THE MIRROR of Man's life.  
Plainly describing, What weak mould we are made of: what miseries we are subject unto: how uncertain this life is: and what shall be our end.  
Englished by H. Kirton.  
worms MEAT: O FROTH: O VANITY: WHY ART THOU SO INSOLENT?  
IMPRINTED AT LONdon by Henry Bynneman. 1576.   

TO THE RIGHT Honourable, and his singular good Lady, the Lady Anne, Countess of Penbroke, mother unto the Honourable Lord Compton. H.K. wisheth all honour and long life.  
TO avoid the fault of Ingratitude, amongst the old Philosophers being accounted one of the greatest: I thought it good (right Honourable) to dedicated this Book unto you, as a token or argument of my good will: rather remembering, than requiting your bountiful courtesy. The which Book was written above three hundred and threescore years passed, entitled The misery of man. The contents whereof, if with deep and due judgement we do consider, we shall easily find great cause to make a reckless account of all worldly pomp & vanity: & that for great cause: For our life in her first entry into this world, is encountered with three capital enemies, pain, care, and sorrow: pain bids the body battle, care continueth the skirmish, and sorrow giveth the victory. It is a grievous thing to behold our ●irst entertainment so displeasantly entreated: we lament in the first minute, and rue to the last moment. Not sooner born but strait bound hand and foot, and cast into the cradle as into a prison, where we lie long time fast fettered in the feebleness of our own flesh. Then enter we into the wars that holy job speaketh of, where he saith: The life of man is but warfare. For there is no part of man's age that he passeth over, in the which he hath not some combat to fight. The first conflict which we are to endure, is infancy, in the which time we labour with the lack of reason, and fight with our own folly, not knowing where we are, ne what we are, ne whence, nor for what we come. Then after a time, we have to strive with our hands and feet, using them to learn their duties. And in this conflict we do continued until the age of seven years, all the which time we are feeble, weak, & without judgement or reason, not able to help ourselves. These years overpassed, we war under the fear of the rod, in spending time to learn some liberal science, or else some other machanical art, whereby we may either aspire to some high estate, or else procure our necessary sustenance In the third part of our age, we enter into a most perilous skirmish, fight against the desires of the flesh, against fond affections and vain imaginations, which causeth the mind to be unconstant, and to be carried away with sundry fancies. Fourthly, we have to encounter with manhood. In this warfare, we bear some countenance in the common wealth, ambitiously seeking after honour and estimation, and covetously affecting wealth and riches. To this age is incident the charge of wife and children, the maintenance of our family, & care of posterity. After all these followeth the main battle which never taketh peace with us, until our dying day. In this field we receive many wounds which never can be cured: as bleared eyes, trembling hands, gouty feet, deaf ears, wrinkled brows, lean cheeks, loathsome breath, baldness, corruption of stomach, with many more miseries infinite, which never rest to vanquish the body with furious assaults, ne to disquiet the mind with troublesome thoughts, & to wound the conscience with the remembrance of things past. And furthermore, such is the unhappy lot of life, that all those things which we most greedily desire, as honour, richest & pleasures, we leave them again speedily, and in our greatest dangers they do us no good. Therefore the wise Philosopher, being demanded what was the greatest thing in the world? answered, it was the valiant heart of a man, that could contemn and lightly esteem the high & mighty things of the world. For honour and dignity hath no assurance, and in Fortune's favour is no stability. Philip king of Macedon obtained in one day three notable victories: After the which he is said to have kneeled down upon the ground, holding up his hands unto the Heavens, crying out in this wise: O Lady Fortune most uncertain, O my happy destinies, I humbly beseech you, that after this great honour and glory, which you now have given me, you would moderate and temper the troubles & afflictions which in time to come you will lay upon me. For commonly, great prosperity is a messenger to grievous calamity, & nothing in this life is certain or sure. As Socrates affirmed when he said, that the certaynest thing in this world was, that all things were uncertain. It is written, that divers Captains came unto Agesilaus, and requested him to walk up unto the hill called Olympus, where (said they) you shall see great wealth merchants uttering a world of riches and precious jewels. His answer was this, if I could buy or cell, yea or exchange their sorrow for mirth, sickness for health, death for life: I would then go thither and spend all that I have: but I see (quoth he) that the buyers & sellers, yea and the very things themselves are condemned to die and to perish. Wherefore neither the sight of any thing, nor the obtaining of any thing there, can better mine estate, or help me at the hour of death, when I must creep into my grave. For although honour, wealth, and riches, bear great rule amongst men, yet they prevail not against death. To verify the same, I could wish (right Honourable) other testimony, 
The Lady Compton.  than the lamentable funerals of your loving daughter lately deceased: of whom I will forbear to speak much, lest the green memory may ruefully renew your forepast sorrows. In whom, while she was, what might be wished that she wanted? She was endued with all excellent gifts, as beauty, virtue, and fortune: Her virtues were passing, and made her comparable with any of her equals: Her beauty was singular, and made her most amiable. What greater fortune, than to be nobly born and to live in honour? She feared God, she loved her Prince, she hated vice, and followed virtue: sh●e pitied the misery of the afflicted, she relieved the necessity of those that wanted: she was the daughter of true nobility, the mirror ●f all courtesy, the mistress of all modesty. To be short, she did well and died well. Yet neither nobleness of birth, nor yet the gifts of nature or Fortune, could keep her with us: when death would have her. Thus you may see, how loathsome our life is, and how uncertain the transitory things of this world are. I hold him therefore most wisest, that so liveth as though he should always die. There came one unto Diogenes & said: O what a miserable thing it is to live in this world: unto whom he answered: my friend you are deceived, for it is no misery for a man to live, but it is a miserable thing for a man to live evil. Whose answer we shall found most true● when we shall be called to make an account of our bayliwikes. For we have here no continual, mansion place: being made or created of two natures, whereof the one is mortal, and ruleth here for a time, where flesh and blood beareth the sway: The other is celestial, which giveth feeling, understanding, & judgement unto the earthly or mortal substance: of the which if it be undefiled in this life, they both shall inhabit the place of perpetual bliss, they shall receive heavenvly gifts and virtues, they shall accō●any wi●h Angels, they shall in a moment s●e from one end of the world unto the other, they shall penetrate the heavens and behold the throne of god's majesty, where shall be such joy as no heart can think nor tongue express. And so craving pardon for this my bold attempt, I leave you unto the almighty, who always in honour preserve your estate.   

¶ A Table containing the effect of this presenr Treatise.  

In the first Book.  
OF the misery of mankind. 
Chap. 1.  The vile and base matter whereof man is mad●. 
Chap. 2.  The corruption of man's conception. 
Chap. 3.  Of the feebleness and weakness of the ●ong infant. 
Chap. 4.  Of the pain of the child's birth, and of his pitiful crying out. 
Chap. 5.  Of the nakedness of man. 
Chap. 6.  What fruit man bringeth forth. 
Chap. 7.  The incommodities of old age, and shortness of l●●e. 
Chap. 8.  Of the labour of mortal men. 
Chap. 9  Of the studies of wise men. 
Chap. 10.  Of the diverse studies of men. 
Chap. 11.  Of divers griefs & sorrows of mankind● 
Cham 12  The misery of the poor & ●ich. 
Chap. 13.  The miseries of servants & masters. 
Cham 14●  The misery of the married and unmarried man. 
Chap. 15.  The misery of good & evil men. 
Chap. 16.  Of the enemies of man. 
Chap. 17.  The lamentation of the soul being in prison. 
Chap. 18.  Of the short joy of man in this life. 
Chap. 19  Of sudden sorrows unlooked for, which happen unto men. 
Chap. 20.  Of the nearness of death. 
Chap. 21.  Of the terror of dreams. 
Chap. 2●.  Of compassion. 
Chap. 23.  Of sundry misfortunes that happen unto men. 
Chap. 24.  Of the innumerable kinds of sicknesses that man is subject unto. 
Chap. 25.  Of divers kinds of torments that men sustain. 
Chap. 26.  Of a certain horrible fact committed by a woman compelled thereunto by extreme misery. 
Chap. 27.  Of the punishing of the innocent, and dismissing of the guilty. 
Chap. 28.    

In the second Book.  
OF the culpable and sinful beginning of man's conversation. 
Chap. 1.  Of the fervent desire and thirst after riches. 
Chap. 2.  O● unjust rewards and bribes. 
Chap. 3.  Of the accepting of people. 
Chap. 4.  Of selling of justice. 
Chap. 5.  Of the unsatiable desire of the covetous man. 
Chap. 6.  Wherefore the covetous man can not be satisfied. 
Chap. 7.  Of the false and deceitful name of riches. 
Chap. 8.  Examples against covetousness. 
Chap. 9  Of the great car● that coue●ous men ●●ue. 
Chap. 10.  Of the inordinate desire that the covetous man hath to keep riches. 
Chap. 11.  Why the covetous man is called a worshipper of Idolles● 
Chp. 12.  The properties of a covetous man. 
Chap. 13  Of the dangerous possessing of riches. 
Cham 14●  Of lawf●ll riches. 
Chap. 15.  Of the uncertainty of riches. 
Chap. 16.  Of Gluttony. 
Chap. 17.  Exampl●s against Gluttony. 
Chap. 18.  Of Drunkenness. 
Chap. 19  Examples against Drunkenness. 
Chap. 20.  Of Lechery. 
Chap. 21.  Of the generality of Lechery. 
Chap. 22.  Of many which have perished through lechery. 
Chap. 23.  Of the Ambitious man. 
Chap. 24.  Of the excessive desi●e of ambitious men. 
Cham 25  An example of an Ambitious man. 
Chap. 26.  Of ●he short and miserable life of noble men. 
Cha●. 27.  The properties of a ●r●ude man. 
Chap● 28.  Of the fall of Lucifer the father of pride. 
Ch● 29.  Of the arrogancy of men. 
Chap. 30.  O● the abomination of pride. 
Chap. 31.  Against the arrogancy of proud men. 
Chap. 32.  An example against the deceit of ambitious men. 
Chap. 33.  Of the properties of arrogant men. 
Chap. 34.  Of superfluous apparel. 
Chap. 35.  Against vain decking and trimming of the bod●. 
Chap. 36.  That more favour is showed unto man for his apparels sake● than for his virtue. 
Cha 37  Of the painting of the face to deceive the eyes. 
Chap. 38.  Of the uncleanness of man's heart. 
Chap. 39  Of the grie●es and torments which evil men do suffer at the hour of death, 
Chap. 40  Of the coming of Christ at the hour of every man's death. 
Chap. 41.    

In the third Book.  
OF the putrefaction of the body when the soul is departed. 
Chap. 1.  Of the heavy remembrance of the damned souls. 
Ch●p. 2●  Of the unprofitable repentance of the damned. 
Chap. 3.  Of the manifold and divers pains of hell. 
Chap. 4.  Of the unspeakable anguish and torment of the damned. 
Chap. 5.  Of hell fire. 
Chap. 6.  Of the darkness of hell. 
Chap. 7.  Of the confusion of pains. 
Chap. ●.  Of the continuance of the pains in hell. 
Cham 9  Of the everlasting pains of the damned souls. 
Chap. 10.  Testimonies of the eternal punishments and torments of hell. 
Chap. 11.  Of the day of judgement. 
Chap. 12.  Of the tribulation that shall go before the day of judgement. 
Chap. 13.  Of the signs going before the later day. 
Chap. 14.  O● the power, wisdom, & justice of the judge. 
Chap. 15.  Of God's judgement. 
Chap. 16.  That nothing shall profit the damned souls. 
Chap. 17.    
Finis Tabulae.   

¶ THE MIRROR of man's life.  

The first Book.  

Of the Misery of mankind. Chapter first.  
IF the Prophet jeremy whom God blessed or sanctified in his mother's womb, 
Hiere. 20.  did cry out and pronounce of himself these words: Why came I out of my mother's womb to behold with min●●y●s the labour and sorrow of the world, and that my days should be consumed in confusion? if (I say) that holy Prophet did speak thus of himself, what then shall I say, whom my mother hath brought forth in sin? Truly I may well cry out, woe is me: and with most lamentable voice may say, O mother why hast thou brought me forth the child of bitterness and sorrow? why did I not end my days in my mother's womb? 
job. 3.  wherefore did I not perish as soon as I came into the world? why was I received in my mother's lap, fed and nourished with her pappes● being born to destruction, and to be the food of fire? would to God the place of my creation had been my grave, and the house of my everlasting conception: For then I should have been as though I had not been at all, transferred from birth to burial. Who will therefore give a fountain of tears unto mine eyes, that I may bewail the miserable entry or coming of man into this world? the faulty and guilty proceeding of man in this his conversation? and the damnable or dangerous departure of the soul of man from the body? I will therefore with tears consider and declare whereof man is made, what his doings are, and what perhaps shall become of him after this life. truly man is made of earth, conceived in sin, and born to pain. He doth commit in this life, wicked and shrewd turns which be not lawful: foul and unclean acts which be not decent: and vain things which are not expedient. Through his wickedness he shall become food to the fire, meat for worms, and a lump of putrefaction loathsome to behold. I will expound it more plainly. Man is made of dust, of clay, of ashes: he is conceived in the wanton desire of fleshly lust, in the heat of carnal appetite, in the foul delight of leacherye, and which is worse, in the spot of sin. He is born a ser●ant to labour, fear, and sorrow: and (which is more miserable) a subject to death. His doings are ●or the most part dangerous, 
The doings of man.  whereby be either offendeth God, hurteth his neighbours, or impayreth himself. He practiseth unseemly and unhonest things, whereby he procureth infamy, defileth his conscience, and dishonesteth himself. He occupieth himself in vain things, whereby he doth neglect matters of importance: he doth despise things which be for his profit, and nothing regardeth things which be● necessary. He shall become chaff to the fire which always doth burn unquenchably: 
What shall become of man.  He shall be meat for the worm which always doth gnaw and devour: and in fine, he shall be an immortal mass of putrefaction, heaped full of horror and loathsomeness.   

Of the vile and base matter whereof man is made. Chap. 2.  
GOD hath made man of the slime of the earth, which is more base than be the other Elements, as it doth appear by the second Chapter of Genesis. For he made the planets and stars, of the fi●e: the blasts and winds he cre●ted of the ayr●: the fish and birds of the water: 
Gen. 2.  but man and beasts he did form of the earth. Therefore if man do consider those things which be made of water, he shall find his substance vile and base: if he have respect to those living things which are created of the air, he shall acknowledge himself to be much inferior: and if he look upon those creatures which be made of fire, he shall justly take himself most abject of all. He shall not compare himself with heavenly things, neither shall ●e presume to prefer himself before earthly creatures, for that he finds his own substance not far differing from the savage or brute beasts, & shall acknowledge himself like unto them. 

Eccle. 3  
The book of the preacher.   For we evidently see the death of men and beasts is all one, the condition of them both is equal, and man can do no more than the beast in this respect: they be made of earth, and they do both return again into earth. These be the words of the wise King Solomon. Wherefore to conclude, what other thing is man, but clay and ashes? Here●ppon doth man say unto God, Remember I beseech thee O Lord, that thou hast made me like clay, and will't reduce me into dust. 
Man is clay and ashes.  And heereuppon doth God say again unto man, thou art dust, and shalt return again into dust. I am compared (saith holy job) to clay, 
job. 10.  and likened to embers and ashes. Clay is made of water and dust, both of them remaining, but ashes are made of wood and fire, both of them consuming or decaying. 
Gene. 3.  
job. 3.  The mystery is manifest, but to be declared more plainer in another place. Wherefore then dost thou wax proud or insolent O thou clay? or why dost thou extol & magnify thyself O thou dust? and whereupon mayest thou boast, being nothing but ashes?   

The corruption of man's Conception. Chap. 3.  
THou mayest perhaps refute these former reasons after this superficial sort, saying, that Adam was made of the slime of the earth, and that thy being is from the seed of man. True it is thou sayest: but yet was Adam made of a pure and maydenlye earth, and thou art created of an unclean and corrtupte seed. 
Man is made of unclean seed.  And who can make him clean which is conceived of an ad●ltred and defiled seed? 
job. 14.  or what is man that he should seem pure and undefiled, and that being born of a woman he should appear just? For behold (sayeth the Prophet David) I am conceived in wickedness, 
Psal. 50.  and my mother hath brought me forth in sin: Not in one sin only, nor in one kind of offence, but in a multitude of iniquities: That is to say, in the iniquities and sins of others. For Conception is of two sorts. 
Cenception of two sorts.  The one is of ●eedes: and the other of natures. The former conception is to be understanded, in offences personally committed: the second is, in offences contracted or taken by others. The parents do commit offence in the former conception: and the children do incur offence in the second. For who knoweth not the carnal knowledge (although it be in marriage) can not he had with out the motion of the flesh, without the heat of carnal desire, and without the foul delight of wanton lust. Whereby the seeds conceived are adulterate, defiled, & corrupt: Of the which the soul or life at the length poured into the body, doth gather the spot of sin, the blemish of offence and the corruption of iniquity, like as an evil seasoned vessel poisoneth good liquor, or as that which is unclean defileth the contrary. For the soul of man hath three natural operations or virtues. 
The virtues of the soul.  The first is, the use of reason, to the end it may disceyrne good from evil. The second is an aptness or inclination to dislike, that thereby it may shun or decline from that which is evil. The third is a disposition or proneness to affect, that thereby it may desire and like that which is good. These three effects or virtues are in man from his birth, greatly altered and obscured, by three contrary vices. For the use of reason is miscarried by ignorance, that it cannot discern the good from the evil. The inclination to dislike or to be offended with that which is evil, is headlong hurled down by the fury of anger, which causeth the refusals oftentimes of that which is good: And the affection to covet or desire that which is good, is wholly overthrown through the desire of evil. The first of these virtues or operations bringeth forth offence, which consists in omitting, & in Latin is called Delictum. 
Delictum.  The last bringeth forth sin or trespass, which doth consist in committing, and in Latin is called Peccatum. 
Peccatum.  The third (mean betwixt them both) bringeth forth both Delictum and Peccatum. For this word Delictum signifieth nothing else but to omit that which aught to be done: and this word Peccatum doth import the doing of that which aught not to be done. These three vices do spring through the corruption of our flesh. For in the carnal acquaintance betwixt man and woman, the deep consideration and force of reason is covered and suppressed, and in steed thereof ignorance taketh place: the flame of fleshly delight is kindled, whereby her fury more increaseth: the great desire of pleasure is satiate, by the which concupiscence is engendered. This is the Tyrant of the flesh, the law of the members, the nourishment and inflammation of sin, 
The nourishment of sin.  the languishing and feebleness of nature, and the food of death. No man is born without it: which if at any time we happily pass over, not yielding thereunto, yet doth her force always remain actually graffed in our flesh: 
1. joh. 1.  for if we shall say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. O grievous necessity, and unfortunate estate of man, before we can sin we are fastened and strait linked to sin, And before we can offend, we are bound with offence. By one man sin entered into the world (says saint Paul) and through sin death h●th go over all men. 
Rome 5.  Did not our fathers eat the bitter grape (say 
Higre. 31.  the Prophets) and are not the teeth of their 
Ezechi. 18.  children set on edge therewith?   

