University of Virginia Library

An admonition or Warning to England.

Lo here O Englande thou,
thy fatall ende mayst see:
A warning great if thou be wise,
this same may be to thee.
Beholde what noble things
are come to ruine great:
When fruites are rype, thou well doest know,
then are they pluct to eate.
The sinne is very rype,
the bankes doe ouer flowe:
The tyme wyll come when thou shalt be,
like these be brought as lowe.
If thou doe not repent,
when mercy standes in gate:
I feare me when thou wouldest fayne,
that it will be to late.
Take tyme while tyme doth giue,
a laysure for the same:
Remember well that tyme hath feete,
and she is nothing lame.
Before long haire she hath,
behinde she quite is polde:
Put to thy hande, and of her lockes,
see that thou take good holde.
Fall nowe for to repent,
for lo, she still doth stande:
And eke beholde howe for to cutte,
her Sythe is in her hande.
Not foure Monthes fully past,
since these were lyke to thee:
And now thearth hath gaped so wyde,
that swallowed vp they be.
What was the cause right well,
the scripture vs doth showe:
It was the very sinnes of them,
that brought those townes so lowe.
Thy sinnes do more abounde,
what filth is not in thee:
Why shouldst not thou be swallowed like
as all these Castelles be?
But that the mighty God
of his abundaunt grace:
Doth yet in mercy graunt to thee,
somewhat of longer space.
Consider howe he fierce,
of late hath delt with thee:
Bicause these Castelles and thy selfe,
after might warned be.
And now bycause nothing,
could make them to repent:
From thee he did transport to them,
his grieuous punishment.
Thy warning could not serue,
ne yet theirs could serue thee:
Well now for their refusall great,
swallowed vp they bee.
Amend my country still,
I thee desire and pray:
For I a member of thy state,
were loth thou shouldst decay.
Beholde thy louing Lorde,
his sworde is in his hande:
Thee to the earth to fling in yre
what can his force withstande:
Can mighty gates of brasse,
can Castels strongly builte:
His force withstande? his very breath,
these Castels quite hath spilte.
No meane there is in deede,
that can his plagues withstande:
But onely this repentance may,
by mercy stay his hande.
Repent in tyme therfore,
to God for mercy cry:
Which when thou doest his mighty hand
he stayeth by and by.
For thus he playne doth say,
when sinners shall relente:
And turne from sinne, I euen then
lykewise my selfe repente,
Of all the plagues which I
vpon them thought to bring:
Lo here the mercy great I say,
of our most heauenly king.
Their sinnes Ill quite forgette,
if they will turne to me:
I will remember them no more,
though thousandes that there be,
Remember Niniuie,
how that when god had sente:
Ionas the Prophet vnto them,
they straight wayes did repent.
Whereof did come that God,
his wrath did still restrayne:
Repent therefore in tyme I say,
so mayst thou styll remayne.