of his pray Or when the fomey horse beholdes the gadding mare astray Wyth hauty head vpheld he runnes and here and there he kickes And leapeth hedge and ditch abrode while lusty guts him prickes And causeth all the skies aboue wyth hineying noyse to shrike When meat therfore and gendring act the beastes do chiefest like And syth to them it proper is it is therfore most vile And fit for villaynes to possesse fyne wyt it doth erile To often vsde it body hurtes who therfore this obayes Is made a foole and for to serue is apter eke alwayes Than ouer others for to rule but vse them moderately And if thou minded art to know the goods of honesty Remember what before I sayd for of the minde they bee The maners milde and learning eke as I declard to thee But giue good eare what I shal say those goods that do delight While as they last do pleasant seme and after of no might Example for beholde the ioyes of song and Uenus play But that that brings the body good that profits men do say The goods therof be pleasant eke as health obtaynde doth please So profits it agayne we see that healeth eche disease And that that causeth goods of minde we well may profit name But these as sone as they be got then pleasant are the same And honest out of hand they be for all that vertue brings Doth profit much and delt her selfe aboue all other things She pleaseth most and honest is her iust rewarde and hire Is honour only due to her therfore who doth desire Much loue while he here liues to haue let eyther him deuise To please or profyt them he loues or else in any wyse Let him haue vertues good in store the which the dogged sort Shal force and eke constrayne to gyue a prayse and good report Whome though they hate yet shall they feare and fyrst of all he must Of those whome he doth seke to please marke all the manners iust For all mens wylles do not agree nor all their studies one Such seedes vnlike dame nature sowes engendring vs vpon The one doth hate that thother loues that one doth most disprayse The other lifts aboue the Skies wherof appeares alwayes That eche loue al things not a like nor al men do desyre One good that profits like to haue nor honest like requyre Wherfore we fyrst of all must learne what pleaseth best his brayne To whome we seke lest else perchaunce we laboure all in vayne In doing things of them vnliked this is not hard to knowe The talke assuredly declares the deedes from them that flowe And hidden heart al men talke most of that they most do loue And most attentiue are therto ful many things that proue His loue at home may eft be spied the plowman holdes at home The plow the goade the yoke the rake the spade to temper lome The Knight his fearful armour hath that hangs at home full bie So he whose house wyth bokes abounds a student rightfully May demed be and this I say of euery other man The hand and tong declares the heart such things as pleaseth than Who seketh frendes let him perfourme for fawning loue doth get But most men yet do gape for gayne and all mens hearts are set On gold and giftes and many frendes by gyftes obtayned be But sure such loue endureth not for when that gayne doth flee Then fayleth frendship chiefly then when hope to haue is gone But some there be though few of them that styll remayne as one And mindfull eke of frendship shewed do neuer ceasse to loue But graunt the vnthankfuls frendshyp fayle it doth not yet behoue The good and frendly man to leaue who may as rare be found As Phenix bird in all the world that breedes in Arabs ground To profyt many men and ayde wyth all his power the same This way to heauen only leades by this obtaynd the game Great Hercules and many more whose worthy fames remayne As yet wyth vs whome neuer age can cause to die agayne The gentle and the liberall man is lyke to God aboue Great sortes of men agayne there be delighting things that loue Wherby such men they most esteme that pleasant things do bring And chiefly children youth and such as are of greate liuing Do couet ioyes and pleasures seke but such loue is not true For when that pleasure once is gone then frendships eke adewe Yet sometymes sure it profyts much and many get therby Riches and many fauour get therfore let him apply His mind to please who frendship sekes so he go not astray From bondes of right and honesty but eche man profyt may And pleasure eke two sundry wayes by wordes and dede besyde But safer eke and easier it is such frendship to prouide By wordes than dedes but now t is best for to declare the way By which it may be brought to passe which thing perfourme you may If holsome counsell thou dost giue and warning hurt declare And teach how profyt may be got of euill to beware In praying Gods to send them helth and send them well to fare In askyng gratefull thynges for them in whome consistes thy care
