Bel-vedére, or, The Garden of the muses

Of Age.

Age is the gift of Heauen, expence of yeares: Exchaunge of haps, and graue experience schoole.

AGe is a Cinicke, not a flatterer. Age, or infirmitie, soone blasteth beautie. Age i•• alike in Kings and other men.

Gray haires in youth, kindles no greene desires. The power of Kings may well with-stand proud foe••▪ But cannot keepe backe age, with time that growes. In womens honour, age is worst disease. Let s••ringing youth r••iourne old ages woes. For age to die, is right; for youth, it's wrong. Blame we not youth, if wantonly he wooes, Since doting old, and booke-wise cannot choose. Follie in you••h, is sinne; in age, it's madnesse. Age, though conceal'd, doth warme with thoughts desire▪ Cold age dotes most, when heat of youth is gone. Age still is prone to credit what it likes. Mens chiefest aime, is but to nource vp life, With honour, wealth, and ease in waining age. Respect and Reason, wait on wrinkled age. Youthfull delights, lode crooked age with griefe. Age is as credulous as suspitious. What can auaile vnpleasurable age, That feeds on lust, or base vnable rage? Age is a glorious crowne, adorn'd with grace. Death is the due to nature, ages almes. Gray haires are fruits for death, not flowers for life. Trees may haue roots, although they beare no leaues. Loue (as a vertue) is in age allowed, Except vnequall choise doe disallow. Age well may ioyne with youth in law, not loue. When old Bees dye, the young possesse the hiue. Age is chill cold, and full of doubts and feares. Pleasant conceits are blossoms for young yeares, But melancholly thoughts, fruits of gray haires. Age with fore-sight, a many harmes preuents. Age takes aduise, ere he presume too farre. Age is ordaind to counsell, youth to fight. Age lends fore-sight, young courage must enact▪

Age is allowed to gaze at beautie•• tree, But youth must cl••mbe and gather vp the fruit. Old age, helpes by good counsell and fore-sight. Old age can neuer pay youthes debt set downe. Discretion waxeth young, when age drawes neere. Care keepes his watch in euery old mans eye, And where ••are lodgeth, sleepe can neuer lie. Age breedeth no d••••••ct in innocence. Innocence is an excellence in age. Old age being come, life cannot long endure. Each age of man hath end, but old age none. Age can report, and youth doth ••aily prooue, There is no comfort like the sweets of lo••e. Sicknesse and age are ou•• conducts to death. It helpes not age to wi••h him young againe. It's grieuous to be old with feares, not yeares. It's time to flye from brawles of iudgement seat And publique noise, when age once ge•••• the start. Gray haires are wisdomes badge, and ages pride. The benefit of age, is libertie. Respect old age, it commeth not alone. Old men, are young mens meetest presidents. Aduised age right warily doth keepe, VVhat headstrong youth would loose, and loosing weepe. Youth runneth well, when age the b••idle holds. Old age hath all things, and yet all things wants. Our parents age, worse t••an our gran••▪s••••es be, VVe worst b••g••t, our children worse than we. White haires, are grauities embassadours. Aged and wise, deserues great reuerence.

Similies on the same subiect.

AS Cedars in their age the straighter g••owes, So men in age should haue the grauer showes.

As bo••ds being seald, are past recalling backe, So age once com••, by no meanes can be shund. As flo••d-gates helpe not, when the towne is drown'd, So c••••••••••g helpes not, when gray haires are seene. As co••ne consum'd, e••pence is ••ued too late, So snow-white heads in vaine wish youth againe. As physicke ••oots not for a bodie dead, So counsell helpes not ages way ward head. As fairest Sunnie dayes must haue their nights, So goodliest youth old age at length affrights.

Examples likewise on the same.

C••••••••••achu•• of Carthage, in good yeares Went to be scholler to Carn••ades. M••••cus Aur••••us told to ••••cius, He went to lear••e what ••et he did not know. Teren••i•••• Var••o. and M••rcus Po••tiu•• Cato, Went to lear••e Greeke when they were verie old. Alpho••sus, king of Arragon, at fiftie yeares, Translated ••••••ie into the Spanish tongue. When men sa••••h ••••llie looke on their white haires, They must doe nothing •••••• becomes those yeares. Old men, whose soul••s ar•• s••d with heauenly light, Grieue not their age, but ioy it, so saith Sophocles.