| |
| SHALL 1 clammy clay shrowd such a gallant gloze? | |
| Must beauty braue be shrined in dankish earth? | |
| Shall crawling wormes devoure such liuely showes of yong delights, | |
| When valyant corps shall yeeld the latter breath? | |
| Shall pleasures vade? must puffing pride decay? | 5 |
| Shall flesh consume? must thought resigne to clay? | |
| |
| Shall haughty hart haue hire to his desart? | |
| Must deep desire die drenchd in direfull dread? | |
| Shall deeds lewd dun in fine reap bitter smart? | |
| Must each one vade, when life shall leave us dead? | 10 |
| Shall lands remayne? must wealth be left behinde? | |
| Is sence depriv’d, when flesh in earth is shrinde? | |
| |
| Seeke then to shun the snares of vayne delight, | |
| Which moves the mind in youth from vertue’s lore: | |
| Leave of the vaunt of pride and manly might, | 15 |
| Sith all must yeeld when death the flesh shall gore; | |
| And way these wordes: as soone for to be sold | |
| To market cums the yonge sheepe as the olde. | |
| |
| No trust in time: our dayes uncertayne bee; | |
| Like as the flower bedect with splendant hue, | 20 |
| Whose gallant show soon dride with heat wee see | |
| Of scorching beames, though late it brauely grew: | |
| We all must yeeld; the best shall not denye; | |
| Unsure is death; yet certayn wee shall dye. | |
| |
| Although a while we vaunt in youthful yeares, | 25 |
| In yonge delightes wee seeme to live at rest; | |
| We subiect bee to griefe; eche horror feares | |
| The valiaunst harts, when death doth daunt the brest. | |
| Then use thy talent here unto thee lent, | |
| That thou mayst well account how it is spent. | 30 |
