EPIGRAMS and sentences spiritual in vers, of GREGORI NAZANZEN, an ancient & famous Bishop in the Greek church: Englished by Tho. Drant.  
Imprinted at London in fletestreate, near unto S. Dunston's church by Thomas Marsh. 1568.   

To the right honourable, the right reverent father in God Edmonde Bishop of London, his very good Lord and Master, Tho. Drant wisheth grace and peace with long and joyful life, in the everliving God through Christ our Saviour.  
PErusing (right honourable) some of the German writers, and delighting in their pretty & witty verses, which to the texts and common places of holy scriptures they fitly have applied: I found no sayings in them of a more quick and godly sense, than those which they bring out of Gregory Nazanzen, a Doctor of the Greek church very well learned, and very eloquent. Basil the great hath called him the vessel of election, the profound fountain, the mouth of Christ. Baptist Mantuan thus writeth in his commendation.  Nunc Maximus ille 
Gregorius, cui dat divina scientia tantum  
Nomen, adest, hody sacros habiturus honores  
Praesule patre satus (nam tunc id iura sinebant)  
Pastoral pedum gessit post funera patris  
By Zantina tulit faustos in menia gressus.  
Fama viri traxit varijs ex gentibus agmen  
Discipulorum ingens, illic Academica fecit  
Gymnasia, & veteres illuc traduxit Athenas  
Nam quot erant toto orb viri, qui scire profundos  
Scripturarum aditus vellent, & mistica sensa,  
Et Cabilistarum latebras, ea littora adibant,  
Hieronymum fama est illuc vevisse trilinguem  
Et legis didicisse sub hoc arcana magistro.  
Amongst the rest his works those sentences, and Epigrams which are called spiritual, are so in deed as they are called. They move the spirit, in moving delight it, & that with an excellent and choice kind of delectation. Being thus brought into a book, the book is small: and, a pearl is small likewise, but if it were much bigger or better, it would make me the gladder. That these few sayings of Gregory Nazanzen should be to your L. addressed (as the doings of a learned father to a learned father) that is of congruity: that from me to your L. that is of my duty. Neither do I reck, or reckon how great it is, but how great, and good I would have it to be. Neither is it as a thing in itself able to show my good will: be it therefore as an argument that if I had better wherewith, I would have been right willing to have showed it. This humbly craving I cease to trouble you. The ten of April.  
Your Lordships to be commanded Tho. Drant.   

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De Gregorio ad Lectores.  
GRegorius sanctus pulchri preceptor honesti  
Haec cecinit Graia carmina sancta lyra,  
Gregorius rectè, non ille Gregarius, ergo  
Hunc summè summi sic coluere sophi.  
Graecia magna suum magnum nunc versat alumnum,  
Si populo pietas, religioque siet,  
Orator, Doctor, Vates, facundior alter  
Haud fuit, haud nunc est, credo nec esse potest.  
Vix vidit quidq praeclarius auricomus sol,  
Ingenio plenus, plenus & ille deo.  
Credite Gregorium (Lectores) versibus istis  
Paucis, & parvis plurima magna loqui.  
Spectetis numeros, numeris vel numen in ipsis,  
Omne tulit punctum, iudiciumque bonum.   

Ad Gregorium  

Dulces docta modos loqui  
Dum Christum celebrat Calliope tua:  
Dum tristis querulo temporis, & loci  
Defles carmine crimina:   

Praestans dum quatitur Chelis:  
Dum certas fidibus non trivialibus:  
Dum fundis numeros nobilis (O) bonos:  
Vincis maxime Gregori.   

Primae vos superas viros,  
Et Maya genitus, Linus, & Orpheus,  
Alcaei taceat barbiton optimum:  
Vincis barbiton Alcaei.   

Dum pascis domini gregem,  
(Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tua sic cignia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉)  
Dulcis, dulcior es mellibus Atticis:  
Claris clarior omnibus.   

Agros flumine dum rigas:  
Dum cogis pecudes montibus Israel:  
Et dum manna fluit faucibus inclytis:  
Fauces mella stipant tuum.   

Vivis maxim Gregori,  
Laetis, atque bonis aedite saeculis.  
Acris, melli fluus, doctiloquus, pius,  
Vincis maxime Gregori.    

W. C. Doctor, to the translation.  

SOme venture far with little skill  
On matters great of weight,  
Whose stuff is good, but working ill,  
They reach above their height.   

Some goodly gifts on matters gross  
Bestow with busy pain:  
Whose metal base the workmen stains,  
Lost is their labour vain.   

Sometime fine workmen of the best  
Do work in metal puer,  
They frame a work of great renown  
Which ever shall endure.   

Such is this book: her golden gift  
Doth work in finest gold,  
A worthy work, and workman fine  
Here both in one behold.    


Two kinds of life, Active, and Contemplative.  
Which life of twain doth better seam to thee,  
That which is bend to outward exercise:  
Or that which still contemplative would be?  
The one love more, the other the more wise.  
Both this, and that are pleasant like and fit,  
But what is fit for thee, best like thou it.   

Try thyself, before thou intermeddle with holy matters.  
A ghostly question one of me did ask,  
Hast thou examined well thyself (quoth I)  
Else dost thou but attempt a sinful task,  
I am clean purified (quoth he) pardy.  
For who is he that hath not lost his wit,  
New oil to vessels old that will commit?   

Trust not lightly nor cavil much.  
All manner words, or promise do not trust,  
Against each speech, in no wise mayst thou mell,  
But as through time, and place thou rightly must,  
Obey thou God, whom thou canst not excel.  
With mouth all men most eagerly do strive:  
With manners never one that is alive.   

A shame for a teacher to be reprovable.  
Or never teach thou any any word at all,  
Or else with manners do the same express:  
Lest one hand build, the other make to fall.  
The better life, of words it needs the less:  
We judge a Painter so to be of skill,  
Even as his workmanship is good, or ill.   

Let Bishops, and Prelates give light.  
O you that Lordlike rule so stern, and stout,  
Whose wealth, and worship stretcheth far, and wide:  
Take heed your lyncks, and lanterns go not out,  
Lest wicked Prelates you at last be tried,  
If light be dark, that was so bright, and trim,  
What will be darkness of itself so dim?   

Well doing is better than well saying.  
A speacheles deed doth pass a deedeles word.  
Without good deeds few have been caught up high,  
But those which finest phrase could not afford,  
Do naithelesse alday scale up to the sky,  
Not of the babbling speaker god hath need,  
But of the soul, that works his will in dead.   

An acceptable offering unto God.  
Most welcome gift to God is manners pure,  
Though thou to him couldst all the world present,  
The gift is not so good, thyself assure,  
Before all gifts good life doth him content.  
give him thy heart, as do the meake, that quake,  
Thy coin (an horishe bribe) God will not take.   

Make no vow to God.  
Make thou no vow not in the smallest thing,  
Thou guiles thyself to crack that that is thine  
Which was gods own, before thou diddes it bring.  
That from indebted us we should decline,  
May warn us well in this our mortal life,  
The death of Ananias and his wife.   

Man's life a market.  
Believe this life to be a very mart,  
Great gain there is if thou wilt ply a while,  
Eternal things for vain thou mayst by art  
Exchange: and dearest ware for chaffer vile:  
But if thou slougge, and loiter living here,  
No other time, hereafter will appear.   

The race of Christian life.  
far must we run in this our dreary race,  
But more shallbe our guerdon great in time,  
Take heed thou hast not so the whole t'embraceembrace  
That of the whole thou mis with note of crime.  
The devil that would us all from joy exempt▪  
On both hands thus doth use the good to tempt.   

Nor presume, nor despair.  
Trust not to much, ne yet to much despair,  
The one doth make us dissolutely to bold,  
That other leads to everlasting care,  
correct the last, and firm the former hold,  
Aright: and freely far upon thy way  
Not envy pale, not malice need thee stay.   

Keep on thy course in virtue.  
proceed in things with good advise begun,  
To move at first makes not a good man's state,  
But still to move until the thing be done,  
For we do count him cursed, and worthy hate,  
Not who a little downward slips awry,  
But he that falls exalted once on high.   

All occasion of evil is to be shunned.  
A pretty spark doth raise a mighty flame,  
A vipers seed doth pestilently kill,  
Instructed well, and warned by this same,  
Eschew the smallest blot of any ill:  
For being soylde with blemish very small,  
It draweth dangers manifold with all.   

Know thyself. Good deeds better than gold.  
Thine own affairs look rather thou apply  
Then to thy neighbours busily attend:  
Thy neighbour he may some thing get thereby,  
The other would thine own estate amend.  
Good deeds are better much then fee, or gold,  
The one decay, the other stand, and hold.   

Study godliness: Charm thy tongue.  
To sacred read thy mind devout dispose,  
And to the rules divine of blessed life,  
Thy tattling tongue let it not glide, or gloze,  
In bablarie, or blablarie too rife,  
Which if at random thou permit to walk,  
I warrant thee no winner by thy talk.   

Temptation by thy eyes.  
Our sight would gladly carry us away.  
But by resisting though it is repressed,  
We are not booteys for sir Cupid's pay,  
No idol minds to him we have Idrest:  
The bait was fair disguist, but we are gone,  
Of Satan's snares, this certainly was one▪   

Temptation by the ears.  
'Gainst wanton talk thine ears with wax do shit,  
And against all sonneites delicate, and soft,  
But what so for an honest man is fit,  
That thou respectiuly must very oft  
Both mark with diligent, and hedie care,  
And in thy saws and deeds the same declare:   

Temptation by the other senses.  
To odours womanish, and fragrant smell,  
Thyself to tender touchinges do not yield,  
If these do master thee, what wilt thou well  
Deserve with hand in battle champion field?  
The man hath his peculiar proper praise:  
The woman hers by other differing ways.   

