George Withers' Emblemes

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Makeufe of Time, that's comming on
F6r>tbatupcrilVi>v>bicb u gone.
iLLVsTa. XLIX.
Book
>^is Glaffe dechrcs,how Time doth pifle away •
And,if rh: Word*, about it, rightly fay,
Thy Twc that'sgoiHhjs-bft: and,proofe will fhew,
1 hjt,many find both Words, and Emblem ,tiue.
How Lft their Time departs, they beft perceive,
From who-Ti it freaks, before they take their lea >
e,
Of what th: y love j and,whfe laft houre is gone,
Before their chiefell: bufineiTes'are done.
How faft it Hides, ev a they are alfo taught,
(Too late, perhaps) who never kept in thought
Their ending-day
;
but, alwayes did prefume,
Or, largely hope upr -n rhe Time to come-,
The prefent-bomes,nor thankfully enjoying,
Nor,honeftly, n >r ufefully etti ploying.
That,yeares expir'd, are ln(t\ they likewife find
For,when their under ftin.iing brings ro mind,
How fondly (or, how ill perchance* they fpenc
Their paffed age • they fee, with difcontenr,
The Time, not oncly left, brr, wo: fe than (o 3
Lo(l,mxh a thoufand other L lies moe:
And, that,when th> y
Can purchafe them,onc minute f an h»iv. c.
Confider this,all ye that fpend the prime,
The»w«t tide,znd the tnUght of your Time,
fhall need njvtalth no.fowr,
Inchildtfhplay games, or meerc worldly things-
Ac if y u could, at pleafue, clip Times wings,
Or
•
rume his Glaffe or,had a Life,ox tvvainc
To live, when you had fool'd out thk in vainc.
Short y. the pre(e»t •
loft Times paffed bee ;
A-.id/ftmete- come, vtcc may notice to fee.
M m
The