GorgeousGallery sig. Miiiv

[sig. Miiiv]

A Mirror of Mortallity. +

S Hall clammy clay, shrowd such a gallant gloze, Must beauty braue, be shrinde in dankish earth: Shall crawling wormes, deuoure such liuely showes,|(of yong delights. When valyant corps, shall yeeld the latter breath, (5) Shall pleasure vade, must puffing pride decay: Shall flesh consume, must thought resigne to clay. Shall haughty hart, haue hire to his desart, Must deepe desire die, drenchd in direfull dread: Shall deeds lewd dun, in fine reape bitter smart, (10) Must each vade, when life shall leaue vs dead: Shall Lands remayne? must wealth be left behinde? Is sence depriu’d? when flesh in earth is shrinde. Seeke then to shun, the snares of vayne delight, Which moues the minde, in youth from vertues lore: (15) Leaue of the vaunt of pride, and manly might, Sith all must yeeld, when death the flesh shall gore: And way these wordes, as soone for to be solde, To Market cums, the yonge sheepe as the olde. +No trust in time, our dayes vncertayne bee, (20) Like as the flower, bedect with splendant hue: Whose gallant show, soone dride with heat wee see, Of scorching beames, though late it brauely grew: +Wee all must yeeld, the best shall not denye, Unsure is death, yet certayn wee shall dye. (25) Although a while, we vaunt in youthful yeares, In yonge delightes, wee seeme to liue at rest: Wee subiect bee, to griefe eche horror feares, The valiaunst harts, when death doth daunt the brest: Then vse thy talent here vnto thee lent, (30) That thou mayst well account how it is spent.

FINIS. T.P.