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<DATE>2009-05-03</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B081117.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B01064">
<STC T="S">5416</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99891969</BIBNO>
<VID>182946</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="44" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 3 -->
<HEAD>A compari&s;on of the life of Man,</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<L>Concerning how fickle his e&s;tate doth &s;tand,</L>
<L>Flouri&s;hing like a Tree, or Vine, or dainty flower,</L>
<L>Or like a &s;hip, or raine, that's turn'd each houre,</L>
</ARGUMENT>
<OPENER>To the tune of <HI>Sir Andrew Barton.</HI></OPENER>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="part">
<P><FIGURE>
<P>VENICE.</P>
<P>LONDON.</P>
<P>BRISTOW.</P>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>AS I lay mu&s;ing all alone,</L>
<L>Great &s;tore of things I thought vpon,</L>
<L>And &s;pecially of mans e&s;tate,</L>
<L>And how h&eacute;e's &s;ubject vnto fate.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Fir&s;t Ile compare him to a tree,</L>
<L>Which you &s;ometimes all greene may &s;&eacute;e,</L>
<L>But &s;uddenly his leafes doe fall</L>
<L>That he was beautify'd withall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The Tr&eacute;e likewi&s;e is knowne by's fruit</L>
<L>Better then by his fine gr&eacute;ene &s;ute,</L>
<L>He may &s;how comely to the eye,</L>
<L>Yet his fruit may ta&s;t bitterly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So men &s;ometimes make a faire &s;howe,</L>
<L>All fre&s;h and gr&eacute;ene they &s;&eacute;eme to growe,</L>
<L>But when the winter of griefe and thrall</L>
<L>Doth on them &s;eize, their gr&eacute;ene leaues fall.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But for the difference of mens fruit,</L>
<L>I mu&s;t ind&eacute;ed be &s;omething mute,</L>
<L>But tho&s;e that grow like Cedars tall</L>
<L>Yield little fruit or none at all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Yet doe they flouri&s;h fre&s;h and gr&eacute;ene,</L>
<L>Much like the plea&s;ant &s;ommer Qu&eacute;ene&punc;</L>
<L>They are bedect with fragrant flowers,</L>
<L>And they doe dwell in &s;tately Towers.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But as the Tree is great and tall,</L>
<L>The great and mightier is his fall:</L>
<L>And as he falls, &s;o doth he lye,</L>
<L>Vntill the builder him apply.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>What though a man haue &s;tore of wealth,</L>
<L>It cannot him a&s;&s;ure of health,</L>
<L>By his fruits he mu&s;t &s;ure be try'd,</L>
<L>Either condemn'd or ju&s;tify'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Againe, a man is like a Vine,</L>
<L>That from the earth doth fluori&s;h fine,</L>
<L>Adorn'd with natures ornament,</L>
<L>With &s;tore of Grapes to giue content.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But with a knife, or &s;uch a thing,</L>
<L>The Vine is &s;oone &s;et a bl&eacute;eding,</L>
<L>And then tho&s;e Grapes will &s;oone decay,</L>
<L>And piningly will wa&s;t away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Euen &s;o &s;tands the life of man,</L>
<L>If that his blood from him be drawne,</L>
<L>Then &s;uddenly his life doth yield,</L>
<L>And vnto death he is compell'd.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Man flouri&s;heth euen like a flower,</L>
<L>Which liues and dyes within an hours,</L>
<L>He growes perhaps vntill his prime,</L>
<L>Or he may dye in's budding time.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He may chance liue till h&eacute;e is old,</L>
<L>And bide the brunt of Winters cold,</L>
<L>But then h&eacute;e'l lo&s;e the &s;mell and &s;hew,</L>
<L>And will no more be worth the view.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>So many men dye in their prime,</L>
<L>And &s;ome dye in their budding time:</L>
<L>But he that liues the longe&s;t life,</L>
<L>Shall find but &s;orrow, care, and &s;trife.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Mans life is like a &s;hip o'th Seas,</L>
<L>Which is &s;ometimes as Fortune plea&s;e,</L>
<L>Euen as proud <HI>Boreas</HI> bla&s;ts doe blow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When Winds are &s;till and weather's faire,</L>
<L>Then Mariners are free from care;</L>
<L>But when as &s;tormes make dark the skye,</L>
