Utriufque Crepundia Merces

The Sum of all that thus their Strength employs

On either side, are Follys glittring Toys.

X.

JOHN viii. 44.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

HE

[black: ERE'S your right ground: wag gently o'er this 'Tis a short cast; y'are quickly at the jack. Rub, rub an inch or two; two crowns to one

On this bowl's side; blow, wind; 'tis fairly thrown: The next bowl's worse that comes; come bowl away; Mammon, you know the ground; untutor'd, play: Your last was gone; a yard of strength, well spar'd, Had touch'd the block; your hand is still too hard, Brave pastime, readers; to consume that day,

Which, without pastime, flies too swift away!
See how they labour; as if day and night

Were both too short to serve their loose delight:
See how their curved bodies wreath, and screw
Such antic shapes as Proteus never knew:
One raps an oath, another deals a curse;

He never better bowl'd; this never worse:
One rubs his itchless elbow, shrugs and laughs :
The other bends his beetle brows, and chafes:
Sometimes they whoop, sometimes their Stygian cries
Send their black Santo's to the blushing skies:
Thus mingling humours in a mad confusion,
They make bad premises, and worse conclusion:
But where's a palin that Fortune's hand allows
To bless the victor's honourable brows?

Come, reader, come, I'll light thine eye the way
To view the prize, the while the gamesters play:
Close by the jack, behold, jill Fortune stands
To wave the game; see in her partial hands
The glorious garland's held in open show,

To chear the lads, and crown the conqu'ror's brow.
C 4

The

The world's the jack; the gamesters that contend,
Are Cupid, Mammon that judicious fiend,
That gives the ground, is Satan: and the bowls

Are sinful thoughts; the prize, a crown for fools. Who breathes that bowls not? What bold tongue can Without a blush, he has not bowl'd to day?

It is the trade of man, and ev'ry sinner

Has play'd his rubbers: every soul's a winner.
The vulgar proverb's crost, he hardly can
Be a good bowler and an honest man.

Good God! turn thou my Brazil thoughts anew;
New-sole my bowls, and make their bias true.
I'll cease the game, till fairer ground be given;
Nor wish to. win, until the mark be heav'n.

S. BERNARD. Lib. de Consid.

[say

O you sons of Adam, you covetous. generations, what have ye to do with earthly riches, which are neither true nor yours? Gold and silver are real earth, red and white which the only error of man makes, or rather reputes, precious in short, if they be yours, carry them with you.

S. HIERON. in Ep.

O lust, thou infernal fire, whose fuel is gluttony; whose flame is pride; whose sparkles are wanton words; whose smoke is infamy; whose ashes are uncleanness ; whose end is hell.

EPIG. 10:

Mammon, well follow'd: Cupid; bravely led';:
Both touchers; equal fortune makes a dead;
No reed can measure where the conquest lies ;
Take my advice; compound, and share the prize.

EPHES.

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