they be well examined) of all the
pleasures of this world. There is in none so much sweetenes, but
there is more bitternes: none so pleasant to the mouth, but
leaues an vnsauery after taste and lothsome disdaine: none
(which is worse) so moderated but hath his corosiue, and caries
his punishment in it selfe. I will not heere speake of the
displeasures confessed by all, as quarells, debates, woundes,
murthers, banishments, sicknes, perils, whereinto sometimes the
incontinencie, sometimes the insolencie of this ill guided age
conductes him. But if those that seem pleasures, be nothing else
but displeasures: if the sweetnes thereof be as an infusion of
wormewood: it is plaine enough what the displeasure is they
feele, and how great the bitternes that they taste. Behold in
summe the life of a yong man, who rid of the gouernment of his
parents and maisters, abandons himselfe to all libertie or
rather bondage of his passion: which right like an vncleane
spirit possessing him, casts him now into the water, now into
the fire: sometimes caries him cleane ouer a rocke, and sometime
flings him headlong to the bottome. Now if he take and followe
reason for his guide, beholde on the other part wonderfull
difficulties: he must resolue to fight in euery part of the
field: at euery step to be in conflict, and at handstrokes, as
hauing his enemy in front, in flanke, and on the reareward,
neuer leauing to assaile him. And what enemy? all that can
delight him, all that he sees neere, or farre off: briefly the
greatest enemy of the world, the world it selfe. But which is
worse, a thousand treacherous and dangerous intelligences among
his owne forces, and his passion within himselfe desperate:
which in that age growne to the highest, awaits but time, houre,
and occasion to surprize him, and cast him into all viciousnes.
God only and none other, can make him choose this way: God only
can hold him in it to the ende: God only can make him victorious
in all his combats. And well we see how fewe they are that enter
into it, and of those fewe, how many that retire againe. Follow
the one way, or follow the other, he must either subiect
himselfe to a tyrannicall passion, or vndertake a weery and
continuall combate, willingly cast himselfe to destruction, or
fetter himselfe as it were in stockes, easily sincke with the
course of the water, or painefully swimme against the streame.
Loe here the young man, who in his youth hath drunke his full
dra