wiues to wed Such kinde of men I can not prayse nor wise I haue them thought For wife wyth dowry helpes thee well where harlots bring thee nought A wife doth bring thee store of frendes where harlots bring thee foes A wife thou shalt in safety haue a hore wyth griefe and woes The one wil trusty styll remayne the other false alway And fearing to be cast at large she stealeth al she may And for hir selfe she heapes vp all hir state for to repaire When thou hast pluckt hir belles away and cast hir vp to aire More if thou kepest a hore thy goods are but in queasy case Of wiues are children lawful got of harlots bastards base To wed therfore it needeful is but fyttest fyrst to see The maydes estate the parents â—ke their manners what they be For oftentimes the children do their parents after take For trees according as they are like frutes are wont to make Aske counsel of hir neighbours close so that she faythfull be And if thou hauÌ„ a woman send hir whole estate to see If she be fayre if she be fowle if she be sore to knowe If she lacke wyt if she can spinne if she can knit or sowe These are the workes for them to vse and vertuous womens deedes For to eschewe all ydlenesse which chiefly vices breedes For ydlenesse the minde corrupts and leades it vnto euil To wanton lust and filthy vice and fansies of the Deuil This ydlenesse doth ouerthrowe and Cities downe doth pul For if that Lucresse had not giuen hir self to workes of wul And if the chaste Penelopey which webs had neuer wrought But both amyd their halles had syt with ydle wanton thought This might haue pleasd perchaÌ„ce amoÌ„g a thousand woers one And of the others Uirgin death should neuer fame haue gone But best it is for thee to viewe these things thy selfe alone For other men among for troth firme fayth remayneth none For al men now wyl faine and lye and truth is quite exilde Few faythful shalt thou find but if thou wilt not be beguilde If thou wouldst al things better proue then make thy selfe a spye And seeke al things thou goest about to see wyth present eye Wherfore I warne thee earnestly take hede that thou her see If that thou canst what one she is to whom thou thinkst to be In mariage ioynde least afterward in vayne thou dost lament And least it doe when tyme is past thee of thy dede repent But if perchaunce as eft it happes thou liuest in wretched case Wyth wicked wyfe deceyude by fate and frowning Junoes grace Fyrst mildly doe such one exhort swete words wyth her frequent And giue her gyfts and all that may her wayward minde content Wyth swete deceyts her ouercome now fast thy armes embrace About her neck and though shee shun cast kysses on hir face With all sweete meanes apease hir yre â–ª if this doe not preuayle Use bytter wordes be angry then and chyde hir fast and rayle Put on thy brasen face and fume and feare hir then with threttes If this doe nought procure and by thy wordes she nothing settes Trye thou the matter then with stripes and softly on the backe With bouncing blowes bebast hir well that all hir bones may cracke If thou suspect thy wife of play then kepe no lusty men Nor fellowes fayre with whom she may be prating now and then Thou art deceaued if thou dost thinke that any kinde of man Wyll faythfull be in Uenus case no men are faithfull than For the reioyseth to beguile by fraude is loue possest And vnto Uenus alwayes fraude a thing is counted best But as a chiefest thing take heede there entre not thy dore No fryer fatte ne lusty Monke nor priest of any lore Eschewe the knaues a greater plague than these can none expresse These are the dregges of euery sort and springes of folishenesse The common synke of mischiefes all and Wolues in felles of sheepe For pence and no deuocion sure to God these wretches creepe And with a colour false of truth they symple soules be guile And vnderneath religious cloke a thousande mischiefes vile A thousande haynous deedes they doe deflouring mayde and wyfe Whore hunters vile and Sodomites the seruaunts all their lyfe Of beastlinesse and belly ioye the things diuine they sell What wonders great inuent they not what dreames doe they not tell The common people to deceiue and to procure againe Hereof doth superstition ryse and thousande fansyes vainâ— Which if the gods be wyse they scorne and do refuse to vewe The Godly man doth worship God wyth earnest loue and trewe And not for gold away wyth gayne thou shalt see them denie All sacred seruice here on earth and God himself on hie TheÌ„selues therfore this flock doth serue and not the saincts aboue And profit causeth Gods to be which if thou once remoue Both temples and their alt are stones shall flat lie on the ground Nor any more amongst them al shall any God be found These iuggling mates and foxes false expell from thee therfore And take good hede that none of them do enter at thy dore Least thou do cry the Cuckees note through fayned vertue such Nor if thou any gossyps hast beleue them not to much For vnder colour of this name the Knaues do many play Take heede besyde that from thy house she often do not stray Nor let her haunt thy neyghbors house it hath bene sene ful oft That whoremasters haue hid theÌ„ selues amyd thy neighbours loft Appoynt her mates for company of chast and honest fame Let mother Bee be put from thence and euery bawdy dame And seeke thou not wyth other whores thy selfe for to relieue Nothing doth cause her more to frowne nor nothing more her grieue For nothing more reuengement seekes than when she is begilde And sees that wyth vnstedfast loue her bed is thus defilde Then all wyth ire she flames and hates then doth she eke begin To work her housband like despite then choller boyles wythin Then rageth shee like Bacchus priest whom to much wine doth prick Beleue me well she is but rare that doth not vse the trick That harlots vse when that she is deceyude of lawfull part At least if she can not in dede yet synnes she in hir heart For will with vice prouoked thus in vice will farther slide But if thou takst hir with the deede let lawes on hir be tride Be not ashamed but let the lawes be reuerencde of thee For they are as a certaine rule by which we guided bee Least thou shouldst giue a greater paine amid thy raging yre Offending God in felowing men than doth the fault require For common people neuer vse the rule of reason sage But are seducde with furies fell like beastes of brainles rage Ne hast thou lost thy liberty by marrying of a wyfe Bicause thou maist not walke y e stretes and leade a ruffians lyfe This can be calde no liberty but rather licence
