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3

THE MOTHERS blessing.

4

TO THE SPIRIT OF MVCH forwardnesse, in the inclination to much goodnesse, in the loue of learning, and the honor of vertue: M. Thomas Rowe, sonne to the Lady Bartley of Stoke, Nich. Breton wisheth with continuance of health, a prosperous achieuement of his vertuous desires.
5

The Mothers blessing.

My sonne, my sonne, my best belouèd sonne,
Hear my deare son, what careful charge I leaue thee:
Take hold of Time, the glasse is quickly run,
Trust not to Fortune, for she will deceiue thee:
What ere thou art, let not the world perceiue thee,
Know God, loue him, be gouern'd by his will,
And haue no doubt of good, nor feare of ill.
Weane laizie Will, from thriftlesse Idlenes:
Beware the wanton, to abuse thy wit:
Vnbridled Will breeds but vnhappines,
How euer sorrowes Care would couer it:
Who buyes Repentance must pay deare for it.
Time, Truth, and Triall, will in one agree:
The fruits of sin, Death, shame, and sorrow bee.
Loue not vpon the first delightfull looke:
Nor hate, vpon the first conceiuèd harme:
Let not the care of Conscience be mistooke,
And feare the force of the Almightie arme:
Feare not mischance, nor harken to a charme.
By graceles meanes, deuise not to enrich thee,
And let no worlds vnworthy loue betwitch thee.
If that thou serue a Thatcher, do him due:
But if thou canst, subscribe not to the Clowne:
Lest all too late, thou find'st it all too true,
When thou hast thatcht the house, he throw thee downe,
But neuer fret, how euer Fortune frowne.
For what the higher powers of heau'n decree,
There is no asking, why it should so bee.
Breake not thy word, that well thou maist performe,
For words are waide by men of worthy minde:
Take heed of those, that falshoods do enforme,
And strike not saile, for euery blast of winde:
Nor do thy spirit to thy body binde.
Giue not a Misers liberalitie,
And feare the fruite of prodigalitie.
Heare all men speake, but harken to the wise,
Learne of the learnèd, and the vertuous loue:
And let no pride thy blessed soule surprise,
That may discretion from thy minde remoue:
Humilitie is grac't with God aboue.
And Courtesie, with honors cariage,
Twixt Loue, and Beautie, make a mariage.
Be kinde to those, that kindly do deserue,
Cruell to none, a Tyrant is a Deuill:
Haue speciall care, thy health for to preserue,
And keep thee from the Epicurian euill,
Loue not the eye that squints, nor lips that dreuill.
Beware the Pander, and the Parasite,
And do not leaue a Faulcon for a Kite.
Giue not thine eare to euery Idle tale,
And trust no more, then what of needs thou must:
Set not the secrets of thy heart to sale,
For feare, they throw thine honor in the dust,
And do not loue the treasure that will rust.
Make it thy day, but when the Sun doth shine,
And ioy in soule, but in the loue diuine.
Place not thy learning in a Library,
Yet reede, and marke, remember, and apply:
And till thou art a perfect Antiquary,
Stand not too much vpon antiquitie:
Let vertue note the best Nobilitie.
Be wise in all things, that thou doest intend,
A good begining makes a blessed end.
Stand not on termes with persons of estate,
Be truly loyall in thy life and loue:
Know what belongs vnto a Magistrate,
Who hath his office from the heau'ns aboue:
Nor make a Gaunlet of a hedging gloue.
Let Bountie euer be the fruite of thrift,
For borrowing is too neere the Beggers shift.
Looke into Nature with Discretions eye,
And sort thy selfe with vnderstanding spirits:
Build not thy Castle of conceit too high,
Nor let thy hopes be grounded but on Merits,
While heedles Connies feare the hunters Ferits.
Giue none abuse, nor basely take disgrace,
Nor loue that minde, that hath a brazen face.
A blessed Colour is a maiden blush,
And setled Countenance is a comely sight:
Stand not too long in beating of a bush:
For feare the Bird beguile thee with her flight,
In idle follies, neuer take delight.
6

Trauaile, but toile not, painfull is the pleasure,
Where lacke of care, in labour hath no measure.