Be not to liberal to thy belly.  
Still give me, give me, crithe the greedy paunch,  
And have thou shalt, if well thou canst it save,  
But if in dung it passeth by the haunch  
eftsoons, what boots it thee so much to have?  
If thou dost keep it long to make it more:  
Of dung thou dost but treasure greater store.   

Laughter must be laughed at.  
Vain laughter would be laughed at again,  
And wanton laughter wittily controlled,  
Immodest laughter oft ensueth pain,  
To laugh whiles down thy cheeks the tears at rolled,  
And better is a sad, and pewly face,  
Then that which smileth smug with smirking grace.   

Favour and deformity.  
True beauty doth adorn a godly mind,  
And is to it a furniture, (no doubt)  
No furniture which time can change from kind,  
Nor such as craft of hand can brave set out,  
The mind not practised doth deformed lie,  
As spieth he which hath an inward eye.   

Contempt of vanities.  
pensiveness, pleasure, shame, and penury,  
riches, honour, authority of throne,  
fierceness, and fear, let them both flit, and fly,  
Without regard to where they would begun:  
Such things so tickle, fickle, vile, and vain,  
Do nothing move a surely settled brain.   

The highness and humbleness of good works.  
Be high, not in thine own conceit at all,  
For that with sudden sway will cast the down,  
If else thou buylst to high, look for a fall,  
Be high in upright life, that will thee crown:  
The more that thou exalted art on high,  
The less stand thou on thy majority.   

Against vain glory and dissimulation.  
Nor thou each praise, nor too much praise pursue,  
Its worst to be accounted then to be,  
Fly praise which springs by gay fond fashions new  
(In case thou knowest not measure in degree)  
An Ape is he not still a very Ape,  
Though all men judge he hath a Lion's shape?   

Take not pride in praise, Praise not rashly.  
If others praising vardit make thee proud,  
Thou shalt be thought a praiser for to want,  
And ringing out an others praises loud,  
His manners having yet seruaid scant,  
If his demeanour be perceived ill:  
Thy credit that will quite destroy, and spill.   

Pleasure not in deriding an other.  
It's better much to bear a scoff, or scorn:  
Then thee thyself to scorn, and scoff,  
If that uncyvilly thou byst not torn,  
Thy vantage is with board to bear it of.  
So shall this merry mocking kind of glee,  
Unto the mocker most unpleasant be.   

Triumph over no man.  
ere that thou comes to port, boast not thy jail,  
For many men upon the very shore,  
Have wreck their ship, and sunk adown their sail:  
And many midst thick wrestling waves Ibore  
Have safe aryude upon the sedicke coast,  
To laugh at no man's chance is wisdom most.   

Better clear conscience in adversity, then fear of judgement in wealth.  
So that thou lyust in righteous manner here,  
Though undersoote, and subject unto throws  
Prostrate to God in prayer, and conscience clear,  
If that thou byst, and him sincerely knows:  
It's better than bearest of grace to smart,  
Though all the world were framed to thy heart.   

Alms measure.  
Whatsoever goods thou hast the same disburse,  
That thou the lord of life mayst thine possess,  
That is not thine which now is in thy purse,  
If that thou giust not all give little less,  
If so to give do cast thee into care:  
Be free of that which safely thou mayst spare.   

Alms dealing.  
From mouths, and malice to the needy poor,  
If thou at any time dost aught withhold,  
Christ is thy debtor it for to restore  
Who doth his heavenly kingdom (more than gold)  
Give for a cursed of bread: and all thy who  
Do clad the poor, do clad our saviour (lo)   

As we are affected to the poor, so is Christ to us.  
A poor man came to me in miserable case,  
And empty went away nought having got,  
O Christ I wretched man devoir of grace,  
Do fear lest by the very self same lot  
I part from thee, he that doth small dispense,  
receiveth small again departed hence.   

Godly poverty is to be relieved.  
The substance small doth make the heart full light,  
The poor man sighs, and sories much his case,  
But upon God he bends his total sight,  
This poor man thou dear in thine arms embrace:  
The Eagle in her nest (we read it oft)  
A little stranger bird will harbour soft.   

poverty better than ill gotten riches.  
It's better still to live in hardest need  
Then rich to wax by treachery, and guile,  
So sickness better is then health with speed  
That dangerous comes, and flits within a while.  
With hunger no man suddenly doth die::  
Sin killeth, and condemneth by and by.   

A servant is a fellow servant.  
Master and man, why do we use to say?  
One head, one law we have, and eke one judge,  
Thy servant thou thy fellow servant aye  
To call and count do then in no wise grudge:  
So thou thyself a master frank, and free,  
Of freedom thine shall worthy counted be.   

No shame to be a servant.  
Servants? why not? chief gods servants though  
Unto their masters let them truly mean.  
A freeman, or a servant, ye, or no  
By that we know as he doth him demean:  
Our saviour Christ that did infranch is all,  
To humble service did himself enthrall.   

True nobility.  
A shame it is not to be base, but bad,  
From those whose sithence long are lodged in clay  
The glory of thy gentry thou hast had.  
To help thy stock not hurt it, is the way.  
It's better thee to be a godly broad,  
Then child to those which godly be, and good.   

Christ thrists to be thrusted after.  
Thou only God, and godly things desire,  
Who more will give, the more that thou wilt take,  
Full of all gifts what so thou wilt require,  
And thrists for to be thrusted for thy sake,  
In other things if happily thou dost miss,  
That do, and keep which just, and measure is.   

Cast not always to overcome.  
Not always look to overcome thy foe,  
Nor there about do beat, and bruise thy brain,  
He wins sometime that lets the mastery go,  
And gets at length more full, and noble gain.  
The champion oft is daunted dead from high:  
And he doth line that lurking low doth lie.   

Some loss brings vantage.  
It vantage think to suffer any loss,  
That tree willbe more fruitful than before,  
That hath lost both his thicket bows, and moss:  
To goods ill got who still doth heap up more,  
Let him add fire to timber tunder dry,  
Or to his body add a malady.   

Forget and forgive.  
If unto God thou byst indebted nought,  
Thy debtor then in no wise do thou spare.  
But if thy debts by hunderds be in brought,  
First to forgive let be thy speedy care.  
So God in such a charitable case  
Will recompense thee plenty grace for grace.   

In injuries call to mind Christ his passion.  
If wrong received do wrest thy mind to ire,  
Then call to mind his wounds ibroched keen,  
What wrong had he unjustly for his hire  
That once our master must aloft be seen?  
His bleeding wounds, and moisture of the same  
Will moist, and quench the fierceness of thy flame.   

The chastening of thy body is a medicine for vice.  
Wine, lust, envy, and Satan are all one,  
Whom they possess, the same they do oppress▪  
Tears, hunger, prayers, are deemed fit alone▪  
And meadsons meet the same for to redress.  
So I those griefs do use for to assuage,  
So stay I them, and rule them in their rage.   

Swear not.  
Swear not, how then? how should I then persuade?  
With words, and deeds which testimony clear  
Do bring unto the words which thou hast said:  
He God denies, which doth himself forswear  
What neadst thou God profane in mouth so rife?  
Make us believe thee by thine upright life.   

The sum of the law is charity, and Christ his passion.  
What rule of love have we most short and true?  
As thou wouldes wish thy neighbours be to thee  
Such one thyself unto thy neighbours show,  
And such a one look plainly that thou be.  
Christ's passion weighed well do this contain  
In full effect, compendious, and plain.   

A dear friend is a dear treasure.  
Think nothing dearer than a faithful friend,  
Not such as thou hast won to thee in wine.  
But such as troth in troubles long did lend,  
The other will not seek for thee, but thine.  
A bridge thine ire, and soon it over send.  
Of friendly love seek not to make an end.   

Counsellors are necessary.  
The eye that all things spies, itself not spies,  
If it be blind, then spies it not in deed  
Itself, nor aught, but blind, and bluntishe lies:  
Of counsellors we then do stand in need,  
For so the hand doth (pardie) need the hand,  
And of the foot, the foot in need doth stand.   

Backbiting, shamefastness.  
If thou the good, and godly dost obey,  
And listened haste, and leaned to their behest,  
Let the ungodly say what they can say,  
Blush not to hear them boldly gibe, and jest  
If any filthy act thou haste in mind,  
Think thousands stand before thee, and behind.   

Good company.  
Prefer the good before the wicked sort,  
The godly eke before thee godless rout,  
Ill shalt thou be to ill if thou resort.  
A wicked man no good can bring about.  
Such one as gets his goods by wicked ways.  
And by expending them doth gape for praise.   

Fruits of foes.  
Some profit I can take, yea by my foe,  
By shunning him, and dreading him each where,  
I bear myself more wary where I go.  
A bitter medson much we ought to tear,  
Yet of the sweat that makes the palate feign,  
More cause we have oft-times for to complain.   

Patience breaks envy.  
Honour the good, contemn the lawless lewd,  
For that they be inormouse lyude in crime,  
Whom praise thou not whilst still they be so shrewd  
But them convert in patience, and time,  
This is the bounty most, the gift most frank,  
That thou canst give, and worthy most of thank.   

The measure of bounty.  
Be liberal to the utmost of thy power  
In time, and place so far as store will stretch,  
Unto thy neighbour do thy kind devour  
There of the reason is not far to fetch,  
To strangers who will think that thou art kind,  
When to thine own ungrateful they thee find?   

