A Posie of Gilloflowers :: :: University of Virginia Library

A Youngman once, by chaunce that lost his way,
Through deserts wilde, as on a time hee past:
Foure Lyons fierce, that sought to gaine some pray,
With gasping throte, hee saw make at him fast.
Who running swift, to shunne this daunger great,

Espied a well, small trees about it greewe,
By which hee honge, and in the same did leape,
Their ramping pawes and malice to eschew.
Thus as hee thought the perill to escape,
Hee did discry a mightie Dragon fell,
With open mouth most hidiously to gape:
Him to deuour in bottome of the well.
Then lifting vp his head, hee looked out,
And might perceiue the Lions still remaine,
Which in such sort beset the well about,
That of escape, all hoping was in vaine.
Thus as with death himselfe besiegde hee saw,
A chaunce befell, which made him more dismayde,
Two beastes, one white, the other blacke did knaw,
The little twigges, that him from falling stayde.
With daunger thus besette on euery side,
Hee in a hole, behinde his backe did finde,
A honny pot, which some man there did hide,
Now casting all his care out of his minde,
Hee with one hand the honny sweete did tast:
The other did from falling him sustaine:
Untill the beastes had gnawne the twigs at last,
That downe hee fell, and ruthfully was slaine.
This well, the world doth truely represent,
In which wee liue in daunger euery houre:
By Lions foure the elements are meant,
Which dayly seeke all mankinde to deuoure.
The Dragon fell, doth signifie our graue,
The twigges self loue, the beasts, the night and day,
The honny pot, the great desire we haue
To worldly ioyes, euen to our soules decay.
Ech one therfore, I earnestly aduise,
Heere in this world to vse themselues so well:
And spend their dayes in such a godly wise,
That after death their soules in heauen may dwell.