If God haue blest thee with an inward good,
Be ioyfull of his blessing, but not proud:
For, be the Phænix nere so rare a Brood,
Nature doth wonders in her worke-house shroud:
The Sunne it selfe, sometime is in a cloud.
Concealèd comforts are the kindest sweets,
Where loue, and honour, with discretion meets.
A boasting tongue is like a heard-mans horne,
Which makes a noyse, but nothing worth the hearing:
And bragging Rascalls are not to be borne,
Thogh fooles of choise, sometime are worth the chering,
Yet in the points of wisdoms true appearing,
Presumptuous fooles, and irreligious Iewes,
Emong the Nobler sort should neuer vse.
Know how to loue, but know not how to hate:
T' one halfe a heau'n, the tother halfe a hell:
Learne what belongs to Fortune, and to Fate,
And trust not all, that Idle stories tell:
And do not reede, before you learne to spell.
But keep thy spirit with that speciall care,
That Truth may shew thee, where her honors are.
Offend not God, with figuring the faire,
In higher substance then may fit their sexe:
And looke not after humors in the aire,
That hurt the heart, or may the spirit vexe,
And let no passion so thy soule perplexe,
But that thou maist all discontents remoue,
That may be hurtfull to thy happie loue.
Regard thy followers in a kind, as friends,
But make a difference in thine eyes affect:
And vse their seruice in such carefull kinds,
That wisedomes fame may speake of thy respect,
And well deseru'd rewards do not neglect.
For tis the hand, that doth the seruice binde,
Although the spirit doth commaund the minde.
Examine Reason by the rules of Grace,
And cherish valour, but in vertues choise:
In Natures Musique, dwell not on the Base,
And let thine eare be pleasèd in the voyce
That sounds the song, that makes the soule reioyce.
Auoyd all substance of the soules annoy:
And only Iesus be thy spirits ioy.
If honor fall vpon thee vnawares,
Note how it comes, and how it may be gone:
And guide thy courses with such inward cares
Thy ground may still be sure to build vpon,
But needles humors neuer studie on.
For Time is pretious to perfections eies,
And brings the blessed soule to Paradise.
Follow the warres but in a worthy cause,
And Court it but for affabilitie,
Be not a Rebell vnto honors lawes:
For tis a maime to true Gentilitie,
In all the notes of true Nobilitie.
So vse thy sword in field, at home thy pen,
Thou maist be both belou'd, and fear'd of men.
Let not a Shaft, a Bowle, a Carde, nor Die,
Take vp thy Rent a yeare before the day:
A Parats feather, nor a Faulcons eie,
Make thee too fast, to throw thy wealth away,
Lest had I wist do keepe fooles holly day.
Esteeme a horse, according to his pace,
But loose no wagers on a wilde goose chase.
Teare not thy throat with hollowing to hounds,
Nor ride thy horse to death, to seeke a Hawke:
Spoile not thine eyes with leuelling of grounds,
Nor barre thine honest neighbour of his walke,
But take no pleasure with a foole to talke.
But harken to the shepheards what they saine
Both of the Sun shine, and a showre of raine.
Feed not too grosse, and drinke not ouer much,
The sparing diet is the spirits feast:
The Pitch and Tarre, are dangerous to tuch,
And want of reason makes a man a beast:
Of forcèd euils euer chuse the least.
Be warnèd by a little, from the more,
And take heed of an inward breeding sore.
Wound not the conscience of a wofull hart,
Nor take delight in doing iniury:
But ease the sicke of his consuming smart,
And helpe the poore man in his misery:
So liue, so die, so liue, and neuer die.
Relieue thy friend, but not with all thou hast,
Lest thou be driuen to seeke to him as fast.
Importune not a Prince in any sute,
Nor to a sutor long delaie his hope:
In cause of Iustice, be not ouer mute,
But in a malice, do no secrets ope:
But keepe thy eare within discretions scope.
Smile at the bird, whose bill is ouerlong,
But neuer listen to the Cuckoes song.
Loose not thy paines, to teach an Owle to speake,
Nor striue to wash an Ethiopian white:
Make it no tryumph to subdue the weake,
But vse thy force, to put the proud to flight,
And in renowme, giue euery man his right.
