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Fear no more the frown o' the great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke ;
Care no more to clothe and eat;

To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;

Fear not slander, censure rash;

Thou hast finished joy and moan: All lovers young, all lovers must Consign to thee, and come to dust.

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C

XLII.

YOUTH AND AGE.

RABBED age

and youth cannot live together: Youth is full of pleasance, age is full of care; Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather;

Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare. Youth is full of sport, age's breath is short;

Youth is nimble, age is lame;

Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold;
Youth is wild, and age is tame.

Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee;
O! my love, my love is young.

Age, I do defy thee: O! sweet shepherd, hie thee,
For methinks thou stayest too long.

XLIII.

SIR HENRY WOTTON, 1568-1639.

THE CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE.

H

OW happy is he born and taught,

That serveth not another's will;

Whose armour is his honest thought,
And simple truth his utmost skill!

Whose passions not his masters are;
Whose soul is still prepared for death,
Untied unto the world by care

Of public fame, or private breath;

Who envies none that chance doth raise,
Nor vice; who never understood
How deepest wounds are given by praise;
Nor rules of state, but rules of good;

Who hath his life from rumours freed;
Whose conscience is his strong retreat;
Whose state can neither flatterers feed,
Nor ruin make oppressors great :

F

Who God doth late and early pray

More of his grace than gifts to lend ; And entertains the harmless day

With a religious book or friend.

This man is freed from servile bands Of hope to rise, or fear to fall; Lord of himself, though not of lands;

And having nothing, yet hath all.

XLIV.

A

SONG.

THOMAS DEKKER, 1570 ?-1638?

RT thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers:
O sweet content!

Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed?

O punishment.

Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vexed?
To add to golden numbers, golden numbers.

O sweet content, O sweet content.

Work apace, apace, apace, apace,
Honest labour bears a lovely face,

Then hey nonny, nonny: hey nonny, nonny.

Canst drink the waters of the crisped spring,
O sweet content!

Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own tears,
O punishment.

Then he that patiently want's burden bears,

No burden bears, but is a king, a king.

O sweet content, O sweet content.

Work apace, apace, apace, apace,

Honest labour bears a lovely face,

Then hey nonny, nonny: hey nonny, nonny.

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