<L>Then mu&s;t each man his labour plye.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<PB N="45" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 3 -->
<HEAD>The &s;econd part</HEAD>
<OPENER>To the &s;ame tune.</OPENER>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>SO is't with man the &s;elfe &s;ame ca&s;e,</L>
<L>His life's a &s;hip that &s;eas doth trace,</L>
<L>And oft is like to goe to wracke</L>
<L>When winds and &s;torms doe tacklings crack.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>We men when &s;ickne&s;&s;e doth a&s;&s;aile</L>
<L>Our bodyes, and makes vs looke pale,</L>
<L>Then would we doe all things we may,</L>
<L>So that our health we might enjoy.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But when the Fates on vs doe &s;mile,</L>
<L>Like Saylers we forget our toyle.</L>
<L>We hang out colours for a &s;how,</L>
<L>But take them in when &s;tormes doe grow.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I may compare a man againe</L>
<L>Euen like vnto a turning raine,</L>
<L>That changeth euen as doth the wind,</L>
<L>Ind&eacute;ed &s;o is mans fickle mind.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The mind of man doth often change,</L>
<L>H&eacute;e's apt with euery gale to range,</L>
<L>He &s;tandeth tottering to and fro,</L>
<L>Euen as his fooli&s;h fancies goe.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Againe I may mans Life compare</L>
<L>Like to a bird that flyes i'th aire,</L>
<L>And &s;uddenly &s;he &s;&eacute;es a bayt,</L>
<L>Which is to take her with deceit.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The bird no &s;ooner is betrayd,</L>
<L>But comes me him that the bait layd,</L>
<L>And hauing taken her in his Net,</L>
<L>She dyes, and he for more doth bait.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Euen &s;o is man by running caught,</L>
<L>When as thereof he hath no thought,</L>
<L>He &s;oareth high and feares no fail,</L>
<L>Yet then h&eacute;e's in mo&s;t danger of all.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Make tryall of this any one,</L>
<L>And you &s;hall find that I haue &s;howne</L>
<L>A pro&s;pect where you may behold</L>
<L>The difference in this earthy mold.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This life is fickle, fraile, and vaine,</L>
<L>Seeke euerla&s;ting life to gaine.</L>
<L>All worldly trea&s;ures &s;oone decay,</L>
<L>And mortall man returnes to clay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Before thou dye&s;t bid pride adieu,</L>
<L>Which doth &s;o often &s;hape thee new,</L>
<L>Call out for mercy with loud voice,</L>
<L>And let her be thy onely choice.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If thou haue liu'd in gluttony,</L>
<L>Forgetting quite that thou &s;halt dye,</L>
<L>Then quickly charity imbrace,</L>
<L>That &s;he may plead well in thy ca&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If thou by couetou&s;ne&s;&s;e haue liu'd,</L>
<L>And ha&s;t thy neighbours poore deceiu'd,</L>
<L>Then &s;uddenly re&s;tor't againe,</L>
<L>For feare thou feele hells burning paine.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Perchance in wrath thou ha&s;t &s;hed blood,</L>
<L>Which wrath &s;hould alwayes be with&s;tood,</L>
<L>Yet arme thee with a patient heart,</L>
<L>And neuer more act &s;uch a part.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If thou ha&s;t enuy'd at thy brother,</L>
<L>Repent with &s;peed, that blacke &s;inne &s;mother,</L>
<L>And let true loue be thy delight,</L>
<L>Thou may&s;t depart with life this night.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If thou ha&s;t &s;lothfull beene, and lewd,</L>
<L>Neglecting Gods mo&s;t holy word,</L>
<L>Apply thy &s;elfe mo&s;t &s;peedily,</L>
<L>Redeeme thy time &s;pent idly.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If thou la&s;ciuious ha&s;t beene giuen;</L>
<L>D&oacute;e &s;o no more, but pray to heauen,</L>
<L>That hateful sinne God may forgiue,</L>
<L>Cha&s;ti&s;e thy &s;elfe, repent, and grieue.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus to conclude, let me intreat</L>
<L>All tho&s;e that heare what I relate,</L>
<L>That they &s;eeke heauens grace to find,</L>
<L>And alwayes heare an vpright mind.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>R.C.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed at London for <HI>Francis Coules</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
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