Blame ourselves, not the devil.  
Why do we blame the Devil? why do we so?  
Why do we morn, that he doth make us sin?  
Our lives at random louse why let we go?  
The fault or hoallie we, or chief are in.  
In this our flesh the fire we bear about:  
The fiend doth blow to make the flame flash out.   

Dreams vain.  
Believe not dreams, let them not thee deceive,  
Nor let each fearful fancy the agriese,  
If that thou hap some vision glad to have,  
Be thou not proud thereof in any wise,  
Such foolish fraud, and fond delightful pelf  
From Satan comes, even from his very self.   

Hope the best.  
To all thy deeds a prosperous end propound,  
For if that God to doings which be ill  
No hinderer, but a suffrer oft be found:  
The act that's good (no doubt) he further will:  
Though ill thee good do seam for to appall  
Yet ill at length shall find, and feel the fall.   

Learning and wisdom.  
Wisdom is safer thing then prosperous luck,  
Fortune doth faun, and slender stroke doth yield,  
But wit, and wisdom give the stronger pluck,  
And only they do rule in town and field.  
Learning doth pass the brightest gift of mind,  
A surer treasure shall we never find.   

Stoutness, and courage.  
Be stout, and stern, but not in deeds injust,  
If thou wilt be gods darling dear, and child,  
But when thy case is good, and needs thou must,  
Let dastard fear, and dread be quite exiled,  
Theirs many ills that's causers of decay,  
The hemlock, and the Scorpion poison pay.   

An old man without wit, a young without courage.  
A young man less of courage than an old,  
An old man then a young man less of wit,  
Unsitting and unseemly both we hold,  
The age doth make the virtue kindly fit.  
Let him be wise as soon as he is old,  
And him before his age of courage bold.   

Work and watch.  
Each man in fear, must work his saving health,  
So much the more the nearer death doth stand,  
Old age will eftsoons step on us by stealth,  
The trumpet sounds our end to be at hand:  
Be ready therefore all both more, and some,  
Be ready (O) the dreadful judge doth come.   

Wisdom better than riches.  
A drop of luck before a tun of skill  
Give me (so said a bold curmogine chuff)  
Phy (quoth the learned man) thou pratest ill,  
And hark how little I esteem thy stuff▪  
One drop of skill my heart would better please,  
Then of good luck an hundred hudgie seas.   

We deny God two ways.  
In word and deed, our God we deny,  
(So shutteth up my little pamphlet book)  
The Devil doth dangerous lurk unto thee nigh,  
Not far from thee, but round about the look.  
Thy soul to save in present long distress  
Give ever thanks to God, and blithe him bless.   
FINIS.   

Against the Arians, Hypocrites, and discevers.  
O priests that unto God  
Hold sacred signs in hands,  
On whom commission great  
And charge of people stands:  
Betwixe whose only arms  
Gods workmanship doth sway,  
You which both God, and man  
In one partaking lay,  
Ye groundselles of the world,  
Of life yelept the light,  
Ye workers of the word,  
You blessed to all men's sight,  
Christbearers that should be.  
Now Lords you set aloaft,  
With Pantackles, and moilles  
Your feet are feanced soft,  
To pageanes, and to plays,  
Ye sawnter up, and down,  
On theatres ye shine,  
The freshest in the town  
Pretenced outward shape  
Ye conterféete, and steal  
But in Religion true,  
Pure inwardly to deal,  
You are from that as far,  
As miserable stocks,  
As most infected sheep  
Of all your scabye flocks.  
Play on thou careless crew,  
As found thou hast begun,  
With countenance grave pronounce.  
Which lightly thou hast done.  
How so ever thou me calls,  
A person lewd, and light,  
And bids me get me far,  
Exiled from thy sight,  
And dost with arrows thick  
Of opprobry me smite,  
Wherein as well I see,  
Thou highly dost delight,  
yet what my mind me gives,  
That boldly will I say,  
To the a folk unkind,  
My heart I will outlaye▪  
Even as the water streams,  
If stern the whether blow,  
Compelled keep beneath,  
And down there swelling throw,  
Then brim again do rise  
With murmur, and with heat,  
And hie with spreading flood  
Orwart the fields do beat:  
So I can not inhoulde  
This dolore in my breast,  
But out it forcing flies  
Impatient of rest.  
give good leave for to speak,  
Forgive what I avouch,  
If I your galled▪ minds  
With words do chance to touch  
True pledges of my teen  
Are words, and of my care,  
And though they bootless fly,  
And bussinge beat the air,  
Yet practise proves it plain,  
We tell it as we find,  
Talk presently doth ease,  
The pained pensive mind:  
Christ's body, and renown,  
(His flock spread far abroad)  
Was quiet, whilst it void  
Of right Religion bode,  
Now gods possession due,  
Addicted unto him,  
It sperplith here and there,  
As waves amid the brim.  
Or as the Pynetre frame  
With wanton eastwind strength:  
From skies abatinge power  
To his Christ came at length,  
To humanekind I knit  
He God, and man was hear,  
And on his body bold  
A dreadful death did bear,  
For our outrageous sins,  
Forth large his blood did stream,  
That with such pension proud,  
Our sins he might redeem.  
Then ready sheep to die,  
His ministers he sent,  
Who through out many realms  
His word upbearinge went.  
And sweet accounted death  
That came from cruel hand,  
For with gods honour high  
It seamed well to stand,  
That all his servants true  
Attendant to his state,  
On his word with their word,  
On blood with blood should wait.  
But who our body shakes?  
Whence springs this mischiefs load?  
How comes the moan so dark,  
That once so brigome bode?  
How could that brockishe Boar  
Our Harvest so destroy?  
Who ardent angry seeks  
Our kindred to annoy.  
Since first he Adame wrought  
From everlasting bliss,  
A forcye fierce assault  
To give he doth not miss.  
Yet totally our kind  
(Nathlesse his wily pate)  
He compass not with craft,  
Nor stirred them from their state.  
The sperkling word of God,  
That candle blazing bright  
Through lands, and countries far  
Upheaved by his light.  
The eager martyrs hearts  
Were boulned more to die,  
The more that they the rage  
Of tyrants dire did spy.  
Then Satan sly that spied.  
Our soldiers victores still  
amongst their underguides  
Dissentious seed did spill.  
The cheiftane ta'en away  
The army can not bide,  
The ship that fleeting gay  
Upon the surge doth ride  
(The Pylott if he miss)  
With wind his warped low,  
Or wreking all her wares  
Herself on rocks doth throw.  
So Cities, houses, flocks,  
There absent guides do rue:  
The waganers not skilled  
Their wagons overthrew:  
Whosever hears 'mongst us  
What myscheifes crawl and creep,  
Will therefore blame, and ban  
The shepherd, not the sheep.  
For manquellers were once  
Appointed rooms to lurk,  
And rooms assigned wear  
For Pagans Sabott work.  
For service of the jews  
Erected was a place,  
Which kings, and Rulers stout  
Made even with ground in space.  
How well I will not say:  
Nor do I honour those  
That in such wicked acts  
Their likings do repose.  
The Lord himself I know  
Their Temples doth detest,  
Those therefore laid it down:  
So now the worst and best,  
The gentle, and the Jew,  
The Turk with us is priest.  
In one Chrucheyarde we lie,  
Our Cophins' couple near,  
And in the Church of Christ  
Our service now they hear.  
This venerable seat,  
This Temple for the wise,  
Where in there whilom dwelled  
Most perfitt pure precise,  
This pulpit wherein prechde  
Right angels of the air,  
This chancel, and this church,  
So durable, and fair.  
To where God, and good men  
Were wonted to repayer,  
This once was very so:  
But now it is not rare.  
To see how in they rush.  
The door stands open wide,  
To entrails all they run,  
Not one with out doth bide.  
I think some blast of trump.  
Hath breathed up aloud, 
A blast of the world to disorder the Church.   
And called in such likewise  
The multitude to crowd.  
Come hither less, and more  
That ride on vices back,  
Put spurs unto your horse  
Beware you be not slack:  
Ye filth, ye bellies big,  
That large abroad do stroute,  
Ye faceless shameless beasts  
In brows, and forehead stout,  
Ye tiplinge vagabonds,  
Ye trouncers with your tongue,  
Ye valiant beggars brag,  
With wrangling that do wrong:  
Ye concyences sly  
Addressed to forswear,  
Ye suytts of Satins soft  
So solemnly that wear,  
Ye that with greedy jaws  
The people grate, and grind  
Ye that do steal the shares  
To other men assind,  
Ye iarrers in your house,  
Ye breakers of your faith,  
Ye wily slyly pates  
That love to take no skath,  
Ye that to noble men  
Can duck adown so law,  
And over look the poor  
As you would eat them raw,  
Ye tickle turnecottes, you,  
That ligtly willbe gone,  
And like the Lopster frame  
Your hew to every stone,  
Ye rovers in the field,  
Ye romers in the town:  
Ye women's men aright.  
To squire them up and down.  
Ye minions fresh, and sheen,  
Of oders sweat that smell,  
In whom all manner sin  
Doth principally dwell:  
Come, come ye boldly near,  
Whatséever sort you be  
All places in our church  
For every man is free.  
Take ease with head on hand  
And stir not from your stall,  
All things that hear we have,  
Are common unto all.  
Ye shall not need to doubt  
God straight will séende a shower,  
And now for your sweet sakes,  
He Manna down will power,  
Each man may fill his lap  
And bear at will away,  
He more, he less, and if  
You think it for your pay,  
On Hoolydayes make bold  
The sacred bread to take,  
And let it rote at home  
And light the matter make:  
The air a common thing,  
The earth a common thing,  
The sky, and stars from high  
Their common light do bring.  
The Sea a common thing,  
Our seats are common all▪  
Among the prophets sage  
Theridamas is a place for Saul.  
Wherefore come plowghmen rude,  
Come write, and cobbers rough,  
Come neat makers, and ye  
That strike on stithes tough,  
Let no man have a guide  
Let none to pastors hark,  
Who hath on them in charged  
A spiritual care, and cark.  
It's better for to teach  
Then ever to be taught,  
And he lives beast at ease  
That suffrantie hath wrought.  
Let him cast down at once,  
The plough all from his hands,  
And let him cast away  
His hatchett where he stands,  
The skinner let him cast  
A way his fells and skins  
The Hunter let him cast  
Away his hunting gins  
The blacksmith let him leave  
His hammer, and his stith  
And now no more thereon  
Employ his pains with pith,  
Come take you rooms up all  
About our holy table,  
Let each man place him best,  
As he by force is able,  
Come thrust, and eke be thrust,  
Maintain a mighty throng,  
The stronger to the week,  
The great to less do wrong,  
Come to our preysthoode fast,  
Forsake it not for heat,  
Thrust whiles the stalls go down,  
Thrust hardly whilst you sweat,  
The best priest that is found,  
The most deserving praise,"  
The chief in all respects,"  
Most holy in his ways,"  
Afflicted is in flesh:"  
such one as loves the skies,"  
Desyrs the world to come,"  
This present doth despise.  
A servant true to Christ,  
Who though he be in stead  
Of living creature here,  
Yet he in sin is dead.  
This is the portrayt first,  
This is the portrayt true,  
And so in tables old  
His lynyamentes they drew:  
But he that looks on you,  
Should think an other thing,  
Thexample of your deeds  
An other thought would bring,  
To paint you in your kinds,  
And fitly in degree  
Your sins, and vices rank  
Right profitable be.  
Thus did the Trumpet sound.  

