The Louer exhorteth his Ladie to take time, while time is

THough braue your Beautie be
and feature passing faire,
Such as Apelles to depaint
might vtterly dispaire:
Yet drowsie drouping Age.
incroching on apace,
With pensiue Plough will raze your hue
and Beauties beames deface.
Wherefore in tender yeares
how crooked Age doth haste
Reuoke to minde, so shall you not
your minde consume in waste.
Whilst that you may, and youth
in you is fresh and gréene,
Delight your selfe: for yeares to fit
as fickle flouds are séene.
For water slipped by
may not be callde againe:
And to reuoke forepassed howres
were labour lost in vaine.
Take time whilst time applies
with nimble foote it goes:
Nor to compare with passed Prime
thy after age suppoes.
The holtes that now are hoare,
both bud and bloume I sawe:
I ware a Garlande of the Bryer
that puts me now in awe.
The time will be when thou
that doste thy Friends defie,
A colde and crooked Beldam shalt
in lothsome Cabbin lie:
Nor with such nightlie brawles
thy posterne Gate shall sounde,
Nor Roses strawde afront thy dore
in dawning shall be founde.
How soone are Corpses (Lorde)
with filthie furrowes fild?
How quickly Beautie, braue of late,
and séemely shape is spild?
Euen thou that from thy youth
to haue bene so, wilt sweare:
With turne of hand in all thy head
shalt haue graye powdred heare.
The Snakes with shifted skinnes
their lothsome age dooway:
The Buck doth hang is head on pale
to liue a longer day.
Your good without recure
doth passe, receiue the flowre:
Which if you pluck not from the stalke
will fall within this howre.