Bel-vedére, or, The Garden of the muses

Of Pleasure, &c.

Pleasure and sweet Delights, doe much beguile: Expecting ioy, griefe happens oft meane-while.

PLeasures are poore, and our delights soone dye. Where pleasure is displac'd, care keepes his ••arte. Where care killes pleasure, life not long endures. Who tries, shall find, that pleasures long restrain'd. Be farre more pleasant when they once are gain'd. Where strife is stirr'd, there pleasure hath no part. Worlds pleasure lasts not long, but griefe abides. Farewell delight, when graueld is all grace. Neuer haue vniust pleasures been compleat In ioyes entire, but feare still keepes the doore. The sweetest pleasure hath the shortest date. Long wished things, a sweet delight doe beare. Pleasure and penaunce still are mortall foes. Enforced solace, like a vapour flyes, And hath no power repining hearts to mooue. Solace and sorrow haue their certaine times. While pleasure withers, paine more ripe doth grow. When pleasures ••bbe, then griefes begin to flow.

To vaine delights, a man may easily goe: But safely to returne, may much be fear'd. Best musicke breeds delight in loathing cares. The strong, through pleasure falls; ••he weak, by smart. Pleasures doe neuer feed, but ••n exc••sse. He that in pleasures vaine doth time bestow, Treads but the path to his ow••e ouerthr••w. In things without vs, no delight is sure. Pleasure is felt, opinion but conceiu'd. Pleasure is short, and glory lasts not long. The sweets we wish for, tu••ne to ••••at••ed son e••s▪ Euen in the moment, that we call them ours. That pleaseth most, is ••arthest from the eye. Low is the stalke, whereon best pleasures grow▪ Pleasure asleepe, then so••••ow will awake. Maids are not wonne by brutish force or might, But speeches full of pleasure and delight. Pleasure maintain'd by care, is quickly lost. After long sicknesse, health brings most delight. Vncertaine pleasures, bring a certaine paine. Ma••des doe take more delight, when they prepare And thinke of wiues state, than when wiues they are. Shortest delights, doe bring a long repent. Pleasures them-selues, are but imaginations. Things soone obtain'd, doe least of all delight. This wo••ld is but the pleasure of an houre, And yet the sorrow of a thousand da••es. Oft pleasures past, doe way to woe prepare. In worldly mi••th, lurketh much miserie. All sweet delights, are drown'd in dulled minds. Pleasures (li••e posting guests) make but small stay, Where griefes ••ide long, and leaue a score to pay. It's true delight, to know the cause of griefe. Mi••th ••oundeth harsh to melancholly men.

Mirth makes the longest iournies to seeme short. What more apparant signe can be of madnesse, Than haue anothers pleasure cause thy sadnesse? Who buyes a minutes mirth, may waile a weeke. Mirth searcheth out the bottome of annoy. Vnlawfull pleasures, haste destruction. Potions (if pleasant) though insectious, Are sooner ta••ne, than holesome pill•• for health. Sorrow, fore-going pleasure, graceth it. Gladnesse with griefe, continually is mixt. Banke-rupts in pleasure, can but pay with woe. We are right docible to imitate Depraued pleasures, though degenerate. Short pleasures many times haue large repents. Pleasures are still inductions to our griefes. Oft hath a tragicke entrance, pleasant end.

Similies on the same subiect.

AS no estate can stable stand for aye, So euery pleasure hath his ending day. As small brookes swell and are enrag'd with raine, So sight of pleasure trebleth euery paine. As weeds expeld, the corne doth better thriue, So care being kild, pleasure bides long aliue. As greatest griefes doe make the least not seene, So huge delights cause meane ones vanish cleane. As greatest light, is in the largest skie, So that delights, is furthest from the eye. As sad minds brooke no merrie companie, So sorrow is to pleasure enemie.

Examples likewise on the same.

SArdanapalus was so giuen to pleasure, That of a man, he made him-selfe a beast.

Xerxes bestowed gifts on none but such, As daily could inuent new kinds of pleasures. In King Latinus Court, the ••royans In choise of all delights did spend their time. Demetrius being to all vaine pleasures giuen, Was by the Macedonians quite expulst. Cineas told Fabritius, that vaine pleasure, Did like a moath consume the life of man. Demosthenes in his Orations, Alwayes forbad voluptuous vaine delights.