Example against rashness.  But Moses makes me carcke,  
Who he alone did see,  
Christ in a figure dark,  
And bad all others else  
Of great, and less account  
So high not to presume,  
But bide beneath the mount▪  
To wash their vestures pure,  
And trembling tarry still,  
To hearken to Gods word,  
And listen to his will.  
Nor mell with flock, except  
They would yield up their bones,  
To darts, to crags, to rocks,  
To dash upon the stones.  
So Aaron's childerns ends  
For fear do make me quake,  
Who incens for to burn  
Did proudly undertake  
At holy altars pure:  
They felt there dreadful bain,  
The sacred plot of bliss  
Became their place of pain.  
Though they were Aaron's sons,  
And pledges to him dear,  
Yet destiny's sharp they found,  
Presuming foul so near:  
So Helyes case his strange,  
And heavy to behold,  
For likewise on his sons  
Gods judgements just are rolled.  
Both for their saucy minds  
And beastly longing lust:  
Whilst to the holy pots  
Their hands unpure they thrust.  
On Ely also self  
Was wrought Gods wreckful ire,  
Of that unworthy seed  
The worthy praised sire.  
For belly of his sons  
He had like bitter smart,  
Though bitterly he warned  
Them oftens to convert.  
If such offences small  
Have such a soory meed,  
How ought outragouse crimes  
To quake, and stand in dread  
He also miser did  
That would with hands profane  
The falling Aicke of God  
(Uncalde there to) sustain.  
God would no ryott rude,  
No dealing so confuse,  
And therefore temples close  
For purpose he did choose,  
O Christ, I weep, I morn  
Flat prostrate on my face,  
And almost is (me thinks)  
Uncurable my case,  
In that I did forsake  
Still in my charge to toil,  
Though grievous were (God wot)  
Mine agony, and broil:  
I fought with ramping wolves,  
I sought a dreary time,  
With eatars of their flocks,  
With Pastors puffd with crime.  
My mind doth leave the corpses,  
And hie it hevinge vaunts:  
Dyseasd with open wrongs  
And tossed with railing taunts.  
Christ ministers should be  
Most simple, mild, and mecke,  
But now with huff and snuff  
The primate seats they seek  
They brabble, and they brawl,  
They take outtaking pains,  
They do, and suffer all  
For griplenesse of gains.  
As in a champion filled  
They warlike marsh, and men  
Right servitors of Mars  
In bickerings brag, and fell,  
Their glory is in blood,  
Their glozing is of peace,  
Would god that Getteys' plagues  
Upon their pates would cease,  
Would God they guardon had.  
Another sort disease,  
With sects, and frantic schisms  
The east and weasterne seas,  
God is not now their God,  
But Paul, Apollo, Peter:  
Or he is each man's God  
To him that seemeth meeter.  
For men, and not for Christ  
Good judged must we be,  
So that our Christ in vain  
Displayed was on tree,  
And nailed was in vain,  
Forth whose thrice blessed blood,  
Issued all our name,  
And all our worship good.  
Now Lust before our eyes  
A clottered cloud hath rolled,  
And in us Christian life  
Hath caught a crazy could,  
Now avarice doth reign,  
By stealth she clekes, and glenes,  
Now pride doth proule for praise  
By lewd apparent means,  
Now envy claps her hands  
An others hurt to spy:  
Although thereby the worth  
She win not of a fly.  
To what so they do preach  
They God protest before  
Yet they apertly parts  
Maintain, and factions sore:  
They speak not as they think,  
There sayings, and their mind  
Or seld, or never in one.  
Contuning shalt thou find.  
The wolf in shepishe tire  
A simple soul doth look,  
They cover for the fish  
A mortal hidden hook,  
Both those which have no guides,  
And those which have such guides,  
Without, or with such guides  
All into mischief slids.  
Life holy, or profane,  
Life dissolute, or straight,  
God's word, and man's device  
Are deemed by one rate.  
One custom still we have,  
And still is like to stand,  
That he that is the worst  
Best prospers in the land.  
The Lord confound that soul  
That errors did invent,  
That hateful head that first  
Into the world them sent.  
To them the world gives place,  
To them gods self gives place,  
The wills, and féese of men  
They purchase thick in space,  
Rewards are all their own.  
Which shallbe ours at length  
Though now we toil in vain.  
Ormatchde with steer, and strength.  
Our judges judge it so,  
It ruleth what they say,  
Dame justice from our coasts  
An outlaw is away,  
All's one, Christ, man, the stars,  
The sun, the dark, the light,  
Proud Lusifer the black  
And heavenly angels bright.  
The traitor judas hath  
With Peter one reward,  
Samaria is to  
jerusalem compared.  
Gould, silver, stone, and brass  
An ounce, and dram are one.  
A like the puddles vile  
And fountains clear in stone.  
All things are now alike,  
All things are now confused,  
As matter with out form  
Which first (they said) was used  
In building of the world.  
The Amonittes of yore,  
Nor Moabittes might tread  
With in the Temple door:  
Because they hurt God's folk:  
And they which with their mocks  
Disquyeted God's church  
God signed for hewing blocks.  
And tancards for to bear:  
Thus did the wicked speed  
At God's indifferent hands  
They had no better meed.  
But Leves offspring aye  
pre-eminence had great  
With in the temple they  
Were ministers in seat,  
The service they sustained  
The covers on them did bide  
All offices of charged  
'mongst them they did divide  
Within and out the church:  
Thus they did practise well  
In holy deeds devout  
As then they did excel.  
We, we, (O death) to sin  
Do honour much present:  
What planctive Pooet can  
These days enough lament.  
A wake from vice (O world)  
Time now for to repent  
And God with hearty prayer  
Is likely to relent.  
You shall have happy health,  
You shall have present aid,  
If warned by my words  
In time you willbe staid.  
But if my whightlie hears  
And saws you do dispies,  
If younkers Rash and bold  
Ye judge for to be wise,  
If some with deathful noise  
And foolish perlouse din,  
Do sot your senseless heart  
And of me conquest win.  
Our light I do protest  
To darkness that doth turn,  
And God's fire puissant hand  
That shall make all to burn:  
I will not take their part,  
I dare not be their mate,  
Nor of their read perverse  
Once will I know the state.  
We come not in one ship,  
We sail not in one Barge,  
I will not walk their way  
Nor sink with them for charged.  
Let them post out the race  
Which rashly they have run,  
And speedyly dispatch,  
Which lightly they begun.  
The healthful ark of Noys  
I labour to ascend,  
To scape that is to come  
Their doleful dreadful end.  
I will step from their path,  
And void the shenfull shower,  
That grisly hideous plague  
On Sodom that did power,  
In this our earthly corpse  
That Sodom hath a place,  
The visage of the wise  
With dust it doth deface,  
It rangeth up and down,  
It doth seduce the heart,  
And is the motive cause  
From path to make us start.  
I hope to take such heed  
To purge this Sodom out.  
That safely I may smile  
At storms which loudly rout.  
With fixed intentive mind,  
And heaunly meaning will  
purposing godly things,  
Not common with the ill,  
Unto the persons three  
(One godhead) I will far,  
And to my saviour Christ  
Which sits in judgement chare.  
Where all things shallbe ope,  
And evident in sight  
In God's even weighing hand  
The skole shall poise aright.  
And uprightly and just  
Shall all be done in sight.   