Of the feebleness and weakness of the young infant. Chap. 4.  
WHy then is light given to this poor wretch, and life to them which live in bitterness of the soul? happy are they which died before they were born, feeling death before they knew what life is. For some come into this world so deformed and monstrous, 
Monstrous children.  that they seem rather to be abominations than men: for whom peradventure it had been better provided, if they had never come in sight, because they are set forth to be beholden as monsters. For many of them are born dismembered, and corrupt in their senses, to the heaviness and sorrow of their friends, to the ignominy of their parents, and to the rebuke of their kinsfolks. To what end should I speak this particularly of some, seeing that generally we be all born impotent, without knowledge, without speech, and without strength? We come into this world lamenting, feebly, faint, differing very little from brute beasts, yea in worse case than they be in many respects. 
The imbecility of all infants and ●ong children.  For they as soon as they come forth, do by and by march and go forwards, and we can not only go upright upon our feet, but being crooked are not able to creep with our hands.   

Of the pain of the child's birth, and of his pitiful crying out. Chap. 5.  
We be all born yelling and crying, to the end we may express our misery. For the man child newly born crieth, A: the female E: so that all cry, A: or E: which cometh from Eua. And what is Eva, 
What this word Eva: doth signify.  but as much to say as Heu, Ha': which importeth alas, or fie upon me. For these words be● both Interjections of him that sorroweth or lamenteth, expressing the greatness of his grief. hereupon our first mother before her sin committed in Paradise, 
Gen 3.  was called Virago, but after she had sinned, she well deserved to be named Eva: at the which time she heard God say unto her: Thou shalt bring forth thy child in pain and sorrow. For there is no pain like to the grief of a woman labouring with child. Wherefore Rachel through the exceeding great pain of travail with her child departing out of this life, 
Gen. 35.  on her death bed named her son Benoni, which is as much to say, as the child of sorrow and pain. The wife of Phinees through sudden pangs coming upon her, 
1. Reg. 4.  was delivered of a child & both of them died as it were at an instant, yet in the very point of her death she called her child Icabod ● which is to say the child of no glory. 
john. 16.  But as he which escaped after shipwreck is glad, so the woman when she is in travel is sad, but after she is delivered, remembreth no more her pain● for joy that there is brought forth a reasonable creature into the world. Then to conclude, she conceiveth her child in uncleanness, she bringeth it forth with heaviness and sorrow, she nourisheth it with anguish and pain, she keepeth it with continual care and fear. 
The mis●ry of t●e wom●n th●t bring●th forth child.    

Of the nakedness of man. Chap. 6.  
NAked cometh he out of his mother's womb into this world, 
Pre●her. 5.  and naked shall he return again from hence: he cometh poor and shall return again poor: 
job. 1.  For I came naked out of my mother's womb (saith job) and out of this world I shall return naked again: we brought nothing (doubtless) in●o this world, 
2. Tim. 6.  because we can take nothing with us out of it. If any man go out of the world clothed; let him consider what kind of apparel he brought into it, which willingly I will pass over, as a thing undecent to be spoken, and unseemly to be herded.   

What ●rui●e man bringeth forth. Chap. 7.  
O Most vile, unworthy, and miserable condition of man: O unseemly and wretched estate. Search out diligently and make serious inquisition of the herbs and trees: they do of themselves bring forth ●lowers● boughs, and fruits, 
The fruits of herbs and trees.  and th●n miserable wretch bringest forth nittes, lice, and worms: They do of their own nature yield oil, wine, and balm, but thou utterest things displeasant and odious: they do sand forth from them sweet and pleasant odours, thou loathsome and unsavoury smells: such as the tree is such is the fruit, 
Mat 3  for an evil tree can not bring forth good fruit. And what is man according to his form, but a certain tree turned upside down? 

Mark. 8.  
A man is a tree turned upside down.   whose roots be the hears, whose trunk is the head with the neck, whose s●ock is the breast with the belly, 
job. 13.  the branches be the arms with the legs, the leaves be the fingers with the joints. This is the leaf which is ●oste with every wind, this is the tree that is overthrown with every blast, and this is the stubble which is dried up with the sun.   

Of the incommodities of ●lde age and shortness of life. Chap. 8.  
IN the first beginning of man's estate, we read that men lived nine hundredth years and more: but the life of man declining by little and little, God said unto No, 
Gen. 6.  my spirit or breath shall not remain always in man, for that he is flesh, & his days shall be an hundredth & twenty years: which may be understood as well of the term of man's life, as of the space of his repentance. For since that time forwards, we seldom read that man lived longer: but when man's life was cut shorter, the Psalmist said. The days and time of our life & years, 
Psal. 89.  do consist in the very number of seventy years, but if through the powers and forces of nature, they be continued to the number of four score years, yet that time is but of more labour and sorrow. Shall not the small number of my days (says job) be ended in a short time: 
job. 10.  our days pass over more swift than the web which is cut off by the weaver. 
Ibi●em 9 & ●● &. Esa. 38.  A man born of a woman liveth but a short time, 
Ibidem. 14.  and is replenished with many miseries, which flourisheth for a time, and vanisheth away again, even as a flower: he also flieth away like a shadow, and doth never continue in one estate. Few men now adays do come to the term of forty years, 
The infirmities of the old ●an.  but more fewer do attain unto the age of three score yeeres● If one proceed forward & come to old age, his heart is by and by afflicted and tormented, his head is shaken and to●t, his spirits wax faint and weak, his breath yieldeth a loathsome air, his face becometh wrinkled, his stature beginneth to be crooked, his sight faileth him, his joints weaken, his nose runneth, his hears fall of, his hands tremble and shake, his teeth wax rotten, his ears become deaf, his virtue and strength doth vanish and decay. The old man is soon provoked and stirred to wrath, and hardly and with much a do he is reconciled again to reason. He is quick of belief, and slowly brought from it: he is full of suspicion & complaints: he is for the most part sad, & seldom merry: he is near & covetous: he is swift to speak, but stow to hear: he praiseth his old acquaintance, & despiseth his new friends. He doth reprehend that which is present, and commends that which is past: he sigheth and is careful: he is dull and impotent. Hear what the Poet sayeth: Many incommodities bee●●tte an ●lde man on every side. But let neither old ●en boast of themselves against young ●en, nor yet let not young men become in●olent against old men: for what we be, the old man in times paste was, and what ●e now is, the very same in time to come if life long last shall we be.   

Of the labour of mortal men. Chap. 9  
THe bird is created to fly, and man is born to labour: 
job. 5.  all his days be full of pains, care and misery, neither do●th his mind rest in the night. And what is this else, but vanity? there is no man under the sun without labour or trouble, no man under the moon without some want or defect, no none at any time without vanity. Time through delay is the worker of all changeable things. Vanity of vanities, and all is but vanity sayeth the wise man. 

Eccle. 1.  
The book of the preacher.   O how dy●●rs be the studies and affections of men? how disagreeing or unlike be th●ir exercises? And yet one end is dew unto them all, and the self same effect, labour, and affliction of the spirit is incident unto them all. 

Eccle. 4.  
The book of jesus son of Siracke.   There is great labour and exercise (says the wise man) ordained for all men, and a heavy yoke is laid upon the children of Adam, from the day that they come forth of their mother's womb, until the day of their burial in the mother of all men.   

Of the studies of wise men. Chap. 10.  
LEt the wise men search, and curiously inquire the altitude or height of the heaven's, the breadth of the earth, the depth of the Sea, let them severally dispute of every one of these a part, let them diligently consider of them all, let them always learn or teach, and what shall they find or reap of this their exercise, but labour, sorrow, and disquiet of the mind? 

Ecclesiast 1.  
Book of th● Preacher.   He knew this by experience which said, I gave and applied my mind, that I might know wisdom and learning, errors and foolishness, and I found it was nothing else but labour and affliction of the mind: for where much wisdom is, there is also great tramell, and wars of the wits: and the man that seeketh to attain knowledge, procureth to himself greef● and care. For although he which seeketh out t●ose things, must of necessity give himself to much watching, great diligence, and continual pains: yet is there scarcely any one thing so base or vile, or any thing so eas●e to be known, which man may fully understand, and assuredly conceive: unless perhaps this one thing he may perfectly learn and know, that there is nothing absolutely known unto man, 
Nothing ●o man is per●●●●y ●now●e  notwithstanding his great and forcible arguments grounded upon probable reasons. 
Sapient. 9  Yea furthermore, the corrupt body afflicteth the mind: and this earthly habitation or mansion house keepeth down the divine sense or understanding, which pondreth and museth upon many things. Hear Solomon upon this matter. 

Eccle. 1.  
Book of the Preacher.   All things (saith he) be hard, man can not declare and express them in words. And in an other place. There is a man (says he) which taketh no rest day nor night, and yet can he find out no reason of the works of God, 
Preacher. 8.  yea how much more he shall labour to seek the knowledge of th●m, so much the less shall he find. They therefore do soon fainted which endeavour to aspire to the great secrecies, which are only reserved to the secret scrutiny of the divine majesty: Because man thereby should become proud a●d lofty, 
Psal. 63.  and by the hidden mystery of his works God shall b●e glorified. 
Prou. 25.  For he which doth carefully seek to achieve to the mightiness of god's majesty, shall be o●erthrown through the mighty power of his glory, because the more man understandeth, the more he doubteth: & he which thinketh himself wisest, is most foole● and most deceived. Therefore it is a part of wisdom or knowledge, for a man to understand that he is ignorant: 
preacher. 7●  for God hath made man upright, and man hath encumbered and wrapped himself in many and infinite questions.   

Of the divers studies of men. Chap. 11.  
Mortal men make their ways through hedges and by-paths: 
What painnes & dangers men sustain to become rich.  they climb high mountains, and surmount the great hills: they travail over rocks: they march over the steep Alps: they enter into Caves: they sound the depth of the Sea: they search the bowels of the earth, and sift the very Centre thereof: they wander in the wilderness and solitary places of the woods: they hazard themselves in deserts and unknown corners: they cast themselves into the danger of winds, ●allings of houses, Castles & Towers, and of slipping down headlong from upright and steep place, they make themselves subject to storms and grea●e tempered, to showers, thunders, lightning, floods, and earthquakes: They try o●● metals, and coin them, they grave stones and polished them, they cut and hew down woods, they weave & wound webs to make clot, they measure out garments and sow th●m together, they build houses, make gardens, ti●l and manure the fields, plant vineyards, heat ovens, set up mills, they fish, they foul, they hunt and hawk, they study and invent new devices, they consult and ordain, they complain & strive, they rob and steal, they make merchandise and deceive one another, they brawl, contend and fight, and an infinite number of such like things they practise, to the end they may scrape wealth together, and heap up riches, that they may multiply their gains, increase their profits, obtain honours advance their dignities, enlarge their possessions and authority: And all these are but troubles, travels, vexations and afflictions of the mind If they hardly believe me, let them give credit to the wise king: I have (says he) extolled & magnified my works: 
P●●cher. 2.  I have builded houses● and planted vineyards: I have made gardens and orchards, I have sown and planted 〈◊〉 them all kind of trees: I have made ponds and ditches for water, to comfort my lively young trees when they bud and spring out: I have possessed bondmen, and handmaids, and have had a great fam●lie: I have had great herds of beasts and great flocks of ●●eepe, yea more than all the other Kings which reigned before me in jerusalem: I gathered and heaped uppe gold and silver, and the riches of Kings and provinces: I ordained for my pleasure singing men and singing women, and the delicate recreations that might be had for the children of men● I made cups and flagons of silver and gold, to put win● into● and I did exceed i● riches all the kings that were before me in jerusalem. But when I turned myself back, and beheld those things which my hands had made, and considered my pains in the which vainly I had traveled and sweat, I did see in t●●m all nothing else but vanity and affliction of the mind, and that there was nothing permanent under the sun.   

Of divers griefs and sorrows of mankind. Chap. 12  
O What sorrow and anguish of mind doth vex mortal men. Thought consumeth them, pensiveness doth possess them, hea●inesse harmeth them, fear putteth them out of comfort, trembling moveth all the parts of them, horror d●pryueth them of their perfit senses, terror doth afflict them, sadness doth trouble them, and trouble do●th make them sad and h●auye. The poor, and the rich: the servant, and the master: the married and the single man: to conclude, the good and bad, be all tormented with worldly vexations, and are all toast with worldly tempests. Believe in this a master that hath tried it: If I shall be wicked (saith job) than woe unto me: if I shall be just and upright, 
job. hundred.  I shall not lift up my head being burdened and overcharged with affliction and misery.   

The misery of the poor and rich. Chap. 13.  
THe poor are priest with famine, suppressed with sorrow, oppressed with thirst, cold, and neediness. They be nothing esteemed, they consume and pine away, they be despised and discomforted. O how miserable is the condition of him that beggeth. For to ask ●or God's sake, he is abashed through s●ame: and if he doth not ask, he is pained and pineth away through need. And therefore is he constrained by mere necessity to beg. He doth accuse and find fault with God, as that he were unrightuous, and partial: for so much as he did not divide these worldly things equally. He blameth his neighbour as wicked and unmerciful, for that he doth not fully and sufficiently secure his need. He doth fret and fume, murmureth, and curseth. Mark what the wise man saith upon this. 
Book of jesus 4.  It is better (says he) for a man to dye, than to stand in need. The poor man shall be odious even to his neighbour. All the days of the poor be evil and miserable, yea verily his own brethren oftentimes do shun him, his friends loath him, his ennimyes laugh at him. And therefore upon great cause the Po●t sayeth: 
ovid.  Whilst fortune doth favour thee thou shalt find many friends, but if woe do bewytche thee, thou shalt be left alone. Out upon this shameful worldly consideration: that the person of a man should be esteemed according to his fortune, whereas in deed, the gifts of fortune aught rather to be esteemed according to the goodness of the person that doth possess them. But such is the iniquity of time, that a man is taken to be so good as he is rich, and so evil as he is poor, whereas indeede● each, man ought rather to be thought so rich as he is good, and so poor as he is evil. The rich man is overthrown through his abundance, 
The misery of the rich man.  he is carried away by vain glory, and through the confidence that he hath in his wealth, he braggeth and boasteth: being pu●t up with pride, he runneth at his pleasure, and falls into that which is unlawful. But those things truly which were his delights and causes of offences, shall be eftsoons made the instruments of his torments. 
Preacher. 5.  The labour in getting, the fear in possessing, and the sorrow in losing, doth always trouble and disquiet his mind. For where thy treasure is (saith Christ) there is thy heart. 
Math. 6.    

The miseries of Servants and Master's. Chap. 14.  
THe servant or bond man is vexed and wearied about the provision of his masters necessaries, 
The misery of servants.  with watching and carrying of things from place to place: he is beaten with stripes, and spoiled of his wealth. If he have no riches, his labour must make a painful purchase: if he ha●e aught he is compelled to spend it at his master's pleasure. The offence of the master, is the pain of the servant: the offence of the servant, turneth to the pray of his master. 
Horace.  For as the Poet says, Wherein soever the rulers do amiss, the poor subjects feel the smart. 
Book of jesus. 13.  The wild ass in the wilderness is the game or pray for the Lion: even so is the poor man the pray for the rich. O extreme condition of bondage. Nature hath brought forth all men free, but fortune hath made slaves and bond men. The bondman is forced to suffer, and no man is permitted to take compassion upon ●ym: he is compelled to weep, wail, and to be sorrowful, and no man is suffered to be sorry with him: so is ●e not his own man, and in his miseries sorroweth comfortless. 
Men of war.  The martial minds live in miserable moods: for besides the great pains they endure, and the continual dangers they stand in, they make their only felicity of other men's misery: 
The misery of the master.  and it is an odious thing to live upon the spoil of an other. The cruel master liveth always in fear, lest the treason of his servants shorten his days. If he be gentle, than his familiarity breeds contempt: fear then doth vex him if he be severe: and contempt setteth him at naught if he be courteous: For cruelty getteth hatred, and contempt followeth familiarity. Furthermore, familiar care causeth weerine●se, and private regard bringeth grief. Wherefore it behoveth a man to be ready and well fenced on every side, that he may beware and take heed before hand, of the ambushes and the crafty fetches or deceits of the malicious and envious men, whereby he may repel and put away the injuries of those which assault him, to the overthrow of his enemies, and to be able to defend his neighbours, and protect his country men: For one day is not satisfied in her malice ●owardes man in this life, but she bringeth forth labours and sorrows for an other: and one night doth show and declare knowledge to another. We therefore do lead our days in travel, and pass over many nights without sleep.   

