Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

And as for title, interest, and right,
    Ile proue its mine by that, as well as might,
    Though _Couetousnesse_, were vsed long before,
    Yet _Iudas_ Treason, made my Fame the more;
    When _Christ_ he caused, crucifyde to bee,
    For thirtie pence, man solde his minde to mee:
    And now adaies, what tenure is more free,
    Than that which purchas'd is, with Gold and fee?


_Conscience._

    With patience, haue I heard thy large Complaint,
    Wherein the Diuell, would be thought a Saint:
    But wot ye what, the Saying is of olde?
    One tale is good, vntill anothers tolde.
    Truth is the right, that I must stand vpon,
    (For other title, hath poore _Conscience_ none)
    First I will proue it, by Antiquitie,
    That thou art but an vp-start, vnto mee;
    Before that thou wast euer thought vpon,
    The minde of Man, belongd to mee alone.
    For after that the Lord, hath Man created,
    And him in blisse-full Paradice had seated;
    (Knowing his Nature was to vice inclynde)
    God gaue me vnto man, to rule his mynde,
    And as it were, his Gouernour to bee,
    To guide his minde, in Trueth, and Honestie.
    And where thou sayst, that man did sell his soule;
    That Argument, I quicklie can controule:
    It is a fayned fable, thou doost tell,
    That, which is not his owne, he cannot sell;
    No man can sell his soule, altho he thought it:
    Mans soule is _Christs_, for hee hath dearely bought it.
    Therefore vsurping _Couetise_, be gone.
    For why, the minde belongs to mee alone.


_Couetousnesse._

    Alas poore _Conscience_, how thou art deceav'd?
    As though of senses, thou wert quite bereaud.
    What wilt thou say (that thinkst thou canst not erre)
    If I can proue my selfe the ancienter?
    Though into _Adams_ minde, God did infuse thee,
    Before his fall, yet man did neuer vse thee.
    What was it else, but _Aurice_ in _Eue_,
    (Thinking thereby, in greater Blisse to liue)
    That made her taste, of the forbidden fruite?
    Of her Desier, was not I the roote?
    Did she not couet? (tempted by the Deuill)
    The Apple of the Tree, of good and euill?
    Before man vsed _Conscience_, she did couet:
    Therefore by her Transgression, here I proue it,
    That _Couetousnesse_ possest the minde of man,
    Before that any _Conscience_ began.


_Conscience._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

And as for title, interest, and right,
    Ile proue its mine by that, as well as might,
    Though _Couetousnesse_, were vsed long before,
    Yet _Iudas_ Treason, made my Fame the more;
    When _Christ_ he caused, crucifyde to bee,
    For thirtie pence, man solde his minde to mee:
    And now adaies, what tenure is more free,
    Than that which purchas'd is, with Gold and fee?


_Conscience._

    With patience, haue I heard thy large Complaint,
    Wherein the Diuell, would be thought a Saint:
    But wot ye what, the Saying is of olde?
    One tale is good, vntill anothers tolde.
    Truth is the right, that I must stand vpon,
    (For other title, hath poore _Conscience_ none)
    First I will proue it, by Antiquitie,
    That thou art but an vp-start, vnto mee;
    Before that thou wast euer thought vpon,
    The minde of Man, belongd to mee alone.
    For after that the Lord, hath Man created,
    And him in blisse-full Paradice had seated;
    (Knowing his Nature was to vice inclynde)
    God gaue me vnto man, to rule his mynde,
    And as it were, his Gouernour to bee,
    To guide his minde, in Trueth, and Honestie.
    And where thou sayst, that man did sell his soule;
    That Argument, I quicklie can controule:
    It is a fayned fable, thou doost tell,
    That, which is not his owne, he cannot sell;
    No man can sell his soule, altho he thought it:
    Mans soule is _Christs_, for hee hath dearely bought it.
    Therefore vsurping _Couetise_, be gone.
    For why, the minde belongs to mee alone.


_Couetousnesse._

    Alas poore _Conscience_, how thou art deceav'd?
    As though of senses, thou wert quite bereaud.
    What wilt thou say (that thinkst thou canst not erre)
    If I can proue my selfe the ancienter?
    Though into _Adams_ minde, God did infuse thee,
    Before his fall, yet man did neuer vse thee.
    What was it else, but _Aurice_ in _Eue_,
    (Thinking thereby, in greater Blisse to liue)
    That made her taste, of the forbidden fruite?
    Of her Desier, was not I the roote?
    Did she not couet? (tempted by the Deuill)
    The Apple of the Tree, of good and euill?
    Before man vsed _Conscience_, she did couet:
    Therefore by her Transgression, here I proue it,
    That _Couetousnesse_ possest the minde of man,
    Before that any _Conscience_ began.


_Conscience._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

No reviews yet