The world's a stage where God's omnipotence, His justice, knowledge, love, and providence Do act the parts.
Mercy and justice, marching cheek by joule.
What is well done is done soon enough.
And swans seem whiter if swart crowes be by.
Night's black mantle covers all alike.
And reads, though running, all these needful motions.
Not unlike the bear which bringeth forth In the end of thirty dayes a shapeless birth; But after licking, it in shape she drawes, And by degrees she fashions out the pawes, The head, and neck, and finally doth bring To a perfect beast that first deformed thing.
Bright-flaming, heat-full fire, The source of motion.
Much like the French (or like ourselves, their apes), Who with strange habit do disguise their shapes; Who loving novels, full of affectation, Receive the manners of each other nation.
From north to south, from east to west.
Hot and cold, and moist and dry.
From the foure corners of the worlde doe haste.
Oft seen in forehead of the frowning skies.
With tooth and nail.
'T is what you will,-or will be what you would.
Or savage beasts upon a thousand hils.
Not that the earth doth yield In hill or dale, in forest or in field, A rarer plant.
To man the earth seems altogether No more a mother, but a step-dame rather.
For where's the state beneath the firmament That doth excel the bees for government?
A good turn at need, At first or last, shall be assur'd of meed.
There is no theam more plentifull to scan Than is the glorious goodly frame of man.
Or almost like a spider, who, confin'd In her web's centre, shakt with every winde, Moves in an instant if the buzzing flie Stir but a string of her lawn canapie.
These lovely lamps, these windows of the soul.
Even as a surgeon, minding off to cut Some cureless limb,-before in ure he put His violent engins on the vicious member, Bringeth his patient in a senseless slumber, And grief-less then (guided by use and art), To save the whole, sawes off th' infested part.
Two souls in one, two hearts into one heart.
Which serves for cynosure To all that sail upon the sea obscure.
Turning our seed-wheat-kennel tares, To burn-grain thistle, and to vaporie darnel, Cockle, wild oats, rough burs, corn-cumbring Tares.
Apoplexie and lethargie, As forlorn hope, assault the enemy.
Living from hand to mouth.
Dog, ounce, bear, and bull, Wolfe, lion, horse.
Yielding more wholesome food than all the messes That now taste-curious wanton plenty dresses.
In every hedge and ditch both day and night We fear our death, of every leafe affright.
In the jaws of death.
Did thrust as now in others' corn his sickle.
Will change the pebbles of our puddly thought To orient pearls.
Soft carpet-knights, all scenting musk and amber.
The will for deed I doe accept.
Only that he may conform To tyrant custom.
Sweet grave aspect.
My lovely living boy, My hope, my hap, my love, my life, my joy.
Who breaks his faith, no faith is held with him.
Flesh of thy flesh, nor yet bone of thy bone.
Out of the book of Natur's learned brest.
Who well lives, long lives; for this age of ours Should not be numbered by years, daies, and hours.
Through thick and thin, both over hill and plain.
Weakened and wasted to skin and bone.
I take the world to be but as a stage, Where net-maskt men do play their personage.
The world's a stage where God's omnipotence, His justice, knowledge, love, and providence Do act the parts.