The misery of the married and unmarried man. Chap. 15.  
SO deeply rooted is lecherous lust in the flesh of man, 
The concupiscence of the flesh that troubleth unmarried men.  that if it be possible for fire not to burn, it is possible for man not to lust. For howsoever the flesh shall be kept under, yet shall not that unquiet jebusite be driven out or conquered. For although thou rebuke nature never so much, yet will she return again. All men do not understand this saying, 
Math. 19  or obtain this grace, but he which can conceive or comprehend it, 
Exod. 21.  (saith our Lord) let him. Whereupon when GOD gave commandment unto Moses and Aaron for the ordering of the holy garments, and of th● appareling of their children, ●ee did not only give commandment for the covering of the thighs, but willed them to use linen s●oppes to cover their privities, when they should enter into the Tabernacle of witness. 
1. Corin. 7.  The Apostle also saith to those which be married, Do not defraud one another, unless it be perhaps by consent for a time, that you may be more fervent in prayer, and afterwards return again unto the same, least that Satan tempt you through incontinency: For it is better for a man to marry, than to burn. For the Angel of Satan, with subtle devices continually provoking lewd liking, doth always war and fight with maidenly chastity and manly constancy: 
The suggestion of the Devil.  He kindleth the fire of nature with the blast of frail suggestion: He also layeth matter before us, to work our lewd lusts: He fighteth a combat with us, casting before our eyes the glorious shape of some gallant dame, whereby the feeble mind is secretly sauced with amorous desirest and the body made prove to perdition: He changes our affections daily with the sight of ●undry pleasant shapes. 
●. Reg. 11.  Let King David suffice for example, who in the after noon walking in his Princely palace, beholding Bersabe washing herself on the other side, sent for her, took her and slept with her, for she was exceeding fair and beautiful. But the married man is careful for those things which belong to his wiff and family, 

1. Corin.  
The miseri of the married men.   and is divided in himself. For divers cares draweth him sundry ways, & sundry thoughts disquiet his troubled mind. The fear of e●il fortune doth vex him, the loss of wealth doth torment him, and the charge of household doth divide him diversly. For all his st●die is how ●o maintain his wi●e, to procure things necessary for his children, and to discharge the hire of his servants. And therefore most truly is it said, that such men have the ●roubles and cares of the flesh. His wife desireth to have precious ornaments and rich jewels, she craveth divers suits of gorgeous and sumptuous apparel, and sundry parcels of household s●uffe: yea and oftentimes the wives furniture, doth exceed the revenue of her husband's lands. But if she be deny●d what she demandeth, them doth she mourn and sigh day and night, she frowneth and murmureth, ●he chatteth and checketh, with grievous complaints of her husbands ingratitude, without ceasing. 
Prove. 2●.  There be three things (saith Solomon) which do not permit a man to tarry in his house, that is, a smoky chimney, a dropping roof, and a shrewd wife. Often times she sayeth unto her husband, such a man's wife goeth gorgeously and finely appareled, and is esteemed and much made of by every one: but I poor wretch, all alone, am nothing regarded amongst my neighbours: I am contemned and despised of every one. She only will be loved and praised: she thinketh the good countenance showed unto an other, to procure hatred unto her: and she surmiseth the commendation of an other, to be for her disgraces. All that she loveth, must ●e liked of, and all that she hateth must ●ee disliked: she will be mistress, and cannot be mastered: she may not abide to serve as a subject, but she must rule as a governor: she will seem ex●erte in all things, and will show herself ignorant in nothing. If she be fair, she is soon beloved of others: if she be foul, she is not hastily desired. But it is a hard matter to keep that which is beloved of many, and it is a gree●e to possess that which no man esteemeth. Some men allure her by the comeliness of their parsonage: some gain victory by policy: some do move affection by mercy conceits, or pleasant devices: other some do win good will through liberality: and needs must there be some breach, where the battery is laid on every side. The goodness of the Horse, the Ass, the garment, the bed, the pot, and also the pitcher, are first tried, and after bought: but the manners or conditions of a woman are hardly known, lest misliking grow before marriage. But after marriage whatsoever befall her, be she foul or fair, wise or foolish, patiented or proud, loathsome or handsome, she cannot be separate, but only for adultery. 
Mat. 5.  You a neither can the man which putteth away his wife for this cause marry an other, neither yet can the wife put so away, take another husband. For whosoever shall forsake his wife unless it be for adultery, giveth her occasion to commit adultery: and he which doth marry her that is dismissed for adultery, doth also commit adultery. If the wife shall go from her husband for this cause (sayeth the Apostle) ●hee ought ●yther to remain unmarried, 
1. Cori●.  or else ●ee reconciled to her husband again.  
Therefore the burden of wedlock is grievous. 
Prou. 18.  For as (Solomon saith) ●e is foolish and unwise which keepeth his wife being an adultress: and he is the patron of his wives dishonesty, which doth cloak her crime. If then a man put away his wife being a● adulteress, he is punished without his fault, for that he must so long as she liveth remain chaste. And therefore Christ's disciples said, 
Math. 19  If a man's condition and case be such wi●h his wife, it is better for man not to marry. For no man can well brook a mate in love: and who so ever is the subject of jealousy, is the s●aue of suspicion. Yea and although the Scripture doth affirm, that man and wife shall be two in one flesh, yet besides that, the very love of the husband itself, doth 'cause him to be impatient of partners.   

Of misery of good and evil men. Chap. 16.  
THere is no cause (sayeth the Lord) wherefore the ungodly should rejoice: 

Esay. 48. & 57  
●he misery 〈◊〉 evil men   for look by what parts man doth sin, in the same shall he be tormented. For the worm of conscience shall never die, and the fire of reason shall never be put out. I did see (sayeth job) those which wrought iniquity, and did sow and reap their own sorrow, I did see them (says he) perish with the blast of god's mouth, and with the breath of his wrath I saw them consumed. Pride puffeth us up, and causeth us to forget o●r selves: Envy doth inwardly, consume us, and drieth up our blood: Covetousness pricketh us to evil: Anger or rage suppresseth ●eason: Gluttony distemper●th the body: and Lechery weakeneth the same: Lying doth ●ynde us to answer: and Manslaughter de●ileth us and crieth for v●ngeaunce. Even so likewise, the rest of monstrous and horrible sins, with the delights that m●n take therein, are as instruments for God to punish sin. The malicious or enuions man (saith the Po●t) withereth away at the prosperous estate of an other. And the Tyrants of Sicil never found greater torment than malice herself● Vice (saith the Apostle) corrupteth nature. 
Rom. 1.  Therefore the wicked men says he, vanished away in their own imaginations and their foolish minds and hearts were blinded and darkened: 
Ibidem.  wherefore God did suffer them to follow the desires of their own hearts in all uncleanliness, to the end they should be injurious unto themselves, and afflict their own bodies. And as they have forsaken to know God, even so God hath delivered them into a reprobate and wicked meaning, 
Ibidem  that they may do those things which be not convenient. But they which do live godly in our saviour Christ, 

2. Tim. 3.  
The misery of good men.   do suffer persecution. For the holy men & such as ●e now saints in heaven, have sustained mocks & stripes, yea moreover ●aue proved fetters and imprisonment, 
Hebr. 11.  of the which some were stoned ●o death, some cut in pieces, some tempted and proved what they would do, and at the last were put to death with the sword for our Lord's sake. They went about in the world in sheeps skins, in Goats peltes, needy and poor, troubled in their minds, & much afflicted, whom the world was not worthy of. They wandered in the deserts and wilderness, amongst the mountains, and in dens and caves under the earth. They were in the danger of floods and waters, 
2 Cor. 11.  in jeopardy of thieves, in great peril through their own stock and parentage, in fear of the Gentiles, of infidels, and of false brethren. They travailed in pain and sorrow, in much watching, 
Ibidem.  in hunger and thirst, in many vexations and perplexities, in cold and nakedness. For the just man doth deny and forsake himself, 
Luke. 9  
Gal. 6.  crucifying his members with the vices and imperfections thereof, that the world may be crucified ●n him, & he in the world. 
Hier. 13.  He knoweth that he hath no sure nor continual abode in this life, but doth seek to enjoy the everlasting City to come: he sustaineth this world as a banishment: and his soul is closed up in his body as a prison. 
Psal. 118. Psal. 119.  I am (says he) a strange pilgrim upon the earth, and as a foreigner, even as all my forefathers and elders have been. 
Ibidem.  Suffer me that I may be refreshed before I go from hence, and before I shall become nothing. Alas that my banishment and dwelling ●eere in this world is prolonged. I have continued long with those that have their mansions amongst the hard Cedar trees, and my soul hath been a strange inhabitant with them very long. 
2. Cor 11.  Who is sick and feeble, and I not sick? Who is weak and I not troubled. For the very offences and sins of brethren and neighbours, be grievous to those which be just men.   

Of the enemies of man. Chap. 17.  

job. 1.  THe life of man is nothing else but warfare upon the earth. Is it not a warfare in deed, whereas many kind of enemies lie in wait on every side, that they may take, persecute, and kill us? as the devil, the world, mankind itself, and the flesh. 
Four enemies o● man: the deui●, the world, the 〈◊〉, and m●●kinde it 〈◊〉.  The devil with vices and fleshly desires: man together wit● beasts, and other crea●ur●s: the world with the elements: the flesh with sensualities. For the flesh lus●eth contrary to the spirit, 
Gal. 5.  and the spirit contrary to the flesh. Yea we have not only a combat against flesh and blood, 
Ephes. 6.  but also against the spiritual authors of wickedness, which be in the air, and against the Lords and rulers of darkness. For your adversary the devil (saith saint Peter 
1. Pet. 5. ● ) goeth about like a roaring Lion ●eeking whom he may devour. The fiery darts of our wicked enemies are always kindled against us. Death entereth in by the windows, the eye doth rob and spoil the soul, the whole world doth fight against us unwise men, for one nation warreth against an other, and great earthquakes are in divers places, pestilence and hungers, terrors and tempests cometh down amongst us from the heavens. The earth bringeth forth thorns and thistles: the water bringeth forth inundations and floods: the air sendeth upon us storms, thunders, lightnings, and terrible fiery sights. The earth (sayeth God to Adam) shall be cursed in thy labour, 
Gen. 5.  it shall yield unto thee thorns and thistles, and in the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread, until thou dost return again into the earth. The wild boar of the woods doth lie in wait for to devour us, 
Psal. 79.  and every wild beast seeketh our destruction. 

Hier. 5.  
Hurtful beasts enemies to mankind.   The wolf, the Bear, the Lybard, the Lion, the Tiger, and the wild Ass: the Crocodile, the Grief, the Serpent, the Snake, the Basilisk, the venomous worm called Aspis, the Dragon, the Cereastes, the Scorpion, and the Uyper: also Nittes, Lice, Emattes, Fleas, gnats, and Flies, Hornettes, and Waspss, Fish and Foules, all these I say, do lie in wait to make a pray of our people. For we which in the beginning were created to bear rule over the fish of the Sea, and fowls of the air, 
Gen. 3.  
Deut. 22.  and over all living things which move upon the earth, are now become a pray for them to feed upon. 
bidem. 30  For it is written, I will set the teeth of beasts upon them.   

The lamentation of the soul being in prison. Chap. 18.  

Rom. 7.  O Unhappy and wretched creature that I am, who will deliver me from the torment of this earthly body? Behold the lamentation of the silly soul, which would fain be discharged out of prison. 
Psal. 141.  Whereof the Psalmist saith thus. O Lord bring my soul out of captivity. There is no rest nor quietness in any place here in this world. Not where is there found any peace or security: Fear and trembling is every where, labour and grief is in all places. The flesh is always in labour, grief, and sorrow, so long as it liveth, and the soul doth mourn and lament her grievous estate and being.   

Of the short joy of man in this lives Chap. 19  
WHat man did ever pass over in this life one whole day in perfect mirth and joy, 
Man hath not one whole day of joy and pleasure in this life.  whom in some part of that day, either the remorse of conscience, the vehement inna●ion of anger, or the motion of fleshly lust hath not disturbed? whom devouring malice, the insatiable desire of avarice, or else the secret blasts of pride, have not disquieted? whom some loss of wealth, offence committed, or passion of the mind hath not distempered? And to be short, whom the ●ight of some thing loathsome or grievous to behold, or ye●earing of some thing sorrowful or undecent to be spoken, or else some act to be misliked, hath not offended? Truly if any such there bee● he is as rare as a black swan. Hearken what the wise man says upon this point. From the morning unto the evening the time shall be changed, vain thoughts succeed one an other, 
Book of jesus 18● Chap.  & the mind is severed & divided into divers motions: men do delight to hear the pipe, the harp, or cithern, and take great joy to hear the Orgaynes, or other musical instruments, 
job. 21.  and by all means they provide to pass their days in pleasure: but alas, in a moment they fall down into hell.   

Of sudden sorrows unlooked for, which happen unto men. Chap. 20.  
Sudden heaviness doth always accompany worldly mirth: 
Sorrow i● the companion of mā● mirth  and that which beginneth with joy, doth always ●nd with some sorrow: for worldly pleasure is mixed with many bitter corsies. This knew he right well which said: 
Prou. 14.  Laughter is mixed with grief, and the end of mirth is finished with wailing. The children of job 
job. 1.  did prove this true by experience, the which while that they were making merry in their elder brothers house, a sudden mighty wind ri●ing out of the desert, overthrew the house & destroyed them all. And therefore their father might well say● 
job. 30.  My ●arp is changed into mourning, & my cithern is turned into the v●yce of those that weep. It is better (says the wise man) to go into the house of mourning than of banqueting. 

Book of the Preacher. 7.  
The preac●e●● 11●  
Book of jesus. 7.  
The mortal man is but a living death   hearken therefore unto his good counsel. In the day of thy mirth & prosperity, forget not sorrow and adversity, and remember thy last and ending day, and thou shalt not sin damnably.   

Of ●he ne●renesse of death. Chap. 21.  
THe last day of our life, is unto us always the first day to life, and yet we do never account the first day to be the last. Whereas in deed we should still so line, as though we should always die. For it is written: 

Book of jesus. 14.  
Book of jesus. 11.   Remember that death doth not ●arry long, and is not slow in coming, Time passeth away, and death approacheth nigh. A thousand years are before the eyes of him that dieth, 
Psal. 89.  as it were but yesterday, which is already past. For the things which God will have come to pass, are always springing: and things present do daily decay and perish: and those things which are past, are clean dead and consumed. We then are dying while we live, and then do we cease from dying, when we cease to live. Therefore it is better to dye● always to live, than to live to dye ever. For the mortal life of man is but a living death. Whereupon (saith Solomon) I commend more the estate of those that be dead, 
Book of the preacher. 4.  than of those that live: and I judge him that is not yet born happier than them both. The life of man passeth swiftly away and can not be stayed, and death cometh upon him instantly and can not be hindered. Man therefore is that wonderful thing which doth decrease, and increase, and all in a moment. For how much the more man's life increaseth, so much the nearer he approacheth to his end.   

Of the terror of dreams. Chap. 22.  
THe very time which is granted man in this life for his rest, is not permitted to be quiet unto him: for in dreams, dreadful things often times appear, which cause a man to fear, and visions in his sleeps do molest him. And although in very deed those things which men dream of, be not sorrowful, terrible, or painful: yet for certainty, those which are molested with such dreams, are caused to be pensive, sorrowful, and fearful. In so much, that sometimes in their sleeps, they fervently weep, and when they are waked out thereof, are often troubled in their minds. Mark well what Elephas Thematices sayeth of this matter. 
job. 4.  In the terror of a vision (sayeth he) in the night time when men are wont to sleep, a great fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones did shake for fear, 
job. 7.  and when the spirit passed in my presence, the hear of my head stood up. Consider the saying of job also in these words: If I say unto myself, my bed shall comfort me, and I shall be eased, talking with myself upon my couch: thou wilt terrify me with dreams and wilt make me shake for fear through visyons. Nabuchodonozer saw in a dream, 
Daniel. 2.  that thing which made him thoroughly afraid, and the vision being firmly impressed in his mind, did much vex & trouble him. 
Preacher. 5.  Many thoughts and cares do follow dreams, and where there is many dreams, there is exceeding many vanities. Dreams have caused many to err and do amiss: and the hope that men have had in them, hath been made frustrate. In sleeps also happen often times unclean imaginations, 
Illusions in the night time●  whereby not only the flesh is polluted by illusions in the night, but the soul is also defiled: 
Levit. 15  whereupon the Lord in the levitical law sayeth thus, if there be any man amongst you, which by illusion is abused in his sleep by night, let him go out of the tents, and let him not return, before that in the evening he be washed clean with water, and after the going down of the Sun, let him come again into the tents.   

Of Compassion. Chap. 23.  
O With what grief be we vexed, 
The grie●e and sorrow man hath for his frion●e●.  with what trembling fear be we shaken, when we understand the losses or hindrance of our friends, and how much do we stand in fear of the dangers and loss of our parents? yea sometimes he that is whole add sound of body, is more troubled and vexed in his fear, than the sick and feeble is in his sickness. For the voluntary sick man is more afflicted with the affection of his grief, than the sick patiented man, languishing in his feebleness. Hereupon breaketh out the Poet in these words, 

The pangs of love.  
ovid.   Love is a loathsome thing God wot, and passing full of grief. Whose breast is so hardened, whose heart is so stony, that he can not be sorry and lament, that he can not weep and wail, when ●e doth behold the sickness or death of his friend or neighbour, that he can not suffer with him that suffereth, and sorrow with him that mourneth. Our saviour Christ himself, when he saw mary Magdalen, 
Ioh●. 11.  & the jews which came with her to Lazarus monument, all weeping, he was afflicted in spirit, and troubled in himself, and wept: Not peradventure because Lazarus the brother of Mary was dead, but rather for that he should raise him up, or call him being now dead, 
The death of t●e soul is more to be lamented than the death of the body  unto the miseries of this life again. For let him persuade himself to be guilty of great hardness of heart, and to be accounted as one fault worthy, who sorroweth more at the corporal departure of his friend, than the spiritual death of his soul.   

Of sundry misfortunes that happen unto men. Chap. 24.  
SUch is our casual condition, that when we seem to stand in great security, we devil in deepest danger, and when we least fear, we soonest fall. Calamity falls upon us not looked for, sickness suddenly invadeth us, and death without ransom requireth his duty. Do not therefore boast upon the next day, 
Prou. 27.  being ignorant what the day following will bring forth. Man knoweth not his end, but as the fish be taken with the book, 
Book of the Preacher.  and the birds be suddenly entrapped with the snare, so men be prevented in their days, and sometimes taken in an evil hour, when death shall speedily arrest them.   

Of the innumerable kinds of sicknesses that man is subject unto. Chap. 25.  
THe knowledge that man hath had to search out the causes and natures of things these many hundredth years, could as yet never find out so many kinds of diseases, or such divers sorts of passions, as the frailty or weakness of man could endure and suffer. Should I call it tolerable impatience to sustain such infirmities or intolerable sufferance? It is better I join them both together: For it is intolerable for the bitterness of the passion, and tolerable for the necessity of suffering. Man's nature from day to day is more and more corrupt: Insomuch that many wholesome experiments which in times past were of great force, are now through the defect or weakness of man's nature, become hurtful and dangerous. For now both the worlds, that is to say, the great world that containeth all, and man which is the little world contained therein, wax both old, and draw towards an end. And how much the more the age of them both is prolonged or increased, so much the worse the nature of them both is vexed and troubled.   

