La Dance Machabre or Death's Duell
The mind of the Front.
THe Globe terrestriall Natures randevouze
Heavens all life giving power did first infuse
By secondary causes since preserv'd,
And multipli'd, by doubtfull fate prefer'd.
Time ripens, and time reapes, then sowes againe
The plentie of her store-house to maintaine,
Which Death devoures, whom justly we install
Lord Paramount and supreme head of all
Thats sublunarie, serving but as fuell
T'incense the rage of his victorious Duell.
Crown'd with a Lawrell (which t' avoid we labour)
Marcheth in triumph; Call'd,
Death [...] [Ga]lliard
La dance Machabre.[Page]
LA DANCE
MACHABRE
or
Deaths Duell
by
W. C.
LONDON
Printed by William
Stansby
PUBLISHED BY William Stansby
1632
1.
[Page 15]
57
You the unworthy burthens of the earth
Pine and consume away, yet are not old
Making of Christian Charity a dearth,
Laugh only when you some sad sight behold;
The wormes shall sucke the rancor from your harts,
With which you poyson your malitious darts.
2.
[Page 35]
135
But cryes rise early, goe to bed betimes,
Feed hard, and hardly, labour for disgestion,
And hath no leasure to be bad, all crimes
Includes in warre, dearth, famine and oppression,
Thinketh who scapes them, and observes the rest,
May write a hundred ere he die at least.
136
But what availes such dull securitie
Wherein he lives, or rather dreames away
Irrevocable time, when as wee see
Him dead and buried ere his grasse be hay,
Before the graine which his owne hands had sowne
Be fully ripe, and is by others mowne.