Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

First worship God, he that forgets to pray
Bids not himself good-morrow, nor good-day.
Let thy first labour be to purge thy sin,
And serve him first, whence all things did begin.

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Honour thy Parents tō prolong thine end,
With them, though for a truth, do not contend.
Though all should truth defend, do thou loose rather,
The truth a while, then lose their Loves for ever.
VVho ever makes his fathers heart to bleed,
Shall have a child that will revenge the deed.

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Think that is just, 'tis not enough to do,

Unlesse thy very thoughts are upright too.

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Defend the truth, for that who will not dye,
A coward is, and gives himself the lye.

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Honour the King, as sons their Parents doe,
For he's thy Father, and thy Countryes too.

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A friend is gold; if true hee'l never leave thee:
Yet both without a touchstone may deceive thee.

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Suspitious men think others false, but he
Cozens himself that will too credulous be;
For thy friends sake, let no suspect be shown,
And shun to be too credulous for thine own.

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Take well what e're shall chance; though bad it be,
Take it for good, and 'twill be so to thee.

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Swear not: An oath is like a dangerous dart,
Which shot, rebounds to strike the shooters heart.

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The law's the path of life; then that obey;
Who keeps it not, hath wandring lost his way.

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Thank those that do thee good, so shalt thou gain
Their second help, if thou shouldst need again,

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To doubtfull matters do not headlong run;
What's well left off, were better not begun.

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Be well advis'd, and wary counsell make,
E're thou dost any action undertake,

Having undertaken, thy indeavours bend
To bring thy Action to a perfect end.

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Safe in thy brest close lock up thy Intents,
For he that knows thy purpose, best prevents.

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To tell thy miseries will no comfort breed.
Men help thee most that think thou hast no need.
But if the world once thy misfortunes know,
Thou soon shalt loose a friend, and finde a foe.

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Keep thy friends goods, for should thy wants be known
Thou canst not tell but they may be thy own.

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To gather wealth through fraud do not presume,
A little evill got will much consume.

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First think, and if thy thoughts approve thy will
Then speak, and after what thou speakst fulfill.

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Spare not, nor spend to much; be this thy care,
Spare but to spend, and onely spend to spare.
Who spends too much may want, and so complain,
But he spends best that spares to spend again.

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Jf with a stranger thou discourse, first learn
By strictest observations to discern,
If he be wiser then thy self; if so
Be dumb, and rather choose by him to know:
But if thy self perchance the wiser be,
Then do thou speak that he may learn by thee.

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If thou dispraise a man let no man know,

By any circumstance that he's thy foe:
If men but once finde that, they'l quickly see
Thy words from hate, and not from judgement be.
If thou wouldst tell his vice, do what you can
To make the world believe thou lov'st the man.

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Reprove not in their wrath incensed men,
Good councel comes clean out of season then.
But when his fury is appeas'd and past,
He will conceive his fault and mend at last.
When he is cool and calm, then utter it,
No man gives Physick in the midst oth' Fit,

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Seem not too conscious of thy worth, nor be
The first that knows thy own sufficiency.
If to thy King and Countrey thy true care
More serviceable is then others are,
That blaze in Court; and every action sway
As if the Kingdom on their shoulders lay.
Or if thou serv'st a master, and dost see
Others prefer'd of lesse Desert then thee.
Do not complain, though such a plaint be true,
Lords will not give their Favours as a due,
But rather stay and hope: it cannot be
But men at last must needs thy vertues see.
So shall thy trust endure and greater grow,
Whil'st they that are above thee, fall below.

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Desire not thy mean fortunes for to set
Next to the estately Manners of the Great.
He will suspect thy labours, and oppresse,
Fearing thy greatnesse makes his wealth the lesse.
Great ones do love no equals: But must be

Above the Terms of all comparity.
Such a rich neighbour is compared best
To the great Pike that eats up all the rest:
Or else like Pharaohs Cow, that in an hour
VVill seven of his fattest friends devour.
Or like the sea whose vastnesse swallows clean
All other streams, though no increase be seen.
Live by the Poor, they do the Poor no harm;
So Bees thrive best when they together swarm.
Rich men are Bears, and Poor men ought to fear'em
Like ravenous wolves, 'tis dangerous living near'em.

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Each man three Devils hath; self born affliction,
Th'unruly Tongue, the Belly, and Affections:
Charme these, such holy Conjurations can
Gain thee a frienship both of God and man.

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So live with man, as if Gods curious Eye,
Did every where into thine Actions prye.
For never yet was sin so void of sence,
So fully fac'd with brazen impudence.
As that it durst before mens eyes commit
Their beastly lusts, lest they should witnesse it.
How dare they then offend, when God shall see,
That must alone both Iudge and jury be?

