Samuel Rowlands

“To Time. (1615)Thou Register of old Antiquities,Observer of the worlds iniquities,Surveying life from birth till Death intoombe,From Adam's making, to the day of doom: That in thy restless cunning dost admit Of actions lawful, or of things unfit, And hast thy head behind of purpose ball'd, Because thou never wilt be back recall'd; But wear'st a lock before I understand, On which I never yet could lay my hand. I have expected (thou grave ancient father) Thy helping hand, and I protest the rather, Because they say that Time by turns doth go, And hitherto I have not found it so:Therefore for some good turn, one of these days,I challenge thee, or I'll disprove thy praise, And I write of thee according as I find, That thorow age thou art both ball'd and blind; Find out a time, good Time, for to relieve me, For at this time, Time very bad doth grieve mee.””

“To Fortune:Thou purblind puppet for a Tradesmans stall,Thou limping Lady of the Hospital;Empress of Epicures and belly-gods,With whom I vow to live and die at odds;Thou mole-eye'd, owl-eye'd, Countess for a spittle,That gives to some too much, to me too little;Thou whirly-gig, and ratsbane of my life,Which by thy wheel dost seem some wheelwrights wife;Thou make-bate to a discontented mind, Thou water-bubble, wasteful puff of wind;Thou flying-feather of a woodcocks wing,Thou Heathenish and very Pagan thing;Thou Misers friend, thou worthy Gallants foe, Thou scurvy Ballad of I wale in woe; Thou that all discontentment dost provoke, Thou worse to me then this Tobacco smoke;Thou that Rage, Fury, Envy dost importune, I'll tickle thee, thou scurvy minded Fortune.””