The AGE and LIFE of MAN
TUNE——— ISLE OF KELL,
UPON the ſixteen hundredth year,
of God, and fifty three,
Frae Christ was horn that bought us dear,
as writings testifie.
On January the sixteenth day,
as,I did ly alone,
With many a sigh and sob did say.
making an heavy moan.
Dame Nature, the excellent bride,
did stand up me before,
And said to me, thou must provide,
this life for to abhor:
Thou fees what things are gone before,
experienjce teaches thee,
In what state that ever thou be.
remember man to die.
Of all the creatures bearing life,
recal back in thy mind
Confider how they ebb and thrive
each thing is their own kind
Yet few of them have such a strain,
ps God bath giv’n to thee:
Therefore this lesson keep in' mind,
remember, man, to die.
Man's course on earth I will report,
if I have time and space;
It may he long, it may be short,
as God hath giv’n thee grace:
His nature to the herbs compare
that in the ground ly dead,
And to each month add five year,
and so we will proceed.
The first five years then of naan’s life
compare to Januar
In all that time but sturt and strife,
he can but greet and roar:
So is the fields of flow’rs all brae,
by reason of the frost,
Keeping the ground both soft and found
yet none of them is lost.
So to years ten, I shall speak then,
of rebutar but lack;
The child is meek, and weak of sprt,
nothing can undertake.
So all the flow’rs for lack of showers,
no springing up can make,
Yet birds do sing, and praise their K
and each one choose their mate.
Then in comes March that noble arch,
with wholesome spring and air.
The child doth spring to years fifteen,
with vifage fine and fair:
So do the flow’rs with softning show’rs
ay spring up as we see;
Yet nevertheless, remember this,
that one day we must die.
Then'brave April doth sweetly smile,
the flow’rs do fair appear,
The child is then become a man,
to the age of twenty year.
If he' be kind and well inclin’d,
and brought up at the school,
Then men may know if he forth show,
a wife man or a fool
Then cometh May, gallant, and gay,
when fragrant flow’rs do thrive,
The child is then become a man,
of age twenty and five;
And for his life doth seek a wife,
his life and days to spend
Christ from above send peace and love,
and grace unto the end.
Then cometh June with plesant tune,
when fields with fiow’rs. are clad,
And Phoebus bright is at his'height,
all creatures then are fed,
Then he appears of thety years,
with courage bold and flour,
His nature so makes-him to go,
of death he hath no doubt.
Then July comes with his hot calms,
and constant in his kind;
The man doth thrive to thirty-five,
then sober is in mind,
His children shall do on him call,
and breed him sturt and strife;
His wife may die, and to must he
go seek another wife.
Then August; old. both stout and bold
when flowers do stoutly stand;
So man appears' to forty years,
with wisdom and command:
And both provide his house to guide,
children and familie:
Yet do not miss t'remember this,
that one day thou must die.
September then comes with his train,
and makes the flow’rs to fade,
Then man believe is forty-five,
grave, constant, wife and sad;
When he looks on how youth is gone,
and shall it no more see:
Then may he lay, both night and day,
have mercy, Lord, on me:
October’s blast comes in with boasts,
'and makes the flow’rs to fall,
Then man appears to fifty years;
old age both on him call:
The almond tree both flourish hie
and pale grows man we fee;
Then it is time to use his life
remember, man, to die.
November air maketh fields bare,
of flow’rs, of grass and corn;
Then man appear to fifty-five years,
and sick both e’en and morn:
Loins, legs and thighs without disease,
makes him to sigh and say,
Ah! Christ on high have mind on me,
and learn me for to die.
December fell both sharp and fuell,
makes flow'rs creep in the around,
Then man’s threescore both sick and sore
no soundness in him found:
His ears and seen and teeth of bane,
all there now do him sail,
Then may he say both night and day,
that death shall him assail
And if there be thro' nature strong,
some that live ten years more;
Or if he creepeth up and down
till he come to fourscore;
Yet all this time is but a line,
no pleasure can he see;
Then may he say both night and day,
have mercy, Lord, on me.
Thus have I shown you as I can,
the course of all mens life:
We will return where we began,
but either hurt or strife
Dame Memorie doth take her leave,
She'll last no more, we see;