of thÊïr hapless owner. HoV feeling are the hnes^whi^^^^^great har^p^ts
in'iis mouth at this period/of his nujpipllinésj-^
mathujkslitwere a happy‘life,
^m b e no better than a\ho^dyVswain;
To'rit upon a hill, as «
To carve out dials quaintly, pwM’jhy.point,
Thereby to see'th.e’puxnfes how they ru n : . • -
How many maketbe hourfull complete,
How many hours bring about the day,
How many days will finish upJEhe year,
How many years a mortal man may life.1'. .
When this is known, then to divide the time :
•So maw hoursjmust I tend myTlotak'; > • .
So many-honrs must I take my rest;
So many hours must I contemplate;
So many hours must I sport myself;
So many days my ewes have been with young;
So many weeks ere the popr'fools will' yean;
So many years ere I shall shear the fleece;
So minutes, hours, days, weeks, mdnths, and years,-
Pass’d over to the end they were created, .
Would bring white hairs unto a quiet grave. .
Ah,- what a life, were this 1 how sweet! how lovely f
Gives not the hawthorn-bush a sweeter shade
To shepherds, looking on their silly sheep, -
Than doth a rich embroider’d canopy
To kings, that fear their subjects’ treachery!”
The kjug’s ink-case is made of leather, much in th e rm o style Hnc^|prrn
as was commonly’used for articles of the same description u^tc^tlle p r ^ n t
rontury. I f is ornamented with considerable ^egscpeer; jmd
other figures, the arms of England, and thé rose of tbc 'Jiou^e of I^ctTu^ister
surmounted by the crown. The cover is attached fp theTody o f
by a sliding cord of silk. In tbe inside are three cells, one
the inkstand, the other two to hold pens, &c. ' - ^
The initial letter on the foregoing page is a .copy of one of the ffiuminated
letters in a printed hook of the latter part of the fifteenth centary, in jj^-e
British Museum.