[sig. Miiiir]
A briefe dialogue between sicknesse and worldly desire. +
¶ Sicknesse. T O darkesome caue, where crawling wormes remayn. Thou worldly wretch, resigne thy boasting breath: Yeeld vp thy pompe, thy corps must passe agayn, From whence it came, compeld by dreadfull death.
¶ Worldly desire. (5) Oh sicknesse sore, thy paines doo pearce my hart, Thou messenger of death, whose goryng gripes mee greue: Permit a while, mee loth yet to depart From freends and goods, which I behinde must leaue.
¶ Sicknesse. Ah silly soule, entis’de with worldly vayne, (10) As well as thou, thy freends must yeeld to death: Though after thee, a while they doo remayne, They shall not still, continue on the earth.
¶ Worldly desire. What must I then neede, shrine in gastly graue? And leaue what long, I got with tedious toyle: (15) Prolong mee yet, and let mee licence haue, Till elder yeeres, to put your Brutes to foyle.
¶Sicknesse. O foolish man, allurde by lewd delight, Thy labors lost, these goods they are not thine: But as (thou hadst) so others haue like right, (20) (Of them) when thou, shalt vp thy breath resigne.
¶ Worldly desire. Then farewell world, the Nurse of wicked vice, Adue vile drosse which mooues mens mindes to ill: Farewell delights, which did my youth entice, To serue as slaue, vnto vnsatiate will.
FINIS. T.P.