alwayes are of perfect power this knowledge true to get Sapience to Aungels doth belong and Gods aboue you see Where onely prudence doth pertaine to men that mortall bee Whereby they may take good aduise from harmes and hurts to flie And gather things that may giue ayde and liue here quietly What thing to doe and what to leaue to man doth prudence showe Therefore who wysheth well to liue and eke where thornes doe growe With feete vnpricked for to go let him seeke hir to knowe Who wyll not hym acount a foole that things of greatest gaine Forsaking quite doth seeke to get things strange and also vaine Who sekes aboue his reache to roue and while he climes to hie Comes tumbling downe lyke Icarui in waters deepe to lye The Tode that late did seeke to matche the Oxe in drinking vaine His panche asunder bursten thoe doth neuer drinke againe while as syr Phaeton sought to rule the brideled iades on hye with earthly hande was he not forcde in Padus streams to lye His life and chariot both resygnde with this vnhappy fall The prudent man containes himselfe within dame natures wall Nor more he dare than hym becomes except that God him moues Let mortall men such things regarde as mortall men behoues Let them not search beyond their powre least if they clyme to hye They hedlong fal and proue themselues a laughing stocke thereby As if an Oxe woulde vpwarde clime abrode his flight to take Or if an Asse a Lute would sounde melodious noise to make But let it bee that one obtaine all artes in memory By which he many bookes can make what good gettes he thereby what iust rewarde shall conteruaile the paines that he endures Fame prayse and glory thou wilt say rewarde to him procures Hys name thereby shall euer lyue and alwayes eke remayne But 〈◊〉 would haue the wel perpende 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viewe more playne What prayse what fame and glory is For many things we see In other shapes than in their owne transformed for to bee Which w t a cloke and shadowing mist deceiue the minde and eyes Hereof good things are counted nought and euill good likewise All foolishnesse hereof doth spring Ful oft is Copper tride In Siluer rounde enclosde to lye oft Golde doth Iron hyde And purest shelles within containe the nuts that rotten bee In skinnes of sheepe full oft to lurke the wylie Wolfe you see Doe not the gorgeous hangings hyde the dusty mouldred wall Where gaping riftes vnsemely syt and wormes consuming crall There is a sharper syght that sees what hyd in secrete lyes Who vseth thys shall iudge aright and wonders see with eyes I here demaunde what fame doth help what prayse or what renowne To them that sleepe or vnto them whom death hath stricken downe No more for trouth than doth the harp the deafe vnhearing wyght No more thaÌ„ gorgeous plays doth plese the man that lackes hys syght Thou answerst here that they that liue and they that here awake Reioyce therin and for the same no perils they forsake But breath and bloud doe both resigne thys thing for to obtaine Ambition many doth enforce and driue to glories gaine Much like a spurre and many brings to toppes of vertue hye With prickes prouoking sluggishe folk by force of sworde to try Some worthy thing and if they nilâ— by force perfourme the same That then by wyt they take in hande some thing of worthy fame Yet is ambition sure a vice and no man will we see Be called so and they that are ambitious counted bee Both vain and proude of naughty mind as once the Romains warre Requested of the common sort reiecting shame afarre As oft as they their voices sought with humble sute did pray Good will of Rascalles for to get that they might beare the sway In coÌ„mon welth their owne things left whereby they might go â—et Amid the stretes with traine of men and stately countenaunce set For hir owne selfe is vertue sought and not for honors sake Though she of right deserueth sure chiefe honors for to take No vertue moues the common sort they rather hir despise Wherfore must Fortune fauour needes and richesse eke suffise Then prayse renowne and worthinesse will also present be In euery place if liuing lacke doth vertue begge we see But yet it forceth not if that the donghill cocke doe gesse A precious stone as nothing worth this makes not it the lesse Of value so the vertuous man content with eche degre Despising praise of common sort regardes not vanitie The face that well preporcioned is requires no paynted hewe And of it selfe may bare be shewde the golde that tryed is true But he that vertue is without doth counterfait the same And vnderneth disguised cloke procures a vertuous name wherfore if thou dost well discerne thou shalt beholde and see This mortall lyfe that here you leade a Pageant for to bee The diuers partes therein declared the chaunging world doth showe The maskers are eche one of them with liuely breath that blow For almost euery man now is desguised from his kinde And vnderneth a false pretence they sely soules doe blinde So moue they Goddes aboue to laugh wyth toyes and trifles vayne Which here in PageaÌ„ts fond they passe while they do life retayne Fame glory prayse and eke renowne are dreames and profitlesse Bicause with chaunce they are obtaynd and not by vertuousnesse But let it be they graunted