❧A good Exhortation to euery man what he should doo when he goeth to bed and when he riseth.
To a new Northen tune.
AT night lye down prepare to haue:
thy sléep, thy death, thy bed, thy graue.
A rise a wake think that thou hast:
thy life but lent, thy breth a blast.
Let not the sluggish sléep,
close vp thy waking eye:
Vntil with iudgement déep,
thy dayly deeds thou trye.
He which one sinne in conscience kéeps,
when he to quiet goes:
More ventrous is then he which sléepes,
with twentie mortall foes.
[...]herfore at night call vnto minde,
[...] the day hast spent:
[...] if nought amis thou finde,
if ought betime repent.
And since thy bed a pattern is,
of death and fatall
[...]earie:
Bedward it shall not be amis,,
thus to record in verie.
The stretching armes, the yawning breath,
that I to bedward vse:
Are patterns of the panges of death,
when life must me refuse.
The nightly Bell which I heare sound,
as I am laid in bed:
Foreshowes the Bell which me to ground,
shall ring when I am dead,
My bed is like the graue so colde,
and sleep which shuts myne eye,
Resembleth death: Clothes which me folde,
declare the moules so drye.
The frisking fleas resemble wel,
the wringling worme to me:
Which with me in the graue shall dwel,
where I no light shall sée.
The waking Cock that early crowes,
to weare the night away:
Puts me in minde the trump that blowes
before the later day.
The splendent Sun whose golden ray,
no eye can dure to sée:
Declares how in that dreadful day,
God shall appéer to me.
The rising in the morn likewise,
When sleepy night is past:
Puts me in minde how I shall rise
to iudgement at the last.
I go to bed as to my graue,
God knoweth when I shall wake:
But Lord I trust thou wilt me saue,
and me to mercy take.
Thus wil I wake, thus wil I sléep,
thus wil I hope to rise:
Thus wil I neither waile nor wéep,
but sing in godly wise.
Repent, repent you sinners all,
and call to God for grace:
That he may graunt vnto vs all,
in heauen a dwelling place.
FINIS.
¶ Imprinted at London for Richard Ballard, and are to be solde at Saint Magnus corner.