Tottel sig. Diiiir

[sig. Diiiir]

M Artial , the thinges that do attain The happy life, be these, I finde. The richesse left, not got with pain: The frutefull ground: the quiet minde: (5) The egall frend, no grudge, no strife: No charge of rule, nor gouernance: Without disease the healthful life: The houshold of continuance: +The meane diet, no delicate fare: (10) Trew wisdom ioyned with simplenesse: The night discharged of all care, where wine the wit may not oppresse: The faithfull wife, without debate: Such slepes, as may begile the night: (15) Contented with thine own estate, Ne wish for death, ne feare his might.

Praise of meane and
constant estate. +

O F thy life, Thomas, this compasse wel mark: +Not aye with ful sailes the hye seas to beat: Ne by coward dred, in shonning stormes dark, On shalow shores thy keel in peril freat. (5) Who so gladly halseth the golden meane, Uoide of daungers aduisdly hath his home Not with lothsome
muck, as a den vnclean:
Nor palacelike, wherat disdain may glome. The lofty pyne the great winde often riues: (10) With violenter swey falne turrets stepe: Lightnings assault the hie mountains, & cliues, A hart wel stayd, in ouerthwartes depe. Hopeth amendes: in swete, doth feare the sowre. God, that sendeth, withdraweth winter sharp. (15) Now il, not aye thus: once Phebus to lowre With bowe vnbent shal cesse, and frame to harpHis voice. + In straite estate appere thou stout: And so wisely, when lucky gale of winde All thy puft sailes shal fill, loke well about: (20) Take in a ryft: hast is wast, profe doth finde.