%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A discourse of Mans life. / Comparing him to things that quickly passe, / As bubble, shuttle, blossome, streame, and grasse. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1601-1601 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/18/2011 30049

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

S118443 4 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Ayme not too high Fortune my Foe Aim Not Too High the same tune Fortune my Foe The Same Tune NOw to discourse of man I take in hand, / In what estate his fickle life doth stand, MAns life is like a thought, or like a dreame, / Or like the gliding of a running streame, Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 70 1: 71 A discourse of Mans life. / Comparing him to things that quickly passe, / As bubble, shuttle, blossome, streame, and grasse. A discourse of Mans life. Comparing him to things that quickly passe, As bubble, shuttle, blossome, streame, and grasse. A discourse of Man's life. Comparing him to things that quickly passe, As bubble, shuttle, blossom, stream, and grass. 1601-1601 H.G.

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic The New World travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/ crass humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 4/18/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America death religious concepts Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 4/18/2011 11:39:40 AM XBallad Meyer, Shannon Created XML Version of Ballad 4/18/2011 11:39:40 AM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 11:39:40 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Zusky, Catherine Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 11:39:40 AM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 4/18/2011 11:39:40 AM Transcriptionist One Fadel, Meghan Transcription of ballad manuscript 8/17/2010 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 7/3/2008 Bibliographer Giles Bergel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 4/13/2011 Transcriber Fadel, Meghan Created Ballad XML 4/13/2011 Transcriber Meyer, Shannon Created Ballad XML 4/13/2011 Double-Key Transcription Merger Zusky, Catherine Created Ballad XML 4/13/2011 Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Created Ballad XML 4/13/2011 XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created Ballad XML 10/29/2008 Checker Shannon Meyer Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/13/2011 Checker Bethany Wong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A discourse of Mans life.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Comparing him to things that quickly passe,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">As bubble, shuttle, blossome, streame, and grasse.</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of Ayme not too high.</hi></seg>
NOw to discourse of man I take in hand, In what estate his fickle life doth stand, Hee in this world is as a pilgrimage, And maketh hast to travaile to old age. Mans life compared is unto a Flower, That grows and withers all within one houre And like to grasse that groweth in the field. Or like true courage which is loath to yeeld. The flowers cut, and now can beare no shew, The grasse is withered which was green to view True courage wronged by ore many foes. And death doth make a man his life to lose. Mans life is like the damaske Rose you see, Or like the blossome that growes on the tree, Or like unto the dainty flowers in May, Or like the morning that begins the day. The Rose is withered & the blossome blasteth, The flowers fade, & fast the morning hasteth. Even such is man whose thred is quickly spun, Drawn out and cut, and suddenly is done. Mans life is like the Sun, or like the shade, Or like unto the gourd which Jonas had,
Or like an houre, or like unto a span, Or like unto the singing of a Swan The Sun doth set, and fast the shaddow flies, The gourd consumes and man he quickly dies The houre is short, for and the span not long, The swan neer death, mans life is quickly don Mans life is like the grasse thats newly sprung Or like unto a tale thats new begun, Or like the bird which wee doe see to day, Or like the pearlie dew that is in May. The grasse is witherd, and the tale is ended, The bird is flowne, and up the dew ascended, Even such is man, who liveth by his breath, Is here, now there, still subject unto death. Mans life is like the bubble in the Brook, Or like a glasse wherein a man doth look, Or like a shuttle in a Weavers hand, Or like the writing that is in the sand. The bubbles broke, and soone the lookes forgot The shuttles flung, for and the writings blot: Even such is man that liveth on the earth, Hees alwaies subject for to loose his breath.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part. To the same tune.</hi></seg>
MAns life is like a thought, or like a dreame, Or like the gliding of a running streame, Or like a race, or like unto a goale, Or like the dealing of a rich mans doale. The thought is past, for and the dreame is gone, The water glides, even so mans life is done. The race soon run, so is the goale soon won, The dole soon dealt, mans life is quickly done. Mans life is like an arrow from the bow, Or like sweet course of waters that doth flow, Or like the time betwixt the floud and ebbe, Or like unto the Spiders tender web. The arrowes shot, for and the floud soon spent, The times no time, the Spiders web is rent: Even such is man, and of as brittle state, Hees alwaies subject unto Envies hate. Mans life is like the lightning in the sky, Or like a Post that suddenly doth hye, Or like a Quaver singing of a song, Or like a journey thats not very long. The lightnings past, for and the Post must goe, The Note is short, and sos the journey too: Even such is Man the which doth heap up sorow That lives to day, and dyes before to morrow. Mans like unto the snow when summers come, Or like a Peare, or like unto a Plum, Or like a tree that groweth fresh and green, Or like the wind which can no waies be seen.
The Peare doth rot, for and the Plum doth fall, The snow dissolves, and so wee must doe all, The trees consumd that was so fresh and faire, The winds uncertaine that blowes in the ayre. Mans like the seed put into the earths womb, Or like dead Lazarus thats in his Tombe: Or like Tabitha being in a sleep, Or like to Jonas that was in the deep. The seed it springeth, Lazarus now standeth, Tabitha wakes, and Jonas he hath landed, Thus are wee certain life wee shall obtaine, Though death doth kill yet shall we live againe. God of his mercy grant to us his grace, That we may lead our lives in such a case, That when wee are departed hence away, Wee then may live with him in joy for aye. Grant Lord that wee may please thy will divine Lord let thy loving favour on us shine, And turne from us thy heavy wrath and ire, And grant us mercy Lord wee thee require. Lord make us like the fruitfull Vines, To bring forth fruits in our due tides & times, Unto the honour of thy glorious name, Amen good Lord, grant wee may doe the same. Now to conclude, God blesse our gracious Charles, With all his worthy Subjects, Lords, & Earles, And grant us Lord, true faith, with love & peace, And let thy Gospell more and more encrease.
FINIS. London Printed for H.G.