The oath of Nazensen being made Bishop.  
BY Christ I swear above.  
With God coeternal,  
Begot before all worlds  
And not begun at all:  
His Father's image true  
Most like unto the same,  
Which once for man's great love  
From skies dissending came,  
I swear, and swear again,  
By God's allmightful grace,  
That I no errors false,  
Nor fickle will embrace,  
Nor that in other sense  
The sentence of the lord,  
I'll change, or with my words  
Make worse his precious word.  
If of the trynall power  
The honour I divide,  
Or if I fréet in need,  
And from thy service slide,  
If I for upmost rooms,  
Do ever throng, or thrust,  
Or if me captive draw  
With cord such longing lust,  
If I on mortal man,  
My confidence do lay,  
And on so week a help  
My flotyve ship shall stay,  
If that in waves of wealth,  
My mind be puffed with pride,  
Or if to soft delights  
My wanton heart shall slide:  
If I a judge assigned  
Right judgement shall renye,  
Or if the higher room  
Do make me look more high,  
If I tread not aright,  
Or cease from doing well,  
If I delight to see  
The wicked bear the bell:  
If malice fréete my flesh,  
If I do gibe, or scorn  
At any man's mischance,  
Or at my foes forlorn,  
If fancy make me mad,  
If that my breast be blind,  
If that my tongue doth talk,  
And tattle out of kind,  
If rashly I do hate,  
Or seek revenge on foe,  
If empty from my house  
I let a poor man go.  
If I feed not those breasts  
That thirst for Christ his word:  
Then other men regard  
And look on them (O Lord)  
The labours old, and great  
Which me have over loode  
Commit them to the wynds,  
To carry them abroad,  
This is my law of life,  
The which if I embrace,  
Nor thought, nor dead is mine,  
(O Christ) it is they grace.   

A spiritual dompe.  
In heavy hard affairs,  
The comfort of my grief,  
My keeper trusty true,  
The prope of my belief  
Was aye the godhead bright  
Releude in these our coasts  
Arrived at our rude cares,  
Whose word amongst us hosts.  
This blessed godhead now  
Each wicked wight doth tear,  
The lay man the fair,  
The Churchman in the queer.  
Now bawdy babble reigns,  
The lechers none do slay,  
Scarce Phinees with his sword  
(Alas) their meed could pay.  
In name, and courage great.  
Who shall judea aid,  
With Statut laws unjust  
So revouse over laid?  
Will Moses' cumme, and tell  
Thegiptians laws are nought?  
amongst the people great  
Shall great his praise be wrought?  
Before king Pharaoh  
A God shall he up stand  
To taunt this godless age,  
And Loosells of this land?  
The godhead in his heart  
Who rightly doth conceive?  
And doth not from the hole  
Some deal, or grace bereave?  
Who doth the furious words  
Of enemies so refel,  
That in his heart, and mouth  
Still love, and wit doth dwell?  
Who in this public breach,  
For God this eager strife,  
Doth keep inbroken faith  
'mongst children of this life?  
Who doth not like the waves  
Of Euripus the flood,  
From this bank unto that  
From that to this reskudde.  
O godhead bear with me  
Whom they with weapons beat,  
And of their ramping rage  
Delay the rising heat,  
Give boat to these our broils,  
relieve our ruth with rest,  
Let all our sorrows sleep,  
And bless us with the best.   

A prayer against julianus.  
Whatsever fooe external threats  
I weigh it not a rush,  
Though it be black and bloody to,  
I fear no outward push.  
That fleshborne beast in ugly sin  
That fearre our church doth chase,  
The deuls triumphant lustily limb,  
That plieth in each place,  
That top, and tip of mischiefs all,  
Can never make me quake.  
Nor all his blades bright brandishing  
Can pale my visage make.  
Though sword: though fire, though bests,  
Do minace headlong fall,  
To drown in deapes, though he alone though he,  
In outrage vanquish all  
Old tyrants fell, which bear them brag  
Of torments perceant keen,  
devising fresh and novel plagus,  
To those which erst hath been,  
Of this we have to force the less:  
Our patience may be more,  
A only meadson we do know  
And proper for this sore.  
One merry victory we have,  
Which can not miss the game  
Our Christ who so shall die for him  
Will glorify the same.  
But inward breach, and civil broil  
Do make me to astart,  
And quit excludeth all my force,  
And vigour from my heart:  
Myself know not myself in troth,  
I wot not what to make.  
Ne wot I what confections good  
For sores unknown to take.  
No wit, no reason, no good gift  
Of spirit now is left,  
No manner armour 'gainst the devil  
That thus invads by theft,  
And wins by craft, and treachery.  
Who shall him now subdue,  
Shall Moses' preaching on the mount  
A broad his hands that threw?  
Who leving them upon the rock  
In shadow figured Christ,  
And proud the man of God in god  
Of nought to be agrist.  
So Almileke confounded was  
And all his courage Laid  
Who always 'gainst the saints of God  
An enemy's part had played.  
Who shall this Moses' next succeade  
What josua? what he  
That of jesus in name and dead  
A figure thought shallbe?  
He joining host with god above  
Got ensigns great in war,  
And through the name of jesus he  
Was victor near, and far.  
With outwhose help we trust in vain:  
Then David he succeads,  
Or wright he verse, or cast with slinge  
An happy man he speads.  
Him god to battle troubles fell  
In armour did attire,  
And exercisd his holy hands  
In bloody banquetts dire.  
Some Samuel we wish for next  
At nead to serve our turn,  
Upon the altar for the folk  
Freishe incense frank to burn.  
To kneel, and pray upon his knees,  
God's majesty to please,  
A king to noint a conqueror  
Thungodly to disease.  
Who worthily with bitter tears  
Our dolours can lament?  
Sad jeremy would stand in stead  
With sorrows thoroughly spent,  
Who writ for jewish folk his Threnes  
A lamentable verse,  
Who prayers for our pardon can  
With voice on high rehearse.  
O spare us God of heaven thrice blessed,  
And gracious mark our case,  
Spare us that fear▪ spare us thy flock  
Replenishd with they grace.  
Our wicked proud disdainful foe  
Let him not see our shame,  
And let no stranger nation us  
(Thy chosen people) tame.  
Who else for us alive might pray  
job, Daniel, and No?  
In prayer one, in mind all one  
These three as one may go.  
And pray that all this holy strife  
At length might pause, and cease,  
That we ourselves, might know ourselves,  
And joy our own in peace:  
That one an other friendly know,  
And to an other speak,  
And that one linked people we  
Our friendship do not break.  
If Israel we have been one,  
And one in saith did bide,  
To Israel, and judas now  
Ourselves lets not divide.  
Roboam and jeroboam  
'mongst us No more let be,  
jerusalem and Samary  
No further let us see,  
For he will visit vengfully  
Our detestable strife,  
We all accuse, but he discerns  
Which party sins in life.   

Marriage, Redemption, ●eape judgements of God.  
THe knitting best of two in one  
Of all that we can find  
Is weadlocke, which engendereth flocks  
And long conserveth kind.  
The death of some, and birth of some  
Upholdes makind in one,  
A river stands by that that comes,  
And fades in that that's gone.  
But after that all coasts of the earth  
And bonds out stretched wide  
Whence winds from East, west, North, & South  
proceed with puffing pride  
The sons of men had over spread:  
Our flesh began to fry,  
With heat of sin, then plangs came one  
And men their scourge did try.  
Tongues sundry were distributed,  
Then reigned down fiery showers,  
Then came the tables, and their texts  
The prophets shryle out powers.  
But all this chaste not sin away,  
It to the flesh was tied  
Idolatry, wine, Lechery  
Their pampringe did abide.  
At length an other benyfit  
To them from high was sent,  
From God the father, and the son  
Purposed by intent.  
For God which did men's bodies view  
And see their heavenly minds,  
Orechargde with earthly dregs & dross,  
Corrupting from their kinds,  
That man was servant to the fiend:  
To cowl so fierce a fit  
To other now the covers thereof,  
No more he would commit.  
Great sores, great salves. himself came down,  
(His honour then forlorn)  
Of heavenly sire, an heavenly prince  
'mongst men man was he borne.  
In sin not man: (which some think not,  
A marvel to be spoke)  
Ye came flesh forth the virgin's womb  
Her chastity not broke.  
Both God he came, and man he came,  
Both Natures joined in ove,  
This spied, that hid: a carnal man  
For mortal man alone.  
One God, one Christ, one man of God,  
(A straungy mixture new)  
The first we did despise in him  
That first us over threw.  
I onc receyud this heavenly soul:  
Christ took both corpse, and ghost  
First Adame had his will to choose,  
Whilst Serpent can to boast  
The aplefruyte, for which (alas)  
(O hard and sharp reward)  
Eternal death for him, and us  
Remained still prepared.  
For him that should have better seen  
With pure, and airy light,  
And was for holy things a Priest  
Appointed in gods light.  
Him to redeem our God was glad  
In mortal body plain,  
The slaughter of the mansleer  
To rescue with his bane.  
With gall he vanquished gulteny,  
With nails the hands injust,  
Exalted hie the vanquished earth  
And Adam's fruyttre dust.  
Old Adame to revive again  
So he to quarters four  
His arms out strechd and unto him  
Drew all men with that power  
In that one man, and with his blood  
The coasts of sign scour.  
And unto us set open heaven  
By conquest great of sin▪  
That to that holy upright hill  
We might have passage in:  
O king who can seek out thy sense,  
And sentence so profound?  
That knows the winds, the drops of showers  
And sands of all the ground.  
Who can thy secret steps bewray  
Of thy so close advise?  
Almighty that dost all things see,  
And rule in dreadful wise,  
Which is in all the world so wide.  
Our feeble beams see the  
Unperfectly as we the bulk  
Of flashing lightning see  
Which forthwith flitteth in the air:  
Yet this we certain hold  
That those which certain here tofore  
To death and sin were sold  
By thee, and by thy precious death  
Have won a better hold  
The world us wrong and wrapped in toil  
In heavy seasons past  
The earth obeyed their earthly prince  
Blown prostrate with his blast  
And fanning fawning flattering puffs.  
Now us this heavenly king  
In marriage knit from earthly soil  
To heavenly world will bring,   