are to such as worthy be Tel me do they the body good no whit I promise thee Help they the mind as much for truth they blowe them vp before Depriuing them of sobrenesse they make them careful more For he that after honour seekes must cap and crouch ful low Wyth bribing gifts beseching men his simple state to know This is therefore a wretched life and ful of businesse With enuy oft it compassde is and oft in great distresse But he that vertue true can get he liues most quietly And happy enough let him commit the rest to Gods on hye Sufficient honour vnto man is to deserue the same For to the vnworthy honour dealt you can not honour name To such it is a burden great and more a scorneful thing As when vpon the stage a foole comes dressde vp like a King Now wil I here declare and tel of man the mischieues al Assone as he from mothers wombe with bloud embrued doth cral He strayghtway cries and weping luck him brings to wretched life For seing wel by nature shewde the cares and bytter strife Wherwith this mortall life abounds So depe with groning winde The marchant sighes and feares as oft as he doth cal to minde The perils great that ships are in the force of Pirats hand The boystrous windes raging Seas with rockes and drenching sand Then by and by but scarce yet borne him binding bonds do holde And straight his tender ioynts and lims the swadling clothes do folde As tokens yll of bondage great that he in time must
of other partes through al the body forth do runne But of this same in other place more playnly shal we write If God therein do fauour vs and Muses graunt vs sprite Suffiâ—eth now affections fyrst of al things else to be Wythin the minde the causes sprong of things wythout we see And after they by member bloud or other humours might Are spread abrode in euery parte and so thrust out to light For seing minde and body are ioynde the mouing nedes must be Common to both the harmes al one and chaunge in like degree Whatsoeuer thing the one perceyues the other feeleth it They both in nature doe agree so strongly are they knitte But now bycause we seeme to touch the typ of Scorpions toe Let vs my Muse of senses speake here briefly as we goe Fyue senses nature gaue to sucâ— as perfect creatures be But vnto some he delt not all which may be worthely Unperfect namde as Moles wormes and Scallops of the baye And Wilks Irchin ekâ— whom pricks incompast rounde araye Aniong these senses al the syght is thought the best to bee Bicause it is the chiefest meanes wherwith the minde doth see Declaring plaine the wondrous workes beasts that nature here doth frame such floures such fruits such her vs such such plantes such stones of name Such sundry sortes of mettalles fayre and shewing also plaine What Fyshes Proteus feedes in seas what Monsters there remaine And more than thys the stately roomes wherein the Gods doe lye The glistering globes of starres aboue and Phaebus shining hye Besydes the things that men doe heare that tongue can not displaye Thys sense therfore doth all excell and fayrest farre away In which the seate and chiefest place wherin the minde doth dwell Is thought to be for when we meetâ— or talke in presence tell Upon the others eyes we gase as man and minde and all Did there consyst who so the eyes the glasse of minde doth call Shall say the truth for pleasaunt loue in them doth fyrst gyue lyght There hate and â—iercenesse doth appere with mylde and gentle sprite There sadnesse ioy and mischief shewes with zeale and wysedome great And follye pride and feare and rage with fault and wrathfull heat But wherof doth the syght proceede the mindes let other see Of learned men I briefely shewe as I think best to be One lyfe there must be knowne to be of substance eke so fine As syght can neuer comprehende of force and power dâ—uine Which nature deales God doth giue thys feedes and makes to growe Doth breed doth moue doth heare tast doth smell see feele and knowe Which is the chiefe and greatest power most nere to saints on hye These powres she through y e body spreds in certaine partes to lye And by the eyes doth lyght let in and sundry coulers see And iudgeth playne of euery shape and all things else that be Receaueth also by the nose the smelles of sundry sort And by the eares doth vnderstande sounde noyse and great report By tongue descernes eche kinde of tast by feling knowledge brings Of hote from colde of harde from soft of rough from smothest things Companions fyue these are to lyfe and faithfull seruants sure That shewes hir all without the which she nothing coulde procure The eyes therfore as glassye made and as the Christall clâ—re Lyke as a glasse receyue the shapes that we doe looke on here By power wherof are things desernde if that the eye be sounde These sorts of things vnto the minde for as in hyghest grounde Hir stately seate in head the holdes the eye doth plainely showe Whose ymage truely shadowed there she wyse doth straight wayes knowe So wondrously she doth perceiue a sundry sort of soundes When in the helthy vnharmed eares the ayre therof reboundes For ayre of slendrest substance is and moueth by and by Which beaten with the noise doth shuÌ„ne and from the stroke doth flye And pearcyng breakes into the eares though close be kept the glasse And close the dore so fine it is that inwarde it will passe For euen the fyshe when fyâ—hers harde with poales the floudes â—â—e plashe For feare of noyse flye fast from thence and thick in nettes doe mashe For ayre to depth of seas doth pearce vp mountes the waues thereby And