Edits., mindes.

I aske not that we meane to need his trust; Gaine hath great soveraigntie ore servile mindes.

Great soule oth' world, that through the parts defus'd Of this vast All, guid'st what thou dost informe; You blessed mindes that from the [S]pheares you move, Looke on mens actions not with idle eyes, And Gods we goe to, aid me in this strife And combat of my flesh that, ending, I May still shew Seneca and my selfe die.

Phylander and Orestes, what conceyt Troubles your silent mindes?

But, Forrester, beleeve it as thy creede, My mistresse mindes my person not my weede.

They in the mindes of men now tyrannize, 191 And the faire scene with rudenes foule disguize.

330 The noble hearts to pleasures they allure, And tell their Prince that learning is but vaine; Faire ladies loves they spot with thoughts impure, And gentle mindes with lewd delights distaine; Clerks* they to loathly idlenes entice, 335 And fill their bookes with discipline of vice.

What wrath of gods, or wicked influence Of starres conspiring wretched men t'afflict, Hath powrd on earth this noyous pestilence, That mortall mindes doth inwardly infect With love of blindnesse and of ignorance, 485 To dwell in darkenesse without sovenance?

In this wide world in which they wretches stray, It is the onelie comfort which they have, It is their light, their loadstarre, and their day; 495 But hell, and darkenesse, and the grislie grave, Is Ignorance, the enemie of Grace, That mindes of men borne heavenlie doth debace.

No such sad cares, as wont to macerate And rend the greedie mindes of covetous men, 95 Do ever creepe into the shepheards den.

This yron world" (that same he weeping sayes) "Brings downe the stowtest hearts to lowest state: 255 For miserie doth bravest mindes abate, And make them seeke for that they wont to scorne, Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne.

I. One day, whiles that my daylie cares did sleepe, My spirit, shaking off her earthly prison, Began to enter into meditation deepe Of things exceeding reach of common reason; Such as this age, in which all good is geason*, And all that humble is and meane** debaced, Hath brought forth in her last declining season, Griefe of good mindes, to see goodnesse disgraced!

Thrugh your bright beams doth not the blinded guest Shoot out his darts to base affections wound; But angels come, to lead fraile mindes to rest In chast desires, on heavenly beauty bound.

A moth it is to trouble the mindes eye: In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Iulius fell The graues stood tennatlesse, and the sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the Roman streets As starres with traines of fier, and dewes of blood Disasters in the sunne; and the moist starre, Vpon whose influence Neptunes Empier stands Was sicke almost to doomesday with eclipse.

But let this same be presently perform'd, Euen whiles mens mindes are wilde, [Sidenote: while] Lest more mischance On plots, and errors happen.

you are yourself, Sir, And master of more mindes that love and honour ye.

But is not the mindes-sicknes of power to make the body sicke?

But these are common, knowledge is the bond, The seale, and crowne of our united mindes;

And sinne itt weare such parity in all thinges, Age, mindes, wrecks, bondadge, pursiutes, injuryes Shoold nowe bee separate; the one be freede The t'other left in durance, for the want And pious tender of so smalle a somme.

An humble and a true devoted heart I tender to you in a mindes chast kisse.

But it sorts well for us; Hindes will be Hindes, And the Ambitious tread upon such mindes.

Doth any man doubt, that if there were taken out of men's mindes Vaine Opinions, Blattering Hopes, False Valuations, Imaginations as one would, and the like, but it would leave the Mindes of a Number of Men poore shrunken Things, full of Melancholy and Indisposition and unpleasing to themselves?'FRANCIS BACON.

Doth any man doubt, that if there were taken out of men's mindes Vaine Opinions, Blattering Hopes, False Valuations, Imaginations as one would, and the like, but it would leave the Mindes of a Number of Men poore shrunken Things, full of Melancholy and Indisposition and unpleasing to themselves?'FRANCIS BACON.

Which being concluded among them, they durst not make knowen to any man, neither did they credite vs so much, as to shew vs their mindes therein, although they tolde vs all whatsoeuer they knew.

When thus till night they daunced have, they through the fire amaine With striving mindes doe runne, and all their hearbes they cast therin, And then with wordes devout and prayers, they solemnely begin, Desiring God that all their illes may there consumed bee, Whereby they thinke through all that yeare from Agues to be free.