English Puritan & Reformed

The Four Ages of Man

Edward Calver (fl 1649) · 910 words · 4 min

The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A09405.0001.001

Project Note

This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.

The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.

This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.

Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.

However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.

This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.

Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org

[illustration]

Child Hood

[depiction of a child]
The four Ages of Man. 1638
Are to be sold by … . S …
• in Cornhill 〈…〉

          With
          
           •
          
          h
          
           •
          
          ines scarfe feathers staff w
          
           th
          
          posy garnished
         
          With silks and sattin
          
           •
          
          laced faced uarnicht
         
          for first preferment tis my dadies care
         
          To make me hinch boy to the shreive or may
          
           ••

PASSION AND DISCRETION, IN YOVTH, AND AGE.

         Here in a plain, and most familiar kind
        
         You may behold a Combat in the Mind:
        
         Mans differing motions are the jar in question.
        
         The Combatants are
         
          Passion,
         
         and
         
          Discretion:
         
         Each striving to be chief in the desire.
        
         Or, if you please to strain in any higher,
        
         Then here you, partly, may behold the strife
        
         Between the Flesh, and Spirit in this Life.

LONDON, Printed by T. & R. Cotes, for Francis Grove, dwelling on Snow-hill, near the Sarazens head, without New-gate. 1641.

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[illustration]

Youth

Next place of office which I do attain

is • washing whiffler w ^th my staff and ch • ine

In which hot office when J long have binn

J swaggering leave and to be stayed beginn

Passion and Discretion in Youth and Age.

          W
         
         Hen that arch light, which makes things made appear,
        
         Dame natures Nurse, bright
         
          Phoebus
         
         doth draw near,
        
         And from our Clymate, this times guider,
         
          Sol
         
         Cals winter back to the Autarticke Pole:
        
         Then doth our late frost-bitten regions smile,
        
         Our piercing air, cold winds and, fruitless soil,
        
         All suffer change, yea cheerished by the Sun
        
         All things beneath rejoice in what is done.

         The earth puts on its rich, and sweet attire,
        
         Sweet to the sense, and rich to the desire.
        
         Fish in the waters do both scip and flote:
        
         Birds in the air tune a melodious note;
        
         Beasts on the earth, yea Nature seems to sing
        
         By signs of joy to well-come in the spring.

         How shall these creatures in subjection pent,
        
         Declare such signs and tokens of content,
        
         These senseless creatures glory in this measure,
        
         And in their youth, the spring time take such pleasure;
        
         And shall not I, who hitherto lay hid,
        
         Like Natures power, in winter time, as dead?
        
         In this my spring time have a cheerful voice,
        
         Now in my youth be merry and rejoice?
        
         〈38 pages missing〉
        
         But here lies that which doth undo us still,
        
         That which, dear self, converts our good to ill;
        
         God in his mercy having daign'd to give us
        
         Innumerable good things to rel
         
          •
         
         eve us;
        
         We out of weakness, either quite ref
         
          •
         
         se them,
        
         Or in the using of them quite abuse them:
        
         Which most prepost'rous custom to suppress,
        
         Let love and friendship be without excess.

Passion in Age.

         FOnd man what meant I? what was in my mind?
        
         When I was Youthfull how was I inclind?
        
         I then was heedless, ignorant, and nice,
        
         And counted care of worldly gain a vice:
        
         Youths chief contentments, vain delights & pleasure
        
         Were all I sought for, they were then my treasure.
        
         I held them muck worms, and in much disdain,
        
         That did not value pleasure above gain:
        
         I felt no sorrow then for what I spent,
        
         Because it purchased that which gave content.

         But now I see my error in the same,
        
         How foolish I was, and how far to blame,
        
         How wanton pleasure did delude my mind,
        
         And wrought upon my weakness in this kind.

         How many opportunities most fit,
        
         Which both advice, and reason did admit,
        
         Of gain or profit did I then neglect,
        
         Without all care in any such respect?

[illustration]

Man Hood

• N livery gown and hoode I now have got

〈◊〉 which in rank and ffi • e to poules I trott

And swim in sholes to wesminster in barges

and to feed high spare nether cost nor charges

[illustration]

Olde Age.

But if my ffeasting have to lavish been

I must be fforced to turn Child a gin

Instead of posy bear a burning tape • .

〈◊〉 man begins in 〈◊◊〉 in 〈◊〉 .

〈4 pages missing〉

         And therefore this shall be my highest pitch,
        
         Only to toil, and study to be rich,
        
         And this I will endeavor to express:
        
         Though with my tongue, I do not it confess.

         But if I must, for tender Natures sake,
        
         Some further use of Recreation make,
        
         My Liberary to my view presents
        
         The sweet fruition of most choice contents:
        
         There I have certain statute Books at hand,
        
         Where I may view the Tenours of my Land:
        
         There I have just Arethmatickes to count
        
         Unto what sums my usuries amount:
        
         And eke an Affamerides, which may
        
         Shew me my other comings in each day.

         And there to pleasure me, I may behold
        
         My bonds, and bills, my silver, and my gold;
        
         Which Jewels if I should but feel, I think,
        
         It would refresh me more than meat and drink.

Discretion in Age.

         DEare self, what art thou all inclined to earth?
        
         Is nothing else in thy account of worth?
        
         Or, at the leastwise, nothing else that may
        
         Here upon earth, be valu'd with this clay?

         Earth is, indeed, the matter of thy frame,
        
         And thou must sure, again unto the same;
        
         For things Created naturally run,
        
         Into those elements where they begun)
        
         This cannot be denied: that in this kind
        
         Thou mayst be something to the earth inclined.

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The Four Ages of Man

Project Note

[illustration] Youth Next place of office which I do attain is • washing whiffler w th my staff and ch • ine In which hot office when J long have binn J swaggering leave and to be stayed beginn

Passion and Discretion in Youth and Age.

Passion in Age.

Discretion in Age.

[illustration]

Youth

Next place of office which I do attain

is • washing whiffler w ^th my staff and ch • ine

In which hot office when J long have binn

J swaggering leave and to be stayed beginn