tempests roares w t dreadfull noyse the shipman out doth crye And vowes to offer sacred giftes As oft therfore as wee Doe finde two things togither knockte as oft as ayre we see Moued vehemently but chiefly then when through these hollowed things By narrowe straightes it passeth out thence diuers voices springs As diuers are the sortes of them as place doth fashion take In which the ayre doth sundry soundes and sundry voices make So soundes the Trumpet otherwyse by farre than shalme doth blowe And well we may the Tymbrels tune from sounde of sawtrey knowe For as by stroke of stone in streame doe many cyrcles ryse So moued the ayre w t whirling wheele doth spread in largest guise And therfore into many eares one voice doth easely passe As where a number be one syght is seene in euery glaue But how the nose receiueth smell let vs say something here A slender fume from euery thing arisyng doth appere Which broade in ayre doth spred it selfe as Frankconcense we see Or Myrrhe if that vpon the coales the powder poured bee By meanes of tongue is taste perceiude and roufe of mouthe besyde For by these twaine the taste smatche of euery thing is tryde Which pearcing straight doth touch the sense therof is taste begonne But feeling bloud and sprite procures which through the bodye runne Thys sense doe creatures all possesse and taste they all receiue But man doth better them enioye and them more right perceiue Hereof to man more wysedome doth than to the rest aryse Some thys denye and saye the things foresayde are otherwyse Alowing not that formes receyued in eyes cause syght to be Or that the ayre we neede as meane to heare or for to see For the almighty King doth giue so many powers to minde As in the world he framed things that varie in their kinde That she might al things comprehend she knowes wel what to be Hir proper kinde and more perceyues Minde al things plaine doth see And al things ponders prudently that senses to hir brings And wyth celestial trial wayes the true and vertuous things To Lyfe therefore is minde the Sunne the senses Starres doe seeme So some affirme but we make haste and leaue these things to deeme To other men for nye we come to ende of Libra here Bycause the feete of Scorpion signe do playnly now appere My sayings yet do plainly teach the soule Celestiall To be which voyd of body liues and giueth lyfe to all Discerning also euery thing as farre as God giues leaue For al things here of him their force determinde do receyue To him eternal power belongs al things doth he create And makes al things that
rest in quietnesse Nor God should happy be if that as oft as we traâ—â—gresse He should be wroth â–ª moued with dedes of such as synfuâ—â—be But God can not be vexe or harmd if we the truth wyl se For of such might and perfectnesse of God the nature is And distant euen so farre is it from our iniquities That we from him do differ more and farder are by much Than is from vs the Asse the Flye the Flea or worse than such How then can we such wretches vile offend a Lord so great Or by what meanes may we him harm and force him thus so freat Is not this God of passïons voyd and free from griefe or payne And thereby liues in blessed state and alwayes doth remayne Doth it becom a Prince to fume when foles do fondly prate Or rather them for to contemne seemes it a giants state Wyth little children for to fight since he knowes al things wel And doth the things to come foresee I thee besech to tel Ought he such things for to create as should his pleasure spot Wherby he should be after grieued or rather ought he not That helpes the world to help himself or tel if thus diseased He willes it so if he wyll so he is no whit dyspleased But rather ioyes If he would not why doth he it permit Or is he not omnipotent he is we al graunt it Then ought he not to suffer it but yet he doth we see Whereby no kinde of griefe he feeles as reason teacheth me But leades his life in quietnesse Here thou perchaunce wylt say If that our synnes him not displease wyth al the force we may Let vs runne headlong into vice and neuer sinne forbeare Not so but to these words of mine giue thou attentiue eare And vnto thee of truth strayghtwayes the gates I shall disclose When any man doth synne then forth away he stinging goes From this same spring of good leaues both right and light and peace Wherby the synner euermore hys harmes doth still encrease Such is the state of contraryes that how much thou doest flye From one vnto the other straight thou doest approche more nye So he that synning flyes from God runnes to Sarcotheus next Whose yoke when he hath once put on with griefes he sore is vext And as the tyraunt doth commaunde is plagued in sundry wyse Thus no man synnes but punnishment for hym prepared lyes Yet God is neuer cause of ill as I haue sayde before As of hymselfe and properly But he that synnes therfore doth with his owne consent Unto the hangman giue himselfe to haue his punnishment But hereof springs two crabbed doubts for if that synne be cause Of al our mischiefe and our ylles and our vnhappy sawes Why often doth the wicked man his lyfe in pleasure trayne And dyeth wel the vertuous man doth many griefes sustayne And endes at length in misery Besydes before is taught That by no fault nor our deserts things good do chaunce or naught But rather seemes it from the power of certayne sprite to flowe Who guides the Seas and al the earth and ayre possesseth lowe How speake I thus in contraries my wordes do disagree But reader wel thou shalt discerne the trouth