Englands Parnassus: or the choysest flowers of our moderne poets, with their poeticall comparisons Descriptions of bewties, personages, castles, pallaces, mountaines, groues, seas, springs, riuers, &c. Whereunto are annexed other various discourses, both pleasaunt and profitable.

World,

The antique world in his first flowring youth, Found no defect in his creators grace, But with glad thanks and vnreprooued truth, The gifts of soueraigne bountie did embrace, Like angelles life was then mans happie case:

But later ages pride like corne-fed steede, Abvsde her plentie and fatswoln increase, To all licencious lust, and gan exceede, The measure of her meane and naturall first seede. Ed. Spencer.

VVhen arked Noah, and seuen with him the emptie worlds remaine, Had left the instrumētall means of landing thē again And that both mā beast & all did multiply with store To Asia Sem, to Affrick Chā, to Europe Iapheth bore Their families, thus triple wise the world diuided was VV. VV.

I take this world to bee but as a stage, ƲƲhere net-maskt men do play their personages, Tis but a murmur and a pleasant shew, Syth ouer all strange vanities do flow. I. Syluester.

The world to the circumference of heauen, Is as a small poynt in Geometrie, ƲƲhose greatnesse is so little that a lesse Cannot bee made. Th. Dekkar

The first world blessed was with heauenly fauours, And the last curst with painefull hellish labours. Ch. Middl.

O vaine worlds glorie, and vncertaine state, Of all that liues on face of sinfull earth, VVhich from their first vntill their vtmost date, Taste no one howre of happinesse or mirth, But like as is the ingate of their birth. They crying creepe out of their mothers wombe, So wayling backe, goe to their carefull tombe. Ed. Spencer.

Ah wretched world, the den of wretchednesse, Deformd with filth and foule iniquitie, Ah wretched world, the house of heauinesse, Fild with the wreakes of mortall miserie, Oh wretched world and all that is therein, The vassals of Gods wrath, and slaues to sinne. Idem.

— O worlds inconstancie, That which is firme doth flit and fall away, And that is flitting doth abide and stay. Idem.

Must not the world wend in his common course, From good and bad, and then from bad to wourse, From worst vnto that which is worst of all, And then returne vnto his former fall▪ Who will not suffer the stormie time, Where will hee liue vntill the lustie prime? Idem.

This golden age to yron doth decline, As summer vnto winter must resigne. D. Lodge.

The first and riper world of men and skill, Yeelds to our latter time for three inuentions, Myraculously wee write, wee sayle, wee kill, As neither auncient scrowle nor storie mentions. Print. The first hath opened learnings old concealed And obscurde arts restored to the light: Loadst. The second hidden countries hath reueald, And sent Christs Gospel to each liuing wight. These we commend, but oh what needeth more, Guns. To teach death more skill then he had before. Th. Bastard.

Take moysture from the sea, take colour frō his kind, Before the world deuoyd of change thou finde. — All that in this world is great or gay, Doth as a vapour vanish and decay. Ed. Spencer.

This is the rest the vaine world lendes, To end in death, that all things ends. S. Daniell.

All men are willing with the world to hault, But no man takes delight to know his fault. D. Lodge.

A die, a drab, and filthie broking Knaues, Are the worlds wide mouthes, al-deuouring graues▪ I. Marston.

Nothing doth the world so full of mischiefe fill. But want of feeling one-anothers will. G. Chapman.

—Not by that which is the world now deemeth, (As it was woont) but by that same that seemeth. Ed. Spencer.

There neuer shall bee any age so cleere, But in her smoothe face shall some faults appeare. Th. Middl.

The world must end, for men are so accurst, Vnlesse God end it sooner, men will first. Th. Bastard.