University of Virginia Library

52 ECCLESIASTES 5.

When that repentant teares hathe clensyd clere from ill
The charged brest, and grace hathe wrought therin amending will,
With bold demands then may his mercy well assaile
The speche man sayth, with owt the which request may not preuaile.
More shall thy pennytent sighes his endles mercy please,
Then their importune siuts which dreame that words Gods wrath appease.
For hart contrit of fault is gladsome recompence,
And praier fruict of faythe, wherby God dothe with synne dispence.
As ferfull broken slepes spring from a restles hedde,
By chattering of vnholly lippis is frutles prayer bredde.
In wast of wynde, I rede, vowe nought vnto the Lord,
Wherto thy hart, to bynd thy will, freely doth not accord;
For humble uowes fulfilld, by grace right swetly smoks,
But bold behests, broken by lusts, the wrath of God prouoks.
Yet bett with humble hert thy frayltye to confesse,
Then to bost of suche perfitnes, whose works suche fraude expresse.
With fayned words and othes contract with God no gyle;
Suche craft returns to thy nown harme, and doth thy self defile.
And thoughe the myst of sinne perswad such error light,
Therby yet ar thy owtward works all dampned in his sight.
As sondry broken dreames vs dyuerslye abuse,
So ar his errors manifold that many words dothe use.
With humble secret playnt, fewe words of hotte effect,
Honor thy Lord; alowance vaine of uoyd desart, neglect.
Thoughe wronge at tymes the right, and welthe eke nede oppresse,
Thinke not the hand of iustice slowe to followe the redresse.
For such unrightius folke, as rule with out dredd,
By some abuse or secret lust he suffereth to be led.
The cheif blisse that in earth the liuing man is lent,
Is moderat welth to nourishe lief, yf he can be content.
He that hath but one felde, and gredely sekethe nought
To fence the tillers hand from nede, is king within his thought.
But suche as of ther golde ther only idoll make,
Noe treasure may the rauen of there hungry hands asslake.
For he that gapes for good, and hurdeth all his gayne,
Trauells in uayne to hyde the sweet that showld releue his payne.
Wher is gret welth, their showld be many a nedy wight
To spend the same, and that should be the riche mans cheif delight.
The sweet and quiet slepes that weryd limmes oppresse,
Begile the night in diet thyne, and feasts of great excesse.
But waker ly the riche, whose lyuely heat with rest
Their charged boolks with change of meats cannot so sone dygest.
An other righteous dome I sawe of gredy gayne:
With busye cares suche treasures oft preseruyd to their bayne;
The plenteus howsses sackt, the owners end with shame;
Their sparkelid goods; their nedy heyres, that showld reioyce the same.
From welthe dyspoyled bare, from whence they came they went;
Clad in the clothes of pouerte as nature furst them sent.
Naked as from the wombe we came, yf we depart,
With toyle to seeke that wee must leue, what bote to uexe the hart?
What lyef leede testeye men then that consume their dayes
In inwarde freets, untempred hates, at stryef with sum alwaies.
Then gan I prayce all those, in suche a world of stryffe,
As take the profitt of their goods, that may be had in lyffe.
For sure the liberall hand that hath no hart to spare
This fading welthe, but powres it forthe, it is a uertu rare.
That maks welth slaue to nede, and gold becom his thrall,
Clings not his gutts with niggishe fare, to heape his chest with all;
But feeds the lusts of kynde with costely meats and wynne,
And slacks the hunger and the thurst of nedy folke that pynne.
Ne gluttons feast I meane in wast of spence to stryue,
But temperat mealles the dulled spryts with ioye thus to reuiue.
No care may perce wher myrth hath tempred such a brest;
The bitter gaull, seasoned wih swet, suche wysdome may digest.