and verity And darknesse from thy mynd thou shalt behold farre of to flye If these my words thou wilt vouchsafe to heare attentiuely Know therefore double good to be one as the Commons wil The other as the wisemen iudge So of two sortes is ill The opinion of the common sort is worser euermore For grosse and doâ—â—she is their braine of iudgement lacking store wherfore the goods of body here and such as fortune gaue These onely they doe wonder at and these they seeke to haue But now the goods that in the minde are founde for to remaine They either know not what they meane or else they count them vaine The wyse man on the other syde the onely goods of minde Doth seeke to haue and doth despyse the rest and other kinde Thus followed we before the minde of rude and common men And as such people vse to speake so was my talke as then But from the rude and common sort my minde doth differ now As wyse men iudge of good and ill at thys tune I allowe And in such sort I say no good vnto the wicked man May chaunce and to the vertuous sort no euill happen can Which plainely will I now declare and clerely shall appere Fyrst thys it nedefull is to knowe what vice or cryme is here Is of the minde a sicknesse sore nor men are onely syck In body here but minde aye feeles hir wounde and greuous prick No lesse in force than body doth Thus euery euill wight Is syck bicause hys will is syck and iudgement is not right Whereby the wretch y e harmeful things more worth than good esteemes And sweter aye the filthyest factes to hym than honest semes Which if hys minde wyll were sounde coulde neuer wicked be But iust and vertuous should be found in thys they disagree And as the body all is ill when any of these twayne Diseased is with maladie the heart or else the braine So so alas the whole estate of soule is euer ill WheÌ„ as these two with vice are harmde the minde and eke the wyll As pleasaunt meate to stomack syck doth seme vnpleasaunt aye And protytes nothing vnto hym that sycknesse doth assay So sycke the soule no good thing can the wicked man come by Nor nothing profytes him at all which true I thus wyll trye Some men in lawes expert we see but full of subtiltie And couetous vniust and one that wayes not honesty What profites hym hys learning here what good gaines he therfore Alas he wretches doth beguile and spoyles hys Clyents poore And many other doth he hurt Learning vnto the naught Is lyke a sworde vnto the man that mad hath it vp caught For all things doth the wycked man abuse and make vnpure To others harme shame to himselfe and hatred doth procure And in his feete the thornes he set with anguishe often goes Or else he feareth them wyth hurt whom he hath made hys foes Shall then hys learning good be calde which doth so many blame And hurt like stinging snake ne spares the owner of the same And so of other faculties that yll men occupie Estemed them to be as good lyke reason doth dente But now the wycked man is riche wyth Golde and Jewels store Are not these riches good not so tell me the cause wherefore Lo here I tell bicause he doth abuse them filthily He kepeth hores and surfetteth and baudes therewith doth by With money gredy boyes corrupts and wyth great gyftes assayes The chastitie of maidens poore that happen in hys wayes And so that he may bring to passe what lust doth hym persuade Regardes no whit what lawes of men or Gods precepts doe trade Who if he once be couetous what crime dare he not doe
greatest number is who doth not playnly know Dame nature ioyes in making Fooles as she doth oft to sowe Both Nettles Docks filthy Weedes dul wyt and doltysh brayne These Idiotes haue they seeke not for the ioyes of soule to gayne And only of their lyfe and panch lyke beastes their God they make These doltysh Fooles by thousaÌ„d wyles the crafty sort do take And many false and wicked things to do they them persuade And wyth their language as they lyst do trayne them to their trade For Fooles do quickly credit giue as children also wyll But sonest to vice opinions worst in them appeareth styll To whome is also worser minde here of it doth aryse That Foles beleue these crafty Knaues before the Godly wyse For councel naught these Foxes gyue and teach from truth to slyde And vnderneath a paynted cote the fylthy vice they hyde But though by many meanes they do â–ª these foresayd doltes beguyle Of superstition yet there is a playne and easy wyle Wel knowen to al the worlds of olde the which this subtile kinde Doth chiefly vse for to the church of God themselues they binde And holy rytes they minister Then cause they sore to feare The blockish heartes of Idiotes and them they threaten there Except wyth giftes they please y e saincts except they do appease Wyth Golde the wrath of God for syn and purchase their release Which strayght these Prelats chast receiue wherwith they fat and feede The Harlots and their Curtisans and Mules to serue at neede For who doth not the lyfe of Priestes both note and well beholde And how they do poore Fooles deceiue yet scape they vncontrolde Such is the suffrance now of Kings that onely do apply Their mindes to pastyme belly cheare and filthy lechery These things the Gods do aye permitte that little seeme to wey What hands do deale their sacraments what hearts do them obey What honours here on earth they haue or else what blasphemy But now to Fooles I come agayne whome when in seate on hie Hath Fortune placde for hir delight O Lord what number great Of Follies shalt thou then beholde to long it were to treate Then vertue made a iesting