Of divers kinds of torments which men sustain. Chap. 26●  
WHat should I speak of the poor and miserable wretches of this world, which by innumerable kinds of torments sustain punishment? Some of them are beaten to death with cudgels, some cut off by the sword, some burned with fire, some are stoned ●o death, some are torn in p●eces with Horses and with the talents of beasts, some are hanged on gibbets, some are rack and strangled to death, some are tormented with engines made of metals, and they are crucified with a million more of miseries. Some are straightly priest with fetters and bonds, and yoked with sundry engines. Some are cast into prison, and there pine away for need. Some are thrown down headlong from high places, some are drowned, flayed quick, dismembered, cut in pieces and pierced through their bodies. Upon them falls those punishments of the which the Prophet speaketh, saying, some perish under the sword, some by famine, and some in durance or captivity. It is a heavy and pitiful sight, that some are given to feed the ●oules of the air, some the fish of the Sea, and some the beasts of the earth. Alas, & woe unto you most wretched and miserable mothers, which bring forth such unfortunate children.   

Of a certain horrible fact committed by a woman compelled thereunto by extreme misery. Chap. 27.  

joseph. de bello. juda. 10 lib 4. cap. 13.  TO leave out nothing whereby the miseries of this world may be manifest, I will make rehearsal of an horrible and dreadful fact committed in the jews wars. A certain woman of noble parentage and great wealth, did endure the common fortune in the siege of jerusalem, amongst the rest of the multitude which came thither from divers places: The goods which she brought into the city, were for the most part taken and spoiled by the tyrants: And that little which was left to sustain her weary life, the robbers and spoilers of the City (daily entering into her house) ber●eued her thereof. Whereby great trouble & grief did so much move her, that often times with opprobrious words she did attempt to stir up their, choler by their bloody hands to end her wretched life. But when by no means she could provoke their anger to fulfil her evil intent, nor yet could mou● them to take compassion upon ●ir miserable estate, all hope of food forsaking her, and pain of penury pinching her, using the worst counsel, did arm herself against the laws of nature. For having a young babe sucking at her breast, she cried out and said, O unhappy child of an unfortunate mother, ●eauye is thy chance, but heavier is my choice: for I am forced to make food of my own flesh: I will make my misery known to all posterity, and the cruelty of the Romans the cause of my calamity. Come now therefore my little babe, whom I have born full often in mine arms, whom I have nourished with my tender paps, whom I have kissed full sweetly with my ●ippes, let ●hy flesh be food unto thy wo●ull mother, and let the womb which brought thee into light, be thy rueful grave. And when she had thus spoken, she murdered her child, part of whom through famine she presently devoured, the rest she did reserve to feed her furious appetite. And behold, the hungry soldiers passing by, received the broiling savour of her unnatural diet. Wherefore with force they came into the house to spoil her of her food: whose desire to satisfy, sh●● played her part most kindly, saying, behold I have reserved the best portion for you: and by & by vncou●r●d the remnant of her child: which unkind and cruel spectacle did so dismay them and move their senses, that trembling fear betook them all, and the horror of the sight did bereave them of thei● speech. But she with a Tiger's countenance, and most cruel heart, said unto them, ●ate friends, it is part of my child, of my dea●● son, whom I have brought into this world, and through penury it is my deed: what will you be more scrupulous than the mother? shall bloody Soldiers have more tender hearts than a silly woman? if pity or natural aff●●ction do overcome you and 'cause you to abhor my diet, I myself will feed thereon again. And after she had thus said, the souldi●rs departed as men all astonished at the sight, the which spoiling ●ir of all her wealth and riches, left her none other ●oode to feed upon.   

Of the punishing of the Innocent, and dismissing of the guilty. Chap. 28.  
LEt no man assure himself to be free or exempt from p●yne, 
Cor. 10.  although he know himself to be without offence. He that standeth, let hi● take heed that he do not fall. For the innocent is often times condemned, and the offender delivered: the godly is punished, and the wicked is honoured: jesus is crucified, and Barrabas is dismissed. In these our days a quiet man is esteemed unprofitable: and he that is addicted unto devotion, or to the service of god, is reputed for an hypocrite: and the simple man that is without deceit, is accounted for a fool. For the simplicity of the righteous man is laughed at, and he whose virtue shines before men as a lamp, in the imaginations of the rich is contemned.    

¶ The second Book, of the Mirror of man's life.  

Of the culpable and sinful beginning of m●ns conversation. Chapter. 1.  

Three things chief desired of men  THere be three things which men are wont chiefly to affect: Richeses, Pleasures, & Honours. Richeses are the nurses of sin and iniquity: Pleasure is the daughter of dishonesty, and the guide that leadeth to calamity: Honour, is the mother of worldly pomp and vanity. Whereupon the Apostle saint john saith: 
1. Epist. 2.  Do not love the world nor those things which be in the world, for whatsoever is in the world, it is either the concupiscence of the flesh, or the delight of the eyes, or else the pride of mind. For the flesh followeth pleasures, the eye regardeth riches, and the mind respecteth honours. From the root of riches spring wanton desires and avarice: pleasures are the branches of gluttony and lechery: the ●ruites of honours are pride and insolency.   

Of the fervent desire and thirst after riches. Chap. 2.  
NOthing then (as the wise man says) ●s more wicked than the covetous man, 
Book of jesus. son of Syracke. 10  and nothing more unjust than is the love of money. Which the Apostle doth confirm in these words: 
1. Tim. 6.  Those that will be made rich fall into temptations, and into the snare of the devil, into many desires, both unprofitable and hurtful, which doth drown men in the pit of hell, and doth lead them to their own damnation and to utter perdition. For covetousness is the root of all evil: covetousness doth commit sacrilege & thefts: covetousness doth practise robberies, & hunteth after prays: covetousness maketh war and causeth manslaughter: covetousness buyeth and selleth spiritual things: covetousness demandeth unjust gifts, and receyneth unreasonable rewards: covetousness changes the unnatural use of money, into the unlawful gains of usury: she useth deceits to the damage & fraud of others: she breaketh her promise and do●th violate her oath: she corrupteth witnesses, and perverteth judgements.   

Of unjust rewards and brib●s● Chap. 3.  
Mark well the Prophet Esay, 
Esa. ●.  who says: All men love money, and seek after rewards: they do not judge the cause of the orphan or fatherless, the cause of the widow is not called before them. They do not enter into judgement before their bribes & rewards, because they judge not for the love of justice, but bribes and gifts do prevent them in their judgements, for that they judge for the love of money. They always have respect to the gift, to the promise, or to the ●ope of reward: And therefore do they not judge in favour of the orphan, of whom nothing is given, promised, or hoped for. O you rulers false of promise● companions of thieves, who so ever you be that love bribes, and go● after rewards, you shall never keep your hands clean from bribes, except you first wash away the covetous desire from your hearts. 
Ezech. 2●.  The Prophet therefore speaketh this of you. Their rulers be like rau●ning wolf's, which do rob & take violently their prey, & most covetously do follow the●r gain. And likewise (saith the prophet Micheas 
Mycheas. 5. ) Their rulers & governors did judge for rewards: their priests & ministers taught for hire, and their prophets did prophes●e for money. 
Deut. 16.  Behold the Lord did commaven Moses in the law: Thou shalt ordain judges and rulers in all thy gates, that they may judge my people in just judgement, & decline on neither side. Thou shalt accept no person● nor receive any rewards: because bribes & gifts do blind the eyes of wise men, & do change the sayings of the righteous: but thou shalt prosecute that which is to be done justly, 
Esa. 5.  & thou shalt li●e. He speaketh here of two things, just, and justly, for some men do prosecute that which is unjust, unjustly: & again there be which do pursue that unjustly, which is just: and last of all, some do prosecute that justly, which is unjust.   

Of the accepting of people. Chap. 4.  
Woo be unto you which being corrupt by petition or reward, or else moved through affection, affirm that which is good to be evil, & that which is evil to be good: proclaiming the light to be darkness, & darkness to be light: condemning the souls to dye, which die not, & making the souls to live, which live not. For you do not consider the equity of the cause, but the deserts of the people: not the life of the man, but the gifts that are given: not justice, but money: not what reason biddeth, but what will affecteth: not what the law ordaineth, but what the mind desireth. You do not whet your wits, and bend your wills to the maintenance of justice, and advancement of equity: but yo● wrest ●ustice to your own will & wickedness, not ●o the intent that that which is lawful may please you, but that it which doth please you may be lawful. 
Mat. 6.  Your eye is never so simple that all the body is made clean and bright, but always you mingle it with some evil lea●en, whereby you corrupt the whole piece. You do neglect the poor man's cause, and with all care and diligence support the cause of the rich. You show all extremity and rigour unto the poor man, but with courteous and gentle dealing you do dispense with the wealthy. You scarcely cast your countenance upon the poor, but you deal favourably with those that be of substance. You hear the poor man's cause negligently, but to the rich man you give eare most diligently: the poor man crieth for justice, and none doth give ear unto him: the rich man speaketh and every man joyfully giveth ear. Whereupon (says Solomon) When the rich man speaketh, every one keepeth silence, 
Book of jesus. 12.  and what he says, they extol it up to the clouds: but when the poor man telleth his tale, they say, what fellow is this? and if be offend in any word, they will overthrow him. He suffereth violence and crieth out, and no man heareth him. He uttereth his grief with mourning voice, and there is none that judgeth his cause. If by chance you take in hand the cause of the poor, you follow it slowly: but when you take in hand the rich man's cause, you follow it most earnestly. You despise the poor, you honour the rich: with reverence you give place to those that be wealthy, but contemptuously you reject those that be needy. If one come into the place where you are assembled, having a gold ring upon his fingar, in a fair white garment, and a poor man also homely appareled, if you behold him which is clothed in gorgeous apparel, you will say unto him● Sir sit you down here, making place for him: but to the poor man you will say, stand thou there, or sit on my footstool. Do you not in this case judge according to your affection? and become judges of unjust imaginations? For of you and against you the Prophet speaketh, when he sayeth, 
Hiere. 5.  They be magnified, enriched, made fa●te and gross: they have not pleaded the cause of the fatherless, and have not judged the poor man's cause. But it is commanded in the law: 
Deuter. 1  There shall be no difference of people, you shall hear the small as well as the great, you shall accept no man his person, because it is the judgement of God: 
Rome ●.  for there is no acception of people with God.   

Of the ●elling of justice. Chap. 5.  
O You corrupt judges, which never show favour where reason would you should, ne yet uprightly minister justice. For if no gain or profit fall unto your lot, upright judgement proceedeth not from you: and nothing is given you, but for the sale of justice. You use oftentimes such prolonging of justice, that you take more from the suitors, than the value of the thing which is in suit, for so much as the expenses and charges do far surmount the commodity or profit reaped by the sentence. But what can you answer to him in that straight judgement, 
Matth. 10.  who commandeth you saying, Freely have you received it● & therefore frankly give it again? Your cheftes are full of riches, your conscience fra●ght with sinfulness, your chiefest care is for worldly commodities, making your ●oules cap●iu●s to sin & iniquity. 
Matth. 16.  But what doth it profit or a●aile man, to gain all the world, & sustain that loss of his soul? or what thing may man change for the safety of his soul? The brother shall not redeem the death of ●is brother. And man shall not pacify the wrath of God, nor is able to give a sufficient price for the redemption of his soul. He shall always live in labour until his end. Hearken you rich men what the apostle says. 
jacob. 5.  Go you now (●aith he) you rich men, weep & lam●● the miseries which shall come upon you: your riches are corrupt, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold & silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, & shall eat your flesh as it were fire: you have gathered for ●oure treasure wrath in the last days. Behold, the ●ireof the labourers, which have reaped down your fields, and is kept back from them by fraud, crieth out against you, & the cri● of them is entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. And therefore truth itself commandeth you saying. 
Mat. 6.  Hoord not up for yourself ● treasures upon earth where the moth & rust doth corrupt, & therres br●ake in & steal ●t.   

Of the unsatiable desire of the covetous man. Chap. 6.  
O Fire unquenchable: O desire insatiable: What conetous man was ever satisfied with the performance of that which he first desired to obtain? for such is his insatiable appetite, that after he hath obtained that which he wished for, he bendeth his mind to procure greater things, and the end of his desire is always in getting that which he hath not, and is never content with that which he hath already got. 
jesus the son. 14.  The eye of the covetous man is never satisfied, and will not be filled for a portion of iniquity. The covetous man hath never his fill of money, 
Preacher. 5.  and he that loveth Richeses taketh little fruit thereof. Even as Hell and perdition are never filled: 
Proverb. 30.  so likewise the unsatiable eyes of covetous men are never satisfied. These are the two bloodsuckers which always say, bring unto us, for The love of money doth as much increase, as money itself.   

Wherefore the covetous man can not be satisfied. Chap. 7.  
Will't thou know O covetous man, why ●hy mind is never satisfied, and thy desire is never filled? Mark what I shall say: Thy measure from whence thy covetous desire doth s●ring, is never so full, but it is able to comprehend more: For the mind of man (which is the measure whereby ●ee measureth all worldly desires) is able also to receive God, because he which cleaveth unto God, is one spirit with God. 
1. Corin. 6.  Therefore how much soever the mind doth contain, it is never satisfied until it doth comprehend God, of whom it is always capable. If thou will't then be filled and contented, leave off thy covetous appetite, for so long as thou shalt have that greedy desire, thou shalt never be satiate: 
2. Corin. 6●  for there is no accord between light and darkness, nor no agreement betwixt Christ and Belial, 
Mat. 6.  because no man can serve God and Mammon●   

Of the fals● and deceitful name of Richeses. Chap. 8.  
O Thou false and deceitful felicity that man hath in riches, which in very deed makest the rich man an unfortunate and miserable child. For what maketh a man more unhappy or wretched, than wealth or worldly substance, which are called riches? A man to be needy and to be rich, are two contrarees, 
Acts. 5.  and yet the riches of the worldly do not take away poverty, but causeth poverties For as the wise man says, A little doth better content and satisfy the poor man, 
Zachary 9  than abundance doth suffice or please the rich man, For where there is great Richeses, there b● many to consume it: for we see great nobility overcharged with greater necessity. Therefore wealth and abundance doth not enrich a man, but maketh him poor & needy.   

Ex●mplse against Covetousness. Chap. 19  
HOw many hath covetousness seduced and decayed? how many more hath 〈◊〉 love of money utterly destroyed? 
●b. 14.  The Ass rebuked Balaam, for that he being seduced with the desire of those things which were promised him, determined to curse Israel. The people did stone Achas to death, because he took away gold and silver which were cursed and forbidden. 
〈◊〉. 6.  Naboth was slain, that Achab might possess his vinyeard. Giezi was stricken with a Leprosy, because he demanded and received gold, silver, and garments, under the name of Heliseus. 
Math. 6.  judas hanged himself because he had sold and betrayed Christ. 
Luke. ●●.  Sudden death made an●●nde of Anania and Saphyra his wife, because they defrauded and deceived. the Apostles of the pr●ce of their ground. Tyrus built up a strong fortress and heaped up silver as ●arthe and gold, 
Preacher. 5.  as the clay of the stre●tes, but behold, saith the Proph●t, the Lord s●all spoyl● her of it, & he shall smite down her pow●r in the sea, and she shall be consumed with fire.   

Of the great ●are that covetous men have. Chap. 10.  
WHy doth man so earnestly set his mind and so straightly press himself to gather goods, seeing that he cannot always continued, and enjoy them for ever? 
Num. 22.  for man cometh forth like a ●●oure, & doth waste and vanish away again like as the shadow, and never continueth in one estate. Why doth he then desire to be master of many things, when fewer things would serve him? 
joshua. 7.  For having sustenance & clothing, saith the Apostle, le● us be content therwith● 
3. Reg. 21.  Why doth he seek after things necessary, with much care & A anguish of mind, 
4 Reg. 5.  seeing that they offer themselves unto us without great difficulty? Harken what the truth itself say 
Ma●h. 27.  Be not careful, saying unto yourselves, what shall we eat, or what sha●l we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? for your heavenly father knoweth right well that you have need of all these things. Seek first therefore the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be cast into your hands. And hereupon saith David, 
Psal. 36.  I did never see the just man forsaken of God, nor yet his seed begging bread.   

Of the inordinate desire, that the covetous man hath to keep Richeses. Chap. 11.  

Horatius.  Tantalus' as the Poet sayeth, thirsteth amiddes the waters: even so the covetous man standeth at need amidst his greatest wealth. 
Preacher. 5.  To whom, that which he hath, doth as much good, as that which he hath not: For because he never useth those things which he hath already in possession, but always seeketh after things not as yet obtained. He (is saith the wise man) as though he were rich, 
Proverb. 13  when he hath nothing: and is as though he were poor when he ●loweth in wealth. The covetous man, and the pit of hell, do both of them decoure, but they do not digest: they receive both, but they do not tender again. The niggard doth neither pity those that suffer af●●iction, nor yet hath compassion on those that 〈◊〉 in misery. But he forgetteth his duty to God, and the love to his neighbour, seeking his own harm and disquiet. For he holdeth back from God the honour due to him, he denieth his neighbour things ●hat ●ee necessary, and withdraweth from himself things which are needful. He is unthankful to God, unkind to his neighbour, and cruel to himself. To what use hath the covetous and miserable man substance? and to what purpose hath the spiteful or malicious man gold? How can he which is evil unto himself be good to others? 
Book of jesus. 12.  or he that taketh no profit of his own gotten goods? He that hath the substance of this world, 
1. john. 3.  and seethe his brother stand in need, and taketh no pity on him, how doth the love of God remain in him? For he loveth not his neighbour as himself, whom he suffereth to periche for hunger, and consume for need: neither doth he love God abou● all things, who more than God respecteth Gold and Silver.   

Why the covetous man is called a worshipper of Idols. Chap. 12.  
THe Apostle doth rightly define Avarice or covetousness to be the worshipping of Idols: 
Ephes.  for as the Idolater committeth Idolatry by adoring the Idol, even so doth the covetous man in making gold his god. The Idolater most fervently doth reverence the Idol, the covetous man most carefully keepeth his treasure. The Idolat●r putteth his hope in his false God, and this man putteth his trust in his fickle wealth: The one is afraid to violate any part of his Idol, and the other is afraid to decrease any portion of his treasure.   

The properties of a Covetous man. Chap. 13.  
THe covetous man is always ready to ask, but slow to give, and bold to deny: All that he spendeth he thinketh it lost, and after expense, he is full of sorrow, full of complaints, froward, and hard to please: He is priest with care, and sigheth, through the remembrance of that which is spent. H● is troubled in mind, tormented in body, and if aught go from him, it is much against his will god wots. He maketh his own gifts glorious, and embaceth that which he receiveth of others● He giveth in hope to receive, and of his gifts he maketh his gain. He is free of dispense where others bear the charge, but very sparing in spending of his own. He forbereth his fooder his treasure to increase: he pineth his body for to multiply his gain. 
Book of jesus ●.  He plucketh back his hand when aught he should give, but he stretcheth him far forth to receive commodity. 
Book of jesus. 40.  Howbeit the wealth or substance of the unrighteous, shall be dried up even as a river, because goods evil got are soon again consumed. For it is a just judgement, that wealth of evil beginning should have a worse ending. And that those things which be unjustly gathered, should be vnt●rif●ely scattered. The covetous man therefore hath his condemnation both in this life & in the life to come.   

