 | The paine of pleasure |  |
Riches, The second pleasure.
In
Ritches now, another kinde of ioy,
In which both youth and age haue great delight:
Were it well waide, and it were but a toy,
Which manie waies doe breede their great despight.
In getting first with labour, care and paine,
In keeping to, as great vnrest againe.
In which both youth and age haue great delight:
Were it well waide, and it were but a toy,
Which manie waies doe breede their great despight.
In getting first with labour, care and paine,
In keeping to, as great vnrest againe.
In getting first, the braine is busied,
With deepe deuise to cast a plot to gaine:
Then armes, hands, legges and feete, are occupied,
For cankered coyne, their strongest ioynt to straine.
I doe not meane, as some vnwisely doe:
Deuise for coyne, to straine a necke ioynt too:
With deepe deuise to cast a plot to gaine:
Then armes, hands, legges and feete, are occupied,
For cankered coyne, their strongest ioynt to straine.
I doe not meane, as some vnwisely doe:
Deuise for coyne, to straine a necke ioynt too:
God forbid that, and yet some men doe so,
Both stretch and cracke, and breake their necke ioynt to:
But wealth so wunne. dooth breede no little woe,
God mend their mindes that so deuise to doe.
Better to die a begger of the twaine:
Then by such meanes to seeke or gape for gaine.
Both stretch and cracke, and breake their necke ioynt to:
But wealth so wunne. dooth breede no little woe,
God mend their mindes that so deuise to doe.
Better to die a begger of the twaine:
Then by such meanes to seeke or gape for gaine.
This is (alas) a wicked way to gaine:
Yet not the wurst: for some, oh cursed they:
That seeke the meane to haue their parents slaine,
And Friendes and kinsfolkes, closely make away.
To gaine their goods, but oh ill gotten gaine:
Whose getting breedes, the soule eternall paine.
Yet not the wurst: for some, oh cursed they:
That seeke the meane to haue their parents slaine,
And Friendes and kinsfolkes, closely make away.
To gaine their goods, but oh ill gotten gaine:
Whose getting breedes, the soule eternall paine.
God shield each one, from such a beastly thought,
So to deuise, to purchase worldly pray:
And pardon those that wickedly haue wrought,
Such deuillish meanes to worke their soules decay.
And graunt vs all so for to seeke for wealth:
As neckes cracke not, nor hinder our soules health.
So to deuise, to purchase worldly pray:
And pardon those that wickedly haue wrought,
Such deuillish meanes to worke their soules decay.
And graunt vs all so for to seeke for wealth:
As neckes cracke not, nor hinder our soules health.
But leauing these, lets see some other waies,
In making meanes, to hoorde vp heapes of pence:
In strange deuise, to spend both night and dayes,
And leaue their home, and goe a great way hence.
To find such stuffe, as to returne againe:
Doo yeeld them small amends for all their paine.
In making meanes, to hoorde vp heapes of pence:
In strange deuise, to spend both night and dayes,
And leaue their home, and goe a great way hence.
To find such stuffe, as to returne againe:
Doo yeeld them small amends for all their paine.
Some saile by sea, to seeke out forraine soyle,
To finde out there some gem, of valure great.
In seeking which, with tough and tedious toyle,
To saue themselues, they oft are faine to sweat.
And ere their Barks, be safe ariu'd on land:
How oft their liues in thousand dangers stand.
To finde out there some gem, of valure great.
In seeking which, with tough and tedious toyle,
To saue themselues, they oft are faine to sweat.
And ere their Barks, be safe ariu'd on land:
How oft their liues in thousand dangers stand.
Anh let their ships be safely set on shore,
And they do finde, that which they looke for there:
Yet ere returne, they liue perplexed sore,
With troubled minde, now sayling halfe in feare.
Of forraine foes. of tempests, Rocks, or Sands:
Or falling into rouing Pirats hands.
And they do finde, that which they looke for there:
Yet ere returne, they liue perplexed sore,
With troubled minde, now sayling halfe in feare.
Of forraine foes. of tempests, Rocks, or Sands:
Or falling into rouing Pirats hands.
And let them be returned home with ioy,
And all their goods brought home to their desire:
Yet see what then doth worke their harts annoy,
Oh then they feare each foolish sparke of fire,
Should burne their house, and then another greefe,
Each Mouse that peepes, should surely be a theefe.
And all their goods brought home to their desire:
Yet see what then doth worke their harts annoy,
Oh then they feare each foolish sparke of fire,
Should burne their house, and then another greefe,
Each Mouse that peepes, should surely be a theefe.
Some other now, that loue to liue at home,
And onely seeke by sweat of brow to gaine:
With spade and sholue about the fieldes they rome,
Turmoyling still with labour sore and paine.
With carke and care, to purchase wealth in hast:
Which God he knowes, but little time will last.
And onely seeke by sweat of brow to gaine:
With spade and sholue about the fieldes they rome,
Turmoyling still with labour sore and paine.
With carke and care, to purchase wealth in hast:
Which God he knowes, but little time will last.
Some seeke by play, at Tables, Cardes, and Dice,
In secret sort, a world of wealth to winne:
But who seeke so, doe proue themselues vnwise,
In loosing all, before their gaine beginne.
Whose hope of gaine can neuer breede such ioy,
As certaine losse, doth breede their harts annoy.
In secret sort, a world of wealth to winne:
But who seeke so, doe proue themselues vnwise,
In loosing all, before their gaine beginne.
Whose hope of gaine can neuer breede such ioy,
As certaine losse, doth breede their harts annoy.
What should I write of euery strange deuise,
That some men vse in seeking worldly pelfe?
The prouerbe saies, that no man can be wise,
That is not wise each way to helpe himselfe.
But scripture sayes, the rich to Heauen on hye,
Goes like a Cammell, through a Needles eye.
That some men vse in seeking worldly pelfe?
The prouerbe saies, that no man can be wise,
That is not wise each way to helpe himselfe.
But scripture sayes, the rich to Heauen on hye,
Goes like a Cammell, through a Needles eye.
And let a man grow rich in lusty youth,
And haue for wealth almost the world at will,
Yet see in age, God wot too great a ruth,
It breedeth death full sore against their will.
How ioyes he then? in being his owne friend:
To bring his life, his chiefest ioy to end.
And haue for wealth almost the world at will,
Yet see in age, God wot too great a ruth,
It breedeth death full sore against their will.
How ioyes he then? in being his owne friend:
To bring his life, his chiefest ioy to end.
O fond delight, oh grieuous kinde of ioy,
Oh cankred coyne, the cause of deadly paine:
Oh madhead man to ioy in such a toy,
Oh greedie mindes that so doe grope for gaine.
Oh wretched wealth, whose ioy dooth breede such wo,
Oh God forgiue such fooles as seeke it so.
Oh cankred coyne, the cause of deadly paine:
Oh madhead man to ioy in such a toy,
Oh greedie mindes that so doe grope for gaine.
Oh wretched wealth, whose ioy dooth breede such wo,
Oh God forgiue such fooles as seeke it so.
But let wealth passe, one other ioy I finde,
Which many count their great and chiefest ioy,
Which if they would once wisely way in minde,
They soone should see it plainely but a toy.
Which when God wot with great a doe they gaine,
Yet being got, it is not free from paine.
Which many count their great and chiefest ioy,
Which if they would once wisely way in minde,
They soone should see it plainely but a toy.
Which when God wot with great a doe they gaine,
Yet being got, it is not free from paine.
| The paine of pleasure | |