Begin no more, then so thou mean'st to finish,
As of thine honor, may no sparke diminish.
Trauaile to learne diuersitie of Natures,
But keep at home, the care of thy content:
And euer haue respect vnto those creatures,
That haue their talents in thy seruice spent:
And loue the soule that is to vertue bent.
For euer keep this point of noblenes,
Let no man note thee of vnthankfulnes.
Depraue not any that do well deserue,
Nor magnifie an idle headed wit:
Nor let thy will from wisedomes order swarue,
How euer humors disalow of it:
Manage affections with discretions bit.
7

For time will teach thee in true reasons creature,
A foole, is but the weake effect of nature.
In Princes Courts, do neuer presse too fast,
Nor shrinke a foote from thy desert of fame:
And slip no time, for once the humor past,
A pleasing fansie may be out of frame:
Shun all occasions of deseruèd blame.
But if vnwares, thou happen to offend
Let witts excuse the care of will commend.
Grow not too great, for feare of Enuies figge,
Yet ioy in all that vertue may aduance:
Make not thy musique of a country Iigge,
But leaue the Lout, to tread the Morris-daunce:
And keep thy sences from Narcissus traunce.
And follow not Acteon to the wood,
For feare Diana, do thee little good.
Studie the lawe, but to maintaine thy state,
Diuinitie, to keep thy soule in peace:
Logicke, but only questions to debate,
Arithmeticke, but knowledge to encrease:
How numbers may both multiply and cease.
Philosophy, to iudge of Natures best,
And Phisicke, but grosse humors to digest.
And Rethoricke, to speake in tune and sence,
Musique, but to remoue melancholy:
Astrology, to know circumference;
For Architecture, learne Geometry,
And for thy trauaile, learne Cosmography.
For recreation, scorne not Poetry:
But for discourses, study History.
To haue a kinde of superficiall sight,
In hawkes and hounds, and horse, and fowle, and fish:
Is not amisse, but let thy harts delight
Be neuer setled in an idle dish,
Nor shew thy folly in a wanton wish.
Be silent to thy selfe, what ere thou thinkest,
And take good heed, with whō, and where thou drinkest.
Learne for instruction, Reede for exercise;
Practise for knowledge, and for gaine remember:
In worldly pleasures make no paradise;
Know that thou art of Christ his church a member,
And do not make thine Aprill in Septenber.
Vnto thy God, in youth direct thy waies,
And he will blesse thee in thine agèd daies.
Let Conscience know the title of a crowne;
Yet know withall, there is a king of kings:
Who hoisteth vp, and headlong tumbleth downe;
And all the world doth couer with his wings,
While heauen and earth but of his glory sings.
To whom discharge the loue thou daily owest,
And he will blesse thee where so ere thou goest.
Winke at the world as though thou saw'st it not,
And all earths treasure, but as trash despise:
Let not thy folly lose that wit hath got,
Nor lose an Art, by lacke of exercise:
Yet let no labour, honor preiudice.
Be wisely sparing, but not miserable,
And rather die, then be dishonorable.
Feare not a Giant, for his monstrous shape,
The diuell cannot goe beyond his bounds:
Nor learne to play the Monkie with an Ape,
But keep thy selfe within discretions bounds,
And keep thee frō the worm the cōscience wounds.
Thus in thy way, let wisedome euer guide thee,
And be assur'd, no euill can betide thee.
Do not awake the Lion in his denne,
Nor thinke the Foxe a foole before you trie him:
Nor put an Eagle in a Capons penne,
Nor trust a Wolfe, if that you come too nigh him;
But come not neare him, if you can goe by him.
For rauening beasts haue wonderfull wide Iawes,
And spoile whateuer comes within their clawes.
Beate not the aire with hammers in thy head,
Whose dreaming labours, will but dull thy wit:
And do not put thy siluer into lead,
Except thou make a double gaine of it,
And euer do that may thine honor fit.
Know trades and traffique, merchants and their wares,
But spend thy spirit in more noble cares.