Of the dangerous possessing of Richeses. Chap. 14.  
IT is most true therefore which the wise man doth testify, 
Book of jesus 8.  that gold & silver hath undone many. 
Ibidem. 3●  He that loveth gold shall not be justified. Woe be unto them that follow after it. Behold, the sinners do abound in t●is world, & for the most part are t●e inheritors of wealth. Hereupon our saviour Chris● gave commandment unto his Apostles saying, 
Math. 1●.  possess no gold nor sil●er, ne keep 〈◊〉 money in your purses, for as easy it is for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle, 
M●●. 10.  as it is for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven: 
Math. 7.  for the way that leadeth to life is straight and narrow. And therefore the Apostle following the commandment of his master, 
Acts. 3  said, I have neither gold nor silver. Woe be unto you saith the Prophet, that join house to ●ouse, 
Esay. 5.  and field to field, unto the uttermost bond of the place. 
Es●y. 2.  The earth is filled with silver and gold, 
Esay. 57  and there is no end of her treasure. I am grieved saith God with the iniquity of the covetous man, and have stricken him.   

Of lawful Richeses. Chap. 15.  
BUt Abraham was rich, and job of great substance: 
Genes. 13.  David was wealthy. And yet doth the Scripture say of Abraham that he did believe God, and it was reputed to him for righteousness. Of job the scripture doth also witness, 
job 1  that there was not his like upon the earth, being a simple and an upright man, fearing God, and eschewing evil. 
1. Reg. 16.  Of David we have likewise sufficient testimony, that our Lord found him according to his heart and desire. 
1. Corin. 16  But all these holy fathers were as though they had nothing, and yet possessed all things, according unto the saying of the Prophet David, 
Psal. 61.  If thou dost flow in wealth, set not thy heart thereon. And on the contrary side, the covetous men do possess all things, and yet are they as though they had nothing, as the same Prophet witnesseth in another place: 
Psal. 33●  The rich men says he, were needy and hungry: For it is more easy to find one that loveth riches and hath them not, than to find one that hath them, and doth not love them● because it is hard to be amiddes the fire and not to burn, and more harder to possess riches and not to love them. 
Hier. 6.  Harken what the Prophet saith: From the lowest unto the highst all men set their minds to heap up treasure: and from the Prophet to the Priest all commit deceit.   

Of the uncertainty of Richeses. Chap. 16.  
THe covetous man doth always travel much against nature: because nature doth bring him into the world poo●e and needle: and poverty do●●e accompany him even unto his grave. T●e earth r●c●ueth him naked, and after he hath played his part thereon, she doth devour him naked again, when death shall gi●e him a deadly wound. The covetous man in this life, desireth naught but Richeses, 
Luke. 12.  and therefore says he● I will pull down my barns and granaries, and will ●nlarge them, to reserve all such fruits as the earth shall bring me forth, and therein will I lay up all my wealth, and treasure. Unto whose determination this answer was made. O Fool, thy soul shall be required again of th●e ●his night: th●n whose shall those things be which thou hast got and scraped together? 
Psal. 38.  Thou dost gather treasure (saith the Prophet) but thou knowest not for w●ome: 
Psal. 75.  The Rich men (saith ●ee) took their rest, a●d when they did a●ake, found none of their Richeses in their own hands. The rich man (says job) when he shall sleep, 
job. 27.  shall b●are nothing away with him, but shall open his eyes and nothing shall be find. Be not a●rayde saith David when any man becometh rich, 
Psal 48.  and though the glory of h●s ●ouse ●ncreasethe more and more: For when he dieth, of all these things nothing shall he receive, his glory shall not follow him, his pomp will take her leave, and his riches shall come into the hands of strangers: for the Sepulchres of such men shall be their house for ever. Therefore the wise man saith, 
Book of jesus. 14.  Whatsoever the covetous man wrongfully gathereth together, he heapeth it up for others, and in his goods another shall riot and make havoc. It is lamentable to see, how it is provided by delieny, that oftentimes his greatest enemy becometh his nearest heir.   

Of Glutoni●. Chap. 16.  
IN the beginning of man's life, bread & water was his food, & a simple garment with a poor cottage were thought sufficient to cover his deformities. 
Eccle. 28.  But now the fruits of the trees, the sundry sorts of grains, the roots of herbs, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the land, the fowls of the air, do not satisfy the greedy appetite of glutons & r●●en●ng men. For now they seek pleasant dishes with painted colours: they procure delicate & hot spices, choice ●a●●s● sugared morsels for their dainty mouths. Those things do they feed upon, which be curiously wrought by the art of Cookery, & ●un●ingly prepared by the in●entions of their officers. One by stamping & straining, changes some th●ngs from their proper nature labouring by art to make that an accident which of itself is a substance. Another compoundeth things together, to make that delicate, which of itself is unpleasant: and all this is to turn excess to hunger, to bring an appetite unto the stomach oppressed with saturiti●, and to fulfil the greedy desire of gluttony, rather than to sustain the weakness of nature. But the place of gluttony, as it hath scarce four fingers in quantity, so hath her pleasure hardly four moments in continuance. The mean in meats is contemned, superfluity is affected, and variety is desired. Desire of greediness knoweth no end, and variety exceedeth measure. The mind is overcharged, the stomach is troubled, and the sense through them both is oppressed. Gluttony is an enemy to health, a friend unto sickness, the mother of wanton lust, and the instrument of death. Be not greedy saith the wise man at any banquet, ne ●eede not on every dish, 
Book of jesus. 37.  for with diversity of dishes the health is endangered, & through the surfeit of wine many have perished. 
1. Corin. 6.  Meat is ordained for the bely, and the bely to receive meat, but God shall destroy the one and the other.   

Ex●mples against Glutonie. Chap. 18.  
Gluttony requireth a costly and chargeable tribute, but it yieldeth a very base and most vile rent. For how much more delicate the food is, so much more odious are the fruits thereof. Gluttony distempereth the body, cor●upte●h the stomach, & maketh all parts noisome. 
Gen. 3.  Gluttony did shut up the gates of paradise against mankind: gluttony caused Esau to cell his inheritance: 
Gen. 25.  gluttony was the main path that led Pharaoh his baker to the gallows. 
Gen. 40.  Gluttony was the instrument that wrought john Baptist's death. 
Mat. 14.  Nabuzardan the chief cook of the King of Babylon, 
4. Reg. 2●.  burnie the Temple and destroyed jerusalem. Balthasar the King of Babylon in his great & sumptuous banquet, 
Dan 5.  see a hand writing on the brickwall, Mane, Thetel, Phares, & the same night he was killed by the Chaldeans. 
Num. 11.  
Psal 77.  The people of Israel sat down to make good cheer, and rose up to play, but whilst the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God sell upon them, and destroyed them. They which fed voluptuously died in the high ways. The rich man which did feast & banquet, 
Lamēt●●●● of jere. 4.  & abound in worldly pomp & vanity, 
Lu●. 16.  was bury●d in h●l.   

Of Drunkenness. Chap. 11.  
WHat is more vile and loathsome than is the drunkard? whose mouth is the lodge of poisoned savours: whose body through excess doth tremble and shake: 
Prou. 3●.  whose promises are large: whose tongue bewrayeth secrets: whose mind is soon changed: whose countenance is transformed. For where drunkenness is the mysteresse, there secrecy beareth no mastery. For commonly when the head is full of wine, the tongue is set at liberty. Besides this, wine only doth not suffice a drunkard, neither is he content with many sorts of wine, as Cysar, Bastard, Hippocras, and such like: but he drowneth his senses in all variety of liquor, making himself the monster of excess. This is the nursery of all contention and strife. For as the wise man says, 
Book of Iesus● 31.  much drinking of wine kindleth the coals of wrath, & is the root of all mischief & ruin: 
Ose. 4.  & the sequel thereof is fornication: yea fornication, wine, & drunkenness, bereaveth noble minds of all strength & courage And therefore the Apostle writeth: 
Prou. 20.  be not drunk with wine wherein is wanton lust. 
Ephe. 3  And the wise king saith, that wine is a lecherous thing, 
Luc. 1.  & that drunkenness is full of strife & dissension: 
Hie●. 35.  The children of Rachab, & the son of Zacharie drank no wine, nor Cisar, ne other kind of drink that might make than drunk.   

Exemples against Dr●nke●●●sse. Chap. 20.  
drunkenness did discover the privy parts of No, 
Goe 9 & 19  & caused Loath to commit incest. Drunkenness slew Ammon king David's 
2. Reg. 13.  son, & murdered Holofernes chief captain of the army. True then it is that Solomon saith, 
Judith. 13.  They which are given to drink, 
Pro. 23 & ● 22  & to spend riotously shall be speedily brought to buggery. And the prophet Esay crieth out upon such men, saying: 
Esa. 5.  woe be unto you which rise up early in the morning to drink yourselves drunk, & to t●pple until night, that you b●●●me hot & boiling with wine: having also in your banquets divers & sundry i●struments● & plenof wine: woe be unto you which be mighty, & able to drink stoutly in ●●as●s: 
Esa. 28.  & are expert to set up drunkenness: behold your joy & felicity is to kill calves and ●at weathers to ●ate of divers sorts of flesh, & to drink wine: let us eat & drink say you, ●or we shall dye to morrow. And the voice of the lord (says h●) is revealed in mine ears, that this iniquity s●all not be purged from you until death: 
Esa. 2●.  woe be unto the crown of pride, even to the dro●●ē p●●ple of Ephraim. The priest & the prophet know not what they do for drunkenness: they are a● swallowed up with wine, they know not ●im that looketh on them, they stumble and are become ignorant in their judgements,   

Of Leacherye. Chap. 21.  
gluttony the mother of uncleanness, bringeth forth a more unclean daughter: 
Apoc. 21.  For it is very agreeable to reason, that he which is already unclean, should become as yet more disparged with uncleanness. 
O●e. 7.  For all those which commit fornication, are like unto the bakers oven made hot with fire. The Princes and rulers began to rage through wine: for the belly which is daintily fed, most willingly of itself embraceth carnal pleasures. O extreme rage of le●de lust, which do●th not only effeminate the mind, but also weakeneth the body: which doth not only endanger the person in this life, but bringeth both body and soul in peril of damnation in the life to come. For all the sin which man doth commit, 
1. Cor. 6.  is without the body, but he that offendeth in fornication, procureth offence against his own body. Heat and lust are the harbingers of fornication, and ●hee is always accompanied with uncleanness and undecentnesse, but sorrow and repentance do speedily overtake ●ir: For the lips of an ●arlot (saith Solomon) are like unto a dropping honey comb, 
Prou. ●  and her throat is more neat and clearer than oil: but the end and later days of her, are as bitter as wormwood, and her tongue is a sharp two edged sword.   

Of the generality of Lechery. Chap. 22.  
THe wicked daughter of gluttony, 
Lechery.  is our familiar enemy, not dwelling far from us, but near at hand, not without, but within us. 
job. ●.  Her violence and force is in our loins, and her strength is placed in the midst. She is never driven away but when she is eschewed, and she is never put to ●light, but when she is kept at hard diet. Two things she requireth to work her force and violence, liberty and saturity: and she putteth her will in practice by company, and opportunity. She provoketh all ages, ●he confoundeth every sex, ●hee breaketh all order: ●hee perverteth each degree, she doth assault man and woman, young & old, the wise and the simple, the high and low estates, the base and the best degrees.   

Of many w●ich have perished through Lechery. Chap. 23.  
WHo is able to set forth and sufficiently to declare the multitude which have perished through this wicked sin? 
Gen. 17.  For lechery overthrew Pentapolis, and the country near adjoining. 
Gen. 19 &. 34.  Leacherye destroyed the Sodomites, & Sichem, with all the people therein. 
Gen. 38.  Through lechery were those that ravished Dyna murdered. Lechery overthrew Her and Onan the sons of juda. 
Num. 25.  Through lechery the unclean Israelite and Madianite perished both at once. 
judicum. 19 &. 20.  Leacherye caused the fornicators of the tribe of Benjamin clean to be rooted out. 
Reg. 2. &. 4  Lechery destroyed the unreverent sons of Hely the priest, and killed those which deflowered Amon at the banquet. 
2. Reg. 11.  Lechery was the death of Urias, 
Dan. 13.  and brought the two elders which falsely accused Susanna to an ignominious & most shameful end. To conclude this lewd lust did curse Reuben, 
Gen. 35. &. 49.  seduced strong Samson, and assotted wise Solomon. 
jud. 16.  It is therefore true which we read: 
3. reg. 11.  that many have perished through beauty. For wine and women do cause wise men to dote & play the Apostates, 
Book of jesus. 9  & putteth men of understanding to reproof. 
Ibidem. 1●.  This foul desire hath destroyed many lusty Libertines: and many stout and valiant captains have perished by her means. The way to ●el is her house which leadeth men headlong to the inward parts to death: She weakeneth man's strength, impayreth his senses, shorteneth his life, was●eth his substance & wealth.   

Of the Ambitious man. Chap. 24.  
THe covetous man gathereth riches, and the niggard keepeth them together: the Glutton delighteth in belly cheart, and the Lecher dwelleth in his lust. He that is ambitious affecteth honours: and he that is proud doth extol and magnify himself. The ambitious man is always fearful & circumspect, lest by word or deed he should offend in common audience: ●e pretendeth humility, and maketh assemblance of great honesty: he showeth himself gentle in hearing, courteous in talking, and bountiful in doing: he followeth his betters with counterfeit courtesy: he boweth and coucheth unto each one: he frequenteth the courts of Princes: he visiteth noble personages, making great show of duty & obeisance, 
Ouidi●●.  and always approveth what they do affirm, seeking by flattery to please their humours. Not ignorant of the Poets saying: although there be no dust upon the garment of thy better, yet pretend a kind o● double diligence, and seem to shake off that that is not. He is ready and diligent where he knoweth to please: but slow, and not earnest where he fears displeasure. He seemeth to reprove th●ngs that be evil, and cunningly detesteth things that be unjust. He speaketh things plavisiblye to those that give ●are: and applieth himself to every company, ●eaping thereby a fruitless praise, and a colourable commendation. Often times he doth sustain a hard conflict ●●th himself, whilst iniquity moveth his mind: and ambition s●ayeth his hand, whilst ambition doth not permit that to be done, which her mother iniquity doth put her in mind of. But yet for all this, the mother and the daughter use covine together. For the mother openly maintaineth her purpose, and the daughter in secret doth not resist. The mother before all men claimeth unto her that which is manifest, and of right dutiful: but the daughter affecteth that which is close and covert. And therefore the ambitious man doth always most willingly entreat upon sovereignty: which with greedy desire he followeth, saying: O when shall ●ee rule and have the sword in hand, who would be severe in judgement, meek in mercy: who would frame his will to reason: whom love nor favour cannot withdraw from doing justice: whom prayer can not entreat, nor hire corrupt: who would give credit to those that be faithful, and ●are to those that be humble: Who in fine would be loving and gentle, liberal and courteous, steadfast, prudent, patiented, and politic.   

Of the excessive desire of am●●●●●ous men● Chap. 25.  
THe ambitious man if possibly he do not profit by this means: then hath he recourse unto some skilful mate, that can cunningly play the part of Simon Magus, or else he useth the help of Giezi the bribe taker. And by Simon whom he maketh a dangerous instrument for a devilish purpose, he p●rchaseth that which of ●ym self he could not attain: then is he liberal in giving, and full of rewards: then with fair words he trieth his friends & maketh large promises: and then doth he leave no path untrodden to win grace or favour to obtain his purpose. But if by this means it cometh not to pass, he violently invadeth estate of honour, and impudently usurpeth the place of authority, and being supported by the hope of friends, and partly pricked forward by the help of parentage, he is so inflamed with the desire of honour, and so deeply drowned with the inordinate affection to bear rule, that neither he abhorreth to fall into schism, nor fears to commit any scandalous act. 
● Reg. ●  But Giezi was stricken with a leprosy: 
Act. 8  And Simon perished together with his money: the fire consumed Chore and his companions: and the earth devoured Dathan and Abyron. 
Nu 16.  Let no man therefore take upon him honour, 
Heb. 5  unless he be called by GOD, as Aaron was.   

Au example of an ambitious man. Chap. 26.  
We do find an evident and manifest example of ambition in Absalon, 
● Reg. 15  who when he did aspire to the kingdom of his father, made for himself chariots, and provided horsem●n, and ordained men of war to go before ●im: And rising up early in the morning, he stood (as the story sayeth) near unto the entry of the gate, and he called unto him every one that had business in the King's judgements, and asked, Of what City art thou? who making answer said: I am of one of the tribes of Israel, and your servant: your request seemeth to me good and reasonable said A●s●lon again, howbeit there is no judge appointed by the King to give you audience: but who will make me a judge upon the earth (sayeth he) that all those which have business might come unto me, as unto an upright judge? And as there came a certain man to salute him, he stretched forth his hand, and taking him thereby, embraced & kissed him: and the like he did unto all the people of Isra●ll, which came to iudgem●nt●, ●nd to have audience of the King his father: and hereby he withdrew the hearts of the israelites from his father. And when ●ee went to Ebron, he sent out privy scouts amongst the Tribes of Israel, saying thus unto them: as soon as you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, say unto the Israelites, Absalon reigneth in Ebron. And there was a strong conspiracy, and their company greatly increased.   

Of the short and mi●erable life of noble men. Chap. 27.  
BUt admit that the ambitious man be exalted aloft, and promoted to the highest place: his charges do increase, his cares are multiplied: his times of abstinence are prolonged, and his quiet nights from rest, are turned to watching: whereby the body is distempered: nature is weakened, and the vital spirits made feeble. And through such distemperatures, the sleeps are broken, the appetite is lost, the strength decayeth, and the body consumeth: And languishing in himself perhaps he li●●th not half his days, but quickly shorteneth his miserable life, with a more miserable ●nde. The saying of the Poet in him is verified: Things that are great in themselves do soon fall: and great men ha●●●t permitted to continued long in their estates, and they b●● exalted, that they may come down with a greater fall.  
This saying of the Prophet also by them proveth true, 
Psal. 36.  I did see (sayeth he) the wicked man highly advanced and set aloft, yea even as high as the Cedar trees of Libanus: but I passed by, and behold there was none that would know him● I sought him, and in the place of his dwelling he could not be found. His days shall be abridged and shortened: he shall be stricken as the vine in the first flower of his Grape, and as the olive when it bringeth forth flowers, 
Book of jesus. 10.  according to the saying of the wise man. The life of every potentate is but short.   

