Time & Brevity

Song: What Just Excuse Had Aged Time

by Ben Jonson 1572-1637

From Love Freed from Ignorance and Folly

Time & Brevity

What just excuse had aged Time,
His weary limbs now to have eased,
And sate him down without his crime,
While every thought was so much pleased!
But he so greedy to devour
His own, and all that he brings forth,
Is eating every piece of hour
Some object of the rarest worth.
Yet this is rescued from his rage,
As not to die by time, or age:
For beauty hath a living name,
And will to heaven, from whence it came.

✦ ✦ ✦

Headed Song in the masque.

MLA

Jonson, Ben. “Song: What Just Excuse Had Aged Time.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/jonson/288/.

Chicago

Jonson, Ben. “Song: What Just Excuse Had Aged Time.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/jonson/288/.

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