Of his busy and worldly affairs.  
WHilst that with cares oppressed  
My parents dear in extreme age,  
I tender and look to,  
And dolours deape with presence suage,  
Me comfoting in that  
I excecute mine office due,  
And as me Nature binds  
Perform my service loyal true.  
I see me snaard in sin  
For which lies ope the pit of hell  
And that draws me from god  
Which I do think of duty well.  
My corpse and pensive ghost  
Continual carcking overgoose,  
And pulls me down to earth  
Who erst in soul to heaven uproose.  
My servants dissolute  
Are hartbreake greater than I witted,  
They masters hate severe,  
They holy use even as them list,  
To masters shape unkind,  
To gentle masters thieves injust,  
Still stéeringe up our wrath,  
And to revenge excess of lust.  
Our Father's goods at home,  
Our Ke●●rs burdens great abroad,  
For taxes, and for toules  
We pricked are as néete with goad.  
With mercments hard exact,  
The richemans' freedom from him flies,  
In thraldom lies his tongue,  
A bout his stock the chatchpole plies.  
The judges keep aloaft  
Fat placed soft one benches high,  
Of comynalls a world  
For speady justice howl, and cry.  
To counteriarring pleas,  
Our casis tiede, as ruled law,  
The simple they inlincke,  
Wide nets they weave, & far them throw.  
For this they sweet, and swelled,  
For this they talk, for this they toil,  
To tread down truth for gain.  
By skules they scud, and rowning roll,  
The sergeant sits at bar  
To either part he will be sold,  
The worst man is the beast  
If most he have to give of gold.  
Who can go by these traps?  
Who from their snares by sleight can slide,  
In these so pervest times,  
unless that god become his guide?  
Or to the wicked sort  
He must leave wealth, and wicked gain:  
Or with the soil of sin  
His soul, and self must total stain.  
As if thou stand at fire  
Which fast hath spread forth pitchy smoke.  
Or thereof thou shalt smell  
Or stifled sent will make the choke.   

From Egypt and Babylon to the holy Land.  
Fly black Egiptus land,  
Fly Pharo, and his godless pranks:  
A country seek above,  
Leave captive fields, and Babills banks,  
Delight not near the flood  
In shady places to he found,  
Love not that warbling harp  
Ne yet their Musics doleful sound.  
Thy dame Assiriase yoke,  
Abandon boldly forth of hand.  
Make haste with swift exploit  
To retch the bands of holy land.  
A plot at last survey  
When long thy temple firm may stand▪  
That land I whilom lost,  
Whilst long I seek it morning sore,  
About my head poor wretch  
A bush of hear hangs whitly whore.   

From Sodom to the mount,  
WHo runs his race forth right  
Thrice happy man of all is he,  
Nor Sodom brent to dust  
For ugly sin looks back to see  
But country soil forgets,  
And posting hies to mountain rock,  
Lest he a block of salt  
Be made, and to the world a mock.   

Conflict of flesh and spirit  
Ay me who unto heaven and saints  
So glad, and fain would go  
But bide in woven wreathed still  
Within this corpse of woe.  
So diverse is this daungrous life,  
So raging ruffles sin,  
I know of safety harbowre none  
To shroud my body in.  
So sudden coursing cares come on,  
With such posthast they speed,  
My joy, my comfort and my heart  
They eat up as they feed.  
But lose my God, and set me free  
From these my earthly bonds,  
And place me priest among thy saints  
Amid thy heavenly strands▪   

A breathing to God.  
Look up my soul, contemn  
That earth which doth the so impound,  
Lest that with pays of sin  
My carcase plowng the grouffe to ground  
Short is this bliss of life,  
As that which dream asunder knapps.  
Time as it tumbles on  
Brings heavy heaps of hurtful haps,  
A puerer world there is,  
Which aye shallbe, and ever was,  
A liuly life to live,  
A place of pleasance sweet to pass▪   

The world violent.  
Dear world, not truly dear▪  
Why roulst thou me arownde so fast,  
As though against my will  
I whurled were with whurlewind blast.  
Much like the little Ant,  
Who though it doth with stand it stout  
By force of greater strength.  
Is easy drawn, and dragged about.  
My soul comes from above  
Compact I was of earth and air,  
My corpse comes from beneath,  
My ghost from god's mouth yssude fair.  
With dangers great I strive  
Which partly harm me through my foes,  
And this rebellious flesh  
Doth partly eke increase my woes.  
O world I end my days,  
Preserve my flock from jeopardy,  
As delphin fish in land,  
So in the air behold I die.   

Better to die, or to live.  
AS in the air the fowls,  
As in the sea the ship,  
So run I out my race,  
So time away doth trip,  
Nothing doth certain bide,  
But that which we do sin,  
Such is the heavy hap  
That we are lapped in,  
I like it not to live,  
As ill I like to die,  
In both respects I quake.  
If thou demand me, why?  
My sins are grown so great  
They overload my head  
And worse they would me plague  
Alas if I were dead.  
This life is such a lump,  
So massy to sustain,  
And when thou goest from hence,  
Thou goest to further pain.  
Of both sides fear is great,  
The beast that I can find,  
Is Christ to fly to the  
To try thy mercy kind.   

Unlodge the devil.  
Away from me all finds  
All spirittes that work my smart,  
For God is dinted deep,  
And grayled in my heart,  
Begun lest I forgooe  
Of mind the steady stay,  
Ye masters of the earth  
Be trudging hence away,   

Mortifying.  
With care, with fastings, prayers,  
With watching much and livelonge toil  
These our disloyal limbs  
We ought to tame and put to foil.  
Art thou an honest man?  
Thyself to pass contend thou still  
Unhonest art thou yet?  
Content therefore to be less ill:  
But Hypocrites do rain  
Those after god will cut away  
And for there glozing life  
With pain he will them sharply pay.  
The strouted stretched flesh  
And heavy belly aggravate  
Will scarcely get to heaven  
So straight, and narrow is the gate:   

The felicity of a Christian is Christ.  
LEt others gape for gold  
And follow banquet huffing cheer,  
Which in short life is short,  
So gliding, sliding, outworn gear?  
For pastures, and for paks,  
For ground, and grain let others prodd,  
And let them eke command  
Their Satin suits and silks at nod.  
Let me have only Christ,  
Whom I in soul may perfitt see,  
What sever else their is  
I pray the take it world to the.   

The life miserable, and sin unquiet.  
WHy sends thou me o Christ  
Within this flesh my soul to tire,  
Into this ghastful life,  
And dungeon drow in deadly mire?  
If that man be a god  
As in some points he is (they say)  
Then, god, I am thy lote,  
And sole on the my life doth stay.  
My knees have lost their strength,  
Unpuysant are my members all,  
Me age, and great disease,  
And cark, and heavy friends make fall,  
Yet sin doth not abate  
But me it fast pursues apace,  
As when to eat their flesh  
The dog, the Hare, or hart doth chase.  
Or gentle stay this grief,  
Or me a man foworn sustain,  
From warfare me unwind,  
And soon acquyt from present pain,  
Let darkness good induce  
Forgetfulness unto my brain,   

The vanity of this lief A passage unto God.  
WHy bore my Mother me,  
Why bore she me into this woe.  
Into this thorny day  
Alas the day, why did she so?  
If that she felt no care,  
Nor ever in her flesh felt fray,  
An happy one was she,  
Begotten in a lucky day.  
But if her storms were stern,  
If many times, and sore she fought,  
Against her will it was  
(I think) that me to world she brought.  
All men have now their trades  
And sundry lives they thick pursue,  
He shreds the earth with share,  
And he with ship, the waters blue,  
He hunteth, and he hawks,  
And he in chivalry delights,  
He learns the muse's art  
And vaunting verses fresh indites.  
And he by plays and pranks  
By seafold scorns by terms, and tricks  
Aduances him for price,  
And fast the fees of men he licks:  
But Christ is my reward,  
My fee is long corosive care,  
And sojourning disease  
That makes my carcase lank, and spare.  
Care cruche me for a time  
Me cruche and crouse, nor on me rue,  
In time I shallbe well,  
And bid all care and cark adieu.   

The knowledge of the trinity is blesfulnesse:  
WHy bore my mother me  
That god I can not fully know,  
Nor even so as I would  
His praise I can not full out blow?  
The brightsome leaming light  
Of Godhead dazzleth quite my breast,  
Thee smallest part thereof  
Not fully in my skill doth rest,  
The light conveys itself  
I morn, nor can it perfect feel,  
No more then leaven I know  
Which down from heaven doth headlong reel.  
But if above (o Lord)  
I face to face shall look on the  
I will not blame my dame,  
O happy then, and well is me.  
O son of god me save  
And take me from this bitter mire,  
And make me happy with  
Of latter life the happy hire:  
Where I shall see the plain  
And seeing plain triumph aloud  
And not in parcill wise  
Thus still survey the in a cloud.   

