Tottel sig. Eiir

[sig. Eiir]

L Ayd in my quiet bed, in study as I were, I saw within my troubled head, a heape of thoughtes appere: And euery thought did shewe so liuely in myne eyes, That now I sighed, & then I smilde, as cause of thought dyd rise. (5) I saw the litle boy in thought, how oft that he Did wish of god, to scape the rod, a tall yongman to be. The yongman eke that feles, his bones with paines opprest How he would be a rich olde man, to lyue, and lye at rest. The rych oldman that sees his end draw on so sore, (10) How he would be a boy again, to liue so much the more. Wherat full oft I smilde, to se, how all these three, From boy to man, from man to boy, would chop & change degree. And musing thus I think, the case is very strange, That man from welth, to liue in wo, doth euer seke to change. (15) Thus thoughtfull as I lay, I saw my witherd skyn, How it doth show my dented chewes, the flesh was worne so thyn: And eke my tothelesse chaps, the gates of my rightway, That opes and shuts, as I do speake, doe thus vnto me say: Thy white and horish heares, the messengers of age, (20) That shew, like lines of true belife, that this life doth asswage, Byds thee lay hand, and fele them hanging on thy chin: The which do write two ages past, the third now comming in. Hang vp therfore the bit of thy yong wanton time: +And thou that therin beaten art, the happiest life define, (25) Wherat I sighed, and sayd, farewell, my wonted ioy: Trusse vp thy pack, and trudge from me to euery litle boy: And tell them thus from me, their time most happy is: If, to their time, they reason had to know the trueth of this.

Bonum est mihi quod
humiliasti me. +

T He stormes are past these cloudes are ouerblowne, And humble chere great rigour hath represt: For the defaute is set a paine fore knowne, And pacience graft in a determed brest. (5) And in the hart wher heapes of griefes were growne, The swete reuenge hath planted mirth and rest, No company so pleasant as mine owne. Thraldom at large hath made this prison fre, Danger wel past remembred workes delight: