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Ut leve folium, quod vento rapitur,
Sic vita hominum, hac vita tollitur..

"The pomp of worldly praise,
Which worldlings hold so dear,
In holy sacred book

Is liken'd to a flower;

Whose date doth not contain
A week, a month, or year,
But springing now doth fade
Again within an hour.
And as the lightest leaf

With wind about is thrown,

So light is life of man,

And lightly hence is blown.

Finis. My Lucke is Losse."

II.

"Beware of had I wyst.

"Beware of had I wyst,

Whose fine brings care and smart,

Esteem of all, as they deserve,

And deem as deem'd thou art :

So shall thy perfect friend

Enjoy his hoped hire,

And faithless fawning foe shall miss

The effect of his desire.

Good Will shall have his gain,

And Hate shall heap despite;

A faithless friend shall find distrust,

And love shall reap delight.

Thyself

Thyself shall rest in peace;

Thy friend shall joy thy fate;
Thy foe shall fret at thy good hap,
And I shall joy thy state.
But this my fond advice

May seem perchance but vain,
As rather teaching how to lose,
Than how a friend to gain.
But this not my intent,

To teach to find a friend;
But safely how to love and leave
Is all that I intend.

And if you prove in part,

And find my counsel true,

Then wish me well for thy good will,
'Tis all I crave. Adieu !

Finis. My Lucke is Losse.*"

ART. XIII. Foure Paradoxes of Arte, Lawe, Warre, and Service. By Tho. Scott. 1602.

[CONTINUED FROM P. 381, VOL. III.]

"Omnis est misera servitus."

"But staie:-O rest thee, Muse, and rest thee, Mind; I now have found the jewell which I sought; Whose only good is in itself confin'd,

The sanctuary of the hopefull thought;

The port of safetie, and the happy life,

Free from malitious broyles and tedious strife.

* No. III. Beginning "Not stayed state, but feeble stay," is printed in

Ellis's Specimens."

Whe

Who list to draw himselfe from publick throng,
And to converse with men of more regard;
Or fears the weighty power of others wrong,

Or seeks himselfe from envious tongues to ward:

Or covets quiet, or eschues debate,

Or loves content, or fears lean-visag'd hate:

Let him repaire to courte, and in the court,

Like ivy, cleave unto some great man's side,
Whose able strength his weakness may support,
And with his spreading arms and shadow wide
Protect and patronize his feeble youth,
And yeelde him needful sap t' increase his growth.

may

So he live secure; free from the fear
Of publike malice, or close-creeping hate;
And never dread the sunne or wind should sear
His verdant moysture and exalted state;
For still his lord protects him with his bowes:
So he grows up, even as his patron grows.

O happy man! whose fortune 'tis to finde

This rarely-heire of bountie in the great; Which sooner happens to th' illiterate hinde,

Than him whose brain the learned Sisters heat; Because the man, that's only great in show, Dreads other men his ignorance should know.

This makes the childe of fortune, to reveale

His thoughts to drudging boors and shallow fools;

But all his consultations, to conceale

From those that are not enemies to schools:

For ignorance, like every other sin,

Loves still to live unknown, and blind within.

The honest servant seeks t' amend his lord,

And grieves to hear his wants themselves should speak;

VOL. IV.

But

But the base slave doth fearfully afford

A jeering flattery, with count'nance bleak To every word; and therefore is regarded, When truth is with suspect and hate rewarded.

Base flattery, and double diligence,

That thrust their fingers into every place; That carry tales and give intelligence

Of all that may their fellows' faith disgrace:
These are employ'd, these come and go, at pleasure,
Have what they ask, and ask without all measure.

He that can these, shall thrive; and may in time
Purchase large lordships with ill-gotten wealth;
And may from yeomanry to worship climb-

Ill fare that gentry so purloyn'd with stealth!
But other never may expect to rise,

For to their deeds he turns his Argus' eyes:

And doth perswade his lord, that his whole care
Is, like a trusty servant, for the best;

His younger son the better for't shall fare,
For at his death all shall to him be left:
The credulous lord believes his smooth conclusion,
Untill, too late, he proves it an illusion.

But when the trusty servant stands aloof,
Forewarning these events, with modestie;
Exampling this with many likely proofs
Of other's craft and close hypocrise;
He is suspected of deceit; his drift,
Thought a detractor's favour-fawning shift.

Fond youth! who dedicates thy precious hours
To do him service, that neglects thy merit;
And prizeth less the mind's unvalued powers
Than his, who only doth rude strength inherit:

Fond

Fond youth! that bind'st thy selfe to be a slave
To him, whose love thy service cannot have.

O why should I aim all my thoughts to please
One like myselfe; or to subject my soul
Unto the unrespective rule of these,

That only know how others to controul?
So asses suffer, asses spur and ride them;

So camels kneel, whilst bondmen do bestride them.

But man that is free-born, not born a beast,

Should freely bear him selfe, and freely love
Where reason doth induce him; or at least
Where sympathy of liking equal move:
So I could love and fear, obey and serve
Him, that I see doth see what I deserve.

For what avails it me to know so much,
If other will no notice take thereof?
Or cannot well discerne me to be such

As I do know myselfe, and yet will scoff
At that they understand not, and suppose,
Not smelling, there's no sweetness in a rose.

What boots it me, to climb the starry tower,
And fetch from thence all secrets that remain
Within that everlasting blissful bower,

If I had none to tell them to again?

The soul would glut herselfe with Heaven, I know,
If she might not her joyes to others show.

It is a crown unto a gentle breast,
T'impart the pleasure of his flowing mind
(Whose spritely motion never taketh rest)

To one whose bosom he doth open find:
So wise Prometheus, stealing heavenly fire
In stones, the soul of knowledge did inspire.

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