The properties of a proud man Chap. 28.  
AS soon as the ambitious man hath aspired to honour, ●ee is strait ways puffed up with pride, and without all measure be breaketh into brags and boasts sounding to his own praise and credit: He bendeth not his mind to do good unto others, but gloriously to blas● out his power and prerogative: He presumeth his person to be made much better, because he hath got superiority. But alas, high degree maketh not a good man, nor honour, nor dignity maketh a man better: but the honesty and virtue wherewith he is endued. Furthermore, the ambitious man exalted on high, contemneth the company of his old friends, and disdaineth the sight of his former famyliars, and turneth his face from his wont acquaintance: his countenance is proud, his ga●e is glorious, his mouth is filled with haughty terms, his mind is fixed upon weighty matters. He is impatient of subjection, and desirous to bear rule: he is a clog unto the clergy, a great burden unto his subjects, and a heavy yoke unto his neighbour. He can not patiently bear any grievous thing that shall touch himself, nor delay that which he hath conceived in his mind: but he is rash, bold, boasting, arrogant, soon moved, and very importunate.   

Of the fall of lucifer, the father of pride. Chap. 29.  
O Pride which no man can bear: thou arte● intolerable and odious unto all men: and amongst all vices, thou always art the first and last: where thou comest, every other sin doth follow, and when thou takest thy leave the other are forsaken. For it is written, 
Book o● jesus. 1●.  Pride is the beginning of all sin, and the first begotten and elder daughter of death. For this wicked daughter, Pride, in the very beginning of things did stir up the creature against the creator that formed and made him: the Angel against God: but God threw him down from the heaven, because he did not continued in the truth: he threw him down from the state of innocency into sin: from sin into miseries: from the brightness of heaven, into the dark and mystic air. 
Esa. 14  Hearken what the prophet says of this fall. How art thou fallen down from heaven (O Lucifer) which diddest rise in the morning? thou which didst wound all nations, are now fallen unto the earth: thou (I say) which saydeste in thy heart, I will ascend in●o the heaven and will exalt myself above the stars: I will sit in the mountain of witness, in the sides of the North, and I will ascend above the height of the clouds, and will be like unto the mo●te highest. Thou waste the Image of his likeness, being full of wisdoms and perlite in comeliness: thou waste the darling of God's Paradise. Every precious stone was in thy garment: the Za●donicke, the Topase, the jasper, the Crysoly●e, the Onixe, the beryl, the Carbuncle, the Sapphire, and the Emerald, yea the very Gold itself: to be short, all these things (O lucifer) were prepared in that day that thou waste created, for the setting forth and trimming of thee. Thou wast that Cherubin, whose wings were stretched forth: And I placed thee upon the holy Mountain of God. Thou didst walk in the midst of the stones set on fire, thou wast p●rf●t in thy proceedings from the day of thy creation until sin and iniquity was found in thee: but when thou didst transgress, I did cast thee out of the holy mountain. Thy heart was exalted & puffed up through thy beauty and brightness, and now I have cast thee down upon the ground. The Cedar trees were not higher than he was in paradise: the fir trees did not match his height, and the Palm trees were not equal with his boughs: there was no tree of Paradise comparable unto his beauty, because God made him comely and goodly to behold amongst many. And he is now become king of the children of Pride: He is that great red Dragon which hath seven heads, whose tail drew after it the third part of the Stars of the firmament, and set them upon the earth. 
job. 41.  And he is that great Dragon and old Serpent which was thrown down, 
Apoc. 11.  and is called the Devil or Satan, who seduced the whole world, and is cast upon the ground, and his Angels also with him: Of whom our Saviour says: 
Luke. 10.  I did see Satan like unto the lightning falling down from heaven. For every one that exalteth himself, shall be made low: and he● that humbleth him sel●e, shall be exalted.   

Of the Arrogancy of men. Chap 30●  
O Proud presumption, O presumptuous pride, which didst not only attempt to make the Angel equal with God, but hast presumed also to make men as Gods. Yet such is the fickle favour of pride, that whom she setteth up aloft, ●he quickly pulleth down again, and whom she doth exalt, she soon embaceth the same Where●ppon our Lord said unto the Prophet, Thou son of man, say unto the Prince of Tyrus, 
Ez●chie. 28  thus says our Lord, because t●y heart is lift up as though it were the heart of a God, and for that thou haste said, I am God, when thou art but man. I will bring therefore upon thy neck the strongest of the Gentiles, and I will destroy thee, and thou shalt die in the overthrow of them which shall be slain, and thou shalt perish amiddes the Seas: Nabuchodonozer, because he did proudly brag upon his power and strength, and said: Is not this Babylon which I did build for the place of my kingdom: in the strength of my power, and in the glory of mine honour? And as the word was yet in the King's lips, there came a voice from Heaven, saying, King Nabuchodonozer, it is spoken to thee, Thy Kingdom shall go from thee, 
Daniel. 4  thou shalt be cast out from amongst men, and shalt have thy place with the wild and brute beasts: thou shalt eat hay as doth the Ox, and shalt have seven years upon thee, until thou knowest that the high and mighty doth rule in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom so ever he will. And the very same hour this sayeing was fulfilled upon the King: for ●ee was cast out and did eat hay with the Ox. It is then true, which is said in the Psalm, 
Psalm. 48  Man when he was in honour understood it not, he was compared unto the brute beasts, and made like unto them. 
Genes. 11.  Pride overthrew the Tower of Babylon, and confounded the tongues. 
1. Reg. 17  Pride slew Golias the Giant, and hanged up Haman. Pride overthrew Nicanor, 
Hester. 7  and was the destruction of Antiochus. 
2● Mach. 1●  Pride drowned Pharaoh in the red Sea, 
1. Macha. 6●  
Exod. 14  and murdered Sennacherib the King of Assyrians in the Temple of his false God. 
4 Reg. 18  Pride cut off Holofernes head, 
judith. 13.  when he thought himself furthest from fear: 
Book ●f jesus. 10.  and to be short, God hath suppressed the seats of proud Princes and rulers, 
Ibidem.  and hath dried up the roots of insolent nations.   

Of the abomination of Pride. Chap. 31.  
HOw detestable a thing Pride is, God himself doth witness by the mouth of his Prophet saying, I detest and abhor the pride of jacob: 
Amos. 6.  And again, our Lord hath sworn against the pride of jacob, 
Amos. 8.  I will not until the end forget all their works. And hereupon amongst all the sins which God doth hate, 
Proverb. 8.  the wise man reciteth for the first of them, proud and lofty looks. And the Prophet saith, the day of the Lord of ●osts shall come upon every proud and high minded man, 
Esay. 5  and upon every arrogant person, and such shall be cast down and made low: It shall come upon the Cedar trees of Lybanus, which be both high and strong, and upon all the Oaks of Basan, and upon the high mountains and all the lofty hills, and upon every tower and brickwall that is fortified, and the stateliness of men shall be shaken down, and the stoutness of the valiant & courageous shall be abated. Therefore hath Hell increased his power, and hath enlarged his mouth, 
Esay. 2.  and she shalt devour all the proud and vainglorious people. The Lord of hosts hath determined this, 
Esay. 3  that he might c●t off the pride of the insolent. Holy job also says, 
job. 20.  If pride shall mount up into the firmament and the proud man's head shall touch the Clouds, yet shall he in the end consume away, and come to corruption as the dirt.   

Against the arrogancy of proud men. Chap. 32.  
Every vicious man for the most part loveth his like, but the proud man hateth him that is proud and lo●tie. 
Proverb. 13 Proverb. 11  Hereupon saith the wise man: There is always strife and deb●te ●mongst proud men, and where Pride reigneth, there commonly is disdain and reproach. The proud man desireth gladly strange things, whereunto he hath been accustomed, and he accounteth wont things as loathsome. He thinketh the party to whom he useth speech, thereby to reap profit and great commodity: but if with courtesy he embrace any man, he presumeth his countenance, to gain him great credit. He seldom useth any friendly affection, but always imperiously doth show his authority His Pride, his arrogancy, and his disdaine● is of more force with him, than courage, or manhood. But let him remember the words of the Gospel, 
Luke. 22  There arose a contention amongst our lords Disciples, which of them should be taken for the greater, but jesus said unto them, the Princes of nations & people do rule over them, & they which have power amongst them be called beneficial or bountiful: but you be not so, for he that is greatest amongst you, shall be as the younger, & he that hath the pre-eminence, shall be as the servant. And as the Apostle sayeth, 
1. Pet. 5●  you shall not be as having government over the clergy, but an example and patron to the flock willingly. The ●a●th is the Lords, 
Psal. 23.  and the whole world, and all that devil in it is his increase and abundance. There is then but one Lord, and one God, and others which bear the names of Lords be but only servants, unto whom dominion is not proper, but service is appointed. And therefore sayeth the wiseman, If they have appointed thee a ruler, show not thyself proud nor stately, 
Book of jesus. 10.  but be amongst them as one of them.   

An example against the deceit of ambitious men. Chap 33.  
THe mother of the sons of Zebedie made petition unto our saviour Christ, saying, Command that th●se my two sons may sit with thee in thy Kingdom, 
Math. 20  the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left: to whom Christ made this answer: You know not what you ask, for a Kingdom is not got by honour, but by charge. And therefore doth our Lord add in the same place: It is not mine office to give rule and dignity unto you. As though h●e should say, It is mine to give, but not to you, that is, to such ambitio●s people: For although all power and authority cometh from God, yet is not the government of the proud allowed of the highest, according to the saying of the Prophet, They reigned and bore the sword, 
Osc●. 8  but they had it not of me, They were rulers and I did not know them.   

Of the properties of arrogant men. Chap. 34.  
THe proud man affecteth the highest seat in the synagogues, 
Math. 23.  and to be first placed in feasts: he liketh well to be saluted in open sight, and to have great reverence in public assemblies: the title of mastership pleaseth him much, and the proper name of his person or parentage be cannot abide, but desireth to be called by the name of his dignity, which fortune hath lent him: for he loveth not to be honoured after the common ●●rte. And when he is placed in high degree ●e useth stately gate, and looketh for reverence on every side, and sometimes most cunningly he craveth courtesies There was a certain king vehemently noted for Pride by a grave Philosopher, whom when the wise man saw in his stately throne of sovereignty, he lay prostrate before him, and in most humble manner adored the King: that done, he arose and sat down by him: the King disliking his disloyal demeanour, because he known him to be a Philosopher, demanded what he meant: the Philosopher answered, thou art either God or man, if thou be a God● I aught to adore thee, but if thou be a man● I may well sit by thee. But the King checking the Philosopher with his own calling, made this answer: I am in very deed a man, and therefore thou oughtest not to worship me, but if I were a god, it beseems thee not to sit by me.   

Of superfluous Apparel. Chap. 35.  
IN the beginning of the world after the offence committed in Paradise, 
Genes. ●.  our forefather's wore garments made of beasts skins: 
Math. 1●  Our saviour Christ also to avoid the excess of apparel, saith unto us, you shall not have two coats, but according to the counsel of Saint john, he that h●th two coats, 
Luke. ●  let him give one of them to him that needeth. But the proud man, to set out his glory, delighteth to have sundry sorts of gorgeous apparel, and to be clothed in silks or velvet, & to be decked with precious stones. Yet what other thing is a man decked w●th gorgeous garments, than a painted sepulchre, whose outward shape is fa●re, but full of corruption & uncleanness within. The precious stone and the purple, the silk and the velvet, do all consume in the mud. Gold, silver, and precious stones be they never so sumptuous, wax ●oule and unclean in mire: Dignity and authority are evil placed in the dust: Honour and glory hath no good seat in the ashes: 
Math. 23  why then dost thou set forth thy borders, the instruments o● Pride, Why dost thou exalt her gay wealts and garments? 
Luke. 16  The rich man that was clothed in purple and silk, was buried in Hel. 
Genes. 34  Dyna the daughter of jacob the patriarch before she went forth to buy ornaments of foreign women (as josephus writeth) continued a maid, 
joseph. an●iq. lib. cap. 28  but after she went out from amongst them, Sichem son to the king of the Ammorites did violently ravish her. 
judith. 13.  Holofernes which sat under the rich and precious Canapye wrought with Gold, stones and purple, was slain of judith, who left of her sackcloth, and put on the apparel of mirth and joy. Therefore sayeth the wise man, 

Book of jesus. 10.  
1. Timo. 2   Boast never of thy apparel. And the Apostle forbiddeth women to be high minded in their gorgeous garments, and that they should not show forth their frizzled hear, or to set out their cau●es with gold work, 
● Pet. 3  or to use any trimming or bravery in their robes.   

Against the vain decking and trimming of the body. Chap. 36.  
HEarken what the Lord speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet against superfluous decking. 
Esay. 3  For asmuch as the Daughters of Zion, are become lofty, and have walked with their necks stretched forth to be seen, twinkling their eyes as they pass by, the Lord will make their necks deformed, and will leave them no hear, and in that day the Lord will take from them the decking and ornaments belonging unto them: as their howpes of Gold, their chains, their ouches, their bracelets, their scarves, the instruments wherewith they shed their hear●, their fine garters, their small chains, their nosegays and sweet perfumes, their little gimmolles that go through their ears, their rings, their pearls or precious stones which do hung at their foreheads, their suits of apparel, their short cloaks, their fine linen, their crisping pins, their looking glasses, their fine cambric, their headbands and their veils of lawn: and they shall have for their sweet perfumes a loathsome savour, for their fine girdles a cowrse cord, for their curled hear, a bald pa●e. Behold this punishment is given them for their sins, that wherein they have had delight, therein they may be punished. Give ear also unto the Prophet Ezechiel, who sayeth unto the people of Tyrus: O Tyrus, divers sorts of silks are woven for thee in Egypt, 
Ezechiel. 27  to make thee veils and coverings. Blue silk and purple are brought from the Isles of Elishah, and ordained for thy attire. The merchants of the Islands have changed their combs of ivory and Ebonye with thee at thy price. For the multitude of thy works, and for thy use, they have set forth in thy fairs precious things to sale, as Emeralds, Purple, Damask, embroidered works, fine flax, silk, and choral. The factors of Dedan have brought to thee rich tapistry and carpette works, for the garnishing of thy seats. And thou art replenished with all things, and too much glorified. But now thou art consumed and eaten with the Sea, and thy goods in the bottom thereof, and overwhelmed in the waters, and thou art come to nothing, and shalt never rise again.   

That more favour is showed unto a man for his apparellsake, than ●or his virtue. Chap. 37.  
WHen a certain Philosopher in very mean apparel came unto a Prince's gate, being long stayed thereat, and not suffered to enter in, he went back and changed his habit and decked himself in gorgeous attire: afterwards returning again unto the gate, he was at the first permitted to enter in: who coming in presence of the Prince, began to kiss and reverence his garment, wherea● the Prince not a little marveling, asked the cause why he did so: to whom the Philosopher answered, I do honour him (saith he) that hath done me honour, for that which virtue could not obtain, my garment hath brought to pass. O vanity of all vanities, that gorgeous garments should be more honoured than virtue, and beauty more esteemed than honesty.   

O● the p●inting of the face to deceive the ey●s. Chap. 38.  
THrough the proud and vain desire to set out our beauty, many times the natural face or shape is covered, and an artificial co●ntena●nce framed thereon, as though the counterfeit colours of man's in●ention did much excel the cunning or work of God. But man herein is deceived, for faith Christ, consider and behold the lilies of the field how t●ey grow, they do neither labour nor spin, 
Math. 6  and I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory and triumph, was never clothed as any one of those Bee: for it is not to be thought, that a framed or feigned colour, is comparable to a natural or true colour: For when the face is externally painted, the inward parts are thurby corrupted & made noisome. All men and women are nothing else but vanity. 
Psal. 38  For what is more vain, than to trim & frizle y● hear, than to colour and paint the checks, & to stretch out the brows? 
Prou. 30  seeing that the glory of this life is deceitful, and that beauty is but vain. All flesh is but as the grass, & the glory thereof as the flower of the field, 
Psal. 3●  
Esay 40  which doth quickly whither and vade away, and ●hall soon decay as the pothearbes. And to omit the speaking any more of this matter, lest I should seem malitious● what is more vain than to adorn the table with fine and embroidered clotheses, with ivory trenchers, with long carpettes, with flagons of silver and gold, and a number of precious and gorgeous ornaments? or what availeth i● a man to paint his chamber, to gilded the posts of his ●edde, to provide a fai●e or sumpt●ous portal to enter therein● to make the pavement shine, to fill his bed full of feathers to cover it with silk, or else to deck it with curtains or canapye? for it is written: when he dy●th, 
Psal. 48  of all these things nothing shall ●e receyu●, ne yet his glory or pomp ●hal follow him.   

