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<CHANGE>
<DATE>2009-01-22</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Scott Lepisto</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist:
x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate
x Add DIV TYPEs, validate
x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP
x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N=""
x Proof title page(s)
x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE
x Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c. # @ -- UNCLEAR LB FIGURE
x Check q; startq endq Q
x Correct illegibles from proofsheet
x Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
Final validate

Corrected [  ] illegible groups out of [  ].
Converted [  ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible".
DONE</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06872">
<STC T="X">102</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99884976</BIBNO>
<VID>182779</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="1">
<HEAD>THOMAS LAW BELL-MAN.</HEAD>
<P>His Chri&s;tma&s;s Greeting to his Ma&s;ters of St. Giles Cripplegate, within the Freedom, pre&s;enteth his Love and humble Endeavours, as followeth.</P>
<LG N="1">
<HEAD>I.</HEAD>
<L><HI>For the</HI> King <HI>and</HI> Queen.</L>
<L>NN other P&s;alme this Morne I intend to &s;ing,</L>
<L>But Lord thy prayers for our Sacred King,</L>
<L>And Sacred Con&s;ort, his de&s;erving Queen,</L>
<L>In which ble&s;t Union Lord, as thou wert &s;een,</L>
<L>From who&s;e con&s;ent in mercy it did proceed,</L>
<L>So let be &s;een thy mercy in their Seed,</L>
<L>That from the mo&s;t de&s;erving Loines of theirs,</L>
<L>The Kingdome may obtaine de&s;erving Heires.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="2">
<HEAD>II.</HEAD>
<L>Our Royal Navy Lord Protect and ble&s;s,</L>
<L>and Crown their ju&s;t endeavours w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">th &s;ucce&s;s.</L>
<L>To vindicate our Cau&s;e that ju&s;tly goes</L>
<L>Again&s;t our unju&s;t and incroaching Foes:</L>
<L>Who&s;e thundering Cannons from the <HI>Goodings-Sands,</HI></L>
<L>Rings peals of terror to their Neighbouring Lands,</L>
<L>Who if they might, would u&s;e him as they plea&s;e,</L>
<L>Whom the Lord hath deputed o're the narrow Seas.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="3">
<HEAD>III.</HEAD>
<L>All you that on your bedds in &s;afety lie,</L>
<L>Call to your mind that all th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ngs borne mu&s;t dye:</L>
<L>And not the healthy'&s;t of you all can &s;ay,</L>
<L>That he &s;hall live a year, a moneth, a day:</L>
<L>And who knows but his gla&s;s &s;o near is run,</L>
<L>That he may dye before this morning Sun.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="4">
<HEAD>IV.</HEAD>
<L>Fly man the vanity of being proud,</L>
<L>And think how near thou may'&s;t be to thy &s;hrowd:</L>
<L>Con&s;ider the condition of us right,</L>
<L>And frailty of our &s;tate by day and night:</L>
<L>Sleeping, we death re&s;emble, and by day</L>
<L>We are at be&s;t but walking lumps of clay.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="5">
<HEAD>V.</HEAD>
<L>The Hou&s;e-keeper would watch, if he but knew,</L>
<L>What houre of the night the Thiefe would venter:</L>
<L>And doubtle&s;s &s;o would ever one of you,</L>
<L>knew you the certaine hour when death would enter:</L>
<L>Strengthen our Souls Lord, by thy gratious power,</L>
<L>That we may &s;till keep watchful for that hour.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="6">
<HEAD>VI.</HEAD>
<L>All you that on your feeble Beds do lye,</L>
<L>Lift up your hearts and hands to God on high;</L>
<L>And &s;o reflect upon the day of Doome,</L>
<L>What time our Saviour through the Clowds will come</L>
<L>With Troops of Angels, and with Trumpets call</L>
<L>To give us &s;ummons, and to judge us all.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="7">
<HEAD>VII.</HEAD>
<L>After your &s;weet repo&s;e of nightly re&s;t,</L>
<L>Collect, and think on God who hath you ble&s;t:</L>
<L>And ere you do prepare your &s;elves to ri&s;e,</L>
<L>Offer to him your Morning Sacrifice</L>
<L>Of faithful Prayers, that God may &s;till per&s;ever</L>
