Of Youth and Age.

FUll dearely haue I bought,
the yeres that youth hath spent,
The longer life the more vnrest,
and still the lesse content:
To see that I haue seen, and bee a child againe,
I would not wishe this worlde to winne,
to liue and passe sutche paine.
To skipp from age to youth, who had sutche scope and choice,
Perchaunce he would be yong to chuse, and in the same reioyce:
For children carelesse liue, and fears not Fortunes fall,
When men doe dread eche posse of winde, yea though the storme bee small,
But sure a wearie race, these children haue to ronne,
And many sorrowes shall thei taste, before their course be done.
As in my self the proofe, who can not count his care,
Nor learne the rest that after comes, how thei shall shon the snare:
The wilfull will not learne, thei saie that knowes the arte,
Till his own rod hath made hym smart, & youth hath plaied his part.
The tales of trauled men, are helde for fained lyes,
Untill the straungnesse of their toile, bee seen before our eyes:
Then te that liste to tread, the trace of youths desire,
And thei that feeles the flames to hott, I knowe will feare the fire.
I wishe them well to speede, that will sutche fancies cheape,
And God the grant when age doeth come, some better corne to reape
Then I whose youth consumes, with wearie wanton waies,
That hath but labour for my fruite, and dumpishe dolefull daies:
Loe these are all the ioyes, that from our birthe we haue,
The worlde to tosse the tyme to spende, the yearth to be our graue.