 | A Margarite of America |  |
Humanæ Miseriæ discursus.
O whereof boasteth man, or by what reason
Is filthy clay so much ambitious?
Whose thoughts are vaine, and alter euery season
Whose deedes are damned, base, and vitious,
Who in his cradle by his childish crying
Presageth his mishaps and sorrowes nying.
Is filthy clay so much ambitious?
Whose thoughts are vaine, and alter euery season
Whose deedes are damned, base, and vitious,
Who in his cradle by his childish crying
Presageth his mishaps and sorrowes nying.
An infant first from nurces teat he sucketh
With nutriment corruption of his nature:
And from the roote of endlesse errour plucketh
That taste of sinne that waites on euery creature,
And as his sinewes firme his sinne increaseth,
And but till death his sorrow neuer ceaseth.
With nutriment corruption of his nature:
And from the roote of endlesse errour plucketh
That taste of sinne that waites on euery creature,
And as his sinewes firme his sinne increaseth,
And but till death his sorrow neuer ceaseth.
In riper yeares when youthly courage raineth,
A winters blast of fortunes lowring changes,
A flattering hope wherein no trust remaineth,
A fleeting loue his forward ioy estranges:
Atchiue he wealth, with wastefull wo he bought it,
Let substance faile, he grieues, and yet he sought it.
A winters blast of fortunes lowring changes,
A flattering hope wherein no trust remaineth,
A fleeting loue his forward ioy estranges:
Atchiue he wealth, with wastefull wo he bought it,
Let substance faile, he grieues, and yet he sought it.
In staied yeares when as he seekes the gleanings
Of those his times in studious Artes bestowed,
In summe, he oft misconstrueth wise-mens meanings.
Soiling the spring from whence his science flowed,
In all he gaines by perfect iudgement gained,
A hate of life that hath so long remained.
Of those his times in studious Artes bestowed,
In summe, he oft misconstrueth wise-mens meanings.
Soiling the spring from whence his science flowed,
In all he gaines by perfect iudgement gained,
A hate of life that hath so long remained.
From height of throne to abiect wretchednesse,
From woonderous skill to seruile ignorance:
From court to cart, from rich to rechlesnesse,
The ioyes of life haue no continuance:
The king, the caitife wretch, the lay, the learned.
Their crowns, woes, wants, & wits with griefe haue erned.
From woonderous skill to seruile ignorance:
From court to cart, from rich to rechlesnesse,
The ioyes of life haue no continuance:
The king, the caitife wretch, the lay, the learned.
Their crowns, woes, wants, & wits with griefe haue erned.
The Iudgement seate hath brawles, honour is hated,
The souldiers life is dayly thrall to danger,
The marchants bag by tempests is abated,
His stocke still serues for prey to euery stranger,
The scholler with his knowledge learnes repent,
Thus each estate in life hath discontent.
The souldiers life is dayly thrall to danger,
The marchants bag by tempests is abated,
His stocke still serues for prey to euery stranger,
The scholler with his knowledge learnes repent,
Thus each estate in life hath discontent.
And in these trades and choice estates of liuing,
Youth steales on manly state, and it on age,
And age with weakned limmes, and mind misgiuing,
With trembling tongue repenteth youthly rage,
And ere he full hath learnd his life to gouerne,
He dies, and dying doth to dust returne.
Youth steales on manly state, and it on age,
And age with weakned limmes, and mind misgiuing,
With trembling tongue repenteth youthly rage,
And ere he full hath learnd his life to gouerne,
He dies, and dying doth to dust returne.
His greatest good is, to report the trouble
Which he in prime of youth hath ouerpassed,
How for his graines of good he reapt but stubble,
How lost by loue, by follies hew disgraced,
Which whilst he counts, his sonne perhaps attendeth,
And yet his dayes in selfe like follies endeth.
Which he in prime of youth hath ouerpassed,
How for his graines of good he reapt but stubble,
How lost by loue, by follies hew disgraced,
Which whilst he counts, his sonne perhaps attendeth,
And yet his dayes in selfe like follies endeth.
Thus mortall life on sodaine vanisheth,
All like a dreame, or as the shadow fleeteth,
When sunne his beame from substance banisheth,
Or like the snow at once that dries and sleeteth.
Or as the rainebow which by her condition
Liues by the Sunnes reflect and opposition.
All like a dreame, or as the shadow fleeteth,
When sunne his beame from substance banisheth,
Or as the rainebow which by her condition
Liues by the Sunnes reflect and opposition.
Thus life in name is but a death in beeing,
A burthen to the soule by earth intangled:
Then put thou off that vaile that lets thy seeing,
O wretched man with many torments mangled,
Since neither childe, nor youth, nor staid, nor aged,
The stormes of wretched life may be asswaged.
A burthen to the soule by earth intangled:
Then put thou off that vaile that lets thy seeing,
O wretched man with many torments mangled,
Since neither childe, nor youth, nor staid, nor aged,
The stormes of wretched life may be asswaged.
And with the Egyptian midst thy delicates
Present the shape of death in euery member,
To make thee know the name of all estates:
And midst thy pompe thy nying graue remember,
Which if thou dost, thy pride shall be repressed,
Since none before he dies is perfect blessed.
Present the shape of death in euery member,
To make thee know the name of all estates:
And midst thy pompe thy nying graue remember,
Which if thou dost, thy pride shall be repressed,
Since none before he dies is perfect blessed.
| A Margarite of America | |