Of the uncleanness of man's heart. Chap. 39  
THere is no man that can boast of the cleanness and purity of his heart: 
Ia●o. 3  for as much as every one of us, 
1. john. ●  hath offended God in many things. And if we shall say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth reste●h not in us. What man is he that can say with the 
1. Cor. 4  Apostle: I do not know myself guilty in any thing, and yet for all that I am not justified? who is he that can say thus? if there be any such, 
job. 15  we may well praise him. Behold even amongst the Saints of God there have b●ne ●ounde some changeable: and the very heavens are not clean in his sight, 
job. 4  not not his Angels, for in them he hath found wickedness. How much more than is man abominable and unprofitable in the sight of God, which hath drunk (as it were the water of iniquity) sin: 
Genes. 6  Therefore did it repent GOD that he had made man, because his malice and frowardness was great upon the earth, and his thoughts were always inclined unto evilly for this cause being inwardly moved with sorrow, he destroyed man whom he had made in the first age.  
But yet for all this, the iniquity of man did abound, and the charity of many wa●ed cold. 
M●th. 24  
Psal. 13●52  All men went astray, and were become unprofitable; and there was not one that did good● no not one. For the whole life almost of mortal men, is full of sin and iniquity, in so much that scantly one can be found which doth not decline on ●he left hand: which doth not return to his former wickedness again, 
Rom. ●  and pine away in unclean corruption: but rather to increa●e their offences, they do brag and boast, when t●ey have done amiss, and rejoice i● their wicked doings: they are replenished with 〈◊〉 pride of abomination: as with malyce●●or●ication● covetousness and pride: ●●ey ●e also fraught with e●●y, manslaughters contention, de●●●●e, ●●ill will, and ●atred● they may be whisperers, ●ale bearers, ● seditious p●rsons: hateful to God, contumelious● pro●de●●igh minded, inventors of mischi●●●, probedi●●● to t●●ir parents, without discretion's without order, without loue● without keeping of league or promise, and with 〈◊〉 With 〈…〉 and with wor●●, the 〈…〉 abound as with men of sundry sects with tyrants, disloyal s●biectes● committers of simony, 〈…〉 deceitful men, with sowers of debate and subtile people, with glutton's and drunkards, with adulterers● and incestuous people, with effeminate and lewd men, with inc●e as be slow and negligent to do good, with such as be vain and prodigal, f●r●ous and angry, impatient and unconstant, with sorcerers and soothsayers, with perjured ●nd cursed men, with presumptuous and arrogant, with those that ●ee ●arde of beeliefe and desperate, and to conclude, with all kind of ambitious men. But as the smoke vanysheth awa●e, 
Psal. 67  even so shall they decay: and as the wa●e doth melt before the fire, even so shall sinners before the face of God.   

Of the gri●●●● and ●orments which evil ●en do suffer at the hour of death. Chap. 40.  
THe evil li●er● do suffer 〈◊〉 pai●●s at their death: The ●●rste is the anguish of the bodye● which is so great and so ●●treame, that the like n●●●r was, nor is felt in t●is life at any time● before the dissolution of the soul from the body. For it seemeth in some men through the great pain they do sustain in their trance, without any motion, that t●ey do make away themselves: for the violence which they suffer is so strong & incomparable, because those natural bonds & knots between the body and the soul are broken in sunder. Whereupon the prophet lamenting, saith thus in his Psalms: 
Psal. 17 &. 114.  The torments of death have beset me ●ounde about: there is not so much as an● member, not not one joint in the whole body, which is not stretched in that intolerable dol●r & pang. The second pain is, when the body bring altogether wearied & spoiled of ●is strength, the soul doth see in a moment more freely & with much more liberty all the good and evil deeds which the man hath done in all his life time, which all are presented before the inward eyes of the soule● And this torment is so great, & the calling of things passed to remembrance is so gr●●●●● that the soul it self being thereby ●ery much 〈◊〉 is forced to declare & rehearse it●●herupo● the Psalmist says: 
Psal. 1●  The ●lowing or running s●re●●es of iniquity have troubled ●e for as the running strea●es come with great violence and force, and seem to overthrow and cast down all things they find in the way: even so shall the naughty man at his death suddenly behold the works which he hath done, be they good or evil. The third pain is, when the soul beginneth to judge justly and doth see all the torments of hell (which be dew unto him for his sins) approach near, and as it were ready to ●all upon him: whereupon the Psalmist sayeth: The dolours of hell have compassed me about. 
Psal. 17  The fourth torment is, when the soul yet remaining in the body doth behold and see wicked spirits ready to receive it: at which instant the grief and torment is such, and the fear so great, that the silly soul being in great anguish, returns and recoileth back again, so long as it may, into the body, that thereby ●t may redeem some part of the time, in the which it shall be in captivity.   

Of the coming of Christ at the hour of every man's death. Chap. 41.  
BOth good and evil men, before the soul departed out of the body, do see Christ upon the cross. The evil and wicked man doth see him to his con●usion, that he may be ashamed and blush, in that he is not saved by the blood of Christ, his offence so requiring: and therefore in the Gospel it is ●ayde to wicked and evil men: They shall behold and see him whom they have pierced and wounded: 
job. 1●  
Z●charie. 1●  which is understood at the coming of Christ to judgement: and also at his coming at the day of every man's death. But the good man doth behold Christ upon the cross to his great joy: 
1. Ti. 6  as we gather by the words of his Apostle which sayeth: until the day of death, when Christ upon the cross shall appear unto the good and evil. And Christ himself saith of saint john the Evangelist: 
john. 2●.  I will that he remain so until I come, that is to wit, I will that he remain in his virginity until I come to his death. We read of four comings of Christ: two of them be visible, and two inuisible● He came visibly in humility, to redeem the world: and he shall come visibly in his majesty to judge the world. Of his invisible comings the first is when ●ee cometh into the mind of man by grace. according to the saying of our Lord in saint john's Gospel: 
john. 14  we shall come unto him and devil with him: The second is at the death of every man. And therefore ●aith Saint john in his Apocalypse, 
Apocal. 2.  come unto me Lord jesus. At whose coming that we may be found watchful and diligent servants, let us endeavour ourselves to serve and fear him in holiness and pureness of life, to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour, majesty, glory, power, and dominion for ever and ever:    

¶ The third Book of the Mirror of man● life.  

Of the putrifycation of the body when the soul is departed. Chap. 1.  
THe soul of man (sayeth the Prophet) sh●ll depart from him● 
Psal. 145  and he shall return against into earth ●●om whence ●e ●a●e. In that day all his thoughts & worldly inventions shall perish. O how many & how wondered great are the Imaginations of mortal men about worldly provision: but when death shall prevent them, all their devices and inventions shall soon vanish away, and they shall quite decay, even as the shadow when it declineth, or as the Grasshoppers which soon are shaken from the grain. 
Psal. 108  Furthermore, when the body and soul are separate asunder● them shall they forsake with great grief & sorrow such things as they loved in this life most dearly. 
job. 14  
Psal. 103  For there is a term appointed them which can not be escaped, at what time earth ●hal return into earth, as it is written: Thou art earth, and shalt re●urn into ●ar●● again. 
Gen. 3  Because it is agreeable to the course of nature, that every mortal thing should be resolved again into the self same substance, whereof it was erst made: 
Psal. 103  Therefore (saith David) the spirits of men shall be taken away from them, and they shall return in●o dust. 
Book of jesus. 10.  But when man shall dye, his inheritance shall be with brute beasts and serpents, 
job. 21.  for all men shall sleep in the dust, 
Esay. 31  and the worms shall eat their flesh, even as the mo●h the garment, as he doth devour the wool. I shall be consumed (saith job) as corruption, 
job. 13  and as the garment which is eaten of the mo●he: I said unto rottenness, 
job. 17  thou art my father, and I called the worms my mother & sister. Man is but a mass of putrefaction, 
job. 25  and the son of man is but corruption. O what a loathsome parentage is that, where rottenness is the father? and what an unclean stock is that, which is united with worms? For man is conceived in corruption, and in the burning heat of foul lust, upon whose dead carcase the worms do wait as mourners. In his lif● time he bringeth forth troublesome and tedious v●rmyn●, & after death his flesh engendereth worms: whilst he liveth, his body yieldeth noisome & odious things: and when he dieth he becometh a lump of foul and unclean corruption. During this life his only care is to nourish and maintain one, but when he is dead, he shall feed & sustain a number of worms. For what is more ugly and filthy to behold than is the vile corpse of a dead man? And what is more horrible unto the sight, than is the body, when the soul is parted? He whose embracings to us were pleasant whilst life endured, the very sight of him after death shall be most noisome. What profit then may we reap of our riches? what good shall we find of our delicate banquets? or what then shall avail us our dainty diet? They shall not deliver us from the danger of death: they sh●l not defend us from the hungry worms: they shall not preserve us from loathsome savours. We have seen him despised and cast into grave, which of late sat most gloriously in his princely throne. The courteer that walked in sumptuous attire, lieth now in the earth unseemly to behold: and he that was fed with delicate fare, is now to be devoured of worms in the ground.   

Of the heavy remembrance of the damned souls. Chap. 2.  

Book o● jesus. 7  THe torments of wicked men shall be the worm, and fire. And both of these have sundry operations: For the one worketh inwardly, & the other tormenteth outwardly. The worm which worketh inwardly doth always eat & devour the heart: & the fire whic● tormenteth outwardly, doth always burn● & consumeth the body. The worm of them (sait● the Prophet) shall never dye, 
Esay ult.  and their fyr●● shall not be quenched. 
Judith. 16.  Our Lord will send● fire and worms for their flesh, that the● may burn and feel the smart for euer● The worm of conscience shall vex them repentance shall trouble them, and per●plexitie of mind shall torment them. F●● they being fearful and timorous, sha●● call to remembrance their sins, a●● their own wickedness shall bewray then and thus they shall say within the● selves: 
Book of. Wi●do. 4.  What goodness have we pr●●cured by our pride? 
Wisdom. 5  or what profit h●● we obtained by worldly pomp and ●●ni●ie? and what can our riches now avail us? All these things are go & passed, even as the shadow, or as the ship which passeth over the raging waves, whose tract is never seen again. So we mortal men which are born into this world, do quickly perish and decay, and swiftly approach unto our end. Of virtue, we are scarcely able to show any sign at all, but we are consumed in our own malice and wickedness. Therefore with great vexation of mind shall the damned souls often remember those things, which with great mirth and joylity, they did commit in this li●e: that the remembrance at all ma● augment thayr pain, whom the sting of sin provoked to wickedness.   

Of the unprofitable repentance of the damned. C●ap. 3  
THey shall say unto themselves repenting: 
Wisdom. 5  we have go astray from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shyn●d upon us. 
●uc 23.  T●en shall they cry unto the mountains, and say, 
〈◊〉. 6.  O you mountains fall upon us, and you hills cover us. They shall repent to their p●in, but thei● conversion shall not obtain pardon. For it is according unto justice, that those which would not repent when they might, shall not (when they desire) obtain mercy. God gave them opportunity and space to repent, and they abused his time of long sufferance. And therefore said the rich man which was tormented in hell: 
Lu●. 16.  O father Abraham, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send Lazarus unto my father's house, that he may signify unto them what is become of me, least tha● they also fall into this place of torments: unto whom after it was answered, that they had the law and the Prophets, let them hear them: he did immediately reply saying: No father Abraham, they will not gi●e ●are unto them, but if any of those that be dead shall go unto them, they will repent. The rich man then being in hell, did repent him: But because he knew that his repentance did nothing a avyle ●ym, he desired it might be declared unto his brethren, that they might do fruitful repentance in this world. For that it doth then profit a man of sin to repent him, whilst as yet he may commit any sin.   

Of the manifold and diu●rs pains of Hel. Chap 4.  
THe pains of Hell are many and of divers sorts, 
Math. 13  The first pain is the pain of fire. The second is the pain of cold. Of the●e two our Lord speaketh in the gospel, where he ●ayeth: there shall be weeping & wailing with gnashing of teeth, which is by reason of the cold. The third pain of hell is the foul savour: 
Psal. 10  and of these three pains the Psalmist maketh mention whē●ee says, fire, brimston●, and the spirit of great tempests. The fourth pain shall be worms. which shall never cease. Whereof the prophet (says thus) Their worm shall not dye, and their fire shall not go out, 
Esay. cap. ult,  for it shall never be extinguished. The fifth pain shall be the sharp whips of the tormenters: whereupon the wise man says thus: 
Prou. 1●  judgements ar● prepared for blasphemers, and beating hammers are made ready f●r the bodies of the foolish. The sixt pain shall be sensible darkness, both inward and outward, which ●ob means when he saith, 
job. ca 10.  The land of misery and darkness, where is the shadow of d●ath. Of the damned soul speaketh also the prophet David in this sort. 
Psal. 143  And he shall never see light. And in another place it is written thus of the dam●ed: 
1. King. ●.  The wicked ma● shall keep silence in darkness. The seventh pain shall be the confusion of ●inners: 
Dan. 7.  for then as it is written in Daniel, The books of man's conscience shall be opened, 
Apocal. 5  and all his doings shall be made manifest. The eight pain shall be the horrible sight of devils, which shall be seen through the sparks rising out of the unquenchable fire. The ninth shall be the fiery chains wherewithal the parts of the ungodly shall be linked. The●e hellish pains are ordained for the wic●●d and sinful people: wherewith shall be tormented those that follow lewd desir●s and fl●shly lusts: those that are extortioners and spoilers of their neighbours: tho●e that ar● puffed up with en●ie and malice: ●●ose that have provoked God's vengeance through t●● multitude of their sins: 
P●al. 9  those that are despisers and neglecters of the truth: those tha● are impenitent and wilful offenders: and those that are commi●ters of mischief and foul acts, following the wanton 〈…〉 affec●ions of the flesh.   

Of the unspeakable anguish and torment of the damned. Chap. 5.  
THe reprobate whilst they behold the blessed souls, 
Book of Wisdom. 5.  shall be tormented with horrible fear, weeping & lamenting for v●ry grief of mind: and thus shall they say unto themselves: These be those whom sometimes we made our laughing stocks and always had them in derision: we being without sense, did account their life madness, & their end to become obscure and with●●t honour: behold now they are numbered amongst the children of God, and their portion is amongst the saints. It shall be a great punishment unto the wicked, to behold the glory of the blessed. And it may be that the blessed souls after the end of judgement, shall see the reprobate in their torments, according to the place of scripture which sayeth, 
Psal. 57  The just man shall rejoice when he shall see ●he torment of sinners: But the reprobate shall not see the blessed in their glory, as the prophet witnesseth, saying: 
Esa●. ●6.  
Wisd. 5.  The wicked shall not see the glory of God. And such sh●ll be the talk of sinners in Hell: for ●hat the hope of the ungodly is like unto saw dust, which is quite carried away with the wind: or like unto the froth of the earth which is dispersed & scattered abroad by the tempest: and as the smoke which is spread abroad with the wind: and as the remembrance of a guest of one day.   

Of Hell fire. Chap. 6.  
THe fire of Hell is neither nourished with wood, nor yet kindled by the help of any. But it is created of God, and is made unquenchable from the beginning of the world. 
Ezech. 20  For it is written: He shall be devoured with fire which is not kindled. This hellish fire is supposed to be under the earth according to the place of Esay, where he saith: 
job. 20  
Esay. 14  the Hell which is under the earth is vexed and disquieted against thy coming: but every place is penal to the reprobate, which always & in all places carry their pain and torment against themselves. I will bring forth from the midst of thee (says God, 
Ezec. 28 ) by the mouth of his prophet, fire which shall devour thee. The fire of Hell shall always burn and shall never give light: it shall always yield thee an extreme heat, and yet shall it never consume that which it burneth: it shall always afflict and never fail. In Hell the darkness is exceeding great, the bitterness of pains passeth all measure, and the continuance in misery is without ende● 
Math. 22  Cast ●ym bound hand and foot (sayeth our saviour speaking of the sinners) into utter darkenenesse, where there shall b●e weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Every part of the body shall sustain ●or his sins a proper torment, that the wicked may be punished in that wherein he hath offended. For it is written: 
Wisdo. 16.  Man shall be tormented in those things by the which he hath transgressed. Wherefore he that did sin with his tongue, was punished in his tongue. 
Luke. 16  And therefore did the proud rich man cry, saying: father Abraham have pity upon me, and s●nd Lazarus unto me, that he may dip the top of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, wherein I am tormented in this burning flame.   

Of the darkness of Hell. Chap. 7.  
THe reprobate and damned souls shall not only be covered with outward darkness, but they sh●ll be also enwrapped in inward darkness, for so much as they shall be deprived both of the spiritual & corporal light. 
Esay. 26 ●say. 60.  For it is written: Let the wicked man be ●aken away, that he do not see the glory of God, who only shall then be for an everlasting light. Th● reprobate truly shall suffer such grief and sorrow of mind in their pains, that their thoughts shall be fixed on no other thing but only upon the vehement anguish & grief of torment, which they shall feel. It is reported, that a certain Scholar after his death did appear unto his master, and declared unto him t●at he was a damned soul: forthwith his master demanded of him, whether there were any quest●ons or controversies moved amongst the damned souls in Hell: unto whom he made answer that there was nothing in hell, but pain and torment. Solomon also speaking of the worldling, sayeth thus: 
Book of the Preacher. 6.  In Hell whether thou makest haste to go, is neither work nor reckoning: knowledge, nor yet wisdom: for there shall be so great forgetfulness in the reproved of God, with such blindness of heart, and so marvelous a confusion of reason, that never or seldom they shall have any good thought of God, nor scarcely shall take their breath, to confess his ●oly name: 
Book of I●sus. 17  For from the dead man all acknowledging of God doth vanish away, even as from one that is not at all. For it is written, 
Psal. 113  the dead shall not praise thee O Lord, neither shall they which go down into Hell exalt thy name. Hell shall not contesse thee O Lord, 
Esay. 38.  and death shall not set forth thy praise.   

Of the confusion of pains. Chap 8  
Give me leave (sayeth job 
job. 10 ) that I may bewail a w●ile my grief before I go into the land of darkness, a land covered with the dimness of death, a land I say full of misery and darkness, whe●e is the shadow of death, and where is no order but everlasting terror, and quaking for ever. There shall be an order in the quantity of those hellish pains, 
Luke. 6  because in what so ever measure you have measured to others in this life, in the same measure shall it be measured you again, to the end they which have most grievously offended, may be the sorer punished. For they which are mighty, shall suffer mighty and great torments. 
Wisdom. ●.  But there shall be no order in the quality of things, 
job. 10  because such miserable sinners shall go from the extreme cold water of snow, unto exceeding great heat of burning fire, 
job. 24  that the s●ddaine mutation of those contraries, may make their torment the more vehement. For I have seen it tried by experience, that if any cold thing be presently added to the place which is burnt, it shall 'cause the party forthwith to sustain a more ardent and grievous pain,   

Of the continuance of the pains in Hel. Chap. 9  

psal 48  THe wicked (says the Prophet) are thrust into Hell like sheep, and death shall devour them. This is spoken after the similitude of brute beasts, which do not pull the grass up by the roots, but feed only upon the tops thereof, that the grass may grow again for their pasture. Even so the ungodly, being as it were food unto death shall always revive again to death, that they ma● be ever dying. Like as the Poet saith of Titius, which always consumeth in Hell, and yet reviveth again, so that still in such sort he is languishing, that he may ever perishe● Then shall death be immortal, and the dead shall live, which ar● dead to life: they shall seek after death and shall never find it, because they had life, and lewdly they lost it. Hearken unto saint john who saith, 
Apocal. 9●  in those days men shall seek for death, and shall not find it, they shall desire to die, and death shall fly from them. O death how sweet and pleasant shouldst thou be to them, unto whom thou ●ast been bitter? they shall most desire thee which did most abhor thee.   

