Age and life of man, or, A short description of the nture (sic), rise, and fall, according to the 12 months of the year/Age and Life of Man

The Age and Life of Man.

UPON the sixteenth hundred year
of God, and fifty-three
Frae Christ was born that bought us dear
as writings testifie,
On January the sixteenth day,
as I did lye alone,
With many a sigh and sob did say
making a heavy moan.
Dame Nature, that instructive guide;
did stand up me before.
And said to me thou must provide
this life for to abhor:
Thou sees what things are gone before,
experience teacheth thee,
In whatsover state thou be,
remember, man, to die.
Of all the creatures bearing
recal back in thy mind;
Consider how they ebb and thrive,
each thing in their ow kind
Yet few of them leave such a strain,
as God hath given to thee,
Therefore this lesson keep in mind,
remember, man, to die.
Man's course on earth I will report,
si have tim and space.
It may be long it may be short,
as God hath given 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 man's life,
compare to Januar;
In all that time but sturt and strife,
he can but greet and roar;
So in the fields of flowers all bare,
by reason of the frost;
Keeping the gorund both soft and sound,
yet none of them is lost
So to years ten I shall speak then,
of Februar but lack;
The child is meek and weak of spirit,
nothing can undertake.
So all the flowers for lack of showers,
uo springing up can make.
Yet birds do sing, and praise eirth King,
and each one choose their mate.
Then in comes March thnt noble arch,
with wholesome spring and air.
This child doth spring to years fifteen,
with visage fine and fair;
So do the flowers with ioftening showers,
ay spring, up as we see;
Yet nevertheless, remember this,
That one day we must die.
Then brave April doth sweetly smile,
the flowers doth 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 scoold.
Then men may know if he forth show,
a wise man or a fool.
Then cometh May gallant and gay,
when fragrant flow'rs doth thrivet
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.
May he above send peace and Love,
and grace into the end.
Then cometh June pleasant tune,
when fields with flow'rs are clad,
And Phoebus bright is at his height,
all creatures then are fed.
Thou he appears of thirty years,
with courage bold and stout,
His nature so makes him to go,
of death he hath no doubt.
Then July comes with her hot calms,
and constant it his kind;
The man doth thrive to thirty-five,
and sober is in mind:
His children small doth on him call,
and breed him strut and strife;
His wife may die, and so must he
go seek another wife,
So man appears at forty years
with wisdom and command;
And doth provide his house to grid,
children and familie:
Yet do not miss t'rememqer this,
that one day thou must die.
September then comes with his train,
and makes the flowers to fade,
Then man belyve is forty-five,
grave, constant, wise and sad;
When he looks on (illegible text) youth is gone,
and shall it no more see.
Then might he say, both night and day,
have mercy Lord, on me.
October's (illegible text) come in with boasts,
and make the flowers to fall,
Then man appears at fifty years,
Old Age doth to him call:
The Almond tree doth flourish hie,
and pale grows man we see;
Then it is time to use this line,
Remember Man to Die,
November air makes fields bare,
of flowers grass, and corn,
Then man appears fifty five years,
and sick both even and morn
Loins legs, and thighs with sad disease
makes him to sigh and say,
Ah! Heaven on high have mind on ⟨me⟩
and learn me how to die.
December fell, both sharp and snell,
makes flowers creep in the ground,
Then man’s threescore both sick and ⟨sore⟩
no soundness in him found
His ears and een and teeth of bone,
all these now do him lail;
Then he may say both night and day,
that Death shall him assail.
And if there be through natuae strong,
some that live ten years more;
Or if he creepeth up and dow,
till he come to fourscore.
Yet all this time is but a line,
no pleasure can he see;
Then he may say both night and day,
Have Mercy Lord, ond me.
Thus have I shown you as I can,
the course of all men's life,
⟨We⟩ will return where we began,
but either strut or strife
⟨Same⟩ Memoire doth take her leave,
she’ll last no more, we see;
⟨I⟩ grant that I may not Him grieve,
to think no more of me