Odes In Imitation of the Seaven Penitential Psalmes with Sundry other Poemes and ditties tending to deuotion and pietie [by Richard Rowlands] |
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VERSES OF THE worldes vanitie, supposed to bee made by S. Bernard. |
 | Odes In Imitation of the Seaven Penitential Psalmes |  |
113
VERSES OF THE worldes vanitie, supposed to bee made by S. Bernard.
Why doth this world contend,
For glorious vanitie,
VVhose welth so subiect is,
To mutabilitie.
For glorious vanitie,
VVhose welth so subiect is,
To mutabilitie.
As earthen vessels faile,
Through their fragillitie,
So standeth wordly force,
Vnsure and slipperie.
Through their fragillitie,
So standeth wordly force,
Vnsure and slipperie.
Caracters ra'st in yce,
Think rather permanent,
Then earthly vanities,
Vading incontinent.
Think rather permanent,
Then earthly vanities,
Vading incontinent.
Shadowed with vertue pure,
But fals in recompence,
At no tyme yeilding vs,
True trust or confidence.
But fals in recompence,
At no tyme yeilding vs,
True trust or confidence.
To men more credit giue,
That want fidelitie,
Then trust in worldly welth,
VVhich is but miserie.
That want fidelitie,
Then trust in worldly welth,
VVhich is but miserie.
114
Falshood in fond-delight,
Pleasures in franticknes,
Desyred vanities,
Of fleeting ficklenes.
Pleasures in franticknes,
Desyred vanities,
Of fleeting ficklenes.
VVhere now is Salomon,
Somtyme in royaltie,
Or Sampson with his great,
Inuincibillitie.
Somtyme in royaltie,
Or Sampson with his great,
Inuincibillitie.
Or gentle Ionathas,
Praised for freindlynesse,
Or fairest Absalon,
So rare in comlynesse.
Praised for freindlynesse,
Or fairest Absalon,
So rare in comlynesse.
VVheare now is Ceaser gon,
High in authoritie,
Or Diues with his fare,
And sumptuositie.
High in authoritie,
Or Diues with his fare,
And sumptuositie.
Tel now where Tullie is,
Cleerest in eloquence,
Or Aristotle fled,
VVith his intelligence.
Cleerest in eloquence,
Or Aristotle fled,
VVith his intelligence.
O silly vermens food,
O masse of dustynesse,
O dew, o vanitie,
VVhence is thy loftinesse.
O masse of dustynesse,
O dew, o vanitie,
VVhence is thy loftinesse.
To morrow for to liue,
Thow haste no certainty,
Do good to all therefore,
VVhyle thow haste liberty.
Thow haste no certainty,
Do good to all therefore,
VVhyle thow haste liberty.
115
This wordly glorie great,
How short a feast it is?
And lyke a shadow here,
Lo how it vanishes.
How short a feast it is?
And lyke a shadow here,
Lo how it vanishes.
VVhich takes rewardes away,
Of long continuance,
And leades vs in the wayes,
Of erring ignorance.
Of long continuance,
And leades vs in the wayes,
Of erring ignorance.
This earthly glory moste,
VVhich here is magnifyde,
In Scripture termed is,
As grasse thats withered.
VVhich here is magnifyde,
In Scripture termed is,
As grasse thats withered.
And as the lightest leaf,
The wynde a way doth blow,
So light is lyf of man,
For death to ouerthrow.
The wynde a way doth blow,
So light is lyf of man,
For death to ouerthrow.
Think that which thow maist lose,
Is not thyne certainly,
This world wil take againe,
These gifts of vanitie.
Is not thyne certainly,
This world wil take againe,
These gifts of vanitie.
Think then on thinges aboue,
On them thy harte adresse,
Contemne all worldly welth,
For endlesse blessednes.
On them thy harte adresse,
Contemne all worldly welth,
For endlesse blessednes.
| Odes In Imitation of the Seaven Penitential Psalmes | |