stock and placde aloft is vice Then daunces fonde and bankettings and playes are had in price Then flock of Parasites and whores in euery place are seene Then filthy fond delight alone doth guide the soyle as Queene For as the Prince is commonly so do the subiects lyue And to the lyke behauiours aye themselues they alwayes gyue Not onely pleasure vnto Fooles of kindred we do fynde But anger oftentymes doth match hir self wyth Folish mynde For Fooles are easely moued to wrath and desprate enterprise As oft as fury slames wythin and choller vp doth rise Then wicked loue of weapon springs and bloudy broyles thereby That many corses gyue to death ful colde in graue to lye A naughty kinde of men are these and much to be auoyded The last the lyttle fynger is wherwyth the eares are scratched And therfore calde the earefynger where mad men placed syt That lack the vse of reason right and that haue lost their wyt Whose fury if it neuer ceasse more fyt for them to dye It were and from so great disease by meanes of death to flye Of good men thus two only kyndes there are and neuer more The rest are alwayes naught and yll auoyd them wel therefore Or if thou canst not them auoyd beware yet at the least Thou mouest them not y e coÌ„mon sorte a fierce and cruel beast Do alwayes rage and hurtful be When thus Timalph had taught May not quoth I these Foles wolues to good estate be brought May vice by no meanes be expeld or if there be a way Disclose to me Then on thys sorte Timalphes gan to say As nature in mannes body doth diseases diuers breede So many Sicknesses to the mynde from hir do like proceede And trauayle lyke to both hath dealt Loe how she man doth loue Yet many succours hath she set for mortall mannes behoue Which if she had not done to sore and cruell had she bene Therfore y e same that helpt hath har 〈…〉 and as to harme she is seene So had she skyl to heale agayne that iustly you may doubt A naturall Mother hir to cal or else a stepdame stout But now let vs the bodies griefes and medcins for the same Passe ouer quite in many bookes declarde of auncient fame And of the minde as much as neede shal presently require Let vs here speake to teach more plaine the thing thou didst desire And first as nature so disposing it the rude and countrey fielde â—â—le Nettels weedes brembels sharp continually doth yelde Except it oftentimes be tilde and eke wyth labour sore The hurtful wedes with plough rakes be causde to grow no more Nor this enough it needeful is good seedes therein to cast And dayly for to husbande it till daunger all be past Euen so the minde whilst it is bounde wythin the body here Is ouergrowen wyth Bryars sharp and wylde it doth appere Except it ayded be wyth helpe of one that tilleth well And aptly vertues therein plantes and vices doth expell But what is husbandry of minde perhaps thou sekest to know Its wysedome wisdome that I meane that manners good doth showe That makes men vertuous for to be and playne doth teach the way To mortal men of liuing right and leauing for to stray Persuading them to leade their liues in perfect Godly state And righte ousnesse to exercise and sinnes to shunne and hate This only is the wisdome true and not that other kinde Wherto Physitians and vayne clerkes do still apply their minde Attempting causes hydde of things to bring abrode to light And for to searche the secrete celles of nature day and night Materiam primam and Vacuum and thousande monsters more with blustring countnaÌ„ce belching out that they might seeme therfore Well learnde and stuffed full theyr purse with coyne may strayne O goodly wisedoÌ„e whose learned youth doe eyther gape for gaine Or swell with vaine ambition but none amongst them thoe Doth vertuouser from thence or better manerde goe No teacher of the minde is thys nor wysedome hir we call But rather knowledge hath to name if that she doe not fall From doubtful pathes of men deceiude who thys hath learned than No witt but knowledge gaines by it and of a cunning man Perchance he beares the name but not of wyss and prudent wyght These two doe differ farre in state and workes in diuers plight From wisedome springes y e fruit of life from knowledge the floure doth ryse The one doth profite ayde and helpe the other beautifies The one respectes the inwarde things the other outwarde shine The one makes vertuous men good the other learned and fyne Thus wysedome onely decks the minde which manners God doth showe As I haue sayde destroyeth vice and vertue there doth sowe And waters it
haue And doth remaine when death hath cast the fading corse in graue But me vnhappy wretch alas did pleasure swete deâ—eaue And fled away doth me in briars and many mischienes leaue For whilst that I in youthful yeares the â—â—ewes do oft frequent And while to feeding slepe and play my dolâ—â—sh minde was bent Nought would I lerne hating bokes did study much despise And learning scorne but now alas I see before my eyes My selfe vnlearnde of yll report in beggarly aray My strength decayde my minde appald my senses worne away Al this tyme haue I liued as he that lyes a sleepe in dreames Doth think him self awake to be deceyued by such meanes Like wordes to these doth vtter ofâ— the sâ—outhfull sâ—uggish man When age the neighbor nexte to death doth count to late as than His life led yll in youthfull yeares The greatest sort do shut the dore when Steede is stollen away And wyse they are when as to late their wittes they do assay And for Physitians faâ—â— they seeke when hope of health is gone O wretches whilst