A prayer for quiet death.  
King Christ the light of men,  
And pillar bright of Gregory,  
To me that straggling stray  
And wilsom wander far, and nigh  
Stay tyrant Pharaoh,  
Do by his hand (o Christ) I pray  
Stay those exacting devils  
Which on us tasks so felly lay.  
And from this Egypt yoke  
And from this mud, that doth us soil,  
kid us, and from this plague,  
So full of death, and trudging toil.  
give us a passage good,  
And quiet safe address our way,  
If that our foe arise,  
And give assault to make us stay,  
Then to us fearful folk  
In haste the read sea swift divide,  
That on the sands dryshodde  
Twixt walls of waves we glad may glide.  
Forth to the holy land,  
And country coasts that long shall duer,  
Which thou Christ gauste to us  
To have, and hold safe standing sure.  
That true may be thy word,  
Wherein we only put our trust,  
Than which nothing we think  
To be more stable, and more just.  
The strangers fountains sweet,  
And brooks of pleasance them imbar,  
Put by their threatening brags  
And doleful war set from them far.  
So when the sacred soil  
We shall enjoy reposed at ease,  
With carrouls goodly sweet  
We ever will the praise, and pléese.   

Final repentance All is vanity.  
MY end of life is come  
A shipman I the main hath past,  
For me doth now remain▪  
Due for my sins a bitter blast.  
The ugly shade of hell,  
Fercefyers, & darksome profound night,  
Now all my crimes must come  
And be detected bare in light.  
But in this latest act  
Rue on me Christ, and stand me nigh,  
And now my needful want  
(O Saviour dear) do thou supply.  
I suffer in my soul,  
And troblouse fears do me agrize  
That anger thine on me  
Should fall in wreckful woeful wise.  
Fain would I pass from pains,  
That so my heart consume and eat  
And carry hence with me,  
My busy destiny's dreadful great.  
But dying unto you  
Which after me survive behind  
I do protest with faith,  
And tell you truly as I find,  
Believe me (dear my friends)  
There is no profit of this life,  
The death there of doth bring  
A lasting life devoid of strife.   

A repulse to the devil A passage to heaven A Farewell to the world  
Departed thou from my breast  
A way thou subtle devil, and sly  
Depart thou from my life,  
And from my body by and by,  
Thief, Serpent, Bellyall, Fire,  
Beast, gaper Dragon, death, and vice,  
Thou Frenzy, darkness, night  
That into guile dost all entice.  
enchanter, full of spite,  
That dost in murder pleasure much,  
Our parents that undost  
With sin, and death and pestilence such.  
Go get the to the seas  
Christ's so commands, or to the rocks  
As did the legion once,  
Take up thy room in swinish flocks.  
Forlorn, be faring hence,  
The death of Christ will else the pay,  
That death in all my parts  
That death in all my heart doth stay,  
Christ's death before my feet,  
The death of Christ is all my joy,  
Thou crafty wilt thou not  
Surcease to work me mor annoy?  
Wilt thou not go aside?  
Wilt thou not fling the headlong down  
On Sodom set thine eyes  
That now for sin dispeopled town,  
To lewd blasphemous flokes  
The Godhead great that proud despise  
Begun, and do not vex  
My hoary head in tempting wise.  
With thy malignant thought  
Thou mak'st my mind both black & blow,  
will neither thou for me,  
Nor yet for God wilt thou hence go?  
God's will doth the discharge  
No more thou canst be gone thou pelf,  
Thy licence is exspirde,  
Think not to make me like thyself.  
Now must I march to heaven,  
Up to the Threshoulds pure, and fine  
With fresh, and glorious light  
My novel life must show, and shine.  
To god aloft in skies.  
Advance I do my heaved hand,  
receive my god my soul  
'mongst troops of thine where bright thou stands.  
I dying leave a flock,  
And pray that (world) thou wouldst them spare  
Far well to thee (o world)  
World Far the well, full freight with care:   


A good beginning, a good endir  
That each good act that's well begun  
Doth luckily fall out,  
That doth the end advertise thee,  
When it is brought about.   

Constancy is crowned.  
A life that had beginning good,  
And ends as it began,  
Doth ended bring an endless life,  
And deify a man,   

High speaking.  
Be furnished well to speak, or else▪  
In speech mount not to high:  
The bird will have her feathers first,  
Ere she assay to fly.   

Use and Abuse.  
The greatest ornament to life  
Is knowledge used right.  
Abused knowledge is again  
Most irksome unto sight.   

Vain glory.  
Let not vain glory move the aught  
Or wind the in with wile  
The simplest man the sooner she  
gives onsett to beguile.   

Continuance.  
In working well contynnue still,  
And never look thou back,  
The course lies easy unto sin,  
If once thou gin to slack.   

Laughter, anger, babbling  
Laugh not, control thine anger swift,  
To anger be thou slow,  
An idle, and unthrifty word  
Thy lips let them not know.   

Duty to God, parents, priests▪ and Elders.  
Fear god, and to thy parents kind  
An humble duty pay,  
The priests, and elders reverence  
Whose heads with hoar do sway.   

Parents and Children.  
The son with sire to be at law,  
And brabbling to contend,  
That writings, and that Nature's laws  
For bid, and discommend.   

Such like.  
What thou in no wise canst abide  
To suffer in an other.  
That thou in no wise work, or wish  
Unto thy Christian Brother.   

Proportion.  
Great torture is not great to him,  
That greatly doth offend:  
The laws do levy like to like,  
And like to like do lend.   

The tongue.  
A Tongue well spoken uttereth out  
Of hoony words a flood,  
The foolish mouth doth utter much.  
But uttereth little good.   

Language.  
Forth out the wise man's witty mouth,  
proceedeth language sweet,  
Forth bitter chaps full brabbling words,  
Do ensue matched meet.   

Hapless frindles.  
The rich man's house knows no poor friend,  
Nor frindeth any such.  
The rich man's house is friendly aye  
To him that hath as much.   

Drunkenness.  
Small single drink doth not insoft  
The vigour of the mind,  
But belly fat▪ and drunken noll  
Doth change the from their kind.   

Wind.  
Who doth suppose unruly winds  
To keep a measure just  
Which taken eftsoons do uprayse  
A soft ungodly lust?   

A fat belly, a lean wit.  
A gorrell paunch, and godly mind  
In one may hardly lie,  
Things contrary we plainly so  
drive out the contrary   

thrifty diet.  
A diet thin doth profit more  
Than that, thou dost devise  
Upon they Bead, contrivinge it  
In coastly dainty wise.   

fools wise,  
The frantic fool, for dreams doth think  
Himself more wiser man,  
Then he which thousands many one  
His own distribute can.   

Baronnes.  
A baron womb, than children had  
I rather wish in will,  
Thus am I sole, but so should I  
Have company of ill.   

A milking shepherd.  
The hungry pastor let him milk  
(Yea) goots to fill his maw,  
But for sweet milk in straining hard  
Mere blood he shall out draw.   

Order.  
The hog when he at trowighe doth spy  
His drafe approaching near,  
Betakes himself unto his room  
And keeps no further steer.   

Order.  
The dissolute, and obstinate  
By force of law compel.  
That they the laws do right observe,  
And what becomes them well.   

Order.  
'mongst beasts which groveling feed on ground,  
Upon their forage rude,  
'mongst kennel vile of howling dogs  
And order their is showed.   

Man, death.  
To mortal men cut of by death  
The earth is comen grave.  
First earth he was, now earth he is,  
And him the earth must have.   

The good fear not.  
Observing law thou mayst at ease  
Set fear of law aside:  
For he that bideth in the law,  
In fear neads not to bide.   

Wisdom vanquisheth.  
The practised Pilot can eschew  
Both wrack of wave and wind  
'Gainst hapless hap the happy wise  
Best present help can find.   

perseverance.  
Those means eschew which lead not to  
The right, and perfect way:  
For error easy bends to vice.  
And speady works decay.   

Wisdom is strong.  
Not heavy thumps, or hamers hard  
Do move at all a stithe,  
To bear all brunts a steadfast mind  
Hath puissance strong, and pith.   

Bugs fray fools.  
Each crackeling lief the Leveret scars,  
And some such fools we find,  
That every bush, and every blast  
Doth scar them from their mind.   

The poor giving.  
Those poor I hate to noble men  
Which give their presents gay.  
Who words again, and many words,  
And only words repay.   

The lawyer  
The wicked Lawyer with his law  
The law, and realm doth maim,  
The upright Lawyer with his law  
Doth rule and save the same.   

The Tutor of the Fatherless.  
The neadles chuff that laugheth at  
The Orphans trickling tears,  
Doth laugh at Gods own vengeful ire,  
An God his laughter hears.   

The sentence not the words.  
He goose the readiest way of all  
The law for to destroy,  
Who doth the meaning of the law  
And sentence true annoy.   

Diversity.  
The poor man hath to mind his meat.  
His stomach for to ply,  
The rich hath much, and forceth not  
But still to more doth high.   

Instruction of fools.  
Instruct a fool persever still,  
Nor ever him forsake,  
Though hope be small, such hap may be  
Thou shalt him wiser make   

Chastninge.  
By stroke of steel the hardest flint  
Is forced to fling out fire,  
A stony breast through discipline  
To virtue will aspire.   

An oath  
If thou dost swear, or if through the  
An other man doth swear,  
Both thou dost ill, and he doth ill,  
And both the law do tear.   

Treasure.  
Hurde treasure fast, but treasure such  
Which end shall never taste,  
All worldly treasure in the end  
Shall suffer wrack, and waste.   

