Classic Poem

When well I weigh the state of mortall Life,
Mee seemes it seemes but too like Post and Pare:
Where eache Man seekes to winn, by ciuill strife;
While most make show of more then what they are

One vies it, beeing but a Knaue, perchance,
Against a King, or Queene, or Paires of both;
Out-brauing Cowardize, and Ignorance
And, others part Stakes, that to lose are loth.

Some, Nothing seeme, to gett Some-thinge by it,
These some, passe all, to goe beyond the rest:
These, better their Good-fortunes by good Witt,
Who crouch, as beeing worst, till they are best.

Some, some-what giue, to fetch some others in,
That so, at last, they may bee furthest out:
These, little giue, by small guifts, muck to winne,
Yet oft so loose they all, to winne a Flout.

Some, beeing Pa-riall, dare to do, what not?
Vy, and re uy and weene they all shall winn:
When some One other better Cards hath gott,
That they are furthest out, when furthest in!

Some Elders, for re-uies, passe Pare, and Post,
When lo, the Yonger shares, or Doubles it:
Then freits the Winner, for his wynning, lost:
Sith foolish Fortune Conny-catched Witt.

Some, vy, and reuy faceing, so, to folle:
That haue no Games, but gamesome seem, with griefe:
The while the rest haue game to see their spoile,
Who yet, out-brau'd, do blush, sith they were chiefe.

Some, being Cock, like Crauens giue it ore
To them that haue the worst Cards in the Stock:
For, if the one be ritch, the other poore,
The Cock proues Crauen, and the Crauen, Cock!

Some hauing lost the double Pare and Post,
Make their aduantage on the Purrs they haue:
Whereby the Winners winnings all are lost,
Although at best, the other's but a Knaue.

Pur Celt deceaues the expectation
Of him, perhaps, that tooke the Stakes away:
Then, to put Tant, hee's in subiection:
For, Winners on the Losers oft do play.

Flush is ore borne oft by a better Flush:
And Kings do conquer Kings but by the hand:
As Stronger do the weaker euer crush:
And still win of them Glory, Goods, and Land.

Some, look awry, to see if they can spie
Anothers Cards, thereby to make their game:
Then on a Nine ten times perhaps they vy
Knowing the other's blind, though they are lame.

Some Pack, and others Cut, to breake the Pack:
Some, shuffle cunningly, and shift thereby:
Some, take a Card, and some a Card put back
More then they should, to back their vice, and Vie.

Some, haue Confedrates of the Lookers on,
Who look as friends they were to all alike:
Then with a signe of least suspition
They note the Conny which they meane to strike.

And if the Gamsters do play ouer-long,
All, drawne, by all, the Butlers Box doth drawe:
As Lawiers gett all, bee it right, or wronge
That's wonne, and lost, if Men bee long in Lawe:
Thus properlie we may this Life compare,
Vnto the bragging game of Post and Pare.