Be not condemnèd for a common Louer,
I meane, loue maker, to a world of weemen:
For care can hardly credit lost recouer,
And who are bound, can neuer well be free men:
Beautie hath cunning in her eyes to see men.
For where she leads the heart vnto her eies,
She leads it finely to fooles paradies.
Boast not vpon the brauery of youth,
Nor scorne the weaknesse of decripit age:
But hold this for a principle of truth,
Death hath a part vpon this worldly stage,
Where none can scape the furie of his rage:
A Tragedie, where old and young are slaine,
But spight of death, the vertuous liue againe.
Spend not thy care vpon a selfe conceit,
In grieuing for that neuer can be had:
Nor let thy wit and idle will await,
Where giddie humors are inclin'd to gad;
And let not melancholy make thee mad.
For better shut thine eyes from such a light,
Then haue thy heart tormented by the sight.
Spare to discourse vpon experience,
And alwaies rather answere then demaund:
And let no passion shewe impatience,
But make entreatie where thou maist commaund:
And neuer be with flatterers ouerfawnd.
Nor stand too much vpon thine owne opinion,
How euer Pallas marke thee for her minion.
Let not a Princesse fauour make thee proud,
Nor grieue too much vpon a small disgrace:
Beare not affection to a filthy dowd,
Nor make an Idoll of a painted face:
Nor loue a colt but of a coursers race.
8

Nor vow thy seruice to mistaken Saints,
Whose truest tytles are but honors Faints.
Weare not a feather in a showre of raine,
Nor swagger with a Swiser for his swill:
Put not thy spirit vnto too much paine,
In searching secrets farre aboue thy skill:
And know a halbert from a hedging bill.
And euer note those noble points of nature,
That truly make an honorable creature.
Forbeare thy fury on a suddaine rage,
Yet in thy right be euer resolute:
And let true patience choller so asswage,
That honors quarrell may be absolute:
Lest rashnes too much reason ouershute.
For carefull valor in a cause of strife,
Strengthens the hart, and giues the spirit life.
Flie Machiuile his vile instructions,
Which are but poysons to a princely minde:
And noted well, are but destructions,
That do the world with wicked humors blinde:
And do the soule to hellish seruice binde.
Where nothing for gaine must be forbidden,
While diuels in the shape of men are hidden.
Note what is done, by whom, and how, and when,
And marke what issue growes of each euent:
If by the sword, the purse, or by the pen,
And where the honor of the action went:
And how to take it for a president.
For many things haue many times bene done,
That had bene better, nere had bene begun.
Know all the courses that thou canst attaine,
But follow onely that may do thee good:
In questions alwaies make thy meaning plaine,
Obscurèd thoughts are hardly vnderstood,
But let not choller ouerheate thy bloud.
So shall thy feare of fortunes force be small,
And thou shalt stand when other men do fall.
Take heed my sonne, thy soule be not deceiued
With any straunge, or all too strong illusion:
For cares best wit cannot be misconceiued,
Which sees the force of follies close intrusion,
While heedlesse will brings wit vnto confusion.
Be wise my sonne, in heau'nly wisedomes booke,
And thou shalt angle with no diuels hooke.
Loue not a Iester, nor a hackney Iade,
Time is but lost in either of their triall:
Rather regard the mattocke and the spade,
And take the sunne to be thy truest diall:
Where thou shalt see the foole a knauish spiall.
Shake off the lowse that hangs vpon thy cloathes,
And hate the swearer that is full of oathes.
The ruffian, ruds-by, and the rascall flye,
But loue the vertuous, valiant, and the kinde:
Looke towards heauen, and let the world go bye,
And make thy body subiect to thy minde:
How ere thou winkest, be not wilfull blinde.
But looke into the glory of that grace,
That makes the faithfull spit in sathans face.
Confound the diuell with the word of God,
Looke to thy soule, it is the speciall part:
And loue the life that death hath ouertrod,
And to thy Sauiour wholly giue thy hart:
Who saues his seruants from infernall smart.
And when thy greatest sorrow doth assaile thee,
Trust in his mercie, that will neuer faile thee.
Mine owne deare sonne, I am no deepe diuine,
But what my God hath taught me, that I teach thee:
Beseeching him to blesse that soule of thine,
That no illusion euer ouerreach thee;
Nor wilfull sinne of lacke of grace impeach thee.