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Take thou no care how to defer thy death,
And give more respite to this Mortall breath.
Would'st thou live long? the onely means are these,
'Bove Galens dyet or Hypocrates.
Strive to live well, tread in the upright wayes,
And rather count thy Actions then thy dayes;
Then thou hast liv'd enough amongst us here,

For every day well spent I count a year.
Live well, and then how soon so e're thou dye,
Thou art of Age to claim Eternity.
But he that out lives Nestor, and appears
T'have past the date of grave Methusalem's years;
If he his life to sloth and sin doth give,
I say he onely Was, he did not Live.

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Trust not a man unknown, he may deceive thee;
And doubt the man thou know'st, for he may leave thee.
And yet for to prevent exception too,
'Tis best not seem to doubt although you do.

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Hear much but little speak, a wise man fears,
And will not use his tongue so much as ears.
The Tongue if it the hedge of Teeth do break
Will others shame, and its own Ruin speak.
I never yet did ever read of any
Undone by hearing, but by speaking many.
The reason's this, the Ears if chast and holly,
Do let in wit, the Tongue doth let out folly.

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To all alike be courteous, meek, and kinde,
A win ning carriage with indifferent minde.
But not familiar, that must be exempt,
Grooms saucy love soon turns into contempt,
Be sure he be at least as good as thee,
To whom thy friendship shall familiar be.

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Iudge not between two friends, but rather see
If thou canst bring them friendly to agree.
So shalt thou both their Loves to thee increase,
And gain a blessing too for makig Peace,

But if thou shouldst decide the cause 'ith'end,
How e're thou judge thou sure shalt lose a friend.

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Thy credit wary keep, 'tis quickly gone;
Being got by many Actions, lost by one.

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Unto thy Brother buy not, sell, nor lend,
Such Actions have their own peculiar end;
But rather chuse to give him, if thou see
That thou hast power, and he necessity.

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Spare in thy youth, lest Age should finde thee poor
When time is past, and thou canst spare no more.
No coupl'd misery is so great in either,
As Age and VVant when both do meet together.

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Fly Drunkennesse, whose vile incontinence
Takes both away the reason and the sence.
Till with Ciræ an Kups thy mind's possest
Leaves to be man, and wholly turns a Beast.
Think whilst thou swallowest the capacious Bowle,
Thou let'st in Seas to wrack and drown the soule.
That hell is open, to remembrance call,
And think how subject drunkards are to fall.
Consider how it soon destroyes the grace
Of humane shape, spoiling the beauteous face:
Puffing the cheeks, blearing the curious eye,
Studding the face with vitious Heraldry.
What Pearls and Rubies doth the wine disclose,
Making the purse poor to enrich the Nose?
How does it nurse disease, infect the heart,
Drawing some sicknesse into every part!
The Stomack over-cloy'd, wanting a vent,

Doth up againe resend her excrement.
And then (ô see what too much wine can do!)
The very soul being drunk spews secrets too.
The Lungs corrupted breath contagious ayr,
Belching up fumes that unconcocted are,
The brain o're warm'd (losing her sweet repose)
Doth purge her filthy ordure through the nose,
The veins do boyl glutted with vitious food,
And quickly fevers the distemper'd blood.
The belly swels, the foot can hardly stand
Lam'd with the Gout; the Palsie shakes the Hand.
And through the flesh sick waters sinking in,
Do Bladder-like puffe up the dropsi'd skin.
It weaks the Brain, it spoils the Memory,
Hasting on Age, and wilful Poverty.
It drowns thy better parts, making thy name
To foes a laughter, to thy friends a shame.
'Tis vertues poyson, and the bane of rrust,
The match of wrath, the fuel unto lust.
Quite leave this vice, and turn not to't again,
Upon presumption of a stronger brain.
For he that holds more wine then others can,
I rather count a Hogs-head then a man.

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Let not thy impotent lust so powerfull be
Over thy Reason, Soul, and Liberty.
As to enforce thee to a married life,
Er'e thou art able to maintain a wife.
Thou canst not feed upon her lips and face,
She cannot cloath thee with a poor imbrace,
My self being yet alone, and but one still,
With patience could endure the worst of ill.
VVhen fortune frowns, one to the wars may go

To fight against his foes, and fortunes too.
But (ô) the grief were treble for to see
Thy wretched Bride half pin'd with Poverty.
To see thy infants make their dumb complaint,
And thou not able to relieve their want.
The poorest beggar when he's dead and gone,
Is rich as he that sits upon the Throne,
But he that having no estate is wed,
Starves in his grave, being wretched when he's dead.

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If e're I take a wife, I will have one
Neither for beauty nor for portion,
But for her vertues; and I'le married be
Not for my lust, but for posterity.
And when I am wed, I'le never jealous be,
But make her learn how to be chast by me.
And be her face what t'will, I'le think her faire
If she within the house confine her care.
If modest in her words, and cloaths she be,
Not dawb'd with pride, and prodigality;
If with her neighbours she maintains no strife,
And beare her self to be a faithfull wife;
I'de rather unto such a one be wed,
Then clasp the choysest Helen in my bed.
Yet though she were an Angell, my affection
Should onely love, not dote on her perfection.