¶ A Mirror for man where in he shall see the miserable state of this world. O Man remember, from hence thou shalt pass Like as thy figure, once seen in a glass Doth vanish away, yea, so shall thy breath Bring earth unto earth, when strike the doth death This world, wise men call, a thorough fair to the Follow thou it not, from vice do thou flee Seek after knowledge, the truth to advance Desire not to see, thy neighbours mischance Beware of three things, print them well in mind The devil, the flesh, the world that is blind Fear God and thy Prince, be loath to offend Take nothing in hand, but think on the end Let wisdom the rule, and knowledge with all Than thou shalt stand fast, where other men fall If thou will avoid, great adversity Let other men's faults, be mirror to the Or if thou wilt lead, a life with great ease Do as most men do, thou shalt few displease Desire not to have, no more than thy own For corn is not had, but where seed is sown Thorough covetousness, is all out of turn And many rich realms, it hath brought to ruin Some men have treasure, and hearts ease at will Yet ever wishing, and near hath their fill Soch filthy lucre, embraceth their har●es So that they may have, they force not who smarts And though they have all, yet for more they gape They drink both the wine, & looks for the grape Which maketh the poor, right sore to lament For they have nothing, but for double rent They would win their food, with labour and sweat Yet all will not help, their rent is so great And where they were wont, to uphold a plough Now scarce can they find, the grass for a cow Their children do watch, as hawks for their pray Yet can they not get, one good meal a day Soch woeful morning, as is in England Was never before, I dare take in hand In every place, where as I do walk I hear men complain, and this is their talk O Lord God they say, now hear our request And comfort the poor, that are sore oppressed The rich that fares well, and hath nothing scant Doth never conceive, what the poor doth want But if that some men, on them take no ruth They are all undone, this is the plain truth I would this were known, among the best fort Than should the poor men, soon have some comfort The rich are fair flowers, the poor are but weeds Yet God shall take count of every man's deeds And when that the Lord, shall sit in judgement Than they that did wrong, right sore shall repent Therefore o thou man, that fain would do well Live thou according, to Christ's gospel Follow not their steps, whose deeds are unjust Remember this world, shall turn unto dust If conscience be slain, with pomp and riches wisdom is turned, to great foolishness Of no kind of thing, desire not to much If thou be content, than sure thou art rich Better is little, with ease to possess Than with moche trouble, to have great riches As sickness and health, can never agree So gold without rest, is but mysere Behold well this world, take warning in time And mark how they fall, that useth to climb Even now a days, such wonders are seen As many men thought, could never have been Some men from honour, are brought to great care And endeth their lives right naked and bare Some men from nothing, do come to estate And yet at the length, are infortunate Some men liveth in wealth, and pleasure long while Yet suddenly gone, and put in exyll sins wealth nor honour, on earth hath no rest A poor godly life, I think it is best Among all degrees, a fault may be spied Which maketh this world, to lie a tonesyed Lords were once liberal, but now wax they hard The poor and needy, they little regard judges give judgement, sometimes not with right Lawyers for money, hyedes truth out of sight Bishops and preachers, seek livings again And when they wax rich, they take little pain Merchants & crafts men, sells all things to dear And tell them who ●●yst, that will they not hear Great banquets are kept, where good is plenty To nourish their lusts, nothing is dainty Baylyfs and sheryfs, one fault they punish And seethe a hundredth, increase and flourish gentle men were wont, examples to give Which caused poor men, right well for to live But now who lives worse, than men of renown O how is virtue, so soon laid down Women do wander, with every doctrine And some do dispute, moche like a divine Young men are blinded, so with vain glory That wise men do laghe, at their great folly Men should learn wisdom, at men grave & saege Who doteth so moche, as men doth in age Thus upon high things, I will give no saute It may be well seen, that few is without fault But sens that the lord, this world did begin Was never yet seen, so moche vice and sin As is now upon earth, among more and les Whose deeds if you mark, may bear good witness The father doth now, dysceave his own child Who trusteth his brother, is oft times beguiled deceit and falsehood, puts right out of place Truth keepeth silence, this is a sore case Swering and whoredom, dysemblaunce and craft For all their preaching, yet will not be lafte Usery is held, with them that seem wise Now for a right trade, of good merchandise All things are turned, so far out of frame That men live now, like beasts without shame Now those that do well, is worn out of thought But privy pyckthankes, are made up of nought Flatterers with tales, doth work men much woe Whose words are as swift, as shaft out of boo Defame and sklander, are busy right oft About all estates, with words fair an soft If virtue come not, and vanish all this This word can not last, not long as it is I trust ones to see, that men shall abore Their vicious lives, and repent it sore Than god shall send grace, from heaven above To set us in rest, and brotherly love Than we shall see peace, where now is discord And sing psalms with heart, in praise of the lord The poor shall live well, the rich shall rejoice Than god shall have laud, of every man's voice The earth shall increase, and bring forth much seed Than shall we not want, no good thing we need In every kingdom, shallbe rest and peace All manner of plagues, at that time shall cease So that all vices, both branches and rote Shall wither away, and lie under foot Than we shall prosper, and live in good health And all things shall turn, unto our own wealth God shall so love us, if we do bewail There shall no danger, against us prevail Nor no misfortune, shall make us afraid For God shall so be, our succour and aid Right happy is he, that liveth till than To see soch great love, between God and man ¶ Here have I set forth, after a plain sort The state of this world, in sentens right short For the thou blind man, that goeth astray I lighten this lamp, to learn thee the way Now here is two ways, do those which thou wilt Ether to be safe, or else to be spilt I can do no more, but show thee the right To change the ill life, lies not in my might I would that my words, were graven in stone That all the whole world, might look them upon Although they have heard, as much as I know Yet think they on warts, when trumpets doth blow The oftener they see, a thing that is ill The less cause they have, to bear it good will If I could thunder, in every man's ears I would them exhort, with weeping and tears Yet many do teach, and few do amend They take little heed, what time they do spend Though plague upon plague, doth show them gods ire Yet for to live well, they have no desire Now what should I more, on such things deffyne Man hath no more grace, than god doth assyne Therefore unto god, I would have them creep And for their great sins, to morn wail & weep He will them receive, and give them a place Where angels do live, by sight of his face. Finis quod Thomas Churschard. God save the King. ¶ Imprinted at London by Roberte toy dwelling in Paul's church yard at the sign of the Bell. Cum privilegio ad Imprimendum Solum.