<L>His mercys towards you, and for&s;ake you never.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="8">
<HEAD>VIII.</HEAD>
<L>VVhat a good Con&s;cience &s;till would man retaine,</L>
<L>Could he avoid all plea&s;ures that are vaine.</L>
<L>If he could ca&s;t away all worldly care,</L>
<L>And only think on things that Heav'nly are:</L>
<L>And wholly tru&s;t in God? what joy of mind</L>
<L><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters">ould he po&s;&s;e&s;s? what comfort would he find?</L>
</LG>
<LG N="9">
<HEAD>IX.</HEAD>
<L>COn&s;ider man with dilligence and care,</L>
<L>VVhat harmes thou may'&s;t avoyd if thou beware:</L>
<L>VVhat comforts at Deaths pinch may thee befriend,</L>
<L>If alwayes thou be thinking on thy end:</L>
<L>And ever &s;o endeavouring to live here,</L>
<L>Thou may'&s;t at Death, rather rejoyce then fear.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="10">
<HEAD>X.</HEAD>
<L>Death (Ma&s;ters) doth not u&s;e to knock nor call,</L>
<L>But like a Thiefe, he &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">aleth <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">n us all:</L>
<L>And mercile&s;s (as h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> is) he puts us <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ill</L>
<L>In hope of living, when he means to kill:</L>
<L>Unhappy is that man that doth depend</L>
<L>On Deaths Reprevement, and n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">glects his End.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="11">
<HEAD>XI.</HEAD>
<L>Squalled, and Meagre is the face of Death,</L>
<L>And known by the &s;hortne&s;s of h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s breath:</L>
<L>He &s;peaks to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> word, but kill,</L>
<L>Yet has this Death <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> power one Soul to &s;pill.</L>
<L>Grace makes the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span">, Joyes a&s;pire,</L>
<L>Or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> comm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters"> it to e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters">al <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters">re.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="12">
<HEAD>XII.</HEAD>
<L>Doubtful and &s;wift is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> in her cour&s;e,</L>
<L>And Death takes all, for better and for wor&s;e:</L>
<L>The rich and poor (to him) a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e all alike,</L>
<L>The weak and &s;trong, the healthy and the &s;ick:</L>
<L>For the great Bridegroome then prepare thy heart,</L>
<L>And ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">g with mourning thy a&s;piring part,</L>
<L>Thy Soul; which through a true repentance may</L>
<L>Prevent &s;ome blu&s;hes on that Marriage day.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="13">
<HEAD>XIII.</HEAD>
<L>VVe have no cau&s;e to wonder (gentle friends)</L>
<L>Neither at timely, nor untimely ends:</L>
<L>Death's common unto all both you and I,</L>
<L>And every living earthly thing mu&s;t dye:</L>
<L>Swift time doth carry all things to de&s;truction,</L>
<L>All natures frame is guilty of Corruption:</L>
<L>God grant we endeavour here, whil'&s;t we have breath,</L>
<L>Not to be guilty of the &s;econd death.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="14">
<HEAD>XIV.</HEAD>
<L>This world's a VVilderne&s;s, all &s;et with &s;nares,</L>
<L>A Laberinth full of confu&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> cares:</L>
<L>A Sea fill'd up with hos incen&s;ing Lu&s;ts,</L>
<L>Subject to all temptations, helli&s;h gu&s;ts:</L>
<L>Still rai&s;ing billowes in our fle&s;h and blood,</L>
<L>More dangerous and threatning then the Flood:</L>
<L>This gulfe hath founder'd many a barke of clay,</L>
<L>And many an Owner of them ca&s;t away.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="15">
<HEAD>XV.</HEAD>
<L>Note that the gentle Crafts-man makes his end,</L>
<L>He doth his threads to &s;everal lengths extend:</L>
<L>So are we drawn from the Clue of life,</L>
<L>To the Fates heedle&s;s and uneven knife:</L>