Of the everlasting pains of the damned souls. Chap. 10.  
LEt no man flatter himself and say, 
Psal. 102  that God will not always be angry, and that he will not be offended with sinners for ever, but that his mercies are above all his works: 
Psal. 144  because that God when he is offended with sinners, will not forget to have mercy upon them: 
Wisd. 11.  neither doth he hate any thing that he hath made. Let no man I say, reason in this sort, making that an argument of his errors which our Lord saith by the mouth of his Prophet: They shall be gathered together even as a bundle, into the lake, and there shall they be shut in prison, & after many days they shall be visited: for ma did sin but for a time, and therefore God will not punish him for ever. O vain hope● O false presumption of the damned soul. Let him not be deceived through this vain error, that he can be redeemed for any price, because that in Hell there is no redemption. Sinners shall be gathered together in the lake, & shall be shut up in prison, that is to say, in Hell, where they shall be tormented without their bodies, until the day of judgement: & after many days, that is to say, after they have appeared with their bodies in judgement, they shall be visited, not to their salvation, but to their greater punishment: for after that day they shall be more grievously tormented. 
Psal. 8●.  And in an other place it is thus said: I will visit their iniquities with the rod, & their sins with stripes. God therefore is angry with his predestinate for a time, because he doth chastise every child that he loveth, of whom that place is understood, where it is sayd● He will not be angry with them for ever. But God is angry with the reprobate for ever, because it is most agreeable to justice, that the ungodly which doth offend God for ever, should suffer his revenge eternally. For although power to sin doth fail the sinner, yet doth he never shake off the wicked will to sin: for i● is writtē● 
Psa 7●  The pride of them which ha●e thee O Lord, doth always increase & ascē●. The reprobate being become desperate, & without hope of obtaining pardon at God's hands, shall not be made humble and mee●e, but the hatred and malice of them shall so increase, that they shall wish he were not, by whose means they ha●e such an unhappy being: 
Apocal. 1  They shall curse the most highest, & shall blaspheme the great and mighty God, complaining against him in that he hath created them to sustain punishment, and doth never incline himself to take mercy on them, or else to grant them pardon. Hea●e what S. john saith: There did a great hail (says he) fall down from Heaven upon men, 
Apocal. 1  and they did blaspheme God for the stroke of this hail, because it was marvelous sore. The damned Soul therefore, although he have lost the power and force of sinning, yet always shall he ha●e the affection of wickedness, and the sling of malice still remaining in him: and that which was sin to him in this world, shall be his punishment and torment in Hell: And perhaps it may be reputed there also as sin, but not the desert of sin. And therefore shall the wicked man through the guilt of conscience procured by sin, feel always besides his pain, an inward grief and torment against himself. For that which in his life time he did not wipe away by repentance, God doth not forgive it afterwards by pardon or indulgence. 
Esdras. 9  It than appertaineth unto the great justice of him that judgeth, that they never want the pain of hell, who in their life were never without sin. T●●ely they w●●lde (if they could) have lived for ever, that they mi●●t have sinned without end or ceasing. For ●e that forsaketh not sin in this life, seemeth always de●irous for sins sake to live.   

Testimonies of the eternal punishments and torment's of hell. Chap. 11.  
WHich of you (saith the Prophet) is able 
Esay. 33  ●o devil with perpetual devouring and everlasting fire? or which of you will sojourn with heats which never shall cease? They shallbe (saith he) smoke in my fury, 
Esay. 65  and as a burning fire all the day long, which shall not be put out in the night, but the smoke thereof shall rise and increase for ever. I will give you to be a perpetual reproach (saith our Lord by Hi●remie his Prophet: 
Hier. 23 ) and an everlasting ignomy which s●all never be blotted out through oblivion. And they which have slept upon the dust or the earth, shall watch (saith Daniel, 
Daniel ) some to obtain life everlasting, othersome to become a reproach, that they may always see it. And the wise man ●aith, that after the wicked and ungodly man is departed out of this life, there shallbe no more ●ope of him: 
Prou. 11 Prou. 6  but his perdition shall f●l upon him out of hand, and he shall be suddenly torn in pieces, and never shall find any medicine or remedy thereof again. 
Apocal. 14  If any shall adore the beast and ●ir Image he shall (saith S. john) drink of the vine of God's wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone: and the smoke of his torments shall rise and increase for ever: neither shall be rest day nor night, which shall worship the beast and her Image: 
Math. 2●  The truth itself shall confirm this saying, when he shall come to judgement, and reprove the reprobate in these words: Go you accursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels. If therefore according to God's judgement all credit doth consist in the people of two or three, how much more than shall that appear evident and clear which is witnessed by the mouth of so many concerning this truth proponed.   

Of the day of judgement. Chap. 12.  
BEhold therefore (saith the Prophet) the day of our Lord shall come cruelly, full of wrath, 
Esay 13.  full of anger and fury, to bring the earth into a desert, and to destroy the sinners thereof. Because the stars of Heaven and the brightness of them, shall not appear or be seen, and the Sun shall be darkened in his rising, and the Moon shall not give forth her light. And I will visit the wickedness of all the world, and the iniquity of the ungodly. I will also 'cause the Pride of the unfaithful to cease, and will pluck down the arrogancy of the mighty. For all powershall be dissolved, and the heart of every man shall consume & waste away. 
 Torments and griefs shall possess them, 
Ibidem.  they shall mourn as women do in childbed, every one of them shall be astonied at his neighbour, and their countenances shall be defaced with fire. 
Sophonia. 1  That day shall be a day of anger, a day of tribulation and anguish, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity: yea it shall be the day of trumpets and of noise, because our Lord will with haste make an end of all those that do inhabit the earth. 
Luke. 21.  And that day shall suddenly come upon all such as dwell upon the face of the earth, even as a snare. 
Math. 24  For as lightning cometh out of the East, & goeth into the West, even so shall the coming of the son of man be: 
1. The●. 5.  And as the Thief cometh unlooked for, even so shall the son of man come in the night, and when they shall say amongst themselves peace & security, then shall a sudden death come upon them, as doth the pain of a woman with child, and they shall not escape.   

Of the tribulation that shall go before the day of judgement. Chap. 13.  
THere shall great tribulation go before the day of judgement, 
Math. 24.  such as never was from beginning of the world unto this time, neither shall be. And unless those days were shortened, there should be none saved. For nation shall rise against nation, 
Luke. 2●  and kingdom against kingdom, & there shallbe great earth quakes every where, there shallbe pestilence, hunger, terror, and divers signs shall appear in the heavens: as in the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, there shallbe oppressing of people upon the earth, and through the noise of the raging seas & floods, and through the expectation of such horrible things as shall come upon the world, men for fear shall w●ther away. Theridamas shall arise up false Prophets, and they shall give great signs & wonders, 
Math. 24  so that the very elect of God (if it were poss●ble) should be brought into error. 
2. These. 2  Then shall the man of sin the son of perdition be revealed, 
2. Thess. 2.  which jetteth himself against God, 
●bidem.  & extolleth himself above that which is called or worshipped as God, insomuch that he shall sit in the temple of God, showing himself as though he were God, whom our Lord jesus shall destroy with the breath of his mouth. 
Elay. 11.  But before the great and horrible day in the which our Lord shall come, 
Ma●●c. 4.  Ely the Prophet shall be sent, and he shall convert the hearts of the fathers towards their children, and the hearts of the children towards their parents: with whom also Enoch shall come, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundredth & threes●ore days, clothed with sackcloth: & when they shall finish their testimonies, 
Apocal. 1●  the beast which shall rise up from the bottomless pit, shall war against than & ●hall overcome and destroy them, and their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom, or Egypt, where our Lord was crucified. And after three days and a half, the spirit of life ●hall enter into them again.   

Of the signs going before the latter day. Chap. 14.  
Immediately after the tribulation of the days which we have mentioned, 
Math. 14  the Sun shall be darkened, and the moon, shall not give her light: the Stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heaven's shall move, and then shall the sign● of the son of man appear in the heaven. Then ●hall all the tribes of the earth bewail themselves. 
Apocal. 6  The Kings and Princes of the earth (says Saint john) the tribunes and rich men, the mighty and the strong: to be short, every man be ●e bond or free, shall seek to hide themselves in dens, amongst the mountains, or rocks, and they shall say unto the mountains fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him which sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the day of his wrath is come. And who shall be able to endure it? 
Math. 24.  He shall sand his Angels with a trumpet or loud voice, and they shall call together his elect, and gather them from the four winds, 
1. Thes. 4.  and uppermost parts of the heavens, even unto the ends of the earth. Then shall our Lord himself (says the Apostle) at the voice of an Archangel, and at the sound of the trumpet of God, 
john. 5  come from his heavenly throne, 
Rom. ●.  and all they which be in their graves, shall hear the voice of the son of God, & the good shall proceed to the resurrection of life, but the evil to the resurrection of judgement & damnation. Death & Hell shall surrender their dead which shall be in them, 
Apocal. 20  & every eye shall see, yea even they which have pricked against him: and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn. 
Luke. 21.  Then shall they see the son of man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. But our Lord shall come to revenge the wickedness of the world, not with his Apostles only but also with the senators of his people: whereupon the wise man says thus, 
Prover. 31  Her husband a noble man in his gates, when ●e shall sit with the senators of the earth etc. For they also shall sit upon the twelve seats of the tribes of Israel. 
Math. 10.  I did look says the Prophet Daniel, until the thrones were set up, 
Capit●. 7.  and the ancient of the days sat him down: his garment was as white as snow, and the hears of his head were as clear and as white as wool: his throne were the flames of fire, and the wheels thereof were burning fire: and from his countenance proceeded a raging stream of fire● thousands of thousands did minister unto him, and ten hundredth thousands did assist him. 
Psal. 49.  Our Lord (says David) will come openly, he is our God and will not keep silence: fire shall burn in his sight, and there shall be a mighty great tempest round about him. He hath called upon the heaven from above, and the earth below, to judge or discern his people. 
Matth. 2●  Then shall all nations be gathered together before him, and he shall separate the one from the other● as the shepherd doth separate his sheep from his kids, and he shall set the sheep on the right hand, and the kids on his left.   

Of the pow●r, wisdom, and justice of the judge. Chap. 15.  

Luke. 21  O How great shall the trembling and fear be in that day? O what weeping and wailing shall then be heard? 
job. 26.  For if the pillars of heaven do tremble and shake for fear at his coming, 
Esay. 33.  if the Angels of peace shall then weep bitterly, what shall sinners do? if the just man shall very hardly be saved, how then shall wicked and sinful men show their faces? 
Psal. 142.  Therefore doth the Prophet David exclaim and say, Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant, for in thy sight no man shall be justified: and again, 
Psal. 129.  If thou O god shalt observe and mark iniquities, O Lord who shall be able to sustain it? For what is he that doth not ●eare a most just, a wise, and most mighty judge? I call him a most mighty judge, because no man can avoid his sight: he is a wise judge, because the faults of men cannot be hidden from him: And he is a most just judge, because no man can corrupt him. If we look for courage, he is most strong in ●orce, and wise in heart. 
job. ●.  If equity in judgement should be required, there is none that dareth bear witness for me. If I should justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me. 
Baruch. 3.  If I shall show myself as an innocent, 
Psa. 32. 14●  it shall declare me to be but froward and wicked, although I do appear simple. He said the word, and all things were made: He gave commandment, and they were created: 
Baruch. ●●  He calleth upon the stars, and they answer, we be here: He maketh his Angels spirits, and his minister's a flame of fire. 
Psal. 103●  
Rom. 9  Unto whose will nothing doth resist, and unto whom no word is impossible: 
Ibidem.  And at whose name every knee doth bow, as well of those that be in heaven as upon the earth, 
Rome 14.  and under the earth. 
Philip. ●.  His sight no man can fly (as the Prophet sayeth) For if I shall (says he) ascend up into the heaven, thou art there: 
Psal. 13●  
Hebr. 4.  if I shall descend into hell, 
Hier. 1●.  thou art at hand also, He is the searcher of the reins and hearts: unto his eyes all things are open. He numbereth & telleth the drops of rain, and the sands of the Sea. 
Eccle. 1●.  God is the Lord of knowledge, for he hath the knowledge of all things before they come to pass. He is privy unto every thing, and a searcher out of secret and hidden things. No man can be hidden from him, as the Apostle sayeth: There is no creature invisible in his sight: He is a just and a stout judge, 
Hebr. 4.  and a long sufferer: 
Psal. 7.  who neither for prayer nor for hire for love nor hate, doth once decline from the path of righteousness, 
Boetius lib de consol. Philoso.  but always marching in the high way, passeth over no evil unpunished, ne leaveth any good deed unrewarded. Therefore can no man corrupt him, according to the Psalmist. 
Psal. 61.  
jere. 18  Thou O Lord rewardest every one according to his deserts.   

Of God's judgement. Chap. 16.  
WHat is he that will not fear that kind of examination, wherein the self same shall be both the accuser, the advocate, and the judge? for he shall be the accuser, when ●ee shall say unto the wicked: I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat: 
Mat. 25.  I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. He shall play the advocate, when he sayeth: As long as you did it not to any one of these little one's, 
Ibidem.  so long you did it not to me. He shall sustain the person of a judge, when he doth infer this of that which he said before, Get you hence away from me you accursed, into everlasting fire. No witness shall be necessary in that judgement: For that then the secrets of darkness shall be most manifest. For there is nothing hidden which then shall not be revealed. The books of men's conscience shall then be opened: 
1. Cor. 4  
Daniel. 7  then shall the dead be judged of those things which be written in the book: for their works shall follow them. 
Apocal. 14  
Rom. 2  O Lord what great shame or abashment shall then be amongst sinners? What confusion shall there be, when their most detestable crimes shall be evident and manifest unto all men. Blessed be they (sayeth the Prophet) whose sins are forgiven them, 
Psal. 31.  and whose offences are covered. For there can be no appeal made from that sentence. 
john. 5.  Because the father hath given all judgement unto his son: who shutteth and no man openeth: who openeth and no man shutteth: 
Apocal. ●  for the mouth of our Lord hath spoken it.   

That nothing shall profit the da●ned souls. Ch●p. 17.  
THen shall not riches profit them, their worldly honours shall not defend th●m, 
Ezech. 7.  their friends shall not help them, nor their gold and silver shall not be able to deliver them in the day of our lords fury. All the Kings of the earth shall weep and lament, 
Apocal. 18  when they shall see the smoke of the fire, for fear of their torments. What then shall you do in the day of our lords fury? in the day of visitation and calamity coming a far off? unto whose help will you have recourse? 
Gala. 6.  Every man shall bear his own burden: 
Eze. 18.  The soul that ●inneth shall dye. O strait judgement wherein men must make an account, not of their deeds only, but of every idle word which they have spoken. 
Math. 12  This must they do in the day of judgement, on the which day the debt with the interest shall be demanded of them, even unto the last farthing. 
Math. 18  Who can therefore fly away from the wrath of him which shall come? The son of man shall send his Angels, 
Luce.  and they shall weed from his kingdom all scandalles and offences, and those also which have committed wickedness: and they shall also bind bundles or faggots to burn, and shall put them into the chimney of the hot burning fir●, where there shall be weeping and wailing with gnashing of teeth: mourning and crying with terrible pain: noise and clamour: fear and trembling: grief and sorrow: darkness and anguish: bitterness and misery: penury and torment: with grief of mind, sadness, and forgetfulness, confusion, wrestings, pinchings, sharpness and terror, hunger, thirst, cold, and heat, brimstone and burning fire, which shall endure for ever and ever.    
FINIS.   

Speculum humanum. Made by Stephen Gosson.  

O What is man? or whereof might he vaunt?  
From earth and air, and ashes first he came:  
His tickle state, his courage aught to daunt:  
His life sh●l ●lit, when most ●e trusts the same.  
Then keep in mind thy mould and fickle frame:  
Thyself a naked Adam shalt thou find.  
A babe by birth both born and brought forth blind.  
A dry and withered reed that wanteth sap,  
Whose rotten root is re●t even at a clap:  
A sign, a shewe● of green and pleasant grass,  
Whose gliding glory suddenly doth pas●e.   

A lame and loathsome limping legged wight,  
That daily doth God's frown and fury feel●●  
A crooked cripple, void of all delight,  
That haileth after him an halting heel,  
And from Jerusalem on stilts doth reel:  
A wr●tch of wrath, a sop in sorrow soused,  
A bruised bark with billoes all bedowst.  
A filthy clot, a stinking clod of clay,  
A sack of sin, that shall be swallowde ay,  
Of thousand hells, except the Lord do lend  
His helping hand, and lowering brows unbend.   

The prime of youth, whose green unmellowde years  
With hoist head, doth check the lofty skies,  
And sets up sail, and sternelesse ship ysteares,  
With wind and wave at pleasure sure it flies:  
On every side then glance his rolling eyes:  
Yet hoary hears do cause him down to droop,  
And stealing steps of age, shall make him stoop.  
Our health that doth the web of woe begin,  
And pricketh forth our pampered flesh to sin,  
By sickness soaked in many maladies,  
Shall turn our mirth, to moon, and howling cries   

The wreathed hair of perfect golden wire,  
The crystal eyes, the shining Angels face  
That kindles coals to set the heart on fire,  
When we do think to run a royal race,  
Shall suddenly be gauled with disgrace.  
Our goods, our beauty, and our brave array,  
That seem to set our hearts on bye for a●e:  
Much like the tender flower in fragrant fields,  
Whose sugared sap sweet smelling savours yields:  
Though we therein do daily lay our lust,  
By dint of death shall vanish unto dust.   

Why seek we then this lingering life to save,  
A hugy heap of bale and misery?  
Why love we longer days on earth to crave,  
Where cark, and care, and all calamity,  
Where naught we find, but bitter joylity?  
The longer that we live, the more we fall,  
The more we fall, the greater is our thrall:  
The shorter life doth make the less account,  
To less account the reckoning soon doth mount:  
And then the reckoning brought to quiet end,  
A joyful state of better life doth lend.   

Thou God therefore that rules the rolling sky,  
Thou Lord that lends the props whereon we stay,  
And turns the spheres, and tempers all on high,  
Come, come in haste, to take us hence away:  
Thy goodness shall we then engrave for ay,  
And sing a song of endless thanks to thee,  
That deignest so from death to set us free:  
Redeeming us from depth of dark decay.  
With four and twenty elders shall we say,  
To him be glory, pours and praise alone,  
That with the Lamb, doth sit in lofty throne.   
FINIS.