Nor faithlesse thought may euer so deface thee,
But that his mercie euer will embrace thee.
But for my notes of natures obseruations,
By long experience to my paines reuealed:
Where truths cōstructiōs made those confirmatiōs,
That too much proofe hath for assurance sealed:
Which priuate care hath from the world concealed.
To thee my sonne, and for thy good I hope,
I do this casket of my Iewels ope.
Esteeme them richer then a masse of gold,
And part not with them for a world of wealth:
For such a treasure is not to be sold,
As is both for the soule and bodies health;
Then leaue them not vnto vnworthy stealth:
But in thy bosome, locke them as their louer,
Till good occasion bid thee looke them ouer.
And when thou findest that fitteth with thy minde,
And leads thee to the groundworke of thy good:
Go forward still, and further seeke to finde,
How best the substance may be vnderstood;
That after purging breeds the liuely blood.
And thou shalt feele such pleasure in thy paine,
As idle spirits haue no power to gaine.
And ere I grow too fast vnto an end,
Let me a little furthermore aduise thee.
Be carefull in affecting of a friend,
Least subtill kindnesse cunningly surprise thee:
And let thus much for such respect suffice thee.
Let honour, valour, truth, and wit allure thee,
Or neuer of a faithfull friend assure thee.
For parentage affect equalitie,
For learning, vertue ioind with eloquence:
For bountie, wisedomes liberalitie,
For valour, resolutions patience:
For profit, labour with experience.
For honour, vertues inclination,
For spirit, graces inspiration.
Thus chuse a friend, if thou wilt fauour any,
For these are they that cannot alter nature
But fauour fewe, for if thou mak'st of many,
Thou wilt be held a simple witted creature:
Take heed therefore of a dissembling feature.
9

Sound the condition, and approue it sound,
Before thy faith be to thy fauour bound.
But if thou find'st a minde of that true worth,
That is not matcht in all the brokers shops:
Whence thou canst draw, that true loues liquor forth,
Which is not season'd with vnsauery hops:
While faiths strong pillars need no vnderprops.
All as a Phænix, do esteeme that friend,
With whom thy life with thy affection end.
But if a smoothing tongue, a fleering face,
A capping knee, with double diligence,
By close colloging creepe into thy grace,
To make an vse of thy magnificence:
Know he will but abuse thy patience.
Away with such, and from thy care discard them,
They purchase but disgrace that [do] regard them.
And if he seeke to vndermine thy thought,
And go about thee with a bad inuention:
And do denie thy due desire in ought
That may performe the truth of his intention:
Or stand on termes in causes of contention;
Then do thus much for thy assurance know,
A hollow friend is but a hellish foe.
And now for knowing of thine enemy,
Let this suffice for reasons true direction:
Who doth intrude into thy company,
And make a shewe of too too much affection:
Such nimble wits haue euer in reiection.
And by a serpents hisse, and beare-whelpes eie,
Mistrust the treason of an enemie.
If he perswade thee to disloyall thought,
Imagine him a villaine in the height;
If that he haue with wanton humor wrought
Know that an Idoll is the diuels baite:
And if he cheat thee with a gaming sleight,
In cares discretions leaue his company,
And hold him for a cunning enemy.
If he importune thee with borrowing,
Or carelesse liue vpon thy purses spending:
Or daily put thee off with morrowing,
Till want do make thee wearie of thy lending,
Then in the care of better thrifts commending,
Shake off a varlet in his villany,
And hold him for an inward enemy.
But leauing more of friends, or foes to speake,
The one too fewe, the other all to many:
So many friends, their friendships daily breake,
That fewe are faithfull, if that fewe be any:
The Sunne so soone, the painted face will tawny.
That he that hath the world well ouergone,
Findes foes too many, friends, but fewe or none.
But when thou wilt a seruant fitly chuse,
Haue great regard vnto his qualitie:
Lest lacke of care, thy kindnes do abuse:
Allow no counterfeit formalitie;
No prigging theft, nor prodigalitie.
No pot companion, nor no prating knaue,
Nor lazie Rascall, nor vncomely slaue.
