University of Virginia Library

Courage the Vice entreth.
To the Barge to,
Come they that will go,
Why sirs I say whan:
It is high tyde,
We may not abide,
Tide taryeth no man.
If ye will not go,
Why then tell me so,
Or else come away straight:
If you come not soone,
You shall haue no roome.
for we haue almost our frayte
There are Usurers great,
Who their braynes doe beat,
In deuising of guyles:
False dealers also,
A thousand and mo,
Which know store of wyles.
Crafty cutpurses,
Maydens mylchnurses,
Wiues of the stampe:
Who loue mo then one,
For lying alone,
Is yll for the crampe.
Husbandes as good,
As wigges made of wood:
We haue there also,
With seruauntes so sure,
As packthred most pure,
Which men away thro.
There are such a sight,
I cannot resite,
The halfe that we haue:
And I of this Barge,
Haue the greatest charge,
Their liues for to saue.
Corage contagious,
Or courage contrarious,
That is my name:
To which that I will,
My mind to fulfill,
My maners I frame.
Corage contagious,
When I am outragious,
In working of yll:
And Corage contrary,
When that I doe vary,
To compasse my will.
For as in the Bee,
For certayne we see,
Sweete honey and sting:
So I in my mind,
The better to blind,
Two corages bring.
And as with the sowre,
Ech day and hower,
The Phisition inuenteth:
To mingle as meete,
Something that is sweete,
Which his pacient contēteth.
Euen so some while,
To collour my guile,
Do geue corage to good:
For I by that meane,
Will conuey very cleane,
And not be vnderstood.
Now syr to showe,
Whether we do goe,
Will doe very well,
We meane to preuayle,
And therefore we sayle,
To the Diuell of hell.
And though it be farre,
Yet welcome we are,
When thether we come:
No chere there is,
Whereof we shall misse,
But be sure of some.
I Corage do call,
Both great and small,
To the Barge of sinne:
Where in they doe wallow,
Tyll hell doe them swallow,
That is all they do win.
When come ye away,
Thus still I doe say,
As lowde as I can:
Take time while time is,
Least that you doe misse,
Tyde taryeth no man.
With catching and snatching
Waking and watching,
Running and ryding:
Let no time escape,
That for you doth make,
For Tyde hath no byding.
But ebbing and flowing,
Comming and going,
It neuer doth rest:
Therefore when you may,
Make no delay,
For that is the best.