<L>Let us be careful then, that we do &s;pin</L>
<L>Our threads of life, without the knots of &s;in:</L>
<L>And God will &s;ure in Deaths uncertaine doles,</L>
<L>Grant us good ends, to benefit our Soules.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="16">
<HEAD>XVI.</HEAD>
<L>Remember man the weakne&s;s of thy frame,</L>
<L>And humble thee to God who knows the &s;ame:</L>
<L>And unto him for grace and mercy call,</L>
<L>That thou may'&s;t hope to ri&s;e, but fear to fall.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="17">
<HEAD>XVII.</HEAD>
<L>MAns life is like a bubble in a brook,</L>
<L>That's broken in the twinckling of a look?</L>
<L>Or Globe upon a point perami<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">al,</L>
<L>That &s;till on every &s;ide is like to fall:</L>
<L>Lay hould upon Repentance man; renew</L>
<L>Thy peace with God, and for his mercy &s;ue:</L>
<L>That in Deaths ca&s;e, and di&s;mal times of danger,</L>
<L>Thou may'&s;t not pa&s;s from hence to him a &s;tranger.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="18">
<HEAD>XVIII.</HEAD>
<L>Behould the gra&s;s &s;o beautiful to &s;ight,</L>
<L>Green in the morning, and cut down e're night:</L>
<L>So &s;uddenly man falleth to decay,</L>
<L>And withers in his fle&s;h as gra&s;s to hay:</L>
<L>Then le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> all Chri&s;tians, early and late,</L>
<L>Be truly mindful of our mortal &s;tate:</L>
<L>In gracefulne&s;s may we daily thrive,</L>
<L>And glory our mortality &s;urvive.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="19">
<HEAD>XIX.</HEAD>
<L>Like to the withered leafe before the winde,</L>
<L>Vaine man on earth no re&s;ting place can find;</L>
<L>For where&s;oere <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span">nes his eare or eye,</L>
<L>He is encounter'd &s;till with vanity:</L>
<L>How then mu&s;t man order his re&s;olution,</L>
<L>To obtaine re&s;t? by natures di&s;&s;olution?</L>
<L>Beware man! if thou unrepented fall,</L>
<L>Thy birth was better then thy burial.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="20">
<HEAD>XX.</HEAD>
<L>Uncertaine is the di&s;tance that we have,</L>
<L>Between the Womb that bare us and the grave:</L>
<L>Some as the Gourd of <HI>Ionas</HI> by the worme,</L>
<L>Are by Death &s;trangl'd, &s;oon as they are borne:</L>
<L>Others perhaps, bring &s;eaventy years about,</L>
<L>Or live &s;ome longer date of Nature out:</L>
<L>But which of all, come &s;afe&s;t unto reft?</L>
<L>Not they who live the longe&s;t, but the be&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="21">
<HEAD>XXI.</HEAD>
<L>Although long life, be a reward indeed,</L>
<L>By promi&s;e due to all obedient &s;eed:</L>
<L>Yet 'tis not th'age of old <HI>Mathu&s;alem,</HI></L>
<L>Can bring us &s;afe&s;t to <HI>Ieru&s;alem:</HI></L>
<L>To which mo&s;t happy, they that mind their cour&s;e;</L>
<L>But heedle&s;s Souls that do, through Babels force,</L>
<L>Put their Conver&s;ions off from day to day,</L>
<L>The longer liv'd, the more they loo&s;e their way.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="22">
<HEAD>XXII.</HEAD>
<L>What Pe&s;tilence could not invite us to,</L>
<L>Nor cruel War compel our hearts to doe:</L>
<L><HI>Londons</HI> &s;ad chance, may make us under&s;tand,</L>
<L>And tremble at the Rigor of <HI>Gods</HI> hand,</L>
<L>VVho with his flameing &s;word, hath now at la&s;t</L>
<L>Mow'd down her &s;treets, and lay'd her all to wa&s;t:</L>
<L>Sad ca&s;e: but far more &s;ad to tempt <HI>Gods</HI> ire,</L>
<L>Or mind him not, till he appears in fire.</L>
</LG>
<LG N="23">
<HEAD>XXIII.</HEAD>
<L>No &s;ooner hath Saint <HI>ANDREW</HI> crown'd <HI>November</HI></L>
<L>But <HI>Boreas</HI> from the North, brings cold <HI>December:</HI></L>
<L>And I have often heard a many &s;ay,</L>
<L>He brings the VVinter Moneth <HI>New Ca&s;tle</HI> way:</L>
<L>For comfort here of poor di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Soules,</L>
<L>VVould he had with him brought a Fleet of Coles.</L>
</LG>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year, 1666.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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