Paradise sig. Fiir

[sig. Fiir]

41. Of sufferaunce commeth ease. +

T O seeme for to reuenge ech wrong in hastie wise,By proofe of guiltlesse men, it hath not bene the guise:In slaunders lothsome brute, where they condemned be, With ragelesse moode they suffer wrong, where truth shall trie them free. +(5) These are the pacient pangues, that passe within the brest, Of those, that feele their cause by myne, where wrong hath right opprest: I know how by suspect, I haue bene iudg’d awrie, And graunted giltie in the thing, that clearely I denie. My faith may me defend, if I might loued bee, (10) God iudge me so, as from the guilt, I know me to be free: I wrote but for my selfe, the grief was all myne owne, As, who would proue extremitie, by proofe it might be knowne. Yet are they such, that say they can, my meaning deeme, Without respect of this old troth, thinges proue not as they seeme. (15) Whereby it may befall, in iudgement to be quicke, To make them selues suspect therewith, that needed not to kicke. +Yet in resisting wrong, I would not haue it thought, I doe amisse, as though I knew, by whom it might be wrought: If any such there be, that herewithall be vext, (20) It were their vertue to beware, and deeme me better next.

FINIS. L. Vaux.

43. All thinges are vayne. +

A Lthough the purple morning, brags in brightnesse of the Sunne, As though he had of chased night, a glorious conquest wonne: The time by day, giues place agayne, to force of drousie night, And euery creature is constrayned, to chaunge his lustie plight. (5) Of pleasures all, that here we cast, We feele the contrarie at last. In Spring, thou pleasaunt Zephirus, hath fruitfull earth inspired, And neuer hath ech bush, ech braunche, with blossomes braue attired: Yet fruites and flowers, as buds and blomes full quickly withered be, (10) When stormie winter comes to kill, the sommers iolitie. By time are got, by time are lost, All thinges wherein we pleasure most.