No slouen, sluggard, nor sheep-biter dogge,
Nor wencher, night-walker, nor game player:
No leering copes-mate, nor no grunting hogge;
No lyar, swearer, brabbler, no way layer:
No sawcie Iester, nor [no] soothsayer.
No daintie tooth, nor double diligence;
Nor him that hath a world wide conscience.
But sober, honest, wittie, thriftie, kinde,
Good shape, good face, expert, and laborous
Good hand, good heart, good spirit, & good minde,
Discreetly carefull, but not couetous:
Faithfull and firme, in perfect truths approuing,
And think that seruant kindly worth the louing.
Now if thy seruant vnawares offend,
In secret giue him reprehension:
But if you see he care not to amend,
Nor of aduice take better apprehension,
Mistrust his spirit of some ill intention.
Away with him, and turne him to disgrace,
And seeke to put a better in his place.
But last of all, and not the least in charge,
I wish thee looke into thy loues consort:
For when the heart hath left the eye at large,
Venus commaunds where Cupid scales the fort:
As all too many, all too true report.
Be carefull therefore in thy thoughts affection,
That they be gouern'd by a good direction.
Beautie with vertue, honour ioynd with kindnesse,
Wit with some wealth, and person without pride:
True noblenesse, without ambitious blindnesse,
Faire haird, straight bodied, sweet countenance, and cleare eide;
A spirit where no poison doth abide.
Where these sweet birds do all in one bush sing,
Who would not spend his life in such a spring?
But if she be ilfauour'd, blind and old,
A prattle basket, or an idle slut:
A sleepie huswife, or a hatefull scold,
Or such a sparrow as will not keepe cut:
Spoile not thy teeth with cracking such a nut.
For in the world there is no greater hell,
Then in a house with such a hagge to dwell.
Or if complexion with condition meete,
A Croidon sanguine, and a currish nature:
A minde that treads good manners vnder feete,
A sorrell foretop, and a sowish feature:
God blesse thee sonne, from such a wicked creature.
And let thee rather leade a single life,
Then kill thy selfe, to liue with such a wife.
Learne then to chuse the best, and leaue the worst,
And chusing well, make much of such a choise:
And thou shalt see while other liue accurst,
Thy heart and soule shall inwardly reioyce:
Oh heartie loue, is such a heau'nly voyce,
10

As he that know it, or doth kindly heare it,
Will finde no musicke in the world come neare it.
But I will leaue thee to the heau'ns direction,
Beseeching God of his high heauenly grace:
To settle so the care of thy affection,
It take no roote in an vnworthy place:
But that a virgins eye, and Angels face,
So make thee ioyfull of thy happie chaine,
That fancie bound, would not be free againe.
But that this course, and euerie other care,
May purchase and continue thy content:
And that thy soule may liue, where vertues are,
The happie soules eternall ornament:
To him that fram'd the highest firmament.
Thy heart and soule in loue all humbly bow,
And to his will, thy seruice truly vow.
At morne, at noone, at euening, day, and night,
Vnto his mercie do confesse thy sin:
And begge of him, to cleare thy blinded sight,
And teach thy spirit how it may begin
To finde the way that gracious loue may win.
Pray, weepe and cry, vntill thou hast obtained
Into his seruice to be entertained.
And when thou feel'st the spirit of that grace
That rules the heau'ns, come downe into thy hart:
And so thy thoughts in order all to place,
That vertue to dispose of euery part:
When thus thou feelest that thou blessed art,
Pray for continuance of that comforts blisse,
That keepes the soule, it cannot go amisse.
And when thou feel'st the loathing of that sinne,
That long misled, that mournfull soule of thine:
And the true way of grace art entred in,
That doth the soule to sacred loue encline,
And doth assure thee of the loue diuine,
Then let thy heart, thy minde, and spirit sing,
An Halleluiah to thy heauenly King.
Begin with glory to his maiestie,
Proceed with glorie to his holy name:
Continue glorie to his Deitie,
And end with glorie to his worthy fame:
And endlesse be the glorie of the same.
Begin, proceed, continue, end his story,
With beginning, neuer ending glory.
