1Alas poor wretch & most caitiff creature, which art never more reasonless then when thine own blind reason carieth thee, and when thine own too too unruly will doeth drive thee. What way wilt thou choose in this maze of manifold paths, wherein thou wert borne, and through which thou hast wandered vagabondlike till now? Thy first path of infancy, what better name can I give it then brutish simplicity, which fools call Innocency, a way full of foul uncleanness, and an heap of miseries, among which this is one of the greatest, ⟨image 7⟩that the infant can neither foresee miseries coming, nor throughly conceive them being present. From this path whither enteredst thou oh unhappy? Alas, into that wild desert of youth, a desert I say, well tracked and throughly beaten every way, in which nevertheless there was neither right way nor path, and yet notably haunted with most mischievous witches. There found I vanity that old sorceress, & she would needs be my guide, offering me at our first acquaintance a thousand contentations in appearance, but more vain than wind in effect. There did those two wild beasts, Overweening & Ambition, make themselves so tame & familiar with me, as I was by & by at their beck, so far forth as to follow them into a sea that had neither bottom nor ⟨image 7⟩shore, where they did their best to make me dwell still remediless, & all (quoth they) to bring me to the true felicity: in stead whereof I was betrayed into the hands of pleasure, that nice & decked strumpet, and withal the most stinking and dangerous that ever was in the world, enticing and entertaining infinite ways all them which do but look at her, and which more is, she bewitcheth them in such sort with her cup, that suddenly their conscience becometh lulled a sleep, all judgement lost, yea very sense it self astonished, and then love we our woe, & loathe our weal, what is most foul, seems most fair, what is most hurtful, seems most profitable, and that which is most sour, seems most sweet, yea oftentimes it bringeth to foul death ⟨image 8⟩and shame, and a thousand woes & weal away: and this is all the felicity to be hoped for. Oh most happy man which balkest this strait, and singlest thy self far from such & so unhappy fellowship.
1ALas poore wretch & most caytife creature, which art neuer more reasonles then when thine own blinde reason carieth thee, and when thine owne too too vnruly will doeth driue thee. What way wilt thou chuse in this maze of manifolde pathes, wherein thou wert borne, and through which thou hast wandered vagabondlike till nowe? Thy first path of infancie, what better name can I giue it then brutish simplicitie, which fooles call Innocencie, a way full of foule vncleannes, and an heape of miseryes, amōg which this is one of the greatest, ⟨image 7⟩that the infant can neither foresee miseries comming, nor throughly conceiue them beeing present. From this path whither entredst thou oh vnhappy? Ahlas, into that wilde desert of youth, a desert I say, well tracked and throughly beaten euery way, in which neuerthelesse there was neyther right waye nor path, and yet notably haunted with most mischieuous witches. There found I vanity that old sorceresse, & she would needes be my guide, offering me at our first acquaintance a thousand cōtentations in apparāce, but more vayne thē winde in effect. There did those two wilde beasts, Ouerweening & Ambition, make themselues so tame & familiar with me, as I was by & by at their becke, so farre forth as to followe them into a sea that had neither bottom nor ⟨image 7⟩shoare, where they did their best to make me dwell still remedilesse, & all (quoth they) to bring me to the true felicitie: in steade whereof I was betrayed into the haudes of pleasure, that nice & decked strumpet, and withall the most stinking and daungerous that euer was in the world, inticing and interteining infinite wayes all them which doe but looke at her, and which more is, she bewitcheth thē in such sort with her cuppe, that sodainely their conscience becommeth lulled a sleepe, all iudgement lost, yea very sense it selfe astonished, and then loue wee our woe, & loathe our weale, what is most foule, seemes most fayre, what is most hurtfull, seemes most profitable, and that which is most sowre, seemes most sweete, yea oftentimes it bringeth to foule death ⟨image 8⟩and shame, and a thousand woes & weale away: and this is all the felicitie to be hoped for. Oh most happy man which balkest this streight, and singlest thy self farre from such & so vnhappy feloweship.
- 11 Blessed is the man yt doeth not walk in the counsel of the wicked,1 Blessed is the man yt doeth not walke in ye counsayle of the wicked,