Short pleysure.  
Easteme not that, nor count of it  
Which time to the hath brought,  
For that which time erected hath,  
That time will bring to nought   

Pleasure changeable.  
Pleasure is pretty for a time  
Dilightfull unto all.  
But as she came she overcasts▪  
As whurling as a bal.   

Shamefastness in women.  
A woman's corpse, nor mannish moade  
Nor mannish tricks besitt,  
There modesties a sober moade,  
And shamefastness doth fit.   

Helth.  
In sickness nought more wished than health,  
That haply Nature spies  
And therefore hunteth after health,  
And after health she hies.   

Babbling.  
A mad man's words are very like  
The seas rough raging roar,  
Which still doth beat upon the banks  
But nothing moist the shore.   

Bribes.  
That wise men are that s moneys work.  
Bribes hath their heart in hold,  
A bird is caught with twisted hemp,  
A man is caught with gold.   

A sad spirit.  
Care bringeth age before his time,  
And that which age doth bring  
Before the time, no tract of time  
The same away can wring.   

Riches.  
The servant swift of vice is wealth,  
All powers with heady sway,  
To mischiefs awkward do decline,  
And leads to loss away.   

petition.  
A trusty friend is treasure best  
In honour, and distrese,  
No person lewd for any cause  
In friendship do possess.   

Care.  
The careful breast devours the bones,  
A merry pleasant mind  
Doth keep the body fat, and fair  
Conserved in his kind.   

Temperance in abundance.  
Abundance can not shun excess,  
The mean it can not keep.  
For fire inflamed, and full in course  
A way doth swiftly sweep.   

wine.  
The mind, and wit is feabled sore  
By to much beluing wine,  
For fire the more that it is fed  
More fully it doth shine.   

Fear of judgement.  
He that of judgement stands in awe  
His wrath doth better tame.  
For those that judge of wrath itself,  
In wrath will judge the same.   

Affliction to affliction.  
Hard case it is to add more ill  
To him whom ills oppress  
Yet one ille oft by proof we try  
An other doth redress.   

lasting glory.  
Eternal glory, lasting fame  
To conquer let us cast,  
For that which hear we scrambling k  
Over casteth as a blast.   

Anger an ill counsellor.  
That counsel practise not where to  
Thy wrath doth the enthrall  
For that which wrath doth counsel the  
No counsel is at all.   

Ill women.  
The dragon hath his noisome ill,  
The Adder hath his smart,  
The Adder's smart, the Dragon's ill,  
Doth dwell in woman's heart.   

Mark the end.  
The skulls of dead, the heads of quick  
Apparent bald and bare,  
Do prove that that will us forsake.  
For which we carcke, and care.   

Such father such child.  
A young crab if he creep awry  
With foul untoward pace,  
Did not the Breader so likewise  
What judge you in this case?   

Like of like.  
When Nature shall revelt from kind  
And bridle glad her moade,  
Then shall the schoolmaster that's bad,  
Bring forth his scholars good.   

Beauty and Pity.  
With diverse godly ornaments  
Thy corpse, and mind imbroyde,  
Despise not thou the fatherless,  
Nor let them be distroide   

God's blessing.  
If God do lardgly give increase▪  
No envy can prevail,  
If god withdraw his rich increase,  
No travail can avail.   

Order and power.  
Set more by order then by power,  
For order that aright  
Uphouldeth power, hath in itself,  
A greater power, and might.   

Dreading, and melling,  
They that in other matters mell,  
And others chances dread  
In dreading dangers not there own,  
Their proper dread do speed.   

The law of like.  
Why dost thou viper pain abhor  
In bringing forth thy young?  
Assay what throws had once the womb  
Whereof thyself art sprung.   

The stout are glorious.  
None ever yet in any world  
Renowned was for fear  
For conquests stout, and barging stout  
Do strike up glory clear   

Dreams.  
The want of sleep engenders dreams,  
Then sleep that can not spy.  
A thing itself, in vision sees  
A broken fantasy.   

Handling of rebels.  
Force only rebels can persuade,  
Force rebels doth restrain,  
Force can subdue, and rule prescribe  
To hugy Giants main   

The people a beast of many heads.  
The headless people bearing sway  
Some skills prince doth rain,  
The people is of all good things  
Confusion platt, and plain.   

An idle work.  
An Idle work to be a work  
Who could or can devise,  
Which each wiseman by better right  
As foolish will despise?   

Gould a Rhetorician.  
If gold come once to speak in place  
Man's Rhetoric pleadeth mum,  
For gold can pithily persuade  
Though it in speech be dumb.   

Worldly peace.  
Hear they may live at their heart's ease.  
And take a worldly rest,  
Which dote upon the wicked world,  
And like her chaffer best.   

Friend and foe.  
A friend by all possible means  
His friend will gladly pleasure.  
The foe is he, that hurts his foe  
Without just cause, and measure.   

Light shipping.  
Swyme balauncd lightly in the sea,  
Not over full of freight,  
Lest thou an overladen bark  
Do sink, or braced for weight   

Musing of death.  
Remember ever death at hand  
Think still upon thy grave  
So thou of death, when she shall strike  
The less of dread shalt have.   

The mind a Temple.  
Rear up to God within thy mind  
A Temple builded well,  
So God the Lord, of Heaven, and earth  
At home with the will dwell.   

Know thyself.  
Know well thyself, and what thou art,  
And how thou first began  
So shalt thou know the offspring first  
And brittle state of man.   

The steadfast mind.  
The days turmoil us swift in vain,  
From light to novel light  
The man of God th'eternal light  
Hath placed in his sight.   

Vanities.  
On things which swiftly come and go  
If thou thy trust repose,  
So mayst thou trust the bubbes of floods,  
Which swiftly comes, and gooes.   

deeds and words.  
Like error count it to offend  
In living and in talk:  
When once thy tongue hath trod awry  
Thy life awry will walk.   

holy orders, relics.  
It's wickedness that wicked men  
Should holy orders take:  
Of relics, and relligiouse bones  
The worship formed forsake.   

The path of virtue.  
Tread out the tract of life well lead,  
Sink not but stand up still,  
If thou woulds stand stand not within  
Their threshoulds who be ill.   

Of seunge: The steps of the devil.  
He seeth not, who seeth not that  
That sin bread smart in space,  
We know the devil not by his face,  
But note him by his trace▪   

The sick man feeleth not.  
The patient sick his danger deep  
If that he will not tell:  
Him urgent force of present death  
From life will soon expel.   

Words and works.  
Let words be thine, and works be mine,  
The cursed liver vile  
Stands need of praising blazing words,  
And pledars pleasant guile.   

Idleness.  
Sloth breadeth lust, and therefore thou  
Have ever what to do,  
Lest that thy light unconstant mind  
Do waver to and fro.   

Treasure standing.  
Be rich in God, those riches vain  
Which in this world we find,  
Are very like the cobwebs which  
The spider's weak have twined.   

Virtue passing.  
This world hath nought that worthy is  
Why longer we should live,  
Except those graces we respect,  
Which virtue sole doth give.   

Faith.  
Let us keep close our faith in heart,  
Nor vauntingly it sell,  
The one is easy washed away,  
The other long doth dwell.   

The mean.  
Be not to just, be not to wise,  
Extremes of all things fly,  
Shun both extremes, and that pursue  
Which twixt the twain doth lie.   

Boldness with discretion.  
Except thou rule thy stomach fierce  
It never willbe stout:  
The discreet wise most worthy things  
Most boldly bring about.   

Law and Lawyer.  
The laws of God peruse in breast  
So shalt thou be in fee:  
Retained of him whose laws and saws  
Of heavenly virtue be.   

Please and displease.  
Be good thyself, and whom thou oughst  
Those frankly do contemn,  
And for to please the godless crew  
As shameful that condemn.   

Wary in praising.  
Thyself well lyude, the wicked sort  
Thou canst not well commend  
For all will think that thine own life  
To path unclean will bend.   

Duresse trieth.  
Adversity doth try the good  
As gold is tried by flames  
The well disposed persons hurts  
Do never turn to shame.   

Denying of Father.  
He that his father doth deny  
Denieth not him alone,  
For by the father God did work  
As causes joined in one.   

A good name a good possession.  
Moths eat up all: thy goods with thee  
In tomb shall not be clad,  
At death thine only honour is  
A good name to have had.   

Spare strangers, and the dead.  
Spare strangers much, but more than spare  
Which hence are gone away,  
And left behind them what they had,  
Themselves enclosed in clay.   

another life.  
In God's name, leave and quite forsake  
The world and worldly veils,  
And up to skies with course direct  
And courage speed thy sails.   

The Trinity, the fountain.  
The issue of all honest acts  
From God must have their course,  
The thrice and most blessed trinity  
Of goodness well, and source.    

Man's life.  
This course of guileful life  
Which flitteth forth of hand  
A top is little sure,  
And little like to stand,  
It rouleth up side down,  
It runs without redress,  
When most it seems to stay  
It so much stays the less,  
We hold it but in flight,  
It fadeth when it bides,  
It skipping soon is paste,  
yet hard at last it slides,  
It draws, and eke redrawes  
With it a stackring state,  
We may descrive it thus,  
Which realeth in this rate,  
This raging reastles life,  
So changing every hour,  
A dream, a smoother light,  
Of grass a fleeting flower.   

A christian life.  
Each Christian man becomes  
Tears, watching, toyll▪ and pain  
And rage of strong affects  
In gloving heart do strain,  
His belly to imbar  
To Christ him to enthrall,  
To mind the latter day,  
And trembling quake withal.  
FINIS.