O highest glory, in the heau'ns aboue,
O brightest glory, of the heau'ns behoue:
O purest glory, before heau'ns to proue,
O blessed glory, aboue heau'ns to loue:
O louely glory, that all loue doth moue.
O gracious glory, that all grace beginneth,
O glorious glory, that all glory winneth.
Thus my deare sonne, sing vnto God thy Lord,
And sing in tune, that heau'ns may ioy to heare:
And let thy tongue, thy heart, and soule accord,
To chaunt it out with such a ioyfull cheare,
That heau'ns may see, thou hold'st their master deare.
And thy true faith may in thy spirit proue,
The liuing comfort of thy heau'nly loue.
But if thou doost not serue thy God aright,
And humbly feare his holy maiestie:
Thy clearest day will turne to darksome night,
Thy wealth to want, thy wit to vanitie:
Thine ease to paine, ioy to calamitie.
Thy sweetest musicke to a mournfull quell,
Thy life to death, thy hope of heauen to hell.
For though a while he suffer thee to thriue,
And finde on earth a faynèd paradies:
Yet death will come, who quickly will depriue,
The sences of the pleasures of thine eies:
Wherein th' illusion of thy spirit lies.
And thou wilt be within thy soule so torne,
As thou wouldst wish, thou neuer hadst bin borne.
A world of woes will ouerwhelme thy heart,
And fearefull dreames affright thee in the night:
A thousand torments will encrease thy smart;
And dreadfull visions will thy soule affright:
Thou shalt be bard from the eternall light.
And in the darknesse, where all horrors dwell,
Thy soule shall burne in euerlasting hell.
Where thou shalt see the mizer-minded-dogge,
Frie in the furnace of his molten gold:
The glutton monster, and the drunken hogge,
Gnawing their bones, with hunger, thirst, and cold:
The murtherer in paines not to be told.
The leacher so bedight in beastlinesse,
As kills his soule to see his filthinesse.
The tyrant tortur'd with those vgly spirits,
That fed his humor with the thirst of blood:
The traitor follow'd with those hungry ferits,
That only fed vpon the poysned food
Of damnèd soules, that neuer did man good.
The theefe tormented with the shamelesse lyer,
The swearers mouth, all in a flame of fyer.
The pander and the wicked parasite,
Shall sup the broath of hellish beastlinesse:
The heretike in wilfull ouersight,
Shall feed vpon the froth of foolishnesse:
Boyld in the fire of all vnfaithfulnesse.
The Atheist so shall feele Gods vengeance on him.
That all the plagues of hell shall fall vpon him.
The vniust Iudge, at least if there be any,
The bribing client of ill conscience:
The periur'd witnesse whereof are too many,
The plotting pate of sinfull pestilence;
The wrothfull spirit of impatience:
All these shall iustly all their torments beare,
But God blesse thee from seeing of them there.
11

But if thou rightly serue thy Lord and God,
And day and houre do sue to him for grace:
When faithfull Truth this world hath ouertrod,
Thy soule shall flye vnto a fairer place;
Where thou shalt see thy Sauiour in the face;
And in that face, that euerlasting blis,
In which the brightnesse of all glory is.
There shalt thou see frō hie the day-light springing,
Which darksome night hath neuer power to shade:
There shalt thou heare the Saints and Angels singing,
And all their ditties to his glory made;
There shalt thou feele the ioyes that neuer fade.
There shall thy soule more perfect ioyes possesse,
Then tongue, or heart, or spirit, can expresse.
There shalt thou see the bounteous richly crowned,
The gratious Prince in Angels armes embraced:
The vertuous souldiers with the Saints renowmed;
The Iudge of Iustice, in high honor placed:
The faithful witnes, in Truthes fauour graced.
The virgins singing, in the Angels quier,
How patient hopes vnto their heau'n aspire.
There shalt thou feele the blessed ioy of peace,
Wherein the life of holy loue doth rest:
There shalt thou heare the Musicke neuer cease,
Where Angels voyces euer are adrest,
In their best tunes, to sound his glory best.
Where euery one a blessed part doth beare,
God blesse thee sonne, to set them euer there.
Amen.
FINIS.
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