you here haue tyme looke wel thys tyme vpon For fast away the houre â—â—yes and fled can not reâ—ouâ—ne No teares can help the corse in graue nor sobbes for him to mourne That medcine only is of force which is in time applyed Therfore must vertue be embracde when youth is fyrst in pryde And then it nedeful is to to treade the perfect path of lyfe And vertuous workes to take in hand then reason must be ryfe And minde wyth councel must be rulde while yet but yong it is Least that with fonde delight deceyude it he adlong runne amysse Who so is wyse let hym in tyme wyth wisedome wel prouide For after wyttes are euermore to folly next alied And out of tyme it bringeth griefe be wayling al in vayne A hurt or losse that neuer can be brought or got agayne Besyde the wicked thirst of wealth and vile desyre of golde Must thou eschew for where a place this couetousnesse doth holde There rayne almost eche other vice as shameful periuries Ungoolinesse theft and disceyt wyth open robberies Guyles treasons and conspyracies wyth frayes and murders vile What needes it for to shew them all nothing besyde more vile Nor worse than is the couetous man that drownde in earth belowe Doth like the Mole no kinde of thing desyre loue or know Saue only riches of the earth for which he doth not feare Eche yll to work nor other God he doth acknowledge here But purse and pens his chiefe delight nor sees the vnhappy best How short the lyfe of man is here how frayle how sone deceast And how that from his bending bow death euermore doth cast His deadly shaftes that pearceth hearts of mortall men so fast And neyther spares the yong nor lernd nor yet the wealthy wyght But euery man wythout respect wyth bloudy blow doth smyte And oftentimes is neerest then when furthest of he showes And sodaine tumults then doth cause when no man of hym knowes But thou regarde not ryches here nor goods that subiect be To blinded chaunce nor let no care of such things tro 〈…〉 thee For proper vnto no man are the things which as she lykes Doth fortune giue and takes away when she vnconstant strykes Or passing doth wyth lyfe away to diuers men descend Nay other riches shalt thou seke that neuer shal haue ende On which no chauÌ„ce nor kinde of death shall euer powre obtayne These riches labour thou to get both dayes and nightes with payne For that thou shalt be truely rich and truely blest by that The others that the common sorte like fooles do wonder at And wish to haue if thou enioyest as money house and land Them vse and occupy at wyll who doth agaynst it stand But iustly yet and modestly and when thou maist or can Haue pity on the pouerty despise no needy man By this meanes shalt y e wyn thee praise and health for euer more And for this earthly baggage here the Skies aboue shalt gayne No man is he but sure a wolfe that doth not mercy showe That is not moued to see the state of others ouerthrowe But if of poore estate thou arte then beare it paciently And in good part sustayne the lotte of this thy pouerty For greater ouerthrowes hath he and greater griefe and care Whome Fortune most enriched hath and giuen the greater share And so much ouerlayd he is wyth wayght of substance great That by no meanes he can beholde the hie celestial seate For light and voyde of earthly dregges it him behoues to be That wil with minde ascend the place where as the heauens be For more a man seekes earthly state more falles he from the Skye And from the euer lasting light he farther of doth flye And eke in place where as a man his treasure vp doth hyde There lies his heart and there his mind doth euermore abyde Thus prouertie helpes many men vnburdning them therby That so wyth swifter wyngs they may vnto the heauens flye In lyke sort pride thou must auoyde the spring of stryfe and hate That with discention many times destroyes a common state wyth thys disease in auncient time was Rome nere ouerthrowne Opprest wyth rage of fury fierce that ciuill warres had blowne Flye thou thys fiende of hell if thou desyrest for to bee A friende of Gods and after death the Heauens elere to see No proude man loues the Gods aboue nor is beloued of them For God estemes the humble sort and lowly minded men And well he lykes the gentle mindes where no ambition lyes Thrustes downe y e proude suffers not to dwell with him in skyes wherfore you proude disdainful swarme what doth your pryde you gaine What helpes your great renoumed names and princely titles vaine which death in shortest time doth spoile and in the streame hath dronde Of Lethes flouds where synking lowe they neuer can be founde You seeke to please the common sort and of them praysde to hee Tell what distretion hath that state the truth of things to see They count you here as Gods to be and what doth follow then When Asses here in deede you are with outwarde signe of men Th vnskilfull sort you doe deceiue but not the Gods aboue But rather them to laughter oft and oft to wrath you moue For all your prety prankes they marke and priuie deedes they see But you O blinded Asses thinke no Gods at all to bee Nor yet beleue the Corse in graue the soule shall ryse to dome And therfore seke these present ioyes and scorne the lyfe to come A number great of beastes aliue in shape of men doe straye Hence springeth vp your errour great and cause of your decaye That with your grosse capacitie no other thing you see but bodyes grosse nor true things know but such as shaddowes bee The greatest sort delight in smoke and full with smoke they flowe O fooles what lighter thing thaÌ„ smoke what